bow and arrow

Arrows in the Strzelno coat of arms

Bows and arrows are common figures in heraldry .

The weapon bow and arrow are stylized based on real objects. The weapon is always cocked and shown with an arrow inserted. The bow without an arrow is rarely shown, but the arrow without a bow is more common.

It can also be displayed as a lightning bolt .

In the coat of arms arrows and / or bows mean:

alertness
Readiness to fight
Defensibility (bundle of arrows)
Determination
One or more events in the history of the bearer / donor of the coat of arms

In the color anything is possible, but the metals, red and black dominate the sheets before and steel color on arrow. The arrow is chosen individually and also in larger numbers. A bundle of arrows is in a quiver or is shown in a fan shape in the coat of arms . The arrow can also be winged. Here the arrow lies between two eagle wings. If feathers are attached to the end of the arrow, it is fletched , if it has feathers in a different color it is feathered .

In the coat of arms of the Netherlands the lion holds a bundle with seven arrows in his paw. But other heraldic figures can also be found holding an arrow. The direction of the arrowhead is important and is mentioned in the description of the coat of arms . Heraldic animals can be shown pierced with an arrow.

Various heraldic images are associated with the term arrow , such as the arrow cross and the arrow iron. The latter has a barb on the tip. If a cross is formed only from the arrows, the heraldist speaks of an arrow-bow cross .