Search Results for: shield

Mermaid; Melusine

Mermaid in her vanity (Period)

The mermaid is a sea–monster, with the body of a maiden conjoined to a fish’s tail; it was also termed a “siren”. It is usually depicted with a mirror and comb, which position may be blazoned “a mermaid in its vanity”. The mermaid is found as a supporter in the early 14^th Century [Dennys 123]; as a charge on a shield, it’s used in the arms of Ornelas, c.1540 [Nobreza xxiiiº].

It can also be male, of course; the male form may be blazoned a “merman” or a “triton”. It too is found in period grants, dating from at least 1483 as a supporter of Wydville, Earl Rivers [Dennys 129]; it’s also found as a supporter of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, 1575 [Bromley & Child 91]. The merman is frequently armored, in some cases with his entire human half covered in plate. Both mermaid and merman are affronty by default; period heraldic art turns the figure ever so slightly to dexter, in an early attempt at perspective.

Monk-fish naiant (Accepted)

Melusine (Period)

One specific form of merman is blazoned a “monk-fish”, with the human portion vested in monk’s robes. The form shown here is taken from Meidenbach’s Hortus Sanitatis, an herbal/natural history dated 1491. As an heraldic charge, the monk-fish appears to be unique to the Society.

A Continental version of the mermaid is the “melusine”, which has two fish’s tails replacing the maiden’s legs, instead of a single fish’s tail; it is a period charge, found in the arms of Östermayr, 1605 [Siebmacher 36]. The melusine’s default posture is affronty, holding one tail in each hand. Unlike the mermaid, the melusine is sometimes shown in period emblazons with its human half vested.

When blazoned “proper”, merfolk are tinctured with Caucasian (pink) human parts, and green fish’s tails; the hair color is usually explicitly blazoned, but blonde seems most common. See also silkie.

The College of Saint Giles bears as a badge: A monk-fish naiant to sinister argent.

Ane-Marie Varre of Helsingor bears: Azure, a mermaid and a merman affronty proper, their adjacent arms elevated and crossed.

Rollo Melles bears: Gules, a melusine argent.

Letters

Gothic capital letter “M” (Period)

A letter is a single written glyph, symbolizing a phoneme of speech. By default, letters are taken from the Roman alphabet, with the case and script sometimes specified in the blazon; letters from other alphabets, such as Greek and Hebrew, are also permitted. The use of single letters as decorations on shields dates early, but as charges in actual armory, they came into use much later: e.g., the three letters “M” in the arms of Le Marchant, 1362 [DBA2 384], or the two letters “S” in the arms of Mendoça, c.1540 [Nobreza xii]. The illustration shows a Gothic letter “M”.

Full words are also found in period heraldry: the word “souvereyne” in the badge of Henry of Lancaster, 1385 [Hope2 167], and the word “lieb” as a charge in the arms of von Startzhausen, 1605 [Siebmacher 84]. Iberian heraldry, in particular, has examples of whole phrases used as charges: e.g., the arms of Velaz de Medrano, mid-16^th C., with a bordure charged with the opening words of the Ave Maria [Armeria 70].

In Society heraldry, the category of letters includes such other symbols as astronomical signs, Arabic script, Norse runes, and Japanese kanji. The use of these symbols is restricted in one way: since any person may use a common word – and certainly may use their own initials – no Society armory may consist solely of letters, words, or their equivalents. The armory must include some other charge as well.

Punctuation marks, being unattested in medieval armory, are not permitted in Society armory. See also chi-rho, cypher charges, musical note, nefr, rogacina.

Franchesca MacBeth bears: Vert, a Gothic capital letter “M” Or and a base embattled argent masoned sable.

Ottavio Corsi bears as a badge: Argent, on a fess cotised between the Arabic script “al-mulk” and “lillah” sable, the Arabic script “abd-al-Malik Husam ibn Khalid” argent.

