[ANSTHRLD] Augmentation info

[Darin Herndon]

Shauna raised a good point.

A kingdom designated badge offers some advantages:
1) ease of administration (it is already registered and conflict checked
and the kingdom can write the letter allowing it to be used as an
augmentation without tracking down an inactive member of the society),
and
2) easy recognition (a populace who sees the reserved but commonly
recognizable motif would more easily recognize the honor than they would
obscure heraldic form).

Despite my commentary so far working out ways to make a kingdom badge
(or something reminiscent) work for Modius' arms, the very ease
described above leads me to personally dislike the "standard
augmentation form".  Heraldry is an art and a science.  An augmentation
is one of the most period and special expressions of honor that exist in
the art form.  To have one granted in period would typically be for a
very specific set of actions/service and the augmentation would have
reflected that in some manner.  Remember that in period most colleges of
arms designed the arms that were given to nobles and the nobles had no
say in the emblazoned form.  An augmentation required the artists and
scientists of the college to develop options that would both reflect the
high honor given (once incorporated in the family arms it was almost
always inherited), would compliment the underlying arms as much as those
arms allowed (though most augmentations just overlay what they cannot
work around), and reflected the reason for the honor as much as
possible.  (In the SCA, people choose their arms which is not period
practice.  Hence, why their augmentations cannot be specified.)

In Ansteorra, we have charter masters for many of our awards.
Achievements are always original works.  Peerages, landed nobility,
comital and ducal rank have no masters.  They are rare and special for a
variety of reasons (not to in anyway lessen other awards but these are
given far less and treated as custom works).  I personally believe that
an augmentation is perhaps the one period, and great, art form in
heraldry that should be treated as special as it is.  When one is
granted, the principal herald should appoint a senior herald (or do it
personally) to coordinate with any number of heralds and scribes who
have the background and knowledge as are needed to work with the
recipient and the granting Crown to tailor something custom, personal,
appropriate, as period as possible, and above all with the highest
respect for the art form.

In Ansteorra, fewer augmentations are given than Lions are given.  That
says nothing about the value of either, it is just a perspective.

Yes, we could have a standard augmentation form and there are reasons to
consider it.  But whether to use that standard or choose to do something
custom is the choice of the recipient in the society.  If we want to
carry the art form higher, each augmentation should be considered
personally and independently of others.

Just my two coppers,
Etienne

-----Original Message-----
From: heralds-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:heralds-bounces at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of Jacquie
Ziegler
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 1:47 PM
To: heralds at lists.ansteorra.org
Subject: [ANSTHRLD] Augmentation info

Greetings!

The question was asked about what other forms augmentations could take. 
I was granted an augmentation from
the Crown of Artemisia several years ago, and the form was totally left 
up to me. Not all Kingdoms have registered
badges that are specifically designated as a 'Kingdom augmentation' - 
actually, most Kingdoms don't have this.

I chose a lozenge centered in the field as my augmentation. The full 
registered blazon is:

Per chevron vert and argent, in pale a flute fesswise argent and a raven

volant wings elevated and addorsed sable, and for augmentation, in fess 
point on a lozenge sable a sinister wing with a hand issuant maintaining

a straight trumpet Or.
*
*As you can see, this is a much different idea from the more common 
canton form for augmentation. In my case,
I felt that the canton would unncessarily obscure the flute in my arms, 
and any other shape would look odd
in either corner of the top of the field. Therefore, I went to the 
center of the field, where I felt that there was
more room to put something that would stand out without masking the 
underlying armory.

If anyone wants a picture, let me know privately.

Baroness Shauna of Carrick Point
Ragged Staff Herald
_______________________________________________
Heralds mailing list
Heralds at lists.ansteorra.org
http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/heralds-ansteorra.org
 
--------------------------------------------------------

 
This email (and attachments if any) is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law.  If the reader of this email is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return email and destroy all copies of the email (and attachments if any).