Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the April 2019 meetings, printed June 24, 2019
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Juliana Laurel, Alys Pelican, and Cormac Wreath, greetings.
This is another in our 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.
From Pelican: I wish to call attention this month to the many contributions of Brían dorcha ua Conaill. Gaelic is a highly specialized language, with rules and grammar that often confuse heralds and submitters. Both I and previous Pelicans would have been lost without Brian's willingness to dig into primary sources and parse through the complicated construction rules on behalf of the many people who want Gaelic names. He should know how much his work is admired and appreciated.
From Wreath: This month, I'd like to commend the contributions of Iago ab Adam. Iago is a solid armory commentator who provides insightful feedback, good conflict-checking, and consistently accurate reblazons. Moreover, he's prompt in his commentary, providing what more venerable former Sovereigns of Arms would have said themselves, and leaving them only to rejoin "I agree with Iago." Thank you!
In the November 2018 Cover Letter, we asked submitters to provide examples of single charges positioned directly above a chevron or per chevron line of division, or beneath a chevron inverted or per chevron inverted line of division. Thank you to Gunnvor Orle, Amanda Crux Australis, and Sabine Berard for providing a sizable cross-section of samples across several armorial traditions.
The examples provided show four main patterns featuring a charge directly above a chevron.
The secondary charge as the only other charge on the field, with the chevron shifted down to give the charge in chief space to breathe and be recognized.
The secondary charge as one of three above the chevron, with none below; in such examples, the charges are always in fess in chief when the shield is flat on top, and arranged one and two when the shield has a round top (e.g. late-period Italian rolls of arms).
The secondary charge as part of a larger set of equally-sized (and almost always identical) secondary charges, usually semy.
The secondary charge as a brisure, or mark of cadency. These examples have a chevron between three identical secondary charges, with the brisure distinct from the main secondary charge group by type, tincture, and/or size. It is only in these rare occasions that we see a secondary charge above a chevron depicted substantially smaller than a secondary charge below the same chevron.
Based on this documentation, we ask consulting heralds to discourage submitters from using the pattern of [Tincture] a chevron between [two dissimilar charges], and warn submitters that a wide and inexplicable disparity in size between a charge in chief and a charge in base in such a pattern may be grounds for return.
In the November 2018 LoAR, we asked commenters whether SENA A2B4b, which allows natural flora and fauna not indigenous to Europe to be used with a step from period practice (in keeping with a few examples we have of 16th century badges featuring New World fauna, namely turkeys) to expand to include fantastical flora and fauna from non-European cultures. A spirited discussion ensued, and I would like to thank Etienne Sea Stag, Sneferu Golden Pillar, Basil Lions Heart, Mathghamhain Elmet, Muirenn Blue Tyger, Jeanne Marie Noir Licorne, and Alisoun Metron Ariston for their input. I would like to call particular attention to Mistress Solveig Þrándardóttir, who not only provided an exceptional framework for expansion of SCA armory to be more inclusive of cultures outside of the Anglo-Norman hegemony, but also provided a much better phrasing of the rule than I had initially drafted.
Given substantial support for this change among the College and massive proliferation of fantastical creatures in 16th century heraldry (notably, but by no means exclusive to, Tudor badge adoption), SENA A2B4b will be modified to include fantastical flora and fauna from outside Europe, subject to the same documentation expectations and blazonability currently required of their natural counterparts. Please see Palimpsest's revision of the rule in the following section.
This rule change was proposed and accepted amidst a growing expectation by Society members to expand the scope of the SCA to be less Eurocentric. While the rule assists submitters with non-European personas and cultural interests to include charges that represent their passions, it is hardly a magic bullet. In coming months, discussion will continue on how best to serve submitters who want armory that accurately represents cultures and practices outside of the Anglo-Norman system of heraldry as heritable property. I expect there to be an even livelier debate on that subject than there was on this one.
Commentary on the submission that prompted this rule change request asked whether this modification of SENA A2B4b reverses my previous ruling on August 2017 that barred Asian dragons from registration under Core Heraldry rules. This decision was, perhaps, one of the least popular of my tenure thus far, and one that should have prompted discussion about the limitations of SENA A2B4 back then. I am happy to say that with the adoption of this revision to SENA, Asian dragons are once again registerable under Core Rules as a step from period practice. The previous long-standing restriction on the number of toes per foot that Chinese dragons may have without presuming upon the King of Korea or the Emperor of China are still in effect.
