Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the January 2019 meetings, printed April 1, 2019
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Juliana Laurel, Alys Pelican, and Cormac Wreath, greetings.
We're starting a new monthly feature to thank commenters who've been useful. As with other items, we're going to range broadly from month to month. We hope that commenters will look to see when they appear, and that principal heralds will pay attention to when their heralds are mentioned here.
This month, I want to thank the long-term commenters, many of them former Sovereigns, who are helpful month in and month out. Then next month we'll move on to people who are doing great work right now and will do more in the future.
On the armory side, one of the people we rely on more than we probably should is Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, Batonvert Herald. For those who don't know Bruce (does anyone not know Bruce?), he was Laurel King of Arms back in the 1990s and the creator of the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry (now at http://mistholme.com/pictorial-dictionary-of-heraldry/). Bruce is a legend, but one who keeps building that legend month after month.
We also depend month after month on Jeanne Marie Lacroix, Noire Licorne Herald. She was Wreath Queen of Arms from 2005-8. She's active as an armory commenter, but also as a name commenter. She's an expert on genealogical sources; we'd never use FamilySearch like we do if she hadn't helped us to understand how to, and how not to, use it.
On the names side, Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane, Metron Ariston Herald, has been commenting longer than most of us have been in the SCA. While she took a break after being Laurel Queen of Arms from 1986-1990, she's been an active commenter for decades. And she remains our most prolific commenter month after month.
And last but not least, Lillia de Vaux, Crampette Herald and Alys' predecessor as Pelican Queen of Arms (2014-16), continues to do great work. We often joke that there's a Pelican brain trust running from me, to Lillia, to Alys; without her, we'd do even more work at Pelican meetings than we already do.
Recently, edge cases involving charges in annulo not in their default orientation have led to complex explanations for why one form of this practice is acceptable while another is not. And while we readily acknowledge that the rules for heraldry are frequently complex and require guidance at this level of detail, there is a step from period practice for charges arranged in annulo not in their default orientation.
Some steps from period practice which fall under SENA A2B4d are fairly straightforward (e.g. use of a paw print), and have required little to no clarification over the years. Others are more complicated, but are kept on due to their substantial popularity (e.g. the use of the displayed posture for birds other than an eagle). But when a step from period practice becomes the source for a substantial number of returns due to the complex issues surrounding its continued implementation, then they prove to be more trouble than they're worth, including the use of ululant wolves, dragons displayed, or dormant quadrupeds.
Which brings us back to charges in annulo. In the December 2017 return of Branán Mac Branáin's device, it was ruled:
In annulo is a term used to describe charges arranged in such a ways that they form an annulet, or circle. It is possible for a number (usually 6 or more) of any type of charge to be in annulo by following the path of the annulet, and certain long, skinny charges like serpents or stag's attires can be in annulo with only one charge. However, when there are five or fewer charges in the charge group, the ability of charges to represent an annular formation becomes more difficult and dependent upon the shape and orientation of the charges. Three wolves rampant, heads to center, cannot be in annulo, because their arrangement and orientation do not suggest an annulet. However, three wolves courant can be in annulo, provided their bodies curve and conform to the shape of an annulet.
The ruling has had to be refined a few different times in 2018, each time adding to the canon of precedents addressing this practice. And each time, it has become more and more clear that the use of charges in annulo not in their default orientation bears the same problematic ambiguity and complexity that led to the discontinuation of the previously mentioned postures.
We therefore ask for commentary on what form, if any, charges in annulo not in their default orientation SCA armory should allow. We request commenters to find examples of charges in annulo in period armory, in any orientation, as well as examples of charges (other than serpents nowed or in annulo) whose postures and orientations are substantially modified from their typical form in order to depict a shape that they would not normally form.
This month we were asked to consider a new badge from the Kingdom of Ealdormere, featuring a triquetra inverted surmounted by a wolf's head. This badge has been used by the kingdom for a while as a variant of their populace badge, under the false impression that a triquetra inverted is a reasonable artistic variant of a trillium. Examples of the Royal arms have likewise been depicted in recent years with a triquetra in lieu of the registered trillium, especially on the kingdom website and some Royal regalia.
While we do not wish to stifle anyone's artistic endeavors, we feel it appropriate to take this moment to note that the triquetra and the trillium are not only two different charges, they are substantially different. Any depiction of Ealdormere's arms that use a triquetra instead of a trillium is a completely different set of arms altogether. We also caution any SCA branch against using armory not registered to it in official regalia or publications.
