In heraldry, a bar is an ordinary consisting of a horizontal band across the shield. If only one bar appears across the middle of the shield, it is termed a fess; if two or more appear, they can only be called bars.
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What is a band of heralds called?
In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter (the bearer’s right side and the viewer’s left) corner of the shield to the lower sinister (the bearer’s left side, and the viewer’s right).
What is a horizontal stripe across the middle of a shield called?
In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English fesse, from Old French faisse, from Latin fascia, “band”) is a charge on a coat of arms (or flag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shield.
What are the words on a crest called?
The official, written description of the coat of arms is called the “blazon of arms,” such as “azure, a fess argent between in chief two fleurs-de-lis and in base a lion passant of the same.” The blazon may seem like a foreign language, but it is simply a system of code words to denote colors, placement, and styling by
What are words on a shield called?
In heraldry, an escutcheon (/ɪˈskʌtʃən/) is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses.
What are the 8 parts to a heraldic shield?
The eight parts of an achievement were:
- The shield.
- The helmet.
- The mantling.
- The wreath.
- The crest.
- The supporters.
- The coronets.
- The mottoes.
What is the opposite of Dexter?
Dexter (Latin for ‘right’) indicates the right-hand side of the shield, as regarded by the bearer, i.e. the bearer’s proper right, and to the left as seen by the viewer. Sinister (Latin for ‘left’) indicates the left-hand side as regarded by the bearer – the bearer’s proper left, and to the right as seen by the viewer.
What do stripes on a shield mean?
Heraldic Shield Stripes
A vertical stripe on the shield, for instance, was called a Pale and denoted military strength. A horizontal stripe was called a Fess and was used to represented honour. A diagonal stripe, called a bend, was used to symbolise defence.
What are the parts of a shield?
The three most important parts of a shield were called the Boss, Bouche, and Enarmes. For the nobility and the knights, the coat of arms was also a very important part of a medieval shield.
What is a crest on a shield?
A crest is the object placed on top of the helmet and bound to it by what is known as a “wreath of the colours,” a twist of cloth (part of the mantling) of the two principal colours of the arms.
What is the difference between a badge and a crest?
In sport, a crest is the term used to describe a logo used by a sports club. Such a logo is also often termed a badge. The logos of many clubs are inspired by heraldic design. The use of the term crest to describe a logo derives from the misconception that a crest refers to any emblem that is heraldic.
What are the leaves around a crest called?
In heraldry, a torse or wreath is a twisted roll of fabric laid about the top of the helmet and the base of the crest. It has the dual purpose of masking the join between helm and crest, and of holding the mantling in place.
What is a knights emblem called?
A Knight’s Coat of Arms. History >> Middle Ages for Kids. Knights and nobles in the Middle Ages often had a coat of arms. This was a special symbol that represented their family. Having a special symbol or coat of arms is often called “heraldry”.
What symbols were on Viking shields?
In addition to various color schemes, the Vikings also adorned their shields with patterns such as pinwheel designs, crosses, and even inscriptions, most notably with ancient Norse runes. Norse Runes were far more than mere decorations, in many cases, they signified or symbolized various meanings.
What are heraldry symbols?
Heraldry is about showing people who you are. In England it started in the later 1100s, when knights began to wear helmets which covered their faces, and they couldn’t be recognised. So they began to paint unique combinations of colours, shapes and animals, called their ‘arms’, on their shields and banners.
What is the top of a shield called?
A crest is a three-dimensional device affixed to a helmet and is so depicted in the arms of male members of a family. Twelfth- and thirteenth-century crests were simple fan-like projections, the sides of which were painted with heraldic devices similar to those on the shield.
What in heraldry is an escutcheon?
escutcheon, in furniture design, an armorial shield sometimes applied to the centre of pediments on pieces of fine furniture and, also, the metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or the pivoting metal plate that sometimes covers the keyhole.
What does Gu mean in heraldry?
| Gules | |
|---|---|
| Non-heraldic equivalent | Red |
| Monochromatic designations | |
| Hatching pattern | |
| Tricking abbr. | g., Gu. |
What do the colors on a family crest mean?
Gold: generosity and elevation of the mind. Silver or white: peace and sincerity. Red: warrior or martyr, also military strength or magnanimity. Blue: truth and loyalty. Green: hope, joy, and loyalty in love.
Why is the left hand considered sinister?
The word sinister, suggestive of darkness or evil, comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side.” The association of “left” with “evil” is likely because of the dominance of right-handed people within a population. It all depends which way you’re coming from.
What is Dexter slang for?
on the right side; right.