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Ombrellino

Ombrellino (Period)

An ombrellino is, in its simplest form, a sunshade or parasol; but the form used in heraldry is taken from the achievement of the Pope. In that form, it’s more ornate, frequently ensigned with a cross, and has a handle resembling a tilting spear. The ombrellino became an element of the most common form of Papal augmentation of arms, as in the arms of Cesare Borgia, 1502 [Galbreath’s Papal Heraldry, p.30].

Since the ombrellino was used in Papal augmentation, its use in the Society must not be too allusive to that augmentation. In practice, that means the ombrellino may not be used in conjunction with keys in saltire.

Luciana Caterina de Borghese bears: Vair, an ombrellino gules.

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.

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.

Heavenly bodies

This category of charges includes all phenomena seen in the sky, both astronomical and meteorological. A large variety are found in both medieval and Society heraldry. These are always stylized; representational depictions should be discouraged. For specific examples of heavenly bodies, see: cloud, comet, crescent, estoile, moon, mullet, rainbow, sun, sunburst.

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.

Fork

Eating fork (Accepted)

Hayfork (Period)

A fork is an implement with two or more prongs at one end. There are several varieties of fork; while no type has been explicitly ruled to be the Society’s default, the “eating fork” seems to take that honor. The eating fork was used by diners in Italy in the 16^th Century, though its use doesn’t seem to have spread before the end of period (being adopted in England only in Stuart times) [Paston-Williams, The Art of Dining, pp.75, 170]. In period, the eating fork typically had only two tines, and this is the Society default; the number of tines is nonetheless often explicitly blazoned. Though a period artifact, we have no examples of its use as a period heraldic charge; the illustration is based on a drawing by Bartolomeo Scappi, 1570 [Thornton, The Italian Renaissance Interior, pl.88].

The “hayfork” (also called the “pitchfork” or “mowing fork”) is used as a farm tool. Period heraldic examples might have either two or three prongs: two-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Gabel, “fork”) of von Gabelthofen, 1605 [Siebmacher 86], while three-pronged hayforks are found in the canting arms (German Heu, “hay”) of Hawstorffer, mid-16^th C. [NW 58]. The illustration shows the three-pronged hayfork.

The heads of forks are also occasionally found as period charges. The “hayfork head” is found in the canting arms of von der Gabel, 1605 [Siebmacher 149].

All of these fork variants have their prongs to chief by default. For related charges, see eel-fork, handgun rest, mash rake, pall, streitgabelklinge, trident. See also spoon.

Uilleam Thorken Hardhans bears: Azure, three two-tined eating forks Or, on a chief argent three sets of three passion nails in pall inverted conjoined at their heads sable.

Cerdic Cenfrithes sunu bears as a badge: Gules, an eating fork bendwise sinister argent.

Andrew of the North Shore bears: Per fess raguly argent and vert, in saltire a wooden-handled spade and a two-pronged mowing fork sable, hafted proper.

Gregory of Devon bears: Gules, a hayfork erect within a bordure rayonny Or.

Fireball

Fireball (Period)

Grenade (Period)

A fireball is a metallic sphere, spewing flame; it was thrown at the enemy as an incendiary device. It is a period charge, found in the arms of Dancaster, 1556 [Parker 257]. When “proper”, the sphere is sable, and the flames gules and Or.

Society heraldry distinguishes between the fireball, which spews four flames in cross, and the “grenade” or “(fire)bomb”, which spews a single flame to chief. See also weapons.

The Prince of the Sun bears: Argent, a fireball proper within a laurel wreath, in chief an ancient crown azure.

Ian of Loch Naver bears: Argent chapé sable, a fireball gules enflamed proper.

Willoc of Evensong Forest bears: Sable, a grenade argent flamed Or.

Estoile

Estoile (Period)

An estoile is a heavenly body, the heraldic representation of a star in English heraldry. Its use dates from the 13^th Century, where it was often interchangeable with a mullet; toward the end of period, mullets were more often used to represent stars in Continental heraldry, while estoiles performed that function in English heraldry, as in the arms of Sir Francis Drake, 1581 [Wagner 72].

As defined in later period heraldry, the estoile has wavy rays, numbering six by default. One ray points to chief by default. If the number of rays is other than six, this must be explicitly blazoned; an estoile with fewer than six rays is deemed a step from period practice. For related charges, see comet, sun.

Sequora of Zagamar bears: Gyronny ermine and Or, an estoile gules.

Giovanni Basilio de Castronovo bears: Counter-ermine, three estoiles Or.

Matilda Stoyle bears: Azure, three estoiles argent.

Equatorium

Equatorium (Accepted)

An equatorium is a medieval astronomical instrument, dating from the 11^th Century. Based on the Ptolemaic theory of equants (epicycles, eccentrics, &c), it was used for predicting planetary positions. No examples are known in period armory; the illustration is taken from a 15^th C. French artifact in the Oxford Museum of the History of Science. See also astrolabe, clock, sphere, sundial.

Alfred of Durham bears: Paly azure and argent, on a bend sinister engrailed between a hemispheric astrolabe and an equatorium Or three estoiles gules.

Alya Zengerlin bears: Per bend argent and sable, two mullets in bend purpure and an equatorium Or.

Drum

Drum (Period)

Dumbeg (Accepted)

A drum is a musical instrument of the percussion family; it usually consists of a hollow wooden cylinder with at least one end covered by a stretched membrane. It’s a period charge, found in the canting arms (French tambour) of Jehan Tabourot, d.1595. (Tabourot is better known under his pseudonym of Thoinot Arbeau; he blazons his arms in the dedication of his Orchésographie. See also Woodward 383.) The illustration is taken from the example in Guillim, 1610 [224]. The default drum, used in war and processionals, was a “side drum”, or in modern terms, a tenor drum; it’s palewise by default, with the drumhead to chief.

Society armory gives examples of the “dumbeg” (“dumbek”, “doumbec”), a goblet-shaped drum found in Muslim lands, often used as accompaniment for dancers. The dumbeg itself does not appear to be a period instrument, but it belongs to a class of Muslim goblet drums collectively known as darabukka, which are period: an example is found in the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso the Wise, late-13^th Century (from which the illustration is taken). Society blazons continue to use the term “dumbeg” for continuity’s sake.

Tambour (Accepted); timbrel (Accepted)

Kettle drum (Accepted)

Also found in Society armory is the “kettle drum” or “naker drum”, with a closed hemispherical body, as found in the Luttrell Psalter, c.1340. We have the “tabor”, like the side drum but not as tall, worn on the hip and played together with a flute; examples of pipe-and-tabor players date back to c.1270 [Montagu 47]. The “tambour” is a wide shallow drum; when cymbals are mounted around the frame, it becomes a “tambourine” or “timbrel”, as seen on a relief by Agostino di Duccio, c.1454 [Remnant 165].

Drums, when blazoned “wooden [type of drum] proper”, have brown cylinders or frames, and argent drumheads, by Society convention; sometimes the drumhead is explicitly tinctured.

Geoffrey de Barde bears: Sable, a drum argent.

Naila Kalilah bears: Purpure, a serpent glissant bendwise Or between a dumbeg and a pair of zils argent.

Anna Kalita bears: Purpure, two kettle drums in fess Or, in chief two drumsticks in saltire argent.

Sean Tabor bears: Gules, a sword inverted argent piercing a tabor Or, a bordure per pale argent and Or.

Roger the Goliard bears as a badge: Azure, on a demi-sun issuant from base Or in fess a mandolin bendwise sinister, a recorder bendwise, and a wood-framed tambourine all proper, in chief three doves volant argent.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings