Search Results for: book

Scroll

Open scroll (Accepted)

Closed scroll palewise (Accepted)

A scroll is a roll of parchment or paper. The mundane heraldic scroll seems to be a simple banderole, which is also called an “escroll” (and is so blazoned in the Society). In Society armory, the term “scroll” refers to the ancient form of book (still used for some sacred texts, such as the Torah); this form of scroll has not been adduced in period armory.

A scroll may be either “closed” (rolled) or “open” (partially unrolled). As neither type is default, the type should be explicitly blazoned; open scrolls are more common in the Society. Closed scrolls always include the handled rods around which the paper is rolled; open scrolls may include the rods or not, at the artist’s discretion.

An open scroll is palewise by Society default. No default orientation has been defined for closed scrolls; the illustration shows a closed scroll palewise.

Hubert de Recoing bears: Vert, a sword bendwise sinister inverted argent, gripped and pommeled azure, between an open scroll argent handled azure and a loaf of bread proper.

Simon d’Arc the Scholar bears: Per bend sinister azure and gules, two open scrolls Or.

Na’arah bat Avraham bears: Azure, a closed Torah scroll palewise, on a chief argent three frets throughout sable.

Saw

Frame saw (Period)

Goldsmith’s framesaw (Period)

A saw is a carpenter’s tool, used mostly for cutting wood; it has a large thin blade with a toothed edge. The most common form of heraldic saw is more fully termed a “frame saw” or a “bow saw”. The artifact dates from at least the 12^th Century [Singer 392], but the earliest heraldic example dates from c.1550, in the canting arms (Italian sega) of Seghi [BSB Cod.Icon 278:333]. The frame saw is fesswise, cutting edge to base, by default [Parker 520].

Other saws found in Society armory were first taken from period artifacts; in many cases, they’ve since been documented as charges. For example, the saw blazoned in the Society as a “goldsmith’s framesaw” has the shape of a modern coping saw; however, much the same form is found in period armory, in the arms of Malkas or Malckab, c.1450 [Ingeram 172]. It doesn’t seem to have a default orientation, but when fesswise, the handle is to sinister; when palewise, the handle is to base. The illustration shows a goldsmith’s framesaw fesswise.

Two-man cross-cut saw (Period)

Handsaw (Accepted)

Likewise, the “two-man cross-cut saw”, a much larger tool used for large timbers, was originally documented from Jost Amman’s Book of Trades, 1568 [95]. It was then discovered in period armory as well, in the arms of Mistelbeckten, c.1560 [BSB Cod.Icon 390:749]. This form of saw is fesswise by default.

We also have the “handsaw”, simply a serrated blade with a handgrip. This form, though not yet found in period armory, is found in the Bedford Book of Hours, early-15^th C. [Singer plate 30]; it has been accepted for Society use. It has the same default, or lack thereof, as the goldsmith’s framesaw; the illustration shows a handsaw palewise.

Stephen Treebane bears: Argent, a frame saw palewise azure.

Giles of Gamph bears: Per chevron azure and Or, an oak tree eradicated between two bearded axes and a frame saw fesswise, all counterchanged.

Konrad Lockner of Idelberg bears: Counter-ermine, a scarpe gules, overall a wyvern displayed argent maintaining in the dexter claw a bow saw and in the sinister claw a mallet proper.

Tancred of Tangewood bears: Argent, in pale a two-man cross-cut saw and two hammers in saltire sable all within a bordure sable semy of maple leaves argent.

Pearce Redsmythe bears: Purpure semy of rivets Or, a goldsmith’s framesaw bendwise argent, on a chief Or three Bowen crosses sable.

Tomas y Saer bears: Per pale gules and sable, in saltire a Lochaber axe and a handsaw both argent hafted Or, within an orle Or.

Rose

Rose (Period)

The rose is a beautiful flower, the most frequently used flower in heraldry. It is also one of the oldest, dating from the earliest heraldry in the arms of Darcy, c.1255 [Asp2 137]. Its standard heraldic form is somewhat stylized: shown affronty, with five petals separated by barbs, and central seeds. The barbing and seeding may be of a different tincture than the rest of the rose; when blazoned “barbed and seeded proper”, the barbs are green, the seeds gold. In Society heraldry, a “rose proper” is gules, barbed vert, seeded Or.

Early heralds made no distinction between heraldic roses and cinquefoils, considering both the blazons and emblazons interchangeable (as in the cadet arms of the Darcy family through the 14^th Century). They are thus negligibly different in Society armory. Period heraldry has rare instances of four-petaled or six-petaled roses (e.g., the arms of Rosenberger, 1605 [Siebmacher 215]); these variants are likewise negligibly different in Society armory, and indeed are often left unblazoned.

