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COAT OF ARMS FOR:
O'Reilly, O'Riley, Riley, Reilly, O Raghailligh.
Description:
Vert two lions rampant combatant or supporting a dexter hand couped at the wrist erect and apaumee bloody proper
Definition of terms used to describe a coat of arms:
Shield - The escutcheon or field on which are placed the bearings of coats of arms. There are various forms, mostly taken from the shapes in vogue when shields were used in warfare. Maiden ladies and widows have no shield.
Escutcheon - (es-kuch'-un) The shield, on which all lines are drawn and charges delineated; the background on which coat armor is represented; known in blazon as the field. It originally represented the war shield of a knight, upon which his arms were displayed.
Lion - The lion is the most popular beast in heraldry. He appears in the arms of Great Britian, Denmark, Spain, Holland, Bohemia, Saxony and numerous lesser countries. As early as 1127 Henry I used the lion as an ornament on a shield. Of the 918 bannerets of Edward II, 225 bore lions. The early English heralds seem to have confused the lion with the leopard. While never drawn spotted as the real leopard, he was described in most attitudes as leo-pardéé, or a lion as a leopard. The lion is drawn in about 30 attitudes, but it is seldom he is seen in other than rampant or passant.
Rampant - (ramp'-ant) Said of a beast of prey, as a lion, rising with fore paws in the air., as if attacking. The right fore leg and the right hind leg should be raised higher than the left. Unless otherwise specified, the animal faces dexter.
Combatant - (con'-bat-ant) A term applied to beasts borne face to face, as in the attitude of fighting. (Also written Combattant.)Supported - A figure on each side of a shield, apparently supporting it. They may be men, beasts or birds -- sometimes real, sometimes fabulous, as the lion and unicorn in the arms of Great Britain. The origin of the supporters is unknown. Some writers have set forth that they originated in the ceremonial bearing of the knightly shield to tournaments and jousts by squires. It is probable, however, that they arose from the ornaments of the seal engraver and became heraldic from the practice of quartering. Supporters are now borne by all peers of Great Britain, Knights of the Garter, Knights Grand Cross of the Bath, Nova Scotia baronets and chiefs of Scottish clans, and are also borne by many municipalities and the principal mercantile companies of London.
Dexter - The right; situated on the right. The dexter side of the shield is that opposite the left hand of the spectator.
Couped - (koop'd) Said of an animal or man having the head or any limb cut clean off from the body.
Apaume - (A-pa'u-me) Appalmed. A hand opened so as to exhibit the palm. A baronet of England or Ireland bears a sinister hand couped gules on an inescutcheon or a canton. It is blazoned "argent, a sinister hand, couped at the wrist, and apaume, gules."
Bloody - Gules.
Bloody Hand - A hand tinctured gules. The device of Ulster, hence borne by baronets.
Guelphic Order - (guel'-fick) An order of knoghthood instituted for Hanover on August 12, 1815, by George IV of England, while still Prince Regent.
Gule - To color red; to give the color of gules to.
Mantle - The cloak or robe behind the shield, sufficiently large to include the entire arms. Those of sovereigns are of gold doubled with ermine, and are called pavilions.Proper - Represented in its natural color. Said of charges; as, "a lion proper."
Color - For the colors of heraldry see TINCTURE
Tincture - (tink'-tur) The name given to the colors, metals and furs used in heraldry. The tinctures may be classed as follows:
METALS
Or (gold, yellow)
Argent (silver, white)COLORS
Azure (blue)
Sable (black)
Gules (red)
Vert (green)
Purpure (purple)
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Date last modified: 6/30/1999