Rafters (heraldry)

Coat of arms of the County of Ravensberg

Under a rafter (English and French: chevron ) understands the Heraldiker the Herold image in heraldry which two right and left of the imaginary center line Crest sloping interconnected at the top bar ( " rafters represents").

Various names can be found in old heraldic books: loop , rafter strip , rafter or just streif . The boundary lines to the head of the shield are called the gable . Spike beams or pointed beams are unheraldic names for the rafters.

Formation and use

This point points to the upper edge of the coat of arms or to the head of the shield. As rafters, these angled beams should not exceed a width of ² ⁄ _{7 of} the width of the sign.

The tip touches the edge of the shield and is then called gable in the blazon (description of the coat of arms) . As with the coat of arms , the design can accommodate all colors, shapes and figures. It can be separated from the entire shield after all parallel coat of arms cuts. Herald images and common figures are possible in the rafter. Many names of the rafter design are used directly as a compound word, e.g. B. Tin rafters . If the point clearly does not reach the upper edge of the shield, the rafter is depressed . If it ends below the middle of the shield, the rafter is lowered . No direct edge contact is heraldically not mentioned.

An important representation is the rafter with the point pointing towards the base of the shield . These rafters are to be emblazoned as toppled or lintel rafters .

A narrow rafter is also called a rafter ledge . The legs are only half the width.

Different coloring ( tincture ) of the right and left sides of saving parts are with gegengesparrt described or in confused colors . The rafter has the appearance of whether the left and right side have been moved against each other.

When using the rafter, one can also speak of a rafter division , as the sign is divided into at least an upper and a lower field. In the same way for several rafters. From a certain number, however, these must be drawn narrower in order to maintain the proportions.

Rafters can be next to each other and / or against each other at the same time in the coat of arms (e.g. Lords of Eppstein , Counts of Hanau , Counts of Ravensberg ).

If the rafter is broken, it is described as broken . This wording is also binding for other Herold pictures divided with a cut.

If the tip of a lowered rafter is flattened or cut off, it is a trimmed rafter.