ANSTHRLD - Grant question

[Amy & Bill Morris]

Back in A.S. XV when I joined the terms "grant of arms" and "award of
arms" were used almost interchangeably in my home group.  This is very
period.  

However, there are several forces supporting the rise of a level between
AoA and peer.  Three good reasons, and two not-so-good but very human
reasons.  

The good reasons included a desire to raise Landed Barons and Baronesses
above AoA level.  A desire to reward kindom officers.  And a desire to
regularize the granting of supporters.  

In the Middle Ages these people would have been greater nobility and/or
peers of the realm, but we had already tied down all of those ranks.  

The very human reasons are twofold.  Firstly, once a new type of award
has been given (even experimentally) in a group of any kind, it tends to
keep being given.  It is much simpler to preserve a tradition of doing
something than of not doing something. 
E.G. once one kingdom started knighting kings, it rapidly spread,
despite not being our original tradition.  And secondly, these things
tend to spread.  If Atenveldt starts referring so some people as
"honourable lady xx" then the Outlands monarchs start to receive
recommendations for such an award, even if it doesn't exist.

Since the "grant of arms" started for different reasons in different
kingdoms, it has differing populations.  In one kingdom it may be given
out with awards just below Peerages. In another kingdom it may will be
closely held by current and former Landed nobility and kingdom officers,
who may resent it being given out to 'mere orders'.  In yet another the
"grant of arms" may not be awarded, so that Ansteorran grants and
armigerous awards rank identically.

For the above mentioned reasons I expect that eventually the Ansteorran
model will prevail.  Even if this happens soon, expect to find
grandfather clauses everywhere.  Someone who received his or her
kingdom's highest non-peerage award as an AoA will expect, and should
expect to be treated as equal to someone who received a grant for the
same level of work.  

For further confusion, the first SCA grants of arms were given out in
A.S. III and were the highest service awards given.  This was before
Pelicans.

On a closely related subject:  Talking with folks from other kingdoms
about grants of arms usually leads to a discussion about whether we have
gone too far with titles, ranks, and awards.  It indicates something
when the most respected award that Ansteorra gives is specifically
removed from the the system of precedence and titles.  Personally I
don't think we have a problem, but the possibility is there in the
future.    

While "honourable lord" and "honourable lady" are period forms of
address, using them specifically for "grants of arms" is not period.  

   

P. Crandall Polk wrote:
> 
> Once upon a time there were some Kingdoms without Grant level
> awards. Is that still the case?
> 
> Thanks,
> Crandall
> 
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