HERALDIC KNOTS, BADGE KNOTS, DECORATIVE KNOTS

From the 14th century corporate bodies such as towns, boroughs, craft guilds, universities, etc. began to adopt and be granted coats of arms. These are referred to as impersonal arms.

Scotland in the only country which still has a functioning court of heraldry with civil and criminal powers to both fine and imprison.

The shield is the most important element of the heraldic arms. Some armingers are entitled to a shield alone without any other elements (charges). However, no one is entitled to any other elements without also being entitled to a shield. Many thousands of charges (designs) are known, but only a few involve knots. Knots were more common in Europe than England, but in England, knots on badges were much more common than on pure heraldic arms. "A badge is a device which, though not part of the coat of arms, could in some cases be used in a similar way; indeed, some badges preceded the adoption of systematic heraldry, and may have been the origin of some heraldic charges." (Warner 1996, 390).

One of the reason knots were not commonly depicted in any form (even in knot descriptions) in the Middle Ages (and earlier) was because of their close association with magic and witchcraft. In The Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work, pg. 4-10, a brief description of some of the superstitions and magical beliefs involving rope and knots is given. Many of these traditions come from northern Europe, especially among sea-faring people including Germanic and Scandinavian peoples.

THE KNOTS OF HERALDRY

1. Isolated Knots

   Isolated knots are tied in representations of cordage. Generally, the cords are imagined as silk. Only two examples are known in English Heraldry. It is more common to find isolated knots as European charges. (Warner 1996, 384).

   1. Probably, the most famous knot used in English heraldry is what is referred to today as the carrick bend. It was used as an heraldic badge by Hereward Wake, the Saxon leader who refused to submit to William the Conqueror in 1066 AD The knot, therefore, is sometimes also referred to as the Wake knot. It has been used as the Wake family crest since at least 1621. (Gaumont 1939, 6) (Day 1947, 10) (Warner 1996, 384 and 392).
   2. The heraldic badge of the Stafford family was (and is) the simple overhand or thumb knot. (Day 1947, 10).

2. Combined Charges
   1. The Bourchiers adopted the granny knot as a charge on their coat of arms. (Day 1947, 10) (Warner 1996, 393).
   2. A single strand mirror image of a left-hand sheet bend is also shown as an isolated English heraldry knot (the only other one is the carrick bend (Wake knot). However, the family it belongs to is not mentioned. (Warner 1996, 384).

3. Lacs d'Amour

   This knot was relatively common in Europe. However, no examples have been found in English heraldry. Hence, it has no English name. Lacs d'Amour literally means, "noose of love," but is often translated as "true love knot" or "true lovers knot." (Warner 1996, 386). The figure 8 knot, the overhand knot, the square knot, the carrick bend and the left-hand sheet bend are the more commonly found examples of this knot. These come under the umbrella of alternating knots (when you follow the cord, the crossings alternate over and under), which comprise the vast majority of the Lacs d'Lamour examples. There are also some examples of non-alternating knots, and some non-knots.

4. Nowed Serpents

   Serpents appear to be a common charge in European heraldry. They appear to be either swallowing something (Vorant) or twined (Nowed). Sometimes the nowed serpents make designs, but not knots. Generally, the nowed serpents are in the familiar knot shapes common to the Lacs d'Amour knots. Again, the more common examples are overhand, figure 8, square (2 serpents), and carrick bend (2 serpents). (Warner 1996, 388-389).

5. Knots as Badges

   Badges are common in southern Europe, but were generally restricted to the personal use of nobility and some orders of chivalry. The Savoy knot (figure 8) for example was used by Thomas, Count of Savoy in the early 13th century. (Warner 1996, 390).

   It was in England where the knot badge came into common use. The period of the greatest use of the knot badge was during the periods of civil unrest of the 14th to the 16th centuries. "Indeed, in the 14th and 15th centuries, the common people were more familiar with household badges than with armorial bearings." [emphasis is mine] (Warner 1996, 391)

   "Recognized heraldic badges are sometimes used (with permission) as badges of local regiments, or they may be incorporated into the arms of local municipal bodies, colleges or corporations." (Warner 1996, 390). For example, the Stafford knot (an overhand or thumb knot) has been the badge of the Earls of Stafford and the Dukes of Buckingham since at least as early as 1475. It has also been incorporated as a charge in the arms of Staffordshire County and some of the towns in that county. (Warner 1996, 392). The Wake knot (carrick bend) is also used by the Isle of Ely County Council. (Warner 1996, 393).

