BIRDS
Birds of course play a large and prominent part in heraldry. Those which
have been impressed into the service of heraldic emblazonment comprise
almost every species known to the zoological world.
Though the earliest rolls of arms give us instances of various other birds,
the bird which makes the most prominent appearance is the _Eagle_, and in
all early representations this will invariably be found "displayed." A
double-headed eagle displayed, from a Byzantine silk of the tenth century,
is illustrated by Mr. Eve in his "Decorative Heraldry," so that it is
evident that neither the eagle displayed nor the double-headed eagle
originated with the science of armory, which appropriated them ready-made,
together with their symbolism. An eagle displayed as a symbolical device
was certainly in use by Charlemagne.
It may perhaps here be advantageous to treat of the artistic development of
the eagle displayed. Of this, of course, the earliest prototype is the
Roman eagle of the Cæsars, and it will be to English eyes, accustomed to
our conventional spread-eagle, doubtless rather startling to observe that
the German type of the eagle, which follows the Roman disposition of the
wings (which so many of our heraldic artists at the present day appear
inclined to adopt either in the accepted German or in a slightly modified
form as an eagle displayed) is certainly not a true displayed eagle
according to our English ideas and requirements, inasmuch as the wings are
inverted. It should be observed that in German heraldry it is simply termed
an eagle, and not an eagle displayed. Considering, however, its very close
resemblance to our eagle displayed, and also its very artistic appearance,
there is every excuse for its employment in this country, and I for one
should be sorry to observe its slowly increasing favour checked in this
country. It is quite possible, however, to transfer the salient and
striking points of beauty to the more orthodox position of the wings. The
eagle (compared with the lion and the ordinaries) had no such predominance
in early British heraldry that it enjoyed in Continental armory, and
therefore it may be better to trace the artistic development of the German
eagle. {234}
In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the eagle appears with the head
raised and the beak closed. The _sachsen_ (bones of the wings) are rolled
up at the ends like a snail, and the pinions (like the talons) take a
vertical downward direction. The tail, composed of a number of stiff
feathers, frequently issues from a knob or ball. Compare Fig. 440 herewith.
With the end of the fourteenth century the head straightens itself, the
beak opens and the tongue becomes visible. The rolling up of the wing-bones
gradually disappears, and the claws form an acute angle with the direction
of the body; and at this period the claws occasionally receive the "hose"
covering the upper part of the leg. The feathers of the tail spread out
sicklewise (Fig. 441).
[Illustration: FIG. 440.]
[Illustration: FIG. 441.]
[Illustration: FIG. 442.]
The fifteenth century shows the eagle with _sachsen_ forming a half circle,
the pinions spread out and radiating therefrom, and the claws more at a
right angle (Fig. 442). The sixteenth century draws the eagle in a more
ferocious aspect, and depicts it in as ornamental and ornate a manner as
possible.
From Konrad Grünenberg's _Wappenbuch_ (Constance, 1483) is reproduced the
shield (Fig. 443) with the boldly sketched _Adlerflügel mit Schwerthand_
(eagle's wing with the sword hand), the supposed arms of the Duke of
Calabria.
Quite in the same style is the eagle of Tyrol on a corporate flag of the
Society of the Schwazer Bergbute (Fig. 444), which belongs to the last
quarter of the fifteenth century. This is reproduced from the impression in
the Bavarian National Museum given in Hefner-Alteneck's "Book of Costumes."
A modern German eagle drawn by H. G. Ströhl is shown in Fig. 445. The
illustration is of the arms of the Prussian province of Brandenburg.
The double eagle has, of course, undergone a somewhat similar development.
The double eagle occurs in the East as well as in the West in very early
times. Since about 1335 the double eagle has appeared sporadically as a
symbol of the Roman-German Empire, and under the Emperor Sigismund (d.
1447) became the settled armorial device of the Roman Empire. King
Sigismund, before his coronation as Emperor, bore the single-headed eagle.
{235}
[Illustration: FIG. 443.--Arms of Duke of Calabria.]
[Illustration: FIG. 444.--Eagle of Tyrol.]
It may perhaps be as well to point out, with the exception of the two
positions "displayed" (Fig. 451) and "close" (Fig. 446), very little if any
agreement at all exists amongst authorities either as to the terms to be
employed or as to the position intended for the wings when a given term is
used in a blazon. Practically every other single position is simply
blazoned "rising," this term being employed without any additional
distinctive terms of variation in official blazons and emblazonments. Nor
can one obtain any certain information from a reference to the real eagle,
for the result of careful observation would seem to show that in the first
stroke of the wings, when rising from the ground, the wings pass through
every position from the wide outstretched form, which I term "rising with
wings elevated and displayed" (Fig. 450), to a position practically
"close." As a consequence, therefore, no one form can be said to be more
correct than any other, either from the point of view of nature or from the
point of view of ancient precedent. This state of affairs is eminently
unsatisfactory, because in these days of necessary differentiation no
heraldic artist of any appreciable knowledge or ability has claimed the
liberty (which certainly has not been officially conceded) to depict an
eagle rising with wings elevated and displayed, when it has been granted
with the wings in the position addorsed and inverted. Such a liberty when
the wings happen to be charged, as they so frequently are in modern English
crests, must clearly be an impossibility. {236}
[Illustration: FIG. 445.--Arms of the Prussian Province of Brandenburg.
