Probably the ordinary of most frequent occurrence in British, as also in French armory, is the chevron (Fig. 127). It is comparatively rare in German heraldry. The term is derived from the French word _chevron_, meaning a rafter, and the heraldic chevron is the same shape as a gable rafter. In early examples of heraldic art the chevron will be found depicted reaching very nearly to the top of the shield, the angle contained within the chevron being necessarily more acute. The chevron then attained very much more nearly to its full area of one-third of the field than is now given to it. As the chevron became accompanied by charges, it was naturally drawn so that it would allow of these charges being more easily represented, and its height became {123} less whilst the angle it enclosed was increased. But now, as then, it is perfectly at the pleasure of the artist to design his chevron at the height and angle which will best allow the proper representation of the charges which accompany it. [Illustration: FIG. 132.--Chevron indented.] [Illustration: FIG. 133.--Chevron wavy.] [Illustration: FIG. 134.--Chevron nebuly.] [Illustration: FIG. 135.--Chevron raguly.] [Illustration: FIG. 136.--Chevron dovetailed.] [Illustration: FIG. 137.--Chevron doubly cottised.] The chevron, of course, is subject to the usual lines of partition (Figs. 128-136), and can be cottised and doubly cottised (Fig. 137). It is usually found between three charges, but the necessity of modern differentiation has recently introduced the disposition of four charges, three in chief and one in base, which is by no means a happy invention. An even worse disposition occurs in the arms of a certain family of Mitchell, where the four escallops which are the principal charges are arranged two in chief and two in base. [Illustration: FIG. 138.--Chevron quarterly.] Ermine spots upon a chevron do not follow the direction of it, but in the cases of chevrons vair, and chevrons chequy, authoritative examples can be found in which the chequers and rows of vair both do, and do not, conform to the direction of the chevron. My own preference is to make the rows horizontal. A chevron quarterly is divided by a line chevronwise, apparently {124} dividing the chevron into two chevronels, and then by a vertical line in the centre (Fig. 138). A chevron in point embowed will be found in the arms of Trapaud quartered by Adlercron (Fig. 139). A field per chevron (Fig. 52) is often met with, and the division line in this case (like the enclosing lines of a real chevron) is subject to the usual partition lines, but how one is to determine the differentiation between per chevron engrailed and per chevron invecked I am uncertain, but think the points should be upwards for engrailed. The field when entirely composed of an even number of chevrons is termed "chevronny" (Fig. 59). The diminutive of the chevron is the chevronel (Fig. 140).