[ANSTHRLD] Device checks

[Timothy A. McDaniel]

Bridgid / "PoetLover" <poetlover at spdway.net> wrote:
> [someone else wrote:]
> > (2)sable, two swords inverted in pile points conjoined argent,
> >    on a chief argent three hearts gules
> > http://www.code-works.com/seanan/guyon.jpg
> > (blazon feels wordy but device looks good to me)
>
> I tried to check this one (if I did it wrong please tell me). I found an
> easy explanation on a heraldry for kids site
> http://www.yourchildlearns.com/heraldrygame/gamehelp.htm
> Here goes:
>         sable, two swords inverted pile wise argent, on chief argent three
> hearts gules

I'm afraid that the first proposed blazon is much closer.

- "-wise" is a word suffix, so no space before it.
- "Xwise" means "an object or objects oriented as if along an axis of
  an X", like "in fess three staves bendwise" would be \ \ \.
  A pile doesn't have an axis like that, or if it does, it's the
  palewise axis.
- "Chief" here is a noun, so it requires "a" or a number before it.
  (In "in chief", there's no "a" or number, but "in chief" is a
  position on the field, not putting things *on* a chief, as here.)

For
    http://www.code-works.com/seanan/guyon.jpg
- The SCA capitalizes these words:
  * The first word of the blazon
  * The word "Fieldless"
  * The tincture "Or"
  * Uses of proper names, as in "a Bowen knot" or "a cross of
    Jerusalem".
- We would usually blazon those things as "rapiers", due to the cup
  hilts and the thin blades.  That's not a CD from any other type of
  sword, mind you: blazonable != CD.
- You'd expect the tips to be very close when in pile.  They don't
  quite look conjoined (there's a hair of field between then).  So I
  wouldn't blazon that.
- "In <arrangement>" can go before or after depending on preference
  and clarity issues.  Separating "in pile" and "inverted" just makes
  it sound a tad better to me, but there's no clarity issue here.
- Oh, and you can omit all but the last occurrence of adjacent
  identical tinctures.

I'd call it

    Sable, in pile two rapiers inverted, on a chief argent three
    hearts gules.

Daniel de Lincolia
--
Tim McDaniel is tmcd at jump.net; if that fail,
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