Mantling

Mantling is the cloth drawn hanging from the helmet above the shield. It stands for the protective covering knights wore over their helmets against the sun. Artists usually show it cut into tattered, curling strips, as if slashed in battle.

Mantling has two sides, one a colour and one a metal, and usually follows the main tinctures of the shield. The arms of Canada are mantled argent lined gules, white outside and red inside, drawn as maple leaves. Gold lined with ermine is the classic mantling of sovereigns, as on the UK royal arms. Because few rules apply, mantling is where heraldic artists show off.

The coat of arms maker has mantling in the Helmets and crests group on the Charges tab. Place it behind the helm, set its tincture to match your shield, and resize it to frame the crest. The parts of a coat of arms guide shows how it fits with the helm and torse.