July 30, 1981 XVI

TO: The Members of the College of Arms

FROM: Master Wilhelm von Schlüssel, Laurel King of Arms

Greetings:

Enclosed is the Letter of Acceptances and Rejections for July. There were 115 acceptances and 40 rejections, for a total of 155 submissions processed. My next meeting will be on August 9, 1981, at which time I will process all LoIs up through the July 8, 1981 LoI from Meridies. There will be a College of Arms meeting at the Symposium on August 30, 1981. I will consider there the two LoIs from the Middle and the one LoI from Caid that I just received, although they were dated May. Due to mundane time pressures there will be no September meeting. The October meeting will be held on October 25, at which time I will process whatever LoIs come in between now and August 25. Please have any comments on the LoIs I will consider at the Symposium in to me by AUGUST 27, or else bring them with you if you come. Remember that the Symposium is the final date for sending to me your comments, corrections, complaints or other opinions on the Rules for Submissions. When I get back from WorldCon I will write up the final version and sent it to T.I. and to the College.

Enclosed also is a copy of the current College of Arms mailing list and of the Laurel mailing list. The former is the list of people to whom copies of all LoIs must be sent. These are all expected to send LoCs on the LoIs to me and to at least the people whose LoIs they are commenting on. (Principal Heralds are expected to send copies of their LoCs to everyone on the first list.) The second list is a list of those people to whom I send copies of my mailings who are not on the first list. Please check to see which list you are on and what changes have been made on the two lists. If a Principality Herald ceases to comment on the LoIs coming in, then s/he is moved from the first to the second list. Remember that for $6 a year someone can subscribe to my mailings and get onto the second list. I just received my first subscription.

A note to everyone: Whenever anyone sends a check to me for College business, please make the check out to The College of Arms, not the College of Heralds, the Society for Creative Anachronism, or William Keyes. I have a nice little stamp for the College of Arms for endorsing checks that makes life easy if they are made out to The College of Arms.

A word of warning: Do not send mail to any herald in Canada. They are having a mail strike and service is suspended for the duration. This means that the Polaris Herald is cut off for the time being.

Please send all comments and Letters of Intent typed on standard-sized 81/2 X 11 paper. Computer printouts and odd-shaped pages are hard to file correctly. If you are commenting on other persons' LoCs and your comments are only intended for them, not me, then do as you please. But if you intend for me to consider these comments on comments when I process the submissions in question, then either collate the comments by the Letter of Intent, or else split your letter up into several letters, each dealing with only a few LoCs. That way I can pass out the various pages so that the comments can be properly considered. A 10-page letter where a given LoI may be mentioned on every other page in a very inconspicuous way (comments on comments on that LoI) is useless to me, as it takes far too long for one person to hunt through every comment in a 10-page letter for every submission considered. Please comment on letters in chronological order.

It is my intent to register a badge for the Stock Clerk of the SCA: Per pale gules and argent, an open book between four roundels in cross counterchanged. Please comment on this badge before the Symposium, as I will consider it then.

I have a copy of the Outlandish Heraldry article which was censored out of the Second Tir Ysgithr Symposium. If copies are not available from the group that put on that symposium, then copies may be obtained from me for 50¢ to cover costs.

There are a number of missing files. Please locate these and resubmit them. They are:

The Order of the White Oak (Atlantia),

Adriane Buchanan, Megwyn of Glendwry, and Shirleah the Chaste (Caid)

Appeal for Aelfhaelen Dracasith, and Alfred of Blackledge (East)

Brotherhood of the Château Gailliard (Middle)

Ancilla the Packrat's badge, Shannon-Morgan of Astophar (West)

I have decided to add a rank to our ranks of heralds. The lowest rank we have is that of Cornet. This is a non-warranted person in training to be a herald. Then we have the Pursuivant Extraordinary, who is a warranted herald of the lowest rank. Above that is the Pursuivant, who is a warranted herald who has demonstrated sufficient competence in all aspects of heraldry to be promoted to this rank. Both Pursuivants Extraordinary and Pursuivants may be given an office with an accompanying title. The title precedes the rank (e.g., Albatross Pursuivant Extraordinary or Mongoose Pursuivant). The title and the rank are separate. The rank stays with the person while the title stays with the office. Above the Pursuivant is the Herald, and then the Principal Herald, and then the Sovereign of Arms. All of these carry titles; as they are all linked to offices and are not permanent ranks. When a person ceases to hold the office of titled Herald, Principal Herald, or Sovereign of Arms, s/he reverts to the permanent rank of Pursuivant at large. Former Laurel Sovereigns of Arms have the permanent courtesy title of Laurel Emeritus. This is the only heraldic office that shall have such a courtesy title. This means that I am not Vesper Emeritus.

