A Complete Guide to Heraldry Part 13

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 Mitch.e.l.l, where the four escallops which are the princ.i.p.al charges are arranged two in chief and two in base.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 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 part.i.tion 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).

Chevronels "interlaced" or "braced" (Fig. 141), will be found in the arms of Sirr. The chevronel is very seldom met with singly, but a case of this will be found in the arms of Spry.

A chevron "rompu" or broken is depicted as in Fig. 142.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FIG. 139.--Armorial bearings of Rodolph Ladeveze Adlercron, Esq.: Quarterly, 1 and 4, argent, an eagle displayed, wings inverted sable, langued gules, membered and ducally crowned or (for Adlercron): 2 and 3, argent, a chevron in point embowed between in chief two mullets and in base a lion rampant all gules (for Trapaud). Mantling sable and argent. Crest: on a wreath of the colours, a demi-eagle displayed sable, langued gules, ducally crowned or, the dexter wing per fess argent and azure, the sinister per fess of the last and or. Motto: "Quo fata vocant."

THE PILE

The pile (Fig. 143) is a triangular wedge usually (and unless otherwise specified) issuing from the chief. The pile is subject to the usual lines of part.i.tion (Figs. 144-151).

The early representation of the pile (when coats of arms had no secondary charges and were nice and simple) made the point nearly reach to the base of the escutcheon, and as a consequence it naturally was not so wide. It is now usually drawn so that its upper edge occupies very nearly the whole of the top line of the escutcheon; but {125} the angles and proportions of the pile are very much at the discretion of the artist, and governed by the charges which need to be introduced in the field of the escutcheon or upon the pile.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 140.--Chevronels.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 141.--Chevronels braced.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 142.--Chevron rompu.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 143.--Pile.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 144.--Pile engrailed.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 145.--Pile invecked.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 146.--Pile embattled.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 147.--Pile indented.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 148.--Pile wavy.]

A single pile may issue from any point of the escutcheon except the base; the arms of Darbis.h.i.+re showing a pile issuing from the dexter chief point.

A single pile cannot issue in base if it be unaccompanied by other piles, as the field would then be blazoned per chevron.

Two piles issuing in chief will be found in the arms of Holles, Earl of Clare.

When three piles, instead of pointing directly at right angles to the line of the chief, all point to the same point, touching or nearly touching {126} at the tips, as in the arms of the Earl of Huntingdon and Chester or in the arms of Isham,[9] they are described as three piles in point. This term and its differentiation probably are modern refinements, as with the early long-pointed s.h.i.+eld any other position was impossible. The arms of Henderson show three piles issuing from the sinister side of the escutcheon.

A disposition of three piles which will very frequently be found in modern British heraldry is two issuing in chief and one in base (Fig. 152).

Piles terminating in fleurs-de-lis or crosses patee are to be met with, and reference may be made to the arms of Poynter and d.i.c.kson-Poynder. Each of these coats has the field pily counter-pily, the points ending in crosses formee.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 149.--Pile nebuly.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 150.--Pile raguly.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 151.--Pile dovetailed.]

An unusual instance of a pile in which it issues from a chevron will be found in the arms of Wright, which are: "Sable, on a chevron argent, three spear-heads gules, in chief two unicorns' heads erased argent, armed and maned or, in base on a pile of the last, issuant from the chevron, a unicorn's head erased of the field."

THE SHAKEFORK

The pall, pairle, or shakefork (Fig. 153), is almost unknown in English heraldry, but in Scotland its constant occurrence in the arms of the Cunninghame and allied families has given it a recognised position among the ordinaries.

As usually borne by the Cunninghame family the ends are couped and pointed, but in some cases it is borne throughout.

The pall in its proper ecclesiastical form appears in the arms of the Archiepiscopal Sees of Canterbury, Armagh, and Dublin. Though {127} in these cases the pall or pallium (Fig. 154), is now considered to have no other heraldic status than that of an appropriately ecclesiastical charge upon an official coat of arms, there can be very little doubt that originally the pall of itself was the heraldic symbol in this country of an archbishop, and borne for that reason by all archbishops, including the Archbishop of York, although his official archiepiscopal coat is now changed to: "Gules, two keys in saltire argent, in chief a royal crown or."

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 152.--Three piles, two in chief and one in base.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 153.--Shakefork.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 154.--Ecclesiastical pallium.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 155.--Cross.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 156.--Cross engrailed.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 157.--Cross invecked.]

The necessity of displaying this device of rank--the pallium--upon a field of some tincture has led to its corruption into a usual and stereotyped "charge."

THE CROSS

The heraldic cross (Fig. 155), the huge preponderance of which in armory we of course owe to the Crusades, like all other armorial charges, has strangely developed. There are nearly four hundred varieties known to armory, or rather to heraldic text-books, and doubtless authenticated examples could be found of most if not of them all. But some dozen or twenty forms are about as many as will be found regularly or constantly occurring. Some but not all of the varieties of the cross are subject to the lines of part.i.tion (Figs. 156-161). {128}

When the heraldic cross was first a.s.sumed with any reason beyond geometrical convenience, there can be no doubt that it was intended to represent the Sacred Cross itself. The symbolism of the cross is older than our present system of armory, but the cross itself is more ancient than its symbolism. A cross depicted upon the long, pointed s.h.i.+elds of those who fought for the Cross would be of that shape, with the elongated arm in base.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 158.--Cross embattled.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 159.--Cross indented.]