We confess a fascination for heraldry, probably because we’ll never have one, and if we did, a Cadbury chocolate bar and Mimosa braced by a pair of Pulik would figure prominently on it. That said, at the right was the Coat of Arms for Frederick Robinson, the first Viscount Goderich, and Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury in England from 1827–1828. In heraldry lingo, the Greyhounds you see are “supporters” on either side a reguardant Sable. They were used to denote courage, vigilance, and loyalty. The first Viscount Goderich chose as his motto, “Qualis ab incepto (As it was in the beginning).” If you had a coat of arms for your dogs or kennel, what would your motto be?
Good news! This coat of arms is available for public use under the terms of its grant by Letters Patent 1761.
Our motto is Solstice “where the Dog comes before the Show”. I have used that as our tagine for years and have often been asked to borrow it.
It’s a wonderful motto, Jinnie, and important for everyone to remember. Well done.
Grateful to be kept by a Windhound
The motto I usually use is “Putting the Breed before breeding”. But the motto that speaks to the heat of my breed is “Terror belli, Decus pacis” (terror in war, ornament in peace). Which is the motto on the baton of the marshal of France (the namesake of my kennel name was incidentally a marshal of France ).
That should read ‘heart’ not ‘heat’
A fine motto, Tracy. Do your dogs buy into the whole terror/peace thing?