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Heraldic Symbols & Colors: A Brief Overview

Heraldry is not just pretty designs and random colors. There is a deep signi cance to the heraldic
designs that were used.

Mar 17, 2023 • By Greg Beyer, BA History and Linguistics, Diploma in Journalism

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T
he medieval battle eld was a grim place. Dust and mud-covered soldiers engaged in
5 Key Battles of the First Crusade
brutal pushing and shoving. But among the various hues of gray and brown, there were
ashes of bright colors as the heraldic banners and shields of the nobility acted like
magnets, drawing the attention of friend and foe alike.

These designs and colors weren’t just there for aesthetic reasons, however. The designs (called
“devices”) and colors acted like signatures. Their banners told people where they were, and their
shields told people who they were.

Heraldic colors and designs were immensely important not just on the battle eld but in many
aspects of medieval life. They denoted the extremely important aspect of loyalty and
communicated who was who, especially in tournaments.

The Heraldic Colors

The ve tinctures along with the two metals and the convention for denoting them in black and white print, via Encyclopaedia
Britannica

Although there are many colors that can be used outside of heraldry, the art of heraldic design
makes use of ve heraldic colors, which are known as “traditional colors” or “tinctures.” These
heraldic colors should never be overlaid for reasons of visibility. Traditionally, these heraldic
colors also have meanings.

1. Black or “Sable” represents wisdom, constancy, grief, or prudence.

2. Green or “Vert” represents abundance, joy, hope, and loyalty in marriage.
3. Red or “Gules” is the symbol of the warrior, representing might and military strength. It is
also associated with being a martyr and represents sacri ce.
4. Blue or “Azure” is the symbol of faith, chastity, moral strength, and loyalty.
5. Purple or “Purpure” is associated with royalty, sovereignty, justice, majesty, and also
temperance.

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An example of some of the patterns or “furs” used in heraldry, via crw ags.com

In addition to these ve heraldic colors, there are several additional colors that have been used
historically, but not as often as the other ve. These additional colors are called “stains.”

Supplementing these ve heraldic colors are two “metals.” Gold is represented with yellow and is
referred to as “or,” while silver is represented with white and is referred to as “argent.” The rule is
that these two “metals” can be placed on any of the heraldic colors, but never on each other.

Along with the heraldic colors are patterns known as “furs” that were often used. These patterns
were often used on their own without any devices.

Heraldic Ordinaries

The Combat of the Thirty by Octave Penguilly L’Haridon, 1857, depicts a scene from 1351 during the War of the Breton
Succession when two teams of knights took to the eld in an organised melee; via historynet.com

Apart from the heraldic colors, heraldic ordinaries are popular “charges” that are simple
geometric designs that run from side to side, corner to corner, or top to bottom on the shield.
Although sometimes used for aesthetic reasons, there are also signi cant meanings attached to
some of the designs. In heraldry, the design is described from the perspective of the beholder
rather than the viewer. As such, right and left are reversed in descriptions.

The “pale” is a vertical stripe that runs down the center of the shield. It represents great military
or defensive strength and is derived from the word “pale,” meaning a sharpened stake driven into
the ground. Palings formed defensive walls around settlements, camps, and forts.

The “bend” is a diagonal band running from the upper right (dexter) to the lower left (sinister)
corner of the shield. It represents a sash that is awarded to those who have distinguished
themselves as great commanders. The “bend sinister” runs in the opposite direction and was
sometimes used as a mark of illegitimacy, although this wasn’t always the case.

The ag of Scotland bears the Cross of Saint Andrew, from Getty Images via metro.co.uk

A “fesse” is a broad horizontal band that runs across the width of the shield. It represents the
girdle of the ancients and is supposed to signify that the bearer is willing to stand up and act for
the good of the people.

The “saltire” is a diagonal cross that runs from corner to corner rather than the standard cross,
which runs from edge to edge. It is a popular ordinary commonly used in Scottish heraldry as it
mimics the design of the Cross of Saint Andrew, which is a cross synonymous with Scotland and
appears on the Scottish ag. The Saltire represents su ering and endurance, which many Scots
associate with their relationship to the English. The shape of the saltire is derived from the X-
shaped cross on which Saint Andrew was cruci ed.

Some of the heraldic ordinaries, via curiosityuntamed.com

A pile is a wedge issuing from the chief (top), which tapers towards the bottom of the shield. It
can, however, be arranged in various forms, issuing from the right or the left, or from the
corners. It can also be reversed or constructed from charges (smaller designs)

The cross is a very popular design as it symbolizes the Christian faith. As such, it was widely
adopted by crusaders in a variety of colors. The Saint George’s Cross, for example, is a red
(gules) cross on a silver/white (argent) eld, and it appears on the country ags of England and
Georgia. It was also famously used by the Knights Templar.

The “chevron” is derived from the roof of a house and is derived from the French word
“chevron,” meaning “rafter.” The symbol is popular in French and English heraldry, and relatively
rare in German heraldry. It signi es protection and was used by those who had built something
noteworthy, literally or guratively.

A broad band across the top of the shield is called a “chief.” It signi es authority and domination
of will and was especially used to signify a command position. The chief can never be cut o
from the sides of the shield and cannot be surrounded or overlapped by any other symbol.

An example of patterned lines being used in heraldry. This is a chevron gulet (red) raguly (pattern) on an argent (silver) eld,
via vikinganswerlady.com; with Some popular “lines of division” patterns, via English Heraldry

Other ordinaries include a border called a “bordure,” a Y-shape called a “pall,” a “base,” which is
like a chief but occupies the lower part of the shield, an “orle,” which is an inner bordure that
doesn’t touch the edges, squares called “cantons” and quarters,” and many more.

The shield doesn’t necessarily have to contain an ordinary. It can also be split via the patterns
inherent in the ordinary design. This is called “division of the eld.” Furthermore, the lines need
not be straight. “The lines of division” can incorporate a number of styles.

Charges

A fret design, via heraldicart.org

Apart from the ordinaries, there are many other charges that can adorn a shield, each with its
own special name and meaning. Charges can be simple shapes called subordinaries. The list of
subordinaries includes “lozenges,” which are diamond shapes, “annulets,” which are rings,
“roundels,” which are circles, “billets,” which are rectangles, “frets,” which are designs depicting a
single weave. If the fret pattern is repeated and covers the entire shield, it is called “fretty.”

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The Bavarian ag features a eld of lozenges, via agsonline.it The Bestiary: Medieval Legends of Mythical
Beasts
 

The choice of other charges that can be displayed is almost in nite. They can be almost anything.
Some popular charges involve human gures, animals such as lions, horses, crocodiles, spiders,
and even wombats. Fish are also a common charge. Mythical creatures can also be used, such as
unicorns, dragons, hippogri s, and gri ns. Of particular importance are birds, especially eagles,
which have been extremely popular as national symbols and thus as heraldic charges.

Charges are also not bound by the convention of the use of heraldic colors. The colors used can
re ect the image in real life. When this is done, the charge is referred to as being “proper.”

The eagle was a prevalent symbol in the Holy Roman Empire. It was used as a charge on an or eld for many centuries and
underwent many design changes; via Wikipedia

Body parts are also commonly displayed, such as feet, hands, and heads, sometimes depicted as
being recently separated from the rest of the body.

Weapons such as swords and axes are popular. Even shields are displayed (this particular design
is referred to as an “inescutcheon”).

Other popular charges include lettering such as the Christogram, symbols such as the sun,
crosses, and stars, or ora such as owers and trees. Wheat is a common symbol, denoting a link
to an agrarian background. A popular example of owers being used is the white rose of York
and the red rose of Lancaster, made famous during the Wars of the Roses.

Impalement

Detail from a map of England showing the coats of arms printed by John Bartholomew & Son Ltd. Image supplied by the author.

Impalement is the combining of two or more heraldic devices. Over time, the escutcheon
(shield) design got halved and then quartered as sons wished to display their father and
grandfather’s heraldry in their own design. As such, an example of a fur, like any other heraldic
symbol, ended up being one-half of the shield while another design occupied the other. This
process is called quartering (splitting) and marshaling (combining), and its express purpose is to
display more than one coat of arms on a shield. A famous example of this is the coat of arms of
Edward III, who claimed the throne of France. To re ect this, his coat-of-arms was quartered to
show the lilies of France (the eurs-de-lis) and the lions, or “leopards,” of England.

The quartered shield of Edward III re ects both the French and the English thrones, via World History

Heraldry is a complex system of symbolic designs that is considered its own form of art. Heraldic
colors and designs also constitute an interesting subject for those studying the fundamentals of
design.

Although considered a relic of a bygone era, heraldry is still very much en vogue. No longer used
solely by the nobility, people of more common backgrounds have become interested in seeking
the meanings behind the symbols used by their ancestors, especially by those of European
descent.

READ NEXT:
Medieval Warfare: Examples of Weapons & How They Were Used

By Greg Beyer
BA History and Linguistics, Diploma in Journalism

Greg is an academic writer with a History focus and has written over 100 articles for TheCollector. He
comes from South Africa and holds a BA from the University of Cape Town. He has spent many years as
an English teacher, and he currently specializes in writing for academic purposes. In his spare time, he
enjoys drawing and painting.

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