(From Ströhl's _Deutsche Wappenrolle_.)]
Until some agreement has been arrived at, I can only recommend my readers
to follow the same plan which I have long adopted in blazoning arms of
which the official blazon has not been available to me. That is, to use the
term "rising," followed by the necessary description of the position of the
wings (Figs. 447-450). This obviates both mistake and uncertainty.
Originally with us, as still in Germany, an eagle was always displayed, and
in the days when coats of arms were few in number and simple in character
the artist may well have been permitted to draw an eagle as he chose,
providing it was an eagle. But arms and their elaboration in the last four
hundred years have made this impossible. It is foolish to overlook this,
and idle in the face of existing facts to attempt to revert to former ways.
Although now the English eagle displayed has the tip of its wings pointed
upwards (Fig. 451), and the contrary needs now to be mentioned in the
blazon (Fig. 452), this even with us was not so in the beginning. A
reference to Figs. 453 and 454 will show how the eagle was formerly
depicted.
[Illustration: FIG. 446.--Eagle close.]
[Illustration: FIG. 447.--Eagle rising, wings elevated and addorsed.]
[Illustration: FIG. 448.--Eagle rising, wings addorsed and inverted.]
[Illustration: FIG. 449.--Eagle rising, wings displayed and inverted.]
{237}
[Illustration: FIG. 450.--Eagle rising, wings elevated and displayed.]
[Illustration: FIG. 451.--Eagle displayed.]
[Illustration: FIG. 452.--Eagle displayed with wings inverted.]
[Illustration: FIG. 453.--Arms of Ralph de Monthermer, Earl of Gloucester
and Hereford: Or, an eagle vert. (From his seal, 1301.)]
[Illustration: FIG. 454.--Arms of Piers de Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (d.
1312): Vert, six eagles or.]
[Illustration: FIG. 455.--Double-headed eagle displayed.]
The earliest instance of the eagle as a definitely heraldic charge upon a
shield would appear to be its appearance upon the Great Seal of the
Markgrave Leopold of Austria in 1136, where the equestrian figure of the
Markgrave carries a shield so charged. More or less regularly, subsequently
to the reign of Frederick Barbarossa, elected King of the Romans in 1152,
and crowned as Emperor in 1155, the eagle with one or two heads (there
seems originally to have been little unanimity upon the point) seems to
have become the recognised heraldic symbol of the Holy Roman Empire; and
the seal of Richard, Earl of Cornwall, elected King of the Romans in 1257,
shows his arms ["Argent, a lion rampant gules, within a bordure sable,
bezanté"] displayed upon the breast of an eagle; but no properly
authenticated contemporary instance of the use of this eagle by the Earl of
Cornwall is found in this country. The origin of the double-headed eagle
(Fig. 455) has been the subject of endless controversy, the tale one is
usually taught to believe being that it originated in the dimidiation upon
one shield of two separate coats {238} of arms. Nisbet states that the
Imperial eagle was "not one eagle with two heads, but two eagles, the one
laid upon the other, and their heads separate, looking different ways,
which represent the two heads of the Empire after it was divided into East
and West." The whole discussion is an apt example of the habit of earlier
writers to find or provide hidden meanings and symbolisms when no such
meanings existed. The real truth undoubtedly is that the double-headed
eagle was an accepted figure long before heraldry came into existence, and
that when the displayed eagle was usurped by armory as one of its
peculiarly heraldic figures, the single-headed and double-headed varieties
were used indifferently, until the double-headed eagle became stereotyped
as the Imperial emblem. Napoleon, however, reverted to the single-headed
eagle, and the present German Imperial eagle has likewise only one head.
[Illustration: FIG. 456.--Napoleonic Eagle.]
The Imperial eagle of Napoleon had little in keeping with then existing
armorial types of the bird. There can be little doubt that the model upon
which it was based was the Roman Eagle of the Cæsars as it figured upon the
head of the Roman standards. In English terms of blazon the Napoleonic
eagle would be: "An eagle displayed with wings inverted, the head to the
sinister, standing upon a thunderbolt or" (Fig. 456).
The then existing double-headed eagles of Austria and Russia probably
supply the reason why, when the German Empire was created, the Prussian
eagle in a modified form was preferred to the resuscitation of the older
double-headed eagle, which had theretofore been more usually accepted as
the symbol of Empire.
By the same curious idea which was noticed in the earlier chapter upon
lions, and which ruled that the mere fact of the appearance of two or more
lions rampant in the same coat of arms made them into lioncels, so more
than one eagle upon a shield resulted sometimes in the birds becoming
eaglets. Such a rule has never had official recognition, and no artistic
difference is made between the eagle and the eaglet. The charges on the
arms of Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall, are blazoned as eagles (Fig.
