HERALDIC DICTIONARY Lowell R. Matthews, Copyright (c) 1995 Revised October 20, 1995 Contents I. Types of Arms................1 II. Parts of the Achievement.....1 III. Use and Inheritance of Arms..3 IV. Points of the Shield.........6 V. Sequence of the Blazon.......6 VI. The Tinctures or Colors......6 VII. Ordinaries...................7 VIII. Subordinaries................8 IX. Variants of the Cross........9 X. Animal Charges..............10 XI. Plant Charges...............16 XII. Inanimate Charges...........18 XIII. Adjectives..................25 XIV. English Royal Heraldry......32 I. TYPES OF ARMS A. Private Arms: hereditary arms awarded to individuals, then called armigers. B. Corporate Arms: arms awarded to corporate entities (e.g. companies, cities, divisions of government). C. Attributed Arms: arms associated with famous people who lived before the invention of heraldry or to fictional characters (e.g. the arms attributed to Edward the Confessor or Arthurian characters). D. Arms of Dominion: corporate arms borne by sovereign princes; they are the arms of the state and not their private arms, although the former is often derived from the latter. E. Arms of Pretension: arms of dominion borne by sovereign princes who claim a particular domain but have no real control over it (e.g. the Kings of England bore the arms of France in pretension from Edward II until George III in 1801). F. Arms of Office: corporate arms borne by the holders of certain offices in a similar fashion to arms of dominion. G. Arms of Succession: corporate arms borne by the holders of certain estates (e.g. the Earls of Derby as Lords of Man quartered the arms of the Island of Man). H. Arms of Assumption: in early heraldry, a captor could assume the arms of a prisoner for his own use, usually as a quarter. I. Arms of Adoption: with royal permission, an armiger without heirs may adopt a successor; the arms will usually be differenced with either a cross crosslet or two linked annulets. - 1 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 J. Canting Arms: private or corporate arms which are puns on the grantee's name. II. PARTS OF THE ACHIEVEMENT A. The Achievement: the complete grant of arms, including the shield, crest, and motto, and possibly including supporters and other official insignia. The blazon is the official written description of the achievement, which is then emblazoned or artistically rendered. B. The Shield or Escutcheon: bears the arms, the center and principal part of the achievement. The modern shield is four units wide by five deep. The classical shield shape is reserved exclusively for male armigers and female sovereigns. In British heraldry, a woman uses a lozenge or diamond-shaped shield. In Novite heraldry, a combatant female armiger has the option of using a roundel or circular shield. C. The Crest: the helm and decorative crest inspired by the decorations worn by knights at tournament, which rests on top of the shield and is composed of four parts. In British heraldry neither a clergyman nor a woman, except the queen regnant, may use a crest. In Novite heraldry, female combatants may use a lady's crest, which excludes the helm, torse, and mantling. 1. The Helm: there are five types, based on the rank of the armiger: a. The Sovereign, princes, and royal dukes use a full-faced helm of demasked gold with six bars. b. Nonroyal dukes and marquesses (the senior peers) use a full-faced helm of steel demasked with gold with five gold bars. c. Earls (counts), viscounts, and barons (lords) use the same helm seen in profile. d. Knights and baronets use a full-faced helm of steel with the visor open. e. All other armigers, both private and corporate, use a sidelong helm of plain steel with the visor closed. 2. The Torse: a cloth band with six folds showing, colored of the principal metal and solid tincture of the arms. It is worn between the helm and the crest proper and is said to represent the lady's favor worn by knights at tournament. 3. The Mantling or Lambrequin: a shoulder-length cape hanging from the top of the helm, originally serving as a sunshade and extra protection. It is also colored of the principal metal and solid tincture of the arms. 4. Coronets: peers' coronets of rank are usually displayed between the helmet and the crest proper, which then usually arises from the coronet. 5. The Crest Proper: usually a charge taken from the arms or an animal figure, which is affixed to the top of the helm. - 2 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 D. The Motto: a word or phrase borne on a scroll, which is usually placed below the shield, but often above it in Scottish heraldry. It is part of the grant in Scottish heraldry but is not an official part of the grant in English heraldry and may therefore be changed at will; in both cases no woman except a queen regnant may use a motto. E. Supporters and the Compartment 1. Supporters are two living creatures, usually animals, monsters, or humans, which stand on either side of the shield to hold it upright. 2. The compartment is the ground upon which the supporters stand, usually a grassy mound, but possibly scrollwork (as in the British royal arms) or another object. 3. The origin of supporters is obscure. The more romantic possibility is that they derive from the practice of a knight sending two retainers in costume to a tournament field to support his shield and to receive challenges from other knights. The less romantic but more likely possibility is that seal makers began filling the empty space on either side of armorial bearings on seals with two animals or monsters. Supporters were said to have been used under Edward III, but the first irrefutable proof is from the reign of Henry VI. 4. The use of supporters in British heraldry is now restricted to: a. Temporal peers, where the supporters are hereditary. b. Knights of the Garter, Thistle, or St. Patrick. c. Knights Grand Cross or Knights Grand Commander of other orders. d. Corporate entities. e. Other private armigers who have been explicitly granted supporters. F. Other Insignia 1. Orders of Chivalry or Knighthood: the insignia of these orders, usually called circles and/or collars, are placed encircling the shield. 2. Decorations: in British heraldry, these are shown suspended by their proper ribbon below the shield, in order of precedence, with the senior to dexter. 3. Badges of Office: variable; e.g. the two batons of the English Earl Marshal (now a hereditary office of the Duke of Norfolk) are placed in saltire behind his shield. H. Heraldic Flags 1. A gonfanon was a small square flag with three tails, usually carried by a commander. It was replaced by the banner during the 13th Century. William the Conqueror used a gonfanon given to him by the Pope at Hastings. 2. A pennant (pennon, pennoncel) was originally a small triangular or two-tailed flag carried by a knight - 3 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 bachelor into battle, charged with his arms or another device (e.g. badge). 3. A banner is a rectangular flag, originally about twice as high as wide, now nearly square, bearing the user's principal arms. Banners were originally carried into battle by knights banneret, a higher rank of knight, but may now be used by any armiger. 4. A standard is a long flag, narrowing towards the fly, ending in one or two rounded points, used to display badges and crests. It is rarely used today. During the time of Henry VIII, the royal standard was 8-9 yards long; dukes, 7; earls, 6; barons, 5; bannerets, 4.5; knights, 4. III. USE AND INHERITANCE OF ARMS A. The Grantee 1. Private Arms: the original grantee, almost always male in British heraldry, is entitled to display his arms upon a shield or escutcheon and to display his full achievement or any parts thereof in any appropriate manner (e.g. on stationery, clothing, jewelry, table ware, wall decorations, doors or gates, furniture, vehicles, etc.). 2. Corporate Arms: designated officials of the grantee institution may use the full achievement or any parts thereof in any appropriate manner relating to official business, sometimes in conjunction with their private arms. B. Sons and Cadency: only direct lineal male descendants of the original grantee are entitled to use his arms, and only the members of the first house (the grantee's oldest son, his son's oldest son, and so on) are entitled to use the original arms. In British heraldry, an oldest son differences his arms with a label of three points during his father's lifetime, his own oldest son uses a label of five points during his grandfather's lifetime, and so on. Younger sons may use the family arms with an appropriate mark of difference or cadency. 1. English Cadency: younger sons use their father's arms with one of the following marks of difference, a small charge usually placed in center chief and drawn small enough to avoid being mistaken for an actual charge: (1) label (see above), (2) crescent, (3) mullet, (4) martlet, (5) annulet, (6) fleur-de-lis, (7) rose, (8) cross moline, (9) double quatrefoil or octafoil. 2. Scottish Cadency: a much stricter system than that in use in England. Younger sons must matriculate their arms with the Lyon King of Arms, the chief Scottish herald, who will assign an appropriate difference, usually a bordure or a change in tincture or line of decoration, under the Stodart System of Differencing. Example (104): a. Original Grant: argent, a fess sable. - 4 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 b. First Generation: son 1 inherits the grant; the others add a bordure: 2, Or; 3, gules; 4, azure; 5, sable. c. Second Generation (1) House 1: son 1-1 inherits the grant; the others change the fess line to: 1-2, engrailed; 1-3, invected; 1-4, indented. (2) House 2: son 2-1 inherits the plain bordure Or; the others change the bordure line to: 2-2, engrailed; 2-3, invected; 2-4, indented. d. Third Generation (1) House 1-1: son 1-1-1 inherits the grant; the others add a charge to the fess: 2, a crescent; 3, a mullet. (2) House 1-2: son 1-2-1 inherits the engrailed fess; the others add a bordure: 2, Or. (3) House 2-1: son 2-1-1 inherits the plain bordure Or; the others divide the bordure per pale Or and a tincture: 2, gules; 3, azure. (4) House 2-2: son 2-2-1 inherits the bordure engrailed Or; the others divide the bordure per pale Or and a tincture: 2, gules; 3, azure. e. Fourth Generation (1) House 1-1-1: son 1-1-1-1 inherits the grant; the others add two charges in chief: 2, two mullets; 3, two fleurs-de-lis. (2) House 1-1-2: son 1-1-2-1 inherits the fess charged with a crescent; the others add a bordure: 2, Or. (3) House 1-2-1: son 1-2-1-1 inherits the engrailed fess; the others add two charges in chief: 2, two mullets.1 (4) House 2-1-1: son 2-1-1-1 inherits the plain bordure Or; the others divide the bordure per fess Or and a tincture: 2, gules. (5) House 2-1-2: son 2-1-2-1 inherits the plain bordure per pale Or and gules; the others quarter the bordure Or and a tincture: 2, gules. C. Daughters: in British heraldry an unmarried woman may bear her father's arms, or her own in those rare occasions in which the grantee is female, upon a lozenge shield without crest, motto or supporters, although peeresses in their own right may use supporters. Because all daughters are considered equivalent in nonroyal families, no marks of cadency are required. In Novite heraldry both grants to ____________________ 1. It seems likely that Col. Puttock is in error, that this difference should actually be only one charge, in keeping with the pattern of the third generation in House 1-1. - 5 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 women and the use of differences by women are more common, and female combatants have the option of using a roundel shield and a lady's crest. D. Heraldic Heiresses: if a male armiger (excluding the sovereign) has surviving daughters but no surviving sons, his daughters are all equivalent heraldic heiresses who may pass their father's arms on to their husbands and children (see escutcheon of pretense and marshalling below). The rare female armiger is automatically an heiress. D. Husband and Wife 1. While both partners live, the arms of husband and wife are borne together on one escutcheon, which is then used with the rest of the husband's achievement, in one of the following ways: a. Dimidiation: the original method of joining the arms of husband and wife, in which the dexter half of the dexter shield (the husband's) is joined to the sinister half of the sinister shield (the wife's); this method was quickly discarded in favor of impaling. b. Impaling: the method currently used to join the arms of husband and wife when the wife is not an heiress, in which the escutcheon is divided per pale, then the husband's arms are placed on the dexter side and the wife's on the sinister side. The same technique is also used to join private arms to those of an office. A practice held over from dimidiation is that the side of a bordure or orle along the join is omitted. c. Escutcheon of Pretence: when the wife is an heiress, a small escutcheon bearing her arms is placed over the center of the husband's full- sized shield; he pretends to be her family's heir. In the case of a peeress in her own right, both full achievements are displayed side by side, with the husband's achievement including the escutcheon of pretence on the dexter and the wife's achievement (lozenge, coronet, and supporters) on the sinister. 