Sun (heraldry)

Last updated

The sun as a charge Heraldique meuble Soleil avec visage.svg
The sun as a charge
Sun of May as depicted on the flag of Argentina Sol de Mayo-Bandera de Argentina.svg
Sun of May as depicted on the flag of Argentina
Great Seal of Richard I of England (1198). Richard is depicted as seated between a crescent and a "Sun full radiant" Risa3.jpg
Great Seal of Richard I of England (1198). Richard is depicted as seated between a crescent and a "Sun full radiant"

A representation of the sun is used as a heraldic charge. The most usual form, often called sun in splendour or in his glory, consists of a round disc with the features of a human face surrounded by twelve or sixteen rays alternating wavy and straight. [2] [3] The alternating straight and wavy rays are often said to represent the light and heat of the sun respectively. [4]

Contents

It was used as a badge by Edward II of England, and was later adopted by Edward IV following the appearance of a parhelion or "sun dog" before his victory at the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in 1461. [3] [5] It also had significance in alchemy, and may be a symbol of the Roman deity Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun). [6]

It is a common charge in the heraldry of many countries, regions and cities: e.g. the bearings of Armstrong, Canada; the Sun in Splendour appears superimposed on the Cross of St. George and behind the White Rose of York on the flag of West Riding of Yorkshire; and on the arms of Banbury Town Council, England. It also often appears as a rising sun as in the arms of East Devon District Council Archived 20 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine , England, and as a demi sun as in the coat of Aitchison, Canada.

According to historian Diego Abad de Santillán, the Sun of May represents Inti, the Incan god of the sun, and thereby Inca culture. [7] It appears as a heraldic sun in the national flags of Argentina (1818) and Uruguay (1828), in the flags and shields of the Peru–Bolivian Confederation (1836–1839) and its component the Republic of South Peru, in the flag of Peru of 1822–1825, and in the current flag of the Peruvian Navy (1821).

Examples

Sun in splendour, with face
Sun in splendour, without face
Straight rays (mullet)
Wavy rays (estoile)
Without rays (roundel)
Other forms

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Nunavut</span>

The coat of arms of Nunavut was granted by a warrant of Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada, dated 31 March 1999, one day before the territory of Nunavut, Canada, was created. The same document specified the flag of Nunavut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sun of May</span> National emblem of Argentina and Uruguay

The Sun of May is a national symbol of Argentina and Uruguay, appearing on both of their flags.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of British Columbia</span>

The coat of arms of British Columbia is the heraldic symbol representing the Canadian province of British Columbia. The arms contains symbols reflecting British Columbia's British heritage along with local symbols. At the upper part of the shield is the Union Jack, representing the United Kingdom. The lower portion of the shield features a golden sun setting into the ocean, representing the province's location on the Pacific.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Line (heraldry)</span> In heraldry: line of division of the field or vary a charge

The lines in heraldry used to divide and vary fields and charges are by default straight, but may have many different shapes. Care must be taken to distinguish these types of lines from the use of lines as charges, and to distinguish these shapes from actual charges, such as "a mount [or triple mount] in base," or, particularly in German heraldry, different kinds of embattled from castle walls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star (heraldry)</span> Heraldic symbol

In heraldry, the term star may refer to any star-shaped charge with any number of rays, which may appear straight or wavy, and may or may not be pierced. While there has been much confusion between the two due to their similar shape, a star with straight-sided rays is usually called a mullet in English heraldry while one with wavy rays is usually called an estoile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solar symbol</span> Symbol representing the Sun

A solar symbol is a symbol representing the Sun. Common solar symbols include circles, crosses, and spirals. In religious iconography, personifications of the Sun or solar attributes are often indicated by means of a halo or a radiate crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ordinary (heraldry)</span> Basic geometric charge in heraldry

In heraldry, an ordinary is one of the two main types of charges, beside the mobile charges. An ordinary is a simple geometrical figure, bounded by straight lines and running from side to side or top to bottom of the shield. There are also some geometric charges known as subordinaries, which have been given lesser status by some heraldic writers, though most have been in use as long as the traditional ordinaries. Diminutives of ordinaries and some subordinaries are charges of the same shape, though thinner. Most of the ordinaries are theoretically said to occupy one-third of the shield; but this is rarely observed in practice, except when the ordinary is the only charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star and crescent</span> Symbol

The star and crescent is a symbol which is a conjoined representation of a crescent and a star. It is used in various historical contexts, including as a prominent symbol of the Ottoman Empire, and in contemporary times, as a national symbol by some countries, and as a symbol of Islam. It was developed in the Greek colony of Byzantium ca. 300 BC, though it became more widely used as the royal emblem of Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator after he incorporated Byzantium into his kingdom for a short period. During the 5th century, it was present in coins minted by the Persian Sassanian Empire; the symbol was represented in the coins minted across the empire throughout the Middle East for more than 400 years from the 3rd century until the fall of the Sassanians after the Muslim conquest of Persia in the 7th century. The conquering Muslim rulers kept the symbol in their coinage during the early years of the caliphate, as the coins were exact replicas of the Sassanian coins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charge (heraldry)</span> Heraldic motif; an ordinary or mobile charge (or symbol) in a field

