Helm Crests: Winged helm crest: Part 1

For this heraldic display, I will be using green and blue, since they are the colours on my SCA registered device. I will highlight with bronze, to add a metal to the tincture palette.

The complete set will include
* a helm crest suitable for use during equestrian displays and skill at arms competitions
* open barding for the horse that I often ride
* heraldic coloured clothing
* heraldic shield, a christmas gift from my partner
* suitable armour

In choosing the style of crest, I must consider the use, the armour I already have and the materials I have available, matching these aspects to what was present during the middle ages. The helm I have is a bulbous faced bascinet, which will have pointing holes drilled in the top. I think I will make a helm crest in a style suited to the mid 15th century.

I have chosen to use a wing style design, as my device has no primary charge, only two fields.

Wings on Helm Crests

The following images show a timeline of wings in use around the fifteenth century. They are all found at http://lalanguedublason.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/armoriaux-anciens.html

1290 - 1310 Manesse Codex
* Feathers represented on an eagle shaped helm crest, naturalistic irregular edges with lighter paint in Us to simulate feathers on a smooth surface.

1335 - 1345 Die Wappenroll von Zurich
All of these images show designs running front to back, which may be an artistic depiction
* Feathered or fringed horns, making a circular outline, runs front to back
* A peacock feathered disc behind a fleur de lis, soft edges, circular
* Single large wing, very deep feather cuts, one long feather row in first colour, second and third short rows in other colour, lowest fourth short row in first colour, 1:1 feather:gap spacing, gently curved top edge, flap down to the ground
* Single scallop edged fan, running front to back, with peacock designs on ends
* Peacock feather oval rising from a crown
* Single large wing, very deep feather cuts, one row of long feathers and three rows of short feathers
* Single semi circle with a painted design in the middle, two rows of short feathers and one row of peacock feathers
* Trapezium of peacock feathers
* Disc of peacock feathers
* Interesting pair of black and red wings, rising from either side of a hat, naturalistic edges, and elongated shape. Quite a different shape to other wings shown.

1370 - 1386 Armorial du héraut Gelre
* rectangular upright double wings, with multiple naturalistic layers of feathers, run left to right x 2
* stylised claw terminations, one layer
* rectangular double wings with a single row of long feather incisions, run back to front, flat
* rectangular double wings with a single row of short feather incisions, run left to right, flat
* rectangular double wings with a single row of long feather incisions, flat, diagonal edge down by 1/3, runs left to right
* stylised double wing horns, with a curl on the tip and scalloped edging, runs left to right

1410 - 1420 Lalaing Armorial
* Short double wings on either side of an animal, multiple rows of feathers, narrow wings but feathers widely splayed, flat, run front to back
* Double wings, flapping down to the ground, single feather end layer, curved feathers cut deeply, run front to back x 2
* Double wings, flapping down to the ground, long feather tips with 2 rows of short feathers, curved feathers cut deeply, disc of feathers rising from the centre, run front to back

1445 - 1456 Armorial de Guillaume Revel
* Double wings in rectangular form, slight angle on top edge, two rows of feathers, half length each, flat, only indented feather incisions, run front to back x 2
* Naturalistic wings on a horse or dragon

1447 - 1455 Hyghalmen roll
* Double wing with curved outer edges, deep cut feathers, flat, feathers point upwards, run left to right x 4
* Double wings with bumpy top edge and feathers facing down, more like typical 14th C heraldic wings, deep cut feathers with a 3:1 feather to space ratio, run left to right on a bird

1450 Scheibler Amorial
* Double wings with bumpy top edge and feathers facing down, more like typical heraldic wings, deep cut feathers with a 3:1 feather to space ratio, run left to right on a bird, skinny feathers between wide ones, on a complete bird standing on the helm

1456-1459 Armorial dit de Gorrevod
* Double wings with multiple feather rows with naturally curved terminations, diagonal end cut down to half, run front to back
* Rectangular double wings with a long row of feathers and many short rows, straight cut end with no feather incisions - could actually be sheaths of wheat, very flat, run front to back
* Rectangular double wings with a long row of feathers and many short rows, very short feather incisions, flat, run front to back

1466 - 1470 Wappenbuch vo St Gallen, Haggenberg double wings on a woman run left to right, double wings on a bird run front to back in natural position on the bird's body.
* Single wing, flat, wide naturalistic form, back edge cut into curved edge with deep feather incisions, runs front to back
* Double wings on a woman, very curved shape making an oval outline, single row of feather incisions, deep cut, run left to right, facing front, flat
* Double wings on a bird in natural position, long arcing feathers with very deep incisions, flat.
* Double wings, flat, wide naturalistic form, back edge cut into curved edge with deep feather incisions, double wings run front to back from inside a crown

1466 - 1473 Ortenburger Wappenbuch
* Simplified naturalistic wings on a bird

1483 Conrad Grunenberg Wappenbuch
*A single wing, hard to tell if running front to back or left to right, deep feather incisions, curved feathers widely spaced, flat x 2
* Double flat wings, hard to tell if running left to right or front to back, one long feather layer and one short feather layer, arcing outline making a circle