Beasts were common in heraldry, with dragons occurring as often as birds. Considered to be valiant, dragons symbolized “fierce protectors of the family.” Also, they often meant “the guardians of treasure”. Some other meanings for dragons were “fierce warrior” and “overcoming one’s enemies”.
Several types of dragons were used on shields. The most common in England was the wyvern. For the English, four-legged dragons were a later development, adopted in the 15 Century. Meanwhile, in the rest of Europe, people interchanged the two types of dragons, using the same meaning for both.
Amphiptere: This dragon was a winged serpent with no legs. The most common meaning for the amphiptere was “the protection of the family name”. In some cases, it also meant “swift justice”.
Amphisbaena: These dragons were winged with two legs, and a head at each end of their bodies. They struck at their enemies with swiftness and cunning. Some knights carried them on their shields to tell everyone how cunning they were.
Cockatrice: This dragon was a wyvern with a rooster’s head. Known for their deadly stare, a cockatrice could only be defeated by a weasel (ermine). This dragon was a terror to all who saw them. A cockatrice on a knight’s shield was a statement that he was a deadly killer.
Hydra: This was the many headed dragon, defeated by Hercules. Rare in heraldry, a hydra usually meant that this was a family who defeated many enemies. For an individual, it also meant “the conquest of a very powerful foe”.
Wyvern: These dragons had two legs, bat wings, scaly bodies, and a spiked tail. Wyverns were thought to have keen eyesight, and hence were keen defenders. They often represented valor and guardianship. Because of those characteristics, wyverns were popular in heraldry.
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2009
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