Ordinaries in heraldry are sometimes embellished with stripes of colour alongside them, have lumps added to them, shown with their edges arciform instead of straight, have their peaks and tops chopped off, pushed up and down out of the usual positions, or even broken apart.

Cottices

Cottices, also spelled ''cottises'', ''cotises'', ''cotices'', ''cotizes'', are narrow stripes beside and parallel to an ordinary. File:Cottising wiki.jpg, Cottises have plain edges unless specified. Or, a bend engrailed vert, cotticed gules
another example
/small> File:Cottising 2 wiki.jpg, Here the ordinary's edges are straight and the cottice's not. Or, on a fess gules between two cottises wavy sable, three bunches of grapes or. Further examples

/small> File:Cottising 3 wiki.jpg, A pale so accompanied is often blazoned as ''endorsed''. Or, on a pale endorsed azure, a cinquefoil pierced ermine between two martlets or. File:Cottising 4 wiki.jpg, Argent, on a cross gules, cottised azure, five coronets erablé or; in the first quarter, a cross saltire gules, cottised interlaced azure, cantoned by four lozenges sable, the fourth quarter semy of lozenges sable.
Another example
File:Cottising 6 wiki.jpg, Argent, a saltire cottised gules, between two ermine spots in fess File:Cottising 5 wiki.jpg, Cottices can take fancy colourings. Argent, a fess sable between two cottises compony azure and sable File:Cottising 7 wiki.jpg, Cottices can be doubled. Vert, on a fess doubly cottised argent, two bars wavy azure, between in chief three railway wheels and in base a portcullis of the second chained or Cottices can take exotic line variations and even charge-like shapes. File:Arms of Timothy Duke.svg, Per fess sable and Or, a fess per fess between two cotises their outer edges in the form of the upper rim of a Ducal Coronet all counterchanged. File:Arms_of_the_French_Region_of_Champagne-Ardenne.svg, Double cottices "potented and counter potented," (...)''côtoyée de deux doubles cotices potencées et contre-potencées'' File:Cottising 8 wiki.jpg, Argent, a cross cottised by eight demi maple leaves, stalks inwards, gules

Nowy

An ordinary with a circular boss in the middle is described as ''nowy''. An ordinary with a square boss is called '' quadrate (heraldry), quadrate'' or, more fully, ''nowy quadrate''. A

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltatori ...

quadrate has the square boss turned ''lozengeways'', with edges parallel to those of the saltire. An ordinary with a lozenge-shaped boss is called ''nowy lozengy'' or ''nowy of a lozenge'' (applies also to saltires) Nowy and quadrate are usually applied only to the

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

, saltire,

pale Pale may refer to: Jurisdictions * Medieval areas of English conquest: ** Pale of Calais, in France (1360–1558) ** The Pale, or the English Pale, in Ireland *Pale of Settlement, area of permitted Jewish settlement, western Russian Empire (179 ...

fess In heraldry, a fess or fesse (from Middle English ''fesse'', from Old French ''faisse'', from Latin ''fascia'', "band") is a charge on a coat of arms (or flag) that takes the form of a band running horizontally across the centre of the shiel ...

and bend. File:Cross 09.02 -city of chilliwack.jpg, a cross nowy - Vert; a cross nowy, argent, charged with four hearts their points conjoined, within an annulet, vert - City of Chilliwack, Canada File:Nowy fess wiki.jpg, a fess nowy - Vert on a fess nowy ... a bar wavy nowy azure charged with a sun in splendour or - Town of Oliver, Canada File:Cross 09.03 -markinch.jpg, a cross quadrate - Gules; on a cross nowy quadrate, argent, a cock gules - Burgh of Markinch, Scotland File:Quadrate saltire wiki.jpg, a saltire quadrate - Per saltire gules and azure; a saltire quadrate vert, fimbriated argent, charged in the centre ... - North West Province, South Africa File:Nowy lozengy wiki.jpg, a bend nowy lozengy - Azure, on a bend nowy lozengy, per bend argent and or, a bendlet azure - Gould, England

Facetting

An ordinary, perhaps especially a cross, might, like diamonds and mullets, be ''facetted'', but examples of facetted ordinaries in actual heraldry are extremely hard to find. Mullet facetted wiki