454). In the blazon of a few coats of arms, the term eaglet, however, still
survives, _e.g._ in the arms of Child ["Gules a chevron ermine, between
three eaglets close argent"], and in the arms of Smitheman ["Vert, three
eaglets statant with wings displayed argent, collared or"].
When an eagle has its beak of another colour, it is termed "armed" of that
colour, and when the legs differ it is termed "membered." {239}
An eagle volant occurs in the crest of Jessel ["On a wreath of the colours,
a torch fesswise, fired proper, surmounted by an eagle volant argent,
holding in the beak a pearl also argent. Motto: 'Persevere'"].
Parts of an eagle are almost as frequently met with as the entire bird.
Eagles' heads (Fig. 457) abound as crests (they can be distinguished from
the head of a griffin by the fact that the latter has always upstanding
ears).
[Illustration: FIG. 457.--Eagle's head couped.]
Unless otherwise specified (_e.g._ the crest of the late Sir Noel Paton was
between the two wings of a dove), wings occurring in armory are always
presumed to be the wings of an eagle. This, however, in English heraldry
has little effect upon their design, for probably any well-conducted eagle
(as any other bird) would disown the English heraldic wing, as it certainly
would never recognise the German heraldic variety. A pair of wings when
displayed and conjoined at the base is termed "conjoined in leure" (Fig.
458), from the palpable similarity of the figure in its appearance to the
lure with which, thrown into the air, the falconer brought back his hawk to
hand. The best known, and most frequently quoted instance, is the
well-known coat of Seymour or St. Maur ["Gules, two wings conjoined in
leure the tips downwards or"]. It should always be stated if the wings (as
in the arms of Seymour) are inverted. Otherwise the tips are naturally
presumed to be in chief.
[Illustration: FIG. 458.--A pair of wings conjoined in leure.]
Pairs of wings not conjoined can be met with in the arms and crest of
Burne-Jones ["Azure, on a bend sinister argent between seven mullets, four
in chief and three in base or, three pairs of wings addorsed purpure,
charged with a mullet or. Crest: in front of fire proper two wings elevated
and addorsed purpure, charged with a mullet or"]; but two wings, unless
conjoined or addorsed, will not usually be described as a pair.
Occasionally, however, a pair of wings will be found in saltire, but such a
disposition is most unusual. Single wings, unless specified to be the
contrary, are presumed to be dexter wings.
Care needs to be exercised in some crests to observe the difference between
(_a_) a bird's head between two wings, (_b_) a bird's head winged (a form
not often met with, but in which rather more of the neck is shown, and the
wings are conjoined thereto), and (_c_) a bird's head between two wings
addorsed. The latter form, which of course is really {240} no more than a
representation of a crest between two wings turned to be represented upon a
profile helmet, is one of the painful results of our absurd position rules
for the helmet.
A pair of wings conjoined is sometimes termed a vol, and one wing a
demi-vol. Though doubtless it is desirable to know these terms, they are
but seldom found in use, and are really entirely French.
[Illustration: FIG. 459.--An eagle's leg erased à la quise.]
Eagles' legs are by no means an infrequent charge. They will usually be
found erased at the thigh, for which there is a recognised term "erased à
la quise" (Fig. 459), which, however, is by no means a compulsory one. An
eagle's leg so erased was a badge of the house of Stanley. The eagle's leg
will sometimes be met with couped below the feathers, but would then be
more properly described as a claw.
[Illustration: FIG. 460.--Phoenix.]
A curious form of the eagle is found in the _alerion_, which is represented
without beak or legs. It is difficult to conjecture what may have been the
origin of the bird in this debased form, unless its first beginnings may be
taken as a result of the unthinking perpetuation of some crudely drawn
example. Its best-known appearance is, of course, in the arms of Loraine;
and as Planché has pointed out, this is as perfect an example of a canting
anagram as can be met with in armory.
_The Phoenix_ (Fig. 460), one of the few mythical birds which heraldry has
familiarised us with, is another, and perhaps the most patent example of
all, of the appropriation by heraldic art of an ancient symbol, with its
symbolism ready made. It belongs to the period of Grecian mythology. As a
charge upon a shield it is comparatively rare, though it so occurs in the
arms of Samuelson. On the other hand, it is frequently to be found as a
crest. It is always represented as a demi-eagle issuing from flames of
fire, and though the flames of fire will generally be found mentioned in
the verbal blazon, this is not essential. Without its fiery surroundings it
would cease to be a phoenix. On the other hand, though it is always
depicted as a _demi_-bird (no instance to the contrary exists), it is never
considered necessary to so specify it. It occurs as the crest of the
Seymour family ["Out of a ducal coronet a phoenix issuant from flames of
fire"].
PLATE IV.
[Illustration]
_The Osprey_ may perhaps be here mentioned, because its heraldic {241}
representation always shows it as a white eagle. It is however seldom met
with, though it figures in the crests of Roche (Lord Fermoy) and Trist. The
osprey is sometimes known as the sea-eagle, and heraldically so termed.
