600 Cedar Street, NW
Washington, DC 20012
(202) 726-4396
herald@sca.org
http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel
November 25, 1998
Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive do Mistress Jaelle of Armida, Laurel Queen of Arms, and Mistress Sionyn Muirgen ní Dhomnall, Pelican Queen of Arms, send Greetings!
The November Laurel meeting was held on Sunday, November 15, 1998 and considered the following letters of intent: Middle (July 9), Lochac (July 13), Drachenwald (July 14), Atlantia (July 15), Outlands (July 15), Caid (July 17), An Tir (July 20), East (July 27), Trimaris (July 28), AEthelmearc (July 28), West (July 29), and Meridies (July 30).
The December Laurel meeting is scheduled for December 12, 1998 and will consider the following letters of intent: Calontir (June 11 pending receipt of funds), Ansteorra (July 30 pending receipt of funds), Atenveldt (August 1), Middle (August 2), Caid (August 6), Artemesia (August 8), West (August 17), Atlantia (August 23), Lochac (August 24), An Tir (August 26), Ansteorra (August 28), Outlands (August 31). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than October 31, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than November 30, 1998.
The January Laurel meeting is scheduled for January 16, 1999 and will consider the following letters of intent: Atenveldt (September 1), Middle (September 5), Laurel (September 12), Atlantia (September 14), Drachenwald (September 14), Outlands (September 15), Lochac (September 17), An Tir (September 23), West (September 28), Ansteorra (September 30), Caid (September 30), and Meridies (September 30). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than November 30, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than December 31, 1998. Note: the Calontir September 30 has been removed by the Principal Herald.
The February Laurel meeting is scheduled for February 13, 1999 and will consider the following letters of intent: Atenveldt (October 1), Drachenwald (October 8), Middle (October 9), AEthelmearc (October 10), Atlantia (October 13), Lochac (October 13), Artemisia (October 24), An Tir (October 25), Ansteorra (October 30), Meridies (October 30), and Outlands (October 31). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than December 31, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than January 31, 1999.
The March Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for March 13, 1999.
Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this Cover Letter. Date of mailing of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain Letters of Intent. Additionally, not all Letters of Intent received have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, etc.) have not yet been met.
REMINDER: due to problems with receipt of Laurel packets, until the packet containing the paperwork is received, the letter may not be scheduled.
A Proposed New Alternate Title
We have received a request to make Messer an alternate title for Master of the Laurel, under the Italian listing of the alternate titles. We have already received arguments both pro and con. The arguments in favor are::
1. William Smith's Fifteenth Century Dance and Music, pg. 103, shows a 15th century manual written by Antonio Cornazno, which references his teacher Misser dominichoino da piacenca. The English translation glosses this as Mister.
2. Barbara Sparti edited a translation and commentaries on Guglielmo Ebreo of Pararo's De Pratica Seu Arte Tripudii (On the Practice or Art of Dancing)., has Messer as a title both for Guglielmo and for Judah Leon, a rabbi and physician.
3. The online Catasto of 1427 (http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/catasto), a project of Brown University, offers the following glosses:
Messire (Cavaliere). Title used for knights bishops, high ecclesiastics.
Maestro (Medical doctor). This was a title that could be used for many professions, but here was most commonly applied to medical doctors.
Messer (lawyer). Title used for those having degree of dottore di legge.
The argument against it is that Messer is a variant of sir, and is therefore reserved to knights. Both Guglielmo and Judah Leon were knighted (as members of the Order of Golden Spur), though it appears that in period the Order of the Golden Spur was given for non-martial accomplishments, and that Cavaliere was used for knighthoods given for more martial reasons.
If anyone needs copies of the documentation, please contact me directly; there is too much to just mail out to the entire college.
Please get all commentary on this issue to me no later than the end of February, 1999.
Commenting on Issues and Pends
We are extremely unhappy with the lack of commentary on pended items and issues. For instance, on the matter of what real world order badges were important enough to protect, we received virtually no commentary from the College (though we did receive commentary from outside the CoA), with the exception of Electrum's suggestions. Remember, when you don't express an opinion, this gives Laurel a free hand to do as Laurel feels best.
Certified mail.
I cannot accept certified mail at home. If you need to send me anything that requires a signature, contact me privately, and I will send you my work address.
LoAR Subscriptions and Roster changes:
Send roster changes, additions, subtractions, subscriptions to the LoAR and address changes in a separate letter, not in the body of a LoI or LoC to: Mistress Sionyn Muirgen ní Dhomnall, Pelican Queen of Arms, Jackie Watkins, 3532 Winding Wind Cove, Bartlett, TN, 38135-3044. Please make all checks or money orders payable to "SCA Inc. - College of Arms". The cost is currently $25.00 a year.
Also, remember all administrative issues (requests for warrants, quarterly reports, etc.) need to be sent to Pelican.
And remember to be a principal herald or a submissions herald, you must pass a test on the administrative handbook, in advance of receiving your approval from our office. This test is obtained from Pelican. To be put on the mailing list as a commenter you must produce at least one timely letter of comment.
Miscellany:
I love the medley of blazons
Enamelled scarlet, gold and blue,
The standards and the gonfannons
Painted in every vivid hue;
I love the tents that decorate the field
I love to break a lance or pierce a shield
Or cleave a helm and call on foes to yield.
Honoré Bonet, c. 1340-c. 1407, L'Arbre de Batailees (The Tree of Battles), as cited in Rodney Dennys' The Heraldic Imagination
Until next month, pray believe that I am, and remain,
Your faithful servant,
Jaelle of Armida
Laurel Queen of Arms