These three elements can correspond to the Helmet, Lance and Belt of the knight (chevalier) going through various transformations

1. Chief: Placed at the shield's top, occupying about a third of the area. It represents the knight's helmet, cushion, or the crown always covering the head.

   • Symbolism: The viscosity in symbolism; the one-third occupation represents the natural proportion of the prima materia components.

2. Pale: Symbolizes the knight's lance and the post topped with coats of arms erected by each baron outside their tent or drawbridge.

   • Symbolism: Vertical orientation always indicates the sign of Sulphur.

3. Fess: Represents the knight's belt, with its color and ornaments, occupying the middle third of the shield horizontally. It correspond also to its energy at the hara

   • Symbolism: The belt or baldric relates to Offerus or Saint Christopher, as seen in alchemical tarot. 

We will not need any more heraldic figures for our studies. The Chief gives us access to Nigredo and Albedo in the sense that the nigredo happens starting a separation in the head (think to eating. Food will enter and be destroyed in the head and after will give energy that will come again to the head); the Pale relates to Sulphur and verticality and the Fess to Mercury. The combination of the Pale and the Fess allows us to achieve the † or cross, a means to join the alchemical gold and silver (which should not be confused with common materials). 

Diagonal Figures: Bend and Bar

The 'x' or Saltire is achieved by combining two other figures, the Bend (sword belt) and the Bar or knight's scarf (aka bend sinister). The normal  bend is from upper left to bottom right. It represent potential power. It's worth noting that for Fulcanelli, the 'x' represents the great unknown of the problem, and the Adept goes as far as finding on the surface of the solvent the aspect of a King's frangipane cake. In any case, this 'x' is named Sautoir in heraldry and represents the stirrup (Cross of Saint Andrew or Cross of Burgundy).

In alchemy the colours can correspond also to important phases of the work:

black: nigredo - the phase of purification
white: albedo -  the phase of contact to an upper dimension
red: rubedo - presence in action

A. Colors: Adhere to the following guidelines while creating your composition:

1. Strictly use the metals, enamels, and furs as defined by heraldic rules and traditions, which include:

   • Two metals: Gold and Silver.

   • Five colored enamels: Red (gueules), Blue (azur), Black (sable), Green (sinople), and Purple (pourpre).

   • Four furs: Ermine, Counter-Ermine, Vair, and Counter-Vair.

2. Avoid the use of "natural" color as much as possible.

3. Strictly follow the fundamental rule of not placing color on color, nor metal on metal.

4. Minimize the number of colors used to ensure the blazon is clear and easily readable.

B. Divisions: It's recommended to use the so-called honorable pieces, which are simpler: bend, bar, pale, fess, base, per fess, and paly. 

C. Charges: Minimize the number of charges (symbols or figures) within the blazon. Avoid using multiple symbols.

D. Composition: Ensure the composition is clear and readable. Always remember that a blazon should be visible from a distance and its symbolism should be easily understood.

The Colorful Essence of Heraldry in the Blazons of the Compte du Graal

Heraldic Colors: The vibrant, brilliant, and shadeless colors known in the Lancelot-Grail are primarily derived from the enamels and metals of heraldry. These color notations are prominently featured in Lancelot, though they become scarcer in the Queste and Mort Artu. Without these colors, substantial sections of the narrative would essentially lack color depiction.

The dominant colors found are the three fundamental ones that we find also in alchemy:

• White (often technically referred to as Silver), that alchemically correspond to states of elevation

• Red (usually termed "vermaus," seldom "sinople", never Gules), Alchemically corresponding to the rubedo and meaning the "presence in action" of the knight

• Black (referred to as such and not Sable).

Green is almost absent under this denomination. Yellow (referred to as "or") and Blue (referred to as "azur") only appear in combination with other colors, and that too, infrequently.

We notice also:

Simplified Heraldry: Much like the broader Arthurian literature, the Lancelot-Grail employs a simplified form of heraldry. It eve, falls short of Chrétien de Troyes' practice, who reveled in the color variety and "knowledge" of shields, meticulously inventorying them at the tournament of Pomeslegoi.

Rarely does the author of Lancelot show an interest in heraldry for its own sake, with a notable exception in a long sequence in volume 8, where a knight is introduced by describing a heraldic element on a banner, not a shield.

Narrative-Driven Heraldry: Until then, only Lancelot had been blazoned, in a way consistently simplified compared to historical practices, and strictly subjected to narrative needs like magical shields boosting his strength or changing arms for anonymity. Now, a companion is introduced with color usage more aligned with customary practices. Subsequent episodes introduce us to practices where literature masquerades as history while diverging from it in many aspects.

Some very Symbolic Shields: The shield of the unfortunate Hector, a rival of Ségurade, is described as a black shield speckled with silver. The black signifies mourning, and the silver droplets symbolize tears, portraying the emotion of mourning through color and design. Other allegorical shields appear in the narrative, including one emblematic of the Lancelot-Guinevere relationship, and another portraying Lancelot with the queen in a particular scene.

This depiction of colors and heraldic elements serves to enrich the narrative, blending the realms of literature and historical heraldic tradition.

