This course is intended to instruct on how to blazon animals, and variations on
their postures.
Positions of Animals and Monsters
In period armory, beasts and monsters were drawn such that their main features were
easily seen and identified, and this convention should continue to be used. To show
their features to the best advantage a variety of "poses" or attitudes were adopted
for beasts. Since the features of land-based beasts are different from those of water
or air-based beasts, there are different attitudes for each category. One thing to
note is that the default position for a beast or monster to be facing is to dexter
(the viewer's left). The following pages list most of the known postures for beasts,
though by no means is it comprehensive. Among the postures are several SCA invented
postures and I have attempted to identify which ones were common in period.
Under the Sea (fish)
Fish are fairly simple to blazon. There are only four basic postures for a
fish. However, there is one "fish" that is a bit different--the dolphin. Normally
we think of a porpoise as a dolphin. In actuality, there is an heraldic dolphin
that is classified as a "monster." The heraldic dolphin is blazoned the same way
as any other fish, however, when drawn, they are depicted in a reverse "S-curve"
shape.
- hauriant
- positioned vertically with heads rising upwards--a common posture.
- urinant
- positioned vertically with heads sinking downwards--a rare posture.
- naiant
- swimming fesswise--a common posture.
- embowed
- applies to any fish that has its body arched as if it were leaping.
Think of hauriant with the fish curved in an arc with the bend to the
right. Sometimes it is emblazoned naiant embowed (period Frech) where
the fish forms an "arch."
- erect
- applies to any sea monster--the top half is essentially rampant and the
bottom half is coiled into a loop.
On the Land (Lions, tygers, and bears! Oh, my!)
Quadrupeds
- rampant
- beast is standing upright on one hind leg (segreant for winged monsters)
with forelegs outstretched as if attacking. A common posture for
carnivorous beasts and monsters.
- salient
- beast is leaping or jumping--forelegs off ground (forcene for horses).
Rare in period armory.
- passant
- beast is walking (or running) with far foreleg raised and far hind leg
moved slightly forward. A common posture for non-carnivorous beasts.
- statant
- beast is standing still on all four legs--all legs should be visible.
Less common than passant.
- sejant
- beast is seated with forelegs down and together. Tail is up by default
if the beast has a tail.
- sejant erect
- beast is seated, but has forelegs off ground as if attacking.
- couchant
- beast is lying on all fours with its head erect like the sphinx
(lodged for deer). The tail curls under the body of the animal
and emerges just ahead of the haunches then rises above the back.
Appears to be rare in period armory, except for a few animals,
such as the dog and the stag.
- dormant
- beast is sleeping--essentially couchant with head down. If the
beast has a tail it is down and coiled around the animal. Very
rare in period armory.
- affronte
- beast is facing viewer. The normal posture is sejant, although the SCA
allows statant affronte. Rare in period.
Note: In SCA armory there is considered to be no difference between:
rampant, salient, sejant, and sejant erect;
couchant and dormant;
passant and statant.
Insects and Tortises and Amphibians
- tergiant
- an overhead view of the beast as it crawls along.
- volant-en-arriere (or volant)
- winged insects in flight viewed from above.
- displayed
- the wings are outstretched--used for butterflies, moths, and other
insects that are mostly wing.
Creatures such as crickets and grasshoppers that are better identified from the
side might be blazoned as statant. The exact emblazon is left to the good sense
of the artist.
Snakes (eels and reptiles)
- glissant
- slithering along usually either fesswise or to chief. Almost straight.
- ondoyant (or undoyant)
- undulating or very wriggly. Again, usually to chief or fesswise.
- nowed
- knotted. In a loose knot that looks like an untightened overhand knot
or a pretzel.
- erect
- ready to strike. The snake is shown in a reverse S-curve(default) so
the entire length of the body is seen. This attitude is one that
appears to be post period, but is still acceptable.
- coiled erect
- bottom portion coiled, head up and ready to strike. An SCA invented
posture probably derived from fantasy art, heavy metal album covers,
or tattoos seen in a parole officer's waiting room.
Humans and Humanoids
The default posture for humans is statant affronty. Anything else is almost never
met with in Period heraldry. Sometimes if a human being is better described in a
different position the posture will be changed accordingly. "An archer statant
maintaining and drawing a bow" would naturally be seen in profile, as would "a
knight armed cap-a-pie brandishing a sword upon a horse courant caparisoned...."
Angels have their wings displayed and inverted by default. They are usually found
statant affronty in both SCA and Period heraldry.
An armored human is armed. If the armor covers all of his body he is armed cap-a-pie
(literally "head to toe"). Clothing is blazoned as vested. Hair is described as
crined. These details are usually optional and give no difference in SCA heraldry
but are neat to know.
Beasts of the Air (birds or monsters that are mostly wing)
- rising
- wings are open, as if the bird is taking off. There are a variety of postures and wing positions associated with rising. In some cases the bird is seen from the side. In other cases it is seen from the front. The phoenix is always blazoned as rising and always seems to be displayed affronty. Depending on the bird the head could be up or down.
- addorsed
- both wings are behind the bird's head in a natural posture. See displayed for additional modifiers.
- displayed
- wings outstretched to either side of the avian. When the wings are displayed or addorsed, there are two ways that they may be shown: elevated--with the wing tips up; inverted--with wing tips down. Within the SCA, there is no difference given between elevated and inverted wings.
