[Ansteorra-archery] A short treatise on heraldry.

[Bob Dewart]

One thing I'd like to point out here, is the KISS principle.  Remember, once
your device has passed, someone has to paint it or sew it.  Darcy still has
words for me about my maltesse crosses.

Gilli
Shoot more arrows.  You're bound to hit something.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rumil Fletcher" <rumil at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Archery within the Kingdom of Ansteorra"
<ansteorra-archery at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 9:42 AM
Subject: [Ansteorra-archery] A short treatise on heraldry.


> OK, I can see I touched a nerve with my invitation to get busy with
> arms registration.  Allow me to offer some suggestions and comments
> on this process.
>
> First of all, things have changed a lot over the years.  Once upon a
> time, local and regional heralds could halt or change your submission
> before it went up the chain.  That is no longer the case (as far as I
> know).  Each submission has to go to kingdom and get commentary from
> a number of experts before it is "yea'd" or "nay'd" on its way to the
> Laurel King of Arms.  And I can tell you from personal observation
> that they will tend to err on the side of letting it go on up and let
> Corporate make the final decision.  They will not, however, let a
> non-documented name or device go up so it needs to really be a period
> submission.  The current forms also have a check box which allows you
> to indicate whether you will allow minor changes or not.  Most people
> wisely allow minor changes, because this can allow minor changes like
> "Harold" to "Hearold" without kicking your submission all the way
> back down.
>
> *** REALLY IMPORTANT PARAGRAPH ***
> Where most people get in trouble is in trying to take a name or
> device that is manifestly NOT period, and trying to document it as
> period.  This is the wrong approach.  A better way to do it is to go
> look at period materials and find something that is already period
> that is fairly close to what you want, then use that.  Believe me, it
> streamlines the process enormously.
>
> The other area that people get in trouble is in not listening to the
> advice of their consulting herald.  That herald generally knows a
> thing or two about what is likely to be passed.  If you say, "Here is
> what I want.  Make it pass." they will do their best but you can't
> expect them to work miracles.  But if you way, "Here is what I want,
> can you help me to find something similar that is period." then you
> are much more likely to go through without problems.
>
> OK, some practical ways to make it happen.
>
> NAMES
> A private Medieval Names Archive is at:
> http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/  This site is the combined work
> of about 60 name heralds (some not in the SCA) from a group called
> The Academy of St. Gabriel.  There documentation is extensive and
> includes names from every part of Europe, Arabia, and even some
> oriental names such as the Mongols.  While they make no claims about
> the passability of these names, my experience has been that if they
> list it, it will pass.  So if you want a name that is sure to pass,
> look here.
>
> ARMS (The term device is actually an SCA invention, and I don't care
> much for it.)
> You can get started looking at basic word usage stuff at the Heraldic
> Primer site at:
> http://www.sca.org/heraldry/primer/
> Unfortunately, there is not, to my knowledge a comprehensive on-line
> library of arms elements.  There is a print version, but it is not
> cheap and is quite large.  You can check with your local herald to
> see if it is available.  Your local herald is also likely to have
> some other books with already documented arms elements.  Or you can
> just look around and see what people already have.
>
> Another on-line source of passed armory is the Ansteorran Gazette.
> It is full of names and arms that are on their way to being passed,
> along with listing of those that were passed.  You can look at these
> at:
> http://heraldry.ansteorra.org/gazette/
>
> There are also consulting tables at many major events where they can
> help you document your name and arms.
>
>
> So here is how I would do it if I were starting over:
> 1) I would find a period name either from one of the on-line sources,
> or from a book provided by your local herald.
> 2) Do the same with arms.
> 3) Don't try so hard to make something clearly not-period into
> something period.  Instead, start with period elements to begin with
> and go from there.
>
> It takes about a year for the process to go all the way through the
> Kingdom level, to the Laurel King of Arms and back again to you,
> unless your stuff is very well documented.  Then it can "fast track"
> in about 8 months.
>
> I can assure you that if you follow basic period guidelines, you will
> not have much trouble.  The vast majority of name and armory
> submissions go all the way through without any trouble.
>
> Rumil
>
>
> P.S.  By the way, a coat of arms is properly displayed to show the
> owner of the arms is present.  If you are going to put your arms on
> your property, a badge is more appropriate.
>
>
> P.P.S  In regard to an earlier comment about "holding names," here is
> how that works.  You can't submit arms without a name too.  You can
> either already have a name passed, in process, or submitted at the
> same time as the arms.  If you submit name and arms together and the
> arms passes but the name does not, then they return the name for more
> work while passing the arms.  The arms are listed with the unpassed
> name as a "holding name" until you can get a proper name passed.  If
> you look in the OP and see some names with a "D" next to them to
> indicate the device is passed but there is no "N" to indicate the
> name has passed, it is usually not because the name is a holding
> name.  It is almost always because the name that was passed is not
> the name that person goes by and they requested that their "nickname"
> be used in the OP instead of their real name.  In those cases, you
> will see a note that says something like "Registered name is Harold
> Hardradda."
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