Escutcheon

Escutcheon (Period)

An escutcheon is a heater-shaped shield, used as a charge in its own right since c.1244, in the arms of de Munchensy [Asp2 217]. Its default orientation is with its flat side to chief. In Society heraldry, to avoid the appearance of augmentations or arms of pretense, escutcheons used as charges should not themselves be charged.

Claude le Champenois bears: Barry sable and argent, an escutcheon gules.

Brendan McNeill O’Neill bears: Vert, three escutcheons Or.

Reis ap Tuder ap Wyn bears: Azure semy of escutcheons Or.

Escarbuncle

Escarbuncle (Period)

An escarbuncle is a stylized heraldic charge, representing the boss and reinforcing bars on a shield. It is normally of eight spokes, with the ends fleury, as in the illustration; this form is found very early, in the arms of the Counts (later Dukes) of Cleves, c.1275 [Asp2 190; also Gelre 93]. Escarbuncles of six are also found in period arms, as well as pometty ends; such cases are explicitly blazoned. (Sometimes, the default fleury ends are explicitly blazoned as well.)

Escarbuncles may also be constructed by conjoining other charges: the arms of the Kings of Navarre, from the mid-14^th Century, had an escarbuncle of chains. In Society heraldry, other charges have been employed as well: an “escarbuncle of six swords, conjoined at the points”, for example.

Ermine spot

Five ermine spots (Period)

An ermine spot, or ermine tail, is a highly stylized charge, meant to represent the tail of the ermine beast; it is also sometimes blazoned a “muskatour”. Ermine spots were sometimes charges in their own right, as in the arms of Liesvelt, c.1460 [GATD 34v; also Gelre 83v]; but they are far more often found strewn across a field to form the heraldic ermine-style furs.

Of these furs, by far the most common was simply blazoned “ermine”: a white field with black ermine spots, most famous as the arms of the Dukes of Brittany, 1318 [Asp2 172]. For most of the Society’s period, this was the only ermine-style fur in use. In the 15^th Century, a variant was introduced, a black field with white ermine spots [Hope 8]: it was called “ermines” in English and “contre-hermine” in French. To avert typos, Society blazons use the translation of the latter, “counter-ermine”.

Towards the end of period, two other ermine-style furs appeared in heraldic tracts [e.g., Legh 76]: “erminois”, a gold field with black ermine spots, and “pean”, a black field with gold ermine spots. Your Author has found a single period example of erminois, in the arms of Meery, c.1510 [DBA3 489; also Gwynn-Jones 98]; we’ve yet to find a period example of pean. However, on the basis of Legh if nothing else, all four of these furs are available for Society use.

Post-period examples exist of fields strewn with ermine spots, in other tinctures, e.g., “Gules semy of ermine spots Or” [Woodward 68]. Society practice would blazon this “Gules ermined Or”, and treat it as an ermine-style fur. Any metal field may be ermined in a color, and vice versa, in Society heraldry. We have a single example in an heraldic tract, the Traité de blason, late-15th C., of “Or ermined vert” (le champ dor armine de sinople), but no actual examples of its use in arms; nonetheless, this provides support for the practice in the Society.

The illustration shows several stylizations of ermine spot, which were taken from medieval emblazons. The one in dexter chief, from Legh, is the form most often found in Society emblazons. Naturally, an emblazon shouldn’t mix styles, but should use one stylization throughout. See also tail.

Adeliza de Clermont bears: Or, an ermine spot purpure.

Wilhelm Leopard der Schwarze bears: Sable, in chief five ermine spots in fess Or.

Alisaundre Caledon bears: Per chevron Or and sable, three ermine spots counterchanged.

Delf

Delf (Period)

A delf is a shovelful of sod or dirt. It is found in the canting arms of Delves, c.1460 [DBA2 298]; it was considered equivalent to a billet, in both blazon and emblazon.

The delf is always drawn in a highly stylized manner, as a square; and it’s treated more as a polygon than as an actual object. For related charges, see die, gameboard, tablet (weaver’s).

Vittorio Maria del Fabbro bears: Lozengy azure and argent, a delf sable.

Tibor of Rock Valley bears: Vert, a delf Or.

Angelique Thibodeau bears: Per chevron azure and argent, three delfs voided counterchanged.

Crescent

Decrescent (Period); increscent (Period)

Crescent (Period); crescent pendant (Period)

The crescent is an ancient charge, shaped like the quarter-moon just after new. It’s thought to have been intended originally as a horse-brass; but it quickly gained its present lunar interpretation. It’s found as early as c.1244, in the canting arms of de Cressy [Asp2 215].

