Fall 2008
A GIFT THAT
LASTS A LIFETIME
The holidays are coming upon us quickly, and many of
us will be searching for an out-of-the-ordinary gift for
someone special – something that not only says “I love
you a lot”, but one that will continue to say it for many,
many Christmases to come. Here’s a suggestion ...
Heraldry, the tradition of creating and illustrating coats
of arms, family crests, personal logos and identification
devices, is an ancient and highly specialized art form,
and one in which Don is trained and certified.* Over the
past seventeen years, he has created and/or illustrated
unique devices of all kinds for discriminating clients
who are seeking to begin or perpetuate a heraldic
tradition in their families.
There are a number of mail-order companies from
which a “coat of arms for your family name” may be
obtained. These companies profit from the mistaken
popular assumption (reinforced in their advertising)
that everyone whose name is Smith, for example, is
entitled to claim the Smith coat of arms for his or her
very own. In fact, when one orders a coat from one of
these entities, an actual coat design of some sort, which
was at some time in the past actually granted to
someone named Smith (or something similar, Smythe,
for instance) is provided. However, the likelihood that
the original recipient was an actual forbear of the
purchaser is practically nil.
Don’s approach in designing an original coat for you
and your family is based upon a personal knowledge of
who you are – your profession or avocation, your
interests and recreational pursuits, your family
genealogy, roots and peculiarities. Your favorite colors,
ambitions and passions can also provide insights. Only
after acquiring an understanding of who you are will
Don proceed to create a coat of arms that represents a
sort of personal portrait of you and your family. This
way you will have a genuine family coat of arms that
will be treasured by you and yours for succeeding
generations.
If you’re interested in the idea, but are after something a
little less elaborate, perhaps a family crest would be
appropriate. The crest is that portion of a coat of arms
that sits on top of the shield, usually but not always
perched upon a helmet of some sort. The crest usually
relates in some way to a particular event in the life of
the bearer or his/her family, and so can represent you
in a very unique way without the more elaborate full
coat.
If you are one who already has a coat of arms, however
obtained, Don can provide a hand-painted, archivally-
framed illustration, complete with real gold or silver if
appropriate, of the device, thus elevating it from just
another graphic-on-the-wall to a valued piece of
original and unique art.
* The Heraldry Society of England, 6 December 1991
 CHRISTMAS IS COMING - THE GOOSE …
… is getting fat, and Don's calendar is filling up!
Whether it be a unique, hand-designed holiday card or a one-
of-a-kind personal gift, Don is ready and willing to put his
calligraphic and illustrative skills to work to make the coming
season brighter for you and yours.
It may be a sort of revelation to many, but it's a practical fact
that an appropriate Christmas gift probably shouldn't be cen-
tered around the holiday season. A gift with a Christmas or
Hanukkah or New Year theme is likely to not be displayed
except during that time of the year, so the theme of your gift
should probably be based upon something that will be appli-
cable the year around – a favorite verse, a treasured poem or
bit of wisdom for example. It seems that everyone has, in their
jewelry box, their wallet or a corner of their purse, a clipping
or scrawl on a piece of paper, some words that have at some
time in the past touched their hearts. At the time, the thought
in your mind was that, "this is important, heart-stirring or
poignant enough that it needs to be presented in some special
way for others to benefit from." Well, now is the time to dig it
out and give Don a call. One-of-a-kind framed calligraphic art
is his forte'. Whether small and personal, large and ostenta-
tious, or somewhere in between – for a bedroom or a living
room, for a home, an office, or a corporate lobby, Don has
been creating heart-stirring and tear-generating things for his
clients for over twenty-six years. He can do the same for you.
Call or e-mail right away, and get on his calendar while there's
still time.

THE SCRIBAL ARTS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

The period called “The Dark Ages” of what is now Western Europe were anything but dark. I suspect that the term grew out of
a perceptual comparison with the period of the Renaissance, when “the light of learning returned to the continent.” Actually,
the story of the period and the area, from Roman dominance in the time of Christ to the advent of movable type in the fifteenth
century, is a colorful tapestry of warring traditions, cultures, languages, ideas, survival, politics, learning and, most important to
me, the creation of many wonderful manuscripts.
As all-consuming as the Roman Empire was,
its influence stopped at the Irish Sea in the
west and at the walls of the papal enclave in
Rome. Within the relatively safe environs of
Ireland and the Pope’s pre-Vatican offices the
books and manuscripts which recorded the
history and culture of western civilization
were preserved and reproduced.
About fifty years before the “official” end of
the western Roman Empire in 476, St. Patrick
was dispatched by the Pope to bring Christi-
anity to Ireland, and about the same time, St.
Benedict began establishing monasteries all
over Europe. Among the primitive Germanic
tribes – Gauls, Celts, Picts, Franks, Goths,
Vandals and many others – they laid the
groundwork for the building of places like
Monte Casino, Luxuiel, Iona, Kells, Lindis-
farne, Chartres, Tours, Durrow, Cluny, and
Corbie. In the scriptoria of these centers of
learning, using uncial, the “official hand” of
the Roman Catholic church, were reproduced
the documents of poetry and prose, Gospels
and songs and histories that had been preserved from the violence of centuries of tribal warfare and Roman invasion.
Limited communications resulted, over many scores of years, in many unique interpretations of the classic Uncial, and so were
born such variants as Merovingian (after the mythological founder of the Frankish Empire), Visigothic (Aquataine and Spain),
Beneventan (from Monte Casino), Luxuiel Script (Burgundy), Insular (from Ireland) and many more. Most of these are long-
extinct, many forced into obscurity by Charlemagne’s standardization efforts during his reign from 768 to 814. In addition to his
Carolingian script, there are three which have survived to be included in the essential repertoire of the contemporary scribe –
Uncial, Half-Uncial and Insular Versals.
In the Spring, at Meredith College, I will be offering a ten-week, one-evening-a-week course with the above title. We will take a
historic and calligraphic look at this fascinating period, and will achieve, with some effort, a basic knowledge of how to write
these alphabets. Details to follow. I hope you’ll join me!
— Don King