In heraldry what is a martlet?
"Attitude (heraldry) In heraldry, an attitude is the ""position"" in which an animal, bird, fish, human or human-like being is emblazoned as a charge, supporter or crest. Many attitudes apply only to predatory beasts and are exemplified by the beast most frequently found in heraldry—the lion. Some other terms apply only to docile animals, such as the doe (usually blazoned as ""hind""). Other attitudes, such as ""volant"", describe the positions of birds, mostly exemplified by the bird most frequently found in heraldry—the eagle. The term ""naiant"" (swimming), however, is usually reserved for fish but may also apply to swans, ducks"
"the ""Three Merlons"". Merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures or slits designed for observation and fire. The space between two merlons is called a crenel, and a succession of merlons and crenels is a crenellation. Crenels designed in later eras for use by cannons were also called embrasures. The word comes from the French language, adapted from the Italian ""merlone"", possibly a shortened form of ""mergola"", connected with Latin ""mergae"" (pitchfork), or from a diminutive ""moerulus"", from ""murus"" or"
"haunt, I have observed The air is delicate."" (Macbeth, Act I, scene VI). There are old legends, with no basis in fact, that house martins would wall-up house sparrows by closing the entrance of the mud nest with the intruder inside, or that they would gather ""en masse"" to kill a sparrow. The martlet, often believed to refer to the house martin, or possibly a swallow, was a heraldic bird with short tufts of feathers in the place of legs. It was the cadency mark of the fourth son of a noble family, and features in many coats of arms,"
"Merlon A merlon is the solid upright section of a battlement (a crenellated parapet) in medieval architecture or fortifications. Merlons are sometimes pierced by narrow, vertical embrasures or slits designed for observation and fire. The space between two merlons is called a crenel, and a succession of merlons and crenels is a crenellation. Crenels designed in later eras for use by cannons were also called embrasures. The word comes from the French language, adapted from the Italian ""merlone"", possibly a shortened form of ""mergola"", connected with Latin ""mergae"" (pitchfork), or from a diminutive ""moerulus"", from ""murus"" or ""moerus"" (a wall)."
"Impalement (heraldry) In heraldry, impalement is a form of heraldic combination or marshalling of two coats of arms side by side in one divided heraldic shield or escutcheon to denote a union, most often that of a husband and wife, but also for unions of ecclesiastical, academic/civic and mystical natures. An impaled shield is bisected ""in pale"", that is by a vertical line. The husband's arms are shown in the ""dexter"" half (on the right hand of someone standing behind the shield, to the viewer's left), being the place of honour, with the wife's paternal arms in the ""sinister"" half."
"Mantling In heraldry, mantling or ""lambrequin"" is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the elements, and, secondarily, to decrease the effects of sword-blows against the helmet in battle, from which it is usually shown tattered or cut to shreds; less often it is shown as an intact drape, principally in those cases where clergy use a helmet and mantling (to symbolise that, despite the perhaps contradictory presence of the helmet, they have not been"
"their proper cadence mark (an annulet and fleur-de-lys respectively). The formerly supposed inability of the martlet to land is said by some modern commentators to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge, learning, and adventure. The martlet is in the arms of University College, Oxford and of Pembroke College, Cambridge. The martlet has also been incorporated into the modern arms of McGill University, in which the women's athletic teams are named the McGill Martlets; the University of Houston and the University of Houston Law Center; Worcester College, Oxford; and Westminster School, the University of Victoria (where the student newspaper is also"
"Brassard A brassard or armlet is an armband or piece of cloth or other material worn around the upper arm; the term typically refers to an item of uniform worn as part of military uniform or by police or other uniformed persons. Unit, role or rank badges or other insignia are carried on it instead of being stitched into the actual clothing. The brassard, when spread out, may be roughly rectangular in shape, where it is worn merely around the arm; it may also be a roughly triangular shape, in which case the brassard is also attached to a shoulder"
