Re: Discuss: Heraldry question

["Thorpe, John" <JThorpe@grnvil.ColumbiaSC.NCR.COM>]

>From the harrying herald, Eldrydd(Eldred), greetings!

Having been firmly put back in my place with regards to "the Honorable
Lord/Lady" issue, I think I can field this one without becoming a pursuivant
pell again.  8^)

Scripsit Alanna:
%The recent discussion about the use of The Honorable Lord/Lady has me
%wondering.  What does a herald do about unfamiliar titles?  As an example,
%let us say I am doing court and a gentle that I do not recognize comes to 
me
%with court business.  He tells me that he is a Companion of the Purple
%Kumquat and as such should be called into court as The Most Noble Purple
%Kumquat, Lord Thusandsuch.

Possible, but unusual.  Calling someone into court can be tricky when they
have multiple awards.  When I call someone into court, I use their highest
armigerious award as their title, then depending on court length and 
formality,
add the other accolades.  E.g.:  "Would Sir Soandso fitzBartholomew,
Companion of the Purple Kumquat, Companion of the Sea-dog, and
Royal Beard-Trimmer please present himself before Their (Majesties/
Highnesses/Excellencies)".

Occasionally, I will receive a request that a title "lower" in the Order of
Precedence be used, such as a Duke prefering to be called in as "Sir"
instead of "Duke".  With some creative heralding, I can still get the full
title and adhere to the wishes of the Duke:  "Would His Grace, Sir
Suchandsuch Soandsoson, Companion of the Green Acorn, please
present....."

%My inclination would be to go ahead and do it.  After all, who am I to make
%judgement on a title that is possibly a foreign one of great honor?  Or
%would I then come in from censure from others for doing so because we do 
not
%give that title in Atlantia?  If the gentle is really an Atlantian and is
%playing a joke, I would accept, perhaps, gentle teasing that I did not
%recognize it as such, but I would not accept criticism for referring to
%somebody by the title that he says he has earned.  Nor would I tell the
%Kumquat that he can't use such a title in Atlantia.

When you go over Court business with their Majesties/Highnesses/
Excellencies, you can ask them about an unfamiliar award.  Nine times
out of ten, they should be able to tell you who the person is and if the
award is legitimate.  Of course, you may always ask the person when
they tell you they have such an award:  "My Lord/Lady, I am not familiar
with the Order of the Purple Kumquat.  Would you please enlighten me?"

As a herald, it is a good idea to be familiar with your kingdom orders,
and the orders of your own barony and the ones that surround it.  If you
are near a Kingdom border, knowing the neighboring Kingdom Orders
is a Good Thing(tm).  Whether the person actually is a member of
the Order is something else.  I won't go as far as to say you should know
what awards everyone in your barony has, but if you can manage it,
that would be Way Cool(c)!

At any rate, if said person does not have the award that they claim,
then *you* will NOT be at fault.  THEY will receive the censure of
others because THEY lied to the Court herald!  You might receive
the initial brunt of "Xandso isn't a member of the Purple Kumquat,"
but your responsibility ends when you say "That is the award he
claims."  At this point, Xandso is in DEEP!

Does this help?

Eldred AElfwald
Nottinghill Coill Pursuivant Extraordinary
Neutral Minion(tm)

PS:  I will continue to call certain people by "Honorable Lord/Lady"
since I was present at their GoA ceremonies and heard the Crowns'
directive....in spite of periodicity, the Crowns said to use it!
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