ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1044
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1044
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13 Jul 1998
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked our opinion of your design for arms for your persona, set in
Burgundy between 1150 and 1350.  Here is what we have found.

Your design is "Azure semy-de-lys, a saltire wavy argent".  Saltires wavy
are generally rare in period armory, but we have found a few late-period
examples [3].  In a 16th century Flemish roll of arms which lists 565 arms,
35 use saltires and 2 of those use saltires that appear to be wavy [1].
(They might also be "engrailed"; the line is not clearly identifiable.)
Burgundy ruled Flanders for a large part of our period, and we know that
the saltire was common in Burgundian heraldry [2], so one could suppose
that a saltire wavy might have been used in Burgundy, too.  However, the
evidence is rather slim and we cannot recommend this charge without
reservations.  The saltire wavy is quite uncommon all over period Europe.
The wavy treatment was found commonly on bends and bordures, occasionally
on crosses [4], but only rarely on chevrons and saltires.  We believe that
a saltire engrailed is a more likely charge for your period.

We should point out that the wavy line was drawn very boldly, with deep,
parallel waves on both edges of the saltire.  It was not drawn with
opposing waves, with the arms alternately bulging and narrowing.

With the saltire engrailed, your design would be an excellent choice for
your period.  It appears to be registerable with the SCA College of Arms.


I hope this letter has been useful.  Please write us again if any part of
it has been unclear or if you have other questions.  I was assisted in
researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek, Walraven van Nijmege,
Zenobia Naphtali, Jaelle of Armida, and Rouland Carre.

For the Academy,


  Arval Benicoeur
  13 Jul 1998


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References

[1] Walraven van Nijmegen, "Analysis, Armorial, and Ordinary of Armory
Recorded in Paul Bergman's Armorial De Flandre du XVIme Siecle" (WWW: Brian
R. Speer, Privately published, 1997).
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/bergmans.html

[2] Woodward, John and George Burnett, _A Treatise on Heraldry British and
Foreign_ (Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969). 

[3] Two examples in England: Arms of Waters "Paly of six argent and azure,
a saltire wavy counterchanged", in Harleian MS 1404.  A 1586 grant to
Wakeman "Vert, a saltire wavy ermine."  We also believe that there is at
least one example in either the Zuericher Wappenrolle or L'Armorial
Bellenville, but we have not been able to pin-point it.

[4] Arms of Colley, "Argent, a cross wavy sable", in Glover's Ordinary.
See Papworth, John W., _Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials_, reprint
(Five Barrows Ltd., 1977). 

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