Editing Rainbow

Jump to navigation Jump to search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.

Latest revision Your text
Line 51: Line 51:
'''''Use the above links to be sure any precedents listed below haven't been superseded by newer precedents.'''''
'''''Use the above links to be sure any precedents listed below haven't been superseded by newer precedents.'''''


==Definition:==
==Definition:==  
=== June 2021 CL - Rainbows Proper===
Iago Boar has recently provided evidence of period depictions of rainbows. He found one example similar to a natural rainbow but with the bands reversed from our standard natural rainbow. The same rainbow is also emblazoned as a heraldic rainbow in the same source. These images are from L'Armorial dit d'Anthoine de Clémery, c. 1540-1600 French (Paris, BnF, ms. Français 23076), ff. 179v, 99v, https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b530382890.


Our current standard definition of a heraldic rainbow is based on English armory, as defined by Parker in A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry. Iago notes
Of the 18 coloured or tricked examples I've found of rainbows in German heraldry all but one have three bands. 13 of the 18 are gules, Or, and vert in some order (with g, O, v the most common, accounting for 7 of the 13), no matter whether they appear on a metal or colour field. 3 of the remaining are Or, azure and gules, in that order; each of these examples are on argent fields. The remaining 2 consist of one vert, Or, Or that appears to have been miscoloured; and one that is effectively a natural rainbow, just with the tinctures in reverse order...
A couple of examples:
1) Wernigeroder (Schaffhausensches) Wappenbuch, last quarter of 15th C German (München, BSB, cod. icon. 308 n), f. 197r, https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/bsb00043104/image_389
2) Hermann Bote: Schichtbuch, 1512-1513 German (Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibl., Cod. Guelf. 120 Extrav.), f. 217v, http://diglib.hab.de/mss/120-extrav/start.htm?image=00438
It should also be noted that the vast majority of German rainbows issue from the edges of the field, not from clouds; though I did find one uncoloured example of the arms of Regenspurg with clouds (Gemeiner loblicher Eydgnoschafft Stetten, 1548 German, p. 127, https://books.google.ca/books?id=3WldqtQXj44C)
Based on this evidence we are changing our definitions of proper for rainbows, both heraldic and natural. While German rainbows seem to be throughout by default, we are choosing to keep the current Society standard of non-issuant as the default. This is what people expect from rainbows, and matches the majority of rainbows registered. It is simple enough to blazon a rainbow as throughout, or issuant from the sides, when that it how it is drawn.
Natural rainbows proper are banded gules, orange, Or, vert, azure, indigo, purpure (or the reverse); the use of indigo is optional. The order of the bands is not a blazonable detail.
Natural rainbows proper are considered a colored charge. This means that they may only be placed on metal or neutral fields.
Heraldic rainbows proper consist of three or four bands. Three of those bands are gules, Or, and either vert or azure. The fourth band, if present, may be argent, vert or azure. The order of the bands does not matter; however, the outer bands should not share a tincture with the portion of the field that they are on.
Heraldic rainbows proper are considered neutral in terms of contrast. This means that they may be placed on any field; however, they must still be identifiable as rainbows.
Based on examples found so far it seems that period heralds treated rainbows proper as neutral charges, thus we choose to likewise treat them as neutral.
Both natural and heraldic rainbows are clouded by default, with the clouds being argent unless otherwise specified.
Clouds require some contrast but not good contrast with the field.
The presence of clouds is a blazonable detail but does not contribute to difference.
A rainbow that is blazoned as couped or cloudless lacks clouds.
The exception are rainbows that are throughout or issuant from the sides; these rainbows are cloudless by default.
Rainbows proper conflict no matter what their tincture and style (heraldic/natural).
https://heraldry.sca.org/loar/2021/06/21-06cl.html#7


==Registerability:==  
==Registerability:==  
Please note that all contributions to SCA Heraldry Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see SCA Heraldry Wiki:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)