May the Furs Be With You By Daunt Iago ab Adam, Compaignon du Lorer (Michael C. Case) For the Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium 2020 Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3 Ermine ........................................................................................................................................................... 4 Appearance ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Styles ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Other Tincture Combinations ............................................................................................................... 7 Layout...................................................................................................................................................... 10 Plain Field ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Fess ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Barry/Bars ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Pale ...................................................................................................................................................... 12 Paly/Pallets .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Bend .................................................................................................................................................... 13 Bendy/Bendlets ................................................................................................................................... 14 Chevron ............................................................................................................................................... 15 Chevronelly/Chevronels ...................................................................................................................... 16 Cross .................................................................................................................................................... 16 Saltire .................................................................................................................................................. 17 Bordure ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Orle ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 Chief .................................................................................................................................................... 19 Flaunches ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Fretty ................................................................................................................................................... 20 Lozengy ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Checky ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Gyronny ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Complex Charges................................................................................................................................. 22 As Charge ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Vair .............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Appearance & Layout .............................................................................................................................. 29 Plain Field ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Fess ...................................................................................................................................................... 31 Barry/Bars ........................................................................................................................................... 32 Pale ...................................................................................................................................................... 32 Paly/Pallets .......................................................................................................................................... 32 Bend .................................................................................................................................................... 33 Bendy/Bendlets ................................................................................................................................... 34 Chevron ............................................................................................................................................... 35 Chevronelly/Chevronels ...................................................................................................................... 36 Cross .................................................................................................................................................... 36 Saltire .................................................................................................................................................. 37 Bordure ............................................................................................................................................... 38 Orle ...................................................................................................................................................... 39 Chief .................................................................................................................................................... 39 Fretty ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Lozengy ............................................................................................................................................... 40 Checky ................................................................................................................................................. 41 Gyronny ............................................................................................................................................... 41 Complex Charges................................................................................................................................. 42 Other ................................................................................................................................................... 43 In Other Media ............................................................................................................................................ 46 Embroidery.............................................................................................................................................. 46 Other ....................................................................................................................................................... 49 Glasgow Museums .............................................................................................................................. 49 The British Museum ............................................................................................................................ 52 The V&A Museum ............................................................................................................................... 58 Portable Antiquities Scheme (finds.org.uk) ........................................................................................ 58 Some Feudal Lords and Their Seals ..................................................................................................... 60 References (Alphabetical by Mss name) ..................................................................................................... 62 Terms of Use ............................................................................................................................................... 75 Introduction The intent of this article is to show the variety of styles and layouts of fur that were used in the SCA period. Though I do discuss the relative popularity of some elements, this is not intended to be a quantitative analysis. The majority of the article will deal with how vair was used in armorials and rolls of arms;