Heraldry Dictionary Section V

V. This letter is used to express vert.

Vair. One of the furs being party coloured ar. and az., and always so understood, if not named to the contrary.

Vair Ancient. Represented by lines nebulée, separated by straight lines in fesse.

Vair Counter, or Counter-Vair or Vairy. Resembles Vair, but the escutcheons are of like tincture immediately under each other.

Vair Cuppa or Vair Tassy. Is the same as Potent Counter Potent.

Vair in Point. Formed like vair, but with the bottom points of the shield, falling on the centre of the flat tops of those beneath.

Vair Taffe. Same as Cuppa.

Vair en Pal. The same as Vair.

Vairee. The same as Vair, with this difference that it may consist of any number of colours, which must be expressed in the blazon as Vaire erm., gu. and az. the Arms of Broase.

Vairy or Vaire. Same as Vair.

Vairy-Cupy. Same as Potent Counter Potent.

Vallary Crown or Garland. See Crown Vallary.

Valory Crown. Same as Preceding.

Vambraced, Vambrace, or Avant bras. Vambrace is armour for the arm, entirely covering it, but Avant bras, covering for the fore part only. Vambraced implies that the whole limb is covered with armour.

Vamplate. A gauntlet, or iron glove.

Vamplate, or Vamplet, of a Tilting Spear. The broad piece of steel that is placed at the lower part of tlie staff of the spear for covering the hand.

Vamps or Vampays. An odd kind of short hose, which came down no lower than the ancles.

Vandyked. A term applied to the cuff or collar of a dress when indented.

Vane or Van. A winnowing basket.

Vane. A small flag. See Weather-cock.

Vannet. Escallop, so termed when depicted without ears.

Variegated. Diversified with a variety of colours.

Varriated, Warriated or Variated. It is also termed Champagne, cut in the form of Vair.

Varry Cuppe. See Cuppa.

Varry or Varrey. Same as Vair.

Varrey in Point. The same as per-fesse Urdée in point palewise.

Varvells, Vervels or Wervels. The rings attached to the ends of the jesses of a hawk. See Jesses.

Varvelled or Vervelled. Having rings at the ends of the jesses of a hawk.

Vase. See Chalice.

Veil. A cover.

Velloped. See Jelloped.

Venus. In blazoning by planets, implies vert.

Venus. The astronomical symbol of Venus is borne by Thoyts.

Verblee. A hunting horn, edged round with metal of different tinctures from the other part.

Verdon-Knot. The same as Harrington Knot.

Verdoy. An unnecessary term used to denote a bordure charged with eight flowers, leaves, fruit, or vegetables of any kind.

Vergette or Verget. The same as an Endorse.

Vergette. French term for Paly.

Vermeil. Gules.

Verrey or Verry. The same as Vair.

Versant, Reclivant or Sursuant. Erected, or Elevated.

Verse or Reverse. Reversed.

Vert. Green; expressed in engraving by diagonal lines, drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base. See Emerald, Sinople, and Venus.

Vertant and Revertant, or Verted and Reverted. The same as Flexed and Reflexed; i.e. formed like the letter S.

Verules, Vires, Ferruls or Ferrils. Rings of metal.

Veruled or Ferruled. Terms used to express the ornamental rings round hunting horns, etc.

Vervelled. Hawks when the leather thongs which tie on the bells to their legs are borne flotant, with rings at the ends, are said to be jessed, belled, and vervelled.

Vervels or Wervels. Small rings used by Falconers, and to which the jesses of the hawk are fastened.

Vested. Habited, or clothed.

Vestu. When an ordinary has some division on it only by lines, and signifies clothed, as if some garment were laid upon it.

Vexillum. See Banderole.

Victoria and Albert, The Royal Order of. This Order was Instituted 10th February, 1803. Enlarged 10th October, 1864; 15th November, 1865 ; and 15th March, 1880.

The Imperial Order of the Crown of India. Instituted 1st January, 1878, to commemorate the assumption of Her Majesty's Imperial title of Empress of India. These two Orders are confined to Ladies, the Members are entitled to no special precedence.

