Anabatement (orrebatement) is a modification of acoat of arms, representing a less-than honorableaugmentation,[1][2] imposed by an heraldic authority (such as theCourt of Chivalry in England) or by royal decree for misconduct. The practice of inverting the entireescutcheon of anarmiger (a holder of a coat of arms) found guilty of hightreason has been attested since theMiddle Ages and is generally accepted as reliable, and medieval heraldic sources cite at least one instance of removing an honourable charge from a coat of arms by royal decree as an abatement of honour. Other abatements of honour implied by the addition of dishonourablestains andcharges, appearing in late 16th-century texts, have never been reliably attested in actual practice. Additionally, as many heraldic writers note, the use of arms is not compulsory, so armigers are more likely to relinquish a dishonored coat of arms than to advertise their dishonor.
The earliest mention in heraldic writing of a dishonorable display of arms (and, according toFox-Davies, the only one reliably attested in actual use; see historical examples below)[3] was inverting the entire shield, first documented byJohannes de Bado Aureo in his heraldic treatiseTractatus de armis (c. 1394).[4] Contemporary accounts of executions for treason describe the traitor being marched to his execution in a paper tabard displaying his inverted arms,[3] and other accounts tell of displaying the inverted arms of prisoners, released on parole, who refuse to pay their ransom.[4]
Note that inverted arms can also indicate the death of the holder, and do not necessarily indicate dishonour.[5][6]
Eight other abatements were introduced in the late 16th century, each prescribing a specific charge in a specificstain for a specific offense; though the charges themselves were uncommon but no less honourable than any other charge (if colored in any standard tincture or fur), it was only when displayed in the prescribed position and stain that these charges were supposed to be considered dishonourable.
Leigh (1562) enumerated the nine abatements thus:[7]
Scottish heraldThomas Innes of Learney mentioned abatements in marital situations: "The law of arms provides for abating the arms of an adulterer by two gussets sanguine, and where the bearing of arms is necessary this, and one gusset (they will be close-gussets) for non-adulterous divorcees, are, at least in Patents, applied in the case of divorcees."[9]
Several notable modern heraldists have asserted that the execution of this system of abatements has never been attested in fact, and that the whole system was in all likelihood a theoretical exercise created by heralds for the purpose of discouraging armigers from committing dishonourable acts.[3][7]
As another form of abatement, some coats of arms were reportedly modified through breaking or cutting, reversing, or altogether erasing some existing charges, at least as they occur in patents, though the armiger's actual display of these defaced arms has not been documented and is unlikely.
InFrench heraldry the termdiffamé is used to denote a lion or other animal whose tail is cut off, or may refer more broadly to arms which have been altered to signify loss of honor. A lion with its tail between its hind legs is termed "couard" (coward), and has also been cited as a mark of infamy.[9]
Heraldic lions are traditionally depicted with male genitals, and a recent trend toward omitting the genitals has been controversial, prodding claims thatemasculated lions have also been an historical form of abatement. Commenting on the newly castrated lion in the arms of theNordic Battle Group in 2007, Vladimir Sagerlund, heraldic artist at theSwedish National Archives since 1994, was critical of the politically motivated decision, stating, "once upon a time coats of arms containing lions without genitalia were given to [imposed upon] those who betrayed the Crown."[10][11]The Times in London, however, noted a growing recent trend toward heraldic "castration", pointing to the lions passant on the royalcoat of arms of England, as well as the lions rampant onthose of Norway,Finland,Belgium,Luxembourg andScotland, all of which have recently been depicted without genitals.The Times concluded that "some crests are ambiguous, but the message remains clear: the lions are supposed to display courage and nothing else."[12] Obviously such modifications of arms are clearly not intended as an abatement in modern times, but rather a refinement of the depiction of charges and the like to comport with modern values (eg, non-sexism). Further, no known examples of castrated lions have been found in medieval heraldry, so it may be that (heraldic) emasculation was not such a common or major deal even historically.
A few examples of historical abatements of arms have been recorded, though none of these reflect the addition of stained ordinaries as detailed above. Rather, these include broken chevrons, disarmed lions, and reversed or erased charges.
One of these rare historical examples wasAmery of Pavy, who was appointed governor ofCalais by KingEdward III of England in 1347, and whose arms were abated by royal decree in 1349 after the failed Frenchsiege of Calais on the last day of December 1348, which resulted from Sir Amery's attempt to sell Calais toSir Geffrey Charney, the French governor of nearbySaint-Omer, for 20,000crowns.[13][14][15] As stated by Sir George Mackenzie: "AndEdward the Third of England ordained two of sixstars which a gentleman had in his arms to be effaced, because he had sold a seaport of which he was made governor."[9][16]Pursuivant of armsJohn Guillim, writing circa 1610, gave the story in considerable detail, adding that Sir Amery's arms were also inverted for his treachery. Guillim further explained that this humiliation is not inherited by the traitor's heirs, up to and includingcapital crimes, except in cases ofhigh treason.[17]
An example of a liondiffamée is that ofJean d'Avesnes who insulted his mother,Margaret II, Countess of Flanders, in the presence ofKing Louis IX. He is supposed to have seen the lion in his armsdiffamée (i.e. the tail removed) andmorné (i.e. the teeth and claws removed).[9]
Abatement is a term which was unknown until it made its appearance in certain heraldic writings of the sixteenth century, when it was used to denote such marks or devices as, by the writers in question, were held to be the reverse of honourable Augmentation—Augmentations of dishonour indeed, and tokens of degradation.
Abatement: - any sign of degradation
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