A Submissions Checklist:
There are three kinds of submissions, each with its own
rules:
-
personal names (for a single human being)
-
non-personal names (for a group -- branch or
household, awards/orders, and herald's titles)
-
armory (both devices and badges)
Personal Names:
-
A personal name must be made up of two "name phrases." "Name
phrase" is a fancy term for a given name or byname; we use this
because some names consist of multiple words, like atte Wode. One
must be a given name, the other a byname of some sort.
-
Names must be registered in a Latin script, even if the name
would not have been written in one. Those names must be
transliterated into a Latin script.
-
A name phrase must be generally consistent with a single time
and place, which means all in one language context. This can be
shown by:
-
demonstrating that the complete name phrase is attested in
period
-
constructing a complete name phrase from attested pieces
-
showing that it is a translation into modern English of an
attested or constructed period name phrase (even when the actual
form of the period name phrase is not completely certain)
-
showing that it follows a pattern of borrowing literary or
religious names
-
documenting it as a name phrase in the submitter's legal
name
-
demonstrating that it is a currently registered branch name
-
showing that it is eligible for the grandfather clause, which
requires the name phrase to be currently registered to the
submitter or a close relative
-
The entire name must be shown to meet our style rules; the name
as a whole must:
-
include elements that are all found in a single regional naming
group that are separated by no more than 500 years
OR
include elements from two regional naming groups that are separated
by no more than 300 years
-
In addition, each name phrase must match a period pattern for
its grammar and location in the name
-
Names that are "obtrusively modern" -- that
make a reference that unavoidably drags us back to the modern world
-- are not registerable
-
Names must be clear of conflict with registered SCA personal
names:
-
They must not be too similar in sound: in general, differences
to two syllables or substantial differences to one syllable in a
word that is not an article or preposition is sufficient.
-
They must not claim unmistakably to be the parent, child, or
spouse of a protected person, which they do by using all of a
registered name in their own name.
-
Either of these can be allowed with written signed permission to
conflict with the owner of the item, though a personal name
identical to a registered name will not be registered even with
permission.
-
Names must not create a false claim, which we call
presumption.
-
Names may not claim a rank that we protect which the submitter
does not possess permanently.
-
Names may not make an unmistakable claim to be a member of an
important family: this is done by using a byname only used by
royalty or by combining a byname with the family seat or major
possession of the family (like Tudor of England or Campbell of
Argylle)
-
Names cannot create another claim to rank; we do not allow
honorific titles that were granted by a ruler, or combinations of
an occupation and locative that suggest an official position (Abbot
of Saint Giles, Champion of Ealdormere)
-
Names may not make a claim to have superhuman or magical powers
or imply divine origin.
-
Names may not claim identity or a relationship with non-SCA
individuals who we consider important enough to protect; the
standards for this are the same as the standards for conflict with
protected names within the SCA (above)
-
Names must not be offensive to a modern audience; names are
rarely returned for this, as the standards are quite high.
Non-personal Names
-
A non-personal name must be made up of two parts, a designator
and a substantive element. A designator says what kind of name it
is (Barony, House, Order), while the substantive element is the
part that specifies which one.
-
Names must be registered in a Latin script, even if the name
would not have been written in one. Those names must be
transliterated into a Latin script.
-
Designators must match the type of thing being registered;
branch designators are fixed by the Governing Documents, while
designators for household names must be documented by the
submitter
-
Substantive elements must be consistent with a single time and
place, which means all in one language context. This can be shown
by:
-
demonstrating that the complete substantive element is attested
in period
-
constructing a complete substantive element from attested
pieces
-
showing that it is a translation into modern English of an
attested or constructed period name phrase (even when the actual
form of the period name phrase is not completely certain)
-
showing that it follows a pattern of borrowing literary or
religious names
-
documenting it as a name phrase in the submitter's legal
name
-
showing that part of the substantive element is a currently
registered branch name
-
showing that it is eligible for the grandfather clause, which
requires the name phrase to be currently registered to the
submitter or a close relative
-
branches get special allowances, to use grandfathered patterns
for awards/orders/heraldic titles and to use this clause to
register individual names as part of an order.
