SCA - West Kingdom College of Heralds

Heraldic Templates -- 'Other Charges'

The following links are to pages that contain images that you can use to help design your armory -- this set of images are for all charges that do not fit into other categories as they are used in heraldry. Note that due to size, this will be broken down, and links at the bottom of this page (and at the top) will take you to other groups of charges. These are all listed alphabetically ...

Instructions (please read):

If you want to use this for your heraldic submission, or print it for any reason, click on the 'PDF File' link -- a new browser window will open, and you can print from there.
- If you want to use the image for your own armory submission, these should be sized to be close to the submission forms, and you can trace over them. For straight lines you might want to use a ruler to help.

Note that printing the GIF Files probably will not provide images that are the correct size for the heraldic submission forms.

The descriptions of the charges below are all taken from The Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry ...¹, and rather than having a 'footnote' for each, we have one. Note that not all of the detail in the Pictorial Dictionary has been included in the text given ...

Note: These are not done yet -- the links are here to make it easier for Hirsch, rather than having to keep adding them ... this is a work in progress.

[Abacus to Burnisher] [Caduceus to Cushion] [Distaff to Gyron] [Hammer to Keyhole]
[Label to Net] [Oar to Rudder] [Saddle to Stream] [Tablet to Yoke]

Caduceus     A caduceus is a winged rod, with two serpents entwined about it; it was the token of the Greek god Hermes. It has become the modern symbol of the physician, and may not be used in Society heraldry except by medical professionals.
     A similar charge is the rod of Aesculapius, also called Aaron's rod: this is a stick or staff, entwined with a single serpent. It too is reserved to medical professionals.

        PDF File

Caltrap     A caltrap or caltrop is an iron device with four spikes; they were strewn before enemy horsemen to hinder their progress. The spikes are so arranged that, no matter how the caltrap lands, one spike is always vertical. In heraldry, the caltrap thus has a point to chief by default.

        PDF File

Candle     A candle is a stick of wax or tallow with a wick down its center; it's used as a light source. A lit candle may be blazoned enflamed or flammant ... Candles are palewise by default.
     The candle should not be confused with the candlestick; the latter is the mount or holder for the candle.

        PDF File

Candlestick     A candlestick is a cupped or spiked metal holder for a candle. It should not be confused with the candle; the latter is the wax stick that burns. The default candlestick is an ornate column, spiked on top; it is palewise by default. There is also the flat candlestick or sconce, a shallow dish with a handle; and the menorah, a candelabrum for seven candles, used in some Jewish ceremonies.

        PDF File

Card-Pique     A card-pique is the symbol found on playing cards, based on the pike-head; in non-heraldic terms, a spade. The symbol appears to be period, though not used in mundane armory.

        PDF File

Chain     A chain is a series of metal links, used for binding or pulling; it is found in the canting arms of Chayndutt c. 1312. The standard heraldic depiction of chain is with square links; but their actual shape is a matter of artistic license. (Indeed, the same effect is often blazoned, e.g., annulets interlaced in fess.)
     There seems to be no default orientation for chain; it must be specifically blazoned, e.g. a chain fesswise ... A chain throughout may also be blazoned as an ordinary of chain, e.g., the saltire of chain in the arms of Elwett (mid-15th Century).
     In Society heraldry a closed loop of chain is reserved to Knights.

        PDF File

Chair     A chair is a piece of furniture that seats one person. There were several period forms, of which the curule chair is typical. Chairs of this type were used in period armory: e.g. the badge of the Earl of Oxford, c.1500. The chair is affronty by both mundane and SCA default.

        PDF File

Chess Pieces     Of the six types of pieces used in the game of chess, four are found in Society heraldry: the chess king, the chess rook, the chess knight, and the chess pawn. Of these, only the chess rook and chess knight are found in period heraldry. The chess rook was common in medieval heraldry, first being used c.1285; the chess knight was found in German heraldry c.1600, in the arms of Hertzheim. The chess knight has two heads by default.
     The other two pieces, the chess king and chess pawn are SCA inventions; their forms were taken from Publicius' Ars oratoria, 1482. In actual fact, any period depcition of a chess piece is acceptable; the most common modern stylization, the Staunton set, is post-period and should not be used.
     There is no restriction on who may bear chess pieces; you need not be a member of the Chivalry to bear a chess knight, for instance.

