Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the June 2017 meetings, printed August 4, 2017
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Emma Laurel, Alys Pelican, and Cormac Wreath, greetings.
As of the beginning of July, another office has changed hands. I would like to thank Mistress Nesscia inghean Chearnaigh for the tons of work she has done criss-crossing kingdoms and helping to get the sign herald program up and running. Heralds are, among other things, the PA system for court; we're responsible for communicating the activities of court to the general audience. Providing the additional service of signing, both for those in the Deaf community and those who just need a bit more help as our ears age, helps us to communicate better. Thanks to Nesscia's work and the work of a great many other sign heralds, it is beginning to no longer be an oddity to see a sign herald working next to the voice herald in a court.
Nevertheless, Nesscia's tenure has come to an end, and I would like to introduce the next Sign Herald Deputy, Baroness Marie le Mains. It is my hope that she can build on the foundations we now have in place, to help cement sign heralds in all kingdoms.
The Palimpsest Rules Letter dated 12 March 2017 proposed multiple changes to SENA and the Admin Handbook. The primary proposal in the letter was to rename the "grandfather clause" as "legacy registration allowance," because the phrase "grandfather clause" originates in discriminatory US laws from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Although many commenters supported renaming the clause, multiple commenters described the proposed name "legacy" as unclear or even itself offensive, due to its association with unfair university admissions policies in the United States. Therefore, we are substituting a more neutral nomenclature, "existing registration allowance". The change from "grandfather clause" to "existing registration allowance" affects SENA PN.1.B.2.g, PN.2.C.2.d, NPN.1.C.2.g, A.2.A, A.2.B.3, A.3.A.3, and Appendix F, together with the Admin Handbook.
We are adding a link to the third edition of "A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry" to Appendix F.
The Rules letter also proposed changing SENA A.2.B.3 to allow branches to register armorial elements registered by their members, in parallel to the allowance for order names and heraldic titles. We are not making this change.
Under SENA, we register only order names that plausibly follow an attested period model. Heralds and submitters should bear in mind that we there were only a fairly small number of medieval and Renaissance orders from which we can draw naming patterns. In addition, many cultures and languages did not have "orders" comparable those found in England, France, Spain and Germany (the cultures which provide the most data for order names). There is not a lot of room for extrapolation from this limited data.
The naming category Other Adjective + Charge, set out in Juliana de Luna's "Medieval Secular Order Names" (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/order/new/), continues to be misunderstood by heralds and submitters. I hope to bring some clarity by summarizing and distilling the precedents to date that interpret this category of order names (and heraldic titles created from order names).
Of the examples in "Medieval Secular Order Names" grouped into the category Other Adjective + Charge, further research has revealed that only two are examples of an "other" adjective. The following examples do not support this pattern:
Prisoner's Iron (Fer de Prisonnier) is actually a complex noun, a specific type of handcuff, rather than an example of Other Adjective + Heraldic Charge. [Artemisia, Kingdom of. Order name Claves Artemisiae, Order of the, 10/2014 LoAR, A-Artemesia]. "It is the compound name of a heraldic charge, a type of iron shackle, so Prisoner's is not being used as a possessive, just as a descriptor of the type of item." [Middle Marches, Barony of the. Order name Award of the Baron's Cuff of the Middle Marches, 6/2014 LoAR, R-Middle].
Companions of the Pale Horses (Gesellen van den valen perden) is simply an example of Color + Heraldic Charge.
Thus, the only true examples of an "other" adjective being added to a charge are Corona Doble (Double Crown) and gekrönten Steinbocken (Crowned Ibex).
Based on these examples, we ruled that Order of the Winged Lynx could be constructed as an Other Adjective + Heraldic Charge order name, because "winged" is an adjective that describes a clear visual modification to the charge. [Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Winged Lynx, 4/2014 LoAR, A-An Tir].
Adjectives that describe heraldic postures or do not lend themselves to clear visual representations have been rejected. For example, in December 2015, we returned the order name Order of the Pierced Hart with the following explanation:
This order name is returned because we do not have evidence of adjectives like pierced modifying the names of heraldic charges for order names. We have evidence for a pattern like this in inn-sign names, but inn-sign names are much more diverse than order names (see the Cover Letter for more details). There is a single example of an order name that uses a participle, Crowned Ibex. A single example is not enough to extrapolate from and pierced is a more abstract term than crowned. [Dragon's Mist, Barony of, 12/2015 LoAR, R-An Tir].
Likewise, in September 2016, we returned the order name Order of the Dolphins Endorsed because there was no evidence of order names using adjectives describing the arrangement of charges. [Kraé Glas, Barony of, 9/2016 LoAR, R-Lochac]. This month, we are returning the order name Order of the Embowed Cedar for similar reasons. (see Avacal -- Returns).
In summary, the category Other Adjective + Charge does not allow all types of adjective to be added to a heraldic charge to create an order name. The Other Adjective must be a clear visual description of the charge itself, like Double or Crowned or Winged. Until evidence supporting such constructions is found, adjectives that describe heraldic postures or arrangements of charges are not acceptable.
On May 27, 2017, at the Egil Skallagrimsson Memorial Tournament in the Kingdom of An Tir, Durin Oldenmoor Tjorkillskin, known for field heraldry among many other things, was admitted to the Order of the Pelican by Their Majesties Styrkarr Jarlsskald and Dagrún Stjarna.