Embowed

An ordinary ''embowed'' has the edges bowed inwards producing a concavity; this is sometimes more explicitly blazoned ''inwardly embowed''. Its opposite is ''enarched''. This variation is most often applied to the

chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock ...

and pile. File:Embowed flank wiki.jpg, a flank to the base embowed - Per fess argent and vert; three piles, issuing from the chief, gules, in chief, and in base a plate; a sinister flank to the base embowed azure and fimbriated or - Deeside Golf Club File:Embowed chevron wiki.jpg, a chevron embowed - Azure; a chevron embowed between two chevronels embowed in fess, argent, all between three prayer wheels bendwise or - Hilary, New Zealand File:Embowed_pile_wiki.jpg, a pile embowed - Argent, on a pile embowed sable, between two towers gules and in base three barrulets wavy azure, an eagle displayed or - West Coast Peninsula Transitional Council, RSA File:Embowed pile throughout wiki.jpg, a pile inverted embowed - Paly of four argent and or; issuing in base a pile throughout the sides embowed inwards azure, over all three fleurs de lys, those in chief azure and that in base per pale argent and or - Norton, England The term ''embowed'' is also applied to bent arms and legs, arched fish, and serpents in circles.

Ecimé and other modified chevrons

The chevron ''ecimé'' has its peak "blunted", i.e. squared off rather than meeting in a point. Much more common is ''couped at the peak (or point)'' or even truncated. In the Canadian Public Register truncated is used in the Anglophone versions of blazons, and ecimé in the Francophone ones. File:Ecimé chevron wiki.jpg, a chevron ecimé - Argent, at honour point a daisy gules within an annulet, over all a chevron ecimé embowed, in base a chevron embowed azure - Bergsigskool, RSA File:Truncated pile wiki.jpg, truncated vs écimée - On a square Or an escutcheon per bend sinister Azure and Gules charged with a pile reversed issuant from the dexter flank and truncated in the sinister chief Argent; Un carré d'or chargé d'un écusson taillé d'azur sur gueules à la pointe d'argent mouvante du flanc inférieur dextre, écimée en chef The chevron disjointed or disjoined has the central, pointed portion missing. The chevron éclaté has each end with roughly-made points or spikes on it. The chevron brisy (or brisé) as in the Scots Public Register, vol 52, p54 also has the point part removed though in this case the two remaining sections are squared off and 'lean' against each other, as can be seen in the French coat of Meaudre de la Pouyade. The Armorial de Gelre shows Bernard v.d. Wilten as bearing a "fasce palissée" (similar to a fess embattled with long merlons and the ends rounded).

Enhanced and abased

An ordinary ''enhanced'' is placed higher in the field than its usual position. File:Fess enhanced wiki.jpg, a fess enhanced - Argent; on a fess enhanced sable, a mullet between two crescents argent and in base a phoenix azure, in flames proper - Blaine, Scotland File:Chevron enhanced wiki.jpg, a chevron enhanced - Vert; a chevron enhanced, per chevron or and argent, over the partition line another, the lower edge dovetailed, gules, in base a dove ascending argent, holding in its beak two leaves or - Kwnanonzame Town Committee, RSA File:Bend enhanced wiki.jpg, a bend enhanced - Per bend argent and gules; a bend enhanced azure - Moritz, USA File:Cross enhanced wiki.jpg, a cross enhanced - Argent; a cross enhanced gules, over all a billet charged with a cross pattée fitchée, all counterchanged and in base issuant from each flank a demi fir tree in pale gules - St. George's Church Pickering Village, Canada File:Latin cross throughout wiki.jpg, a Latin cross throughout (aka a cross enhanced) - Or; a Latin cross throughout, the lower limb nowy, murrey, charged on the node with a lamp inflamed, or; within a bordure murrey - Mmabatho College of Nursing, RSA When an ordinary is shown lower down the shield than its usual position, it is described as debased or abased or abaisse or dehanced. File:Chevron abased wiki.jpg, a chevron abased - Tenny, a chevron abased, argent semy de lis azure, overall a telephone pole radiant with four lightning flashes of the second - 302 Signal Battalion, USA File:Chevron reversed abased wiki.jpg, a chevron reversed abased - Per chevron inverted abaisse

based Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), professionally known as Lil B and as his alter ego The BasedGod, is an American rapper. Lil B has recorded both solo and with Bay Area group The Pack. His solo work spans several genres, i ...

