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Archiver > HERBARZ > 2003-08 > 1060094526


From: "David Zincavage" <>
Subject: Re: Peacock Feathers
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 07:42:06 -0700
References: <190.1e1a8994.2c6116f7@aol.com>


I expect if you were not artistically inclined, lacked the means to
commission a headgear masterpiece, or simply thought having some kind of
wooden bird or animal stuck on top of your helmet looked silly, you were
probably perfectly happy to settle for the simpler crest of a few (3 or 5)
ostrich or peacock plumes. Peacock plumes cost more than ostrich, and were
clearly a form of conspicuous consumption. The knights of the Teutonic
Order were known to favor peacock plumes, and their use by a Polish knightly
may possibly commemorate some victory over a knight of that Order, or
participation in the victory at Grunwald, or --of course-- may have no
significance at all beyond a personal preference.

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2003 7:19 AM
Subject: Peacock Feathers


> Hello,
>
> Interesting enough the Odrowaz Coat of Arms also has three peacock
feathers.
> Do you know if this has any association, or is it just that Peacock
feathers
> were popular?
>
> Inquiring minds would like to know. :-)
>
> Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewski, B.F.A., Clan Malcolm, PGSA, PGSM.
> <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/9538/syptab.html">The
Sypniewski Family-Table of Contents</A>
> <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/auch2000/index.html">Auch 2000's
Scottish Pages </A>
>
> In a message dated 8/5/03 10:12:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> writes:
>
>
>
> > > Five ostrich feathers that symbolized the Godzdawa crest <
> >
> > The Gozdawa crest is usually depicted as a sheaf of peacock feathers
> > with the double lily superimposed upon it. Two variants substitute 3
> > ostrich plumes. One variant known to Ostrowski had 5 ostrich plumes, but
> > he doesn't know which family used it. Five ostrich plumes could be the
> > crest of hundreds of other coats of arms. No surviving medieval Gozdawa
> > specimens have a crest. The familiar Gozdawa peacock crest emerges in
> > the 16th century. According to Leszczyc the Pacewicz family is a branch
> > of the Pac family, whose crest had a sheaf of peacock feathers.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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