I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS PERIOD!
	Documentation for lines of division used in S.C.A. heraldry
 	by Lothar von Katzenellenbogen

	While browsing through a book on medieval goldsmithing masterpieces, I came across the dovetailed line of division, dated solidly to the 14th century. I had always assumed that this line of division was the creation of some 17th c. Heraldic encyclopediaist, so I was greatly surprised. This prompted me to start looking for the earliest dates to which I could document other lines of division in heraldry. Here's what I turned up.	

	Angled - I had presumed that this line of division was primarily German. But, I found this 15th century English example at p. 187 [Charleton, A 15th Century Roll of Arms, The Ancestor #3 October 1902];

	Argent, three pallets angled azure. (Anonymous, 15th c.).

	I also found at p. 55 [Wilzcek, Wappen und Ahnentafeln];  

	Gules, a fess fracted Or. (Marco Trevisan d. 1540)	

	Bevilled - This line of division is documented to the 16th c. in the arms of Yorke by Master Bruce Draconarius and Master Akagawa Yoshio (Pictorial Dictionary of Charges used in S.C.A. Heraldry pl. 53). I also found at p. 33 [Neubecker Heraldry: Sources, Symbols and Meanings];

	Per fess bevilled to dexter ermine and gules.   
	
	This example comes from the "Tristram Tapestry" (Lower Saxony ca. 1300?). I would venture a guess that this tapestry dates to about 1300 based on the shape of the shields and the posture and dress of the figures. The German term for this line of division is "linkstufe" or "rechtstufe" or "left step" or "right step" which might more properly be applied to this device.

	Bottony - I had never seen this peculiar line of division before until I discovered at p. 190 [Charleton, A 15th Century Roll of Arms.];

	Argent, a pile bottony sable a lily slipped and leaved argent. (anonymous, 15th c.).

	This line of division looks like a straight line of division with small half round "bumps" at regular intervals along the length of the ordinary. This device has the only example of this line of division that I've yet discovered.

	Champagnee - I had known about this peculiar variant on Potenty for some time, but I wasn't sure when it was first adopted. The name of the line of division comes from Reitstapp's Armorial General from the Illustrations de Text. I presume that Reitstap got the name from the Counts of Champagne who use it as part of their arms. They bear at p. 229 [Neubecker, ibid];

	Azure, a bend argent cotised champagnee Or. (Champagne, 15th c.). 

	This illustration is from Le Armorial de Toison d'Or and dates to the 15th century. The "champagnee" line of division is limited to ordinaries or cotises and is as much a field treatment as a line of division. It looks like two lines of the "potenty" line of division turned to face each other so that the interior of the line looks like a maze. I also found at p. 187 [Charleton, ibid];

	 Azure, three bends champagnee argent. (Pyersse Dewrant, 15th c.) 

	and at p. 199 [Charleton, ibid];

	Gules, two bars sable, each champagnee (mazee) gules. (Rex Welmarie d'Almayne, 15th c.).
	 
	Dovetailed - This unusual line of division can be dated to ca. 1300 as part of a repeated heraldic motif on the lid of a nautilus cup. (Secular Goldsmith's Work in Medieval France; A History [Plate LIV, "Lid of Nautilus Cup, silver, gilt, and enamelled. French c. 1300 w. 10 cm. All Souls College, Oxford."] ). The device is shown as a repeated enamel pattern on a section of the lid the cup (where the nautilus shell makes the bowl of the cup). The blazon of the device is:

	Azure, a bend cotised dovetailed argent. (Anonymous, 14th c.) 

