Re: heraldry rules (fwd)

[clevin@ripco.com (Craig Levin)]

Poster: clevin@ripco.com (Craig Levin)

> Poster: Gorm of Berra <gormofberra@mindspring.com>

<much snippage>

> 1.  The Emblazons (the pictures of the device) of registered devices are
> NOT available easily to the average group herald, they are stored with
> Laurel, but they are not published.

Most heralds keep a copy of the devices they send up. I do, upon
the advice of other heralds. Also, in time, there will be a
CD-ROM of all the devices in Laurel's files.

> 4.  Only someone with significant knowledge of Heraldry is familiar
> enough with the rules and regulations and precedents to be "Culture
> Shocked" by a device that may have misdrawings that aren't period (a
> unicornate horse, for example), as long as an attempt is made

Part of a herald's job is education. Heraldry was an integral
part of mediaeval art, and to fail in our duty, as educators, we
do our patrons and clients a disservice. In a perfect SCA,
everyone would be aware of the difference between a unicornate
horse and a unicorn.

> 5.  We rarely, if ever, have the sorts of mass battles and confusion
> that made Heraldry a life or death matter.  In battle, our armies are
> marked in another way (red and blue tape, or such) that makes
> identifying someone via their device less critical.

And more's the pity.

> 6.  Anyone can, given sufficient education and time, learn the
> mathmatics and methodology behind correct Blazoning.  Not everyone has
> sufficient artistic skill to draw an emblazon adequately (especially not
> in a 5" by 6" shield shape) so that it is inherently obvious what was
> meant.  There are tools available that make the process easier, but
> there is always an art to it that can escape some folks (I count myself
> amongst the artistically challenged)

Throw another herald (me) onto that pile, too! (Ouch! Those are
sharp!)

> Given these 6 realities, why can't we just trust the submitter?  If they
> say that that horse-like blob with a spike on the head is a unicorn,
> fine, let it be a unicorn.  If the color on the picture is orange, but
> they say it is Or (yellow/gold), interpret it as Or, and conflict check
> accordingly.

Because, if our goal as an organization is to teach, to let such
things slip by would be wrong.

Pedro

-- 
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~clevin/index.html 
clevin@ripco.com
Craig Levin
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