The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition: Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the ScienceAnonymous
History
The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition: Being a Concise Description of the Several Terms Used, and Containing a Dictionary of Every Designation in the Science
Anonymous
Heraldry
When the cross became the distinguishing badge of different leaders in
the Crusades, the simple form given in the preceding example was not
generally adopted. Some bordered the red list with a narrow white
edge, others terminated the arms of the cross with short pieces of the
same colour, placed transversely, making each arm of the cross have
the appearance of a short crutch; the ends of these crutches meeting
in a point, make the cross potent. There is so great a variety of
crosses used in Heraldry that it would be impossible to describe them
within the limits of this introduction to Heraldry. The reader will
find a great number of those most used in English Heraldry described
and illustrated in the Dictionary. He of course will understand, if a
coat of arms comes under his notice where this ordinary is described
as a cross engrailed, a cross invected, &c., that the form of the
cross is the same as that in the last example, but that the lines
forming it are engrailed, invected, &c. Small crosses borne as charges
are called crosslets.
See the words CROSS, CROSSLETS, in the Dictionary.
THE SALTIER.
The _saltier_ was formed by making two pieces of riband cross
diagonally, having the appearance of the letter X, or, speaking
heraldically, the bend and bend sinister crossing each other in the
centre of the shield. The saltier, if uncharged, occupies one-fifth of
the field; if charged, one-third.
[Illustration: Saltier]
Ex. Gules, a saltier, argent.
Like the cross, the saltier may be borne engrailed, wavy, &c., and the
termination of the arms of the saltier varied; but there are not so
many examples of the variation of the form in the saltier as in the
cross.
CHAP. V.
SUBORDINATE ORDINARIES.
In order more particularly to distinguish the subordinates in an army
(the chieftains of different countries alone being entitled to the
preceding marks of honour), other figures were invented by ancient
armorists, and by them termed subordinate ordinaries. Their names and
forms are as follows:--
[Illustration: Gyron]
The _gyron_ is a triangular figure formed by drawing a line from the
dexter angle of the chief of the shield to the fess point, and an
horizontal line from that point to the dexter side of the shield.
The field is said to be _gyrony_ when it is covered with gyrons.
[Illustration: Gyrony]
Ex. Gyrony of eight pieces, argent and gules.
[Illustration: Canton]
The _canton_ is a square part of the escutcheon, usually occupying
about one-eighth of the field; it is placed over the chief at the
dexter side of the shield: it may be charged, and when this is the
case, its size may be increased. The canton represents the banner of
the ancient Knights Banneret. The canton in the example is marked A.
See KNIGHTS BANNERET in the Dictionary.
The _lozenge_ is formed by four equal and parallel lines but not
rectangular, two of its opposite angles being acute, and two obtuse.
[Illustration: Lozenge]
Ex. Argent, a lozenge, vert.
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