	It is "quartered" in a repeating lozenge pattern with the arms Argent, 2 luces huriant between in cross 4 trefoils gules. 	The dove-tailing of the cotises is very distinct, and is repeated at least 20 times in the "lozengy" pattern of alternated arms on one section of the lid. The second section of the cup have the arms of Navarre (Gules, an orle, saltire, and cross of chain, all conjoined.) and France (Azure, four fleur-de-lys in cross Or.) in a lozengy pattern. The third section has Gules, 2 luces huriant between in cross four trefoils argent. and Argent, a lion rampant sable. on the final section of the lid of the cup.  	I have also found another example which might, arguably, be dovetailing in the frontispiece of [Neubecker, ibid];
	
	Or, a bend dovetailed sable. (Anonymous, 14th c.?)

	There is no date or source attached to the illustration. I'd guess that it is 14th c. German.

	Enarched - Conventional wisdom holds that the line of division "enarched" was a Period heraldic convention meant to convey the curve of the shield on a flat piece of paper. This is often the case, but I have found an example of a Period device where the line of division is deliberately enarched in the emblazon at [Richenthal, Konzil zu Konstanz];

	Azure, a pale and two bars enarched gules.	(Dominus Johannes Cardinalis Ostiensis vice Cancell, 15th c.)

	The artist who drew the other pictures in the armorial used straight lines for his ordinaries rather than curving them. Since this is the only instance of a curved ordinary in the entire book, there can be no doubt that the emblazon on the original arms was deliberately curved as well, especially since the arms are those of a cleric who would have no reason to display his arms upon a real shield.

	Embattled - This line of division is also very common. It appears on many arms from many countries from the earliest times. It is found in [Foster, Dictionary of Heraldry] and in the Bigot Roll cited at [Brault, Eight Early Medieval Rolls of Arms]
where it is dated to 1254. 

	84. Ernise de Holain, l'escu ondé d'or et de geules a deus faisseus d'argent encastelles desox et deseure. (A shield barry wavy Or and gules overall 2 bars argent embattled above and below. 13th c.).  

	Occasionally only the top or bottom edge of a fess or bend would be embattled. Also, as likely as not a fess embattled would actually be embattled-counterembattled.

	Embattled Grady - This is a peculiar line of division which I have only encountered once at p. 74 (Manning, The Argentaye Tract, also at fig. 27);

	D'or a une bande de guieules crenelee de sable. (Or, a bend per bend grady embattled sable and gules. anonymous, 15th c.).

	The Argentaye Tract is a French 15th c. work.	

	Enchanchree - This rare line of division appears at p. 57 [Foster, ibid];

	Per fess Or enchanchree and gules, three annulets counterchanged (Nicolo de Cryol Henry III Roll, 15th c.)

	The emblazon looks as if someone had taken a bite out of the gules half of the field.

	Engrailed - This line of division appears in dozens of arms from many different cultures from the 13th c. on. It seems to be the most common complex line of division in the arms drawn out in Foster's Dictionary. The earliest appearance I can find for it is at p. 8 [Neubecker, ibid];

	Sable, a cross engrailed. (anonymous, 14th c.)

	The illustration is dated to c. 1280. Oddly, the line of division does not appear in Brault's Early Blazon. 

	Engrailed Trefoily - This line of division is my term for an unique line of division which appears in the arms of Lower Alsace at p. 188 [Neubecker, ibid];

	Gules, a bend cotised engrailed trefoily argent. (Anonymous, 15th c.)

	The illustration is taken from Der Weltchronik ca. 1490. The  tinctures from p. 61 [Joubert, Nouveau Guide de l'heraldique] 
which has the line of division as "engrailed fleury". This line of division is also similar to the arms of Saxony Barry Or and sable, a crancelin bendwise enarched vert. which date to Period.

	Escartelle - This unusual line of division appears at p. 73 [Neubecker, ibid];

	Per fess escartelly to chief ... and .... in chief two mullets(?) counterchanged. (Corvinus? c. 15th c.)
	
	The device is on a tournament pavis of King Matthew Corvinus of Hungary (d. 1490). Escartelle also appears at p. 136 [Wilczek, Wappen und Ahnentaffeln]; 

	Per fess escartelle argent and sable, a slip of three leaves brown. (Mechtild von Genmann, 16th c.)

