Search Results for: harp

Pole-arm

Berdiche (Period); billhook (Period)

Halberd (Period); pole-axe (Period)

This class of weapon is characterized by the long shaft by which damage may be inflicted at a safer distance. Usually a sharp implement is attached to the pole’s end, and it is by this head (to chief by default) that most pole-weapons are identified.

Examples of pole-arms found in period armory include the “berdiche”, whose backswept blade is fastened to the haft at its center and bottom points, found in the arms of Kürnburg, 1548 (Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.48); the “billhook”, a spear with a hooked blade, found in the canting arms (Italian roncola) of Roncha or Runche, c.1555 [BSB Cod.Icon 275:119 and 276:205]; the “halberd”, with an upswept blade, and a spike on the end of the haft, as in the arms of von Griffenstein, c.1515 [BSB Cod.Icon 308:391; also von Schella, 1605, Siebmacher 43]; and the “pole-axe”, with a standard battle-axe head and a long haft, as in the canting arms of Mordaxt, 1548 (Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.133). Strictly speaking, any axe on a long pole is a “pole-axe”: the pole-axes in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, granted 1540, have been depicted both as battle-axes and as nondescript “chopping” axes [Bromley & Child 34].

Bec de corbin (Accepted); corsica (Accepted); fauchard (Accepted)

Glaive (Accepted); naginata (probable SFPP); partisan (Accepted)

Other pole-arms, used as weapons and accepted for Society armory, include the “bec de corbin”, a long-handled war-hammer c.1400, with a curved point like a raven’s beak, from which it takes its name [Stone 109]; the “corsica” or “corsèque”, 15th and 16th C., with broad, branched blades joined to the main blade [Stone 374, s.v. korseke]; the “fauchard”, 16th C., with a falchion-shaped blade [Stone 226]; the “glaive”, 12th and 13th C., whose single-edged blade has a backwards-curving tip [Stone 248]; the “naginata”, a Japanese spear with a back-curving blade [Stone 463]; the “partizan” or “partisan”, 16th C., a double-edged spear with short, hooked blades at the base of the head, very like a corsica [Stone 484]; the “war-scythe”, 16th C., essentially a scythe blade mounted on a long, straight shaft [Stone 545]; and the “Swiss voulge” or “vouge”, 14th C., favored by the infantry of that tiny nation [Stone 654].

War-scythe (Accepted); Swiss voulge (Accepted)

For related charges, see hammer, mancatcher, spear, trident.

The Baron of Bjornsborg bears: Azure, two bears rampant addorsed regardant argent, each sustaining a berdiche proper, in base a laurel wreath Or.

Andrew Mariner bears: Argent, two billhooks addorsed in saltire sable, a chief doubly enarched vert.

Shandon Yar Mohamed Gehazi Memo Hazara Khan-ad-Din bears: Per bend sinister raguly sable and Or, a sun of six greater and six lesser points and a naginata bendwise sinster counterchanged.

Christopher of Eoforwic bears: Per pale Or and sable, three glaives fesswise in pale, blades to chief, the first and third reversed, between two goblets in bend counterchanged.

Lucas Otto Gustav Oswald Stefan bears: Checky vert and argent, a partisan bendwise surmounted by a snail shell reversed Or.

Aldwin Yale of York bears as a badge: Per bend sinister sable and Or, a compass star and a corsica bendwise sinister counterchanged, within a bordure embattled gules.

Charles Greenlimb bears: Per bend embattled gules and azure, two war-scythe heads bendwise, issuant from chief the point to sinister and issuant from dexter the point in base, argent.

Johannes Kaspar Zurfluh bears: Per fess embattled argent and gules, an eagle displayed and a Swiss voulge bendwise sinister reversed counterchanged.

Alexia of Thessalonica bears: Per bend Or and purpure, a bec de corbin bendwise vert and a whelk bendwise Or.

Plane

Block plane (Period)

A plane is a woodworker’s tool, designed to smooth planks: it consists of a sharp metal edge slightly extending from a block of wood or metal, and may be blazoned a “block plane” for that reason. It was used as the badge of Jean sanz Peur, Duke of Burgundy, 1406 [Laurent Hablot, “The Use of Emblems by Philip the Bold and John the Fearless”, p.83]; the illustration is taken from that badge. The block plane is shown in profile, fesswise and with the toat (handle) to dexter by default. See also drawknife, float, shave.

