Quick Reference: Sea Creatures Postures
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Quick Reference: Sea Creatures Postures

Tthe denizens of the ocean are also seen in armory. They range from the dolphin (a fish very different from Flipper) and the whale through various different fish used primarily for canting. Rounding out the aquatic cavalcade are lobsters, crabs, escallops, octopi (blazoned as polypus) and squid (blazoned as calamarie).

A dolphin A lucy (medieval name for pike) A whale A lobster

Just as beasts and birds have certain names for postures, most fish have specific names for postures, as outlined below.

Posture Defining traits stylised drawing Example
Embowed Curved body bending 'inward'
Embowed-counterembowed 'S' shaped curve to the body, Seen most often with dolphins.
Haurient Body in pale, head to chief
Naiant Body in fess, head to dexter
Urinant Body in pale, head to base

This page originally appeared in a Heraldic Primer originally created by Iulstan Sigewealding (Stephen Gold) and expanded/updated by Meradudd Cethin (Timothy Shead). Some minor formatting changes, fixes, and updates have been made to bring it in alignment with current practice.