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Inheraldry, acharge is any emblem or device occupying thefield of anescutcheon (shield). That may be a geometric design (sometimes called anordinary) or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object, building, or other device. In Frenchblazon, the ordinaries are calledpièces, and other charges are calledmeubles ("[the] mobile [ones]").
The termcharge can also be used as a verb; for example, if an escutcheon depicts threelions, it is said to becharged with three lions; similarly, a crest or even a charge itself may be "charged", such as a pair of eagle wingscharged with trefoils (as on thecoat of arms of Brandenburg). It is important to distinguish between the ordinaries anddivisions of the field, as they typically follow similar patterns, such as a shielddivided "per chevron", as distinct from beingcharged with achevron.
While thousands of objects found in religion, nature, mythology, or technology have appeared in armory, there are several charges (such as the cross, the eagle, and the lion) that have contributed to the distinctive flavour of heraldic design. Only these and a few other notable charges (crowns, stars, keys, etc.) are discussed in this article.
In addition to being shown in the regular way, charges may be blazoned asumbrated (shadowed),detailed,[a] (rather incorrectly)outlined,[2] highly unusuallyshaded[3] and rather irregularlyin silhouette or, more ambiguously, confusingly, and unhelpfully,futuristic,[4]stylized orsimplified.[5] There are also several units in theUnited States Air Force with charges blazoned as "mythical",[6] or beasts as "chimerical",[7] but those conceptions are meaningless and irrelevant to the conception of heraldry, and it does not affect the appearance of those charges.
Unlikemobile charges, theordinary charges[8] reach to the edge of the field. Some heraldic writers[b] distinguish, albeit arbitrarily, between(honourable) ordinaries andsub-ordinaries. While some authors hold that only nine charges are "honourable" ordinaries, exactly which ones fit into this category is a subject of constant disagreement. The remainder are often termedsub-ordinaries, and narrower or smaller versions of the ordinaries are calleddiminutives. While the termordinaries is generally recognised, so much dispute may be found among sources regarding which are "honourable" and which are relegated to the category of "sub-ordinaries" that indeed one of the leading authors in the field,Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1871–1928), wrote at length on what he calls the "utter absurdity of the necessity for any [such] classification at all", stating that the ordinaries and sub-ordinaries are, in his mind, "no more than first charges".[9] Apparently ceding the point for the moment, Fox-Davies lists the generally agreed-upon "honourable ordinaries" as the bend, fess, pale, pile, chevron, cross, saltire, and chief.[9] Woodcock sheds some light on the matter, stating that earlier writers such as Leigh, Holme and Guillim proposed that "honourable ordinaries" should occupy one-third of the field, while later writers such as Edmondson favoured one-fifth, "on the grounds that a bend, pale, or chevron occupying one-third of the field makes the coat look clumsy and disagreeable".[10] Woodcock goes so far as to enumerate the ordinaries thus: "The first Honourable Ordinary is the cross", the second is the chief, the third is the pale, the fourth is the bend, the fifth is the fess, the sixth is the inescutcheon, the seventh is the chevron, the eighth is the saltire, and the ninth is the bar, while stating that "some writers" prefer the bordure as the ninth ordinary.[11] Volborth, having decidedly less to say on the matter, agrees that the classifications are arbitrary and the subject of disagreement, and lists the "definite" ordinaries as the chief, pale, bend, fess, chevron, cross and saltire.[12] Boutell lists the chief, pale, bend, bend sinister, fess, bar, cross, saltire and chevron as the "honourable ordinaries".[13] Thus, the chief, bend, pale, fess, chevron, cross and saltire appear to be the undisputed ordinaries, while authors disagree over the status of the pile, bar, inescutcheon, bordure and others.
Several different figures are recognised ashonourable ordinaries, each normally occupying about one-fifth to one-third of the field.[10] As discussed above, much disagreement exists among authors regarding which ordinary charges are "honourable", so only those generally agreed to be "honourable ordinaries" will be discussed here, while the remainder of ordinary charges will be discussed in the following section.
Most of the ordinaries have correspondingdiminutives, narrower versions, most often mentioned when two or more appear in parallel:bendlets, pallets, bars (multiples of thefess), andchevronels.