The crescent has its horns to chief by default. If the horns point to base, it is blazoned a “crescent pendant (or pendu)” or “crescent inverted”; this form is seen in the arms of Pope Benedict XIII, 1394 [Conz.Const. lxxv]. If the horns point to sinister, it’s blazoned a “decrescent”; if to dexter, an “increscent”.

In Society heraldry, the use of a red descrescent on a white background, by itself or in combination with other motifs, has been restricted due to its use as the symbol of the International Red Crescent, which is protected by mundane international law.

In the English system of cadency, the crescent is the mark of the second son. In medieval times, it was sometimes used to represent the Turks or the Moslems. For related charges, see moon. See also heavenly bodies.

The King of Caid bears: Azure, a crown within a laurel wreath Or, between three crescents within a bordure embattled argent.

Saher de Wahull bears: Or, three crescents gules.

Sean Macarailt of Sandyhume bears: Sable, an increscent argent.

Arqai Ne’ürin bears: Gyronny sable and argent, a decrescent vert.

Fiona Ann the Fair bears: Ermine, three crescents inverted sable.

Crampon

Crampon (Period)

A crampon is a metal rod, pointed at both ends, used by builders to strengthen a masonry wall. It is also called a “crampiron”, “cramp”, or a “wolf-hook”. It’s a period charge, found in the arms of Winterstetten, c.1340 [Zurich 122]. The crampon is palewise by default. See also hook.

Patriche del Lupo bears: Per pale angled reversed argent and purpure, two wolf-hooks palewise in fess counterchanged.

Hilderun Hügelmann bears: Sable, a crampon Or.

Diethelm Waltorfer bears: Azure, three crampons Or.

Chaussé

Chaussé (Period)

Chaussé ployé (Period)

Chaussé (French for “shod”) is a Continental partition of the field, formed by two lines drawn from the corners of the chief to the base point. The partition thus strongly resembles a pile, or a field party per chevron inverted; and it will conflict with either, all other things being the same. But a chaussé field differs from these others in one respect: In normal usage, only the central part of the field is charged; the shod portion of the field remains uncharged. (Despite this, there are still a number of chaussé fields in Society heraldry with charges in the lower portions.)

The standard chaussé field uses straight lines; there is also a variant, “chaussé ployé”, with arched lines. For related entries, see chapé, pile, vêtu.

Duncan Fearmac MacLeod bears: Barry and per pale sable and argent, chaussé gules.

Chapé

Chapé (Period)

Chapé ployé (Period)

Chapé (French for “mantled”) is a Continental partition of the field, formed by two lines drawn from the center chief to the sides of the shield. The partition thus strongly resembles a pile inverted, or a field party per chevron; and it will conflict with either, all other things being the same. But a chapé field differs from these others in one respect: In normal usage, only the central part of the field is charged; the mantled portion of the field remains uncharged. (Despite this, there are still a number of chapé fields in Society heraldry with charges in the upper portions.)

The standard chapé field uses straight lines; there is also a variant, “chapé ployé”, with arched lines. For related entries, see chaussé, pile, vêtu.

Brandubh Ó Donnghaile bears: Per pale argent and sable chapé ployé counterchanged.

Maredudd Cethin bears: Argent, chapé ployé per pale gules and sable.

Wolfstanus Lightfote bears: Or chapé ployé per pale vert and purpure.

Billet

Billet (Period)

A billet is a brief letter or document. In period armory, it is most often found strewn in a semy field; this is its earliest usage, dating from c.1255 in the arms of Gascelyn [ANA2 191]. However, billets are also found as distinct charges; such usage can be dated to 1445, in the arms of Livingstone [DBA2 127].

The billet is drawn as a rectangle, with no detail or shading, much like a polygon; it is upright by default. Period armory seems to have considered the billet and the delf to be equivalent, and no difference is granted between them in Society heraldry. At one point, billets with complex lines (e.g., a “billet embattled”) were permitted in Society heraldry, but pending evidence, these are no longer allowed.

Beacon

Beacon (Period)

A beacon is a signal tower, consisting of a pole with a fire-basket at the top, and a ladder on one side for those who feed the fire. It is always drawn flammant, but the fact is often explicitly blazoned. The beacon is found in the arms of Daunt, c.1510 [DBA1 106], but it’s better known as one of the badges of Henry V, d.1422 [HB 110]. See also brazier, lighthouse, torch (cresset).

The Riding of Beaconsgate bears: Azure, a beacon within a laurel wreath Or.

Valdemar Wendel Bayard bears: Per pale sable and gules, a beacon enflamed Or.

Wenyeva atte grene bears: Per chevron argent and vert, three beacons enflamed counterchanged.

Mistholme

heraldry, illumination, and random jottings

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