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This article does not cover those charges which derive their shape in part from that of the field; see Ordinary .

"Subordinary" charges

A few simple charges are traditionally, and arbitrarily, classified among the subordinaries. (All other mobile charges are called common charges.)

A lozenge is a rhombus, similar to the diamond of playing-cards (though its sides are never concave). A narrower lozenge may be called a fusil. A mascle is a lozenge voided, i.e. with a lozenge-shaped hole; a rustre is a lozenge pierced, i.e. with a round hole.

A billet is a rectangle, sometimes representing a sheet of paper or a piece of firewood. Its long side is normally vertical.
  • a billet with ends splayed in three points appears in the arms of Khienburg[119217]
  • It is important to distinguish the billet from the delf, a square charge that when occurring singly, in one of the stainard colours and when not itself charged, in supposed to be an abatement. Sometimes the delf is euphemised as a "square billet."[119218]
  • The delf is distinguished in terminology if not in form from the square, which rarely occurs, the arms of Charlottetownmarker, Prince Edward Islandmarker, Canadamarker including "a square... joined at each corner with a smaller square Vert". But the more usual use of the term square in heraldry is for the carpenter's square. The gad must be distinguished from all of these.[119219]


A circular ring is called an annulet; a solid circle is called a roundel.

Supernatural or Divine beings

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 Bistricamarker, Croatiamarker.[119220]

Christianity



Other religions



Humans

Humans may be used as charges, usually as head rather than as whole individuals. (Particularly in Europe, the "default" human is almost always depicted as one of European ancestry, though contrary examples can very occasionally be seen. [119239] [119240]) "Humans" so blazoned are rare, though there are some examples, such as a group of people[119241] (a human figure made of honeycomb-like cells appears in the arms of Machetámarker, Colombia.)[119242]

However, there are a number of frequently-occurring types of men, usually just as heads.
  • The Moor or "blackamoor" is accurately shown as being African, although James Parker states that an "African" appears in the arms of Roupell of Chartham Park.[119245]
  • Englishman
  • A "négre" (= Negro): in the arms of Braunjohan.
  • Saracen
  • Saxon
  • Turk
  • Welshmanmarker
  • The head of a Greek warrior: in the arms of the 642d Military Intelligence Battalion[119246].
  • A "conquistador's head": in the arms of the 202d Field Artillery Regiment[119247], of the United States Army.
  • An Aboriginal head: in the arms of the city of Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia.[119248]
  • The "bust of a Jew": in the arms of Jud de Bruckberg.


Generally speaking, there is only one type of woman (young, beautiful and blonde, with disheveled hair, but there are occasional instances of her hair being braided), and appearing more often as a bust than head.
  • A brunette [with an eagle's beak in place of a nose]: Elzanowski et Elzanowski-Sepiathere
  • A Moorish woman: Apfaltrer d'Apfaltrera.
  • "The upper body of a Xhosa woman": in the arms of Lingelethu.
The "maiden" or "virgin" overlaps with the woman to a large degree. A "maiden in her modesty" is one who is covering her breasts with one arm and her groin with the other hand.

There are rare occurrences of the child, both the head and entire, and while almost without exception and by default a child is defined as a boy, the arms of Frans Bernhard Staal specify a "male child" (but in the arms of Maravilhamarker, Brazil the children are specified to be male and female).[119250]
  • A young girl appears in the arms of Boul.


There are a number of appearances of the "infant"

[Y]outh's heads: in the arms of Davidson[119252]

Races and nationalities of humans

The American Indian occasionally appears in heraldry though far more often as a supporter than a charge.

Human occupations



Named individuals

In British heraldry it is highly unusual to depict a particular named individual on the shield.

Attitudes of humans

Humans are standing and affronty unless otherwise stated (sometimes this is specified though it is not necessary); there is at least one example of a statant affronty with the description going into more precise detail.[119278] There are occasional examples of people kneeling. Walking people are sometimes described as ambulant.

