Rackett (Accepted)
A rackett is a double-reed musical instrument, dating from the 16th Century [Grove 20:719]. It has a compact body in which multiple air columns are drilled and joined, thus achieving the low notes of a bassoon in a very small space. No examples of the rackett have been found in medieval armory. For related charges, see hautboy.
Stefan von der Heide bears: Argent semy of musical notes sable, on a pale gules a rackett Or.
Berdiche (Period); billhook (Period)
Halberd (Period); pole-axe (Period)
This class of weapon is characterized by the long shaft by which damage may be inflicted at a safer distance. Usually a sharp implement is attached to the pole’s end, and it is by this head (to chief by default) that most pole-weapons are identified.
Examples of pole-arms found in period armory include the “berdiche”, whose backswept blade is fastened to the haft at its center and bottom points, found in the arms of Kürnburg, 1548 (Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.48); the “billhook”, a spear with a hooked blade, found in the canting arms (Italian roncola) of Roncha or Runche, c.1555 [BSB Cod.Icon 275:119 and 276:205]; the “halberd”, with an upswept blade, and a spike on the end of the haft, as in the arms of von Griffenstein, c.1515 [BSB Cod.Icon 308:391; also von Schella, 1605, Siebmacher 43]; and the “pole-axe”, with a standard battle-axe head and a long haft, as in the canting arms of Mordaxt, 1548 (Vigil Raber’s Armorial of the Arlberg Brotherhood of St. Christopher, fo.133). Strictly speaking, any axe on a long pole is a “pole-axe”: the pole-axes in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, granted 1540, have been depicted both as battle-axes and as nondescript “chopping” axes [Bromley & Child 34].
Bec de corbin (Accepted); corsica (Accepted); fauchard (Accepted)
Glaive (Accepted); naginata (probable SFPP); partisan (Accepted)
Other pole-arms, used as weapons and accepted for Society armory, include the “bec de corbin”, a long-handled war-hammer c.1400, with a curved point like a raven’s beak, from which it takes its name [Stone 109]; the “corsica” or “corsèque”, 15th and 16th C., with broad, branched blades joined to the main blade [Stone 374, s.v. korseke]; the “fauchard”, 16th C., with a falchion-shaped blade [Stone 226]; the “glaive”, 12th and 13th C., whose single-edged blade has a backwards-curving tip [Stone 248]; the “naginata”, a Japanese spear with a back-curving blade [Stone 463]; the “partizan” or “partisan”, 16th C., a double-edged spear with short, hooked blades at the base of the head, very like a corsica [Stone 484]; the “war-scythe”, 16th C., essentially a scythe blade mounted on a long, straight shaft [Stone 545]; and the “Swiss voulge” or “vouge”, 14th C., favored by the infantry of that tiny nation [Stone 654].
War-scythe (Accepted); Swiss voulge (Accepted)
For related charges, see hammer, mancatcher, spear, trident.
The Baron of Bjornsborg bears: Azure, two bears rampant addorsed regardant argent, each sustaining a berdiche proper, in base a laurel wreath Or.
Andrew Mariner bears: Argent, two billhooks addorsed in saltire sable, a chief doubly enarched vert.
Shandon Yar Mohamed Gehazi Memo Hazara Khan-ad-Din bears: Per bend sinister raguly sable and Or, a sun of six greater and six lesser points and a naginata bendwise sinster counterchanged.
Christopher of Eoforwic bears: Per pale Or and sable, three glaives fesswise in pale, blades to chief, the first and third reversed, between two goblets in bend counterchanged.
Lucas Otto Gustav Oswald Stefan bears: Checky vert and argent, a partisan bendwise surmounted by a snail shell reversed Or.
Aldwin Yale of York bears as a badge: Per bend sinister sable and Or, a compass star and a corsica bendwise sinister counterchanged, within a bordure embattled gules.
Charles Greenlimb bears: Per bend embattled gules and azure, two war-scythe heads bendwise, issuant from chief the point to sinister and issuant from dexter the point in base, argent.
Johannes Kaspar Zurfluh bears: Per fess embattled argent and gules, an eagle displayed and a Swiss voulge bendwise sinister reversed counterchanged.
Alexia of Thessalonica bears: Per bend Or and purpure, a bec de corbin bendwise vert and a whelk bendwise Or.
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 11th 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.
Helmet horn (probable SFPP)
The helmet horn (kuwagata) is a Japanese helmet crest, borne by a branch of the Tokugawa c.1600 [Hawley 64].
Nakagawa no Ienobu bears: Sable, a kuwagata helm crest and in chief a fan inverted of five bamboo leaves within a hexagon voided argent.
