Animals (Heraldry)

2007-03-21T23:58:56Z

205.188.116.17: /* Land Animals */

In [[period]] [[heraldry]] '''animals''' were a frequent [[charge]]. Although some [[animal]]s, such as the [[lion]] were heavily favoured, there is still a huge number of animals, both real and imaginary, which were used.

''Note'': The depiction of some animals in heraldry differed from their natural forms. These and the fantastic creatures are known as [[heraldic beast]]s.

==Animals==
===Creatures of the sea===
* [[Dolphin]]
* [[Escallop]] : A rippled shell, like a scallop.
* [[Seahorse]]

===Land Animals===

* '''Heraldic antelope''' -- a stylised beast, body of a non-stripy tiger, feet of a deer, with two straight, backwards pointing serrated horns.
* [[Bear]] -- Generally the heraldic bear looks very like the real thing, as opposed to some beasts which are highly stylised.
* [[Dog]]
* [[Elephant]] -- traditionally carrying a [[big old dick]] on its back -- the "Elephant and Castle"
* [[Hare]]
* [[Heraldic lion]] -- which is sometimes also referred to as an ''[[leopard]]'', especially in the [[England|English]] [[royal]] [[arms]].
* [[Rabbit|Coney]] -- another name for rabbit.
* [[Sheep]] -- Which includes '''rams''', '''lambs''' (paschal and otherwise), and '''fleeces''' (a dead (or unconscious) sheep hung up by a band round its belly.
* [[Stag]] -- a deer with antlers, a male.

===Insects and reptiles===
* [[Beetle]]
* [[Moth]]
* [[Turtle]]

===Mythical beasts===
* [[Dragon]]
* [[Griffin]]
* [[Unicorn]]
* [[Wyvern]]
* [[Bonacon]]

===Humanoids===
===Airborne creatures===
* [[Eagle]]
* [[Falcon]]
* [[Martlet]]
* [[Owl]]
* [[Raven]]

<hr>

==Postures==

* [[affronte]] : Facing the viewer
* [[addorsed]] : Back to back (wings or multiple creatures)
* [[couchant]] : Lying down with head erect
* [[courant]] : Running.
* '''coward''' : (esp. of lions) Tail between hind legs
* [[displayed]] : spread eagle, usually birds
* [[dormant]] : Lying down with head lowered, as if sleeping.
* '''double-queued''' : (esp. of lions) having two distinct tails, as opposed to '''''queue-fourche''''', where the tail starts single, but forks in the middle to produce two end-pieces.
* [[embowed]]
* '''guardant''' : The animal has its head turned to face the spectator, whilst its body remains in profile
* [[hauriant]]
* [[naiant]] : Swimming
* [[passant]] : Walking, with one leg lifted
* [[rampant]] : standing on 1 leg with other 3 legs raised to one side
* '''regardant''' : body in prfile, head turned right round, looking backwards
* [[salient]] : Leaping up, hind legs on ground, fore-legs raised
* [[segreant]] : as rampant, but for birds
* [[sejant]] : Sitting down on hind legs, forelegs straight, head up.
* '''sejant erect''' : Squatting on hind paws, front paws raised.
* [[statant]] : standing on 4 legs
* '''tail-[[nowed]]''' : With its tail in a knot
* [[tergiant]]
* [[uluant]] : With head up, as if howling at the moon (generally only with a heraldic [[wolf]]). Generally the body is [[sejant]].
* [[urinant]]
* [[volant]]
* [[volant-en-arriere]]

===SCA Only Postures===

* [[pissant]] : Holding a beer mug ([[SCAism]])

<hr>

==Bits of animals==

[[Herald]]s also tended to introduce bits of animals into their designs (apparently without asking if this was natural, or acceptable to the animal involved). Thus one has heads ([[stag]]s and [[bear]]s were popular), paws (especially of bears), faces ([[leopard]]s especially, for some reason; some with [[fleur-de-lys]] in their mouths), and so on. One even comes across animals cut up into bits -- a torso, with limbs and head arranged round it -- presumably to make out how bold a [[hunting|hunter]] the bearer of the [[arms]] must have been.

[[category:device heraldry]]
[[category:heraldic poses]]

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Animals (Heraldry)