From the Palimpsest letter dated January 24, 2019
Final wording for the rule change:
b. Non-European Plants and Animals: Plants and animals from outside Europe which were known to Europeans in period are registerable but a step from period practice. This includes plants and animals from the New World, Africa, and Asia. The few such animals used as period charges or crests are registerable as period charges, without a step from period practice. However, there are not enough of them to allow a general pattern for the use of any non-European animals and plants. Plants and animals which cannot be documented to be known to Europeans before 1600 (from the interior of Africa, northern Asia, or parts of the United States
Attested depictions of fantastical plants or animals from outside Europe are also registerable with a step from period practice under this rule, if they can be shown to be known to Europeans before 1600 and have a standard enough depiction to be identifiable. However, their postures and orientations must be describable in standard blazon in order to be registered.
On March 23, at Val Day in the Kingdom of Æthelmearc, Dmitrii Zhirov was elevated to the Order of the Pelican for the many things he does, particularly his Voice Heraldry Work.
On May 4, in the final court of Hrorek and Slaine in the Kingdom of the Outlands, Their Majesties did elevate Timothy O'Brien, White Stag Principal Herald, to the Order of the Pelican.
On June 1, at the Outlands Heralds and Scribes Symposium, Timothy White Stag did raise Erik Morrison of Thistlekeep to the rank of Herald Extraordinary. Erik is a book herald of notable skill and dedication for over 30 years.
On June 15, at the Barony of Gyldenholt's Anniversary in the Kingdom of Caid, Their Majesties Adam and Staeina elevated Paul fitz Denis, Courtesy Herald and former Crescent Principal Herald, to the Order of the Pelican.
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 April Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, April 28, 2019 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, April 14, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Lochac (03 Jan, 2019), Atlantia (05 Jan, 2019), Calontir (05 Jan, 2019), An Tir (14 Jan, 2019), Palimpsest (24 Jan, 2019), Ealdormere (25 Jan, 2019), Drachenwald (27 Jan, 2019), Laurel LoPaD (28 Jan, 2019), West (28 Jan, 2019), Avacal (29 Jan, 2019), Outlands (29 Jan, 2019), Æthelmearc (30 Jan, 2019), Atenveldt (30 Jan, 2019), Middle (30 Jan, 2019), Ansteorra (31 Jan, 2019), Artemisia (31 Jan, 2019), Atlantia (31 Jan, 2019), Meridies (31 Jan, 2019), and Northshield (31 Jan, 2019). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Sunday, March 31, 2019.
The May Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, May 19, 2019 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, May 5, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Lochac (07 Feb, 2019), Calontir (08 Feb, 2019), Atenveldt (15 Feb, 2019), Avacal (22 Feb, 2019), Ealdormere (25 Feb, 2019), Æthelmearc (26 Feb, 2019), Drachenwald (27 Feb, 2019), Gleann Abhann (27 Feb, 2019), Outlands (27 Feb, 2019), An Tir (28 Feb, 2019), Ansteorra (28 Feb, 2019), Artemisia (28 Feb, 2019), Atlantia (28 Feb, 2019), Caid (28 Feb, 2019), Lochac (28 Feb, 2019), Meridies (28 Feb, 2019), Middle (28 Feb, 2019), Northshield (28 Feb, 2019), and Trimaris (28 Feb, 2019). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Tuesday, April 30, 2019.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, June 16, 2019 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, June 9, 2019. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: East (02 Mar, 2019), Artemisia (04 Mar, 2019), Artemisia (05 Mar, 2019), Calontir (08 Mar, 2019), Laurel LoPaD (09 Mar, 2019), Atenveldt (20 Mar, 2019), Caid (25 Mar, 2019), Ealdormere (25 Mar, 2019), Artemisia (27 Mar, 2019), Outlands (28 Mar, 2019), Palimpsest Rules Letter (28 Mar, 2019), Æthelmearc (30 Mar, 2019), An Tir (30 Mar, 2019), Atlantia (30 Mar, 2019), Avacal (30 Mar, 2019), West (30 Mar, 2019), Ansteorra (31 Mar, 2019), Drachenwald (31 Mar, 2019), Gleann Abhann (31 Mar, 2019), and Meridies (31 Mar, 2019). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Friday, May 31, 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 2019-06-24T21:12:09