Dexter and sinister
Encyclopedia
Dexter and sinister are terms used in heraldry
to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms
and by extension also to a crest
. "Dexter" (from Latin dextra, right) means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer. "Sinister" (from Latin sinistra, left) means to the left from the viewpoint of the bearer, to the right of that of the viewer. The dexter side is considered the side of greatest honour
.
A bend
sinister is a bend which runs from top-right to bottom-left, as opposed to top-left to bottom-right. As the shield would have been carried with the design facing outwards from the bearer, the bend sinister would slant in the same direction as a sash worn diagonally on the left shoulder.
This division is a key to dimidiation
, a method of joining two coats of arms by placing the dexter half of one coat of arms alongside the sinister half of the other. In the case of marriage, the dexter half of the husband's arms would be placed alongside the sinister half of the wife's. The practice fell out of use as in some cases it would result in a shield that looked like one coat of arms rather than a combination of two.
The Great Seal of the United States
features an eagle clutching an olive branch
in its dexter talon, and arrows in its sinister talon, indicating the nation's intended inclination to peace. In 1945, one of the changes ordered for the similarly arranged Flag of the President of the United States
by President
Harry S. Truman
was having the eagle face towards its right (dexter, the direction of honor) and thus towards the olive branch.
were originally named for the purpose of military training of knights and soldiers long before heraldry came into use early in the 13th century, thus the only viewpoint which was relevant was the bearer's, the front of the purely functional shield being originally undecorated. It is likely that the use of the shield as a defensive and offensive weapon was almost as developed as that of the sword itself, and therefore the various positions or strokes of the shield needed to be described to students of arms. For example, using pure conjecture, "parry with the dexter, repulse with the sinister", "defend the face with the dexter, the body with the sinister". Such usage may indeed have descended directly from Roman training techniques spread throughout Roman occupied Europe and continued during the age of chivalry
during which heraldry came into use.
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
to refer to specific locations in an escutcheon bearing a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
and by extension also to a crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
. "Dexter" (from Latin dextra, right) means to the right from the viewpoint of the bearer of the arms, to the left of that of the viewer. "Sinister" (from Latin sinistra, left) means to the left from the viewpoint of the bearer, to the right of that of the viewer. The dexter side is considered the side of greatest honour
Honour
Honour or honor is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation...
.
A bend
Bend (heraldry)
In heraldry, a bend is a coloured band running from the upper right corner of the shield to the lower left . Writers differ in how much of the field they say it covers, ranging from one-fifth up to one-third...
sinister is a bend which runs from top-right to bottom-left, as opposed to top-left to bottom-right. As the shield would have been carried with the design facing outwards from the bearer, the bend sinister would slant in the same direction as a sash worn diagonally on the left shoulder.
This division is a key to dimidiation
Dimidiation
In heraldry, dimidiation is a method of joining two coats of arms.For a time, dimidiation preceded the method known as impalement. Whereas impalement involves placing the whole of both coats of arms side by side in the same shield, dimidiation involves placing the dexter half of one coat of arms...
, a method of joining two coats of arms by placing the dexter half of one coat of arms alongside the sinister half of the other. In the case of marriage, the dexter half of the husband's arms would be placed alongside the sinister half of the wife's. The practice fell out of use as in some cases it would result in a shield that looked like one coat of arms rather than a combination of two.
The Great Seal of the United States
Great Seal of the United States
The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it...
features an eagle clutching an olive branch
Olive branch
The olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:...
in its dexter talon, and arrows in its sinister talon, indicating the nation's intended inclination to peace. In 1945, one of the changes ordered for the similarly arranged Flag of the President of the United States
Flag of the President of the United States
The Flag of the President of the United States consists of the presidential coat of arms on a dark blue background. While having the same design as the presidential seal since 1945, the flag has a separate history, and the designs on the flag and seal have at different times influenced each other...
by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
was having the eagle face towards its right (dexter, the direction of honor) and thus towards the olive branch.
Origin
It is certain that the sides of a shieldShield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
were originally named for the purpose of military training of knights and soldiers long before heraldry came into use early in the 13th century, thus the only viewpoint which was relevant was the bearer's, the front of the purely functional shield being originally undecorated. It is likely that the use of the shield as a defensive and offensive weapon was almost as developed as that of the sword itself, and therefore the various positions or strokes of the shield needed to be described to students of arms. For example, using pure conjecture, "parry with the dexter, repulse with the sinister", "defend the face with the dexter, the body with the sinister". Such usage may indeed have descended directly from Roman training techniques spread throughout Roman occupied Europe and continued during the age of chivalry
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
during which heraldry came into use.