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Rock; Stone

Rock (Period)

A rock is an irregular mass of stone; it is also called a “stone”, though that usually implies a smaller mass. When used as an independent charge, the rock is drawn lumpishly to distinguish it from a roundel. Rocks are found in the canting arms of Pedrosa, c.1540 [Nobreza xvi]. When issuant from base, a rock becomes essentially a rocky mount.

A specific type of rock is the “flint”, used for striking sparks against a furison to start fires. It was used as one of the badges of the Order of the Golden Fleece, 1430 [Friar 170; Volborth 216]. The flint is depicted as a rock with spurts of flame issuant from the sides, sometimes radiating across the field.

Millstone (Period)

Period armory gives us the “millstone”: a large circular stone, turned by water power, used for grinding grain. It forms the base of the mill; it’s rendered essentially as a diapered roundel, frequently charged with a millrind. The millstone is a period charge, found in the arms of Spiser, c.1340 [Zurich 253].

Rocks come in many materials – basalt, marble, sandstone – so, strictly speaking, they have no “proper” coloration. Nonetheless, there are a few instances of “rock proper” or “stone proper” in Society blazonry; these assume the rock is grey granite, and are treated as if they were argent.

See also dolmen (menhir), grindstone.

Hallmundr Grimsson bears: Barry wavy azure and argent, a stone sable.

Piers Howells de Cambria bears: Azure, an owl reguardant Or perched atop a rock issuant from base argent.

Juliana Neuneker Hirsch von Schutzhundheim bears: Sable, a flint between four furisons in saltire, steels to center Or.

Reptiles

The term “reptile” here applies to all large, scaled, cold-blooded creatures; not just true reptiles, but amphibians as well. Any reptile known to period Europeans may be used in the Society – though, if the reptile is not itself European, its use may be considered a step from period practice, as is the case for the alligator. (An exception would be made for non-European reptiles actually used in period European armory, but no examples have been adduced.)

For specific entries, see: frog, lizard, serpent, tortoise.

Rabbit

Rabbit statant (Period)

The rabbit is a pacifistic beast, the medieval symbol of both timidity and sexual appetite. Heraldically, the category includes the “hare”; while the hare is held to be drawn with longer ears, the two terms are usually considered interchangeable. Other medieval terms for the beast include “coney” and “leveret” (as in the canting arms of Coningesby and Levyer, respectively). The rabbit is found in armory as early as 1320 [DBA1 294].

Rabbits and hares are sejant by default, though in period that posture was often drawn so low as to be indistinguishable from statant; they are often found couchant or salient as well. The illustration shows a rabbit statant. A “rabbit (or hare) proper” is understood to be brown.

Markus Wilhelm von Reilingen bears: Quarterly gules and azure, a rabbit sejant Or.

Donata Bonacorsi bears: Purpure, a hare sejant argent.

Ellyn Dawndelyon d’Azay bears: Or, a coney rampant to sinister sable.

Quill of yarn; Spindle

Quill of yarn (Period)

Empty embroiderer’s quill (Period)

A quill of yarn is a cover for a spindle, onto which thread or yarn is wound; it can then be easily removed for use. Mundanely, it’s also known as an “embroiderer’s quill”. The blazon should include reference to yarn or embroidery, to help distinguish it from a “quill pen”.

The quill of yarn is a period charge, dating to 1558 in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Broderers [Bromley & Child 31]. It’s palewise, and wound with yarn, by default. There are instances in mundane armory of empty quills, without yarn, such as the arms of von Haren, 1605 [Siebmacher 147], but the fact is always blazoned.

Spindle (Period)

The “spindle” itself is also found, the winding piece of a spinning wheel. It’s drawn as a slender cone wound with thread or yarn; it’s found in the arms of Hobby, 1610 [Guillim1 204], where it’s blazoned as a “fusile upon a slipper”.

For related charges, see drop-spindle, lace bobbin, spool of thread. See also distaff, shuttle (weaver’s).

Katharina die Schneiderin bears: Vert, a bend wavy between two quills of yarn Or.

Molda ókristna Starradottír bears: Vert, three yarn quills argent threaded Or.

Maud verch Howell bears as a badge: Per bend sinister sable and argent, on a bend counterchanged, two spindles palewise gules and Or.

Poppy boll

Poppy boll slipped (Period)

The poppy boll is the fruit of the poppy plant, containing the seeds and the opium latex for which the plant is cultivated. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Tomas Porthelyne c.1460 [RH; cf. DBA2 352]. The period emblazon shows a bit of the slip of the poppy boll; one Society example has bolls slipped and leaved as well. The poppy boll has its slip to base by default.

Walter of Lowestoft bears: Azure, a bend and in sinister canton four poppy-bolls, all argent.

Anne du Lac bears: Per bend azure and argent semy of poppy bolls slipped and leaved gules, in sinister chief an open book Or.