vert and gules, a chevron inverted abaisse

in chief a double warded key erect, argent - Boikutlo Public School, RSA File:Fess_abased_wiki.jpg, a fess abased - Per fess wavy abaisse

argent and vert, a fess wavy abaisse per fess wavy counterchanged, issuant therefrom a sable antelope's head proper, between in chief two oranges slipped and leaved, vert - White River Town Council, RSA

Rompu

An ordinary ''rompu'' is "broken" in some way, though the form of the breaking may vary considerably and may perhaps need further description to avoid confusion. File:Rompu chevron wiki.jpg, a chevron rompu - Gules; a chevron rompu chequy azure and argent ... File:Rompu_reversed_chevron_wiki.jpg, a chevron rompu reversed - Ermine; a chevron rompu reversed gules ... File:Rompu fess wiki.jpg, a fess rompu - On a roundel per fess gules and azure a fess rompu, cottised, argent - Albion Herald, Canada An example is the chevronels rompu in the arms of Danzé,

Loir et Cher Loir-et-Cher (, ) is a department in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Its name is originated from two rivers which cross it, the Loir in its northern part and the Cher in its southern part. Its prefecture is Blois. The INSEE and La ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. A chevron 'rompu' has the central section shifted vertically upward, as in the coat of the US 278th Armored Infantry Battalion

(There is an example of a ''chevron double rompu reversed'' in the arms of USCGC Biscayne Ba

A ''bend rompu arraswise'' of an unusual form can be found in the arms of the 99th Air Base Wing of the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

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"Rompu" should be distinguished from "fracted". The arms of the Roossenekal Local Area Committee are ''Per chevron Gules and Azure, a chevron fracted and embattled to chief Or, between in chief a rose Argent, barbed and seeded, and in base a cross fleuretty, Or''. The form of the "fracting" can be specified. An ordinary affaissée, in French heraldry, is wavy in the form of a depression in its middle. The word ''rompu'' is also applied to a common charge which is broken, e.g. "a circular chain with link rompu at the top", although this is more usually blazoned as ''fracted''.

References

Bibliography

* Boutell's Heraldry (revised by J.P. Brooke-Little, Norroy and Ulster King of Arms). Frederick Warne, London and New York, 1983. * A.C. Fox-Davies. A Complete Guide to Heraldry (revised by J P Brooke-Little, Richmond Herald). Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, 1969. * A.C. Fox-Davies. The Art of Heraldry: An Encyclopædia of Armory. Bloomsbury Books. London. 1986 (first published 1904). * Kevin Greaves. A Canadian Heraldic Primer. The Heraldry Society of Canada, Ottawa, 2000. * Sir

Thomas Innes of Learney Sir Thomas Innes of Learney (1893–1971) was a Scottish officer of arms who was Lord Lyon from 1945 to 1969. He was Carrick Pursuivant and Albany Herald in the 1920s and 1930s. He was a very active Lord Lyon, strongly promoting his views ...

, Lord Lyon King of Arms. Scots Heraldry (revised Malcolm R Innes of Edingight, Marchmont Herald). Johnston and Bacon, London and Edinburgh, 1978. * Alexander Nisbet. A system of heraldry. T&A Constable. Edinburgh.1984(first published 1722) * Sir James Balfour Paul, Lord Lyon King of Arms. An Ordinary of Arms Contained in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland. W. Green & Sons. Edinburgh. 1903. * David Reid of Robertland and Vivien Wilson. An Ordinary of Arms, volume 2 902-1973 Lyon Office. Edinburgh. 1977. * Urquhart, R M . Scottish Civic Heraldry: Regional - Islands - District. Heraldry Today. London. 1979.

External links

Heraldry Society of Scotland: members' arms

The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada online

* ttp://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/ Civic Heraldry of England and Wales website
Armoria Patriae: State Arms in South Africa

South African Bureau of Heraldry database (via National Archives of South Africa)

{{Heraldry Heraldic ordinaries