	Flory-Counter-Flory - This line of division appears very early on. It is shown at pl. 78 [Brault, Early Blazon] and it appears in an unattributed device in the French 13th c. manuscript Majeskowski Bible at p. 59 (Edge and Paddock, Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight) as a double tressure flory-counter-flory;

	Argent, a double tressure flory counterflory gules. (anonymous, 13th c.)
	
	Another example is found at p. 43 [Foster, ibid];

	Argent, a fess flory counterflory gules. (John Cayville, Jenyn's Roll, 14th c.).

	There are also multiple examples of the arms of Scotland Or, a lion within a double-tressure flory counterflory. which date to Period.

	Indented - This also is a common line of division which appears in early sources. It is listed in the Bigot Roll (in Brault, Eight Medieval Rolls of Arms); 

	53. Guautiers de Hoingreng, l'escu d'azure au kief d'argent a la bordeure de geules endentee. (Azure, a chief argent within a bordure indented gules. 13th c.)
	
	An unusual variation of this occurs in Konzil zu Konstanz. An unattributed coat of arms has:

	Azure, a bend indented couped argent. (Anonymous, 15th c.)

	In this illumination the indentations don't form a regular zig-zag. Instead there is a straight line between each point making the line of division look vaguely like some odd variant of raguly.
	Occasionally only the upper edge of a bend would be indented to make the bend look like a flight of stairs, as in the canting arms of Gradenigo at p. 67 [Wilczek, ibid]; 

	Gules, a bend indented to chief argent. (Gradenigo, d. 1575)

	Invected - In spite of the multitude of devices that have a line of division or ordinary with the engrailed line of division, devices with the invected line of division are vanishingly rare.
	There is an example in [Richental, ibid];

	Argent, a bend invected azure. (Anonymous, 15th c.)

	and another example at p. 94 [Wilzcek, ibid];

	Paly Or and gules a bordure invected azure. (Philip Graf von Merode b. 1568 d. 1627).

	Nebuly - While this line of division appears common, since one of the Period ways of drawing vair was alternating rows of vaguely nebuly-looking lines, nebuly as a line of division is very unusual. I found at p. 65 [Marks and Payne, British Heraldry: From Its Origins To c. 1800];

	Gules, issuant from a cloud argent a bust of the Virgin Mary crowned proper within a bordure nebuly argent. (Mercer's Company of London, 16th c.)
	
	This illustration comes from a Monumental Brass with the arms of the Mercer's Company of London which is dated to the 16th c. (Tinctures for the arms of the Mercer's Company at p. 129 [MacDermot, Ordinary of Civic Heraldry). The "bordure of clouds" is quite distinctly drawn as nebuly. 
	Another possible example of Period use of nebuly is found at pl. LXXXVI (Fox-Davies, Art of Heraldry); 

	Azure, barry nebuly(?) argent. (Anonymous, 15th c.)

	The illustration is copied from an English roll of arms from the reign of Henry VI. In this example, the bars are given the scalloped edge that is the distinctive mark of the nebuly line of division. 
	Another possible example is found at p. 113 [Wilzcek, ibid];

	Or, on an eagle displayed gules an escutcheon of pretense [1 and 3 Argent, a bend indented? sable. and 2 and 4 Gules, a spear head? argent.] within a bordure throughout nebuly argent and azure. (Friedrich Graf zu Fürstenberg b. 163 d. 1617)

	The line of division has the peculiar scalloped edge associated with nebuly, but it is actually badly misdrawn vair. Aspilogia II confirms this.
	The word nebuly means cloudy so it is worth noting that clouds in Period heraldry were routinely drawn with this line of division and are found with much greater frequency than nebuly lines of division. An example from the Konzil zu Konstanz has;

	Argent, issuant from a cloud issuant from dexter chief an arm embowed gules maintaining a crozier argent. (anonymous, 15th c.).

