[ANSTHRLD] Question on Animal holding something...

[Britt]

On Nov 12, 2007 8:38 AM, TinyGypsyLady <tinygypsylady at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I believe its a matter of the person not wanting to do something that isn't "legit" and therefore getting 'hell' for it.

That's the sort of attitude we totally want to support!  Too many
people think it's okay to skirt the rules, and in a Society supposedly
based on honor that's just wrong.

Okay, Viviana, here's the deal.  A maintained charge does not count
for difference in the SCA because in period it was an inconsequential
part of the coat of arms.  I have seen, thanks to Zenobia Black Stag,
several different examples of coats which have maintained charges in
one rendition, different types of maintained charges in another
rendition, and no maintained charges in yet another rendition.  We're
talking a good eight or more examples over a wide period of time.

Therefore, a maintained charge is inconsequential and if the person
with the fox wants that fox maintaining a spear, then it's a perfectly
documentable historic practice and they may display their device as
such with alacrity.  A maintained charge is less than two-thirds the
size of the charge maintaining it, and with something like a spear
that measurement is in height.  So the fox's spear should be less than
two-thirds the length of the fox from rear paw to ear and I personally
recommend more like half the length.  And if anyone says anything you
can educate them on just why maintained charges do not count for
difference in SCA heraldry and point to that banner as a lovely
example of the same practices we find in period armory that
illustrates the point. :)

Please compliment your client on being an honorable armiger and trying
to do things correctly. That sort of honor deserves recognition.

- Teceangl