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Majesty

A term used to describe an eagle crowned and holding a scepter.
 
Maltese Cross
a Maltese cross
a Maltese cross
mal-tese" kros
  1. A composed cross. The badge of the Knights of Malta. Widely used in all periods of Armory. It is attested in Spencer, the bearings of Trauber: Gules a fess between two crosses Maltese Or.
  2. “A Maltese cross enamelled white and edged with gold” – badge of the Knights of Malta.
    “Argent, a cross Maltese Gules” – Order of S. Stefano, Pisa, 1561.
    “Argent a Maltese cross between two flaunches vert each flank charged with a Maltese cross Argent.” – John Wystan of Deodar (SCA)
Mantiger
Alternate Terms: Mantichor, Manticor, Manticore

A monster with the body of a lion or tiger and a human face, usually with a scorpion's tail and long spiral horns. (Also written Mantichor and Manticor.)
 
Mantling
  1. Conventionalized drapery hanging down the back of the Helm, from below the Crest-wreath, and nowadays usually depicted as carried down on either side of the shield. Sometimes called the Lambrequin.
  2. The cloak or robe behind the shield, sufficiently large to include the entire arms. Those of sovereigns are of gold doubled with ermine, and are called pavilions.
Marcassin

(French.) A young wild boar; distinguished from an old one by having its tail hanging down instead of twisted.
 
Marined

An animal having the lower part of the body like a fish.
 
Marquis
a coronet for a marqis
a coronet for a marqs

A nobleman of England, ranking next below a duke.
 
Marshal

To dispose or arrange in order such coats of arms as have to be included in one shield.
 
Marshaling

The act of arranging two or more coats on one shield.
 
Martel

A kind of hammer.
 
Martlet
martlets
martlets
  1. In heraldry, a representation of a bird without feet, used as a crest or bearing to indicate a fourth son.
  2. A fanciful bird somewhat resembling a swallow, but having short tufts of feathers in the place of legs. When used as a difference it denotes the fourth son.
Mascle
a mascle
a mascle

A lozenge-shaped bearing, perforated or voided. When used in numbers it becomes masculy.
 
Masoned
  1. Said of a field or charged divided by lines resembling masonry.
  2. Applied to a field or charge which is divided with lines resembling a wall or building of stones.
Massacre

When the antlers of a stag are attached to a fragment of the skull bone it is called a massacre.
 
Match

A coil anciently used for purpose of discharging firearms.
 
Maul

A heavy wooden hammer.
 
Maunch
a maunch
a maunch
Alternate Terms: Manch, Manche
  1. An early type of medieval lady's sleeve.
  2. An ancient sleeve, used quite often in coats of arms.
  3. A bearing representing a sleeve with long hanging ends.
Membered
Alternate Term: Legged
  1. Technical term for the depiction of the legs and beak of a bird.
  2. Said of the legs of birds when of a different tincture from the body.
  3. A term applied to a bird when its legs are of a different tincture from that of the bird itself.
Merchants' Mark
  1. Very often wealthy merchants, not entitled to arms, bore on a shield a device. Often this device consisted of a figure resembling the numeral 4, turned back, with the additions of initials variously arranged. Seal made in this style are very often found.
  2. Certain marks or bearings used by merchants of England such as the block and brush (butchers' broom) of the Butcher's Company; the distillatory, of the Distillers' Company, etc. They are not to be considered strictly heraldic, but were protected by law, and are occasionally seen on merchants' tombs and in architecture.
Mermaid
a mermaid
a mermaid
Alternate Term: Melusin
  1. A mythical creature that is said to have the top half of a woman and the bottom half of a fish.
  2. The Mermaid is the female version of a Merman, usually shown combing her hair while looking into a mirror. A Melusin is a Mermaid with a tail split in the middle.
Merman
mer'man

A Merman had the top half of a man's body and the bottom half of a fish's body.
 
Metal

In painting the two metals, the actual metal is most often difficult to both acquire and apply onto the device being worked. Therefore, yellow and white paint are often used to replace gold and silver.
 
Millrind
a millrind
a millrind
Alternate Terms: Fer-de-Mouline, Millrynd
  1. A bearing supposed to represent the iron which holds a millstone by being set into its center.
  2. Said to be the ion which upholds a mill-stone. The essential point of it seems to be, that it shall be a saltire, pierced in the center; but the forms are innumerable.
Miter

The headdress of a bishop, sometimes used as a charge, either singly or in numbers.
 
Mitry

Charged with eight miters. (Said of a bordure.)
 
