The saltire is one of the so-called ordinaries, geometric charges that span throughout (from edge to edge of) the shield. As suggested by the name saltire ("stirrup"; in French: sautoir, in German: Schragen), the ordinary in its early use was not intended as representing a …

Saltire: a bend and a bend sinister both of equal widths conjoined to form a diagonal cross (×), as in the Scots national banner (often referred to simply as "the Saltire"), and also known colloquially as a St Andrew's cross.

In heraldry, the field (background) of a shield can be divided into more than one area, or subdivision, of different tinctures, usually following the lines of one of the ordinaries and carrying its name (e.g. a shield divided in the shape of a chevron is said to be parted "per chevron").

Saltire. The saltire is most often found in Scottish arms because it is the well-known cross of St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. It is a cross running from corner to corner rather than vertically and horizontally like a crucifix. The saltire symbolizes suffering for faith and the endurance of hardships.

The saltire is an heraldic ordinary, an X-shaped form intersecting the upper corners of the shield, and occupying one-third to one-fifth of its width. It is also known as the “cross of St. Andrew”, since the saint was supposed to have been martyred on one.

Saltire, or saltier, (fr. sautoir): this honourable ordinary is supposed to represent the cross whereon S.Andrew was crucified, and the standard or banner of S.Andrew is one bearing the saltire argent on a field azure.

The saltire is an heraldic ordinary, an X-shaped form intersecting the upper corners of the shield, and occupying one-third to one-fifth of its width. It is also known as the “cross of St. Andrew”, since the saint was supposed to have been martyred on one.

A bend should occupy one-third of the shield when there are charges on it and one-fifth of the shield when plain. Saltire : An ordinary composed of two crossed diagonal arms, like the letter X. An ordinary in the shape of a St. Andrew's cross, formed by …

Some items can be either ordinaries (i.e. a single example in a fixed location) or more than one can be present, in which case they treated like charges and can be positioned and arranged like any other charge. These are: cross, chevron, fret, saltire.

…the upper half of a saltire (St. Andrew’s cross) with the lower half of a pale, forming a Y-shape. The pile is a triangle pointing downward. The flaunch, or flanch, is a segment of a circle drawn from the top of the shield to the base. The lozenge is a… Read More