Search Results for: rock

Plumetty

Plumetty (Period)

Plumetty is a fur, evidently a variant of the vair furs; it is made up of panes resembling feathers. Visually, it’s similar to a lozengy field, and its tinctures are blazoned the same way. Plumetty is a period field, found in the arms of Mydlam, c.1460 [RH].

The interior details of the feathers are diapering, and are considered artistic license. When no internal details are shown, plumetty becomes very close to a form of papellony. See also field treatment.

Duncan Brock of Greyfeather bears: Plumetty argent and sable, on a fess purpure a brock statant argent.

Damian Papyngeye bears: Plumetty argent and vert, a popinjay purpure.

Pick

Pick (Period)

A pick is a mining tool for breaking up rock, soil, &c. It is found in the canting arms of Pycot, 1357 [DBA2 483]; it may also be termed a “pick-axe” or “miner’s pick”. The pick’s head was usually shown single-pointed in period emblazons; the point faced dexter by default, as in the illustration. Double-pointed picks were seldom found in period armory, but an example is seen in the canting arms (dial. Italian ponzón, “spike”) of di Ponzo, mid-15^th C. [Triv 283]; this variation of form is left unblazoned in the Society. For related charges, see axe, hammer.

Gerwald of Devon the Miner bears: Per chevron inverted azure and argent, in chief a pickaxe bendwise argent, a base embattled vert.

Francisco Sanchez Pancho bears: Sable, two pickaxes in saltire argent.

James Odo bears as a badge: A pickaxe Or.

Mount; Mountain

Mount (Period)

Trimount, or mount of three hillocks (Period)

A mount is the heraldic representation of a hill. It’s drawn as a rounded hillock issuant from base; it’s equivalent to a “base enarched to chief”. The mount is sometimes drawn naturalistically, with tufts of grass; Society heraldry considers this artistic license, and it’s often ignored in Society emblazons. A “mount proper” is vert, and some texts claim that mounts are vert by default; but they have no default coloration in Society heraldry.

If the mount is not issuant from base, but cut off at the bottom, it must be blazoned “couped”. The mount may also have more than a single hillock, especially in Italian heraldry: three, six, or ten hillocks are possible, and would be blazoned, e.g., “a mount of three hillocks” (or “coupeaux”, or “peaks”), as in the illustration. (The mount of three hillocks may also be termed simply a “trimount”.) The multi-hilled form of mount dates from at least 1413, in the arms of the Kings of Hungary [Conz.Const. xcix].

Mountain (Period)

A variant of a mount is the “mountain”, representing a mountain instead of a hill. The mountain is usually drawn more naturalistically, with rocky crags and a peak; the exact details are not blazoned. It too is period, in the canting arms of di Monti da Cara, mid-15^th C. [Triv 235]. Like the mount, it is issuant from base unless otherwise specified.

Multiple mountains may be conjoined to form a “mountain range”, as in the canting arms of Siebenbürger, 1605 [Siebmacher 46]. The period example requires a long, narrow area for displaying the range; the mountains issue from the lower edge by default. The number of mountains in the range need not be specified.

The mount should not be confused with the “mound”, which is another name for the orb. For related charges, see base, point, rock.

The Prince of the Summits bears: Azure, a gryphon passant and on a mountain argent, a goblet azure within a laurel wreath vert.

William de Montegilt bears: Sable, a two-peaked mountain couped Or, capped argent.

Morna ó Monadh bears as a badge: Purpure, a mount of three hillocks Or.

Jan Rafiel Shkoder bears: Vert, a mount of six hillocks between two falcon’s heads erased Or.

Alys de Montcharmont bears: Azure mullety, on a bend argent a mountain range vert.

Match, slow

Slow match flammant (Period)

A slow match is a flammable cord, used for lighting matchlock rifles. It’s drawn wound into a roll or annulet of cord. The slow match is found as a charge in the arms of Leete, 1632 [Guillim2 334], and is accepted for Society use.