-
A non personal name must as a whole be consistent with a single
time and place. Elements that are allowed under the legal name
allowance, the branch name allowance, or the grandfather clause are
generally considered to be compatible with other attested or
borrowed elements.
-
Names that are "obtrusively modern" -- that
make a reference that unavoidably drags us back to the modern world
-- are not registerable
-
Names must be clear of conflict with registered SCA non-personal
names. To be clear of conflict, the changes must normally affect
the substantive element.
-
The substantive element must not be too similar in sound: in
general, differences to two syllables or substantial differences to
one syllable in a word that is not an article, a preposition, or a
conjunction is sufficient.
-
They must not claim unmistakably to belong to or be affiliated
with a protected person.
-
Either of these can be allowed with written signed permission to
conflict with the owner of the item. A difference in the designator
is sufficient to allow registration with permission to conflict,
except:
-
Two branch names that only differ by designator will not be
registered (as group types change over time).
-
Award names, order names, and heraldic titles that only differ
by designator will not be registered (because these designators may
change and also because heraldic titles are often created from
order names).
-
In any case, identical names will not be registered, even with
permission to conflict.
-
Names must not create a false claim, which we call
presumption.
-
Names may not claim a rank that we protect which the submitter
does not possess permanently; use of a titles in placenames, for
example, does not make such a claim
-
Names may not use the names of peerage orders or important
mundane knightly orders in ways that appear to be a reference to
that order
-
Names may not use other elements that would be considered
presumptuous in a personal name
-
Names may not make a claim to have superhuman or magical powers
or imply divine origin; an entity may be named for a saint or deity
without making such a claim
-
Names may not claim identity or be affiliated with non-SCA
individuals who we consider important enough to protect; the
standards for this are the same as the standards for conflict with
protected names within the SCA (above).
-
Names must not be offensive to a modern audience; names are
rarely returned for this, as the standards are quite high.
Armory
Armorial submissions fit into four categories: primary armory,
fielded badges, fieldless badges, and augmentations of honor. The
first two are just administrative categories, and are treated the
same way under these rules. There are special rules for fieldless
badges, which can be displayed on any background, mentioned in the
relevant section. Augmentations are additions to existing primary
armory, and have special rules, also mentioned in the relevant
section.
To be registered a piece of armory must meet the:
-
style rules
-
conflict rules
-
presumption rules
-
offense rules
Each of these will be discussed in a separate section:
General Style Rules for Armory: Armory must
meet the requirements for armorial style as set out in the Core
Style Rules (which are based on Anglo-Norman armorial style) or
meet the requirements to be registered as an Individually Attested
Pattern. Regardless:
-
We register the picture (emblazon) not the words (blazon). This
means that we can (and will) change the words to match the picture,
rather than the other way around.
-
However, the picture must be blazonable (describable in heraldic
terms) and recognizable (without the words). Bad drawings can be
acceptable, but it must meet both these standards.
Under the Core Style Rules:
Period Items or artistic motifs that were not used in armory or
follow a pattern of period charges are generally not
registerable.
-
Depictions of these elements must:
-
be drawn in a period depiction and in a heraldic style
-
be identifiable as to type of charge, posture, charge group,
etc.
-
The entire design must be unified.
-
For fieldless armory, this means all items must be touching.
-
For augmentations, that means that it must be compatible with
the armorial design to which it will be added.
-
The design must have good contrast.
-
There are five heraldic colors (gules, azure, sable, vert, and
purpure), and two heraldic metals (argent, and Or), collectively
called tinctures. Good contrast is a color plus a metal; low or
poor contrast is a color plus a color, or a metal plus a metal.
Elements divided evenly between a color and a metal are considered
neutral, and have good contrast with either a metal or a color.
Other divided elements are defined as color or metal based on which
is more significant.
-
Fields or charges divided evenly into two or four parts must
have some contrast, even if it is not good contrast. Other
divisions must have good contrast between the sections.
-
Charges must have good contrast with the background on which
they are placed.
