A Publication of Armorial Gold Heraldry Services

THE WREN

The Druids considered the Wren 'supreme among all birds.' It was the sacred bird of the Isle of Man, formerly a shrine of the dead and the dwelling-place of the Moon Goddess who cared for pagan souls.

In Scotland it was the Lady of Heaven's Hen and killing a Wren was considered extremely unlucky; however in England and in France the Wren was hunted on St Stephen's Day, where an ancient Christian ceremony took place.

It is said that hunters dressed in ritual garb, hunted and killed a Wren, then hung it on a pole, taking it on a procession though the village demanding money and fortune. The Wren is generally accepted as a totem of good fortune and affluence.

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THE WOODPECKER

The Woodpecker is the guardian of the forest and heralds the rain and storms. Since Picas the Roman god of agriculture was famous for his divination skills and was associated with the Woodpecker, this bird became a symbol of prophecy.

WAGON-CART

A symbol of sovereignty, territory. The Vanir god Freyr (one of the most important gods of Norse paganism) is said to ride in a wagon annually through the country accompanied by a priestess to bless the crops. A symbol of agriculture.

The wagon wheel is symbolic of transportation, successful journeys and expeditions, and also perpetuity. Winged wheels are symbols of peace, flight, freedom and spiritual transport. There are many charges that feature wings which have their own meaning; such as a winged globe as a symbol of the holy spirit. In Heraldry a single wing is called a “demi vol” and usually enjoys the symbolism of the eagle. Associated with Hermes, the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. The winged wheel is also a symbol of progress, seen in many contexts including the coat of arms of Panama and the logo of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. A Religious symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the continuity between old and new....

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THE VULTURE

This unique bird derives its name from the Latin vultur, and although it does not kill its own prey, it is considered a raptor and a predator. It has a magnificent wingspan and an ability to soar effortlessly for great lengths of time. It is one of the most misunderstood birds, and yet it was one of the most powerful and mystical in many cultures. Tutankhamun, the famous Egyptian pharaoh, displayed the Vulture's head and the risen snake (cobra) as the symbols of his ruler-ship. The first letter of the Egyptian alphabet is represented by the Vulture symbol and is pronounced "ah". The Vulture is a very powerful emblem and is a promise that all hardship was temporary and necessary for a higher purpose. In Greek mythology, the Vulture is the descendant of the Griffin, and was the symbol of heaven and earth, spirit and matter, good and evil, a guardian and an avenger. The Greek god Aries, son of Zeus and Hera and the god of war used the Vulture as his bird symbol. The Vulture is the avenger of nature spirits. Ancient Assyrians believed the Vulture or griffin was the Angel of Death, and the union between the day and night. The Egyptian Goddess Maat is usually depicted carrying a Vulture and was considered the personification of the order of the world.

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We are leaving this help tip up, as more and more of you are upgrading

your Corel Draw software to X3 or X4 or X6

Corel Draw has changed some default settings in X3 and X4 that can render your vector images black, do the same for your F9 preview and in the case of X4 display your image excessively dark.

Fixes:

• Top Command Bar/View Select 'enhanced' and not 'enhanced with overprints';

• Top Command Bar/Tools/Color Management Color Mode for Effects-should be set at RGB (not CMYK); 

• Top Command Bar/Tools Select 'Save Settings as default' ;

• When importing AG graphics into X4, make sure you first group your image before using the F9 full screen preview (X3 imports the graphic already grouped).

Popular Free Graphic Design software for the WMF file format.

It's easy to use. AG has prepared a simple tutorial and link to this software. Click on the Serif logo

EMF/wmf THUMBNAIL VIEWER

As of Windows Vista and Window 7, the Microsoft Windows Explorer no longer displays thumbnails image previews of EMF (Enhanced Metafile) and WMF (Windows Metafile) vector graphic images. This Windows Explorer plug-in restores this capability. At this writing this thumbnail viewer is free

Check the member resources page for more thumbnail viewers.