Castadillaan heraldry

Castadillaan heraldry is the use of heraldic symbols in Castadilla. Although initially very primitive, the first signs of recognisable heraldry could be found in the 11th Century, the result of Caphiric influence in Vallos. As a result, the earliest instances of heraldry in the subcontinent had a distinct Latinic aesthetic to it. Such a formality remains in use in Castadilla in both regulated personal heraldry as well as Civic heraldry in daily life.

The role of the herald in Castadilla, as established in 1976, still exists to this day, and as such arms are regulated and granted to individual by the Castadillaan kings of arms of the Imperial Collegiate of Arms. An individual's arms may also be bourne 'by courtesy' by members of the holder's nuclear family, subject to a system of cadency marks, to differentiate those displays from the arms of the original holder; any usage of arms by individuals who are not the current holder may be subject to legal action from the holder.

Characteristics

Like the Occidental systems of heraldry, the Castadillaans follow the Rule of Tinctures. This states that there are two types of Tinctures (heraldic colours): the colours Sable (black), Gueules (red), Sinople (green) and Azur (blue) and metals Or (gold or yellow) and Argent (silver or white). For sake of visibility (the whole point of such a system), no Charges of a colour can be used on a field of a colour and no Charges of a metal can be used on a field of metal, nor can divisions of the field be colour-on-colour or metal-on-metal. Arms that do not follow the Rule of Tincture are referred to as Armes pour enquérir (a "Coat of Arms to be investigated"). Historically, however, some coats of arms that have violated this Rule were sometimes still deemed lawful. The most notable example in Castadilla is the arms of the House de Bruce, dating back to a time when the Rule wasn't so strictly enforced, wherein a galley Sable is on a pale Gueules.

Castadillaan heraldry has a set system of crowns and coronets. Hereditary supporters are linked with the high nobility and the imperial family, and are very common like in other forms of Occidental heraldry, but those who are not in the high nobility or the imperial family can be granted the privilege of bearing non-hereditary supporters, which remain with them for life.

Rolls of Arms

One of the first contemporary records of medieval heraldry in Vallos is a roll of arms called the Great Scroll of Armigers and their Clans, written soon after the collapse of Caphiric hegemony over Vallos in the 12th Century. It includes a whole range of recognised heraldic colours (including furs) and designs. This clearly demonstrates that Castadillaan heraldry was fully developed at this time, and although the language is not quite identical, much of the terminology is the same as is still used. It is an occasional roll of arms, meaning it charted the heraldry visible on one occasion. Other rolls of arms covering Castadilla include the Los Rumas Roll (a mixed and varied collection from around the mid-16th Century) and the Girojón's Roll (composed when the Pelaxian nobility fled to Los Rumas in 1852 after the Girojón monarchy was abolished).

Regulation

Heraldry in Castadilla is heavily regulated by the Imperial Collegiate of Arms, who issue the arms. A person can be issued the arms themselves, but the collegiate fields many requests from people attempting to demonstrate descent from an armigerous (arms-bearing) person; a person descended in the main line (or through heraldic heiresses) from such an ancestor may be reissued that ancestor's arms (with differencing marks if necessary to distinguish from senior-line cousins). To that end, the collegiate is involved in genealogy and the many pedigrees (family trees) in their records, although not open to the public, have official status. Anyone may register a pedigree with the collegiate, where they are carefully internally audited and require official proofs before being altered.

Applications are open to anyone with a 'reputable status' (normally including a university degree, but officially down to the discretion of the collegiate).

The Imperial Collegiate of Arms was incorporated in 1976 by Maximilian I, and is a corporate body consisting of the professional heralds who are delegated heraldic authority by the Castadillaan emperor. Based in Santa Maria, the collegiate is one of the few remaining government heraldic authorities in Sarpedon; as well as one of the most recently established government heraldic authorities in the world. Its legal basis relies on the Law of Arms, which makes the right to grant arms exclusively to due authority, which has, since the collegiate's founding, been the Emperor or State, who gives the Imperial Collegiate of Arms this right and duty. Much of it is under the personal responsibility of the Emperor and not the magisterial council, although the collegiate has always been self-funded and independent.

Imperial coat of arms

Medium imperial coat of arms of Castadilla, adopted in 1976

The imperial coat of arms is the official coat of arms of the Castadillaan emperor, currently Maximilian I. These arms are used by the Emperor in his official capacity as emperor, and are also known as the Arms of the Realm. Variants of the Imperial Arms are used by other members of the Imperial Family; and by the Magisterial Council of Castadilla in connection with the administration and government of the country. The Emperor has a separate version of the coat of arms that may be used when he is not using his official capacity as the emperor, this is the ducal arms of the House de Bruce.

The shield depicts an eagle holding fasces wearing a quartered shield depicting in the first quarter a castle; in the second, an extended hand; in the third, a galley; and in the fourth, a rampant lion.

The crest is the Imperial Crown of Castadilla in front of some gold-backed ermine.

The supporters are both eagles on the dexter and the sinister.

Coat of arms of the Castadillaan Imperial Family

Children and male-line grandchildren of the emperor are usually granted their own coat of arms. Although many are given peerage titles named for places throughout the country, the imperial family follows Castadillaan heraldic tradition; indeed, most coats of arms of the imperial family are based on the imperial arms as described above.

Castadillaan crowns and coronets

National

Imperial Crown of Castadilla	Consort	King in Vallos	Grand Prince Imperial and Archduke of Isuria
Grand Prince	Archduke	Prince	Imperial Duke
Duke	Marquess	Count	Viscount
Baron	Baronet	Don	Hereditary Gentleman
Gentleman	Squire	Senator	Armiger

Bahia

King	Consort	Prince of Los Rumas	Prince of the Blood
Duke	Marquis	Count	Viscount
Baron	Noble	Hereditary Knight	Knight

Rios Gemelos

Crown of Acorn	Consort	Prince of the Lake	Prince of the Blood
Duke	Marquess	Count	Viscount
Vidame	Baron	Alderman	Caballero
Esquire	Noble	Señor	Anciano
Joven	Hereditary Gentleman	Gentleman	Armiger