Vajhra

Three-pronged vajhra palewise (SFPP)

A vajhra is a short bar of metal or carved stone, with clawed ends; it is a Buddhist priest’s holy symbol cum weapon, and is also known as a “priest’s lightning bolt”. The vajhra is found as a charge in Japanese Mon, as borne by Kasuga [Hawley 96], and as an artifact in period India; it has thus been accepted for Society use.

The vajhra has no Society default orientation; the number of prongs should be specified in the blazon as well. The illustration shows a three-pronged vajhra palewise.

Evan ap Llywelyn of Caernarfon bears as a badge: Sable, two vajhra in cross within a lotus blossom pierced argent.

Kuji Ka Onimusashi bears: Vert, a sheaf of forked arrows inverted surmounted by a three-pronged vajhra fesswise Or.

Vair

Vair, ancient (Period)

Vair, later period (Period)

Vair is one of the principal furs in heraldry, consisting of a series of panes, alternately white and blue, completely tiling the field. It was originally meant to represent squirrel-skins, sewn together with the back-fur and belly-fur alternating. There are several varieties of vair, all of which are considered mere artistic variations of one another.

The earliest depiction of vair, dating from the Matthew Paris shields c.1244, had rounded edges. Originally, the peaks didn’t touch the straight edges of the rows; by c.1400, the peaks might extend to the rows’ edges. These depictions are sometimes termed “vair ancient” in modern heraldry texts; the stylization is not blazoned in Society armory, being left to the artist. By the end of period, a more angular form of vair was used, tessellated with vair-bells; this form is the modern standard depiction. Period heraldic tracts also gave names to different patterns of arranging the panes: e.g., “counter-vair”, with the panes set base-to-base, and not alternating colors; and “vair en pointe”, with the panes staggered. There are other forms as well, some of which came to be used in post-period armory.

Potent (Period)

One style of depicting vair came to be called “potent”, because the panes resembled potents or crutches. Again, no difference is counted between vair and potent.

Vair furs may use other tinctures besides white and blue. Such cases must be explicitly blazoned: e.g., “Vairy Or and gules”, the canting arms of Ferrers, c.1244 [Asp2 222]. See also papellony, plumetty.

Kat’ryna Neblaga Volchkova bears: Vair, flaunches gules.

Gauvain Eisenbein bears: Vairy en point erminois and azure, a bordure gules.

Steven MacEanruig bears: Potent, on a pile sable a cross crosslet argent.

Vair-bell

Vair-bell (Disallowed)

A vair-bell is a single segment of the vair field. As a charge, it would appear to be unique to Society armory, and is no longer registered. The vair-bell is drawn in a stylized angular manner, with the point to chief. See also bell, helm (kettle).

Ivan Brasonic bears: Sable, a vair-bell inverted argent environed of eight plates in annulo.

Catherine of Greenfields bears: Vert, a vair-bell Or, overall a raven’s quill bendwise sinister proper.

Urinal

Urinal in its basket (Period)

A urinal is a vessel used by physicians for storing or transporting urine samples. It consists of a glass flask protected by a cylindrical wire basket; its full period blazon is “a urinal in its carrier” (ung orynall dedens son case), as in the crest of Louis Caerlion, a physician, 1493 [Bedingfeld 63].

Jaquelinne Sauvageon bears: Azure, a urinal argent basketed Or.

Unicorn

Unicorn (Period)

The unicorn is a fierce heraldic monster, named for the single horn growing from the center of its forehead; it was the medieval archetype of purity and chastity, and its horn was considered an antidote to poison. As an heraldic charge, it’s found as early as c.1340, in the arms of Tengen [Zurich 72].

The unicorn is always shown with its forward-pointing horn, which is its defining characteristic; it’s also drawn with cloven hooves. The usual English depiction gives it a body much like a horse’s, but with a bearded chin, a lion’s tail, and tufts at its feet (and frequently higher on the legs). The Continental depiction is based more on a goat, frequently with a goat’s tail (though a lion’s tail is common), and often no tufts or beard. The exact variant is not distinguished in blazon: either form is acceptable in the Society. Both forms are rampant by default, as in the illustration.

Modern fantasy art often depicts the unicorn as a horned horse, with long sweeping mane and tail; this is not the medieval concept of the unicorn, and so-called “unicornate horses” are no longer permitted in Society armory.

