Pall (heraldry)

A pall (or pairle) in heraldry and vexillology is a Y-shaped charge, normally having its arms in the three corners of the shield. An example of a pall placed horizontally (fesswise) is the green portion of the South African national flag.^[1][2]

Argent, a pall reversed gules

Argent, a pall gules

A pall that stops short of the shield's edges and that has pointed ends to its three limbs is called a shakefork, although some heraldic sources do not make a distinction between a pall and a shakefork.^[3][2] A pall standing upside down is named pall reversed.^[3]

An ecclesiastical pall on a shield, or pallium, is the heraldic indicator of archbishoprics.^[2] These palls usually have a lower limb that stops short of the bottom of the shield with a fringe.^[3]

Palls can also be modified with heraldic lines.^[4] One example is the coat of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon.^[5]

Gallery

• 
  Arms of the Earl of Glencairn, chief of Clan Cunningham: Argent, a shakefork sable
• 
  Arms of the See of Canterbury with an episcopal pallium
• 
  Arms of the town of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon:
  Vert, a pall wavy Argent accompanied in chief by one mill wheel Or and flanked by two fleurs-de-lys of the same.
• 
  Arms of the city of Khabarovsk
• 
  Seal of Shanghai Municipal Council, Shanghai International Settlement
• 
  Flag of South Africa
• 
  Flag of Vanuatu
• 
  Flag of St. Louis
• 
  Flag of Tuva
• 
  Flag of Cook County, Illinois