Pegasus segreant (Period)

The pegasus is a winged monster, a horse with an eagle’s wings grafted to its shoulders.  Its association with the Muses of Greek myth makes it a popular charge with poets.  As an heraldic charge, it dates from at least 1544, in the arms of Cavalere or Cavalier [Dennys 157].

The pegasus does not seem to have a default posture, so the posture must be blazoned.  By Society rulings, a rampant pegasus (as shown in the illustration) may also be blazoned “segreant”, like the dragon, griffin, and other four-legged monsters with wings.  For related charges, see horse.

Frideger Leopo Sturmreiter bears:  Argent, two pegasi combattant azure.

Wentliana Bengrek bears:  Purpure, three pegasi rampant to sinister argent.

Aislynn Haldana Cadell bears:  Or, a pegasus segreant vert.

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.

Pantheon rampant (Period)

The pantheon is an heraldic monster with the body of a hind, the bushy tail of a fox, cloven hooves, and completely strewn with mullets or estoiles.  It’s a period charge, dating from 1531 as the crest of Baynham [Dennys 159].  One period manuscript gives its “proper” tinctures as gules, with argent stars; but no proper tinctures are acknowledged for the pantheon in Society heraldry.

In terms of heraldic design, the Society treats the pantheon’s mullets or estoiles as an integral part of the monster, not as a layer of surcharges on the pantheon’s body.

The pantheon does not seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a pantheon rampant.

Jessica of the Old Forest bears:  Argent, two pantheons combatant azure, mullety argent.

Erlwin Nikolaus vom Schwarzwald bears:  Per saltire pean and Or, a pantheon rampant gules, mullety of six points Or.

Katerina von Brandenberg bears:  Per pale purpure and argent, two pantheons combatant mullety of six points all counterchanged.

Orm (questionable)

This monster is a wingless, legless dragon, with a fair amount of knotting.  It is defined in the following arms.  Though it has not been explicitly disallowed, given the orm’s similarity to Norse beasts, its current acceptability is questionable.

Orm Skjoldbidig bears:  Sable, an orm erect contourny gules, armed, langued and fimbriated Or, debruised by a bezant.

Opinicus statant (Period)

The opinicus is a chimerical monster with the head and wings of an eagle, the body and legs of a lion, mammalian ears, and the tail of a camel or bear.  It is very similar to the griffin, evidently a later variant form:  the illustration is taken from the grant to the Worshipful Company of Barbers, 1561 [Bromley & Child 14].

The opinicus does not seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows an opinicus statant.  For related charges, see hippogriff.

Fiammeta Attavanti bears:  Gyronny azure and Or, an opinicus statant gules.

Leopold von Haskenberg bears:  Azure, an opinicus sejant maintaining in its dexter upraised forepaw a goblet Or.

Christina Moncreife bears:  Per pale vert and purpure, an opinicus statant within a bordure argent.

Norse serpent nowed (Disallowed)

Norse beasts, or Norse serpents, are a class of monster characterized by long sinuous bodies, one or two legs (front and back), and a complex interlacing.  Some forms also have a head lappet or pigtail, which if long may be interlaced with the rest of the body.  Further details of Norse beasts are usually blazoned by the drawing style of their original sources; such drawing styles carry no heraldic difference.

The most common style of drawing Norse beasts is the “Urnes style”; it takes its name from the decorations of a small church in the Norwegian village of Urnes.   The Society-default Norse beast is blazoned a “Norse serpent nowed”, and is drawn in the Urnes style.  The charge is based on a carving on the Sjua stone, c.1190.

Norse “Jelling-beast” nowed (Disallowed)

Other styles of drawing Norse beasts include the “Jellinge” style, the “Ringerike” style, and the “Borre” style.  These terms are usually included only for the artist’s sake.  The “Norse Jelling-beast nowed” is actually not in the Jellinge style; but the blazon may be used to define this particular Norse beast.  The charge is based on a design on a silver bowl from Lilla Valla, Gotland, c.1050.

Finally, there are individual creatures which, though found in Norse art, are not nowed or interlaced.  An example is the “Lisbjerg gripping beast”, which is taken from a pair of 9th C. oval brooches found in Lisbjerg, Jutland.

Lisbjerg gripping beast (Disallowed)

None of the styles of Norse beast are presently permitted in Society heraldry.  The terms are too obscure, and previous blazons have no uniformity; they convey no information to the artist or herald.  For related charges, see orm, serpent.

