Monday, January 18, 2016
Heraldry of the Decadence, Part 2
Or maybe this could be subtitled, "Ministry of Silly Blazons" or some other such Monty Python-esque title.
Anyway, having done planets and gemstones as alternatives to the usual names of the tinctures in English blazon, we turn to some of the even more esoteric (and never used) blazon schemes.
In an attempt to keep some of these various blazon schemes organized, here are four which are thematically linked: blazon by Signs of the Zodiac; Seasons and Times of Day; Months; and Days.
Yes, these have all actually been promoted by one heraldic author or another as a way, I have to assume, to make heraldry even more esoteric and difficult to understand.
Signs of the Zodiac:
Or Leo
Argent Cancer
Gules Aries and Scorpio
Azure Taurus and Libra
Sable Capricorn and Amphora
Vert Gemini and Virgo
Purpure Sagittarius and Pisces
(The only advantage I can see to this scheme is that by having more than one sign of the Zodiac to use for the name of a color, you reduce the potential of having to repeat that tincture without resorting to the often-confusing "of the first," "of the second," "of the last," etc.)
Seasons and Times of Day:
Or Noon
Argent Morning
Gules Autumn
Azure Summer
Sable Winter and Night
Vert Spring
Purpure Evening
Months:
Or July
Argent June
Gules March and October
Azure April and September
Sable December and January
Vert May and August
Purpure November and February
(Here, too, we have the opportunity to not repeat the name of a tincture in a blazon. On the other hand, we have to remember two different names for each such color rather than one.)
Days:
Or Sunday
Argent Monday
Gules Tuesday
Azure Thursday
Sable Saturday
Vert Friday
Purpure Wednesday
(Okay, here I can see Sunday and Saturday as Or and Argent, if only because they match the planets blazon scheme of Sol and Luna (sun and moon). But what makes Thursday blue? Or Friday green? I'm at a loss here.)
How about "Heraldic Horrors".
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