Dulcinea Margarita Teresa Velàzquez di Ribera bears: Argent, three piles in point gules, overall an estoile, all within a bordure sable charged with the words “Dignidad, Vertud, Honestad” Or.

Julien Lapointe bears: Gules, three lowercase Greek letters pi within a bordure embattled Or.

Cadell ap Hubert bears: Argent, the astronomical sign of Sagittarius and a gore sinister azure.

Knife

Dagger (Period)

A knife is a bladed tool or weapon, used for cutting or stabbing. The knife’s blade is proportionally shorter than that of a sword; no heraldic difference is normally counted between the two. Like the sword, the knife is palewise, point to chief, by default. Its “proper” coloration is with argent blade and Or quillons and handle; occasionally the handle may be light brown.

The most common form of knife, in both medieval and Society armory, is the “dagger”, called in French a poignard. It’s a period charge, found in the attributed arms of la Montagne c.1340 [Zurich 7; also Conz.Const. xciii, 1413].

Kitchen knife (Period)

Trenket (Period)

In period armory, we also find the “kitchen knife” as in the arms of von Jaxtheim, 1605 [Siebmacher 113]; the “trenket”, a cordwainer’s or leatherworker’s knife, with a spiked moon-shaped blade, as in the arms of Benvenuti, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 278:409]; knives with serrated blades, in the arms of Lepuzáin, mid-16^th C. [Armeria 359]; and a broad knife with a curved blade (cortell, coltello), found in the canting arms of Cortona, mid-15^th C. [Triv 122].

Calligrapher’s knife (Accepted)

Cinquedea (Accepted)

Examples of knives found in Society heraldry include such divers items as the “calligrapher’s knife” (the illustration is taken from an illumination of Eadwine of Canterbury c.1140; Donald Jackson, The Story of Writing, p.71); and the “cinquedea”, a 15^th C. Italian weapon whose blade is five fingers in width [Stone 181].

Half-moon knife (Accepted)

Kris (SFPP)

Other Society examples include the “half-moon knife”, a slicing tool with a crescent blade [Singer 166]; and the “kris”, a wavy bladed Malay dagger [Stone 382]. The use of the kris, as an artifact from outside Europe, is a step from period practice.

Kindjal (Disallowed)

Skene (sgian dubh, modern) (Disallowed)

Two other knives have been registered but since disallowed, pending evidence of their existence in period. One is the “kindjal”, an Indian dagger with a round hilt; no further evidence has been found as of this writing. The other is the “skene” or “skean”, a short dirk favored by Scotsmen. While the modern form of skene (sgian dubh) has not been documented to period, and is therefore disallowed, a period form may be seen in the canting arms of James Skene of That Ilk, b.1544 (Lord Crawford’s Armorial, late-16^th C., fo.140v). It appears indistinguishable from a dagger, and seems to be used solely for the cant.

Skene (Period)

For related charges, see cleaver, drawknife, fer-a-loup, shave, sickle.

The Ansteorran Scribes and Illuminators Guild bears: Vert, a calligraphic knife and a reed pen in saltire argent, tied with a ribbon Or.

Giles William Trout bears: Per bend sinister azure and argent, two pairs of daggers in saltire counterchanged.

Gwenere of Ben Murry bears: Purpure, in bend two krisses inverted argent.

Shuaib Hassan bears: Argent chapé sable, a cinquedea gules, ornamented Or.

Umbar in Harchiral Dandachi bears: Argent, chaussé ployé cotised and in chief a kindjal dagger palewise inverted sable surmounted by a madu shield fesswise gules.

William filius Willelmi de Wyke bears: Gules, a trenket argent.

Morgan the Tanner bears: Or, on a hide sable a half-moon knife argent, hilted Or.

Cathbarr MacQuarrie bears: Argent, a sea-lion vert, on a chief invected purpure a skean reversed Or.

Human figure

Though human body parts (heads, hands, &c) were used as charges from the earliest days of heraldry, full human figures did not begin to be used in arms until the 14^th Century: e.g., the monk in the canting arms of Mönchen, c.1370 [Gelre 41v]. The usage seems to have begun on the Continent and eventually spread.