Brynhildr Kormaksdottir bears:  Gules, a Norse serpent nowed Or.

Bjorn of Havok bears:  Counter-ermine, a Lisbjerg gripping beast gules.

Asbjorn Gustavsson of Roed bears:  Azure, a “Norse Jelling-beast” nowed, erect and reversed argent.

Musimon rampant (Period)

The musimon is an heraldic monster said to be a combination of a goat and a ram, with the horns of both.  It’s considered a period charge, described (though not attributed) by Guillim, 1610 [179].  The Society grants no difference between the musimon and the goat.

The musimon does not seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a musimon rampant.  For related charges, see goat, sheep.

Gideon ap Stephen bears:  Per bend sinister argent and sable, a musimon rampant counterchanged.

Thomas von Wildtstein bears:  Per pale gules and sable, a musimon rampant contourny within a bordure Or.

Oda Wlslagre dicta Widoeghe bears:  Gules, a musimon rampant argent spotted sable and in chief two wool combs fesswise Or.

As used in heraldry, the term “monster” describes any creature not found in nature:  a fabulous beastie, a product of the imagination.  Some heraldic monsters were thought to represent actual beasts (e.g., the antelope), but their forms differ so widely from the natural beasts that they are considered separate and imaginary creatures.  In such cases, if the natural beast is intended, the term “natural” must be included in the blazon; otherwise, the heraldic monster is used.

There are some special categories of monsters, classed by their form or construction.  These include:  chimerical monsters, humanoid monsters, sea-monsters, and winged monsters.

For specific monsters, see:  allocamelus, alphyn, amphisbaena, antelope, bagwyn, bog beast, boreyne, calamarie (kraken), calygreyhound, camelopard, centaur, chatloup, chimera, cockatrice, dragon, enfield, griffin, harpy, hippogriff, Hrassvelg monster, ibex, lamia, lion-dragon, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, musimon, naga, Norse beasts, opinicus, orm, pantheon, panther, pegasus, phoenix, piping beast, pithon, salamander, sea-horse, sea-lion, senmurv, silkie, sphinx, tarasque, theow, tyger, unicorn, vegetable lamb, werewolf, yale, ypotryll.

Mermaid in her vanity (Period)

The mermaid is a sea–monster, with the body of a maiden conjoined to a fish’s tail; it was also termed a “siren”.  It is usually depicted with a mirror and comb, which position may be blazoned “a mermaid in its vanity”.  The mermaid is found as a supporter in the early 14^th Century [Dennys 123]; as a charge on a shield, it’s used in the arms of Ornelas, c.1540 [Nobreza xxiiiº].

It can also be male, of course; the male form may be blazoned a “merman” or a “triton”.  It too is found in period grants, dating from at least 1483 as a supporter of Wydville, Earl Rivers [Dennys 129]; it’s also found as a supporter of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, 1575 [Bromley & Child 91].  The merman is frequently armored, in some cases with his entire human half covered in plate.  Both mermaid and merman are affronty by default; period heraldic art turns the figure ever so slightly to dexter, in an early attempt at perspective.

Monk-fish naiant (Accepted)

Melusine (Period)

One specific form of merman is blazoned a “monk-fish”, with the human portion vested in monk’s robes.  The form shown here is taken from Meidenbach’s Hortus Sanitatis, an herbal/natural history dated 1491.  As an heraldic charge, the monk-fish appears to be unique to the Society.

A Continental version of the mermaid is the “melusine”, which has two fish’s tails replacing the maiden’s legs, instead of a single fish’s tail; it is a period charge, found in the arms of Östermayr, 1605 [Siebmacher 36].  The melusine’s default posture is affronty, holding one tail in each hand.  Unlike the mermaid, the melusine is sometimes shown in period emblazons with its human half vested.

When blazoned “proper”, merfolk are tinctured with Caucasian (pink) human parts, and green fish’s tails; the hair color is usually explicitly blazoned, but blonde seems most common.  See also silkie.

The College of Saint Giles bears as a badge:  A monk-fish naiant to sinister argent.

Ane-Marie Varre of Helsingor bears:  Azure, a mermaid and a merman affronty proper, their adjacent arms elevated and crossed.

Rollo Melles bears:  Gules, a melusine argent.