There are occasional instances of people sitting in chairs, and the arms of the Diocese of Clogher provides an example of sitting and leaning toward the sinister his right hand upraised in benediction.[119279]

A Yaqui performing the Deer Dance appears in the arms of Sonoramarker, Mexico.[119280]

The arms of Lenguazaque, Cundinamarca, Colombia contain a miner in the midst of work,[119281] and there are other similar (though sometimes anomalous or arguably not in strict accordance with the rules) examples of men whose attitude is determined by their occupation.

Parts of human bodies

Parts of human bodies, in addition to the head, that occur include the arm, leg and skull. If possible to determine the difference, the "default" is supposed to be a man's, though a woman's arm occurs in the arms of Beyer de Boppard.

Animals

Heraldic depictions of "real" animals need not, and usually do not, exactly resemble the actual creatures. Mythical creatures used in heraldry are sometimes called "monsters".

Except the griffin, beasts in heraldry are male unless otherwise specified.

Carnivores

  • The beast most seen in armory, and indeed one of the most frequent charges of all, is the lion.
  • The heraldic tyger is an imaginary monster; where natural beast appears (typically in arms associated with India), it is blazoned as a Bengal tiger.
  • leopard (which may be used to describe the lion "passant guardant" [see attitudes below] rather than the natural leopard; if an attitude is described it will be the natural leopard though technically it should not be shown as spotted unless this is mentioned in the blazon)
  • ounce (snow leopard)
  • bobcat: the arms of the Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division of the United States Army[119296]
  • cheetah: the head, upper body and forepaws of a cheetah proper winged Or appear in the arms of the 2d Squadron of the South African Air Force[119297]
  • The cat has two forms: the "cat-a-mount", and the domestic cat, the latter called just a "cat". Only rarely is the breed described; Himalayan cats are known. A female cat appears in a handful of coats of arms.
  • wolf
  • She-wolf: the arms of Cormaranche en Bugey Ain, France),
  • fox (occasionally including the arctic fox) It is sometimes used as a punning reference to names, and is used by some ancient European families, notably with names like Vossmarker [119298]
  • dog; in addition to the generically-blazoned type, the
    • Boxer dog's head appears in the arms of the Federation of Boxer Clubs of South Africa
  • bear (including, rarely, the polar bear) frequently appears
  • "brock" (badger) (occasional)
  • ermine (occasional)
  • cougar (rare)
    • "winged cougar": arms of the Anglican Parish of St. Mark, Qualicum Beach, British Columbia[119299]
  • raccoon (rare)


Hoofed animals



Other mammals



Reptiles and amphibians



Fish and other sea animals

"Fish" are sometimes only described as "a fish", but the species is often named:

Birds

There are rare examples of a "bird", not more specifically named;[119322] a "stylized bird" appears in the arms of the 890th Engineer Battalion of the United States Army.[119323]

Oft-used birds include the eagle (sometimes having two heads, and there is at least one example of a three-headed eagle[119324]); the bateleur is distinguished in at least one blazon.

Invertebrates

Insects include:

Mythical

Several mythical creatures are also used as charges; however, it should be noted that this distinction has no real significance, as many mythical creatures were believed to be real when they were inducted into heraldry, and as a whole they are not treated differently than any other beasts.
  • dragon: another common charge, depicted as large and reptilian, with a forked tongue, an eagle's eyes, and a bat's wings. (The number of "membranes" in the wings may be specified.[119338])
  • wyvern: similar to a dragon, but with only two legs.
  • These pre-date the appearance of several types of Oriental dragons including:-
  • The generally-described "Chinese dragon"
  • Another Chinese monster, the qilin: in the arms of Captain Benjamin Lee.[119340]
  • mermaid: not infrequently.
  • Phoenix: including in a Chinese type in the arms of Adrienne Clarkson)
  • unicorn
  • sphinx: not depicted in the familiar way, but with the head and breasts of a woman.


