Heraldry
Visual symbols and their meanings
Heraldic devices, emblems and flags are a minor element throughout of the legendarium.
In the first phase of his mythology in The Book of Lost Tales, J.R.R. Tolkien described the heraldic devices with vivid and figurative images, as can be seen particularly in the description of the twelve houses of the Gondothlim; but in later narratives, the devices became few and simple. However, around 1960-61, Tolkien also drew several devices for characters of the First Age, which are more complex, but also ornamental and abstract. This article deals with illustrations and textual descriptions in separated sections.
Drawings
Probably after finishing his drawings in the 1960's, Tolkien defined some rules for Elvish heraldry:
Women's personal designs are set within a circle.
Male's personal designs are set within a lozenge.
General (impersonal) designs or emblems of a family are set within a square.
The rank was usually held to be shown by number of 'points' which reached the outer rim:
Four points were for princes.
Six to eight points for kings.
The great ancestors sometimes had as many as 16, as in House of Finwë.
Elves
As explained above, the personal emblems are set in a lozenge, while houses had them set in a square, so it is sure to assume some of the Elvish designs below (for example, Fëanor and the House of Fëanor) could be used by a noble family, having them tipped forty-five degrees. Tolkien only made this variation with the House of Finwë's. Elven designs are symmetrical in all sides, unlike those of Men, so they can be used in any position in a circular movement that probably reflected Elven immortality.
Eärendil
Tolkien seems to have been quite invested with Eärendil's device, making more variations than any other. See Finarfin's second device above, which was clearly abandoned and used as the base for Eärendil's device instead. Hammond and Scull also describe a device for Eärendil with a star of six points, two of them being longer and touching the angles of above and below.
Men
Men's designs are symmetrical, but unlike those of the Elves, only horizontally, with a pushing force upwards. This probably reflects Men's trascendental nature, unlike Elven's enclosed immortality.
Dwarves
Maiar
Early locations
In the early phase of the legendarium of The Book of Lost Tales (1916-20), Tolkien made three heraldic devices for towns from England (then the core of his mythology), which he laveled with the title "i·glin grandin a·Dol Erethin Airi" ("the fair towns of Holy Tol Eressëa"). As noted by the editors, these towns were special for Tolkien and his wife Edith in those years.
Other related drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien
In text
Apart from those he drew, Tolkien also mentions several designs throughtout the narratives, which are included here with a visual recreation. Notice that here the devices are depicted in a shield for consistency's sake, but in narrative, they are carried in banners, standards, seals, arms, stakes, etc.
The Lord of the Rings
Unfinished Tales
Twelve houses of the Gondothlim
The array of the twelve houses of the Gondothlim in the earliest version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales is quite detailed. Some of these folks have their emblems mentioned with capitalized letters (the White Wing, the Stricken Anvil). However, from some of the houses no details about their heraldry is given, but like the others, most probably they had their devices based on their names and reflecting their raiments:
The houses of the Pillar and of the Tower of Snow were both under the lordship of Penlod, so they probably had similar raiments.
The house of the Tree had green raiment.
The people of the Fountain were fond of silver and diamonds, and bore pale and bright swords.
Below there are given the quotes describing the emblems hold by the other houses, keeping some pertinent mentions of their raiments.
Gnomish banners
In some "Prose Fragments Following the Lost Tales", Tolkien wrote a short narrative about the coming of the Gnomes into the Great Lands (the later Return of the Noldor), in which their leader and their sons hold several banners:
The sons of Fëanor (here unrelated to the royal house) are said to be the ones who wrought the standard and banners, which shore either under the sun, moon, darkness or mist, thanks to their magical gems sewed in them.
In the following versions of the story in both the Sketch of the Mythology (1926) and the Qenta Noldorinwa (1930), the banners are merely mentioned as being "blue and silver".
Portrayal in adaptations
Devices in The Lord of the Rings (film series) (2001-3)
External links
Emblems and Heraldry by Måns Björkman
Heraldry of Middle-earth on Wikipedia
"The Eye and the Tree. The Semantics of Middle-earth Heraldry", by Catalin Hriban. Published in Hither Shore 8 (2011), pp. 198–211.
"Tolkien's Devices: The Heraldy of Middle-Earth", by Jamie McGregor. Published in Mythlore 123 (2013), pp. 95–112.
"Symbols of Immortality: A Comparison of European and Elvish Heraldry", by Margaret R. Purdy. Published in Mythlore 31 (1982), pp. 19–22, 36.
Tolkien's heraldry recreated by Aglargon
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 26/05/2026.
