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HERALDRY RAMBLINGS

The Mystery of the Ich Dien

The Prince of Wales's feathers is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. It consists of three white feathers emerging from a gold coronet. A ribbon below the coronet bears the motto Ich dien (German for "I serve", a contraction of ich diene). As well as being used in royal heraldry, the badge is sometimes used to symbolise Wales, particularly Welsh rugby union and Welsh rugby league; however its use as such is controversial and rejected by many Welsh people as a symbol of the British monarchy rather than Wales. It is thought to have originated with Edward, the Black Prince, the eldest son of Edward III of England. According to legend, the Black Prince obtained the arms from the blind John I of Bohemia, against whom he fought in the Battle of Crécy in 1346. After the battle, the prince went to the body of the dead king (whom he admired for his bravery) and took his helmet, lined with ostrich feathers. The feathers and the dead king's motto made up the prince's new badge and came to be used by subsequent Princes of Wales.

STAFF NOTES

There are some additions and alternate coat of arms added to the British Fleet, Pride of Ireland and the Scotland Forever collections. Those who have these collections can get the additions for free by download, by contacting the office. The French-English heraldry translator is now on the Member Resource page...have a look....

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PIRATED ART

A note on foreign sites offering pirated AG art by free download. We are doing our best to block these illegal operations, by having them removed from search engines, advising their host servers of the violation, and if they originate from any free-world country, "sicking" our Perry Mason, on them. Folks that download these unlicensed copies put themselves in legal jeopardy. This is unfortunate as they are not told this by the crooks operating these sites.

WORKING ON....

We are working on the Families of Britain (crowned garter style) and a new Collection on American Settler Families, keep an eye out for them, they are very different.

 

The House of Irelandbadges are finished, and are free to those who bought the Platinum collection within the last 30 days....contact the office.

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THE WREATH/TORSE

The wreath was a kind of roll, made of two pieces of silk of different colours, twisted together, which the ancient knights wore as a head-dress when habited for tournaments. The colours were regulated by the fancy of the wearer, the tinctures of his arms, or the choice of some favourite lady. They were most usually taken from the principal metal and colour of the coat of arms. The practice of several centuries has now attached the wreath to the crest and helmet : its proper position being between the two. The helmet is frequently dispensed with, but the wreath is always used for the crest to rest on, unless it be supported by a coronet, or a cap of state.

THE CARDINAL BIRD

New this month is the Cardinal. We've had numerous requests, likely because it's the State bird of Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, and West Virginia. The Northern Cardinal, also known as the Redbird and the Virginia nightingale, is a North American bird in the Cardinal family. It is found from southern Canada through the eastern United States from Maine to Texas and south through Mexico to northern Guatemala and Belize. It is found in woodlands, gardens, shrub-lands, and swamps. This territorial song bird is a symbol of liberation.

THOR'S HAMMER

Thor, Norse God of Thunder, it is said would be able to strike as firmly as he wanted, whatever his aim, and the hammer would never fail, and if he threw it at something, it would never miss and never fly so far from his hand that it would not find its way back, and when he wanted, it would be so small that it could be carried inside his tunic....

 

HOUSE OF IRELAND

THE WYVERN

A new Wyvern supporter is included this month. The wyvern is a mythical beast usually represented as a 2-legged winged creature and with wings and a barbed serpent tail. Considered a sign of strength to those who bore the symbol the Wyvern is an ancient token associated with Mercia and the old kings of Wessex. Mercia was one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, consisting generally of the region of the Midlands. It was settled by Angles c.500, probably first along the Trent valley. Its history emerges from obscurity with the reign of Penda, who extended his power over Wessex (645) and East Anglia (650) to gain over-lordship of England.

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