_The Vulture_ (probably from its repulsive appearance in nature and its
equally repulsive habits) is not a heraldic favourite. Two of these birds
occur, however, as the supporters of Lord Graves.
[Illustration: FIG. 461.--Falcon.]
_The Falcon_ (Fig. 461) naturally falls next to the eagle for
consideration. Considering the very important part this bird played in the
social life of earlier centuries, this cannot be a matter of any surprise.
Heraldry, in its emblazonment, makes no distinction between the appearance
of the hawk and the falcon, but for canting and other reasons the bird will
be found described by all its different names, _e.g._ in the arms of
Hobson, to preserve the obvious pun, the two birds are blazoned as hobbies.
The falcon is frequently (more often than not) found belled. With the
slovenliness (or some may exalt it into the virtue of freedom from
irritating restriction) characteristic of many matters in heraldic blazon,
the simple term "belled" is found used indiscriminately to signify that the
falcon is belled on one leg or belled on both, and if it is belled the bell
must of necessity be on a jess. Others state that every falcon must of
necessity (whether so blazoned or not) be belled upon at least one leg, and
that when the term "belled" is used it signifies that it is belled upon
both legs. There is still yet another alternative, viz. that when "belled"
it has the bell on only one leg, but that when "jessed and belled" it is
belled on both legs. The jess is the leather thong with which the bells are
attached to the leg, and it is generally considered, and this may be
accepted, that when the term "jessed" is included in the wording of the
blazon the jesses are represented with the ends flying loose, unless the
use of the term is necessitated by the jesses being of a different colour.
When the term "vervelled" is also employed it signifies that the jesses
have small rings attached to the floating ends. In actual practice,
however, it should be remembered that if the bells and jesses are of a
different colour, the use of the terms "jessed" and "belled" is essential.
A falcon is seldom drawn without at least one bell, and when it is found
described as "belled," in most cases it will be found that the intention is
that it shall have two bells.
Like all other birds of prey the falcon may be "armed," a technical term
which theoretically should include the beak and legs, but in actual {242}
practice a falcon will be far more usually found described as "beaked and
legged" when these differ in tincture from its plumage.
When a falcon is blindfolded it is termed "hooded." It was always so
carried on the wrist until it was flown.
The position of the wings and the confusion in the terms applied thereto is
even more marked in the case of the falcon than the eagle.
Demi-falcons are not very frequently met with, but an example occurs in the
crest of Jerningham.
A falcon's head is constantly met with as a crest.
When a falcon is represented preying upon anything it is termed "trussing"
its prey, though sometimes the description "preying upon" is (perhaps less
accurately) employed. Examples of this will be found in the arms of Madden
["Sable, a hawk or, trussing a mallard proper, on a chief of the second a
cross botonny gules"], and in the crests of Graham, Cawston, and Yerburgh.
A falcon's leg appears in the crest of Joscelin.
[Illustration: FIG. 462.--Pelican in her piety.]
_The Pelican_, with its curious heraldic representation and its strange
terms, may almost be considered an instance of the application of the
existing name of a bird to an entirely fanciful creation. Mr. G. W. Eve, in
his "Decorative Heraldry," states that in early representations of the bird
it was depicted in a more naturalistic form, but I confess I have not
myself met with such an ancient representation.
Heraldically, it has been practically always depicted with the head and
body of an eagle, with wings elevated and with the neck embowed, pecking
with its beak at its breast. The term for this is "vulning itself," and
although it appears to be necessary always to describe it in the blazon as
"vulning itself," it will never be met with save in this position; a
pelican's head even, when erased at the neck, being always so represented.
It is supposed to be pecking at its breast to provide drops of blood as
nourishment for its young, and it is termed "in its piety" when depicted
standing in its nest and with its brood of young (Fig. 462). It is
difficult to imagine how the pelican came to be considered as always
existing in this position, because there is nothing in the nature of a
natural habit from which this could be derived. There are, however, other
birds which, during the brooding season, lose their feathers upon the
breast, and some which grow red feathers there, and it is doubtless from
this that the idea originated.
In heraldic and ecclesiastical symbolism the pelican has acquired a
somewhat sacred character as typical of maternal solicitude. It {243} will
never be found "close," or in any other positions than with the wings
endorsed and either elevated or inverted.
When blazoned "proper," it is always given the colour and plumage of the
eagle, and not its natural colour of white. In recent years, however, a
tendency has rather made itself manifest to give the pelican its natural
and more ungainly appearance, and its curious pouched beak.
_The Ostrich_ (Fig. 463) is doubtless the bird which is most frequently met
with as a crest after the falcon, unless it be the dove or martlet. The
ostrich is heraldically emblazoned in a very natural manner, and it is
difficult to understand why in the case of such a bird heraldic artists of
earlier days should have remained so true to the natural form of the bird,
whilst in other cases, in which they could have had no less intimate
acquaintance with the bird, greater variation is to be found.