In heraldry, a charge is any emblem or device occupying the field of an escutcheon (shield). That may be a geometric design or a symbolic representation of a person, animal, plant, object, building, or other device. In French blazon, the ordinaries are called pièces, and other charges are called meubles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heraldic badge</span> Heraldic badges

A heraldic badge, emblem, impresa, device, or personal device worn as a badge indicates allegiance to, or the property of, an individual, family or corporate body. Medieval forms are usually called a livery badge, and also a cognizance. They are para-heraldic, not necessarily using elements from the coat of arms of the person or family they represent, though many do, often taking the crest or supporters. Their use is more flexible than that of arms proper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross pattée</span> Heraldic symbol

A cross pattée, cross patty or Pate, or cross paty, also known as a cross formy or cross formée, is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre, and often flared in a curve or straight line shape, to be broader at the perimeter. The form appears very early in medieval art, for example in a metalwork treasure binding given to Monza Cathedral by Lombard queen Theodelinda, and the 8th-century lower cover of the Lindau Gospels in the Morgan Library. An early English example from the start of the age of heraldry proper is found in the arms of Baron Berkeley.

In British heraldry, vert is the tincture equivalent to green. It is one of the five dark tinctures called colours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose (heraldry)</span> Heraldic symbol

The rose is a common device in heraldry. It is often used both as a charge on a coat of arms and by itself as an heraldic badge. The heraldic rose has a stylized form consisting of five symmetrical lobes, five barbs, and a circular seed. The rose is one of the most common plant symbols in heraldry, together with the lily, which also has a stylistic representation in the fleur-de-lis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraser Herald</span>

Fraser Herald of Arms is the title of one of the officers of arms at the Canadian Heraldic Authority in Ottawa. Like the other heralds at the Authority, the name is derived from the Canadian river of the same name. Since the inception of the office, Fraser Herald of Arms has been the principal artist of the Canadian Heraldic Authority. As such, Fraser is responsible for overseeing the artwork created for all grants of arms emanating from the Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Vancouver</span>

The coat of arms of Vancouver was granted by the College of Arms on 31 March 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blazon</span> Art of describing heraldic arms in proper terms

In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb to blazon means to create such a description. The visual depiction of a coat of arms or flag has traditionally had considerable latitude in design, but a verbal blazon specifies the essentially distinctive elements. A coat of arms or flag is therefore primarily defined not by a picture but rather by the wording of its blazon. Blazon is also the specialized language in which a blazon is written, and, as a verb, the act of writing such a description. Blazonry is the art, craft or practice of creating a blazon. The language employed in blazonry has its own vocabulary, grammar and syntax, which becomes essential for comprehension when blazoning a complex coat of arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal standards of England</span> English heraldic flags used in battles and pageantry

The royal standards of England were narrow, tapering swallow-tailed heraldic flags, of considerable length, used mainly for mustering troops in battle, in pageants and at funerals, by the monarchs of England. In high favour during the Tudor period, the Royal English Standard was a flag that was of a separate design and purpose to the Royal Banner. It featured St George's Cross at its head, followed by a number of heraldic devices, a supporter, badges or crests, with a motto—but it did not bear a coat of arms. The Royal Standard changed its composition frequently from reign to reign, but retained the motto Dieu et mon droit, meaning God and my right; which was divided into two bands: Dieu et mon and Droyt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal badges of England</span>

In heraldry, the royal badges of England comprise the heraldic badges that were used by the monarchs of the Kingdom of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the London Borough of Haringey</span>

The coat of arms of the London Borough of Haringey was granted on 10 May 1965, after the mergers of the former Municipal Borough of Hornsey, the Municipal Borough of Wood Green and the Municipal Borough of Tottenham. Unlike most other London boroughs, it was decided not to create arms based on the charges in the coats of arms of the former boroughs.

References

  1. English heraldic tradition of the early modern period associates the star and crescent design with Richard, with his victory over Isaac Komnenos of Cyprus in 1192, and with the arms of Portsmouth (Francis Wise A Letter to Dr Mead Concerning Some Antiquities in Berkshire, 1738, p. 18). Heraldic tradition also attributes a star-and-crescent badge to Richard (Charles Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, 1909, p. 468).
  2. James Parker, A glossary of terms used in heraldry. Accessed 13 December 2009
  3. 1 2 Dictionary of Vexillology. Accessed 13 December 2009
  4. Fox-Davies, A.C., (1969) A complete guide to heraldry. Aylesbury: Thomas Nelson and Sons. p. 222.
  5. Encyclopædia Britannica: Edward IV and the Alchemists. Accessed 13 December 2009
  6. Banbury Faith Trail. Accessed 13 December 2009
  7. Abad de Santillán, Diego (1965). Historia Argentina . Buenos Aires: TEA (Tipográfica Editora Argentina).