A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
Woodward mentions three very strange coats of arms in which the charge,
whilst not being a boar, bears very close connection with it. He states
that among the curiosities of heraldry we may place the canting arms of
Ham, of Holland: "Gules, five hams proper, 2, 1, 2." The Verhammes also
bear: "Or, three hams sable." These commonplace charges assume almost a
poetical savour when placed beside the matter-of-fact coat of the family of
Bacquere: "d'Azur, à un ecusson d'or en abîme, accompagné de trois groins
de porc d'argent," and that of the Wursters of Switzerland: "Or, two
sausages gules on a gridiron sable, the handle in chief."
HORSES
It is not a matter of surprise that the horse is frequently met with in
armory. It will be found, as in the arms of Jedburgh, carrying a mounted
warrior (Fig. 359), and the same combination appears as the crest of the
Duke of Fife. {201}
The horse will be found rampant (or forcene, or salient) (Fig. 360), and
will be found courant (Fig. 361), passant (Fig. 362), and trotting.
[Illustration: FIG. 359.--A chevalier on horseback.]
[Illustration: FIG. 360.--Horse rampant.]
[Illustration: FIG. 361.--Horse courant.]
[Illustration: FIG. 362.--Horse passant.]
When it is "comparisoned" or "furnished" it is shown with saddle and bridle
and all appurtenances; but if the saddle is not present it would only be
blazoned "bridled."
"Gules, a horse argent," really the arms of Westphalia, is popularly known
in this country as the coat of Hanover, inasmuch as it was the most
prominent charge upon the inescutcheon or quartering of Hanover formerly
borne with the Royal Arms. Every one in this country is familiar with the
expression, "the white horse of Hanover."
Horses will also be found in many cases as supporters, and these will be
referred to in the chapter upon that subject, but reference should be
particularly made here to the crest of the family of Lane, of King's
Bromley, which is a strawberry roan horse, couped at the flanks, bridled,
saddled, and holding in its feet the Imperial crown proper. This
commemorates the heroic action of Mistress Jane Lane, afterwards Lady
Fisher, and the sister of Sir Thomas Lane, of King's Bromley, who, after
the battle of Worcester and when King Charles was in hiding, rode from
Staffordshire to the south coast upon a strawberry roan horse, with King
Charles as her serving-man. For this the Lane family were first of all
granted the canton of England as an augmentation to their arms, and shortly
afterwards this crest of the demi-horse (Plate II.).
The arms of Trevelyan afford an interesting example of a horse, being:
"Gules, issuant out of water in base proper, a demi-horse argent, hoofed
and maned or."
The heads of horses are either so described or (and more usually) termed
"nags' heads," though what the difference may be is beyond {202} the
comprehension of most people; at any rate heraldry knows of none.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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