Canting Arms

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There is a tradition in heraldry of so-called “canting arms” or armes parlantes where the design of the coat of arms literally depicts the meaning of the name of the armiger and, so, ‘says” his name. One that I came across recently which illustrates this well is the coat of arms of Cardinal Vegliò who was created cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. The main charge on the shield is a crane standing with one foot off the ground and holding a stone. This is usually referred to as a crane “in its vigilance”. This comes from Pliny the Elder wrote that cranes would appoint one of their number to stand guard while they slept. The sentry would hold a stone in its claw, so that if it fell asleep it would drop the stone and waken. The cardinal’s name means “watchful”.

9/11 Depicted Heraldically

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This is the emblem containing the coat of arms of the USS New York a naval vessel of the US Navy. The ship was constructed with seven tons of steel recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center in its bow. The twin towers and a chevron. representing the bow of the ship form a central feature in the coat of arms. The phoenix rising from the ashes is an allusion to carrying on and rebuilding the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The escutcheon on the breast of the phoenix contains the colors of the first responders on 9/11: the NY police department, NY fire department and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. The drops of blood on the escutcheon commemorate the fallen. The three stars depicted are for those earned by the former battleship USS NEW YORK (BB34) in World War II at Iwo Jima, Okinawa and North Africa. Above the shield the crest is taken from the central landscape charges on the coat of arms of the State of New York. Here the rays of the sun are depicted as seven in imitation of those radiating off the crown atop the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor.

This may not be the best heraldic design I’ve ever seen but it is a fine example of how heraldry, even in our own time, can be filled with poignant meaning and, in a simple artistic design, depict and commemorate so much. This coat of arms was devised, as are all US military insignia by the US Army’s Institute of Heraldry in Virginia.

Crest or Coat-of-Arms?

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This photo illustrates something well. The banners at the top of the photo contain the coats-of-arms of the individuals who bear them. In the middle part of the photo there are those sort of dorky looking statues standing on top of the helmets. THOSE are crests. (They are placed at the crest of the helmet…get it?) The two terms are NOT synonymous. Many people use the word crest to mean a coat-of-arms. I know, those extra two syllables are a killer to have to say! A crest is a part of the full achievement of arms but it may be depicted alone. However a coat-of-arms and a crest are different things.

Basilica of Regina Pacis, Brooklyn, NY

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Arrrrrgh! This is horrible, Horrible, HORRIBLE!!! This coat of arms devised for the newly-designated Basilica Church of Regina Pacis in the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY is an excellent example of everything heraldry should NOT be. Do the “designers” (and I use the term loosely) of this monstrosity think that you simply take whatever images you want in whatever style you want and tack it to a shield and that’s called heraldry?

The only correct thing about this coat of arms is that basilica churches do, in fact, have the use of the ombrellino or pavilion and keys as external ornaments. Literally, everything else about it is horribly incorrect and completely lacking in imagination, creativity or even a passing knowledge of heraldic design.

The motto should not cross the shield but be depicted below it. Why is there a second scroll above the shield bearing only the name of the church? Is a coat of arms not identifying enough? The inclusion of the arms of the See of Brooklyn in its entirety is questionable but since it was done it would be good if part of it weren’t cut off! The pictorial images of Our Lady and of the church itself are wholly inappropriate and the whole is clearly a mish-mash of images cut and pasted together that don’t even match in style!

This is the worst kind of slap-dash, indifferent, ignorant heraldry that it sadly in use in far too many parts of the United States. IT STINKS!

An “Oldie” But a “Goodie” (amended)

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The coat of arms of the Most Reverend Hugh Charles Boyle, DD who served as the Sixth bishop of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1921-1950. His arms are in the older style popular at that time and include the mitre and crozier as well as the episcopal cross (not to be confused with a processional cross) and galero. In 1969 Pope Paul VI’s instructions discontinued the use of the mitre and crozier in the coats of arms of people even though they are frequently used as external ornaments in the coats of arms of corporate bodies such as dioceses and abbeys.

The arms of the See of Pittsburgh were based on those of the city of Pittsburgh which, in turn were based on those of William Pitt. In the diocesan arms the bezants (gold roundels) have been changed to crosses and the inclusion of the sword alludes to the titular patron of the cathedral: St. Paul.

Very nice! Unfortunately, I cannot find a color image.

UPDATE: An intrepid reader informs me this is actually the arms of Bishop Regis Canevin, also of Pittsburgh.

Archbishop Porteous of Hobart

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The coat of arms of the Most Rev. Julian Porteous, up until now the auxiliary bishop of Sydney, Australia who has been promoted to be the (non Metropolitan) Archbishop of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He will be installed on September 17th. The Archbishop decided to re-design his current coat of arms, assumed at the time he was named auxiliary bishop, to bring them into better harmony when impaled with the arms of the See of Hobart. Archbishop Julian’s original arms were: “Quarterly, Vert and Or, a cross throughout Counterchanged; in dexter chief a dove rising surrounded by a golden effulgence and in sinister base an open book Argent, bound Or charged with the Greek letters Alpha and Omega Gules”.

