[MR] Heraldic Term of the Day - Charge Groups

[Beverly Robinson-Curry]

Today's terms are a little more technical, but lead to the understanding of
blazonry and counting differences.

 

>From the SCA Glossary of Terms:

 

Charge Group. 

A set of charges used together in a design as a single unit. The charges in
groups in heraldry usually fall into standard arrangements depending on
their number and what other items are involved in the design. A collection
of charges that are arranged in such a standard arrangement are considered a
single group, even if they are of different types and/or tinctures. For
example, Per fess argent and gules, two towers sable and a roundel argent
contains a single group of primary charges in the standard charge
arrangement of two and one.

Primary Charge Group. 

The most important group of charges in a piece of armory. In blazons, the
primary charge group is usually mentioned immediately after the field
(though a strewn charge group is not primary when it is blazoned before a
central charge group). If there is a central ordinary lying entirely on the
field, it is the primary charge. If there is no such central ordinary, then
the primary charge group is the set of charges of the same size that lie in
the center of the design and directly on the field. An overall charge can
never be the primary charge. In any piece of armory with charges there will
always be a primary charge group, unless the only charges are peripheral.
There cannot be more than one primary charge group in any given design. In
Gules, a pale between two mullets argent, the pale is the primary charge. In
Or, a maunche between three roundels azure the maunche is the primary
charge. In Per chevron argent and sable, two roses and a fleur-de-lys
counterchanged and on a chief purpure three hearts argent, the roses and
fleur-de-lys are the primary charge group, because they are all of about the
same size and in a standard arrangement. In Azure semy of mullets and a
chief argent the strewn mullets are the primary charge group; in Azure semy
of mullets, an eagle and a chief argent the eagle is the primary charge. In
Sable, a lion Or, overall a bend argent, the lion is the primary charge. In
Azure, a chief Or there is no primary charge group

Secondary Charge Group. 

A group of charges on the field around the primary charge group. A design
may have more than one secondary charge group. Each group may confer
difference independently. In Gules, a pale between two mullets argent, the
mullets are the secondary charge group. The secondary charges in Or, a
maunche between three roundels azure are the roundels. In Sable, a chevron
cotised argent between three millrinds Or there are two secondary charge
groups, the cotises and the millrinds. In Per chevron argent and sable, two
roses and a fleur-de-lys counterchanged and on a chief purpure three hearts
argent, the chief is the secondary charge group. A peripheral charge group
is a type of secondary charge group

Tertiary Charge Group. 

Any group of charges placed entirely on other charges. Tertiary charges in a
group may be together, such as three charges on a chief, or may each be on
members of the same charge group. Per chevron argent and sable, two roses
and a fleur-de-lys counterchanged and on a chief purpure three hearts argent
has one group of tertiary charges on the chief. Gules, a chevron between
three roses Or, each charged with a cross fitchy sable has one group of
tertiary charges, the crosses. Or, on a fess gules an escallop between two
millrinds Or, all within a bordure vert charged with eight roundels argent
has two groups of tertiary charges, one group with the escallop and
millrinds and the other with the roundels. Each tertiary group contributes
to difference independently

 

 

 

 

Mistress Rhiannon ui Neill

Triton Principal Herald

House Corvus, Atlantia