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In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image. The verb to blazon means to create such a description.
Tincture is the limited palette of colours and patterns used in heraldry. The need to define, depict, and correctly blazon the various tinctures is one of the most important aspects of heraldic art and design. The names are of French or German origin.
Tincture Chart: (d'origine Française ou Allemande)
First row: Metals
Or = Gold / Yellow
Argent = Silver / White
Second row: Colours
Azure = Blue
Gules = Red
Purpure = Purple
Sable = Black (fur)
Vert = Green
Third row: Stains
Murrey = Mulberry
Sanguine = Blood Red
Tenne = Tawny
Fourth row: Nontraditional tinctures
Blue Celeste = Sky Blue
Brunatre = Brown
Buff = Light Yellow-Beige
Cendree / EisenFarbe = Gray (ash-colour) / Iron-Colour (German)
Copper = Dark Metallic Orange (copper)
Orange = Orange
Rose = Light Red or Pink
Information about other descriptives, such as escutcheon, rampant, passant, guardant, affronté,
sejant, contourny, and Proper, can be found on the pages via the linked article as above,
"The Language of Blazon",
and elsewhere on the Internet World Wide Web.
Dexter = Right; Sinister = Left.
Langued = Tongue protruding.
Ermine = White with Black Spots (of the animal's fur)
House of Donnelly Royal Coat of Arms
Blazon —
(as described and noted by William Donnelly — amateur personal interpretation; broken into
component parts and noted in emphasized image sections, for clarity)
an escutcheon center, the charge upon the field, party per cross,
· I and IV, Or, a lion rampant Gules, armed and langued Azure, within a
double tressure flory-counter-flory of the second Gules (for Scotland),
· II, per cross,
I and IV, Azure, three fleurs de lys Or (for France),
II and III, Gules, three lions passant guardant Or (for England),
· III, Azure, a harp Or stringed Argent (for Ireland),
· the whole circumvent by the collar of the Order of the Thistle Vert and Or;
· for a Crest,
upon the Royal knight's helm affronté Or,
the crown of Scotland Proper,
thereon a lion sejant affronté Gules armed, and langued Azure, Royally crowned Proper, holding in
dexter paw a dagger-sword, hilt Or blade Argent, and in sinister a sceptre Or,
a mantling Or and Ermine,
a motto crest – super banner Argent breve [Latin] 'In (My) Defens' (God Me Defend) Gules;
· Supporter attendants, upon mount Vert,
· dexter, contourny, a unicorn Argent, langued Gules, Royally crowned Proper Or and Gules,
armed, crined and unguled Or,
gorged with coronet Or, composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lis,
a chain affixed thereto passing between forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or,
supporting mounted on wooden jousting-style staff Proper, finial and sub-finial Or, flying
wind-to-outward therefrom a banner-flag Azure fimbriation Or, a saltire Argent (the standard, Cross of
Saint Andrew);
· sinister, a lion rampant gardant Or, armed and langued Gules, imperially crowned Proper Or and Gules,
presenting a wooden jousting-style staff Proper, finial and sub-finial Or, flying wind-to-outward
therefrom a banner-flag Argent fimbriation Or, a cross Gules (the standard, Cross of Saint George);
· below the shield in mount Vert compartment,
Order of Merit motto inferius banner affixed
Azure [Latin] 'Nemo me impune lacessit' Or (no one will provoke me with impunity),
with the Union Tudor rose, shamrock and thistle engrafted on same stem;
· the whole upon a blood Heart jewel Sanguine,
· crowned with Teardrop jewel Gules, in Array Argent,
· with sinister and dexter jewels diamonds pale Blue Celeste,
· affixed adornment pendant Argent.
— Here presented upon a field of pleated Dark Vert Velvet.
House of Donnelly Royal Coat of Arms
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