Search Results for: owl

Norse beasts

Norse serpent nowed (Disallowed)

Norse beasts, or Norse serpents, are a class of monster characterized by long sinuous bodies, one or two legs (front and back), and a complex interlacing. Some forms also have a head lappet or pigtail, which if long may be interlaced with the rest of the body. Further details of Norse beasts are usually blazoned by the drawing style of their original sources; such drawing styles carry no heraldic difference.

The most common style of drawing Norse beasts is the “Urnes style”; it takes its name from the decorations of a small church in the Norwegian village of Urnes. The Society-default Norse beast is blazoned a “Norse serpent nowed”, and is drawn in the Urnes style. The charge is based on a carving on the Sjua stone, c.1190.

Norse “Jelling-beast” nowed (Disallowed)

Other styles of drawing Norse beasts include the “Jellinge” style, the “Ringerike” style, and the “Borre” style. These terms are usually included only for the artist’s sake. The “Norse Jelling-beast nowed” is actually not in the Jellinge style; but the blazon may be used to define this particular Norse beast. The charge is based on a design on a silver bowl from Lilla Valla, Gotland, c.1050.

Finally, there are individual creatures which, though found in Norse art, are not nowed or interlaced. An example is the “Lisbjerg gripping beast”, which is taken from a pair of 9th C. oval brooches found in Lisbjerg, Jutland.

Lisbjerg gripping beast (Disallowed)

None of the styles of Norse beast are presently permitted in Society heraldry. The terms are too obscure, and previous blazons have no uniformity; they convey no information to the artist or herald. For related charges, see orm, serpent.

Brynhildr Kormaksdottir bears: Gules, a Norse serpent nowed Or.

Bjorn of Havok bears: Counter-ermine, a Lisbjerg gripping beast gules.

Asbjorn Gustavsson of Roed bears: Azure, a “Norse Jelling-beast” nowed, erect and reversed argent.

Nest

Dove reguardant atop a nest (Period)

A nest is a roost for birds, consisting of a shallow bowl woven of wooden twigs; its “proper” tincture is therefore brown. It’s never found in period heraldry except when a bird is sitting in it, as in the crest of Nobrega, c.1540 [Nobreza xxº]. The illustration shows a dove reguardant sitting in a nest. See also birdcage.

The Order of the Cygnets Nest, of Meridies, bears: A swan sitting in a nest proper within and issuant from an annulet argent.

Danamas of Starlinghurst bears: Azure, atop a demi-wall issuant from dexter base, a starling contourny argent perched in a nest Or.

Mullet

Mullet (Period)

Spur rowel, or mullet of six points pierced (Period)

A mullet is a geometric figure, originally meant as the rowel of a spur, but commonly used to represent a star or other heavenly body. It’s an ancient charge, also called a “molet” in early blazons; it dates from at least 1244, in the arms of de Vere, Earl of Oxford [Asp2 221]. All mullets have a point to chief by default.

The default mullet has five points, as in the illustration. Mullets of six or eight points were also very common in period; examples with seven or nine points are found. Indeed, Society heraldry has seen mullets with as few as three and as many as twelve points. No difference is granted for the number of points.

Note that mullets with unusual numbers of points may be too readily confused with other charges. For instance, a mullet of three points is indistinguishable from a caltrap, and is only barely recognizable as a mullet; it is no longer permitted in Society armory for that reason. On the other end of the scale, a mullet of more than eight points is indistinguishable from a sun, and gets no difference from it (indeed, it will frequently be so blazoned).

A mullet may be “pierced”, with a circular hole in its center. In particular, a mullet of six points pierced (as in the illustration) may also be called a “spur rowel”.

Mullets are found “voided and interlaced” in period, as in the arms of Degelin von Wangen, 1605 [Siebmacher 119]. For many years, Society heraldry did not permit mullets of five points to be voided and interlaced: the motif was seen as a mystical or Satanic symbol. Currently, with the wider acceptance of wiccan religion, the motif is acceptable under the same guidelines as other religious symbols. Mullets with more points may likewise be voided and interlaced: in the case of six points, the result is the star of David.

