ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1431 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1431 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 28 Jan 1999 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked about the use of constellations in medieval heraldry, particularly the constellation of Orion. Here is the information we have found. We found no evidence that constellations were used as charges in period arms. This question has been put to the SCA College of Arms many times, and no one has yet provided any evidence. [1] We therefore recommend you avoid this motif. If you would like to include a reference to Orion in your arms, you could use a hunter with a sword and club as the central charge in your arms. We found various examples of hunters or men with weapons in arms across Europe, and feel it would be a fine motif. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Teceangl Bach, Rouland Carre, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin --- References: [1] Precedents of the SCA College of Arms, Volume III: The Tenure of Wilhelm von Schu:ssel, 2nd Ed., ed. Baldwin of Erebor (SCA, Inc: 1983; WWW: SCA, Inc., 1997) http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/precedents/wilhelm/atoc.html#constellatio n