Picture this: you’re flipping through a medieval manuscript. The coats of arms are bold, the crests are fierce and then your eye drifts to the swirls of fabric curling around the helmet. They’re tattered, twisted, and sometimes so over-the-top they look like seaweed.
That’s mantling in heraldry, and it’s one of the most dramatic, artistic flourishes in the field.
What Exactly Is Mantling?
Mantling is the cloth that hangs from a knight’s helmet in a coat of arms, usually drawn in graceful, wavy lines. Historically, it was a linen or cloth covering that knights actually wore over their helmets.
It shielded them from the burning sun and softened the impact of sword blows. Imagine medieval knights realizing: hey, this sweaty helmet could use a sunhat.
In artwork, this cloth is often shown slashed, shredded, or curling dramatically. Why? Because in battle it would get hacked up, so artists leaned into that visual.
Over time, artists who drew mantling in heraldic designs took creative liberties ...sometimes too much.
By the 18th century, mantling looked less like fabric and more like seaweed gone rogue. Thankfully, modern heraldic artists returned to the elegant swirls of earlier times.
Why Mantling Isn’t Really About History
Unlike shields or crests, mantling doesn’t carry the same heavy burden of symbolism or recorded lineage. Its roots are practical. A cloth to block the sun and soften sword blows but once heraldry moved from the battlefield to the artist’s page, mantling became less about history and more about style.
By the 17th to 19th centuries, coats of arms were no longer strapped to a knight’s shield in war. Instead, they were displayed in armorial rolls, stained glass, carvings, and grand portraits. Heraldic artists suddenly had more room to play and no need to keep mantling “practical.”
As warfare faded, heraldic artists leaned into the decorative potential, pushing it far beyond what real cloth could do. That’s why you see mantling turning into cascading, ocean-like fronds or flamboyant scrollwork.
The Colors of Mantling
Mantling usually borrows its colors from the coat of arms itself: one side in the main color and the lining in the main metal (gold or silver). For example, a shield of blue and gold would likely have blue mantling lined with gold.
But heraldry loves exceptions:
-
Some mantlings are split in half (per pale) with two colors.
-
Others have rare divisions or unique designs.
-
And a few break all the rules, like Canada’s coat of arms, which features mantling shaped like maple leaves instead of fabric. (Because why not make it extra Canadian, right?)
Want to find your family crest? Look for the color scheme! It often clues you in to matching mantling in heraldry.
How Mantling Is Blazoned
In heraldry, mantling is often described as: mantled (color), doubled (metal).
That means one side of the cloth is a color (like blue, red, or green), while the lining is a metal (gold or silver). Usually, mantling matches the shield or livery colors.
👉 Quick explainer: In heraldry, livery colors are the official “house colors” of a family or noble. They aren’t only used in the coat of arms but also in clothing, banners, and even servants’ uniforms (like a medieval version of brand colors).
Can Mantling Be Customized?
The short answer: absolutely. Mantling has always been one of the most flexible parts of a coat of arms. Unlike the shield, crest, or motto, which often carry strict symbolic meanings tied to lineage or achievements, mantling has largely been left to the artist’s interpretation.
Historically, the only real “rule” was that mantling should look like cloth. Beyond that? There’s a long record of creative freedom:
-
Battle-worn or pristine: Early artists liked to draw mantling in tatters to suggest combat scars, while clergy often had smooth, untouched folds to signal peace.
-
Color variations: The most common scheme was one color outside and one metal inside, but plenty of exceptions exist, such as per pale divisions, unusual tinctures, and even double-fur mantling like the Black Loyalist Heritage Society.
-
Thematic mantling: Some designs blended the crest into the mantling itself - like animal fur flowing down into drapery.
-
National or cultural flair: Artists have long treated mantling as the decorative “frame” that can convey cultural identity.
Mantling vs. Mantle: Not the Same Thing
Here’s where it gets tricky: mantling isn’t the same as a mantle.
-
Mantling = the decorative cloth draping from the helmet (think: knight’s protective scarf turned fashion statement). Artists would draw it in flowing folds, often in the livery colors of the family, to make the coat of arms more striking.
-
Mantle = a grand velvet cloak, often crimson and ermine-lined, reserved for royalty and sovereigns. These were full ceremonial robes that signaled power, wealth, and status.
Sometimes mantles also appear in coats of arms, complete with pavilions (like little canopies). You’ll see these in continental European heraldry, but not in English or Scottish designs.
The takeaway? Mantling is for everyone. Mantles? That’s for kings, queens, and the very, very important.
Mantling as the Artist’s Playground
One of the most delightful parts of heraldry is that mantling often reflects the artist’s creativity. Plus, mantling isn’t always formally “blazoned” (described in heraldic language). That means artists have room to play.
This flexibility makes mantling one of the most decorative, personality-driven aspects of heraldry. Even today, when you find your family crest, mantling is one of the details most open to interpretation, making each design unique.
Unique Mantling Examples
Let’s look at some standout cases where mantling goes from background décor to the star of the show:
-
The Black Loyalist Heritage Society: Their mantling is lined with ermine, which a rare case of fur on both sides.
-
Bruce Douglas Bolton: His arms feature tartan mantling on the outside. Yes, plaid fabric in heraldry!
-
Canada’s Coat of Arms: Mantling here is not just red and white—it’s stylized as maple leaves, turning cloth into national symbolism.
Why Mantling Matters in Heraldry
Mantling:
-
Connects coats of arms to their epic battlefield origins.
-
Is an extension of the crest.
-
Adds individuality to family crests.
-
Lets artists express coat of arms creativity and adapt over time.
-
Makes heraldry more artistic.
And let’s be honest: if heraldry didn’t have mantling, it would be like superheroes without capes. Functional, sure, but missing that extra bit of flair!
Image credits:
Dresden Germany Door via Wikimedia Commons, source
Mantle with a pavilion on top via Wikimedia Commons, source
#/media/File:Mantel_kaal.svg){kind=link}
The German Hyghalmen Roll via Wikimedia Commons, source
Royal Coat of arms of Canada via Wikimedia Commons, source
