Alces, brought for the nonce out of the great wooddes of Germany.1541, Elyot, Image Gov., published 1556, page 81; quoted in “† Alce”, in James A[ugustus] H[enry] Murray [et al.], editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes I (A–B), London: Clarendon Press, 1884–1928, →OCLC, page 208, column 3:
His creaſt, the beaſt Alce pꝛoper, leaning to an Oke Vert, ſet on a toꝛce de Oꝛ and Gules, mantled Sable, doubled Oꝛ, ſuppoꝛted with a Beuer argent, coloured and vnguled Sable, and an Harpie Vert, Wynged de Oꝛ. The Alce diſcribed foꝛ the creaſt of the ſaid coate Armour, is a wilde Beaſte in the woods of Germany, in faſhion and ſkinne like to a fallowe Déere, but greater, and hath no iointes in his legges: and therefoꝛe he doth neuer lye, but leans to a trée when he doth reſt him.1572, Iohn Bossewell, Workes of Armorie Deuided into Three Bookes, Entituled, the Concordes of Armorie, the Armorie of Honor, and of Cotes and Creastes, […], London: […] Henrie Ballard, […], published 1597, folios 111, verso – 112, recto:
4 more examples
CAP. XXXI. of Germanie, and the wonderfull byrdes therein, and of the Bugles, Vres, and Alces. wylde Beaſtes. […] There is alſo a beaſt called Alce much reſembling a Mule, with ſuch a long vpper lippe, that he cannot féede but he muſt goe backward. […] OVer againſt Germanie is the Ilande Scandinauia, which bꝛéedeth a beaſt ∗ much reſembling an Alce, which like yͤ Oliphant boweth not the nether ioyntes of his legs, and therefoꝛe lyeth not downe when he ſléepeth, but reſteth himſelfe when he is dꝛowſie, againſt a Trée, the which is ſawne almoſt a ſunder, ready to fall, that when the beaſt leaneth to his accuſtomed ſtaie, he may fall downe: and ſo is hee caught, foꝛ otherwiſe it is a hard matter to catch hym by hand.1587, Caius Julius Solinus, translated by Arthur Golding, The Excellent and Pleasant Worke: Collectanea Rerum Memorabilium […], Gainesville, Fla.: Scholars’ Facsimiles & Reprints, published 1955:
Moreover, a certaine beaſt, called the Alce, very like to an horſe, but that his eares are longer; and his necke likewiſe with two markes, diſtinguiſh them aſunder. Moreover, in the Iſland Scandinavia, there is a beaſt called Machlis, not much unlike to the Alce abovenamed: common he is there, and much talk we have heard of him, howbeit in theſe parts hee was never ſeene. Hee reſembleth, I ſay, the Alce, but that hee hath neither joint in the hough, nor paſternes in his hind-legs: and therefore hee never lieth downe, but ſleepeth leaning to a tree.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book VIII.] Of Scythian beasts, and those that are bred in the North parts.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 200:
Maclis, Plin. A beaſt in Scandinavia like to Alce, very ſwift, leaning to a tree when it ſleepeth, and beeing once fallen, cannot lift it ſelfe vp againe.1610, Thomae Thomasii Dictionarium Summa Fide ac Diligentia Accuratissime Emendatum, Magnaque Insuper Rerum Scitu Dignarum, et Vocabvlorum Accessione, Longè Auctiùs Locupletiúsque Redditum, 8th edition, Cambridge, Cambs: Ex Officina Iohannis Legati, […]:
The alces hide cannot be pierced with cutting.1617, Horn & Rob., Gate Lang. Unl., § 193, page xvii; quoted in “† Alce”, in James A[ugustus] H[enry] Murray [et al.], editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volumes I (A–B), London: Clarendon Press, 1884–1928, →OCLC, page 208, column 3:
alce
noun
Etymology Possibly from Ancient Greek ἀλκή (alkḗ, “courage, prowess; guard, defense”).
Ar. a fesse betw. three alces’ or griffins’ heads erased sa.1842, John Burke, John Bernard Burke, A General Armory of England, Scotland, and Ireland, London: […] Edward Churton, […]:
Alce. The Male Griffin. […] Alice, or Alce. The Male Gryphon.[1889, Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry with Upwards of Two Thousand Five Hundred Illustrations, London: Kent & Cᵒ […]; East Dereham: W. H. Brown, […], page 4, column 2:
4 more examples
XV. CHARGES taken from MONSTERS. Monsters with Wings. Griffin. Dragon. Alce. Opinicus. […] Alce. See Griffin. […] The term Alce is given, as if used by writers for a kind of griffin, but no example can be quoted.[1894, Henry Gough, James Parker, A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, new edition, Oxford, Oxon; London: James Parker and Co., pages xvii, 9, and 294:
[…] griffin seems to have an existence in theory only; nevertheless he must be catalogued, together with the word alce, which is accepted (though not without dissent) as the individual name for the horned griffin.[1963, Julian Franklyn, Shield and Crest: An Account of the Art and Science of Heraldry, 2nd edition, MacGibbon & Kee, page 149:
Infrequently, a griffin is portrayed without wings; in 15th-century and later heraldry such a beast may be called an ‘alce’ or a ‘keythong.’[2001, Osita Iroku, A Day in the Life of God, →ISBN, page 85:
Folks gave the beast many names. Griffin, griffon, gryphon, alce, keythong, gryphen, griffen, gryphen, and opinicus…[2009, Benjamin Towe, The First Wandmaker (Elfdreams of Parallan; II), Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 20: