ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2845 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2845 ************************************ 25 Apr 2004 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if either "Azure, on a chief Or a gillyflower gules" or "Azure, a gillyflower gules and a chief Or" are appropriate arms for a Scots woman living between 1350 and 1600. Here is the information we have found. The gillyflower, also known as the gillofer, july-flower, and French girofre, is found in English armory in the 16th century. The examples that we found are primarily just of the flower, though we found one that was slipped. [1] It appears that gillyflowers were not very common in Scottish armory. In one 15th century roll of Scottish armory, we find roses, but no other flora at all. [2] We found one example of a gillyflower in Scots arms; it was not slipped or leaved. [3] Plants are more common in Scottish armory than in English armory; therefore, a gillyflower seems to be a reasonable, though rare, charge. Putting a single charge on a chief is a motif that is rare in Scottish armory; putting three charges on the chief, or having a plain chief and three charges on the field would be more typical. [5] "Azure, on a chief Or three gillyflowers gules" are fine arms for later period Scotland. Putting gules gillyflowers on an azure field is also a design that we cannot recommend; Scottish arms rigidly followed the so-called "Rule of Tincture", which is that dark charges (red, green, black, blue) go on light colored fields (white or yellow), and vice versa. "Azure, three gillyflowers and a chief Or" would also be a possible design, though, as would "Or, three gillyflowers gules and a chief azure." As far as we know, you could register any of these designs with the SCA College of Arms. We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur, Juetta Copin, Margaret Makafee, Femke de Roas, Blaise de Cormeilles, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Teceangl Bach, Effrick neyn Kennyeoch, Adelaide de Beaumont, Talan Gwynek, Jillian Saint Andre, and Juliana de Luna. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael -- References: [1] Parker, James, _A Glossary of Terms used in Heraldry_ (Charles E. Tuttle, 1982). s.v. gillyflower [2] Campbell, Colin, _The Scots Roll: A Study of a Fifteenth Century Roll of Arms_ (Heraldry Society of Scotland 1995; ISBN 0 9525258 0 1). [3] Schweitzer, Leslie A., and David Hunter of Montlaw, "Charge Use in Late Medieval Scots Heraldry" in "The Double Tressure" #24, pp. 11- 32 (Heraldry Society of Scotland, 2001). Figure 6 mentions a Livingston, Lord of Callendar, who bore the arms "Argent, three gillyflowers gules within a double tressure flory counterflory vert." [4] Papworth, John W., _Papworth's Ordinary of British Armorials_, reprint (Five Barrows Ltd., 1977). [5] Leslie A. Schweitzer and David Hunter of Montlaw, "Late Medieval Scottish Heraldic Design", pps. 93-116 of L'Identita\ Genealogica e Araldica (Atti del XXIII Congresso internazionale di scienze genealogica e araldica 1998), Ministero Per i Beni e le Attitvita\ Culturali, Ufficio Centrale per i beni Archivistici 2000, volume 1, ISBN 88-7125-187-3.