[Northkeep] re: Device Question

[Herndon, Darin]

Chris,

Diarmaid mentioned the Laurel Wreaths as having meaning because the SCA
has restricted their use to the arms of groups.  Only group arms, no
individuals, can have laurel wreaths.  The Baron and Baroness are
allowed to display the group (Barony of Northkeep) arms but their
personal arms do not have a laurel wreath.  There are a few other
restricted items (crowns can only be used on principality or kingdom
arms for example) but I'll not mention them at this time.  You are
correct that the Baron and Baroness are seen with arms with a Laurel
Wreath and that the populace cannot use those arms; instead the populace
uses the baronial badge which you described.

Your original question was about the meaning of symbols.  In the SCA, a
laurel wreath on a shield or arms indicates the arms of a group.  And
that is what Diarmaid was noting.  Symbolism in the sense of a lion
meaning courage, or red meaning honor, or whatever is mostly a
post-period Victorian addition to the meanings of heraldry and you can
ignore such meanings for SCA purposes (unless you find in research that
some symbol had particular meaning for your culture and you want it to
mean that for yourself and you include it on your arms for that reason;
just realize that it will not mean the same thing to the rest of us).

What I think you were more asking was the meanings of the terms/words we
were using.  Several good links have already been suggested relating to
those so I'll leave that for now.

The griffin comment is a recent political statement thing and NOT a
period heraldry thing.  Several people in a recent effort to form a
principality in the northern region used a griffin as the symbol they
associated with the principality effort.  That effort is not actively
visible at this moment but several people who still believe that a
principality is a good idea wear griffin medallions as a show of support
for that (or for other personal reasons).  Diarmaid was subtly warning
you that there was some modern, political, northern Ansteorran symbolism
associated with that (which is NOT a period symbolism, or a restricted
charge, or even meaning that you could not have a griffin on your arms)
and you might want to be aware of the meaning before someone assumes
something about you which may or may not be true.

The tattoo comment was an extreme way of saying that you can use
symbolism any way you want.  Very few people have tattooed arms or
badges on themselves and this is not a standard SCA practice.

Etienne