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WHAT'S THE POINT - STUDY SERIES
   
  
The Honourable
Ordinaries & Their Diminutives
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The Bend Sinister
1/5th of the
Shield,
1/3rd when
charged |
The Scarpe
1/2th of the
Bend Sinister
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The Batune,
or Baton 1/8th
of the Bend |
The
Chamfrein:
armour for
the horse’s head |
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The Barrulet is
generally borne dividedly, and borne by
couples or pairs, and referred to as 'Bars Gemel'. A Bar Gemel is 2 Barrulets, 2 Bars
Gemel is 4 Burrulets etc... |
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The Bar
1/5 of
the
Shield
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The
Closet
½ of the
Bar
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The
Barrulet
1/4 of
the
Bar |
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This word Fesse is a French word,
and signifies the Loins of a man.
This Honourable Ordinary has been
anciently taken for Baltheum
militare, or Cingulum honoris, Belts
or Girdles of honour: because it
divides the Field into two equal
parts, itself occupying the middle
between both; even as the Girdle
environs the middle part of a man,
and rests upon his Loins...so it is
said. The Fesse has no diminutives. |
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The
Fesse
1/3
of the
Shield |
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The
ancient form of Chevron showed
the 'spire' or top of the
Chevron almost touching the top
of the shield. The Couple Close
is generally shown in pairs
only. |
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The Chevron
1/5th of the Shield,
1/3rd when charged |
The Chevronel
one half of the
Chevron |
The Couple Close
1/4 of the
Chevron |
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The Cross has no
diminutives. The Cross
(green) shown to the
left was the ancient
form of this bearing. It
is taken to be the true
shape of the Patible,
whereupon our blessed
Saviour Jesus Christ
suffered. Its style was
changed by Heraldic
artists to better
accommodate the
placement of charges. |
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The Cross
1/5th of the Shield,
1/3rd when charged |
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The Saltire:
here is a quote
from John
Guillim, one of
our most famous
heralds, from
his book
entitled A
DISPLAY OF
HERALDRIE (1610)
'this was made
of the height of
a man, and was
driven full of Pinnes; the use
whereof was to
scale the walles
therewith, to
which end the
Pinnes served
commodiously. In
those daies (saith
he) the walles
of Townes were
but low, as
appeareth by the
walles of Rome,
which Remus
easily leaped
over: and the
walles of
Winchester,
which were
overlooked by
Colebrand...' |
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The Saltire
1/5th of the
Shield, 1/3rd
when charged |
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The
Subordinates
or
Ordinaries |
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Besides the
Honourable
Ordinaries
and their
Diminutives,
there are
other
heraldic
figures
called
Subordinate
Ordinaries,
or
Ordinaries
only. There
are 14
in Number: |
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The Pile
The Canton
The Quarter
The Gyron
The
Inescutcheon
The Fusil
The Lozenge
The Bordure |
The Mascle
The Fret
The Rustre
The Billet
The Orle
The Tressure
Flanches |
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What follows
is a brief
description
of these
Ordinaries,
how they
came about,
and
an image for
your
reference. |
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Note:
Flanches
are to
include
Flasques,
and
Voiders |
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