Pales
1 One of the nine honourable
ordinaries in the form of a band
placed vertically in the middle of the
shield and occupying one-third of
the
field.
The pale should occupy one-third part of the breadth of the
field,
and divide the
shield
lengthways, from top to bottom. The pale, like most
ordinaries,
is capable of several variations, some of which are illustrated here. Several
more possibilities may be explored by comparing with the bend,
chevron, cross and
fess.
2. Pale
indented having the edge or sides like the teeth of a
saw.
3. Pale engrailed,
having the sides cut out with little semicircular
indents.
4. Pale engrailed or surmounted by a pale gu.
5. Pale invected
or invecked is the reverse of engrailed, all the points turning inwards.
6. Pale angled is when the straight of
the Pale is turned aside in another direction, as rectangled,
acute-angled or bevilled
etc.
7. Pale
bevilled,
that is when the outward line is cut off by another line making an acute, or
sharp cornered angle, inclining to a triangular form.
8. Pale archy,
arched, or bowed takes the
form of an arch.
9. Pale double
arched, sometimes found blazoned
Pale nué or nuage.
10. Pale
fimbriated
is a term describing a charge edged either of a
metal to prevent two
colours coming together, or of a
colour, to prevent the meeting of two
metals. This is made in order to avoid breaking the rule that "no
metal can be placed on
metal , or
colour on
colour." See
Tincture
11. Pale edged
is a term similar to but distinguished from
fimbriated, in the sense that,
where the charge is totally enclosed by
the edging, the term fimbriated
is used, whereas, when the edging is interrupted by the side of the
shield, the term edged is used. This
charge can alternatively be
blazoned a pale
surmounted of another.
12. Pale surmounted of another. This
charge differs from a
pale edged in that the shadowing is shown to
indicate the existence of the second pale.
13.
Pale dancetté, divided into large zigzags.
14. Pale bretessed or in the form
of battlements on either side.
15. Pale fitché in the foot, but the better blazon would be,
a
pale pointed in base. A pale may be cut off and pointed on either or both ends, and
should be particularly expressed.
16. Pale
fracted or
removed.
17.
Pale
fracted and overlaid.
18. Pales couped conjoined
to another, e.g. two pales couped, in base, conjoined by
another. Pales may be couped or cut off at either or both ends,
which should be particularly noticed, and explained in the blazon, and these coupings may be plain,
or after any of the various lines of partition, such as
indented, invected,
etc. The term retracted is sometimes used for
couped.
19. Pale raguly, having diagonal notched
or jagged projections.
20.
Pale rayonné or radiant, having rays
issuing from the edge; sometimes the pale may be of
one tincture and the rays of another, as, for example,
gu a pale or rayonnated arg
21. Pale undy or wavy in the form of a wavy
line.
22. Pale lozengy conjoined.
23.
Pale endorsed or a pale between two endorses.
24.
Pale engrailed between two
pallets. It is worthy of note that when blazoned pale
between two pallets
engrailed, all three
must then be engrailed.
25.
Pale and chief conjoined are the two
ordinaries joined together without showing any line of partition where they unite.
26. Pale paté couped, that is, cut off at each end where it widens like the
extremities of the cross paté.
27. In pale signifies any charge borne upright in the centre of
the
field,
e.g. a battle-axe in pale. Two
or more charges, when placed one above
another, in a direct upright line, are then said to be in pale.
28. Per pale describes the
field or
charge divided by a centre line drawn
perpendicularly from top to bottom. It is often termed
party per pale, but the first word in this, and other similar cases, is
superfluous.
29. Pale
embattled counter-embattled
30. Pale
chequy