Maiden (Period)

Examples of human types include maidens, children, and old men. Humans seem to be statant affronty by default; when in some other posture (e.g., “passant”), they’re turned to dexter, but even then the torso partially faces the viewer. The exact type of human should be explicitly blazoned.

In period blazon, a human figure “proper” was assumed to be Caucasian (pink or white) unless otherwise specified; Society blazon had once followed this, but is now more inclusive. Human figures proper are now blazoned as one of three categories: “dark-skinned” or “Black” proper, which is sable or a dark shade of black or brown; “brown-skinned” or “Brown” proper, which is any other shade of brown except light tan; and “light-skinned” or “White” proper, which is white, light pink (carnation), or light tan. The first two categories are treated as colors for contrast purposes, and will conflict with one another, all else being equal. The third is treated as a metal, and will conflict with argent, all else being equal. For all three categories, hair tincture should be specified separately.

Human figures are assumed to be vested, but the exact nature of the vesting (especially if in another tincture) may also be blazoned. Lack of vestment should always be blazoned: nudes were not uncommon in period armory, as in the nude damsels (Italian donzelle) in the canting arms of Donine, mid-15^th C. [Triv 131], or the nude man in the arms of Dalzell, 1542 [Lindsay].

Many human figures are defined by their professions: e.g., the “monk” of Mönchen, noted above; the “builder” (German Bauer) in the arms of Pawr von Stain, mid-16^th C. [NW 64]; the “fool” (German Narr) in the arms of Narringer, mid-16^th C. [NW 12]; the “miner” in the arms of the Mines Royal Company, 1568 [Gwynn-Jones 105]. Occasionally, a notable figure is blazoned by name: e.g., “the figure of Saint George”. In these cases, the figures are appropriately garbed, without needing explicit blazon.

The “Turk” is mustachioed, and bald save for a long topknot of hair; if he wears a turban, it is explicitly blazoned. When “proper”, he is “light-skinned” with black hair. The Turk is found in the canting arms of Turcha, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 276:123]. Turks’ heads are more often found: they’re frequent in Hungarian armory, a remnant of that conflict during the 16^th and 17^th Centuries; they are found in the arms of Captain John Smith (of Pocahontas fame), granted 1603 [Volborth 122; Woodcock & Robinson 38-39].

Moor (Period)

Saracen maintaining a scimitar (Period)

The “Moor” or “blackamoor” is a Negroid human, unbearded and with nappy hair. If he wears headgear (a torse, a kerchief, &c), it is explicitly blazoned. When “proper”, he is “dark-skinned” with black hair. Moors and Mooresses are frequently found, especially for canting purposes, as in the arms of Mordeysen, 1605 [Siebmacher 160].

The “Saracen” is sometimes misblazoned as a “Moor” in mundane armory. The Society has accepted the definition of a Saracen as having Semitic features, bearded by default; his hair, when visible, is long and wavy. He’s most frequently shown turbaned, but some period examples show him crowned or torsed; in any case, the headgear is explicitly blazoned. Saracen’s heads are found, blazoned as “soldan’s (sultan’s) heads” in the canting arms of Sowdan, c.1460 [RH]; the full figure is found in the arms of Thomshirn or Thumbshirn, 1605 [Siebmacher 158]. When “proper”, the Saracen is black-haired, “light-skinned” though a darker tan. (There were rare instances in period of dark brown Saracens [HCE xxxiv]; they should be blazoned “brown-skinned Saracens proper” in Society armory.)

