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.



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. A pall standing upside down is named pall reversed.

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

Palls can also be modified with heraldic lines. One example is the coat of Saint-Wandrille-Rançon.