In addition to those mentioned in the above section, the following are variously called "honourable ordinaries" by different authors, while others of these are often calledsub-ordinaries.
The so-calledmobile charges[8] (or sometimescommon charges) are not tied to the size and shape of the shield, and so may be placed in any part of the field, although whenever a charge appears alone, it is placed with sufficient position and size to occupy the entire field. Commonmobile charges includehuman figures, human parts,animals, animal parts,legendary creatures (or "monsters"),plants and floral designs, inanimate objects, and other devices. The heraldic animals need not exactly resemble the actual creatures.
A number of geometric charges are sometimes listed among the subordinaries (see above), but as their form is not related to the shape of the shield – indeed they may appear independent of the shield (i.e. incrests andbadges) – they are more usefully considered here. These include the escutcheon or inescutcheon, lozenge, fusil, mascle, rustre, billet, roundel, fountain, and annulet.
Several other simple charges occur with comparable frequency. These include the mullet or star, crescent and cross:
In English heraldry thecrescent,mullet,martlet,annulet,fleur-de-lis androse may be added to a shield to distinguishcadet branches of a family from the senior line. It does not follow, however, that a shield containing such a charge necessarily belongs to a cadet branch. All of these charges occur frequently in basic (undifferenced) coats of arms.
Humans, deities, angels and demons occur more often as crests and supporters than on the shield. (Though in many heraldic traditions the depiction of deities is considered taboo, exceptions to this also occur.) When humans do appear on the shield, they almost always appearaffronté (facing forward), rather than toward the left like beasts. Such as the arms of theDalziel family of Scotland, which depicted a naked man his arms expanded on a black background.[20] The largest group of human charges consists ofsaints, often as the patron of a town. Knights, bishops, monks and nuns, kings and queens also occur frequently. There are rare occurrences of a "child" (without further description, this is usually understood to be a very young boy, and young girls are extremely rare in heraldry), both the head and entire body. A famous example is the child swallowed by a dragon (thebiscione) in the arms ofVisconti dukes ofMilan.
Greco-Roman mythological figures typically appear in an allegorical orcanting role.Angels very frequently appear, but angelic beings of higher rank, such ascherubim andseraphim, are extremely rare. Anarchangel appears in the arms ofArkhangelsk. TheDevil or ademon is occasionally seen, being defeated by the archangelSaint Michael. Though the taboo is not invariably respected, British heraldry in particular, and to a greater or lesser extent the heraldry of other countries, frowns on depictions ofGod orChrist, though an exception may be in the not-uncommon Continental depictions ofMadonna and Child, including theBlack Madonna in the arms ofMarija Bistrica,Croatia.[e]
Moors—or more frequently their heads, often crowned—appear with some frequency in medieval European heraldry. They are also sometimes calledmoore,blackmoor ornegro.[21]Moors appear in European heraldry from at least as early as the 13th century,[22] and some have been attested as early as the 11th century inItaly,[22] where they have persisted in the local heraldry andvexillology well into modern times inCorsica andSardinia. Armigers bearing moors or moors' heads may have adopted them for any of several reasons, to include symbolizing military victories in theCrusades, as a pun on the bearer's name in thecanting arms of Morese, Negri, Saraceni, etc., or in the case ofFrederick II, possibly to demonstrate the reach of his empire.[22] Even thearms of Pope Benedict XVI feature a moor's head, crowned and collared red. Nevertheless, the use of moors (and particularly their heads) as a heraldic symbol has been deprecated in modern North America,[f] where racial stereotypes have been influenced by a history ofTrans-Atlantic slave trade and racial segregation, and applicants to the College of Arms of theSociety for Creative Anachronism are urged to use them delicately to avoid creating offensive images.[23]
Parts of human bodies occur more often than the whole, particularlyheads (occasionally of exotic nationality), hearts (always stylized), hands, torso and armored limbs. A famous heraldic hand is theRed Hand of Ulster, alluding to an incident in the legendaryMilesian invasion. Hands also appear in the coat of arms ofAntwerp.Ribs occur in Iberian armory, canting for the Portuguese familyda Costa. According to Woodward & Burnett, the Counts Colleoni of Milan bear arms blazoned: "Per pale argent and gules, three hearts reversed counterchanged;" but in less delicate times these were read ascanting arms[24] showing three pairs of testicles (coglioni = "testicles" in Italian).[25][g] The community ofCölbe inHesse has a coat of arms with a similar charge.
