The term sometimes used to describe a shield of the decorative,
post-medieval type most often seen in Italian personal and civic heraldry but
see note below - an ‘Italian shield’
(see also ‘renaissance shield’).
The Arms of Messina, Italy (ita24)
Please note that several of the terms giving shields a national identity, as well as those describing a specific type, are still in the process of
standardization, and that no consistent approach has thus far been identified.
HORSESHOE(S)
1) In heraldry a charge that, unless blazoned otherwise should always be shown with its open ends
downward – a fer-de-cheval see also ‘blazon’).
2) In vexillology a charge, sometimes undetailed, that has no specific orientation.
Flag of Hasbergen, Germany (fotw);
Flag of Kyslivka, Ukraine (fotw);
Flag of Lemberg, Germany (fotw)
HORSETAIL
A decoration for military flags, especially in China where it is usually red;
made of real or simulated horsehair and is almost certainly descended from a
Mongolian vexilloid (see also ‘tugh 1)’).
Please note that the standards of some former French
cavalry units (notably the Spahis originally raised in North Africa) were also
decorated by horsetails - see ‘toug’.
1) The distinguishing flag or pennant of a merchant marine company flown at sea by ships
owned or managed by that company, and from their headquarters on shore – a
shipping or shipping company house flag or pennant (see also ‘flags and funnels’,
‘logo’,
‘pennant 2)’) and
‘whaling flags’.
In Continental usage those terms, and translations of the German hausmarken or
housmarke, that may be used to describe the symbol or symbols used by non-armigerous
tradesmen in place of a coat of arms – a house brand – but see ‘merchant mark’ (see also
‘armigerous’,
‘coat of arms 2)’ and
‘mark 2)’)
Flag of Alfena, Portugal (fotw);
Flag of Lenzburg, Switzerland (fotw);
Flag of Bodenfelde, Germany (fotw)
Please note that in strict English heraldic usage this term should only be applied when the charge described in blue (“azure”) – see ‘tinctures’.
HUSBAND PENNANT (or WIMPEL)
In Scandinavian (particularly Finnish) usage the colloquial term, and a direct translation
of the Finnish “isännänviiri” or Swedish “husbondsvimpel”, used for a provincial wimpel – see
‘provincial wimpel’
(also ‘wimpel’).
Husband Pennant/Provincial Wimpel of Kainuu, Finland (fotw)
HUSSAR CUT
A variation of the swallow-tail in which the cut in the fly of the flag is
shaped by several curves, and was formerly typical of the flags used by
Prussian later German
cavalry regiments (see also
‘descate’,
‘palm’,
‘guidon 2)’,
‘indentation(s)’, ‘rounded swallow-tail’ and
‘swallow-tail(ed)’).
![[honour point]](../images/v/vxt-d1864.gif)
![[Mettembert]](../images/v/vxt-d1383.gif)
![[horsetail standards]](../images/v/vxt-d441.jpg){kind=small}
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d585.gif)
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1838.gif)
![[houseflag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1140.gif)
![[house mark example]](../images/v/vxt-d2043.gif)
![[house pennant example]](../images/v/vxt-d1421.gif)
![[hunting horn example]](../images/v/vxt-d3203a.gif)
![[hunting horn example]](../images/v/vxt-d3203.gif)
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d4784.gif)
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d941b.gif)
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d3833.gif)
![[husband flag example]](../images/v/vxt-d1096.gif)
![[Hussar cut example]](../images/v/vxt-d1508.gif)
![[Hussar cut example]](../images/v/vxt-d2692.gif)
![[Hussar cut example]](../images/v/vxt-d2693.gif)
