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

[Stephen Mumford <redline@catharsis.com>]

Poster: Stephen Mumford <redline@catharsis.com>

>   Though I did mean traditionally in period, rather than in the SCA, those
> are some interesting examples.  I had never heard of canting (though I
> suppose if you are going to recant, you must have cantted at some point).
> Was this a period practice?

Yep.  A very period practice, actually -- even Shakespeare's arms were
canting (they had a lance, i.e., a spear, on them).

Actually, as her secondary part of her name was, if I remember
correctly, "the Goatherd" as opposed to simply "Goatherd", the arms she
wanted might instead be considered allusive -- that is, they allude to a
situation or event.  I believe canting is used mainly when the surname is
passed down: canting if her son would be known as James Goatherd, allusive
if it refers to her profession and not her family name.

One of my favorite allusive arms was of the town arms of someplace in
eastern europe, I believe -- the front half of a horse, bridled
and reined.  It alluded to a legend in the city's history when the
prince's horse was killed by being split in half by a falling portcullis.
;-)

Julien

redline@catharsis.com
http://www.catharsis.com/sca

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