The position of the buffalo heads at http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Spt/136SupportBattalion.htm is not adequately blazoned and the blazon as written would give the reader a distinct misimpression.
"two buffalo heads addorsed"
This is an interesting way to blazon the heads. The blazoning of fish or the wings of a bird usually come to mind when I see the term "addorsed" and on further thought can something be addorsed if there is an ordinary in between?
I think the problem here is that the arms were designed by an artist, who can imagine a large variety of designs without limit, rather than a herald who only imagines the designs that he or she can blazon.
I have heard of bows addorsed as well. Now, looking at the arms, I think these are more like: "two buffalo heads issuing from a pale," but I could be way off.
Cheers,
Hassan
I always think of addorsed meaning overlapping. Aren’t these buffalo heads conjoined at the neck by a key double warded palewise?
No, no, I was looking at the Distinctive Unit Insignia.
Quote:
Shield: Buff, on a pale Celeste a double-warded key palewise wards to base Argent between in chief two buffalo heads addorsed of the like armed and garnished of the field, overall a fountain at fess point.
Well, they’re not addorsed AND they’re not conjoined, unless the blazon was: Buff in chief two buffalo heads conjoined at the neck Argent over all upon a pale Celeste charged with a double-warded key palewise wards to base of the second (is Silver permissable?) a Fountain at fess point.
Patrick Williams;48592 wrote:
No, no, I was looking at the Distinctive Unit Insignia.
Well, they’re not addorsed AND they’re not conjoined, unless the blazon was: Buff in chief two buffalo heads conjoined at the neck Argent over all upon a pale Celeste charged with a double-warded key palewise wards to base of the second (is Silver permissable?) a Fountain at fess point.
I think this would be closest to being a correct blazon—it’s a better job than I could have done, at any rate.
Daniel C. Boyer;48601 wrote:
I think this would be closest to being a correct blazon—it’s a better job than I could have done, at any rate.
I agree totally with Daniel. Patrick has done a fine job with this blazon. Perhaps he should consider a move to Northern Virginia so that he may work at the Institute of Heraldry as their designated blasonnière*.
*A French word of my own creation, as far as I know.<b></b>
Thanks, but you know the saying: "Every now and then even a blind squirrel gets a nut."