R. Sale > 21-08-2024, 12:30 AM
First of all, thanks for your interest and participation in this discussion.
Unfortunately, we have run into a point of confusion, and you have taken the wrong alternative. "Bendlets" and "Bendy" are not the same. The pattern of bendlets in your latest examples could be simply described as three diagonal blue stripes on a white background. Furthermore, these patterns consist of an odd number of stripes, consequently starting with one tincture (white) on the one side and ending with the same tincture on the other side. Bendy is not like that. Bendy consists of two paired stripes, argent and azure. The insignia pattern consists of an even number of stripes and consequently starts with one tincture and ends with the other one.
The description (blazon) of bendy (barry and paly) patterns contains a 'counting of parts'. Commonly this is six parts, or three sets of paired bands. However, four-, eight-, ten-, and twelve-part examples do exist.
How does this apply to the VMs White Aries illustration with its blue stripes? It doesn't. The nymphs are reputedly bathing in tubs, so the pattern ostensibly goes all the way around and has no beginning or end. Furthermore, the counting of parts was only instituted several centuries after the VMs C-14 dates, meaning it is irrelevant to start with.
Additional confusion occurs when a visual representation is drawn. Even Wikipedia has gone back and forth on this over the years. One general rule of heraldry is that the primary tincture should occupy the heraldic upper right portion of the insignia. This primary tincture is the one listed first in the blazon. Thus 'argent et azure' has the opposite tincture placement as 'azure et argent'.
A particular requirement of the bendy pattern is that the first stripe is the primary tincture. The first stripe can be determined by turning the diagonal pattern 45 degrees to vertical and finding the first stripe on the heraldic dexter side.
The attempted combination of these two rules has caused a lot of confusion and incorrect representations.
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The 'Bendy, argent et azure of six parts' in the example above obeys the second rule, but not the first. This is because of a fundamental flaw in the way the pattern is constructed. The problem is that the top line is divided into three sections. Attempts to correct this will often divide the top line by three and a half, but this is awkward. The better solution, found in the tomb of Ottobouno Fieschi, who became Pope Adrian V., is to divide the top line by four.
Even with a definition of this clarity, the argument can still be made for the existence of multiple interpretations - not that many, but they do exist. And it can clearly be seen that the VMs does not match this standard of clarity. The VMs is a mess.
It doesn't matter. We have the blue stripes. Doesn't matter how many. We have the dualistic representation of their orientation. The more compelling radial interpretation is misleading. The other interpretation of how the blue stripes are oriented is the same diagonal pattern as the Fieschi insignia for both VMs tubs. That is how the tub patterns might be interpreted according to armorial heraldry, and - granted - it is not conclusive.
But don't stop with armorial heraldry, because that's not even the half of it. We have the nymph on the left side of the inner circle of White Aries in a blue-striped tub and wearing a reddish hat with a wide brim.
History of the Catholic church tells us that the ecclesiastical heraldic tradition of the cardinal's red galero was initiated by Pope Innocent IV. History tells us that Pope Innocent IV was Sinibaldo Fieschi. History tells us that in 1251, Sinibaldo Fieschi made is nephew, Ottobuono Fieschi, a cardinal. This is the history behind the dualistic, disguised representation of VMs White Aries. In a Venn diagram, these two historical, heraldic elements would coincide only tangentially.
The point is: while neither of these examples of armorial heraldry or ecclesiastical heraldry is historically specific on its own, when taken together they are indicative of a unique historical situation.
Based on this provisional interpretation, examine the structure of the White Aries illustration. Structure provides an objective, built-in confirmation of identification. With the cardinal in the inner ring and the pope in the outer ring, this is the proper hierarchical placement. The pope is in a higher celestial sphere. Several alternative placements exist.
With both characters in the heraldic, upper right quadrant, this is the most favored heraldic location, (Even though it makes disguise more difficult.) Various alternative possibilities exist.
There is only one structure that satisfies both criteria simultaneously. That is the one that is presented.
With popes and cardinals having presumed celestial connections, these character representations are combined with the White Aries medallion, which has the historical, religious connection that only white animals were suitable for celestial sacrifice. None of the other Zodiac medallions share this celestial relationship.
In the quadrant between nine and twelve o'clock, in the outer ring of VMs Pisces and the inner ring of VMs Dark Aries, there are examples of tubs with a scale-like pattern. While omitted from many heraldic references, this pattern is another heraldic tincture. Tinctures consist of metals, colors and furs. This obscure fur is papellony. The structure of these Zodiac illustrations is such that the positioning of these two patterns corresponds in quadrant and in sphere with the two blue-striped patterns on VMs White Aries which have been identified with the Fieschi popes. (Both Sinibaldo and later Ottobuono were popes.) The structural association between papelonny patterns and popes (Pope is pape in French.), once recognized, would seem to be a clever bit of heraldic canting. Without the proper heraldic terminology, this association is impossible.
While these interpretations do rely on information that has become obscure over time, there is no way (IMHO) that these identifications and their structural confirmations can be attributed to chance, accident, or overly imaginative investigation.