The rank that I have decided to add is that of Herald Extraordinary. This is a rank in use in England today, whenever they create a Herald's post for some occasion that is not to become a permanent position on the-College of Arms' roster. The rank of Herald Extraordinary shall be permanent so long as the holder continues to remain active in SCA heraldry. It shall fall in rank below a full Herald but above a Pursuivant. Each Herald Extraordinary shall have a title that is his/her own personal title that s/he shall hold so long as s/he remains active. If s/he should retire from the SCA, the title shall retire with her/him and shall not be used again by anyone else. Such titles must still clear my office. Kingdom Principal Heralds are responsible for elevating heralds in their kingdom to this rank, as they are responsible for all other ranks within their kingdom. This rank is reserved for those heralds who have greatly served the College of Heralds and/or the College of Arms and have achieved the highest level of competence in heraldry. Such a rank shall have no fixed duties, unless such shall be agreed upon by the holder and the Kingdom Principal Herald, but instead the holder of the rank shall be a senior member of the College who shall lend heraldic expertise as s/he sees fit.

To start this rank off, I hereby award it to two of our longest contributing members. First is Master Ioseph of Locksley, the first Aten Principal Herald and the second Laurel King of Arms. He will continue to be Laurel Emeritus, and may submit to me a personal title if he so chooses. The second is Master Alfgar the Sententious, who has served the heralds for over ten years nonstop both as Brigantia Principal Herald and as Virgule Herald. I hereby make Virgule his own personal title. He shall continue to hold the rank of Herald so long as he remains on the Laurel Staff and comments on letters, and when he finally tires of that he shall be Virgule Herald Extraordinary so long as he remains active in the SCA. To both of you, thank you on behalf of the College of Arms for your contributions and three cheers!

The question of regalia has been brought up again. Our current regalia for heralds consists of a green baldric with the gold-trumpets for Cornets, a green surcoat with the trumpets for a Pursuivant Extraordinary, and a green cloak with trumpets for Pursuivants on up. Also, women may use a green gates-of-hell dress with gold trumpets, and Pursuivants on up who hold titled offices may use a green tabard with the gold trumpets, on one sleeve of which the arms of the kingdom appear and on the other the arms of the branch associated with the title. I hereby authorize Principality Heralds, Regional Heralds, Principal Heralds and Sovereigns of Arms to wear a surcoat of the arms of the group in question under a herald's cloak. If the Kingdom Principal Herald wishes it, Pursuivants may difference themselves from Heralds by wearing their tabards athwart. This is a somewhat silly practice but is definitely in period. Remember also that Principal Heralds and Sovereigns of Arms may carry green and gold batons of office. (Any herald can use a green herald's staff.)

With regard to Baronial Arms, both the Baron and the Baroness may display the Baronial Arms, as they jointly own those arms. Each may fly the baronial arms and their personal arms from a single banner pole. The two of them can have a nice display by flying the baronial banner above with their own two banners just below, in a one-and-two set-up, all on a single pole. In addition, either may have a banner formed by impaling the arms of the barony with his/her personal arms, although this is a bit extravagant, as the banner becomes useless once they leave office. In both this case and the case where one of them flies the Baronial Arms and personal arms, the Baronial Arms takes precedence and is placed on the dexter side of the display, or in chief if they are in pale. Quartering and inescutcheons of pretense are forbidden for these cases.

Schwarzdrachen's appeal for the use of the title of Black Dragon Herald is rejected, as that would conflict with the title of the Dragon Principal Herald, who also objects. In the Rules, when I say "mortals" I mean humans of normal lifespans. Please pay especial attention to the categories of Minor Points of Difference when you look at the Rules.

The Corpora (VII.B.) forbids the usage of any titles other than those listed in the Corpora unless they are cleared by the Laurel Sovereign of Arms. Therefore, I ask all Principal and Principality Heralds to send me a list of all titles, whether serious or humorous, in use or proposed for use, in your Principality or Kingdom, so I can authorize them and keep track of them. Please inform the royalty of this need to confirm new titles before they are put into use. In particular, Tree-Girt-Sea's use of Bas-Chevalier is too close to Chevalier, the French alternate form for the title of Knight. The form of address "Your Excellency" is authorized for use for territorial Barons and Baronesses. It is up to each Kingdom to choose whether or not to use it. Anyone may use the word "von" in a Society name, as it shall not mean nobility in the SCA. However, the use of "von" instead of "aus" means that the word following cannot be a mundane place name, as in Europe this would have been considered to mean that one was the Lord of that place. Hence my name, Wilhelm von Schlüssel, follows the rule, as Schlüssel is a surname instead of a place name. If I wanted to be Wilhelm von München because I liked Munich then I would be conflicting with the Prince of Munich. I would have to use Wilhelm aus München to indicate that I came from Munich.

In keeping with tradition, I will allow the children of Kings and Queens to be called Prince or Princess and addressed as "Your Highness," as a matter of ceremony and courtesy to the monarchs, but I forbid the assignment of any actual precedence or rank to this usage. I also forbid the assignment of any titles, ranks or forms of address to children of those of any other rank (Prince, Baron, Duke, Count, or Viscount), other than the usual "My Lord" or "My Lady." Thus, a Duke may not style his son a Marquis, as is the English practice. Titles and ranks in the SCA are not hereditary but must be earned.

