Teach Yourself Heraldry Module 6

The Language of Heraldry – 2

Study Exercise 1 – Based on Module 5

Have a go a blazoning these coats of arms. There’s lots of stuff about animals that we haven’t met yet, so just call a lion, a lion for now.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Answers to this study exercise ☛☛

Partitioned Fields

The field of a shield may be split into two or more parts which have different tinctures. As indicated in module 5, when blazoning a single coat of arms the field is always described first, and that remains the case for partitioned fields. So the field of each partition is described before any ordinaries or charges. If the field of a coat of arms is split into two by a vertical line down the middle, the field is described as being party per pale or more simply just per pale because the pale is the ordinary in that position.

When blazoning a partitioned field, state the tincture in chief first. If that is ambiguous choose the tincture on the dexter side.

Once the partitioned field has been described, ordinaries and other charges can be added to the blazon.

Per pale azure and gules

Per chevron azure and argent

Per bend argent and gules

Per bend sinister sable and argent

Per fess indented argent and gules

Per saltire or and azure a saltire ermine

Per bend-sinister or and gules a clenched dexter gauntlet erect sable

Per chevron vert and or, in chief nine crosses crosslet 4, 3 and 2

Per fess nebuly vert and sable three martlets or, a canton ermine

Per pale azure and gules a chevron or cotised argent between three acorns or

Counterchanging

When a charge is placed on a partitioned field with tinctures A & B, it is said to be counterchanged when it is partitioned in the same way as the field, but its tinctures are the ‘opposite’ of those of the field – ie B & A.

Per pale argent and gules a bend counterchanged

Per pale argent and gules a wolf rampant counterchanged

Per fess or and gules a lion rampant counterchanged

Per bend sinister nebuly ermine and gules a lion rampant counterchanged holding in both paws an erect lance argent

Study Exercise 2 – Partitioned Fields

Blazon these coats of arms.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Answers to this study exercise ☛☛

Varied Fields

If a field is split into an odd number of horizontal strips with the same tincture at the top and bottom, it is blazoned as having bars. So if there are seven  horizontal strips, it is described as having three bars. If the number of horizontal strips is even, however, with different tinctures at the top and bottom,

the shield is said to be barry. So a shield split into eight horizontal strips is blazoned as barry of eight, the tincture at the top being given first when blazoning. If the shield is split into many strips, especially if the number is variable or indeterminable, it can be described as baruly.

Argent three bars gules

Barry of six or and azure

Baruly argent and azure an orle of martlets gules

Other partitions with an even number of sections are dealt with in the same way. These include paly, bendy and chevronny.

Bendy gules and argent

Paly or and argent a bend sable

Chevronny or and gules

Per bend sable and bendy sinister gules and argent

There are many other ways of partitioning the field like this. Here are  checky, lozengy, fusilly and gyronny.

Checky gules and argent

Lozengy or and azure

Fusily ermine and sable

Gyronny or and sable

These variations of the field can also be applied to individual charges.

Or a cross per fess gules and azure

Or a pale checky gules and argent

Azure a lion rampant barry argent and gules

A single line of alternately tinctured squares is referred to as compony or gobonny. A double line is called counter-compony.

Royal arms with a baton sinister compony argent and azure

Argent a bordure gobonny azure and gules

Or a saltire counter-compony argent and sable, in chief a coronet argent

A coat of arms split into four parts per cross  is described as quarterly.

Quarterly gules and or, in dexter chief a mullet argent

Study Exercise 3 – Varied Fields

Blazon these coats of arms.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Answers to this study exercise ☛☛

Powdered Fields

A field is said to be powdered if it is covered with a regular pattern created by repeating a single charge. Sometimes, but not always, the pattern continues beyond the edge of the shield, so that partial charges occur at the edges. In powdered fields the charges are included in the description of the field, before any additional charges.

The word used to indicate a powdered field is semé or semy meaning “sown”, so a field covered in a pattern of martlets would be described as being “semé of martlets”.  Specific single words have been developed to describe some frequently-used powdered coats so, for instance, a field that is “semé of crosses crosslet” is just termed “crusily”. Such patterns can also be used on individual charges so, for instance,  one might find a “chevron crusily”, if the chevron is covered with a pattern of crosses crosslet.

The examples given here are in pairs, contrasting the use of the charge in the usual way with its use in a powdered field. They include some new charges not introduced earlier.

When the field is powdered with fleur-de-lis it is said to be semé-de-lis or, simply, floretty.

Azure three fleurs-de-lis or
(France Modern)

Azure
semy-de-lis or
(France Ancient)

As stated earlier, a field powdered with crosses crosslet is termed crusily.

Gules a fess between six crosses crosslet or

Gules crusily, a chevron or

Small, vertical rectangles are called billets and a pattern of them is termed billety.

Gules six billets argent 3, 2 & 1

Azure billety, a lion rampant argent armed gules

Yellow roundels are called bezants and a pattern made up of them is called bezanty.

Argent on a chief gules three bezants

Argent a lion rampant gules crowned or, a bordure sable bezanty

Droplets are called gouttes and a pattern of gouttes is called goutty

Chevronny or and gules on a chief sable five gouttes argent 3 and 2

Azure goutty argent

We met a single fret earlier, and a pattern of interwoven diagonal lines is called fretty

Sable a fret argent

Gules fretty or

Study Exercise 4 – Powdered Fields

Blazon these coats of arms.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Answers to this study exercise ☛☛

Mortimer of Wigmore

St Laurence, Ludlow

The blazon of the arms of Mortimer of Wigmore on the left involves three parts:
1)  the main field which is azure three bars or
2) the complicated chief described as on a chief azure two pales between two gyrons or
3) finally overall an escutcheon argent

Over the years many variations of these arms occurred. The number of bars and pales changed and sometimes the two colours were swapped as seen in the examples on the right.

Canterbury Cathedral Cloister

Fladbury Church, Worcs.

Study Exercise 5 – Miscellaneous

Blazon these coats of arms.

1

2

3

4

5

6

Answers to this study exercise ☛☛

End of Module 6 – Return