Saturday 21 December 2013

On Unusual Charges - Part II: Harpies Displayed

The Field is Azure, an Harpey displaied, Crined, Crowned, and Armed, Or. These are the Armes of the noble City of Norenberga, which according to some Authors is sitituate in the very Center of the vast and spacious Country of Germany. The Harpey (saith Upton) should be given to such persons as have committed manslaughter, to the end that by the often view of their Ensignes they might be moved to bewaile the foulnesse of their offence.
This is rather a good entry in the competition for 'charges which should never be shown displayed' by John Guillim in his 1611 Display of Heraldrie.

No comments:

Post a Comment