The Gauntlet - October 2009

A Publication of Armorial Gold Heraldry Services

HERALDRY RAMBLINGS

This month we are including some bordures compony of 8 and of 10 pieces, as you find the number of squares often blazoned. Bordures compony are increasingly popular as the squares can be charged.

The contention that compony "must" be 16 squares is disputed by most heralds, and is evidenced that numerous blazons include the number of squares, particularly 8 and 10. An obvious clue is that if the blazon states the number of charges (10 for example), then you know how many squares. If you have an image of an original engraving, go with the image.

------------------------------

------------------

STAFF NOTES

A special thanks to those who updated their email information, and we welcome back Ryan who was completing a contract in Australia. We are working on some new banners that feature the split pennon ends...here's a sample:

PIGEON

Expanded Symbolism

Pigeons were used as messenger carriers by the early Persians, Egyptians, Phoenicians and later the Romans. Betoken on one who is virtuous, and also denotes peace and wisdom. It is said that in 43 B.C., Brutus used homing pigeons to communicate with his consuls during a siege by Mark Antony. Not only are Pigeons very fast, they don't languish under enemy assault. In ancient Mesopotamia, Pigeons were carried at sea and released from ships, and after orientating themselves, instinctively fly towards land to reach the nearest shore. A flying pigeon can sight land at a distance of 35 km, which was sufficient, at that time, to allow mariners to navigate. So it is said. In heraldry the Pigeon is often used as a mariners symbol.

DON'T FORGET TO UPGRADE YOUR COLLECTION

CANTING ARMS

Canting, or punning arms are derived from the literal meaning or from the sound of a name. They are bearings in the nature of a similarity alluding to the name of the bearer. Thus, the Castletons bear three castles, and Pope Adrian IV. (Nicholas Breakspeare) bore a broken spear, the Keyes bore keys, Wells used a water well, Archer bore arrows etc…the list is extensive. There are however some instances where apparent 'canting arms' where not only an allusion to the name but had true symbolic meaning to the bearer.

The Single Tressure Flory

TRESSURE FLORY

Single Tressure Flory Ctr Flory

By popular request we have included these in four of the popular shield types, as shown to your left. When a blazon calls for a Tressure Flory Counter Flory, it's usually a royal tressure with 2 orles, however in some instances it calls for a single tressure flory counter flory. Should it not specify, it's best to go with the royal tressure. The single tressure is often seen in some Scottish Clan blazons and occasionally in English arms. It makes for a very nice mark of distinction....

___________

THE WORLDS LARGEST PROVIDER OF HERALDRY ART

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

your Corel Draw software to X3 or X4

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).