Supporter (animal)

Supporters: Two wolves Sable.

Soportes: Dos lobos de sable.

Two supporters illuminated and outlined by me in color Sable.

supporter (animal), supporters (animals): supporter.

Exterior ornament of the coat of arms, being an animal that supports it. There may be only one, placed on one side or behind the coat of arms, although it is usual to represent two: one on the dexter and another on the sinister side, which may be symmetrical, for example, two lions, or different, for example, a stag and a horse. Depicted rampant unless another attitude is specified.

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Categories: Supporter (animal), Supporter and Glossary.

Key Characteristics in Castilian Heraldry

Some of the main characteristics of the heraldry of Castile are:

• the rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base,
• the importance of bordures,
• the inclusion of words and also letters in the coat of arms,
• the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion, is the wolf [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2010], and, of course,
• our castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [Valero de Bernabé, L.; 2009a].

The following image shows 4 examples of coats of arms, each of which has some of these characteristics, including one Castilian castle.

Comparing Castilian and English Heraldry

In the United Kingdom, there are several heraldic traditions, one of them being English heraldry.

In the Kingdom of Spain, there are several heraldic traditions, for example, the Castilian tradition.

In my humble opinion, we should compare at the same level, English heraldry with, for example, Castilian heraldry, but not with all Spanish heraldry. We shouldn't do it for the same reason we don't mix Scottish heraldic tradition with English, as they are so different.

In the case of Castilian heraldry, the 8 main differences with English heraldry are:

• The rounded shapes, with a semicircle at the base.
• The importance of bordures and the existence of the diminished bordure, called in Castilian «filiera».
• The inclusion of words and also letters in the coats of arms.
• The wolf is the 2^nd most common animal, after the lion.
• The castle, triple-towered, which is different from the English and French types of castles.
• We can inherit arms from our mother and/or father; for example, the castle in the 1^st quarter of the coat of arms of Castile and the coat of arms of Spain comes from a mother, Queen Berenguela of Castile, mother of King Fernando III, the Saint.
• There are 3 kinds of supporters with their owns heraldic names: «tenantes», human forms; «soportes», animals; and «sostenes», plants and things.
• Our quarterings do not necessarily mean that the arms are marshalled by inheritance. [Williams, N.; 2017; page 135, paragraph 26.02] describing the arms of Éamon de Valera, 1882-1975, President of Ireland, writes «Those arms are Spanish in appearance. The quartering without functions as a means of marshalling, is distinctively Iberian».

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Categories: Criterion, Semi-circular, Bordure, Letter, Lion, Wolf, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Or, Azure, Sable, Diminished bordure, Quarterly, Supporter (human form), Supporter, Supporter (animal) and Supporter (thing).

Checky of nine Or and Azure, the checks Or: 1^st, 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th, and 9^th, two cotises Azure; 2^nd, a sun Or; 4^th, 6^th, and 8^th, two martlets Or, palewise. Supporters: Two leopards rampant guardant, the dexter Or, armed, langued, fanged, and inflamed Azure, and the sinister Azure, armed, langued, fanged, and inflamed Or. Motto: «Unitas est fortitudo»

Escudo equipolado de oro y azur: 1^o, 3^o, 5^o, 7^o y 9^o, dos cotizas de azur; 2^o, un sol de oro; 4^o, 6^o y 8^o, dos marletas de oro, en palo. Soportes: Dos leopardos leonados, el diestro de oro, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de azur y el siniestro de azur, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de oro. Lema: «Unitas est fortitudo»

Shield with its motto and supporters created by me as follows: its mouth is rounded; the fields in flat tinctures metal Or and color Azure; all its elements outlined in Sable and illuminated in Azure and Or; the whole assembly with a slightly hammered metal finish.

Leopardo leonado ~ Leopard rampant guardant

About the term 'leopardos leonados' (leopards rampant guardant), [Avilés, J.; 1780a; page 99] writes that «it is said of leopards rampant» and shows an example in [Avilés, J.; 1725a; plate 7, figure 138] a shield Azure, with a leopard rampant Argent, looking towards the viewer's face, that is, 'leonado' (rampant guardant), and in this case 'difamado' (cowardly, without a tail).

León leopardado ~ Lion passant guardant

In [Avilés, J.; 1780a; page 330] he again emphasizes the term 'leonado' (rampant guardant) when writing that the posture of the leopard «is never rampant, like that of the Lion, but passant; because if ever the Leopards are put rampant, they are blazoned 'Leopardos Leonados' (Leopards Rampant Guardant), for adopting the posture that Lions have in armory», and he also takes the opportunity to introduce the term 'leopardado' (passant guardant), which is complementary to 'leonado' (rampant guardant), telling us «in the same way, Lions are blazoned 'Leones Leopardados' (Lions Passant Guardant), when they are passant, because it is the posture of the Leopards».

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Blazon keywords: Chequy of nine squares, Or, Azure, Bendlet, Sun in splendour, Martlet, In pale, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Lion rampant guardant, Dexter, Sinister, Armed, Langued, The fangs, The eyes, Motto and Lion passant.

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

Classification: Created, Personal and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Fernández Marqués, Enrique.

Registered by The International Register of Arms, 1^st of December of 2022, Registration number 0690, Volume 4.

