Stag at gaze (Period)

The deer is a hooved, antlered beast famed for its speed; it was medievally considered the embodiment of purity and nobility among the beasts.  The term “deer” is the generic term; more specific terms may be used in blazons, the exact term often chosen for canting purposes.  These include “stag”, “hart”, and “buck” for the male; “doe” or “hind” for the female; and “fawn” or “yearling” for the young.  The male is characterized by his antlers (called his “attires”):  the buck is held to have broader, more palmate attires than the stag [Bromley & Child 12], but this subtle distinction was not consistently followed in period.  The female and young are antlerless.  Both genders are found in period armory:  the stag c.1310, in the arms of Leghville, and the hind c.1275, in the arms of the Counts von Tierstein [ANA2 57].

Reindeer trippant (Period)

Other beasts of the deer category include the “reindeer”, the “roe” or “roebuck”, and the “elk”.  These variants are distinguished by the shape of their attires:  the elk and roe are shown more or less as in nature, while the reindeer has an heraldic stylization of two horns up, two down, as seen in the arms of Bowet, Archbishop of York, c.1460 [RH].  The roe seems to be chosen mostly for the cant, as in the arms of Rogers, c.1480 [DBA2 294].  The elk of Europe is the same beast as the “moose” of modern North America; the latter term had been used in Society blazons at one point, but is no longer registered, in favor of the period term.  The elk is a period charge, found as a supporter of the Worshipful Company of Curriers, 1583 [Bromley & Child 62].

A “deer proper” is understood to be brown.  There are some special terms used to blazon deer:  A deer “at gaze” is statant guardant; a deer “lodged” is couchant; a deer “trippant” is passant.  The illustrations show a stag at gaze, and a reindeer trippant.  For related charges, see antelope (natural).

The King of the Outlands bears:  Vert, a stag argent, attired and unguled, salient from between the boughs of a laurel wreath, in chief a Saxon crown, all within a bordure embattled Or.

The Shire of Buckland Cross bears:  Argent, two bucks counter-salient in saltire proper within a laurel wreath vert, a bordure embattled sable.

Elisabeth Goodchilde bears:  Pean, a stag trippant erminois.

Margaret Palmer bears:  Vert, three stags lodged Or.

Sigmundr Ulvr bears:  Or, in pale three harts springing within a bordure sable.

Arianwen de Lynn bears:  Quarterly azure and gules, a hind courant to sinister within an orle argent.

Greta Rahikainen bears:  Azure, three reindeer trippant argent.

Suibhne an Einigh bears:  Per pale argent and vert, an elk rampant proper.

Domestic cat sejant (Period)

The cat is a feline beast, famed for its deceitfulness.  It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Vaughn, c.1520 [DBA1 201].

In mundane blazons, the simple term “cat” usually refers to the wild cat, most commonly associated with Scots heraldry; but in Society blazons, “cat” refers to the domesticated cat.  The two forms should be distinguished in blazon to avoid confusion, the first as a “wildcat” or “cat-a-mountain” (Bossewell, 1572 [I.56], also terms it a “musion”), the latter as a “domestic cat” or “house cat”.  No difference is granted between them.

Wildcat salient (Period)

The cat does not seem to have a default posture; the illustrations show a domestic cat sejant and a wildcat salient.  Other postures, peculiar to the cat, include “herissony”, with arched back, raised fur, and spitting; de Bara, 1581 [168] shows a cat in this posture.  The posture “s’élongeant”, stretching (as only a cat can), is currently disallowed, as blurring the distinction between passant and couchant.  Finally, there’s the Society-unique “cat in its curiosity”, on its hind legs peering into a cauldron, which is about to tip over on it; it too is no longer permitted, as the motif has not been found in period armory.

Lynx rampant guardant (Period)

Similar to the cat is the “lynx”, a spotted feline with tufted ears, prominent side whiskers, and a stub tail; its medieval reputation was for keen eyesight.  Though sometimes considered synonymous with the wildcat, the two seem to have been separate beasts in period armory.  The lynx was used in the canting arms (German Luchs) of Lüchsperger, mid-16^th C. [NW 44], and as the crest and a supporter of the Worshipful Company of Skinners, 1550 [Bromley & Child 223].  The illustration shows a lynx rampant guardant.

For related charges, see lion, panther, tyger.

Gilles of Lennox bears:  Or, a domestic cat sejant, paw extended sable.

Rianna Whirlwind bears:  Azure, a wildcat statant guardant argent, a bordure argent semy of hawk’s bells vert.

Hvitr Loðinbak bears:  Ermine, two lynxes rampant gardant addorsed gules.

Camel statant (Period)

The camel is a desert-dwelling beast famed for its ill temper – yet paradoxically, because it kneels to receive its load, a medieval symbol of humility as well.

The default camel is the single-humped camel, also called a “dromedary”; this is the form used in the arms of Schmotlzn, 1605 [Siebmacher 72].  If the “Bactrian camel” with two humps is intended, it must be so specified; it too is found in period armory, as the crest of Caunton, c.1528 [Woodcock & Robinson pl.13].

The camel can be shown “saddled and bridled” with tackle designed for camels; or “laden” with goods for transport.  It doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a camel statant.  See also ypotryll.

Ayesha of the Dancing Camel bears:  Sable, a camel courant Or.

Arnulf of Ad Flumen Caerulum bears:  Gules, a Bactrian camel passant argent crowned Or.

Jamal Damien Marcus bears as a badge:  A camel couchant argent, saddled and bridled gules.

Eadweard Boise the Wright bears:  Argent, a dromedary couchant contourny sable laden gules within a bordure azure.