        PDF File

Chest     A chest is a strong box with a hinged lid, often banded in metal and locked, used for storage of valuables. It is affronty, lid closed, by default.

        PDF File

Chisel     A chisel is a tool for chipping or carving some surface consisting of a metal bar with a sharpened edge at one end. It is found in the canting arms of Cheseldon, c. 1584.
     By default, the heraldic chisel is a stonecutter's chisel; there is also the wood chisel for woodworkers. There does not seem to be a default posture for chisels.

        PDF File

Churn     A churn is a vessel in which milk is agitated, usually with a plunger, to make butter. Though a period artifact, it does not seem to have been used in medieval armory.

        PDF File

Clarion     A clarion is one of the oldest of heraldic charges, dating from c.1285; in period it was also called a claricord, claricymbal, rest, or sufflue. There is some debate over what exactly it is meant to be; some authors maintain it to be a spear rest, others claim it's an air feed for a pipe organ, and some even claim it's a rudder. Most modern authorities believe it to be a type of musical instrument, a mouth organ akin to a panpipe.

        PDF File

Clothing     Clothing are those items of garb worn by people for warmth or display, usually made of cloth or leather. When blazoning the clothing on a person (as distinct from the person), the term vested is used: e.g. a maiden Or vested argent. In such cases, the clothing is blazoned in the broadest terms, and is worth little if any heraldic difference.
     While clothing is most often found on a person, items of clothing may also be used as heraldic charges in their own right. [The following items of clothing are pictured on the page for "Clothing" -- click on the link to the left ...]
     A belt is a band worn around the waist, or over the shoulder, to hold up clothing or sword. The type normally shown in heraldry is a leather belt, with a ring or buckle. It is sometimes shown ... buckled and knotted, wit the belt in annulo and the end pendant. It may also be shown straight, pendant from the buckle in chief, as in the autmentation to the arms of Pelham after Poictiers. In the Society, white belts and baldrics ar the badge of the Order of Chivalry; their use in devices is reserved to members of that Order.
     The garter is similar to the belt, but smaller, meant to be fastened around the leg. It is drawn identically to the belt, save that it always has a buckle instead of a ring.
     The glove is an item of clothing made of leather or cloth ... Gloves ... follow the same conventions and defaults as hands; they are often assumed to have a hand inside them.
     A hat is an article of clothing which covers the head. There are a wide variety of hats used in heraldry; no type is the default, so the exact type needs to be blazoned; this was mostly done by a simple description, e.g. a hat with its top curved back.
     One specific type of hat found in period armory was the cap of maintenance, also called a chapeau or cap of dignity. It was used in Scots crests to signify baronial status; but it was also used as a charge in its own right, as in the arms of Kyngeston, 1389. In the Society, the cap of maintenance is reserved to the Order of the Pelican.
     Another hat in period armory was the judenhat, or "Jew's hat"; this form of hat was mandatory garb for Jews starting in the 11th Century, but soon became a mark of honor among them. It was used in the arms of Jews (Mose, 14th Century German) and Gentiles (Judels, 15th Century Holland). It is permitted for use in the SCA.
     Of religious headgear ... The cardinal's hat or protonotary hat ... is found in secular armory with no religious implications (e.g. the arms of von Dobeneck, c.1600).
     Of hats unique to Society armory, a popular type is the fool's cap or jester's cap: a forked hat of two or three points (the exact number being artistic license, with bells at the points. This sits on the head, as opposed to the jester's hood which completely covers the head. There is also the flat cap, a brimmed beret; it may be jewelled or feathered, as exemplified in the drawings of Holbein. The Phrygian cap is a floppy, conical hat from Greek art. Finally the petasus or cap of Mercury is a flat wide hat with wings; it was one of the accoutrements of the Greek god.
     A hood is an article of clothing, a covering for the head; it differs from the hat in that it completely encloses the head. The most common form in period armory seems to be the monk's hood, as in the civic arms of Güglingen, c.1600. Varieties found in Society heraldry includ the jester's hood, with a forked top and bells; the executioner's hood, which covers the face as well; and the teaching master's hood, with a long tasseled end.
     The executioner's hood is affronty by SCA default; all other hoods face dexter by default.
     A jerkin is a close-fitting jacket, sleeveless and hip-length, worn as an item of clothing from the early 16th Century. It was often made of leather, or (when used as padding) quilted cloth. The jerkin is affronty by default.
     Human legs may be clothed in men's hosen, as in the canting arms of de la Hose c.1244.
     A mask is an item of clothing that covers the face, usually to hide the wearer's identity. Common forms of mask include the masks of comedy and tragedy or Thespian masks, from the Greek theatre; the domino mask from the Italain Renaissance; the half-face mask (also called the commedia dell arte mask); and the full-face pierrot mask. Masks are guardant by SCA default.
     A maunch is an ancient heraldic charge, dating from 1244, and representing a highly stylized sleeve. As such, it has a standard heraldic form which is used in the SCA. The wrist is to dexter, and the elbow bent to base by default.
     A dextrocère is a mauch with a hand issuant from the cuff.
     A shoe is an item of clothing covering the human foot, to protect it or keep it warm. Usually the specific type of shoe is blazoned, e.g., the boot; the sandal; or the slipper. All shoes have their toes to dexter by SCA default; if blazoned proper, they are of brown leather.
     Shoes should be drawn as found in period; thus, no distinction should be made between dexter or sinister boots or slippers, since that was an 18th Century innovation. Boots in late period did have heels, despite SCA precedent.