- close
- wings are closed. A peacock close is blazoned pavonated. Close is a common attitude for "lesser" birds. Note: any raptor close will be blazoned as a falcon. An owl or bat close will be depicted affronty.
- striking
- raptor in flight with head down and talons out streched to grasp. Tends to look like a biker tattoo. In period armory, this was blazoned as rousant or trussing. May be enhanced with another bird (usually lying close fesswise) as "preying upon an X."
- affronty
- as with land beasts, avians can be shown affronty. Some such as the owl and the bat are much more identifiable this way.
- statant
- this posture is normally reserved for long-legged avians such as the heron and the crane.
- in her piety
- reserved for pelicans, the pelican is shown beak to breast with blood dropping to pelican chicks.
- in its vigilance
- reserved for cranes, it is shown with head up and one leg raised grasping a rock.
- in his pride
- reserved for peacocks, it is shown statant affronty with the tail feathers spread.
- volant
- horizontally in flight. There are a variety of ways to position the wings. The normally accepted practice is to show the bird as if it were banking or circling. Please avoid drawing the bird with both wings up--this appears to be an SCA invention.
- migrant
- a bird in flight palewise, viewed from the top(tergiant). This appears to be an SCA invention--avoid, as it is virtually indistinguishable from displayed.
Neither Fish Nor Fowl
Creatures that don't have a whole lot of movement or which don't really have a
logical posture don't have their posture blazoned. For example, a snail or an
octopus is just going to be blazoned as such but without a posture. There is
no "logical" view of a snail except the side view. There is no logical view for
an octopus except for head in the middle with the tentacles sort of fanning out
from the center (sort of a cephalopod in its splendour).
So what about heraldic monsters? Since many heraldic monsters are combinations
of heraldic beasts, and combine two or more different types of beasts, how do we
draw them? The answer is "Use your own judgement." A sea-monster is normally
blazoned erect--the forepaws are as if the beast is rampant and the tail is looped.
If the monster has legs, it can be blazoned using some if not all of the land attitudes.
A dragon may be blazoned using any land or air beast attitudes, yet a wyvern cannot as
it only has two legs.
Attitude Adjustments
Major Adjustments
In addition to the normal postures, there are a few other postures that
involve multiple beasts or a beast and another object. Creatures that
don't really have a front or a back when viewed in a heraldic position
aren't blazoned in this fashion. For example, you wouldn't have "two
snakes glissant respectant" or "two fish hauriant addorsed."
- combattant
- any two carnivorous beasts facing one another across the center
line of division
- respectant
- any two peaceful beasts facing one another across the center
line of division.
- addorsed
- any two beasts back to back. Do not confuse with addorsed with
regard to wings of avians.
- sustaining an (object)
- a beast may hold a large object in two paws/talons. The object
must be large enough that it could be used as a separate charge group.
One thing to note is that positions such as combattant and addorsed may fit our
modern notions of symmetry by being mirror images. However, to the people of
the Middle Ages, two beasts of the same type facing the same direction would
have constituted symmetry. This doesn't preclude the use of such postures,
but it gives you something to think about when you design your armory.
Minor Adjustments
Minor changes to a beast include the position of the head or the tail,
tinctures of minor details such as eyes, claws. None of these changes
will count as a difference between two beasts. Such details are usually
too small to be noticed at a distance.
- regardant
- applied to any beast--looking over its shoulder
- guardant
- applied to any beast--looking out towards viewer
- coward
- with tail between legs (for tailed beasts and monsters)
- maintaining an (object)
- a beast may hold a small object in a single paw/mouth/ beak/talon/etc.
- vorant
- beast is eating another (small) beast.
- nowed(or knowed)
- in a loop or knot--used to describe tails and serpents
- flamant
- for traditionally fire-breathing beasts, flames issue from the mouth
- armed
- refers to the tincture of the claws, teeth and horns (and beak of a
bird or monster).
- orbed
- refers to the tincture of the eyes
- langued
- refers to the tincture of the tounge.
- queued
- refers to the tincture of the tail
- crined
- refers to the tincture of the mane or hair(of humanoids)
Animals' Heads
How does one deal with just the head of an animal? There are four basic positions
for an animal's head:
- cabossed
- simply a frontal view of the animal's face. The neck is not shown in this
depiction.
- couped close
- a side view of the head only.
- couped
- a side view of the head with the neck shown. The neck ends in a simple
horizontal line. Couped means "cut" in French, so this depiction of an
animal's head with smooth "cut" at the neck makes logical sense.
- erased
- Similar to couped, but the neck ends in a ragged edge. Put grossly, the
head was ripped off.
Bibliography
Books and Publications
- Beddingfield, Peter, and Gwynn-Jones. Heraldry
- Benicur, Arval and Marten Bröker. The Compleat Anachronist #22: Heraldry--The Design and Submission of Devices and Badges in the Society for Creative Anachronism. November, 1985.
- The Compleat Anachronist #61: An Encheiridion: The Education of a Scribe. May, 1992.
web page: Heraldry for Scribes
- Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles A Complete Guide to Heraldry
- Friar, Stephen J. and John Ferguson. Basic Heraldry
- Metzig Heraldry for the Designer
- Woodcock and Robinson. The Oxford Guide to Heraldry
Computer Resources