The March of the Unicorn bears: Gyronny of sixteen azure and argent, a unicorn rampant and in chief a laurel wreath Or.

Charles Edward Alexander Everman bears: Ermine, a unicorn rampant sable, armed and crined gules.

Henry Clarence bears: Argent, three unicorns passant azure.

Duncan MacDougall of Mendersham bears: Or, a unicorn rampant gules.

Tyger

Tyger rampant (Period)

Bengal tiger rampant (SFPP)

The tyger is an heraldic monster, described as incredibly swift and deceitful; its body is much like that of the wolf, but it has a crest of tufts on the back of its neck, and a tusk pointing down from its nose. Medieval legend asserts that to escape a pursuing tyger, one must throw a mirror before it, so that it will be entranced by its reflection; indeed, the tyger in the arms of Sybell, 1531, is in just such a pose [Dennys 144]. The illustration shows a tyger rampant.

When blazoned a “natural tiger” or “Bengal tiger”, the term denotes a natural beast, the great cat Felis tigris: like a maneless lion, but with stripes on its coat. When blazoned “proper”, its coat is tawny, and the stripes black; this naturalistic coloring is no longer permitted in Society armory, but standard heraldic tinctures (e.g., “a Bengal tiger Or marked sable”) may still be used. The use of a Bengal tiger is considered a step from period practice. The illustration shows a Bengal tiger rampant.

The King of the East bears as a badge: A tyger passant azure.

Alia la rousse bears: Gules, in pale two tygers passant argent.

Sean Fitzwallace bears: Gules, a Bengal tiger rampant guardant proper within a bordure counter-compony argent and azure.

Turnip

Turnip slipped and leaved (Period)

The turnip is a root vegetable with a bitter taste, which was nonetheless widely cultivated in medieval times (since it will grow almost anywhere). It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Am Hard, c.1340 [Zurich 266].

A “turnip proper” in period heraldry would be mostly white (with some purple near the stem) with green leaves; the Society defines a “turnip proper” as (roughly) per fess wavy purpure and argent, slipped and/or leaved vert. Its leaves are to chief by default. See also fruit.

Jenifer of Squalid Manor bears: Or, a turnip purpure, leaved vert, distilling a goutte de sang.

Helena Caxton bears: Vert, a turnip argent.

Ysabelot Clarisse bears as a badge: A turnip bendwise proper.

Turning cratch

Turning cratch (Period)

A turning cratch is a movable rack or crib, to hold fodder for feeding beasts out of doors. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Lamminger, 1605 [Siebmacher 89]; a slightly different form is found in the arms of von Hertenberg, c.1560 [BSB Cod.Icon 390:912].

Benedetta Meglino bears: Sable, a turning cratch argent issuant from a trimount Or.

Turkeycock

Turkeycock (Period)

The turkeycock is a large game bird of the poultry family, originally from North America, but brought to Europe in the 16^th Century; by the end of our period, it had become a traditional part of English Christmas dinner. It’s a period charge, found as the crest of William Strickland, 1550, who’s credited with introducing the turkey to England [Guide 189], and as the allusive crest of Robert Cooke, 1556 [Bedingfeld 101].) The turkeycock is statant by default; it’s typically shown with its tail erect. See also cock.

David Waxthorn bears: Argent, a turkeycock statant and on a chief azure two quill pens crossed in saltire Or.

Tulip

Tulip slipped and leaved (Accepted)

The tulip is a cup-shaped flower originally from Persia, and brought to Europe in the 16^th Century; though it was cultivated in many countries, its strongest association is with Holland [EB XXVII:366]. Because of its late introduction to Europe, it’s not surprising that no examples of tulips have been found in period armory.

Like most cup-shaped flowers, the tulip is shown in profile by Society default. The petals should be shown opened: the use of the tulip bud, like the rose bud, is not permitted. The illustration shows a tulip slipped and leaved; it’s taken from Conrad Gesner’s De Hortis Germaniae Liber Recens, 1561. See also iris, lily.

Dai of the Tulips bears: Argent, a tulip gules slipped and leaved vert.

Anna de Brabant bears: Per saltire argent and Or, a tulip flower sable.

Beatrix van der See bears: Per fess wavy vert and barry wavy argent and azure, in chief three tulips Or.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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