Many other monsters are compound creatures.
  • A simple example is the griffin, combining 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); there is at least one example of the double-headed griffin.
  • The hippogriff is like the griffin except that the lion parts of the griffin are replaced by those of a horse.
  • The pegasus is a winged horse.
  • The sea-lion is a combination of a lion and a fish.
  • A half-eagle, half-tiger (an eagle dimidiated with a tiger) creature figured in the arms granted to Fernando de Tapia.[119341]
  • In Canada compound creatures such as the raven-bear and raven-wolf appear.
  • a winged chimera with the feet of an eagle figured in the arms of Fada of Verona[119342]


Parts of Animals

Parts of creatures may also be used as charges.The most frequent parts used as charges are the head, the gamb (or limb) and the paw.
  • If the part is erased, then it is depicted with ragged edges, as if it had been ripped from the animal's body.
  • If the part is couped, then it is depicted with a straight edge, as if it were neatly severed.
  • demi (as in, for instance, demi-lion) means that the upper half of an animal alone is to be shown.
  • If an animal is shown in its entirety, but with the head, tail and limbs separated from the body, it is said to be dismembered.
  • The terms applied to the head vary; if shown full-faced and without the neck showing, the heads of deer-like animals, and the bull, are termed caboshed.
  • Elephant tusks frequently appear
  • A "boar's tooth" [sic] appears in the arms of the Orange Free State Amateur Athletic Association.
  • Wolves' teeth in the arms of Zemby.


Attitude of animals

The position, or attitude, of the creature's body is also described; the vague description of the three herons in the arms of Ibinu, Brazil, as being "em posição diferentes" (in different positions)[119343] being something of an exception.
  • An animal shown with one hind paw on the ground and three paws in the air) is called rampant (except the griffin, for whom the term segreant must be used);
  • one that is walking (shown with one forepaw in the air and three paws on the ground) is passant.
  • A rare example of passant applied to the bird is to the flamingo in the arms of the Kuisebmond Second School, Walvis Bay.
  • The flamingo and kiwi[119344] have also been blazoned statant.
  • There is even an example in the heraldry of the United States Air Force of "two boots passant"[119345]; this is strictly incorrect as "passant" can be applied only to beasts and, rarely, some types of birds, and not inanimate objects.
  • Animals with all four paws on the ground are statant (standing).
  • Beasts of prey, and horses, running are courant (they are shown with both forelimbs and both hind limbs together), though the arms of Iberia show a horse in full gallop.
  • The bear, apparently uniquely, can walk on its hind legs.
  • If the animal is sitting, the term sejant is employed, and if sitting with the front paws raised in the air, sejant erect
    • a cat sejant in a watching posture with her dexter paw extended appears in the arms of Smith of Canmo[119346]
  • Animals with the two hind paws on the ground and the two forepaws in the air are salient (jumping).
  • (There is at least one case of leaping being distinguished.)[119347]
  • An animal is couchant if it is laying down, and dormant if it is sleeping (with its head lowered).
  • The term clymant is almost exclusively applied to the goat, but there are instances of its application to the unicorn and pegasus.
  • A very rare term, pascuant, is applied to a quadruped when grazing.
  • The ox in the arms of Delawaremarker is statant, ruminating.][119348]
  • A bull "storming": in the arms of the Erasmus Family Association.
  • "a crouching panther, tail elevated": in the arms of the 31st Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army.[119349]
  • If the tongue of the animal is of a different tincture, it is said to be langued of such-and-such a tincture, though it is not necessary to specify that a lion is "langued gules" as this is the default unless it is charged on gules, in which case the default is azure.
    • The arms of the 345th Quartermaster Battalion of the United States Army provide a unique example in which a cottonmouth is langued with a thunderbird Gules.[119350]
  • There may be examples of the teeth of an animal being of a different tincture (dented)[119351]
  • If the eyes of the animal are of a different tincture, it is said to be eyed of such-and-such a tincture, and the arms of the 83d Chemical Battalion of the U.S. Army show a rare example in which the tincture of the pupil is specified.
  • If the penis of the animal is of a different tincture than the rest, it is said to be pizzled of such-and-such a tincture.[119352]


