[MR] surcoat and Torse

[David W. James]

On Friday, December 12, 2003, at 08:02  PM, Stan Harmon wrote:
>   A surcoat that has your device and badge quartered on it.  How is it 
> displayed?  Device on the 1st and 4th and badge on the 2cd and 3rd?  
> and the badge since it is a Roundel, does it need to be so on the 
> sourcoat or can it be displayed to cover the entire area of the quater 
> it is in?

	Generally, it isn't.  At least, not outside the SCA.

	Quartering arms showed that the bearer claimed the land/title those 
arms were associated with it.  England quartering France during the 
Hundred Years War showed that the King of England was claiming France 
has his own.

	Badges were used in a very different way than arms, and I do not 
recall ever seeing a period example of either a badge used as arms 
(merchant's marks/hausmarken are not badges in period use) or a badge 
quartered with arms.  Badges were what you put on your property and 
your servants.

	To the best of my knowledge, quartering your arms and your badge in 
this manner is not proper heraldic usage in period or in the SCA.

	Using the tinctures of field and the primary charge as those of your 
torse sounds perfectly reasonable.  Doing otherwise also works; I seem 
to recall period achievements of arms where the torse and mantle 
tinctures differed from the arms. Your call.

Kwellend-Njal Kollskeggsson
Narwhal Herald