Charges - Fret Engrailed

This particularly spiky arrangement is from Guillim's 1611 Display of Heraldrie. It's blazoned as Gules, a Frette Engrailed Ermine, though the emblazon given is rather lacking in any ermine spots.


A warning, however. If you use this on your device, don't have it carved on your chair. I accept no responsibility for any injuries received if you disregard this.

Charges - Harpey

The Field is Azure, an Harpey displaied, Crined, Crowned, and Armed, Or. These are the Armes of the noble City of Norenberga, which according to some Authors is sitituate in the very Center of the vast and spacious Country of Germany. The Harpey (saith Upton) should be given to such persons as have committed manslaughter, to the end that by the often view of their Ensignes they might be moved to bewaile the foulnesse of their offence.

This is rather a good entry in the competition for 'charges which should never be shown displayed' by John Guillim in his 1611 Display of Heraldrie.

Charges - Fiber

R. beareth Verte, a Fiber, Argent. This beaste, Animal est emphibion, because he can live bothe on the lande and in the water, and maketh houses or dennes, arraied with wonderfull crafte, in the brinckes of Rivers, and waters, as Plinie saithe. He is also named Castor, à castrando. For he geldeth him selfe, when he perceiveth that he is persued of the hunter, and bitinge of his stones, which are marveilously good in medicines, layeth them in the sighte of the hunter, knowinge by nature, that he is hunted for the same, and so he escapeth deathe. The whiche Cicero in Scauriana affirmeth: sayinge, that he ransometh him with that parte of his bodyfor whiche he is moste pursued. Juvenall also saithe, that he geldeth him selfe, for the desire he hath to escape. This beast in shape is wonderfull, for his tayle onely is fishe, and all the other deale of his body hathe the fourme of a litle hounde. His hynder feete be as it were feete of an hounde, wherewith especially he goeth on the lande : and his twoo forefeete bene as it were the feet of a Goose, and therewith he chiefely swimmeth in the water. In runninge his is very slowe, Ob ventrem tumidum, & ad terram dendentem. His skinne is full pretious, and properly white.

Are you glad you're not a beaver in period? John Bossewell doesn't have a good life ahead for you...

Arrangements - Debrused and Fret

Occasionally when looking through period heraldry texts, one comes across charges in interesting arrangements not often seen in SCA heraldry. One such is 'debrused and fret'.

Hee beareth Or, a Lyon rampannt d'Ermine, debrused with two Barruletes, & fret with the thirde Sable.

Another notable feature of this device, from Bossewell's 1572 Workes of Armorie, is a living charge of complicated shape with an attractive