2. A widower returns to the arms he used before marriage. 3. A widow while remaining unmarried displays the combined marriage arms on a lozenge. If she remarries her original arms are combined with those of the new husband in the same manner as with her first husband. E. Marshalling: the practice of combining the arms of several different holdings or families on one quartered shield. It was first used to show lordships in the order of their importance, e.g. Edward III quartered the arms of France with those of England in 1340. Since Tudor times marshalling has been used to display the alliances of a family through marriages involving heraldic heiresses. While the husband of an heraldic heiress displays her arms on an escutcheon of pretence, their children are entitled to use both surnames (hyphenated) and both sets of arms on - 6 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 a quartered shield, in which the father's arms are placed in the first and fourth quarters and the mother's in second and third. Subsequent marriages to heiresses can bring more quarterings into the family; if necessary, the main patrilineal arms are repeated in the last quarter to maintain an even number. Example: Mr. Alpha, bearing ermine, a bend gules, marries Miss Bravo, an heiress bearing azure, a mullet Or. Their son John may use as a surname either Alpha or Alpha-Bravo and bears quarterly, 1 and 4, ermine, a bend gules; 2 and 3, azure, a mullet Or. If he marries Miss Charlie-Delta, another second-generation heiress bearing quarterly, 1 and 4, vert, a chevron Or; 2 and 3, Or, a pile azure, their children may choose among the various surnames, probably Alpha, Alpha-Bravo, or Alpha-Charlie, and will bear the arms quarterly, 1, ermine, a bend gules; 2, azure, a mullet Or; 3, vert, a chevron Or; 4, Or, a pile azure. The process may continue ad infinitum (the Lloyds of Stockton are entitled to use 323 quarterings)! F. Ecclesiastical Heraldry: in general, clergymen do not use crests, helms, or supporters, but replace them with clerical insignia. 1. In the Church of England, archbishops and diocesan bishops impale their personal arms on the sinister with the arms of their see on the dexter; bishops may use a miter and pastoral staves crossed in saltire behind the shield. 2. Roman Catholic usage is more complicated and standardized, based on surrounding the shield with a clerical hat from which depend a number of tassels (see Puttock, p. 55). IV. POINTS OF THE SHIELD A. Field: the ground or surface of the shield. B. Dexter: the side of the shield to the bearer's right and viewer's left. C. Sinister: the side of the shield to the bearer's left and viewer's right. D. Chief: the top of the shield. E. Base (Fr. Pointe, Ger. Schildfuss): the bottom of the shield; charges placed there are blazoned in base. F. Fess Point: the visual center of the shield, usually on the true horizontal center but slightly above the vertical center. G. Honor Point: a point halfway between the fess point and the top of the shield, or the center of the base of the chief. H. Navel or Nombril Point: a point halfway between the fess point and the bottom of the shield. - 7 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 I. Precedence: "The nobler part of the arms should always be borne toward the bearer's right side or a horse's head."2 V. SEQUENCE OF THE BLAZON A. The field. B. Primary charges (e.g. ordinaries, animals). C. Secondary charges. D. Objects placed upon a primary charge. E. Noncentral surface charges (e.g. chief, canton). F. Objects placed upon noncentral charges. VI. THE TINCTURES OR COLORS A. Metals: the light colors, said to represent the precious metals. 1. Argent (Ger. Silbern): the color white, which usually represents silver metal but may also represent white fur; use Chinese white. Medieval symbol of purity, justice, childhood, and hope. 2. Or: the color yellow, which represents gold metal or cloth-of-gold. B. Tinctures: can refer to either the darker colors alone (the solid tinctures) or to all the heraldic colors. 1. Azure (Fr. Azur, Ger. Blau): the color blue; use ultramarine or cobalt blue. 2. Bleu de Ceil: a sky-blue color sometimes used as a tincture, especially in landscape arms. 3. Gules: the color red; use a plain vermillion. 4. Ocher: a medium brown color used only as a tincture in Novite, not standard, heraldry. 5. Purpure: the color purple; use purple lake. 6. Sable: the color black; use lampblack. Sable is a tincture in standard heraldry, but is sometimes considered a fur in Novite heraldry. 7. Sanguine: a blood-red or purplish red color, an old tincture seldom used in modern heraldry. 8. Tenn‚: the color orange, an old tincture seldom used in modern heraldry, frequently associated with abatements. 9. Vert: the color green; use a mixture of emerald green and Hooker's green. C. Furs: color patterns originally derived from real furs (63-64).3 1. Ermine: the winter coat of the weasel or ermine, represented by a white field sprinkled with black ermine spots. 2. Ermines: variant of ermine, black with white spots. 3. Erminois: variant of ermine, gold with black spots. 4. Pean: variant of ermine, black with gold spots. ____________________ 2. Bartolo di Sassoferato (a famous Italian lawyer and herald), De Insigniis et Armis, 1354, cited by Dennys. 3. Page numbers from Col. Puttock's book. - 8 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 5. Vair: an abstract pattern, inspired by the fur of the vair squirrel, composed of alternating white and blue vair bells, with the white bells opening upwards. 6. Counter Vair: as vair, except bells of like color meet. 7. Vairy: as vair, in any other tinctures. 8. Potent: variant of vair, composed of alternating white and blue potents (T-shaped pieces), with the white pieces being the inverted T's. 9. Counter Potent: a variant of potent in which all the white inverted T's are in a vertical line. D. Proper Colors: any charge (particularly an animal or plant) blazoned proper should be depicted in its natural colors. E. Rule of Adjacency: two tinctures of the same class (metal, solid tincture, or fur) should not be adjacent to one another. F. Hatching: the old-fashioned way to render tinctures in black and white, used in many older books on heraldry. 1. Argent: plain. 2. Azure: closely spaced horizontal lines. 3. Bleu de Ceil: no standard hatching; suggested hatching is small "x" spots. 4. Gules: closely spaced vertical lines. 5. Ocher: no standard hatching; use closely spaced diagonal lines bendwise sinister and vertical lines. 6. Or: small spots. 7. Purpure: closely spaced diagonal lines bendwise sinister. 8. Sable: closely spaced horizontal and vertical lines. 9. Sanguine: closely spaced diagonal lines bendwise and bendwise sinister. 10. Tenn‚: closely spaced diagonal lines bendwise and vertical lines. 11. Vert: closely spaced diagonal lines bendwise. G. Diapering: an old-fashioned method of enhancing plain tinctures by artistic enrichment of the surface, basically done on the volition of the artist and not usually part of the blazon. VII. ORDINARIES Ordinaries are the principal heraldic charges. They are generally composed of straight lines and usually occupy one fifth to one third of the area of the shield, depending on whether or not they are themselves charged. A. Chief: the top third of the shield (90). 1. Fillet: an old diminutive of the chief, one quarter its width, placed across the honor point. B. Fess: a horizontal stripe through the fess point (90). 1. Bar (Fr. Divis‚, Ger. Querfaden): a diminutive half the width of a fess; always two or more (90). 2. Barrulet, Closet: a smaller bar, usually coupled as bars gemelles (91). - 9 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 3. Bars Gemelles: a bar voided or closets in couples (28); the number of pairs is almost never greater than two. 4. Fess Cottised: a fess with a barrulet on either side (91); may also be double cottised. - 10 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 C. Pale: a vertical stripe through the fess point (91). 1. Pallet: a diminutive half the width of a pale; always two or more (91). 2. Pale Endorsed: the equivalent of a fess cottised (91). D. Bend (Fr. Bande, Ger. Schr„gbalken) and Bend Sinister (Fr. Barre): a diagonal stripe; the bend runs from dexter chief to sinister base (92) and the bend sinister runs from sinister chief to dexter base. 1. Bendlet (Fr. Cotice, Ger. Schr„gleiste): a diminutive half the width of a bend; always two or more (92). 2. Bend Cottised: as for a fess. 3. Baton: a bendlet or cottise couped. The baton sinister, especially when tenn‚, is a mark of illegitimacy now reserved for the illegitimate children of royalty. E. Chevron: an the angled stripe said to be inspired by the shape of a roof's rafters (92); a shield may have one or two chevrons. 1. Chevronel: a diminutive half the width of a chevron, used when a shield has three or more chevrons. 2. Chevronels Interlaced: three chevronels side by side horizontally and interwoven (92). 3. Chevron Cottised: as for a fess. F. Pall (Pallium):4 a Y-shaped stripe composed of the top half of a saltire and the bottom half of a pale. It originated from the stole worn by clergy around their necks and is frequently associated with ecclesiastical heraldry. 1. Shakefork: a couped pall trimmed parallel to the edges of the shield and therefore pointed. G. Pile: a wedge shape usually issuing from the chief; a shield may have more than one. H. Saltire: the X-shaped union of a bend and a bend sinister. I. Cross: the union of a fess and a pale, which reaches the sides of the shield (46); there are over 500 variants. A partial listing is given in the section IX. VIII. SUBORDINARIES The subordinaries are simple charges of lesser importance than ordinaries but nevertheless very frequent. A. Annulet (Fr. Cyclamor, Ger. Grosser Reif): a plain flat ring. In English cadency it is the mark of the fifth son. The current mark of adoption is two linked annulets. B. Billet (Fr. Billette, Ger. Schindeln): an oblong rectangular charge, usually two squares in proportion, ____________________ 4. Where more than one heraldic term with the same meaning exists, the author's preference is listed first and the synonyms are given in parentheses. Dennys does not consider the pall to be an ordinary. - 11 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 which sometimes represents a letter. It is more often seen in a sem‚e called billety (108).5 C. Bordure (Ger. Schildrand): a border of a different tincture around the edges of the shield or of the area below a chief (106). Charged bordures have eight charges by default. Bordures are common marks of cadency in Scottish heraldry, and the bordure wavy is the modern English method of differencing the arms of illegitimate children. D. Canton: a miniature quarter always placed in dexter chief and usually charged (107).6 E. Double Tressure: a double border which resembles two orles, one within the other, and is effectively an orle voided; frequently fleury or fleury-counter-flory (107). F. Escutcheon: a shield within the field; one or more (106). 1. Inescutcheon: a small escutcheon used as a charge. G. Flaunch (Flanch, Flanche): an arc drawn from the dexter or sinister chief corner, ending about two thirds of the way down the shield on the same side; always borne in pairs. H. Fret: composed of one bendlet and one bendlet sinister interlaced with a mascle (108). I. Fretty: a design composed of bendlets and bendlets sinister interlaced. J. Fusil: a longer, narrower lozenge. K. Gyron: a gusset or triangular cloth, one section of a gyronny. Single gyrons are very rare, but when so borne are placed in dexter chief, adjacent to the dexter edge, with the hypotenuse of the triangle on the upper edge (108). L. Label: a strip resembling a barrulet, placed across the fess point, from which a number of rectangular points (usually three or five) depend. It was occasionally used as a charge in early heraldry but is now exclusively used in British heraldry as the mark of difference for the first house, in any appropriate tincture except argent, which is reserved for the heir apparent, and, suitably charged, for other British royals. M. Lozenge: a diamond composed of two equilateral triangles back to back. N. Mascle: a lozenge voided. O. Orle: a bordure around the field which leaves space for the field to show between its outer edge and the edge of the shield, effectively an escutcheon voided; also refers to a number of charges placed in orle (107). ____________________ 5. Heraldic terms derived from Norman French may end in the masculine -‚, the feminine -‚e, or the Anglicized -y. In each case they are listed according to the author's preference. Most animals will be masculine, most other objects feminine. 