Monster
  1. Lower's “Curiosities of heraldry”, pg. 91, gives the following list of heraldic monster:
  2. The Sagittary is the Centaur of antiquity, half man and half horse. The Mermaid and the Unicorn are two well known to require description. The Chimera, Harpy, Sphinx, and Satyr are also of the antique type. The Montegre or Mantyger, had the body of a tiger, the head of an old man, and the horns of an ox. The monsters peculiarly heraldic, therefore, seem to be the Cockatrice, Dragon, Griffin and Wyvern. The Opinicus is very similar to the Griffin, but has four legs and a short tail.
Moon
crescent moon
crescent moon 		an increscent moon
an increscent moon
a decrescent moon
a decrescent moon
moon

The moon in heraldry is always borne as a crescent, usually with the cavity upward. When the cavity is toward the dexter side of the shield, it is increscent; when toward the sinister, decrescent.
 
Mooted

Torn up by the roots; eradicated.
 
Morion
a morion
a morion
  1. A steel cap; a kind of helmet, shaped something like a hat, and having no beaver or visor.
  2. A steel cap worn by foot-soldiers.
Morne

Without teeth, tongue or claws.
 
Morse

A term for a sea-lion.
 
Mosin

An old heraldic term for a cat.
 
Motto
  1. A word or sentence carried on the scroll, and supposed to have some connection with the name of the bearer, the deeds of his ancestors or as setting forth some guiding principle or idea. Mottos, like arms, were sometimes punning, as Carendo tutus the motto of the Cavendishes; Ver non semper viret, of the Vernons. The Scotch borderers, whose chief delight in life seemed to be that of harrying their neighbors by moonlight, used stars and crescents for their arms and adopted such Mottos as Watch weel (Halyborton) and Reparabit cornua Phoebe (Scott of Harden).
  2. The motto is the successor of the war-cry, which was common in the days when each chief tennant and baron under the crown brought into the field and led his own tennants and retainers. The royal cry of the English was "St. George for England;" the common Highland cry was "Claymore." while Seyton had "St. Bennett and Set on."
Mound

A ball or globe forming part of the regalia of a king or emperor. It is surmounted by a cross and represents sovereign authority.
 
Mound Royal

An orb surmounted by a cross, usually pattée.
 
Mount

The representation of a mound or hill, covered with grass, occupying the base of the shield. It is generally borne with a tree or trees on it. When depicted green it is blazoned as a mount vert.
 
Mounted
  1. Applied to a horse when depicted bearing a rider.
  2. When a cross or similar bearing is placed upon steps, as a cross mounted upon greces, or degrees.
Mount-Greced

A mount cut in the form of steps.
 
Mounting

Rampant.
 
Mount-Mounted

A mount with a hill upon it.
 
Mullet
a mullet
a mullet
a mullet of 6 points
a mullet of 6 points
Alternate Terms: Molet, Rowel, Spur Rowel
  1. A five-point star, originally intended to represent a spur rowel, and always drawn with five points. Occasionally a mullet will have more than 5 points. If so, it is denoted as such: i.e. a mullet of six points.
  2. A bearing resembling a five-pointed star. It is sometimes called a spur rowel, but it was in use long before the rowelled spur. When used as a difference it denotes the third son.
  3. The mullet is often called a spur rowel, which it is supposed to represent. However, the mullet was in use long before the rowelled spur.
Muraille

Walled; masoned and embattled.
 
Mural Crown
a mural crown
a mural crown
mu"ral crown
  1. Formed of battlements masoned. Fancifully said to have been given by the Romans to the soldier who first ascended the walls of a besieged fortress.
  2. “Or, a mural crown Gules, between two barrulets azure and three wolf's heads erased sable” – Seale.
    “Erminois, on a pile embattled azure a mural crown between two caltraps in pale Or” – Walker, Herts.
    “Argent, three griffins passant in pale azure murally gorged of the first, within a bordure sable bezanty” – Wills.
    “Gules, three mural coronets Argent masoned sable” – Jourdan.
Murray
murray
murray
Alternate Term: Murrey

One of the stains, mulberry-purplish red in colour.
 
Musca

The common housefly. In some coats, however, this becomes a butterfly.
 
Muschetor

One of the arrow-headed marks used in depicting ermine, but without the three round dots employed in blazing that fur.
 
Musiman
muh'see'man

A ram/goat cross with 4 horns.
 
Musion

A cat.
 
Muzzled

Having a muzzle. Said of an animal, such as a bear, borne with a muzzle.
 

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Last updated on
September 9th, 2005