        PDF File

Cloud     A cloud is a mass of condensed water vapor, suspended in the atmosphere. In heraldry, clouds are usually found in conjunction with rainbows, winds, sunbursts, and the like; but they are occasionally found as independent charges.

        PDF File

Collar     A collar is a band, circlet, or shackle that fits around the neck. The charge is most often found around the neck of a beast; such a beast may be blazoned collared or gorged, and the collar may trail a chain.
     There are instances, however, of a collar used as an independent charge: e.g. the pair of hames or horse collar, and the mail collar or gorget.

        PDF File

Comb     A comb is a thick implement with teeth, used to arrange or clean hair. The default heraldic comb is a square with teeth cut into opposite sides; combs of this form have been used as heraldic charges since c.1295. A comb is a standard accoutrement of mermaids.
     Other types of comb are distinguished in blazon by a qualifier: the hair comb, inserted into milady's hairdo to hold its arrangement; the wool comb or flax comb, a rake-like implement for sorting the wool from the fleece; and the carding comb, more properly called a wool-card, a hand-sized comb for stretching the wool so it may be twisted into thread.

        PDF File

Compass     A compass, or more properly, a pair of compasses, is a mathematical instrument used for drawing arcs of circles. It consists of two straight pointed legs joined by a pivot at one end. It is a period charge, dating from c.1472 in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Masons.
     Very similar is the pair of calipers, which is an instrument for measuring thicknesses and diameters; it differs from the compass only in the tips of its points, which are curved inward (or sometimes outward).
     The distinction between compasses and calipers is only sporadically observed in Society heraldry; certainly there is no heraldic difference between the two. The defaults for compasses and calipers are the same: points to base, and slightly spread.

        PDF File

Cradle     A cradle is a bed or cot on rockers, for lulling an infant to sleep. Though a period artifact, it does not seem to have been used as an heraldic charge. The cradle's default posture in Society armory is in profile, with the "head-pillow" end to dexter.

        PDF File

Crampon     A crampon is a metal rod, pointed at both ends, used by builders to strengthen a building. It is also called a crampiron, cramp, or a wolf-hook. The crampon is palewise by default.

