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Saturday, November 2, 2024

Sewanee's Heraldry Updated

The full achievement of arms of The University of the South.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.
I feel like I waited on emblazoning all of Sewanee's heraldry and for good reason:  the Sewanee tressure.  Yes, that device was challenging to say the least.  After multiple starts (and many deleted works) I unlocked the secrets in Illustrator to make the tressure possible.  Ecce!

To read the updated article on the heraldry of the University of the South, please click this link.

The successful rendering of the tressure got me thinking, I've never seen the full achievement rendered digitally in full color.  Challenge accepted.  My above emblazonment isn't perfect but represents my learning and skills thus far.  Knowing me, I'll continue to tinker with it as time goes by.

Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024

I'm currently working on the final shield, that of the College of Arts & Sciences to complete the official set of arms.

The attributed arms of the Sewanee Angel.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

There's a lovely tradition at Sewanee involving angels.  The tradition goes like this: every time you leave the Domain you tap the roof of your vehicle in order to claim your Sewanee angel.  Upon re-entry, you tap again to release your angel.  Heavenly protection indeed!  Well, I figured it's not fair that these angelic guardians have absolutely no representation in arms.  So, I've created an attributed coat of arms for the Sewanee Angel.

The idea combines blue and white to divide the shield, in other words the heavens above.  Wings are self-explanatory.  The golden cross in the center represents the large memorial cross on the Domain.

The blazon:  Per pale Azure and Argent, a pair of angel's wings conjoined in lure counterchanged, overall a passion cross Or.  

Arms of St. Andrews-Sewanee.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

Certainly not officially connected to the university, though many ties of affection exist, I wanted to include the arms of St. Andrews-Sewanee since this school is very much in the world of Sewanee.

As if the Sewanee tressure wasn't frustrating enough, finding a blazon for the arms McCrady designed for St. Andrews-Sewanee is mind-numbing.  The school could not find a colored image of the seal and arms so all we have to go on is a line drawing--and there are numerous versions too!  To keep things simple, I've opted to use the image of the school's arms emblazoned on the cover of its 1985 yearbook.  McCrady designed the seal and arms in the early 1980s, so my thought is that this line drawing represents the original without the lilies.

My best guess at a blazon for the arms of St. Andrews-Sewanee:  Azure, in pale a sword Argent with point to base wrapped in an oak leaf proper, overall on a cross saltire Argent a roundel Argent edged Azure with a cross moline the extremity in sinister chief recercely Sable.

I've even decided to take up the challenge of emblazoning all the arms of the residence halls McCrady designed in 2018.  The above image shows the four arms I've completed so far.

Making my way through the arms of the residence halls.
Rendered by Chad Krouse, 2024.

More to come but for now, wow, there's a lot at Sewanee!