The International Association of Amateur Heralds

These are the arms of Casa de Lazcano:



And these of John of Castile and Castro, natural son of King Peter of Castile:



I have heard the expressions 'royal bend' and 'swallowed bend' and 'engorged bend' used to describe these. But it strikes me that these expressions are a translation of the original Spanish.

Does anyone know how they would be blazoned in English, or is it so specialised that a Spanish translation would do?

perhaps some form of 'jessant' could be applied?

A bend issuant from lions' heads?

The thing is, this bend was originally used by the Spanish Royal Family exclusively. But then we see it being used by John of Castile, who was an illegitimate son and a while later members of the House of Lazcano are using it.

It used to be called the Royal Bend in Spanish, but as our royal family doesn't use it very often it doesn't sound right. The other expressions of swallowed and engorged are both translations. I wondered if there was an blazon term already - along the lines of the Canadian pale or the Spanish Fess.

It can of course, be blazoned, but I was hoping for an already existing term.

The other expressions of swallowed and engorged are both translations. I wondered if there was an blazon term already - along the lines of the Canadian pale or the Spanish Fess.

If it has never been used outside Spain then there may well not be a ready-made heraldic term in English, in which case one is left with translating the spanish term verbatim or inventing something appropriate such as a Spanish bend "real".

Chris Green wrote:

The other expressions of swallowed and engorged are both translations. I wondered if there was an blazon term already - along the lines of the Canadian pale or the Spanish Fess.

If it has never been used outside Spain then there may well not be a ready-made heraldic term in English, in which case one is left with translating the spanish term verbatim or inventing something appropriate such as a Spanish bend "real".

That is rather what I feared, but I must say that I do like the term a Spanish bend "real".

The only thing I was able to find was from a Spanish Heraldry website: http://web.archive.org/web/200902270743 ... ld_en2.htm

2.3.2 A form of the bend found only in the peninsula is the bend swallowed at its extremities by two dragons head (engolada en dragantes); less frequently the dragons’ heads are replaced by lions’ heads, and very rarely by humans’ heads. Related to this treatment are the cases where a charge in bend, rather than a bend itself, is swallowed by dragons’ heads.

It sounds like they're using "swallowed bend" as well.

Along those same lines, I have wondered if the "Canadian pale" is something that is actually recognized outside of Canada. Can someone use it in their blazon and have it recognized around the world or would that only make sense in Canada?

I would certainly think the heralds in Britain are aware of the term Canadian pale, I am not sure they would use it. As for the bend, I have reason to believe it is called a bend engouled. I don't think calling it Royal or Real would be appropriate unless the bearer was Royal or it was granted as a sign of Royal favor.

They are generally known as "banda de Castilla" (i.e. "Castilla bend"), the name of the banner used by Castilla king created around 1332, this one:



This banner was resurrected, with minor alterations, by the Catholic Monarchs, Charles I the Holy Roman Emperor, and the general Francisco Franco.

The term isn't used when blazoned. Usually, the formula used is: [Tincture], a bend [tincture] engouled into dragantes [tincture]. The dragantes can be lions or wolves, but there isn't a distinction on blazon, apparently.

The French term 'engoulee' (with or without the accent) is the term usually used to described a bend being swallowed by the heads of two dragons or lions.

I have no idea how the Spanish describe it.

Regards,

Iain Boyd