[ANSTHRLD] Second Draft of Achievements Proposal Online

[Bob Wade]

Alden's mention of Acheivement Scrolls and a re-reading of Andrea's Acheivement Proposals suggests some directions for which further research seems helpful:
 
(1) When/Where was the first Achievement Scroll -- Period, Grey Area or Post-Period?
(1a) What elements were registered?
(1b) Was there any correlation with Rank/Estate?
(1c) Was there any uniformity between Heraldic Jurisdictions?
 
(2) What does an analysis of Rolls other than the German ones already mentioned indicate?
(2a) What elements were included?
(2b) Was there any correlation with Rank/Estate?
(2c) Was there any uniformity bertween Heraldic Jurisdictions?
 
(3) What do Period and Grey Area Heraldic Texts say about Achievement Elements and their use and/or regulation?
(3a) What elements were included?
(3b) Was there any correlation with Rank/Estate?
(3c) Was there any uniformity bertween Heraldic Jurisdictions?
 
Parker http://www.heraldsnet.org/saitou/parker/Jpglossc.htm#Crest says "Ancient crests were, for the most part, the heads of men, or of birds, or of animals, of plumes of feathers..." 
(4a) What proportion of Crests were taken from the primary charge of the bearer's Arms?
(4b) What proportion of Crests were specified by the Crown? [In England, for example, a Crest of plumes of feathers was awarded by the King for impact in a particular Battle.  This led to the phrase "A feather in your cap"]
 
Tostig
(Who was taught to mistrust any Victorian heraldic author unless they provided dated examples to back up each statement. Parker usually does.  Fox-Davies does sporadically.  Everyone else ... frequently whole cloth)

--- On Wed, 6/20/12, Alden Drake <alden_drake at sbcglobal.net> wrote:


From: Alden Drake <alden_drake at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [ANSTHRLD] Second Draft of Achievements Proposal Online
To: "Heralds List, Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <heralds at lists.ansteorra.org>
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2012, 12:19 PM


Sorry to chop out so much of what I think is a good response, but...
 
...
I think this is a significant reason why people don't bother to register their 
achievement elements.  Also, I think people are less likely to commission an 
Achievement Scroll (usually paid for in cash or barter) because they want to 
wait until they can get a "complete" achievement, as opposed to commissioning a 
scroll for each step in which they are entitled to a new element.  Thus, they 
don't bother registering the elements until they are entitled to all of them and 
can just pay for one beautiful, complete scroll.
 
I tend to agree that conflict checking crests and supporters is not necessary or 
period practice.  If we change to a system in which achievement elements are no 
longer conflict checked, then the purpose of registering them becomes simply one 
of recording a database of what a person uses.
 
A novel idea might be to no longer register achievements by form, but record 
achievements that are detailed in an Achievement Scroll, signed by Star 
Principal Herald as an official granting of those elements.  This would convey 
that a person's awards dictate what achievement elements they are entitled to, 
but it's the Achievment Scroll issued by Star that is the governing 
document which records the achievement elements granted.  Sable Scroll office 
could then become more of a scribal office for the purpose of 
commissioning Achievement Scrolls (matching artists to grantees and facilitating 
Star's signature).  Current registrations could be grandfathered in the roster.
 
Stirring the pot,
Alden
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