Charges: Beasts

Among the most prevalent charges to be found are beasts. It is important to remember that the heraldic depiction of an animal does not always match the natural appearance of the beast. A good example of this is the tiger: in ancient armorial examples one will find only the heraldic tyger, a stylized creature which bears little resemblance to a tiger's natural appearance. In more recent coats-of-arms, however, one finds the Bengal tiger, a much more naturalistic presentation of the animal.

When describing an animal it is necessary to blazon not only the creature's type but also the position in which it is presented. These positions are illustrated by the lion and by the stag, for which the various positions are differently named.

Other animals which are occasionally encountered in heraldry but for which we have no illustration currently include:

(Note: If a dog is shown chasing another animal it is said to be "in full chase" or "in full course." A dog with it's nose to the ground is described as "on scent.")

• 
  heraldic antelope statant

• 
  ape collared & chained

• 
  bat

• 
  bear passant

• 
  bear's head erased & muzzled

• 
  boar passant

• 
  brock or badger

• 
  bull passant

• 
  cat-a-mountain passant guardant

• 
  greyhound passant

• 
  talbot passant

• 
  sea-dog

• 
  elephant and castle

• 
  fox passant

• 
  fox's mask

• 
  goat passant

• 
  horse passant

• 
  chevalier on horseback

• 
  sea-horse

• 
  Pegasus passant

• 
  leopard statant

• 
  lion passant

• 
  lynx coward

• 
  otter

• 
  coney

• 
  hare salient

• 
  stag trippant

• 
  hind statant

• 
  reindeer statant

• 
  sheep passant

• 
  Pascal lamb

• 
  ram statant

• 
  ram's head caboshed

• 
  fleece

• 
  squirrel

• 
  heraldic tyger passant

• 
  Bengal tiger passant

• 
  urcheon

• 
  wolf passant

• 
  wolf courant

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Positions of Beasts as Exemplified by Lions

Most other animals use the same descriptive terms for their positioning as do lions. The primary exceptions are stags, other members of the deer family, and horses.

• 
  passant

• 
  passant guardant (top); passant reguardant (bottom)

• 
  statant

• 
  statant guardant

• 
  couchant

• 
  rampant

• 
  rampant guardant

• 
  rampant reguardant

• 
  rampant with two heads

• 
  two lions rampant combatant

• 
  rampant queue‑fourché

• 
  rampant double queued

• 
  rampant, tail nowed

• 
  coward

• 
  sea lion

• 
  salient

• 
  sejant

• 
  sejant erect

• 
  dormant

• 
  tricorporate

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Positions of Beasts as Exemplified by Stags

Other animals for which the positioning is described with these terms include other members of the deer family and horses.

• 
  trippant

• 
  springing

• 
  courant

• 
  at gaze

• 
  lodged

• 
  stag's head caboshed

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