Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the June 2024 meetings, printed August 21, 2024
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Birgitta Laurel, Elisabetta Pelican, and Iago Wreath, greetings.
This month we considered a submission that relied on the article "On the Documentation and Construction of Period Mongolian Names" by Baras-aghur Naran (https://www.s-gabriel.org/names/baras-aghur/mongolian.html) as the sole source of documentation for a name pattern. We take this moment to remind heralds and submitters alike that as of the January 2021 decision meetings, this article was no longer suitable as sole documentation for name patterns or name elements. It was summarily removed from the Laurel website in July 2020, when the original Cover Letter item appeared sunsetting this article from use. Palimpsest is directed to add this resource to the Administrative Handbook Appendix F to further reinforce this point.
The Breton alternate titles proposed on Palimpsest's March 28th Rules Letter are accepted. In addition, the title Chevaliere is added to the French alternate title list as the feminine noun for a knight. These updates will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/titles.html within the next few days.
We thank both Ollivier Le Floch for his research on these Breton titles and the commenters who provided additional information.
Lillia Crampette provided extensive research on the combination of Scandinavian names with names in the English/Welsh and Gaelic regional naming groups. This research was presented in Palimpsest's March 24th Rules Letters. Based on this research, and the comments provided, SENA Appendix C is updated to allow names from the Scandinavian regional group with those from the English/Welsh and Gaelic regional groups through the end of period (1100-1600). This update will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/sena.html#AppendixC within a few days.
We wish to thank both Lillia for sharing her research and those who provided additional information in commentary.
We would like to thank Reis Codex for adding the following two articles to the resources available at http://heraldry.sca.org/names.html: "Some Names from Picardy in the 14th Century" by Brunissende Dragonette and "Women's Names in Edo-Era Japan" by Mihriban bint Rüstem. We thank these authors for their contributions to our collective knowledge!
The changes proposed to SENA A5F1b, Substantial Change of Direction of Division, on Palimpsest's March 17th Rules Letter are accepted and will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/sena.html#A5F1b within a few days.
This change incorporates the ruling that when comparing two devices where the field is divided in two parts in one direction, and multiple parts in the other, it is the two-part division that determines substantial difference.
On the January 2024 LoAR we asked commenters to research period examples of enflaming as found in SCA armory: small, unnumbered gouts of flame surrounding a charge. While enflaming was only commonly found on a small number of charge types, such as mounts, buildings, firebrands, and salamanders, there are singular examples of a heart enflamed and a lion's head enflamed in period or grey period armory. Based on these examples, we do not feel it is reasonable to limit enflaming to certain charges, so we will continue to allow it. The example of the lion's head, which is found in the crest of the Scottish family of Hume, can also be found drawn without the enflaming, so we also will continue to uphold precedent that enflaming is not worth difference for the purposes of conflict.
We wish to thank commenters for their research on this matter.
We frequently see submitted blazons of a bow nocked with an arrow. This is incorrect; arrows are nocked, not bows, so the correct phrasing is a bow with an arrow nocked. This is a common enough error that it has even snuck into some of our officially registered blazons; these will be reblazoned as time permits. We direct Palimpsest to add this to Appendix 1 of the Glossary of Terms.
A submission this month caused us to consider how we treat contrast between charges and divided fields. SENA A3B4a says, "Charges must have good contrast with the background on which they are placed. Primary, secondary, and overall charge groups are considered to be placed on the field and must have good contrast with it." The second sentence seems to imply that charges directly on the field need good contrast with the field as a whole, but it is clear from past registrations that this is not actually how we consider things. For example, in Per pall argent, gules and azure, a chief sable the sable chief is entirely on an argent section of the field, and has as good of contrast as any other sable charge on argent, but if we had to consider contrast with the entire field this would technically have poor contrast. Conversely, if the chief were Or we would almost certainly return the design for poor contrast between the argent portion of the field and the chief, despite the chief having technically good contrast with the field as a whole. In Per pall inverted argent, gules and azure, in chief a mullet sable the mullet is on a section of the field that is neutral, and is as identifiable as it would be on a field per pale argent and gules. In Per fess sable and checky vert and argent, a sun sable, the sun has good contrast against the section of the field it is on, even though the field as a whole is considered a color.
We are therefore clarifying that "the background on which they are placed", in the first sentence of SENA A3B4a, should be interpreted as applying to the part of the field the charge is on, rather than the whole field, and request that Palimpsest add some clarifying examples to that section of SENA.
