Tyger (heraldry)

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A tyger, from The Complete Guide to Heraldry Complete Guide to Heraldry Fig322.png
A tyger, from The Complete Guide to Heraldry

Tyger, also known as heraldic tiger or tygre, is an imaginary beast used as a charge in heraldry.

Contents

Name

To distinguish it from the naturally existing tiger, which also occurs in heraldry, the older form is traditionally referred to as the heraldic tiger, tyger, or tigre, while the latter is usually blazoned as a Bengal tiger. [1] [2]

Description

The tyger's body is like that of the real tiger, but lacks stripes. Its head does not closely resemble any real animal except perhaps a more massive wolf, and typically has prominent canines and a short curved horn or spike on its snout. It has a thick mane or series of tufts of hair along its neck like a horse, and similar tufts are on its breast and thighs. It has the tufted tail of a lion. [1] [2] A tyger proper was in medieval times said to be speckled. [3]

History

As real tigers were unknown to early British heraldists, depictions of this creature were drawn from artists' ideas of this creature that they knew only through secondhand accounts. Consequently, although it originated as an attempt to depict a real creature, the heraldic tyger eventually became highly distinct from the original animal. Real tigers began to appear in British heraldry, although only sporadically, in the eighteenth century as a result of the colonization of India within the British Empire. [1]

Mythology

The tyger was said to have its home in Armenia. Its swiftness was supposed to have given its name to "tygris", the Persian word for "arrow", and to the swift River Tigris. [2] [3]

If pursued by a tyger, it was supposed to be possible to get away from it by leaving a mirror, which would perplex the tyger, or entrance it in admiration of its own beauty. [4] A variant of this account claimed this to be a method used by hunters when taking a tygress' cubs, who would scatter mirrors behind themselves so that the creature will cease her pursuit either to admire her own beauty or because she mistakes her reflection for one of her cubs. [5] As a result, tygers are sometimes depicted looking in a mirror, [5] [6] although this particular device is overall uncommon. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fox-Davies, Arthur (1909). A Complete Guide to Heraldry. London: T.C. and E.C. Jack. pp. 191–192.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Vinycomb, John (1906). Fictitious and Symbolic Creatures in Art, With Special Reference to Their Use in British Heraldry. London: Chapman and Hall, Limited. pp. 190–193.
  3. 1 2 Bossewell, John (1572). Workes of Armorie: Deuyded into Three Bookes, Entituled, the Concordes of Armorie, the Armorie of Honor, and of Coates and Creastes. Vol. 2. London. p. 50.
  4. ↑ Franklyn, Julian (1961). Shield & Crest: An account of the art and science of heraldry. London: MacGibbon & Kee. p. 145.
  5. 1 2 Guillim, John (1679). A Display of Heraldry: Manifesting a More Easie Access to the Knowledge Thereof than Hath Been Hitherto Published by Any, Through the Benefit of Method. London. p. 147.
  6. ↑ Friar, Stephen, ed. (1987). A New Dictionary of Heraldry. London: Alphabooks/A&C Black. p. 103. ISBN   0906670446.
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