As a charge upon a shield it is not very common, although instances are to
be found in the arms of MacMahon ["Argent, an ostrich sable, in its beak a
horse-shoe or"], and in the arms of Mahon ["Per fess sable and argent, an
ostrich counterchanged, holding in its beak a horse-shoe or"].
[Illustration: FIG. 463.--Ostrich.]
It is curious that, until quite recent times, the ostrich is never met with
heraldically, unless holding a horse-shoe, a key, or some other piece of
old iron in its beak. The digestive capacity of the ostrich, though
somewhat exaggerated, is by no means fabulous, and in the earliest forms of
its representation in all the old natural history books it is depicted
feeding upon this unnatural food. If this were the popular idea of the
bird, small wonder is it that heraldic artists perpetuated the idea, and
even now the heraldic ostrich is seldom seen without a key or a horse-shoe
in its beak.
The ostrich's head alone is sometimes met with, as in the crest of the Earl
of Carysfort.
The wing of an ostrich charged with a bend sable is the crest of a family
of Gulston, but an ostrich wing is by no means a usual heraldic charge.
Ostrich feathers, of course, play a large part in armory, but the
consideration of these may be postponed for the moment until the feathers
of cocks and peacocks can be added thereto.
_The Dove_--at least the heraldic bird--has one curious peculiarity. It is
always represented with a slight tuft on its head. Mr. Eve considers this
to be merely the perpetuation of some case in which the crude draughtsman
has added a tuft to its head. Possibly he is {244} correct, but I think it
may be an attempt to distinguish between the domestic dove and the
wood-pigeon--both of which varieties would be known to the early heraldic
artists.
The dove with an olive branch in its beak is constantly and continually met
with. When blazoned "proper" it is quite correct to make the legs and feet
of the natural pinky colour, but it will be more usually found that a dove
is specifically described as "legged gules."
The ordinary heraldic dove will be found most frequently represented with
its wings close and holding a branch of laurel in its beak, but it also
occurs volant and with outstretched wings. It is then frequently termed a
"dove rising."
[Illustration: FIG. 464.--Dove.]
The doves in the arms of the College of Arms are always represented with
the sinister wing close, and the dexter wing extended and inverted. This
has given rise to much curious speculation; but whatever may be the reason
of the curious position of the wings, there can be very little doubt that
the coat of arms itself is based upon the coat of St. Edward the Confessor.
The so-called coat of St. Edward the Confessor is a cross patonce between
five martlets, but it is pretty generally agreed that these martlets are a
corruption of the doves which figure upon his coins, and one of which
surmounts the sceptre which is known as St. Edward's staff, or "the sceptre
with the dove."
_The Wood-Pigeon_ is not often met with, but it does occur, as in the crest
of the arms of Bradbury ["On a wreath of the colours, in front of a
demi-wood-pigeon, wings displayed and elevated argent, each wing charged
with a round buckle tongue pendent sable, and holding in the beak a sprig
of barberry, the trunk of a tree fesswise eradicated, and sprouting to the
dexter, both proper "].
[Illustration: FIG. 465.--Martlet.]
_The Martlet_ is another example of the curious perpetuation in heraldry of
the popular errors of natural history. Even at the present day, in many
parts of the country, it is popularly believed that a swallow has no feet,
or, at any rate, cannot perch upon the ground, or raise itself therefrom.
The fact that one never does see a swallow upon the ground supports the
foundation of the idea. At any rate the heraldic swallow, which is known as
the martlet, is never represented with feet, the legs terminating in the
feathers which cover the upper parts of the leg (Fig. 465). It is curious
that the same idea is perpetuated in the little legend of the explanation,
which may or may {245} not be wholly untrue, that the reason the martlet
has been adopted as the mark of cadency for the fourth son is to typify the
fact that whilst the eldest son succeeds to his father's lands, and whilst
the second son may succeed, perhaps, to the mother's, there can be very
little doubt that by the time the fourth son is reached, there is no land
remaining upon which he can settle, and that he must, perforce, fly away
from the homestead to gather him means elsewhere. At any rate, whether this
be true or false, the martlet certainly is never represented in heraldry
with feet. If the feet are shown, the bird becomes a swallow.
Most heraldry books state also that the martlet has no beak. How such an
idea originated I am at a loss to understand, because I have never yet come
across an official instance in which the martlet is so depicted.
[Illustration: FIG. 466.--Martlet volant.]
Perhaps the confusion between the foreign merlette--which is drawn like a
duck without wings, feet, or forked tail--and the martlet may account for
the idea that the martlet should be depicted without a beak.
It is very seldom that the martlet occurs except close, and consequently it
is never so specified in blazon. An instance, however, in which it occurs
"rising" will be found in the crest of a family of Smith, and there are a
number of instances in which it is volant (Fig. 466).
_The Swallow_, as distinct from the martlet, is sometimes met with.
A swallow "volant" appears upon the arms usually ascribed to the town of
Arundel. These, however, are not recorded as arms in the Visitation books,
the design being merely noted as a seal device, and one hesitates to assert
definitely what the status of the design in question may be. The pun upon
"l'hirondelle" was too good for ancient heralds to pass by.
