ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2706 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2706 ************************************ 20 Mar 2003 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! If our previous letter [1], we reported finding no example of "billety" in arms from southern Germany. You asked us to look more closely at an example you found. This letter is a brief answer to your question. The arms you mentioned appear under the name in the Zurich Roll of Arms [2] and in the Manesse Codex [3, 4]. The charge in the semy isn't obvious in the Zurich Roll, but it is certainly billets in the Manesse Codex. A scholarly edition of the Zurich Roll blazons these arms "Sable billety or, a lion rampant argent armed and langued gules" [4]. We are therefore happy to revise our previous opinion: Although semy of any kind were unusual in the heraldry of your region, billety was certainly known and used at least occasionally. The two designs you asked about are therefore good choices for your culture: Argent billety gules, an eagle displayed azure. Azure billety argent, an eagle displayed or. Unfortunately, we don't think you could register either with the SCA College of Arms. The first is too similar to the arms of Michael von Rosenau: Argent, an owl displayed azure maintaining a rose fesswise gules, slipped and leaved vert. The second is too similar to the arms of Napoleon: Azure, an eagle displayed contourny grasping in both claws a thunderbolt Or. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek, Modar Neznanich, and Blaise de Cormeilles. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 20 Mar 2003 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Academy of Saint Gabriel report 2626 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2626 [2] Popoff, Michel, _Le Ro^le d'Armes de Zurich_, Documents d'He/raldique Me/die/vale 9 (Paris: E/ditions du Le/opard d'Or, 1986). The same roll is available online: Bigalski, Gerrit, ed., "The Zurich Roll of Arms" (WWW: C. Boselli, 1996), nr. 51. http://ladyivanor.knownworldweb.com/zroaen0.htm [3] Charles Stewart O'Connor, "The Heraldry of the Manesse" in Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium (Richmond, Va.: SCA, Inc., 1983). [4] "Die Miniaturen der Manesseschen Liederhandschrift und andere Bildquellen" (WWW: Tempora Nostra). http://www.tempora-nostra.de/manesse/manesse_start.shtml