Supporters 204713 215689948 2008-05-29T07:59:55Z DumZiBoT 6085301 Bot: Converting bare references, see [[User:DumZiBoT/refLinks|FAQ]] {{otheruses4|supporters in heraldry|the use in [[British English]] meaning supporting [[sport]]s teams|fan (person)}} {{For|other uses in sports|Athletic supporter}} {{COA elements}} In [[heraldry]], '''supporters''' are figures usually placed on either side of the [[Shield (heraldry)|shield]] and depicted holding it up. These figures may be real or imaginary animals, human figures, and in rare cases plants or inanimate objects. Often these can have local significance, such as the fisherman and the tin miner granted to Cornwall County Council, or an historical link, such as the lion of England and unicorn of Scotland on the two variations of the [[Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom]]. The arms of nutritionist [[John Boyd Orr|John Boyd-Orr]] use two ''garbs'' (wheat sheaves) as supporters, the arms of the [[USS Donald Cook]], [[missiles]], the arms of the state of [[Rio Grande do Norte]], in Brazil, trees.<ref>http://www.mp.rn.gov.br/img/brasao_rn.jpg</ref> [[Grapheme|Letter]]s of the [[alphabet]] are used as supporters in the arms of [[Valencia, Spain]]. There is usually one supporter on each side of the shield, though there are some examples of single supporters placed behind the shield, and the arms of [[Republic of Congo|Congo]] provide an extremely unusual example of supporters issuing from behind the shield.<ref>[http://www.ngw.nl/int/afr/cg-nat.htm CONGO<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> While such single supporters are generally eagles (City of [[Perth, Scotland]])<ref>[http://www.ngw.nl/int/gbr/scot/perthkin.htm Arms of PERTH AND KINROSS DC - (Scotland)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> with one or two heads, there are other examples, including the [[cathedra]] in the case of some Canadian [[cathedral]]s.<ref>[http://www.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=582&ProjectElementID=2051 The Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada - Heraldry<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> At the other extreme and even rarer the Scottish family Dundas of that Ilk, had three supporters; two conventional red lions and the whole supported by a salamander. The [[coat of arms of Iceland]] even has four supporters.<ref>[http://www.ngw.nl/int/ice/icenat.htm International Civic Heraldry-THE NATIONAL ARMS OF ICELAND<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Animal supporters are by default as close to rampant as possible if the nature of the supporter allows it (this does not need to be mentioned in the [[blazon]]), though there are some blazoned exceptions. An example of whales 'non-rampant' is the arms of the Dutch municipality of [[Zaanstad]].<ref>[http://www.ngw.nl/z/zaanstad.htm Wapen van Zaanstad<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Entitlement== ===Canada=== In [[Canada]], Companions of the [[Order of Canada]], people granted the style "[[the Right Honourable]]", and corporations are granted the use of supporters on their coats of arms. Further, on his retirement from office as [[Chief Herald]], [[Robert Watt]] was granted supporters as an honour.<ref>[http://www.scotsheraldry.com/?p=70 » Second Chief Herald of Canada<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><!--Are they hereditary?--> ===New Zealand=== Principal Companions and Knights Grand Companion of the [[New Zealand Order of Merit]] are granted the use of heraldic supporters. ===United Kingdom=== In the [[United Kingdom]], supporters are typically an example of special royal favour, granted at the behest of the sovereign.<ref>{{cite book | author=[[Charles Boutell]] and [[Arthur Charles Fox-Davies]] | title=English Heraldry | year = 2003 | publisher = Kessinger | isbn = 076614917X | pages=p.238 | url=http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/23186}}</ref> Hereditary supporters are normally limited to hereditary peers, certain members of the Royal Family, chiefs of Scottish clans, and Scottish feudal barons whose baronies predate [[1587]]. Non-hereditary supporters are granted to life peers, Knights and Ladies of the [[Order of the Garter]] and [[Order of the Thistle]], and Knights and Dames Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]], [[Order of St Michael and St George]], [[Royal Victorian Order]], and [[Order of the British Empire]]. [[Knights banneret]] were also granted non-hereditary supporters, but no such knight has been created since the time of [[Charles I Stuart|Charles I]]. Supporters may also be granted to corporations which have a Royal charter. ==Image Gallery== <center> <gallery> Image:Greater Coat of Arms of Ukraine.svg|The [[coat of arms of Ukraine]] uses a lion and a man as supporters. Image:Brasão do Rio Grande do Norte.svg|Two trees in the coat of arms of Rio Grande do Norte. Image:Escudo de Valencia 2.svg|The two L's in the coat of arms of Valencia mark it as "doubly loyal". Image:Krakow White Eagle.PNG|An angel is the single supporter of this [[Cracow]] sculpture of the arms of Poland. Image:Congo rep coa.png|[[Coat of arms of the Republic of the Congo]] with supporters issuing from behind (from [http://www.vector-images.com/ vector-images.com]<!-- The link is a requirement of the license.-->). Image:Coat of Arms of Iceland.svg|[[Coat of arms of Iceland]] with the four [[landvættir|protectors of the country]]. Image:Zaanstad wapen.png|"Falling" whales support the arms of Zaanstad Image:Nałęcz Kaziemierza Raczyńskiego.JPG|Flags and cannons are the supporters in the arms of [[Kazimierz Raczyński]] </gallery> </center> ==References== {{commonscat|Heraldic supporters}} {{Wiktionarypar|supporter}} {{reflist}} ==See also== {{heraldry}} [[Category:Heraldry]] [[cs:Štítonoš]] [[da:Skjoldholder]] [[de:Schildhalter]] [[fr:Support (héraldique)]] [[it:Sostegni (araldica)]] [[he:תומכים (הרלדיקה)]] [[hu:Pajzstartók]] [[nl:Schildhouder]] [[no:Skjoldholder]] [[pl:Trzymacze heraldyczne]] [[pt:Suporte (heráldica)]] [[sr:Држачи штита у хералдици]] [[sv:Sköldhållare]]