Mullet of eight interlocking mascles (SFPP)

Period armory shows us rare examples of a multi-pointed mullet with a single point greatly elongated (usually to base): cf. the arms of Beneditti, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 275:137]. These are considered to be an artistic variant of the comet, and are treated as such. A “mullet of four points elongated to base” is acceptable, based on this pattern, but is considered a step from period practice. At one time, Society practice also allowed mullets to be “elongated palewise”, i.e., with one point elongated to chief and another to base; this is no longer permitted.

Society practice allows other charges to be combined to form a mullet, although the combination’s outline must resemble a mullet to be blazoned as such. Thus the Society has examples of, e.g., a “mullet of five pheons, hafts conjoined”, or a “mullet of eight interlocking mascles”. The latter is considered a step from period practice.

Compass star (SFPP)

Rivenstar (Disallowed)

There are other variants of the mullet, unique to Society heraldry. The “compass star” is a mullet of four greater and four lesser points; its use is considered a step from period practice, and not permitted at all when elongated to base. (Likewise, any mullet of greater and lesser points is deemed a step from period practice: e.g., the “mullet of five greater and five lesser points”.) The “riven star” is essentially a compass star disjointed per bend sinister; as it has no period exemplars, the riven star is no longer registerable.

Some mullet variants are blazoned as though they were other charges: A “cross estoile” is a mullet of four points elongated to base; the usage does not appear to be period. A “sword of Höflichkeit” is an obsolete Society term for a mullet of four points elongated to base, gyronny Or and sable.

In English cadency, the mullet is the brisure of the third son. For related charges, see compass rose, cross estoile, estoile. See also sparks.

The King of Ansteorra bears: Or, a mullet of five greater and five lesser points sable within a laurel wreath vert, in chief a crown of three points, all within a tressure sable, overall issuant from base a demi-sun gules.

The Prince of Vindheim bears: Quarterly sable and gules, a laurel wreath and in chief three mullets of six points Or.

The Baron of Rivenstar bears: Azure, a riven star between in bend sinister two laurel wreaths, all argent.

The Baron of Brendoken bears: Per pale vert and sable, a mullet of eight points within a laurel wreath Or.

Áine ingen Néill mec Lugdech bears: Gules, three mullets argent.

Selivia de l’Estoile bears: Gyronny of six purpure and argent, a mullet of six points azure.

Aelfwine Denedom bears: Quarterly vert and sable, a mullet of four points throughout argent.

Paul of Sunriver bears: Azure, a compass star Or.

Robert FitzNorman bears: Azure, a mullet of eight interlocking mascles argent.

Michel le Blanc bears: Barry sable and argent, a mullet of three points pallwise throughout Or.

Katerine Rowley bears: Quarterly azure and Or, four spur-rowels counterchanged.

Ailis Linne bears as a badge: A mullet of five points voided and interlaced within and conjoined to an annulet azure.

Mortar and pestle

Mortar and pestle (Period)

A mortar and pestle is a set of tools for grinding substances to powder. The mortar is a hard, deep bowl; the pestle is a club, which does the grinding. They are usually found together, with the pestle in the mortar. Mortars and pestles are period charges: the illustration is from the arms of Wakerley, mid-16^th C. [Bedingfeld 58]. See also bowl, cup.

Willem Gerritsz van Wije bears: Sable, three mortars and pestles Or.

Elizabeth Rea bears: Per saltire argent and vert, a mortar and pestle sable.

Edain de Burgh bears: Per pale vert and argent, three mortars with pestles counterchanged.

Lamp

Lamp, lit (Period)

A lamp is a source of light, consisting of a container of oil with an emerging wick. The earliest form, dating from at least Roman times, was simply a shallow bowl bearing a wick; the most usual medieval form had a conical base, which could be held in the hand or mounted on a fixture. This is the default heraldic form of lamp, found in period armory in the arms of Wetewang, c.1410 [TJ 1555; see also Bedingfeld 90].