Helm (Period)
A helm is a piece of armor designed to enclose and protect the head; its use as an heraldic charge dates from c.1285, in the arms of Daubeney [ANA2 475]. Throughout period, the type of helm would change, from the great helm in the canting arms of Helmshoven or Helmishofen, c.1340 [Zurich 358] to the barred tournament helm in the arms of Schaden, 1605 [Siebmacher 188]; but in each case, the charge was a “helm”, drawn according to the style of the time.
In Society armory, the “great helm” or “barrel helm” has been ruled the default, though it is sometimes explicitly blazoned. This is the form in the illustration. Other types of full helm (e.g., “sallet”, “spangenhelm”, “barbute”, &c) must be specified; the type carries no heraldic difference. If such a helm is blazoned “plumed”, it carries a single feather as a crest and favor; period helms, when used as charges, sometimes had other crests as well, as in the arms of Schaden, above.
Morion (Period); kettle helm (Period)
There are also helms that do not enclose the head, but sit atop it. Of these, the “kettle helm” (also called a “chapel-de-fer” or “eisenhut”) is the most common: a broad-brimmed metal hat, more in use by the infantry than the chivalry. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Sowys, c.1460 [RH] and of Spiegel, 1605 [Siebmacher 179].
There is also the “morion”, which in some texts is used as another term for the chapel-de-fer; it’s now accepted to mean a Spanish style of iron hat, with turned-up brim and a ridge-crest. This form of morion came into armorial use in the late 16th Century, as in the crest of Ramburgh, 1583 [Gwynn-Jones 104].
Roman helm (Accepted); Norman helmet (Accepted)
Winged helmet affronty (Accepted); horned helmet affronty (Disallowed)
Of the helm variants unique to the Society, those blazoned a “winged helm” or “horned helm” are usually considered Viking helmets; these are metal caps with wings or horns, rather than full helms, though they may have eye-guards. (They have more in common with Victorian idealization than anything the Vikings actually wore. The horned helm, at least, is not permitted at this writing, pending period documentation.) The “Norman helm” is essentially a steel cap with a nasal. The “full-faced Saxon helmet” is the famous helm of Sutton Hoo. Helms of antiquity are not uncommon: Greek, Roman, and horned Corinthian helms have been registered.
The “Viking” helms, the Sutton Hoo helm, and the kettle helm are affronty by default; all other helms face dexter by default. For related charges, see hat, head (human’s), hood, skold.
The Shire of the Freelords of Stone Keep bears: Sable, a Greek helmet Or within a laurel wreath argent.
The Order of the Silver Morion of Mons Tonitrus bears: Sable, a morion and a bordure denticulada argent.
The Order of the Sable Helm, of the Barony of Bronzehelm, bears: A helm sable.
Mikhail Karten bears: Quarterly gules and checky azure and Or, a plumed great helm facing to sinister argent.
Olaf of Axar bears: Vert, three horned helmets argent.
Wilhelm von dem Bajwarishen Berg bears: Purpure, in pale two chapels de fer between as many flaunches Or, each flank charged with a spear purpure.
Gina Dragoni bears: Or, a full-faced Saxon helmet crested of a dragon purpure.
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 6th 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.
Boar’s head couped (Period); boar’s head couped close (Period)
Fox’s mask (Period)
Animal’s heads are an ancient heraldic motif, dating from at least 1255: the boars’ heads in the canting arms of Swinburne [Asp2 220]. Almost any beast found in heraldry may have its head used as a separate charge; indeed, in several cases (e.g., the boar), the use of the head predates the use of the whole animal.
Most animal’s heads face dexter by default; the exception is the owl’s head, which is guardant by default. The line of division is specified, i.e., whether the head be couped or erased; the head is usually severed where the neck meets the shoulders. A head “couped close” is severed just behind the ears, with no neck included; the illustration compares a boar’s head couped with a boar’s head couped close. The exact manner of severance is worth no heraldic difference.
A head “cabossed” or “caboshed” is guardant, with no neck showing. Some animals have special terminology for this posture: Fox’s heads cabossed are called “fox’s masks”, cat’s heads cabossed are “cat’s faces” (ditto leopards).
Pelican’s head erased (Period)
Lion’s head jessant-de-lys (Period)
A pelican’s head includes its neck and part of its breast, distilling blood. A lion’s head “jessant-de-lys” is a lion’s head cabossed, with a fleur-de-lys issuant from the mouth and back of the head; this is an ancient usage, found in the arms of Cantelupe c.1298 [ANA2 473]. Other beasts’ heads jessant-de-lys are found in Society armory, but such usage is considered a step from period practice.
In other respects, the characteristics of any animal’s head are those of the animal, and may be found under the entry for that animal.
The Baron of Coeur d’Ennui bears: Argent, a laurel wreath vert within eight boar’s heads couped in annulo gules.
