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Helm

Helm (Period)

A helm is a piece of armor designed to enclose and protect the head; its use as an heraldic charge dates from c.1285, in the arms of Daubeney [ANA2 475]. Throughout period, the type of helm would change, from the great helm in the canting arms of Helmshoven or Helmishofen, c.1340 [Zurich 358] to the barred tournament helm in the arms of Schaden, 1605 [Siebmacher 188]; but in each case, the charge was a “helm”, drawn according to the style of the time.

In Society armory, the “great helm” or “barrel helm” has been ruled the default, though it is sometimes explicitly blazoned. This is the form in the illustration. Other types of full helm (e.g., “sallet”, “spangenhelm”, “barbute”, &c) must be specified; the type carries no heraldic difference. If such a helm is blazoned “plumed”, it carries a single feather as a crest and favor; period helms, when used as charges, sometimes had other crests as well, as in the arms of Schaden, above.

Morion (Period); kettle helm (Period)

There are also helms that do not enclose the head, but sit atop it. Of these, the “kettle helm” (also called a “chapel-de-fer” or “eisenhut”) is the most common: a broad-brimmed metal hat, more in use by the infantry than the chivalry. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Sowys, c.1460 [RH] and of Spiegel, 1605 [Siebmacher 179].

There is also the “morion”, which in some texts is used as another term for the chapel-de-fer; it’s now accepted to mean a Spanish style of iron hat, with turned-up brim and a ridge-crest. This form of morion came into armorial use in the late 16^th Century, as in the crest of Ramburgh, 1583 [Gwynn-Jones 104].

Roman helm (Accepted); Norman helmet (Accepted)

Winged helm affronty (Accepted); horned helm affronty (Disallowed)

Winged helmet affronty (Accepted); horned helmet affronty (Disallowed)

Of the helm variants unique to the Society, those blazoned a “winged helm” or “horned helm” are usually considered Viking helmets; these are metal caps with wings or horns, rather than full helms, though they may have eye-guards. (They have more in common with Victorian idealization than anything the Vikings actually wore. The horned helm, at least, is not permitted at this writing, pending period documentation.) The “Norman helm” is essentially a steel cap with a nasal. The “full-faced Saxon helmet” is the famous helm of Sutton Hoo. Helms of antiquity are not uncommon: Greek, Roman, and horned Corinthian helms have been registered.

The “Viking” helms, the Sutton Hoo helm, and the kettle helm are affronty by default; all other helms face dexter by default. For related charges, see hat, head (human’s), hood, skold.

The Shire of the Freelords of Stone Keep bears: Sable, a Greek helmet Or within a laurel wreath argent.

The Order of the Silver Morion of Mons Tonitrus bears: Sable, a morion and a bordure denticulada argent.

The Order of the Sable Helm, of the Barony of Bronzehelm, bears: A helm sable.

Mikhail Karten bears: Quarterly gules and checky azure and Or, a plumed great helm facing to sinister argent.

Olaf of Axar bears: Vert, three horned helmets argent.

Wilhelm von dem Bajwarishen Berg bears: Purpure, in pale two chapels de fer between as many flaunches Or, each flank charged with a spear purpure.

Gina Dragoni bears: Or, a full-faced Saxon helmet crested of a dragon purpure.

Hat

Albanian cap (Period)

Cap of maintenance (Period/Reserved)

A hat is an article of clothing which covers the head. There are a wide variety of hats used in heraldry; no type of hat is the default, and there exists no standard “generic” hat. The exact type of hat thus needs to be blazoned; this was frequently done by a simple description, e.g., “a conical hat”, as in the arms of von Bornstedt, 1605 [Siebmacher 177]. One form quite common in Continental heraldry is blazoned in modern French as un bonnet albanais, an “Albanian cap”, although we can find no connection between it and Albania.