Arabian lamp, lit (Accepted)

However, the most commonly found lamp in Society armory is the “Arabian lamp”, with a handle at one end and the wick in a spout at the other; it’s also been blazoned a “Greek lamp”, though the shape is unchanged. It’s frequently drawn as the “Aladdin’s lamp” of modern imagery; we’ve no period examples of lamps in that form, neither as a charge nor as an artifact. However, a basic boat-shaped form of lamp was used in period, as terra cotta artifacts: the illustration is based on an 11^th C. terra cotta lamp found in Sicily. Based on that example, the Arabian lamp is still permitted for Society use as of this writing. The Arabian lamp has its handle to sinister by default.

Hanging oil lamp, lit (Accepted)

Society armory also has the “hanging oil lamp”, with a shallow flat bowl of oil fastened to a vertical handle: the handle can be hung from a hook over a drawing table. Like the Arabian lamp, it isn’t found in period armory; however, the hanging oil lamp is a period artifact, as seen in the Opera of Bartoloneo Scappi, 1570, on which the illustration is based [Peter Thornton, The Italian Renaissance Interior, 1400-1600, plate 347; cf. also plates 23, 294]. Unlike the Arabian lamp, the hanging oil lamp doesn’t have a default orientation; it is left as an unblazoned detail. (There’s also one instance in Society armory blazoned simply an “oil lamp”, with no handles; it’s the exception.)

Any form of lamp, if blazoned “flammant” or “enflamed”, is shown with the wick lit. “Lit”, of course, works as well. The lamps in the illustrations are all lit.

For related charges, see candle, lantern, torch. See also pitcher.

The Royal University of Ithra bears: Gules, on a sun Or eclipsed gules, an Arabian lamp flammant Or.

The Order of the Golden Beacon, of the Barony of Ynys Fawr, bears: Per bend sinister azure and Or, a lamp argent enflamed Or.

Tiffanie du Claire bears: Purpure, a [square] oil lamp enflamed between three stars of David one and two Or.

Arthur Lemner of Wesley bears: Azure, in pale a drawing compass and a two-spouted oil lamp argent, enflamed Or.

Brigid Duncan bears: Per bend vert and gules, a bend between a hanging oil lamp argent lit Or and a boar sejant Or.

Horn

Hunting horn (Period)

A horn is an artifact, made from an animal’s horn, from which it gets its name. The default horn is a musical instrument, more fully blazoned a “hunting horn” or “bugle horn”; it is found in the canting arms of Hornes c.1275 [ANA2 476]. It’s usually shown hung on cords, and may be garnished in bands of another tincture; these are considered artistic details. In mundane armory, the hunting horn’s default orientation has changed over time; the Society default is fesswise, embowed to base, with bell to dexter.

Drinking horn (Period)

Another use of the horn is as a drinking vessel; this is blazoned a “drinking horn”. Unlike the hunting horn, it has no mouthpiece, and is not corded; it was usually shown unadorned, but in at least one instance was depicted with feet (so it could be set on a table without spilling), in the arms of Müris, c.1340 [Zurich 94]. In medieval heraldry, it seems to have had the same default orientation as the hunting horn; in Society armory, its default orientation is palewise, embowed to dexter, with bell to chief.

Pairs of drinking horns are common in Saracenic heraldry, where they are referred to as “trousers of nobility” [Mayer 19]; but the motif is blazoned in most European contexts as “a pair of drinking horns”. By Society convention, a pair of drinking horns is “addorsed” (i.e., with the convex sides facing each other) by default; a pair of drinking horns “respectant” will have their convex sides outward. A “pair of drinking horns” is thus distinguished from “two drinking horns”, each in its default orientation.

