Tyger (heraldry)

Lore & Background

The tyger's body resembles that of a real tiger but lacks stripes. Its head does not closely resemble any real animal except perhaps a more massive wolf, and typically has prominent canines and a short curved horn or spike on its snout; occasionally it is depicted with tusks instead. It has a thick mane or series of tufts of hair along its neck like a horse, and similar tufts on its breast and thighs, along with the tufted tail of a lion. A tyger proper was in medieval times said to be speckled.

As real tigers were unknown to early British heraldists, depictions of this creature were drawn from artists' ideas based only on secondhand accounts. Consequently, although it originated as an attempt to depict a real creature, the heraldic tyger eventually became highly distinct from the original animal. Real tigers began to appear in British heraldry, although only sporadically, in the eighteenth century as a result of the colonization of India within the British Empire.

In mythology, the tyger was said to have its home in Armenia. Its swiftness was supposed to have given its name to 'tygris', the Persian word for 'arrow', and to the swift River Tigris. If pursued by a tyger, it was supposed to be possible to get away by leaving a mirror, which would perplex the tyger or entrance it in admiration of its own beauty. A variant claimed this was a method used by hunters when taking a tygress' cubs, who would scatter mirrors behind themselves so that the creature would cease her pursuit either to admire her own beauty or because she mistakes her reflection for one of her cubs. As a result, tygers are sometimes depicted looking in a mirror, although this particular device is overall uncommon.

Reader's Guide

The heraldic tyger represents a fascinating case of how medieval European heraldists imagined exotic animals based on incomplete descriptions. Because real tigers were unknown to early British heraldists, the tyger evolved into a fantastical creature with features such as a wolf-like head, a short horn or spike on its snout, a horse-like mane, and a lion's tufted tail—none of which belong to the actual tiger. This imaginary beast was used as a charge in heraldry, distinguished from the natural tiger (later blazoned as a Bengal tiger) by the older form's name: heraldic tiger, tyger, or tigre. The tyger's significance lies in its role as a heraldic symbol that bridges medieval imagination and later colonial encounters. Its mythology, including the mirror trick to escape pursuit, adds a layer of folkloric charm. The eventual appearance of real tigers in British heraldry in the eighteenth century, due to British colonization of India, marks a shift from imagined to observed natural history. The tyger thus stands as a testament to how heraldic traditions can preserve and transform cultural perceptions of the natural world.

Did You Know?

• The tyger lacks stripes, unlike the real tiger.
• Its head resembles a more massive wolf and typically has a short curved horn or spike on its snout.
• A tyger proper was in medieval times said to be speckled.
• The tyger was said to have its home in Armenia, and its swiftness supposedly gave its name to the River Tigris.