Victoria Cross. V.C. A Military and Naval Badge is a bronze cross, with the Royal Crest in the centre, and underneath which an escroll with the motto "For Valour," Instituted by Queen Victoria, 8th Feb., 1856. It is the decoration of Eminent personal valour, in actual conflict with the enemy. The Cross is suspended by a Blue ribbon, if worn by a Sailor and a Red ribbon if by a Soldier. The date of the act of bravery is inscribed on the centra of the reverse with the name and date of the Action or Campaign in which the honour was won. On the reverse side of the Bar to which the ribbon is attached the Rank and Name of the Recipient is engraved. For every fresh act of bravery equal to the first, an additional Bar is granted. A Pension of £10 per annum is bestowed upon non-commissioned officers, and men who recieve the Cross; and a further pension of £5 a year is given with each Bar. By Warrant, bearing date Dec. 13th , 1858 it was declared that Non-Military persons, who, as Volunteers, had borne arms against the Mutineers in India should be considered eligible to receive the decoration of the Victoria Cross.

Vigilant. Applicable to the cat when borne in a position as if upon the watch for prey.

Vilainie. A lion sans vilainie is the upper half of a lion rampant, by which the hinder part is to be understood by the word vilainie, as being in the base point.

Viola. The tenor violin and violoncello.

Violin. As borne in the Arms of Sweeting.

Viper or Vipera. See Snake.

Vires. See Verules.

Virole. The ring or mouth-piece of the bugle-horn.

Virolled. See Veruled.

Virols. The rings which commonly encircle bugle-horns.

Visard or Vizard. A mask, borne by the name of Vizard.

Viscount. Hereditary title next to an Earl. A Viscount is Right Honourable, and is styled "My Lord." His sons and daughters are "Honourable."

Visitations. The Clarenceux and Norroy Kings of Arms were empowered by their commission to hold Visitations in their respective provinces, either personally or by deputy. Accordingly they were accustomed to issue notices to the bailiffs of the different hundreds in each county, warning them to summon the Knights, Esquires, and Gentlemen resident therein to appear before the King of Arms or his Deputy at the time and place by him appointed. They were to bring with them such Arms and Crests as they used and wore, with their descents, pedigrees, and patent of Arms, and the necessary evidence to justify them; in order that the King of Arms might duly record them if found correct; or on the other hand, to reject, and degrade all such persons as falsely, and without good reason had taken the title of Esquire and Gentleman upon them, and cause their names to be proclaimed as infamous at the Assize of Arms, or General Session, held by him at some central place in his province. Those who failed to answer to this summons were warned to appear personally, on a day specified, before the Earl Marshal, under a penalty of ten pounds. In case of a petition to the Earl Marshal for a grant of Arms, an order was directed by him to the King of Arms of the province in which the petitioner resided, who accordingly formed a fitting coat, which, with the sanction of the Earl Marshal, was duly blazoned and registered at the Visitation. The King of Arms also, during his progress, might visit all Churches, Castles and Houses in his province, and there pull down or deface any bearings contrary to the laws of Arms which he might find. The records of these Visitations are perhaps the most comprehensive of all our repositories of genealogical information; inasmuch as they contain an authoritative list of pedigrees, and the exact blazon of each coat as it was issued or confirmed by the Heralds. The original of these records are for the most part in the College of Arms; but some few of the originals, and copies of most of the others, are to be found in the Library of the British Museum, which is very rich in Heraldic M.S.S. The first Visitation on record took place A.D. 1528, in Staffordshire, but in the majority of the other counties they are not mentioned till 1530. The last Visitation was held in Middlesex, 1687.

Visor. See Vizor.

Viude. Voided.

Viure, Wiure or Wyer. See Wiure.

Vivre. A narrow fillet dancette, and may be placed in fesse or otherwise.

Vizard. See Visard.

Vizor, Garde-Visure, Beaver or Beauvoir. That part of the helmet which defends the face, and which can be lifted up or put down at pleasure.

Voided. A term applicable to any ordinary when the middle is removed so that the field is seen through it.

Voider or Voyder. An ordinary resembling a flanch, but is not so circular.

Vol. In blazon, implies two wings conjoined. Demi Vol is a single wing.

Volant or Volans. Flying.

Volant Diversely. Flying about indiscriminately.

Volant en arriere and Volant Tergiant, when flying, showing the back.

Volentes Volare or Assorant. Is said of buzzards, or such like birds, with long legs, that are depicted as if rising.

Voluted. Spirally curled.

Vomiting. Sending forth.

Vorant, Swallowing, Devouring, or Gorging. Terms applied to animals, fish, etc., in the act of swallowing anything.

Voyded. See Voided.

Voydes du Champs. Mascles.

Vulnerating. The same as Vulning.

Vulned. Wounded, and bleeding. When an animal is wounded with an arrow, the arrow should not pierce through the animal; the proper term in that case is transfixed.

Vulning. A term applied to the pelican, which is always depicted wounding her breast.

Vulture. A rapacious bird.