	A final example dating from circa 1500 is found at p. 146
[Nyulászine, öt Évszázad Címeri];

	Gules, issuant from a cloud Or issuant from sinister chief a dexter arm embowed vested azure maintaining a hammer proper and in dexter base a mullet of six Or. (Hernalth-Mestery ca. 1500).	 
	Pily - This variation on indented appears in German and English heraldry in Period. Foster's Dictionary shows English examples, and Konzil zu Konstanz has an example as:

	Per pale pily gules and argent. (Stamegg, 15th c.)

	Pily Fleuretty - This weird variant of Pily also appears in Period heraldry. An example is found at p. 187 [Charleton, ibid]
has;

	Sable, three piles bendwise issuant from dexter base each fleuretty at the point argent. (Robard Norton, p. 187)

	and at p. 190 [ibid],

	Ermine a chief indented of three points fleuretty at the tips sable. (anonymous, 15th c.). 

	A truly peculiar variant of this line of division is found at p. 194 [ibid];
	
	Gules, a chief indented of three points two gules, one argent fleuretty at the tips argent and a fess sable over the points gules, underlying the point argent. (Ballard, 15th c.)

	In light of this device the S.C.A. might consider a slight relaxation of its rules against the use of perspective in heraldry!
	In a similar style at p. 11 [Wilczek, ibid] there is;

	 Azure, two piles inverted each tipped of a sextfoil argent. (Barbara Rehlinger von Borgau b. 1515 d. 1593)

	Potenty - This unusual line of division appears in an illumination from King Renee's Livre de Tournois at p. 178 (Barber and Barker Tournaments, p.178) as;

	 Per fess potenty Or and azure. (Anonymous, 15th c.)

	This example can be dated to the 15th c. and appears on the banner and horse trappings of a knight at a tournament.

	Raguly - This line of division appears from the 14th c. on in English heraldry. It is most famous as the knotted stick badge of the Dukes of Bar and as part of the "bear and ragged staff" of the Neville Family. 
	It also appears in English 14th c. rolls of arms. An example of raguly is found at p. 71 [Foster, Dictionary]; 

	Gules, a chevron raguly fracted argent. (Donsfield, Jenyn's Roll, 15th c.)

	An unusual version of raguly which I called sawtoothed raguly is found in the Konzil zu Konstanz; 

	Or, a bend raguly sawtoothed gules. (von Dundelfingen, von Gulidelfin, 15th c.).

	This variant looks rather like a double-sided saw blade with the "branches" of the bend terminating in angled, slightly-curved points.
	I found another example of this line of division at p. 78 [Wilzcek, ibid];

	Gules, a cross patonce throughout raguly argent. (Daniel von Mudersbach b. 1552 d. 1600).
	
	Rayonnee - This line of division is extremely rare. I found at p. 143 pl. 2 [Nyulászine, öt Évszázad Címeri];

	Per fess azure and argent, a base rayonee gules, overall a fish huriant argent the forefins replaced by small panaches. (Eresztvényi Ferenc, 1414)

	The illustration is a modern redrawing of grant of arms to Eresztvényi Ferenc given September 16, 1414, at Speyer. This is a truly weird charge on a truly weird device. The blazon is my own and it might not be correct. Allegedly, this grant was given to the cook of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV and is a pictorial representation of a pike falling into a fire.
	Another possible example of rayonee which might also be another Period representation of flames is found at pl. LXXX [Fox-Davies, Art of Heraldry]; 

	Per fess rayonee Or and gules, in chief a salamander tergiant to sinister sable. (anonymous, 14th c.)

	The illustration was taken from the Austrian St. Christopher Am Arlberg Register which dates to the last quarter of the 14th century. The device has the flames as very long wavy "piles reversed" and a salamander that looks more like a wolf passant than the conventional salamander.
	Another possible use of rayonee as a heraldic motif comes from Italy and is found on the cover of [Barber and Barker, Tournaments];

	Per fess sable rayonnee issuant from chief and per pale papillony gules and argent, and per fess lozengy Or and sable and Or.