Aleyn Kynyd ap Rhys bears: Per bend azure and argent, a block plane and a viol bendwise counterchanged.

Robert of Sugar Grove bears: Per pale gules and azure, a block plane Or.

Ostrich

Ostrich maintaining in its mouth a horseshoe (Period)

The ostrich is a gawky, flightless bird, famed for its ability to digest the non-digestible. For that reason, it’s frequently depicted with a bit of iron in its mouth (usually a horseshoe, sometimes a key), even when not so blazoned. The ostrich is a period charge, found in the arms of Robard of Kyrton, c.1460 [RH]. The ostrich is statant and close by default.

Creppin a l’Ostriche bears: Gules, an ostrich statant wings elevated and addorsed Or.

William Crome bears: Argent, an ostrich and on a chief azure, a feather fesswise argent.

Vladislav the Purple bears: Purpure, on a bend sinister between a harp and an ostrich close Or, a decrescent palewise purpure.

Needle

Sewing needle threaded (Period)

Double-pointed knitting needle palewise (Accepted)

A needle is a slender sliver of metal or bone, sharpened at the end and used for manipulating thread. In Society armory, the default needle is the “sewing needle” (often so blazoned): a metal needle with a hole in one end for thread, used for hand sewing. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (from dial. Italian gugela) of de Agugellis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 41]. Sewing needles are sometimes found threaded; their points are to base by Society default.

There is also the “knitting needle”, which should be double-pointed; one of the earliest representations of knitting, the Buxtehude altarpiece c.1395 [Richard Rutt, A History of Hand Knitting, p.49], shows needles in this form. Although a period artifact, the knitting needle is unattested in medieval armory. It doesn’t seem to have a default orientation in Society blazonry; the illustration shows a double-pointed knitting needle palewise.

The Shire of Mendersham bears: Azure semy of needles argent, a laurel wreath Or.

Eibhlín an Fraoich bears: Per chevron azure and argent, a sewing needle azure.

Zeresh la Tricoteuse bears: Per bend azure and sable, a unicorn’s head couped argent, armed and crined, and two double-pointed knitting needles in saltire Or.

Nail

Passion nail (Period); tiler’s nail (Period)

A nail is a sharpened metal spike, driven with a hammer, used for holding together or anchoring pieces of stiff material (such as wood). Nails are palewise, point to base, by default.

Heraldry doesn’t firmly define the different types of nails: some of the names below have all been applied to the same type of nail. The following definitions are in most general use:

In period armory, the most common form of nail has a square cross section (seen with one corner to the viewer, appearing triangular) and a pointed head. It has been blazoned simply as a “nail” (cloue in French), as in the canting arms of Clouvyle or Clonvile, c.1520 [DBA2 513, Guillim1 209; also de Bara 59]. The same form, however, is also sometimes termed a “passion nail”, symbol of Christ’s Passion [Parker 447], and it is so blazoned in Society armory. The passion nail is found in the civic arms of Nagolt, 1605 [Siebmacher 226].

The “tiler’s nail” is a builder’s implement, with a square cross section and a flat head; Parker [422] cites this form of nail in the canting arms of Tyler, which DBA1 [390] dates temp. Henry VII.

Horseshoe nail (Accepted); closing nail (Period)

Parker also cites the “horse nail” or “horseshoe nail”, though giving no illustration; however, by assigning it to the arms of Clouvile, he apparently equates it with the default nail (i.e., passion nail). In Society armory, the horseshoe nail is based on period artifacts.

Finally, there is the “closing nail”, used by glaziers to hold pieces of stained glass in place during leading. It too is a period charge, having been borne (without authority) by the Worshipful Company of Glaziers in 1588 [Bromley & Child 115].

The types of nail are not always distinguished in emblazons, and no heraldic difference is granted between them. For related charges, see rivet. See also staple.

The Order of the Silver Nail, of the Barony of Stargate, bears: Per chevron inverted sable and argent, a horseshoe nail and a horseshoe counterchanged.

Guy Nagel bears: Or, two passion nails in saltire sable.