By default, the charge faces the left, as seen by the viewer.
  • The head of an animal guardant faces the viewer,
  • The head of an animal or bird[119353] reguardant faces the right, as seen by the viewer.
  • It is extremely unusual for the head to be described as in trian aspect (or three-quarters profile).[119354]
  • There are several positional descriptions unique to the lion, which appears to be the only creature that can be stantant with tail extended, though other animals have been known to have their tails "erect".
  • A "lion with a dragon's tail"[119355] can be seen in the arms of Christopher Sterling Tod Mackie.
  • The Chinese dragon in the arms of Dr. Richard Gordon Num is torqued.[119356]


Entirely different terms are used for stags and other deer-like creatures.Trippant is used instead of passant, at bay instead of statant, at gaze instead of statant guardant, springing instead of salient and lodged instead of couchant.
  • The serpent is said to be nowed if tied in a knot.
  • The snake is sometimes found in a circle with its tail in its mouth, which position in French heraldry sometimes makes it an ouroboros.
  • If gliding along, the serpent is glissant. The arms of the 37th Armor of the United States Army give an example of a wyvern (sans legs) glissant.[119357]
  • The rattlesnake, uniquely, can be described as coiled to strike.


Fish also use a different terminology.
  • A straight horizontal fish is naiant,
  • and an arched horizontal fish is embowed (though this can sometimes be applied to other animals, such as the crocodile).[119358]
  • If the fish is vertical, and its head faces upwards, it is hauriant;
  • if its head faces downwards, the fish is urinant. (The example of a "dragon urinant" in the arms of the USS Tornado is certainly open to criticism.)


The terminology for birds is based on the position of the wings.
  • If a bird faces the viewer, with the head turned to one side, and the wings spread apart on either side, the bird is displayed.
  • If the bird is not shown facing the viewer, and the wings are shown spread apart, the bird is volant (flying);
  • If the wings are shown folded, the bird is trussed, close or perched.
  • (The attitude "volant" is also sometimes applied to aircraft.)
  • (Owls volant affronty appear in the arms of Sir Christopher Frayling[119359])
  • {An owl affronty hovering appears in the arms of Jules Léger.)
  • If the bird's head faces upward, the bird is rising or rousant (about to take flight).
  • Swans and ducks are very occasionally found naiant (= swimming).[119360]
  • There are several examples of crowing cocks.


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

  • Wheat constantly occurs in the form of "garbs" or sheaves (and in fields in the arms of the province of Albertamarker and elsewhere), though less often as ears), though most often they are shown in stylised form.
  • Ears of rye are depicted exactly as wheat, except the ears droop down.
  • "Ginny wheat" or "guinea wheat" (like wheat but with a fatter ear) also exists[119362]
  • There are very few examples of barley, maize and oats.


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 -- also somewhat stylised in its depiction -- also occurs, as (together with the fleur-de-lys) on the arms of Eton Collegemarker; the Joseph's lily in some Irish grants,[119363] the Calla lily[119364] and the lily of the valley are also distinguished from these).
    • The head of an Orange River Lily: the arms of Free State Provincemarker, South Africa.
    • The arms of La≈°ko, Slovenia are blazoned "Azure, three Bourbonic Fleurs-de-lys Argent".[119365]
    • a fleur de lys bourgeonée is distinguished.


Other commonly used flower-like charges (called "foils") include:-
  • trefoil (with three petals),
  • quatrefoil (with four petals),
  • cinquefoil (with five petals),
  • sexfoil (with six petals);
  • The septfoil (with seven petals) appears in the arms of the 63rd Armor of the United States Army.[119367]
  • The double quatrefoil (with eight petals) is in Englandmarker the seldom if ever seen cadency mark of the ninth son.


Less frequently used flowers include the flower of the almond tree, the anemone, the carnation, the columbine,[119368] the daisy, the lilac, the dogwood flower, marjoram,[119369] the marigold[119370] and pot marigold,[119371] the peony, the poppy,[119372]the sunflower, the tulip[119373] and the hydrangea (as in the arms of Rueil-Malmaison).

Fruits and nuts



Vegetables



Trees

Dead trees are occasionally used as a charge.[119384] Trees are sometimes merely blazoned as "a tree" but specific trees are mentioned in blazon.
  • Far and away the most frequently occurring is the oak.
  • A close second is the pine.


