orle

heraldry

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July 16, 2026

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In heraldry, an orle is a border or charge within a coat of arms. It can be a series of small charges arranged to form a border inside the edge of the shield, or it can be a border parallel to, but not touching, the shield's edge. The term can also refer to the wreath or chaplet that sits atop a knight's helmet and bears the crest.1

The word "orle" comes from the Middle French word for "border" or "hem". In heraldry, the field of a shield is described as being "charged" with various objects. The orle, as an inner border, gives the appearance of a shield with its middle section removed.12

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heraldry
Ordinaries
The orle is an inner border, not touching the sides of the shield; the field is seen within and around the orle, giving it the appearance of a shield with the middle cut out (voided, in heraldry). The tressure, much used in Scottish heraldry, is an…
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The orle is an inner border, not touching the sides of the shield; the field is seen within and around the orle, giving it the appearance of a shield with the middle cut out (voided, in heraldry). The tressure, much used in Scottish heraldry, is an…
Read More