P.O. Box 1646
Dallas, TX 75221-1646
October 16, 1990
Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive does Da'ud ibn Auda, Laurel King of Arms, send Greetings!
The attached LoAR contains the results of the September Laurel meeting held on September 29, considering the following letters of intent dated in June: Ansteorra (6/1), Caid (6/4), West (6/12), Ansetorra (6/15), Ansteorra (6/20), East (6/25), Meridies (6/25), Atlantia (6/29), and Calontir (6/30).
The October Laurel meeting is scheduled for October 27, to consider letters of intent dated in July: Ansteorra (7/12), Caid (7/13), Trimaris (7/15), East (7/19), Meridies (7/21), Middle 7/22), Atenveldt (7/30), and Calontir (7/31).
The November Laurel meeting is scheduled for November 17, to consider letters of intent dated in August.
The December Laurel meeting is scheduled for December 22, to consider letters of intent dated in September. The Letter of Intent from An Tir dated August 13 will be considered as dated September 24.
Attached is a new roster for the College. It is as accurate as I could make it with the information available to me. If you find any errors in it, please notify me immediately. Please review the roster carefully and update your mailing lists. There are a number of additions and changes which have been made recently. Members of the College of Arms who should be receiving LoIs and LoCs (those who are on the Mailing List) have an "M" in the left-hand margin next to their names for your convenience.
In the August LoAR, the name of Kasimir of Dzungaria was accidentally moved along with his device to the Returns. (Sometimes these bloody computers make it a little too easy to rearrange things!) The name was actually registered at the August Laurel meeting. I apologize for the error. (Thank you for calling and writing, Master Vasili and Lord Talan!)
Consideration of the devices of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme and Éibhleann O'Ceileachair in this LoAR has helped to focus on some of the difficulties in reconciling a relatively simple set of rules with the "realities" of a visual art. In view of the overwhelming support for Bruce's appeal by the commenters, I have been convinced that the wording of Rule X.4.j, "Generally such changes must affect the whole group of charges to be considered visually significant...", give us some leeway here. As a consequence, in certain particularly simple cases, changes to type or number plus change of tincture of one-half of tertiary charge(s) will be sufficient difference for a CVD. For now this will have to be considered on a case by case basis. I am entirely willing to entertain suggestions and discussion regarding rewording X.4.j. in such a way as to better define when changes to less than the entire group of tertiary charges will be sufficient for a CVD. (Please keep in mind, however, that I would prefer not to complicate the rules any more than we absolutely have to, and if no clear and concise wording can be agreed upon, would prefer to leave the wording of the rule as it is and leave the interpretation to precedent.)
After reviewing carefully what commentary there was on the change to X.2 proposed by Mistress Alisoun, X.2 will be changed as follows, effective immediately:
X.2 Difference of Primary Charges. Armory that consists of: (a) a charge or group of charges alone on the field; or (b) a charge or group of charges which may themselves be charged; or (c) a charge or group of charges accompanied only by a single group of identical charges upon the field; or (d) a charge or group of charges accompanied by a peripheral charge which may itself be charged - does not conflict with similarly simple, protected armory if the type of the primary charge is substantially changed.
This wording is a little longer than Laurel himself would have liked, but describes more clearly than a more abbreviated form would the various conditions under which X.2 will apply. Please note the careful placement of the word "or" between the various subclauses: X.2 will not apply to two devices with secondaries and a charged chief, for instance. The change to the primary charge(s) must be substantial: type variants are not sufficient (a chevron vs. a chevron embattled is not a substantial change in type [both are, after all, the same type of charge, a chevron] for the purposes of this rule); some quadrupeds and crosses, for example, may be too close visually to apply this rule.
The commentary on restricted charges, most specifically the caduceus, tended slightly to favor retaining the restriction to those with the medical qualifications to carry them outside the SCA. There did not appear to be a lot of strong feelings either way. We will therefore retain the restrictions as they currently apply to those charges.
Thank you, one and all, for the many nice (and often humorous) birthday cards. They all helped make the day extra special this year. (I remind Mistress Jaelle, however, that paybacks can be hell [Or, "what goes around comes around"].)
I would also like to thank all of you who are sending me LoIs and LoCs on diskette. I cannot begin to tell you how much time it saves me and my staff here by not having to manually cut and paste, make extra copies, etc, etc., etc., but I can tell you that it adds up to a lot of hours each month. Thank you again.
The Precedents of Mistress Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane, Volume IV, are now available. The cost per copy is $3.00 (including postage). They are available from David Appleton, 1610 Vinecrest Circle, Garland, Texas 75042. Earlier volumes of Mistress Alisoun's Precedents are still available at $4.00 for Volume I and $3.00 each for Volumes II and II, or $9.00 for Volumes I through III. I hope (in my "copious" free time) to produce a combined volume of Mistress Alisoun's Precedents which combine the precedents during all four years of her tenure.
"You can study heraldry until you are azure ... in the face but inevitably discover, from time to time, that you really are quite vert.... I have found this over and over again but, never forget, herein lies the fun and if heraldry ever ceases to be fun [meaning, among other things, when you cease to discover just how green are] - chuck it." Nicely put.
J.P. Brooke-Little, quoted by BoE, LoAR 7 Jul 86, pp. 18-19
I remain, as ever,
Your servant,
[Da'ud]
Copyright © 1997 Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.