Heraldry

[Dottie Elliott]

>I have been the local herald in Bryn Gwlad for over a year and deputy for
>eighteen months before that, and I have to disagree with this conception.
>My understanding is that I need to _make arrangements_ for vocal heraldry
>when needed for court or field, not that I must undertake it myself. Since
>I am a research-oriented book herald and have an essentially inaudible
>voice and stage fright, I have found alternative solutions. When I meet
>with the local nobles and/or visiting royalty about court, I have a list of
>several excellent court heralds who are willing to help out when needed.
>For field heraldry, I have a deputy who goes to all of our tournaments,
>takes along staffs and baldrics, and recruits field heralds as needed.
>Admittedly, this is a large barony with lots of talented people, but I
>think similar approaches could work in other groups. The point is for each
>individual herald to do what they do best, but for the local officer to act
>as a coordinator/administrator to make sure every job gets done by someone.
>                                                Gwenllian
>

I was a herald in the Shire of Nordenhalle in the East Kingdom (10-15
members) for a while and I agree with Gwenllian. It is the group herald's
responsibility to find folks to fill the various jobs that need doing, not
the herald's job to do it all.   At events, I would recruit field heralds
from attendees.  I never had to worry with court since the King always
brought a court herald (Why should he expect a small shire's herald to know
ANYTHING about being a court herald?)  I became a herald because I was
interested in it so I learned how to blazon, how to draw (to an extent) and
how to do modest conflict checking so the devices/name I submitted would
have a good chance of passage.  I was the only person who did heraldry in
the Shire and so I had no help with this. However, I kept in touch with
more experienced heralds through email, phone and events and they would
help me whenever needed (such as proper construction for a  French name).
I have known heralds that just submit whatever is given to them because
they don't have the resources or knowledge to do conflict checking.   While
this is not optimal, at least stuff does get submitted and it eventually
gets conflict checked.  Expecting ever group herald to do everything is
silly. Expecting the group herald to coordinate various heraldic activites
and make sure they get done is what I have always thought the job was
about.

Baroness Clarissa