Jessant

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[Illustration from period source]

Pictorial Dictionary of SCA Heraldry (3rd edition):

• [animal’s]

Illustration/s from Brickbat's Armorial Stash - [[1]]:

Pennsic Traceable Art Project:

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Parker's Heraldry:

Jessant, (fr. issant), shooting or giving forth: is often used for issuant, and sometimes, though erroneously, for naissant. The term is chiefly applied to the fleur-de-lis, and the phrase jessant-de-lis is used with respect to a leopard's headhaving a fleur-de-lis passing through it, as in the insignia of the See of HEREFORD; though there seems to be some doubt whether the reversing of the leopard's head was not by accident, since in the reign of Edward III. the blazon makes no mention of the fact.

Sable, a leopard's head[or face] argent, jessant a fleur-de-lis or--MORLEY, Hants, &c.

MORLEY

> Argent, a lion rampant guardant gules royally crowned or, between two chess-rooks in chief sable and a cup in base gold, jessant a flame proper; a bordure azure--OGILVIE, Ruthven, Scotland.

> Sable, in chief a lion passant guardant, in base a leopard's head jessant-de-lis or. [Another, Argent, on two bars sable three leopard's heads or jessant fleurs-de-lis of the first]--MORELAND.

Sire Johan de CAUNTELO, de azure a iij flures de or od testes de lupars yssauns--Roll, temp. ED. II.

DE CAUNTELO

> Gules, three leopard's faces reversed jessant-de-lys or--Walter de CANTILUPE, Bp. of Worcester, 1236-66; and Thomas de CANTILUPE, Bp. of Hereford, 1275-82; and afterwards the Insignia of the See of HEREFORD.

> Gules, ten crescents each jessant a quatrefoil argent--RONGROLLIS.

> Or, a fesse chequy argent and azure between three crescents jessant as many crosses-croslet fitchy gules--ROWANS, Scotland.

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SENA, Appendix G:

Some Specific Elements that are a Step from Period Practice:

• jessant-de-lys with any charge other than the head of a leopard or lion
• the head of a leopard or lion jessant of any charge other than a fleur-de-lys

http:heraldry.sca.org/laurel/sena.html#AppendixG

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Precedents:

Precedents of the SCA College of Arms - [[2]] Morsulus Heralds Website - [[3]] (to search the LoARs and Precedents)

From the March 1996 LoAR: [considering an owl's head jessant-de-lis] There was ... some concern that we here we are getting too far from period practice. (Period practice being leopard's head jessant-de-lys; one step from period practice being other beast's heads; and two steps from period practice being other types of heads, including birds' heads.) Given that we have in recent years a number of different types of heads (including humanoid) jessant of items other than a fleur-de-lis (including a complex cross), Laurel does not feel that this submission is so far from SCA practice as warrant a return on that ground. [The submission was returned for a different reason.] (Eudoxia d'Antioche, 3/96 p. 11) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/daud2/armg2l.html

From January 1994 LoAR: While we have extended the ability to be jessant-de-lys to animal faces other than leopards, the only documented historical animal to have this treatment, extending it to a sun becomes two steps from documented historical practice, which is farther than we are willing to go. [1/94, p.13] http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/daud2/armory5.html

From June 1993 LoAR: [Or, a leopard's head gules jessant-de-lys between three fleurs-de-lys sable//] Possible conflict was cited against a leopard's head jessant a fleur-de-lys gules//. There's a CD for the secondary charges; the issue turned on the difference to be granted for partial change of tincture of the primary charge group. We've opined previously (LoAR of Oct 92) that a //head jessant-de-lys// was effectively a single charge, in the same way a //penner-and-inkhorn is a single charge; we also left open the possibility that it might be a group of two conjoined charges. Under either interpretation, we see granting a CD for change of half of the primary charge group. This is corroborated by the arms of Braunch, c.1586, one branch of which (Papworth 911) bore //Gules, a leopard's head jessant-de-lys Or// and another of which bore //Gules, a leopard's head Or jessant-de-lys argent. It's reasonable that the change in tincture of the fleur-de-lys should count for difference: the origin of the leopard's head jessant-de-lys was as a cadence from the fleur-de-lys, in the arms of Cauntelo/Cantelupe (Wagner & London, p.120). (Maelsnechtain de Gaston, June, 1993, pp. 15-16) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/bruce/bruce.html#head-jessant

From the October 1992 LoAR: [A lion's head azure jessant-de-lys vert// vs. //leopard's head jessant-de-lys gules] After much thought, we decided that the leopard's head jessant-de-lys was common enough in period armory to be considered a single charge, in the same way a penner and inkhorn would be. It could equally well be considered a single group of conjoined charges. Either way, there's a single CD, for the tincture of the primary charge group. (Ginevra Cecilia da Firenze, October, 1992, pg. 25) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/bruce/bruce.html#head-jessant

From the September 1992 LoAR: [A compass star and overall a lion's head cabossed] As drawn, the compass star is almost completely obscured by the lion's head, rendering it unidentifiable. Charges must be drawn so as to be recognizable, per Rule VIII.3. Visually, the star's rays blend with the lion's mane, making it almost a sun in splendour Or; as such, it's very close to [a charged sun]. Some of the commentary mentioned possible conflict between this "irradiated lion's face" and a lion's face jessant-de-lys// --- e.g. leopard's head jessant a fleur-de-lys. I believe there's a visible difference between the straight rays shown here and a fleur-de-lys' curved petals. (Tirlach Kinsella, September, 1992, pg. 44) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/bruce/bruce.html#head-jessant

From the May 1989 LoAR: [Fleur-de-lis vs. wolf’s head jessant-de-lis] We were not able to ... pull a full major point of difference from the addition of the wolf’s head since the fleur-de-lis is distinctly a major component, if not the major component of [Name’s] badge. (Badge for Order of the Lily - Calontir, LoAr 21 May 89, p. 20) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/alisoun/AMED.html

From the March 1985 LoAR: Brusi of Orkney. Badge. Sable, a leopard's face holding in its mouth a chevronel couped Or. NOTE: This conflicts with ELWANGER, "Sable, a leopard's head Or" (Rietstap) and CLEDEROW, "Sable, a leopard's head Or jessant a fleur­de­lys argent." (Papworth 911). (03/1985) http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/baldwinret.html

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