Part 32 (1/2)

_The Swan_ (Fig. 467) is a very favourite charge, and will be found both as a crest and as a charge upon a s.h.i.+eld, and in all varieties of position. It is usually, however, when appearing as a charge, to be found ”close.” A swan couchant appears as the crest of Barttelot, a swan regardant as the crest of Swaby, and a swan ”rising” will be found as a crest of Guise and as a charge upon the arms of Muntz. Swimming in water it occurs in the crest of Stilwell, and a swan to which the unusual term of ”rousant” is sometimes applied figures as {246} the crest of Stafford: ”Out of a ducal coronet per pale gules and sable, a demi-swan rousant, wings elevated and displayed argent, beaked gules.” It is, however, more usually blazoned as: ”A demi-swan issuant (from the coronet, per pale gules and sable”).

Swans' heads and necks are not often met with as a charge, though they occur in the arms of Baker. As a crest they are very common, and will be found in the cases of Lindsay and Bates.

_The Duck_--with its varieties of the moorhen and eider-duck--is sometimes met with, and appears in the arms of Duckworth and Billiat. Few better canting examples can be found than the latter coat, in which the duck is holding the billet in its bill.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 468.--c.o.c.k.]

The other domestic bird--the _c.o.c.k_--is often met with, though it more often figures as a crest than upon a s.h.i.+eld. A c.o.c.k ”proper” is generally represented of the kind which in farmyard phraseology is known as a gamec.o.c.k (Fig. 468). Nevertheless the gamec.o.c.k--as such--does occur; though in these cases, when so blazoned, it is usually depicted in the artificial form--deprived of its comb and wattles, as was the case when it was prepared for c.o.c.k-fighting. Birds of this cla.s.s are usually met with, with a comb and wattles, &c., of a different colour, and are then termed ”combed (or crested), wattled, and jelopped”--if it is desired to be strictly accurate--though it will be generally found that the term is dropped to ”combed and jelopped.” If the bird is termed ”armed,” the beak and spurs are thereby referred to. It occurs in the arms of Handc.o.c.k (Lord Castlemaine) [”Ermine, on a chief sable, a dexter hand between two c.o.c.ks argent”] and in the arms of c.o.kayne [”Argent, three c.o.c.ks gules, armed, crested, and jelopped sable”], and also in that of Law. It likewise occurs in the arms of Aitken.

_The Sheldrake_ appears occasionally under another name, _i.e._ that of the _Shoveller_, and as such will be found in the arms of Jackson, of Doncaster.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 469.--Peac.o.c.k in his pride.]

The gorgeous plumage of the _Peac.o.c.k_ has of course resulted in its frequent employment. It has a special term of its own, being stated to be ”in his pride” when shown affronte, and with the tail displayed (Fig. 469).

It is seldom met with except in this position, though the well-known crest of Harcourt is an example to the contrary, as is the crest of Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bart., viz. ”A mount vert, thereon {247} a peac.o.c.k amidst wheat, and in the beak an ear of wheat all proper.” With the tail closed it also figures as one of the supporters of Sir Robert Hart, Bart. [”Sinister, a peac.o.c.k close proper”]: its only appearance in such a position that I am aware of.

A peac.o.c.k's tail is not a familiar figure in British armory, though the exact contrary is the case in German practices. ”Issuant from the mouth of a boar's head erect” it occurs as the crest of Tyrell, and ”A plume of peac.o.c.k's feathers”--which perhaps is the same thing--”issuant from the side of a chapeau” is the crest of Lord Sefton.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 470.--Crane in its vigilance.]

Another bird for which heraldry has created a term of its own is the _Crane_. It is seldom met with except holding a stone in its claw, the term for which stone is its ”vigilance,” a curious old fable, which explains the whole matter, being that the crane held the stone in its foot so that if by any chance it fell asleep, the stone, by dropping, would awaken it, and thus act as its ”vigilance” (Fig. 470). It is a pity that the truth of such a charming example of the old world should be dissipated by the fact that the crest of Cranstoun is the crane _asleep_--or rather dormant--with its head under its wing, and nevertheless holding its ”vigilance” in its foot!

The crane is not often met with, but it occurs in the arms of Cranstoun, with the curious and rather perplexing motto, ”Thou shalt want ere I want.”

Before leaving the crane, it may be of interest to observe that the derivation of the word ”pedigree” is from _pied de grue_, the appearance of a crane's foot and the branching lines indicative of issue being similar in shape.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 471.--Stork holding in its beak a snake.]

Heraldic representation makes little if any difference when depicting a crane, a stork, or a heron, except that the tuft on the head of the latter is never omitted when a heron is intended.

Instances of the _Stork_ are of fairly frequent occurrence, the usual heraldic method of depicting the bird being with the wings close.

More often than not the stork is met with a snake in its beak (Fig. 471); and the fact that a heron is also generally provided with an eel to play with adds to the confusion.

_The Heron_--or, as it was anciently more frequently termed heraldically, the _Herne_ (Fig. 472)--will naturally be found in the arms of Hearne and some number of other coats and crests. {248}

_The Raven_ (Fig. 473) occurs almost as early as any other heraldic bird.

It is said to have been a Danish device. The powerful Norman family of Corbet, one of the few remaining families which can show an unbroken male descent from the time of the Conquest to the present day, have always remained faithful to the raven, though they have added to it sometimes a _bordure_ or additional numbers of its kind. ”Or, a raven sable,” the well-known Corbet coat, is, of course, a canting allusion to their Norman name, or nickname, ”Le Corbeau.” Their name, like their pedigree, is unique, inasmuch as it is one of the few names of undoubted Norman origin which are not territorial, and possibly the fact that their lands of Moreton Corbett, one of their chief seats, were known by their name has a.s.sisted in the perpetuation of what was, originally, undoubtedly a personal nickname.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 472.--Heron.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 473.--Raven.]

Fig. 474 is a striking example of the virility which can be imparted to the raven. It is reproduced from Grunenberg's ”Book of Arms” (1483). Strohl suggests it may be of ”Corbie” in Picardy, but the ident.i.ty of the arms leads one to fancy the name attached may be a misdescription of the English family of Corbet.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 474.]

Heraldically, no difference is made in depicting the raven, the rook, and the crow; and examples of the Crow will be found in the arms of Crawhall, and of the _Rook_ in the crest of Abraham. The arms of the Yorks.h.i.+re family of Creyke are always blazoned as rooks, but I am inclined to think they may possibly have been originally _creykes_, or corn-crakes.

_The Cornish Chough_ is very much more frequently met with than either the crow, rook, or raven, and it occurs in the arms of Bewley, the town of Canterbury, and (as a crest) of Cornwall.

It can only be distinguished from the raven in heraldic representations by the fact that the Cornish chough is always depicted and frequently blazoned as ”beaked and legged gules,” as it is found in its natural state. {249}