In Spanish heraldry, there are three terms for supporters: «sostenes» for objects or plants, «tenantes» for human figures, and «soportes» for animal forms. The following applies to sostenes, tenantes, and soportes. Unlike other heraldic traditions such as English heraldry, in Spanish heraldry there are no rules for the use of supporters; their use is at the armiger's discretion, without specific restrictions. Supporters are not reserved only for nobility; their use is free for all.

In the words of [Cadenas y Vicent, V. de; 1975; page 173] «there is no rule that determines the use of tenantes, soportes, and sostenes».

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Categories: Armorial roll, Party per fess, Azure, One, Book, Open, Or, Leaved, Argent, Charged, Mullet, Gules, Tree, Erased, Between, Two, Apple, Diminished bordure, Embattled, Crest and mantling, Helm, Fimbriated, Wreath, Mantling, Dexter, Sinister, Crest, Pegasus, Rampant, Nascent, Flame, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Lion, Langued, Quill, Claw, Parchment (scroll), Rolled, Seal, Letter, War cry and Motto.

External resource:

• Fernando Marán Bié at The Armorial Register.

Root: The Armorial Register.

Azure, a cross ermine fimbriated Or, between four fleurs de lis Argent, each enfiled in a crown Or. Crest: Upon a helm befitting his degree, issuant from a crown of Baron, with a wreath Or and Azure, a falcon displayed, belled Azure, crowned Or, holding in its dexter talon an hourglass Or and in its sinister talon a fleur de lis Argent. Mantling: Azure doubled Or. Motto: «Per Crucem Triumphans» Sable, over a scroll Argent, doubled Gules. Supporters: Two lions rampant Or, langued Gules.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a pointed outer contour and with a freehand finish.

G0128, Chief Herald of Arms of Malta's grant for the arms of Jean-Yves, de Sainte Croix de la Sabliere, UK. These arms have been emblazoned by me for such grant.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Or, Argent, Gules, One, Four, Cross, Ermine, Fimbriated, Between, Fleur de lis, Enfiled, Crown, Crest, Upon (wreath), Helm, Issuant, Crown of Baron, Above the shield, Wreath, Falcon, Belled, Crowned, Dexter, Talon, Hourglass, Sinister, Mantling, Doubled, Motto, Scroll, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Lion, Rampant and Langued.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Sainte Croix de la Sabliere, Jean-Yves de.

Party per fess dancetty of three points Gules and Argent, in chief a winnowing fan reversed Or between two fleams addorsed Argent. Crest: Upon a helm befitting his degree issuant from a crown of Baron above the shield, with a wreath Argent and Gules, two arms embowed proper, vested Sable, cuffed Or, holding aloft a winnowing fan reversed Or. Mantling: Gules doubled Argent. Motto: «Ora et Labora». Supporters: Two lions passant, tails addorsed Sable, armed and langued Gules.

Coat of arms depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finish.

G0129, Chief Herald of Arms of Malta's grant for the arms of Markus Hermann Frank, USA. These arms have been emblazoned by me for such grant.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Argent, Or, Sable, One, Two, Three, Party per fess, Dancetty, In chief, Winnowing fan, Reversed, Between, Fleam, Addorsed, Crest, Upon (wreath), Helm, Issuant, Crown of Baron, Crown, Above the shield, Wreath, Arm, Embowed, Proper, Vested, Cuffed, Grasping, Mantling, Doubled, Motto, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Lion, Passant, Tail addorsed, Armed and Langued.

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

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Frank, Markus Hermann.

Party per fess: 1 Gules, five swords erect, in fess Argent; 2 Vairy Or and Gules.

Escudo cortado: 1^o de gules, cinco espadas de plata, alzadas, en faja; 2^o verado de oro y gules. Soporte: Un león de oro, rampante, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules a la siniestra.

Supporter and shield inclined to dexter with: a pointed base of the shield; its two fields enamelled with flat inks, Gules and Or respectively; the rest of the elements illuminated; everything outlined in Sable; and the whole executed with a raised-stroke technique.

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Blazon keywords: Party per fess, Gules, Or, Argent, Five, Sword, Point upwards, In fess, Vairy, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, The fangs, The eyes, Supporter (animal) and Supporter.

Style keywords: Pointed, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Freehand.

Classification: Created, Personal and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Martos García, Juan Carlos.

Party per fess: 1 Argent, a rose Gules, barbed and seeded proper; 2 Gules, two swords in saltire Argent, hilted Or. Supporters: Two bears Sable, the eyes, pizzled, langued, armed and gorged Gules. Motto: «Ingenuus et fortis» Sable over a scroll Argent doubled Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Party per fess, Argent, One, Rose, Gules, Leaved, Seeded, Two, Sword, In saltire, Hilted, Or, Proper, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Bear, Sable, The eyes, Pizzled, Langued, Armed, Collared, Motto and Scroll.

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

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Coat of arms and Latin language.

Bearer: Breu, Stephan Urs.

Or, on a chevron, between three crosses flory Gules, three crescents Argent. Supporters: Two Lions rampant Or, langued and armed Gules. Motto: «Fides et pietas».

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Blazon keywords: Or, One, Chevron, Gules, Charged, Three, Crescent, Argent, Between, Cross, Flory, Supporter (animal), Supporter, Two, Lion, Rampant, Langued, Armed and Motto.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Pointed, Illuminated and Rough.

Classification: Personal, Created, Coat of arms and Latin language.

Bearer: Rica II, Nick Allen.