[ANSTHRLD] New Award Discussion

Hillary Greenslade hillaryrg at yahoo.com
Fri Feb 25 17:43:20 PST 2005


I'm finally catching up with the chatter about the new award 'sable whatever' from first of the
month.  Has a decision been made yet on the name/symbology of the award?  

Well, here's one scribes thoughts: 

Sable Star - 
Some obvious confusion with the 'Star of Merit of Ansteorra', but the Star of Merit, while using a
sable star in it's design, doesn't use the word 'Sable', so I could go for this. 

Sable Gate
Sable Tower, Keep, whatever building - 
There are so many branches that use gates and architecture in their device, that I think this
would be too much like everyone else.  Whatever it is, try to keep it unique.  

Sable Thorn - 
As in 'thorn in the enemy's side'.  Don't know if there is a pic for that in the pic-dic? 

Sable Steel - 
I like the idea of the furison, as a device to make fire...for Ansteorran Warriors of all types, 
will strike fire of warmth to enliven the spirit of the Ansteorran armys, 
and strike fire of fear into the hearts of the Ansteorran opponents.   

I saw the 'crown' style furison on Gunnora's site, and on a few military websites, however, as a
scribe, I sorta prefer the furison shaped like the pretzel, on this page of Gunnora's site: 
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/fire.htm#FireSteels
I'm particularly fond on the greenish one listed as: 
Fire-Steel from Kangsala, Juvenius, Finland  (first column, bottom, before text again). 
Of course the design details become somewhat artistic license, but I can also see the Crown giving
one of those cut out of metal or other mediums, as an insignia thingy, that can be attached to a
belt loop or worn as a medalion on the neck.   

And ok, I like the girlie idea of drilling holes in the edging of it, and attaching a small charm
to it, for archery (arrow), equestrian (horse), heavy (shield), rapier (foil), and
knife-ax-spear(pick-on), so when worn it could look sorta like a chatelaine from the victorian
age.  

BTW - also found furison on an equestrian vet's site, as a 'Yellow antibacterial salve for wounds'
http://mhl.netfirms.com/html/vet.html
Yet, even if it's common to current culture as an ointment, don't think that should preclude us
for using the historic notation as a fire-striker.  

Sable Boar - don't even go there. 
Sable Dragon - agree with Daniel - too much connection with Middle Kingdom

Sable Nova - (or Nova Stella)- 
No problem with this one, and as a nova is a new star, sorta links with the idea of a new, growing
fighter as the AOA level.  The device could still be designed using the Ansteorran 10-pt Star,
though we have to be cautious that it is not too close in design to the regular Ansteorran ensign
that everyone already uses as fighting tabards 'or, a sable star' (in brief).  
Perhaps, instead of using a gold background, the device could be designed with a red background
and 10pt star, to use the red of the mount of the ansteorran device, and for the bloodred of the
Ansteorran battlefield (too symbolic?)  
Don't think we should use <Ordo Novae Stellae> (order of the sable nova), as this would not be an
'order of...' honor award, but at the AoA level, we just have the 'Award of the Sable Nova'.  

Cheers, Hillary   






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