ANIMAL CHARGES (continued)

Fish occur rarely in heraldry, for although they were considered typical of unfailing industry and vigilance, "always swimming against the stream and never falling asleep," yet they were held in far less esteem by the heralds of old than either the "earthy or airy creatures."

Fish have, of course, their own heraldic terms for blazoning—viz.:

Fish charges almost always come under the head of "canting heraldry,"¹ so that they mostly repeat the name of their bearer, or, at any rate, carry a very direct allusion to it. This is the case with the families of Dolphin, Godolphin, Salmon, Sole (Fig. 48), Herring, Herringham, Bream, Roach, Sprat, Ellis (who bear three eels) and Troutbeck (who have three trouts). These latter are blazoned "fretted in a triangle, tÊte-À-queue"—literally, "netted head to tail," whilst we are reminded that the old name for pike was luce, when we see pikes borne by the Lucy family. Crabbe of Robslaw bears one crab; the Prawnes, as you would expect, bear prawns; and the Tregarthens of Cornwall have "lobster claws saltire-wise, gules," that last word implying that the luckless owner of those claws had been clearly boiled (Fig. 49)!

1: "Canting heraldry" is derived from the French armes chantantes or armes parlantes, meaning, literally, arms that speak.

The escallop shell, being pre-eminently the pilgrim badge, was given a very honourable place in heraldry, and occurs in the arms of many of our highest nobility, notably in those of the Dukes of Bedford, Marlborough and Montrose. One branch of the Shelley family bears three escallop shells (Fig. 50), and a lion between escallop shells is a common charge. One William Moffat bears a lion between eight escallop shells.²

2: Escallop shells are represented in such infinitely varied devices and in so many coats of arms that some lovers of heraldry make this charge a special study.

A fish with a ring in its mouth occurs fairly often in heraldry, and owes its origin probably to the many old legends associating fish with coins, rings, gems, etc. The arms of the Bishopric of Glasgow, where a salmon and a ring are depicted, are said to allude to the fable of the distracted bride, who, having dropped her wedding ring into the River Clyde, besought St. Kentigern, Bishop of Glasgow, to help her to recover it. In answer to the Prelate's prayers, a salmon was taken in due time, with the lady's ring between his jaws.

And now at last we have reached those charges connected with that "most noble creature, man," who, as we are told, "is borne in heraldic achievements both limbwise and entire. And as a man should be represented in his greatest dignity, a king should be depicted on his throne, a bishop in his robes, a soldier in military habit, and so on."

In the royal arms of Seville, we find "a crowned and sceptered king on his seat royal," wearing his ermine cape, but as a matter of fact, the whole human figure occurs very rarely as a charge in a coat of arms.

"A wild man of the woods, with a garland round his head and waist and a club on his shoulder, standing between two forest trees," is charged on the shield of the Mayo family, and Basil Wood bears three demi-savages, each with a club. Human heads and limbs are more frequently used.

Sir Richard Griffith bore three Englishmen's heads "in profile, couped at the head and bearded"; the Tanners of Cornwall bear three Moors' heads couped. Three infants' heads are charged on the Fauntleroy shield "couped arg: crined or," crined being the heraldic word for blazoning hair. The Vaughans have a very odd coat of arms—viz., three children's heads "couped, each enwrapped about the neck with a serpent." (Ghastly as that arrangement sounds, the children look out at you with remarkably gleeful countenances!)

One Black bears three men's heads with black hair, and the De la Haye family has the rare charge of three eyes.

The human heart is much used in heraldry. Henry de Wingham bears a winged heart, and the shield of the Heart family is charged with three hearts.

The Cornhills bear a left hand and arm, whilst an arm grasping the stump of an uprooted tree is appropriately borne by Armstrong. Very literal arms are borne by the Tremaynes—viz., three right arms with clenched fists, forming a triangle.

A dexter hand is a fairly common charge. Two arms seizing the head, or pole, of a hart are borne by the Catchpoles, and three hands occur in the armorial bearings of the Maynards of Medstone and those of Wicklow, as also in the coat of arms of the Maynes of Bucks. The Quartermaynes bear four right hands (Fig. 51).

Amongst other families, the Haddens and Shrigleys bear a human leg.

In conclusion, we must mention what Guillim calls "amphibious and exorbitant creatures," which figure as charges in heraldry. Under the amphibious charges we have the beaver, seal, otter, and others. With the beaver we are fairly familiar, as nowadays it occurs so frequently in the armorial bearings of persons connected in any way with Canada. It is well represented in the arms of Lord Strathcona.

As to what Guillim calls "exorbitant creatures," or, so to speak, monsters, we may mention the wyvern, a species of dragon; the griffin, supposed to have the body and claws of a lion, with the hooked beak, piercing eyes, and wings of an eagle; the dragon; the unicorn, whose appearance is too well known to need description; the cockatrice; the mermaid; the sea-dog, or marine wolf; and, lastly, the harpy. Three wyverns are borne by the Drake family, and two fiendish-looking wyverns act as supporters to the shield of Lord Clifford of Chudleigh.

The red dragon is, of course, the badge of Wales; and three dragons' heads are borne by the Stanleys. The heraldic dragon is always represented as a winged monster with four legs.

With the unicorn, the sinister supporter of our Royal Arms, every child is well acquainted. It represents Scotland, the royal shield of that country being supported by two unicorns. Of all the mythical creatures, it is perhaps the favourite in our heraldry. Not only does it occur repeatedly as a supporter, notably in the armorial bearings of Lord Chetwynd, Lord Colchester, and Lord Manners, who each have two unicorns, but we find it constantly represented on coats of arms.

According to some old writers, it was deemed a very honourable charge, because, no one ever having succeeded in capturing this fabulous creature, either dead or alive, they account for this stubborn fact in the following cunning fashion: "The unicorn hath too much greatness of mind to suffer himself to be taken alive, choosing rather to die than to be taken captive." Therefore, a unicorn was considered a very suitable charge for a warrior, who should, of course, share that creature's "greatness of mind."

The Farrington family bear three unicorns; and the unicorn's head is not uncommon in coats of arms. The Goston family bear one as a single charge; one Anthony Smith, bears two; whilst three are borne by a family of Shelley.

The griffin is very common in heraldry, either as a crest or a supporter. Lord Churchill of Wychwood has a griffin for his crest and one for his dexter supporter.

The cockatrice, "a little king amongst serpents," is borne by the Bogan family, whilst one Ellis bears a mermaid, crined or, with a mirror in one hand and a comb in the other (a veritable Loreley!).

Three sea-dogs, or marine wolves, are borne by one John Fenner.

And, lastly, we find in Guillim's work the presentment of a harpy as a charge on a coat of arms—a monster with a woman's head, hair, and face, and the body, legs, and wings of a vulture, her "wings displayed and hair flottant." As to the name of the bearer of this hideous charge, the old herald is discreetly silent.