Blazon (from main list)

[Rita Winston]

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Danette Schardt-Cordova 


<captain_debrowe at y...> wrote:
> 
> --- Rita Winston <catlady at w...> wrote:
> > 
> > Are a critter's markings allowed to violate the
> > no-color-on-color (azure on sable) rule? 
> 
> Okay time to dust off my rusty herald's skills (I'm
> part of a middle ages re-inactment group).  If the
> critter is normally portrayed in its natural or
> "proper" colors then it is NOT considered a violation
> of the no color on color rule.

Yes, but the Proper badger has black and white stripes rather than 
black and blue stripes. Amanda gave an explanation that I didn't 
entirely understand about how she had chosen the tinctures from the 
text description of Hufflepuff's badger as 'black' rather than from 
the illustration of it as gray.
> > 
> > I want the Snape family to have long ago grabbed themselves
> > invalid arms reflecting their claim to be descended from Salazar
> > Slytherin, and (snip)
> > -- if I said vert, ON a saltire sable, a serpent argent, wouldn't
> > the serpent be small enough to fit entirely on the saltire?
> 
> First yes if you blazoned it that way then the emblazon would show 
> the serpent as entirely on the saltire. 

How can I blazon that the serpent is plopped over the saltire, 
extending onto the field? 

> However here you ARE violating the color on color ruling 

Yes, I did so intentionally in hope that that would make it clear to 
any on-looker that the 'Snape family arms' were just made up (maybe 
in the 17th century? 16th?) rather than earned back in the Middle 
Ages. Maybe I should just make it a black serpent on a green field 
(Slytherin's arms with serpent changed from argent to sable).

Malfoy arms I invented: on an argent backgroup, a green serpent (so 
far, Slytherin with reversed colors) wrapped around a black sword 
and dripping venom on it. 

Mantling: white and black. 

Crest: as I said, I'm dithering whether it is the head of Janus 
crowned with laurel or the masks of Comedy and Tragedy (both 
references to "two-faced") or the Kallisti apple (a reference to a 
very long Malfoy backstory that I made up), but whicheverway it is on 
one of those fancy helms with gilded bars on the grill to show how 
high-class the family is. 

Motto: Watch Your Back.

Supporters: (which they have, for being aristocrats) Dexter, a 
naked man on fire (very detailed illustrations show the look of 
agony on his face, the usual illustrations look more like a flaming 
devil from Hell). Sinister: an Angel (male,blond, blue-eyed, white 
wings, white robes) holding a dagger with which he has just stabbed 
someone in the back.