Triangular Field Divisions & Charges

Text by Arval Benicoeur with graphics, additional text, and twitches by Rafaella d'Allemtejo.

For a time I was the submissions herald of the Kingdom of An Tir (Lions Blood Herald). During this time I saw that there is much confusion regarding the various triangular shaped divisions and charges in Society armory. With permission from Arval Benicoeur, I have added graphics and some additional items to his article "Triangular Field Divisions" [see reference and link below].

I have also included (what I hope are) the most recent and relevant Laurel Precedents regarding these charges. The URL for the main Laurel Precedent page is given below.

All typos, changes, errors, etc. are my fault, please contact me at the information at the bottom of the page with any queries. --RdA

A pile is a wedge-shaped charge issuing from the top edge of the field and ending just above the base point. For medieval heraldic art, the pile should be about 1/2 the width of the field. Modern heraldry often uses a wider pile--about 3/4 the width of the field--and that version is occasionally found in late-period English arms. Similar wedges in various orientations (inverted, bendwise, fesswise) can be found in period armory, notably in Germany. They are grossly overused in Society armory. Piles are generally not charged in period armory. This is a common mistake in Society armory. If they are charged, they should be charged with simple, common charges that can be drawn fairly small. One should never place a charge below a pile (i.e. between the point and the base of the field) or, as is more commonly done in the Society, above a pile inverted. Placing a charge in this position forces the pile to be drawn too short.[AB]
From the Precedents of Jaella of Armida: "Ordinary"
[returning three piles inverted conjoined in point, in chief a {charge}]This is being returned for non-period style. To quote from Baldwin of Erebor as Laurel: "A medieval pile is approximately one-third the width of the chief, and is always throughout -- it resembles a tapered pale more than anything else. ... A pile inverted does the same thing from the bottom up." [Baldwin of Erebor, Cover Letter, 10 October 1984, p. 2] "A pile should extend most if not all the way to the base; properly drawn, there would not be enough room for a charge ... to fit between the pile and the base." [Baldwin of Erebor, LoAR 16 December 1984, p. 18] The piles here fall afoul of this long-standing precedent. (William the Bashful, 7/97 p. 18)

Sometimes a pile is drawn so that it reaches all the way to the opposite edge of the field. This is blazoned a pile throughout. It is occasionally found in period armory, and is an artistic variation.[AB]

A pile inverted should not be drawn so a charge can be placed between the pile and the edge of the shield. Placing a charge in this position forces the pile to be drawn too short.[AB]

The division per chevron begins at the flanks, one third to one quarter of the way up from the base. The point should be acute (less than 90 degrees) and should reach nearly to the top edge of the field. If the field is charged, charges are best placed in dexter chief, sinister chief, and/or base. Charges should not be placed above the point of the division. When blazoning the division, the upper tincture is named first.[AB]

The division chapé (caped) is similar to per chevron, except that the point of the division touches the top edge of the field. If the field were a rectangle, then the division chapé should be drawn by connecting the lower two corners to the middle of the top edge. This is a fairly rare division in period, found mostly in France, and some heraldic writers treat it as a member of a distinct class of field treatments called encroachments. The upper parts of the field are rarely (if ever) charged. When blazoning, the lower tincture is named first: "Gules chapé argent" means that the lower (larger) piece of the field is red and the upper two triangles are white. [AB]

"Chapé" and "per chevron throughout" have the same line of division, the difference is in the blazoning and tincture position.[RdA]
From the Precedents of Da'ud ibn Auda, 2nd tenure, year 1: "Pile"
[Returning Azure, a pile inverted ployé argent ermined azure between two cups Or.] Conflict with ... Per chevron sable and ermine, in chief two cups covered Or. There is only one CD for the changes to the field, as we have traditionally not granted difference between per chevron, chapé and a pile inverted. [5/94, p.19]

The division chaussé (shod) is the inverse of chapé: It is formed by connecting the upper two corners to the base point. The two flanks created by these lines are the chaussé. They are rarely charged.[AB]

In blazoning, the central part of the field is named first: "Gules, chaussé argent" means that the middle (upper and larger) piece of the field is red and the two lower flanks are white.[AB]

A chief triangular is formed by straight lines from the upper corners of the shield to the bottom middle point of a chief.[RdA]

Per chevron inverted starts from the sides of the shield (near the where a chief line would be) and ends near the bottom of the shield. There should not be room for a charge below the point of the line of division.[RdA]

Don't do this at home (or to your armory):

This wedge goes from the upper corners to the middle of the shield. This is not a chief triangular, it is too short to be a pile, and the College of Arms does not allow the top part of a "per pall" division. This would be returned to the submitter for a redraw.[RdA]

From the Precedents of Da'ud ibn Auda, 2nd tenure, year 1: "Style: Miscellaneous"
The charge in chief is drawn too deeply into the field to be a chief triangular, not deeply enough to be a pile (which would not issue from the corners of the chief), and cannot be a per chevron inverted field because it does not issue from the sides of the shield. It needs to be drawn as clearly one or another of these instead of, as here, somewhere in between. (Aethelred of Ambrevale, 9/94 p. 21)

References:

A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry as used in the Society for Creative Anachronism, 2nd ed. by Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme and Akagawa Yoshio.

