Belled

Heraldic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In heraldry, depicted with small bells attached—typically to collars, harnesses, or limbs—suggesting sound, movement, or ceremonial function.

Detailed Definition
Belled means adorned with bells, usually on animals, symbolizing alertness or ceremonial importance. In poetry, it can evoke sound imagery or connotations of festivity and warning.
Example
Example in poetry:
The hound, belled with silver, announced the coming of mercy through the dark wood; Bells of gold belled the falcon’s jesses, each chime a note of nobility; “Belled with hope,” the verse described the pilgrim’s staff as it rang through desolation; On the shield, a lion belled in azure marched to the music of honor.
Additional Notes
Belled indicates that an animal (often a falcon or hawk) wears one or more bells, usually on its legs; bells signify readiness for the hunt or noble pastimes; in literary contexts, "belled" creatures may evoke sound, alertness, or aristocratic leisure; note that bells are typically tinctured unless "proper" (natural color) is specified.
Also Known As
Bell'd
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