A Complete Guide to HeraldryFox-Davies, Arthur Charles
History
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles
Heraldry -- Great Britain
In the specialised varieties, such as the springbok and the reindeer,
naturally an attempt is made to follow the natural animal in its salient
peculiarities, but as to the remainder, heraldry knows little if any
distinction after the following has been properly observed. The stag, which
is really the male red deer, has horns which are branched with pointed
branches from the bottom to the top; but a buck, which is the fallow deer,
has broad and flat palmated horns. Anything in the nature of a stag must be
subject to the following terms. If lying down it is termed "lodged" (Fig.
379), if walking it is termed "trippant" (Fig. 380), if running it is
termed "courant" (Fig. 381), or "at speed" or "in full chase." It is termed
"salient" when springing (Fig. 382), though the term "springing" is
sometimes employed, and it is said to be "at gaze" when statant with the
head turned to face the spectator (Fig. 383); but it should be noted that a
stag may also be "statant" (Fig. 384); and it is not "at gaze" unless the
head is turned round. {209} When it is necessary owing to a difference of
tincture or for other reasons to refer to the horns, a stag or buck is
described as "attired" of such and such a colour, whereas bulls, rams, and
goats are said to be "armed."
When the stag is said to be attired of ten or any other number of tynes, it
means that there are so many points to its horns. Like other cloven-footed
animals, the stag can be unguled of a different colour.
The stag's head is very frequently met with, but it will be almost more
frequently found as a stag's head caboshed (Fig. 385). In these cases the
head is represented affronté and removed close behind the ears, so that no
part of the neck is visible. The stag's head caboshed occurs in the arms of
Cavendish and Stanley, and also in the arms of Legge, Earl of Dartmouth.
Figs. 386 and 387 are examples of other heads.
[Illustration: FIG. 385.--Stag's head caboshed.]
[Illustration: FIG. 386.--Stag's head erased.]
[Illustration: FIG. 387.--Buck's head couped.]
[Illustration: FIG. 388.--Hind.]
[Illustration: FIG. 389.--Reindeer.]
[Illustration: FIG. 390.--Winged stag rampant.]
The attires of a stag are to be found either singly (as in the arms of
Boyle) or in the form of a pair attached to the scalp. The crest of Jeune
affords an instance of a scalp. The hind or doe (Fig. 388) is sometimes met
with, as in the crest of Hatton, whilst a hind's head is the crest of
Conran.
The reindeer (Fig. 389) is less usual, but reindeer heads will be found in
the arms of Fellows. It, however, appears as a supporter for {210} several
English peers. Winged stags (Fig. 390) were the supporters of De Carteret,
Earls of Granville, and "a demi-winged stag gules, collared argent," is the
crest of Fox of Coalbrookdale, co. Salop.
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