Savage maintaining a club (Period)

Woodhouse (Period)

There was confusion in period between the “savage” or “sauvage” and the “wild man” or “woodhouse”. Both were wild and unclothed, but the term “woodhouse” referred to a specific form: long-haired, bearded, and body covered entirely in hair (some texts say leaves). This form was found as the canting crest of Sir Thomas Wodehouse, c.1520 [Walden 84; see also Friar 377]. The savage was similarly long-haired and bearded, and sometimes drawn covered with body hair, like the woodhouse; but the better-known form of savage has him smooth-skinned, girded with leaves, and often carrying a club. This form of savage was found in the arms of von Dachröden, 1605 [Siebmacher 149]. The very fact that the woodhouse and savage may be distinguished in English has probably led to their current heraldic definitions; and these are the definitions used in the Society.

Other specific variants include the “Saxon”, unbearded, light-skinned, and blond, garbed appropriately. The “knave” is a boy or youth, defined less by vestment than by attitude: the knave is shown making a rude face, pulling back his lips with the fingers of both hands. He’s found in the arms of Reyßmaul, mid-16^th Century [NW 154].

Of blazons peculiar to the human figure, Your Author’s favorite is one taken from Franklyn [215]: a nude maiden, with her arm hiding her bosom, may be termed a “maiden in her modesty”. A human “armed cap-a-pie” is fully armored in plate, from head to foot. A human “genuant” is in profile, kneeling on one knee.

For related charges, see ape, humanoid monsters, mandrake, skeleton. See also glove-puppet.

The Order of the Walker of the Way, of the Outlands, bears: Argent, a palmer, robed, hooded and bearing a staff sable.

Pawel Aleksander od Zerania bears: Azure, a man armed cap-a-pie and maintaining a lance and shield argent, between in chief two plates.

Jimena Montoya bears: Gules, a demi-maiden in her modesty and on a chief embattled argent a sword fesswise gules.

Martha Elcara bears: Azure, a nude blonde baby sejant erect to sinister, legs crossed proper.

Wulfgifu Wadylove of Wokyhole bears: Argent, a savage rampant and on a chief wavy azure two hearts argent.

Sofia Staritskaya bears: Per pale vert and sable, Saint George mounted and passant contourny, spear piercing a dragon in base within a bordure Or.

Sely Deth bears: Per pale gules and sable, a demi-knave vested and capped, pulling back his lips with his fingers argent.

Head, human’s

While the use of human heads as crests was very popular from the earliest rolls, their use as charges on shields came later, as in the arms of Gundelsdorf, c.1340 [Zurich 431]. Some human heads are affronty or guardant by default, but others aren’t; it depends on the type of human. As a very general rule of thumb, men’s heads face dexter by default, while the heads of children, maidens, &c, are affronty.

Savage’s head couped (Period)

Maiden’s head (or bust) (Period)

The “savage’s head” and the “wild man’s head” are shown with a wreath of leaves on their heads, since the leaves on the rest of their bodies are not in evidence. In other respects, the characteristics of a human head are those of that type of human, and are described under human figure.

As with animal’s heads, human heads must be specifically blazoned as couped or erased; couped heads are far more common. While the dexter-facing heads are couped at the neck, children and maidens are sometimes shown as a bust, showing the shoulders (and, in the maiden’s case, the bosom). This is not an ironclad rule, and seems to be artistic license; if the shoulders are meant to be included, they should be blazoned.

Head of St. Cybi (Accepted)

Janus head (Period)

One instance exists in Society armory of “heads of St. Cybi”. St. Cybi was a 6^th Century Cornish bishop, and is shown as a tonsured monk with a mitre.

The “Janus head” is taken from representations of the Roman god of beginnings and endings. We’ve an example from period Italian heraldry, in the arms of Banda, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 276:15; cf. also Woodward 201].

Cherub (Period)

Seraph (Period)

Also included in this category are the heads of humanoid monsters, particularly those which exist only as a head. Preeminent among these is the “cherub”, or “cherub’s head”: a child’s head cabossed, with two wings. Cherubim are found in the canting arms (Italian angeli, “angels”) of Dianiolli, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 272:277]; Legh, 1576 [84] likewise describes the cherub’s use in armory.