        PDF File

Crown     A crown is a circlet of metal, often jewelled, worn on the head of a monarch as an emblem of sovereignty. As an heraldic charge, it was first seen in the attributed arms of St. Edmund the Martyr, c. 1282. In Society armory, the use of a crown is reserved to Kingdoms, Principalities, and Royal Peers; it is required in the arms of Kingdoms.
     Similar to the crown is the coronet; indisinguishable in form, the alternate term is used in blazons to denote the bearer is less than sovereign. There is neither artistic nor heraldic difference between a crown and a coronet.
     There are a number of varieties of crown. The standard SCA form is indented, usually showing three points; it was sometimes misblazoned a crown dancetty in early SCA blazons. This type of crown may be used when the blazon doesn't specify an exact form.
     Two forms of coronet are used in the Society to mark rank. The ducal coronet has strawberry leaves around its rim; the SCA comital coronet has an embattled rim, and is sometimes blazoned an embattled coronet. The other coronets of rank found in heraldry texts (with six pearls for a baron, twelve for an earl, etc.) are out-of-period, dating to no earlier than the Stuarts; while individual peers may wear them on their heads, they are not used in Society armory.
     Other forms of crown are the eastern crown, also called an antique crown; the ancient crown, sometimes called a crown flory; the Saxon crown; and the crowns palisado and vallary. The latter two are artistic variants of one another; they are distinguished in blazon as a courtesy to the scribe, but no heraldic difference is granted.

        PDF File

Cup     A cup is a drinking vessel, consisting of a bowl atop a stem and base. It may also be termed a chalice or goblet, especially if ornamented or jewelled; such details are considered artistic license. The cup is an ancient charge, dating from at least 1244.
     In Society armory, the cup is usually shown with open mouth. In period armory, the cup is normally shown covered, with a domed lid; such covers were always blazoned, and count for little if any heraldic difference. The mouth of the cup is to chief by default.
     Other drinking vessels found in Society armory include the stein, also called a mug or tankard, a somewhat cylindrical vessel with a handle. It is considered rougher than a cup, suited more for beer than for wine. Like the cup, the stein may be covered; in this case a flt lid pivoted on the rim, that can be flipped open with the thumb. The SCA default for steins is with the handle to sinister. There is also the mazer, a large drinking bowl, usually footed and decorated.

        PDF File

Cupping Glass     A cupping glass is a medical instrument, consisting of an unornamented wide-mouthed cup of glass or ceramic. In use, the vessel was h eated, or smouldering material fixed to the bottom, and the mouth placed on the patient's skin; a partial vacuum was created in the vessel as it cooled, or as the material burned. This drew the blood to the skin, which was supposed to improve the patient's circulation. The cupping glass has its mouth to chief by SCA default.

        PDF File

Cushion     A cushion is a pillow or stuffed pad. The standard heraldic cushion is square or rectangular, with a tassel on each corner; if rectangular ... it is fesswise by default. Its use as an heraldic charge dates from 1255.

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[Abacus to Burnisher] [Caduceus to Cushion] [Distaff to Gyron] [Hammer to Keyhole]
[Label to Net] [Oar to Rudder] [Saddle to Stream] [Tablet to Yoke]

Footnotes:
¹ The Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry as Used in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., 2nd Edition, Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme and Akagawa Yoshio, 1992, self-published.

Disclaimer: All of these drawings are intended for use in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., specifically for heraldic purposes. However, these pages do not delineate SCA College of Arms or West Kingdom College of Heralds policy. All attempts are made when describing or portraying the elements of armory used in these pages to be as accurate to both medieval and SCA usage as possible, but if you are not sure, you should check with the College of Arms or the College of Heralds. You may use these drawings "as is" for the purpose of designing heraldry for use within the SCA with this understanding. All decisions by the West Kingdom College of Heraldry and/or the SCA's College of Arms regarding the depictions used on your submission forms supercedes anything found here.

Heraldic Templates Main Page

Caduceus	A caduceus is a winged rod, with two serpents entwined about it; it was the token of the Greek god Hermes. It has become the modern symbol of the physician, and may not be used in Society heraldry except by medical professionals. A similar charge is the rod of Aesculapius, also called Aaron's rod: this is a stick or staff, entwined with a single serpent. It too is reserved to medical professionals.
		PDF File

Caltrap	A caltrap or caltrop is an iron device with four spikes; they were strewn before enemy horsemen to hinder their progress. The spikes are so arranged that, no matter how the caltrap lands, one spike is always vertical. In heraldry, the caltrap thus has a point to chief by default.
		PDF File

Candle	A candle is a stick of wax or tallow with a wick down its center; it's used as a light source. A lit candle may be blazoned enflamed or flammant ... Candles are palewise by default. The candle should not be confused with the candlestick; the latter is the mount or holder for the candle.
		PDF File

