Create a Coat of Arms for Yourself!

[Magus]

Found this pretty neat heraldry design program on the web (scroll down and click on where it says "free version"), allows you to design the thing pretty much in any way you want, quite a number of options here. If you go in thinking its speaking another language, its not, it's using the terms for diagonal lines and geometric designs (bends and bends sinisters) and such.

The free version is a Java applet, may or may not work on all systems.

A few tips: start with divisions first, then add ordinaries, then add symbols or creatures. Be sure to designate whether you want creatures/symbols to be put down all in one set or as separate ones, otherwise it's impossible to get creatures combatant, for example, or facing in opposite directions from one another. Make sure you go up to File in the top left hand corner and save when you're all finished.

I broke the rules of heraldry a bit, I think (I don't think you're supposed to put colors next to colors? Dunno, I think they're supposed to be separated by metals), but with a bit of tinkering I came up with this for my coat of arms (still worrying over what colors to make the hares, so there are three versions now):







Also it sounds cool when you write down what the instructions for creating them are:

Fur Sable

Gyronny of 8, Gules, Or, Vert, Or, Divisio

Saltire Or, Or, Ordinar

Argent Hare, Sable Hare Combatant

OR

Two Argent Hares Combatant

OR

Two Sable Hares Combatant


You can also put a scroll with motto on there, but I can't think of a motto right now...

Go ahead and fuss about, it's actually pretty fun coming up with the geometric designs. As for creatures/symbols, try to find something that has to do with your life and history. Rabbits and hares are what the land my family has lived on for generations is named for.

[BitVyper]

Combatant? They are CLEARLY playing Patty Cake.

[CelesJessa]

But this is the first thing I thought of.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Background needs to be 20% cooler more FABULOUS!

[CelesJessa]

Part 2:



I'll make a serious one... sometime.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

[Melfice]

Magus, I think your coat of arms is okay.
The ore saltire is placed on a gyronny of eight of vert and gules. (golden cross on an eight-ways division of green and red)

The red and green aren't on top of eachother, so it's cool. If the cross were azure, for example, it would have been illegal, I think.

The only thing actually illegal (again, I think) is the colouring of the hares. The argent hares are metal on metal and the sable hares are colour on colour. You could have the hares proper, meaning as they'd appear in nature. (probably a brown?)

EDIT: Also, as for the hares: While a charge can have personal meaning (as it does in your case), the hare generally stands for a person who enjoys a peaceable and retired life.

EDIT 2: I've tried, but I keep messing up, or the applet freezes on me.
I'll share my coat of arms another time.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Melfice

Magus, I think your coat of arms is okay.
The ore saltire is placed on a gyronny of eight of vert and gules. (golden cross on an eight-ways division of green and red)

The red and green aren't on top of eachother, so it's cool. If the cross were azure, for example, it would have been illegal, I think.

The only thing actually illegal (again, I think) is the colouring of the hares. The argent hares are metal on metal and the sable hares are colour on colour. You could have the hares proper, meaning as they'd appear in nature. (probably a brown?)

EDIT: Also, as for the hares: While a charge can have personal meaning (as it does in your case), the hare generally stands for a person who enjoys a peaceable and retired life.

EDIT 2: I've tried, but I keep messing up, or the applet freezes on me.
I'll share my coat of arms another time.

He could just have black and/or white hare(s) proper.


Also, it's not technically illegal to have colors on colors so long as the contrast is okay. I think it's the German royalty who have I think a sable lion rampant on a gules field.

Also, you can technically have metal on metal, but those are generally reserved for very important families and are considered coats that one should ask how they got that way.

[Magus]

Originally Posted by Melfice

Magus, I think your coat of arms is okay.
The ore saltire is placed on a gyronny of eight of vert and gules. (golden cross on an eight-ways division of green and red)

The red and green aren't on top of eachother, so it's cool. If the cross were azure, for example, it would have been illegal, I think.

The only thing actually illegal (again, I think) is the colouring of the hares. The argent hares are metal on metal and the sable hares are colour on colour. You could have the hares proper, meaning as they'd appear in nature. (probably a brown?)

EDIT: Also, as for the hares: While a charge can have personal meaning (as it does in your case), the hare generally stands for a person who enjoys a peaceable and retired life.

EDIT 2: I've tried, but I keep messing up, or the applet freezes on me.
I'll share my coat of arms another time.

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

He could just have black and/or white hare(s) proper.


Also, it's not technically illegal to have colors on colors so long as the contrast is okay. I think it's the German royalty who have I think a sable lion rampant on a gules field.

Also, you can technically have metal on metal, but those are generally reserved for very important families and are considered coats that one should ask how they got that way.

Yeah, I meant black and white hares if that's what it takes to make it legal. As I understand it, animals can have whatever colors they have to have if they are naturally colored. This is the same with anything like a tree, or whatever, the colors don't count I believe if you have to have the tree look like a tree. In this case the only natural colors for hares in this particular editor were white and black, as there are white and black hares, and in this case I like the contrast. I was only use argent and sable for the hares because those were how the names were listed in the editor.

As for someone who enjoys a peaceable and retired life, that works for me, too! In battle, I could just run away and hide until my enemies got old and died. Best strategy there is.

It's cool some of you actually have coats of arms already. Us peasants have to make stuff up and invent our own heraldry.

Originally Posted by Hawk

There is no hawk option available in that editor. I am severely dissapoint

Really? I coulda swore there was...maybe it was an eagle.

Originally Posted by Shyria Dracnoir

Man, why didn't I think to have my hares battling each other with axes?!

I prefer to think they are either 1. fighting instead of playing pattycake or 2. high-fiving instead of playing pattycake.

But then again it has to be pretty damn unique to have hares playing pattycake in your heraldry.

[TDK]

What if you're not a peasant and already have a coat of arms?