Arise, Sir Pacman!

August 5, 2009 8:45 AM

Heraldry buffs, can you help? I've been googling and flicking through ordinaries to no avail because I don't even know the name for this strange medieval symbol to begin with

Please excuse my terrible drawings, they're like pac-mans or doughnuts with a tiny hole and a little slice nipped out. The first drawing is probably the closest to it, because the circular hole in the middle is quite small. What on earth could these be called? They're not roundels or annulets. I've looked at loads of those. I saw three of them on a carving of a shield but until I know what they are I can get no further. Many thanks!

posted by Flitcraft to society & culture (16 comments total)

Could they be a rather mucked-up crescent? A lot of medieval heraldry is a bit interpretive, shall we say ("is that supposed to be a lion? Really?), so I could see that being an odd crescent.
posted by Coobeastie at 8:51 AM on August 5

They're the wrong way up for a crescent as I understand it. They definitely point down and it's a very small slice out of the circle.
posted by Flitcraft at 9:06 AM on August 5

The 15th century seal of the university of St Andrews has an inverted crescent as part of the heraldic bits (top of the shield above St Andrew). So it's a legit medieval motif, but if it doesn't fit what you're looking at, then it doesn't fit.
posted by Coobeastie at 9:19 AM on August 5

Some sort of symbolic shield boss...? Which a bit of googling says is called an umbo in heraldry
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:28 AM on August 5

Ah yes! I should have remembered that one - but no, I've often seen that image and this is nothing like it. It's more like a millstone with a chunk out of it. There is a definite circle pierced in the middle and then the slice. I'm completely baffled.
posted by Flitcraft at 9:28 AM on August 5

It's Broken Annulet
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:41 AM on August 5

... well that's the best I can find, seems to on some coins
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:50 AM on August 5

The best I can come up with is that it might be a broken annulet, as fearfulsymmetry posits, or some sort of stylized bracelet or other piece of jewelry.

I've tried bandlet and bandelet, but google images returns nothing particularly useful.

Maybe a halo?
posted by Shohn at 10:31 AM on August 5

I'm wondering give that it's an early grave slab if they could be highly stylised shears?
posted by Flitcraft at 11:30 AM on August 5

Gorget, maybe? A decorative throat protector?
posted by pentagoet at 11:31 AM on August 5

I've just had a quick look through my photos of medieval and slightly post-medieval grave slabs from Iona, and there is non-standard heraldry on them; their shields carry images of the ships that were used in the Hebrides, rather than a 'standard' design. Could it be something idiosyncratic to that carving?

Do you have a picture of the whole carving? I'm just wondering if it might trigger off better ideas if we have the context.
posted by Coobeastie at 12:53 PM on August 5

Could it be a cadency of some sort, to indicate birth order?

I also wanted to say this looks like a collar to me, ala Thomas More.
posted by Dukat at 12:57 PM on August 5

Alas no, I cant put up a pic for the time being - not mine! But I'm also leaning towards non standard heraldry, as like you I see that happens on other similar slabs where craft and other emblems get on. It isn't likely to be a collar, as the hole in the middle (no thanks to my rubbish drawing) is very small - think of the hole in the centre of a CD. I think it's going to turn out to be some sort of non-standard but stylised thingamajig which wont identify the owner after all! Thanks very much!
posted by Flitcraft at 2:51 PM on August 5

Late to the party, but have you considered the possibility that it is a Hawk's Bell? It's not quite right, based on your drawing, but it's close enough for me to see it as such.
posted by zueod at 9:58 AM on August 6

Ah, and this will give you an example of it in use.
posted by zueod at 10:09 AM on August 6

Ah that's a very good thought! Thank you.
posted by Flitcraft at 4:49 PM on August 6