Bull passant (Period)

This beast is the male bovine, noted for its size, strength, and temper.  The term here includes such bovines as the “ox”, the “steer”, and the “bison” or “buffalo”; though the buffalo is usually drawn with larger horns (as in the arms of Desenberch or Wezenborg, d.1393 [Gelre 53]), the exact term is often chosen for the sake of a cant.  As a charge, the bull dates from at least c.1370, in the arms of von Plessen [Gelre 100v]; in mundane armory, it is often drawn with a ring through its nose, even when this is not explicitly blazoned.

There is also the “cow”, the female bovine, drawn with prominent udders; and the “calf”, the young bovine, drawn without horns (as in the canting arms of Vele, 1275 [ANA2 166]).  Finally, Society armory includes the “yak”, the hairy wild bull of Asia.

None of the bovine family seems to have a default posture; the illustration shows a bull passant.  See also pelt.

The Baron of Stierbach bears:  Per fess embattled argent and gules, three bulls courant counterchanged, that in base within a laurel wreath argent.

Eadmund de Tonge of Arkengarth bears:  Pean, a bull passant to sinister argent.

Angus Murdoch Stewart bears:  Argent, a cow rampant purpure within a bordure gules.

Clifford of York bears:  Or, a yak statant guardant sable armed argent.

Boar passant (Period)

The boar is a porcine beast noted for its belligerence.  It may also be called a “sanglier” or, for the sake of a cant, a “grice”.  As an heraldic charge, the boar dates from the earliest heraldry, as in the arms of Whichcote, c.1295 [ANA2 103].

The boar is depicted with a double set of tusks and a razor-back of bristles (its “crining”) down its spine.  A “boar proper” is understood in the Society to be brown.  The boar doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a boar passant.

Margaret of Rochester bears:  Sable, three boars passant argent.

Otuell Gowe bears:  Per fess azure and vert, two boars passant counter-passant Or.

Richard of Salesberie bears:  Argent, three boars rampant sable.

Beaver rampant (Period)

The beaver is a wise and gentle beast, whose medieval reputation was of industry and, strangely enough, chastity:  because its testicles were held to have medicinal value, it was said the beaver would bite them off when hunted, and thus escape its hunters.  It is found in period armory in the canting arms (German Biber) of Biber, c.1340 [Zurich 212], and of von Bibra, 1605 [Siebmacher 100].

The beaver is drawn in heraldic art with a broad, flat tail, as seen in nature – the tail is the beaver’s defining trait – but there’s little further resemblance between the herald’s depiction and the naturalist’s.  (The Society makes an exception when the beaver is blazoned “proper”; it’s then colored brown, and is more likely to be drawn naturalistically.)  There doesn’t seem to be a default posture; the illustration, from the arms of Bibrach or Biberach, 1413 [Conz.Const. ccviii, also Siebmacher 196], shows a beaver rampant.

Esteban Castore bears:  Vert, a beaver sejant erect gnawing on a silver birch tree proper.

Dauidh Fullam bears:  Per bend sinister gules and Or, a beaver sejant erect counterchanged.

Issabella Oger of Buckie bears:  Argent, a beaver rampant azure.

Beasts in Society heraldry tend to follow the same conventions as those in mundane heraldry.  Any special Society usages for a given beast will be found in the entry for that beast.

Any beast known to period Europeans may be used in Society armory – though, if the beast is not itself European, its use may be considered a step from period practice.  (An exception is made for non-European beasts actually used in period European armory:  the elephant is probably the best-known example.)

For specific beasts, see:  antelope (natural), ape, badger, bat, bear, beaver, boar, bull, camel, cat, deer, dog, elephant, ermine, fox, goat, hedgehog, horse, hyena, ibex (natural), lion, mole, mongoose, mouse, panther (natural), rabbit, rhinoceros, sea-lion (natural), sheep, squirrel, tyger (natural), wolf.  See also demi-beast.

Gareth the Russel bears:  Azure, a skunk statant proper.

David of Staffa bears:  Or, a hippopotamus statant azure, a base engrailed vert.

Sven Örfhendur bears:  Argent, a sloth pendant contourny vert from a rod fesswise sable.

Rosatrude the Shrew bears:  Or, a water shrew statant to sinister sable marked argent.

Bear sejant erect (Period)

The bear is a large and rather ponderous beast, whose medieval reputation is mostly one of greediness.  It appears in armory as early as 1280, in the canting arms (Latin ursus) of Urs [ANA2 56].

Bears may be drawn muzzled in mundane armory, even when not specifically blazoned so.  Society armory also allows the “polar bear”, with a longer neck and wedge-shaped body; no difference is granted for this, and indeed, the distinction is frequently left unblazoned.

There doesn’t seem to be a default posture for bears; the illustration shows a bear sejant erect.

Morven of Carrick bears:  Checky gules and Or, a bear statant erect sable.

Sigismund Greussen bears:  Gules, a bear rampant ermine.

Hannah bat Aharon bears:  Or, in pale three bears passant gules.

Alan Silverbear bears:  Sable, in base a polar bear statant argent.

Bat (Period)

The bat is a winged mouse-like beast; it’s also called a “reremouse”, “flittermouse” or “chausoriz”.  12^th-Century bestiaries treated it as a bird, but with membranous wings rather than feathered; medieval thought considered the bat an embodiment of darkness (and dark emotions such as melancholy).  The bat is found as an heraldic charge in the arms of Burnynghill, c.1410 [DBA1 289].  It is displayed and guardant by default; indeed, so common was that posture for the bat that using any other posture is deemed a step from period practice; inverting the bat (in any posture) is disallowed altogether.

Elynor O’Brian bears:  Argent, three bats sable.

Thomas the Diaemus bears:  Vairy vert and argent, a bat displayed sable.

Antoine d’Aubry bears:  Quarterly ermine and gules, two reremice ermine.