A bagpipe is a double-reed musical instrument with a windbag that also supplies sonant force to a set of drone reeds. It’s sometimes more fully blazoned “a set of bagpipes”; though known across Europe, bagpipes are most strongly associated with Scotland. Bagpipes are found in period armory, in the canting arms (Italian cornamusa) of Cornamusini, c.1550 [BSB Cod.Icon 278:287], and as the badge of Aubrey of Breconshire, 1531 [Siddons II.2 18]. One amusing example, the arms of Fitz-Ercald, c.1520, shows three hares playing bagpipes [DBA1 294].
As to the bagpipe’s depiction, the Luttrell Psalter, c.1340, has an example of a single-droned bagpipe; no period bagpipe has been found with more than two drones. The third drone wasn’t added to the Highland bagpipes until the 18th Century [Grove 2:472]; three-droned pipes are therefore disallowed in Society armory. The bagpipe’s chanter is to dexter by Society default.
Richardus Pfeiffer von Karlstadt bears as a badge: Vert, a set of bagpipes argent.
Conchúr McClawrane Vc Leoid bears: Argent, an arrow bendwise gules, overall a bagpipe azure.
Malcolm of Fife bears: Azure, in pale two bagpipes argent within a bordure Or semy of acorns proper.
The unmodified term “pipe” was used in period blazons to refer to any of several wind instruments (e.g., the flute or the recorder). As there are other types of pipe in Society armory, the unmodified term should not be used. For specific entries, see: bagpipe, organ pipe, panpipe, smoking pipe.
Society heraldry accepts as charges those musical instruments known before 1600, and a wide variety have been registered. In some cases the blazon makes a distinction purely for the artist’s sake; there is no heraldic difference between, e.g., a rebec and a gittern, and it would take a medieval musicologist to tell them apart. When in doubt, it’s best to be general, rather than specific: e.g., “fiddle” instead of “viola da braccio”.
The goat is a horned, hooved beastfamed for its lasciviousness (and, strangely enough, its eyesight). The most common depiction is long-horned and bearded, with longer hair at the throat. It’s a common charge, found as early as c.1320, in the arms of Obaerloh or Obaerlon [Zurich 366].
Special terms applied to goats include “clymant”, meaning rampant. The goat doesn’t seem to have any default posture; the illustration shows a goat clymant. For related charges, see ibex (natural), musimon, sheep.
Kozima la Pellegrina bears: Sable, a goat clymant to sinister Or.
Eoghan MacCionna BaileArd bears: Or, a brown goat erect playing a bagpipe proper, bagged gules.
Ottokar von Ehrenfels bears: Argent, a goat clymant azure.