Submitters and consulting heralds alike are more generally cautioned against overuse of the advice "register what will pass, then use whatever you want." If the difference between the submitted artwork and the design that the submitter intends to use is blazonably different (or worse, if there is a DC or an SC between the two), then this falls outside the scope of artistic difference and should be actively discouraged.
The October 2018 Palimpsest Rules Letter proposed revising SENA A5E5a to place volant and volant contourny in the same group of postures as displayed, in accordance with instructions on the May 2014 Cover Letter. We are approving this change, with the addition of the posture volant wings addorsed.
New Text
Birds have comparable postures, in the following groups:
displayed, volant, and volant contourny
close, naiant and the contourny versions of these
rising, striking, roussant, volant wings addorsed, and the contourny versions of these
Insert/Delete Version
Birds have comparable postures, in the following groups:
displayed, volant, and volant contourny
close, naiant and the contourny versions of these
rising, striking, roussant, volant wings addorsed and the contourny versions of these
The following suggested form letters for exchanging the status of registered items are hereby added to Appendix D of the Administrative Handbook.
Exchange of Registered Items
Exchange device for badge
I, [Legal name] known in the SCA as [SCA name], wish to make my badge "[Blazon of Badge]" my device and retain my current device "[Blazon of Device]" as a badge.
Date
Signature of Legal Name
Exchange alternate name for primary name
I, [Legal name] known in the SCA as [SCA name], wish to make the following alternate name "[Alternate SCA name]" my primary name and retain my current primary name "[Current Primary name]" as an alternate name.
Date
Signature of Legal Name
On March 2, 2019 at Pentathlon and Arts & Science Fair, Their Majesties Adam and Stæina admitted Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme to the Order the Furison of Caid in recognition of his teaching.
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 January Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Saturday, January 6, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, January 13, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Calontir (06 Oct, 2018), Palimpsest Rules Letter (07 Oct, 2018), Æthelmearc (16 Oct, 2018), Middle (21 Oct, 2018), Ealdormere (24 Oct, 2018), Atlantia (25 Oct, 2018), Avacal (25 Oct, 2018), Lochac (26 Oct, 2018), West (28 Oct, 2018), Ansteorra (29 Oct, 2018), Atenveldt (30 Oct, 2018), An Tir (31 Oct, 2018), Artemisia (31 Oct, 2018), Caid (31 Oct, 2018), Drachenwald (31 Oct, 2018), East (31 Oct, 2018), Gleann Abhann (31 Oct, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (31 Oct, 2018), Meridies (31 Oct, 2018), Northshield (31 Oct, 2018), Outlands (31 Oct, 2018), and Trimaris (31 Oct, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Monday, December 31, 2018.
The February Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, February 17, 2019 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, February 10, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Æthelmearc (05 Nov, 2018), Calontir (05 Nov, 2018), Palimpsest Rules Letter (08 Nov, 2018), Palimpsest Rules Letter (13 Nov, 2018), Caid (20 Nov, 2018), Ealdormere (25 Nov, 2018), West (26 Nov, 2018), Lochac (27 Nov, 2018), An Tir (28 Nov, 2018), Atlantia (28 Nov, 2018), Avacal (29 Nov, 2018), Artemisia (30 Nov, 2018), Atenveldt (30 Nov, 2018), Drachenwald (30 Nov, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (30 Nov, 2018), Meridies (30 Nov, 2018), and Outlands (30 Nov, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Thursday, January 31, 2019.
The March Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, March 10, 2019 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, March 17, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Gleann Abhann (02 Dec, 2018), Palimpsest Other Letter (06 Dec, 2018), Calontir (07 Dec, 2018), Æthelmearc (15 Dec, 2018), Avacal (19 Dec, 2018), West (23 Dec, 2018), Ealdormere (26 Dec, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (28 Dec, 2018), Outlands (28 Dec, 2018), Caid (29 Dec, 2018), Artemisia (30 Dec, 2018), East (30 Dec, 2018), Lochac (30 Dec, 2018), Ansteorra (31 Dec, 2018), Atenveldt (31 Dec, 2018), Atlantia (31 Dec, 2018), Drachenwald (31 Dec, 2018), Gleann Abhann (31 Dec, 2018), Meridies (31 Dec, 2018), Middle (31 Dec, 2018), Northshield (31 Dec, 2018), and Trimaris (31 Dec, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Thursday, February 28, 2019.
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 2019-04-01T21:00:35