ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1111
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1111
************************************

01 Sep 1998
From: Jodi McMaster 

Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel!

You asked if the device you were considering, which you describe as
"nine 8 pointed silver stars (mullets?) on a field of purpure with a
border Or," would be appropriate for Irish or Italian arms in the 15th
century.  You also sent the following diagram:

.-----------------.  
|  _____________  |  
| |             | |   
| |      *      | |   
| |    *   *    | |   
| |  *   *   *  | |  
` `    *   *    ' '   
`  `     *     '  '   
 `  \         /  '     
  \  `.     .'  /       
   `.  `._.'  .'         
     `-.   .-'             
        `v'                

You are correct in translating the eight-pointed stars into heraldese:
mullets.  Mullets were found in both Italian and Irish arms in the
time you're interested in.  However, we have not seen an example of
mullets arranged in a lozenge (diamond shape).

Heraldic charges were generally used to fill up the shield space.  To
accomplish this, charges (here, your mullets) were more often found in
groups of six (the most common), seven, or ten. Six charges were usually
arranged with three at the top, two in the next row, and one in the
last. Seven charges would have three, three, and one; ten as four,
three, two and one, illustrated in the following ways:


 .-----------------.  .-----------------.   
 |  _____________  |  |  _____________  | 
 | |             | |  | |             | | 
 | |  *   *   *  | |  | |*   *   *  * | | 
 | |             | |  | |             | | 
 | |  *   *   *  | |  | |  *   *   *  | | 
 ` `             ' '  ` `             ' ' 
 `  `     *     '  '  `  `   *   *   '  ' 
  `  \         /  '    `  \         /  '  
   \  `.     .'  /      \  `.  *  .'  /   
    `.  `._.'  .'        `.  `._.'  .'    
      `-.   .-'            `-.   .-'      
         `v'                  `v'         

We think the charges in lozenge aren't likely to be period because we
haven't seen it, and charge arrangements which don't fill the space are
generally rare. We know of some sorts, but not this one. One example we
were able to find was an example of an orle of mullets. [1]  An "orle"
is a line running parallel to the edge of the shield.  Therefore, in an
orle of mullets the stars are arranged in a line around the edge of the
shield so as to leave a large shield-shaped blank space around them:


.-----------------. 
|  _____________  | 
| |             | | 
| | *  *   *  * | | 
| |             | | 
| | *         * | | 
` `             ' ' 
`  `  *     *  '  ' 
 `  \         /  '  
  \  `.  *  .'  /   
   `.  `._.'  .'    
     `-.   .-'      
        `v'         

Another alternative is semy of mullets, where there are stars strewn
regularly all over the field.  

Purple (purpure) is vanishingly rare everywhere during your period, and
particularly in Ireland, which was a latecomer into the heraldic game. 
Therefore, we would recommend you use a different tincture regardless of
where you set your persona.  

We hope this letter has been helpful.  Please write us again if any part
of it has been unclear or if you have other questions.  Arval Benicoeur,
Lothar von Katzenellenbogen, Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Walraven 
van Nijmegen, Teceangl Bach, Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael Caermyrdin,
Evan da Collaureo, Juliana de Luna, and Rouland Carre contributed
comments and/or research for this letter.

For the Academy,

   AElfwyn aet Gyrwum
__________________

References:

[1] Humphrey-Smith, Cecil R., _Anglo-Norman Armory Two_ (Canterbury:
Institute for Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, 1984).