6. Dennys considers the canton, flaunch, and orle to be ordinaries, not subordinaries. - 12 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 P. Roundel (Roundle): a circular charge distinguished by having different names for each tincture. Even when parted, counterchanged, or tinctured of a fur they retain the tincture name. 1. Bezant (Talent, Fr. Besant, Ger. Mnze): a roundel Or, representing the old coin of Byzantium and therefore emblazoned as a flat object; a symbol from the Crusades. 2. Fountain: usually a roundel barry wavy of six argent and azure, representing water; however, the term is also used for a natural fountain, in which case the complete description must be included in the blazon. 3. Golpe: a roundel purpure, rare in modern heraldry. 4. Heurt: a roundel azure. 5. Ogress, Pellet, Gunstone: a roundel sable. 5. Orange: a roundel tenn‚ or the orange fruit. 6. Plate: a roundel argent. 7. Pomme: a roundel vert or an apple. 8. Torteau: a roundel gules (plural torteaux). Q. Compony (Compon‚, Gobony): a single line of squares of two tinctures (41). 1. Compony Counter Compony: an offset double line of squares of two tinctures. IX. VARIANTS OF THE CROSS These charges are variations of the cross ordinary, most of which do not reach the sides of the shield. Many of these modifications either do not appear or may be applied to other ordinaries in Novite heraldry. A. Calvary Cross: a passion cross elevated on three steps representing the three graces (Faith, Hope and Charity); does not appear in Novite heraldry. B. Cross Anchory (Ancr‚): each arm ends in an anchor fluke. C. Cross Botonny (Botonn‚, Trefl‚): each arm ends in three round knobs (46). D. Cross Crosslet: each arm has a crossbar, making the shape four passion crosses joined at the base (47); sometimes used as a mark of adoption, but the current mark of adoption is two linked annulets. E. Cross Flory (Fleury, Fleuretty): each arm ends in the upper half of a fleur-de-lis. F. Cross Forch‚e: each arm ends in two straight forks; similar to a cross moline. G. Cross Form‚e (Form‚, Formy): as a cross patt‚e except the splays are straight lines. H. Cross Moline (Moline Cross, Fer-de-Moline, Millrind): each arm is splayed out into two curved points in a shape derived from the millrind, the iron fixed to the center of a millstone. In English cadency it is the mark of the eighth son. I. Cross of Dannebrog: the famous insignia of a Danish order of chivalry, namely, a cross patt‚e argent, fimbriated gules. - 13 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 J. Cross of Saint Andrew: the emblem of the patron saint of Scotland, who was said to have been crucified on a saltire, namely, azure, a saltire argent. K. Cross of Saint George: the emblem of the patron saint of England worn by the English Crusaders, namely, argent, a cross gules. L. Cross of Saint Patrick: the emblem of the patron saint of Ireland, namely, argent, a saltire gules. M. Cross Patonce: each arm ends in three leaflike structures (47). N. Cross Patriarchal: a cross with a second, shorter horizontal bar above the main horizontal arms; does not appear in Novite heraldry. O. Cross Patt‚e (Patt‚, Patty): each arm is splayed outwards with curved lines (e.g. the German Iron Cross). P. Cross Potent: each arm ends in a potent (T-shape). Q. Cross Quadrate: the cross has a square in its center. R. Cross Recercely: each arm ends in two highly curved points which nearly circle back to the arm, farther than those of the cross moline; probably derived from a ram's or goat's horns. S. Maltese Cross: a cross composed of four pairs of points resembling arrowheads which meet in the center (79), made famous by the Knights of Malta. T. Passion Cross: a cross couped on all four arms, with the lower arm longer than the other three, representing the True Cross; it is rare by itself, but is much more frequent as a Calvary Cross; very rare in Novite heraldry. U. Pointed Cross: each arm ends in a right-angled point. V. Tau Cross: a T-shaped cross in which the arms splay outwards slightly; it is a prehistoric symbol rare in modern heraldry. X. ANIMAL CHARGES According to Bartolo di Sassoferato (1354), all predators should be erect and rampant, and all animals should be depicted in their most noble and vigorous act. Most other positions are modern inventions. A. Aland: a breed of dog which resembles a short-eared mastiff. B. AmphiptŠre: the fantastic winged serpent; a couatl. C. Angel: the supernatural being, more frequently used as a supporter than as a charge; blazon full details. D. Ant: the insect. E. Antelope, Heraldic: a fantastic animal or monster which has a head and body like a heraldic tyger (q.v.) but with serrated horns and a deer's legs (86). Dennys: "The angry Antelope of heraldry, fierce and fell, was ... one of the most ferocious of beasts, wild and untameable. With his serrated horns he could saw down large trees, but his horns often proved his undoing, because they were apt to become entangled in bushes when he went down to the river to drink, and so he was caught by the hunters..." - 14 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 F. Antelope, Natural: the natural as opposed to the fantastic animal. G. Arm: by default a human arm, frequently found in crests. Blazon must specify: 1. Which arm: dexter (right) or sinister (left). 2. Position: erect (straight), embowed (bent at the elbow to dexter), or counter-embowed (bent to sinister). 3. Attire: vested (clothed), vambraced (armored), or naked. 4. Method of separation: couped (cut) or erased (torn). 5. Location of separation. 6. A cubit arm specifically refers to an arm erect, couped at the elbow. H. Attires: a stag's antlers. I. Ayet: a bird, the sea swallow or Cornish chough. J. Badger: the animal. K. Bagwyn: a fantastic animal or monster similar to the heraldic antelope (q.v.), with the tail of a horse and long horns curved over the ears. L. Barbel: the catfish. M. Basilisk: a fantastic animal or monster, either resembling a wyvern (q.v.) but with a dragon's head on the end of its tail, or the Rolemaster basilisk. N. Bear: the animal, usually associated with a ragged staff (30); the bear's head and gamb are also used. O. Beaver: the animal; rare. P. Bee: the insect, a symbol of industry, usually shown in a position similar to displayed but with its back to the viewer. Q. Beetle, Stag: the insect. R. Boar (Sanglier): the wild boar, a symbol of ferocity, common in Scottish heraldry; the boar's head erased is also common. S. Body Heart: a figure which represents the human heart, usually emblazoned like the Valentine heart. T. Bone: by default, a human bone; the blazon must state the type. Bones are sometimes carried in an animal's mouth. U. Bull: the animal; a bull's head and face are also used. It should not be confused with an ox (q.v.). V. Butt: a fish which resembles the flounder. W. Butterfly: the insect, usually volant with wings expanded. X. Calf: the animal, distinguished from the bull by the lack of horns. Y. Calopus: a fantastic animal or monster which resembles a wolf with horns. Z. Camel: the animal; rare. AA. Camelopard: the heraldic name for the natural giraffe, which was originally believed to be a cross between a camel and a leopard. AB. Camelopardel: a fantastic animal like the camelopard or giraffe with two long, curved horns. AC. Cat: refers to the wild cat. - 15 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 AD. Cat, Cornish: a wild cat with a very short tail, naturally a sandy tabby color. AE. Centaur: the fantastic creature with the upper torso of a man and the body of a horse, occurs more frequently as a sagittary (q.v.) when armed with a bow and arrow. AF. Chaffinch (Pinson): the bird. AG. Chevalier: a knight in armor. AH. Chough, Cornish: a bird of the crow family; it is usually borne proper, with a black body and red or orange beak and legs. AI. Cock: the common rooster. AJ. Cockatrice: a fantastic animal or monster resembling a wyvern (q.v.), with a cock's head, comb, and wattles, and a barbed tongue, normally shown with wings elevated (84) or displayed. AK. Coney: the heraldic name for a rabbit or hare; an uncommon charge, but when it appears it is often shown playing bagpipes. AL. Corby (Corbie, Rook): a bird of the crow family. AM. Crane: the bird. AN. Cricket: the insect. AO. Dolphin: the fish, not the mammal; almost always naiant and shown embowed even though it is naturally straight. AP. Dove (Colomb): the bird. AQ. Dragon: the fantastic creature or monster, usually emblazoned with a horny head, forked tongue, scaly back, riblike armor on chest and belly, batlike wings, four legs ending in talons, and a pointed and barbed tail. It may be segreant, passant, statant, or very rarely displayed (84). The dragon is the badge of Wales. AR. Dragon, Chinese: a fantastic creature or monster, the long, wingless Oriental dragon. AS. Eagle: the principal bird charge, a very old symbol used by, for example, the Romans, Germans, Americans, Russian Czars, and Napoleon. It may be crowned, gorged with a collar or coronet, or charged; it may grasp any object in its talons and even some objects in its beak. Frequent positions include displayed (52); displayed, wings inverted; rising (52); volant; close; and preying. 1. Allerion: a fantastic eagle emblazoned without beak or legs, usually displayed, wings inverted. 2. Eaglet: a diminutive of the eagle; the term eaglet is used for two or more eagles not separated by an ordinary or a line of division. AT. Eel: the fish. AU. Elephant: the animal, sometimes used as a charge alone, but more often with a castle on its back (54); the elephant's head is also used. AV. Elk: the animal; rare. AW. Enfield: a fantastic animal or monster which has a fox's head and ears; a wolf's body, hind legs, and tail; and an eagle's shanks and talons for forelegs (86). AX. Escallop (Scallop): the scallop shell, a symbol from the Crusades (58). - 16 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 AY. Falcon: a bird of the hawk family, always shown belled and jessed for falconry. AZ. Fleece: a sheep's hide, always shown hanging from a broad belt around the stomach attached to a ring above (62). The fleece as a charge was probably inspired by the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. BA. Fox: the animal. BB. Gadfly: the heraldic name for the horsefly. BC. Gamb: the leg of a beast, usually erased. BD. Gamecock: a cock or rooster which has its comb cut and its spurs strengthened for fighting. BE. Genet: an animal similar to a fox, but smaller, with a gray coat, spotted with black. It was one of the badges of the Plantagenets. BF. Goat: the animal, but usually emblazoned with horns more curved than normal and ears like those of a talbot (q.v.). BG. Grasshopper: the insect. BH. Greyhound: the racing dog. BI. Griffin, Gryphon: a fantastic animal or monster which has the head, breast, forefeet, and wings of an eagle; feathered ears; and the lower body of a lion. It is usually segreant (85). BJ. Griffin (Gryphon), Male: the griffin when blazoned male is actually a different species with no wings which sometimes has horns and a spiked tail. BK. Hand: by default, a human hand, apaum‚ and proper; the blazon must state whether it is a dexter or sinister hand and any other details. BL. Harpy: a fantastic creature not classed as a monster in British heraldry; it is a vulture with a woman's head and breasts (68). BM. Hart: a deer. BN. Harvest Fly: an insect which resembles the butterfly, but has only two wings. BO. Hawk: the bird, similar to a falcon, also frequently seen belled and jessed. BP. Heads: a large number of different heads, both human and animal, are used as charges. Heads are usually couped or erased at the neck, but if blazoned as a face, no part of the neck shows. The human and related heads, which must be described in full in the blazon, include: 1. Blackamore's Head: represents an African; a symbol from the Crusades. 2. Boy's Head. 3. Cherub's Head. 4. Englishman's Head. 5. Fiend's Head. 6. Maiden's Head: appears in the arms of Reading. 