In heraldry, murrey is a "stain", i. e. a non-standard tincture, that is a dark reddish purple colour. It is most proximate in appearance to the heraldic tincture of purpure, but is distinct therefrom.
| Murrey | |
|---|---|
| Class | Stain |
| Non-heraldic equivalent | Mulberry, Maroon |
| Monochromatic designations | |
| Hatching pattern | |
| Tricking abbr. | m., M. |
| Poetic designations | |
| Heavenly body | Dragon's Tail |
| Jewel | Sardonyx |
Overview
editAccording to dictionaries, "murrey" is the colour of mulberries, being somewhere between the heraldic tinctures of gules (red) and purpure (purple), and almost maroon;[1] but examples registered in Canada[2] and Scotland[3] display it as a reddish brown.
Poetic meanings
editCenturies ago, arms were often described poetically and the tinctures were associated with different gemstones, flowers and heavenly bodies. Murrey usually corresponded to the following:
- Of jewels, the sardonyx[4]
- Of heavenly bodies, the Dragon's Tail[5]
Examples
editThe livery colours of the House of York in England in the fifteenth century were azure and murrey, as depicted on the shields of the Falcon of the Plantagenets and the White Lion of Mortimer, which are 2 of the Queen's Beasts.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Heraldic dictionary at Flags of the World. Accessed 14 July 2009.
- ^ Crest of William Dale Murray: "Issuant from an antique crown or a bison's head in trian aspect murrey accorné or." Canadian Public Register, Volume 4, page 292.
- ^ Arms of ____ Brown: "Murrey; a chevron between two fleurs de lys in chief and a plough in base, or." Public Register, Volume 71, page 26.
- ^ Charles Norton Elvin (1889). A Dictionary of Heraldry. London: Kent. p. 113.
- ^ Elvin, p. 51.
- ^ H. Stanford London. The Queen's Beasts. Newman Neame Ltd. pp. 25–33.
External links
edit
Media related to Murrey at Wikimedia Commons