| Document created 15/12 2000 |
Elves, Men, Dwarves, and even Maiar in Middle-
The Elves had formulated rules or principles for the shaping of heraldic devices, which can be summarized in the following way:
The rules of heraldry were usually followed by both the Noldor and the
Sindar, which might indicate that they were already in existence (albeit in a
crude form) at Cuiviénen; but it is tempting to argue that at that time the
Elves were not yet culturally "sophisticated" enough for such ideas. The rules
may also have evolved over time, and become known by oral tradition before
recieving written form. If the rules were invented by the Noldor, which would
otherwise seem likely, it seems strange that the Sindarin heraldry follows these
rules, considering Thingol's anti-
That the Sindar invented the rules must be considered a possibility; the Noldor adopted the language of the Sindar when they arrived in Beleriand, so why not the heraldry? Devices are known for Noldor who never had a chance to get aquainted with the Sindar, but that might be explained with that those devices were created at a later time; cf. Finwe's device.
What was the original purpose of the Elvish heraldry? In medieval Europe,
heraldry was always connected with warfare: the knights needed a way to be
easily recognizable on the battle-
Further, in early medieval Europe the shape of the devices was usually restricted by the shield to which it was applied. Does this indicate that the Elves had lozengal and round shields? Round shields are very common in the early civilizations of the world, whereas lozengal shields are rare. The shape of a lozenge also seems a little unpractical for defence purposes.
The inevitable conclusion seems to be that the Elvish heraldry was not originally intended for identification in the battle plain (even though it may have gained such a rôle in the later ages). More likely, its primary function was to represent the kings and queens of Eldalie, and identify them in records and art. Thus it seems even more likely that some or many of the devices were constructed posthumously.
A large number of Elvish heraldic devices has been preserved to this day. The samples below are all based on these preserved and published illustrations.
Finwe. Finwe's heraldic device shows a "winged sun",
opposing Elwe's
device of a winged moon. Though Finwe actually died before the first rising of
the sun, he was the king of the Noldor that reached the light of Aman and saw
the Two Trees. Sixteen "points" reach the edges of the sign, signifying Finwe's
position as one of the oldest of the Quendi and the High King of the Noldor. His
bright yellow and red colours seem to be echoed in the devices of his heirs Feanor,
Fingolfin,
and Finarfin
[2].
There was also a
similar device for Finwe's house, identical except for being tipped forty-five
degrees to form a square. This was the device of the High Kings of the Noldor
and descended from Finwe to his son Fingolfin and then on to Fingon and Turgon
[1].
Elwe. The device of Elwe Sindicollo, better known as Elu Thingol, shows
a "winged moon" on black surrounded by stars. It is the antipole to Finwe's
winged sun. The reason for this is probably that both started on the Great
Journey, but Elwe was enchanted by Melian and never left Middle-
Melian. The Maia of Doriath is given a complex device, very
unlike any other male or female device. Within it both stars and
flower-
Feanor. Feanor's device shares the fiery colours of his
father's device, and carries the connotation of fire further by having wavy
flames that go from the centre outwards. These may be associated with Feanor's
name, meaning "Spirit of Fire". (But these flames are also found in Fingolfin's
device, where the same association can't be made.) In the centre is depicted a
Silmaril, the greatest of Feanor's creations. It is surrounded by a number of
coloured fields, possibly representing the art of creating crystals, which he
invented. [2]
The Star
of Feanor, seen on the west gate of Moria, was apparently an emblem for all
the Noldor in Feanor's following. It was properly silver-
Fingolfin. Fingolfin's device shows a distinct relatedness
with the device of Fingolfin's brother Feanor,
with the natural exception of Feanor's Silmaril. The silver stars on blue
background is probably the source of the blue and silver of Fingolfin's banners
mentioned in The Silmarillion. Eight "points" reach the edges, as is
the case with all the devices for the sons of Finwe. [1]
Finarfin. Though sharing the "fiery" appearance of the
devices of his father and brothers, the fire-
Finrod. Finrod Felagund was given a device much different
from any of the other Elvish devices: it is not symmetrical and the colours are
distinctly earth-
Lúthien. Lúthien Tinúviel is the only person known to have had two
distinct heraldic devices; both are based on patterns with flowers. The first
shows the white niphredil that grew at her birth (it has been
described as similar to a delicate snowdrop). 
