[ANSTHRLD] Of Phoenixes

[charles armitage]

Thank you so much for all this info, I'm starting to think I should revisit the 
drawing board on this one. Though I'm fond of how I've stylized the phoenix I do 
want to stay true to the heraldic code and have a period device I can be proud 
of!
Ld Kylan Ulfgierrson mka Charles
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than 
half of you half as well as you deserve." 





________________________________
From: Christie Ward <val_org at hotmail.com>
To: Ansteorra Heralds <heralds at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wed, April 20, 2011 10:03:58 PM
Subject: [ANSTHRLD] Of Phoenixes


Several people have already noted that you really can't get away with putting 
red on black.

They didn't do a good job explaining why you can't get away with outlining 
(heraldic term is "fimbriating") the red thing in gold. There is a good 
discussion about why at http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/lessons/lesson05.html

A good rule of thumb for fimbriation is that if you can take the image you want 
to fimbriate, shrink it, and place it over the full size info and it fits neatly 
inside, then you can fimbriate that item.  To see how this works, take a look at 
http://ace.heraldry.ansteorra.org/uploads/201012/1291315635.jpg  -- The big 
cross can't be fimbriated, because when you shrink it it doesn't fit inside the 
parent cross.  The same thing applies to any "creature" charge. 


As several folks have pointed out, a heraldic phoenix is not a bird made out of 
flame (this is how modern fantasy artists depict it), but instead is a bird that 
sets itself aflame and burns to death, only to be reborn from the ashes. You 
will find it depicted pretty much like an eagle roosting in a campfire.

A classic phoenix:
http://isleofkincora.com/heraldry/A4_-_County_of_Phoenix.jpg
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/gallery/mythology/europe/greek/phoenix.gif
http://www.hubert-herald.nl/Phoenix_bestanden/image004.jpg
http://www.kingdomofumbria.org/library/heraldry/sirhanzel.jpg
http://www.avacal-sca.org/officer/her_files/serjeant_files/kirstin.gif

A phoenix appearing from the side in a crest:
http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/coventry.JPG

::GUNNVOR::



                        
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