Archives

Cross: Pointed

Cross pointed (Accepted)

Cross pointed (Accepted)

The “cross pointed” is a translation of the French croix aiguisée [Woodward 162]; it’s found in the arms of Dokenfield or Dukenfeld, c.1510 [DBA3 152].  It’s sometimes misblazoned a “cross fitched at all points”, but this is a solecism; see the discussion under crosses fitchy.

Bryan Adyngton bears:  Per chevron throughout sable and argent, three Latin crosses pointed counterchanged argent and vert.

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Cross: Pheons

Cross of four pheons, conjoined at the points (Accepted)

Cross of four pheons, conjoined at the points (Accepted)

The “cross of four pheons, conjoined at the points” is sometimes blazoned a “cross pheony” in mundane heraldry; the exact blazon by parts is preferred.  Parker [155] cites it in the arms of Trubshawe, but no date is given.

The Baron of Glymm Mere bears as a badge:  A cross of four pheons conjoined at the points azure.

Constance Waite bears:  Vert, a cross of four pheons within a bordure invected argent.

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Cross: Patriarchal, Lorraine, doubled

Doubled cross (Period)

Doubled cross (Period)

The “patriarchal cross” dates from at least c.1370, in the arms of the Kings of Hungary [Gelre 52v].  In its earliest depictions, it was shown with two crosspieces of equal length; and period blazons called it a Doppelkreuz, “doubled cross”.  (The frontispiece to Siebmacher, 1605, blazons it as ein zweyfaches creutz, “a two-shelf cross”.)

Cross of Lorraine (Period)

Cross of Lorraine (Period)

Around the 15th Century, the lower crosspiece began to be drawn slightly longer; this variation was found throughout Eastern Europe (Ingeram, c.1450 [35], attributes it to St. Ladislaus, d.1095).  René d’Anjou, who among his other titles was Duke of Lorraine, claimed the throne of Hungary, and used this cross as his badge; at the Battle of Nancy, 1477, René’s soldiers bore the Duke’s cross, which thereafter became known as the “cross of Lorraine”.  [Sir George Bellew, “Two Crosses”, Coat of Arms, I(7), July 1951, p.227]

Patriarchal cross (Period)

Patriarchal cross (Period)

Meanwhile, a form of the cross with a longer lower limb was still being called a “patriarchal cross” in England, in the arms of Brytton, c.1460 [RH]; and this is the form so named in most modern heraldry texts [e.g., Neubecker 107].  All of these forms are considered artistic variations, with no heraldic difference granted between them.

Karolus Janos bears:  Sable, a patriarchal cross argent.

Lorraine Marcus bears:  Quarterly vert and Or, a cross of Lorraine sable.

Deomotheor Zÿdmond bears:  Azure semy of doubled crosses, a bordure Or.

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Cross: Patonce

Cross patonce (Period)

Cross patonce (Period)

The “cross patonce” was sometimes called a “cross griffee-de-loup” (wolf-clawed) in medieval blazons; Victorian heraldic writers sometimes misblazoned it a “cross formy fitchy at all points” (cf. the discussion of the cross fitchy).  As with the cross formy, the arms of the cross patonce may converge to a point, at the artist’s discretion.  It is one of the oldest cross variants, found in the arms of the Counts of Aumale c.1244 [Asp2 216].  The cross patonce is negligibly different from the cross flory.

Arval Benicoeur bears:  Per saltire Or and sable, a cross patonce counterchanged.

Elwyn Tenways bears:  Per pale Or and gules, three crosses patonce counterchanged.

John de Rokyngham bears:  Party of six argent and gules, three crosses patonce gules.

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Cross: Parted and fretted

Cross parted and fretted (Period)

Cross parted and fretted (Period)

The “cross parted and fretted” may also be blazoned a “cross of two pallets and two barrulets fretted”.  It is a period treatment [Legh 31].

Nathan Hartman bears:  Quarterly sable and azure, a cross parted and fretted argent.

Brian Kunaganos bears:  Argent, a cross parted and fretted within a bordure purpure.

Ceinwen Haele Cynwyth bears:  Quarterly vert and purpure, a cross parted and fretted with an annulet Or.

 

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Cross: Papal

Papal cross (Disallowed)

Papal cross (Disallowed)

The “Papal cross” has three transverses, and is sometimes bottony or otherwise ornamented [Franklyn 249].  It is not permitted in Society heraldry.

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Cross: Nowy

Cross nowy (SFPP)

Cross nowy (SFPP)

The “cross nowy” or “cross nowed” (literally “knotted”) doesn’t refer to a peculiar knotting or fretting, but is used in the sense of a knot of wood:  a node or lump at the intersection.  The nowing is circular by default, as in the illustration, but other shapes have been registered:  e.g., a “cross nowed of a lozenge” or a “cross nowy quadrate“.  While the term is found in modern heraldry texts [Volborth 21], no period examples of the cross nowy have yet been found; its use is considered a step from period practice.

Seamus mac Dhuibhne bears:  Azure, a cross nowy argent within a bordure compony sable and Or.

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Cross: Norse sun

Norse sun cross (Accepted)

Norse sun-cross (Accepted)

The “Norse sun-cross” is sometimes called an “Odin-cross” or a “sun-wheel”.  It had once been disallowed as being equivalent to the astronomical symbol for the planet Earth, but is currently permitted for Society use.

Curwinus Trevirensis bears:  Azure, a Norse sun cross within a bordure argent.

Jeane Kilmeny bears: Sable, on a fess argent three Norse sun crosses azure.

Kenneth MacQuarrie of Tobermory bears: Sable, a chevron checky argent and sable between three Norse sun crosses argent.

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Cross: Non

Non cross (Disallowed)

Non cross (Disallowed)

The “Non cross” is a Society invention.  It is not currently registerable.

Peregryne Tal Elan of Non bears:  Sable, a Non cross purpure fimbriated argent.

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Cross: Moline, miller

Cross moline (Period)

Cross moline (Period)

Cross miller (Accepted)

Cross miller (Accepted)

The “cross moline” is one of the oldest variants, found in the arms of de Baucey, c.1244 [Asp2 215]; it was the original form of the millrind.  In the English system of cadency, the cross moline is the brisure of the eighth son.  Minor artistic variations have been blazoned as a “cross sarcelly”, “cross recercely”, or “cross ancry” by heraldic tracts, but the distinction was not observed in actual medieval armory.

There is also the “cross miller” or “cross millrind”, a more angular artistic variation; the distinction may be blazoned, but no heraldic difference is granted.  Both the cross moline and the cross miller are negligibly different from the cross fourchy.

Cross moline disjointed (Period)

Cross moline disjointed (Period)

The “cross moline disjointed” is a period type of cross, found in the arms of di Manteli d’Alisandria, mid-15th C. [Triv 231].  Though the form is period, there is some disagreement as to exactly how it was blazoned:  “cross sarcelly”, “cross resarcelly”, and “cross moline voided” have all been used for this charge – and each one has also been applied to other charges as well.  To avoid ambiguity, Society blazons use the term “moline disjointed”.

Cecilia Dysney bears:  Sable, three crosses moline Or.

Dawyd z Gury bears as a badge:  On a cross miller azure, a compass star Or.

Isobel de la Rose bears:  Per pale azure and argent, a cross moline disjointed counterchanged.

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