ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2035
http://www.s-gabriel.org/2035
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17 Jul 2000
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You wrote to us requesting our opinion of two designs for coats of arms,
and particularly whether the designs might be passed by the SCA College of
Arms.  The designs you gave us were "Sable, on a bend voided or, three
eagles displayed or", and "Sable, three bendlets or between two eagles
displayed or".  We would like to apologize for the time it has taken to
answer your question.  Here is what we have found.

Please note that the Academy of S. Gabriel does not focus on SCA
registration.  We offer advice on whether a design is good re-creation for
your culture.  Our concerns are often different from those of the SCA
College of Arms.  In general, we apply a higher standard of authenticity
and don't worry about other issues that concern the College of Arms.

We would blazon your first design "Sable, three eagles displayed bendwise
between two bendlets Or".  When two sets of charges mentioned successively
in the blazon share their tincture, the first mention of the tincture can
be omitted.  This design would be a fine choice if you were re-creating
14th century English heraldry, but we have not seen charges between
bendlets in German heraldry.  The second design is one we would not expect
to see in medieval sources.  We have never seen a pair of charges with
three bendlets between them.  By the standards of period heraldic art,
there would not have been enough room left for the eagles.

Here are a few alternative designs which include elements of your design
and which are more typical of German heraldry of your period.  They are
based on a roll of arms painted c.1340 in Zurich [1].

 Or, a bend between two eagles displayed sable.

   The eagles are in their normal vertical orientation, placed in the
   upper-right and lower-left sections of the field.

 Sable, a bend and in chief an eagle displayed Or.

   Here there's just one eagle, in the upper-right section.

 Sable, on a pale Or three eagles displayed sable.

   The eagles are lined up, one above the other, on the pale (broad
   vertical stripe).

 Bendy Or and sable, on a chief Or three eagles displayed sable.

   The field is divided into about 8 diagonal stripes alternating gold and
   black.  The top third of the field is gold with three black eagles in a
   row.

As far as we can tell, you should be able to register any of these designs
with the SCA College of Arms.


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 Zenobia
Naphtali, Rouland Carre, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Walraven van Nijmegen, and
Aelfwyn aet Gyrwum.

For the Academy,

  Isfael ap Briafael & Arval Benicoeur
  17 Jul 2000


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References:  

[1] Bigalski, Gerrit, ed., "The Zurich Roll of Arms" (WWW: C. Boselli,
1996). 
http://people.delphi.com/ivanor/zroaen0.htm