   It is important to note that a single strand carrick bend is also the basis for one of the most important of the binding and decorative knots - the 4 bight, three lead Turk's-Head knot. This is also the Turk's-Head used in the WorldWide Scouting movement, but only by Woodbadge trained adult scout leaders.

The only knots which will be discussed in this section are the family of knots known as Turk's-Heads. "The Turks-Head is a tubular knot that is usually made around a cylindrical object, such as rope, a stanchion, or a rail. It is one of the varieties of the Binding Knot and serves a great diversity of practical purposes but is perhaps even more often used for decoration only; for which reason it is usually classed with 'fancy knots.'" (Ashley 1944, 227).

"Turk's Head knots have long been recognized for their highly decorative attributes. Leonardo da Vinci drew them in the fifteenth century and they are still widely used today." (Owen 1994, 89). Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) also showed a number of the Turks-Heads in disk form, in a drawing that is reproduced by Oehrvall in Om Knutar (1916). (Ashley 1944, 232).

Of special interest to the Kingdom of Aragon are the words of Bruce Grant, author of the Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding, "that it may be possible to trace the entire course of Spanish civilization through the history of the Spanish woven knot, a version of the Turk's head long used by sailors." (Budworth 1997, 12).

"There is no knot with a wider field of usefulness. A Turk's-Head is generally found on the 'up-and-down' spoke of a ship's steering wheel, so that a glance will tell if the helm is amidship. It provides a foothold on footropes and a handhold on manropes, yoke ropes, gymnasium climbing ropes, guardrails, and lifelines. it serves instead of whipping and seizing. It is employed as a gathering hoop on ditty bags, neckerchiefs and bridle reins. Tied in rattan, black whalebone or stiff fishline, it makes a useful napkin ring, and it is often worn by racing crews in 'one-design classes' as a bracelet or anklet. It will cover loose ends in sinnets and splices. It furnishes a handgrip on fishing rods, archery bows, and vaulting poles. It will stiffen sprung vaulting poles, fishing rods, spars and paddles. On a pole or rope it will raise a bole big enough to prevent a hitch in another rope from slipping. On edged tools it makes an excellent hand guard, and on oars and canoe paddles, a dip guard. It is found employed decoratively on whips, telescopes, hatbands, leashes, quirts, and harness; on wicker chairs and basketry; on bell ropes and tassels. Old chest beckets, bell ropes and yolk ropes are resplendent with them." (Ashley 1944, 227-228).

Of course, as has been mentioned, a single strand, single line, four bight Turk's-Head is a carrick bend which is and was used as a heraldry badge by the Wake family as early as 1066 AD The same knot also makes beautiful frogs and in multi-lead versions, buttons.

In large lines, in the disk form, the Turk's-Head was also used as a bumper and docking shield on boats and ships. In smaller line it makes beautiful appliqué and even coasters for glasses.

"There is but one actual limitation to the size and proportions of SINGLE-LINE TURK'S-HEADS: A knot of one line is impossible in which the number of leads and the number of bights have a common divisor. All others are possible if the knot tier has sufficient time and cord at his disposal." (Ashley 1944, 233).

Ashley, Clifford W., 1944. The Ashley Book of Knots. Doubleday, Division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. New York, New York.

Budworth, Geoffrey, 1997. The Complete Book of Knots. First published in 1997 by Hamlyn, an imprint of Reed International Books Limited, Michelin House, London, England.

Day, Cyrus Lawrence, 1947. The Art Of Knotting & Splicing. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland.

Day, Cyrus L., 1995. Knots & Splices. International Marine, an imprint of McGraw-Hill, U.S.A.

Graumont, Raoll and Hensel, John. 1952. Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work. Cornell Maritime Press, Centreville, Maryland.

Owen, Peter, 1994. The Book of Decorative Knots. Lyons & Burford, New York, New York.

Warner, Charles, 1996. HERALDIC KNOTS. History and Science of Knots, J C Turner and P van de Griend editors. pgs. 381-396. World Science, Singapore, New Jersey, London, Hong Kong.