Man-tyger passant guardant (Period)

The man-tyger is a monster, consisting of a lion with a human head; sometimes the feet have been replaced by human hands.  It’s been suggested [Dennys 116] that the monster is an heraldic representation of the baboon of nature:  the cant with Babyngton, who used the man-tyger as a badge in 1529, supports this theory.  The man-tyger is very similar to the manticore, and may be considered an artistic variant.

The man-tyger doesn’t seem to have a default posture, so this must be explicitly blazoned; the illustration shows a man-tyger passant guardant.  For related charges, see lamia.  See also sphinx.

Godfrey of Inwood bears:  Vert, a bat-winged man-tyger sejant guardant within a bordure argent.

Beathach mu Saoileachedainn bears:  Azure, a winged man-tyger salient guardant within a tressure wreathed Or.

Manticore statant guardant (Accepted)

The manticore is a monster, consisting of a lion’s body with a human face (sometimes head), a scorpion’s tail, and sometimes horns.  It was described in medieval bestiaries as also having three rows of teeth, but that detail seldom appears in Society armory.  The manticore is very similar to the man-tyger, and may possibly be an artistic variant; but no period heraldic examples of the monster have been found (though one 1613 grant misused the term to describe the lamia) [Gwynn-Jones 106; cf. Dennys 115].

The manticore doesn’t seem to have a default posture, so this must be explicitly blazoned; the illustration shows a manticore statant guardant.

Chèr du Bonvin de Bellevue bears:  Argent, a manticore rampant to sinister gules and a gore sinister azure.

Antonin Malyi Barsukov bears:  Per pale sable and azure, a manticore rampant within an orle Or.

Man-serpent erect and guardant (Period)

The man-serpent is a monster, a serpent with a human face or head.  In period, it usually had a woman’s head, as in the supporter of Graf von Cossentania, 1483, and as the crest of Walter Bonham, c.1547 [Dennys CoA].  While usually found guardant in mundane heraldry, it is nonetheless explicitly blazoned so; the illustration shows a man-serpent erect and guardant.  See also serpent.

Lucien of Bath bears:  Per chevron throughout Or and vert, two chaplets of thorn vert and a man-serpent erect guardant tail nowed Or faced proper crined gules.

Lion-dragon (Period)

The lion-dragon is a chimerical monster with the forequarters of a lion and the body and tail of a wyvern.  It is a period charge, found as the crest of Blunte in 1572 [Guide 142; Dennys CoA].  The lion-dragon is sejant by default, as in the illustration.  For related charges, see dragon, lion, sea-lion.

Settimio d’Olivio bears:  Argent, a lion-dragon and a bordure gules.

Wilhelm Grün bears:  Per pale gules and vert, a lion-dragon Or.

Richard Silverdawn bears:  Gyronny gules and ermine, a lion-dragon erect Or.

Lamia passant guardant (Period)

The lamia was originally a female creature from Greek myth, combining the traits of the vampire and succubus.  The legend evolved over the centuries:  in Tudor heraldry, the lamia was depicted as a monster with the body of a lion, the head and breasts of a woman, and the tail of a horse; its forelegs are a woman’s arms, ending in hands, and the hindlegs are those of a goat.  In this form, it’s found as the canting crest of Lambent, 1585 [Dennys 117; Gwynn-Jones 106], though later heralds confused it with the manticore.

The lamia doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a lamia passant guardant.  For related charges, see man-tyger, sphinx.

Muirgen mac Ultain bears:  Sable, a lamia passant guardant Or.

This category of monster consists of those whose forms are basically human, but with additions or mutations.  There does not seem to be a default posture common to all of them.  When blazoned “proper”, period practice would assume the human parts to be Caucasian (pink or white) unless otherwise specified; Society blazon had once followed this, but is now more inclusive.  The human portions of these monsters now follow the same Society blazon conventions as human figures (q.v.).

Angel (Period)

Standing seraph (Accepted)

The “angel” is a human with a pair of wings on its back; it’s a period charge, found in the canting arms of von Engelhoffer c.1450 [Ingeram 140; also Siebmacher 97].  Its default posture is statant affronty, wings displayed (frequently displayed inverted) [Parker 10].  A specific variant of this is the Archangel Michael, so named in blazon:  winged and haloed, but armed and armor-clad (and frequently depicted vanquishing a dragon underfoot).

A Society variant of the angel is the “standing seraph”, with six wings:  two with tips up, two with tips down, and two covering the body.  Like the angel, it’s statant affronty by default.  (These are not to be confused with the “cherub” and the “seraph”, which are winged heads; these may be found under (human) head.)

Fury statant affronty, wings displayed (Accepted)

Satyr maintaining a panpipe (Period)

The “fury” is a creature from Greek myth, a winged woman with serpents for hair.  It appears to be unique to Society heraldry.