In the redesign he has retained the dove representing the Holy Spirit and requested in be surrounded by rays suggesting the famous Bernini window above the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica. In addition the open book alluding to the Sacred Scriptures has been retained. Thus showing the heraldic equivalent of Spirit and Wisdom.

The new blazon is: “Arms impaled. In the dexter Azure the letter “M” Argent crowned with a celestial crown Or (Hobart); In the sinister per fess Gules and Argent, in chief a sun in splendor, the rays of light depicted as straight lines radiating to the edge of the field, within a ring all Or, charged overall with a dove displayed affronté Argent; in base an open book Argent, bound Gules and charged on the pages with the letters alpha and omega, Gules”.

The arms were designed by me and Mr. Richard d’Apice of Australia and depicted by Mr. Sandy Turnbull, also of Australia.

Bishop Peter Brown, CSsR of Samoa-Pago Pago

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The coat of arms of the Most Rev. Peter Brown, CSsR who will be ordained a bishop and installed as the Bishop of Samoa-Pago Pago in American Samoa on August 22, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary.

The arms are loosely based on the flag of American Samoa and also contain symbols of the bishop’s native place in New Zealand, the Holy Family, his Religious Community and the Pacific Islands where he will serve as bishop.

The coat of arms was designed by me and Mr. Richard d’Apice and here rendered by Mr. Sandy Turnbull.

Bishop Caggiano of Bridgeport, CT

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Yesterday, July 31 His Holiness, Pope Francis appointed the Most Rev. Frank Caggiano, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, to be the fifth bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. His coat of arms, adopted at the time he was ordained an auxiliary bishop reflects his native diocese (the crescent is a symbol of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Brooklyn diocese), his background in Canon Law (the scales of justice) and his devotion to Jesus, the Lord, the Lamb of God. These personal arms harmonize well with the attractive “canting” arms of the Bridgeport diocese.

Ad Multos Annos!

NOTE: It has been discovered that the scales of justice in this case are not a symbol of Canon Law but of St. Michael the Archangel, to whom the bishop has a great devotion.

The Coat of Arms of Prince George of Cambridge

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Quite a few people have asked me what the newborn Prince George of Cambridge’s coat of arms will look like. The answer is: it won’t look like anything. At least not until he is 18. A coat of arms is devised for royal children when they come of age. Prince George won’t be 18 until the year 2031 by which time he may find himself in a very different position from being third in line to the throne. So, it’s a moot point until then.

Belgian Royal Heraldry

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The shield is emblazoned: “Sable a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules surmounted by a helmet with raised visor, with mantling Or and Sable and the royal crown in lieu of a crest”. Behind the shield are placed a hand of justice and a sceptre with a lion. The grand collar of the Order of Leopold surrounds the shield. Two lions guardant proper support the shield as well as a lance with the national colors black, yellow and red. Underneath the compartment is placed the motto: “L’union fait la force” in French or “Eendracht maakt macht” in Dutch. The whole is placed on a red mantle with ermine lining and golden fringes and tassels, ensigned with the royal crown. Above the mantle rise banners with the arms of the nine provinces that constituted Belgium in 1837. They are (from left to right) Antwerp, West Flanders, East Flanders, Liége, Brabant, Hainaut, Limburg, Luxembourg and Namur.

This greater arms is used only rarely as on the great seal that is affixed to laws and international treaties.

Since the province of Brabant was split into Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Brussels in 1995, the greater arms no longer reflect the present territorial divisions of the state. The changes made to the arms of the Flemish provinces as a result of this decision, are not reflected in the great seal either.

The lesser coat of arms (as used by the Belgian federal government, on passport covers and the official sites of the monarchy and of the government) consists of the shield, the royal crown, the crossed sceptres, the collar of the Order of Leopold and the motto.

There is also a middle version used on occasion as well. All three are illustrated below.

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New King of the Belgians

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This weekend in Belgium King Albert II will officially abdicate and be succeeded by his son, the Duke of Brabant, who will become King Philippe I. There is no coronation ceremony in the Belgian monarchy. Instead, after a solemn Te Deum is sung at the cathedral there will be the formal abdication of the King. This is followed by the swearing in of the new King before the Belgian Parliament. The crown is used as a heraldic emblem by the King but an actual crown does not exist. The King rules by the consent of the people which is why there is no King “of Belgium” but instead a King “of the Belgians”. The arms above are of Philippe and his wife, Mathilde.

Bishop of Cuernavaca

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The coat of arms of Bishop Ramón Castro Castro of Cuernavaca, Mexico who was installed on July 10th. It seems apparent that he based the overall design on the arms of Pope Benedict XVI who also employed the tripartite chape ployé. It is also interesting to see that he chose to omit the galero and use simply the episcopal cross to ensign the shield as I had just been remarking about recently.

Wimbledon

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Congratulations to Andy Murray on his win of the championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (more commonly known as Wimbledon). The first British man to win since 1936. Of course the AELTC has a coat of arms and a badge, which is more frequently used as a kind of “logo” granted under Garter Colin Cole in 1992. It is England, after all! The arms and badge are pictured above and the entire Letters Patent of the grant of arms is below.

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