ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1555 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1555 ************************************ 5 Apr 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the use of the bonacon in period heraldry, and for our opinion of your design "quarterly lozengy azure and argent and argent a cross counterchanged a bonacon regardant sinister proper on sinister main", all in the context of Spain in the last four centuries of our period. Here is what we have found. We're not certain we've interpreted your blazon correctly. What we think you mean is "Quarterly lozengy azure and argent, and argent, a cross counterchanged and in sinister chief a bonacon rampant reguardant contourny proper." If we've got it wrong, let us know. The bonacon is an innovation of late-period English heraldry. Rodney Dennys describes it best: This curious creature, which was evidently based on the east European bison or aurochs, appears only twice in English heraldry, and in each case only as a crest, possibly because its complete representation might have presented certain problems. In 1560 Sir Gilbert Dethick, Garter King of Arms, granted 'a Bonacon's Head coppe (couped) sable, horned and maned silver' as a crest to Richard Candelor, of Walsingham in Norfolk. The next year he granted 'a Bonacons head rased (erased) gules, horned and mayned and aboute the necke a coronett or' to Hugh Hollynside alieas Hollenshed, of Bosley in Cheshire. [1] It was fashionable among English heralds of the 16th century to introduce new monsters into their designs, so it is unlikely that the bonacon was used in the heraldry of any other country in our period. Spanish heraldry, on the other hand, appears to have restricted itself to the standard set of heraldic monsters. Since the bonacon was exceptionally rare even in England, and was never used in arms, we strongly recommend against it. We should also note that the Laurel King of Arms ruled in 1980 that the bonacon, with its flaming excrement, is inherently offensive. We don't know if the current College of Arms would feel the same way, but we wanted you to have all the relevent information. [As an aside: We are not aware of a "proper" coloration for a bonacon; if you do use the monster, you'll need to choose a specific heraldic tincture.] Your overall design has a couple other difficulties. Counterchanging a cross per cross is not unknown -- though it is unusual -- but counterchanging over such a complex field is not consistent with period heraldic style. The result is visually much too complex, and the lozengy cross is not well-defined against the argent field. Turning a beast to sinister is unusual in period heraldry, so unless that posture is especially important to you, we recommend you use the more common stance, facing to dexter. Placing a single charge in sinister chief is very atypical of period heraldic design. A single charge in dexter chief, often blazoned "in canton", is not unusual. A simpler design with a different beast in that location would be fine re-creation. For example, you might consider "Quarterly argent and azure, a cross counterchanged and in dexter chief a bull rampant gules". Bulls are not uncommon in period Spanish heraldry, by the way, particularly in the arms of families whose names sound similar to the word for "bull", such as or . We've seen Spanish arms containing bulls rampant, passant, and statant [2, 3, 4]. If you'd like advice on designs more typical of period Spanish heraldry, let us know; we'll be happy to help. If you can let us know which elements of your designs are most important to you, we can use those as a starting point in our suggestions. 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 Talan Gwynek, Rouland Carre, Zenobia Naphtali, Evan da Collaureo, Teceangl Bach, Jehan fitz Gilbert, Pedro de Alcazar, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Blaise de Cormeilles, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 5 Apr 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Dennys, Rodney, _The Heraldic Imagination_ (New York: Clarkson and Potter Inc., 1975), p.151. [2] Godinho, _Livro da Nobreza_, a quarter of the arms of Maracote is "Argent, a bull statant" or perhaps "passant". [3] Libro de Armeria del Reino de Navarra. Several familes quarter the arms of the counts of Bearn "Argent, in pale two cows statant gules", one with "Argent, a bull passant sable", and several other examples of bulls or cows statant or passant. [4] Woodward, John and George Burnett, _A Treatise on Heraldry British and Foreign_ (Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969), p.234. The undated arms of Tora "Argent, a bull rampant gules."