[Illustration: FIG. 467.--Swan.]
_The Swan_ (Fig. 467) is a very favourite charge, and will be found both as
a crest and as a charge upon a shield, and in all varieties of position. It
is usually, however, when appearing as a charge, to be found "close." A
swan couchant appears as the crest of Barttelot, a swan regardant as the
crest of Swaby, and a swan "rising" will be found as a crest of Guise and
as a charge upon the arms of Muntz. Swimming in water it occurs in the
crest of Stilwell, and a swan to which the unusual term of "rousant" is
sometimes applied figures as {246} the crest of Stafford: "Out of a ducal
coronet per pale gules and sable, a demi-swan rousant, wings elevated and
displayed argent, beaked gules." It is, however, more usually blazoned as:
"A demi-swan issuant (from the coronet, per pale gules and sable").
Swans' heads and necks are not often met with as a charge, though they
occur in the arms of Baker. As a crest they are very common, and will be
found in the cases of Lindsay and Bates.
_The Duck_--with its varieties of the moorhen and eider-duck--is sometimes
met with, and appears in the arms of Duckworth and Billiat. Few better
canting examples can be found than the latter coat, in which the duck is
holding the billet in its bill.
[Illustration: FIG. 468.--Cock.]
The other domestic bird--the _Cock_--is often met with, though it more
often figures as a crest than upon a shield. A cock "proper" is generally
represented of the kind which in farmyard phraseology is known as a
gamecock (Fig. 468). Nevertheless the gamecock--as such--does occur; though
in these cases, when so blazoned, it is usually depicted in the artificial
form--deprived of its comb and wattles, as was the case when it was
prepared for cock-fighting. Birds of this class are usually met with, with
a comb and wattles, &c., of a different colour, and are then termed "combed
(or crested), wattled, and jelopped"--if it is desired to be strictly
accurate--though it will be generally found that the term is dropped to
"combed and jelopped." If the bird is termed "armed," the beak and spurs
are thereby referred to. It occurs in the arms of Handcock (Lord
Castlemaine) ["Ermine, on a chief sable, a dexter hand between two cocks
argent"] and in the arms of Cokayne ["Argent, three cocks gules, armed,
crested, and jelopped sable"], and also in that of Law. It likewise occurs
in the arms of Aitken.
_The Sheldrake_ appears occasionally under another name, _i.e._ that of the
_Shoveller_, and as such will be found in the arms of Jackson, of
Doncaster.
[Illustration: FIG. 469.--Peacock in his pride.]
The gorgeous plumage of the _Peacock_ has of course resulted in its
frequent employment. It has a special term of its own, being stated to be
"in his pride" when shown affronté, and with the tail displayed (Fig. 469).
It is seldom met with except in this position, though the well-known crest
of Harcourt is an example to the contrary, as is the crest of Sir Jamsetjee
Jejeebhoy, Bart., viz. "A mount vert, thereon {247} a peacock amidst wheat,
and in the beak an ear of wheat all proper." With the tail closed it also
figures as one of the supporters of Sir Robert Hart, Bart. ["Sinister, a
peacock close proper"]: its only appearance in such a position that I am
aware of.
A peacock's tail is not a familiar figure in British armory, though the
exact contrary is the case in German practices. "Issuant from the mouth of
a boar's head erect" it occurs as the crest of Tyrell, and "A plume of
peacock's feathers"--which perhaps is the same thing--"issuant from the
side of a chapeau" is the crest of Lord Sefton.
[Illustration: FIG. 470.--Crane in its vigilance.]
Another bird for which heraldry has created a term of its own is the
_Crane_. It is seldom met with except holding a stone in its claw, the term
for which stone is its "vigilance," a curious old fable, which explains the
whole matter, being that the crane held the stone in its foot so that if by
any chance it fell asleep, the stone, by dropping, would awaken it, and
thus act as its "vigilance" (Fig. 470). It is a pity that the truth of such
a charming example of the old world should be dissipated by the fact that
the crest of Cranstoun is the crane _asleep_--or rather dormant--with its
head under its wing, and nevertheless holding its "vigilance" in its foot!
The crane is not often met with, but it occurs in the arms of Cranstoun,
with the curious and rather perplexing motto, "Thou shalt want ere I want."
Before leaving the crane, it may be of interest to observe that the
derivation of the word "pedigree" is from _pied de grue_, the appearance of
a crane's foot and the branching lines indicative of issue being similar in
shape.
[Illustration: FIG. 471.--Stork holding in its beak a snake.]
Heraldic representation makes little if any difference when depicting a
crane, a stork, or a heron, except that the tuft on the head of the latter
is never omitted when a heron is intended.
Instances of the _Stork_ are of fairly frequent occurrence, the usual
heraldic method of depicting the bird being with the wings close.
More often than not the stork is met with a snake in its beak (Fig. 471);
and the fact that a heron is also generally provided with an eel to play
with adds to the confusion.
