RE: Arms? I thought they were appendages?

["Thorpe, John" <thorpj@caepo1.columbiaSC.NCR.COM>]

Poster: "Thorpe, John" <thorpj@caepo1.columbiaSC.NCR.COM>


Sigh.

Greetings from Eldred!

Scripsit Laird Eogan

>In a feable effort to keep this "arms" war from being blown out of
>proportion, here are my two bits;

>FACT:  I recently received my AoA.  I have the scrol right here.  What it
>says, verbatum, is "[space for name] should have the sole and exclusive
>right to bear Arms without let or hindrance from any person as is in
>accord with Our custom and tradition."  Two things strike me about this.
>One, there is no space whatsoever left between the words "Arms" and
>"without" for any blazon.  Two, it says, "in accord with our custom."
>Which says to me, there is no written "official" policy, but just the way
>things are usually done.
>FACT:  My AoA scroll appears to be a Xeroxed copy of a standard scroll
>that has been colored in and my name inserted in the appropriate blanks.
>Several other gentles received their AoAs on the same day I did.  I
>admired their scrolls, which were different than mine, but said basically
>the same thing.  Thus we can assume my scroll is not an anomalie.

Based on your observances, and my copy of the Atlantian Scribes
Handbook, you are mostly correct.  You hold a "promissory" scroll
in your hands at the moment.  When the Atlantian College of Scribes
gets around to it, you will receive a full-fledged "official" scroll that
displays your device (should it be registered) and the official
blazon of that device.  Promissory scrolls typically do not have
a blazon on them because 9 times out of 10, the receipient does
not have their name and/or device registered.  Triton will not
give an Official Stamp of Approval on any scroll that contains
an incorrect name or blazon.  So, to make life easier on the
heralds, the blazon is omitted from a promissory scroll.  Arms
still refers to armorial bearings, not weaponry.

You are correct that there is not "official" policy about carrying
weapons into Court.  It isn't in Kingdom Law (I just checked).

>FACT:  I have heard a few times here and there that the only people who
>can legitimately display heraldic arms are those with AoA's.  Usually
>this meets with debate, and it is more generally accepted that the only
>requirement to display heraldic Arms is to have them registered.
>FACT:  I have seen people display heralsic Arms wihtout an AoA.  I have
>also seen people display heraldic Arms without having them registered.
>Its a moot point.

There is nothing in Atlantian Kingdom Law that prevents ANY armorial
display apart from what is restricted by Corpora and proscription
by the College of Arms over offensive or presumptuous Arms.
Personally, I would like to see more heraldic display.

HOWEVER, other Kingdoms DO have sumptuary laws that cover
armorial display, garb, etc.  Atlantia does not.  Having a law does
not guarantee that it is enforced.

BIG HAIRY EXAMPLE:  Atlantian Kingdom Law specifically
prohibits smoking in any of an event's main areas.  Yet on
a regular basis, I see Marshals and fighters light up in the
middle of a tourney field.  I haven't heard of anyone being
brought up before a Court of Courtesy or Chivalry for it.

>FACT:  I was told at my first event 3 years ago that if I was called in
>court, remove any weapons I had on me.  I was.  And I did.  I have seen
>other people do the same at almost every event I have been to in any type
>of court.  I have seen more than a few people be asked to remove their
>arms in the presence of their Majesties.  I told think anyone can argue
>successfully that this is not a "custom and tradition" (quoting my AoA
>scroll) of Atlantia.

As a herald, the point is no longer moot (period usage here).  I do
not carry a weapon into Court for any reason unless it is for the
Crown to present to someone called into Court.  The mileage varies
from Crown to Crown, Kingdom to Kingdom.  My advice is if it
feels wrong, don't do it.  If it is wrong anyway, someone will stop
you from coming into Court.

>An Award of Arms is first and foremost a recognition of good acheivements
>and devotion to the game we all enjoy to play.  It is not a privledge, it
>is a duty.  Every Lord and every Lady has the same responsibility to the
>populace at large and ESPECIALLY newcomers as do the King and Queen.  To
>make this game come alive in our eyes, our ears, and our hearts.    To
>make the rest of us suspend our disbeleif for a little while and envision
>ourselves in an earlier time.  Weather or not we can display such and
>such or carry such and such is secondary.

Well said!  However, I argue that some of our customs on display of
arms and carriage of weaponry help define the vision for us.

Lord Eldred AElfwald
Gordian Knot Pursuivant and Atlantian scribe




=======================================================================
List Archives, FAQ, FTP:  http://sca.wayfarer.org/merryrose/
            Submissions:  atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
        Admin. requests:  majordomo@atlantia.sca.org