7. Moses' Head. 8. Saint John's Head. 9. Saracen's Head: usually depicted as an old man with a savage expression; a symbol from the Crusades. 10. Saxon's Head. - 17 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 BQ. Heathcock: a bird which has the head and body of a common cock or rooster but has the tail of a pheasant. BR. Heron: the bird. BS. Herring: the fish. BT. Hind: a type of deer. BU. Hippocampus: the fantastic sea-horse (q.v.). BV. Hippogriff: a fantastic animal or monster similar to the griffin, which his horse parts in place of the griffin's lion parts. BW. Hornet: the insect. BX. Horns: the natural weapons of many animals and monsters. An exception is the stag's antlers, which are called attires. BY. Horse: the animal; the horse's head is also used. BZ. Human Beings: their attitude, costume, action, type (sailor, Crusader, wild man) must be fully described; parts of the human body are much more common as charges. CA. Hydra: a fantastic creature or monster, either a seven- headed dragon or serpent. CB. Ibex: not the natural animal, the heraldic ibex resembles the heraldic antelope but has straight, serrated horns. CC. Kite: the bird of prey. CD. Lamb: the young sheep; it is rarely used alone as a charge, more often as a Paschal Lamb (q.v.). CE. Leg: the blazon must state whether it is a dexter or sinister leg; it is usually in armor and the knee is usually embowed. CF. Leopard: either the natural animal, an uncommon charge, or a lion passant gardant. The leopard's face is more common; no part of the neck shows, and it is frequently jessant-de- lis. CG. Lion: the principal animal charge in English heraldry (76- 77), an ancient symbol of courage, strength and nobility. In medieval heraldry lions were always rampant (or combatant for two lions) or, less frequently, passant, including gardant and regardant. These are still the most common positions; others include statant, saliant, sejant, couchant, and dormant. Modifications include: 1. Coward: the lion has his tail between his legs. 2. Demi-Lion: the upper half of a lion couped. 3. Double-Headed: the lion has two heads on one body. 4. Leopard: the early heraldic term for a lion passant gardant, as in the royal arms of England. 5. Lion's Gamb: couped or erased. 6. Lion's Head: couped or erased, may be gardant. 7. Lioncel: a term used when there is more than three lions rampant. 8. Queue Forch‚: the lion has two tails. 9. Sea-Lion: the lion has webbed front feet and its hindquarters are replaced by a fish tail. 10. Tri-Corporate: the lion has three bodies joined to one head. 11. Winged: the lion has a pair of wings, usually eagle's wings. - 18 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 CH. Liverbird: the cormorant bird. CI. Lizard, Heraldic: a fantastic animal used in early heraldry, which resembled a wildcat with brown fur and darker spots. CJ. Lizard, Scaly: the natural animal, usually vert. CK. Lynx: the animal, often used by ophthalmic institutions. CL. Madonna: a clerical charge; does not appear as such in Novite heraldry. CM. Malusine: a mermaid (q.v.) with two heads. CN. Man-Lion: a fantastic creature or monster with the head of an old man and the body of a lion, by default rampant gardant. CO. Martlet: a fantastic bird which resembles the swallow, frequently associated with Sussex (82). In English cadency it is the mark of the fourth son. According to medieval legend it never lands, and therefore has no feet. According to John de Bado Aureo (1394) and Nicholas Upton (1466), martlets indicate that the first bearer had acquired nobility through his own exertions, or by patronage; since the martlet has no feet, this shows he lacked foundations of his own to begin with. An eloquent example is found in the arms of Jasper and Edmund Tudor. CP. Mermaid, Merman, Siren: fantastic creatures or monsters which are human from the waist up but have a fish's tail. The mermaid is almost always shown holding a comb and mirror and is sometimes called a siren (87). CQ. Moldiwarp: the heraldic name for the common mole. CR. Moorcock: a wild fowl similar to a heathcock. CS. Mullet Fish: the mullet, blazoned mullet fish to avoid confusion with the star-shaped charge. CT. Musimon: a fantastic animal, a hybrid of ram and goat which has both sets of horns. CU. Opinicus: a fantastic animal or monster which has a griffin's head, neck, and wings, a lion's body, and a bear's tail (85). CV. Osprey: the bird of prey. CW. Ostrich: the largest natural bird; when used as a charge it almost always carries a metal object in its mouth, usually a horseshoe. Ostrich feathers are also used as a charge but are more frequently seen in crests. CX. Otter: the animal, sometimes shown carrying a fish in its mouth. CY. Owl: the bird of prey, always shown full-face. CZ. Ox: the common plow ox; its head and face are also used. Some authors, particularly Nicholas Upton (1446), claim that oxen or their parts in arms mean that the original grantee was a eunuch because plow oxen are gelded. DA. Panther, Heraldic: a fantastic animal like the natural panther but incensed, i.e. has flames issuing from its mouth and ears. DB. Panther, Natural: the natural animal, always borne gardant; the heraldic panther is a more frequent charge. DC. Paschal Lamb (Holy Lamb): the emblem of St. John the Baptist, namely, a couchant lamb, always emblazoned facing - 19 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 the dexter, which holds aloft a flag bearing the Cross of St. George, namely, argent, a cross gules. It does not appear in Novite heraldry. DD. Peacock (Pawne): the bird, often a favorite royal pet, usually depicted in his pride, i.e. affront‚ with his tail extended into a brilliant fan. DE. Pegasus: the fantastic winged horse, classed as a monster, a rare charge in British heraldry often associated with air transport (86). DF. Pelican: the bird. According to medieval legend, the pelican feeds her young with drops of blood drawn from her own breast; hence, the pelican is almost always borne in heraldry in her piety, shown standing in her nest with her wings addorsed, wounding her breast with her beak to feed her young. DG. Phoenix: the fantastic bird, an ancient symbol of the sun, renewal, or resurrection; it is usually emblazoned as an eagle arising or issuing from flames. DH. Pike (Luce): the fish. DI. Plume (Panache): an arrangement of feathers sometimes forming a crest; blazon all details. DJ. Popinjay: the heraldic name for the parrot; when proper, it should be vert, beaked and membered gules. DK. Presta John: a figure from legend consisting of a man, vested and hooded, sitting on a plain seat (usually called a tombstone), his dexter hand extended in benediction, in his sinister hand an open book, in his mouth a sword fesswise, point to dexter. DL. Proboscis: the elephant's trunk. DM. Queue: the tail of an animal or monster; if blazoned queue forch‚ it is forked or doubled. DN. Quill: the feather of a quill-pen. DO. Ram: the male sheep, bearing its distinctive curled horns; the ram's head is also used as a charge both alone and as part of a battering ram (q.v.), as is its fleece (q.v.). DP. Raven: a large bird of the crow family. DQ. Reindeer: the Arctic animal, distinguished from a stag by its double attires, one erect, the other pendant; rare. DR. Reremouse (Flittermouse, Bat): the bat, usually displayed. DS. Roach: a freshwater fish. DT. Sagittary (Sagittarius): a figure from Greco-Roman mythology, namely, a centaur (q.v.) holding an arrow on a bent bow; one of the badges of King Stephen. DU. Salamander: not the natural animal, but the fantastic animal or monster emblazoned as a flaming lizard (87). DV. Salmon: the fish. DW. Scorpion: the arachnid. DX. Sea-Dog: a fantastic talbot-like dog (q.v.) with a dorsal fin and webbed feet. DY. Sea-Horse (Hippocampus): a fantastic animal or monster which has the forepart of a horse and a fish's tail. DZ. Sea-Lion, Heraldic: a fantastic animal or monster which has the forepart of a lion and a fish's tail. EA. Sea-Lion, Natural: the natural sea-lion or seal. - 20 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 EB. Serpent (Snake): the animal, frequently associated with medicine. EC. Sheldrake (Shell-Drake): a waterfowl which closely resembles the duck. ED. Spider: the arachnid. EE. Squirrel: the animal. EF. Stag: the male deer, with its distinctive antlers or attires, frequent in Scottish heraldry. EG. Stork: the bird, sometimes a symbol of fertility. EH. Swallow: the bird. - 21 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 EI. Swan: the bird, usually shown with wings extended, but the blazon should give a full description. 1. Cygnet Royal: a swan gorged with a ducal coronet to which is affixed a chain reflexed over its back. EJ. Talbot: a breed of dog which resembles a golden labrador but has longer ears, classed as a hound; it is usually shown with its tail curved over its back. EK. Tiger, Bengal: the natural animal, not to be confused with the heraldic tyger (q.v.). EL. Trout: the fish. EM. Tyger, Heraldic: a fantastic animal or monster which resembles a lion with a wolf's head (87). EN. Tynes: the points of a stag's attires. EO. Unicorn: a fantastic animal or monster which resembles a horse in head and body but has a long horn on its forehead, cloven hooves, a lion's tail, tufted locks, and a beard (85). EP. Urchin: the hedgehog. EQ. Whelk: the shell of the marine snail. ER. Wild Man (Woodman, Savage): a frequent supporter in Scottish heraldry; he has long hair and a beard, wears a skin, is barefooted, and carries a club. ES. Wings: eagle's wings by default; if the tips are downward, they are said to be conjoined in lure; if upward, conjoined and elevated. ET. Wolf: the animal; the wolf's head is also used as a charge. EU. Wyvern: a fantastic animal or monster which resembles a dragon with two legs and a knowed tail in place of hind legs; when proper it has a green head, back, and legs, and a red chest, belly, and underwings (84). EV. Yale: a fantastic animal which resembles a stag with the horns of a bull; it is depicted with its mouth open and its tongue extended. XI. PLANT CHARGES A. Angenne: a six-leaved flower similar to a sexfoil. B. Blue Bottle: the common blue corn flower. C. Branch: part of a plant, usually a tree or bush. If not fructed, it has three slips or leaved twigs; if fructed, it has one or more fruits and four leaves. (See also scrog.) D. Chaplet: a garland or wreath of leaves with four flowers spaced equally around it; blazon full details. (See also civic crown and obsidional crown.) E. Clove: the spice. F. Columbine: the flower. G. Cornucopia: the horn of plenty, a horn-shaped basket filled to overflowing with fruit. H. Cross, Avellane: not actually a cross, it is a figure composed of four nuts (by default hazelnuts) crosswise. I. Crown, Civic: not actually a crown, it is a garland or wreath of oak leaves and acorns. (See also chaplet.) J. Crown, Obsidional: not actually a crown, it is a garland or wreath of twigs and grass. (See also chaplet.) - 22 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 K. Ear of Corn: wheat by default. L. Fleur-de-Lis: a floral design which possibly represents the lily, the iris, or the head of a weapon; an ancient Egyptian symbol of life and resurrection also used by the Romans and Byzantines. It was considered kind of yellow iris, blazoned "fleur de glaieul" before 1300, while the white lily (lis) was considered to be the special flower of the Virgin Mary. It is used to decorate many charges and is very common in English, Scottish, and French heraldry; it was featured in the arms of France used by the kings of both France and England (in pretense) and on the double tressure of the arms of Scotland. In English cadency it is the mark of the sixth son. M. Flowers: many different kinds are used as charges; blazon full details. N. Foils: a family of abstract floral figures. 1. Cinquefoil: a figure of five petals or leaves originally derived from a clover-type plant, now said to represent the narcissus. 2. Octafoil (Double Quatrefoil, Eightfoil): a figure of eight petals or leaves. In English cadency it is the mark of the ninth son. 3. Quatrefoil: a figure of four petals or leaves. 4. Sexfoil: a figure of six petals or leaves. 