Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms

103 E. 30th St. Bldg 1 Apt 203
Austin, TX 78705
+1 512 942 7005
[email protected]

For the September 2015 meetings, printed November 18, 2015

To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Andrewe Laurel, Lillia Pelican, and Brunissende Wreath, greetings.

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 September Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, September 13, 2015 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, September 20, 2015. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Laurel LoPaD (23 Apr, 2015), Laurel LoPaD (09 Jun, 2015), East (10 Jun, 2015), Gleann Abhann (22 Jun, 2015), Outlands (22 Jun, 2015), Calontir (23 Jun, 2015), Gleann Abhann (23 Jun, 2015), Atlantia (24 Jun, 2015), Gleann Abhann (24 Jun, 2015), Gleann Abhann (24 Jun, 2015), Middle (24 Jun, 2015), Lochac (27 Jun, 2015), An Tir (29 Jun, 2015), Caid (29 Jun, 2015), Laurel LoPaD (29 Jun, 2015), Northshield (29 Jun, 2015), Ansteorra (30 Jun, 2015), Artemisia (30 Jun, 2015), Atenveldt (30 Jun, 2015), Avacal (30 Jun, 2015), Ealdormere (30 Jun, 2015), Meridies (30 Jun, 2015), and Trimaris (30 Jun, 2015). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Monday, August 31, 2015.

The October Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, October 11, 2015 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, October 18, 2015. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Drachenwald (30 Jun, 2015) (pushed due to lack of packet), Æthelmearc (05 Jul, 2015), West (14 Jul, 2015), Middle (21 Jul, 2015), Æthelmearc (22 Jul, 2015), Ealdormere (28 Jul, 2015), East (28 Jul, 2015), Outlands (28 Jul, 2015), Atenveldt (30 Jul, 2015), Atlantia (30 Jul, 2015), Caid (30 Jul, 2015), Northshield (30 Jul, 2015), An Tir LoItP (31 Jul, 2015), Ansteorra (31 Jul, 2015), Artemisia (31 Jul, 2015), Avacal (31 Jul, 2015), Calontir (31 Jul, 2015), Lochac (31 Jul, 2015), and Meridies (31 Jul, 2015). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Wednesday, September 30, 2015.

The November Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, November 15, 2015 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, November 22, 2015. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: An Tir (01 Aug, 2015), Middle (10 Aug, 2015), Laurel LoPaD (15 Aug, 2015), Palimpsest Rules Letter (16 Aug, 2015), Northshield (19 Aug, 2015), Drachenwald (20 Aug, 2015), Atenveldt (25 Aug, 2015), Calontir (26 Aug, 2015), Artemisia (28 Aug, 2015), Ansteorra (29 Aug, 2015), Lochac (29 Aug, 2015), Trimaris (29 Aug, 2015), Atlantia (30 Aug, 2015), Ealdormere (30 Aug, 2015), Middle (30 Aug, 2015), West (30 Aug, 2015), An Tir (31 Aug, 2015), Caid (31 Aug, 2015), East (31 Aug, 2015), Gleann Abhann (31 Aug, 2015), Meridies (31 Aug, 2015), and Outlands (31 Aug, 2015). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Saturday, October 31, 2015.

The December Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, December 20, 2015 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, December 13, 2015. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Drachenwald (29 Jul, 2015) (pushed due to lack of packet), Lochac (14 Sep, 2015), Gleann Abhann (16 Sep, 2015), Laurel LoPaD (16 Sep, 2015), Northshield (20 Sep, 2015), Atlantia (24 Sep, 2015), West (24 Sep, 2015), Atenveldt (25 Sep, 2015), Æthelmearc (26 Sep, 2015), Ealdormere (27 Sep, 2015), Lochac (27 Sep, 2015), Middle (28 Sep, 2015), Drachenwald (29 Sep, 2015), Outlands (29 Sep, 2015), An Tir (30 Sep, 2015), Avacal (30 Sep, 2015), Caid (30 Sep, 2015), Calontir (30 Sep, 2015), East (30 Sep, 2015), Meridies (30 Sep, 2015), and Trimaris (30 Sep, 2015). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should be entered into OSCAR by Monday, November 30, 2015.

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.

* From Wreath: Of Moose and Men

Recently, a request for reblazon questioned the replacement of the term "moose" by "elk" in a registration. This request cited the precedent:

The moose of North America is the same beast as the elk of Europe (Alces malchis). The OED dates the term moose to 1613, within our 50-year "grey area" for documentation; so either term is acceptable in SCA blazonry. [Randulf von Gelnhausen, LoAR of Sept 1992]

We are here overturning this precedent.

The Oxford English Dictionary gives a first occurrence of the word moose in 1568 as meaning "Pottage; stewed vegetables; a dish of this." Clearly, this has no relation with the creature. The use of moose for the elk is an Americanism and, again according to the OED, the earliest use of the close spelling "mooses" for the elk is dated to 1707. A quote from 1637 "The Elke, which the Salvages call a Mose" makes it exquisitely clear that the creature was known by the English speakers as elk. Therefore, we chose to use the English period term for the creature, which is elk.

This should not come as a surprise as this is not the first example of charge where we have decided to use a more period word for a charge. For example, the creatures modernly known as turtles are regularly reblazoned as tortoise, even though the use of the word turtle for the sea tortoise is dated to 1657. Similarly, on the March 2012 cover letter we declined to use the word "squid", dated to 1613 and opted to use the word "calamarie" (dated to 1567 under <calamary>, n.) to replace the modern term "kraken".

We may, on a case by case basis, retain the use of the modern terms for items already registered in order to preserve a cant.

* From Wreath: Badge for the Order of Defense

In April of 2015 we asked whether the use of the badge for the Order of Defense, (Tinctureless) Three rapiers in pall inverted tips crossed should be restricted and protected. The answers we received to both questions was overwhelmingly positive. Therefore, the badge for the Order of Defense will be both restricted and protected. This means that members of the Order of Defense, and only them, will be allowed to register this motif in armorial display.

Of course, armorial designs currently registered and using that design are grandfathered.

* From Wreath: throwing a default orientation for a fer-à-loup

This month, in the registration of Marcus atte Bowe, in the Ansteorra section of the Letter of Acceptances and Returns, the SCA's default orientation for this charge has been changed to match the medieval default. Thus, a fer-à-loup has the (rounded) blade to chief by default. We will reblazon the registered ones as needed.

* Society Pages

Þora Sumarliðadóttir, Edelweiss Herald of Drachenwald, was made a member of the Orden des Lindquistringes at Pennsic just gone, in part for her service to heraldry in Drachenwald.

On Saturday, October 17, 2015, Cian Triton Principal Herald of Atlantia elevated Gisela vom Kreuzbach, former Triton, to the rank of Herald Extraordinary.

We are saddened to report the passing of Robert Trotter who was known as Robert of Winchester, second Black Lion Herald of the Principality of An Tir, on October 21, 2015.

Please send information about happenings to major heralds and major happenings to all heralds to Laurel, so that it can be published here.

* Send What to Whom

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.

Pray know that I remain,

In service,

Andrewe Bawldwyn
Laurel Principal King of Arms


Created at 2015-11-18T20:45:56