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Re: Heraldic help




Poster: Stephen Mumford <redline@catharsis.com>

> PS  It would also help if a herald who claims he can't tell a goat from a cow
> because he's a city boy, who disregarded two written clues in order to
> mis-identify the main charge on the device that someone else would be
> saddled with, didn't shrug it off as an amusing bagatelle.  This is supposed
> to inspire confidence?

Okay, I think at this point it would be wise to remember a few things
about this discussion:

1)  None of us, with the exception of the people involved, saw the artwork
that was used to create the device.  In that sense, we should have no
business implying that someone is blind because they can't tell a cow from
a goat (not that this gentle is implying that, but the reference has been
made in other posts).  Maybe it *did* look like a goat.  Maybe it *did*
look like a cow.  We didn't see it, so we should hold our tongues on that.
I will say, however, that it was probably the udders that threw them off.
I would probably initially surmise that it was a cow as well, as the first
thing I think of when someone mentions 'goat' is *not* udders.  If the
sheet was passed around the meeting, and the majority of people who looked
at it said ,"Looks like a cow to me," then voila, it is a cow, as the
drawing is what is used to register the device (see below).

2) The drawing is considerably more important that the emblazon.  As
someone mentioned before, it is a myth that drawing skills aren't
important to the submission of your device (this is news to me, as I was
also under the impression that drawing was secondary to a description you
sent along with it -- as I am a new Deputy herald, I am glad I discovered
this fallacy before I handle anyone's submission, so that I do not make
the same mistake here).

3) As has also been discussed here, the blazon is what the heralds go by
-- not the written emblazon.  If they conflict, the heralds go with the
drawing, and *not* the written description.  This is also something to
keep in mind.

4) The heralds probably deal with more submissions each month that we care
to realize, and I am sure it is a monstrous amount.  Speaking as someone
who is attempting to learn the subtleties of using the Armorial to check
for conflicts, that alone could take ages to research for each device, and
so I am more than willing to allow the heralds some slack for all the work
they do.

All in all, I am personally of the opinion that this thread should
probably be retired now, as I am starting to notice an underlying current
of hostility in many of these posts, and email is the *worse* medium in
which to try to discuss things when emotions are involved.

Things happened.  Sure, it was annoying to those involved, and I'm sorry
they now have to resubmit it.  Lack of communication was evident.  But it
is not the heralds fault, nor the submitters fault.  The submitters were
simply doing their best to submit a device they wanted, and the heralds
were simply doing their job within the rules that have been set up to
judge and process these things.  Just because a lady has 'goat' in her
name does not automatically imply she wants a goat on her shield.

In all, time to move on, folks.  There's more noble and important things
we could be discussing instead of criticizing these volunteers who are
doing their job or the people who submit devices to help the Dream grow.

In Service to the Dream (both Large and Small),

Julien de Montfort

redline@catharsis.com
http://www.catharsis.com/sca

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