Phoebe Allen

“ If the wife be an heraldic heiress or co-heir, in lieu of impalement, the arms of her family are placed on an escutcheon, being termed an 'escutcheon of pretence,' because ... the husband pretends to the representation of her family."
A widow may have the coat of arms borne by her husband and herself marshalled, not on a shield, but on a lozenge, whilst an unmarried daughter may bear her father's arms on a lozenge also, but without a crest. ”

“ According to some old writers, it was deemed a very honourable charge, because, no one ever having succeeded in capturing this fabulous creature, either dead or alive, they account for this stubborn fact in the following cunning fashion: "The unicorn hath too much greatness of mind to suffer himself to be taken alive, choosing rather to die than to be taken captive." Therefore, a unicorn was considered a very suitable charge for a warrior, who should, of course, share that creature's "greatness of mind." ”

“ The few and comparatively simple rules with regard to blazoning armorial bearings must be rigidly observed. They are the following:
1. In depicting a coat of arms we must always begin with the field.
2. Its tincture must be stated first, whether of metal or colour. This is such an invariable rule that the first word in the description of arms is always the tincture, the word "field" being so well understood that it is never mentioned. Thus, when the field of a shield is azure, the blazon begins "Az.," the charges being mentioned next, each one of these being named before its colour. ”

“ The Earl of Scarborough's coat of arms shows no quarterings. Here the field is divided fesswise and charged with three parrots (they are usually termed popinjays in heraldry) . A pelican in her piety is the crest, whilst we find parrots again with wings inverted as supporters. These arms are of great antiquity, having been adopted by Sir Marmaduke Lumley, who derived them from his mother, Lucia, co-heiress of the ancient house of Thweng in the beginning of the fourteenth century. Their motto is, "A sound conscience is a wall of brass." ”

“ In gratitude for that monkey's devotion, John Fitzgerald adopted a monkey for his crest, whilst two additional apes act as supporters to the Duke of Leinster's shield. Thus, you see, in this case it is the golden deed of a far-away monkey that heraldry keeps alive.
The arms of the Marquess of Hertford are very pretty ones, and afford a good example of the use of the pile as an augmentation of honour. It is introduced into the first and fourth grand quarters, bearing the charge of three lions, whilst the second and third quarters are occupied by two wings conjoined by lure. ”

“ Mythical creatures—dragons and cockatrices, and even mermaidens—have also found their way into heraldry, just as we find traditions and legends still lingering in the history of nations, like the pale ghosts of old-world beliefs. ”

“ Perhaps you think that explanation of heraldry sounds rather dull, but you will soon find out that very much that is interesting and amusing, too, is associated with the study of armorial bearings.
For heraldry, which, you know, was reckoned as one of the prime glories of chivalry, is the language that keeps alive the golden deeds done in the world, and that is why those who have once learnt its [pg 2] secrets are always anxious to persuade others to learn them too. ”

“ In the coat of arms of the Duke of Wurtemberg and Teck, we find three antlers charged horizontally across the shield.
A reindeer is drawn in heraldry with double antlers, one pair erect and one drooping.
The boar was deemed a specially suitable badge for a soldier, who should rather die valorously upon the field than secure himself by ignominious flight. Both the Tregarthens and Kellets bear a single boar, whilst a boar's head, either singly or in threes, occurs very constantly in coats of arms. ”

“ The Cartwrights bear a comet; whilst the rainbow is charged on the Ponts' shield, and is also borne as a crest by the Pontifex, Wigan, and Thurston families. The Carnegies use a thunderbolt as their crest.
We now come to the elements—fire, water, earth, and air, which all occur as charges, but not often, in armorial bearings.
Fire, in the form of flames, is perhaps the most frequent charge. The Baikie family bear flames, whilst we have seen the picture of a church window in Gloucestershire, where a coat of arms is represented with a chevron between three flames of fire. ”

“ Many historical stories are connected with the different charges we have just been describing, but we have only space to mention two, referring respectively to the fesse and the saltire.
The former reminds us of the origin of the arms of Austria, which date from the Siege of Acre, where our Cœur-de-Lion won such glory. It was here that Leopold, Duke of Austria, went into battle, clad in a spotlessly white linen robe, bound at the waist with his knight's belt. On returning from the field, the Duke's tunic was "total gules"—blood-red—save where the belt had protected the white of the garment. ”

