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: The depiction of some animals in heraldry differed from their natural forms. These and the fantastic creatures are known as heraldic beasts.
Animals
Creatures of the sea
Land Animals
- Bear -- Generally the heraldic bear looks very like the real thing, as opposed to some beasts which are highly stylised.
- Dog
- Heraldic lion -- which is sometimes also referred to as an leopard, especially in the English royal arms.
- Coney -- another name for rabbit.
- Stag -- a deer with antlers, a male.
Insects and reptiles
Humanoids
Airborne creatures
Postures
- affronte
- addorsed
- 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
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.
