![]() |
|
||||||||||
Section 8: Postures | |||||||||||
Heraldry for Non-HeraldsSection 8: PosturesNote: All art on this page drawn by Master Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme. Used by permission of the artist. Master Bruce’s heraldic artwork, including the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry, can be found at Mistholme.com. ![]() body erect, three limbs up, one limb down ![]() (leaping)body erect, two limbs up, two limbs down ![]() (standing) body horizontal, four limbs down ![]() (walking) body horizontal, three limbs down, one limb up ![]() (laying down) body horizontal, limbs tucked beneath the body ![]() (running) body horizontal, four limbs up ![]() (sitting) body bendwise, forelimbs down, hindlimbs tucked ![]() (sitting up/begging) body erect, forelimbs up, hindlimbs tucked Winged quadrupeds, including dragons, griffins, hippogriffs, and the like, have a special term for rampant: segreant. Other specialized terms for quadruped postures include, but are not limited to:
Bipedal tailed creatures, such as wyverns, sea-beasts, and the like, default to erect (upright body, raised limbs) though statant/sejant (bendwise or horizontal body, lowered limbs) is not uncommon. ![]() body facing front, limbs spread ![]() body erect, wings at rest close to the body ![]() body bendwise, wings back ![]() body horizontal, legs tucked, wings spread There are also some postures that are specific to certain birds, such as peacocks “in their vanity” (body facing front with tail fanned), cranes “in their vigilance” (like close, but holding a rock menacingly in one foot) and pelicans “in their piety” (stabbing their breast with their beak to feed their blood to their chicks). ![]() body horizontal ![]() body vertical, head to chief ![]() body vertical, head to base ![]() body tied in a knot ![]() body curling into a spiral ![]() body horizontal, typically undulating ![]() body vertical, back to viewer Many of these postures can be modified slightly with additional words, such as:
This is not an official publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. nor does it seek to delineate SCA policies. The views expressed herein are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of the SCA, its officers, members, or affiliates. All contents ©2009-2013, Kevin Rhodes. Please contact the author before reproduction. |
|||||||||||
Maintained by Codex Herald. This page was last updated on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The heraldry.sca.org site is copyright 1995-2024 Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The copyright of certain portions of heraldry.sca.org are retained by the original contributors as noted. External links are not part of the heraldry.sca.org web site. Inclusion of a page or site here is neither implicit nor explicit endorsement of the site. Further, SCA, Inc. is not responsible for content outside of heraldry.sca.org. For information on how SCA uses collected and submitted data, please see the Privacy Policy. Paper texture used with permission from GRSites.com. |