The second
probably holds an elanor in the centre. The stars in this device
echo those found in her father Thingol's
device. At a first glance it is hard to tell if there are any "points" that
reach the rim, but it seems like they would be no more than four in both
devices. In the first device they point in the compass directions northeast,
northwest, southeast and southwest. In the second, the only thing similar to
"points" are the white flowers that each symbolizes one point. This would give
her the correct status as a princess of Doriath. [1]
Idril. The device of Idril Celebrindal reveals a
cornflower-
The device of Idril was preserved and brought from Gondolin to Númenor, where
it became the inspiration of many similar Númenorean designs. It was then
brought to Gondor by Elendil. Even though Gondolin is known to have had its very
own heraldic
customs, these do not apply to this device, which might indicate that the
customs were reserved for the Twelve
Houses of the city (q.v.).
Gil-galad. His name means "Radiant star", and remembering
also the words from The Fall of Gil-galad: "The countless stars of
heaven's field / were mirrored in his silver shield" [5], it
is only natural that Gil-
The
Silmarils. There is only one known device that is designated for
objects instead of a person. Why the Silmarilli should have their own heraldic
device is unclear. Perhaps the device was used as a banner by the Noldor in the
wars with Morgoth, to mark their intentions. The tree in the background is
probably Laurelin, the Golden Tree, from which the Silmarils got part of their
light. [2] The
Silmarils are also used as emblems in the devices of Feanor,
Earendil,
and Beren.
THE TWELVE HOUSES OF GONDOLIN
Turgon's followers had, already in his old realm of Nevrast, developed
heraldic customs that seem to have been unique in Middle-
The detailed description of the heraldry comes from a source which is usually considered rather unreliable [10]; but the design of one of the devices has been confirmed by a much more trustworthy text [11], and apart from slight discrepancies I see no reason to believe that the other devices aren't accurately described as well. The coats of arms below are all reconstructed from the descriptions, and should of course not be considered authorial in any way.
The House of
the King. Turgon and his house had the emblems of "the moon and the sun
and the scarlet heart" and their signifying colours were white, gold, and red,
each doubtless connected with one of the emblems. I have here grouped the three
symbols into one device, although it is possible the house actually had three
different devices. The heart represented the heart of Fingolfin, Turgon's
father, who was buried north of the city. I have assumed that the sun is
connected with the sun in the device of Finwe's
house (Turgon being Finwe's grandson), and therefore given it the same number of
rays.
The House of
the White Wing. The stoutest of the King's men wore swans' or gulls'
wings on their helmets, and the device of their shields was a swan's wing on
blue. Of this kind was the shield and helm that Tuor found in Nevrast,
destinying him to ultimately join and lead the house. [11]
The House of the
Mole. Maeglin, who led the House of the Mole, was a masterful miner,
and apparently associated himself with a mole. But the shields of the house were
sable and unblazoned, just like Morgoth's
shield. In the end, it was Maeglin who betrayed Gondolin to Morgoth.
The House of
the Swallow. This house consisted of formidable archers, dressed in
white, dark blue, purple and black. Their leader was called Duilin and their
shields were charged with an arrowhead. The Swallow might be reminiscent of an
arrow, flying speedily through the air and always finding its mark.
The House of
the Heavenly Arch. The members of Egalmoth's house were all very
wealthy and enjoyed jewels and gold. On their helmets was set a large opal, and
their shields were sky-
The House of
the Golden Flower. Glorfindel led this house, whose device was charged
with a rayed sun. The background colour I have chosen because of the house's
name, and the description of Glorfindel's clothing as reminding of "a field in
spring".