“ There are special terms for blazoning roses. Thus, when, as in No. 7 of Fig. 36, it is represented with five small projecting sepals of the calyx, and seeded, it must be blazoned "a rose barbed and seeded"; when it has a stalk and one leaf it is "slipped," but with a leaf on either side of the stalk, it is "stalked and leaved." A rose surrounded with rays is blazoned "a rose in sun" (rose en soleil) . Heraldic roses are by no means always red, for the Rocheforts bear azure roses, the Smallshaws a single rose vert, whilst the Berendons have three roses sable. ”

“ And now at last we have reached those charges connected with that "most noble creature, man," who, as we are told, "is borne in heraldic achievements both limbwise and entire. And as a man should be represented in his greatest dignity, a king should be depicted on his throne, a bishop in his robes, a soldier in military habit, and so on." ”

“ A single lion is a very frequent charge, but two lions are rarer. The Hanmers of Flintshire, descended from Sir John Hanmer in the reign of Edward I., have two lions, and we find two lions "rampant combatant"—that is, clawing each other—"langued armed" in the Wycombe coat of arms; whilst one, Garrad of London, bears two lions "counter-rampant"—i.e., back to back, and very droll they look. Demi-lions rampant also occur in armorial bearings.
The different parts of a lion are much used ”

“ The shield of a coat of arms usually presents a plain surface, but it is sometimes enriched with a bordure—literally border. This surface is termed the "field," "because, as I believe," says Guillim, "it bore those ensigns which the owner's valour had gained for him on the field." ”

“ In the royal arms of Seville, we find "a crowned and sceptered king on his seat royal," wearing his ermine cape, but as a matter of fact, the whole human figure occurs very rarely as a charge in a coat of arms.
"A wild man of the woods, with a garland round his [pg 60] head and waist and a club on his shoulder, standing between two forest trees," is charged on the shield of the Mayo family, and Basil Wood bears three demi-savages, each with a club. Human heads and limbs are more frequently used. ”

“ In concluding this chapter we must add that one of the first rules to be learnt in heraldry is that in arranging the tinctures of a coat of arms, metal can never be placed upon metal, nor colour upon colour. The field must therefore be gold or silver if it is to receive a coloured charge, or vice versa. ”

“ Eagles are of such wide and constant occurrence in heraldry that we cannot attempt to do justice to them here. A single eagle is borne by the Earls of Dalhousie and Southesk, and by seven families of Bedingfield. A double-headed eagle was rather a favourite charge, and coats of arms displaying as many as six eagles are very commonly met with. But an eagle blazoned "close" is a rare charge.5 Parts of an eagle, such as head, wings, talons, and legs often appear in armorial bearings as separate charges. ”

“ A boar is blazoned "armed of his tusk" or "armed and langued," when his tongue is shown of a different tincture. Moreover, as Mr. Fox-Davies [pg 44] reminds us in his interesting "Guide to Heraldry," an English boar's head is described as "couped" or erased "at the neck," but the Scotch herald would blazon the same charge as "couped and erased" "close."
The Earl of Vere takes a boar for his crest, in allusion to his name, verre being the Latin for boar. ”

“ The banner was a square flag, very often representing the whole coat of arms of the bearer, in exactly the same way as a shield was blazoned. A banner was carried by all above the rank of a knight, kings included.
An emperor's banner was 6 feet square, a king's 5, a nobleman's only 3.
The standard was the third variety of early heraldic flags. It was chiefly in use in the fifteenth century, though some standards were certainly in use some fifty years sooner.
In old days the term "standard" was loosely applied to any large flag on which a badge and motto were represented ”

“ The tabard—really, a tunic—was originally worn over mail armour, being blazoned back and front, as it is now, with the arms of the sovereign for the time being.
Though the general name of tabard was given to this particular kind of official garment, it was further distinguished by the term of "tunique," when worn by the King-at-Arms. It was then made of "riche fyne velvet." When worn by the heralds, the tabard was known as a "plasque," and made of satin, whilst the pursuivant's tabard was called a "coat of arms," and made of damask silk.
A King-at-Arms ranks first amongst heraldic officials. ”

“ Sir W. Thompson's shield is charged with the sun and three stars. The sun eclipsed occurs occasionally in armorial bearings; it is then represented thus: Or, the sun sable.
The moon occurs very often in early coats of arms, either full, when she is blazoned "the moon in her complement," or in crescent. The Defous bear a very comical crescent, representing a human profile. Of these arms, the old herald says severely: "A weak eye and a weaker judgment have found the face of a man in the moon, wherein we have gotten that fashion of representing the moon with a face." ”

“ Thus, some believe the chief to represent the helmet of the warrior, the fesse his belt or band, the bar "one of the great peeces of tymber which be used to debarre the enemy from entering any city." The pale was thought by some to represent the warrior's lance, by others the palings by which cities and camps were guarded; the cross was borne by those who fought for the faith; the bend was interpreted by some to refer to the shoulder-scarf of the knight, whilst others describe it as "a scaling-ladder set aslope." Another variety of the scaling-ladder was represented by the saltire. ”

“ The next thing to be blazoned is the principal charge on the field. If this does not happen to be one of the chief ordinaries, or if no ordinary occurs in the coat of arms, as in Fig. 38, then that charge should be named which occupies the fesse point, and in this case the position of the charge is never mentioned, because it is understood that it occupies the middle of the field. When there are two or more charges on the same field, but none actually placed on the fesse point, then that charge is blazoned first which is nearest the centre and then those which are more remote. ”

“ The roundlet is simply a ring of metal or colour, and is much used in coats of arms at all periods of heraldry. The family of Wells bears a roundlet to represent a fountain, whilst the Sykes charge their shield with three roundlets, in allusion to their name, "sykes" being an old term for a well. ”

“ An ostrich is usually represented with a horseshoe in its mouth, because it was a popular idea that an ostrich could digest iron.7 In Sir Titus Salt's arms we find a demi-ostrich holding a horseshoe in its beak. Lord Churston's shield is supported on the right by an ostrich with a horseshoe in its beak, as is Lord Carysfort's, but his ostrich is represented with a key in its beak. ”

“ We cannot say much of the toads,2 tortoises, serpents, grasshoppers, spiders, and snails which occur in heraldry.
2: The legend which connects toads with the fleur-de-lys in the arms of France is too well known to need repetition here.
The Gandys of Suffolk bear a single tortoise passant, and a tortoise erected occurs on the Coopers' coat of arms.
Serpents are blazoned in terms peculiar to themselves. Thus, a serpent coiled, is said to be nowed—knotted—from the French nœud, a knot; when upright on its tail, it is erect; gliding, it is glissant also from the French ”

“ The family of Fitzurse charge their shield with a single bear passant, the Barnards have a bear "rampant and muzzled," whilst the Beresfords' bear is both "muzzled and collared." The Berwycks bear a bear's head, "erased and muzzled," and three bears' heads appear in the arms of the Langham, Brock, and Pennarth families.
A wolf is borne by Sir Edward Lowe of Wilts, Sir Daniel Dun, and by the Woods of Islington. A wolf's head appears very early in armorial bearings; Hugh, surnamed Lupus, Earl of Chester and nephew of William I., used a wolf's head as his badge. ”

“ The Carricks and Burgoynes bear one talbot on their shield, whilst the Talbot family have three talbots passant.
The Earl of Perth has a "sleuthhound, collared and leashed" for his crest; that of the Biscoe family is a greyhound seizing a hare. A dog chasing another animal must be blazoned either "in full course" or "in full chase." A foxhound nosing the ground is described as "a hound on scent."
The fox rarely figures in heraldry. ”

“ The people being meanwhile assembled and the hour having struck, the trumpets sounded to the combat, whereupon Redman, suddenly awakening out of his sleep, ran furiously upon his adversary and slew him. ”

“ Arms.—Arg: saltire gu:
Crest.—Monkey statant ppr. environed round the loins and chained or.
Supporters.—Two monkeys environed and chained or.
Motto.—Crom a boo.
Thus every detail of a coat of arms has its own message to deliver, and must not be overlooked. Let us begin with the shield, which is as necessary a part of any heraldic achievement1 as the canvas of a painting is to the picture portrayed upon it.
1: Any complete heraldic composition is described as an achievement.
It actually serves as the vehicle for depicting the coat of arms. ”