Candlestick	A candlestick is a cupped or spiked metal holder for a candle. It should not be confused with the candle; the latter is the wax stick that burns. The default candlestick is an ornate column, spiked on top; it is palewise by default. There is also the flat candlestick or sconce, a shallow dish with a handle; and the menorah, a candelabrum for seven candles, used in some Jewish ceremonies.
		PDF File

Card-Pique	A card-pique is the symbol found on playing cards, based on the pike-head; in non-heraldic terms, a spade. The symbol appears to be period, though not used in mundane armory.
		PDF File

Chain	A chain is a series of metal links, used for binding or pulling; it is found in the canting arms of Chayndutt c. 1312. The standard heraldic depiction of chain is with square links; but their actual shape is a matter of artistic license. (Indeed, the same effect is often blazoned, e.g., annulets interlaced in fess.) There seems to be no default orientation for chain; it must be specifically blazoned, e.g. a chain fesswise ... A chain throughout may also be blazoned as an ordinary of chain, e.g., the saltire of chain in the arms of Elwett (mid-15th Century). In Society heraldry a closed loop of chain is reserved to Knights.
		PDF File

Chair	A chair is a piece of furniture that seats one person. There were several period forms, of which the curule chair is typical. Chairs of this type were used in period armory: e.g. the badge of the Earl of Oxford, c.1500. The chair is affronty by both mundane and SCA default.
		PDF File

Chess Pieces	Of the six types of pieces used in the game of chess, four are found in Society heraldry: the chess king, the chess rook, the chess knight, and the chess pawn. Of these, only the chess rook and chess knight are found in period heraldry. The chess rook was common in medieval heraldry, first being used c.1285; the chess knight was found in German heraldry c.1600, in the arms of Hertzheim. The chess knight has two heads by default. The other two pieces, the chess king and chess pawn are SCA inventions; their forms were taken from Publicius' Ars oratoria, 1482. In actual fact, any period depcition of a chess piece is acceptable; the most common modern stylization, the Staunton set, is post-period and should not be used. There is no restriction on who may bear chess pieces; you need not be a member of the Chivalry to bear a chess knight, for instance.
		PDF File

Chest	A chest is a strong box with a hinged lid, often banded in metal and locked, used for storage of valuables. It is affronty, lid closed, by default.
		PDF File

Chisel	A chisel is a tool for chipping or carving some surface consisting of a metal bar with a sharpened edge at one end. It is found in the canting arms of Cheseldon, c. 1584. By default, the heraldic chisel is a stonecutter's chisel; there is also the wood chisel for woodworkers. There does not seem to be a default posture for chisels.
		PDF File

Churn	A churn is a vessel in which milk is agitated, usually with a plunger, to make butter. Though a period artifact, it does not seem to have been used in medieval armory.
		PDF File

Clarion	A clarion is one of the oldest of heraldic charges, dating from c.1285; in period it was also called a claricord, claricymbal, rest, or sufflue. There is some debate over what exactly it is meant to be; some authors maintain it to be a spear rest, others claim it's an air feed for a pipe organ, and some even claim it's a rudder. Most modern authorities believe it to be a type of musical instrument, a mouth organ akin to a panpipe.
		PDF File

