Coat of Arms: Bordered 4-Quadrant Shield, Crest, Supporters

You know how you get those days when you're simply out-of-sync, like you're whole body is going haywire? Well, I got one of those days last Thursday.

I was sick and I absolutely did not want to work. So, I spent my whole shift talking to colleagues. I just unveiled, however, that one of my "sisters" from work, Sol Invictus, is a geek! No wonder I loved speaking with him.

By some freak of nature, our conversations flowed from one topic to another, and then we landed on the topic of having Coats of Arms.

Have you ever imagined yourself being one of the royalties wearing your own emblem, your own symbol, your own insignia? Have you ever thought of having much more than your written signature as a way to "sign your name"?

I have, and I have always wanted to bring my family's crest wherever I go. Unfortunately, I could not find any available crests/Coats of Arms from any of my families, save for my middle name, Pereyra; but the one that I found in the Internet is not a genuine crest.

I was very happy to know that Sol Invictus was more than willing to "create" my very own Coat of Arms. We researched on a whole load of information about my family, but mostly, we only needed to translate what my names meant. As all of my names are of Spanish lineage, we had no troubles getting their meanings.

The picture above is a rough draft of what my "invented" coat of arms would look like when Sol Invictus finishes drawing it. A lot of things will still change: the pillars, the colors, the shield itself. Nonetheless, here's a preview of what it should look like, and below are the meanings of each symbol you see above (disclaimer: The Rules of Heraldry is a tedious topic to learn, much more to discuss. The "terminologies" you will see below are my own definition of what the symbols/pieces are in accordance to how I understood the rules. They are not to be taken as the actual terminology used in Heraldry):

1. Coat of Arms: 4 Quadrants - My invented Coat of Arms would have the four (4) quadrants, showing my lineage (from top to bottom, left to right): Santos-Nopuente-Pereyra-Zialcita.




2. Crest: The Mythical Phoenix - I have always been enamored to the immortal bird of flame. I would love to think that, like the phoenix, I never die. Although there are trials that come my way, I may falter, I may bleed, but never will I die. As the phoenix rises from the ashes, so shall I always be reborn to a better version of me.




3. Supporters: The Grecian Influence - To the left, you have the Greek god of music, Apollo, with his Golden Lyre. To the right, you have the Greek muse of music and lyric poetry, Euterpe. Both the god and the muse are facing outward to signify my longing for my music to be heard.




4. Border: The Sampaguita - This species of the Jasmine flower is the national flower of the Philippines. This is to symbolize my nationality, a Filipino. Although my lineage is mainly Spanish, the border of Sampaguita encompasses all lines as a whole shield. I may be Spanish by lineage and blood, but I am a Filipino by all intents and purposes.

My Coat of Arms is not yet complete, and I am looking forward to seeing the revised version soon. I would just like to note that this is an invented design. This is not registered, and this is not official.

If you wish to have yours made, you may want to get in touch with the College of Arms in your country. The most-probably-accurate College of Arms that the Philippines would have would have to be in Spain, Castille and/or León (I think). I am not very sure of my information, but you are more than welcome to research on it. Don't be shy to share whatever findings you may have!

I am thrilled to have this design soon! I have great respect and adoration for the artistic capabilities of Sol Invictus, and I am very thankful to him for helping me make this dream a reality!






Sang'gre Ashte Sol Invictus: ¡Muchísimas gracias por todo!