Tyger, also known asheraldic tiger ortygre, is an imaginary beast used as acharge inheraldry.
To distinguish it from the naturally existingtiger, which also occurs in heraldry, the older form is traditionally referred to as theheraldic tiger,tyger, ortigre, while the latter is usuallyblazoned as aBengal tiger.[1][2]
The tyger's body is like that of the real tiger, but lacks stripes. Its head does not closely resemble any real animal except perhaps a more massive wolf, and typically has prominent canines and a short curved horn or spike on its snout. It has a thick mane or series of tufts of hair along its neck like a horse, and similar tufts are on its breast and thighs. It has the tufted tail of alion.[1][2] A tygerproper was in medieval times said to be speckled.[3]
As real tigers were unknown to early British heraldists, depictions of this creature were drawn from artists' ideas of this creature that they knew only through secondhand accounts. Consequently, although it originated as an attempt to depict a real creature, the heraldic tyger eventually became highly distinct from the original animal. Real tigers began to appear in British heraldry, although only sporadically, in the eighteenth century as a result ofthe colonization of India within theBritish Empire.[1]
The tyger was said to have its home inArmenia. Its swiftness was supposed to have given its name to "tygris", the Persian word for "arrow", and to the swiftRiver Tigris.[2][3]
If pursued by a tyger, it was supposed to be possible to get away from it by leaving amirror, which would perplex the tyger, or entrance it in admiration of its own beauty.[4] A variant of this account claimed this to be a method used by hunters when taking a tygress' cubs, who would scatter mirrors behind themselves so that the creature will cease her pursuit either to admire her own beauty or because she mistakes her reflection for one of her cubs.[5] As a result, tygers are sometimes depicted looking in a mirror,[5][6] although this particular device is overall uncommon.[2]
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