One specific type of hat found in period armory was the “cap of maintenance” or “cap of dignity”. It was used in Scots crests to signify baronial status; but it was used in English crests after 1350 by non-peers [Hope2 155]. It was also used as a charge in its own right, as in the incredibly ugly civic arms of Gloucester, 1536 [Hope2 335, Parker 333]. In the Society, the cap of maintenance gules, trimmed either ermine or argent goutty de sang, is reserved to members of the Order of the Pelican.

Jew’s hat (Period)

Another hat in period armory was the judenhut or “Jew’s hat”; this form of hat was mandatory garb for Jews starting in the 11^th Century, but soon became a mark of honor among them. It’s found in the canting arms of Judden, c.1370 [Gelre 94], and was used in the armory of both Jews and Gentiles [Edward Kandel, “The Origin of Some Charges:, Coat of Arms vol.1 (N.S.) No.95, Autumn 1975, p.208]. It is accepted for use in the Society.

Cardinal’s hat (Period)

Mitre (Disallowed)

Of religious headgear, the “mitre” was used as a charge almost exclusively in arms and crests of bishops and bishoprics; the few secular examples, such as the arms of Kirchberg, mid-16^th C. [NW 175], are not sufficient to dispel this appearance of presumption. The mitre has been disallowed, pending further examples of its secular use. The “cardinal’s hat” or “protonotary hat”, on the other hand, is commonly found in secular armory with no religious implications, such as the arms of von Dobeneck, 1605 [Siebmacher 151].

Jester’s cap (Accepted)

Flat cap (Accepted)

Of hats unique to Society armory, a popular type is the “fool’s cap” or “jester’s cap”: a forked hat of two or three points, with bells at the points. This sits on the head, as opposed to the (more period) jester’s hood, which completely covers the head. There is also the “flat cap”: a brimmed beret, which may be jewelled or befeathered, as exemplified in the drawings of Holbein, 16^th C.

Phrygian cap (Accepted)

Double-horned hennin (Accepted)

The “Phrygian cap” is a floppy, conical hat found in Greek art. The “hennin” is a woman’s head covering, from the 15^th C., with either a single conical point or a double-horned form; the type must be specified. Though the hennin was usually worn with a veil, in Society armory it may be drawn with or without a veil, at the artist’s discretion; the illustration shows a double-horned hennin. The “arming cap” is a close-fit skullcap, worn inside a helm as insulation.

Cap of Mercury (Accepted)

Finally, the “petasus” or “cap of Mercury” is a flat wide hat with wings; it was one of the accoutrements of the Greek god. For related charges, see head (human’s), helm, hood.

Alice Jean Huewy bears: Azure, on a bend sinister argent three Albanian caps reversed palewise azure.

Casamira Jawjalny bears: Azure, a jester’s hat lozengy gules and Or and a chief Or.

Edmund Renfield Wanderscribe bears: Per bend potenty gules and argent, a sun in his splendour Or and a cap of Mercury azure, winged argent.

Lucrezia di Bartolomeo bears as a badge: Purpure, on a heart Or a double-horned hennin gules, trimmed argent, a bordure Or.

Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib bears: Azure, in saltire a ladle inverted and a recorder between four Jewish hats Or.

Christopher Thomas bears: Argent, a flat cap purpure plumed and on a chief azure three Pierrot masks argent.

Valentine Christian Warner bears: Vert, three long conical caps Or turned up ermine.

Declan of Drogheda bears: Argent, a Phrygian cap purpure.

Brendan Kanobe bears: Argent, a sugar-loaf hat gules and a bordure sable.

Dirk of Drei Eichen bears: Or, a cardinal’s hat gules and on a chief sable, three fleurs-de-lys Or.

Sveinn Harðfari bears: Per bend Or and bendy gules and Or, a demon’s head couped affronty gules wearing an arming cap sable.

