Ordinaries

50px-ordinary_chiefChief

The chief is terminated by a horizontal line and occupies the top third of the escutcheon. The line may be straight or it may be any of the curved or angled lines. The chief may be charged.

Diminutive

The chief has a diminutive called a fillet. It spans the horizontal dimension of the chief, along the bottom edge. It occupies less than one fourth the breadth of the chief. The design software does not yet support adding a fillet.

50px-ordinary_palePale

The pale is drawn by two parallel lines drawn from the top to the base of the escutcheon and it contains one third of the width of the field. The lines may be straight or they may be any of the curved or angled lines. If a decorative line is used, in blazon the pale is called pale [line-name] such as pale bevilled or pale potent.

50px-ordinary_palletsDiminutives

The pale has two diminutives. One is the pallet, which is one half the width of the pale. The design software currently only supports adding two pallets. The second diminutive is called the endorse, and it is one fourth the size of the pale. Two endorse diminutives are sometimes used to surround a pale. The design software does not currently have the endorse diminutive. The pale and the pallet may be charged, but the endorse is not.

50px-ordinary_bendBend

The bend honorable ordinary is formed by two lines from the dexter chief to the sinister base. It should contain one-fifth of the field if there is no charge on it, but it should be one-third of the field if charged. Currently the design software only has the smaller bend.

50px-ordinary_bendletsDiminutives

The bend has four diminutives: the garter which is one-half the breadth of a normal bend; the cotice which is one-fourth the size of a bend and typically used in pairs with one cotice on each side of a bend; the riband which is one-third the size of the garter, and the bendlet which is one-sixth or less the size of the field. Currently the design software only supports the use of a pair of bendlets.

50px-ordinary_bend_sinisterBend Sinister

The bend sinister is the same size as the bend. (Bend Dexter is assumed when the term “bend” is used without the word “sinister” following it.) However, the bend sinister is drawn from the sinister chief to the dexter base.

Diminutive

The scarpe is the diminutive of the bend sinister. Like the bend’s garter, it is one-half the size of a bend sinister. The design software does not currently include this option.

Baton

The baton is related to the bend sinister. It is rarely used mark of illegitimacy. It is not currently part of the design software.

50px-ordinary_fesseFess and bar

The fess should contain one third of the field of the escutcheon and it is drawn by using two horizontal lines, one above the center and one line below.

50px-ordinary_barsThe bar is also formed by two horizontal lines, but it is only one-fifth of the escutcheon and it may be placed in any part of the escutcheon. There may also be more than one bar. The design software currently only has an option that adds two bars: one just above the center and one just below.

Diminutives

The closet is one diminutive of the bar. The difference is the closet is one-half the width of the bar. The barrulet is another diminutive and it is one half the width of the closet or one-fourth the width of the bar. Neither is currently an option in the design software.

Gemels

Gemels is a corruption of the French word jumelles which signifies double. This term is often used to describe double bars.

Barry

When the escutcheon is composed of a number of bars alternating between two colors, it is said to be “barry” of so many pieces. For example: Barry of nine pieces, argent and gules.

50px-ordinary_chevronChevron

A chevron is shaped like the gable of a roof. It is like a bend and a bend sinister that rise up from the base and meet in the center but do not extend up from the center point.

50px-ordinary_chevronelsDiminutives

One diminutive of the Chevron is the chevronel which is half the breadth of a chevron. The design software currently only supports an option with two chevronels. A second chevron diminutive is the couple-close which is half the size of a chevronel. The couple-close is sometimes used in a group and interlaced (also know as braced) to create a pattern. Couple-close is currently not an option in the design software.

50px-ordinary_crossCross

The cross was a distinguishing badge of the Crusaders in its simplest form. The cross should occupy one-fifth of the escutcheon if not charged or one-third of the escutcheon if the cross is charged. The color of the cross would signify which nation the Crusader belonged. The cross has many variations.

50px-ordinary_saltireSaltire

Like the cross, the saltire occupies one-fifth of the escutcheon if not charged or one-third of the escutcheon if the saltire is charged and it has many variations. It resembles an “X” and it is formed by placing a bend over a bend sinister.