The House of the
Harp. The members of this house wore tassels of silver and gold, and on
their shields were set a silver harp on a sable background. The leader of the
house, Salgant, fawned on Maeglin, and his on device only the harp was golden.
It is notable that the device shares the black of the House of the
Mole, perhaps by direct influence of Maeglin on Salgant.
The House of
the Hammer of Wrath. A group of smiths and craftsmen, this courageous
and strong house, lead by Rog, fought with maces and had heavy shields. Their
emblem was the stricken anvil, but their shields showed "a hammer that smiteth
sparks about it". No indication is given of the colouring of the device, but a
clue might be that "red gold and black iron was their delight".
The devices of the remaining houses aren't described. What we know is this:
When the Edain entered Beleriand, they seem to have adopted the rules (and
perhaps the very concept) of heraldry almost immediately. A forerunner of this
was doubtless Beor,
whose close friendship with Finrod
gave him the oldest of the known Human devices. The first of these tended to use
more warm and earth-
Beor. Beor's device was probably the first to be created for a Man
according to the Elvish
rules of heraldry, and in many ways it is the most elf-
Hador. The reason for the design of Hador's device is not
clear. Hador was a great friend of Fingolfin, and one might perhaps discern the
"fiery" colours of Finwe
and his heirs in this device. The symmetry is vertical, even in the "spearhead"
designs, the one at the bottom being more pointed than the one at the top. [2]
Beren. In the centre of Beren Erchamion's device is the
Silmaril that Beren and Lúthien took from Morgoth. Above it the Thangorodrim
looms, the three peaks of Angband, where the Silmarils were. Below the Silmaril
is a red hand, seemingly stretched out to grab the stone. It may also symbolize
the hand that Beren lost to Carcharoth. The meaning of the star at the top is
unclear, unless it is a foreboding of the star of Earendil as the fate of the
Silmaril. The device shows the vertical symmetry common for Men, broken only by
the naturally assymetric hand. [2]
Earendil. The focus in Earendil's device lies in the
Silmaril of Earendil depicted in the centre, radiating six light beams towards
the edges. In the dark corners the moon in its phases is shown. The presence of
the moon might reflect Earendil's destiny to become a star, but it is also the
only thing that prevents this device from being entirely symmetrical. This
perhaps distinguishes him as being Half-
The House of
Haleth. The device of the Haladin shows a tree of an unspecified order,
a pair of white flowers, and a number of orange dots that might be stylized nuts
or leafs. The tree seems to be entwined with a trailer. The Haladin in general
were fond of solitude and forests, which might be indicated in this device. It
is notable that the device breaks the Elvish
rules of heraldry, using a lozenge for an impersonal device. [2]
THE THIRD AGE: ARNOR AND GONDOR
In the Third Age, when the civilization of the Dúnedain had advanced in technology as well as in level of sophistication, their heraldry had diverged from the Eldarin customs, maturing into a more stylized and elegant tradition. They often applied a single (usually white/silver) charge to a coloured background, approaching the heraldic customs of the middle ages. This tendency was perhaps inspired by the heraldry of the Twelve Houses of Gondolin, from which two of the ancestors of the Dúnedain had come. No samples of any of these devices have survived in their proper form, but there exist vivid oral descriptions, and many pictorial clues regarding their design. These clues are accounted for below.
The emblem of
Elendil and his heirs was seven five-
To this device the Kings of the line of Elendil added the Silver
Crown, which was the chief mark of royalty. When the northern line of the heirs
of Isildur ended, the stars were in Arnor replaced by a single five-
Elendil himself is reported to have used his name, written
in tengwar without vowel marks, as "a badge and a device upon his seals." This
badge was found on his tomb on Amon Anwar.
