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In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field on an escutcheon (or shield). Charge can also be a verb; for example, if an escutcheon bears three lions, then it is said to be charged with three lions. It is important to distinguish between divisions of the field and charges, and to note that charges can themselves be charged with a superimposed image. Sometimes the significance or the allusion behind the charge(s) may be given in the blazon, but this is generally regarded as poor practice. Thousands of objects found in nature, mythology or technology have appeared in armory, in addition to charges that are unique to heraldry. This article lists only those charges frequently seen, which contribute to the distinctive flavor of heraldic design; a more exhaustive list will be found at List of heraldic charges. Charges can be animals, objects or geometric constructs. The ordinaries are sometimes called proper charges, with other charges being known as common charges. In French blazon the ordinaries are called pièces while other charges, which may be placed anywhere on the shield, are called meubles (i.e. "mobile"; the same word also means "furniture" in modern French). Proper charges Main article: Ordinary (heraldry) Heraldic writers traditionally distinguish, somewhat arbitrarily, between honourable ordinaries and sub-ordinaries. It is often said that only nine charges are honourable ordinaries, but exactly which nine fit into this category is a subject of disagreement. It is sometimes said that only those ordinaries each of whose widths is one-fifth or more of the total width of the escutcheon is honourable. Narrower or smaller versions of these ordinaries are called diminutives. The names of the diminutives are omitted here for brevity. Honourable Ordinaries Several different figures are recognised as honourable ordinaries. Each normally occupies one-fifth to one-third of the field; the precise amount depends on whether there are other charges on the ordinary or on the field. Care must be taken in blazoning when two or more ordinaries or subordinaries, or diminutives thereof, are depicted "conjoined". Sub-Ordinaries As well as those mentioned in the above section whose status as honourable ordinaries is disputed, there are several other charges recognised as sub-ordinaries. Common charges Common charges include land animals and fish and birds. The heraldic depictions need not, and usually do not, exactly resemble the actual creatures. Mythical creatures used in heraldry are sometimes called "monsters". Inanimate objects are also used; many of them resemble flowers and floral designs. Simple charges A number of frequent 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, e.g. in crests – they are more usefully considered here. Several other simple charges occur often enough to be grouped with these: In English heraldry the crescent, mullet, martlet, annulet, fleur-de-lis and rose may be added to a shield to distinguish cadet branches of a family from the senior line. It does not follow, however, that a shield containing such a charge belongs to a cadet branch. All of these charges occur frequently in basic (undifferenced) coats of arms. Human or manlike beings Humans, deities, angels and demons occur more often as crests and supporters than on the shield. The largest group of human charges consists of saints, often as the patron of a town. Knights, bishops, monks and nuns, kings and queens also occur frequently. The savage or wild man wears only a loincoth made of leaves, and usually carries a club. Greco-Roman mythological figures typically appear in an allegorical or canting role. Angels very frequently appear, but angelic beings of higher rank, such as cherubim and seraphim, are extremely rare. An archangel appears in the arms of Arkhangelsk. The Devil (or a demon) is occasionally seen, being defeated by the archangel Saint 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 of God or Christ, though an exception may be in the not-uncommon Continental depictions of Madonna and Child, including the Black Madonna in the arms of Marija Bistrica, Croatia.* There are rare occurrences of a child, both the head and entire. A famous example is the child swallowed by a reptile in the arms of Visconti dukes of Milan. Races and nationalities of humans Particularly in Europe, the "default" human is almost always depicted as one of European ancestry, though contrary examples can very occasionally be seen.*) "Humans" so blazoned are rare, though there are some examples.* Generally speaking, there is only one type of woman: young, beautiful and blonde, with disheveled hair (though there are occasional instances of her hair being braided), and appearing more often as a bust than head. The American Indian occasionally appears in heraldry though far more often as a supporter than a charge. The Moor or "blackamoor" is inaccurately shown as being (sub-Saharan) African, although James Parker states that an "African" appears in the arms of Routell,* Turks appear frequently in Balkan armory, as defeated enemies. Parts of human bodies Parts of human bodies occur more often than the whole, particularly heads (often of exotic nationality), hearts (always stylized), hands, and armored limbs. A famous heraldic hand is the Red Hand of Ulster, alluding to an incident in the legendary Milesian invasion. Ribs occur in Iberian armory, canting for Costa.* The Neapolitan family of Coglione bore "per fess argent and gules, three pairs of testicles counterchanged".* This charge has sometimes been described and rendered as a heart inverted. Mammals The beast most often portrayed in heraldry is the lion. When posed passant guardant (walking and facing the viewer), he is called a léopard in French blazon. Other beasts frequently seen include wolf, bear, boar, horse, bull or ox, stag. The tiger (unless blazoned as a Bengal tiger) is a fanciful beast with a wolflike body, a mane and a pointed snout. Dogs (of various breeds) occur more often as crests or supporters than as charges. The unicorn resembles a horse with a single horn, but its hooves are usually cloven like those of deer. The griffin combines the head (but with ears), chest, wings and forelegs of the eagle with the hindquarters and legs of a lion. The male griffin lacks wings and his body is scattered with spikes. Birds Sea beasts Fish of various species often appear in canting arms, e.g.: pike for Pike; luce (perch) for Lucy; dolphin (a conventional kind of fish rather than the natural mammal) for the Dauphin de Viennois. The escallop (scallop shell) became popular as a token of pilgrimage to the shrine of