Boars in heraldry
A common heraldic charge from antiquity to modern civic arms.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
The wild boar and boar's head are common charges in heraldry, appearing in coats of arms, civic emblems, and military badges from the Middle Ages to modern times. Their use predates classical heraldry, with boar emblems recorded among Roman legions, Pictish stones, and Germanic tribes, and they later became widespread in European heraldic tradition.
- earliest_known_use
- Roman Empire (Legio I Italica, Legio X Fretensis, Legio XX Valeria Victrix)
- notable_early_example
- Knocknagael Boar Stone (circa 7th century)
- associated_regions
- Scotland, Ireland, Serbia, Germany, Belgium, Spain
- common_variants
- Whole boar, boar's head (couped or erased), pierced boar
- famous_heraldic_use
- White Boar of Richard III of England
Lore & Background
The boar was used as an emblem in some instances during antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, predating classical European heraldry. During the Roman Empire, at least three legions—Legio I Italica, Legio X Fretensis, and Legio XX Valeria Victrix—used a boar as their emblem. The Knocknagael Boar Stone, a Pictish stone dating to circa the 7th century, depicts a boar emblem. The name of Orkney is interpreted as being derived from orc-, the Celtic for 'pig', presumably from a Pictish tribe that displayed a boar or wild pig as their emblem. The boar also appears as an emblem for Germanic tribes during the Anglo-Saxon and Vendel periods and the Viking Age, reflected in boar helmets worn in battle and attested in archaeological records and Old English and Old Norse sources. The boar is closely associated with Freyr and has been proposed as a totemic animal to the Swedes, in particular the Yngling royal dynasty.
Reader's Guide
With the development of heraldry in the late Middle Ages, the boar appears as the White Boar, a personal device of Richard III of England used as his livery badges. In the 15th century, a coat of arms of 'Triballia' depicting a wild boar with an arrow piercing its head was displayed as the supposed arms of Emperor Stefan Dušan. This device was used as the coat of arms of the Serbian Despotate in 1415 and appears on one of Stefan Lazarević's personal seals. During the First Serbian Uprising (1804–1813), the Parliament adopted the coat of arms of Serbia in 1805, whose official seal depicted the heraldic emblems of Serbia and Triballia. In early modern heraldry, use of a boar's head became popular. Boars feature frequently in British heraldry, with the boar's head traditionally shown attached to its neck in English heraldry, while in Scottish and Welsh heraldry it is cut off from behind the ears. The ancient Cheshire Booth family display arms blazoned Argent three Boars' Heads erect erased Sable. Queen Camilla's marital arms feature a rampant wild boar with a chained crown around its neck. In Ireland, boars feature in many coats of arms of noble families, such as three boars on the arms of Lockhart, Grimsby, and Oglethorpe. In Scotland, a boar's head is the crest of Clan MacTavish, Clan Campbell, and Clan Innes. Boar charges are also used in canting heraldry, as seen in German towns like Eberbach and Ebersbach. The Serbian coat of arms has featured the pierced head of a wild boar, also known as the coat of arms of Triballia. The Lorne Scots, a Canadian Army Infantry Regiment, adopted the boar's head as their heraldic emblem due to their affiliation with Clan Campbell. In Belgium, the wild boar is the mascot of the Régiment de Chasseurs Ardennais, whose soldiers wear the boar's head as a cap badge.
Did You Know?
- During the Roman Empire, at least three legions used a boar as their emblem: Legio I Italica, Legio X Fretensis, and Legio XX Valeria Victrix.
- The name of Orkney is interpreted as being derived from orc-, the Celtic for 'pig', presumably from a Pictish tribe that displayed a boar as their emblem.
- The White Boar was a personal device of Richard III of England used as his livery badges.
- In Scottish and Welsh heraldry, the boar's head is cut off from behind the ears, while in English heraldry it is shown attached to its neck.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a boar charge in heraldry?
A boar in heraldry is a wild boar rendered as a decorative or symbolic element on coats of arms, civic emblems, and military badges. It has been in continuous use from the medieval period through modern civic heraldry across Europe.
What are the main variants of the boar charge?
The three standard forms are the whole boar, the boar's head (cut either couped or erased at the neck), and the pierced boar. Each variant is treated as a distinct charge with its own blazoning conventions.
How far back does the boar as a heraldic symbol go?
Boar emblems predate formal European heraldry, appearing on Roman legionary standards (Legio I Italica, Legio X Fretensis, Legio XX Valeria Victrix) and on Pictish carvings such as the 7th-century Knocknagael Boar Stone. Germanic tribal art also features the animal well before the medieval heraldic system crystallised.
What is the most famous boar in heraldic history?
The White Boar of Richard III of England is the single most recognised boar charge in the Western tradition. Richard adopted it as his personal badge, and it became so inseparable from his identity that it survived him as a lasting Yorkist symbol.
Which regions most commonly feature boars in their arms?
Scotland, Ireland, Serbia, Germany, Belgium, and Spain all have a deep tradition of boar charges in both noble and civic heraldry. The charge is especially prevalent in Scottish and Irish arms, where it frequently appears alongside other native fauna.
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