ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1721 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1721 ************************************ 24 Jun 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked help researching the use of "three piles in fess point" in period arms. Here is what we have found. "Three piles in fess point" is the best blazon we can suggest for the design you described: three short piles issuing from chief and almost meeting at fess point. As you know, "three piles in point" is a standard design in English heraldry, in which three piles issue from chief and almost meet at base point. We have been unable to find any example of this motif in period arms [1]. The most similar design we found has three short, vertical piles issuing from chief. An English family named Loggan bore "Or, a lion passant and in chief three piles sable" at least as early as the late 17th century, and possibly as early as 1317. Their arms have also been blazoned "Or, a lion passant sable, in chief three Roman piles of the second." These piles are about 1/3 the total height of the field [2, 3]. If the earlier date is correct, then this design probably originated as "a chief indented" drawn with unusually deep indentations, and was later re-interpreted as a set of short piles. That interpretation is supported by a charge that appeared in a mid-13th century French roll of arms, the Bigot Roll. One coat in that roll contains a "chef denche/" or "e/manche/", which is a very deeply indented chief. It has three downward-pointing teeth and the zigzag edge of the chief nearly reached the top of the shield between them [4]. However, since this is a variant of an indented chief, it would not be correct to angle the teeth inward. In other words, we do not believe that these examples offer any support for the motif you want to use. If you'd like to do some research on your own, here's a list of sources you could consult for English and French medieval heraldry, in addition to the ones already referenced. Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Medieval Rolls of Arms on the Web & Articles on Medieval Arms" (WWW: privately published, 1999) http://www.wctc.net/~randomsf/rollofarms.htm Brault, Gerard J., _Early Blazon: Heraldic Terminology in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries with Special Reference to Arthurian Heraldry_, 2nd ed. (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 1997). Brault, Gerard J., _Eight Thirteenth-Century Rolls of Arms in French and Anglo-Norman Blazon_ (University Park, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1973). Chesshyre, Hubert & Woodcock, Thomas, _Dictionary of British Arms: Medieval Ordinary_, vol. I (London: The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1992). Woodcock, Thomas, Janet Grant, & Ian Graham, _Dictionary of British Arms_, vol II. (The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1996). Humphrey-Smith, Cecil R., _Anglo-Norman Armory Two_ (Canterbury: Institute for Heraldic and Geneaological Studies, 1984). Foster, Joseph, _The Dictionary of Heraldry_ (New York: Arch Cape Press, 1989). Wagner, Anthony Richard, _Aspilogia I: A Catalogue of English Mediaeval Rolls of Arms_ (London: The Society of Antiquaries, 1950). Wagner, Anthony Richard, ed. Aspilogia II: Rolls of Arms: Henry III (London: The Society of Antiquaries, 1967). Brault, Gerald J., _The Rolls of Arms of Edward I_, Aspilogia III, 2 vols. (London: Boydell Press, 1997). Manning, Alan, "The Argentaye Tract", edited from Paris, BN, fonds francais 11,464 (Toronto:,University of Toronto Press, 1983). Talan Gwynek, translator, "The Argentaye Tract", in the Known World Heraldic Symposium Proceedings 1991 (Atlantia: SCA, 1991). Pinches, Rosemary and Anthony Wood, _A European Armorial: An Armorial of Knights of the Golden Fleece and 15th Century Europe_ (London: Heraldry Today, 1971). Bergmans, Paul, _Armorial de Flandre du XVIme Sie\cle_ (Bruxelles et Paris: Commission des Monuments de la Ville de Gand, Librairie Nationale d'Art et d'Histoire, 1919). [See also Walraven van Nijmegen, "Analysis, Armorial, and Ordinary of Armory Recorded in Paul Bergmans' Armorial De Flandre du XVIme Siecle" (WWW: Brian R. Speer, Privately published, 1997) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/bergmans.html] Fourez, Lucien, _Armorial de Huldenberg_ (Leuven : J. van Helmont, 1994). Jequier, Leon, ed., "Armorial Bellenville", _Cahiers d'Heraldique V_ (Paris: Le Le/opard d'Or, 1983). Popoff, Michel, _Artois et Picardie, Marche d'Armes I_ (Paris: Le Le/opard d'or, 1981). [Note: This author has published other excellent sources.] Pastoureau, Michel, _Armorial des chevaliers de la Table Ronde_ (Paris: Le Le/opard d'or, 1983). [Note: This author has published other excellent sources.] Pastoureau, Michel, _Traite/ d'He/raldique_, 2nd ed. (Paris: grands manuels Picard, 1993). Pastoureau, Michel, _Heraldry: An Introduction to a Noble Tradition_ (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997). 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. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 24 Jun 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] I should note that one of our members had previously attempted to justify a very similar motif for a submission, and was unable to find any supporting evidence. [2] Guillim, John, _A Display of Heraldry_, (orig. publ. by R. Blome in London in 1679, reprinted by Falconwood Press, Albany, N.Y., n.d.), p.135. [3] Papworth, John W., _Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials_, reprint (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977), p.110. [4] Pastoureau, Michel, _Traite/ d'He/raldique_, 2nd ed. (Paris: grands manuels Picard, 1993), p.127, fig.116.