Animals, especially lions and eagles, feature prominently as heraldic charges. Some differences may be observed between an animal's natural form and the conventionalattitudes (positions) into which heraldic animals are contorted; additionally, various parts of an animal (claws, horns, tongue, etc.) may be differently coloured, each with its own terminology. Most animals are broadly classified, according to their natural form, into beasts, birds, sea creatures and others, and the attitudes that apply to them may be grouped accordingly. Beasts, particularly lions, most often appear in therampant position; while birds, particularly the eagle, most often appeardisplayed. While the lion, regarded as the king of beasts, is by far the most frequently occurring beast in heraldry, the eagle, equally regarded as the king of birds, is overwhelmingly the most frequently occurring bird, and the rivalry between these two is often noted to parallel with the political rivalry between the powers they came to represent in medieval Europe. Neubecker notes that "in the heroic poem byHeinrich von Veldeke based on the story ofAeneas, the bearer of the arms of a lion is set against the bearer of the arms of an eagle. If one takes the latter to be the historical and geographical forerunner of theHoly Roman emperor, then the bearer of the lion represents the unruly feudal lords, to whom the emperor had to make more and more concessions, particularly to the powerful duke of Bavaria and Saxony,Henry the Lion of theHouse of Welf."[26]
The beast most often portrayed in heraldry is thelion. When posedpassant guardant (walking and facing the viewer), he is called aléopard inFrench blazon. Other beasts frequently seen include thewolf,bear,boar,horse,bull orox, andstag or hart. Thetiger (unless blazoned as aBengaltiger) is a fanciful beast with a wolflike body, a mane and a pointed snout.Dogs of various types, and occasionally of specific breeds, occur more often as crests or supporters than as charges. According to Neubecker, heraldry in the Middle Ages generally distinguished only between pointers, hounds and whippets, when any distinction was made.[27] Theunicorn resembles a horse with a single horn, but its hooves are usually cloven like those of a deer. Thegriffin combines the head (but with ears), chest, wings and forelegs of the eagle with the hindquarters and legs of a lion. Themale griffin lacks wings and his body is scattered with spikes.
The bird most frequently found in armory is, by far, theeagle. Eagles in heraldry are predominantly presented with one or two heads, though triple-headed eagles are not unknown, and one eagle appearing in theCodex Manesse has its wing bones fashioned into additional heads.[h] Eagles and their wings also feature prominently as crests. Eagles most frequently appear full-bodied, with one head, in numerouspositions includingdisplayed,statant,passant andrising. Thedemi-eagle, which is shown only from the waist up, occurs less frequently.Double-headed eagles almost always appeardisplayed. As a result of being the dominant charge on the imperialByzantine,Holy Roman,Austrian andRussian coats of arms, the double eagle gained enduring renown throughout the Western world. Among the present day nations with an eagle charge on their coat of arms are:Albania,Austria,Germany,Montenegro,Poland,Romania,Russia, andSerbia. Additionally, theDouble-Headed Eagle of Lagash is used as an emblem by theScottish Rite ofFreemasonry.[28] There are many meanings attached to this symbol, and it was introduced in France in the early 1760s as the emblem of theKnight Kadosh degree.[29]
Themartlet, a stylized swift or swallow without feet (sometimes incorrectly, at least in the Anglophone heraldries these days, said to have no beak), is a mark ofcadency in English heraldry, but also appears as a simple charge in undifferenced arms. Its attitude is usually statant (and is never blazoned as such); but it can also be found volant. The pelican is notable as frequently occurring in a peculiar attitude described asin her piety (i.e. wings raised, piercing her own breast to feed her chicks in the nest, which is how it is actually often blazoned, 'in its piety' being a fairly modern conceit). This symbol carries a particular religious meaning (as a symbol of Christ sacrificing Himself),[citation needed] and became so popular in heraldry that pelicans rarely exist in heraldry in any other position.[30] Distinction is however observed, between a pelican "vulning herself" (alone, piercing her breast) and "in her piety" (surrounded by and feeding her chicks).[31] Theswan is also often seen, and thepeacock in heraldry is described as beingin its pride. The domestic cock (orrooster) is sometimes calleddunghill cock to distinguish it from thegame cock which has a cut comb and exaggerated spurs, and themoor cock, which is the farmyard cock with a game bird's tail.[32] Other birds occur less frequently.
