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Hatchment

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

A diamond-shaped funerary heraldic panel displaying the coat of arms of a deceased person, traditionally hung on their home.

Detailed Definition
A hatchment is displayed after death, bearing the deceased’s coat of arms to signify lineage and passing. In poetry, it often signals mortality, remembrance, and the fading grandeur of status, combining beauty of design with themes of loss and legacy.
Example
Example in poetry:
The hatchment, hung at the door, bore the deceased’s arms in black and white; “Hatchment of my youth,” the elegy mourned lost potential; The poet described his unfinished work as a hatchment—arms displayed but life cut short; On the wall, the hatchment’s lozenges told of a widow’s enduring love.
Additional Notes
Hatchment is a diamond-shaped (lozenge) or shield-shaped memorial plaque displaying the arms of a deceased person, often with black and white backgrounds indicating marital status; it was traditionally hung on the deceased’s house; in poetry, hatchments evoke mourning, legacy, or the transience of earthly honors.
Also Known As
Achievement of arms (funerary context) Funeral escutcheon
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