Your shield could evolve with you. In medieval tales of the Grail, the narrative richness often intertwines with the vibrant hues and symbols of heraldry exhibited on the knights' blazons. The chivalric lore of the Grail, deeply rooted in Norman tradition, reveals an enigmatic layer where heraldry transcends mere identification, morphing into a mirrored reflection of a knight's inner realm. The shields, bearing unique emblems and colors, are more than just protective armors. They are external embodiments of the knights' evolving inner forces, a concept beautifully illustrated through the chronicles of Sir Lancelot's adventures on the quest for the Grail.

For example, the narrative charm of Lancelot's shields unfolds alongside the hero's internal journey and external actions. His first shield, symbolizing his initial pure love for Queen Guinevere, evolves with his relationship, embodying the complex dynamics of love, loyalty, and self-discovery. The second shield portrays Lancelot's self-reflection concerning his love for Guinevere, portraying heraldry as a symbolic narrative tool. It's not merely an external emblem, but a narrative device intricately tied to the character's internal evolution.

This narrative-historic interplay extends to other knights, reflecting broader themes of love, rivalry, and identity. For instance, the plight of Hector's love is vividly portrayed through his black shield dotted with silver – the colors narrating a tale of sorrow and tears.

The heraldic tradition, richly explored in Lancelot's tales, does not merely adhere to historical norms. It transcends into a realm of symbolic narrative, where each color, symbol, and change in a knight's shield tells a story, marks an identity, or veils a secret. This alchemical heraldry, a term resonant with the transformative and secretive aura of alchemy, beautifully merges with the Grail's mystic lore, offering a vibrant palette of narrative and symbolic explorations.

Furthermore, the narrative introduces pseudo-historic customs and innovations in heraldic practices through Lancelot's and other knights' tales. These include the tradition of knights bearing a plain shield during their novice year, and the introduction of unique heraldic emblems on helmets and banners. These narrative diversions, although not historically accurate, enrich the story, merging the imaginative with the historic, the symbolic with the literal.

In the quest for the Grail, the knights' changing shields symbolize not just their physical journey, but their spiritual and personal evolution. The tale of Lancelot, with its array of colorful heraldic depictions, invites readers into a vibrant medieval world where every color tells a story, every shield bears a secret, and every knight seeks to unveil the mysteries within and without.

Regarding heraldry, it is important to note that Rybot and Carey mention the absence of a heraldic authority in the Channel Islands. This suggests that the islands maintain their own customs. The ancient Norman Seigneurs selected their arms independently.

It is crucial to recognize that the situation of the Channel Islands is markedly different from that of Wales or the UK. The Channel Islands have their own laws. This is further confirmed by the fact that, as of 2024, the UK College of Arms does not claim to exercise any authority over the Channel Islands. According to its official website (https://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/), the College of Arms is 'the official heraldic authority for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and much of the Commonwealth including Australia and New Zealand,' thus excluding the Channel Islands from its jurisdiction. This absence of authority suggests that the Channel Islands have their own heraldic jurisdiction and traditions, as accurately pointed out by Rybot.

Furthermore, Payne highlights that the ancient families of the Islands acquired their coats of arms independently.

In the juridical history of the Channel Islands it is of particular meaning the Dumaresque - La Rocque case.

This case illustrates this point, as Rocque responded by stating that the Dumaresq arms were acquired directly without any external attribution, which is consistent with the practice for all arms on the island. 

The text is: 

Note here that the arms of the ancient Sir de Saumaresq do not belong to Henry Dumaresq, descendant of Guille de Pain, a Breton, who bought the fief of Saumarets without purchasing the arms, nor were they granted to him by the Prince or confirmed by the King of Heralds. Also, it is questioned whether he paid the third and that it is not appropriate for a foreigner to grant arms of noble lineage. It is noted that arms were first given by Alexander the Great, advised by the philosopher Aristotle, to give courage and noble intent to his valiant men, lords, and gentlemen, etc."

In original " Ubi nota. Oue les armes des anciens Sr de Saumaresq n'appartient point a Henry Dumaresq issu de Guille de Pain, Breton, lequel achepta le fief de Saumarets sans achepter les armes, ne qu'il lui eussent este concedes p. le Prince ny confirmes p. Ie Roy des heraults, aussy assavoir s'il a paie le tresieme et qu'il n'aptient point a ung estranger de doner armes d'une extraction noble, et que armes ont este donees premierem' p: Alexandre le grand p. le conseil d'Aristote le Philosophe pour doner courage et noble vouloir a ses vaillants homes, Seigneurs , et gentillhomes &c"

The assertion that "a stranger cannot give arms" reinforces the notion of the islands' autonomous heraldic authority. This is supported by the historical note mentioning that "the arms of the ancient Sr de Saumaresq do not belong to Henry Dumaresq, descendant of Guille de Pain, a Breton, who purchased the fief of Saumarets without acquiring the arms, nor were they granted by the Prince or confirmed by the King of Heralds. It's also questioned whether he paid the third and that it's not for a foreigner to grant arms of noble lineage. It's noted that arms were first given by Alexander the Great, advised by the philosopher Aristotle, to encourage and instill noble intent in his valiant men, Seigneurs, and gentlemen, etc." 

This historical perspective underlines the unique heraldic traditions and autonomy of the Channel Islands.