I have been a herald for just about as long as I’ve been playing in the SCA. The group I joined was in need of one, and it was a good fit for me, so I volunteered. That was more than four years ago. Since I’ve learned so much from other articles, both online and off, I wanted to put together one of my own chock full of resources for the beginning herald. This article is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in regards to the sources available for heralds.
Heraldry in the SCA can be broken down into 3 basic areas: names, devices and voice. Each of these areas can be talked of for hours and pages on end, but in this article I hope to touch on the basics, and offer additional resources for each.
As you know, most gentles that play in the SCA are reenacting European life roughly between the years 600-1600 AD. This means there are 1000+ years and many countries/cultures one can be from. The task of narrowing down where/when you’re from is daunting enough, much less picking a name to use…especially when you need both a given name and a surname to be able to register it.
Some questions you might ask someone interested in picking a name are:
Do you have any particular interest in a region? Maybe your family is originally from Italy or perhaps you’ve always been fascinated by the Vikings.
Are there any styles of garb that really catch your fancy? Maybe you’ve fallen love with sideless surcotes or perhaps the extravagant gowns & doublets of Elizabethan times.
These questions are good starting places in picking out names. If you have a preexisting interest in a time or place covered in the SCA, you could be one step ahead of the game. Of course, people sometimes pick out their name because of none of the above reasons. My name is a good example of this. I picked out Anpliça because it has the “ç” character known as the cedilla. It was unusual so I picked it! (In case you’re wondering, Anpliça is pronounced /an-PLEASE-a/. The ç has an /s/ sound…like in façade.) I was intrigued by both the special letter, and also like the fact that there are no other registered Anpliças out there.
Once you pick your time & place, choosing the actual name comes next. There are many articles out there with information on the specifics of selecting a name. These include:
“Choosing a Name & Creating a Persona” by Modar Neznanich
“Choosing a Society Name: Hints for Newcomers” by Dietmar Reinhart von Straubing & Malachias von Morgenstern
“What is an S.C.A. Name?” by Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen & Dame Zenobia Naphtali.
There are some great websites with lists of names online covering almost all periods & places we cover in the SCA. You will find many good specific articles on the following sites:
Laurel Herald’s webpage - lists name sources by culture/country & also offers other sources.
The Academy of Saint Gabriel - almost all the way down the page is a search box. One is able to search on any name part in this field for past reports those who volunteer at St. Gabriel’s have written. This is a great resource!
The Academy of St. Gabriel’s Medieval Names Archive - lists articles and list by culture/country.
Of course, there are many books that have been compiled and written with period names that are wonderful resources for our play in the SCA. I will not try to write them all here, but a good place to go for title ideas is your local Herald’s Point at an event. Here in Northshield, Herald’s Point is usually staffed by Their Excellencies Friederich Eric Helmut von Rheinhausen & Moraig Anne Drummond. Eric and Moraig are more than happy to sit and talk about any aspect of heraldry, and they have a very extensive library they are happy to share with people to help them pick a name.
This is a good place for me to mention what’s required if you are looking to register your name. You need documentation that includes the spelling of the name you want to use, along with the date it was used. Do not use a genealogy site, since these sites are not interested in the things we in the College of Heralds are – mainly the spelling that was used in period.
If you get your name online, you need to include a copy of the site you used, but do not include every page! All that’s needed is the intro to the article you’re citing and then the page your name lands on. Same goes when citing a book. Copy the title page & the page the name is on. Bonus points for highlighting your selection with either kind of resource. Please include a copy of these documentations for each copy of your submission.
There is a listing of books that Laurel does not need to be copied to be used as documentation. This list is available in the College of Arms Administrative Handbook - http://sca.org/heraldry/laurel/admin.html#APPENDIX_H.
Since I mentioned it, I heartily recommend everyone who is interested in registering a name &/or device to read the Administrative Handbook. It is a very good resource in all things dealing with heraldry in the SCA. And remember, you do not have to register your name or device if you do not want to. The nice thing about doing so it insuring you’re the only John Smithe out there.
Part of the magic of the SCA is the pageantry associated with the beautiful devices – when used in the camping field or the battlefield, on clothing or the chests to store garb in. Of course, there are rules to keep in mind while creating the device you plan:
You cannot use a trademark for a modern company, nor may you use a well-known historical device as your own. For example, you cannot use the recognizable red and blue circle that is Pepsi’s trademark, nor can you use the field of golden fleur-di-lis on a blue background that has denoted France throughout much of our period.
