A beast of prey walking to the right is passant, and a beast of the chase, as a stag, is trippant. A crouching beast is couchant if the head is raised, and dormant if the head is resting on the forepaws. When looking toward the observer the beast is called gardant, and when looking backward, regardant. Two lions rampant placed face to face are called combatant, and back to back, addoss . Other animals used as heraldic charges include the bear, bull, boar, deer, goat, dog, fox, horse, and hedgehog, and occasionally the elephant, camel, mole, ape, cat, and mouse.
Common birds are the eagle and the falcon.
Representations of mythical beasts such as the griffin, unicorn, dragon, and basilisk are also used. An example of an external ornament is the helm, the natural accompaniment of the shield in representing a warrior, was added to arms before the beginning of the 14th century. The crest is the most ancient of armorial bearings. It was worn by the warrior chiefs of Greek and Roman antiquity, and served not only as a mark of rank but also as a conspicuous emblem in battle, around which soldiers might rally. The motto, originally the war cry of the bearer, is now a phrase or sentence alluding to the family, the arms, or the crest.