Chain

Alfonso X of Castile, The Wise, «The Seven-Part Code», its estimated completion year is 1265.

---

This is the copy I can consult, as it is available in the Hispanic Digital Library, it is a manuscript measuring 42 by 30 centimeters that once belonged to Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán, first Duke of Arévalo, which later came into the possession of the Catholic Monarchs, initially Queen Isabella I of Castile, and after her death, King Ferdinand reclaimed it for the price of 5,251 maravedis. The original is housed in the National Library, in display case 4/6.

This copy, in addition to its numerous capital letters, has 8 illustrated pages, which according to its subsequent hand-numbering in pencil are:

• Page 6, among its illustrations can be seen 2 coats of arms of the Zúñiga family «Argent, a bend Sable, over all, a chain in orle Or», in this case formed by 16 links, 8 round and 8 more elongated placed in profile.
• Pages 106 and 191, on the latter can be seen a curious bishop-lizard climbing.
• Pages 294 and 331, on the 2^nd at the bottom, a maiden is seen walking a monkey to relieve itself and to her right a fight of men with beast bodies.
• Page 379 and on its previous unnumbered page, and finally, on page 415 which begins with a tournament where the 2^nd knight bears the ancient arms of France «Azure, semy of fleurs de lis Or».

The coat of arms that illustrates this bibliographic reference is that of Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán. For the creation of his chain, I followed the illustration of his 2 coats of arms on the already mentioned page 6 of this manuscript.

It is one of my favorite manuscripts and, perhaps, the one with which I have created the most things.

---

Bibliographical reference of century XIII.

Classification: Castilian language, Manuscript and In color.

Author: Alfonso X of Castile.

The following article cites this bibliographic reference:

• Zúñiga y Guzmán, Álvaro de

External resources:

• National Library of Spain.
• Indirect access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.
• Direct access to the Library of Congress of the United States of America.

Internal resources: AlfonsoXDeCastilla1265.7Partidas.10642.pdf.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Vert, a crescent within eight mullets in lozenge Or; 2 and 3 Azure, a chain fesswise throughout between three fleurs de lis, 2 and 1, all the links and fleurs de lis per pale Or and Argent; an inescutcheon Azure, bearing a crown of count, charged with an eagle displayed within a bordure Or.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me with a pointed shape, illuminated, and with a watercolor finishing.

G0067, Chief Herald of Malta's grant of Robert George Alexander Balchin's arms, whose coat of arms has been emblazoned by me.

---

Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Vert, One, Crescent, Eight, Mullet, In lozenge, Or, Azure, Chain, Fesswise, Throughout, Between, Three, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Party per pale, Argent, Inescutcheon, Crest and mantling, Crown of Count, Crown, Charged, Eagle and Bordure.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Watercolor and Pointed.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Balchin, Robert George Alexander.

Arms of Charles, Holy Roman Emperor, emblazoned by me, with the blazon written in English and Castilian in a structured way to observe the parallelism between both forms.

Party per fess: 1 party per pale: 1 quartely: 1 and 4 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 and 3 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]. 2 quartely: 1 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 2 quarterly per saltire: 1 and 4 Or, four pallets Gules; 2 and 3 Argent, an eagle displayed Sable [for Aragon-Sicily]. 3 Argent, a cross potent cantoned of four crosslets Or [for Jerusalem]. 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]. Enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]. 2 quartely: 1 Gules, a fess Argent [for Austria]; 2 Azure semé of fleurs de lis Or within a bordure compony Argent and Gules [for Burgundy modern]; 3 bendy Or and Azure within a bordure Gules [for Burgundy ancient]; 4 Sable, a lion rampant Or, armed and langued Gules [for Brabant]; overall an inescutcheon party per pale: 1 Or, a lion rampant Sable, armed and langued Gules [for Flanders]; 2 Argent, an eagle displayed Gules, crowned, armed, beaked, langued and membered Or, charged on the wings with two trefoiled stems Or [for Tyrol].

Escudo cortado: 1o partido: 1o cuartelado: 1o y 4o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2o y 3o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]. 2o cuartelado: 1o de oro, cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 2o cuartelado en aspa: 1o y 4o de oro, cuatro palos de gules; 2o y 3o de plata, un águila de sable [de Aragón-Sicilia]. 3o de plata, una cruz potenzada cantonada de cuatro crucetas de oro [de Jerusalén]. 4o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]. Entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]. 2o cuartelado: 1o de gules, una faja de plata [de Austria]; 2o de azur sembrado de flores de lis de oro, una bordura componada de plata y gules [de Borgoña moderna]; 3o bandado de oro y azur, una bordura de gules [de Borgoña antigua]; 4o de sable, un león rampante de oro, armado y lampasado de gules [de Brabante]; sobre el todo un escusón partido: 1o de oro, un león rampante de sable, armado y lampasado de gules [de Flandes]; 2o de plata, un águila de gules, coronada, armada, picada, lampasada y membrada de oro, cargada en las alas con dos tallos trebolados todo de oro [del Tirol].

---

Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Sable, Argent, Purpure, Or, Vert, One, Four, Party per fess, Party per pale, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Pale, Quarterly per saltire, Eagle, Displayed, Cross potent, Cross couped, Cantoned, Crosslet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded, Slipped, Leaved, Fess, Semé, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Compony, Bendy, Overall, Inescutcheon, Beaked, Membered, Wing, Trefoiled and Stem.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Watercolor.

Classification: Civic, Interpreted, Structured and parallel blazons, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.

Publication of my interpretation of the arms of His Majesty King Felipe VI with the Order of the Garter on the blog Twelve Lineages of Soria with the following text: Magnificent interpretation of the coat of arms of H.M. the King of Spain, with the Order of the Garter, made by the prestigious heraldist and member of the International Heraldry Society, Mr. Antonio Salmerón Cabañas.

---

Categories: Link, Or, Four, Pale, Gules, Azure, Sable, One, Castle, Port and windows, Masoned, Argent, Purpure, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Closed royal crown, Crown, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Bordure, Enté, In base, Pomegranate, Proper, Seeded (pomegranate), Slipped and Leaved.

Root: Twelve Lineages of Soria.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules. Crest: A closed royal crown. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Motto environing the columns and behind the shield: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain. This image combines three photographs of this coat of arms on the façade of the Ministry of Defence building on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, just a few metres from my office, together with my own artistic interpretation of the same arms. In the version on the façade of the Ministry of Defence, the crowns above the columns do not touch the columns, which I believe is the correct way to depict them, although the central crown does appear to rest upon the shield of Spain. There are more interpretations that place the crowns resting on the columns than those that do not, and I photographed this particular version from the Ministry of Defence because it is especially relevant due to its size and institutional significance. On the arrangement of the crowns: a) Royal Decree 1511/1977, of 21 January, enacted during the so-called Transition and approving the Regulations on Flags and Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Distinctive Signs, states: «Rule No. 2. Coat of Arms of Spain… Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one…». b) The subsequent Law 33/1981, of 5 October, regulating the current coat of arms of Spain, likewise states: «…Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one». c) The term «superado» in the heraldic dictionaries in which it appears refers, as a synonym, to «surmontado». d) The definitions of «surmontado» include: «a charge which, at its upper part, has another above it but without touching it», «also said of superado», and «a figure that bears another above it, but without touching it». In light of a), b), c) and d), the two crowns should therefore be painted not touching the columns. However, in the illustrative drawing contained in Royal Decree 1511/1977 the crowns do touch the columns, contradicting its own wording, although in heraldry, when in doubt, the written blazon always prevails; and in most official representations the crowns do indeed touch the columns. Nevertheless, this personal interpretation of both the coat of arms of Spain and of the proper way to write its blazon, where the lateral crowns do not touch the columns, and then I decide that, following the same criterion, the central crown should not touch the shield either, so the result differs from the official version.

---

Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Two, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Imperial crown, Dexter, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Behind the shield and Scroll.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa, Photographic and Collage.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]; the whole debruised by a label of three points Azure.

Escudo cuartelado: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable [de Castilla]; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, lampasado y armado de gules, coronado de oro [de León]; 3^o de oro, con cuatro palos de gules [de Aragón]; 4^o de gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople [de Navarra]; entado en punta de plata, una granada al natural, tajada de gules, tallada y hojada de sinople [de Granada]; un escusón de azur, tres flores de lis de oro, 2 y 1, una bordura de gules [de Borbón]; brisado de un lambel de tres pendientes de azur.

Arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a semi-circular outer contour and with a freehand finishing.

This is the coat of arms of Her Royal Highness Doña Leonor Princess of Asturias, Princess of Girona, and Princess of Viana, heiress of the throne of Spain as the elder daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. This version of her coat of arms has been emblazoned by me. The coat of arms of the Princess of Asturias is the same as her father's, the King, but with a mark of cadency which, in heraldic terms, is also know as brisure. In this case, the cadency mark is a label Azure with three points, which will be removed in due course. The label of three points is the main and most classic of the brisures, usually assigned to the eldest heir. It is said to originate from a piece of cloth the son would tie at the top of his shield to distinguish it from his father's. Other common brisures include the crescent, the mullet of five point, the marlet, the annulet, or the fleur de lis. In addition to these simple brisures, there are also combined brisures, which are brisures charged with another or others. For example, a crescent charged with a fleur de lis. Labels may also have their points charged with other marks. Many cadency systems become more complicated as generations progress and branches open up, so they tend to be rarely used except in very clear cases like this one.

---

Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Cadency and Label of three points.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Leonor Princess of Asturias.

Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert.

Escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople.

Current coat of arms of Navarre interpreted with: the point of the shield in the shape of a semicircular (round) arch; its field enamelled in flat Gules; the chains, formed by round and elongated links, illuminated in Or and shaded by the light emitted by the emerald; the emerald illuminated in Vert; and the whole outlined in Sable and finished with a hammered-metal effect.

Unlike other ways of blazoning it, I like the emerald to be overall. I truly believe it is better that the emerald of Vert colour lies over the Or metal, whether of the chain or of the carbuncle, and not over the Gules field, since it avoids placing colour upon colour or metal upon metal.

It can be consulted in [Vega, P. J. de; 1702; folio XV of the manuscript].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Or, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald and Vert.

Style keywords: Metal beaten, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Shaded.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Navarre.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]. Crest: A closed royal crown. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece. Behind the shield, a crimson square.

It has been painted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a square external shape and with a texturized finish.

The Royal Standard of His Majesty the King Felipe VI of Spain emblazoned by me. In this case, crimson is not treated as a heraldic tincture, but merely as a chromatic description.

---

Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Surrounded, Collar, Behind the shield and Fimbriated.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Square.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa, Standard and Flag.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

Azure, between two palm fronds in pile reversed a Lady of Mercy grasping in her sinister hand a broken chain Argent, and charged on the chest with an escutcheon per fess, 1 Gules, a cross patty Argent, and 2 Or, four pallets Gules.

Coat of arms designed by me, in flat tinctures, outlined in Sable, with a semi-circular external shape and with a texturized finishing.

This is the coat of arms of Sister Esperanza Vega Lanzagorta, designed by Juan Lanzagorta Vallin and painted by me. Alternative blazon: «Azure, between two palm fronds in pile reversed a Virgin of Mercy grasping in her sinister hand a broken chain Argent, and charged on the chest the Mercedarian coat of arms».

---

Credits: Juan Lanzagorta Vallin is the designer of the coat of arms.

Blazon keywords: Azure, Argent, Gules, Or, One, Two, Our Lady of Mercy, Grasping, Sinister, Hand, Broken, Chain, Charged, Chest, Escutcheon, Party per fess, Cross patty, Cross couped, Between, Palm frond and In pile reversed.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Plain tincture and Semi-circular.

Classification: Personal, Created, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Vega Lanzagorta, Sister Esperanza.

Emblem Azure, Saint Michael Argent, vested and nimbed Or, grasping in his dexter hand a spear Or, point downward, and in his sinister hand bearing [ Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert, of Navarre ], upon a dragon Vert, armed, langued, fanged, and the eyes Gules.

Emblema de azur, un San Miguel de plata, vestido y nimbado de oro, teniendo en su diestra una lanza de oro, con la punta hacia abajo y en su siniestra trae [ escudo gules, una cadena puesta en orla, en cruz y en sotuer de oro, cargada en el centro de una esmeralda de sinople, de Navarra ], sostenido por un dragón de sinople, armado, lampasado, fierezado y encendido de gules.

Emblem interpreted by me as follows: an oval shape with proportions 5x6, wider than the original; the field illuminated in Azure; its charges outlined in Sable and illuminated in the colours Gules and Vert and the metals Argent and Or; the Archangel Saint Michael vested in Or, unlike others who appear in Argent; his emerald simplified into an area enameled Vert; and the whole emblem has a lightly beaten metal finish.

Due to its special characteristics, the difficulty in complying with the first rule of heraldry concerning metals and colours, and out of prudence, I categorize it as an emblem rather than a shield.

In a relief of the Church of Saint Michael the Archangel in Estella, Saint Michael can be seen fighting a dragon that represents the devil, in a similar but mirrored arrangement to that of this emblem. In that relief, the Archangel Saint Michael bears a pre-heraldic shield with its umbo. According to [Menéndez Pidal de Navascués, F.; 1963], the umbo of the shield is a reinforcing element that is the predecessor of what would later become the pommelly carbuncle of the shield of the Kingdom of Navarre.

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Azure, Male figure, Angel, Archangel, Argent, Vested, Nimbed, Or, Grasping, Dexter, Spear, Point downwards, Sinister, Gules, One, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Vert, Upon, Dragon, Armed, Langued, The fangs and The eyes.

Style keywords: Oval, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Soft metal.

Classification: Interpreted, Socioeconomic, Education, Emblem and Kingdom of Navarre.

Bearer: University of Navarra.

Justice and High Sheriff of Castile, first knight of the realm, warden of the fortress of Burgos, administrator of the mastership of the Order of Alcántara, nobleman of Castile, 1410–1488.

Argent, a bend Sable; overall a chain orlewise Or.

Escudo de plata, una banda de sable; brochante sobre el todo una cadena puesta en orla de oro.

Coat of arms of Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán, which I have interpreted as follows: the shield has a semicircular (round) base; the field and the bend are illuminated in flat tinctures Argent and Sable; the chain is illuminated in Or; and the whole is rendered with a raised-stroke effect.

For the crafting of the chain in this coat of arms, which has a total of 16 links, of which 8 are long and 8 are round, I have followed the two coats of arms of Álvaro de Zúñiga y Guzmán that appear in what was his copy of [Alfonso X of Castile; 1265; page 6 of the later pencil numbering].

---

Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Sable, Or, One, Bend, Chain, Orlewise and Overall.

Style keywords: Freehand and Illuminated.

Classification: Interpreted, Personal and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Zúñiga y Guzmán, Álvaro de.