Assorted Lessons in SCA Heraldry

Fimbriation and Voiding

Fimbriation is the use of a thin line of a contrasting tincture around a charge. Voiding is making a hole in a charge. For example, an annulet is a roundel with a hole in it, that is to say, voided. Likewise, a mascle is a lozenge voided.

The distinction is that a line of fimbriation separates two different tinctures while voiding creates an outline of an object, that is, a line separating areas of the same color (since the hole lets the area of underlying tincture show through).

Fimbriation and voiding are limited to ordinaries that pass through the center of the shield and simple geometric charges, such as lozenges, roundels, and billets. Mullets are considered simple geometric charges under this rule. Animate charges cannot be simple geometric charges. Peripheral charges such as bordures, chiefs, points, and flaunches cannot be voided or fimbriated.

Why is this the case? Fimbriation and voiding produce thin bordures or outlines. At a distance, these can disappear or obscure the charge. The effect is sometimes referred to as “thin-line heraldry ”. If the outline is anything but simple, it becomes very difficult to make out.

Consider the following examples:

In Argent, a pale Or fimbriated sable , the fimbriation is acceptable. The sable stripes separate the Or pale from the argent field. If this looks like cheating on the rule of tincture, you are right. Fimbriation is a way to finesse the rule of tincture for simple charges only.

In Gules, a bend sable, the bend is color on color and thus not OK. If, however, you fimbriate the bend, you can fix the flaw: Gules, a bend sable fimbriated Or . Now there is a thin band of Or separating the gules from the sable. The band needs to be thick enough to be visible; if it seems marginal, fatten it up.

Now consider Vert, a lion rampant voided argent . The lion is nothing but a thin outline of argent. At a distance, this is unrecognizable, therefore not registerable. 

Consider Or, a crown dancetty of three voided within a laurel wreath vert . These are the arms of the West Kingdom. By the current standards, this would be unacceptable voiding; the crown is too complex an object to void.

Similarly, the arms of the East Kingdom, Purpure, within a laurel wreath vert fimbriated Or, an eastern crown of three grand points tipped with pearls and two lesser points, all Or , would not be registered today. Note the fimbriated laurel wreath.

Now consider the flag of Great Britain, Azure, a saltire gules fimbriated argent surmounted by a cross gules fimbriated argent. The white portions are reasonably fat; in fact, you could blazon it as Azure, a saltire argent charged with another gules surmounted by a cross argent charged with another gules. 

Try your hand at some exercises. 

Which of the following charges may be fimbriated or voided? 
[write down your answers, and check them by clicking the link below.]
 

1. A fess

2. A cross (throughout)

3. A bordure

4. A heart

5. Three roundels

6. A mascle

7. A cross bottony

8. A Latin cross

9. A salmon

10. A lozenge

11. An annulet

12. A gryphon segreant

13. A bull’s head cabossed

14. A fleam

15. A mullet

16. A raven close

17. A bend sinister engrailed

18. A rose

19. A fret

20. A tower

21. A saltire indented

22. A fleur-de-lys

23. A cross of Jerusalem

24. A book

25. A cushion

Gules, a bend sable fimbriated Or. 

Vert, a lion rampant voided argent. 

Kingdom of the West
Or, a crown dancetty of three voided within a laurel wreath vert.

Kingdom of the East
Purpure, within a laurel wreath vert fimbriated Or, an eastern crown of three grand points tipped with pearls and two lesser points, all Or.

Nation of Great Britain
Azure, a saltire gules fimbriated argent surmounted by a cross gules fimbriated argent.