Period Heraldric Styles...

[Aodhan Ite an Fhithich]

Dia duit!

 [Replying to a message of R. Michael Litchfield to All]

 RML> Really, I don;t see that happening all that often, I see people
 RML> entranced with the idea of a personal icon, so they spend a lot of
 RML> time and effort designing something that they feel says something
 RML> about themselves, they then take it to a herald who calls it a piece
 RML> of junk.

The problem is, heraldry is *not* a system of personal iconography and is
*not* susposed to tell your life story.  Armory identifies its owner because
the association between the two exists, *not* (necessarily) because of
anything in the design itself.

The arms of England only make you think of England because you know they are
the arms of England, not because the 3 lions are particularly English.

Would an escallop or a pegasus make you think of gasoline if they weren't
already associated with oil companies (by virtue of being registered
trademarks of Shell Oil and Mobile Oil, respectively)?  Of course not.  Its
the established association that is important, not the icon itself.  Do you
run Windows?  If so, you should be very familiar with this concept.

Feicfidh me' ari's thu',

Aodhan
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Baron Aodhan Ite an Fhithich    aodhan at dobharchu.org
Master of the Laurel            Lough na Dobharchu' BBS  1-713-338-2570
Dobharchu' Herald               "Your Information Roman Road"
mka David H. Brummel            1:106/22  180:11/22  762:2200/2
SCA Member 02245                Barony of Loch Soilleir, Ansteorra
http://www.phoenix.net/~dbrummel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
plummety sable and argent on a sun of eight rays or a feather bendwise
sinister sable
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings. - Blake
---------------------------------------------------------------------------