ANSTHRLD - Galen's Augmentation

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen of Bristol here...

Remember, never write anything about someone you wouldn't
be willing for them to read.  Two people sent me the below,
and so I've joined the Heralds' list for awhile.

> Behalf Of tmcd at jump.net
> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2000 6:44 PM
> To: heralds at ansteorra.org
> Subject: Re: ANSTHRLD - Galen's Augmentation
> 
> 
> On Fri, 21 Jan 2000, Darius and Monica <dmmerlick at earthlink.net> wrote:
> > if Galen say decided to move the star to the middle of the bend
> > (between the axes) it would then be 'As an augmentation on the bend
> > in fess a mullet of five greater five lesser points sable' yes? no?
> 
> No.  "In chief" is a location on the field, relative to the whole
> shield, as is "in base", "in dexter", "in sinister".
> 
> "In fess" talks about the relative placement of two or more charges on
> the same level -- all on the field, or all on another charge.  For "in
> fess", there'd have to be two or more mullets, and to fit in there
> that'd have to be one BIG FAT bend or two *teeny tiny* stars.  Same
> for "in pale", "in bend", "in bend sinister", "in saltire", "in
> cross", ...
> 
> There's a way in real-world heraldry to say "in the middle of the
> shield" -- "in fess point", I think -- but the SCA doesn't use such
> terms except in extreme cases.
> 
> Fortunately, there's no need to give a position in this case.  If
> there's only one charge on a bend or other ordinary, the default is
> that it's in the center.  "... as an augmentation on the bend a mullet
> of five greater and five lesser points sable".

This seems completely reasonable to me.

> > Thought i would make sure before I make Galen's desired change.
> 
> Um, would someone be willing to talk to him about this?  Now, I
> certainly can't say that mullet-in-chief is period and
> mullet-in-fess-point is not.  For example, _Anglo-Norman Armory II_
> has (p. 176, Ornesby)

You know, at Coronation, no fewer than 5 heralds started conversations
with me with the words "you know it doesn't have to be in canton!"
(Master Robin suggested I follow the example of Admiral Nelson, and
place all of ATYC on a chief.)  But I'm not sure I'm following the
point of the paragraph quoted above.  Is Daniel saying that it would 
be better style if I had the star in chief?

<examples snipped>
> Usually, charges on a bend filled the space in early armory: three of
> them, or sometimes two, and a couple of cases of a stretched lion.
> However, simply by flipping thru various categories in the book, I see
> cases where single things float up to chief, usually dexter chief: a
> martley, a conquefoil, a cross, ...  There's also the example of the
> Battle of Flodden augmentation for the Howards:
> 
> Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal of England|9412L|a|Gules, a bend
> between six crosses crosslet fitchy argent, for augmentation, on the
> bend in chief an escutcheon Or charged with a demi-lion its mouth
> pierced by an arrow within a double tressure flory counter-flory
> gules.

I always liked this one!

> And also I'm now on an asymmetry kick.  So anyone wanna consult with
> him, and point out that he can have either, and confirm which one he
> prefers?

I am aware that I can have either, and orginally specified in chief.
The next morning, I decided that that would be unbalanced (contrary to 
Daniel, I have an overdeveloped sense of symmetry) and so asked
Darius to move the star to the middle, between the axes.  My preference
is the middle, if I can have it.

Always happy to be consulted!  I am most grateful to the College
for the enthusiastic interest in helping me register this honor.

> Daniel de Lincolia

- Galen of Bristol



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