Roses may be slipped and leaved; the serrated leaves and thorny stems of nature are here employed. Examples of roses slipped and leaved are more prevalent on the Continent than in England: e.g., the arms of Güttingen, c.1340 [Zurich 55]. Note that “roses slipped and leaved” are distinguished, by blazon and heraldic difference, from “rose branches flowered”.

“Garden rose” slipped and leaved (SFPP); garden rosebud slipped and leaved (Disallowed)

For several years, Society blazons distinguished between the stylized rose of heraldry and the “garden rose”, depicted as found in nature: seen in side view, the petals overlapping and slightly spread. (The illustration shows a garden rose slipped and leaved.) This distinction is no longer made: all roses, be they heraldic or natural, are now blazoned simply as “roses” – with the understanding that they may all be legitimately drawn in the heraldic form. If the emblazon is submitted with a garden rose, however – seen from the side – it’s considered a step from period practice. Moreover, a naturalistic rose may not be blazoned “proper”, as roses in nature come in many colors. (The exception had been the “Damask rose proper”, which was treated as pink. This variant is no longer permitted, as being too naturalistic for medieval heraldry.)

A more specific variant of the garden rose was the “garden rosebud”, depicted with the petals closed, before the flower has fully bloomed. (The illustration shows a garden rosebud slipped and leaved.) This rose variant is no longer permitted in Society armory.

A “double rose” is an heraldic rose charged with another. When the inner petals are the same tincture as the outer petals, the double rose is treated as an artistic variation of the standard heraldic rose (indeed, the fact that the rose is doubled is currently left unblazoned), with no difference granted. When the inner and outer petals are of different tinctures, the outer petals are blazoned first: i.e., “a double rose gules and argent” and “a rose gules charged with a rose argent” are equivalent blazons.

A “rose en soleil” is shown with solar rays, alternating straight and wavy, issuant from its edges; this was a badge of Edward IV, d.1483 [HB 97].

In English cadency, the rose is the brisure of the seventh son. In the War of the Roses, the white rose was the badge of the House of York, and the red rose the badge of the House of Lancaster; roses of those tinctures may not be used in Society armory when the submitter’s name includes “of York” or “of Lancaster”, respectively. The Tudor rose, combining the York and Lancaster roses (in any of several specific ways, such as impaled), is prohibited from Society use. Likewise, the crowned rose is an English Royal badge, and so not registerable in the Society.

Kendall flower (Disallowed)

Mamluk rosette (Disallowed)

Of rose variants unique to the Society, the most common is the “Kendal flower proper”: a simplified rose of six petals, alternately argent and gules, barbed Or, seeded vert. This form was once disallowed, as being a variant of the Tudor rose; while the motif is now registerable, it’s no longer blazoned by the Society-specific term. There is also the “Mamluk rosette”, a motif found in Arabic art, which is essentially a stylized sexfoil; it likewise has been disallowed, as having been too uncommon in period to be compatible with Society armory.

For related charges, see foil.

The Legion of Courtesy, of Caid, bears: A rose Or barbed and seeded vert.

Alys of the Midnight Rose bears: Or, a rose slipped and leaved azure.

Jonas Aquilian bears: Azure, three roses argent.

Sonja of Atenveldt bears: Per chevron azure and sable, a rose gules en soleil argent.

Aurelia of Ashton bears: Azure fretty argent, on an open book Or a damask rosebud slipped and leaved proper.

Kaidu ibn Yesugai bears: Azure, on a bend sinister Or between two Mamluk rosettes argent, an arrow inverted sable fletched gules.

Gerhard Kendal of Westmoreland bears: Or, a lizard tergiant displayed vert between in fess two Kendal flowers proper.

Rocket

Rocket or skyrocket (Accepted)

A rocket is a long cylinder with a conical point at one end, belching flame at the other; it is used as a projectile, and is more fully termed a “skyrocket”. The Chinese used them as fireworks and signals – the preparation of rockets was described by Marcus Graecus, Book of Fires for the Burning of Enemies, c.1300 [Singer 379] – but rockets were not found in period heraldry. The skyrocket has its point to chief by Society default. For related charges, see pole-cannon.

Thomas MacAndrew bears: Counter-ermine, a skyrocket bendwise Or.

Luke of Bright Hills bears: Or, on a pale between two crescents azure, a rocket 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.

Nesselblatt

Nesselblatt (Period)

A nesselblatt is a highly stylized nettle leaf; it is found in German heraldry, c.1370, in the arms of the Counts von Holstein [Gelre 97v]. Though some books claim it is equivalent to a bordure indented, the nesselblatt is actually an independent charge: it does not follow the line of the shield, but always keeps its basic triangular shape. See also leaf, seeblatt.

Wolfger von Sibenbürgen bears: Or, a nesselblatt sable.

Friedrich Bruner bears: Per pale gules and sable, a nesselblatt Or.

