A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
The ox seldom occurs, except that, in order sometimes to preserve a pun, a
bovine animal is sometimes so blazoned, as in the case of the arms of the
City of Oxford. Cows also are equally rare, but occur in the arms of Cowell
["Ermine, a cow statant gules, within a bordure sable, bezantée"] and in
the modern grants to the towns of Rawtenstall and Cowbridge. Cows' heads
appear on the arms of Veitch ["Argent, three cows' heads erased sable"],
and these were transferred to the cadency bordure of the Haig arms when
these were rematriculated for Mr. H. Veitch Haig.
Calves are of much more frequent occurrence than cows, appearing in many
coats of arms in which they are a pun upon the name. They will be found in
the arms of Vaile and Metcalfe (Fig. 378). Special attention may well be
drawn to the last-mentioned illustration, inasmuch as it is by Mr. J. H.
Metcalfe, whose heraldic work has obtained a well-deserved reputation. A
bull or cow is termed "armed" if the horns are of a different tincture from
the head. The term "unguled" applies to the hoofs, and "ringed" is used
when, as is sometimes the case, a ring passes through the nostrils. A
bull's head is sometimes found caboshed (Fig. 377), as in the crest of
Macleod, or as in the arms of Walrond. The position of the tail is one of
those matters which are left to the artist, and unless the blazon contains
any statement to the contrary, it may be placed in any convenient position.
{208}
STAGS
The stag, using the term in its generic sense, under the various names of
stag, deer, buck, roebuck, hart, doe, hind, reindeer, springbok, and other
varieties, is constantly met with in British armory, as well as in that of
other countries.
[Illustration: FIG. 379.--Stag lodged.]
[Illustration: FIG. 380.--Stag trippant.]
[Illustration: FIG. 381.--Stag courant.]
[Illustration: FIG. 382.--Stag springing.]
[Illustration: FIG. 383.--Stag at gaze.]
[Illustration: FIG. 384.--Stag statant.]
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