- Addorsed
- When two animals are turned back to back - endorsed – but see ‘addorsed 2)’ in the main text.
Two Eagle's Heads Erased Addorsed Or, Aure, Norway
- Affronty
- When the head of a beast or a man is shown facing the observer – but see
‘caboshed’ in ‘appendix V’ and
‘affronty 2)’ in the main text (also
‘respectant’ and
‘guardant’ in ‘appendix V’ ).
Bull's Head Affronty, Sable, Vilanova d'Escornalbou, Spain (fotw)
- Armed
- The claws, teeth and beaks of beasts are of a different tincture to the rest
of the body.
Lion Rampant Sable, Armed and Langued Gules, Flanders
Belgium (fotw)
- Caboshed
- When an animal's head is borne full-faced and with no part of the neck visible
- cabossed or cabooched – but see
‘affronty’ in ‘appendix V’ (also
‘guardant’ in ‘appendix V’).
A Stag Caboshed, Or, Flag and Arms of Garešnica, Croatia
- Contourné
- When an animal is facing towards the sinister rather than the usual dexter - transversed.
Falcon Proper Contourné (Parker)
Please note that this term has also been applied (by Scottish heraldic authority)
to an inanimate charge turned towards the sinister, but that such use is unsupported by other sources.
- Couchant
- When an animal is depicted as lying down, with its head generally facing towards
the dexter.
Lion Couchant Or, Uherský Brod, Czechia
- Couped
- Cut off in a straight line as is often the case with the heads and limbs of
animals but see ‘couped’ main entry (also 'erased').
A dexter hand couped at the wrist, Northern Ireland
(fotw)
- Coward
- When an animal is shown with its tail between the hind legs.
A Griffon Coward, Azure, Armed and Langued gules, Boksburg 1991 – 94, South Africa (fotw)
- Displayed
- When an eagle or other winged creature is shown with its wings elevated and sometimes inverted (see also ‘rising’
in ‘appendix V’, plus ‘vol’ and ‘volant’
in the main text).
An Eagle Displayed, Sable, Veveyse, Switzerland (fotw)
- Erased
- As couped, but with the dividing line ragged or uneven.
Three heads Erased Sable, Lennik, Belgium (fotw)
- Erect
- When an animal is shown upright or on its hind feet. In certain cases this may be used in place of “rampant”,
or may be employed in relation to the heads of animals and fish – but see
‘erect 2)’ and ‘upright 2)’ in the main text plus
‘haurient’ and
‘rampant’ below.
Serpent erect or, Flag and Arms of Gorjani, Croatia (Željko
Heimer and fotw)
- Forcené
- When a horse is seen rearing on its hind legs - but see also ‘rampant’
and ‘salient’.
Horse Forcené Argent, Lower Saxony, Germany (fotw)
- Guardant
- When an animal has its face towards the onlooker - gardant gardant (see also ‘affronty’ and ‘caboshed’ above).
Three Lions Passant Guardant Or, Armed and Langued
Azure, Duchy of Lancaster, UK (Graham Bartram)
- Haurient
- The heraldic term when a fish is in the erect position (see also ‘naiant’
and ‘urinant’).
Three Fishes Haurient, Argent, Schwarzenbach, Switzerland (fotw);
A Dolphin Crowned Haurient Embowed, Démoret, Switzerland (fotw)
- Langued
- The tongue of the beast, if shown, is of different tincture than the rest
of the body.
Lion Passant Sable, Armed and Langued Gules, Aalter, Belgium (fotw)
- Naiant (or natant)
- When a fish (or occasionally a water-fowl) is shown swimming per fess, usually towards the dexter - natant
(see also ‘haurient’ and ‘urinant’).
A Perch Naiant Argent, Flag of Auvernier, Switzerland (fotw)
- Passant
- When an animal is depicted walking on all four paws, or with one paw raised, and generally towards the dexter –
but see ‘trippant’.
Three Bears Passant, Or, Beernem, Belgium (fotw)
- Proper/Natural
- When a charge is shown in its natural shape and colours, as opposed to stylised
heraldic colours or shapes.
American Eagle Proper, National Flag of American Samoa (fotw)
- Rampant
- When an animal, particularly (but not exclusively) a lion, is depicted
rearing on its hind legs with forepaws and claws extended – but see
‘forcené’,
‘salient’,
‘segreant’
and ‘erect’.
Lion Rampant Gules, Armed and Langued Azure, Royal
Banner of Scotland (Graham Bartram)
- Regardant
- When an animal is looking to the rear over its shoulder irrespective of its
attitude.
Agnus Dei Proper Regardant (Parker)
- Respectant
- When two animals are depicted facing towards each other – combatant, affrontant or affronté (but see note below).
Two Stags Rampant Respectant Argent, Nax, Switzerland
Please note, we suggest that a suitable glossary or heraldic dictionary be
consulted before using this and the alternative terms given above, however, please note also that the terms
affrontant and affronty have different meanings – see ‘affronty’ in ‘appendix V’
and ‘affronty 2)’ in the main text.
- Rising
- When a bird is represented as in the act of taking flight (see also ‘displayed’ in ‘appendix V’,
plus ‘vol’ and ‘volant’ in the main text).
An Eagle Rising, Or, Złocieniec, Poland (fotw)
- Salient
- When an animal is shown leaping (possibly upon its prey), or rearing up with both hind feet on the ground,
and its forepaws drawn as if level with each other –
but see ‘forcené’, and
‘rampant’.
Three Stags salient Argent, Porsanger, Finland (fotw); Wolf Salient
Gules, Frick, Switzerland (fotw)
- Segreant
- Used in place of rampant when applied to a griffon whose wings are generally expanded – see
‘rampant’ in ‘Appendix V’.
A Griffon Sergeant Azure, Armed and Langued Gules, Flag of
Boksburg, South Africa 1981 – 1994 (fotw)
- Statant
- When an animal is depicted on all four feet standing still whilst facing the
dexter.
Roebuck Statant Or, Morkov, Czechia
- Trippant
- When a beast of the chase (a stag, hart, buck etc) is depicted walking on all four hooves,
or with one hoof raised, and generally towards the dexter – but see ‘passant’.
Stag Trippant Sable, Attired and Hoofed Gules, Rebévelier, Switzerland (fotw);
Stag Trippant Goules, Rzepin, Poland (Jarig Bakker)
- Urinant
- When the head of a fish points downward (see also ‘haurient’ and ‘naiant’).
Two Perches Urinant, Argent, Rorchach, Switzerland (fotw)