The Unarmigerous Author Pauses
To Blazon His Achievement

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An achievement is a display of all the heraldic
components to which an armiger (a bearer of arms)
is entitled. The principal feature is the coat of arms.

Other components may include a helm and a crest,
supporters, a coronet, often a slogan or a motto.

The coat of arms is typically depicted on an escutcheon
(a shield) and usually blazoned—described—in the
archaic and highly stylized language of heraldry.

Argent, a holly tree eradicated vert,
thereon a lizard passant Or, a
bordure
counter-componée of the first and second.


Or in standard English,

Upon a field of silver lies a holly tree, uprooted and
yet still green. On the tree stands a golden lizard with
both its tail and its right foreleg raised. A double row of
silver and green oblongs encloses the whole assemblage.


Someone else’s coat of arms, not mine.

I am unarmigerous. A bohemian scribbler
of working class origin who does not own
a decent top coat, much less a coat of arms.

But creating one for myself should provide a
diverting respite from the business of writing.
I’ll begin with that borrowed bit of blazonry.

Argent means silver.

In heraldry an escutcheon can be made of fur,
squirrel fur or ermine. I prefer shields of metal.

Argent is good.

Next comes
a holly tree eradicated vert.
My tree is certainly an American holly.

Eradicated, and ready to be planted.
Like me, though I am grey not green.

Heraldry’s limited palette has no grey
so I will tint my tree a youthful green.

Then
a lizard passant Or.

The beast on my escutcheon is fiercer than
a lizard. Perhaps a wyvern. Better, a regular
dragon of the four-legged, fire-breathing sort.

And
passant suggests little panache.
I want a spirited beast, not a docile one.

Standing boldly upright,
rampant.

Or means gold. Not ore, pure gold
which does not tarnish with time.

My beast is tarnished. He is old,
he is dark, and he is dangerous.
He is
a dragon rampant sable.

I will use the
bordure counter-componée.

Appropriate for a checkered life,
the dark alternating with the light,
the two never commingling.

Of the first and second

I am William the third,
son of William the second,
he the son of William the first.

No more Williams will be added to my line,
no additional charges placed on my escutcheon.

Without wife or father I am unmarshalled,
undifferenced. No cadency, helm, crest,
or supporters. Truly eradicated.

To compensate for these deficiencies a motto
could be appended. A reminder of the wingèd
chariot ever prodding me on, I know not where.

Or why.

Carpe Diem?
Tempus Fugit?

Timeworn, therefore declined. Also
declined are any abatements of honor.

However, as my escutcheon is ordinary I do
grant me an augmentation, namely a quill pen.

Black, with a drop of red ink,
placed on a small blue shield
in the lower part of the arms.

My coat of arms
Dragon-50is complete.
I proudly blazon it thusly:

Argent, an American holly tree eradicated vert,
thereon a dragon rampant sable, a bordure
counter-componée of the first and second.

As an augmentation, on the nombril point an
inescutcheon azure charged with a quill pen
sable from which depends a goutte gules.

Arms of pretension, purists and pedants might assert.
Not even a full heraldic achievement, merely a partial.

Suggesting a motto.

No, providing a credo.

Fieri Quam Esse
To become, rather than to be.

              
Though grey not green, I am unfinished.
And since tempus indeed fugits, I will now
put down arms and take up pen again.

My new black quill awaits me.

Will de Kypia
né Mooney
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