Clothing	Clothing are those items of garb worn by people for warmth or display, usually made of cloth or leather. When blazoning the clothing on a person (as distinct from the person), the term vested is used: e.g. a maiden Or vested argent. In such cases, the clothing is blazoned in the broadest terms, and is worth little if any heraldic difference. While clothing is most often found on a person, items of clothing may also be used as heraldic charges in their own right. [The following items of clothing are pictured on the page for "Clothing" -- click on the link to the left ...] A belt is a band worn around the waist, or over the shoulder, to hold up clothing or sword. The type normally shown in heraldry is a leather belt, with a ring or buckle. It is sometimes shown ... buckled and knotted, wit the belt in annulo and the end pendant. It may also be shown straight, pendant from the buckle in chief, as in the autmentation to the arms of Pelham after Poictiers. In the Society, white belts and baldrics ar the badge of the Order of Chivalry; their use in devices is reserved to members of that Order. The garter is similar to the belt, but smaller, meant to be fastened around the leg. It is drawn identically to the belt, save that it always has a buckle instead of a ring. The glove is an item of clothing made of leather or cloth ... Gloves ... follow the same conventions and defaults as hands; they are often assumed to have a hand inside them. A hat is an article of clothing which covers the head. There are a wide variety of hats used in heraldry; no type is the default, so the exact type needs to be blazoned; this was mostly done by a simple description, e.g. a hat with its top curved back. One specific type of hat found in period armory was the cap of maintenance, also called a chapeau or cap of dignity. It was used in Scots crests to signify baronial status; but it was also used as a charge in its own right, as in the arms of Kyngeston, 1389. In the Society, the cap of maintenance is reserved to the Order of the Pelican. Another hat in period armory was the judenhat, or "Jew's hat"; this form of hat was mandatory garb for Jews starting in the 11th Century, but soon became a mark of honor among them. It was used in the arms of Jews (Mose, 14th Century German) and Gentiles (Judels, 15th Century Holland). It is permitted for use in the SCA. Of religious headgear ... The cardinal's hat or protonotary hat ... is found in secular armory with no religious implications (e.g. the arms of von Dobeneck, c.1600). Of hats unique to Society armory, a popular type is the fool's cap or jester's cap: a forked hat of two or three points (the exact number being artistic license, with bells at the points. This sits on the head, as opposed to the jester's hood which completely covers the head. There is also the flat cap, a brimmed beret; it may be jewelled or feathered, as exemplified in the drawings of Holbein. The Phrygian cap is a floppy, conical hat from Greek art. Finally the petasus or cap of Mercury is a flat wide hat with wings; it was one of the accoutrements of the Greek god. A hood is an article of clothing, a covering for the head; it differs from the hat in that it completely encloses the head. The most common form in period armory seems to be the monk's hood, as in the civic arms of Güglingen, c.1600. Varieties found in Society heraldry includ the jester's hood, with a forked top and bells; the executioner's hood, which covers the face as well; and the teaching master's hood, with a long tasseled end. The executioner's hood is affronty by SCA default; all other hoods face dexter by default. A jerkin is a close-fitting jacket, sleeveless and hip-length, worn as an item of clothing from the early 16th Century. It was often made of leather, or (when used as padding) quilted cloth. The jerkin is affronty by default. Human legs may be clothed in men's hosen, as in the canting arms of de la Hose c.1244. A mask is an item of clothing that covers the face, usually to hide the wearer's identity. Common forms of mask include the masks of comedy and tragedy or Thespian masks, from the Greek theatre; the domino mask from the Italain Renaissance; the half-face mask (also called the commedia dell arte mask); and the full-face pierrot mask. Masks are guardant by SCA default. A maunch is an ancient heraldic charge, dating from 1244, and representing a highly stylized sleeve. As such, it has a standard heraldic form which is used in the SCA. The wrist is to dexter, and the elbow bent to base by default. A dextrocère is a mauch with a hand issuant from the cuff. A shoe is an item of clothing covering the human foot, to protect it or keep it warm. Usually the specific type of shoe is blazoned, e.g., the boot; the sandal; or the slipper. All shoes have their toes to dexter by SCA default; if blazoned proper, they are of brown leather. Shoes should be drawn as found in period; thus, no distinction should be made between dexter or sinister boots or slippers, since that was an 18th Century innovation. Boots in late period did have heels, despite SCA precedent.
		PDF File

Cloud	A cloud is a mass of condensed water vapor, suspended in the atmosphere. In heraldry, clouds are usually found in conjunction with rainbows, winds, sunbursts, and the like; but they are occasionally found as independent charges.
		PDF File

Collar	A collar is a band, circlet, or shackle that fits around the neck. The charge is most often found around the neck of a beast; such a beast may be blazoned collared or gorged, and the collar may trail a chain. There are instances, however, of a collar used as an independent charge: e.g. the pair of hames or horse collar, and the mail collar or gorget.
		PDF File

