Break (heraldry)
Break , often referred to as burglary , is a heraldic image that can be traced back to the heraldic bar . Other heraldists derive the image from the thread or bar, a narrow bar.
The break has an essential meaning as a symbol in heraldry. The short bar in the shield placed at an angle is used to mark the illegitimate birth (bastard) of the bearer of the coat of arms. The mark lies between the right upper corner and the front lower corner. If the break is in the other direction in the coat of arms, it is interpreted as a secondary line or as a younger line of the family. Both signs are placed on the heart .
Distribution is in French and English heraldry ; in Germany in the Lower Rhine coat of arms.
See also
literature
- Gert Oswald : Lexicon of Heraldry. Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1984, p. 123.