Santiago de Compostela. The sea-lion and sea-horse, like the mermaid, combine the foreparts of a mammal with the tail of a fish, and a dorsal fin in place of the mane. (When the natural seahorse is meant, it is blazoned as a hippocampus.) The sea-dog and sea-wolf are quadrupeds but with scales, webbed feet, and often a flat tail resembling that of the beaver. Reptiles and invertebrates Parts 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 antler (attire) of the stag. Heads of horned beasts (bull, stag) are typically shown caboshed: face-on, so as to display the horns, and with no neck visible. Other heads are usually shown in profile. Sometimes only the forward half of a beast is shown; for example, the demi-lion is among the most common forms of crest. Attitude of animals The position, or attitude, of the creature's body is also described. By default, the charge faces the left, as seen by the viewer; this would be forward on a shield worn on the left arm (leaving the right hand to hold a weapon). Certain features of an animal are often of a contrasting tincture. The charge is then said to be armed (claws and horns), langued (tongue), pizzled (penis), attired (antlers), unguled (hooves), crined (horse's mane) of a specified tincture. Quadrupeds Fish A straight horizontal fish is naiant (swimming); an arched horizontal fish is embowed. If the fish is vertical, and its head is upward, it is hauriant; if its head is downward, the fish is urinant. Serpents Frequent positions for serpents are glissant (gliding) and nowed (knotted). An ouroboros is a snake looped with its tail in its mouth. The rattlesnake, uniquely, may be coiled to strike. Birds The terminology for birds is based on the position of the wings. Plants Plants are extremely common in heraldry and figure among the earliest charges. (The colonial-era arms of Tlemcen, Algeria are unusual in that they contain generic "plants".) The turnip, for instance, makes an early appearance, as does wheat. When the fruit of a tree, branch, or the like is mentioned, as it generally will only be if it is of a different tincture, it is said to be fructed of the tincture. The arms of the French family of Fenoyer provide a perhaps unique example in which the number of "pieces" of the "fructed" is stated. Grain crops Flowers The most famous heraldic flower is the fleur-de-lis, which is often stated to be a stylised lily, though despite the name there is considerable debate on this. The "natural" lily, somewhat stylised, also occurs, as (together with the fleur-de-lys) in the arms of Eton College. The rose is perhaps even more widely seen than the fleur-de-lis. Its heraldic form is derived from the "wild" type with only five petals. It is often barbed (the hull of the bud, its points showing between the petals) and seeded in contrasting tinctures. The thistle frequently appears as a symbol of Scotland. The trefoil, quatrefoil and cinquefoil are abstract forms resembling flowers. The trillium flower occurs occasionally in a Canadian context, and the protea flower constantly appears in South Africa. Fruits Apples and bunches of grapes occur very frequently, other fruits less so. Trees When the species of a tree is specified, it is drawn in a stylized form so that its fruit (if any) and the shape of its leaves are conspicuous. The most frequent tree by far is the oak, followed by the pine. A small group of trees is blazoned as a "hurst", which is distinguished from a forest. In Portuguese heraldry but rarely in the heraldry of other countries trees are sometimes found decorticated. Other plants Astronomical The sun is a disc with twelve or more wavy rays, or alternating wavy and straight rays. The moon is occasionally depicted "in her plenitude" (full), distinguished from a roundel argent by having a face; but crescents occur much more frequently. Estoiles are stars with wavy rays; pole stars are occasionally differentiated. Weather Geology and geography The oldest charge of this class is the mount, typically a green hilltop rising from the lower edge of the field, providing a place for a beast or a building to stand. This feature is exceedingly common in Hungarian arms. A charge distinctive to Italian arms is a mount stylized as a 'pyramid' of three or six domed cylinders. Natural mountains and boulders are not unknown, though ranges of mountains are diffently shown. An example is the arms of Edinburgh, portraying Edinburgh Castle atop Castle 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, Admiral Lord Nelson received a chief of augmentation containing a landscape alluding to the Battle of the Nile. Tools Tools include: The wheel is almost invariably a carriage wheel. Ships, boats and water transport Ships of various types often appear; the most frequent being the ancient lymphad. Also frequent are anchors and oars. Clothing Buckles occur not infrequently, including the stylized boucle d'Oise. The ecclesiastical hat and bishop's mitre are not uncommon. Crowns and coronets of various kinds are constantly seen. The maunch is a lady's sleeve, highly stylized, resembling a fancifully-written letter M; in French blazon it is called manche mal taillée, a sleeve badly cut. Buildings By far the most frequent building in heraldry is the tower, a tapering cylinder of masonry topped with battlements, usually having a door and a few windows. A castle is two towers joined by a wall; but the canting arms of the Kingdom of Castile are Gules, a tower triple-turreted Or, i.e. three small towers standing atop a larger one. Civic and ecclesiastical armory often shows a church or a whole town. Sometimes a specific building is depicted; e.g. the shield of the city of Edinburgh has a representation of Edinburgh Castle atop Castle Rock. Bridges, variously and usually more fully described, often occur. Industrial Music Musical instruments commonly seen are the harp (as in the coat of arms of Ireland), bell and trumpet. The drum, almost without exception, is a field drum type. Weapons and militaria The sword is sometimes a symbol of authority, as in the royal arms of the Netherlands, but more often alludes to Saint Paul, as the patron of a town (e.g. London) or dedicatee of a church. Other weapons occur more often in modern than in earlier heraldry. Flags of various kinds occasionally appear as charges. Writing Books constantly occur, most frequently in the arms of colleges and universities, though the Gospel and Bible 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 on "house-marks", abstract symbols resembling runes, though they are almost never blazoned as runes, but as a combination of other heraldic charges. | |||||||
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