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Pall

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 Y-shaped figure formed by joining a vertical and two diagonal bands.

Detailed Definition
The pall, found in both heraldry and ecclesiastical vestments, suggests unity and sacred convergence. Poets use it to signify interconnected paths or divine joining—where faith, authority, and poetry’s moral order intertwine.
Example
Example in poetry:
The pall, Y-shaped, united three realms under one sovereign grace; “Pall of reconciliation,” the peace ode pictured divided lands joined at the center; The poet saw the pall as a river branching into tributaries of legacy; In ecclesiastical arms, the pall symbolized the yoke of pastoral care; The pall reversed became an anchor of stability in the storm-tossed shield.
Additional Notes
Pall is a Y-shaped ordinary, common in ecclesiastical arms (e.g., Archbishop of Canterbury); it symbolizes the Trinity or pastoral authority; in poetry, the pall can represent convergence, divine blessing, or tripartite unity; note that in South African heraldry, the pall is a national symbol of convergence from diverse origins.
Other Meanings of “Pall”
Also Known As
Pairle Shakefork (in Scottish heraldry)
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