The Sinister Herald

There are a few coats of arms that are rather unusual, in that they do not follow the conventions of heraldry, and typically break those rules outright (known as armes à enquérir). One such example is that of the arms of Godfrey of Bouillon. Godfrey was a Frankish knight who fought in the First Crusade. After the successful siege of Jerusalem, he became its first Latin ruler. He refused the title king, saying that such claim could only be laid by God. His younger brother Baldwin succeeded him, and, having no such scruples, became the first Latin King of Jerusalem. Subsequently, the Bouillon arms became those of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Depicted here is Godfrey wearing his armorial bearing. But what is so unique about this blazon?

Argent a Cross potent between four plain Crosslets Or.

It breaks a well known armorial law—The Rule of Tincture. This rule states that metal should not be put on metal, nor colour on colour (Humphrey Llwyd, 1568). This means that Gold and Silver cannot be placed one atop the other on a coat of arms. On a background of Silver or Gold, only Blue, Red, Purple, Black or Green could be placed, and vice-versa. The coat of arms of Godfrey of Bouillon places Gold atop Silver, thus breaking the well-established rule. An exception is likewise found on all arms legally impaling, quartering, marshalling, or otherwise combing the arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, of which there are many examples.

There are analogues examples of color-on-color that will be presented later.

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The arms consist of a shield featuring four albatrosses in a blue-and-white mirror image design. The two supporters are Tristan rock lobsters, which are found in the waters surrounding the island. The crest features a naval crown and a Tristan da Cunha longboat.
The motto is “Our faith is our strength”.

The coat of arms of Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory

The seal of the territory of American Samoa is based in traditional local design.
The fue or the fly switch, represents wisdom, while the To’oto’o or staff represents authority. Both symbols are used by talking chiefs indicating their rank. The Tanoa (kava bowl) represents service to the chief.
The Samoan motto Samoa Ia Muamua Le Atua is translated “Samoa, Let God Be First.”

The seal of American Samoa

The centrepiece of the arms, the shield, bears a palm tree and St. Edward’s Crown on a base of three white wavy lines representing the ocean, a sun in splendour in the upper-left corner, and the Union Flag in a chief at the top. Two sea turtles are used as supporters (a hawksbill turtle and a green turtle), representing the local native wildlife. The crest comprises a naval crown through which rises a red tower bearing the territory’s flag; there is no helm or mantling.
The motto is In tutela nostra Limuria, Latin for “Limuria is in our charge/trust”. This refers to the non-existent continent of Limuria, once thought to occupy the Indian Ocean.
The palm tree and royal crown also feature in the flag of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The coat of arms of the British Indian Ocean Territory

The seal of Vagharshapat, Armenia

Mon (紋) (plural mon), also monshō (紋章), mondokoro (紋所), and kamon (家紋), are Japanese emblems used to decorate and identify an individual or family. While mon is encompassing term that may refer to any such device, kamon and mondokoro refer specifically to emblems used to identify a family. These devices are quite similar to the badges and coats of arms in European heraldic tradition, which likewise are used to identify individuals and families. Mon are often referred to as crests in Western literature, which is another European heraldic device that mimics the mon in function.

(Source: Wikipedia)

The design of Sir Paul McCartney’s coat of arms granted in June 2001, not only incorporates his musical career, but also incorporates his Liverpudlian roots with the crest showing a Liver bird holding a guitar in its claw. The time he spent with fellow band members John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Star are also represented in Sir Paul’s design by the four curved emblems on the shield which resembles ‘beetles’ backs, while the two black circles also shown on the shield symbolises records and CDs. The motto ‘ Ecce Cor Meum ’ in Latin is Behold my Heart is the title of the oratorio Sir Paul wrote during his first wife’s Linda’s illness.

Tumblr is rife with pictures of people freshly tattooed with their “family’s coat of arms.” Alas, no such thing exists. Although the notion is popularized by companies that sell (often bogus) coats of arms of the “Smith” family, or the “Holtzman” family, coats of arms are granted for the use of individuals, not families.

This hundred-year-old article by William Armstron Crozier is just as relevant—if not more so—today as when first published.

”The bearers of such arms are not so much to blame as the self-styled heralds who supply them; the greatest sinners in this respect being the heraldic stationers, whose chief recourse is a Burke’s Peerage orArmory, and as nearly every ordinary name may be found in their pages, no customer is permitted to leave unsatisfied.”