[Elfsea] Christopher Columbus' Coat of Arms:

[CE Huse/Lady Maria Cabeca de Vaca]

Hola!

I thought those that are heralds would find this interesting to look at:

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/1492/images/columbus.jpg

"As a reward for his successful voyage of discovery, the Spanish sovereigns
granted Columbus the right to a coat of arms. According to the blazon
specified in letters patent dated May 20, 1493, Columbus was to bear in the
first and the second quarters the royal charges of Castile and Léon -- the
castle and the lion -- but with different tinctures or colors. In the third
quarter would be islands in a wavy sea, and in the fourth, the customary
arms of his family.

The earliest graphic representation of Columbus' arms is found in his Book
of Privileges and shows the significant modifications Columbus ordered by
his own authority. In addition to the royal charges that were authorized in
the top quarters, Columbus adopted the royal colors as well, added a
continent among the islands in the third quarter, and for the fourth quarter
borrowed five anchors in fess from the blazon of the Admiral of Castille.
Columbus' bold usurpation of the royal arms, as well as his choice of
additional symbols, help to define his personality and his sense of the
significance of his service to the Spanish monarchs."

Maria