[Northkeep] Heraldic Question

[Marc Carlson]

Miriam Cook wrote:
> Actually, despite what *we* who have
> other-than-Christian ideologies must remember though
> is that there really wasn't a "non-Christian" part of
> Western Europe, or for that matter, Europe in general...

Nice post, thank you.

Now, I'm not a Herald, but as I recall, the purpose of a motto as
an
achievement is to give a bit of distinction to a group, and
verbally define
something about them. sometimes that funny, sometimes it's very
serious.
Generally, they were supposed to have been used as battle cries.
Does
Northkeep have any unique battle cries?

Some other examples of mottoes (mostly from Scottish clans since
they are the easiest to find (And are not listed here as
suggestions - just samples):
	Semper Fidelis		Always Faithful
	E Pluibus Unim		One from the many
	A HOME A HOME A HOME	A HOME A HOME A HOME
	A TOUT POURVOIR		TO PROVIDE FOR ALL
	AB OBICE SUAVIOR	MORE SMOOTH FROM AN OBSTACLE
	ACCENDIT CANTU		HE ROUSES UP BY CROWING
				ALL MY HOPE IS IN GOD
	AMICITIA REDDIT HONORES	FRIENDSHIP GIVES HONOURS
	AMO			I LOVE
	AMO PROBOS		I LOVE THE VIRTUOUS
	AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT	Fortune Favors the Bold
	VIVAT REX		LONG LIFE TO THE KING
	VIVE UT VIVAS		LIVE THAT YOU MAY LIVE

And so on.  Baronial mottos tend to be proclaimations of loyalty
or
exclamations of how cool you are.

Since SCA heraldry is traditionally based on Anglo-Norman
Heraldry (don't
ask me why), then it is reasonable that the languages were used
in A-N heraldry
would be most appropriate (French, English, Latin).  Personally,
one of the
coolest mottos I've seen recently is "!ke e:/xarra//ke"
(pronounced (click)-eh-air-(click)-gaara-(click)-eh), meaning
"Unity In Diversity" in Khoisian -- it's the new motto of South
Africa, but I'm not sure it's approprioate for the European
Middle Ages.

In short, if you don't like Latin, or French -- don't use them,
don't vote
for them.  English is a perfectly good language for mottos.

As for "Creative Anachronism" -- I'm not sure that we -really-
want to
get into that.  Everyone has a different opinion on just what
that joke
means (it was after all, a joke when she came up with the name),
should
mean, and so on.  I know that I play a different game than most
people
here, and I get as offended by the implication that striving for
historical
accuracy is wrong (which is usually where the "the name of the
group is
the society for CREATIVE anachronism" threads tend to go), as
many would
be here were I to tell you that you were -supposed- to be playing
the game
my way.  It's a discussion that just gets ugly, and right now we
have enough
on our plates just trying to work together as it is.

Marc/Diarmaid