Military heraldry

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León Unicornio saltante sobre la divisa, criterio.

Within military heraldry, I classify the arms of individuals, institutions, orders, military corps, and entities.

Although the military is an institution of the state, I dedicate a separate category to it in recognition of its special characteristics and history, as well as its particular functions of cohesion and identification, which are rooted in heraldry for the battlefield. The coat of arms of the Central Military Region and the Artillery Combat School of the Swedish Army are examples of military heraldry.

[Cadenas y Vicent, V. de; 1975; page 88] includes military heraldry within his «institutional heraldry».


Categories: Criterion and Military.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Central Military Region

Coat of arms (1984-1997 and 1997-2002) of the former Central Military Region, where I serve. I interpreted now this coat of arms with a pointed shape. This kind of shape for this coat of arms are not usual.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or.

Coat of arms (1984-1997 and 1997-2002) of the former Central Military Region, where I serve. I interpreted now this coat of arms with a pointed shape. This kind of shape for this coat of arms are not usual.


Blazon keywords: Party per pale, Gules, One, Castle, Or, Port and windows, Azure, Masoned, Sable, Argent, Lion, Rampant and Crowned.

Style keywords: Pointed, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Metal beaten.

Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy, Coat of arms and Kingdom of Castile and Leon.

Bearer: Central Military Region.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

BPAC II

Argent, three bendlets sinister Azure.

«Roger de Lauria»,' 2nd Paratrooper Battalion, part of the «Almogávares» VI Parachute Brigade of the Spanish Army.

Argent, three bendlets sinister Azure.

Escudo de plata, tres barras de azur.

For this interpretation, I have used: an exterior shape ending in a semicircular arch; my usual angle of 50.2o = arctan(6/5), as tangent = opposite side / adjacent side; a division similar to that used by the Spanish Army for this coat of arms, which relies on dividing the height of the shield into 4 segments; and for the whole, a finish of lightly hammered metal


Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Azure and Bend sinister.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Soft metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Military and Army and Navy.

Bearer: BPAC II.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Craon, Robert de

Lozengy Or and Gules.

Lozengy Or and Gules.

Escudo losanjado oro y gules.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me with a semi-circular shape, illuminated, and with a freehand finishing.


Blazon keywords: Lozengy, Or and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Craon, Robert de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Quartered arms of Bernard de Tremelay

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, a cross patty Gules; 2 and 3 Or, a chief Gules

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, a cross patty Gules; 2 and 3 Or, a chief Gules

Escudo cuartelado: 1o y 4o de plata, una cruz patada de gules; 2o y 3o de de oro, un jefe de gules.


Blazon keywords: Or, Chief, Gules, Quarterly, Argent, One, Cross patty and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular, Illuminated and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Tremelay, Bernard de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Knights Templar, Grand Master number 05

Azure, two barbels addorsed Argent. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

Azure, two barbels addorsed Argent. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

I have had the honour of writing this article about André de Montbard and its coat of arms within a series of 23 articles about the heraldry of the Grand Masters of the Temple.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted, Doctor, Article, Castilian language and Black and white and color illustrations.

Bearer: Montbard, André de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Bertrand de Blanchefort hatching

Barry of four per pale counterchanged Or and Gules.

Barry of four per pale counterchanged Or and Gules.

Escudo contrafajado de cuatro piezas de oro y gules.


Blazon keywords: Barry per pale counterchanged, Four, Or and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular and Hatching.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Blanchefort, Bertrand de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Quartered arms of Gilbert Hérail

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, a cross patty Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, a cross Azure

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Argent, a cross patty Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, a cross Azure

Escudo cuartelado: 1o y 4o de plata, una cruz patada de gules; 2o y 3o de plata, una cruz de azur.


Blazon keywords: Argent, One, Cross, Azure, Quarterly, Cross patty, Cross couped and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Hérail, Gilbert.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Salmerón Cabañas, A.; 2020j

Antonio Salmerón Cabañas, «Heraldry of all Grand Masters», Templar Circle Digital Magazine of the O.T.H. of the Kingdom of Spain, pages 14 and 15, year 2, number 26, Cordoba, October of 2020.