Members of the pine family such as:-

Other plants



Inanimate charges

Astronomical

Celestial objects also feature as charges.A sun with rays is called a sun in splendour; there is at least one example of the rays being blazoned as differently tinctured.[119411]
  • A "Philippine sun" can be seen in the arms of the 387th Replacement Battalion of the United States Army[119412].
  • A "Namibian sun" in the arms of Klaazen[119413])
  • Moons come in many varieties, including the "full moon" and the "crescent".


  • Although mullets appear to be stars, in English heraldry they are actually supposed to be spur rowels; in modern times they are shown with five points, unless another number is specified (as in "mullet of six")
    • ridged mullets appear in the arms of Gareth Zundel[119414]
  • Estoiles are stars with wavy rays; pole stars are occasionally differentiated.
  • the Star of Acadia (which has the same appeance as a mullet): in the arms of Roméo LeBlanc
  • An example of stars grouped in a constellation is in the arms of the Australian state of Victoria, which show the Southern Cross.
  • Magen David: in the arms of Camilo Agasim-Pereira of Fulwood & Dirleton, The Baron of Fulwood & Dirleton.[119415]
  • The arms of Pierre-Simon Laplace showed the planets Jupiter and Saturn and their moons.
  • The aurora borealis appears in the arms of Murmansk Oblastmarker in Russia.
  • There are also comets and shooting stars.[119416]
  • The globe appears frequently in later times, and the arms of the last Swedish knight Sven Anders Hedin are "Argent, a globe Azure centered on Asia, on a chief Sable three escallops of the first."[119417]


Weather

  • Thunderbolts and lightning bolts -- also called "lightning flashes" -- are shown in a stylized way.
  • There is at least one example of a "fork of lightning".
  • Clouds often occur, though more frequently for people or animals to stand on or issue from than as isolated charges. There are rare examples of unspecified numbers of clouds in an "atmosphere."[119419]
  • A "cloud formation": in the arms of the 23rd Air Division of the United States Air Force[119420]
  • "clouds forming a genie":in the arms of the 3rd Chemical Battalion of the United States Army.
  • In terms of clouds' precipitation, the raindrop as such is unknown,
  • and the snowflake (blazoned as "snow crystal"[119421]) is only known in more recent times,
  • though the snowball predates this by some centuries.
  • There is a perhaps unique example of "sound waves", which can apparently be distinguished only contextually.


Geology and geography

Geological and geographic charges include the mountain (sometimes blazoned as a "rocky mountain,"[119422] though the distinction is not significant), which must be distinguished from the oft-occurring mount in base vert. This mount is in turn similar to the terrace (though this is usually depicted as flatter) or champagne; the last is sometimes charged or modified in some way, including being crossed by a road. Very unusually, something about the road is blazoned. Landscapes, in addition to their unusual use as field, are very occasionally used as charges, typically in a Latin-American context.[119423] Sand dunes occur in the arms of the former AFS Rooikop.[119424]

Underneath the ground are rare occurrences of mine, including the

  • The black wildebeests in the arms of Natal ran on a "plain".
  • The woman in the arms of Francke de Rückersdorf stands in a field of wheat.
  • Charges are also sometimes, if rarely, stated to be on a "promontory" or "peninsula".
  • "Land masses" appear in the arms of some United States Air Force units.[119437]
  • The island: in the arms of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.
  • Stone are usually distinguished from rocks, and are to be distinguished from pebbles
  • A rock in the form of a lion: in the former colonial arms of Bône, Algeria.
  • Cut diamonds occasionally appear, one described in some detail in the arms of Asprey Holdings, Ltd.[119438]
  • Crystals of gypsum form a sort of border in the arms of Gams Bei Hieflau, Steiermark, Austria.
  • A chipped flint implement: in the arms of Crouttes sur Marne, Aisne, France.
  • Charges relating to water include:
    • the stylised loch (the lake is shown more naturalistically).
    • The arms of Westhoek, in Friesland, show a gulf.[119439]
    • The arms of the USS Cardinal show whitecaps[119440]
    • a lagoon or small lake or pond (laguna): in the arms of Don Diego[119441]
    • the horse in the arms of Gesturi, Italy, gallops over a swamp
    • The arms of Tolmin, Slovenia, show a "curving creek".[119442]
    • A river of water and blood: in the arms of Geronimo del Aguila[119443]
      • Specific rivers, the São Francisco and Pará, in the arms of Martinho Campos, Minha Gervais, Brazil,[119444]
      • the Rio Burgay in the arms of Biblián, Ecuador[119445]
      • the Rio Iguaçumarker in the arms of Araucária, Paraná, Brazil[119446]
      • and the "confluence of the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimões to form the Amazon"[119447]
    • waterfalls include
    • the rocky shore in the arms of the state of Alagoas, Brazil,[119448] may also be reduced to this heading


Geometrical shapes

Geometrical shapes, other than the ordinaries and subordinaries, are very rare in heraldry.

Tools

Tools include:-

Aircraft and flying



Spacecraft

  • A space capsule: in the arms of Vicomte F. de Winne[119467]


Ground vehicles

The wheel is a carriage wheel unless otherwise specified, of which there are very few instances.
  • A winged wheel: in the arms of Barrie, Ontariomarker.
    • Parker states that a wagon appears in the arms of Binning.[119468]
    • "The front wheel of an ox-wagon": appears in the arms of Cicero Rautenbach.
    • A "covered wagon": in the arms of the 734th Transportation Battalion of the United States Army[119469]
      • a stylized image of an oxen drawn covered wagon: the arms of the Special Troops Battalion of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the United States Army[119470]
    • A mine wagon: in the arms of Mont-Doremarker
    • A Voortrekker wagon: in the arms of the Transvaal Provincial Administration.
  • A mechanized track: in the arms of the 121st Support Battalion of the United States Army[119471]
  • An "army truck": in the arms of the 49th.[119472]
  • Truck wheels are said to be tired if the tires are of a different tincture: as at this link[119473]
  • A "stage coach": in the arms of Ville de Stanstead.[119474]
  • A road roller: in the arms of Phillipstown Divisional Council, South Africa.
  • A tractor: in the arms of Nova Mutum, Brazil[119475]; a man riding one can be seen in the arms of Sulina, Brazil[119476]


Ships and boats and water transport

Ships take a variety of forms:-

Parts of ships include the rudder



Bridges

Bridges, variously and usually more fully described, often occur.

Buildings

Religious buildings



Industrial buildings



Fortified buildings

  • castle
    • This is distinguished from the tower in that a castle of the "generic" type (in British and allied heraldry, at any rate) consists of two joined towers at either end of a wall (also a charge in heraldry).
    • There are a number of other types of castles including the quadrangular castle.
    • Castles may be domed[119506] or may have conical roofs.
    • A turreted castle of three storeys appears in the arms of Benoni, South Africa.
    • A castle of an unusual type: in the arms of Lauerzmarker, in the canton of Schwyzmarker, Switzerlandmarker.
    • the Fontanellato castle: in the arms of Fontanellatomarker, Italy.
    • The Nordborg castle: in the arms of Nordborgmarker, Denmark.[119507]
    • the castle of Ehrenbreitstein: in the arms of the 17th Field Artillery Regiment of the United States Army[119508]
    • Rocca di Minozzo[119509]: the arms of Villa Minozzomarker, Italy
    • ruined castles sometimes appear
    • a mount Vert debruising all but the embattlements of a castle and tower: the arms of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the United States Army[119510]
    • A castle gateway: in the arms of Heidelberg, South Africa.
  • The castle is distinguished from the "tower triple-towered", i.e. with three smaller towers or turrets rising out of the top, as in the arms of Castile.
  • the Palazzo della “Torraccia”: in the arms of Terzolas, Italy.
  • A city wall with the letter "A" formed out of the masonry) with another tower rising from, or behind, the wall): the arms of Alexandow Kujawski
  • The "rampart in ruins": in the arms of Mennetou sur Cher, Loir et Chermarker, France.
  • An oak fortress figures in the arms of Arsk, Russia
  • A "four-bastioned fort" (in plan): in the arms of the 729th Support Battalion of the United States Army[119512] and
    • a four bastioned fort of the outline of old Fort Stanwix: in the arms of the 390th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army[119513]
  • The city is also a frequently occurring charge, though almost exclusively in civic heraldry.
  • The Chaussée Gate of Verdun: in the arms of the 108th Medical Battalion of the United States Army[119514]
  • The the stone block house of El Caney, Cuba: in the arms of the 25th Armored Infantry Battalion of the United States Army[119515]


Groups of buildings



Other buildings

A vaguely-described "stylized building" appears in the arms of the 26th Air Division of the United States Air Force,[119522].

Hats and other headgear

Hats include:-

Industrial



Scientific



Atomic

Atomic heraldry is heraldry characterised by the appearance of charges including the atom or showing the motion of parts of the atom; more loosely, it may describe heraldry in which atoms or the component parts thereof are represented through a combination of other charges. This is a late development in heraldry.

Letters and numbers

Letters of the (Latin) alphabet rarely appear, and then almost invariably in either one of two "fonts", Latin or "text" letters ("black letter", which it has been blazoned as at least once."[119555]

Music

Musical instruments include:-

Sports equipment

Sports equipment includes:

Weapons and militaria

There are quite a variety of weapons as charges, including:

Clothing and other personal items

  • Buckles occur not infrequently, including the stylized boucle d'Oise. The arms of Peter Greenhill are an example of buckles with double tongues
    • a buckle "in the form of a heart" appears in the arms of Forbes of Pitsligo
  • A piece of calico: in the arms of the Accrington Borough Council.[119591]
  • A cane: in the arms of Odouze.
  • Combs
  • A bobbin features in the arms of Romilly sur Seine, Aubemarker, Francemarker.
  • Spectacles rarely occur.
  • The maunch is a lady's sleeve; it is shown in a highly stylized form.
  • A bishop's mitre also not infrequently occurs as a charge; the simple mitre has been distinguished on at least one occasion.[119592]
  • shoes
    • including a kind of native Mexican shoe called esdaques.[119593]
  • spurs.


Furniture



Dishes



Games

  • Chess rooks, as a charge, have a very different appearance from the rooks with which one might be familiar, ending in two outward-splayed "horns".
    • "Double chess rooks" appear in the arms of de Zuylen van Nyevelt.
    • The arms of the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion of the United States Army contain "a chess-piece with a griffin's head".[119599]
    • pawns: in the arms of Petrus Frederik Bouwer


Food and its preparation



Architecture



Relics and religious objects



Others



Miscellaneous details of blazon

The charges are either in one or more of the tinctures, or umbrated, supposedly represented as a shadow, though the representation is closest to an outline alone (an example of similar terminology applied to the "shadows" of a charge are the arms of Risoulmarker, Hautes Alpesmarker, Francemarker). Even though it can be argued that it is not strictly accurate, charges consisting of an outline of a particular tincture (where a blazon as voided would not be appropriate) have been blazoned as umbreated of such-and-such a tincture. This is to be distinguished from "a silhouette of [a charge then named]" (see examples above).[119650][119651]

When a charge is said to be sans something, that part is missing; this is most commonly used in the case of animals missing some body part. [119652]

A charge is said to be throughout when it is shown as touching the edges of the shield when this is not its default position.

Some charges can be diminished; that is, shown smaller than their default size.

The many examples of charges blazoned as stylized are practically[119653] confined to the heraldry of the United States Army, but this can be open to criticism because it does not necessarily make their appearance clear. Similarly, there are examples in the heraldry of the United States Air Force of a caricatured[119654] and conventionalized[119655] charges.

In later times there are rare instances of charges "in perspective"[119656]: normally perspective is ignored in the treatment of charges.

A charge of rectangular form is said to be arraswise when a corner is in front and two sides are visible.[119657]

Notes

  1. Balfour Paul, p.41


External links




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