I posted this image in the religious heraldry thread as well but I’m also putting it here because I’m finding it difficult to come up with a clear blazon for thes e arms. Any suggestions?
http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq177/GSelvester/sc00acaab2a-1.jpg
Very, very attractive and striking arms.
I’d suggest something along the lines of "Per chevron throughout and per chevron reversed throughout Argent and Azure counterchanged, an eagle displayed Sable armed and langued Or holding in its beak a heart Gules." I think that would imply for the artist that the eagle is only on the argent area.
South Yorkshire Metro County Council has a similar set up, Sable a pile throughout barry dancetty argent and gules over all a pile reversed throughout counterchanged in the sable a rose argent barbed and seeded proper between two like roses dimidiated and issuing from the flanks.
http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/s_yorks.JPG
Based on that, I would suggest, Argent a pile throughout blue celeste overall a pile reversed throughout counterchanged in the counter an eagle displayed inverted sable armed Or holding in the beak a heart gules.
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http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq177/GSelvester/sc00acaab2a-1.jpg
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This design reminds me of the ancient arms of the Kingdom of Sicily. Is this accidental or intentional? See the banner of arms below for the visual reference:
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sicily.svg/800px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Sicily.svg.png
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The armiger is a Benedictine monk. The eagle is actually a raven (a symbol of St. Benedict) and the heart is for the armiger’s devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His abbey was founded from a motherhouse in Bavaria and its arms have a field of fusily in bend Argent and Azure from the Wittelsbach arms. This design is an allusion to the Bavarian arms.
On a heater, the two blazons do not properly guide the artist. The chevron inverted usually does not touch top corners but the sides. A pile inverted is narrower and is mostly drawn as issuant between the top corners.
A little nonstandard, but I suggest using a chaussé and chapé, with the eagle on the Argent at the honor point.
How about "per argyle"?
Seriously, though. Looking at the illustrations in the link Michael provided I think using chaussé and chapé would at least avert the need to fumble through the throughouts and overalls.
Azure on a Fusil throughout between two Flauches squared Argent ........
Wonderful arms for a Benedictine!
Pulling together some of the proposed blazons:
Azure chapé Argent chaussé counterchanged on the central piece a Raven ascendant displayed inverted Sable beaked and membered Or holding in its beak a Heart Gules
"Ascendant" is an attempt to capture the uplifted position of the head.
Dohrman Byers;64608 wrote:
Wonderful arms for a Benedictine!
Pulling together some of the proposed blazons:
Azure chapé Argent chaussé counterchanged on the central piece a Raven ascendant displayed inverted Sable beaked and membered Or holding in its beak a Heart Gules
"Ascendant" is an attempt to capture the uplifted position of the head.
I think you should just go ahead and say "holding in its beak to chief a heart Gules."
Michael Swanson;64609 wrote:
I think you should just go ahead and say "holding in its beak to chief a heart Gules."
Or what about "holding uplifted in its beak a Heart Gules"? One could then omit "ascendant."
With the clarification from Fr. Guy in post #109 on the thread "Roman Catholic Heraldry of Clergy," to the effect that the position of the raven’s head is not significant but a matter of artistic license, the niceties proposed above become irrelevant. One could blazon simply "a Raven displayed inverted Sable beaked and membered Or holding in its beak a Heart Gules."
Thanks everyone. This has been very helpful. Its times like these that a forum like this really shows its value!