Blazon questions

[Scout]

... Hope that explains stuff.

Yes, that's quite helpful. Thank you!

I appreciate everyone's feedback. I'll post the final, cleaned up version in the "Granted, Assumed or Desired Arms" thread.

[creagdhubh]

A nice concept, Mike.
Not sure what software you are using (sometimes it can be pretty restrictive), but I would argue for a broader fess (it can be up to a third of the depth of the shield, and if it has charges on it without any above or below, slightly wider even) and the harp and escutcheons somewhat larger.
The helmet is a bit small in comparison with the shield – but on the other hand I have seen far too many helmets that dwarf the shield they have been placed on.
As Cygnus says, the scroll normally appears on top in Scottish arms, but your use of a harp and a motto in Gaelic almost suggests an Irish coat of arms. Follow whichever convention is applicable.
At any rate, for a first effort, this is a nice emblazonment.
You could register it in Pretoria for a modest fee.
Regards,
Mike

***

[creagdhubh]

Irish arms, in general, tend to use gules doubled argent as the default, although many arms repeat the first named colour and metal as the mantling. Often the description of the helmet is missing, although this omission is unusual in grants made by Chief Heralds O'Donohue and Gillespie. As the majority of grants made by the Office of Arms in Dublin were, since 1943 bi-lingual, it is thought that the mention of the helmet may have been omitted due to the limited space available on the vellum upon which the arms were exemplified.

The typical short text used in the Office of Arms would read as follows:

TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I XXX XXXX, Chief Herald of Ireland, send Greeting and acting by and with the authority of my Office, grant and assign the Arms, in the margin hereof more clearly depicted, that is to say:

Gules, a fess embattled counter-embattled between in chief three escutcheons and in base a harp or

and for a Crest upon a wreath or and gules a dexter arm embowed vested azure the hand in a buckskin gauntlet grasping a cavalry saber proper *

upon a Helmet** mantled gules doubled argent***

and with the Motto:~**** Raimh Nar Dhruid O Spairn Lann

unto XXX XXXXX (and his descendants, etc.) the said Arms being duly recorded in the Office of the Chief Herald of Ireland as appertaining to him, and the same to bear observing their due and proper differences according to the Laws of Arms and the Practice of this Office, without the let or hindrance of any person or persons, excepting always the authority of this, my Office.

In Witness whereof I have subscribed my name and title and affixed the Seal of my Office this ___day of ____, 20___.

As an aside, it is customary when blazoning a harp to count the number of strings (a harp or with six strings -- which may, or may not be the same colour as the harp).

* it is a convention of heraldry that all manner of swords have gold hilts and silver blades unless otherwise blazoned, hence the use of "proper";
** the attitude of the helmet (the direction it faces) is determined by the crest; thus some helmets may face forward, and others to the side;
*** mantling is always described with the colour outermost (gules over argent, azure over or, etc.);
**** more than one motto may be granted in which case "above" or "below" is used to designate the secondary motto: "and with the Mottoes:~ Para Bellum and below Pax et Amor".

Hope that explains stuff.

***

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Unless I am mistaken, I believe "in chief" and "in base" can also be dropped from the blazon. Having designated the fess, an heraldic artist would then read it "from top to bottom" anyway (more honorable position, chief...to lesser position, base).

Since the blazon is the legal description of the arms, the positioning of all charges must be clearly stated to avoid any possibility of confusion. Hence the use of the terms "in chief" or "in base" when describing charges placed above or below the center point of the shield, in the same way that dexter and sinister are used to describe charges placed to the right or left of the center point.

[saharris]

Wreath: Gules and Or.
Mantling: Gules doubled Argent.

I agree with what has been posted so far (that modern arms use the liveries, that is the first color doubled of the first metal; and that during some periods in history Gules doubled Argent was used by default regardless of the arms' liveries). What I question is having the torse and the mantling not match each other. Is not one just an extension of the other?

Unless I am mistaken, I believe "in chief" and "in base" can also be dropped from the blazon. Having designated the fess, an heraldic artist would then read it "from top to bottom" anyway (more honorable position, chief...to lesser position, base).

I had much the same thought: "Gules a fess embattled-counterembattled between three escutcheons and a harp Or".
By the way, some consider one metal-one color arms such as these to be an ideal. Very nice design!

Motto: Riamh Nar Dhruid O Spairn Lann

How does this translate?

[Cygnus]

I had much the same thought: "Gules a fess embattled-counterembattled between three escutcheons and a harp Or".
By the way, some consider one metal-one color arms such as these to be an ideal. Very nice design!

If it were two escucheons and a harp, I could see that, but as some arms have two charges in chief and two in base, it could be drawn with two escucheons in chief with another escucheon and a harp in base (as the fess would still be between them all, it would technically be correct).

[SlackerDrummer]

According to several 19th century sources, if the crenelations are opposite each other the correct term is bretesse rather than embattled-counter-embattled. In the latter the line of division would be identical rather than mirrored on top and bottom of the fess.

[Scout]

... How does this translate?

"Riamh Nar Dhruid O Spairn Lann" is from the Civil War era flag of the 69th New York of the famed Irish Brigade (commanded by an ancestor, Robert Nugent). The translation is: "Who never retreats from the clash of spears."

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I agree with what has been posted so far (that modern arms use the liveries, that is the first color doubled of the first metal; and that during some periods in history Gules doubled Argent was used by default regardless of the arms' liveries). What I question is having the torse and the mantling not match each other. Is not one just an extension of the other?

Generally speaking the mantling and livery colours are the same, but not always! The Marquess of Dorset (d. 1501) had as a badge a unicorn ermine, which was displayed on a banner of his livery colours which were white and pink. The arms of the Duke of Buckingham (d.1521) were mantled gules countered ermine, but his livery colours were black and red. (Buckingham's arms, by the way, were or a chevron gules.) Moving forward 500 years or there abouts the livery colours of the feudal baron of Slane are yellow, red, and black, and are so depicted beneath his crest in his letters patent.

I am of the opinion that since very few de novo armigers are in a position to employ large numbers of servants, livery colours have very much fallen by the wayside. That said, there would probably be no good reason to deny a petitioner a wreath of his liveries, if they were desired.

[saharris]

According to several 19th century sources, if the crenelations are opposite each other the correct term is bretesse rather than embattled-counter-embattled. In the latter the line of division would be identical rather than mirrored on top and bottom of the fess.

Bretessé - that's a great observation! http://www.modaruniversity.org/embattled.htm
Shall we say "Gules a fess bretessed between three escutcheons and a harp Or" - down to only 11 words, not that anyone's counting .

The "crenelles" are properly speaking the embrasures or open spaces between the "merlons," which are the upright solid pieces.