Eadmond du Battlemont bears: Per pale embattled gules and Or, to dexter a handgonne rest Or and to sinister a slow match, ends in chief enflamed proper.

Dougall Cameron bears: Azure, a slow match argent flammant proper and on a chief embattled Or five gunstones.

Katherine Throckmorton bears as a badge: A slow match vert, enflamed proper.

Grindstone

Grindstone (Period)

A grindstone is a stone disc mounted on an axle, with a crank for turning; it’s used for sharpening knives and other blades. The grindstone is a period charge, found in the canting arms (Italian mola) of da Molla, mid-15^th C. [Triv 227].

The term “grinding wheel” is a Society blazon for a grindstone mounted in a wooden frame for use, as seen in an image in the Romance of Alexander, c.1340. As a charge, it appears to be unique to the Society. For related charges, see mill. See also rock (millstone), wheel.

Wolfric Hammerfestning bears: Azure, a grinding wheel between three axes reversed argent.

Foil

Quatrefoil (Period); cinquefoil (Period)

While the term “foil” means literally “leaf, lobe”, the term is used here to denote a class of generic flowers. They are not of any natural species, but are highly stylized heraldic charges: the petals are usually drawn rounded, with points at the ends.

The term “foil” is used as a root, with a prefix indicating the number of petals. Thus we have the “trefoil”, with three petals, the “quatrefoil” with four petals, the “cinquefoil” with five, &c. More than six petals (“sixfoil” or “sexfoil”) are uncommon; more than eight petals (“octofoil” or “double quatrefoil”) are not found.

In period armory, cinquefoils were the most common foil-type flower, found as early as c.1244 in the arms of de Umfraville [Asp2 219]. Early heralds made no distinction between cinquefoils and roses, considering both the blazons and emblazons interchangeable (as in the various cadet arms of the Darcy family through the 14^th Century). The cinquefoil is sometimes blazoned a “fraise”, or strawberry flower, especially for canting purposes.

Next in popularity were sixfoils, dating to 1255, and quatrefoils, dating to 1244. Trefoils, the most popular form in Society heraldry, first appear c.1254 in the arms of de Perie [Brault 280 and Brault2 28], but in period were not as common at first as the other foil-flowers.

Trefoil (Period); shamrock (Accepted)

The trefoil is the only foil-flower that is shown slipped by default; the others have no slips unless specifically blazoned. (Even the trefoil has the slip blazoned occasionally, though it’s the Society’s default. It’s also sometimes found double-slipped, which does have to be blazoned.) The trefoil is also the only foil-flower with a definite default orientation, with a petal to chief; period examples of cinquefoils, by comparison, may be drawn with a petal to chief, or a petal to base. Most foil-flowers follow the convention of the trefoil, and are drawn as in the illustrations, with a petal to chief.

A variant on the trefoil is the “shamrock”, the symbol of Ireland; its petals are heart-shaped and have no points. The distinction is purely artistic: no heraldic difference is granted between trefoils and shamrocks. A crowned shamrock, as the Royal badge of Ireland, is not registerable in the Society.

Similarly, the “four-leaved clover” is a Society variant on the quatrefoil, with heart-shaped petals; it is almost always shown with the petals in saltire, even when not so blazoned.

In the English system of cadency, the octofoil is the brisure of the ninth son. For related charges, see rose. See also leaf.

Bevin Fraser of Sterling bears: Vert, three fraises Or pierced vert, on a chief Or a rose gules, barbed and seeded proper.

Olwen of Buckland bears: Azure, a trefoil stalked argent.

Myles of the Shamrock bears: Argent, a shamrock vert.

Elspeth de Stervlen bears: Purpure, six cinquefoils Or.

Johanna le Walkere bears: Quarterly azure and sable, four quatrefoils argent.

Carol of Bellatrix bears: Per bend argent and vert, six octofoils in bend three and three counterchanged, all pierced Or.

Ærne Clover bears: Or, a four-leaved clover saltirewise slipped vert.

