Lev D.
| Lev D. | |
|---|---|
| GreiiN:101 | |
 Emblazoned by Artificer-nine | |
| Assumed | 2019 |
| Country of Origin | Australia |
| Tradition | British heraldry |
| Aliases | Lev2829#5380 Lev2829 |
- Escutcheon
- Vert, a mullet of 6 points Gules fimbriated Or; on a chief Gules fimbriated Or a lion passant guardant Or langued Gules and armed Argent
- Crest
- A winged lion proper, wings elevated and addorsed, roaring in defiance.
- Mantling
- Vert and Or
- Motto
- "Tempta Tenebras, Lucem Elaturus" - Assail the darkness, to bring forth the light
Symbolism
The Escutcheon consists of a Chief gules over a field Vert. On the chief is present a golden lion. A canting and a representation of the armiger. The composition of the field is representative of the armiger's Jewish, Soviet and Australian ethnic and cultural identity and is symbolic of the support of family and country. The fimbriation of the mullet symbolises the victory of the armiger's forebears over those that wished to destroy them. The Motto alludes to this as well as the importance of seeking truth wherever it may be found.
The tinctures Vert and Or, nature and the land of Australia, Gules, signifies hardiness and valour and the armiger's soviet heritage. The motto is Latin, "Tempta Tenebras Lucem Elaturus" which translates to "Assail the Darkness to Bring Forth the Light". Tempta is in the second person imperative (i.e. giving an order). Sometimes mottoes use the infinitive as a noun, here we have a more vivid direct order to the reader. Tempto most commonly means ‘try,’ ‘attempt’, or ‘prove’ but it has several technical uses based on its literal meaning ‘keep handling.’ In a military context, e.g. in Caesar and Livy, it means attack or assail. It’s also used in this way in medical language. Tenebras is the standard word for darkness. Lucem is again the standard word for light, and like English it’s used figuratively for life. We can note here the sandwiched word ordering of verb noun, noun verb, with darkness and light beside each other. This is a deliberate rhetorical device known as chiasmus. Elaturus is the future active participle. Usually this means ‘to be about to.’ In poets and later writers it suggests purpose (the most relevant here) or readiness. In Greek there are several ways to say ‘in order to’, one of the most common of which is to use a future participle phrase as has been employed here. So it’s use in this context can be considered as a Graecism. Doing deploys the chiasmus mentioned above which generally makes the motto more concise. The word literally means ‘bring out/forth'.
Badge
Blazon: A peregrine falcon Or; clutching a round shield at its breast Gules charged with a roundel Vert fimbriated Or.