Newbie Question Alert

[Galen of Bristol]

On Tue, 30 Jul 1996, Chris Yone wrote:

> maddie teller-kook wrote:
> > 
<snip>
> > 
> > had a vast display touching on 14 different disciplines.  HL Fritz was
> > the runner up!  (oh, speaking of Fritz, he not only got runner up but
> > also received a well deserved Iris in court).  
> 
> 
> (Newbie Question Alert) :)
> 
> What is an Iris?
> 
> Always curious...
> Chris
> 
<more snipped>

Well curious Chris, it's like this.  I don't know how much you already 
know about the structure of awards into which the Iris fits, so I hope 
you won't think I'm patronizing you if I start at the beginning.  
However, if you get what you need when I say that the Iris is the 
Grant-level award for arts & sciences in Ansteorra, then you probably 
don't need the rest of this message.

The framework of awards and orders in the SCA is hung on a 3-tiered frame:
Awards of Arms are the lowest tier, Grants of Arms (also called Grants of 
Rank) are in the middle, and Patents of Arms are the highest.

The lowest-ranking honors in the SCA are non-armigerous; they carry no 
arms or precedence or rank.  

Most SCA members receive a simple Award of Arms as their first award, 
independent of any other award or Order.  The AoA entitles the bearer to 
the title of "Lord" or "Lady".

But a variety of awards and orders carry an Award of Arms:  Award of the 
Sable Thistle (for work in a specific art or science), Award of the Sable 
Crane (service), Award of the Sable Comet (service to a shire), King's 
Gauntlet and Queen's Glove, and each barony has an Order that carries 
with it an AoA.

Few people get simple Grants of Arms.  Ansteorra's highest unique honors 
carry Grants:  The Order of the Star of Merit (service), the Order of the 
Iris of Merit (Arts & Sciences), the Order of the White Scarf (duello 
combat), and the Centurians of the Sable Star (chivalric combat).   These 
people may be called "The Honorable Lord Thus-and-such" or "Her Ladyship 
Whatever".  Companions of the White Scarf may use the title "Don".  Also 
the rank of Court Baron carries a Grant (Court Barons may be called 
"Baron Name" or referred to as "His Excellency").  

No one gets a simple Patent of Arms.  In Ansteorra, you must get one of 
the peerages:  Order of the Laurel, Order of the Pelican, Chivalry of the 
SCA (the Chivarly is two orders:  The Order of Knighthood of the SCA and 
the Order of Mastery of Arms of the SCA).

In some kingdoms, the ranks of Duke, Count and Viscount, and the Order of 
the Rose, carry Patents of Arms.  Not here.  These Royal Peerages are 
technically non-armigerous, although they rank higher than all other 
permanent awards.  Territorial Barons (not really an award at all, but an 
office) rank below royal peers, but above the peerages.

I hope this helps; if not you, then maybe somebody else.

- Galen

Viscount Galen of Bristol, KSCA, CSM, etc.
ptm2792 at utarlg.uta.edu -- for a good time, call:
http://www.uta.edu/student_orgs/CSA/officers/paul/
             "noblesse oblige"