Foi

Foi cuffed (Period)

A foi is a pair of hands clasped in friendship. It’s been found in period Italian armory, in the arms of di Amadi, mid-15^th C. [Triv 50]; the Italian term, fede, has the same meaning as the French foi (“faith”). Given its mention in Woodward [205], the Society uses the French term. The foi has its hands in fess by default; the illustration has the hands wearing cuffs.

Brandrick Slaywrock bears: Vert, a foi bendwise couped Or.

Azalais de Dia bears: Azure, a foi within an orle argent.

Guillaume de Saint Michel bears: Azure, an armored foi in chevron issuant from the flanks, on a chief embattled argent three roses proper.

Ermine

Ermine statant (Period)

The ermine is a skinny beast of the mustelid family. It’s technically a “stoat” or “weasel”; and it is sometimes so blazoned, as in the canting arms of Birtwistle, 1478 [Woodcock & Robinson 81]. In heraldry, the term “ermine” refers to the stoat in its winter coloration, pure white with a black-tipped tail; this is its “proper” coloration. It’s found in this form as the badge of the Dukes of Brittany [Gayre, Heraldic Standards, p.93].

The ermine was valued for its silky white fur, which in time became the ermine furs of heraldry. It was also one of the symbols of the Virgin, not only because of its pure white fur, but because of a medieval legend that the ermine conceived through its ear.

Similar in form to the ermine are such beasts as the “otter”, found in the canting arms of Ottyr, c.1460 [RH]; the “marten”, found in the arms of von Muggenthal, 1605 [Siebmacher 81]; and in Society heraldry, the “ferret”, the “mink”, and the “polecat”. Though zoologically distinct, they are heraldically equivalent to the ermine. All ermine-like beasts seem to be statant by default; this is uncertain, so it’s best to blazon the posture explicitly. (The illustration shows an ermine statant.) For related charges, see mongoose. See also ermine spot.

Rima of Rockridge bears: Gules, an ermine statant guardant proper.

Friedrich von Waffen bears: Argent, three ferrets statant guardant in pale sable.

Lorimel the Gentle bears: Vert, an otter sejant erect Or.

Donatien Delaborde bears: Per fess argent and azure, two weasels statant counterchanged.

Alrik Eriksson Mård bears: Gyronny azure and argent, a marten rampant coward contourny sable.

Dolmen

Dolmen (Accepted)

A dolmen is an edifice erected by the ancient Britons and Celts, consisting of a large flat stone laid across upright stones (called “menhirs”). Modern scholars still debate as to the purpose of dolmens: suggestions include tombs, monuments, altars, or observatories (probably a combination of these). We have no examples of the dolmen in period heraldry, but as a period artifact, it’s acceptable in Society armory.

The Society’s default dolmen is a trilithon: two uprights and one crosspiece. It is occasionally so blazoned, and certainly any other number of uprights or crosspieces must be explicitly blazoned. Society armory also has examples of menhirs standing alone.

For related charges, see arch, torii. See also rock.

Cadwalladyr Stone of Stonecroft bears as a badge: Vert, a dolmen of three uprights capped by two lintels argent.

Gwyneth merch Macsen bears: Sable, a dolmen and in chief a mullet of eight points argent.

Juelda of Salisbury bears: Azure, a dolmen Or and a ford proper.

Colgrym of Avebury bears: Vert, in fess a dragon Or between two menhirs argent.

Delf

Delf (Period)

A delf is a shovelful of sod or dirt. It is found in the canting arms of Delves, c.1460 [DBA2 298]; it was considered equivalent to a billet, in both blazon and emblazon.

The delf is always drawn in a highly stylized manner, as a square; and it’s treated more as a polygon than as an actual object. For related charges, see die, gameboard, tablet (weaver’s).

Vittorio Maria del Fabbro bears: Lozengy azure and argent, a delf sable.

Tibor of Rock Valley bears: Vert, a delf Or.

Angelique Thibodeau bears: Per chevron azure and argent, three delfs voided counterchanged.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings