ANSTHRLD - question

[Teceangl]

> > Question to the list:  Does the 
> >  blazon have to include "wings" or would "Purpure, a wyvern statant, 
> >  displayed argent." be acceptable?  Displayed denotes to me that wings 
> >  are involved so is it necessary?
> 
> Wings are the only thing that can be displayed, so the word "wings" could be 
> dropped, 

Um, no.  Displayed is a whole-body posture.  Spread-eagle affronty.  "statant
displayed" would cause confusion.

> but I have another question.  How can a wyvern be statant and 
> displayed?  Statant defaults to "facing dexter" and displayed wings are one 
> on each side [of the wyvern], so how does this look?  Are the wings really 
> displayed or are they "elevated and addorsed"  (raised, back-to-back, above 
> the body of the wyvern)?  Addorsed is the default for a statant winged 
> monster.  Or is the wyvern "statant affronty" (facing us) which would make 
> "displayed" easier to do and see?  

That's why the blazon reads "statant, wings displayed".  The wings can be
displayed in most body postures.  Since each wing is charged (here's where
I cannot understand the owner's problem with the blazon - it's perfectly
descriptive, unless for some reason it doesn't correctly describe the
wyvern's posture) they'd need to be displayed to see both tertiary
charges.
Seen the Book of Kells picture of the winged bull of St.Luke (I think, might
be Matthew)?  That's statant with wings displayed.
 
> I have to agree with the original post about the blazoning herald(s) having a 
> bad day.  (I've had plenty of bad days myself, recently, so I have a basis 
> for my opinion.  And reason to recommend that we watch out for each other's 
> mistakes and correct them when we can.)

If it's a mistake, it needs to be corrected.  I don't think it's a mistake,
and if not it's blazoned in the standard manner.

- Teceangl
-- 
  "You say your fesse is gules? There are creams for that, you know..."
					     - Astrid Sigurdsdottir
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