Olwynn ni Chinnéidigh bears: Or, three nesselblätter gules.

Musical note

Musical note (Accepted)

G-clef (Accepted); C-clef (Accepted)

A musical note is a written symbol, indicating pitch and duration to the performer. Musical notation had evolved continuously, from the “neumes” of the 10^th Century to the stemmed ovoids of modern notation. In Society armory, the musical note is commonly represented as a lozenge with a vertical stem out of its top corner, as used in 16^th C. Italian notation [Grove 18:136]. Specific types of notes may be blazoned a “fusa”, a “(semi)minim”, or a “(semi)quaver”, depending on the period and the exact form; no heraldic difference is granted.

Though we’ve no examples of their use as independent heraldic charges, musical notes were used to embellish charges in period armory, such as the “prick-song book” in the crest of the Worshipful Company of Parish Clerks, 1582 [Bromley & Child 191].

Other musical symbols were used as period charges: the arms of the composer Orlando di Lasso, 1570, uses the symbols “sharp”, “flat”, and “natural” as charges [Woodward 387]. Society armory also has examples of clefs, such as the “G-clef” and “C-clef”; the illustrations are taken from 16^th C. scores [Grove 6:26]. In all cases, period forms of the notation should be used.

Musical notation is exempt from the Society’s requirement that armory not consist solely of letters or similar symbols.

Quinlan of Sheare bears: Argent, on a chevron azure three quavers palewise argent.

Vincenzio di Bartolomeo da Brescia bears: Azure, three quavers argent.

Ivory Genevieve la Rouge bears: Vert, on a bend sinister between a G clef and a fleur-de-lys argent an ivy vine throughout vert.

Mail

Mail shirt (Period)

Bend of mail (Disallowed)

Mail is a type of armor, consisting of myriad rings of metal woven into a form; it is sometimes redundantly (and erroneously) termed “chain mail”. Mail gauntlets, coifs, and shirts have been used in period heraldry – usually worn on a human, but sometimes charges in their own right, as in the mail shirt (illustrated) in the canting arms (from dial. Italian maja or maglia d’arme) of de Mayete, mid-15^th C. [Triv 235].

There have also been cases of ordinaries being drawn as mail: e.g., “a bend of mail”, showing the field through the rings. This had been justified by the period examples of ordinaries of chain; the practice has been discontinued, and is no longer registered in Society armory. (This should not be confused with ordinaries maily, which are solid charges bearing a field treatment.)

James of Penmore bears: Vair ancient, a sinister arm embowed, armored and gauntleted of chain mail sable, grasping a closed book gules.

Rhiannon Mor MacFhearghius bears: Gules, a bend sinister of chain mail between two Arabic lamps Or.

Loom

Harness loom (Accepted)

A loom is a mechanism for weaving two sets of thread together to form cloth. The simplest looms date from prehistory; several types of loom were used throughout period. Although a period artifact, we’ve no examples of the loom used as a period heraldic charge.

The illustration is of a harness loom, which uses foot pedals to raise and lower the harnesses holding the heddles. It would be used by a human facing dexter, which makes this depiction the default orientation. Harness looms might have one of several designs; the depiction is taken from Jost Amman’s Book of Trades, 1568 [56].

Diana Doria bears: Azure, a harness loom argent.

Lightning

Lightning bolt palewise (SFPP); lightning flash palewise (Disallowed)

Lightning is a huge electrical discharge common in violent weather. It was often represented in period art as “fire from heaven”. In Society heraldry, lightning is represented as “flashes” and “bolts”. The distinction is made in blazonry to denote two different styles of emblazonry, one of which was common in early Society armory but is no longer permitted.

A “lightning flash” is a tapering bevilled stripe, found in modern comic books; for that reason, it’s sometimes termed (only half-jokingly) a “shazam”. As a purely modern depiction, this form is no longer permitted in Society heraldry.

A “lightning bolt” is an embattled stripe with barbs at either end. The depiction is period: two lightning bolts in saltire are found in the standard emblazon of the thunderbolt [de Bara 128]. This form is still permitted in Society heraldry, though it’s considered a step from period practice when not used as part of a thunderbolt. As it has no default, the orientation must be explicitly blazoned; the illustration shows both forms of lightning palewise.

Japanese lightning flash lozengewise (probable SFPP at least)

Japanese Mon represent lightning (inazuma) in a distinctive stylization, as borne by Yamashina [Hawley 75], but this has not yet been dated to period.

Algarth of Mount Coruscation bears: Per chevron azure and gules, two lightning flashes in pile argent.

Rosaline Weaver bears: Argent, a lightning bolt palewise azure.

Phillip of Ghent bears as a badge: Sable, issuant from a single strand, double spiral Japanese lightning flash lozengewise, in chief and in base two scarpes argent.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings