Chatloup

Chatloup passant (Period)

The chatloup is a monster with the face of a cat, the body of a wolf, and the serrated horns of an antelope. It was also called a “calopus”, “catwolf,” or “catalope” [Dennys 153]. It doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a chatloup passant, based on the canting crest of Cathorne, 1553 [Gwynn-Jones 76].

Leona Bones bears: Quarterly purpure and sable, a chatloup rampant blowing a straight trumpet and in chief two pairs of two swords in saltire argent.

Volu-Ingibiorg bears: Azure, a chatloup salient and a dexter tierce Or.

Ysoria de Brai bears as a badge: A chatloup rampant argent.

Chapé

Chapé (Period)

Chapé ployé (Period)

Chapé (French for “mantled”) is a Continental partition of the field, formed by two lines drawn from the center chief to the sides of the shield. The partition thus strongly resembles a pile inverted, or a field party per chevron; and it will conflict with either, all other things being the same. But a chapé field differs from these others in one respect: In normal usage, only the central part of the field is charged; the mantled portion of the field remains uncharged. (Despite this, there are still a number of chapé fields in Society heraldry with charges in the upper portions.)

The standard chapé field uses straight lines; there is also a variant, “chapé ployé”, with arched lines. For related entries, see chaussé, pile, vêtu.

Brandubh Ó Donnghaile bears: Per pale argent and sable chapé ployé counterchanged.

Maredudd Cethin bears: Argent, chapé ployé per pale gules and sable.

Wolfstanus Lightfote bears: Or chapé ployé per pale vert and purpure.

Chamfron

Two chamfrons (Period, Accepted)

A chamfron, or chanfron, is a piece of armor designed to protect a horse’s head during battle. It is affronty by default; period examples could be shown with a plumed crest attached to the top as well.

The illustration shows two forms of chamfron. The dexter chamfron is the period heraldic form, taken from the badge of the Earl of Shrewsbury, c.1513 [HCE xxix]. The sinister chamfron is based on an actual piece of horse armor, dated 1558 [Neubecker 73].

The Equestrian Marshallate bears: Sable, two tilting lances in saltire and in chief a chamfron Or.

Gisele Maria Overton bears: Per pale vert and purpure, a chamfron Or.

Constancia Tattersall bears: Argent goutty, on a chamfron azure a cross patonce argent.

Chair

Chair (Period)

Curule chair (Period)

A chair is a piece of furniture that seats one person. There were several period forms in heraldry. The default chair has a high, straight back; it’s sometimes explicitly blazoned a “backed chair”. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of von Döltzky, 1605 [Siebmacher 144]. This form of chair is drawn in trian aspect for better visibility.

There is also the “curule chair”, sometimes blazoned an “antique chair” or “chair of estate”, backless and ornate; it was the badge of the Earls of Oxford, c.1550, in their capacity as Lords Chamberlain [HB 132, Siddons II.2 302; cf. de Bara 157]. The curule chair is affronty by default.

Related to the chair is the “stool”, a low three-legged seat that’s more portable and less formal than a chair. It too is period, found in the arms of Schöner von Strubenhart, 1605 [Siebmacher 121].

Herjólfr Eilifsson bears: Argent, a wooden chair bendwise proper.

Raymond the Gruesome bears: Azure, in pale a sun-wheel bendwise conjoined to a curule chair Or.

Helen of Greyfells bears as a badge: A wooden three-legged stool proper.

Chaine shot

Chaine shot (Period)

A chaine shot is a projectile, with spikes and weighted chains, shot from a cannon (usually at enemy ships); the flying chains cut through rigging. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, d.1542 [DBA1 9; also Guillim1 226]. See also chain, weapons.

Janusz z Czerwieni bears: Per pale gules and vert, a chaine shot Or.

Chain

Chain fesswise (Period)

A chain is a series of metal links, used for binding or pulling. It is found in the arms of von Bueningen, c.1370 [Gelre 109]. The usual heraldic depiction of chain is with square links, but round-linked chains are found in period; the links’ actual shape is a matter of artistic license. (Indeed, the same effect is often blazoned as, e.g., “annulets interlaced in fess”.)

There seems to be no default orientation for chain; it must be specifically blazoned, e.g., a “chain fesswise” as in the illustration. A chain throughout may also be blazoned as an ordinary of chain, e.g., the “saltire of chain” in the arms of Elwett, c.1460 [RH].

In Society heraldry a closed loop of chain is reserved to Knights. See also mail, maily.

The Order of Knighthood bears: A circular chain.

Iris Davidsdaughter bears: Azure, a saltire of chains argent.

Éimhín mac Ultáin bears: Per bend sable and argent, a bend of chain Or.

Centaur

Centaur passant (Period)

Leonine sagittary passant drawing a bow (Period)

The centaur is a monster from Greek myth, with the body and legs of a horse and the torso, arms and head of a human. Male and female centaurs are found in Society heraldry; blazons of posture (e.g., “passant”) refer to the equine portion, not the human.

