Alphin ( lat. Alphyn ) is a fictional heraldic animal, very similar to a heraldic tiger , but with a denser and hairier body, a thick mane, long ears, a long thin tongue and a twisted tail [1] . The forepaws of the alfine are aquiline [2] . Sometimes eagles depict all four paws [3] [4] .
It is found in English heraldry from the end of the 15th century. In medieval bestiaries, the animal is absent, and the English word alphyn is borrowed through Old French from Arabic ( al-fil - elephant), and denotes the corresponding chess piece . This together suggests the Irish ( onchainn, onchu - water dog, otter) origin of the heraldic name. Irish aristocrats began to use emblems quite late, generally imitating English heraldry, and there is the possibility of entering the term into English through the Irish emblem kings serving Henry VII . Onchu in the form of a monster otter occupied an important place in Irish heraldry in the 18th century, being for Ireland the same symbol as the lion in England [5] .
Notes
- ↑ Ferguson, John, and Stephen Friar. Basic Heraldry . 1st ed. WW Norton & Co Inc, 1993.16. Print.
- ↑ Heraldry Society. "The Coat of Arms, Volumes 3-6." Johnson Reprint Corporation. University of Minnesota: 1954.
- ↑ Leo Ruickbie. The Impossible Zoo - An Encyclopedia of fabulous Beasts and mythical Monsters . - Hachette Book Group, 2016 .-- ISBN 978-1-47213-645-9 .
- ↑ William O'Connor. Dracopedia. The Bestiary - An Artist's Guide to Creating Mythical Creatures. - Impact, 2013 .-- ISBN 978-1-44032-535-9 .
- ↑ NJA Williams. Of Beasts and Banners the Origin of the Heraldic Enfield // The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. - 1989 .-- T. 119 . - S. 62–78 . - ISSN 0035-9106 .