SCA - West Kingdom College of Heralds

Heraldic Templates -- Stars, Suns and Moons

The following links are to pages that contain images that you can use to help design your armory -- this set of images are for insects as they are used in heraldry. Note that very few insects appear in heraldry ...

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.

When you print the PDF file, make sure that the option "Fit to page" is not selected, otherwise it may print the charges larger than expected.
These should be sized to be close to the submission forms, and you can trace over them directly onto your form(s). For straight lines you might want to use a ruler to help.
For charges that do not depend on the field for their shape the PDF contains multiple sizes of individual charges to assist in getting something close to what you might need for your armory. For charges that depend on the field (the heater/shield shape) for their shape, only one size is given.

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

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.

The descriptions of the stars, suns and moons and such 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 ...

The term star was once used in Society heraldry as a synonym for mullet, particuarly in the phrase stars au naturel: mullets of various sizes and shapes, so as to look like real stars. This natural depiction of the night sky, as well as constellations (e.g. Orion), are no longer permitted in Society heraldry; and the ambiguous term star has been discarded in favor of mullet or estoile as the case may be.

Comet     A comet is a heavenly body with a long trail of light, manifesting irregularly, nad considered a portent of disaster in medieval times. In heraldry, it's depicted as a mullet or estoile, trailing plumes of vapor or fire; the most common form is with an estoile, trailing fire. The estoile (called the head) is to chief by default; the trail is called the beard In SCA blazons it is also sometimes called a shooting star or falling star, when the head is to base.

PDF File

Compass Rose     A compass rose is a symbol on a map that marks the cardinal points of direction. It consists of a multi-pointed mullet within an annulet, with the point in chief marking north; this point should be accentuated. Medieval depictions most often have 12-pointed mullets; sometimes fewer (8 or 4 points), but never more. The north-mark was usually a fleur-de-lys.

PDF File

Compass Star     The compass star is a mullet of four greater and four lesser points.

PDF File

Crescent     The crescent is an ancient charge, shaped like the quarter-moon just after new. It's thought to have been intended originally as a horse-brass; but it quickly gained its present lunar interpretation.
     The crescent has its horns to chief by default. If the horns point to base, it is blazoned a crescent pendant (or pendu), or crescent inverted ... If the horns point to sinister, it's blazoned a decrescent; if to dexter, an increscent.

PDF File

Estoille     An estoile is a heavenly body, the heraldic representation of a star in English heraldry. Its use dates from the 13th Century, where it is often interchangeable with a mullet; the latter is often used to represent stars in Continental heraldry.
     As defined in later period heraldry, the estoile has wavy rays, numbering six by default. If the number of rays is other than six, this must be explicitly blazoned. One ray points to chief by default.

PDF File

Moon     The moon is a heavenly body, Earth's natural satellite, and may be emblazoned in several ways. A moon in her complement or in her plenitude is essentially a roundel with a human face ... An increscent (or decrescent) moon is a crescent with a human face in profile ... There is no default coloration for moons in Society heraldry.

PDF File

Mullet     A mullet is a geometric figure, originally meant as the rowel of a spur, but commonly used to represent a star It is an ancient charge, also called a molet in early blazons; it dates from at least 1244. All mullets have a point to chief by default.
     The default mullet has five points. Any number of points may be specified, however, and Society heraldry has seen as few as three and as many as twelve. A mullet of three points is indistinguishable from a caltrop, and is only barely recognizeable as a mullet; it is no longer permitted in SCA armory for that reason. A mullet of more than twelve points is indistinguisable from a sun, and thus is not permitted.
     A mullet may be pierced, with a circular hole in its center. If the mullet is of six points, this variant may also be called a spur rowel.
     Mullets are found voided and interlaced in period ... In Society heraldry, only mullets of six or more points may be voided and interlaced; in the case of six points, the result is the Star of David. Currently, voiding and interlacing is not permitted for mullets of five points; the result, also called a pentagram, has been deemed unacceptable for SCA use.
     Other charges can be combined to form a mullet: e.g. a mullet of five pheons, hafts conjoined, or a mullet of eight interlocking mascles. The combination's outline should resemble a mullet to be blazoned this way.
     There are other variants of the mullet, unique to Society heraldry. The compass star is a mullet of four greater and four lesser points. ...
     In English cadency, the mullet is the brisure of the third son.
[Current SCA rulings are that mullets of points greater than 8 are considered to be no different than a sun, and are not recommended for use ... if you want a sun, use a sun.]

PDF File

Star of David     The star of David is a symbol of Judaism, and has been documented in use on medieval arms and flags as early as 1305. It is made of two equilateral triangles, voided and braced; or alternatively as a mullet of six points voided and interlaced. It is also called a Mogen David, a shield of David, or a seal of Solomon.