The category of sea creatures may be seen to include various fish, a highly stylized "dolphin", and various fanciful creatures, sea monsters, which are shown as half-fish and half-beast, as well as mermaids and the like. The "sea lion" and "sea horse", for example, do not appear as naturalsea lions andseahorses, but rather as half-lion half-fish and half-horse half-fish, respectively.Fish of various species often appear incanting arms, e.g.:pike, also called luce, for Pike or Lucy;dolphin (a conventional kind of fish rather than the natural mammal) for theDauphin de Viennois. Theescallop (scallop shell) became popular as a token of pilgrimage to the shrine ofSantiago de Compostela. Thesea-lion andsea-horse, like themermaid, combine the foreparts of a mammal with the tail of a fish, and a dorsal fin in place of the mane. (When the naturalseahorse is meant, it is blazoned as ahippocampus.) Thesea-dog andsea-wolf are quadrupeds but with scales, webbed feet, and often a flat tail resembling that of thebeaver.
Reptiles and invertebrates occurring in heraldry include serpents, lizards, salamanders and others, but the most frequently occurring of these are various forms of dragons. The "dragon", thus termed, is a large monstrous reptile with, often, a forked or barbed tongue, membraned wings like a bat's, and four legs. Thewyvern andlindworm are dragons with only two legs. Thesalamander is typically shown as a simple lizard surrounded by flames. Also notably occurring (undoubtedly owing much of its fame toNapoleon, though it also appears in much earlier heraldry) is thebee.[i]
Animals'heads are also very frequent charges, as are the paw or leg (gamb) of the lion, the wing (often paired) of the eagle, and the antlers (attire) of the stag. Sometimes only the top half of a beast is shown; for example, thedemi-lion is among the most common forms occurring in heraldic crests.
Heads may appearcabossed (alsocaboshed orcaboched): with the head cleanly separated from the neck so that only the face shows;couped: with the neck cleanly separated from the body so that the whole head and neck are present; orerased: with the neck showing a ragged edge as if forcibly torn from the body. While cabossed heads are shown facing forward (affronté), heads that arecouped orerased face dexter unless otherwise specified for differencing. Heads of horned beasts are often shown cabossed to display the horns, but instances can be found in any of these circumstances. A lion's head cabossed is called simply aface, and a fox's head cabossed, amask.[33]
Theattitude, or position, of the creature's body is usually explicitly stated in English blazon. When such description is omitted, a lion can be assumed to berampant, a leopard or herbivorepassant.
By default, the charge faces dexter (left as seen by the viewer); this would be forward on a shield worn on the left arm. In German armory, animate charges in the dexter half of a composite display are usually turned to face the center.
Certain features of an animal are often of a contrasting tincture. The charge is then said to bearmed (claws and horns and tusks),langued (tongue),vilené[34] orpizzled[35] (penis),attired (antlers or very occasionally horns),unguled (hooves),crined (horse's mane or human hair) of a specified tincture.
Many attitudes have developed from the herald's imagination and ever-increasing need for differentiation, but only the principal attitudes found in heraldry need be discussed here. These, in the case of beasts, include the erect positions, the seated positions, and the prone positions. In the case of birds, these include the "displayed" positions, the flying positions, and the resting positions. Additionally, birds are frequently described by the position of their wings. A few other attitudes warrant discussion, including those particular to fish, serpents, griffins and dragons.
