HISTORY AND ETHNOLOGY. 95 



Sometimes shields are divided into three parts each way, exhibiting nine 

 fields in three rows or charges, which are named as follows : the upper or 

 chief charge, transverse middle charge, base charge, middle vertical charge, 

 right vertical charge, and left vertical charge. This arrangement also 

 determined the nmnber and names of the fields or grounds ; thus we find 

 the terms middle chief, dexter chief, sinister chief; fess, with its dexter and 

 sinister ; and middle base, with its like grounds. When there are five rows 

 they may be called : row of the head point, honor-point, fess-point, navel- 

 point, and base. If the horizontal division be interrupted, then the longi- 

 tudinal decides. One or several vertical fields are called a pale. When a 

 panuel in the middle base presents two curve lines pointing upwards it is 

 said to be engrafted ; and engrafted pannels may also occur in the centre 

 of the escutcheon, and even in three difierent rows. 



The lines have several directions on the face of the shield, as the 

 perpendicular, the transverse, the oblique, from dexter chief to sinister 

 base, and from sinister chief to dexter base. 



The helmet, with its decorations (or in place of the helmet, the crown, 

 cap, or hat) surmounting the fields, is called upper shield. The helmet was 

 properly the designation of knightly dignity ; and although but one helmet 

 usually was placed on a shield, yet the number might be increased accord- 

 ing to circumstances, and the two external helmets were occasionally worn 

 by the shield-bearers. The helmet, and when several were used, the middle 

 one, is commonly represented looking straight forward, as in^^. ^I^figs. 87 

 and 90 ; occasionally it appears turned aside, as v^fig. 91. The other helmets 

 always look to the centre. The armorial helmet is either open or closed, 

 sometimes entirely open, with bows,^^<9. 87, 90, 92. In the latter case the 

 more numerous the bows the more distinguished was the family to whom 

 the arms belonged ; so it was, at least, in France. The closed helmet has 

 properly none but the slightest openings, fig. 88. Kings universally 

 wore the casque freely open, the higher nobility partly open, with bows, 

 the lower dignitaries had it almost entirely closed. Open helmets were 

 also called tournament helmets, being worn by those who might claim 

 admission to the lists. Crowned heads sometimes adopted indiflerently the 

 closed or the helmet with bows. The casque usually supported jewels, 

 strings of pearls, or chains adorned by pendants ; and it was frequently 

 marked by foliated impressions, tastefully finished with gold and silver 

 mountings. These were called helmet coverings, and the colors indicated 

 that of the lining. Sometimes a crown surmounted the decorations. The 

 crown, however, was not indicative of any regal or imperial power. It 

 consisted of a ring fitted to the head, set with stones, and further adorned 

 with four rosettes, between every two of which was a pearl. In other cases, 

 a wreath supplied the place of the crown, and took a variety of names 

 according to the number of ribands and jewels employed in its construction. 



These helmet coverings only served to support figures attached to the 

 helmet, and called helmet ornaments or gems, and which were mostly 

 repetitions of a figure or emblem worn in the shield. Such emblems were, 

 for instance, wings of eagles, a pair of which was termed a flight, open, if 



267 