The “satyr” or “pan” is also from Greek myth; it combines the torso of a human with the hindquarters of a goat.  It is horned, and may be shown playing a panpipe.  The satyr is found as an heraldic charge in the arms of Arcos, c.1540 [Nobreza xl]; though cantingly armed with a bow, and blazoned as a “sagittary”, the creature has two feet, not four, and they are cloven.

Troll (Period)

Demon (Disallowed)

The “troll” is a charge from Scandinavian heraldry, found in the canting arms of Trolle, c.1440 [Raneke 412-413].  (It is sometimes, erroneously, blazoned a “devil” outside Scandinavia.)  The heraldic troll is distinguished by having no head:  its face is embedded in its torso.  It has clawed hands and feet, and a tail; by default, it is shown passant, with the head in full view, and one hand holding the tail.

Finally, there is the “demon” or “gargoyle”, like the satyr in having a beast’s hindquarters, but with the addition of bat-wings, a barbed tail, and sometimes talons.  Unfortunately, its best-known heraldic use, in the arms of the City of Brussels, dates only to the early 19^th Century.  Demons depicted in period books of hours vary too widely in appearance to be reproducible; therefore, pending evidence of their use in period armory, demons are no longer permitted in Society armory.

For specific entries of other monsters with human parts, see:  centaur, harpy, lamia, man-serpent, manticore, man-tyger, mermaid, silkie, sphinx, tarasque.

The Baron of the Angels bears:  Gules, a standing seraph affronty proper, winged Or, haloed of a laurel wreath proper.

The Canton of Trollhaven bears:  Argent, a troll within a laurel wreath vert and on a chief azure a three-arched bridge Or.

Francesca d’Angelo le Noir bears:  Argent, a brunette angel proper, winged and vested sable.

Rhys Gethin bears:  Vert semy-de-lys Or, the Archangel Michael argent haloed Or.

Jason the Blue bears:  Or, a four-armed demon azure, winged gules.

Marta as-tu Mika-Mysliwy bears:  Per chevron vert and Or, in base a satyr dancing and piping proper.

Megara di Alessandra bears:  Sable, a Fury rampant affronty, sinister hand lowered, proper vested argent, winged Or, maintaining in the dexter hand a torch bendwise sinister enflamed proper.

Hrassvelg monster rampant guardant (Disallowed)

The Hrassvelg monster is a chimerical monster unique to the Society, with the head of a cobra, the fore and hind legs of an eagle, the wings of a bat, and the body and tail of a lion.  It is defined in the following arms.

Elriin of Hrassvelg bears:  Azure, the dexter tierce gules, overall a Hrassvelg monster salient guardant argent.

Hippogriff segreant (Period)

This chimerical monster is considered a variant of the griffin, with the griffin’s head, wings and foreparts, and the hindquarters of a horse.  It’s a late addition to the bestiary of monsters: one of its earliest mentions was in Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, 1516.  Some authors (e.g., Vinycombe [161]) maintain that the hippogriff wasn’t used in period armory, but we have one period example:  the arms of Greiff, mid-16h C., clearly depict a hippogriff, not a griffin [NW 37].

Unlike the griffin, the hippogriff doesn’t seem to have a default posture; the illustration shows a hippogriff segreant (rampant).  For related charges, see opinicus.

Iriel of Branoch bears:  Sable, a hippogriff rampant to sinister Or.

Ysabeau Cameron bears:  Per pale Or and gules, two hippogriffs combattant counterchanged.

Nicolette de Coulours bears:  Quarterly purpure and vert, a hippogriff segreant Or.

Harpy guardant (Period)

Frauenadler (Period)

The harpy is a monster from Greek myth, where it’s defined as a vulture with the head and breast of a woman, whose reputation is for bloodthirst.  The harpy is found as a charge in the arms of Entyrdene or Tenterden, c.1460 [RH; also Dennys 127]; frequently, only the woman’s head is shown, not the breasts.  The harpy’s default posture seems to be close and guardant, but this is frequently made explicit.

Two other woman-bird monsters are usually classed as harpies, though their connotations differ.  Like the harpy, they have the head and breast of a woman.  The “frauenadler” has the body of an eagle; it’s a German charge, found in the arms of Rysdorfer or Rysdorp, c.1370 [Gelre 98], and more famously in the civic arms of Nürnberg, early 16^th Century [Dennys 129].  Its default posture seems to be displayed and guardant, but again, this is frequently made explicit.

The “sirin harpy” is a charge unique to the Society:  a benign creature from Russian legend, with the body of a partridge.  Its “proper” coloration is with Caucasian human parts, the plumage a mix of brown, grey and purple, with no one color predominating.  Like the standard harpy, the sirin harpy seems to be close by default.

Szabó Éva Mária bears:  Sable, a harpy and on a chief argent two roses gules.

Kazimira Suchenko bears:  Argent, a frauenadler azure, face and breast proper.

Clea de Húnedoara bears as a badge:  Argent, a brunette sirin harpy statant guardant to sinister proper within a bordure engrailed purpure.