Nearly all of the period heraldic examples of the centaur show it with a bow and arrow, as in the arms of Bardi, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 278:81], or in the crest of Mackonele of the Yles, c.1601 [Bedingfeld 147]. Such cases may also be blazoned a “sagittary” or “sagittarius”. When blazoned “proper”, the centaur has a Caucasian human torso and a brown horse’s body.

A “leonine-centaur” (or, with a bow, a “leonine-sagittary”) has the body of a lion, instead of a horse; it’s found in the attributed arms of King Stephen of England, c.1097 [Dennys 119].

The illustrations show a centaur passant and a leonine-sagittary passant drawing a bow.

Chuluun the Scribe bears: Gules, two sagittaries salient addorsed Or.

Tatiana Aleksandrovna bears: Or, a female centaur passant within a bordure gules.

Piers of Malmesbury bears: Per pale gules and azure, in pale two leonine sagittaries passant argent.

Celtic

The term “Celtic” has been sometimes used in Society blazons to indicate a style of depiction: e.g., a “Celtic hound” would be a hound as drawn in the Book of Kells. The term is thus a direction to the artist, not a variant of type, and carries no heraldic difference; indeed, it’s more commonly not blazoned. Moreover, a charge drawn too strongly in the Kells style may be rendered unidentifiable, and so unacceptable. Two exceptions are the Celtic cross and the Celtic harp.

Sabia Gunnhild Hunang bears: Gules, a Celtic hawk statant close reguardant Or. [The hawk is drawn as in the Lindisfarne Gospels.]

Catapult

Catapult (Period)

A catapult is a siege weapon, used to throw large stones and other missiles; also called a “mangonel”, it was known since Roman times. The term “catapult” is a generic term, referring to several forms; these have been powered by tension from twisted ropes, from springs, and from other power sources. The catapult in most common use in medieval warfare was also called a “trebuchet” or “swepe”: powered by gravity, it employed a long lever arm and a heavy counterweight. It was found in the canting arms of Magnall, 1610 [Guillim1 227], and is the most common type in Society heraldry. The most usual Society depiction, shown in the illustration, is somewhat more realistic than those in period emblazons.

All types of catapult are depicted by default in their “rest” position, with the arm neither cocked and ready, nor at full release; if blazoned as “loaded”, the arm is cocked and ready for release, though the distinction is purely artistic. The catapult’s “proper” coloration, as with all wooden charges, is brown.

The Siege Marshallate bears: Sable, a trebuchet Or.

Erich von Kleinfeld bears: Quarterly gules and sable, four catapults Or.

Dafydd y Peiriannydd bears: Argent, a trebuchet proper between a chief embattled and a base azure.

Woodford of Lorien bears: Or, a swepe sable, a chief vert.

Cat; Lynx

Domestic cat sejant (Period)

The cat is a feline beast, famed for its deceitfulness. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Vaughn, c.1520 [DBA1 201].

In mundane blazons, the simple term “cat” usually refers to the wild cat, most commonly associated with Scots heraldry; but in Society blazons, “cat” refers to the domesticated cat. The two forms should be distinguished in blazon to avoid confusion, the first as a “wildcat” or “cat-a-mountain” (Bossewell, 1572 [I.56], also terms it a “musion”), the latter as a “domestic cat” or “house cat”. No difference is granted between them.

Wildcat salient (Period)

The cat does not seem to have a default posture; the illustrations show a domestic cat sejant and a wildcat salient. Other postures, peculiar to the cat, include “herissony”, with arched back, raised fur, and spitting; de Bara, 1581 [168] shows a cat in this posture. The posture “s’élongeant”, stretching (as only a cat can), is currently disallowed, as blurring the distinction between passant and couchant. Finally, there’s the Society-unique “cat in its curiosity”, on its hind legs peering into a cauldron, which is about to tip over on it; it too is no longer permitted, as the motif has not been found in period armory.

Lynx rampant guardant (Period)

Similar to the cat is the “lynx”, a spotted feline with tufted ears, prominent side whiskers, and a stub tail; its medieval reputation was for keen eyesight. Though sometimes considered synonymous with the wildcat, the two seem to have been separate beasts in period armory. The lynx was used in the canting arms (German Luchs) of Lüchsperger, mid-16^th C. [NW 44], and as the crest and a supporter of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, 1550 [Bromley & Child 223]. The illustration shows a lynx rampant guardant.

For related charges, see lion, panther, tyger.

Gilles of Lennox bears: Or, a domestic cat sejant, paw extended sable.

Rianna Whirlwind bears: Azure, a wildcat statant guardant argent, a bordure argent semy of hawk’s bells vert.

Hvitr Loðinbak bears: Ermine, two lynxes rampant gardant addorsed gules.

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heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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