Re: The Real Story from Kofryna the Goatherd...

[Tom Rettie <tom@his.com>]

Poster: Tom Rettie <tom@his.com>

At 12:20 PM 6/3/97 -0400, Kofryna the Goatherd wrote:

>What  I really don’t understand at this point that I just observed
>regarding the fact that a boat, plant or glass doesn’t have to be
>clearly identifiable. If this is true,  then why is the goat versus cow
>so important. 

I think there may be a slight misunderstanding here.  I don't believe it's
true that a boat does not need to be clearly identifiable, it's that the
TYPE of boat does not need to be clearly identifiable.   Whether I blazon
it as a cog, carrack, drekkar, shallop, galleon, lymphad, hulk, gallease,
or galley, they are all for the purposes of heraldry, a ship.  In cases of
conflict, changing a cog to a galleon will not resolve the conflict.  Given
that there is much debate among naval historians as to just what each of
these looked like (and there's a lot of overlap), this makes some sense.

In your case, I think it would be more that the TYPE of goat is not
important (a goat is a goat, or course, or course...), but the distinction
between goat and cow is.   

My suggestion: redraw the thing in a manner that the heralds accept as a
goat -- get it passed -- and then draw it however it so pleases you
(preferably in a medieval and/or heraldic manner).  It is perfectly period
and realistic for the same arms to be rendered differently by different
artists.  I myself have seen Drake's arms rendered in at least half a dozen
different styles.  

This is, after all, your device, not the bureaucrats'.

With respects,

Finn



------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Rettie                                       tom@his.com
Heather Bryden                               bryden@hers.com
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