What’s Your Sign, Mon?

Posted by Donna MacMeans Jun 23 2012, 12:35 am in coat of arms, Donna MacMeans, Games of Thrones, kamon, mon, The Casanova Code

 No – Not THAT kind of sign!  

I’ve been reading the GAME OF THRONES series.  It’s the set of books that inspired the HBO series which is a fantasy set in a medieval-like society.  One of the facets of the books that I love is that every noble family (and there’s a ton of noble familes) has a banner with their sigil (think coat of arms) upon it.  The sigils could be anything from a wolf’s head, to a fish, to an acorn.  I think one of the reasons I’m enjoying these emblems of membership so much is that I encountered the same thing while researching Japanese erotica for THE CASANOVA CODE  (you knew I’d work that in somewhere, didn’t you ? )

I learned the Japanese had something called a kamon, or mon, which would be used to show membership to a particular group or family.  Just as the various families in Game of Thrones would wear their particular sigil on their clothes, so would the Japanese invoke a unique symbol encased in roundel or circle in their clothes.  Think this sounds very medieval-ish?  Perhaps you recognize these modern kamons:

So this got me thinking.  What if we all had a unique kamon that would identify our interests or family.  While I’m tempted to suggest a kamon of books encased in a circle – I think that particular symbol might suggest we’re all relatives!   

So maybe we need something more unique.

I think my kamon would be a peacock feather in a circle.  Something like this.  Or maybe this  -  (Of course the corset would have to be in a circle.  Can you imagine that on a crest of arms riding into battle?  )

How about you – what would you use as a sigil?  

Of course, I do mention kamons in THE CASANOVA CODE, so it’s only appropriate that I give a copy away to someone leaving a comment.  And if you’ve been watching or reading Game of Thrones – we can always chat about that as well.  So, what’s your sign?

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