_The Heron_--or, as it was anciently more frequently termed heraldically,
the _Herne_ (Fig. 472)--will naturally be found in the arms of Hearne and
some number of other coats and crests. {248}
_The Raven_ (Fig. 473) occurs almost as early as any other heraldic bird.
It is said to have been a Danish device. The powerful Norman family of
Corbet, one of the few remaining families which can show an unbroken male
descent from the time of the Conquest to the present day, have always
remained faithful to the raven, though they have added to it sometimes a
_bordure_ or additional numbers of its kind. "Or, a raven sable," the
well-known Corbet coat, is, of course, a canting allusion to their Norman
name, or nickname, "Le Corbeau." Their name, like their pedigree, is
unique, inasmuch as it is one of the few names of undoubted Norman origin
which are not territorial, and possibly the fact that their lands of
Moreton Corbett, one of their chief seats, were known by their name has
assisted in the perpetuation of what was, originally, undoubtedly a
personal nickname.
[Illustration: FIG. 472.--Heron.]
[Illustration: FIG. 473.--Raven.]
Fig. 474 is a striking example of the virility which can be imparted to the
raven. It is reproduced from Grünenberg's "Book of Arms" (1483). Ströhl
suggests it may be of "Corbie" in Picardy, but the identity of the arms
leads one to fancy the name attached may be a misdescription of the English
family of Corbet.
[Illustration: FIG. 474.]
Heraldically, no difference is made in depicting the raven, the rook, and
the crow; and examples of the Crow will be found in the arms of Crawhall,
and of the _Rook_ in the crest of Abraham. The arms of the Yorkshire family
of Creyke are always blazoned as rooks, but I am inclined to think they may
possibly have been originally _creykes_, or corn-crakes.
_The Cornish Chough_ is very much more frequently met with than either the
crow, rook, or raven, and it occurs in the arms of Bewley, the town of
Canterbury, and (as a crest) of Cornwall.
It can only be distinguished from the raven in heraldic representations by
the fact that the Cornish chough is always depicted and frequently blazoned
as "beaked and legged gules," as it is found in its natural state. {249}
_The Owl_ (Fig. 475), too, is a very favourite bird. It is always depicted
with the face affronté, though the body is not usually so placed. It occurs
in the arms of Leeds--which, by the way, are an example of colour upon
colour--Oldham, and Dewsbury. In the crest of Brimacombe the wings are
open, a most unusual position.
_The Lark_ will be found in many cases of arms or crests for families of
the name of Clarke.
_The Parrot_, or, as it is more frequently termed heraldically, the
_Popinjay_ (Fig. 476), will be found in the arms of Lumley and other
families. It also occurs in the arms of Curzon: "Argent, on a bend sable
three popinjays or, collared gules."
[Illustration: FIG. 475.--Owl.]
[Illustration: FIG. 476.--Popinjay.]
[Illustration: FIG. 477.--Moorcock.]
There is nothing about the bird, or its representations, which needs
special remark, and its usual heraldic form follows nature pretty closely.
_The Moorcock_ or _Heathcock_ is curious, inasmuch as there are two
distinct forms in which it is depicted. Neither of them are correct from
the natural point of view, and they seem to be pretty well interchangeable
from the heraldic point of view. The bird is always represented with the
head and body of an ordinary cock, but sometimes it is given the wide flat
tail of black game, and sometimes a curious tail of two or more erect
feathers at right angles to its body (Fig. 477).
Though usually represented close, it occurs sometimes with open wings, as
in the crest of a certain family of Moore.
Many other birds are to be met with in heraldry, but they have nothing at
all especial in their bearing, and no special rules govern them.
_The Lapwing_, under its alternative names of _Peewhit_, _Plover_, and
_Tyrwhitt_, will be found in the arms of Downes, Tyrwhitt, and Tweedy.
_The Pheasant_ will be found in the crest of Scott-Gatty, and the
_Kingfisher_ in many cases of arms of the name of Fisher. {250}
_The Magpie_ occurs in the arms of Dusgate, and in those of Finch.
Woodward mentions an instance in which the _Bird of Paradise_ occurs (p.
267); "Argent, on a terrace vert, a cannon mounted or, supporting a Bird of
Paradise proper" [Rjevski and Yeropkin]; and the arms of Thornton show upon
a canton the Swedish bird _tjader_: "Ermine, a chevron sable between three
hawthorn trees eradicated proper, a canton or, thereon the Swedish bird
tjader, or cock of the wood, also proper." Two similar birds were granted
to the first Sir Edward Thornton, G.C.B., as supporters, he being a Knight
Grand Cross.
[Illustration: FIG. 478.--The "Shield for Peace" of Edward the Black Prince
(d. 1376): Sable, three ostrich feathers with scrolls argent. (From his
tomb in Canterbury Cathedral.)]