Padruig Maclennan bears: Argent, a chevron gules between two crosses crosslet fitchy and in pile three tilers’ nails points conjoined all within a bordure embattled sable.

Christopher Starling bears: Per bend sable and argent, a closing nail bendwise sinister argent.

Sigurðr inn danski bears as a badge: A tiler’s nail Or.

Musical note

Musical note (Accepted)

G-clef (Accepted); C-clef (Accepted)

A musical note is a written symbol, indicating pitch and duration to the performer. Musical notation had evolved continuously, from the “neumes” of the 10^th Century to the stemmed ovoids of modern notation. In Society armory, the musical note is commonly represented as a lozenge with a vertical stem out of its top corner, as used in 16^th C. Italian notation [Grove 18:136]. Specific types of notes may be blazoned a “fusa”, a “(semi)minim”, or a “(semi)quaver”, depending on the period and the exact form; no heraldic difference is granted.

Though we’ve no examples of their use as independent heraldic charges, musical notes were used to embellish charges in period armory, such as the “prick-song book” in the crest of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, 1582 [Bromley & Child 191].

Other musical symbols were used as period charges: the arms of the composer Orlando di Lasso, 1570, uses the symbols “sharp”, “flat”, and “natural” as charges [Woodward 387]. Society armory also has examples of clefs, such as the “G-clef” and “C-clef”; the illustrations are taken from 16^th C. scores [Grove 6:26]. In all cases, period forms of the notation should be used.

Musical notation is exempt from the Society’s requirement that armory not consist solely of letters or similar symbols.

Quinlan of Sheare bears: Argent, on a chevron azure three quavers palewise argent.

Vincenzio di Bartolomeo da Brescia bears: Azure, three quavers argent.

Ivory Genevieve la Rouge bears: Vert, on a bend sinister between a G clef and a fleur-de-lys argent an ivy vine throughout vert.

Musical instruments

Society heraldry accepts as charges those musical instruments known before 1600, and a wide variety have been registered. In some cases the blazon makes a distinction purely for the artist’s sake; there is no heraldic difference between, e.g., a rebec and a gittern, and it would take a medieval musicologist to tell them apart. When in doubt, it’s best to be general, rather than specific: e.g., “fiddle” instead of “viola da braccio”.

In general, musical instruments are affronty by default, with the strings or fingerholes facing the viewer. For specific entries, see: bagpipe, bell, clarion, cornetto, drum, flute, gittern, guitar, harp, hautboy, horn (hunting), hurdy-gurdy, jew’s-harp, krummhorn, lute, lyre, organ pipe, panpipe, portative organ, psaltery, rackett, recorder, sackbut, sitar, trumpet, viol, whistle (mariner’s), zil, zither.

Monsters

As used in heraldry, the term “monster” describes any creature not found in nature: a fabulous beastie, a product of the imagination. Some heraldic monsters were thought to represent actual beasts (e.g., the antelope), but their forms differ so widely from the natural beasts that they are considered separate and imaginary creatures. In such cases, if the natural beast is intended, the term “natural” must be included in the blazon; otherwise, the heraldic monster is used.

There are some special categories of monsters, classed by their form or construction. These include: chimerical monsters, humanoid monsters, sea-monsters, and winged monsters.

For specific monsters, see: allocamelus, alphyn, amphisbaena, antelope, bagwyn, bog beast, boreyne, calamarie (kraken), calygreyhound, camelopard, centaur, chatloup, chimera, cockatrice, dragon, enfield, griffin, harpy, hippogriff, Hrassvelg monster, ibex, lamia, lion-dragon, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, musimon, naga, Norse beasts, opinicus, orm, pantheon, panther, pegasus, phoenix, piping beast, pithon, salamander, sea-horse, sea-lion, senmurv, silkie, sphinx, tarasque, theow, tyger, unicorn, vegetable lamb, werewolf, yale, ypotryll.

Lyre

Lyre (Period)

Cithara (Accepted)

A lyre is a stringed musical instrument of the zither family, played by the ancient Greeks. It had a sound box, with two projecting arms joined by a yoke; strings were stretched from the sound box to the yoke. The use of the lyre was revived in the Renaissance, as a symbol of the classical arts; it was then drawn in a stylized manner (as in the illustration), unlike the actual artifact. The lyre was a period charge, granted as a crest to the Worshipful Company of Musicians in 1604 [Bromley & Child 180].

