[ANSTHRLD] College of Arms

[tmcd at panix.com]

"Joseph Percer" <jpercer at stx.rr.com> wrote:
> Baptism of a new herald? Could you explain?

I think it's in the Argentaye Tract.  Regrettably, the Argentaye Tract
is not Webbed in its entirety.  It can be found in the 1991 Known
World Heraldic Symposium proceedings.  I also can't find it by a
Google search or in my SCA Heralds' archive. ...

Ah.  It looks like it's actually from Gerard Legh's Accidens of
Armorie, 1585, to judge by the SCA-compatible version at
<http://www.outlandsheralds.org/Gimlet/Ceremonies/pursuivant.html>.
After the oath (ending with "Also you shall promise and swear that you
shall forsake all places of dishonesty and hazard and dishonestly
going to common taverns and places of debates and all manner of vices,
and take to virtues as much as you are able."), the baron/sovereign
pours a bit of water from a goblet over the candidate's head while
saying "Then, by your oath, I do create you pursuivant/herald by the
name of [Name of Heraldic Title/Group Name].".

I also find

    Lothar von Katzenellenbogen. _Two elizabethan heraldic creation
    ceremonies_. The Millrind, 5(2), 1994.  Originally from The
    Accedence of Armory by Gerald Legh (1581). Transcribed and
    annotated by von Katzenellenbogen. (This was also republished in
    the Proceedings of the Second Caerthen Known World Heraldic and
    Scribal Symposium, Caerthe, Outlands, 24-25 June 1995, p. 18.)

Also not Webbed.

Daniel "They're large brazen things, they're used for announcing
things over large distances, when you pull their chains they wag their
tongues and yell loudly, and a proper installation includes a baptism.
Herald or bell?  You decide." de Lincolia
--
Tim McDaniel, tmcd at panix.com; tmcd at us.ibm.com is my work address