SR - Heraldry & Names
Timothy A. McDaniel
tmcd at crl.com
Wed Jun 3 15:48:13 PDT 1998
The suggestion was made about an Ansteorran star being held
by or on a lion. There is a ... feature of the Rules for
Submission that a small object being held by a larger one
does not count for difference. (Down, Gunnora.) Two
options that come to mind:
- a lion rampant, the standard posture, with a black star on
his shoulder. This is a moderately common period motif.
Especially with lions, which were so common that they felt
free to do more unusual things with them.
- a lion sejant, sitting, holding in both paws a star
comparable in size to himself. This *would* count for
difference. In period, lions sejant were almost always used
when they were holding something, and usually with both
paws.
I much prefer the first option, lions rampant being so
wonderfully period.
May I make a lobbying request? I know of no examples in
period heraldry of a star with greater and lesser points.
Could we just use a standard 5-pointed star, or if not a
10-equal-pointed one? To many people, the black star of
five greater and five lesser points Resonates As A Symbol Of
Ansteorra. To me, it Resonates With A Feeling That We
Didn't Know What We Were Doing And We're Stuck Now -- rather
like looking at a "my first garb" display -- at every event
with a kingdom banner present.
Especially with the lion rampant option, the star will be
small enough that few will be able to see little points, or
want to embroider / paint them.
The lion should be crowned, or "gorged of" a crown (wearing
a crown as a gorget). The laurel wreath can be stuck
somewhere (and I have some rude suggestions). I'd prefer
not to have the SCA standard "add a charged chief" / "add a
charged bordure" business. If anyone has seen the arms of
the King of Spain, e.g. on the Spanish flag, there's a
"point pointed ploy{e'}" at the bottom on which he put a
symbol of Granada (pomegranete?). A point pointed is at the
bottom of the shield and looks like
\ /\ /
\ / \ /
\ / \ /
\/ \/
\ /
\ /
\__/
"Ploy{e'}" means bowing the edges in. Heck, it's one of
those cases where a picture is at least 1000 words. It puts
the laurel wreath at the bottom in its own compartment, and
it's rather different from the usual SCA style.
Daniel de Lincolia
--
Tim McDaniel. Reply to tmcd at crl.com;
if that fail, tmcd at austin.ibm.com is my work account.
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