Or, six annulets Gules, 3, 2, and 1. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

Or, six annulets Gules, 3, 2, and 1. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

Knights Templar, Grand Master number 17

I have had the honour of writing this article about Richard de Bures and his coat of arms within a series of 23 articles about the heraldry of the Grand Masters of the Temple.


Bibliographical reference of century XXI.

Classification: Article, Castilian language and Black and white and color illustrations.

Author: Salmerón Cabañas, Antonio.

Internal resources: 20201031.CirculoTemplarioRevista.26.Asc.pdf edition in PDF format.


Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted, Doctor, Article, Castilian language and Black and white and color illustrations.

Bearer: Richard, Richard.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Vichiers, Renaud de

Vair.

Vair.

Escudo de veros.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me with a semi-circular shape, illuminated, and with a freehand finishing.

You can consult how to paint a veros fur in [Costa y Turell, M.; 1858; page 37, plate 1, illustrations 17 and 18].


Blazon keywords: Vair.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Vichiers, Renaud de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

The coat of arms of Jacques de Molay in 3 steps

Azure, a bend Or.

Azure, a bend Or.


Blazon keywords: Azure, One, Bend and Or.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular, Plain tincture and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted, Coat of arms and Schema.

Bearer: Molay, Jacques de.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Crepsi, comparation

Party per pale: 1 Gules, in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, in base a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or; overall a psi letter sable; a diminished bordure Or.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, in base a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, and masoned Sable; 2 Argent, in base a lion rampant Gules, crowned Or; overall a psi letter sable; a diminished bordure Or.

Coat of arms of Crepsi, military psychology, former Central Military Region, Kingdom of Spain, emblazoned by me, where I was stationed during my military service. In the image: 1988, the original mold (1) with which the first 6 coats of arms were made; one of them is now in my office (2); the design of the badge for the 1st meeting of veterans (3), all of which were designed and made by my lieutenant colonel and friend Miguel Angel Nuñez Amador; and finally, the coat of arms of Crepsi emblazoned by me (4).


Blazon keywords: Gules, Argent, Or, Azure, Sable, Party per pale, In base, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Overall, Letter and Diminished bordure.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Military, Compare, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Crepsi.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Artillery Combat School of the Swedish Army

Gules, a grenade Or.

Kingdom of Sweden.

Gules, a grenade Or.

Escudo de gules, una bomba de oro.

Illuminated with lights and shadows and with a iridescent and metallic finish.


Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Grenade and Or.

Style keywords: Metal beaten, Iridescent (nacar), Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Pointed.

Classification: Interpreted, Military and Kingdom of Sweden.

Bearer: Artillery Combat School of the Swedish Army.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León Fortaleza de oro y mazonada de sable.

Santiago, Order of

Order of Santiago, emblem

The Order of Chivalry of Santiago is both military and religious. It was founded in the Kingdom of León during the 12th century, although there is a difference of opinion regarding its exact year of foundation. It is named after the patron saint of Spain, James the Greater.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the Way of Saint James and the pilgrims who traveled it, and to participate militarily in the advancement of the reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Of the Military Order of Santiago of the Sword, of its origin, and antiquity, as well as the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter II, page 325] writes «The oldest authentic instrument that is found regarding the origin of the Order of Chivalry of Santiago of the Sword», observe how José de Avilés e Iturbide refers to the order in the masculine form, «is the donation made in the years of 848», note how the Marquess of Avilés does not doubt the antiquity of this order and even in other subsequent paragraphs, he dates it even earlier than currently believed, «made to the Church of Santiago by the King of León Don Ramiro in memory of the famous victory he achieved against the Moors in the battle of Clavijo (two leagues from Logroño), as evidenced by its Privilege, for having seen this Holy Apostle armed and mounted on a Horse, fighting in defense of the Christians; to whose devotion, and in this recognition, the said Order was instituted, taking from it its origin and name, as well as the same Cross that the Saint bore on his chest, and Shield, represented in the form of a Sword, of red color», gules ~ red, «for the blood shed of the Infidels, of whom Don Rodrigo Ximenez, Archbishop of Toledo, in his Chronicle Book VII says»: «Kubet ensis sanguine Arabum».