Precedents of the SCA College of Arms
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/precedents.html

Triangular Field Divisions by Arval Benicoeur [Josh Mittleman]
http://www.s-gabriel.org/docs/wedgie.html

	A pile is a wedge-shaped charge issuing from the top edge of the field and ending just above the base point. For medieval heraldic art, the pile should be about 1/2 the width of the field. Modern heraldry often uses a wider pile--about 3/4 the width of the field--and that version is occasionally found in late-period English arms. Similar wedges in various orientations (inverted, bendwise, fesswise) can be found in period armory, notably in Germany. They are grossly overused in Society armory. Piles are generally not charged in period armory. This is a common mistake in Society armory. If they are charged, they should be charged with simple, common charges that can be drawn fairly small. One should never place a charge below a pile (i.e. between the point and the base of the field) or, as is more commonly done in the Society, above a pile inverted. Placing a charge in this position forces the pile to be drawn too short.[AB] From the Precedents of Jaella of Armida: "Ordinary" [returning three piles inverted conjoined in point, in chief a {charge}]This is being returned for non-period style. To quote from Baldwin of Erebor as Laurel: "A medieval pile is approximately one-third the width of the chief, and is always throughout -- it resembles a tapered pale more than anything else. ... A pile inverted does the same thing from the bottom up." [Baldwin of Erebor, Cover Letter, 10 October 1984, p. 2] "A pile should extend most if not all the way to the base; properly drawn, there would not be enough room for a charge ... to fit between the pile and the base." [Baldwin of Erebor, LoAR 16 December 1984, p. 18] The piles here fall afoul of this long-standing precedent. (William the Bashful, 7/97 p. 18)
	Sometimes a pile is drawn so that it reaches all the way to the opposite edge of the field. This is blazoned a pile throughout. It is occasionally found in period armory, and is an artistic variation.[AB]
	A pile inverted should not be drawn so a charge can be placed between the pile and the edge of the shield. Placing a charge in this position forces the pile to be drawn too short.[AB]
	The division per chevron begins at the flanks, one third to one quarter of the way up from the base. The point should be acute (less than 90 degrees) and should reach nearly to the top edge of the field. If the field is charged, charges are best placed in dexter chief, sinister chief, and/or base. Charges should not be placed above the point of the division. When blazoning the division, the upper tincture is named first.[AB]
	The division chapé (caped) is similar to per chevron, except that the point of the division touches the top edge of the field. If the field were a rectangle, then the division chapé should be drawn by connecting the lower two corners to the middle of the top edge. This is a fairly rare division in period, found mostly in France, and some heraldic writers treat it as a member of a distinct class of field treatments called encroachments. The upper parts of the field are rarely (if ever) charged. When blazoning, the lower tincture is named first: "Gules chapé argent" means that the lower (larger) piece of the field is red and the upper two triangles are white. [AB]
	"Chapé" and "per chevron throughout" have the same line of division, the difference is in the blazoning and tincture position.[RdA] From the Precedents of Da'ud ibn Auda, 2nd tenure, year 1: "Pile" [Returning Azure, a pile inverted ployé argent ermined azure between two cups Or.] Conflict with ... Per chevron sable and ermine, in chief two cups covered Or. There is only one CD for the changes to the field, as we have traditionally not granted difference between per chevron, chapé and a pile inverted. [5/94, p.19]
	The division chaussé (shod) is the inverse of chapé: It is formed by connecting the upper two corners to the base point. The two flanks created by these lines are the chaussé. They are rarely charged.[AB]
	In blazoning, the central part of the field is named first: "Gules, chaussé argent" means that the middle (upper and larger) piece of the field is red and the two lower flanks are white.[AB]
	A chief triangular is formed by straight lines from the upper corners of the shield to the bottom middle point of a chief.[RdA]
	Per chevron inverted starts from the sides of the shield (near the where a chief line would be) and ends near the bottom of the shield. There should not be room for a charge below the point of the line of division.[RdA]

Triangular Field Divisions & Charges

Text by Arval Benicoeur with graphics, additional text, and twitches by Rafaella d'Allemtejo.

Don't do this at home (or to your armory):

References:

Last updated March 18, 2002, by Rafaella d'Allemtejo.