Heraldic Beasts?

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Bugbear –
by now I had hoped to be able to send you an image of a shield with a zebra on it – actually a demi-zebra issuant – but I have been unable to access the old files on my CDs or even use my home computer for the past few days.
The shield is the emblem of a South African military unit (one of the now defunct commandos), but all it would need would be a change of colour to make it uniquely yours.
As for there being other systems of personal recognition in the US – there are other systems of personal recognition in various countries, but none quite has the cachet that heraldry has, nor the chameleon-like ability to reinvent itself and come up with new unique designs.
None, that is, with the exception of the Japanese mon system, and that is distinguished from heraldry by the fact that it does not use fixed colours – the owner of a mon can present his (her) emblem in a variety of colours.
The Canadian Heraldic Authority has even granted arms to a Canadian of Japanese descent that incorporates a mon.
There are a good number of people who deal in fake arms, and it is against these that the armigers bear a particular grudge.
But while some are snobbish enough to insist that arms absolutely have to be substantive (to use Rathdown’s word), many recognise that, especially in countries like yours and like mine, there is still room for experiment on the part of those who do not wish to ape existing arms.
Regards,
Mike

[Bugbear]

Oh, that sounds interesting, Mike. Hope you are able to resolve your computer issue. If, at some point, you are able to post the picture, I could take it over to a new thread and ask the members with photoshop skills to help redesign it a bit to make it unique. I've done that a few times in the past.

And other members could have input on what might be best as to what to or not to do.

[Shaw of Easter Lair]

Arms in Scotland is a Monomark, and once achieved in Lyon Court is inherited property. Arms or a crest is not general to a family, although with heraldry you can tell what family line an armiger comes from in about ten seconds. In the old days, the stamped metal copy of the crest of the Clan Chief or Chieftain's (or amigerous Duine-uassail) Arms was usually worn with a strap around the neck of the 'retainers' (a pale, insufficent word for the fiecely loyal ghillies, tacksmen, cousins and kinfolk that were part of the Head of a Derb-fine or Gil-Fine family's tail or household - usually of the same name or related - and if not related, entwined by fealty, services and the land. That is where the Strap and Buckle with the Chief's Crest comes from that we wear in our bonnets today.
I was bribed with dinner and drink to gave a little talk once to a Scottish group on Heraldry once.
http://www.theclanshaw.org/page14.html