Drawing with a single stroke

Cross of Saint James the Greater drawing by me with a single stroke. This is the reason why it is asymmetrical, it has the base tip crooked, there are some sides higher than others, and it shows the failure of my pulse in a certains turns.

It is by far my most downloaded and copied painting, the most used on websites, citing me or not, the most used in hotels advertising, parish sheets... and even on T-shirts.


Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Saint James, Cross couped and Cross.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León Fortaleza de oro y mazonada de sable.

Calatrava, Order of

Order of Calatrava, emblem

The Order of Chivalry of Calatrava is both military and religious, founded in the Kingdom of Castile during the 12th century by Abbot Raymond of Fitero.

The purpose of its foundation was the protection of the town of Calatrava la Vieja, which currently belongs to the municipality of Carrión de Calatrava in Ciudad Real. At the time of the order's foundation, it was an important city, in the middle valley of the river Guadiana and with a strategic position, as it was a necessary passage on the road from Toledo to Córdoba to Toledo and between the west and east of the Iberian Peninsula.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Calatrava, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, pages 334] writes «The Military Order of Calatrava was instituted by Don Sancho III, King of Castile (called the Desired), in the year 1158, while he was visiting his Kingdom; and being in Toledo with news of the great army that the Moors were gathering to besiege Calatrava la Vieja (which is called so today to distinguish it from the new one, which was founded later); and as the Templars, to whom this Fortress belonged, did not have sufficient power to resist such a large multitude, they handed it over to King Don Sancho himself so that he could take charge of it, as he did».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 335] continues by telling us «The Abbot of Santa María de Fitero», near the river Pisuerga as he will indicate next, «of the Congregation of Cistercian, in the Bishopric of Palencia (which is a Monastery of St. Bernard, located on the river Pisuerga), named Don Raymond, and Friar Diego Velazquez, his subject Monk, who followed the Court, despite the difficulty of the enterprise, requested it from the King to defend it, which was granted, trusting in the virtue of the Abbot, and the strength of the Monk, who had previously been a great Knight in deeds of Arms, and very practiced in war».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 336] continues «Seeing themselves in such an obligation, and that by themselves they could not fulfill it, they turned to Archbishop Don Juan (who was the fourth of Toledo) for help; and he, granting many indulgences in all his Archbishopric to those who, for themselves and for others, supplied the Place with provisions, in the same way as those who, unable to go due to old age or illness, helped with weapons, horses, and men; and having spread this news, so much help came to them, that when the Moors learned that the number of people exceeded twenty thousand men, they abandoned the conquest, returning to their homes: for this reason, the King ceded the Town of Calatrava to the Abbot of Fitero, and his successors, to defend it from the Moors from then on, confirmed later by King Alfonso IX, his son».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter IV, page 337] concludes «Having obtained this grace, Abbot Don Raymond brought the most suitable Monks from Fitero to Calatrava, and everything else that was necessary for living and for the defense of the Town and its land, which with the people inclined to war who remained, formed the Order of Chivalry of Calatrava, taking this name from the place where the institution was made, which in Arabic Calatrava means Castle».


Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Calatrava, Cross couped and Cross.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León Fortaleza de oro y mazonada de sable.

Alcantara, Order of

Order of Alcantara, emblem

It was founded by Count Henry of Burgundy as a military and religious order, in the year 1093, in Beira Alta, Portugal, near the river Côa with the initial name of «Ordem de São Julião do Pereiro» ~ Order of Saint Julian of Pereiro.

In the year 1214, the defense of the city of Alcantara after its conquest was entrusted to the Order of Calatrava, but in 1218 the Calatravans relinquished it due to Alcantara being far from Calatrava.

To defend Alcantara, King Alfonso IX of León entrusted it to the new Order of the Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro, requesting in return a certain level of dependency on the Order of Calatrava, which led the Knights of Saint Julian to adopt the Cistercian rule.

Once established in Alcantara, their original name referring to Saint Julian fell into disuse, and by 1253 there were already references to the «masters of the Order of Alcantara», with Saint Julian of Pereiro becoming the foundational center and a secondary commandery of the order.