The principal attitude of beasts isrampant (i.e. standing on one hind leg with forepaws raised as if to climb or mount - sometimes including an erect member). Beasts also frequently appear walking,passant or, in the case of stags and the occasional unicorn,trippant, and may appearstatant (standing),salient orspringing (leaping),sejant (seated),couchant orlodged (lying prone with head raised), or occasionallydormant (sleeping). The principal attitude of birds, namely the eagle, isdisplayed (i.e. facing the viewer with the head turned toward dexter and wings raised and upturned to show the full underside of both wings). Birds also appearrising orrousant (i.e. wings raised and head upturned as if about to take flight),volant (flying),statant (standing, with wings raised),close (at rest with wings folded), and waterfowl may appearnaiant (swimming), while cranes may appearvigilant (standing on one leg). Fish often appearnaiant (swimming horizontally) orhauriant (upwards) orurinant (downwards), but may also appearaddorsed (two fish hauriant, back to back). Serpents may appearglissant (gliding in a wavy form) ornowed (as afigure-eight knot). Griffins and quadrupedal dragons constantly appearsegreant (i.e. rampant with wings addorsed and elevated) and, together with lions, may appearcombatant (i.e. two of them turned to face each other in the rampant position).
Plants are extremely common in heraldry and figure among the earliest charges. Theturnip, for instance, makes an early appearance, as doeswheat. Trees also appear in heraldry; the most frequent tree by far is theoak (drawn with large leaves and acorns), followed by thepine.Apples and bunches ofgrapes occur very frequently, other fruits less so. When the fruit is mentioned, as to indicate a different tincture, the tree is said to befructed of the tincture. If a tree is "eradicated" it is shown as if it has been ripped up from the ground, the roots being exposed. "Erased" is rarely used for a similar treatment.[j] In Portuguese heraldry, but rarely in other countries, trees are sometimes founddecorticated.
The most famous heraldic flower (particularly in French heraldry) is thefleur-de-lis, which is often stated to be a stylised lily, though despite the name there is considerable debate on this.[citation needed] The "natural"lily, somewhat stylised, also occurs, as (together with the fleur-de-lis) in the arms ofEton College. Therose is perhaps even more widely seen in English heraldry than the fleur-de-lis. Its heraldic form is derived from the "wild" type with only five petals, and it is oftenbarbed (the hull of the bud, its points showing between the petals) andseeded in contrasting tinctures. Thethistle frequently appears as a symbol ofScotland.
Thetrefoil,quatrefoil andcinquefoil are abstract forms resembling flowers or leaves. The trefoil is always shownslipped (i.e. with a stem), unless blazoned otherwise. The cinquefoil is sometimes blazonedfraise (strawberry flower), most notably whencanting for Fraser. Thetrillium flower occurs occasionally in a Canadian context, and theprotea flower constantly appears in South Africa, since it is the national flower symbol.
Wheat constantly occurs in the form of "garbs" or sheaves and in fields (e.g. inthe arms of the province of Alberta, Canada), though less often as ears, which are shown unwhiskered (though some varieties of wheat are naturally whiskered). Ears ofrye are depicted exactly as wheat, except the ears droop down and are often whiskered, e.g. in the arms of the formerRuislip-Northwood Urban District.Barley,cannabis,maize, andoats also occur. The "garb" in the arms ofGustav Vasa (and in the coat of arms of Sweden) is not a wheatsheaf, although it was pictured in that way from the 16th to 19th century; rather, this "vasa" is a bundle but of unknown sort.
Very few inanimate objects in heraldry carry a special significance distinct from that of the object itself, but among such objects are theescarbuncle, thefasces, and thekey. The escarbuncle developed from the radiating iron bands used to strengthen a round shield, eventually becoming a heraldic charge.[36] Thefasces (not to be confused with the French term for abar orfess) is emblematic of the Roman magisterial office and has often been granted tomayors.[36]Keys (taking a form similar to a "skeleton key") are emblematic ofSaint Peter and, by extension, thepapacy, and thus frequently appear in ecclesiastical heraldry.[36] Because St. Peter is the patron saint of fishermen, keys also notably appear in the arms of theWorshipful Company of Fishmongers.[36]
Thesun is a disc with twelve or more wavy rays, or alternating wavy and straight rays, often represented "in his splendour" (i.e. with a face). Themoon "in her plenitude" (full) sometimes appears, distinguished from aroundel argent by having a face; butcrescents occur much more frequently.Estoiles are stars with six wavy rays, whilestars (when they occur under that name) have straight rays usually numbering five in British and North American heraldry and six in continental European heraldry.Clouds often occur, though more frequently for people or animals to stand on or issue from than as isolated charges.[k] The raindrop as such is unknown, though drops of fluid (goutte) is known. These occasionally appear as a charge, but more frequently constitute afield semé (known asgoutté). Thesnowflake occurs in modern heraldry, sometimes blazoned as a "snow crystal" or "ice crystal".
