Quarterly of eight vs quarterly Impaled

[Richard Smith]

If I'm looking at a coat of arms composed of eight separate arms in a
two high by four wide arrangement, is there any way of telling whether
I'm looking at arms which are quarterly of eight, or two quarterly (of
four) arms impaled? Or is there a convention that arms are never
depicted quarterly of eight, but instead are quarterly of nine with a
repeat?

Richard

[Tim Powys-Lybbe]

Post by Richard Smith
If I'm looking at a coat of arms composed of eight separate arms in a
two high by four wide arrangement, is there any way of telling whether
I'm looking at arms which are quarterly of eight, or two quarterly (of
four) arms impaled? Or is there a convention that arms are never
depicted quarterly of eight, but instead are quarterly of nine with a
repeat?
Richard

Ah, an arcane question to enjoy.

First I usually find that it is easy to spot the difference between
impalements and full quarterings. Impalements have different patterns
of their quarters between husbands and wives.

Second I know that some writers produce laws that quarterings should be
of an even design, all the same number of quarter per row and any holes
made up with the patrinomial arms in the bottom right. But most actual
quarterings are different and many artists make the bottom row out of
slightly larger or smaller quarters so that there is no dog-end to be
filled in.

Third it would still be nice if the College of Arms, and the Lyon Court,
could publish all their practice rules over the centuries so that we
could see what the Laws of Arms really were. I have a suspicion that
many of the rules would contradict other rules and that no resolution
would be found of quite a few knotty problems.

Finally I like a bit of ambiguity, it gives room for freedom of
expression, for variety and for art.