ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1388 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1388 ************************************ 21 Dec 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked our opinion of your ideas for your arms. Here is what we have found. You described your first idea as a blue field with a full-bodied white (silver) horse facing/running to the right. We assume you mean "to the right" as you look at the picture, so this design can be blazoned "Azure, a horse courant contourny argent." This is a reasonable basic design, and appears to be registerable with the SCA College of Arms [1]. However, it is rare in period arms for beasts to face to the right (to sinister, in heraldic terms), which is opposite the normal orientation (to dexter). If you want your arms to be most authentic, we recommend that you turn the horse around. Unfortunately, for purposes of registration, the resulting design would be too similar to the arms of the duchy of Westphalia "Gules, a horse courant argent". You could avoid that problem by adding a second set of charges to the design, perhaps a set of diamonds (called "lozenges" in blazonry). For example, you might consider: Azure, a horse courant and in chief three lozenges argent. in which the diamonds are placed in a row across the top edge of the shield, or: Azure semy of lozenges, a horse courant argent. in which there is a pattern of small diamonds covering the entire field, with the horse overlying them. Your second design could be blazoned "Argent, two dolphins urinant respectant tails entwined gules between in fess two water-lily blossoms in profile azure." Your fish are identical to the standard representation of a heraldic dolphin. If the water-lily blossoms are about half-way down the field, then the blazon above is correct. If they are much higher, then the phrase "between in fess" should be "between in chief". We have never seen a pair of fish entwined this way, and we think it is unlikely to have been done in period armory. A pair of dolphins urinant respectant, without the entwining, would be a fine motif. We have never seen water-lily blossoms in period arms. We recommend either omitting them or choosing a charge more typical of period heraldry. If you do omit them, and separate the dolphins, you'll have a lovely set of arms: "Argent, two dolphins urinant respectant gules" is quite authentic and appears to be registerable. We 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 Walraven van Nijmegen, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Margaret Makafee, and Blaise de Cormeilles. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 21 Dec 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] In particular, this design is not in conflict with the Society arms of Jared Thallon Azure, a horse statant contourny barded and a chief argent." There is one difference for removing the chief and a second for changing the posture of the horse from "statant" to "courant". Rule X.4.h allows a difference for changes in posture of beasts that significantly change the position of all four legs.