Shofar (Accepted)

Spiral hunting horn (Accepted)

Of the horns with special names, the best known is the “shofar”, the ram’s horn blown on Jewish high holidays. Depictions of the shofar date back at least to the 4^th Century, as seen on a Roman bowl now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though not found as a period heraldic charge, as a period artifact, the shofar is registerable in the Society.

There’s also the “spiral horn”, more fully blazoned a “spiral hunting horn”. This isn’t made from animal horn at all, but from metal: essentially a flat spiral trumpet, the ancestor of the modern French horn. The illustration is based on an artifact dated 1570 [Montagu 107]; as a period artifact, the spiral hunting horn is registerable in the Society, though no heraldic examples have been found.

As with the hunting horn, the shofar and the spiral horn have their bells to dexter by Society default. For related charges, see cornetto, sackbut. See also inkbottle, tooth.

The Shire of Darton bears: Sable, a hunting horn within a laurel wreath Or.

Magnus Birchleg bears: Gules, a drinking horn bendwise sinister argent.

Rivka bat Schmuel Alfasi bears: Per fess indented azure and gules, in pale a shofar, bell to sinister, and an estoile of eight rays Or.

Nikolaj Zrogowacialy bears: Barry argent and azure, a spiral horn of three spirals reversed Or.

Head, animal’s

Boar’s head couped (Period); boar’s head couped close (Period)

Fox’s mask (Period)

Animal’s heads are an ancient heraldic motif, dating from at least 1255: the boars’ heads in the canting arms of Swinburne [Asp2 220]. Almost any beast found in heraldry may have its head used as a separate charge; indeed, in several cases (e.g., the boar), the use of the head predates the use of the whole animal.

Most animal’s heads face dexter by default; the exception is the owl’s head, which is guardant by default. The line of division is specified, i.e., whether the head be couped or erased; the head is usually severed where the neck meets the shoulders. A head “couped close” is severed just behind the ears, with no neck included; the illustration compares a boar’s head couped with a boar’s head couped close. The exact manner of severance is worth no heraldic difference.

A head “cabossed” or “caboshed” is guardant, with no neck showing. Some animals have special terminology for this posture: Fox’s heads cabossed are called “fox’s masks”, cat’s heads cabossed are “cat’s faces” (ditto leopards).

Pelican’s head erased (Period)

Lion’s head jessant-de-lys (Period)

A pelican’s head includes its neck and part of its breast, distilling blood. A lion’s head “jessant-de-lys” is a lion’s head cabossed, with a fleur-de-lys issuant from the mouth and back of the head; this is an ancient usage, found in the arms of Cantelupe c.1298 [ANA2 473]. Other beasts’ heads jessant-de-lys are found in Society armory, but such usage is considered a step from period practice.

In other respects, the characteristics of any animal’s head are those of the animal, and may be found under the entry for that animal.

The Baron of Coeur d’Ennui bears: Argent, a laurel wreath vert within eight boar’s heads couped in annulo gules.

The Order of the Lions of Atenveldt bears: Per pale azure and argent, a lion’s head cabossed and a bordure Or.

Sabina de Lyons bears: Gules, three lion’s heads cabossed argent.

Adelaide Walcheman bears: Azure, a peacock’s head couped Or.

Malak Boga bears: Quarterly Or and ermine, four bull’s heads cabossed sable.

Aénor d’Anjou bears: Purpure, a lion’s head jessant-de-lys Or.

Sabina Heidwolf bears: Or, three wolf’s heads cabossed azure.

Ursula Messerschmitt bears: Vert, a bear’s head cabossed argent.

Fandral Silverfox bears: Sable, a fox’s mask argent.

Lianor de Matos bears: Or, three stag’s heads erased gules.

Habit, monk’s

Monk’s habit (Accepted)

A monk’s habit is an item of clothing which is worn by monastic orders to set them apart from the laity. It typically consists of a tunic with a long cowl, or hooded robe, worn over it, tied at the waist with a cincture. Though a period garment, we’ve no examples of a monk’s habit in period armory (except when being worn by a human figure). The illustration is taken from the Très Riches Heures of Jean, Duc de Berry, c.1415, in a scene from the life of St. Gregory. The monk’s habit is shown affronty by Society default.