"Coat of arms of Sussex A heraldic shield (often erroneously referred to as a coat of arms) has been associated with the historic county of Sussex since the seventeenth century. The device, displaying six martlets or heraldic swallows on a shield, later formed the basis of the flag of Sussex and the armorial bearings granted to the county councils of East and West Sussex. The six gold martlets on a blue shield is the official heraldic shield of sussex, very much the same as the Yorkshire Rose is for Yorkshire. Under English Heraldic law this heraldic shield has been granted"
"but more often the tip of each limb is developed into some ornamental shape. The most commonly found crosses in heraldry include the ""cross botonny"", the ""cross flory"", the ""cross moline"", the ""cross potent"", the ""cross patée"" or ""formée"", the ""cross patonce"" and the ""cross crosslet"". In English heraldry the crescent, mullet, martlet, annulet, fleur-de-lis and rose may be added to a shield to distinguish cadet branches of a family from the senior line. It does not follow, however, that a shield containing such a charge necessarily belongs to a cadet branch. All of these charges occur frequently in basic"
"Lozenge (heraldry) The lozenge in heraldry is a diamond-shaped charge (an object that can be placed on the field of the shield), usually somewhat narrower than it is tall. It is to be distinguished in modern heraldry from the fusil, which is like the lozenge but narrower, though the distinction has not always been as fine and is not always observed even today. A mascle is a voided lozenge—that is, a lozenge with a lozenge-shaped hole in the middle—and the rarer rustre is a lozenge containing a circular hole in the centre. A field covered in a pattern of lozenges"
"precinct. The French word for swallow is ""hirondelle"", from Latin ""hirundo"", and therefore martlets have appeared in the canting arms of the ancient family of de Arundel of Lanherne, Cornwall and later of Wardour Castle. The arms borne by Reinfred de Arundel (d.c.1280), lord of the manor of Lanherne, were recorded in the 15th-century Shirley Roll of Arms as: ""Sable, six martlets argent"". This family should not be confused with that of FitzAlan Earls of Arundel, whose seat was Arundel Castle in Sussex, who bear for arms: ""Gules, a lion rampant or"". The shield of the county of Sussex, England"
"shield is a raven in its natural colours (proper) holding a golden ring (annulet) in its beak. The Wreath is the conventional representation of the twisted band of material of the principal metal and colour of the shield, in this case gold and purple, which was worn round the helmet and helped to bind the crest and mantling to it. The mantling represents the cloth worn over the back of the helmet and body-armour to prevent overheating by the sun. The crest is a raven, as in the Arms, standing on a green mound. The shield, crest and motto have"
"in armour, it is not surprising that heraldic elements constantly incorporated the shield and the helmet, these often being the most visible parts of a knight's military equipment. The practice of indicating peerage through the display of barred or grilled helmets first appeared around 1587-1615, and the heraldic convention of displaying helmets of rank in the United Kingdom, which came into vogue around Stuart times, is as follows: Earlier rolls of arms reveal, however, that early heraldic helmets were depicted in a manner faithful to the styles in actual military or tournament use at the time. Helmet A helmet is"
"called ""The Martlet""). The martlet is also used in the coat of arms of the Bromsgrove School, Charles Wright Academy, and Mill Hill School. The significance of the martlet in the arms of various ancient English colleges and schools is derived quite simply from elements within the arms of their founders. A talking martlet is employed as a story-device in ER Edisson's fantasy novel ""The Worm Ouroboros"". At the outset of the novel the martlet conducts the reader to Mercury whereon the action proceeds. Thereafter it performs a linking role as a messenger of the Gods. It also appears in"
"Bar (heraldry) In heraldry, a bar is an ordinary consisting of a horizontal band across the shield. If only one bar appears across the middle of the shield, it is termed a ""fess""; if two or more appear, they can only be called bars. Calling the bar a diminutive of the fess is inaccurate, however, because two bars may each be no smaller than a fess. Like the fess, bars too may bear complex lines (such as embattled, indented, nebuly, etc.). The diminutive form of the bar (narrower than a bar yet wider than a cottise) is the barrulet, though"