Comb	A comb is a thick implement with teeth, used to arrange or clean hair. The default heraldic comb is a square with teeth cut into opposite sides; combs of this form have been used as heraldic charges since c.1295. A comb is a standard accoutrement of mermaids. Other types of comb are distinguished in blazon by a qualifier: the hair comb, inserted into milady's hairdo to hold its arrangement; the wool comb or flax comb, a rake-like implement for sorting the wool from the fleece; and the carding comb, more properly called a wool-card, a hand-sized comb for stretching the wool so it may be twisted into thread.
		PDF File

Compass	A compass, or more properly, a pair of compasses, is a mathematical instrument used for drawing arcs of circles. It consists of two straight pointed legs joined by a pivot at one end. It is a period charge, dating from c.1472 in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Masons. Very similar is the pair of calipers, which is an instrument for measuring thicknesses and diameters; it differs from the compass only in the tips of its points, which are curved inward (or sometimes outward). The distinction between compasses and calipers is only sporadically observed in Society heraldry; certainly there is no heraldic difference between the two. The defaults for compasses and calipers are the same: points to base, and slightly spread.
		PDF File

Cradle	A cradle is a bed or cot on rockers, for lulling an infant to sleep. Though a period artifact, it does not seem to have been used as an heraldic charge. The cradle's default posture in Society armory is in profile, with the "head-pillow" end to dexter.
		PDF File

Crampon	A crampon is a metal rod, pointed at both ends, used by builders to strengthen a building. It is also called a crampiron, cramp, or a wolf-hook. The crampon is palewise by default.
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Crown	A crown is a circlet of metal, often jewelled, worn on the head of a monarch as an emblem of sovereignty. As an heraldic charge, it was first seen in the attributed arms of St. Edmund the Martyr, c. 1282. In Society armory, the use of a crown is reserved to Kingdoms, Principalities, and Royal Peers; it is required in the arms of Kingdoms. Similar to the crown is the coronet; indisinguishable in form, the alternate term is used in blazons to denote the bearer is less than sovereign. There is neither artistic nor heraldic difference between a crown and a coronet. There are a number of varieties of crown. The standard SCA form is indented, usually showing three points; it was sometimes misblazoned a crown dancetty in early SCA blazons. This type of crown may be used when the blazon doesn't specify an exact form. Two forms of coronet are used in the Society to mark rank. The ducal coronet has strawberry leaves around its rim; the SCA comital coronet has an embattled rim, and is sometimes blazoned an embattled coronet. The other coronets of rank found in heraldry texts (with six pearls for a baron, twelve for an earl, etc.) are out-of-period, dating to no earlier than the Stuarts; while individual peers may wear them on their heads, they are not used in Society armory. Other forms of crown are the eastern crown, also called an antique crown; the ancient crown, sometimes called a crown flory; the Saxon crown; and the crowns palisado and vallary. The latter two are artistic variants of one another; they are distinguished in blazon as a courtesy to the scribe, but no heraldic difference is granted.
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Cup	A cup is a drinking vessel, consisting of a bowl atop a stem and base. It may also be termed a chalice or goblet, especially if ornamented or jewelled; such details are considered artistic license. The cup is an ancient charge, dating from at least 1244. In Society armory, the cup is usually shown with open mouth. In period armory, the cup is normally shown covered, with a domed lid; such covers were always blazoned, and count for little if any heraldic difference. The mouth of the cup is to chief by default. Other drinking vessels found in Society armory include the stein, also called a mug or tankard, a somewhat cylindrical vessel with a handle. It is considered rougher than a cup, suited more for beer than for wine. Like the cup, the stein may be covered; in this case a flt lid pivoted on the rim, that can be flipped open with the thumb. The SCA default for steins is with the handle to sinister. There is also the mazer, a large drinking bowl, usually footed and decorated.
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Cupping Glass	A cupping glass is a medical instrument, consisting of an unornamented wide-mouthed cup of glass or ceramic. In use, the vessel was h eated, or smouldering material fixed to the bottom, and the mouth placed on the patient's skin; a partial vacuum was created in the vessel as it cooled, or as the material burned. This drew the blood to the skin, which was supposed to improve the patient's circulation. The cupping glass has its mouth to chief by SCA default.
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Cushion	A cushion is a pillow or stuffed pad. The standard heraldic cushion is square or rectangular, with a tassel on each corner; if rectangular ... it is fesswise by default. Its use as an heraldic charge dates from 1255.
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