The “seraph”, or “seraph’s head”, is a child’s head cabossed, with six wings; Guillim, 1610 [83] gives an example of its heraldic use (misblazoning it as a “cherub with three pairs of wings”). In the Society, the seraph’s “proper” coloration is with pink skin, red hair, and rainbow-colored wings. The seraph should not be confused with the “standing seraph”, a variant of the angel, which is shown with a full body; as an heraldic charge, the standing seraph appears to be unique to the Society.

Gorgon’s head cabossed (Period)

Demon’s head couped (Accepted)

The “gorgon’s head”, taken from the monster of Greek myth, is a woman’s head with serpents for hair. As an heraldic charge, it’s shown in Bossewell, 1572 [III.22º]. The gorgon’s head is cabossed by Society default, though many registrations blazon the posture explicitly. Finally, there is the “demon’s head”, horned and ugly, much like a Notre Dame gargoyle; this appears to be unique to the Society.

For related charges, see hat, helm, hood, mask, skull, wind.

David of Moorland bears: Vert, on a bend Or three Moor’s heads couped sable.

Owain of Holyhead bears: Vert, three heads of St. Cybi proper aureoled Or.

Talanque bears: Azure, a horned demon’s head erased Or.

Petra Malusclavus Africana bears: Per pale azure and gules, a gorgon’s head cabossed argent.

John of Coventry bears: Bendy gules and argent, a Turk’s head affronty couped proper impaled upon a spearhead couped sable.

Staffan Arffuidsson bears: Azure, three seraphs Or.

Sabina de Almería bears: Or, a cross flory, on a chief purpure three Janus heads argent.

Gurges

Gurges (ancient) (Period)

Gurges (Tudor) (Period)

A gurges is the heraldic representation of a whirlpool, by which name it is sometimes blazoned. It is found in the canting arms of Gorges, c.1255 [Asp2 152]. In its original form, the gurges was drawn as a series of concentric annulets, typically around four in number; with the outer rings often intersecting the edges of the shield. At the end of our period, possibly as a result of misdrawing, it began to be drawn as a spiraling line from the center to the edge of the shield; this is the form found in most modern heraldry texts. (The illustrations both show a dark gurges on a white field.) The forms are considered interchangeable, and both are permitted in Society armory.

Despite some early Society misblazons, the gurges is a charge. Barring period examples, surmounting a gurges with an overall charge is considered a step from period practice. For related charges, see schnecke.

Damian d’Outremer bears: Sable, a gurges Or.

Gregory of Glencairn bears: Vert, a cross engrailed argent, overall a gurges Or.

Geoffrey de Rennes bears as a badge: Or, a whirlpool rayonny vert.

Gore; Gusset

Gore (Period)

Gusset (Period)

A gore is considered an heraldic sub-ordinary by some texts, and a rebatement of honor by others; it seems to be an invention of heraldic writers. Certainly, no instance of its actual use in period armory has yet been documented – but as it was described in period tracts (e.g., Legh’s Accidence of Armory, 1562 [72v]), the gore has been accepted for use in Society heraldry.

The gore may issue from either the dexter or the sinister side of the shield; the default gore issues from dexter. Society armory has examples where both gores are used; this has been deemed a step from period practice.

The “gusset” is an artistic variant of the gore, which is drawn with straight lines instead of curved lines. Actual instances of its use have been documented in Scots heraldry, in the arms of Cunningham, 1610 [Guillim1 35]; however, unlike the gore, gussets were found in pairs.

Charged gores and gussets are now allowed in Society armory, though their use is deemed a step from period practice. The use of other charges on the field alongside a gore or gusset is likewise a step from period practice. See also ordinary.

Regulus of Vinhold bears: Or, two gores sable.

Thora Arnketilsdottír bears: Sable, a gore sinister vair.

Sarah of the Crystal Water bears: Argent, two gussets nebuly inverted azure, each charged with a gout argent.

Fess

Fess (Period)

Dance (Period)

The fess is an heraldic ordinary, a horizontal stripe across the center of the shield. Its diminutive is the “bar”, or in extreme cases the “barrulet”; Society blazonry does not recognize any other terms for the fess’s diminutives.

