Fraternity and Sorority Arms, Seals, Flags and other Insignia

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

mind = blown

Me too. And thanks, Lucy, for the additional information on the different designs.

Originally Posted by jennyj87

In tri delta we have three stages of membership: new member (where you are a pearl), college (a pine tree) and an alum ( a pansy). I love how our crest has three of the stages.

I can't find the pearl. Where is it/are they?

Originally Posted by GTAlphaPhi

While we officially call this our crest, technically, I think a crest is only the thing at the top, so the ivy in this case, the bird on Theta's (eagle?), etc.

Heraldically speaking, yes. While many orgs (and many people) use "crest" and "coat of arms" interchangeably, from an heraldic standpoint, the crest (i.e. "top") is the part of the design at the top. Originally, it would have been the decoration a knight added to his helmet.

The crest on our coat of arms is a harp -- the modern equivalent of the lyre.

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Somebody correct me if wrong, but most of the CoAs aren't technically correct right?

Depends.

Most Americans who know anything about heraldry are used to the British (English and Scottish) rules of heraldry, and by those rules, many GLO arms are not completely "correct." But in other countries, the rules can differ.

But yes, many GLOs use arms that do not adhere strictly to the rules of [Bristish] heraldry. That's the American in us.

Originally Posted by purcupile

Some of my favorite images came from this era, in the form of elaborate allegorical representations from the various chapters. One of my favorite images was a Sigma Chi image of their badge and motto floating above an island…from that image I created, what I consider to the most beautiful image of the Sigma Chi badge. I have subsequently seen this same allegory with other fraternity’s badges and mottos.However, I digress as this forum is for a discussion of the arms of the fraternities not for badges…nor is it my intent to discuss fraternities different from my own.

You don't digress at all. I was thinking specifically of allegories when I said that we could share information about pre-heraldic designs. I think it's fine for is to discuss other org's arms, as long as we're clear about them not being ours.

During the period of the late 1880’s through the turn of the century many fraternities went about creating specific images which incorporated the rituals, and purpose of their founding. Some just drew up an image which appealed to them, while others took a more pragmatic approach which required that a heraldic description from which to artistically design the coat-of-arms. For those reading who are not familiar with that terms is a cryptic and specific description of a coat-of-arms,,,it follows the ancient symbols in use hundreds of years ago. At that time there were only 5 colors and 2 metals that were used on arms… e.g. horizontal lines symbolized azure in drawings.

See, this is where our focus on "the rules" can get in the way. In British heraldry, there are 2 metals (or/gold and argent/silver) and 5 common tinctures (gules/red, azure/blue, vert/green, sable/black and purpure/purple). But British and European heraldry knew other tinctures as well: tenny (or tenné)/orange, murrey (a burgandy color), sanguine (blood red), celeste (sky blue), carnation (the color of "typical" European skin), cendrée (dark gray), just to name a few.

Originally Posted by carnation

Isn't there something about the crest being diamond-shaped because a woman's COA is supposed to be? I'd swear I read that somewhere.

Traditionally (British rules again), a woman does not use a shield for her arms, because she would not go into battle. Instead, her arms are placed on a "lozenge" -- a diamond shape like Pi Phi's arms.

There is one woman who by rule uses a shield rather than a lozenge. Her primary residence is Buckingham Palace.