With regard to courtesy titles, those who have won the lists to serve as Sovereign of a Kingdom or Principality and who then serve out their reigns have the right to grant to their Lord or Lady a courtesy title equal to their own rank. Thus a Duke who won two Crown Lists and served two full reigns as King earned the right to become Duke and has the right to name his lady a Duchess by courtesy, if she is not already a Duchess in her own right. A Viscountess who won the Coronet Lists and served as Princess for a full reign earns the right to the title of Viscountess and the right to bestow upon her Lord the courtesy title of Viscount, if he is not already of that rank. A Countess whose lord won the crown for her and who sat as Queen for a full reign earns the title of Countess but not the right to bestow a Count by courtesy title, because she was not the Sovereign. Please note that there is no such title as a courtesy Baron or a courtesy Baroness. A Court Baroness or a Court Baron has not the right to give out courtesy titles. A Territorial Baron/ess is appointed by the Crown to that post, and so does not earn the right. Note, however, that a Territorial Baron can petition the King to warrant his lady as Baroness of the Barony, to serve in this office along with him. Or he can petition the King to make her a Court Baroness, so she may have the title but not the duties. But he cannot make her a courtesy Baroness.

The prohibition against the use of royal surnames applies to the surnames of all royal houses that ruled an independent territorial entity. Thus empires, kingdoms, and independent principalities (such as Monaco) are covered, but not duchies within kingdoms or principalities within empires. The shogunate families are specifically added to the protected list because they were the de facto rulers of Japan. Certain of these protected names, such as Stuart, are allowed for use on the grounds that they are also the name of very large clans, so to use the name does not constitute a statement of royal descent.

I will not require that the initials of Orders avoid conflict with the initials of other SCA or mundane Orders, except for the SCA-wide Orders. Thus no Order should use the initials O.L., O.P., O.R., M.L., M.P., L.R., G.A., A.A., K.S.C.A., or M.S.C.A. I leave it up to each kingdom to further restrict usages inside their own kingdoms. I do ask that whenever there is a choice between conflicting initials and no conflict, that the no conflict be chosen, but I recognize that there will not always be a choice. Please avoid the initials of the following mundane titles: M.D., C.P.A., R.N., M.A., M.S., B.A., B.S., Ph.D., D.O.S., L.L.D., J.D., D.D., D.O., and other similar indications of current mundane ranks or degrees.

Whenever possible avoid using the split-field blazon style. Blazon first the entire field and then the charges. Semés may be considered part of the field for this purpose. A charge facing towards the sinister side is "to sinister," while a charge lying in the sinister half of the field is "in sinister." The facing comes after the mention of the charge, but the location comes before it. Thus a drakkars sailing under full sail towards the sinister edge is "a drakkar under full sail to sinister," but a drakkar located in the sinister half of the field but sailing towards the dexter is "in sinister a drakkar under full sail." The same applies 'to "in chief" versus "to chief" or "in base" versus "to base."

Enclosed is a copy of the page from my Herald's Handbook showing the lines of division. Are there any that you think we should not use in the SCA? If it is in period, then one may use it unless we expressly forbid it. If it is out of period, then we may not use it unless we expressly allow it. I will expressly allow all of the lines on this page unless I get sufficient complaints on any of them, as I think they are all compatible with period usage and useful. To show you what was in use at the end of our period, I enclose some photocopies of a review of heraldry written in 1671. (My office actually possesses a copy of this 310-year-old book.) Note that there is a chief arched shown, along with chaussé, tierced en mantel, hatchings, points, a cross quadrate, both fusilly and lozengy, a saltire of chains, volcanoes, a chief arrondi, counterchanging, various gyronnies (including gyronny in cross, which I hadn't seen before). I also find beviled, angled, a single indent, a chief escartelé, nebuly, raguly, urdy, bendy barry bendy sinister, and other goodies. Now, of course, 1671 is just out of period, but this does show what France was up to heraldically at this time. So look over the list of lines of division and let me know if you object to any. I want to be in the position where the only things we have to worry about on the basis of being in period or not are individual charges and names. Please give me your comments by the Symposium.

On the basis of the comments of members of the College, I have ruled that the enfield is compatible with period usage and is desirable for SCA usage and that it is therefore acceptable for use in the SCA. I have processed the three enfield rejections I could recall immediately. Any others should be resubmitted under this new ruling.

Also under the new Rules I have reversed myself and hereby rule that dovetailed is compatible with period usage and is therefore acceptable for SCA use.

Pray believe, my Lords and my Ladies, that I remain

Your Servant,

Master Wilhelm von Schlüssel

Laurel King of Arms

WvS:cfc

Enclosures