-
Central ordinaries and simple geometric charges that are part of
the primary charge group may be voided or fimbriated; other charges
may not be.
-
Charges must be arranged on the field in a period manner.
-
The identity of charge groups (primary, secondary, etc.) must be
clear: size of charges can confuse this; or having identical or
very similar charges on the field can confuse this.
-
Charge groups must be simple:
-
No more than two types of charges are allowed in a charge
group.
-
A charge group may not mix two types of ordinaries or mix
ordinaries with other types of charges.
-
Charges in a charge group must be in a unified
posture/orientation -- one that can easily be
described in blazonry terms.
-
Differences found in period charge groups are allowed:
differences in tincture, tertiary charge groups on only part of a
group, etc.
-
The overall design must be simple in period ways.
-
Charge groups must be arranged on the field in a period
style.
-
The complexity count (the number of charge types plus the number
of tincture types) must be eight or less.
-
Designs that are too simple -- an undivided
field with a single tincture or designs that consist only of
letters or other abstract symbols will not be registered. They may
be used by anyone.
-
Some designs are too far from period style to be allowed.
-
Designs that are excessively pictorial (like a picture of an
everyday scene) are not allowed.
-
Designs that are excessively naturalistic (depending on
non-heraldic designs or including too many non-heraldic creatures
in naturalistic depictions) are not allowed.
-
Designs that are obtrusively modern, such that they make a
reference that unavoidably drags us back to the modern world, are
not allowed.
-
Designs that are excessively counterchanged (over more than four
sections) are not generally allowed.
-
Designs that cannot be adequately described in blazon terms are
not allowed.
Under the Individually Attested Pattern Style
Rules:
-
The entire design, including (but not limited to) elements,
tinctures, the arrangement of charges and complexity, must be shown
to be compatible with the armorial tradition of a single time and
place. This includes places outside of medieval Europe with
armorial traditions.
-
Three examples that closely match the intended design - in
complexity, in type of charge, in tincture, etc. - are required. If
there are not three examples that closely match, then six examples
that document different parts of the design separately are
required.
-
Those examples must be independent - three depictions of the
same family's arms are not sufficient.
Armory must be clear of conflict with all registered
armory (of whatever type):
-
All reasonable valid blazons for a piece of armory must be
considered; you cannot blazon your way out of a conflict.
Augmentations that appear to be an independent coat of arms must be
clear of conflict in addition to the base coat and the arms with
augmentation.
-
Changes that can be described as a single change must be treated
that way: the removal or addition of charges within a charge group,
change of secondary charge group, and so on. You cannot get
difference for both adding charges and then making a change to
them.
-
To count as a change for conflict purposes, a change must
generally affect half the charge group. There are special cases in
which changes to part of a charge group are considered "half"
-- changes to one side of a divided field,
changes to the bottommost of three charges 'two and one', or
changes to the centermost of three tertiary charges on an
ordinary.
-
Sometimes designs that are technically clear by the rules below
are still too visually similar; these arms are still in
conflict.
-
The owner of a registered piece of armory may allow the
registration of a conflicting piece of armory that is not identical
through a letter of permission to conflict.
-
You may clear conflict by creating one change greater than a
cadency step; this type of change was seen between unrelated
arms:
-
Adding or removing the primary charge group creates a design
which is clear of conflict.
-
Substantially changing the type of all charges in the primary
charge group creates a design which is clear of conflict.
-
Substantially changing the number of charges in the primary
charge group creates a design which is clear of conflict: one, two,
three are all clear of all other numbers, while four or more are
not.
-
Substantially changing the arrangement of all the charges in the
primary charge group creates a design which is clear of conflict:
'in pale' vs. 'in fess', for example.
-
Substantially changing the posture of all the charges in the
primary charge group creates a design which is clear of conflict:
'a lion rampant' vs. 'a lion passant', for example. Changes of
facing from dexter to sinister are not substantial, but changing
from dexter or sinister to affronty are.
-
You may clear conflict between two pieces of field primary
armory (armory with no primary charge) by substantially changing
the division or tincture of the field. Two pieces of field primary
armory may also receive two DCs for changes to the field under the
rule below.