5. Trefoil (Shamrock): a figure of three petals or leaves derived from the clover leaf or shamrock, the only slipped foil; it is a symbol of Ireland. O. Fruit: many different kinds are used as charges; blazon full details. They are frequently slipped and their positions may be pendant, erect, or fesswise. P. Garb (Sheaf of Corn): a sheaf of corn, tied around the middle; it is wheat by default (65). Q. Gentian: the flower. R. Gilly Flower: the flower. S. Hurst: a small group of trees usually borne on a mount in base, frequently as a background for another charge. T. Leaves: many different kinds are used as charges; blazon full details. U. Lily Pot: an early vase with handles, normally emblazoned with five lilies, three upright in bend, pale, and bend sinister, and one drooping on either side; also blazoned a pot of lilies. V. Lily: the flower, usually emblazoned to look more like a lotus (75). W. Line of Roses: usually a continuous line of roses joined together and often attached to a collar; rare as a charge, more common as part of a crest (e.g. Col. Puttock's own arms). X. Lotus: the flower. Y. Mount: a piece of ground, slightly raised and covered with grass; usually borne in base or as the compartment below the shield, and usually has another charge (e.g. cock, tree) or supporters standing on it. Z. Oak: the tree, a common charge. - 23 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 AA. Orange: a roundel tenn‚; the fruit, also seen in a fructed orange tree. AB. Orange Tree: the tree which bears orange fruit. AC. Planta Genista: the broome plant, plural plantae genistae, used as a badge by the Plantagenets; when proper it has yellow flowers and green stem and leaves. AD. Pomegranate (Apple of Grenada): the fruit, a symbol of fruitfulness, used as a badge by Queen Mary I (97). AE. Rose: the flower, a frequent charge in English heraldry, emblazoned as a stylized wild dog rose with five petals and five leaflike barbs between them. It is never drawn with a stalk unless so blazoned. Because there are many colors of roses, the term proper applies only to the barbs and seeds (green and gold, respectively), or to nonstandard petal colors (e.g. pink). In English cadency it is the mark of the seventh son. AF. Rose, Tudor: a double rose used by the House of Tudor to represent the union of the Houses of Lancaster and York; usually one rose (white) superimposed on the other (red), or occasionally per pale argent and gules. It appears occasionally in Novite heraldry but has a different meaning. AG. Scrog: part of a tree limb, larger than the portion called a branch (q.v.). AH. Slip: a twig, usually containing two or three leaves. AI. Staff, Ragged: a log or pole usually seen in conjunction with a bear; the shaft is couped at the bear's neck and has a number of branches also couped. AJ. Stock: a tree stump; also, the shaft of an anchor. AK. Sunflower: the flower. AL. Teazel: the flower of a species of thistle used to dress cloth. AM. Thistle: the flower, usually slipped and leaved, frequent in Scottish heraldry (111). AN. Trees: many different kinds are used as charges; blazon full details. They are frequently flowered or fructed of another tincture and they may be couped, rising or issuing from a mount in base, or eradicated. XII. INANIMATE CHARGES A. Adze: the woodsman's tool. B. Aeroplane: a modern charge which does not appear in Novite heraldry, usually volant. C. Altar: a tall circular pedestal, usually inflamed. D. Anchor: the ship's anchor, a naval symbol and a symbol of hope; it may be ringed or fluked in a different tincture. E. Angles: a pair of bent, ringed, crossed rods (18). F. Anvil: the smith's tool. G. Arbalest: a siege weapon resembling a giant crossbow. H. Arch: blazon full details. I. Arrow: normally shown in pale, point downwards; may be barbed or flighted in a different tincture. J. Arrow, Broad: a charge similar to a pheon except its inner edges are not engrailed. - 24 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 K. Arrows, Sheaf of: by default refers to three arrows tied in the middle, with two in saltire and one in pale, points downward (105). L. Axe: the tool and weapon. The term axe refers to the common hatchet; other types include: 1. Battle Axe: has a curved blade and spikes on the back of the blade and the top of the straight helve (29). 2. Danish Axe: a battle axe with a curved helve. 3. Pickaxe: the miner's tool. M. Bag of Madder: a sack of madder dye, shown corded with three bands each fesswise and palewise, usually of a different tincture. N. Bagpipes: the Scottish musical instrument, rarely used as a charge, but it does occur it is usually played by a coney (rabbit or hare). O. Balance: a set of scales, frequently a symbol of justice. P. Bale: a package like the bag of madder, but plainer. Q. Barnacle: a farrier's tool used to curb unruly horses. R. Basket: usually a woven fruit basket; blazon full details. S. Battering Ram: the siege weapon, usually shown as a cylindrical shaft oriented fesswise with a ram's head to dexter and rings above. T. Beacon (Bale Fire): an iron cage on a long pole with a stepladder attached, always emblazoned with the fire burning (29). U. Beehive: usually shown in the traditional inverted shield shape; may be blazoned beset with bees diversely volant. V. Bell: by default a church bell, also a hawk's bell. W. Bellows: the smith's tool; rare. X. Beson (Bird Bolt): a blunt arrow with a variable number of heads used to hunt birds. Y. Bill: a pruning tool used to lop trees; the head alone is a more frequent charge. Z. Bill Hook: a pruning tool like a bill but with a short handle, usually shown complete. AA. Bit: the mouthpiece of a horse's tack. AB. Bomb (Fire Ball, Grenade): a round ball with flames issuing from the top. AC. Books: the blazon must describe all details, e.g. position (open or closed), binding, clasps, inscriptions. AD. Bourdon (Burdon, Palmer's Staff): a straight, tapering staff with a knobbed top. AE. Bow: the weapon, by default a longbow, usually shown bent and strung, frequently stringed of a different tincture. AF. Brick: a rectangular charge which resembles a billet but shows its thickness in perspective. AG. Bridge: the blazon must specify the number of arches and all other details, e.g. masoning. AH. Broche: an embroiderer's instrument. AI. Bucket: by default a well bucket; different tinctures for feet, hoops, and handle are frequent. AJ. Buckle (Fermail): the belt clasp, an ancient mark of honor and authority; the blazon must state the shape (e.g. - 25 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 lozenge, oval, round, square) (39) and orientation. An arming-buckle is specifically lozenge-shaped. AK. Burling Iron: a weaver's tool. AL. Cable: a chain or rope, especially one attached to an anchor. AM. Caduceus: the staff of Hermes or Mercury from Greco-Roman mythology, a ball-headed, winged rod entwined by two serpents. AN. Caltrop (Caltrap): a tetrahedral trap-weapon designed to land so that one point is always upwards, used especially against horses (37). AO. Cannon: by default an ancient muzzle-loader. AP. Caparison: an embroidered horse covering. AQ. Castle: two towers with a gate between them (37); it is frequently masoned and may have domes, ports, or flags of other tinctures (see also gate and tower). A castle blazoned as triangular or square is seen in perspective. AR. Chains: are usually attached to beasts or gates; they have round or oval links unless square are specified. AS. Chalice: a cup, without a cover, connected to a round or octagonal pedestal by a long, slender neck (38). AT. Chamber Piece: a small piece of ordnance without a carriage. AU. Chapeau (Cap of Estate, Cap of Maintenance): a special cap worn under coronets or crowns, usually made of crimson velvet, turned up ermine, with two long points to the sinister (37). AV. Charger: a dish. AW. Chessrook: a chess piece shown with two winglike projections (39). AX. Clarion: a wind instrument resembling panpipes (40). AY. Claymore: a large Scottish sword. AZ. Clouds: may be represented by a nebuly line or in the usual manner. BA. Constellations: heavenly bodies, especially the Southern Cross, which is frequent in Australian and New Zealander heraldry. BB. Contoise: a scarf bound round the helm. BC. Coronets: actual or heraldic circlets worn on the head, usually distinguished from crowns by the lack of jewels. 1. Peers' Coronets: these are standardized heraldic representations of the actual coronets worn by British nobles on state occasions. They are usually worn over a chapeau. There are no actual jewels in peers' or lesser princes' coronets. a. Duke: a gilt circlet, chased as if jeweled but without actual gems, topped by eight large gold strawberry leaves, of which three whole leaves and two halves are visible to the viewer. b. Marquess: the circlet as above is topped by four strawberry leaves, with one whole leaf and two halves visible, which alternate with four silver balls called pearls, with two visible. - 26 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 c. Earl: the circlet as above has eight long rays topped with small pearls, with five visible, which alternate with eight small strawberry leaves, with four visible. d. Viscount: the circlet as above is topped by sixteen adjacent pearls, with nine visible. e. Baron: a plain gilt circlet, topped by six large pearls, of which four are visible to the viewer. f. Prince of Wales: a jeweled gilt circlet decorated with alternating crosses patt‚e and fleurs-de-lis in the same manner as the royal crown but with only one arch, from side to side. g. Other Princes: a gilt circlet, chased, with various numbers and patterns of crosses patt‚e, fleurs-de-lis, and strawberry leaves. 2. Ducal or Crest Coronet: a purely heraldic coronet composed of a circlet, chased as if jeweled but without actual gems, topped by four strawberry leaves, of which one whole leaf and two halves are visible to the viewer, which alternate with four triangular points, two visible, which each contain nine small circles. 3. Finials: The decorated points of a coronet or crown which project above the circlet. BD. Coulter: a plowshare. BE. Crescent: a half-moon shape with its horns turned upward. It is the ensign of Islam and was brought back to Europe by the Crusaders. In English cadency it is the mark of the second son. 1. Decrescent: a crescent with the horns turned to sinister. 2. Increscent: a crescent with the horns turned to dexter (72). BF. Cressit: a fire basket. BG. Crossbow: the weapon. BH. Crowns: actual or heraldic circlets worn on the head, typically jeweled emblems of sovereignty. 1. English Royal Crowns (48) a. Early English kings used a simple circlet topped by four uprights. b. King Stephen used a circlet topped by four fleurs-de-lis connected by arches. c. The other Plantagenets used a jewelled circlet topped by strawberry leaves. d. King Henry V used a jewelled circlet topped by four crosses patt‚e alternating with eight fleurs-de-lis in pairs, with two arches rising from behind the crosses, supporting on top a mound and cross. e. The Imperial Crown is topped by four crosses patt‚e alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, with two arches and a mound rising from behind the crosses, has a platinum base and is set with over 3,000 gems, mostly diamonds and pearls. Its most - 27 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 famous stone is the Black Prince's Ruby (actually a spinel), set in the front cross. 2. Heraldic Crowns a. Astral Crown: an engraved circlet topped with four estoiles, one whole and two halves visible, alternating with four pairs of wings, two visible. b. Celestial Crown: as an eastern crown with a star, by default a mullet, on the end of each point. c. Crown Vallary: a chased or jeweled circlet topped with eight inverted vair bells, three whole and two halves visible. d. Eastern or Antique Crown: a chased or jeweled circlet topped with eight "V"- or pile-shaped sharp points, of which three whole points and two halves are visible to the viewer. e. Mural Crown: a circlet masoned and embattled, common in civic heraldry and sometimes used as a military augmentation. f. Naval Crown: a chased or jeweled circlet topped with four sails on masts, one whole and two halves visible, alternating with four sterns of ships, two visible, commonly used as a naval augmentation and in ships' badges. g. Palisade Crown or Palisado Crown: a chased or jeweled circlet topped with eight rounded spikes like the top half of a spear, three whole and two halves visible. h. Saxon Crown: an old heraldic crown. 