[gothic-l] Star, Quarterfoil & Swan Iconography

[mazgallos]

Here are some sources, then:

Seals: "O Estudo da Sigilografia Medieval Portuguesa" - Luiz Gonzaga 
de Lencastre e Tavora - Lisboa - 1983. This is the most complete 
study on Portuguese medieval seals.
On crescents and moons see for example:

Picture IX - Seal of "Alfonso el Sabio" with a lunel or quarterfoil 
on a building (it looks more like a palace than a church as no cross 
appears)

Seal nº 118 - Seal of the county of Parada (probably now Parada de 
Gonta), near Viseu,
document of 1226, donation of Mendo Sanches de Oliveira to the 
cathedral of Viseu, 
three towers the central one with a 6-ray star on top. The same seal 
appears in the blason of Seia, a village by Serra da Estrela (Star 
Mountain), where Paio Carvalho and
Tructesindo Vermuiz lived and confirmed its Foral issued by king 
Afonso Henriques in 1136.

Seal nº 131 - Seal of the apostolic judge from Celas monastery (in 
Coimbra), document of 1231, a six-ray star. Each ray is like a linear 
leave, something similar, but with 8 rays as in Carvalho's blason, 
can be seen in Azores, S. Miguel island, Ribeira Grande village, 
church of N. S. da Estrela ( Our Lady of the Star), cult linked to 
the family and region where they lived, as I intend to explain later 
if allowed)

Seal nº 140 - Seal of lineage type, difficult to read, apparently 
Menendo or Menendi (a name / patronymic) , preceded by S. Domini ? 
(Sigilus Domini Menendo ?). 
A lunel or quarterfoil enclosing a 8 ray star.
The seal was loose in a document box of the Cathedral of Coimbra from 
the XIII-XVth centruries. The style shows it should be from end of 
XIII th century. Some of the documents of this archive are from the 
village of Carvalho (comment of the author).

Seal nº 142 - Seal of lineage type, no legend seen. Was found loose 
in Alcobaça Monastery (place where first lunels appear clearly as 
personnal heraldry in a Sousas family tomb). A lunel or quarterfoil 
charged in the center with a piece  (star? eagle? fleur-de-lys?).

Seal nº 165 - Seal of ecclesiatic type, probably from D. Egas Fafes, 
bishop of Coimbra (1246-1267). A mitred prelate, to the right a 
crescent and a star with 5 rays.These symbols have for long been 
associated with cult of  Virgin Mary. See for example the iconography 
of  N. S. da Conceicao (patroness of Portugal, patroness of Spain) 
represented on top of a crescent and stars on the mantle or pedestal.

Seal nº 197 - Seal of ecclesiastic type, probably from S. Vicente 
Monastery (due to the crows). A quarterfoil charged in its center 
with a ship on waves, a layed body on it with 2 crows at rear and 
front, 8 stars with 8 rays. Probably from the end of XIII th century.

Seal nº 283 - Seal of ecclesiastic type, from canon Joao Martins of 
Coimbra's Cathedral.
Depicts Our Lady on a chair with Child Jesus on her lap, aside a 8-
ray star and a crescent. 

Seal nº 337 - Seal of heraldic type, from Fernao Gomes de Carvalho, 
lord of Carvalho.
A lunel or quarterfoil. Document of 1313. The most ancient known 
representation of Carvalho's heraldry, but without the star, thought 
to be derived from Sousa's.

Seal nº 375 - Seal of ecclesiastic type, from Alcobaça Monastery. 
Document dated 1338. Cross of Christ at each corner a crescent turned 
to the center with a 8-ray star by each crescent.

I ignored later seals.

Tombs: "Epigrafia Medieval Portuguesa" - Mario Jorge Barroca - 
Lisboa -2000
Picture CXXI nº 2 - we see on lid the following: a lunel, a 6-ray 
star (linear leave type) grouped by 2 rays, a 5-ray polygonal star 
(pentalfa), a 6-bifid rays star, a 6-ray star (linear leave type), a 
5-ray polygonal star (pentalfa).
On the visible side several ornaments as 6-ray stars, concentric 
circles, trifoils, etc.
Tomb of Domingos Peres Sequeira, from Barcelos (near Braga), dated 
1284, was in the churchyard of S. Eugenia de Rio Covo, now in Museu 
Arqueologico de Barcelos.

Heraldry: 
"Apontamentos de Armaria Medieval Portuguesa" - Luis. G. L e Tavora - 
in "Armas e Trofeus" - 1981- Lisboa - 
III - A Heraldica dos Sousoes no Claustro do Silencio, de Alcobaça, 
pg. 54-72
Shows "Pedra do Cavaleiro" (Knight's Stone): a knight on his horse 
and a shield bordered twice, with a lunel (4 crescents turned into 
each other) on the croup. They are surrounded by three large 
crescents (probably a 4th one is on bottom but it is hidden by the 
representation).
At each corner of the stone a circle with a figure (clockwise) top 
left: a crescent turned down to a 9-ray perforated star (or spur ?); 
other corners: a lunel.
Shows tombstone of Goncalo Mendes de Sousa (thought to have died by 
1243)
to the left of the inscription  a lunel around a shield bordered 
twice, inside the border another lunel.
Other tomstones show 3 crescents turned  down, side by side, 5 lunels 
in saltire in a shield (appears twice).

You can see Carvalhos blason at:
www.terravista.pt/FerNoronha/ 1829/Carvalho.gif

Hope this helps,

Carlos Carvalho



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