My Arms DIY Shield

**Harold Cannon** · 2nd March 12, 08:56 AM

I made this last night. its not the greatest but ok I think. The shield is 9 1/2 inches tall.

**Chas** · 2nd March 12, 11:27 AM

Very nice! Has an aged look about it.

Regards

Chas

**Detroitpete** · 2nd March 12, 12:46 PM

Harold, could you tell us more about this? Are these assumed Arms, what do the specific elements and colors symbolize, and history etc?

**WVHighlander** · 3rd March 12, 08:06 PM

I am curious as well Harold, were these granted or assumed. (I don't care either way, but simply as a matter of discussion and education.)

**48th Highlander** · 3rd March 12, 09:24 PM

Here are my Armorial Bearings. Granted by the Governor General of Canada.

**Harold Cannon** · 5th March 12, 07:57 AM

My arms are assumed.

As to my arms, there is a story behind them.

The crest shows a bear in a defensive posture supporting a lochaber axe with his right hind paw resting on a rock. This shows that he/I will defend my position weather that be physical, religious, or other.

The torse of course are the livery colors of my arms which are conviently the same colors as my clans chief. This really helps when I starting making livery cockades for my bonnets. They sort of serve two purposes by showing both mine and your/the clan livery colors.

With the mantling I chose to go with the old tradition of using red and white, mostly because I thought it looked quite good.

The arms themselves have a few meanings,

I was nicknamed big bear in scouting for years. So on the shield I made the bear black and rampant to show some similarity to my chiefs arms yet they are still different enough by making it a bear instead of a lion and by having the bear in an offensive posture brandishing the basket hilt claymore thus showing my fighting side and my scottish ancestry.

The three maltese crosses in the red chief is sort of a reversal of the knights of malta. Since they were considered the first firefighters during the crusades I used the maltese cross to show that during the height of my firefighting I was a member of three separate departments Hazel Green Volunteer Fire Dept., Moores Mill Volunteer Fire Dept., and the Madison County Training Academy. As I started off as a lower level than an officer I made them argent as this was the color metal that my badge was before becoming an officer. Also the crosses are a display of the trinity.

The border change is something I found to be eye pleasing and it shows that even though we see ourselves one way on the inside, others may see us differently from the outside.

My motto which is not shown describes me quite well, it is, STRONG BUT GENTLE.

**serenitylala** · 5th March 12, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Harold Cannon

I made this last night. its not the greatest but ok I think. The shield is 9 1/2 inches tall.

Two thumbs up. It looks great!

**WVHighlander** · 5th March 12, 08:12 AM

Very nice....very nice indeed. I like the use of the black bear. Being from WV and a very funny inside family joke, I hope to incorporate the black bear in my arms as well eventually.

**Gael Ridire** · 6th March 12, 10:45 PM

Harold, very nice design and meaning behind the arms.

**Detroitpete** · 9th March 12, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Harold Cannon

My arms are assumed.

As to my arms, there is a story behind them.

The crest shows a bear in a defensive posture supporting a lochaber axe with his right hind paw resting on a rock. This shows that he/I will defend my position weather that be physical, religious, or other.

The torse of course are the livery colors of my arms which are conviently the same colors as my clans chief. This really helps when I starting making livery cockades for my bonnets. They sort of serve two purposes by showing both mine and your/the clan livery colors.

With the mantling I chose to go with the old tradition of using red and white, mostly because I thought it looked quite good.

The arms themselves have a few meanings,

I was nicknamed big bear in scouting for years. So on the shield I made the bear black and rampant to show some similarity to my chiefs arms yet they are still different enough by making it a bear instead of a lion and by having the bear in an offensive posture brandishing the basket hilt claymore thus showing my fighting side and my scottish ancestry.

The three maltese crosses in the red chief is sort of a reversal of the knights of malta. Since they were considered the first firefighters during the crusades I used the maltese cross to show that during the height of my firefighting I was a member of three separate departments Hazel Green Volunteer Fire Dept., Moores Mill Volunteer Fire Dept., and the Madison County Training Academy. As I started off as a lower level than an officer I made them argent as this was the color metal that my badge was before becoming an officer. Also the crosses are a display of the trinity.

The border change is something I found to be eye pleasing and it shows that even though we see ourselves one way on the inside, others may see us differently from the outside.

My motto which is not shown describes me quite well, it is, STRONG BUT GENTLE.

Excellent description! Thank you for sharing that. My interest in Heraldry goes toward the symbology aspects of it, so hearing the 'story' is quite satisfying. Well done!