[ANSTHRLD] branch pursuivant title instruction, please

[Alden Drake]

As I understand it (read: this is not Star's official say-so, just 
Alden's input):

1) Baronial pursuivant titles are typically styled after their Baronial 
Service Order (BSO), so you get titles like Loch Soilleir's Serpentine 
Pursuivant (after Order of the Serpent's Toils of Loch Soilleir), 
Steppes' Oakenwald Pursuivant (after Order of the Oak of the Steppes), 
and Stargate's Sentinel Pursuivant (after the Sodality of the Sentinels 
of the Stargate).  However, it's not always the case.  For example, 
Elfea's herald is Nautilus Pursuivant and their BSO is the Order of the 
Azure Keystone.

2) All heraldic titles are registered to the kingdom.  After a quick 
scan of a few branch titles that are registered, they seem to remain 
registered to the kingdom, however personal heraldic titles (e.g. Cross 
Flury Herald) are registered by/to the kingdom and then are transferred 
to the individual.

3) From RfS: *iii. Heraldic Titles* - Heraldic titles must follow the 
patterns of period heraldic titles.
These are generally drawn from surnames ( /Chandos/ Herald, /Percy/ 
Herald), place-names ( /Windsor/ Herald, /Calais/ Pursuivant, /Sicily/ 
Herald), names of heraldic charges ( /Crosslet/ Herald, /Estoile Volant/ 
Pursuivant, /Noir Lyon/ Pursuivant), names of orders of chivalry ( 
/Garter/ King of Arms), and mottos ( /Ich Dien/ Pursuivant, /Esperance/ 
Pursuivant).

And from the CoA Admin Handbook: 4. Heraldic Titles - Titles for the use 
of heraldic officers at all levels. Titles for Laurel staff are 
registered to the Society. All other heraldic titles are registered to 
the branch in which they will be used, but must be approved by the 
kingdom to which the branch belongs. Heraldic titles may not be 
registered directly by individuals, but may be transferred to 
individuals with the approval of the owning branch and the kingdom to 
which it belongs.

4) Dame Mari pointed out a good reference for heraldic title 
information.  I attended Juliana de Luna's class at KWHS.  Very 
interesting stuff. (Mari posted, "I finished HTML'ing the first draft of 
her associated article in late August. It's posted at: 
http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/HeraldicTitles/ ")

Posting to the email list should not be a bother to anyone.  This is a 
good venue for asking questions because everyone gets to see the answers 
and someone else might have had a similar question but didn't ask it. :)

Cheers,
Alden

kevinkeary at aol.com wrote:
> In looking through the administrative handbook dated 12/2007, I find 
> that Northkeep is the only barony in Ansteorra that does not have a 
> title "or serve award" registered. This information is a little out of 
> date, as our baronial service award HAS been registered for a few 
> years now, but that's not the question I have.
>
> Actually, I have several.
>
> 1) What IS the relationship between the branch pursuivant title and 
> the service award name, if there is one? Does the service award name 
> function as a 'default' title for the branch pursuivant until and 
> unless the branch registers one?
>
> 2) The handbook refers to "Heraldic titles registered to Ansteorra", 
> so who actually owns a registered title, the branch or the kingdom, 
> and is the owner the entity who initiates registration, or does the 
> kingdom hold the title but the branch must still initiate? (I know 
> that when a branch dies, ownership of all armory and titles reverts to 
> the kingdom. That's not the question either.)
>
> 3) If it IS the responsibility of the branch to initiate the 
> registration by submitting a name/title for registration to the 
> kingdom for review, what guidelines exist for that title? I can see 
> that most of the branch titles in this kingdom refer to something 
> associated with the branch, a charge on their arms or a badge, or a 
> service award. Most of them appear to be nouns, although 'Serpentine' 
> could go also be an adjective. Are other parts of speech, like 
> adjectives or verbs allowed?
>
> 4) Is there a place I should have gone to to garner this information 
> so I wouldn't have to bother you all? If it is in the online handbook 
> I am too blind or obtuse to see it. A very quick scan of the College 
> of Arms Administrative Handbook (1/20/2002) didn't turn up any answers 
> either, save the implication that, as far as the COLLEGE is concerned, 
> branches can own titles themselves, but I suspect that is an area that 
> could be modified by kingdom law, and I haven't dug through that yet.
>
> Any advice anyone could give would be appreciated.
>
> Kevin, no-name Northkeep pursuivant
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