Re: Please translate Heraldese...

[Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy@abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>]

Poster: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy@abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>

  Per bend embattled argent and azure, two crosses potent counterchanged.

"Per" describes a line of division.  In this case, the line follows the same
path as a bend, from the viewers upper left to lower right.

Embattled means the line looks like embattlements: a square wave to those
that are nerds....

The colors are always listed so the topmost and leftmost is listed first.
In this case, that means the top is white (argent) and the bottom is blue
(azure).

A scribe will understand: a cross potent is an equal armed cross with
serifs.... (:-)  Or, an equal armed cross with lines at the ends of each
branch, just as a capital "T" has a line across the top.

Counterchanged means that when the items appear upon two different colored
parts of the field, they each appear in the other colors.  So there is a
white cross on the blue, and a blue cross on the white.
  
=-=-=-=-=
  
  Per saltire sable and gules, on a lozenge Or a sword inverted sable.

Per saltite is a line division that is like a giant X from one corner to
another.  Black (sable) on the top and bottom, red (gules) on the sides.

A lozenge is a symetrical diamond shape, and this one is gold.  Because the
background is all of a color, you should place the lozenge right in the
center.

There is a sword on the center of the lozenge, it is black.  Because it is
inverted, it's point is toward the base, and the handle toward the top.

(This armory would probably not register today....)

=-=-=-=-=

  Per bend sinister azure and Or semy of fleams azure, a dumbeg Or.

Per Bend Sinister you now know, except that a bend sinister runs the other
way: from viewers upper right to lower left.  Top blue, and bottom gold.

EXCEPT.  The gold part is covered with fleams: a rather stylized
representation of a medieval tool for "relieving sanguine humors", aka,
bleeding people.  It kind of looks like a formalized number 3, with the top
part of the three being straight, a straight diagonal, and a rounded bottom
belly.  Scatter a large number of them on the field (semy means "many").

In the center of the field is a Middle Easter Drum: a doumbek or dumbeg.
It's got a kind of keyhole shape, except of course the top is flat to
stretch a drumming hide across.

=-=-=-=-=
  
  Gules, a fess wavy cotised Or, overall a unicorn rampant contourny and on a chief argent three arrows fesswise gules.
  
Very typical SCA armory, not particularly typically period.

A red field, with a large rectangle running from the right to the left of
the field.  The edges of this gold rectangle are "wavy".  In addition to
that, there are 2 skinny rectangles on either side of it, also wavy to match
the waves of the fess.

Plopped on top of the rectangle, and spilling over the top and bottom of it
(just as if it wasn't there) is a unicorn.  It is rearing, and facing to
the viewer's right, and is silver.

Across the top of this very busy-busy arms, is a chief: a large band
covering the top fifth of the shield.  It is white/silver and has 3 arrows 
on it.  The arrows are stacked one on the other, pointing to the viewer's
left, feathers to the right.

=-=-=-=-=

  Or, on a pile azure between two rapiers inverted sable a bee Or.

A gold field, there is a blue triangle.  The point is at the bottom of the
field, and the top starts at the upper corners.  On either side of it are
two rapiers, points down, and they are black.  On the pile/triangle is a
golden bee.

	Tibor
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