An ex-wife of mine asked me this question:
"Is there a term for something dead on its back with its feet in the air?"
Probably not, given the message that would send to competitors at tournament. :rolleyes:
Sounds like it could’ve been an abatement - yet another theoretical one that exists in textbooks on heraldry, but never in heraldry itself.
Jeffrey Boyd Garrison;100287 wrote:
Probably not, given the message that would send to competitors at tournament. :rolleyes:
I think Mr. Harris may be right. On the other hand, I think a knight bad-ass enough to bear a dead animal on his shield might give some opponents pause.
Joseph Staub;100295 wrote:
On the other hand, I think a knight bad-ass enough to bear a dead animal on his shield might give some opponents pause.
Or the heads of men you’ve killed…
Way off course, lol…
Okay, Joseph, your ex-wife wants to know how to blazon an animal on it’s back with feet up in the air…
Just blazon it inverted, and then "orbed of a saltire couped" 
EDIT: or, "inverted and dead"
Joseph Staub;100285 wrote:
An ex-wife of mine asked me this question:
"Is there a term for something dead on its back with its feet in the air?"
There is an expression that describes this attitude, often used in the military, sometimes abbreviated to letters of the phonetic alphabet. It is a correct description, though rather crude.
There is no doubt that this particular expression would not be suitable for a blazon.
But it was the first thing to come to mind.
Just thinking on the hoof so to speak - what about ‘extinct’ meaning the cessation of life as in ‘a dragon extinct gules’ or ‘a griffin extinct azure’?
At least ‘extinct’ would be short and to the point as well as being descriptive which to a certain extent is the aim of a good blazon.
With every good wish
John
The term extinct would work, though may cause some confusion since there is a lack of precedence. Why not just describe the creature as "a dead this" or "something killed that"?
Alexander Liptak;100306 wrote:
The term extinct would work, though may cause some confusion since there is a lack of precedence. Why not just describe the creature as "a dead this" or "something killed that"?
I think because of the neccessity to specify the humorous position, legs sticking straight up in the air. Thus, my suggestion that the beast just be inverted.
Supine.
Expirant?
Joseph McMillan;100323 wrote:
Supine.
I think we have a winner… if combined with John’s suggestion, thus: "supine extinct?"
I think expired is better than extinct. Unless of course it’s a woolly mammoth or saber-toothed tiger or the like.
Kenneth Mansfield;100329 wrote:
I think expired is better than extinct. Unless of course it’s a woolly mammoth or saber-toothed tiger or the like.
I was thinking too, except that I wonder if expired might be misinterpreted as "out of breath" but… it does seem to fit well, again, i’d combine it with supine for the pose.
..I hope your "ex" wasn’t asking because of my quick sketch .... :whistle:
http://imageshack.us/a/img844/5454/1frankmartinoffmeise2a.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img844/5454/1frankmartinoffmeise2a.jpg
.... but it ain’t dead 