The principle of a "unified arrangement" has never been part of SENA, but the first precedent establishing the principle was set only a few months after the introduction of SENA:
"While the harp and the crescents do not have comparable postures, they also are not in a unified standard arrangement, as the grouping of the crescents must be blazoned separately from the harp in order to adequately describe their positioning. This leads to a perception of two sub-groups of charges, not a single unified primary charge group." [Eadric de Bedeford, 12/2012, R-Trimaris]
Precedents re-established this concept regularly after that, relying on the statement in SENA A3D2c that "Arrangements of charges which cannot be blazoned will not be allowed."
In July 2021, we overturned these precedents and established that the principle of a unified arrangement only applies when the charges involved are of comparable types. This change at least partially solved the issue of using A3D2c for an "off-label" purpose.
However, we do feel that the principle of unified arrangement accurately describes period armory, and, when it was being applied, was useful in encouraging period style in SCA armory. We ask Palimpsest to draft a Rules Letter proposing the addition of "A3D2e: Unity of Arrangement" to SENA.
On July 20, 2024, at An Tir July Coronation, Her Majesty Juahara awarded Sadhbh Bheag inghean Toirrdhealbhaigh, Sinister Gauntlet Herald (Notifications) and Lions Blood Emeritus (Submissions), the Queen's Guard Spear. This non-armigerous award is given once per reign to those who distinguish themselves in service to the Queen's protection during her reign.
On August 7, 2024, at Atlantian Grand Court during Pennsic War, Their Majesties Christoph and Adelhait elevated Nest verch Gwillim, Crane Herald, to the Order of the Pelican.
Shortly thereafter, in the same court, Their Majesties elevated Rhiannon Morgaine, longtime Pennsic Heralds Point volunteer, 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 uploaded to the OSCAR packet for that letter. For armory, only colored forms are required.
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.
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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 https://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=137.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, June 9, 2024 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, June 8, 2024. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Æthelmearc (04 Mar, 2024), Calontir (04 Mar, 2024), An Tir (10 Mar, 2024), Laurel LoPaD (17 Mar, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (17 Mar, 2024), Artemisia (20 Mar, 2024), An Tir (24 Mar, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (24 Mar, 2024), East (25 Mar, 2024), Ansteorra (27 Mar, 2024), Ealdormere (27 Mar, 2024), Middle (28 Mar, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (28 Mar, 2024), Trimaris (28 Mar, 2024), Æthelmearc (29 Mar, 2024), Outlands (29 Mar, 2024), West (29 Mar, 2024), Atenveldt (30 Mar, 2024), Lochac (30 Mar, 2024), Drachenwald (31 Mar, 2024), Northshield (31 Mar, 2024), Laurel LoPfR (11 May, 2024), Laurel LoPaD (10 Jun, 2024). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Friday, May 31, 2024.
The July Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, July 14, 2024 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, July 13, 2024. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Atlantia (02 Apr, 2024), Calontir (04 Apr, 2024), Meridies (08 Apr, 2024), Ansteorra (13 Apr, 2024), Laurel LoPaD (15 Apr, 2024), Caid (16 Apr, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (17 Apr, 2024), Avacal (20 Apr, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (21 Apr, 2024), Ealdormere (24 Apr, 2024), An Tir (25 Apr, 2024), Ansteorra (26 Apr, 2024), East (26 Apr, 2024), Middle (26 Apr, 2024), Outlands (29 Apr, 2024), West (29 Apr, 2024), Æthelmearc (30 Apr, 2024), Ansteorra (30 Apr, 2024), Atenveldt (30 Apr, 2024), Drachenwald (30 Apr, 2024), Lochac (30 Apr, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (30 Apr, 2024), Laurel LoPfR (11 Jun, 2024), Laurel LoPaD (12 Jun, 2024). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Sunday, June 30, 2024.
The August Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Monday, August 5, 2024 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, August 17, 2024. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Ansteorra (01 May, 2024), Atlantia (03 May, 2024), Calontir (03 May, 2024), Caid (04 May, 2024), Meridies (06 May, 2024), Palimpsest Rules Letter (09 May, 2024), Artemisia (10 May, 2024), An Tir (24 May, 2024), Atenveldt (25 May, 2024), Drachenwald (25 May, 2024), An Tir (27 May, 2024), Ealdormere (28 May, 2024), Ansteorra (29 May, 2024), Lochac (29 May, 2024), Trimaris (30 May, 2024), Avacal (31 May, 2024), East (31 May, 2024), Middle (31 May, 2024), Outlands (31 May, 2024), West (31 May, 2024), Laurel LoPfR (12 Jul, 2024). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
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.
Be assured that I remain
In service
Birgitta Lulli
Laurel Queen of Arms
Created at 2024-08-21T19:24:51