[MR] Re: Greetings, thanks, and notice

[E L Wimett]

Actually, the bottom line comes down to "heraldry is cool".  

Heraldry not only makes spiff a lot more spiff, but has practical
applications.  One of the reasons that why Graidhne and I created the
consult tables at Pennsic more than twenty years ago was that people who
came to Pennsic suddenly found that heraldry was REALLY practical for
finding encampments ("look for the banner with the big white duck inside a
gold laurel wreath"), retrieving lost items ("the pouch had my arms of a
cracked Greek pot on a gold field") or identifying groups of fighters (think
of the "Spike" decals).  And they wanted to submit NOW.  The same thing
tended to happen at Crown Tourney in the East and for many years in Atlantia
as well ("wow, the shield tree is cool, but I don't have arms so had to have
Spike").

The College of Arms actually has evolved over the years to help people have
names and devices that are more period and, while I grant you that some of
the terminology is arcane (and was intentionally so in period), that is why
you have people who specialize to help you out.

On both fronts, nothing about this really differs from the evolution that I
have seen in most arts and activities in the Society over the past
twenty-eight years.  When I joined the Society, it was much more common to
see double knit fabric with pink and purple paisley in garb, the default
armor (throughout Meridies and southern Atlantia at least) involved Freon
cans and carpet scraps and documentation was seldom if ever required in arts
competitions.  (I do not remember seeing a single piece of written
documentation in my first three years in the Society and do remember being
looked at as if I were a madwoman when I asked if there was any evidence for
a particular calligraphic or garb style in period.)  As we learned more, the
bar got raised in those areas so it is not surprising that we learned more
about heraldry as well and the rules evolved there too (and, yes, sometimes
an enthusiastic group of heralds will go too far, just like Mistress Laurel
Seamchecker, a particularly enthusiastic set of marshals inspecting field
armor or some judges in arts competitions!).

As for the sometimes arcane terminology of the heralds, I fear that is
period because it was a professional jargon designed to define and express
exactly sometimes complex ideas and images.  When you needed armory, you
called on an expert to help you describe it, even if you had assumed the
armory yourself.  And the rolls of arms we have today from period were often
practical working documents to tell us who was at a particular battle, who
were the feudal lords in a particular area or what the genealogical descent
of a particular noble was (and hence what lands or honors they could claim).

I have to admit that, while I try to educate local heralds to avoid jargon
as much as possible, it is almost impossible to do that completely.  On the
other hand, the intricacies of wrapping rattan to make list legal weapons
are as much a mystery to me as heraldic blazon is to many of you and, were I
so insane as to armor up and enter the list with my advanced years and low
pain threshold, I would undoubtedly call upon an experienced fighter to do
that for me.  And to explain to me what armor I needed, though I might not
have a clue what jargon terms like pauldron, cuirass, glaive, bascinet, etc.
mean.  (And, yes, I do know what those mean but only because I used to spend
a lot of time in the armor halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art when I
needed a break from Greek pots.)  And nobody (well very few bodies) think
the worse of costumers who sew for those who cannot when they use terms like
Burgundian, Italian Ren, cartridge pleating, etc. even they are using just
as much jargon as the heralds.

This whole discussion is something that goes on periodically throughout the
Society (including in purely heraldic list serves!).  I'm always happy to
sit down and talk to people about it.

As for the original issue of requiring armory to be registered or in
submission to compete in Crown, frankly I don't see that as any more onerous
or exclusionary than some other recent requirements like the somewhat rinky
dink concealment of "overtly modern" pieces of clothing or footwear,
obligatory arts entries, etc. . .  And it certainly will be less expensive
and less trouble for most combatants.

Alisoun, Golden Dolphin
Who will probably be the one who does a LOT of the work. . .

-----Original Message-----
From: atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:atlantia-bounces at atlantia.sca.org] On Behalf Of Sir Janos of
Cyddlain Downs
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 10:09 PM
To: merry rose
Subject: Re: [MR] Re: Greetings, thanks, and notice

    There is nothing wrong with displaying and fighting under your Lady's
heraldry, and this has been done a number of times, including by me.  The
purpose of that statement was to make it clear that the consorts do not have
to have passed heraldry if her heraldry is not being fought under.
Basically, if you want to fight in Crown, whosever arms you wish to fight
under (i.e. on the Shield Tree) needs to be passed, or a reasonable attempt
made to do so.

As to another questions just asked.

"I'm *really* not trying to start an argument, or flame war, or stir the
pot...

But why?

Why is it important for the average SCAdian to have heraldry? I honestly
would
like to hear opinions on it."


The answer is simple, an entrant in Crown, fighting to be the Monarch of the
greatest Kingdom in the SCA, is not a "average" SCAdian.
Besides, heraldry is cool.

Prince Janos



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "gfabic" <gfabic at prodigy.net>
To: "Merry Rose Tavern" <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 9:36 PM
Subject: [MR] Re: Greetings, thanks, and notice


> >This pertains only to the combatants, not their consorts, though it
> >would please us to see the consorts displaying their heraldry as well.
>
> Do you mean that it is not proper for a lord to display his lady's
heraldry
> when he is fighting for her honor, as well as the crown?
>
> Livia of Ravenswode
>
>
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