Mullet

Mullet

Mullet. (fr. molette): this bearing is generally taken to represent the rowel of a spur, and in modern French heraldry is called molette d'éperon. In old French blazon it is sometimes termed rouwell, q.v. It might, however, when not pierced be taken to represent a star, and, as will be seen by the examples, it appears originally to have been interchangeable with the estoile. It usually has five points, and this number is always to be understood when no other is mentioned. In French heraldry the normal number of points is six.

Le Conte de OXFORD, quartele d'or et de goules[sic], ung molet d'argent ent le quarter devant--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Le Counte de OXENFORD, quartile de or e de goules; a un molet de argent--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Le Counte d'OXFORD, port quarterly d'or et gules; a une estoiele d'argent en le quarter gules devant--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Quarterly gules and or, in the first quarter a mullet argent--VERE, Earl of Oxford.

William de ODINGSELES, d'argent a la fece de goulz a deux molets en le chief goulz--Roll, temp. HEN III.

William DODINGCELES, dargent a une fesse de goules a deus roueles de gules--Another Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Sire Johan DODINGCELES, de argent a une fesse de goules; en la chef un molet de goules--Roll, temp. ED. II. [Similar in Roll, temp. ED. III.]

Nicholas de MOELES, dargent a deux barres de goules a trois molets; en le chief goules--Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Rauf DELAHAYE, dargent, a ruell de goules--Another Roll, temp. HEN. III.

Robert de HAMSART, tout apreste' .... Rouge o trois estoiles de argent--Roll of Carlaverock, A.D. 1300. [Cf. Gilbert HANSARDE under Estoile.]

Sire Robert HANSARDE de, goules a iij moles de argent--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Monsire HANSTED, gules a trois mulletts argent--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Sir Renaud de COBHAM[de goules a un chevron de or]; en le cheveron iij moles de azure--Roll, temp. ED. II. [Cf. John de COBHAM under Estoile.]

Sire Johan de WIGKETONE, de sable, a 3 moles de or, od la bordure endente de or--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Le bon Baron de WIGNETONE ... portoit bordure endentee O trois estoiles de or ensable--Roll of Carlaverock.

Argent, on a bend cotised sable, three mullets or--LENTHALL, Haseley, co. Oxon.

Argent, on a mullet sable an annulet or--ASHTON, co. Lancaster.

Mullet besides having for the sake of variety more than five points(or, as they are termed in one instance, horns), may be pierced of the field, or voided of some other tincture, and this is found to be the case with very early examples. Sometimes, though pierced is not mentioned, it may be understood.

Sire William de HARPEDENE de argent a un molet de goules percee--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Argent, a mullet of six points pierced sable--HARPDEN, Gloucestershire.

Monsire de BRADBOURNE, port d'argent a une bend gules trois molletts d'or percés--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Monsire John de HOTHAM, d'or, sur une bend sable trois mulletts d'argent voyde gules--Ibid.

Monsire de KNEVILLE, gules a trois molletts d'or voyde vert--Ibid.

Monsire de BONVILLE, d'or, sur une bend sable, trois molets d'argent voyde du champ--Roll, temp. ED. III.

Sire Miles de HASTYNGES, de or une, fesse de goules; en le chef ij moles de goules--Roll, temp. ED. II.

Or, a fesse, and in chief two mullets of six points pierced gules--HASTYNGES, Oxfordshire.

Argent, on two bars sable six mullets of as many points or, three and three--HOPTON, co. York.

Azure, three crescents each enclosing a six-pointed mullet[or rather estoile] argent--HOBHOUSE, co. Somerset.

Argent, three bars sable; in chief two mullets pierced of the last, the horns barry of the first and second--HOUGHTON, London.

Edmondson has blazoned these as star-fishes, for which Guillim pretends that mullet was the ancient name.

A mullet is used for a difference of the third house. (See Cadency.)

Mullet, (a fish). See Gurnet; also Sea Urchin.