Search Results for: eye

Goat

Goat clymant (Period)

The goat is a horned, hooved beast famed for its lasciviousness (and, strangely enough, its eyesight). The most common depiction is long-horned and bearded, with longer hair at the throat. It’s a common charge, found as early as c.1320, in the arms of Obaerloh or Obaerlon [Zurich 366].

Special terms applied to goats include “clymant”, meaning rampant. The goat doesn’t seem to have any default posture; the illustration shows a goat clymant. For related charges, see ibex (natural), musimon, sheep.

Kozima la Pellegrina bears: Sable, a goat clymant to sinister Or.

Eoghan MacCionna BaileArd bears: Or, a brown goat erect playing a bagpipe proper, bagged gules.

Ottokar von Ehrenfels bears: Argent, a goat clymant azure.

Fish

Fish naiant (Period)

The term “fish”, as used in heraldry, refers to any marine creature not a monster. The category includes the generic “fish”, which is drawn more or less like a trout, and which will conflict with all other types of fish. More frequent in period heraldry are specific types of fish, such as the herring, the hake, the roach, and the salmon. The distinctions between these specific types were often blurred: the exact type of fish was frequently chosen for a cant, as in the arms of Herring, Hake, de la Roche, and the Grafs von Salmen, respectively.

Also included in this category are the cetaceans, e.g., the porpoise or natural dolphin, the orca or killer whale, the narwhal, and the natural whale; though now known to be mammals, they are considered fish for heraldic purposes.

Finally, there are the crustaceans, e.g., the crab, the lobster, and the prawn. These too are classed as fish in heraldry. Unlike most other fish, however, crustaceans are tergiant by default.

As may be seen, given the wide variety of types of fish found in period armory, any fish known to period Europeans may be used in Society armory – though, if the fish is not itself European, its use is considered a step from period practice. (An exception would be made for non-European fish actually used in period European armory, but no examples have been adduced.) The examples of fish peculiar to Society armory include the North American “catfish”, the “swordfish”, and the “zydrach” – the latter being a period term for the hammerhead shark.

Salmon haurient (Period); chabot tergiant (Period)

Three fish fretted in triangle (Period)

Fish are in general naiant by default. Other fish postures include “haurient” (head to chief) and “uriant” or “urinant” (head to base); the word “embowed” might be added to any of these, although it is usually unnecessary. Fish “fretted in triangle” are arranged as illustrated; the usage is described in Guillim, 1610 [170]. Non-crustacean fish tergiant are considered a step from period practice; an exception is made for flat fish such as the chabot, in the arms of Cabos or Cabot, c.1400 [Wapenboek Beyeren, fol.25v], where tergiant is their default posture.

In other respects, the fish of Society armory follow the same conventions as those of mundane armory. The illustration shows a salmon haurient and a chabot (tergiant). For specific entries, see: barbel, calamarie, crab, dolphin, eel, lucy, sea-horse (natural), whale.

The Baron of Jararvellir bears: Azure, on a fess between two catfish counternaiant Or, a laurel wreath vert.

The Shire of Frozen Mountain bears as a badge: Three fish fretted in triangle gules.

Margery Colvere bears: Azure, in pale two trout argent.

Ian O Kennavain bears: Vert, a sturgeon in annulo Or.

Sean of Elmhurst bears: Per bend azure and sable, a shark naiant to sinister argent.

Marina Jensdatter bears: Gules, a salmon embowed within a bordure Or.

Jarvis of Hakesleah bears: Purpure, three hakes haurient Or.

Brian of Stonemarche bears: Argent, a chevron inverted sable between a chabot gules and two chabots azure.

Daisy

Daisy (Period)

The daisy is a bright, cheerful flower, the medieval symbol of innocence. It is a period charge, found in the canting arms of Day, 1543 [Parker 193]. It may also be blazoned a “marguerite”, especially for canting purposes. The daisy is shown affronty by default; its “proper” tincture is argent, seeded (or “eyed”) Or.

Similar to the daisy is the “sunflower”, also known as a “heliotrope”: a larger flower with more prominent seeding. When “proper”, the sunflower is Or, with its seeding either black or brown at the artist’s discretion. It’s found in the arms of Florio, 1614 [Parker 559].

Ealasaid of the Isles bears: Purpure, three daisies argent seeded Or.

Margaret MacIain of Lochwood bears: Gyronny purpure and Or, each Or gyron charged with a daisy azure.

Cristina Rose da Napoli bears: Azure, a sunflower proper, on a chief argent three goblets gules.

Cross: Fourchetty

Cross fourchetty (Period)

The “cross fourchetty” (French fourchette, “wishbone”) is a Continental charge, found in the arms of van Damme, c.1370 [Gelre 91]. Unlike the cross fourchy, it is not considered an artistic variant of the cross moline, but a separate form of cross.

Crispin MacCoy bears: Argent, a cross fourchetty and on a chief sable an eye argent irised azure.

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.