Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the January 2023 meetings, printed March 7, 2023
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Emma Laurel, Elisabetta Pelican, Oddr Wreath (outgoing), and Iago Wreath (incoming), greetings.
This month marks the first of a two-month transition in Wreath decisions. This month's armory decisions for the kingdoms of Avacal, Ealdormere, the East, and the Middle were made by Iago. Decisions for other kingdoms were made by Oddr.
Per the July 2017 Cover Letter, when a ship's sails are set (open) they are considered half the charge. When they are furled, they do not contribute to difference. Arks, gondolas, hulks, and rowboats generally don't have sails. If they do have sails, the sails need to be blazoned whether they are furled or set. Other ships generally have sails. A lymphad's sails are furled by default; all others are set. A ship that doesn't meet these defaults must have the sail blazoned. The terms sails set, sailing to dexter/sinister and under sail are equivalent and all mean that the ship's sails are open. A ship <tincture1> sailed <tincture2> has its sails set.
We do not care whether the oars are shipped or in action; this is an optionally blazonable detail that is worth no difference. Likewise, whether the ship's bow is pointing to dexter or to sinister is an optionally blazonable detail that is worth no difference. As discussed on the July 2017 Cover Letter, the type of ship does not contribute to difference. However, in blazon the term galley is equivalent to the term lymphad. Ships listed as galleys in the O&A that are not lymphads are reblazoned on this letter. Also reblazoned are ships that do not meet the defaults listed below.
In summary, the defaults are:
Ark - no mast or sail
Galley - see Lymphad
Gondola - no mast or sail
Hulk - no mast, sail, or oars
Knorr - sails furled
Lymphad - sails furled, oars are usually in action; when under sail (or sails set) the oars are usually shipped. The position of the oars need not be blazoned.
Rowboat - no mast or sail
All other ships - sails set, the position of the oars is optionally blazonable
Palimpsest is directed to update Table 5 of the Glossary of Terms to reflect these defaults.
In the registration of a badge to Alesone Gray of Cranlegh it was noted that a panda proper is argent marked sable. It should have also been noted that a panda proper is neutral.
In the registration of a device to Claire de Lyon it was noted that "Given the existence of the cross gringole, to which the primary charge group in this device strikingly alludes, we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt regarding our long-standing precedent against registering animate charges inverted, which may or may not otherwise apply to this arrangement. Absent documentation demonstrating its use in period, however, we will consider this arrangement of four serpents entwined in cross to be a step from core practice." When forwarded to Laurel, the LoI failed to note that this arrangement is in fact found in period armory; it is found in the arms of Cermisona, from the Insignia Nobilium Veronensium, et Vicentinorum (BSB Cod.Icon 276), c.1550. There is thus not a step from core practice for snakes entwined in this manner.
This month we registered the non-personal name Order of the Schlachtschwärdt. We wish to provide a reminder that as of the August 2022 Cover Letter, whether or not we would use a term in blazon does not matter for purposes of registering a non-personal name. A schlachtschwärdt is a German two-handed sword. As this is a period artifact, an order may be named after it regardless of whether Wreath would blazon it as a schlachtschwärdt should someone submit one on a piece of armory. We would like to remind commenters that there are only two questions about an object that should be considered when looking at non-personal names using patterns containing artifacts, flora and fauna: 1) Is the item in question known to people during our period? and 2) Is the submitted spelling for this item found during our period? Any other considerations about the item are irrelevant for the registration of period artifacts, flora and fauna in non-personal names.
The example in A6F2b is modified to make it clear that checky quarters do not create the appearance of marshalling. The current example would not be marshalling regardless of the field as the primary charge crosses both the per pale and per fess lines. The insert/delete version of the example is shown.
For example, Per pale gules and quarterly argent and azure, a heart argent has the appearance of marshalling and cannot be registered. However, checky is found in quarters of armory that is not marshalled. Thus, Quarterly gules and checky argent and azure,
two hearts argent does not have the appearance of marshalling.a heart
On January 7, at West Kingdom 12th Night, in their stepping-down court, King Cyrus and Queen Caitríona gave Antonio Giordano da Sicilia, Vesper Principal Herald, a Grant of Arms for his long service to the kingdom.
At the same event, Their Majesties Kenric and Dagmar elevated Moira of Kent, Seawolf Herald (Principality of the Mists Herald), to the Order of the Pelican. Congratulations!
On February 11, at Bright Hills Baronial Birthday and Investiture, Abran and Anya, King and Queen of Atlantia, inducted Lughaidh O Murchadha into the Order of the Golden Dolphin, Atlantia's grant-level service order. Lughaidh was heralding the court at the time when his scroll was read. By someone else.
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.
Cheques or money orders for submissions, payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms" are to be sent to Trent Le Clair, 928 Frazier Dr, Walla Walla WA 99362
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 Sunday, January 15, 2023 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, January 21, 2023. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Trimaris (01 Oct, 2022), Atlantia (06 Oct, 2022), An Tir (11 Oct, 2022), Artemisia (15 Oct, 2022), Ealdormere (24 Oct, 2022), Gleann Abhann (24 Oct, 2022), Ealdormere (25 Oct, 2022), Ansteorra (26 Oct, 2022), Lochac (26 Oct, 2022), Atenveldt (27 Oct, 2022), Middle (30 Oct, 2022), Outlands (30 Oct, 2022), Æthelmearc (31 Oct, 2022), Avacal (31 Oct, 2022), Caid (31 Oct, 2022), East (31 Oct, 2022), Middle (31 Oct, 2022), Northshield (31 Oct, 2022). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Saturday, December 31, 2022.
The February Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, February 12, 2023 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, February 11, 2023. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Meridies (02 Nov, 2022), Calontir (08 Nov, 2022), An Tir (11 Nov, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (13 Nov, 2022), Artemisia (15 Nov, 2022), Atlantia (16 Nov, 2022), Ealdormere (25 Nov, 2022), Lochac (25 Nov, 2022), Meridies (25 Nov, 2022), Ansteorra (27 Nov, 2022), Outlands (27 Nov, 2022), Middle (28 Nov, 2022), Caid (29 Nov, 2022), Middle (29 Nov, 2022), Æthelmearc (30 Nov, 2022), Ansteorra (30 Nov, 2022), Atenveldt (30 Nov, 2022), Avacal (30 Nov, 2022), Drachenwald (30 Nov, 2022), East (30 Nov, 2022), Northshield (30 Nov, 2022), West (30 Nov, 2022), [Laurel LoPaD (12 Jan, 2023)] (redraws). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
The March Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, March 4, 2023. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Northshield (06 Dec, 2022), Calontir (08 Dec, 2022), An Tir (09 Dec, 2022), Gleann Abhann (17 Dec, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (17 Dec, 2022), Ealdormere (26 Dec, 2022), Lochac (26 Dec, 2022), Æthelmearc (27 Dec, 2022), Trimaris (27 Dec, 2022), Atenveldt (30 Dec, 2022), Avacal (30 Dec, 2022), Outlands (30 Dec, 2022), Caid (31 Dec, 2022), Drachenwald (31 Dec, 2022), East (31 Dec, 2022), Northshield (31 Dec, 2022), [Laurel LoPaD (08 Feb, 2023)] (redraws). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Tuesday, February 28, 2023.
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 2023-03-07T09:00:24