Default Postures
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From the Glossary of Terms:[edit | edit source]
Conventional S.C.A. Default Postures - http://heraldry.sca.org/coagloss.html In general, the end of a charge that is to chief when the charge is palewise will be to dexter when the same charge is placed fesswise (as if rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise). A sword fesswise//, for example, has its point to dexter, and an //arrow fesswise// has its feathers to dexter. The most common exception is the //(quill) pen: when palewise, it has its nib to base, but when it is fesswise, the nib is to dexter.
| Charge__ | __Default Posture |
| Abacus | Fesswise |
| Acorn | Palewise, stem to chief |
| Angel | Affronty |
| Anvil | Single-horned, horn to dexter |
| Arrow | Palewise, point to base; when fesswise, point to sinister |
| Arrowhead | Point to base |
| Attire, Stag's | Fesswise, stump to dexter |
| Axe | Palewise, head to chief |
| Badger | Statant |
| Barnacles | Palewise, hinge to chief |
| Barrel | Fesswise |
| Bat | See Reremouse |
| Bee | Tergiant |
| Bellows | Palewise, spout to base |
| Birds | Generally close; see specific birds as well |
| Bone | Palewise |
| Book, open | Palewise |
| Book, closed | Fesswise |
| Bow | Palewise, string to sinister (when fesswise, string is to base) |
| Broach, Embroiderer's | Palewise, forked end to chief |
| Broadarrow | Palewise, point to base |
| Brush (artist's) | Palewise, tuft to chief |
| Calipers | Points to base |
| Candle | Palewise |
| Catapult | "Rest" position, with the arm neither cocked and ready, nor at full release |
| Chair | Affronty |
| Cockatrice | Statant, wings addorsed |
| Comet | Palewise, head to chief |
| Cornucopia | palewise with the opening to chief per Jan 2015 LoAR (see also Horn of Plenty) |
| Crampon | Palewise |
| Crane | In its vigilance (close, standing on one foot, holding a stone in the other) |
| Crossbow | Palewise, bow to chief, cocked |
| Cup | Palewise, mouth to chief |
| Daffodil | No default; must be specified |
| Demi-beast | Erect |
| Dice | In trian aspect, showing three of the sides with one square face forward |
| Dolphin | Naiant |
| Dragon | Segreant |
| Drop Spindle | Palewise whorl to base |
| Drum | Palewise, head to chief |
| Eagle | Displayed |
| Eel | Fesswise wavy |
| Escallop | Hinge to chief |
| Falcon | Close (often, but not always, belled and jessed) |
| Fan | Open or spread |
| Fasces | Palewise |
| Feather | Palewise, quill point to base (when fesswise, quill point is to dexter) |
| Fer-a-loup | Convex cutting edge to base |
| Fetterlock | Bolt to base |
| Fish | Naiant |
| Fork | Palewise, tines to chief |
| Fruit | Generally, those that hang from a stem (e.g., apples) have the stem to chief; those that grow from the ground (e.g., artichokes) have the stem to base |
| Frog | Tergiant |
| Furison | Fesswise, flat edge to base |
| Goad | Palewise, point to chief |
| Goose | Close |
| Gorgon's Head | Cabossed (per 8/2020 LoAR) |
| Griffin | Segreant |
| Gyronny of six | Per fess, with the upper and lower halves divided into thirds |
| Hammer | Palewise, head to chief, striking surface to dexter |
| Harp | Forepillar to dexter (i.e., soundbox to sinister) |
| Harpy | Close |
| Head, Beast | Facing dexter |
| Head, Bird | Facing dexter (except Owl's head) |
| Head, Human and Humanoid | Generally: If feminine or child, affronty (guardant); |
| if masculine, facing dexter | |
| Head, Owl | Guardant |
| Hedgehog (or Urchin) | Statant |
| Heron | Close |
| Hoe | Palewise, blade to base |
| Horn (animal or monster) | Palewise, point to chief or point to dexter |
| Horn (drinking) | Palewise, bell to chief |
| Horn (hunting) | Bell to dexter |
| Horn (straight trumpet) | Palewise, bell to chief |
| Horn of plenty | Effluent to dexter |
| Horseshoe | Opening to base |
| Hourglass | Palewise |
| Humans | Statant affronty |
| Humanoid monsters | Statant affronty |
| Hunting horn | See Horn (hunting) |
| Insect | Tergiant |