On the origin and antiquity of the Military Order of Alcantara, and the form of its Commandery

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 339] describes it as follows: «The Military Order, which we now call of Alcantara, was formerly that of Saint Julian of Pereiro, so named after the place where it was based, along the banks of the river Côa, in the Bishopric of Ciudad-Rodrigo, established in the year 1176 by King Ferdinand II of León, and confirmed in 1177 by Pope Alexander III. And the reason for changing its first name to the second, was because after the Knights of Calatrava had taken the City of Alcantara from the Moors and defended it bravely thereafter, they found it would be difficult to keep it, as their main house was very distant, from which the other Knights and reinforcements could not come whenever needed.».

[Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter V, page 340] continues by telling us «They discussed this inconvenience with others they had at the time with the King of León, Don Alfonso IX, and it was resolved that the Master of Calatrava would give that town to the Knights of Pereiro so that they might defend it, as they did, under certain conditions in the year 1218, later performing marvels in its defense, earning through their fame and distinguished feats new graces from the Kings; and seeing how essential their residence was, the Knights of Pereiro moved to the town of Alcantara, establishing their Convent there, and thus transformed into Knights of Alcantara, who were previously Knights of Saint Julian of Pereiro».


Categories: Institution, Interpreted, Religious, Military, Illuminated, Outlined in sable, Freehand, Emblem, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped and Cross.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Alcantara, Cavalry Regiment

Argent, a cross of Alcantara.

Coat of arms of the Armored Cavalry Regiment Alcantara No. 10, RCAC-10, in 2016.

Argent, a cross of Alcantara.

Escudo de plata, una cruz de Alcántara.

Coat of arms interpreted in the following manner: the shape of the shield is of a semicircular arch; the field is illuminated in the metal Argent; the cross of Alcantara is outlined in Sable and illuminated in Vert; and the whole has a raised stroke finish.


Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped and Cross.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Alcantara, Cavalry Regiment.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Order of Montesa, emblem

A cross of Montesa.

Order of Chivalry of Saint Mary of Montesa and Saint George of Alfama.

A cross of Montesa.

Una cruz de Montesa.

Interpretation of the emblem of the order with: its cross outlined in Sable, illuminated in Gules; and a highly hammered metal finish.

The Royal Council of the Orders of Chivalry of Santiago, Calatrava, Alcantara, and Montesa, in its historical review of the founding of the Order of Montesa, states that it was created in 1317, at the request of James II, King of Aragon, through a bull issued by Pope John XXII.

Emblem

About the emblem of the Order of Chivalry of Montesa [Avilés, J.; 1780b; treatise IV, chapter VI, page 342, figure 103], it states that «the Ensign of the Knights of Montesa is a plain red Cross», gules, «plain, which they wear on their Capitular Mantles, or hanging from a red ribbon on the chest over a gold oval; that is, on a field of gold a plain cross of gules (different from how the Masters wore it)» and, therefore, it describes the first emblem of the Order of Montesa and not the one they wear now, which is that same plain cross of gules charged on a cross like that of the Order of Calatrava or like that of the Order of Alcantara, but in Sable instead of Gules or Vert.


Blazon keywords: Cross of Montesa, Cross couped and Cross.

Style keywords: Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Soft metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Religious, Military and Emblem.

Bearer: Montesa, Order of.

Separador heráldico
Escudo de Castilla y León

Montesa, Cavalry Regiment

Or, a cross of Montesa.

Coat of arms of the Armored Cavalry Regiment Montesa No. 3, RCAC-3, in 2016.

Or, a cross of Montesa.

Escudo de oro, una cruz de Montesa.

Coat of arms interpreted as follows: the shape of the shield is a semi-circular arch; the field has been illuminated in metal Or; the cross of Montesa is outlined in Sable and illuminated in Gules and Sable; and the whole has a raised line finish.


Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Or, Cross of Montesa, Cross couped and Cross.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Montesa, Cavalry Regiment.

 

Dr. Antonio Salmerón y Cabañas,
,
Paseo de la Castellana 135, 7th floor,
28046 Madrid, Spain.