Fishes

Introduction

Fish are a seen in heraldry, though not as commonly as animals such as lions. For heraldic purposes dolphins are regarded as fish. If a dolphin is blazoned proper it is green with red fins and tongue – one wonders whether the artists had ever seen a live dolphin!

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Postures and Positions

Fish can be found in different positions on shields. There is a specialised vocabulary to describe these, mostly derived from mediaeval or Norman French.

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© Gill Smith 1997