A Publication of Armorial Gold Heraldry Services

The Christmas sale is over.  We thank all those who participated. Most of you selected the Platinum collection, with others going for coats of arms products. The Platinum by the way, will soon be discontinued.

If you missed the sale you can contact the office for special pricing.

HOLIDAY CHEER

 "The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. - Jay Leno".

NEXT MONTH

To start 2009 on the right foot, we will be providing a nice selection of new art including a Kozak shield supporter, a new dolphin, some gambes, shield templates and much more.

STAFF NOTES

Times are tough in the heraldry business: with the world in a recession and bleak times ahead, folks need to be creative when it comes to marketing. Many of you have told us, you have had sales and offered discounts, but not with a lot of success. Heraldry is considered a luxury item, and as such are usually the first to get cut in the family budget. It seems that is is more fear that is fuelling the Internet slow-down then not having the funds to order. The experts, yes there are many, suggest that other than a spike over Christmas, we're looking at the end of the first quarter of 2009 before we see much improvement. So...be creative and be patient, things will turn around.

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There has been only one Christmas -- the rest are anniversaries.

TARTAN MEANDERINGS

Previous to the fourteenth century, we cannot expect to find descriptions of the HIGHLAND dress, but the existence of the same dress among the Highlanders can be established by another mode of proof. On the various tomb-stones of the ancient Highland chiefs still extant in some of the ruined chapels of the western Highlands, are to be seen effigies of these personages, represented clad in armour, and almost invariably in the Highland dress.

THE TERM BARBED

Barbed. A term variously applied. Firstly: to the points that stand back in the head of an arrow or fishing-hook, etc. Secondly: to a Cross when its extremities are like the barbed irons used for striking fish. Thirdly: to the five leases of the Heraldic-Rose; which always appear on its outside. Fourthly: sometimes used to express the comb and gills of a cock. Fifthly: to a Horse; when a war-horse is completely accoutred he is termed a Barbed horse, or Steed. Sixthly: to the needles or beard of barley, etc.

LOVE THOSE MOTTOES

More hits on the AG motto site than any other part of the website....

A war-cry (French: cri d'armes, cri de guerre, cri) is what its name suggests, something that one (or one's followers) shouted as one threw oneself into the fray. Very often, the war-cry was simply the family name. I once heard that the pronunciation of the Scottish name Home was changed to Hume after disastrous results during a battle when the war-cry "Home! Home!" was shouted and soldiers all headed home. (Si non e vero...). In English heraldry, War-cries, like mottoes are unregulated, not necessarily part of the grant of arms, and liable to change at will. In Scottish heraldry, the motto is registered, and so is the war-cry or "slogan" (slogorn, which literally means war-cry in Gaelic) which is used by the chief of the clan only and appears above the crest (in which case the motto, if any, appears below the achievement instead of above as usual; see Innes of Learney, Scots Heraldry, p.39). The war-cry is very old, in some cases it probably precedes heraldry, some cries are cited in gestae of the 12th c. The motto (Italian for "word") really only appears in the 14th c., and becomes fashionable in the 15th and 16th c.

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NEW BOOKPLATE THIS MONTH...

One of the more popular uses for an authentic coat of arms is the heraldic bookplate. During our lifetime many of us collect books and retain those of special interest in a personal library. Such favourite books are usually passed down to our descendants, and what better way is there to make them aware of the original owner than the heraldic bookplate incorporating the personal arms of an ancestor...

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