"In heraldry a circlet of an order of knighthood can be placed around the shield of the bearer to signify membership of a particular order. In British heraldry this pertains to the grades of Commander and above (""ie."" Knight Commander and Knight Grand Cross). Circlet A circlet is a piece of headgear that is similar to a diadem or a corolla. The word circlet is also used to refer to the base of a crown or a coronet with or without a cap. Diadem and circlet are often used interchangeably, and ""open crowns"" with no arches (as opposed to ""closed"
"Mallet A mallet is a kind of hammer, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. The term is descriptive of the overall size and proportions of the tool, and not the materials it may be made of, though most mallets have striking faces that are softer than steel. Mallets are used in various industries, such as upholstery work, and a variety of other general purposes. It is a tool of preference for wood workers using chisels with plastic, metal, or wooden handles, as they give"
"of circlet) or around the neck. Moors and Saracens are also traditionally depicted in heraldry with a torse across their brow. Agal Torse In heraldry, a torse or wreath is a twisted roll of fabric laid about the top of the helmet and the base of the crest. It has the dual purpose of masking the join between helm and crest, and holding the mantling in place. The torse is sometimes mistakenly said to be the token, such as a handkerchief or sleeve, which the knight's lady-love gave him to wear when he left for the wars or participated in"
"Rondel (armour) A rondel (ˈrɒndl) is a circular piece of metal used for protection, as part of a harness of plate armour, or attached to a helmet, breastplate, couter or on a gauntlet. Rondels most commonly hang off breastplates and cover the armpit, which is a vulnerable point.They may have been used to steady the jousting lance. In this instance they are commonly known as besagews. They also appear on the back of a type of late medieval helmet known as the armet. Their purpose for this is unknown, though it has been surmised that they may protect strapping, or"
"The Sussex Motor Yacht Club, founded in 1907 and headquartered in Brighton, uses the traditional Sussex county arms (i.e., the six martlets) on its club burgee; it depicts the martlets in red, and places them on a white shield, surmounting a three-bladed propeller, which also in red. The University of Sussex's coat of arms features the six martlets. Coat of arms of Sussex A heraldic shield (often erroneously referred to as a coat of arms) has been associated with the historic county of Sussex since the seventeenth century. The device, displaying six martlets or heraldic swallows on a shield, later"
"European heraldry in general, the label was used to mark the elder son, generally by the princes of the royal house. Differencing, or cadency, are the distinctions used to indicate the junior branches (cadets) of a family. In British heraldry, a system of specific ""brisures"" or ""marks of cadency"" developed: The eldest son, during the lifetime of his father, bears the family arms with the addition of a label; the second son a crescent, the third, a mullet, the fourth, a martlet, the fifth, an annulet; the sixth, a fleur-de-lis; the seventh, a rose; the eighth, a cross moline; the"
"term ""countercoloured"" is sometimes used in place of ""counterchanged"". The arms of the Fenwick baronets were originally blazoned as ""silver, a chief gules with six martlets countercoloured"". In this case, three martlets argent rest on a chief gules, while three martlets gules rest on the argent field. Some heraldic authorities regard the use of this term as erroneous. During the first half of the seventeenth century, the proliferation of the printing press coupled with the persistence of difficulties in and expense of colour printing prompted the development of a number of systems of hatching for the purpose of depicting heraldic"
"charge on their coat of arms are: Albania, Austria, Germany, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Serbia. Additionally, the ""Double-Headed Eagle of Lagash"" is used as an emblem by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. There are many meanings attached to this symbol, and it was introduced in France in the early 1760s as the emblem of the Knight Kadosh degree. The martlet, a stylized swallow without feet (sometimes incorrectly, at least in the Anglophone heraldries these days, said to have no beak), is a mark of cadency in English heraldry, but also appears as a simple charge in undifferenced arms. The"
"Mantlet A mantlet was a large shield or portable shelter used for stopping projectiles in medieval warfare. It could be mounted on a wheeled carriage, and protected one or several soldiers. In the First World War a mantlet type of device was used by the French to attack barbed wire entanglements. In military use from pre-WW2 onward, a mantlet is the thick, protective steel frontal shield, usually able to elevate and depress, which houses the main gun on an armoured tank, examples being Tiger Tank, Sherman Tank and Churchill Tank . Used by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Composed of bundles"
"shield or on any other object of an armorial composition. Any object found in nature or technology may appear as a heraldic charge in armory. Charges can be animals, objects, or geometric shapes. Apart from the ordinaries, the most frequent charges are the cross – with its hundreds of variations – and the lion and eagle. Other common animals are stags, wild boars, martlets, and fish. Dragons, bats, unicorns, griffins, and more exotic monsters appear as charges and as supporters. Animals are found in various stereotyped positions or ""attitudes"". Quadrupeds can often be found rampant (standing on the left hind"
"to represent the county of Sussex, in the east of the county as well as the west. Many of the proposed designs incorporated the charge of six martlets (a mythical bird found in heraldry, essentially representative of a swift) that have been traditionally associated with Sussex for centuries and that have appeared on the various forms of arms used in the county. However this flag was never registered by the Flag Institute. East Sussex County Council uses a flag based on the East Sussex County Council coat of arms, which also features the six gold martlets from the heraldic shield"
"Marotte A marotte is a prop stick or sceptre with a carved head on it. Jesters usually used a marotte. The word is borrowed from the French, where it signifies either a fool's (literal) ""bauble"", or a fad/craze. Typically carried by a jester or harlequin, the miniature head will often reflect the costume of the jester who carries it. Modern marottes typically have music boxes or other machinery built into the head. Older marottes may utilize swivel heads with bells. In the children's TV series ""Rentaghost"", the stick was referred to as a ""Tiny Timothy"". In Verdi's opera Rigoletto, the"
"in bend Vert, between a horse’s head couped and a gauntlet of the like, all within a bordure of the second. Attached below the shield is a Gold scroll inscribed ""VELOX ET MORTIFER"" in Black letters. The shield of the coat of arms for the 111th Armored Cavalry Regiment, differenced by a green border, indicates descent of the 139th Tank Battalion from the 3d Battalion of that organization. The colors yellow and green are used for Armor. The horse’s head and lance symbolize Cavalry and medieval armor, respectively. The gauntlet represents the shock action of armor and the ability to"
"fan-shaped or sculptural crests, often incorporating elements from the shield of arms; as well as a wreath or torse, or sometimes a coronet, from which depended the lambrequin or mantling. To these elements, modern heraldry often adds a motto displayed on a ribbon, typically below the shield. The helmet is borne of right, and forms no part of a grant of arms; it may be assumed without authority by anyone entitled to bear arms, together with mantling and whatever motto the armiger may desire. The crest, however, together with the torse or coronet from which it arises, must be granted"
"of six, in chief three roundels (Grey, Marquis of Dorset) ; 2. A maunche (Hastings) ; 3. Barry of ten, an orle of martlets (de Valence, Earl of Pembroke) ; 4. Seven mascles conjoined three, three and one (de Quincy, Earl of Winchester) ; 5. Lost, probably a cinquefoil, for Bellomont, Earl of Leicester; 6. Lost, probably a fesse and canton, for Widville, Earl Rivers; 7. Six mullets, pierced, three, two and one (Bonville) ; 8. A fret (Harrington). Above Katherine Grenville, the lady on the left hand of the knight, is a shield: Arundell as before, impaling, 1 and"
"Heraldic flag In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification. Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and pinsels. Specifications governing heraldic flags vary from country to country, and have varied over time. The pennon is a small elongated flag, either pointed or swallow-tailed (when swallow-tailed it may be described as a banderole). It was charged with the heraldic badge or some other armorial ensign of the owner, and displayed on his own lance, as a personal ensign. The ""pennoncelle"" was"
"Emmet (heraldry) The Emmet, also called the ant and the pismire, is an heraldic charge in European heraldry, particularly in British and German heraldry. The emmet might be understood as a symbol of hard work and of wisdom, although symbolism in heraldry always has to be approached with a certain skepticism, as the arms might be canting, or the symbolism might not apply in a particular case. In his ""A Display of Heraldrie"" (1610), John Guillim of the English College of Arms says: The emmet is very frequently shown as ""tergiant"", or with his back to the viewer, as if"