Okay, I’m done with all the major parts of my CoA. It certainly took long enough, and I pretty much bombarded you guys with every single iteration. I’m sure that got more than a bit tedious, my apologies!
What I’ve settled on is all mine, I pretty much came to it on my own terms. But that’s not to say your criticisms fell on deaf ears either.
So here it is…
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/RampantRat25Adj7.png
Crest: rampant demi-rat sable - I’d talked about various styles of eagles, but it wasn’t until I started playing around with the bull that it suddenly came to me to use a rat instead. I was born in August, 1972, the year of the rat. And while the eastern zodiac doesn’t have too much to do with western heraldry, I’ve decided that since I have always identified with the rat it should be represented here. So there it is, I’m not remotely asian, but my crest is a rat. I like it.
Helm: pot helm - pretty standard, and I guess I like it for that reason alone. Not much to say beyond that really.
Torse and Mantle: both are pretty rough and I will be working on smoothing ‘em out, but the design is set. What started out as a shortcut turned out to be pretty neat looking, to me anyway.
Shield: Vert on a bend Or a bendlet Sable charged with six crosses fleury palewise Argent - this was the hardest part of the whole endeavor, but in the end I chose what was right for me. My family loves the color scheme and the six crosses represent faith and each member of the family.
So there ya go, obviously there are few more things to do, but the core of the design is complete. Thanks everyone who helped!
Edit: one of the little things I’m working on is getting the angle of the arms correct - thanks Duncan. Edited mantle per Guy.
loaba wrote:
Crest: rampant demi-rat sable ...
Helm: pot helm - pretty standard, and I guess I like it for that reason alone. Not much to say beyond that really.
The crest would be blazoned "... and set as a crest, on a wreath Or and Vert, a demi-Rat rampant Sable".
As far as the helm, you don’t really have to specify it in a blazon. In some cases the helm is specified, but that unusually limited to British nobility (they tried to work out a system of helms similar to the system of crowns, with dubious results).
I have to say it looks really great!
ESmith wrote:
The crest would be blazoned "... and set as a crest, on a wreath Or and Vert, a demi-Rat rampant Sable"
Ah, many thanks for this tidbit! I was wondering how I was gonna get that done.
loaba wrote:
...Crest: rampant demi-rat sable
I cannot resist! Resistance ... is .... futile: So! you couldn’t give a rat’s @ss?
Sorry.
Another crest-blazon template as used in Scotland:
Quote:
Above the shield is placed an Helmet befitting his degree with a Mantling Or doubled Vert, and on a Wreath of the Liveries is set for Crest a demi-rat rampant Sable—::—::
(order: animal/pose/color)
FYI: Scottish Letters Patents blazon both shield and crest in red ink; and "an" precedes Helmet—that’s not a typo.
Okay, things that need work are the adjusting of the Scottish-style lambriquen to look more like a Spanish specimen and making the rat look better/prettier.
Making a prettier rat, I don’t think that phrase has ever been uttered before!:p
The arms are coming along very well by the way!
Andrew J Vidal wrote:
Making a prettier rat, I don’t think that phrase has ever been uttered before!:p
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/loaba/RampantRat25Adj7.png
^It may not be pretty per se, but that rat is from my own hand…
Andrew J Vidal wrote:
The arms are coming along very well by the way!
Thank you, now I’m just tweaking, the major elements are set.
For a hand drawn rat, it’s pretty darn good! As I’ve said in other posts, I can barely draw a stick figure without great difficulty.
I was trying to make a funny tho, it’s not often you hear someone say "prettier rat", they’re not words you usually see together.
Andrew J Vidal wrote:
For a hand drawn rat, it’s pretty darn good!
Thank you, that took awhile (and he still has a web-claw… guess he’s a water rat).
Andrew J Vidal wrote:
I was trying to make a funny tho, it’s not often you hear someone say "prettier rat", they’re not words you usually see together.
lol - true, pretty doesn’t usually modify rat, heh.
Next up is the mantle, I’ve a mind to keep it in the Scots-Irish tradition too.
Andrew J Vidal wrote:
Making a prettier rat, I don’t think that phrase has ever been uttered before!:razz:
Why you dirty rat!
Seriously, nice rat! You may want to describe it as armed and langued gules if you want it to remain as drawn.
Take care,
Oh yeah, I want the rat to be exactly as depicted.
and set as a crest, on a wreath Or and Vert, armed and langued Gules a demi-rat rampant Sable
^Where does this go in relation to my shield blazon?
Edit: answered my own question…
Blazon of Arms
Vert on a bend Or a bendlet Sable charged with six crosses fleury palewise Argent.
Blazon of Crest
A demi rat rampant Sable armed and langued Gules on a wreath Or and Vert.
Have I ordered/worded the crest blazon corectly?
Awesome arms and crest! Rat is very unique too, I like how you "heraldic"ized it!
Looks pretty good to me!
Can the creature on the crest hold a staff or spear with a pennent that bears your motto?
I see no reason why not!
Someone in the site, sorry forgot the names, have arms featuring a lion with an open book with their motto written in blackletter.
loaba wrote:
Can the creature on the crest hold a staff or spear with a pennent that bears your motto?
No reason why not, the more traditional approach is to have them hold a staff with a flag of your arms… a la Mr Bradley
ESmith wrote:
No reason why not, the more traditional approach is to have them hold a staff with a flag of your arms… a la Mr Bradley
Mr. Brady might be upset that Mr. Bradly Usurped his arms