Rainbow

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Illustrations:

Period:

An Ordinary of Siebmacher's Wappenbuch

• http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/heraldry/siebmacher/siebmacherordinary.html

Artifacts

Information A	Information B	Information C

Modern:

Pictorial Dictionary, 3rd edition:

• Rainbow

Vector Graphics:

• Book of Traceable Heraldic Art
• Viking Answer Lady - http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/Stars/Heraldry_SVG_Images/index.htm

Sources:

Academy of St. Gabriel "Medieval Heraldry Archive" - http://www.s-gabriel.org/heraldry/
Archive of St. Gabriel reports - http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/archive.cgi
Laurel Armory Articles - http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/armory_articles.html

Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry (PicDic), 3rd Edition - http://mistholme.com/pictorial-dictionary-of-heraldry (in progress)
Period Armorials

Precedents:

Precedents of the SCA College of Arms - http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents.html
Morsulus Heralds Website - http://www.morsulus.org/ (to search the LoARs and Precedents)

Use the above links to be sure any precedents listed below haven't been superseded by newer precedents.

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:

(Restricted, Reserved, SFPP, OOP)

Collected Precedents:

• 2nd Tenure of Elisabeth de Rossignol (April 2011 - August 2011) - Collected Armory Precedents
• 1st Tenure of Elisabeth de Rossignol (May 2005 - July 2008) - Collected Armory Precedents
• 2nd Tenure of François la Flamme (October 2004 - May 2005) - Collected Armory Precedents
• The Tenure of Shauna of Carrick Point (May 2004 - August 2004) - Collected Armory Precedents
• 1st Tenure of François la Flamme (August 2001 - April 2004) - Collected Armory Precedents
• The Tenure of Elsbeth Anne Roth (June 1999 - July 2001) - Collected Armory Precedents
• The Tenure of Jaelle of Armida (June 1996 - June 1999) - Single HTML Document
• 2nd Tenure of Da'ud ibn Auda (November 1993 - June 1996) -
  • the 1st part (Nov 1993 - June 1994) and
  • the 2nd part (July 1994 - June 1996)
• The Tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme (June 1992 - October 1993) - Collected precedents
• 1st Tenure of Da'ud ibn Auda (June 1990 - June 1992) -
  • the 1st year (June 1990 - June 1991) and
  • the 2nd year (July 1991 - June 1992)
• The Tenure of Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane (September 1986 - June 1990) - Collected Precedents
• The Tenure of Baldwin of Erebor (August 1984 - August 1986) - Single HTML Document
• The Tenure of Wilhelm von Schlüssel (August 1979 - August 1984) - Collected Precedents
• The Tenure of Karina of the Far West (December 1975 - June 1979) - Collected Precedents
• The Early Days (June 1971 - June 1975) - Collected Precedents

In the Ordinary

(includes bow)

• Rainbow