The
Stewards of Gondor never took any heraldic device of their own,
and their banners were white with no charge. The Seal of the
Stewards, used by Cirion to summon the Éothéod, reportedly showed the
letters "R · ND · R" for arandur ("steward"),
surmounted by three stars. [7]
The
city of Dol Amroth had the emblems of a white ship and a
swan. These were sometimes combined in a device showing a white swanship on blue
water [8]. A
swanship is depicted by Professor Tolkien on his painting of Taniquetil,
reproduced in Pictures By J.R.R. Tolkien, No 31. Dol Amroth was used as
a port by the Elves of Lórien sailing west in their swanships during the Second
and Third Age.
Rohan and The House of Eorl had a white
horse on a green field as its emblem [9]. The
reason for this is obvious. Most of the land of Rohan was covered by green
plains, and the horses were the greatest assets of the Rohirrim. The horse
depicted is likely one of the Mearas, the white horses of the Kings
of Rohan. The Rohirrim weren't Edain, nor did they belong to either of the
Realms in Exile, but by the end of the Third Age they occupied an area that had
earlier belonged to Gondor [7], and
the dealings between the two peoples were extensive.
Both Gandalf and Saruman, the two most important Wizards in the westlands, used cirth (runes) as seals.
Gandalf used both a G-
It was the
tengwa that the Hobbit-children identified when Gandalf arrived in Hobbiton, but
both in Bree and on Weathertop he only used the certh. [12]
Saruman's soldiers had helmets decorated with an
S-
Their black
shields also portrayed a small white hand in the middle. The white hand of
Saruman appears in other places as well. The hand that is drawn here is based on
a proposed dustjacket design for The Two Towers by Professor Tolkien.
[13]
We know virtually nothing about Hobbit customs regarding emblems. We do know
that they used logotypes, however: when Merry and Pippin investigated the wreck
of Isengard, they found two barrels of pipeweed. Both were marked with "the
Hornblower brandmarks" -- but we are not told what they looked like [14].
A common denominator of the heraldry for the two Dark Lords and their
followers is the preference of black.
Our knowledge of
Dwarvish heraldic or emblematic customs is extremely limited. What we know of it
comes from one sole example: the carvings on the Doors of Durin, the west gate
of Moria. On the gate was seen, among other things, the emblems of Durin the
Deathless. They consisted of a hammer and an anvil, surmounted by a crown which
was surrounded by seven stars. The stars represented the constellation of the
Valacirca, or the Plough, which Durin saw above his head when he looked into the
Kheled-
THE HOBBITS
MORGOTH AND HIS LEGACY
When
Morgoth slew Fingolfin, his shield was "sable unblazoned" and
his armour was black. The lack of any charge is not only fitting for the
personification of the Darkness, but also hints at Morgoth's nihilistic
disposition. [15]
Sauron's device echoes Morgoth's sable background. The Red
Eye was the common symbol for Sauron in the Third Age, even when talking about
him as a person [13, 16]. It
symbolizes his watching from the Dark Tower all over Middle-
When Sauron overran Minas Ithil, the city aquired a new emblem. The
emblem of Minas Morgul showed a moon "disfigured by a ghastly
face of death" [16].
The exact arrangement of the skull and the moon is of course difficult to tell.
The moon was probably a remnant from before the takeover by Sauron: Minas Ithil
means "Tower of the Moon".
The
Mordor Special Mission Flying Corps Emblem is described out of
context, but (being preserved) the complex design of this emblem makes it unique
in all the known Arda. It apparently was a badge that applied to Sauron's
air-
In the Battle
of the Pelennor Fields one of the chieftains of the Haradrim
under Saurons command had a "black serpent upon scarlet" on his standards. It
seems that that very battle was also the end of this device, because the
chieftain and his followers fell victims for the wrath of the Rohirrim, "and the
black serpent foundered." [17]References
Modified
15/12 2000