| Arms: |
Quarterly Gules and Argent, 1st and 4th, an English saddle proper, 2nd and 3rd three roses Gules proper, overall and escutcheon Or, a double-headed eagle displayed Sable. |
| Crest: |
NA |
| Motto: |
Libertas per ministerium (Freedom through service) |
| Flag: |
A banner of the Arms. |
| Standard: |
NA |
| Source: |
The design of the arms were inspired by the Austrian heritage, whereby, the maternal grandparents on both sides were armigerous according to the law of arms of Austria. Assumed in November 2007. Planning to petition the Canadian Heraldic Authority for a grant of arms, based on the design of the assumed arms. |
| Artist/Herald: |
self assisted by David M. Cvet |
| Symbolism: |
In the Austrian tradition arms may be passed down through either the male or female side of the family. The arms of the Salletmaier family (a small local knightly family) is simply three red roses on a white field.
The arms of the Bast family are more complicated and have a more interesting story behind them. The arms are quartered with offset red and white quarters, with the red quarters having a mounted knight with a sword depicted on them. There is a diagonal flaming line running across the arms and in the center the Habsburg eagles are depicted on a small gold shield. Interestingly the Bast family were not at all noble, but made horseshoes as well as saddles and tack for the Habsburg horses for a long period of time. I can say with confidence that they did this work for at least 100 years, though some family legends suggest this work started during the last siege of Vienna and some of my more grandiose relatives claim that the Bast clan came with the Habsburgs from Switzerland, although is pure speculation. The Basts were granted the right to display arms, including the Habsburg eagles around 1900 for their long service to the Imperial family. One can speculate that this was done to assist in advertising the services of the Basts, much like products approved by the English monarch.
Unfortunately the Bast arms were simply too complex to reproduce in full in quarters, so with the able assistance of David Cvet, the two coats were merged into a simpler design, retaining the original Salletmaier roses, the Habsburg eagles, the red and white colour scheme common to both, and using the saddle to represent the trade of the Basts. Due to the difficultly of representing a saddle in some materials my banner and jupon use horseshoes instead of the saddles. |
| Rank: |
Scholler: Mar 19, 2006 |
HOWE, Russ
