ÆTHELMEARC COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #44
Brandubh O Donnghaile

Greetings Lord Dagonell,

I send you my comments on the LIO #44, however, I will be commenting only on the armory as I have yet to build my library for names. One note is that I have not commented on any of the devices which which I find no fault.

Brandubh O Donnghaile

Asme Scales: "Argent, on a chevron or fimbriated azure between four feathers two and two, three roundels gules."

I find no problem with the blazon, but the emblazon is another matter. The chevron is not fimbriated, i find them to be almost three chevronells conjoined, this alone i find enough to send the armory back for a redraw, and the feathers are highly stylized, without documentation for this depiction of feathers I recommend this submission be sent back and redrawn. Either of these offenses I find sufficient for an artistic return.

Casa Valdes: "Or, on a mountain purpure, a donkey or."

The Donkey needs to be larger to fill the available space.

Ceara McMillan: "Per bend azure and gules, a dragon's head erased facing sinister, a bordure argent."

This dragon's head is not erased, it is couped, badly, as well as having what appear to wings which are not included in the head of this monster. In addition, the bordure should grow thicker, and the facing sinister be replaced by contourny

Christopher of York: "Counterermine, a tiger's head cabossed or marker sable, a bordure ermine."

Looks good to me except that it should be a natural tiger's head, where this head is clearly not an heraldic tiger.

Corwyn Montgomery: "Sable, a cubit arm, hand in glove, fessways, proper, maintaining a sword paleways, argent, on a chief argent, three roundels sable." and
"Sable, a cubit arm, hand in glove, fessways, proper, maintaining a tankard argent, a bordure."

To begin al the '-ways' should become '-wise', and all of the commas between the position and tincture and charge should be removed, and the chief should be slightly deeper. It should read, "Sable, a cubit arm, hand in glove, fesswise proper, maintaing a sword palewise, on a chief argent, three roundels sable."

Dennis of Greenway: "Argent a saltire gules, on a chief wavy vert, a sea serpent ondoyent langued gules, wrapped about a sword fesswise sinister or."

This one needs a little help; first the ondoyent should be removed, the monster is wrapped about the sword and cannot be ondoyent, and I believe that the monster should be or, according to the blazon it is gules to correct this the blazon should read, "...a sea serpent, wrapped about a sword fesswise hilt to sinister or, langued gules."

Diolach Macaree: "Argent, a pithon embowed-counterembowed, wings displayed vert, maintaining a rose azure slipped and leaved vert."

Palewise should be added to the blazon of the rose, but I recommend this for return while the rose stem and the pithon blend in and it is difficult to determine where one ends and the other begins, as well as the use of a non-period rose.

Dominic McMorland: "Vert, a lion rampant to sinister holding a garb or."

The 'to sinister' should be replaced with 'contourny,' and 'holding' with 'maintaining,' however I feel and artist's note should be sent while both the garb and dexter hind paw touch the edge of the device.

Eva Goch: "Vert, semy of comets argent, on a fess argent a book counterchanged."

The first argent should be removed and counterchanged be replaced with vert.

Gareth Kincaid: Badge "Per saltire gules and argent, a hammer sable palewise."

This should be returned because the identifying feature of the hammer, the head, lies tincture on tincture, and does not give a high contrast.

Geoffrey Fitzdavid: "Per chevron gules and chevronelly, or and sable."

This is not a chevron, it occurs too high on the field, it is too low to be a chevron enhanced, but since it originates of the fessline, perhaps it is an odd fess.

Kieran MacRae: "Per chevron throughout purpure and argent, two equal-armed celtic crosses argent and an equal-armed celtic cross sable."

A chevron is throughout by default, but this is not a chevron, it is either chape or a pile inverted, and would it work to say 'three equal-armed celtic crosses, two argent and one sable?' Just a thought.