Re: Arms and Awards

[Julien de Montfort <julien@spiaggia.org>]

Poster: Julien de Montfort <julien@spiaggia.org>

> Something has been bothering since I joined the SCA and I feel a need
>to
> re-ask the age-old question.... I have to ask why it matters if an SCA
> device conflicts with a real modern day device?
>
> Are we talking about copyright problems, or something similar?
>
> I doubt very seriously some king/prince/duke or whatever from a
>foreign
> government (or someone outside the SCA) is going to get his/her
>kickers
> in a bunch over Duke Sir Bigstick having a device that's the same as
>the
> one hanging in the hall.

Well, yes, in all likelihood, there's a good chance there wouldn't be
much of a problem in the real world.  But protected mundane armory
usually breaks down into a couple of reasons why it's protected:

1)  The armory is famous enough that it warrants protection.  For
example, the three lions of England, or France ancient.  Both of these
are well-known enough to imply that if someone has those arms, they are
in some way directly connected with that entity -- whether by mundane
sentiments (modern flags and the like), or by historical ideas.  Just
as we would frown on people walking around saying that their persona is
a King of England, so we should frown at someone walking around with
armory that proclaims as much.

2)  International agreement.  The red cross emblem is the only one I
can think of offhand under this category, but there may be others.

3)  Courtesy.  In a sense, *all* mundane protected armory is protected
as a matter of courtesy, I suppose, as the SCA could simply choose to
ignore any mundane protected armory, surely.  But the fact is that they
if they are well-known -- and not just by SCA members, either; most
protected armory tends to be national or international symbols, such as
country flags or very important armory from history that a good number
of people worldwide would recognize -- it would be considered polite
not to have one of us conflict with it.

And here's one last reason:  Sure, somebody here in the US might not
think twice about having a coat of arms with the three lions of England
on it -- but then again, that's because we are in the US.  The SCA is
international, and somebody in the SCA living in England might very
well run into problems with such armory!  He would be trying to claim a
right that is not his, and he'd probably catch flak over there about
it...

Julien

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seigneur Julien de Montfort                  De sable, seme d'hermines
"Solum Dice Nullus Sunt Suficio"             d'or, tres amphorae et un
Seneschal, Web Minister, Herald@large            caid palissade argent
Canton de Spiaggia Levantina                   http://www.spiaggia.org
Bright Hills, Atlantia                             julien@spiaggia.org
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