Cain the Black bears: Gyronny arrondi argent and gules, a monk’s habit sable.

Cup; Beaker

Cup (Period)

A cup is a drinking vessel, consisting of a bowl atop a stem and base. It may also be termed a “chalice” or “goblet”, especially if ornamented or jewelled; such details are considered artistic license. The cup is an ancient charge, found in the arms of de Argentine c.1244 [Asp2 216].

Covered cup (British) (Period)

Covered cup (Continental) (Period)

In Society armory, the cup is usually shown with open mouth; this matches examples from period Italian heraldry, such as the arms of de Bonfilliis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 64]. In most other period armory, the cup is normally covered: with a domed lid in English armory, with stiffened cloth in Iberian and German armory. Such covers seem to have counted for little if any heraldic difference; they are nonetheless blazoned in Society armory. The mouth of the cup is to chief by default.

Beaker (Period)

Prunted beaker (Period)

Related to the cup is the “beaker”, a basically cylindrical shape (slightly tapering) without stem or base. It too is a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian bicchiere) of di Bizeriis, mid-15^th C. [Triv 65]. A slightly modified form was found in the canting arms of Escher vom Glas, 1605 [Siebmacher 199]; this form shows a beaker “prunted” in the typical German mode.

Mazer (Accepted)

Other drinking vessels found in Society armory include the “mazer”, a festive drinking bowl traditionally made from maple wood. It is usually shown footed and decorated.

For related charges, see bowl, pitcher, saltcellar, tankard. See also cupping-glass, mortar and pestle.

The Baron of Rising Waters bears: Gyronny arrondi gules and argent, a goblet Or within a laurel wreath vert.

Snorri Styrr Bolli bears: Gules, a chalice argent.

Armand de Mortain bears: Per pale azure and sable, three cups Or.

Kolfinna Thorgrimsdottir bears: Argent, a covered cup and a gore purpure.

Elen Greenhand bears: Or, a mazer sable grasped by a pair of hands fesswise vert, within an orle of acorns proper.

Brangwain nic Stiubhard bears as a badge: On a beaker azure a dolphin hauriant Or.

Crow

Crow (Period)

The crow is a bird with a harsh voice and a reputation for avarice. It is close by default; period emblazons, in fact, overwhelmingly depict it close and sable. A few heraldic depictions, particularly on the Continent, show it with hairy feathers; most others draw it sleekly feathered; but all show the crow with a long, pointed bill. A “crow speaking” or “croaking” has its mouth open as if in speech.

Similar to the crow are the “raven”, the “rook”, and the “(jack)daw”. Indeed, for emblazonry purposes, all these corvids are indistinguishable; the exact term was frequently chosen purely for the sake of a cant. Likewise, any of these might be blazoned a “corbie”, as in the canting arms of Corbet, c.1255 [ANA2 200].

There is also the “Cornish chough” (pronounced “chuff”), in form identical to the crow, and only distinguishable when “proper”: it is then black with red beak and feet. Its most famous use is in the arms of Cardinal Wolsey, c.1520 [Wagner 66]. The chough may sometimes be blazoned a “beckit” for canting purposes [Parker 136].

Ogan O Crowly bears: Argent, five crows in saltire and a chief sable.

Cigfran o Gaer Walch bears: Or, six ravens close sable.

John of Ravenwolf bears: Sable, a raven speaking Or, beaked and membered argent.

Cynthia of the Loch bears: Per bend sinister Or and gules, a bend sinister counter-ermine between a rook contourny sable and three towers Or.

Pippin de Corbie bears: Ermine, a corbie sable holding in its mouth a ring Or and in chief three apples gules.

Cadan of Mons Tonitrus bears: Quarterly argent and azure, in bend two Cornish choughs proper.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings