ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1885
http://www.s-gabriel.org/1885
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From: "Debra R. Poole" 
27 Feb 2000

Greetings from the Academy of St. Gabriel,

You wrote to us requesting information regarding the
historical uses of the heraldic charge 'a sun in his glory'.
You wished to know if the charge appeared in any color other
than gold, and how it was blazoned.  Here is what we have
found.

The charge 'a sun' (in French 'rey de soleil') has seen many
changes thoughout history.  The earliest suns were mullets
with straight rays. By the time of Richard II (reigned
1377-1399) suns were also depicted as a large central
section surrounded by wavy or curved rays. [1]  Beginning in
the 15th century we see examples of the modern sun. [2]  It
appears as a large central circle surrounded by alternating
straight and curved rays.  As you can see the artistic
options for this charge are many.

One of the artistic options that developed in the late 15th
or early 16th century is the addition of the face. [2]  14th
century arms would not have had a sun with a face.  The
blazon 'in his glory' is also a later-period development,
though modern heralds might have updated the blazon to
include that phrase since.  For example John de la Hey
(d.1292) bore 'l'escu d'argent od un ray de solail de gules'
according to a roll of arms compiled during his lifetime.
[3]  A modern source describes his arms as 'Argent, a sun in
his splendour gules'. [4]

In the SCA a sun blazoned 'in his glory' will always have a
face on it.  This is not so in modern English heraldry:  A
sun blazoned 'in his glory' by modern heralds is not always
drawn with a face, and the addition of the face is not
always blazoned. In 1572 we see a sun with a face blazoned
simply as 'a sunne'. [5]  So in English heraldry the term 'a
sun', 'a sun in his glory' and 'a sun in his splendour' are
completely interchangeable.[6]

You did not specify which country you were interested in so
we thought you might like to know that the addition of 'in
his glory' seems to be unique to the English-language
blazons in period.  A face drawn on a sun appears in French
heraldry at approximately the same time as it does in
English heraldry.  In French heraldry, the face is not
optional as it is in English.  If French arms are blazoned
'ombre de soleil' the sun will always be drawn without a
face.  'Ombre de soleil' literally means the "shadow of sun"
and it has no relationship to the English 'in his glory'.
[8]

We believe that a sun could have been used in medieval
heraldry in any heraldic tincture. The proper blazon is
simply the name of the charge followed by its tincture: 'a
sun argent'.  [4, 9]

We hope this letter has been helpful to you. If you have any
further questions or require clarification on any point in
this letter please write to us again.  I was assisted in
writing this letter by Giles Leabrook, Rouland Carre,
Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Alexander the Traveller, Talan
Gwynek, Arval d'Espas Nord, Blaise de Cormeilles, Walraven
van Nijmegen, Margaret Makafee, Isfael ap Briafael, Amant le
Marinier and Juliana de Luna.

For the Academy,
Meredudd Brangwyn
28 Feb. 2000

1.  Woodcock, Thomas, Somerset Herald, and John  Martin
Robinson, Fitzalan Pursuivant Extraordinary,_The Oxford
Guide to Heraldry_  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988),
plate 19.

2.  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), "s.v. rai de soleil"

3.  Brault, Gerard J., _The Rolls of Arms of Edward  I_,
Aspilogia III, 2 vols. (London: Boydell Press, 1997), I.
183.

4.  Papworth, John W., _Papwoth's Ordinary of British
Armorials_, reprint  (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977), p.1100

5.  Bossewell, John,_ Works of Armorie_ (London, 1572,
Facsimile reprint Amsterdam and New York: Theatrum Orbis
Terrarum Ltd. and De Capo Press, 1969), folio 90

6.  Brooke-Little, J.P.,_A Heraldic Alphabet_ (New York:
Arco Publishing Company, Inc., 1973) s.v. Sun.

7.  Pastoureau, Michel, _Heraldry: An Introduction to a
Noble Tradition_ (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997),
p.53.

8.  Franklyn, J. and  J. Tanner, _An Encyclopaedic
Dictionary of Heraldry_  (New York: Pergamon Press, 1970),
s.v. Sun in his splendour

9.  Guillim, John, _A Display of Heraldry_,(orig.publ. by R.
Blome in London, 1679 reprinted by Falconwood Press, Albany
N.Y., n.d.), p.83