	The illustration is of a melee, with the rayonee motif on the horse barding. It is taken from an allegedly 14th century Florentine cassone (Musée tours; photo Scala). In my opinion, the piece is very likely misdated since the artistic motifs, costumes, and armor in the picture seem solidly 15th century in style. This is very likely an artistic treatment of a space that couldn't be filled with a conventional heraldic motif, since the rayonee area actually looks like a demi-sun issuant from chief consisting of major and minor wavy rays which radiate outward from a central point over the horse's withers. The papillony and fretty quarterings are repeated on the barding from just behind the saddle to around the poll of the horse. The weird division of the shield could possibly be a way of displaying three inherited coats of arms, but I doubt it. 

	Tortily - This is an unusual treatment of a fess, so that the fess looks like a thick torse wrapped around the middle of the shield. In visual outline it looks like a fess "engrailed- counterengrailed" bendy <color> and <metal>". It occasionally appears in Scots heraldry. I don't know if it's Period.
	
	Undy - The line of division undy is drawn in nearly the same way as nebuly but appears as a distinct line of division much earlier. This line of division appears in 14th c. English rolls of arms. An example is found at p. 137 [Foster, ibid];

	Argent crusily, a bend undy gules. (?????, ???)

	Urdy - I was not able to document this line of division. Lines of vair bells were sometimes drawn in a similar way to urdy but it doesn't seem to have been used as a line of division in Period. Fox-Davies, at p. 57 in Art of Heraldry draws the same conclusions.

	Wavy - This is another common line of division. It also appears in many different cultures from the earliest times. It is listed in many different sources, including the Bigot Roll (Brault, Eight Medieval Rolls of Arms), which is dated to 1254.  
 

	Analysis
	It seems to me that in Period Anglo-Norman rolls of arms the lines of division wavy, engrailed, indented and embattled are the first lines of division to appear and form the bulk of all lines of division throughout Period heraldry. I would venture to say that these four lines of division make up 90% or so of all Period lines of division. This makes sense, since they are obvious, simple lines of division.
	After these lines there are a few rarer lines of division which occur occasionally. They are raguly, undy (or nebuly), pily, pily fleuretty and fleuretty. They are remarkable in their rarity, but multiple examples occur and examples can be found from more than one culture. I would guess that they make up about 9% of all Period lines of division as a group.
	The most peculiar lines of division, such as potenty, raguly, nebuly, or rayonee appear extremely infrequently in Period heraldry. Some lines of division, such as urdy don't seem to have been Period at all. Of the documentably Period odd lines of division the whole lot probably constituted no more than 1% of all complex lines of division. 
	Historical examples of rare and very rare lines of division show them being used with extremely simple heraldry where the line of division makes up the central motif of the device. Such devices have a total complexity count (excluding the complex line of division) of no more than three. All the examples that I could find consist of a simple field division, a field division with a single charge in chief, or a single ordinary with a complex line of division.