Single feathers as charges upon a shield are sometimes met with, as in the
"shield for peace" of Edward the Black Prince (Fig. 478) and in the arms of
Clarendon. These two examples are, however, derivatives from the historic
ostrich-feather badges of the English Royal Family, and will be more
conveniently dealt with later when considering the subject of badges. The
single feather enfiled by the circlet of crosses patée and fleurs-de-lis,
which is borne upon a canton of augmentation upon the arms of Gull, Bart.,
is likewise a derivative, but feathers as a charge occur in the arms of
Jervis: "Argent, six ostrich feathers, three, two, and one sable." A modern
coat founded upon this, in which the ostrich feathers are placed upon a
pile, between two bombshells fracted in base, belongs to a family of a very
similar name, and the crest granted therewith is a single ostrich feather
between two bombs fired. Cock's feathers occur as charges in the arms of
Galpin.
In relation to the crest, feathers are constantly to be found, which is not
to be wondered at, inasmuch as fighting and tournament helmets, when
actually in use, frequently did not carry the actual crests of the owners,
but were simply adorned with the plume of ostrich feathers. A curious
instance of this will be found in the case of the family of Dymoke of
Scrivelsby, the Honourable the King's Champions. The crest is really: "Upon
a wreath of the colours, the two ears of an ass sable," though other crests
["1. a sword erect proper; 2. a lion as in the arms"] are sometimes made
use of. When the Champion performs his service at a Coronation the shield
which is carried by his esquire is not that of his sovereign, but is
emblazoned with his personal arms of Dymoke: "Sable, two lions passant in
pale argent, ducally crowned or." The helmet of the Champion is decorated
with a triple plume of ostrich feathers and not with the Dymoke crest. In
{251} old representations of tournaments and warfare the helmet will far
oftener be found simply adorned with a plume of ostrich feathers than with
a heritable crest, and consequently such a plume has remained in use as the
crest of a very large number of families. This point is, however, more
fully dealt with in the chapter upon crests.
The plume of ostrich feathers is, moreover, attributed as a crest to a far
greater number of families than it really belongs to, because if a family
possessed no crest the helmet was generally ornamented with a plume of
ostrich feathers, which later generations have accepted and adopted as
their heritable crest, when it never possessed such a character. A notable
instance of this will be found in the crest of Astley, as given in the
Peerage Books.
The number of feathers in a plume requires to be stated; it will usually be
found to be three, five, or seven, though sometimes a larger number are met
with. When it is termed a double plume they are arranged in two rows, the
one issuing above the other, and a triple plume is arranged in three rows;
and though it is correct to speak of any number of feathers as a plume, it
will usually be found that the word is reserved for five or more, whilst a
plume of three feathers would more frequently be termed three ostrich
feathers. Whilst they are usually white, they are also found of varied
colours, and there is even an instance to be met with of ostrich feathers
of ermine. When the feathers are of different colours they need to be
carefully blazoned; if alternately, it is enough to use the word
"alternately," the feather at the extreme dexter side being depicted of the
colour first mentioned. In a plume which is of three colours, care must be
used in noting the arrangement of the colours, the colours first mentioned
being that of the dexter feather; the others then follow from dexter to
sinister, the fourth feather commencing the series of colours again. If any
other arrangement of the colours occurs it must be specifically detailed.
The rainbow-hued plume from which the crest of Sir Reginald Barnewall[19]
issues is the most variegated instance I have met with.
Two peacock's feathers in saltire will be found in the crest of a family of
Gatehouse, and also occur in the crest of Crisp-Molineux-Montgomerie. The
pen in heraldry is always of course of the quill variety, and consequently
should not be mistaken for a single feather. The term "penned" is used when
the quill of a feather is of a different colour from the remainder of it.
Ostrich and other feathers are very frequently found on either side of a
crest, both in British and Continental armory; but though often met with in
this position, there is nothing peculiar about this use in such character.
German heraldry {252} has evolved one use of the peacock's feather, or
rather for the eye from the peacock's feather, which happily has not yet
reached this country. It will be found adorning the outer edges of every
kind of object, and it even occurs on occasion as a kind of dorsal fin down
the back of animals. Bunches of cock's feathers are also frequently made
use of for the same purpose. There has been considerable diversity in the
method of depicting the ostrich feather. In its earliest form it was stiff
and erect as if cut from a piece of board (Fig. 478), but gradually, as the
realistic type of heraldic art came into vogue, it was represented more
naturally and with flowing and drooping curves. Of later years, however, we
have followed the example of His Majesty when Prince of Wales and reverted
to the earlier form, and it is now very general to give to the ostrich
feather the stiff and straight appearance which it originally possessed
when heraldically depicted. Occasionally a plume of ostrich feathers is
found enclosed in a "case," that is, wrapped about the lower part as if it
were a bouquet, and this form is the more usual in Germany. In German
heraldry these plumes are constantly met with in the colours of the arms,
or charged with the whole or a part of the device upon the shield. It is
not a common practice in this country, but an instance of it will be found
in the arms of Lord Waldegrave: "Per pale argent and gules. Crest: out of a
ducal coronet or a plume of five ostrich feathers, the first two argent,
the third per pale argent and gules, and the last two gules." {253}