Firebird, Russian

Russian firebird volant bendwise (Disallowed)

The Russian firebird is a fabulous bird from Russian folklore, whose feathers shine with light even when plucked. It has strong parallels with the simurgh of Persian legend; indeed, given the similarities between the 19^th Century Russian story of the prince Ivan and the firebird, and the 13^th Century Persian story of the prince Isfandiyar and the simurgh, it would seem that the Russian firebird was a direct borrowing. Certainly we have no evidence of the firebird (even in legend) before the 18^th Century. For this reason, the Russian firebird is no longer permitted to be registered; those already registered are considered a step from period practice.

All the Society’s examples of firebirds have the wings spread: volant, displayed, &c. The illustration shows a Russian firebird volant bendwise. For related charges, see peacock, phoenix.

Tatiana Ivanovna bears: Azure, a Russian firebird displayed Or, crested and its six tail feathers each charged with a heart gules.

Krzysia Wanda Kazimira bears: Or, a Russian firebird volant gules, a bordure sable.

Giulietta da Venezia bears: Per saltire purpure and sable, a Russian firebird volant bendwise argent.

Fan

Winnowing fan (Period)

Fan (Accepted)

A fan is a device for generating a current of air. In medieval heraldry, the default fan was more fully termed a “winnowing fan” or “vannet”; it was used to blow the chaff from grain. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of Septvans or Sevans, c.1275 [ANA2 556]; the handles are to chief, the wide part to base, by default.

In Society heraldry, the default fan is the handheld folding fan, used to cool humans. This form is open or spread, with the wide part to chief, by default. The folding fan is found in later period portraits (as in the “Ditchley” portrait of Elizabeth I, by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, c.1595), but no examples are known in European armory. However, a similar form, with paper covering the ribs, is found in Japanese Mon; this form (ogi) was borne by Satake Yoshinobu, 1569-1633 [Hawley 59].

Feather fan (Period)

Liturgical fan (Accepted)

Three other fans are found in Society armory. There’s the “feather fan”, with plumes attached to a handle; it’s similar to a feather-edged fan found in the arms of Hintaller, mid-16^th C. [NW 56]. There’s also the “liturgical fan”, a solid piece of stiffened fabric, used in church to keep insects away from the Host [EB X:168]. Finally, we have the “flag fan” (ventuolo) of 16^th C. Italy, a stiff vane of woven fiber or parchment on an offset handle, as seen in Boissard’s Habitus Variorum Orbis Gentium, 1581.

Flag fan (Accepted)

All of these fans are palewse, with handles to base, by default. Additionally, the asymmetrical flag fan has its vane to dexter by default; it is granted no difference from a banner (cf. flag).

Escroll

Quill pen transfixing an escroll fesswise (Period)

An escroll is a strip of parchment or paper, frequently with writing upon it, transfixed or held in place by a larger charge. By its definition, it can never be used alone, or as a primary charge. The escroll is a period charge, used in the arms of Sir Roger de Clarendon, d.1402 [Parker 238]. It has no default orientation, though it is usually assumed to be at right angles to whatever charge is transfixing it.

The illustration shows a quill pen transfixing an escroll fesswise. For related charges, see ribbon, scroll.

Ieuan Gower bears: Sable, an ostrich feather transfixing an escroll fesswise between in bend sinister two mullets Or.

Eagle

Eagle (Period)

The eagle is the monarch of the birds, the medieval symbol of majesty and vision (literally and figuratively). It is thus a frequent charge in medieval armory, dating from the earliest heraldic records, as in the arms of the Kingdom of Germany, c.1244 [ANA2 193]. More than any other bird of heraldry, it is drawn in a highly stylized manner: with a crest, ruffled feathers, and ornate wings and tail. German emblazons may add klee-stengeln, wing-bones, and they are sometimes explicitly blazoned; they are considered artistic details.

The eagle is displayed by default; however, the form of display may differ according to time and place. In later-period England, eagles displayed held their wings with their tips up; while in early Germany, eagles displayed had the wingtips down, in the posture called “displayed inverted” in English. As the distinction is mostly one of emblazonry, it is granted no heraldic difference, and indeed is usually left unblazoned.

