Heraldic Code

ver time, expert heralds devised a systematic language to describe Crests, Coats of Arms, and Banners, etc. It is a very precise artform and it can be fun. Although heraldry comes in many shapes in the mortal realm, the Fae tend to favor circular crests and coats, as the shape of the circle has great symbolic meaning in Fae culture.

### **Heraldic Ordinaries**

Ordinaries are the simple shapes used on heraldic shields, against a colour or meta background. You can also divide your crest into two colours, either vertically or horizontally, or into four different-coloured quarters.

You don't have to use an ordinary, but if you do remember to **never put a colour on colour or a metal on a metal**. Try to remember this heraldic rule: colours don't show up well against colours, or metals against metals. This also applies to charges.

If you are making your own design, choose one of these main ordinaries:

### **Heraldic Charges**

Charges are emblems added to the Crest, on the background, the 'ordinary', or both. There can be one big charge, or several smaller repeated ones. Here are some of the common charges you could use:

* Crosses - of many different types
* Stars
* Knotwork
* Rings
* Horns
* Balls
* Crescents
* Diamonds
* Flowers

They can be any colour, but remember never put colour on colour, for example a green star on blue, or metal on metal, for example a white flower on yellow.

**Animals**
Animals were also often used as charges. Any animal - either one big one or several smaller - can be used as a charge. They can be shown in many different ways, for instance:

* Rearing up (*rampant*) - like the lion and the hare in the pictures
* Standing (*statant*) - like the dog
* For birds, with wings outstretched (*displayed*) - like the eagle
* Walking along (*passant*) - like the other lion

If the animal is looking towards you, it is also *guardant* or 'on guard'. So the lion in the picture is *passant guardant*.

Animals symbolised different qualities. So for instance:

* Lions = bravery
* Dogs = faithfulness, reliability
* Stags = wisdom and long life
* Eagles = power and nobility
* Hares= speed
* Badgers = endurance or 'hanging on'

You could also design your own animal charge--for instance a cat, horse or other favourite pet. Or you could choose a fabulous beast.

**Fantastic Beasts**

Though often used as 'charges', these fabulous beasts never really existed. But some people believed they did, maybe because they'd heard about them in stories made up by travellers to distant lands, like crusading knights or merchant adventurers. Pictures of them also appeared in 'bestiaries', a popular kind of illustrated medieval story-book.

Here are some you could use:

* **Dragon:** the earliest and most common fabulous beast, also used as a badge by Romans, Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. A brave and cunning defender of treasure.
* **Griffin:** a combination of lion and eagle. Symbolises watchfulness and courage - and also guards treasure.
* **Cockatrice:** a cross between a cockerel and a dragon, supposedly hatched from a cock's egg [!] by a snake or toad. Could kill by looking at you, and symbolised protection.
* **Manticore or 'man-tiger':** a fearsome man-eating creature with a lion's body, man's face, tusks, horns and a deafening trumpet-like voice.
* **Pegasus:** Liberty, Power (especially from the air), Free Spirit
* **Unicorn:** Magic, Enchantment, Wisdom, Purity
* **Hippocampus:** Maritime, Good Fortune, Persistence, Generosity

**Mermaid:** Renewal, Musical Arts, Mystery, Untamed