In heraldry, a head is a compact but powerful charge that can represent identity, courage, memory, conquest, wisdom, or lineage, depending on whose head is shown and how it is displayed. Human heads may refer to ancestry, ethnic or regional identity, saintly devotion, or a notable episode in family history. Animal heads often intensify the qualities of the creature itself: a lion’s head suggests bravery and sovereignty, a boar’s head ferocity and hospitality, a stag’s head nobility and woodland heritage, while an eagle’s head expresses vigilance and high aspiration. Because a head isolates the most recognizable and expressive part of a figure, it gives heraldry a direct and memorable focus.

The treatment of the head is important. A head couped is cleanly cut at the neck, while erased means it is shown with a jagged edge, as if torn away, a convention that can add drama and martial force. Heads may appear affronty, in profile, crowned, collared, bearded, haloed, or holding an object in the mouth. One of the most famous examples is the Moor’s head, used in several European traditions, including the arms of Corsica and Sardinia, where it carries complex historical and regional meanings connected with Mediterranean identity and conflict.

Heads are also common as crests, badges, and supporters’ details because they are visually bold and easy to distinguish at a distance. In Scottish heraldry, a stag’s head cabossed or erased is especially frequent among Highland and hunting-related arms, while boar’s heads appear prominently in the arms and crests of families such as Campbell and Gordon. Useful references include Parker’s A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, the Heraldry Society, and examples at Heraldry of the World. In coats of arms, the head is a concise emblem of character, memory, and heraldic personality.