PDF File

Sun     The sun is a heavenly body, the day star around which the planets revolve. It is an early charge, dating from 1255 ... The sun is most commonly drawn as a disk with multiple rays emanating from the edge; these rays are normally drawn as alternating straight and wavy rays. Many period depictions, however, showed no disk, and all the rays were straight; a sun is thus negligably different from a mullet of many points.
     A sun in his splendour or in his glory is depicted with a human face; this artistic nuance came into common use in Tudor times. A sun eclipsed is one whose center disk is another tincture than the rays, or whose center disk is obscured by a roundel.

PDF File

Sunburst     A sunburst is a group of sun's rays, issuing from clouds. It has been a Royal badge of England since Edward III. The sunburst has its rays to chief by default.

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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


Comet	A comet is a heavenly body with a long trail of light, manifesting irregularly, nad considered a portent of disaster in medieval times. In heraldry, it's depicted as a mullet or estoile, trailing plumes of vapor or fire; the most common form is with an estoile, trailing fire. The estoile (called the head) is to chief by default; the trail is called the beard In SCA blazons it is also sometimes called a shooting star or falling star, when the head is to base.
		PDF File

Compass Rose	A compass rose is a symbol on a map that marks the cardinal points of direction. It consists of a multi-pointed mullet within an annulet, with the point in chief marking north; this point should be accentuated. Medieval depictions most often have 12-pointed mullets; sometimes fewer (8 or 4 points), but never more. The north-mark was usually a fleur-de-lys.
		PDF File

Compass Star	The compass star is a mullet of four greater and four lesser points.
		PDF File

Crescent	The crescent is an ancient charge, shaped like the quarter-moon just after new. It's thought to have been intended originally as a horse-brass; but it quickly gained its present lunar interpretation. The crescent has its horns to chief by default. If the horns point to base, it is blazoned a crescent pendant (or pendu), or crescent inverted ... If the horns point to sinister, it's blazoned a decrescent; if to dexter, an increscent.
		PDF File

Estoille	An estoile is a heavenly body, the heraldic representation of a star in English heraldry. Its use dates from the 13th Century, where it is often interchangeable with a mullet; the latter is often used to represent stars in Continental heraldry. As defined in later period heraldry, the estoile has wavy rays, numbering six by default. If the number of rays is other than six, this must be explicitly blazoned. One ray points to chief by default.
		PDF File

Moon	The moon is a heavenly body, Earth's natural satellite, and may be emblazoned in several ways. A moon in her complement or in her plenitude is essentially a roundel with a human face ... An increscent (or decrescent) moon is a crescent with a human face in profile ... There is no default coloration for moons in Society heraldry.
		PDF File

Mullet	A mullet is a geometric figure, originally meant as the rowel of a spur, but commonly used to represent a star It is an ancient charge, also called a molet in early blazons; it dates from at least 1244. All mullets have a point to chief by default. The default mullet has five points. Any number of points may be specified, however, and Society heraldry has seen as few as three and as many as twelve. A mullet of three points is indistinguishable from a caltrop, and is only barely recognizeable as a mullet; it is no longer permitted in SCA armory for that reason. A mullet of more than twelve points is indistinguisable from a sun, and thus is not permitted. A mullet may be pierced, with a circular hole in its center. If the mullet is of six points, this variant may also be called a spur rowel. Mullets are found voided and interlaced in period ... In Society heraldry, only mullets of six or more points may be voided and interlaced; in the case of six points, the result is the Star of David. Currently, voiding and interlacing is not permitted for mullets of five points; the result, also called a pentagram, has been deemed unacceptable for SCA use. Other charges can be combined to form a mullet: e.g. a mullet of five pheons, hafts conjoined, or a mullet of eight interlocking mascles. The combination's outline should resemble a mullet to be blazoned this way. There are other variants of the mullet, unique to Society heraldry. The compass star is a mullet of four greater and four lesser points. ... In English cadency, the mullet is the brisure of the third son. [Current SCA rulings are that mullets of points greater than 8 are considered to be no different than a sun, and are not recommended for use ... if you want a sun, use a sun.]
		PDF File

Star of David	The star of David is a symbol of Judaism, and has been documented in use on medieval arms and flags as early as 1305. It is made of two equilateral triangles, voided and braced; or alternatively as a mullet of six points voided and interlaced. It is also called a Mogen David, a shield of David, or a seal of Solomon.
		PDF File

Sun	The sun is a heavenly body, the day star around which the planets revolve. It is an early charge, dating from 1255 ... The sun is most commonly drawn as a disk with multiple rays emanating from the edge; these rays are normally drawn as alternating straight and wavy rays. Many period depictions, however, showed no disk, and all the rays were straight; a sun is thus negligably different from a mullet of many points. A sun in his splendour or in his glory is depicted with a human face; this artistic nuance came into common use in Tudor times. A sun eclipsed is one whose center disk is another tincture than the rays, or whose center disk is obscured by a roundel.
		PDF File

Sunburst	A sunburst is a group of sun's rays, issuing from clouds. It has been a Royal badge of England since Edward III. The sunburst has its rays to chief by default.
		PDF File