Hedgehog - Provident provider.
Heraldic Tiger - Same as Tiger.
Horns and Antlers - Strength and Fortitude.
Horse - Readiness for all employments for king and country.
Horse Shoe - Good luck.
House Snail - Deliberation and perseverance.
Human Head - Honor.
Hunting Horn - One who is fond of high pursuits.
Hydra - The conquest of a very powerful enemy.
Inkhorn - Same as pen.
Lamb - Gentleness and patience under suffering.
Leg - Strength, stability and expedition.
Leopard - Valiant and hardy warrior.
Lightning - The effecting of some weighty business with great clarity and force.
Lion - Deathless courage.
Lozenge - Honesty and constancy, also held to be a token of noble birth.
Lozenge - Same as Cubes.
Lyre - Same as harp.
Mermaid - Eloquence.
Millstones - The mutual converse of human society.
Moon - Serene power over mundane actions.
Mullet - Denotes some Divine quality bestowed from above.
Owl - One who is vigilant and of acute wit.
Panther - As a lion may be said to signify a brave man, so may a panther a beautiful woman, which, though fierce, is very tender and loving to her young, and will defend it with the hazard of her life.
Pastoral Crosier - The emblem of a shepherd's watchfulness over his flock, and denotes episcopal jurisdiction and authority.
Peacock - Beauty and pride of carriage.
Pegasus - Exceeding activity and energy of mind whereby one may mount to honor.
Pelican - Devoted and self-sacrificing charity.
Pen - Emblematic of the liberal art of writing and of learned employments.
Phoenix - Resurrection.
Pillar or Column - Fortitude and constancy.
Portcullis - Effectual protection in emergency.
Purse - A frank and liberal steward of the blessings that God has bestowed.
Ram - Authority.
Raven - One who, having derived little from his ancestors, has through Providence become the architect of his own fortunes or one of an enduring constancy of nature.
Rhinoceros - Great ferocity when aroused.
Rocks - Safety, refuge and protection.
Saddles, Stirrups and Spurs - Preparedness for active service.
Scaling Ladder - One who was fearless in attacking.
Scepter - Justice.
Scythe - Hope of a fruitful harvest of things hoped for.
Shacklebolt - Victory in war.
Shells - Protection of Providence.
Shield - A defender.
Ship, Lymphiad or Galley - All such symbols would point to some notable expedition by sea, by which, perhaps, the first bearers had become famous.
Shoe - Same as Leg.
Sickle - Same as Scythe.
Silver Spur - An esquire.
Skulls - Mortality.
Snake - Wisdom.
Spear or Lance - Knightly service and devotion to honor.
Spear Heads or Pheons - Dexterity and nimbleness of wit to penetrate and understand matters of highest consequence.
Sphinx - Omniscience and secrecy.
Spider - Wisdom, labor and providence in all affairs.
Squirrel - Sylvan retirement being the delight of its bearer.
Stag, Hart, Buck and Deer - Policy, Peace and Harmony.
Stork - Filial duty, emblem of a grateful man.
Sun - Glory and splendor.
Swallow - One who is prompt and ready in the dispatch of his business.
Swan - A lover of poetry and harmony.
Sword - Indicates the bearer to a just and generous pursuit of honor and virtue in warlike deeds.
Talbot, Mastiff and Greyhound - Courage, vigilancy and loyal fidelity.
Tiger - Great fierceness and valor when enraged to combat; one whose resentment will be dangerous if aroused.
Tortoise - Invulnerability to attack.
Tower or Castle - Grandeur and solidity. Sometimes granted to one who has held one for his king, or who has captured one by force or stratagem.
Trestles and stools - Hospitality.
Trident - Maritime dominion.
Trumpet - Ready for the fray.
Trunk of a Tree - An object of veneration.
Unicorn - Extreme courage.
Water Bougets - Conferred on those who had brought water to an army or besieged place.
Wheel - Fortune.
White Roundles - Generosity.
Wings - Celebrity, sometimes protection or coverture.
Wolf - Denotes valiant captains that do in the end gain their attempts after long sieges and hard enterprises. One whom it is dangerous to assail or thwart.
- Colors and Metals
- Heraldic Lines
- Ordinaries
- Common Charges
- More Common Charges
The above symbolisms have been extracted from W. Cecil Wade's The Symbolisms of Heraldry or A Treatise on the Meanings and Derivations of Armorial Bearings, published in London in 1898. The document is in the public domain, and you may copy, print, download or distribute it as you see fit.
Every effort has been made to present this text accurately and cleanly, but no guarantees are made against errors. Neither Melissa Snell nor About may be held liable for any problems you experience with the text version or with any electronic form of this document.
