Boars in Heraldry

Boars In Heraldry

The wild boar and boar's head are common charges in heraldry. A complete beast may represent what are seen as the positive qualities of the wild boar, namely courage and fierceness in battle; a boar's head may represent hospitality (from the custom of serving the boar's head in feasts), or it may symbolize that the bearer of the arms is a noted hunter.

In classical heraldry of the late medieval and early modern period, the boar is somewhat rarer than the lion, eagle or bear. A notable example from the late medieval period is the white boar of Richard III of England (1452–1485). The boar appears frequently on coats of arms of towns or cities designed in modern times. More rare than the boar is the sow or female pig (often shown as suckling piglets), found on some municipal coats of arms such as that of Albano Laziale.