charge
Let an agent handle heraldic charges by type, blazon, depiction, examples and the rules of heraldic authorities.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Identify Which charge.
Figure
What it depicts.
Figure
Figure.
- What does this charge depict, and in what attitude? definition
- What tincture is it? definition
Blazon
Description.
Blazon
Blazon.
- How is the charge blazoned in the official grant? provenance
- How is its position described? definition
Meaning Symbolism.
Attested
Documented meanings.
Attested
Attested meanings.
- Does the grant or armiger state a meaning for the charge? provenance
- Is a popular symbolic meaning unsupported? boundary
Canting
Puns on names.
Canting
Canting arms.
- Is this a canting charge that puns on the bearer name? provenance
- Which sources say so? provenance
Rules Heraldic conventions.
Tincture
Rule of tincture.
Tincture
Rule of tincture.
- Does the design follow the rule of tincture? boundary
- Which exceptions apply? provenance
Authority
Registration.
Authority
Heraldic authority.
- Which heraldic authority governs arms here? provenance
- How are new arms registered? action
Research Finding arms.
Find
Arms with a charge.
Find
Finding arms.
- Which arms include this charge, according to armorials? provenance
- Which databases list them? provenance
Ordinaries
Terminology.
Ordinaries
Ordinaries.
- Does this tradition count ordinaries as charges? provenance
- How do references differ? boundary
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Information and virtual systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- INF
- Domain
- INF.MED
- Other names and narrower kinds
- cántaro, bundle of straw, clay pot, diversion dam, flaming heart, wheat garb, clog, Cotton in heraldry, arrow, chestnut branch, annulet, snowflake
What it is Filled
Any figure or emblem placed on a heraldic shield or field, such as animals, plants, objects and geometric figures, described in the blazon by tincture, posture and position; some authorities count the ordinaries as charges while others treat them separately.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent handle heraldic charges by type, blazon, depiction, examples and the rules of heraldic authorities.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Placed on the field
- Described by tincture and attitude
- Huge variety
- Meaning often unattested
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Attribute a coat of arms to a person or family who has no right to it.
- Design arms for someone that copy registered arms or charges reserved by law.
- Use state or official charges in a way that suggests official authority.
Only with a human decision
- Registering or granting new arms.
May
- Describe and identify heraldic charges using the blazon of a recorded coat of arms.
- Explain the meaning and history of a charge, citing heraldic sources.
Moral aspects Filled
- Arms are tied to identity, lineage and sometimes legal right, so misattribution misleads.
- Some charges carry religious, national or colonial meanings that communities feel strongly about.
Who is affected
- Armigers and their families
- Communities whose symbols appear
- Heraldic authorities
Owners Filled
Steward
The armiger who holds the arms; heraldic authorities where they exist record grants.
Master systems
- Heraldic authority registers of arms
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q1229071 - registry parent class
- Q56324329 - registry parent class
related
- heraldic symbol - category
- coat of arms - context
- blazon - language
- water (heraldry) - example
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.charge-q1424805
- Wikidata: Q1424805 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1424805)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane INF: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Figures placed on the field of a shield
- Described in blazon terms
- Supporters and crests sit outside the shield
- Figures such as lions, eagles, crosses, stars, pots, sheaves and hearts painted on shields.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- identify charges in a coat of arms
- read and write blazons
- find arms using a given charge
- understand heraldic rules for new arms
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Unsourced symbolic meanings
- Misreading blazon terms
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Rules of heraldic authorities where they exist
Context of use required Filled
- Heraldic design, interpretation and research.
- animate charges such as beasts and birds
- inanimate charges such as tools and pots
- plant charges such as garbs of wheat
- ordinaries and sub-ordinaries (in some systems)
- canting charges that pun on names
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q1424805: charge - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Charge (heraldry) - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should each charge be a separate entry?
- How should blazon vocabularies be linked?
- How should national traditions be recorded?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1424805/spec.json