Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the September 2018 meetings, printed November 28, 2018
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Juliana Laurel, Alys Pelican, and Cormac Wreath, greetings.
A submission from Marianne Freidis, Paly Or and gules, a sea-dragon sable, was pended on the June 2018 LoAR for a discussion on what difference, if any, should be granted between a dragon and sea-dragon, in order to address the potential conflict with Eric de Dragonslaire's badge, (Fieldless) A dragon salient sable breathing flames gules.
Precedent grants no difference between a dragon, a wyvern, a sea-dragon, or a sea-wyvern. The submitter argued that conflict is not transitive, that is if A conflicts with B and B conflicts with C, it is not required that A must conflict with C. The submitter also argued that "To rule that a sea-lion differs from a lion, and a sea-griffin differs from a griffin, and a sea-horse differs from a horse, and every other form of sea-X differs from X -- but a sea-dragon gets no difference from a dragon -- is inconsistent and contradictory. The 1996 ruling should be overturned, and a DC be granted between a sea-dragon and a dragon, just as with every other heraldic sea-monster."
We have in the past considered a dragon and a wyvern as interchangeable charges with the quadrupedal dragon being a Tudor variant of the two-legged variety, both having been blazoned "dragon" in period. However, the SCA has a long tradition of telling people to register what they use and use what they register. We consistently blazon the distinction between a dragon and a wyvern, something not necessarily true of period heralds. The charge we in the SCA call a dragon is a winged quadruped that functions like other quadrupeds. The charge we in the SCA call a wyvern is a long-tailed, winged biped that functions similarly in posture to both birds and sea-creatures (with documented examples of wyverns statant close, statant wings addorsed, statant wings displayed, and erect); for body structure and functionality, its closest cousin is the cockatrice, another reptilian winged biped which Guillim depicts displayed. While it's been long-standing policy that these charges have no difference between them, the recent ruling on quadrupeds affronty draws a stark contrast between dragons (which can no longer be depicted as displayed) and wyverns (which, following the pattern of cockatrices from Guillim, can be displayed, albeit a step from period practice). It becomes difficult, therefore, to continue saying that there's no difference between the two charges.
In this case we must balance our desire for using period heraldic depictions of charges and postures. As we consistently enforce the distinction between a dragon and a wyvern, and to non-heralds these are very different monsters, we fall on the side of period postures. We will thus grant a DC between a wyvern and a dragon. Because of this, a dragon must clearly have four legs.
This does not change how we treat other charges that are considered interchangeable and not worth difference. Specifically, all ships are still considered interchangeable even if we blazon the type; likewise no difference will be granted between types of canines or between types of felines.
Past precedents granting no difference between a wyvern and sea-dragon/sea-wyvern were based on the lack of visual difference between these charges. As we now grant a DC between a dragon and a wyvern these precedents are partially overturned. A dragon has the same visual difference between a sea-dragon or a sea-wyvern that it has with a wyvern. Therefore, there is a DC between them. In summary:
There is now a DC between a dragon and a wyvern.
There is now a DC between a dragon and a sea-wyvern.
There is now a DC between a dragon and a sea-dragon.
There is still no difference between a wyvern, a sea-wyvern, and a sea-dragon.
Please note that period blazons (except Elizabethan England) call the wyvern "dragon," so care must be taken when analyzing these sources.
The February 2009 LoAR states "The term fructed, for vegetable lambs, refers to the whole blossom, including the sheep." A review of the registered vegetable lambs shows that we have not been consistent in blazoning them. Those registered items have been reviewed and, when necessary, reblazoned. To be clear:
a vegetable lamb vert fructed sable has a vert plant with sable sheep issuant from sable blossoms
a vegetable lamb vert fructed of sheep sable has a vert plant with sable sheep issuant from vert blossoms
A submission this month raised the questions of which languages from the Indian subcontinent can be combined in a name. Our research to date indicates that medieval Indian cultures were often multilingual. However, the degree of overlap in the naming pools among languages is still unclear. Pending further in-depth research on the issue, we rule that name elements any Indian subcontinent language may be combined with elements from any other Indian subcontinent language. We do not at this time define "Indian" as a language group for the purposes of Appendix C. We are actively seeking specialists (or people willing to become specialists) in Indian subcontinent languages. Interested persons should contact the Pelican Queen of Arms.
On October 27th at Bjorn's Ceilidh and Baronial Investiture, Their Eastern Majesties inducted Muirenn ingen Dúnadaig, Blue Tyger Herald (submissions), into the Order of the Silver Crescent, the East's Grant-level service award.
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 September Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, September 23, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, September 16, 2018. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Calontir (06 Jun, 2018), Æthelmearc (14 Jun, 2018), An Tir (15 Jun, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (16 Jun, 2018), Middle (17 Jun, 2018), An Tir (19 Jun, 2018), Ealdormere (24 Jun, 2018), Avacal (27 Jun, 2018), Lochac (27 Jun, 2018), Caid (28 Jun, 2018), Ansteorra (29 Jun, 2018), Artemisia (29 Jun, 2018), Atlantia (29 Jun, 2018), Atenveldt (30 Jun, 2018), Drachenwald (30 Jun, 2018), Meridies (30 Jun, 2018), Middle (30 Jun, 2018), Northshield (30 Jun, 2018), and Outlands (30 Jun, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Friday, August 31, 2018.
The October Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, October 7, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, October 14, 2018. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Gleann Abhann (02 Jul, 2018), Calontir (06 Jul, 2018), East (07 Jul, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (15 Jul, 2018), Æthelmearc (19 Jul, 2018), Atlantia (19 Jul, 2018), Middle (22 Jul, 2018), Palimpsest Rules Letter (22 Jul, 2018), West (23 Jul, 2018), An Tir (24 Jul, 2018), Ealdormere (24 Jul, 2018), Northshield (24 Jul, 2018), East (28 Jul, 2018), Lochac (28 Jul, 2018), Artemisia (30 Jul, 2018), Atenveldt (30 Jul, 2018), Artemisia (31 Jul, 2018), Avacal (31 Jul, 2018), Caid (31 Jul, 2018), Drachenwald (31 Jul, 2018), Meridies (31 Jul, 2018), and Outlands (31 Jul, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Sunday, September 30, 2018.
The November Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, November 11, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, November 18, 2018. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Trimaris (02 Jul, 2018) (pushed due to missing packet), Gleann Abhann (03 Aug, 2018), Calontir (08 Aug, 2018), An Tir (16 Aug, 2018), Æthelmearc (19 Aug, 2018), Avacal (21 Aug, 2018), Middle (24 Aug, 2018), Atenveldt (25 Aug, 2018), Ealdormere (26 Aug, 2018), Outlands (28 Aug, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (29 Aug, 2018), Atlantia (30 Aug, 2018), Caid (30 Aug, 2018), Drachenwald (30 Aug, 2018), Lochac (30 Aug, 2018), Ansteorra (31 Aug, 2018), Artemisia (31 Aug, 2018), Meridies (31 Aug, 2018), and Northshield (31 Aug, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Wednesday, October 31, 2018.
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,
Juliana de Luna
Laurel Queen of Arms
Created at 2018-11-28T20:18:15