Similar to the lyre are the “cithara”, a larger and more solidly built variant, with five to eleven strings; and the “crwth” (plural “crythau”), a Welsh instrument of similar construction. The lyre, cithara and crwth all have the same default orientation: strings palewise, facing the viewer, and the soundbox to base. For related charges, see harp.

The East Kingdom Musician’s Guild bears: Azure, in fess a panpipe argent and a cithara Or within a bordure argent.

Boadicia Artemisia bears: Argent, a Greek lyre sable.

Fiore Pescara bears: Gules, three lyres Or.

Rhonwen Y Clermont o’r Mwntduog bears: Per fess indented argent and sable, five crythau three and two counterchanged gules and argent.

Humanoid monsters

This category of monster consists of those whose forms are basically human, but with additions or mutations. There does not seem to be a default posture common to all of them. When blazoned “proper”, period practice would assume the human parts to be Caucasian (pink or white) unless otherwise specified; Society blazon had once followed this, but is now more inclusive. The human portions of these monsters now follow the same Society blazon conventions as human figures (q.v.).

Angel (Period)

Standing seraph (Accepted)

The “angel” is a human with a pair of wings on its back; it’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of von Engelhoffer c.1450 [Ingeram 140; also Siebmacher 97]. Its default posture is statant affronty, wings displayed (frequently displayed inverted) [Parker 10]. A specific variant of this is the Archangel Michael, so named in blazon: winged and haloed, but armed and armor-clad (and frequently depicted vanquishing a dragon underfoot).

A Society variant of the angel is the “standing seraph”, with six wings: two with tips up, two with tips down, and two covering the body. Like the angel, it’s statant affronty by default. (These are not to be confused with the “cherub” and the “seraph”, which are winged heads; these may be found under (human) head.)

Fury statant affronty, wings displayed (Accepted)

Satyr maintaining a panpipe (Period)

The “fury” is a creature from Greek myth, a winged woman with serpents for hair. It appears to be unique to Society heraldry.

The “satyr” or “pan” is also from Greek myth; it combines the torso of a human with the hindquarters of a goat. It is horned, and may be shown playing a panpipe. The satyr is found as an heraldic charge in the arms of Arcos, c.1540 [Nobreza xl]; though cantingly armed with a bow, and blazoned as a “sagittary”, the creature has two feet, not four, and they are cloven.

Troll (Period)

Demon (Disallowed)

The “troll” is a charge from Scandinavian heraldry, found in the canting arms of Trolle, c.1440 [Raneke 412-413]. (It is sometimes, erroneously, blazoned a “devil” outside Scandinavia.) The heraldic troll is distinguished by having no head: its face is embedded in its torso. It has clawed hands and feet, and a tail; by default, it is shown passant, with the head in full view, and one hand holding the tail.

Finally, there is the “demon” or “gargoyle”, like the satyr in having a beast’s hindquarters, but with the addition of bat-wings, a barbed tail, and sometimes talons. Unfortunately, its best-known heraldic use, in the arms of the City of Brussels, dates only to the early 19^th Century. Demons depicted in period books of hours vary too widely in appearance to be reproducible; therefore, pending evidence of their use in period armory, demons are no longer permitted in Society armory.

For specific entries of other monsters with human parts, see: centaur, harpy, lamia, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, silkie, sphinx, tarasque.

The Baron of the Angels bears: Gules, a standing seraph affronty proper, winged Or, haloed of a laurel wreath proper.

The Canton of Trollhaven bears: Argent, a troll within a laurel wreath vert and on a chief azure a three-arched bridge Or.

Francesca d’Angelo le Noir bears: Argent, a brunette angel proper, winged and vested sable.

Rhys Gethin bears: Vert semy-de-lys Or, the Archangel Michael argent haloed Or.

Jason the Blue bears: Or, a four-armed demon azure, winged gules.

Marta as-tu Mika-Mysliwy bears: Per chevron vert and Or, in base a satyr dancing and piping proper.

Megara di Alessandra bears: Sable, a Fury rampant affronty, sinister hand lowered, proper vested argent, winged Or, maintaining in the dexter hand a torch bendwise sinister enflamed proper.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings