Animals (Heraldry)

In period heraldry animals were a frequent charge. Although some animals, such as the lion were heavily favoured, there is still a huge number of animals, both real and imaginary, which were used. Note that the depiction of some animals in heraldry differed from their natural forms, and these are known as heraldic beasts.

Animals

Creatures of the sea

• Dolphin
• Escallop

Land Animals

• Heraldic lion -- which is sometimes also referred to as an leopard, especially in the English royal arms.
• Bear -- Generally the heraldic bear looks very like the real thing, as opposed to some beasts which are highly stylised.

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Postures

• affronte
• couchant : Lying down with head erect
• courant : Running.
• displayed : spread eagle, usually birds
• dormant : Lying down with head lowered, as if sleeping.
• embowed
• hauriant
• naiant
• passant
• rampant : standing on 1 leg with other 3 legs raised to one side
• salient
• segreant : as rampant, but for birds
• sejant : Sitting down on hind legs, forelegs straight, head up.
• statant : standing on 4 legs
• 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

Special Postures

• pissant

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Bits of animals

Heralds 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 (stags and bears were popular), paws (especially of bears), faces (leopards 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 hunter the bearer of the arms must have been.