The tiger on a coat of arms (England, 4th quarter of the 16th century-1st quarter of the 17th century): Harley MS 6106, f. The Deidis of Armorie claims that those who first bore the tiger on their coats of arms were feigning, cunning and deceitful (‘dissimilit, wyly, and double in his dedis’). The tigress would stop to look into the mirror, mistake her own reflection for her stolen cub, and start nursing it, allowing the thieves to get away. The cub-nappers would be pursued by the tigress, but could deceive her by dropping a mirror on the ground. According to bestiaries, this imagery illustrated the method by which robbers could steal a tigress’s cub.
Tigers are often depicted on coats of arms gazing into mirrors. The ostrich as a heraldic crest (England, 17th century): Harley MS 4926, f. What does the ostrich's presence on a coat of arms mean? According to the Deidis of Armorie, it signified that the first bearer of these arms ate hard things - in other words, they were as tough as nails - and that they had a defiant nature (‘eite hard thingis and diffailland of natur’). This imagery originates from the bestiary tradition, which supposed that the animal had remarkable digestive abilities, enabling it to consume and process iron. We start with the heraldic ostrich, happily chomping on its staple food: horseshoes and keys. In this blogpost we'll study some extraordinary heraldic animals up close. The manuscript containing the Deidis of Armorie has recently been digitised and can be found on our Digitised Manuscripts site. This ‘heraldic bestiary’ explains what the behaviours and appearances of animals on coats of arms indicate about the origins of specific families. Luckily, we have a guide book at our disposal, namely the 15th-century Middle Scots Deidis of Armorie (found in Harley MS 6149).
It can sometimes be difficult to understand what these borrowings from the bestiary tradition represent. These animals are depicted according to heraldic conventions, but sometimes they also display fabulous features originating from medieval illustrated ‘books of beasts’, known as bestiaries. Medieval and early modern coats of arms - visual designs symbolising the heritage and achievements of individuals and families - are teeming with animal life. We invite you to explore some of the wildlife that can be found in our heraldic manuscripts.
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