| Jambe | See Leg, Beast |
| Key | Fesswise, wards to dexter and facing downwards; when palewise, must be specified (wards to chief or wards to base) |
| Knife | See Sword |
| Kraken | Tentacles to chief |
| Ladder | Palewise |
| Ladle | Palewise, bowl to base and facing dexter |
| Leaf | Palewise, stem to base |
| Leg, Beast | Palewise, claws to chief |
| Leg, Bird | Palewise, claws to base |
| Leg, Dragon | Palewise, claws to chief |
| Leg, Human | Palewise, foot to base |
| Lion | Rampant |
| Lotus | No default; must be specified |
| Lure | Cord to chief |
| Lute | Palewise affronty (strings facing viewer), but with the pegbox visible |
| Lightning Bolt | No default; must be specified |
| Mace | Palewise, head to chief |
| Mandrake | Affronty |
| Martlet | Close |
| Mask | Affronty |
| Mermaid/Merman | Erect affronty |
| Mount | Issuant from base |
| Mountain | Issuant from base |
| Mushroom | Couped |
| Musical Instruments | Generally, palewise affronty (finger holes or strings facing viewer) |
| Nail | Palewise, point to base |
| Needle | Palewise, point to base |
| Oar | Palewise, blade to chief |
| Ostrich | Close, holding a horseshoe in its mouth |
| Owl | Close guardant |
| Panther | Guardant; body posture must be specified |
| Peacock | Close, tail pavonated to base (NOT "in its pride") |
| Pegasus | No default; must be specified |
| Pen, quill | Palewise, nib to base (when fesswise, nib to dexter) |
| Pheon | Palewise, point to base |
| Phoenix | Rising from flames, wings displayed |
| Pine Cone | Palewise, but must be specified whether stem to chief or to base |
| Pitcher | Palewise, spout to dexter |
| Polearm | Palewise, blade to chief |
| Pole-Cannon | Palewise, mouth to chief |
| Printer's Ball | Handle to chief |
| Psaltery | Strings affronty |
| Ram, Battering | Fesswise, head to dexter |
| Raven | Close |
| Recorder | Palewise, bell to base, finger holes facing viewer |
| Reremouse | Displayed guardant |
| Sackbut | Palewise, bell to base; when fesswise, bell to dexter |
| Scorpion | Tergiant |
| Scourge | Handle to base |
| Scroll, Closed | No default; must be specified |
| Scroll, Open | Palewise |
| Scythe | Palewise, blade to chief |
| Sea-Horse | Erect |
| Sea-Lion | Erect |
| Sea-Monster | Erect |
| Seeblatt | Point to base |
| Shave, Currier's | Fesswise, edge to base |
| Sheaf | A sheaf consists of two objects in saltire surmounted by a third palewise |
| Shears | points downward per the 8/1994 LoAR http://heraldry.sca.org/loar/1994/08/err.html |
| Shell, Snail | Opening to dexter |
| Shell, Whelk | Palewise, opening to chief |
| Ship | Fesswise, bow to dexter |
| Shoe | Fesswise, toe to dexter |
| Shuttle, Weaver's | Fesswise |
| Silkie | Erect guardant |
| Simurgh | No default; must be specified |
| Sitar | Palewise, neck to chief |
| Slea, Weaver's | Fesswise |
| Sling | Cup to base, thongs to chief |
| Spade/Shovel | Palewise, blade to base |
| Spear | Palewise, point to chief |
| Spider | Tergiant |
| Spur | Palewise, rowel to chief |
| Spoon | Palewise affronty, bowl to chief |
| Squirrel | Sejant erect |
| Swan | Rousant (rising) |
| Sword | Palewise, point to chief |
| Tankard | Palewise, mouth to chief and handle to sinister |
| Thistle | Palewise, slipped and leaved |
| Tree | Palewise, leaves to chief, with just a little of the root structure visible |
| Trillium | Affronty, petals in pall |
| Trimount | Issuant from base |
| Trumpet | Palewise, bell to chief |
| Turtle | Tergiant palewise |
| Unicorn | Rampant |
| Urchin | Statant |
| Viol | Palewise, neck to chief |
| Wake knot | Fesswise |
| Weapons | Generally, palewise, "business end" to chief |
| Winged object | Wings displayed |
| Winged quadrupedal monsters | Wings addorsed |
| Wreath | Circular, with the tips of the two branches nearly touching to chief |
| Wyvern | Statant |
From the Administrative Handbook:[edit | edit source]
[Illustration from PicDic]
From the Rules for Submission:[edit | edit source]
[Illustration from Pensic Art Project]