A variant of the eagle is the “alerion” or “allerion”, a beakless, footless eagle found in the arms of the Duchy of Lorraine; this form had been recognized as a variant by the end of our period [de Bara 213]. It may only be shown displayed.

Double-headed eagles are also found, most famously in the arms of the Holy Roman Emperor c.1220 [Asp2 34], but also in lesser armory such as Bluet, c.1282 [ANA2 196]. (As the Imperial eagle was shown through history with either one or two heads, no difference is granted for the number of heads.) Triple-headed eagles are not permitted, by Society precedent. For related charges, see falcon, phoenix, roc, vulture.

The Award of the Alerion, of the Barony of Lochmere, bears: Per fess engrailed azure and argent, an alerion counterchanged.

Al Altan bears: Or, three eagles gules.

John Aquila of Eaglesdown bears: Purpure, an eagle close to sinister Or.

Andrei de Sevastopol bears: Gyronny argent and gules, a double-headed eagle displayed sable.

Dragon

Dragon (Period)

Wyvern (Period)

The dragon is a great reptilian monster with spikes, barbs, bat-wings, and taloned feet. It is sometimes blazoned a “wyrm”, especially for the sake of a cant. A dragon “segreant” is rampant, wings addorsed; this is its default posture.

The dragon’s depiction differed over the centuries, or between countries. The earliest heraldic dragons, for instance, had feathered wings. The dragon’s tail was blunt throughout our period; the barbs at the end were not added until the 18^th Century. (This is considered artistic license, and many Society dragons have barbed tails.)

More important is the number of legs. The Society, following current British usage, defines a “dragon” as having four legs. The four-legged dragon had been a badge of North Wales c.1400; with the ascension of the Tudors, the four-legged dragon became one of England’s supporters [Dennys 191]. However, the older form of dragon had only two legs; it dates back at least to 1300, in the arms of Fulbourne [ANA2 493]. British heraldry now blazons the two-legged form a “wyvern” (Continental heralds still call it a “dragon”), and treats it as a variant of type. The wyvern’s default posture is variously blazoned “statant” or “sejant”: for wyverns, the two postures are deemed equivalent. At one point, the Society granted no difference between the four-legged dragon and the two-legged wyvern; the current policy now grants difference for type between these two.

East Asian dragon passant (SFPP)

Dûn dragon (Disallowed)

There are other variations of the dragon. The “hydra” is a multi-headed dragon; classically described with nine heads, the 16^th Century heraldic form has as few as three [de Bara 85, 143]. (The number of heads should be blazoned.) The “East Asian dragon” is wingless, and drawn in a Chinese or Japanese stylization (and sometimes specifically blazoned as “Chinese” or “Japanese”); it’s permitted in Society armory, with its use deemed a step from period practice. Finally, the “Dûn dragon” is a Society invention, with no wings, two horns, long spindly limbs, and a dopy grin; it is defined in the arms of the Shire of Anlieplic Dûn. This form is no longer used save for the Shire’s armory.

Wyverns displayed are considered a step from period practice; dragons displayed are no longer permitted. For related charges, see amphisbaena, cockatrice, griffin, lion-dragon, naga, Norse beasts, orm, pithon.

The King of the Middle bears: Argent, a pale gules, overall a dragon passant vert, in chief an ancient crown Or within a laurel wreath proper.

The Baron of Wyvernwoode bears: Vert, a wyvern passant argent, winged and bellied within a laurel wreath Or.

The Shire of Anlieplic Dûn bears: Per pale sable and argent, a laurel wreath between two Dûn dragons combattant counterchanged.

Éowyn Amberdrake bears: Azure, in pale three dragons passant Or.

Katrina Pietroff bears: Azure, a seven-headed hydra statant argent.

Joseph the Good bears as a badge: Gules, a Japanese dragon passant 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.

