Ancient & Honorable Family Crest (Coat of Arms)

I had the rare opportunity to meet & greet the family that holds this Coat of Arms as their Heraldic device. Coats of Arms were awarded to soldiers or followers of a sovereign that displayed courage, cunning or helped win battles or save the lives of soldiers, townfolk, and the like. This Coat of Arms dates back to around 1297. There are unusually three Latin Mottos or slogans on this crest. I say unusually, as the British Crown claims only two Mottos. At the top, it reads, Fortuna Ante Fortuda. That translates to Luck before Courage. The Motto in the Garter reads: Vacca Contumex ex Occidentalae Fabulae est and that translates to: The Maverick (cow) is a legend. Lastly, at the bottom is: Charta ad Numera Dispositus Nihil Licencia. That is: No Straights Allowed. I believe the last one is a reference to the Rules of Poker. None the less, the rest of the Crest has two jackrabbits as supporters. These are mythical animals. The crossed pistols are two Navy issue Colt .45s, RAMPANT. Notice the poker hand inside the shield, a FLUSH hand throughout. On the bottom is: Meretrix PRONUS cruz RAMPANT.

This is the family Crest of the Belongias. Their family name traces back to the primordial slime and is a contraction for baloney and lingerie.

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