the Arms of Ansteorra

[Heidi J Torres]

Hey Clare!

Tell them about the uproar when the "Black Star" was changed to "Sable 
Star"?  Happened about the same time as the "r" or "rr" controversy.

Things were so much simpler then......

pro mnemosyne,

Mari


On Tue, 17 Jun 1997, ND Wederstrandt wrote:

> I remember that the Collegium set up commitees to work on different areas
> of what would become parts of the Region of Ansteorra, one of the
> committees dealt with Arms and Awards.  At that time all or most of the
> Kingdom devices (and here were like 5 back then) had celestial bodies in
> them -- Mostly Suns. We wanted to have something uniquely ours.  The name
> had been decided about --  Ansteorra winning over Gilanathe and
> Terebinthia, and it meant One or Prime Star which was a take off on Lone
> Star State. (Oklahoma was a dream away at that point, nothing personal)  So
> the Heraldry committee voted on who they felt would be the first Regional
> Herald and then the Arms.  The star was picked for the name, and not the
> name for the star. The gold field was a contrast from the other Kingdoms (
> who had mainly white or blue backgrounds) and because of the symbolism of
> the Sun.  The Sun is the second most important symbol of the Arms.  It
> represents the Sun of Atenveldt setting, it's influence and control fading
> (which is why it is red for setting sun) while the One Star is in it's
> nadir. The Laurel wreath was a mandatory thing so it went on and the rest
> went on for balance and form.  It was agreed that the Sun would be taken
> off when we became a Kingdom. (When, that was attempted some years back no
> body wanted it off (loudly) and so it stayed on.)
>         The Kingdom supporters were going to be Cranes in their Vigilance,
> holding a star instead of a rock, to honor the Whooping Cranes , which at
> that time were very endangered (like 17 left)  (Remember this was in the
> mid 70's and we were a little more conscious of these things).  The Kingdom
> service award was going to be the Crane of Ansteorra. (Now white Scarves
> back then, no Art awards on a Kingdom level.
>         Not all this was a peaceful discussion but it was what the groups
> at that time wanted.  The two primary people at the event involved were
> Elnora the Capricious and Erasimierz Waspaneski.  ( Now known as Duchess
> Leah Kasmira of the Outlands and Greyraven.) Mss Aureliane Rioghail later
> developed the rest of the orders and I believe she suggested the name of
> Ansteorra.
>         On the Name... there was a big argument on whether Ansteorra has
> two "r" s or one.   Sounds silly but the fight really reached huge
> proportions before it was resolved.
> 
> How's that for history.... this was something like A.S. XIII, IX or X can't
> remember.  They say your memory goes first.
> 
> Clare
> 
> 
>