In heraldry, a bend is a band or strap running from the upper dexter corner of the shield to the lower sinister. Authorities differ as to how much of the field it should cover, ranging from one-fifth up to one-third. The supposed rule that a bend should occupy a maximum of one-third of the field appears to exclude the possibility of three bends being shown together, but contrary examples exist. Outside heraldry, the term "bend sinister" is sometimes used to imply illegitimacy, though it is almost never true that a bend sinister has this significance, and a "bar sinister" cannot, by its nature, exist.
Variations
A bend can be modified by most of the lines of partition, such as the bend engrailed in the ancient arms of Fortescue and the bend wavy in the ancient coat of Wallop, Earls of Portsmouth.
Diminutives
The diminutives of the bend, being narrower versions, are as follows, in descending order of width:
Bendlet: One-half as wide as a bend, as in the arms of Manchester City Council, England. A bendlet couped is also known as a baton, as in the coat of Elliot of Stobs
Cotise: One-fourth the width of a bend; it appears only in pairs, one on either side of a bend, in which case the bend is said to be cotised as in the ancient arms of Fortescue and Bohun and in the more modern arms of Hyndburn Borough Council, England.
Riband or ribbon: Also one-fourth the width of a bend. It is also called a cost as in the arms of Abernethie of Auchincloch
Scarp : a bend sinister of one-half width.
Bend sinister
The usual bend is occasionally called a bend dexter when it needs to contrast with the bend sinister, which runs in the other direction, like a sash worn diagonally from the left shoulder. The bend sinister and its diminutives such as the baton sinister are rare as an independent motif; they occur more often as marks of distinction. The term "bar sinister" is an erroneous term when used in this context, since the "bar" in heraldry refers to a horizontal line. The bend sinister, reduced in size to that of a bendlet or baton, was one of the commonest brisures added to the arms of illegitimate offspring of European aristocratic lords. Such royal descent was considered a mark of honour, and in most of Europe, illegitimate children of nobles, despite having few legal rights, were customarily regarded as noble and married within the most aristocratic families. This was the usual mark used to identify illegitimate descendants of the English royal family dating from fifteenth century, as in the arms of Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, illegitimate son of Edward IV of England. The full-sized bend sinister was seldom used in this way, and more recent examples also exist of bends sinister that have no connection with illegitimacy, such as in the arms of the Burne-Jones baronets. These markings were never subject to strict rules, and the customary English use of the bend, bendlet, and baton sinister to denote illegitimacy in this way eventually gave way to the use of different kinds of bordures.
"Bar sinister"
is credited with inventing the phrase bar sinister, which has become a metonymic term for bastardy. Heraldry scholar Arthur Charles Fox-Davies and others state that the phrase derives from a misspelling of barre, the French term for bend. Despite its not being a real heraldic symbol, bar sinister has become a standard euphemism for illegitimate birth.
Similar elements
In bend
The phrase in bend refers to the appearance of several items on the shield being lined up in the direction of a bend, as in the arms of the ancient Northcote family of Devon: Argent, three crosses-crosslet in bend sable. It is also used when something is slanted in the direction of a bend, as in the coat of Surrey County Council in England.
Bendwise
A chargebendwise is slanted like a bend. When a charge is placed on a bend, by default it is shown bendwise.
Party per bend
A shield party per bend is divided into two parts by a single line which runs in the direction of a bend. Applies not only to the fields of shields but also to charges.
Bendy
Bendy is a variation of the fieldconsisting of an even number of parts, most often six; as in the coat of the duchy of Burgundy. Analogous terms are derived from the bend sinister: per bend sinister, bendwise sinister, bendy sinister.
Engouled
In Spanish heraldry, bends may be engouled, or swallowed, by the heads of dragons or wolves. A famous example of this is in the Royal Bend of Castile.
