Charge (heraldry)

In heraldry, a charge is the image that occupies the field on an escutcheon (or shield). The most common charges, or "ordinaries", are geometric constructs such as crosses and saltires. Other charges include animals, plants, astronomical objects and tools ranging from those of ancient vintage to locomotives (railroads also occur in the arms of a handful of units of the United States Army), airplanes (the arms of Beddington and Wallington specify a "Hannibal Aircraft"), a satellite (in the arms of Arthur Maxwell House). "Atomic" charges have also occurred in recent heraldry (see "atomic heraldry"). The ordinaries are sometimes called "proper charges", with other charges being known as "common charges". Charge can also be used as a verb; for example, if an escutcheon bears three lions, then it is said to be "charged with three lions". It is important to distinguish between divisions of the field and charges, and to note that charges can themselves be charged with a superposed image.

Related Topics:
Heraldry - Field - Escutcheon - Cross - Saltire - Animal - Plant - Locomotive - United States Army - Airplane - Beddington and Wallington - Hannibal Aircraft - Satellite - Arthur Maxwell House - Atomic heraldry - Lion - Divisions of the field

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Most armorial achievements include charges, but a few only have a plain tincture (what would be called "colour" in layman's terms, though the word has a different meaning in heraldry) without any device, or a simple division or pattern of the field. The charges are either in one or more of the tinctures, or umbrated, supposedly represented as a shadow, though the representation is closest to an outline alone (an example of similar terminology applied to the "shadows" of a charge are the arms of Risoul,

Related Topics:
Tincture - Shadow

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Hautes Alpes, France). Even though it can be argued that it is not strictly accurate, charges consisting of an outline of a particular tincture (where a blazon as "voided" would not be appropriate) have been blazoned as "umbreated" of such-and-such a tincture. This is to be distinguished from "a silhouette of ".http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Fin/15FinanceBattalion.htm

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Charges that were chosen as a pun on the name of the armiger are called "canting arms", and while this largely 15th and 16th century practice survives, charges are less commonly chosen now for their supposed or actual symbolism than formerly (the lion symbolising courage, for example). Recently granted charges are more likely to be chosen for some connection with the career or interests of the grantee, or for aesthetic purposes. Charges need not have any attached meaning.

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When a charge is said to be "sans" something, that means it is without it; this is most commonly used in the case of animals missing some body part.http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Armored/37th%20Armor.htm

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A charge is said to be "throughout" when it is shown as touching the edges of the shield when this is not its default position.

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Some charges can be diminished; that is, shown smaller than their default size.

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There are many examples in the heraldry of the United States Army in which charges as blazoned as "stylized," but this can be open to criticism on the basis that it does not necessarily make their appearance clear. Similarly, there is an example in the heraldry of the United States Air Force of a "caricatured" charge.http://www.au.af.mil/au/afhra/wwwroot/korean_war/usaf_organizations_korea/tactical_control.html

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In later times there are rare instances of charges "in perspective", highlighting that the default tendency is to ignore perspective in the treatment of charges.

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A charge of rectangular form is said to be arraswise when a corner is in front and two sides are visible.http://onlinedictionary.datasegment.com/word/Arraswise

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