visual translation

**WVHighlander** · 6th May 11, 07:00 PM

Can someone visually or in layman's terms translate the following description

Erm on chief gules a stag’s head erased between two mullets argent

Thanks,

JC

**MacMillan of Rathdown** · 6th May 11, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by WVHighlander

Can someone visually or in layman's terms translate the following description

Erm on chief gules a stag’s head erased between two mullets argent

Thanks,

JC

Get out your pencil and paper and draw a shield. One third of the way down from the top of the shield draw a line parallel with the top edge of the shield. Your shield is now divided into two parts, the uppermost being called a chief.

The bottom 2/3 of the shield is called the field and in this instance it is "ermine" which represents a white fur with black tassels (called "spots") -- you can google "heraldic ermine" for an example.

The chief you have described is red (gules) with two silver (argent) stars on it. Between the stars is the head of a stag, viewed in profile, and it too is silver (argent).

The description you have provided is called a blazon, and it is given in bastardized 14th century French, which is the language of heraldry throughout the British Isles, and in those countries which follow British heraldic practices.

**WVHighlander** · 6th May 11, 09:32 PM

Thank you Scot. Sometimes I would rather see the thing in bloody French, I might understand it better. This was the CoA of yet another Cochran, which is vastly different than other CoA in the family which typically display a "boar's head erased" and a chevron. I thought it was an interesting find.

Now if I can just trace my family line back to one of these CoAs!!