[ANSTHRLD] Question about a charge

Tim McDaniel tmcd at panix.com
Tue Jun 15 21:16:15 PDT 2004


On Tue, 15 Jun 2004, Joseph Percer <jpercer at stx.rr.com> wrote:
> I have a submitter who asked me about the registerability of a
> Celtic Tree of Life? I didn't see it in a brief glance of the Online
> Ordinary, nor do I think tis registerable as it is twisty botany,
> but I did want to be sure.

RfS VII lists Compatible Armorial Content.

1.   Period Charges
2.   Period Armorial Elements
3.   Period Artifacts  (The two examples given are physical things.)
4.   Period Flora and Fauna  (The example is a physical thing,
     and I've seen it applied only to real flora and fauna.)
5.   Compatible Monsters
6.   [SCA-]Compatible Armorial Elements

Was a Celtic Tree of Life a known heraldic charge from period?
VII.2 has

    2.  Period Armorial Elements - Lines of division, lines of
     partition, field treatments, and other elements used in period
     armory may be registered.

     Use of an element in period art does not guarantee its
     acceptability for armory.  Use of the Greek key design, which was
     common in period decorative art, never carried over into armory.

An ordinary or herbaceous Tree of Life is specifically banned in the
Rules for Submission, RfS VII.7:

    7.  Armorial Element Requirements - Only elements from the
     preceding categories that satisfy the following requirements may
     be registered in armory:

    a.  Identification Requirement - Elements must be recognizable
     solely from their appearance.

     Any charge, line of partition, or field treatment used in Society
     armory must be identifiable, in and of itself, without labels or
     excessive explanation.  Elements not used in period armory may be
     defined and accepted for Society use if they are readily
     distinguishable from elements that are already in use.  The
     compass star, defined in the Society as a mullet of four greater
     and four lesser points, is immediately identifiable without
     confusion with other mullets or estoiles once its definition is
     known.

    b.  Reconstruction Requirement - Elements must be reconstructible
     in a recognizable form from a competent blazon.

     Any element used in Society armory must be describable in
     standard heraldic terms so that a competent heraldic artist can
     reproduce the armory solely from the blazon.  Elements that
     cannot be described in such a way that the depiction of the
     armory will remain consistent may not be used, even if they are
     identifiable design motifs that were used before 1600.  For
     example, the Tree of Life occurs as a decorative element in
     period and is readily identifiable as such, but it may not be
     used in armory since it cannot be defined in a manner that
     guarantees its consistent depiction.

I don't know what a "Celtic Tree of Life" is.  Is it always possible,
on seeing it, to recognize it and distinguish it from anything else
(RfS VII.7.a)?  If presented in a blazon is it always possible to draw
it consistently (RfS VII.7.b)?

So, absent evidence that it was used in period armory or was a period
object, I suspect it fails twice: not being Compatible Armorial
Content, and not being reproducable.

Daniel de Lincolia
-- 
Tim McDaniel; Reply-To: tmcd at panix.com



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