Cockatrice

Cockatrice (Period)

Basilisk erect (Period)

The cockatrice is an heraldic monster, generally depicted as a wyvern with the head of a cock. It was reputedly hatched from a cock’s egg, and was able to kill with a glance. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Baumberg, c.1340 [Zurich 495]. As with the wyvern, early heraldry might depict the cockatrice with feathered wings instead of bat’s wings.

The cockatrice has often been confused in heraldic literature with the “basilisk”; this monster, shown in classical Greek art wearing a crown, differs in heraldic art only by the addition of a dragon’s head on the end of the tail. The basilisk is occasionally blazoned an “amphysian cockatrice” for that reason. (Needless to say, since the crown is a reserved charge in the Society, Society heraldry doesn’t use the Greek definition.) By whatever name, the basilisk was the badge of Cursson, c.1513 [Walden 203].

The default posture for both the cockatrice and the basilisk is statant, with wings addorsed. However, unlike the dragon or the wyvern, the cockatrice was also found displayed in period, as in the arms of Buggin, 1578 [Dennys 186]. The illustrations show a cockatrice statant and a basilisk erect.

Genevieve de Lyonesse bears: Per saltire azure and sable, a cockatrice statant argent.

Cristoff Gockerhan von Loch bears: Gyronny azure and argent, a cockatrice displayed gules.

Theodulf of Borogrove bears: Argent, an amphisian cockatrice gules within a bordure nebuly sable.

Irene of Kensington bears: Vert, a basilisk statant, wings addorsed argent.

Birds

Birds in Society heraldry follow most of the conventions as those of mundane heraldry. As a rule of thumb, most birds are statant close by default.

There are some bird postures unique to Society heraldry. A bird “stooping” is volant to dexter base, with the body bendwise sinister and the wings addorsed and swept back. A bird “striking” has its wings elevated and addorsed, its head lowered, and its talons extended; for purposes of difference, it is indistinguishable from a bird rising. A bird “migrant” or “migratory” is tergiant, wings displayed or displayed inverted, head erect; with no other qualification, a bird is migrant to chief. The posture is no longer allowed, pending period examples.

Any bird known to period Europeans may be used in Society armory – though, if the bird is not itself European, its use may be considered a step from period practice. (An exception is made for non-European birds actually used in period European armory. The turkeycock is perhaps the prime example of this.) The unmodified term “bird” can be used in blazon to refer to a generic bird, vaguely pigeon-shaped; it will conflict with all “standard” birds, as classified below.

In terms of difference between birds, as of this writing the Society’s policy classes every bird into one of four categories: crane-shaped (e.g., cranes, storks, herons), swan-shaped (e.g., swans, geese, ducks), poultry-shaped (e.g., chickens, quail, peacocks), and “standard bird” (e.g., corbies, doves, raptors). (One might assume a fifth category, “other”, to cover anomalies such as the ostrich.) Birds from different categories, when in period postures for those birds, will usually be considered completely different for purposes of conflict.

For specific birds, see: cock, crane, crow, dove, eagle, falcon, firebird, goose, hummingbird, martlet, moorcock, ostrich, owl, peacock, pelican, penguin, popinjay, roc, sea-mew, simurgh, swallow, swan, turkeycock, vulture.

Grim Finch bears: Argent, a bend per bend sable and azure, in chief a finch volant, wings addorsed azure.

Eleanor of Pica bears: Vert, a magpie proper maintaining in its dexter talon a feather argent.

Linnet of Liddington bears: Quarterly azure and Or, four linnets counterchanged.

Luke Aucher bears: Argent, a great auk close sable and a chief rayonny gules.

Robin Vinehall the Ambivalent bears: Or, in fess two robins close addorsed, tails crossed in saltire proper.

Wilhelmina Brant bears: Or, two pheasants respectant and in chief three garden roses slipped vert.

Božena z Prahy bears: Gules, a pigeon between flaunches argent.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings