Guide to Heraldry

Ordinaries | Tinctures | Charges | Alphabetic Glossary

Heraldry developed its own language and system of rules. The three principle elements were Tinctures, which is to say the colorings; Ordinaries, the various areas that were colored; and Charges, the animals, figures, and devices upon the shields.

Ordinaries

Ordinaries are the basic divisions of the shield. See the illustration at right. Those given as "per bend" or "per pale" are sometimes called "party per bend" or pale, which is to say, "in parts, in the manner of a bend. Note there is no "per cross," as this is called "quartered."

Ordinaries may or may not be "charged," which is to say, have a picture on it. The location of charges may be described as if they were on an ordinary. For instance, three leopard faces stacked vertically up the middle of the shield might be called "three leopard faces palewise."

Variations: A bend that goes from upper right to lower left is a bend sinister. A fess below the midlined of the shield is a fess abased. The edges of many ordinaries could be varied. If it looked like a castle battlements, it was embattled, it could also be wavy or scalloped. Finally, a shield could be striped, which would be "fessy" if horizontal, "bendy" if diagonal, etc. "Paley by six" would be six vertical stripes.

Tinctures

"Tinctures" is the name for the coloring of shields, which is broken up into two main categories: colors and metals. White and yellow are "metals" (gold and silver), other colors are "colors." As a rule, colors should not be placed next to or on metals, and vice versa. A third variation is called "fur," which is not common in the Seven Nations, except for "piney" on the Uliante Arms, which technically isn't a fur anyway, but it functions as one. Furs may be next to colors or metals, but not each other.

Metals: Argent (Silver or White), and Or (Gold or Yellow)

Colors: The classics are Gules (Red), Vert (Green), Azure (Blue), and Sable (Black). Less common are Purpure (Purple), Tawney (orange), and Sanguine (brown). Traditionally "Gules" is a bright, scarlet red, and "Sanguine" a reddish-brown.

In descriptions, to avoid saying "Gules" over and over, the phrases "of the same" or "of the second" are sometimes used. For instance, "Beneathe a Chief Gules, a Lion Rampant of the Same," or "Argent, among three trefoils Vert, upon a Fusil Azure, a Beacon of the First."

Charges

"Charges" are animals and objects placed on the shield. There are many options, some obvious and some more curious. There are many descriptive names for their positions, and some vary depending on the animal. For instance, a wolf or dragon "walking," which is to say posed with the hind legs spread and one foreleg raised, is said to be "passant," but a horse or antelope in this same pose is "trippant." A charge that is portrayed in its actual life colors is said to be "proper." Thus the difference between "a corbie sable" and "a corbie proper" is that the latter has a yellow eye.

Certain charges in certain positions have their own particular names. "The Pelican in Her Piety" is a pelican on a nest, making herself bleed so her chicks can eat her blood. "The Heron in His Vigilance" is one of these.

Glossary

Annulet—A ring of color, a doughtnut shape (see illustration at right). Distinct from a Rondel

Argent—White or Silver, considered a "metal" rather than a "color" (see tinctures)

Armed—bearing a weapon. Often used to designate the color of claws, as "Armed Azure."
Armed and Langued—designates the color of claws and tongue.

Azure—Blue

Bend—a band of color diagonally from dexter-chief (upper right as holding the shield) to sinister base (lower left as holding the shield). (see illustration at right).
Bendwise—in the direction of a bend, diagonally from dexter to sinister, such as a sword bendwise. The opposite diagonal is counter-bendwise.
per Bend—divided in half diagonally.

Border—a band of color about the edge of the shield (see illustration at right). Contrast with Escutcheon.

Caboshed—a head displayed without a neck. Compare with Erased and Couped.

Canton—a square in dexter-chief (upper right as holding the shield). A Canton is smaller than a Quarter.
Cantoned—placed in the dexter-chief.

Charge—A figure or picture, such as a lion or dragon, as distinct from an ordinary

Chevron—a band of color forming and inverted V on the shield (see illustration at right).
per Chevron—divided in half by an inverted V-shape line.

Chief—a band of color across the top of the shield (see illustration at right), OR a charge in this position, OR the upper third of the shield.

Combatant—Fighting. Two predatory beasts Rampant and facing each other.

Corbie—a kind of raven

Couchant—Resting. A couchant beast has head raised and forepaws extended before.

Couped—a head displayed with the neck ending in a straight line. Compare caboshed and erased.

Counter-changed—of opposite color to the background. A sword on an Argent shield across a Purpure Fess would be Purpure above and below the Fess and Argent within the Fess.

Cross—two bands of color forming a cross on a shield (see illustration at right). Note that what would be represented by "per Cross" is actually called "Quartered."

Erased—a head displayed with the neck ending in a ragged line, as if torn off. Compare caboshed and couped.

Escutcheon—a shield-shaped ordinary in the middle of the shield (see illustration at right). Note distinction from a border.
Inescutcheon—placed into an escutcheon, often said of an entire coat of arms added to another arms.

Estoile—an eight-pointed star with wavy lines

Fess—a band of color horizontally across the middle of the shield (see illustration at right) OR a charge in this position.
Fesswise— in the manner of a Fess, horizontal, such as a "sword fesswise."
per Fess—divided in half horizontally.
Fess abased—a fess that passes through the lower third of the shield.

Fusil—a diamond shape (see illustration at right).

Gules—Red

Haurient—Rising. Said of a fish in a vertical position.

Or—Yellow or Gold, considered a "metal" rather than a "color" (see tinctures)

Ordinary—A shape on a shield, such as a band of color, as distinct from a charge. See illustration at right.

Pale—a band of color running vertically up a shield (see illustration at right).
Palewise—vertical, in the direction of a pale.
per Pale— divided in half vertically.
Impaled—two entire coats of arms, each occupying a vertical half of the shield. Sometimes the arms are literally split, sometimes reduced to fit.

Passant—walking. Said of a charge of a predatory beast depicted with on forepaw raised and rear legs spread fore and aft. A beast "of the chase" in this position is said to be Trippant.

Piney—a pattern consisting of green and white herringbone

Proper—in its proper or natural color

Purpure—Purple

Quartered—divided into quarters, forming four squares (if divided on the diagonal forming four triangles, this is per Saltire). Sometimes two entire coats of arms are "Quartered," meaning that each coat appears twice in the diagonally opposite corners. OR Quartered can refer to the locations of four charges.

Rampant—Rampaging. Said of a charge of a predatory beast in a rearing position. A Gryphon in this pose is said to be Sangreant.

Rondel—a filled circle of color (see illustration at right), distinct from an Annulet

Sable—Black

Salient—leaping. Differs from Rampant in that both forepaws are raised. Beasts "of the chase" in this position are said to be "Leaping."

Saltire—two bands of color forming an X (see illustration at right).
Saltirewise—in the shape of a saltire, crossed.
per Saltire—divided in quarters on the diagonal, forming four triangles.

Sangreant—used instead of Rampant to describe the same pose in the case of a Gryphon.

Sanguine—Brown

Sejant—sitting, with head and body in profile.
Sejant at Gaze—sitting in profile, but head turned to "gaze" at the viewer.
Sejant Affronte—sitting facing forward.

Statant—standing, with all four legs vertical.

Talbot—a kind of hound

Tawney—Orange

Tincture—the coloring of arms, considered in two categories: Colors and Metals. Colors are Azure, Gules, Purpure, Sanguine, Sable, and Tawney (Blue, Red, Purple, Brown, Black, Orange), Metals are Argent and Or (Silver or White and Gold or Yellow). In general, colors are placed on metals rather than other colors, and likewise metals are placed on colors. Another category of tincture, Furs, is not represented among the Seven Nations, excepting the designation Piney.

Trefoil—three-leafed clover.

Trippant—used instead of Passant to describe the same pose in the case of a beast "of the chase."

Vert—Green