[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Just to be clear, symbols can have a wide variety of meanings in heraldry; it's all but impossible to say, for example, "a fluer-de-lis means x." Symbols in heraldry are contextual -- what they mean depends on the context of their use.

As a simple example, in French society, a fluer-de-lis was a symbol of the royal house. But in a religious context (even in France), it is a symbol of the Virgin Mary. I'm doubting either of those apply to Kappa Kappa Gamma's or SAE's use of the fluer-de-lis.

Likewise with color. I've seen "heraldry guides" that will say things like blue stands for loyalty, white for purity, etc. While that certainly can be the case, in any given usage a color means what those who designed the arms intended it to mean.

It's certainly true that some things lend themselves to obvious associations -- red with blood, for example, or a book with learning and education. But unless it's obvious (the books on the coats-of-arms of Harvard or Oxford, for example), it's usually a mistake to say "this is what this symbol means" in the abstract.

Ha. That's what you think. We do have the Keys to the Kingdom of God after all...

Oh wait, I think I've said too much....