Comments on: The Garden in Heraldry http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/ Sun, 26 May 2013 09:14:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: thea mcginnis http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-27385 thea mcginnis Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:13:30 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-27385 I've often wondered if there was some sort of office in medieval govts that would oversee the legality of the heraldric designs a knight or family would use. This was a very interesting post. Thanks, Deirdre! I’ve often wondered if there was some sort of office in medieval govts that would oversee the legality of the heraldric designs a knight or family would use. This was a very interesting post. Thanks, Deirdre!

]]> By: Nadja Hansen http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-26342 Nadja Hansen Tue, 25 May 2010 17:59:41 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-26342 What a fascinating entry. It enriched and informed my thoughts and perceptions of Medieval heraldry and beyond. Thank you! What a fascinating entry. It enriched and informed my thoughts and perceptions of Medieval heraldry and beyond. Thank you!

]]> By: esther goldman http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-25012 esther goldman Tue, 04 May 2010 17:50:20 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-25012 What is the condition of the quince trees in the garden? They bloomed so fully last week, but last year were suffering with different problems. What is the condition of the quince trees in the garden? They bloomed so fully last week, but last year were suffering with different problems.

]]> By: Deirdre Larkin http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-24964 Deirdre Larkin Mon, 03 May 2010 23:22:46 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-24964 PS---I've just learned that the narrow base of the 'fall' petal, where the beard of the iris lies, is known as the 'haft.' PS—I’ve just learned that the narrow base of the ‘fall’ petal, where the beard of the iris lies, is known as the ‘haft.’

]]> By: Deirdre Larkin http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-24954 Deirdre Larkin Mon, 03 May 2010 18:59:39 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-24954 Dear Theo, Thank you so much for extending the bounds of The Medieval Garden Enclosed to include the field of heraldry. I was pleased that you began with iris. There are all sorts of curious puns to be made on these flowers of the field and the field of battle. Some irises, especially <em>Iris pseudacorus</em> and other marshy species, are commonly known as ‘flags’ in English. The upright petals of an iris flower are known as ‘standards,’ and the pendant ones as ‘falls.’ Iris are designated as ‘sword lilies’ in a number of European languages, because of the blade-like form of the leaves. (Walahfrid Strabo calls the iris in his monastery garden <em>gladiola</em>, a diminutive, feminine form of the Latin word for sword, <em>gladius</em>.) The name <em>Iris pseudacorus</em>, given to the yellow flag, means ‘the iris that looks looks like acorus.’ <em>Acorus calamus </em>is a botanically unrelated plant that grows on the margins of ponds and streams, as well as in shallow water. My favorite variant of the many accounts of the origin of the lilies of France is the one in which King Clovis, in an engagement with the Goths, found a ford for his army by following the path signaled by the yellow flag growing out of the streambed at its shallowest point. While we have yellow flag in abundance growing near the fountain basin in Trie garden, it has not yet come into bloom. However, there are three distinct medieval irises blooming here simultaneously at the moment, and I will take your lead and devote the next post to them. I hope you’ll do more posts on plants in heraldry for us in the future. Regards, Deirdre Dear Theo,

Thank you so much for extending the bounds of The Medieval Garden Enclosed to include the field of heraldry. I was pleased that you began with iris. There are all sorts of curious puns to be made on these flowers of the field and the field of battle. Some irises, especially Iris pseudacorus and other marshy species, are commonly known as ‘flags’ in English. The upright petals of an iris flower are known as ‘standards,’ and the pendant ones as ‘falls.’ Iris are designated as ‘sword lilies’ in a number of European languages, because of the blade-like form of the leaves. (Walahfrid Strabo calls the iris in his monastery garden gladiola, a diminutive, feminine form of the Latin word for sword, gladius.)

The name Iris pseudacorus, given to the yellow flag, means ‘the iris that looks looks like acorus.’ Acorus calamus is a botanically unrelated plant that grows on the margins of ponds and streams, as well as in shallow water. My favorite variant of the many accounts of the origin of the lilies of France is the one in which King Clovis, in an engagement with the Goths, found a ford for his army by following the path signaled by the yellow flag growing out of the streambed at its shallowest point.

While we have yellow flag in abundance growing near the fountain basin in Trie garden, it has not yet come into bloom. However, there are three distinct medieval irises blooming here simultaneously at the moment, and I will take your lead and devote the next post to them.

I hope you’ll do more posts on plants in heraldry for us in the future.

Regards,
Deirdre

]]> By: Theo Margelony http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-24475 Theo Margelony Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:38:50 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-24475 Ms. Zoete: Thank you for the comment. While Habsburg is probably more widespread, Hapsburg is an alternate spelling used by the Metropolitan Museum's editors. Ms. Zoete: Thank you for the comment. While Habsburg is probably more widespread, Hapsburg is an alternate spelling used by the Metropolitan Museum’s editors.

]]> By: Theo Margelony http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-24471 Theo Margelony Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:28:31 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-24471 Mr. Medvedev: Thanks for your observation. While the focus of this Garden blog is on floral elements within the shield, the crest depicted in the Heraldic Panel with Arms of the House of Hapsburg (37.147.2) does indeed show the lion of León cleverly rising out of the castle of Castile. I should caution other readers, however, that a crest isn't a synonym for a coat of arms. Often misapplied, the crest correctly only refers to the heraldic elements at the top of the helmet and never to the shield. Mr. Medvedev: Thanks for your observation. While the focus of this Garden blog is on floral elements within the shield, the crest depicted in the Heraldic Panel with Arms of the House of Hapsburg (37.147.2) does indeed show the lion of León cleverly rising out of the castle of Castile. I should caution other readers, however, that a crest isn’t a synonym for a coat of arms. Often misapplied, the crest correctly only refers to the heraldic elements at the top of the helmet and never to the shield.

]]> By: Michael Y. Medvedev http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-24438 Michael Y. Medvedev Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:43:44 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-24438 The crest is specifically Castilian/Spanish. The crest is specifically Castilian/Spanish.

]]> By: zoete danielle http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/2010/04/26/the-garden-in-heraldry/comment-page-1/#comment-23903 zoete danielle Tue, 27 Apr 2010 05:34:55 +0000 http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/?p=4626#comment-23903 It's de House of Habsburg It’s de House of Habsburg

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