3. Finials: The decorated points of a coronet or crown which project above the circlet. BI. Crozier (Crosier, Pastoral Staff): the bishop's staff, inspired by the shepherd's crooked staff, frequently borne paired in saltire behind a bishop's shield. BJ. Cuff: the end of a sleeve. BK. Cup, Covered: a chalice with a dome-shaped cover. BL. Cushion (Pillow): a square or lozenge-shaped pillow with a tassel at each corner. BM. Cypher: a monogram; blazon all details. BN. Dagger: the weapon, distinguished from a sword in heraldic art by a much more pointed blade. BO. Degrees (Steps, Grieces): steps, usually three ascending steps representing the Three Graces, Faith, Hope, and Charity; very rare in Novite heraldry. BP. Diminutive: a lesser form of an ordinary, never charged. BQ. Doubling: the lining of a robe or mantle, which should be made from the fur or metal of the arms; if argent, it is made from white fur and blazoned white; if Or, it is cloth- of-gold and blazoned gold. BR. Embrasure: the lowered portion between two merlons in an embattled wall. BS. Ermine Spot: the abstract design, sometimes borne singly as a charge (58). - 28 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 BT. Escarbuncle: a legendary gem so bright that it shines in the dark, represented in heraldry by a gemstone surrounded by rays, usually eight, each terminating in the head of a fleur-de-lis (59). BU. Escroll (Scroll): a strip of parchment, especially that used for the motto. BV. Estoile: a star-shaped figure with wavy points, six by default, which represents an actual star. If there are more points, e.g. eight or sixteen, the points should be alternating wavy and straight, with the cardinal points straight (59). BW. Eyrie: the nest of a bird of prey. BX. Falchion: a scimitar with a straight blade on one side, broadened out on the other. BY. Fan: blazon all details. BZ. Fasces: an axe within a bundle of rods; the official symbol of the Roman lictor, now sometimes used for judges. CA. Fetterlock (Shackle, Shackbolt): an old-fashioned shackle and padlock (60). CB. Fish Hook: the fisherman's tool; rare. CC. Flambeau: a torch, usually inflamed. CD. Fleam: an old instrument which resembles an open razor; it appears in the arms of the company of Barbers and Surgeons. CE. Flesh Hook: a fork for removing meat from a cauldron. CF. Flesh Pot: a cauldron, usually shown with handles and three legs. CG. Flukes: the points of an anchor. CH. Garter: a strip of ribbon secured with a buckle, arranged to form a circle with the end pendent; in British heraldry it refers to the Order of the Garter, the senior English order of chivalry. CI. Gate: a towered and embattled portway drawn like a castle (q.v.) but with the gate itself proportionately much larger (65). CJ. Gate, Fence: the simple gate from a farm fence (65). CK. Gauntlet: a mail or plate glove. CL. Gem Ring: a gold circlet with a single jewel. CM. Glove: by default a falconer's glove, shown with tassels pendant. CN. Gore: a charge [not illustrated] which may be dexter or sinister; a gore sinister tenn‚ was the abatement for cowardice. CO. Grappling Iron: the naval weapon or climbing tool, shown as an anchor with four flukes. CP. Hackle (Hemp-Brake): a tool used for bruising hemp prior to collecting the fibers. CQ. Halo (Glory): the aura frequently pictured around a supernatural being or saint. CR. Hammer: the tool and weapon. The blazon must specify whether is a plasterer's, claw, square, or war hammer. CS. Harp: the musical instrument, a symbol of Ireland; usually the lap harp, not the floor harp. It may be plain or decorated with the head and wings of an angel, and is usually stringed a different tincture. - 29 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 CT. Harrow: the agricultural tool; it may be square or triangular. CU. Hawk's Bell: a small circular bell attached to a hawk's leg by a leather jess or thong. CV. Hawk's Lure: a falconry decoy consisting of two wings joined to a line which ends in a ring (68). CW. Helve: the shaft of an axe or similar instrument. CX. Horseshoe (Ferr): the common horseshoe, frequently carried by an ostrich. CY. Hunting Horn (Bugle Horn): a curved horn with the mouthpiece to sinister, usually suspended by ribbons tied in a knot above, frequently stringed or garnished with bands of a different tincture. CZ. Infulae: the ribbons hanging from a miter. DA. Javelin: a short spear or dart with a barbed head. DB. Jesses: the thongs fastened to a hawk's legs, usually flotant or vervelled. DC. Key: usually the skeleton key, a common charge in religious heraldry. DD. Knife: blazon all details. DE. Knot: frequent charges in early heraldry, but not in modern heraldry. 1. Bourchier's Knot: the common reef knot. 2. Bowen's Knot: a continuous piece of rope set in a square with a loop at each corner. 3. Staffordshire Knot: the first half of a reef knot. DF. Lantern: can be either a ship's lantern, a globular lamp, or any other type; blazon all details. DG. Letters: state details in full. DH. Lymphad: an ancient galley, frequent in Scottish heraldry. It may have its sails furled or be in full sail; it may have its oars in action, in the water, or have two oars in saltire against the mast. DI. Mace: the smashing weapon favored by the clergy, also a symbol of judicial or civic authority. DJ. Mallet: a square-headed hammer. DK. Mantle: the cloak worn by British peers on state occasions, made of crimson velvet trimmed with furs. DL. Mantling (Lambrequin): a shoulder-length cape hanging from the top of a helm, serving as a sunshade and extra protection, usually seen as part of the crest. DM. Maunch: a medieval feminine sleeve (83). DN. Merlon: the raised portion between two embrasures in an embattled wall. DO. Mirror: a small circular or oval looking-glass with a handle, almost always carried by a mermaid. DP. Miter (Mitre): the episcopal headdress or crown, occasionally used as a charge but usually seen surmounting the shield of a bishop in place of a crest. DQ. Moon: sometimes borne in her complement, full; sometimes figured with a human face; or illuminated, surrounded with short rays. It is otherwise similar to a crescent. - 30 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 DR. Morse: a clasp, frequently ornamented, used to fasten a cloak. DS. Mound: an orb surmounted by a cross, an emblem of sovereignty. DT. Mullet (Molet): a star-shaped figure with straight points which actually represents the rowel of a spur unless associated with a crescent. It has five points by default and is frequently pierced. (See also spur rowel.) In English cadency it is the mark of the third son. DU. Nimbus: a halo. DV. Oars: usually associated with a lymphad or other ship, but when used alone as a charge they are usually borne in saltire. DW. Oriflamme: The French national flag, a scarlet banner with eight tails, used from the time of Charlemagne until it was last used at Agincourt. It was kept in the Abbey of St. Denis during peacetime. DX. Padlock: by default a fetterlock; otherwise, blazon all details. DY. Pheon: the head of a dart or arrow, barbed and engrailed on the inner sides, shown point down by default (96). DZ. Pincers: the tool. EA. Plummet: the leaden weight. EB. Pommel: the round section at the end of a sword's hilt. EC. Port: the gateway of a castle. ED. Portcullis: the frame of wood, pointed at the bottom, used to guard a castle gate, always emblazoned with chains on either side. It was one of the badges of the Tudors. EE. Railway Locomotive: a modern charge; does not occur in Novite heraldry. EF. Rays: wavy pointed figures used to emblazon the sun or an estoile. EG. Sail: usually associated with ship charges, but may be used alone; in either case they may be in full sail or furled. EH. Scimitar: a curved sword, with the blade wider toward the end (103). EI. Seax: a scimitar-like Saxon weapon distinguished by a notch on the back of the blade near the tip (103). EJ. Ship: usually a lymphad, but may also be a clipper or a modern ship; the blazon must state all details, including direction, sails, oars, and tinctures. Modern ships do not appear in Novite heraldry. EK. Spear: all spearlike weapons, by default a lance or tilting spear. If blazoned shivered lance or broken spear, the upper half is broken off. EL. Sphere: a globe. EM. Spur: usually emblazoned with straps pendant and rowel downwards. EN. Spur Rowel: the pointed wheel on the end of a spur, usually represented as a mullet pierced. EO. Sun: generally shown in his splendor, i.e. decorated with rays and figured with a human face, but may also be rising, setting, or issuing from clouds. - 31 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 EP. Sunburst: several rays issuing from a cloud (109). EQ. Swastika (Gamadion, Fylfot): the ancient symbol made infamous by Nazi Germany. ER. Sword: the weapon; by default it has a long straight blade and a cross handle. ES. Thunderbolt: the thunderbolt of Zeus or Jupiter from Greco-Roman mythology, represented by a twisted column of flame between two wings and two darts of lightning in saltire, barbed at both ends. ET. Tower: a single masoned, crenellated structure with a door and three windows (112). EU. Tower Triple Towered: a tower with three small towers issuing from the turret. EV. Trident: the weapon; a fork with three prongs. EW. Trumpet: by default a straight tube widening towards the end. EX. Truncheon: a short cylindrical staff or baton. EY. Virolles: the bands encircling a hunting horn. EZ. Water: usually represented in heraldry by a barry wavy argent and azure; if blazoned waves of the sea it is in its natural form. FA. Water Bouget (Budget): a yoke with two pendant water skins, a symbol from the Crusades. FB. Weather Vane: the tool. FC. Well: the water well, usually circular and masoned. FD. Wheel: by default a wagon wheel with eight spokes. FE. Wheel, Catherine: a wheel comprised of eight spokes which extend into short, curved blades along the rim. FF. Whirlpool: a target-type figure extending to the edge of the shield. FG. Woolpack: a pack of wool tied on each corner. - 32 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 XIII. ADJECTIVES The following terms are used to precisely describe positions, divisions, changes of tincture, and all other visual details of the charges listed in the preceding three sections. A.   la Cuisse: at the thigh, used with couped or erased. B. Abased (Removed): an ordinary placed lower on the shield than usual. C. About‚: charges placed end to end. D. Accosted Passant Counter-Passant: two beasts accosted and passant in opposite directions. E. Accosted: charges placed on each side of another charge, or two beasts placed side by side, in which case the farther beast should be slightly above and in front of the nearer beast to maintain perspective. F. Acorn‚: charge has horns added. G. Addorsed (Fr. Adoss‚s, Ger. Abgewendet): two charges back to back, or a beast's wings back to back (e.g. an eagle, wings elevated and addorsed (17)). H. Adorned: clothing when charged. I. Affront‚: facing the viewer (e.g. a lion affront‚ (17), see also caboshed). J. Aiguis‚ (Urd‚): sharply pointed. K. Aisl‚: winged (see also pinioned). L. Alis‚: rounded or globular (see also arrondi). M. Allum‚: a beast's eyes when flecked with color. N. Anim‚: a beast with fire issuing from its mouth and ears. O. Annodated: an object curved into an "S" shape (see also embowed, reflexed). P. Annuly (Annulett‚): ringed at the ends. Q. Apaum‚: a hand or gauntlet open to show the palm. R. Armed Cap- -Pie (Armed at All Points): a man (e.g. a knight) fully covered in armor except for his face. S. Armed (Fr. Arm‚, Ger. Bewehrt): refers to all beasts' weapons (e.g. teeth, tusks, horns, claws); tincture change. See also unguled, membered. T. Arrondi: rounded or curved (see also alis‚). U. Ascendant: issuing upwards. V. Aspectant: looking at one another. W. Assurgent: rising out of. X. At Gaze: a stag when statant gardant. Y. Attired: refers to the antlers of a stag; tincture change. Z. Aulued: bearded; usually refers to ears of corn with a tincture change. AA. Averdant: covered with green herbage; usually used to describe a mount in base or a compartment. AB. Aversant: a hand when only the back is seen. AC. Baillon‚: gagged, especially a lion with a staff in its mouth. AD. Banded: encircled with a band, cord, or ribbon; tincture change. AE. Barded: describes armor for animals, usually warhorses. AF. Barry (Barrul‚, Burul‚; Fr. Fass‚ de ... piŠces, Ger. ... Geteilt): horizontally divided into an even number of - 33 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 equal parts; usually refers to the field; the metal is usually given the senior position. AG. Barry Bendy: divided both barry and bendy; usually refers to the field (28). AH. Barry Piley: divided horizontally into pile-shaped pieces; usually refers to the field (28). AI. Beaked: tincture change. AJ. Belled: particularly refers to a hawk or falcon when belled and jessed; tincture change. AK. Bendwise: placed in a diagonal line like a bend. AL. Bendy (Fr. Bande de ... piŠces, Ger. Schr„ggeteilt ...): divided into an even number of equal parts bendwise; usually refers to the field. AM. Bezanty (Bezant‚): strewn with bezants (gold roundels); usually refers to the field (see sem‚e). AN. Bi-Corporate: a beast which has two bodies but only one head. AO. Billety (Fr. Billett‚, Ger. Mit Schindeln): strewn with billets (rectangles); usually refers to the field (see sem‚e). The