Popinjay

Popinjay (Period)

The popinjay is a brash and flashy bird, which the ancients knew could be taught to talk; it’s also termed a “parrot” in mundane blazons. As a charge, it dates from the earliest heraldry, as in the arms of Thwenge or Tuenge, 1255 [ANA2 401]. The popinjay is close by default, but period emblazons often showed it with one foot raised, even when not so blazoned (as in the illustration). When “proper”, its coloration is vert, beaked gules; frequently it is also drawn with a red ringed neck as well.

Parrot-like birds that were known to period Europeans (e.g., the cockatoo) may be registered in Society heraldry, but their use is considered a step from period practice.

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

Leonor Alcon bears: Per chevron vert and argent, three popinjays counterchanged.

Rosamund von Schwyz bears: Argent, a popinjay vert within an orle of fleurs-de-lys purpure.

Plough

Plough (Period)

A plough, or plow, is a farming tool, used to till furrows into the earth. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Smeton, c.1460 [RH]. The plow is fesswise, handles to sinister by default.

The illustration is taken from Bossewell, 1572 [II.124].

Alan the Strong bears: Or, a plow vert and on a chief embattled sable three garbs Or.

Beatrix of Thanet bears: Per fess enarched azure and vert, three garbs and a plough Or.

Johannes von Narrenstein bears as a badge: A quill pen argent, tip surmounted by a wooden plow proper.

Pen

Quill pen (Period)

Reed pen (Period)

A pen is a tool for writing or drawing with ink. The most common form of pen in heraldry is the “quill pen”, sometimes misleadingly (and wrongly) blazoned simply a “quill”; it’s found in the canting arms of Coupens c.1312 [ANA2 514]. The quill pen is the default form of pen for Society use; the illustration is taken from Bossewell, 1572 [III.4v]. But other types of pen are also found in Society armory, most notably the “reed pen” or “calamus”; this is simply a tubular reed with a split point at one end. It’s similar to the pens found in the arms of Hales, c.1520 [Woodcock & Robinson pl.13].

Pens are palewise by default, with points to base. For related charges, see feather. See also quill of yarn.

The Chronicler bears: Per pale sable and argent, two quills conjoined in pile counterchanged, a chief gules.

Elizabeth Bellclerke bears: Azure, in fess three quill pens bendwise sinister argent.

Catharine Hawkwod da Barbiano bears: Or, six quill pens azure.

Thomas Megatherium of Castle Leviathan bears: Per pale purpure and sable, a reed pen palewise Or surmounted by an anvil argent.

Papellony

Papellony (field treatment) (Period)

Papellony (fur) (Accepted)

The term “papellony” may refer to either a fur or a field treatment, as they are known in the Society. When blazoned, e.g., “argent papellony sable” (as in the first illustration), it’s a field treatment equivalent to scaly; this is the older usage, found in the arms of Sansuerre or Sancerre, c.1254 [Brault2 27; also see de Bara 55]. When blazoned “papellony argent and sable” (as in the second illustration), it’s a derivative of the vair furs, similar in appearance to plumetty [Woodward 72]. Because of the ambiguity in the term, it is best not used if an alternative term will work as well.

Egil Bloodax bears: Papellony argent and azure, a double-bitted axe gules.

Runolfr Audsson bears: Per chevron sable and gules, papellony argent, in chief a wolf courant to sinister argent.

Panther

Panther rampant guardant (Period)

Continental panther rampant (Period)

The unmodified term “panther” refers to a kindly monster, described in medieval bestiaries as beautiful and amiable, whose sweet breath drives away evil. Heraldically, the panther comes in two widely differing forms; current Society practice grants heraldic difference between them.

In English armory, the panther is depicted as a maneless lion, “incensed”, i.e., with flames spewing from its mouth and ears (a misrendering of its “sweet breath”), and the coat strewn with roundels (frequently multi-colored). This form is usually found guardant in period armory, as with the badge of Henry VI, d.1471 [HB 110]; the illustration shows a panther rampant guardant. This is considered the default panther in Society armory.

In Continental armory, the panther is depicted with a lion’s body and an eagle’s forelimbs; it usually has the head of a horse or bull, and occasionally has horns as well. Like the English form, it is incensed. In Society armory, this form is blazoned a “Continental panther” or “German panther”; the illustration shows a Continental panther rampant. As an heraldic charge, it dates from c.1340, in the arms of Styria [Zurich 31]. Some authors speculate that it might have been the precursor of the monster now called a “male griffin” or “keythong”.

Over the years, the Society has changed its default postures for panthers, of both sorts. Current practice is that both types of panther are not guardant by default; the guardant English panther can be so blazoned.

When blazoned a “natural panther”, the term refers to the great feline beast as found in nature; it may also be blazoned by the period term “ounce”, or the Society term “catamount”.

Elspeth Colquhoun bears: Purpure, in pale two panthers passant counter-passant guardant argent spotted of diverse tinctures and incensed proper.

Talon the Bastard bears: Pean, two panthers rampant addorsed Or spotted sable.

Alrick von Baeker bears: Or, a Continental panther passant bendwise azure incensed gules.

William the Silent bears: Or, a natural panther passant guardant sable.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings