Section D:  Blazoning

This section deals with how to blazon armory.

When working with armory, there are two key terms that you need to be familiar with.

• Blazon:  the verbal or written description of a piece of armory.

• Emblazon:  the drawing or visual depiction of a piece of armory

While the emblazon is what is registered and protected, we need the blazon in order to be able to describe it to others.  Blazons follow a very specific order and structure so that armory can be reliably reproduced by anyone, regardless of if they have seen it before.

Step 1: The Field

The first item in a blazon is always the field.  We start with the field because it is the bottom-most layer that everything else is built upon.  We need to say what tinctures are used, if there are any divisions, or if there is anything else that is considered part of the field layer.  If you are looking at a design that has multiple tinctures, you start in the upper left corner and work top to bottom, left to right.  

After describing the field you always place a comma so that the reader/listener knows that you are moving on to the next layer.

Step 2:  Primary Charges

After you describe the field, the next step is to describe the primary charge(s).  The primary charge is the most visually dominant item and usually goes through or covers the center of the field.  Central ordinaries are considered primary charges, while peripheral ordinaries can be primary or secondary depending on the design. 

When describing the primary charge, you want to include all distinguishing characteristics about it.  This would be the tincture, the orientation, if it is doing anything special such as holding something, etc.  Start with the charge itself, then it's position or other characteristics, then lastly the tincture.

*A note about tinctures, charges, and field divisions.  If you have a field with two tinctures and the charge(s) cross the line of division, note the tinctures of the charge.  If the charge also has two tinctures and they are different than one or both of the field tinctures, then you need to specify them in the blazon.  If the tinctures of the charge(s) is the same as the field, just reversed, then you can use the term 'counterchanged' to describe it.  For example if you have a per fess sable and argent field, with a per fess Or and azure roundel, then you would need to specify all of those tinctures.  If you had a per fess sable and argent field with a per fess argent and sable roundel, then you could simply describe the roundel as counterchanged.

Step 3:  Secondary & Tertiary Charges

After the field and the primary charge(s), the next step is to describe any additional charges that are on the field.  You would describe them the say way as a primary charge, although secondary charges are much more likely to need their location specified.

Tertiary charges are anything that is completely placed on top of another charge.  While they are described the same way as other charges, there is a key term that must be used to indicate their location.  That term is 'on'.  When describing a tertiary charge you would say that it is 'on a fess', or 'on a base'.  This lets the reader/listener know that the next charge mentioned is a tertiary that is placed on top of the previous charge.  (There are a few other terms that are sometimes used to indicate a tertiary charge, but that is more complex than the purpose of this lesson.)

Location/Arrangement & Orientation

As mentioned above, when you are blazoning something you need to indicate locations and orientations of the charges.  The terms we use to describe arrangement and orientation are generally based on the ordinaries.  As with distinguishing between an ordinary and a field division, there are simple terms that are used to indicate if you are describing the location (arrangement) or orientation.  

As you can see from the table above, we use 'in' to indicate location or arrangement, and '~wise' to indicate orientation.

There are a couple of additional words that are important to know when it comes to blazoning.  There are several terms that will help to indicate positioning and arrangement.  The most important of these words are 'within' and 'between'.  These can help tell you that charges are located 'within' another charge such as a bordure or an orle.  They can also indicate that a primary charge is located 'between' other secondary charges.

Examples

Step 1 - let's describe the field.  In this example it would be Vair.

Step 2 - next is the primary charge.  In this example it is a wolf's head.  We need to describe the attributes of the wolf's head as well, so we would say that it is 'erased', which means the neck is jagged.  We would also need to mention that it is gules.

Step 3 - we don't have any additional charges, so we can skip this step.

When we put the steps together, here is what we get:  Vair, a wolf's head erased gules.

We add a little more complexity with this one, but the process is still the same.

Step 1 - let's describe the field.  In this example it would be Per bend sinister vert and sable.

Step 2 - next is the primary charge.  In this example it is an arrow.  We need to describe the positioning of the arrow, which is bendwise.  Last we would need to mention the tincture which is argent.

Step 3 - we don't have any additional charges, so we can skip this step.

When we put the steps together, here is what we get:  Per bend sinister vert and sable, an arrow bendwise argent.

This one is a similar level of complexity to example 2.

Step 1 - let's describe the field.  With this example we're dealing with a field division that has had something extra done to it.  If you look, you should be able to see that it is quarterly, but instead of the division lines being straight they are curved.  The way we describe this is to say that it is 'arrondi'.  Knowing that, we would describe the field as Quarterly arrondi Or and sable.

Step 2 - next is the primary charge.  In this example we have a peripheral ordinary instead of a regular charge.  Since it is an ordinary we don't need to worry about attributes and positioning, but we do still need to describe the characteristics.  We have a bordure that is using a complex line, potenty, instead of a plain line.  We also still need to mention the tincture which is gules.

Step 3 - we don't have any additional charges, so we can skip this step.

When we put the steps together, here is what we get:  Quarterly arrondi Or and sable, a bordure potenty gules.

With this example we combine several of the attributes of examples 2 and 3.

Step 1 - let's describe the field.  This example is a little simpler than the previous ones, as it is a solid tincture.

Step 2 - next is the primary charge.  When examining this design, since the feather is the most visually dominant charge and covers the center of the field, it is going to be our primary charge.  As with the arrow in the previous example, we need to describe the orientation of the feather, which is bendwise sinister.  We also need to make note of the tincture.

Step 3 - secondary & tertiary charges.  This time we have something for step 3!  Since there is a peripheral ordinary, a bordure, that is our secondary charge.  As with the bordure in the previous example, it uses a complex line instead of a plain line.  When we note the tincture, it's important to recognize that both charges, the primary and secondary, are the same tincture.  This allows us to simplify the blazon a little. Whenever you mention a tincture in a blazon, it applies to everything prior until you reach another tincture.  This way you are not saying the same thing over and over again.  In this case, since both charges are the same tincture we only have to mention it once.

When we put the steps together, here is what we get:  Sable, a feather bendwise sinister within a bordure embattled argent.

This example focuses more on arrangement and location.

Step 1 - let's describe the field.  This is nice and simple, a solid tincture.

Step 2 - next is the primary charge.  In this example we have an ordinary as our primary charge.  While all of the charges may appear to have equal visual weight, since the ordinary is going through the center of the field it is designated as the primary. 

Step 3 - secondary & tertiary charges.  This time we get to work with both!  First up is our secondary charges, the three lozenges.  We need to describe their arrangement on the field so that the reader/listener will know that they are around the primary charge.  Remember that since the secondary charge is the same tincture as the primary charge, you only need to mention it once.

We are able to determine that the ducal coronet is a tertiary charge since it is completely on the chevron.  We will need to mention that location, as well as the tincture since it is not same as the other charges.

*When assembling the components to this blazon, it is important to remember the order of steps.  You describe the field, then the primary charge, then the secondary charges, then the tertiary charge.

When we put the steps together, here is what we get:  Vert, on a chevron between three lozenges argent a coronet sable.

Whenever you are blazoning something, just remember the steps.  Make sure that you have noted all of the various components, as well as all of their characteristics.  Describe them in order, making sure to include any necessary 'arrangement', 'orientation', or 'location' words.  Don't forget to include all of the tinctures!

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