early medieval cross billet‚ was what is now blazoned cross potent. AP. Bladed: refers to the stalk of corn or grain as opposed to the ear; tincture change. AQ. Blasted: leafless; usually refers to a tree. AR. Bretesse: embattled on both sides. AS. Burgeon‚e: a fleur-de-lis when the petals are closed into a bud. AT. Caboshed: an animal's head (except a leopard's) when cut off to show part of the neck. AU. Chafant: a boar when enraged. AV. Charged: any object with another object placed upon it. AW. Chauss‚: wearing shoes. AX. Checky: divided horizontally and vertically into small equal squares; usually refers to the field. AY. Chevronny: divided into an even number of equal portions chevronwise; usually refers to the field. AZ. Chevronwise: charges arranged as if placed on a chevron. BA. Clenched: a hand when closed. BB. Climant: a goat in the same position as a beast of prey when rampant. BC. Close: a bird or winged beast with its wings in the natural resting position against the body. BD. Clou‚: studded or fastened with nails, especially a portcullis. BE. Combatant: two beasts rampant, facing each other, as if in combat (see also respectant). BF. Combed: refers to the crest of the cock; tincture change (see also jelloped and wattled). BG. Complement (Plenitude): the moon when full. BH. Conjoined: joined together. BI. Contourn‚: turned to sinister. BJ. Corded: an ordinary bound with cords; tincture change. BK. Couchant: a beast, especially a lion, when lying down but with its head erect or upright (see also lodged); it may - 34 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 also be gardant or regardant. For the lion couchant, the tail is usually folded under, appears between the dexter hind leg and the stomach, and is then elevated over the back. BL. Counter Flory: decorated with fleurs-de-lis on both sides; used especially with a double tressure, which is then fleury-counter-flory. BM. Counter Passant: passant to sinister. BN. Counter: direction opposite the norm. BO. Counterchanged: any object in which the color and metal alternate across a line of division (44); very common. BP. Couped: cut in a straight line. BQ. Courant: running at full speed. BR. Coward: a beast, especially a lion, with its tail hanging between its legs. BS. Crested: refers to a bird's crest; tincture change. BT. Crined: refers to the hair of humans or the mane of animals not including lions (maned, q.v.); tincture change. BU. Crusilly (Crucilly): strewn with crosslets or cross crosslets; the latter is distinguished in Novite heraldry by the term crux-crucilly; usually refers to the field (see sem‚e). BV. Debruised (Oppressed): a charge with an ordinary placed over it (see also over all and surmounted). BW. Decked: the edge of a feather; tincture change. BX. Declinant: the tail, especially of a serpent, when hanging downwards (see also dejected). BY. Decollated: a head when cut off at the neck. BZ. Defamed: a beast which has lost its tail. CA. Degraded: a charge placed upon three steps or degrees. CB. Dejected: a beast's head or tail when hanging down (see also declinant). CC. Demi-: half a charge; if referring to a beast, the upper or front half couped; if referring to an inanimate object, the dexter half parted per pale. CD. Disarmed: a beast with its weapons removed. CE. Dismembered (Dechauss‚, Mutil‚): a beast with its head and limbs cut off but still in their proper positions (e.g. a lion rampant dismembered (51)). CF. Displayed, Wings Inverted: as displayed except the wing tips are downwards. CG. Displayed: birds or winged beasts shown with the body affront‚ and the legs and wings expanded on either side; by default the wing tips are upwards and the head faces the dexter (e.g. an eagle displayed (52)). CH. Dormant: a beast, especially a lion, sleeping with its head on its front legs. CI. Double: indicates that there are two of the charge. CJ. Elevated: wings when raised. CK. Embowed (Flexed): an object when bent or bowed, especially an arm or leg (see also annodated, reflexed). CL. En Soleil: irradiated with rays of the sun. CM. Enarched (Arched, Concave): bent into the form of an arch or raised in the middle. - 35 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 CN. Enfiled: encircled (e.g. with a coronet). CO. Engoul‚: pierced through the heart. CP. Enhanced (Haus‚): raised above the normal position (e.g. bendlets enhanced (58)). CQ. Entire: refers to certain ordinaries when extended to the edges of the shield (see also firm‚e). CR. Equipped: fully armed or caparisoned. CS. Eradicated: uprooted; usually refers to a tree with its roots showing (58). CT. Erect: upright or straight. CU. Eyrant: eagles and other birds when in their nests. CV. Ferrated: strewn with horseshoes; usually refers to the field (see sem‚e). CW. Fesswise (Barwise): charges arranged horizontally. CX. Figured: charged with a representation of the human face, especially the sun and moon. CY. Fimbriated: having a narrow edging of a different tincture (60); often used to keep two metals or two tinctures from touching each other. CZ. Finned: refers to a fish's fins; tincture change. DA. Firm‚e: extended to the extremities of the shield (see also entire). DB. Fitch‚e (Fitchy): pointed, usually on the lower end; chiefly applied to crosses (61). DC. Fleury (Flory): adorned with fleurs-de-lis. The term fleury-counter-flory is used when the top points of the fleurs-de-lis lie alternately above and below a line or outside and inside a charge, especially the double tressure in the Scottish royal arms. DD. Flighted (Feathered): refers to the feathers of an arrow when a different tincture from the shaft. DE. Flotant: floating. DF. Foliated: having leaflike cusps. DG. Forcen‚: a horse standing on his hind legs in rage in a position similar to saliant. DH. Forch‚: forked. DI. Fretty: covered by bendlets and bendlets sinister interlaced like a woven basket; usually applied to the field (63). DJ. Fructed: bearing fruit. DK. Fusilly: the field when covered with fusils of alternating tincture and metal. DL. Gardant: a beast which has its face turned toward the viewer. DM. Garnished: appropriately ornamented (see also purfled). DN. Glissant: gliding (see also soaring and volant). DO. Gorged: collared, frequently with a coronet. DP. Gradient: walking slowly, like a tortoise. DQ. Gringol‚: the arms of a cross when decorated with snakes' heads. DR. Gutt‚e (Goutt‚e): strewn with drops, distinguished by having different names for each tincture; usually refers to the field (see sem‚e). - 36 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 1. Gutt‚e d'Eau: white drops which represent water; its meaning is occasionally interchanged with that of gutt‚e de larmes. 2. Gutt‚e de Larmes: blue drops which represent tears; its meaning is occasionally interchanged with that of gutt‚e d'eau. 3. Gutt‚e de Poix: black drops of pitch. 4. Gutt‚e de Sang: red drops of blood. 5. Gutt‚e d'Huile: green drops which represent oil (i.e. olive oil). 6. Gutt‚e d'Or: drops of gold (i.e. molten gold). DS. Hauriant: a fish palewise, head upwards, i.e. surfacing. DT. Hoofed: refers to hooves; tincture change. DU. Horned: refers to horns; tincture change. DV. Hulled: refers to a ship's hull; tincture change. DW. Humett‚e: an ordinary when couped. DX. Increment: the moon when depicted like an increscent. DY. Inflamed: burning with fire. DZ. Inverted (Reversed): turned upside down. EA. Irradiated: illuminated by rays of light. EB. Issuant: arising from the lower line of the field or a chief, the upper line of an ordinary, or from a crown or coronet (see also naissant). EC. Jelloped: refers to both the comb and the wattles of a cock; tincture change (see also combed and wattled). ED. Jessant-de-Lis: almost always describes a leopard's face, when it has half of a fleur-de-lis protruding from its mouth like a tongue and the upper part of the fleur-de-lis protruding from the back of its head (73). EE. Jessant: plants when sprouting from the earth. EF Knowed (Nowed): knotted or looped. EG. Laminated: refers to the scales of a beast (usually a fish or reptile); tincture change. EH. Langued: refers to the tongue; tincture change. EI. Legged: refers to the legs, usually of birds; tincture change (see also membered). EJ. Lined: refers to the lining of clothes or, for a beast, a leash or lead; tincture change. EK. Lines of Division (Partition, Decoration): decorative lines used to draw certain charges, usually an ordinary or partition of the field, which by default would be drawn with a simple straight line or curve, blazoned plain where necessary. 1. Dancetty (Dancett‚): similar to indented but with wider indentations. 2. Dancetty Floretty: as dancetty, but each point is decorated with the upper half of a fleur-de-lis. 3. Dovetailed: a jigsaw line of interlocking trapezoidal pieces. 4. Embattled (Crenellated): a line of raised and lowered squares taken from the profile of an embattled wall. 5. Engrailed: a scalloped line of curved teeth in which the points face outwards, the counterpart of invected. - 37 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 6. Escartelly: a line which has a small oblong portion raised in the center. 7. Indented: a line of small notches or straight teeth. 8. Invected: a scalloped line of curved teeth in which the points face inwards, the counterpart of engrailed. 9. Nebuly: an jigsaw line of undulating curves; it usually represents clouds and is hence almost always horizontal. 10. Nowy: an arched line in which each outer third is straight and the middle third is a curve. 11. Potenty (Potent‚): a jigsaw line of potents, T-shaped figures. 12. Raguly: a line which has pieces like couped branches extending from it slantwise. 13. Rayonny (Rayonn‚, Radiant): a line of rays; it usually represents light or fire and is hence almost always horizontal. 14. Undy (Und‚): a similar line to wavy with deeper indentations. 15. Urdy (Urd‚): a line of points which resemble vair bells without the horizontal line between them. 16. Wavy: a sinusoidal line; frequently represents water. EL. Lodged (Harbored): beasts of the chase when at rest, equivalent to couchant for beasts of prey. EM. Lozengy: divided per bend and per bend sinister into alternating diamond shapes; usually refers to the field. EN. Majesty, in his: a beast, especially an eagle or lion, crowned and holding a scepter. EO. Maned: refers to a lion's mane; tincture change. EP. Marined: a beast which has the lower parts of a fish. EQ. Masculy: covered with mascles; usually refers to the field. ER. Masoned (Muraill‚): describes the lines formed by stones or bricks (83). ES. Membered: refers to the legs of birds; tincture change (see also legged). ET. Mounted: a beast when carrying a rider. EU. Naiant: swimming fesswise. EV. Naissant: arising from the upper line of a fess or the lower line of a chief (see also issuant). EW. Nerved: refers to the veins of leaves; tincture change. EX. Over All (Sur Tout): a charge placed over all the others (see also debruised and surmounted). EY. Overt: open, especially wings. EZ. Pairlie, Tierced in: the shield when divided into three parts by a line per pale to the fess point, thence per chevron (94). FA. Palewise: charges placed vertically or an object upright. FB. Paley: divided into an even number of equal parts palewise; usually refers to the field. FC. Passant (Ambulant): walking to dexter, with the dexter fore foot raised and the other three on the ground, may also be gardant or regardant. (See also trippant.) - 38 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 FD. Pendant: hanging down, as a leaf or fruit with the stalk upwards. FE. Penned: refers to the shaft or quill of a feather; tincture change. FF. Pierced: any bearing when perforated to show the background color, by default a circular hole. FG. Pily: divided into an even number of equal parts by piles placed perpendicularly and counterposed; usually refers to the field. FH. Pily Bendy: divided into pile-shaped pieces bendwise; usually refers to the field. FI. Pinioned: refers to wings; tincture change (see also aisl‚). FJ. Preying: a flying bird or beast when diving upon prey. FK. Proper: emblazoned in proper colors, not heraldic tinctures. FL. Purfled: garnished, a term applied largely to the ornamentation of armor. FM. Quarterly: divided per fess and per pale; usually refers to the field. FN. Rampant: a beast, especially a lion or other beast of prey, in a position which implies rage. It stands erect, with its sinister hind paw on the ground, its dexter hind paw slightly raised, its dexter front paw level with its head, and its sinister front paw forward below its shoulder; it has a ferocious expression, looking to the dexter, with its mouth open and its tongue extended, or it may also be gardant