IDTG

Wikipedia is a great online resource when looking for a quick answer. However, it shouldn’t be used as a definitive source. Though most criticisms are around the “everyone can edit” part, and I agree completely, I also have issue with the argument Wiki-editors make that Wikipedia is about “verifiability” and not truth. ^(citation)

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve been a Wikipedia editor since September of 2005 and have about 13,000 edits.

As I said, Wikipedia is great for a quick answer or to get a general idea about something. It’s also great to use as a starting point for more in depth research, as the sources referenced can be very reliable (not always though).

However, Wikipedia is just about what can be verified by citing “objective” sources. This means that if anything that has ever been published about something is a complete fabrication, then that is what’s going to end up on Wikipedia.

An example would be for me to write about you on this blog saying that you are a polygamist and eat babies. Since this is a published source, then it will be used in an article on Wikipedia about you. Nice huh?

To make this post related to the subject of the blog, i.e. heraldry, I must bring up the excellent work done by the WikiProject Heraldry and Vexillology. Though the members of this group have contributed greatly to the heraldic wealth of Wikipedia, their greatest contribution (in my humble opinion) is the artwork. The very talented computer graphics designers have created the emblazons for many of the blazons in the online encyclopedia for the world to see. The best part is that these images are freely distributed without any copyright limitations (beyond the normal abuse of another’s arms).

As you may have noticed from past blog posts, I have reused these images many a time and you can do the same. Just make sure to give credit where credit is due.

This repository of heraldic images may be of interest to some of you. I know it has been immensely useful to me as a source of clipart:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Coat_of_arms_elements

It was just in November of 2009 that His Holiness Patriarch Pavle of Serbia, the 44th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church passed away. He was very much loved in his country and widely respected.

Last week, on January 23^rd, the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej, was enthroned. He is a humble man and, from what I can tell, very much deserving of the honor and will definitely do an excellent job during his tenure.

What of the heraldry though?

As opposed to the Churches of the West, the bishops of the Eastern Churches don’t normally adopt a Coat of Arms unless they come from armigerous families.

This is the case with Patriarch Irinej. As the son of peasant farmers, his family was not armigerous and never adopted personal arms while rising through the ranks of the Church. Therefore, he uses the arms of the Office of the Patriarch displayed above.

What immediately stands out is the cross in base that appears to be the same as that found on Byzantine arms, also known as the tetragrammatic cross.

As was described in a previous post, the objects in each quarter are called “firesteels” or fire starters. The reason these were used in Byzantine arms (and later influenced all the Easter Churches) was because of Greek Fire. In any case, these firesteels are artistically depicted as letters. In the case of the Byzantine Empire and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, they were interpreted as “B”s and having the text “Βασιλεύς Βασιλέων Βασιλεύων Βασιλευόντων” or “King of Kings Ruler of Rulers”.

However, in the Serbian case, these symbols are called očila and in the Serbian tradition have also come to be interpreted as letter with a specific meaning. The letter it is interpreted as is the letter “C” which is the equivalent to the “S” in English. The text is “Само слога Србина спасава” or “Only Unity Saves the Serbs”. This is a text attributed to St. Sava from the 12th Century, a Serbian prince and ascetic who also was the first archbishop of the Church. This saying has united the Serbs for centuries and, it is said, that it was a rallying cry for the faithful Orthodox Serbs in their efforts to remain Orthodox in the face of the increasing pressure from Rome to convert to Catholicism.

(Note: images above are courtesy of Wikipedia)

As I was visiting the various blogs I regularly visit, I came across this post from the blog Georgian Heraldry by Alexander Mikaberidze.

The image above is of the coat of arms of Istvan Varallyay of Hungary. According to Mikaberidze, the armiger was a master farrier and gelder.

A farrier is a person who specializes in the care of a horse’s feet. However, the inspiration for the arms most probably came from Mr. Mikaberidze other specialty, gelding or castrating equines.

Heraldry originated in the European battlefields of the Middle Ages as decorated shields as a means of identification and is derived from the earlier practice in such places as Greece and elsewhere to instill fear in the enemy. The shield above identifies the family and most definitely instills fear in any male that gazes upon them!

Professor Grujic, as he is a professor of literature, has been practicing his art since 2000 and has been very active in Serbian heraldic circles and abroad. He is very much involved in trying to popularize heraldry in his native country, a very difficult task for anyone in any country of the world.

Grujic is an outstanding digital heraldic artist based out of Serbia with an exquisite eye for detail and a rare talent overall. These talents have been widely recognized and has been appointed Heraldic Artist to The Board for Heraldic & Genealogical Studies at The Centre for Research of Orthodox Monarchism (CROM), as Heraldic Artist to the Royal House of Bagration-Muhranski of Georgia and also to the editorial staff of the journal “Ocilo” of the Society “Milos Obilic”. Also, he was most recently elected to the position of Corresponding Member of the Serbian Heraldic Society “White Eagle”, a most prestigious heraldic organization.

I will not go over his biography here, as he has it very well presented on his personal website, however I will present some of his art in the form of what he’s done for me.
In his excellent gallery on his website, one notices not just heraldry but also something that is closely related to this art: personal signums or cyphers. He has a deep appreciation for these personal elements and is immensely creative when designing new ones for clients.

Grujic also has a great passion for “Full Heraldic Achievements” as he calls them. Emblazons that include the shield, crest, a standard, any badges, any supporters and components that add more life to the design. There are many cases where the heraldic standard is being held by a supporter but, this is not be confused with supporters in the traditional sense.

As mentioned above, I had the good fortune to commission Prof. Grujic to work on a new heraldic badge and cypher for me and he did outstanding work. I am well aware that my arms are not the easiest to emblazon and combining elements of my heritage, both Greek and Chilean was tough. Another difficulty with my arms is the eradicated oak tree, a charge that at first glance seems simple but doing it right requires lots of patience and even more skill. The results were so great, the commission was extended to creating an ex libris and other art.

Throughout this post, I have used the images created for me by this most excellent heraldic artist that can also be found in his gallery. These images convey much more than anyone, no matter how eloquent, can say about this extremely talented artist.

Prof. Ljubodrag Grujic’s website is at: http://www.ljubodraggrujich.com/

Just this past Sunday, on October 11th, I received the most recent newsletter (#12) from the College of Arms. Among the many interesting topics covered, the most interesting to me was the announcement that there will be a course on heraldry given at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

Here is the text of the announcement:

Heraldry Course at University of Dundee: Clive Cheesman and Peter O’Donoghue, Rouge Dragon and Bluemantle respectively, are the joint authors and tutors of a course covering the history, terminology and practice of heraldry. This course provides a detailed and thorough study of the subject for both beginners, and those with experience of heraldry alike. The heraldry module is a 13-week distance learning module delivered online in a fully supported learning environment. It can be taken on its own, simply as a leisure interest. It can also be taken for continuing professional development, as part of a Postgraduate Certificate in Family and Local History, or as part of the University of Dundee’s Masters degree in Archives and Records Management. More information can be found on the Centre for Archives and Information Studies website www.dundee.ac.uk/cais or by e-mailing armtraining@dundee.ac.uk.

For those who are not in Scotland, the best part is that it can be taken online. The fact that it’s being given by two of the Pursuivants of the College of Arms, makes it extra special.

Of course, one might ask why are folks from the English College of Arms teaching a course in Scotland, in Lord Lyon’s turf. I don’t know….

If you’d like to subscribe to future newsletters, you can do so by visiting this link: http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/#newsletter