In the earliest years of this century Norman shields curved round
the body still continue; while in seals, which at this date are
our principal source of evidence, animals, such as dragons, appear
to fill up the field, and especially to support a plain shield in
large counterseals; also distinctive badges are introduced, such as
cinquefoils, estoiles, mascles, boars' heads, lions, &c.; but sometimes
in character they follow greatly the pattern obtaining at the end of
the twelfth century. "Heater-pear" No. 6 occurs, and frequently such a
shield stands in the centre of a circular seal, merely surrounded by
the inscription in longobardic. The heater shield is now rather more
pointed than it appears in later examples.
[Illustration]
A very curious triangular shield No. 1 also now appears, as in the
seal of Johannes fil. Galfridi de Edinton, such a triangular shield
on a plain circular field, around which is the inscription, in plain
Roman capitals. This is engraved in the _Visit. Hunts._, 1613, p. 100.
Another seal, Nigellus de Amundeville, is entirely three-cornered, a
little longer than an equilateral triangle; the shield is of the same
contour, and shows three chevrons, while the edging leaves space for
the inscription round the three sides. This is also engraved in the
_Visit. of Huntingdon, 1613_, p. 121, published by the Camden Society.
This shape of triangular seal seems to have been more common than was
supposed. The curious seal of the Treverbin family of Cornwall is
engraved, _Archæological Journal_, vol. x, p. 150; but, as it shows no
shield, it stands outside our present subject.
Another curious shield is figured in Nicholas Upton, _De Usu Militari_,
Bisse edition, 1654, p. 37, and of date 1257 (see No. 47). Henry de
Fernbureg stands with a square shield in his left hand. It is about
two feet long, considerably curved, and appears to be very thick. In
his right hand he holds a hammer extending into a sharp spike at the
back. Square shields very much like this, but more oblong in shape, and
with a round boss projecting from the middle, occur in the very curious
illustration of a wager of duel in the Miscel. Rolls, temp. Henry III.,
and therefore of date 1210-50. Each duellist carries such a shield;
they must be over two feet long, and are much curved; while with the
other hand he wields an awkward looking hammer, or more properly a
pick, as it is pointed at both ends; while, after the manner of ancient
pictures, the vanquished (and therefore the guilty one) is seen hanging
up in the background. This is engraved in Hewitt's _Ancient Armour_,
vol. i, p. 375, also in Madox's _History of the Exchequer_, p. 383.
[Illustration]
In the very curious instance of the seal of Thomas Furnival, his arms
are shown in a lozenge-shaped shield. This is of date 1274-9, and is
engraved in _Herald and Genealogist_, vol. iii, p. 334. Even at this
early date such a shape seems to have been usually reserved for ladies.
Sir George Mackenzie [quoted in Guillim's _Display_, ed. 1724] mentions
that Muriell, Countess of Stratherne, bore her arms in a lozenge in
1284.
[Illustration]
Another very curious shield of Helie Count de Maine is reproduced
in Montfauçon's _Monarchie Française_. This is a wedge-shaped or
triangular shield, but the top has square corners and is peaked (see
No. 48). The seal of Turstan Dispensator Regis, about 1210, shows the
heater-pear with the upper corners slightly varied. This is engraved
in _Collect. Top. et Gen._, vol. iv, p. 239. The ancient arms of
Despencer are said to have been Ermine, a chief Gules; but this seems
to represent ... six cloves, four and two, and a chief; and to fill up
the space three cinquefoils are introduced in the field.
But, as before laid down, the general shapes of shields in this century
are the Norman No. 2, often of very long proportions, as shown in
William de Longespee, Earl of Sarum, 1226, and the statues at Wells
Cathedral, 1230; the heater-pear No. 6, and the plain heater No. 5,
rather long and pointed. A Clifford seal given in Nicholas Upton, p.
91, of date 1220, has a heater-pear shield on the seal, and an ordinary
heater on the smaller counterseal (see No. 49). We may remark that
on the tomb of Queen Eleanor, in Westminster Abbey, appears, on a
long-shaped heater shield, the first example of quartering in England
which just comes within the limits of the thirteenth century. This
represents the two kingdoms of Castile and Leon, but it was undoubtedly
the example which afterwards led to regular quarterings of arms by
families.
It is noticeable that during the latter half of this century shields
begin to be shown in seals, suspended by the guige, which is passed
round a tree or other device from which it can hang.
Flowers, leaves, and even architectural details, enarching, &c., now
begin to appear, to fill up the field, and the whole tone approaches
the style prevailing in the following century.
It may be as well to remark in this place that milled, dotted, or roped
lines around seals are no indication of date. They appear in all these
varieties as early as William the Conqueror, and extend to the latest
times, according to the fancy of the artist.
Inscriptions are in longobardic, with plain Latin capitals often
alternated; and in the seal of Henry II. the letter R has a line across
the tail, signifying a contraction--HENR for Henrici.
Until the end of this century a cross is used at the beginning of the
inscriptions, but about 1275 stars appear, and in the next century
trefoils and other devices are frequently introduced instead of crosses.