	Recommendations for S.C.A. Heraldry
	First, consulting heralds should be aware of the culture from which their lines of division are taken. Some lines of division such as bottony or fleury don't seem to have appeared in Germanic style heraldry. Likewise, some lines of division such as escartelle appear slightly more frequently in Germanic heraldry than in Anglo-Norman heraldry. A consulting herald should know which lines of divisions and charges were used with each style of heraldry so that he can design a device that is culturally consistant.
	Second, Heralds who are interested in helping their clients design Period-style devices should steer them away from rayonee, nebuly, raguly, or invected  and use indented, wavy, embattled or engrailed instead, especially for clients who wish to have 13th or early 14th century-style arms. 
	Clients who want later-period Anglo-Norman style arms might consider one of the less common lines of division, such as nebuly, or raguly. With a dead-simple device, one of the very odd lines of division might be suitable, since these peculiar lines of division seem to be one of the occasional features of Anglo-Norman heraldry. Clients who wish to have Germanic-style arms, especially later-Period ones might consider using per fess bevilled, escartelly, enchancree or an ordinary raguly in a simple device.
	Finally, there are a number of lines of division that I have discovered that have not been registered in SCA heraldry. They are bottony, engrailed trefoily, champagne, pily fleuretty or the German variant of raguly sawtoothed. Given that the non-documentable urdy and the barely-documentable and complex rayonee or nebuly lines of division are allowed, these new lines of division don't seem that extreme. However, there is no guarantee that they will be ruled as being compatible with SCA heraldry. Any device using these lines of division should stick very close to the examples that I have cited. (Perhaps remaining identical in visual outline only changing the tinctures of the device.) Even then there is the possibility that the device will be returned.
	  
	Bibliography
	Barber, Richard and Barker, Juliet Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages, Weidenfield and Nicholson, New York; 1989. ISBN 1-555-84-400-6

	Bedingfeld, Henry and Gwynn-Jones, Peter Heraldry, Brompton Books, Grenwich, Connecticutt; 1993. ISBN 1-55521-932-2

	Brault, Gerard, ed. Eight Medieval Rolls of Arms, Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, Pennsylvania; 1973. ISBN 0-271-01115-7

	Brault, Gerard, Early Blazon, Oxford University Press, London; 1972. No ISBN. 

	Charleton, Sir Robarde A 15th Century Roll of Arms The Ancestor #1-10 Oswald Barron ed. Archibald Constable and Co. London; 1902-1905.

	Draconarius, Bruce and Akagawa, Yoshio A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry as used in the S.C.A., 2nd Ed., Privately Published; 1992 No ISBN

	Edge, David and Paddock, John Miles Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight, Bison Books, Greenwich, Connecticut, 1988. ISBN 0-517-64468-1

	Foster, Joseph  The Dictionary of Heraldry; Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees, Bracken Books, London; 1989. ISBN 1-85170-309-8 (previously published as "Some Feudal Coats of Arms, James Parker and Company, 1902.)  

	Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles The Art of Heraldry, Bloomsbury Books; London; 1902 reprinted 1986. ISBN 0-906223-34-2

	Lightbown, R.W. Secular Goldsmith's Work in Medieval France; A History, Adlard and Son Ltd., Bartholomew Press, Dorking; 1978. ISBN 0-500-99027-1 (Originally published by Society of Antiquaries of London, distributed by Thames and Hudson Ltd.).

	MacDermot, Alison Ordinary of Civic Heraldry, privately published; 1986. No ISBN

	Marks, Richard and Payne, Anne British Heraldry: Its origins to c. 1800, British Museum Publications, Ltd.; 1978. ISBN 0-7141-00-85-4
 
	Nyulászine Straub Éva öt Évszázad Címeri, Megjelent; Corvina; 1987. ISBN 963-13-2249-1	

	Richental, Ulrich Konzil zu Konstanz, Konstanz, 1439 manuscript. facsimile edition published Joseph Verlag, Mainz; 1964. No ISBN.

	Manning, Alan The Argentaye Tract; Edited from Paris BN, fonds français 11,464, University of Toronto Press, Toronto; 1983. ISBN 0-8020-5590-7

	Reitstapp, Jean Armorial General

	Rolland, Victor Illustrations de Armorial General 

	Wilzcek, Graf Ferdinand, von Häussler, Franz Joseph, von Halem, Hanno, Wappen und Anhelntaffeln: Die Ahnen des Reichsgrafen Dr. Ferdinand Wilczek Frie- und Bannerherr von Hultschin und Gutenland, Herman Böhlaus Nachf., Vienna; 1983. ISBN 3-205-07209-x

	(An earlier version of this article appeared in The Millrind vol. 5, No. 1.)
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