The oldest geological charge is themount, typically a green hilltop rising from the lower edge of the field, providing a place for a beast, building or tree to stand. This feature is exceedingly common in Hungarian arms. Natural mountains and boulders are not unknown, though ranges of mountains are differently shown. An example is the arms ofEdinburgh, portrayingEdinburgh Castle atopCastle Rock.Volcanos are shown, almost without exception, as erupting, and the eruption is generally quite stylised. In the 18th century,landscapes began to appear in armory, often depicting the sites of battles. For example, AdmiralHoratio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson received a chief of augmentation containing a landscape alluding to theBattle of the Nile.
By far the most frequent building in heraldry is thetower, a tapering cylinder of masonry topped withbattlements, usually having a door and a few windows. The canting arms of theKingdom of Castile areGules, a tower triple-turreted Or (i.e. three small towers standing atop a larger one). Acastle is generally shown as two towers joined by a wall, the doorway often shown secured by aportcullis. The portcullis was used as a canting badge by theHouse of Tudor ("two-doors"), and has since come to represent the British Parliament. The modernchess-rook would be indistinguishable from a tower; the heraldic chess rook, based on the medieval form of the piece, instead of battlements, has two outward-splayed "horns". Civic and ecclesiastical armory sometimes shows achurch or a whole town, and cities, towns and Scots burghs often bear amural crown (a crown in the form of a wall with battlements or turrets) in place of a crown over the shield.Ships of various types often appear; the most frequent being the ancient galley often called, from the Gaelic, alymphad. Also frequent areanchors andoars.
Themaunch is a 12th-century lady's sleeve style. Its use in heraldry arose from the custom of the knights who attended tournaments wearing their ladies sleeves, as "gages d'amour" (tokens of love). This fashion of sleeve would later evolve intoTippet-style stoles. In French blazon this charge is sometimes informally referred to asmanche mal taillée (a sleeve badly cut).[38]
Spurs also occur, sometimes "winged", but more frequently occurring is thespur-rowel orspur-revel, which is said to more often termed a "mullet of five points pierced" by English heralds.[39]
Crowns andcoronets of various kinds are constantly seen. The ecclesiasticalhat and bishop'smitre are nearly ubiquitous inecclesiastical heraldry. Thesword is sometimes a symbol of authority, as in the royal arms of theNetherlands, but may also allude toSaint Paul, as the patron of a town (e.g.London) or dedicatee of a church. Sometimes it is shown with a key, because Saints Peter and Paul are paired together. Other weapons occur more often in modern than in earlier heraldry. Themace also appears as a weapon, the war mace, in addition to its appearance as a symbol of authority, plain mace. Theglobus cruciger, also variously called anorb, aroyal orb, or amound (from Frenchmonde, Latinmundus, the world) is a ball or globe surmounted by a cross, which is part of the regalia of an emperor or king, and is the emblem of sovereign authority and majesty.[40]
Books constantly occur, most frequently in the arms ofcolleges anduniversities, though theGospel andBible are sometimes distinguished. Books if open may be inscribed with words. Words and phrases are otherwise rare, except in Spanish and Portuguese armory. Letters of the various alphabets are also relatively rare. Arms of merchants in Poland and eastern Germany are often based onhouse marks, abstract symbols resemblingrunes, though they are almost never blazoned as runes, but as combinations of other heraldic charges. Musical instruments commonly seen are theharp (as in thecoat of arms of Ireland),bell andtrumpet. Thedrum, almost without exception, is of the field drum type. Since musical notation is a comparatively recent invention, it is not found in early heraldry, though it does appear in 20th century heraldry.
Japanesemon are sometimes used as heraldic charges. They are blazoned in traditional heraldic style rather than in the Japanese style.[41]
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