On June 3, 2017, Murakami Tsuruko, Golden Dragon Pursuivant, was admitted into the Order of the Pelican at June Faire, in her home Barony of Dragons Laire in the Kingdom of An Tir.
On June 10, 2017, Garet D'Oiron, Silver Yale Herald of the Principality of Tir Rígh, was also elevated to the Order of the Pelican by Their Majesties An Tir.
On July 1, 2017, Their Majesties William and Isolde of the Midrealm elevated Calybrid Ine Tere, former Escutcheon Herald, Opinicuous Pursuivant, and Incunabula Pursuivant, to the Order of the Pelican.
On July 4, 2017, Conchobhar mac Michil, Golden Wing Herald, was made a Baron of the Court during Artemisian XX Celebration.
At the same event, Malkin Allardsen, former Golden Wing, was given the Gryphon of Artemisia. This is the highest award given in the Kingdom, given only once per reign.
On July 8, 2017, at King's Assessments in Atlantia, Their Majesties Cuan and Signy elevated Lord Subetai al-Katib to the Order of the Laurel for his work as a Scribe.
Please send information about happenings to major heralds and major happenings to all heralds to Laurel, so that it can be published here.
Letters of Intent, Comment, Response, Correction, et cetera are to be posted to the OSCAR online system. No paper copies need be sent. All submission forms plus documentation, including petitions, must be posted to the OSCAR online system. While black-and-white emblazons must be included in the Letter of Intent, only colored armory forms need to be posted in the forms area.
Cheques or money orders for submissions, payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms" are to be sent to Stephanie Ray-Solum, Blue Bug Bookkeeping, 2144 Westlake Ave. North Suite F, Seattle, WA 98109.
Send roster changes and corrections to Laurel. College of Arms members may also request a copy of the current roster from Laurel.
For a paper copy of a LoAR, please contact Laurel, at the address above. The cost for one LoAR is $3. Please make all checks or money orders payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms". The electronic copy of the LoAR is available free of charge. To subscribe to the mailings of the electronic copy, please see the bottom of http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/lists.html#lists for more instructions.
For all administrative matters, please contact Laurel.
Items listed below in square brackets have not been scheduled yet. For information about future scheduling, please review the status table located on the Web at http://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=137.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican and Wreath meetings held on Sunday, June 18, 2017 and at the KWHSS Roadshow held on Sunday, June 25, 2017. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Laurel LoPaD (11 Mar, 2017), Palimpsest Rules Letter (12 Mar, 2017), Ćthelmearc (13 Mar, 2017), Caid (20 Mar, 2017), Atenveldt (25 Mar, 2017), Artemisia (27 Mar, 2017), Ealdormere (27 Mar, 2017), Lochac (28 Mar, 2017), Atlantia (29 Mar, 2017), Laurel LoPaD (29 Mar, 2017), An Tir (31 Mar, 2017), Ansteorra (31 Mar, 2017), Avacal (31 Mar, 2017), Calontir (31 Mar, 2017), Drachenwald (31 Mar, 2017), East (31 Mar, 2017), Meridies (31 Mar, 2017), Middle (31 Mar, 2017), Northshield (31 Mar, 2017), Outlands (31 Mar, 2017), and Trimaris (31 Mar, 2017). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Wednesday, May 31, 2017.
The July Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, July 9, 2017 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, July 16, 2017. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: West (03 Apr, 2017), Ćthelmearc (17 Apr, 2017), Caid (19 Apr, 2017), Laurel LoPaD (23 Apr, 2017), West (24 Apr, 2017), Ealdormere (25 Apr, 2017), Artemisia (26 Apr, 2017), Atenveldt (26 Apr, 2017), Lochac (26 Apr, 2017), An Tir (30 Apr, 2017), Artemisia (30 Apr, 2017), Atenveldt (30 Apr, 2017), Atlantia (30 Apr, 2017), Caid (30 Apr, 2017), Calontir (30 Apr, 2017), Drachenwald (30 Apr, 2017), East (30 Apr, 2017), Meridies (30 Apr, 2017), Middle (30 Apr, 2017), Northshield (30 Apr, 2017), Outlands (30 Apr, 2017), and Trimaris (30 Apr, 2017). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Friday, June 30, 2017.
The August Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Monday, August 7, 2017 and Sunday, August 20, 2017 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, August 13, 2017. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Ćthelmearc (16 May, 2017), Caid (22 May, 2017), Ealdormere (23 May, 2017), Lochac (25 May, 2017), Atlantia (27 May, 2017), West (27 May, 2017), Artemisia (28 May, 2017), Avacal (28 May, 2017), Atenveldt (30 May, 2017), Calontir (30 May, 2017), An Tir (31 May, 2017), Drachenwald (31 May, 2017), East (31 May, 2017), Meridies (31 May, 2017), Northshield (31 May, 2017), Outlands (31 May, 2017), and Trimaris (31 May, 2017). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Monday, July 31, 2017.
Not all letters of intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this cover letter. The date of posting of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain letters of intent. Additionally, some letters of intent received may not have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, et cetera) have not yet been met.
REMINDER: Until all administrative requirements are met, the letter may not be scheduled.
Pray know that I remain,
In service,
Emma de Fetherstan
Laurel Queen of Arms
Created at 2017-08-04T15:48:34