[antir-heralds] style/CC: sword within wings

[Britt]

> Gules, a sword inverted argent within a pair of wings Or.
>
> Here's his rendering of what he wants:
>
> http://www.doomchicken.net/~ursula/sca/pictures/kerrigan.jpg
>
> Is this reasonable style?  Can you fit a sword between a pair of wings
> like that?  Is it OK not to conjoin them?

It's perfectly okay to not conjoin the wings. The problem with this
rendering is...  Well, I see a couple.  One is the placement of the
wings slightly below the sword make a reproducable blazon almost
impossible.  They're not one and two, not in fess, not in any expected
arrangement.  Now, this can be fixed easily if he's willing to put
everything in fess.
The second is that the wings are substantially enough larger than the
wings it sizes up as a secondary charge between primaries, which is
just weird. So if he'll butch up the sword and size down the wings so
they're all equally tall, that'd be fine.
Then put them in fess.

By the way, there's at least one German coat (in Siebmacher maybe?)
with a charge centered between two discrete wings, so this isn't too
far off late period style.

> (A conflict check would be nice too, if anybody's up to it, but I'd like
> to sort out the style issues first.)

Michael MacPherson - June of 1982 (via the West): Gules, a sword
argent between in fess two wings displayed and in chief two escallops
inverted Or between two more argent.
Totally not a conflict, but the similarity of design amused me. While
I'm at it, though, I'll count CDs. One for turning the sword over, one
for adding primary wings, one for removing the secondary charge group
of wings, one for removing the secondary charge group of escallops
(I'm making an unproven assumption that Michael's wings and escallops
are separate secondary charge groups). Two or more CDs.

Thomas Adler - April of 2004 (via the Outlands): Gules, a sword
inverted argent between an increscent and a decrescent Or.
Your client definitely needs to make the three charges co-primary
because if not this one'll be a conflict issue. If your client's sword
and wings are co-primary there will be one CD for removing secondary
crescents and another for changing the number of primaries from one to
three.  (I not there's one CD for changing secondary types and that's
a problem.)
Glad I ran a check, this is something you need to know in redesign.

Conrad MacAllyn - June of 1996 (via the East): Gules, a sword inverted
between a pair of wings inverted argent.
Nope, not an uncommon motif at all in the SCA.  With primary wings the
CDs are same as above - one for removing secondaries and one for
changing the number of primaries.

Gráinne ingen Chormaic - August of 2002 (via Meridies): Gules, a sword
proper between two unicorns combattant Or.
Two CDs if your client sticks with co-primaries, a conflict if he doesn't.

Gerold Bright Angel - January of 1974: Gules, a double cameo bust
within two wings conjoined Or.
This one's going to require a Laurel pull-and-compare. If the cameo
bust is primary, you're fine. If it's co-primary, this is a zero-CD
conflict as you can get no difference for one of three charges in a
nonstandard arrangement.  There's a CD between a pair of unconjoined
wings and a vol, but nothing likely for conjoining wings to a center
charge in a three in a row arrangement.  I'd not at all be surprised
to see the cameo bust a secondary charge, given this blazon, but 1974
registrations... Well, never count on anything and you won't be
disappointed.

Angels, Barony of the - October of 1985 (via Caid): Gules, a lyre Or
within two wings conjoined argent.
This one's clear 'cause the lyre's a secondary making one CD for
removing it and another CD for changing the number of primary charges
in the group, and one more for changing the tincture of better than
half the primary group.  (Assuming again, but a charge between wings
conjoined or a vol is rarely going to be a primary.)

Gustav Minsinger - October of 2005 (via Ansteorra): Gules, a vol
surmounted by a spear inverted argent.
That's a CD for changing the tincture of the primary charge group, a
CD for changing the number in the primary charge group from one to
three, and a CD for removing an overall charge group.

Brioc Morcannuc - May of 1998 (via the Outlands): Azure, a vol Or.
A vol is a single charge so one CD for changing the field and another
CD for changing number of charges from one to three.


Glad I did that.  There are some conclusions that can be drawn here.
1. The three charges ought to be co-primary to avoid conflict.
2. The wings need to remain Or to avoid conflict.
3. Arranging them in fess will also be a conflict-avoider as well as
better style.

- Teceangl