The “dance” is another name for the fess dancetty; some texts hold that it was an independent charge in medieval times. The term is authorized for use in Society blazonry, in the hope it will reinforce the medieval definition of “dancetty”.

Bar gemel (Period)

Humet (Period)

The “bar gemel” (literally “twinned bar”) is visually equivalent to a fess voided; medieval heralds also blazoned it simply a “gemel” or “gemelle”. Unlike the fess voided, it is considered an independent charge, and no other charges come between its two halves. (The spacing for “two bars gemel” will be uneven, unlike the spacing for “four bars”.)

In like manner, the “humet” is a medieval name for a fess humetty; the term is not much used today, since other ordinaries may also be humetty.

Fess nowy (Period)

Fess enarched (Accepted)

The “fess nowy” (literally “knotted”) doesn’t refer to a peculiar knotting or fretting, but is used in the sense of a knot of wood: a circular node or lump at the fess’s center. Examples have been found in 15^th C. heraldic texts; the treatment is permitted for Society use.

The “fess embattled” is embattled only on its upper edge, unless specifically blazoned “(embattled) counter-embattled” or “bretessed”. The “fess enarched” curves to chief unless otherwise specified; it was originally meant to depict the convexity of the shield, and consequently carries no heraldic difference from the plain fess. The “fess doubly-arched” is not permitted. See also wall.

The King of Atlantia bears: Per pale argent and azure, on a fess wavy cotised counterchanged a crown vallary Or, overall a laurel wreath vert.

Brunechilde de Ravenel bears: Azure, a fess Or cotised argent.

Robert Conyers bears: Per pale argent and azure, a fess counterchanged.

Gwen Hir bears: Azure, a fess fusilly argent.

Marcus Tullius Calvus Cambrensis bears: Or, a dance sable.

Cadan Sacart bears: Vert, two bars engrailed Or.

Duban O’Guinn Silverwolf bears: Vert, three bars gemelles argent within a bordure ermine.

Ruaidhrí Mac Diarmada bears: Argent, a fess nowy azure charged with a plate.

Feather

Feather (Period)

A feather is one of the growths covering a bird’s wings and body; it consists of a quill or central shaft with a flat leaf-like surface growing from it. It is also termed a “plume”, though this term is usually reserved for ostrich tail feathers; some authors would define a “plume” as a bunch of ostrich feathers, so it is best to be specific.

The feather is sometimes misblazoned a “quill” or a “quill pen”. Strictly speaking, the quill is the central shaft of the feather, and the quill pen is a quill with its end carved into a nib. These distinctions are often blurred in Society heraldry, and the terms are close to synonymous in practice. It is still best to use the correct term.

In mundane heraldry, the default feather is an ostrich plume, as in the “shield for peace” of Edward the Black Prince, c.1350 [HB 152]; the Society’s default feather is a more generic shape, such as a goose feather (as in the illustration). It is palewise by default, with the quill point to base.

For related charges, see pen, plumetty. See also leaf, quill of yarn.

Antoine de Breton bears: Quarterly gules and purpure, a feather bendwise Or.

Adelicia Marie d’Argent bears: Argent, a sheaf of three peacock feathers proper, tied Or.

Salina of the Dale bears: Gules, two merlin feathers in pile, points crossed in nombril point argent.

Escutcheon

Escutcheon (Period)

An escutcheon is a heater-shaped shield, used as a charge in its own right since c.1244, in the arms of de Munchensy [Asp2 217]. Its default orientation is with its flat side to chief. In Society heraldry, to avoid the appearance of augmentations or arms of pretense, escutcheons used as charges should not themselves be charged.

Claude le Champenois bears: Barry sable and argent, an escutcheon gules.

Brendan McNeill O’Neill bears: Vert, three escutcheons Or.

Reis ap Tuder ap Wyn bears: Azure semy of escutcheons Or.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings