A few simple charges are traditionally, and arbitrarily, classified among the so-called subordinaries. (All other mobile charges are called common charges.)
lozengefusil (a narrow lozenge)mascle (lozenge voided)rustre (lozenge pierced)billetannulet;roundel, but different tinctures have different names: for example roundels argent are called plates. A roundel barry wavy azure and argent is called a fountain.label is commonly a mark of difference, but also appears as an independent charge.fret: originally woven from three bendlets (dexter) and three bendlets sinister, now usually a single bendlet each way interwoven with a mascle.The following types of human figures are listed in Elvin (1889): Virgin with Child, King, Bishop, Prester John, Lady Abbess, Female figure naked with flowing hair (crest of Ellis), Figure of Justice, Figure of Hope, Man in Armour, Neptune or Triton, Mermaid, Wild Man, Roman Soldier in Armour, Moor or Blackamoor, Figure of Time, Skeleton human, Angel or Cherub, Knight on horseback (e.g. Saint George, Pahonia), Bishop, Monk (friar or hermit).
The headThe hand, or hand and arm, is the most common part of the human body to be a charge.FeetTeethTongueThe heart, even when blazoned "a human heart", always appears like the heart in a deck of cards rather than a natural human heart.A "dug" or woman's breast "distilling drops of milk" famously appears in the arms of the Dodge family, and appeared for a time on the badge of cars made by the Dodge Automotive company.BeardsTesticles: the Neapolitan family of Coglione bore "per fess argent and gules, three pairs of testicles counterchanged".Any animal can be a heraldic charge, although more traditional ones vary in the exactitude with which they resemble the creature as found in nature. Animals depicted naturally are either described as natural or using the scientific nomenclature. Also included in heraldry are Mythical creatures and chimeras.
FelinesThe lion.The heraldic tyger is an imaginary monster; where natural beast appears is blazoned as a Bengal tiger.A leopard refers to a lion "passant guardant", rather than a natural leopard, in the languages of French and English heraldry. A leopard's face also occurs, sometimes jessant-de-lys.A heraldic panther is usually depicted spitting fireThe (domestic) cat, distinguished from the wild cat or "cat-a-mountain"CaninesFoxHound (dog). The two most common breeds are the talbot (dog) and greyhound.WolfBearBrock or (badger)ErmineOtterAntelope, usually blazoned as a specific type unless it is the mythical heraldic antelope.Cattle Bulls, cows or calves.CamelDeer usually a red deer, also called a hart or Stag, and the Buck denotes a Fallow deer. Females are called hinds or does.Caribou or Reindeer. Sometimes depicted naturally, sometimes as a deer with four antlers.Equines such as the ass and the horse sometimes of a specified breed and the mythical Unicorn and Pegasus.Swine either wild boars or domestic pigsSheep and Goats Including Rams, ewes, lambs, ibex and Agnus DeiElephant; sometimes with a castle or seat on its back.Monkey (or jack-a-napes), rarely "sea-monkey" (a monkey with a fish-tail).Mole (or moldiwarp)PorcupineHedgehog (or urcheon).BeaverSquirrelRabbits, Hares, and coneysReptiles and amphibians
The serpent usually depicted nowed.The salamander is typically shown as a generic lizard, sometimes with a head of unusual shape often described as "dog-shaped", and always surrounded by flames.The lizardThe BiscioneDragon: by default a European one, but also a Chinese dragon.Wyvern: similar to a dragon, but with only two legs.Zilant: a form of dragon appearing in Russian heraldry.Insects include:
Bee, often flying around beehives, natural or man-madeDragonflyGrasshopperButterflySphinx: depicted with the head and breasts of a woman.Griffin, combining the head (but with ears), chest, wings and forelegs of the eagle with the hindquarters and legs of a lion (the male griffin lacks wings and his body is scattered with spikes). See List of griffins as mascots and in heraldry.Unicorn, having a horse's body, deer's legs, goat's beard, and often a lion's tailThe hippogriff is like the griffin except that the lion parts of the griffin are replaced by those of a horse.HarpyTheow is a wolf-like creature but with cloven hoves.The sea-lion is a combination of a lion and a fish.Any combination of parts of other animals, e.g. winged reindeer, is possible.By far the most frequent heraldic bird is the eagle. A variant is the alerion, without beak or feet, seen in the arms of the duchy of Lorraine (for which it is an anagram).
Also very frequent is the martlet, a conventional swallow depicted without feet or the French variant the merlette, which also omits the beak.
AukcockCormorantcraneDoveDuck without beak or legs is called the merletteEagle, usually displayed, i.e. with wings spreadAlerion: eagle without beak or feetDouble-headed eagleFalcongooseGull or seagullhawkHeronMagpie: Otton de Cazeneuve bore "Or, three magpies sable" at Falkirk.Osprey: almost invariably depicted simply as an eagle argentOstrich or its feathersOwlPapingo or Popinjay (parrot).Pelican, sometimes with its young.Peacock often blazoned in its pridePhoenixRaven (also known as "crow" or "rook"):StorkSwanTurkey cock: was a later immigrant from the New WorldEgg: rare.Fish and creatures of the sea
"Fish" are sometimes only described as "a fish", but the species is often named:
CatfishCongerDolphinEel"Garvine fishes", in canting contextsThe pike, also called a ged or LucyRoachSalmonHerringThe "seahorse" is depicted as half horse and half fish, but if the natural seahorse is to be depicted it is blazoned as a "seahorse (hippocampus)".The whaleThe escallop (scallop shell)Mussels appear in the arms of Musselburgh in Scotland.Whelk shellMermaid and MelusineParts of creatures may also be used as charges.
the gamb (or limb) and the paw.headantlersteeth and tuskswingsThe fleur-de-lisHeraldic roses are shown in a stylised form similar to the wild rose. A rose on top of another rose form a double rose.though there are several unusual different types blazoned, such as the Luther rose.White Rose of York; Red Rose of Lancaster; Tudor Rose, which is a double rose.The lotus flowerThe thistleOther commonly used flower-like charges (called "foils") include:Trefoil (with three petals; usually slipped, with a stem)Quatrefoil (with four petals)Cinquefoil (with five petals)Sexfoil (with six petals)The septfoil (with seven petals)The double quatrefoil (with eight petals)—in England the rare cadency mark of a ninth son.Strawberries and the strawberry flowers depicted as cinquefoilsGrapevinesTrees and their fruits
Trees appear as eradicated (showing the roots) or couped. Fruit can appear on a tree, or by itself. Also, leaves and branches appear.
Tree trunkApple treeCherryPears (with peartrees)Maple leaf - symbol of CanadaTrees are sometimes merely blazoned as "a tree" but specific trees are mentioned in blazon.
The oak and the acornThe pines and the pine-cone also called a pineapple.elmpoplar, also called aspenwillow, also called Salix or Osiers; its branch is called a wandaldercoconut treepalmLaurel treesoliveThe pomegranate treecannabisgrass, often on a moundA small group of trees is blazoned as a hurst, grove, wood or thicket.
Grain crops and vegetables
Wheat occurs in the form of "garbs" or sheaves and as ears), though sometimes garbs represent another cropa garb of hayEars of rye are depicted exactly as wheat, except the ears droop down."Ginny wheat" or "guinea wheat" (like wheat but with a fatter ear) also existsLeekA sun with rays is called a sun in splendour.Moons come in various phases, including crescent and "in her plenitude" (a full moon with a face).Mullets represent stars or spur rowels. Stars can have any number of points, but if nothing is specified in the blazon it is usually five or six.Estoiles are stars with wavy rays; pole stars are differentiated.Constellations such as the Southern Cross.Magen DavidAstrological symbols such as TaurusThe planets such as Jupiter and Saturn and their moons. Saturn always has its rings.The armillary sphere or globeThunderbolts and lightning bolts, also called "lightning flashes", are shown in a stylized way.volcanoA mount or a trimount.The wheel is a carriage wheel unless otherwise specifiedA winged wheelCatherine WheelA millwheel or water wheelCogwheel (used mainly in more recent coats-of-arms to represent heavy industry)Emblem of the TrinityLetters of the Greek and Latin alphabets, often with religious themesShips and boats
The lymphad (a type of ancient ship)A Roman shipViking shipsThree-masted sailing shipsA barqueAnchorReligious StructuresA belfryA steeplechurches of various typesChapelsConventsmissionsAbbey.Fortified buildingsCastle, a castle of the generic type consists of two towers connected by an embattled wall (also a charge in heraldry). Varieties occur, such as being triangular or quadrangular. Also, the windows and doors can be of a different tincture, as well as the masonry. Sometimes they have domed towers.Towers can be combined with castles or have their own towers. They vary in the same way as castles.PortcullisColumnsArchesMills, e.g. windmillsDovecotesTentsMitreCrowns or coronets, if not more precisely specified, have four leaves (three visible) and no arches. Varieties include:naval crownRoyal CrownImperial crowncivic crownEastern crown or Antique crownCrown Pallisado or crown vallarymural crownCrancelin a crown of rueHelmetsMusical instruments include:
HarpBugle-horn sometimes just called a horn.BagpipesBells, including church bells and hawks' bellsClarionDrum (shown as a "field drum")A sharp, flat, and naturalAxes of various typesBattering ramBow, including the longbow and crossbow, and arrowCaltrop, displayed with one spike pointing upwardsCannon, including the culverinGrenade: similar in appearance to a cannonball with flames coming out of a flattened end.Lance and spear sometimes broken, usually of the tilting variety.JavelinPheon and spear heads.MaceMusketSword, including variants such as the scimitar, seax, and daggerPennon, often referred to as a pile (military construction beam) or passion nail (tool); a type of flag used to signal battle commands.AnvilFetterlockFire brandFleamHammers, of various typesHarrowKeysMillrindNails, often passion nailsShovelSickleLadders typically take the form of scaling ladders.RakeScales (weighing)ShuttleSurgeons' scalpelsTrowelTunWater-bougetsClothing and other personal items
Buckles in a variety of styles even in the form of a heart.The maunch is a lady's stylized sleeve.Spurs.chamber potsChess rooks
