Monday, March 21, 2011

I Need a Coat of Arms


You might be shocked to hear that the Miller family (at least my branch) does not have its own coat of arms. Crazy, right?

I never really felt the need to have one until I came across the image shown above. It's known as a biscione. As you can see, it's a serpent swallowing a man. And it has been on the Visconti family crest for about a thousand years. Pretty amazing. Forget all those white unicorns and lions rampant. I want a coat of arms that inspires some serious terror.

(The biscione also serves as the logo for a car company, a soccer club, an espresso manufacturer, and the city of Milan. I should really pay more attention.)

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

You want a fearsome critter for your coat of arms? Try a deep-drilling mosquito. Bonus -- the disease-spreading bloodsuckers are the females! Since you're the "New World" branch of the Millers, you can also go with panthers. Or Grizzly Bears.

Robert in San Diego

Undiscovered Universe said...

mines a hawk.... i thought it was ok until i saw THAT

6.28 said...

I wonder if my family has a coat of arms... I don't think we do. :( Maybe I should invent one?

Anonymous said...

i don't think I have a coat of arms, but if i could choose it woud be a mermaid. Mermaids on coat of arms represent eloquent speakers, i think.
Plus they are kind of cool.

MushroomCloud said...

my coat is really boring. its just a lion over three flowers. oh well, we make up for our coat's boringness. and personally, i think you should design your coat with an Emu. horribly terrifying, but most people are unaware. :)

The 355 said...

Our family is a boar and a knight. You need something that kicks butt!

Elizabeth said...

I can't seem to find what ours is, but it seems to be a raven on top of a rock. FUN. lol.

Toodles*** said...

I don't think we have a coat or arms. But if we do, it should totally have a llama on it.

Ari the Awesome said...

Anyone who wants to search for their coat of arms can try looking here:

http://www.thetreemaker.com/coat-of-arms-search.html

I could only find the coat of arms from my mom's side of the family. It was a knigh with red and silver in the backround.

Anonymous said...

for my coat of arms i would to a fox bowing to arabbit to show that animals still had respect for each other and our family and respect for everyone

Alice the Elf said...

My last name litteraly translates to 'from flanders' so our crest is the flanders rebel flag. i love how its a expresso symbol though, 'get your man eating coffee here folks!'

Aria the Cellist said...

I made my own coat of arms once... it was a huge moth over a tree. I think there's a system for making a coat of arms based on your ancestry. If you go back far enough, your ancestors probably had coats of arms, and then you can adapt that.

Anonymous said...

Dear Alice the Elf:
Is that the "Black Lion of Flanders" with the red tongue and bloody claws that's the "Flanders Rebel Flag?"

Robert in San Diego

Maka Albarn said...

O a kid in my class has a family crest that is three ...
wait for it...
hedgehogs.

That would really strike terror into my heart if I saw that on the wall of a castle.

falcon said...

Mine is three severed hands stabbing each other. Pretty badass

cupcakedoll said...

GIANT OCTOPUS!

I'd suggest the giant squid, but octopi are more... round. So it'd fit in the frame.

Kirsten Miller said...

cupcakedoll: Pure genius!

Alice the Elf said...

Robert in San Diego,
Yes that is the one I was reffering to, sorry I could have been more specific.

EQ said...

Our family--well, we may or may not be related actually, because there are Martins out the wazoo all over the world--but at least one branch of the Martin family has this sort of square thing with a sun and moon dangling from the corners.

The Houghs, now, we/they have their/our own tartan. Way cooler than a dangly square.

@ Maka Albarn: i love it. Hedgehogs!! It's like the middle school's sports team: The peachtrees. Really? Really?? "YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE CRUSHED BY THE MIGHTY...peachtrees."

Anonymous said...

Dear EQ:

"Peachtrees?" It could be worse. Whittier College's sports teams are the dreaded and feared "Poets."

Robert in San Diego

Anonymous said...

My roommate, who is WAY into college sports, has come up with these team names.

Earlham College Hustlin' Quakers

Washburn University Ichabods

University of California, Irvine Anteaters

Nazareth College Moles

Nyack College Fighting Parsons

Centenary College Gentlemen (they're now the Cyclones)

Mary Baldwin College Squirrels

Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats

California Maritime Academy Keelhaulers

OK, that last one actually is pretty intimidating, especially if your sport is water polo.

Robert in San Diego, roommate wants to drag me to the crew regatta....

Anonymous said...

You should have a create a crest for kristen contest.