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From:
Subject: Re: Peacock Feathers
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 10:46:24 EDT


Dear Felix,

I know the feeling. They had peacocks running loose in the gardens at my
favorite hotel in Mexico. They screamed each and every morning in unison, at sun
rise. Lucklily I am an earlier riser. :-) They were most active in the
morning when they begged for table scraps from the cooks. I remember them
jumping up to the windows and if you ate outdoors they have no modesty when it came
to the stealing of table scraps. :-)

Peacock feathers are discussed in a few heraldry books I own:

"The plume of the ostrich feathers is, moreover, attributed to a crest to a
far greater number of families than it really belongs to, because if a family
possessed no crest the helmet was generally ornamented with a plume of ostrich
feathers, which last generations have accepted and adopted as their heritable
crest, when it never possessed such a character. A notable example is found
in the crest of Astley"
[p. 188 - A.C. Fox-Davies _Complete Guide to Heraldry_].

The number of feathers in a plume can be anywhere from three to seven (the
odd numbers are most common - for artistic sake). Ostrich and other feathers
are frequently found on either side of a crest, both in British and Continental
armoury.

GERMAN Heraldry evolved one use of the peacock's feather. It has been found
on the outer edges of every kind of object, and it even occurs in the dorsal
fin and down the back of certain animals. The Prince of Wales, of course, has
the three ostrich plumes.

In Germany, ostrich feather plumes are, many times, wrapped at the bottom
much like a bouquet. German heraldry displays these plumes(Ostrich) with the
colors of the arms, or charged with the whole or part of the device upon the
shield.

The Arms of Lord Waldegrave, as example:

Per pale argent and gules. Crest: out of a ducal coronet or a plume of five
ostrich feathers, the first two argent, the third per pale argent and gulesm
and the last two gules.

Champions of tournaments often wore ostrich plumes attached to their helms.

Peacock Lore:

Peacock Feathers: the peacock is symbolic of personal pride. During the
days of chivalry, one of the most solemn oaths was taken "on the peacock." In
early days, peacock was a great delicacy. Its graceful beauty is admired,
especially when the peacock struts around with his tail feathers in full regalia.

I doubt they took oaths on ostriches :-) or admired their form. Ostriches
are big enough to cause havoc...and they can outrun most animals, if angered.
Although the ostrich is a formitable bird.

Feathers: suggest conquests in Syria/Egypt over the Saracens in the Holy
Wars.

This makes sense because the peacock was native to warmer more exotic climate
(as stated in Felix's letter). Moslem ships traded in India, Sri Lanka, and
surrounds. This was all the way until pirates (English, French, and Polish)
traded at Madagascar Island. They had to be wary of Mid-eastern pirate ships up
to the turn of the 19th century.

The Arabs were quite fond of having peacocks roaming in front of their
palaces.

I am sure that a few nobles would have export peacocks back to Poland, much
like many Oriental chickens and the like are considered ornamental birds, as is
the Quetzal bird from Mexico and Central America. Bright plummage was after
all to attract the female birds, and so with men. :-)

There was always interest in the exotic, which served as bragging rights.
Personally I think the Peacock feathers are much more ornate than plain or dyed
ostrich feathers. The irridescent blue, green, and gold hues can NOT be
duplicated by the Ostrich plumes. Ostrich plumes are much flatter in color, they
do not sparkle ... although the plumes themselves flutter in the breeze much
more. They also end up one's nose more. :-)

Maggie


<<In a message dated 8/7/03 8:49:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
writes:

"The peacock is a beautiful lawn ornament around one's estate, and they can
be good guards (like geese).  The only bad part about a peacock is his cry. 
It is loud enough to wake the dead!!!

I had a neighbor who raised them and they often wandered off their property.
  Give me a rooster [chicken] anyday for my wake-up!!!"


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