Your device has to be different in at least two ways from all other devices that have already been registered.
Items used in period can be used for devices. These are called “period artifacts”. What it boils down to is that you need to use the period form of an item when using it in heraldry. For example “a pen must be depicted as a quill pen or other period form, not a fountain pen.” (from Rules of Submission on Laurel’s page)
Of course, there are many more rules that have been compiled in relation to creating a device. The best place to learn more about these basic rules and also to learn more about what’s required in a submission of devices is Laurel’s webpage. You can find many articles & the Rules for Submission & the Administrative Handbook at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/education.html.
Other websites abound with information and helpful hints for new and experienced heralds alike. Here are some of my favorites, but please do not take this as a complete list!! These are just a sampling:
“Bad Heraldic Art - Good Heraldic Art - or Mostly Period Design” by Dame Teleri Tawel - A great article with dos and don’ts in device design that are nicely illustrated.
Heraldic Atlas - Searchable by its glossary, this database lists many charges by category (crosses, animals, tools, etc). A great place to go to get an idea of what a specific charge looks like. Click on the image you’re interested in, and see what it’s called. Not all of the items listed in it are register-able in the SCA, so double check your specific item before using this site.
“Heraldry: Blazoning of Creatures” by Eldred Ælfwald - A wonderful source for animal positions used in devices/badges. Includes fish, quadrupeds, insects, snakes, humans, birds, animal heads & none of the above.
Modar’s Heraldry Page - Baron Modar Neznanich has created a very comprehensive site on all aspects of heraldry. I especially like his article “Creating a Heraldic Device” because it is easy to understand and the rules governing devices are outlined very well.
Northshield Armorial - This is a database of drawings of devices & badges that have been registered in Northshield, but most kingdoms have armorials for people to peruse to get a look at the emblazon (drawing of the device).
West Kingdom College of Heralds – Heraldic Templates - While this site is a work in progress, it is a great place to find templates to use when drawing your device.
As I mentioned above in the rules, you have to check to make sure the device you’re interested in has at least two differences from other devices that have been registered. If you’d like, ask a more experienced herald for help in this! The Ordinary and Armorial can be challenging to navigate, even for someone familiar with it. But if you’re up to it, take a dive in and try it yourself. I know I felt great once I figured it out myself!
This is the aspect of heraldry I am least familiar with, but I’m learning! Here are some important things to keep in mind that I’ve learned from my limited experience doing it:
Project your voice. Use your diaphragm instead of your normal conversational voice.
Do your best in placing yourself with your back to a wall. The wall helps your message go where you want it to.
Take your time – it’s not good giving announcements if you rush through them and no-one can understand them.
Make sure you have your audience’s attention before beginning. Why give them if no one is heeding your announcements? Usually a couple of good & loud OYEZ will work.
I have the inevitable list of links for more information! Again, there are tons more resources out there on this important topic.
SCA College of Heralds – Educational Articles - There are a handful of articles on voice heraldry here that Laurel has deemed good enough to be recommended. That tells me I should recommend them myself!
“SCA Field Heraldry and Its Finer Points” by Yves de Fortanier - Voice heraldry for the tourney field. This is a nice two-part article that has both an overview of the basics and also digs deeper into what to do as the herald-in-charge on the list field. Also has a nice list of links for more information.
“Some Vocal Techniques as Applied to Field and Court Heraldry” by Kathleen Sobansky - One of the best one page summaries I’ve found regarding voice heraldry.
“Vocal Heraldry: A General Overview” by Modar Neznanich - – All I can say is WOW. Modar brings it all together in the wonderful article. Everything from crying (d0ing announcements) at an event to what to wear as a vocal herald to what to address the more recent recipients of a given award is included here.
Of course, you can always ask experienced voice heralds. From what I’ve seen, people are usually happy to talk about things they do, and heralds are no exception! Also, here in Northshield we have a Blawhorn Herald who specializes in Field Heraldry. Ysolt Pais de Cuer currently fills this role (as of 11/06), and I’m sure she would be happy to answer any questions you have about this aspect of being a herald.
When in doubt, ask questions! I know this sounds basic, but it’s oft overlooked. Any of Polaris’s staff are happy to assist in any way they can. From Polaris Herald’s webpage you can find a list of heralds and also get access to the NS College of Herald’s email list. This email list is a very good resource to get all your heraldic questions answered, as most of the Kingdom’s heralds are on a on it. I’ve had good replies to questions posted there as quickly as five minutes after posting them on a variety of topics.