- ROD OF ASCLEPIUS
- See ‘Staff of Asclepius’.
Flag and Emblem of the 52nd Field Ambulance, Canada (fotw)
- ROD OF HERMES (or MERCURY)
- Alternative heraldic terms for a caduceus - see ‘caduceus’.
Flag and Arms of Holwerd,
Netherlands (fotw)
- ROGACINA
- In Middle European heraldic usage, the Polish term for a charge in the form of a stylized
arrowhead or spear point, often with a decorated shaft and generally (but not invariably) pointing
upward (see also ‘arrow cross’,
‘shafted’ and
‘barbed’).
Flag
and Arms of
Baranów, Poland (fotw):
Flag of Górno, Poland (fotw)
- ROPE GROMMET
- In naval heraldry the rope decoration that often surrounds a ship’s badge
– traditionally but incorrectly referred to as a ship’s crest – see ‘ship’s crest’
(also ‘badge 3)’ and ‘ropework border’).

Flag showing the Ship’s Badge/Crest of HMS Gloucester 1975 (fotw)
- ROPED CROSS
- 1) A cross of any type, but one whose arms appear fastened together with rope – a cable,
cabled or corded cross (see also ‘cross 2)’).
2) The term may also be used to describe a cross that is made entirely from rope, cord or
cabling.
Example;
Flag of Svatý Jan pod Skalou, Czechia (fotw);
Example (Seiyaku.com)
- ROPED HEADING
- See ‘running eye and toggle’.
- ROPEWORK BORDER
- A term used to describe the border of those shields that appear on the Italian civil and naval ensigns -
see ‘civil ensign’ and ‘naval ensign’ under ‘ensign’
(also ‘rope grommet’ and ‘tricolore, la’).
Naval Ensign and Arms, plus
Civil Ensign Italy (fotw and wiki)
- ROSETTE
- In Norwegian heraldic usage an alternative term to in annulo - see ‘inannulo’.
Flag of Selbu, Norway (fotw); Arms and Flag of
Tingvoll, Norway (fotw)
- ROTATED
- The term used when an emblem, badge, set of armorial bearings or any part thereof is
turned so that it appears upright in a flag intended for vertical (or occasionally oblique)
display - but see
‘slanted display design’
(also ‘armorial bearings’,
‘badge’,
‘emblem’ and
‘hanging flag’).

Flags for Horizontal and Vertical Display, Montserrat and
Vietnam (fotw and CS)
- ROTATED SQUARE
- See ‘square lozenge’.
Flag of Tremelo, Belgium (fotw)
- ROTATIONAL POSITION
- See ‘radial orientation’.

Flag of Johore, Malaysia (fotw)
Please note that the moon and star on the flag of Johore are orientated on an imaginary line running downward from 1/3 below the top to 1/3 above the base of the canton, and that the star has its outward point centred on that line.
- ROUND-BOTTOMED SHIELD
- 1) The term to be used for a shield whose base is semi-circular but whose
sides are not parallel.
2) See ‘Spanish-style shield’.
Arms of Braga, Portugal (fotw); Arms of
Čebín, Czechia (fotw)
- ROUNDED CROSS
- A form of the cross pattée in which the outer ends are in the form of a
convex arc (as if the charge was created from a circle) – an orbicular cross,
a Cross of the Portuguese Knights Templar, a Templar Cross, a cross pattée/formy rounded or a consecration cross – see
‘cross pattée’
(also ‘bauceant’).
Flag of Mogadouro, Portugal (fotw);
Flag of Paços de Ferreira, Portugal (fotw);
Flag of Penamaior, Portugal (fotw)
- ROUNDED FLY
- See ‘lanceolate’

Flag of Leśna, Poland (fotw)
- ROUNDED SWALLOWTAIL
- 1) See ‘descate’.
- 2) A variation of the swallow-tail in which the cut in the fly of the flag
is shaped by a single curve – but see ‘hussar cut’ (also ‘swallow-tail(ed)’).
![[swallow-tail example]](../images/v/vxt-d1518.gif)
Guidon of the Blues and Royals, UK (Graham Bartram); Guidon of the 2nd Dragoon Regiment, Prussia c1740 (fotw)
- ROUNDEL
- 1) A circular emblem of nationality employed on the fuselage and wings of military aircraft and
on some Air Force flags - generally (but not exclusively) consisting of concentric rings
of the national colours and based on the cockade (see also
‘aircraft marking(s)’,
‘cockade 2)’,
‘fin flash’ and
‘national colours 2’).
See supplemental note
- 2) See ‘fuselage markings 1)’ and
‘wing marking(s) 1)’.
- 3) The heraldic term for a disc (see ‘bezant’,
‘hurt’,
‘plates’
‘pomme(s)’ and
‘torteau’).
Aircraft roundel: Romania (fotw);
Flag of Apples, Switzerland (fotw);
Aircraft Roundel Spain (fotw)
- ROUNDEL ARGENT
- An alternative heraldic term for a plate - see ‘plates’.
Flag of
Ichtegem, Belgium (fotw)
- ROUNDEL AZURE
- An alternative heraldic term for a hurt - see ‘hurt’.
![[hurt example]](../images/v/vxt-d941b.gif)
Flag of Lenzburg, Switzerland (fotw)
- ROUNDEL BARRY WAVY
- An alternative heraldic term for a fountain - see ‘fountain 1)’.
Flag of Il-Fontana, Malta (fotw))
- ROUNDEL GULES
- An alternative heraldic term for a torteau - ‘torteau’.
Flag of Asendorf, Germany (fotw)
- ROUNDEL OR
- An alternate heraldic term for a bezant - see ‘bezant’.
Flag and Arms of Gáfete, Portugal (fotw)
- ROUNDEL VERT
- An alternate heraldic term for a pomme - see ‘pomme(s)’.
Example; Flag of Uelsen, Germany (fotw)
- ROWEL
- The heraldic term for a mullet or star-like charge that usually (but not exclusively) has with five or six radiating points,
but which is pierced in its centre and is meant to represent the rowel of a spur – a spur
rowel or pierced mullet – but see mullet (also ‘pierced 2)’ and
‘star 1)’.
Flag of Norden, Germany (fotw
Example;
Flag of Heinenoord, The Netherlands (fotw)
Please note, we suggest that a glossary or dictionary of heraldry be consulted
regarding use of the terms given above.