Re: Heraldry Fibs (was Re: heraldry rules)

[Jeanette Gugler <jgugler@mindspring.com>]

Poster: Jeanette Gugler <jgugler@mindspring.com>

At 15:44 07/31/98 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Poster: Eldred@concentric.net
>
>Greetings from Eldred!
>
>Scripsit Neamhain:
>> >Poster: Josh <dungeon@norfolk.infi.net>
>
>> >>3.  Heralds do NOT have the power or authority to prevent anyone 
>> from>>displaying any device they please, registered or unregistered,
>> >>accurately drawn or inaccurately drawn.
>
>Technically correct.  There is nothing in either Corpora nor *Atlantia's*
>laws that provide this power to the heralds.  I am unfamiliar with other
>kingdom's laws, however.
>
>> >I thought it was forbidden to display a device not registered by the 
>> College>of Heralds. Hmm.. Oh well. Looks like someone told me a fibb. 
>> >Tristan ap Elwin>Marinusian by birth hopefully Atlantian always. 
>> (slighty against Stilhaven now)
>
>> This reminds me of those people who told me that i would be unable to 
>> display personal heraldry until i got my AoA or GoA.  Hah!  the only 
>> difference is that i call it a Device and not Arms.
> 
>I was told this when I first joined.  It is apparently a myth that
>continues to be perpetuated.  However, there are some households (so I 
>have been told) that do place this restriction on their members.
>
>Now, back to the 'technically' part.  Technically, anyone may display
>arms, registered or not.  However, the loophole is Laurel's mandate as set
>forth by Corpora--the registration of unique names and armory within the
>context of the SCA.  By displaying arms not registered to yourself, you
>are in essence violating the spirit of Corpora, if not the exact letter.
>Display of unregistered armory isn't generally considered a problem--at
>least not at this end of the Kingdom.  We simply treat the display as
>assumed arms.  Displaying armory registered to someone else *is* a
>problem--if people are aware of it.  In most cases, a simple request
>suffices to clear up the issue.  I may be going out on a limb, here,
>but for the thicker of skull, a Court of Courtesy or a Court of Chivalry
>*could* technically be called.  I have yet to hear of such a case,
>however.  Would any other Herald care to support or refute these claims?
>

I don't remember being told that I wasn't allowed to display arms that had
not been registered (back in the mists of time and in another kingdom...)
However, I do remember hearing of another reason to not display before
registering (or at least beginning the registration process..)

Say I come up with a spiff design and look at it awhile and decide I really
like it to represent ME.  So I go about and make banners and put it on my
shield (if I'm a fighter) and wherever else.  But either through fear
because of all those stories that are out there about how hard it is to get
it passed or because of laziness or lack of funds or whatever -- I don't
register it.  

Time goes by.  Someone else who has seen it --lets say Pennsic and thinks
its spiff.  They may not even remember seeing the specific banner I had.
But it's swirling in the back of their brain and out it comes.  (If they do
remember seeing it, it could become a matter of honor or so, but they've
seen so many while trying to become familiar with our heraldry.)  Now THEY
go to register it.  Because I haven't registered, they may not even know
they are conflicting with mine.  

If we live far apace and only are in contact at things like Pennsic or such
it may be a long time before either knows about the other.  Of course if
this mythical other person attains great honors or one or the other moves,
we are set up for conflict.

This is a merry little tale, and I don't know if it has actually happened.
But the possibility exists. ??


Theodora von Schmetterlingswald		jgugler@mindspring.com
	Elvegast, Windmaster's Hill
Registered arms:  Argent, a fess azure, ermined argent, 
between three pine trees couped sable and a butterfly azure.

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