Re: Heraldic help

[Stephen Mumford <redline@catharsis.com>]

Poster: Stephen Mumford <redline@catharsis.com>

On Thu, 5 Jun 1997, Heather Swann wrote:

> >On Thu, 5 Jun 1997, Stephen Mumford wrote:
> >
> >> 2) The drawing is considerably more important that the blazon.
> <snip>

> Why is this?  I'm just curious, because frankly the ability to write is
> more common in the SCA than the ability to draw.

Short answer: because that's what the Heralds said. ;-)

And true, while more people can write than they can draw, as someone said,
more people can draw than they can blazon properly.

> What's the rationale behind this?  I'd really like to know. I would think
> going by the words would make it easier on the heralds.  Goodness knows,
> it's hard enough finding someone to draw up your device, much less draw it
> up well- it takes time and skill.

Many of the senior heralds have mentioned on this thread that it is the
drawing that they use, not the written description, including the Laurel
Herald in one of the emails (It was the Laurel Herald, wasn't it?
Maybe the Triton Herald.  Oh dear, see: threads last longer than a day
and the specifics just drain right out of my head...).  No doubt they
could explain the rationale better than I -- I can kinda understand why,
but describing how it applies is seeming to elude me this afternoon...

Julien

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