Vane

Vane

Vane, (1) a Weather-cock, (fr. girouette): this device by itself seems to occur only in one coat of arms; but castles and towers are sometimes blazoned as bearing vanes, e.g. in the insignia of EDINBURGH. (See under Castle.) As regards the arms ascribed to a Lord Mayor of London in the twelfth century, they are probably of sixteenth-century invention, though not unlike earlier Merchants' marks. In Stow's Survey the weather-cocks are drawn like the figure in the margin.

Gules, on a saltire argent, between four weather-cocks(the supporters and vanes of the second, the cross crosslets or) five martlets of the field--arms ascribed to Henry FITZ-ALWYN, first Mayor of London, and Roger FITZ-ALWYN, his successor.

Per fesse sable and azure, a castle with four towers, the gate displayed argent; on each tower a vane or--RAWSON.

Gules, a castle with two towers or, embattled and masoned sable, adorned with four vanes argent--CHASTELANI, France. [De gueules, au chateau à deux tours d'or moconné de sable--CASTELLANI, Provence.]

D'azur, à un château sommé, de trois tours, pavillonnées et girouettées d'argent, le tout maçonné de sable--CHASTELAIN DE SERTINES.

2. A Winnowing basket. See Basket.