1 BASIC HERALDRY With Loarn Robertson (Based on A Complete Guide to Heraldry by A.C. Fox-Davis, 1909 reprint). SOME DEFINITIONS: Heraldry relates to the duties of a Herald including armory, ceremonial regulations, and matters of pedigree. Armory rules and laws governing use, display, meaning and knowledge of the pictured signs and emblems relating to a shield, helmet, banner, badge & motto. Arms what is borne on the shield of a complete achievement but is now often used to describe the complete achievement Armiger one who bears arms. Achievement a complete rendition of the shield, crest, mantling, supporters, motto and other physical components that make up the achievement or coat of arms. Coat of Arms strictly speaking this refers to the heraldic devices worn on the surcoat of a medieval knight (see below) or tabard of a herald but is now commonly associated with the complete achievement. Blazon a concise, unequivocal description of an achievement (Coat of Arms) with a specific order of presentation (surface color of field of shield, principal heraldic markings and then lesser markings on the shield, followed by descriptions of the crest, supporters and motto as appropriate). The blazon is usually presented in italics to clearly identify it. Badge an heraldic design used as a mark of distinction or possession. Often a crest but w/o the wreath or the helmet & seen on banners or worn on the chest or sleeve of retainers, or groups. Device an heraldic emblem or other mark distinguishing one individual or entity from another. Often used in medieval tournaments. Marks of Difference or Cadency small marks added to Arms to distinguish male members of a family one from the other. Surcoat of Sir Richard Turville showing his arms front, back, & shoulder. Blazon in English - A red surface color, with a chevron on top with fur markings, between three pierced five-point stars all in silver color.
2 THE COMPLETE ACHIEVEMENT: A Coat of Arms for a Peer might include: 1. Crest 2. Mantling 3. Helmet 4. Coronet 5. Shield or Escutcheon 6. Supporters 7. Compartment 8. Order 9. Motto Crest May be found as a separate item or as part of the achievement above the shield and is always resting on a torso (wreath)/chapeau/coronet or helmet. Mantling was used as a garment to protect the knight from the elements. Later it was used as a decoration for the Arms and attached to the helmet. The ragged edges in mantling are symbolic of combat damage. Helmets change according to rank:
3 1. Sovereign gold and barred facing the viewer. 2. Peer silver with gold bars facing left 3. Knight/ Baronet steel helmet, open visor, facing viewer 4. Squires/Gentlemen closed steel helmet facing left Coronet change according to rank and pertain to Peers who display their coronets between the shield and helmet: 1. Duke- coronet with strawberry leaves only 2. Marquees (Marquis in Scotland) alternating strawberry leaves and silver balls 3. Earl 5 silver balls on stalks alternating with 4 gold strawberry leaves 4. Viscount 9 silver balls in a circle 5. Barons 4 silver balls (lowest but oldest Peer rank). Escutcheon (Shield) most important part of the Achievement. Upon it are various markings called charges. Primary Charges are called Ordinaries of which there are 7 or 8 wide bands in specific geometric designs (Cross, Saltire, Pale, Pile, Chevron, Chief, Bend & Fess). Essentially, anything may be used as a Charge for a Coat of Arms (animal, human form, bird, beast, monster, fish, reptile, insect, tree, leaves, etc.). Partition Lines lines used to divide the shield or Ordinaries. When so divided the word per precedes the ordinary whose direction the line follows e.g. per fess, per chevron, per pale, per bend. Impaling dividing the Shield into 2 halves (per pale) with a line down the middle with arms in both halves. Often done to represent the combined arms of a husband and wife. Quarterly dividing the Shield into 4 quarters (per cross). The most important arm (usually the patronymic) is in the top left quarter. In fact the Shield may be partitioned into any number of divisions. Quartered dividing shield into multiple squares to receive multiple arms. Dexter by convention is the right of the Shield as viewed from the back of the Shield. Sinister by convention is the left of the Shield as viewed from the back of the Shield Left/Right descriptions as otherwise given as if facing the Shield. Supporters are found on either side of a Shield and may take animal of human form. Compartment represented by a grassy knoll or platform upon which the Supporters stand. Orders of Chivalry a chivalric title or honor bestowed by a monarch e.g. Order of the Garter, bestowed originally by King Edward III (c. 1348) allows recipients to encircle their arms with a collar and badge pendant with the image of St. George slaying a dragon on the pendant. Other Insignia such as the coronets of princes and peers, ecclesiastical
4 regalia, batons and badges of high office holders may also be used as decoration within the full achievement. Motto a war cry or phrase of special meaning in any number of languages and placed on a ribbon beneath the compartment. In Scotland the motto is often placed above the crest. Mottoes may not be hereditary and can be changed at will. THE HERALD S PAINT BOX & OTHER THINGS. Colors and Metals colors on a Coat of Arms are called Tinctures: 1. Gules is red 2. Azure is blue 3. Vert is green 4. Purpure is purple. The 2 primary metals also called tinctures are: 1. Argent is silver & appears as a white tincture. 2. Or is gold & appears as a yellow tincture. In compositions (like a seal or engraving) where no color may be used lines or dots can be used to represent colors or metals: 1. Argent is blank or depicted with dots 2. Gules is depicted by vertical lines 3. Azure is depicted by horizontal lines 4. Vert is depicted by diagonal lines running from left to right Animals, Colors, Metals & Displays: 1. Armed Or is an animal displayed with golden claws 2. Rampant is an animal displayed on hind legs looking ahead 3. Rampant Guardant is an animal displayed on hind legs looking out of the Shield 4. Rampant Reguardant is an animal displayed on hind legs turning right around to look backwards 5. Languid Azure is an animal displayed with a blue tongue 6. Proper is an animal or inanimate object in natural colors. Furs ermine and vair are the favorite furs used in heraldry. These are also classified as tinctures. Ermine is often shown as little black tails on a white background while vair is shown as animal pelts and look like a series of small cups joined together and are displayed in blue and white. In theory, furs are classified neither as a metal or a color. Rule of Tincture in general a metal charge may not appear on top of a metal field nor a colored charge on top of a colored field. BUT, there are exceptions e.g. Cross of Jerusalem (cross potent gold on silver), cantons, chiefs, bordures, marks of difference or cadency & others.
5 Simple Blazons: English a gold surfaced shield, a horizontal band red in color. Blazon Or, a fess gules. English a shield divided diagonally from left to right in gold and green. Blazon party per bend or and vert. English a shield in quarters, colored in ermine and blue and over it all a cross in gold. Blazon - quarterly, ermine and azure over all a cross or.