or regardant. It is the most common position for the lion, which should always be armed and langued gules unless the field is gules. Winged beasts, especially dragons and griffins, in the same position are termed segreant. FO. Rayonnant: encircled with rays, as the sun when in his splendor. FP. Rebated: an object which has its points cut off. FQ. Reflexed: an object bent or curved, especially a line or chain affixed to the collar of a beast and thrown over his back (see also embowed, annodated). FR. Regardant: a beast with its head turned back to the sinister over its sinister shoulder. FS. Resignant: concealed; usually refers to the tail of a beast when hidden. FT. Respectant (Respecting): two animals face to face; rampant beasts of prey are called combatant. FU. Rising: a bird or winged beast opening its wings to take flight (e.g. an eagle rising (52)). FV. Saliant: a beast, especially a lion or other beast of prey, in a position which implies leaping at prey. It stands erect, with both hind feet on the ground and both fore feet raised level with its head; it is otherwise similar to rampant and was probably developed as an accidental variation of that position. It may also be gardant or regardant. FW. Sanglant: bloodstained. - 39 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 FX. Sarcell‚: cut through the middle. FY. Scintillant: sparkling or throwing off sparks. FZ. Segreant: as rampant for winged beasts, especially dragons and griffins. GA. Sejant: a beast when seated on its haunches; it may also be gardant or regardant. A squirrel sejant has its fore paws raised, but a lion in that position would be sejant rampant. GB. Sem‚e (Poudr‚e): an object, usually the field, strewn with an indeterminate number of small charges in a manner similar to that used for the ermine furs; many sem‚es are distinguished by individual names (see bezanty, billety, crucilly, ferrated, gutt‚e, and sem‚e-de-lis). GC. Sem‚e-de-Lis: strewn with fleurs-de-lis; usually refers to the field. GD. Shafted: refers to the quill of a feather or the shaft of an arrow; tincture change. GE. Slipped: a fruit or a flower when attached to a stem and two or three leaves. GF. Soaring: flying aloft (see also glissant and volant). GG. Spancelled: a horse which has two of its legs tethered to a log. GH. Statant: a beast when standing with all four feet on the ground, looking to the dexter; it may also be gardant or, rarely, regardant. A stag when statant gardant is blazoned at gaze. GI. Stringed: having strings or ribbons attached, or refers to the strings of a bow or harp when a different tincture from the frame. GJ. Surmounted: applied to a charge over which another charge is laid (see also debruised and over all). GK. Tierced: divided into three parts, usually per pale, per fess, per pall, or per pairlie; usually refers to the field. GL. Transfixed: pierced through. GM. Transposed: reversed or otherwise contrary to the usual position (see also contourn‚, counter). GN. Tri-Corporate: a beast which has three bodies attached to one head, which is always placed on the fess point and is usually affront‚ or gardant. GO. Trippant: as passant for beasts of the chase. GP. Turned Up: refers to the brim of a chapeau or other headgear when it is a different tincture from the crown. GQ. Unguled: refers to hooves; tincture change. GR. Urinant: a fish palewise, head downwards, i.e. diving. GS. Vested (Habited): clothed; tincture change. GT. Voided (False): a charge, usually an ordinary or subordinary, which has its center removed, leaving only the outline. An orle or annulet can be considered an escutcheon or roundel voided, respectively. GU. Volant: flying. GV. Vulned: wounded so that blood drips. GW. Wattled: refers to the wattles of a cock; tincture change (see also combed and jelloped). - 40 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 XIV. ROYAL HERALDRY OF ENGLAND A. The Royal Arms There is no proof that any English monarch prior to Richard I actually used a coat of arms, but arms have been attributed to monarchs dating as far back as Egbert (802-839). Henry I granted a coat of arms to his son-in-law (Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou), so it is likely that both Henry I and Henry II used some kind of armorial bearings, and it is possible but less likely that Stephen did so. On his first great seal, before the Third Crusade, Richard I (Plantagenet) used two lions combatant, but his second great seal definitely shows three lions passant gardant, which became the traditional arms of England: gules, three lions passant gardant in pale Or (by default armed and langued azure, but this is not mentioned in the blazon). To illustrate his claim to the French throne, Edward III began quartering the arms of England with those of France called France Ancient: azure sem‚e-de-lis Or. At first he quartered England in 1 and 4 and France in 2 and 3, but he later reversed them after the French king protested. By personal preference, Richard II frequently impaled the arms of Edward III with those attributed to Edward the Confessor: azure, a cross patonce between five martlets Or. Henry IV (Lancaster) used the arms of Edward III but reduced the number of fleurs-de-lis in the French quarters to five. Henry V reduced the fleurs-de-lis to three, making the French quarters the arms called France Modern: azure, three fleurs-de-lis Or. Henry V was probably following the example set by his father-in-law, Charles VI of France, who changed the French royal arms, possibly to distinguish them from the arms quartered by the English kings. Henry VI, Edward IV (York), Richard III, Henry VII (Tudor), Henry VII, and Edward VI all used the same arms. Mary I bore her arms on a lozenge, substituting England in the third quarter for the arms of her mother, Katherine of Aragon. Elizabeth I returned to the bearings of Henry V. James I (Stuart, also James VI of Scotland) used a shield divided into grand quarters: 1 and 4, I and IV, France Modern, II and III, England; 2, Scotland, namely, Or, a lion rampant within a double tressure fleury-counter-flory gules; and 3, Ireland, namely, azure, a harp Or, stringed argent, the frame figured with an angel. These arms were used until the joint reign of William III and Mary II (Orange), in which William bore the arms of Nassau, namely, azure billety Or, a lion rampant also Or, on an escutcheon of pretence. - 41 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 Anne used the arms of James I until 1706, when following the Act of Union she used 1 and 4, England impaling Scotland; 2, France Modern; 3, Ireland. George I (Hannover) introduced a new fourth quarter: per pale and per chevron (or tierced per pairlie), I, gules, two lions passant gardant in pale Or (Brunswick); II, Or sem‚e of hearts proper, a lion rampant azure, armed and langued gules (Luneburg); III, gules, a horse courant argent (Saxony); sur tout, on an escutcheon of pretence gules, the crown of Charlemagne Or. George II and George III used these same arms until 1801. In 1801, George III finally removed the French arms, placing England and Scotland in 1 and 2, and England back in 4; the tierced fourth quarter of George I was placed on an escutcheon of pretence ensigned by the electoral bonnet. In 1816, when the Electorate of Hannover was made a kingdom, the bonnet was changed to the Hannoverian Royal Crown. These arms were also used by George IV and William IV. Victoria as a woman could not lay claim to the throne of Hannover, so upon her accession in 1837 the royal arms became 1 and 4, England; 2, Scotland; 3, Ireland when in England or 1 and 4, Scotland; 2, England; 3, Ireland when in Scotland. They have not been changed since. Since the reign of Henry VIII (Tudor) the royal shield has been encircled by the Garter. B. Royal Supporters Henry VI (Lancaster) is the first English monarch known with certainty to have used supporters, either (1) two antelopes argent or (2) a lion and an antelope. Edward IV (York) used either (1) a lion and a hart, both argent; (2) a lion Or and a bull sable; or (3) two lions argent. Edward V is said to have used a lion and a hart, both argent, the latter gorged and chained Or. Richard III used either (1) a lion Or and a boar argent or (2) two boars argent. Henry VII (Tudor) used either (1) a dragon gules and a greyhound argent; (2) two greyhounds argent; or (3) a lion Or and a dragon gules. Henry VIII used either (1) a lion Or and a dragon gules; (2) a dragon gules and a bull sable; or (3) a lion Or and a greyhound argent. Edward VI used a lion Or and a dragon gules. - 42 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 Mary I when single used either (1) a lion Or and a dragon gules or (2) a lion Or and a greyhound argent, but when her arms were borne impaled with those of Philip of Spain, she used an eagle and a lion. Elizabeth I used either (1) a lion and a dragon, both Or, or (2) a lion Or and a greyhound argent. James I (Stuart) used a lion rampant gardant Or, regally crowned proper (for England), and a unicorn argent, armed, unguled, and crined Or, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses patt‚e, and a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back Or (for Scotland). Later monarchs have used these same supporters, transposed in Scotland. C. Royal Badges Most members of the House of Plantagenet used the planta genista or broome plant. Stephen used either (1) a sagittary or (2) ostrich feathers with the motto "utrumque." Richard I used either (1) a star issuing from between the horns of a crescent, which may have represented the ascendency of Christianity over Islam, or (2) an armed arm holding a shivered lance. Edward I used a rose Or stalked proper. Edward II used a hexagonal castle with a tower thereon, a reference to his descent from the House of Castile. Edward III used either (1) the sun's rays descending from clouds proper, (2) an ostrich feather, or (3) a falcon. Richard II used either (1) the sun in his splendor or (2) a white hart couchant on a mount under a tree proper gorged with a crown and chained Or. The Houses of Lancaster and York used the famous red and white roses, respectively, from which the name "Wars of the Roses" was derived. Henry IV (Lancaster) used either (1) a genet or (2) an eagle displayed Or. Henry V used either (1) a beacon Or inflamed proper or (2) an antelope gorged with a crown and chained. Henry VI used two feathers in saltire, the sinister argent surmounted of the dexter Or. Edward IV (York) used either (1) a falcon displayed argent within a closed fetterlock Or, or (2) a bull sable. Richard III used a rose within the sun. The House of Tudor, which claimed to unite the warring Houses of Lancaster and York, used red and white roses variously united, usually one within the other, especially a red rose of - 43 - Heraldic Dictionary Revised October 20, 1995 Lancaster bearing a white rose of York in pretence. A portcullis was another Tudor badge. Henry VII (Tudor) used either (1) a hawthorn bush fructed and royally crowned between the letters H. R. Or, or (2) a red dragon. Henry VIII used a white greyhound. Mary I used either (1) the dexter half of a Tudor rose proper impaled with a semicircle therein a sheaf of arrows Or, the whole rayonnant and ensigned with the royal crown, or (2) a rose and pomegranate. Elizabeth I used a Tudor rose with the motto "rosa sine spina." The House of Stuart used either a (1) fleur-de-lis or (2) a rose and a thistle impaled by dimidiation. The Houses of Hannover and Windsor adopted badges used by their various predecessors. The current monarch, Elizabeth II, uses a badge representing the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, namely, a rose (upright), a shamrock (sinister), a and thistle (dexter) growing from a common stem. D. Royal Livery Livery usually refers to the clothing worn by servants and household retainers, the predecessor of the modern uniform. While the colors are ordinarily taken from the principal metal and tincture of the master's arms, English royal livery did not generally follow that pattern. The later Plantagenets used white and red, the House of York used sanguine and blue, the House of Lancaster used white and blue, the House of Tudor used white and green, the House of Stuart used yellow and red, and the House of Hannover used scarlet and blue. Only the House of Stuart could be said to accurately follow heraldic tradition. - 44 - References Principal source: Col. A. G. Puttock, A Dictionary of Heraldry and Related Subjects. Henry Bedingfeld, Rouge Croix Pursuivant, and Peter Gwynn-Jones, Lancaster Herald, Heraldry (Leicester: Magna Books; and London: Bison Books Ltd., 1993). Rodney Dennys, Somerset Herald, Heraldry and the Heralds (London: Jonathan Cape Ltd., 1982).