-
You may clear conflict by creating two changes equivalent to a
cadency step, a type of change seen between related arms. These
changes are called distinct changes (DCs); the rules below describe
changes that are worth a single DC:
-
Changing the field in a way that affects half the field is a DC.
A fieldless badge automatically gets a DC under this rule from all
other armory.
-
Adding or removing a charge group is a DC.
-
Changing the tincture of half of a charge group is a DC.
-
Changing the type of charges of half of a charge group is a
DC.
-
Changing the number of charges within a charge group is a DC.
Six or more (including semy) are considered the same.
-
Changing the arrangement of charges within a charge group or
changes in location on the field (in canton, in base) is a DC.
-
Changing the posture or orientation of half of a charge group is
a DC.
Armory must not create a false claim, which we call
presumption:
-
Armory may not use a charge that is restricted (that is, no one
can register it). These are charges with important mundane use,
like the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
-
Armory may only use a charge that is reserved if the submitter
documents the right to use that item. It includes insignia of rank
and items reserved to branches (like laurel wreaths or crowns).
This also applies to augmentations; thus, no individual may use
branch arms as an augmentation.
-
Armory may not claim identity or relationship with non-SCA
individuals who we consider important enough to protect. The
standards for this are the same as the standards for conflict with
protected armory within the SCA (above).
-
The combination of a name and armory may rarely create an
inappropriate claim even if the armory itself is not important
enough to protect. Chiefs of Scottish clans are one example of
this, because many people know the family name and arms of those
clan chiefs. For this rule, a single DC from the armory belonging
to the family is enough to remove that inappropriate claim.
-
Armory may not make a claim to a combination or inheritance of
arms, known as marshalled arms. Armory with a plain line per pale
or plain line quarterly line of division must not have the
unmistakable appearance of marshalling. In general, this means
having only a single type of primary charge on such a field.
Armory must not be offensive to a modern audience; armory is
rarely returned for this, as the standards are quite high.
Several appendices exist to help apply these rules; they
include:
-
Appendix A: Patterns That Do Not Need Further
Documentation by Language Group: this appendix lists a variety of
patterns for names that are sufficiently well known that they don't
need further research.
-
Appendix B: Types of Bynames: this appendix
explains various types of registerable bynames with examples from
different languages.
-
Appendix C: Regional Naming Groups and Their
Mixes: this appendix explains the regional naming groups (used in
the Personal Names style rules) and which ones may be mixed.
-
Appendix D: Acceptable Transliteration Systems
for Non-Latin Scripts: this appendix explains the transliteration
systems that have been registered for names originally written in
Arabic, Japanese, and the like
-
Appendix E: Currently Registerable Designators
for Non-Personal Name Submissions: this appendix discusses
designators for non-personal name submissions, mostly the
requirements for branch submissions.
-
Appendix F: Some Armorial Elements that Do Not
Need Further Documentation: this appendix explains how to determine
if a charge or other armorial element is already sufficiently
documented.
-
Appendix G: Some Specific Elements that are a
Step from Period Practice: this appendix gathers together precedent
about elements that are a step from period practice.
-
Appendix H: Low-Contrast Complex Lines of
Division: this appendix explains current precedent on the
registerability of designs with complex lines of division on fields
without good contrast
-
Appendix I: Charge Group Theory: this appendix
explains what a primary charge group is, as well as the other types
of charge groups.
-
Appendix J: Documented and Forbidden
Arrangements of Charge Groups on Armory: this appendix explains
what arrangements of charge groups have already been sufficiently
documented, as well as a few ruled to be not period.
-
Appendix K: Standard Arrangements for Charge
Groups of Different Number: this appendix is a tool to determine if
you can receive a DC for arrangement when comparing charge groups
of different number.
-
Appendix L: A Partial List of Postures and
Orientations: this discusses comparable postures in more detail; it
serves as a tool to determine if you can receive a DC for posture
when comparing charge groups of different type.
-
Appendix M: Some Resources for Conflict
Checking: this appendix includes commonly used precedent about
comparability of charges like birds, mullets/estoiles/suns, and the
like.
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