The Order of the Lions of Atenveldt bears: Per pale azure and argent, a lion’s head cabossed and a bordure Or.
Sabina de Lyons bears: Gules, three lion’s heads cabossed argent.
Adelaide Walcheman bears: Azure, a peacock’s head couped Or.
Malak Boga bears: Quarterly Or and ermine, four bull’s heads cabossed sable.
Aénor d’Anjou bears: Purpure, a lion’s head jessant-de-lys Or.
Sabina Heidwolf bears: Or, three wolf’s heads cabossed azure.
Ursula Messerschmitt bears: Vert, a bear’s head cabossed argent.
Fandral Silverfox bears: Sable, a fox’s mask argent.
Lianor de Matos bears: Or, three stag’s heads erased gules.
Bulb of garlic (Period)
Garlic is a pungent herb, a strong flavouring for food and a talisman against some evils. It’s generally shown as a “bulb”, which fact is explicitly blazoned; garlic bulbs are found in the canting arms (German Knoblauch) of Knobloch, 1605 [Siebmacher 210]. The bulb’s point is to chief by Society default.
Period armory also gives us the “garlic plant”, which shows the stalk as well as the bulb; it’s found in the arms of Luchau, c.1370 [Gelre 42]. See also fruit.
Myfanwy Crisiant ferch Dafydd bears: Gyronny purpure and Or, a bulb of garlic argent.
Desdemona Polizziano bears: Purpure, a garlic bulb, a chief dovetailed argent.
Fleur-de-lys (Period)
The fleur-de-lys is one of the most ancient of charges, dating from 1244 in the arms of the Kings of France [Asp2 218]. It has been said to represent a lance-head, or a symbol of the Trinity, but is usually described as a stylized form of iris or lily flower. The fleur-de-lys has been used throughout England and the Continent, but is most strongly associated with France. In England, it was also used as the brisure of the sixth son.
A semy field of fleurs-de-lys is termed “semy-de-lys”; the terms “floretty” or “fleury” are sometimes used for this, but these should be reserved for charges (e.g., the cross) decorated with fleurs-de-lys.
The arms of France were anciently “Azure semy-de-lys Or,” and changed c.1365 to “Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or.” So strong is the association of French royalty (or augmentations therefrom) with gold fleurs-de-lys on a blue background, that the use of France Ancient or France Modern – effectively, three or more gold fleurs-de-lys on a blue background – is disallowed in Society heraldry: either on any part of the field, or on a charge.
There were many styles of fleur-de-lys used in period; the illustration shows a representative medieval form, from the arms of France c.1460 [GATD 47v, also Friar 100]. See also lily.
The Order of the Calon Lily bears: Per pale purpure and Or, a fleur-de-lys within a bordure counterchanged.
Stefan de Lorraine bears: Argent, a fleur-de-lys gules.
Nikolas de Mont Nord bears: Sable, a fleur-de-lys ermine.
Christopher Calhoune bears: Or, three fleurs-de-lys gules.
Flag (Accepted)
A flag is a piece of cloth attached to a pole, allowed to fly in the breeze. Flags are normally found as artistic details on castles, ships, &c; they’re usually termed “pennons” in such cases. However, flags are sometimes found as charges in their own right. Flags typically stream to dexter (i.e., the pole is in sinister), but the detail is worth no difference and may safely be left unblazoned.
Banner bendwise (Period)
Gonfanon (Period)
There are some other special terms for different types of flags: A “banner” is a square or rectangular flag on a staff, as in the civic arms of Würtzburg, 1413 [Conz.Const. cvi]. A “gonfanon” is a rectangular or heater-shaped flag, hung from ropes at its top corners, as in the arms of the Counts of Auvergne, c.1275 [Asp2 220]. A “wyn” is a stiff triangular vane; it is mostly used for the sake of a cant.
Vexillum (Accepted)
In Society armory we find the “vexillum”, a standard borne by maniples of the Roman army; it denoted lesser rank than the aquila or eagle standard.
Flags are considered a medium for heraldic display. Thus when used as a charge in Society heraldry, the design on a flag is also checked for conflict. An uncharged flag is not considered presumptuous.
See also sail.
Stoth, Stomper of the Gilded Moth bears: Or, two square flags in saltire azure and vert, surmounted by another palewise gules, all staved proper.
Alroy Cullen bears: Argent, in bend two pennoncelles fesswise gules flying to dexter from two wooden staves palewise proper, the dexter staff surmounted by the sinister pennoncelle.
Goldwyn of Britain bears as a badge: A wyn Or.
Thomas d’Orleans bears as a badge: Azure, upon a Roman vexillum issuant from base Or the letters A E T I sable.
Eldrich Gaiman bears as a badge: A gonfanon counter-ermine.