Yves' interactive class on SCA court heraldry

Student volunteers can take part in a pretend Court with pretend awards. The class features audience participation – which can include deciding the silly names for the pretend awards.

	Ýves’ interactive class on SCA court heraldry
	Updated: Mar 27, 2005

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CONTENTS

> Props, Area layout
> Get the names, Get volunteers
> The pretend awards, The master script

Props

Here are some ideas for props and materials to use with the class. All are optional.

Thrones (chairs) for the Crown or PPwPH (...that's Presiding Personages with Pointy Hats)
... and sometimes just "Hat" for short.
A work table off to the side
A small table between the "thrones"
Regalia: "crowns" or "coronets", pretend awards
Index cards and pencils — or other materials with which to achieve the same results
Folder and fake "scrolls" for the herald
"Sword" for the Guard

Area layout

The idea is to simulate Court. A small area won't cut it.

A center aisle (optional)
"Thrones" at the front facing the populace.
A small table in between the thrones would be great.

Get the names

As people come in, hand them an index card (or equivalent) and a pencil. Each person should write down their SCA name on the card. At the start of class, gather all of the cards.

Get volunteers

Announce need for volunteers for following roles, in order of decreasing workload in the class: Herald, One or two Pointy Hat People, Autocrat, Attendant (i.e., lady-in-waiting), Chancellor, Guard.
Describe what each part does:
- The Court Herald leads opening procession, calls people forward, and closes court. They also do a lot behind the scenes at an event.
- The Crown holds court and gives out awards. They also do a lot behind the scenes.
- The Autocrat runs the event and can be called up Court (typically at the end) to address the populace on matters regarding the rest of the event.
- The Attendant keeps the award regalia and passes it to the Crown at the right time.
- The Chancellor is, with all due respect, the Crown's brain at the event; making sure they are fed and watered and arrive where they need to be.
- The Guard holds the sword (or spear, or polearm, etc.) of state in court.
(You don't absolutely need people for all of the parts, but it's really good to have at least a herald and one Pointy Hat Person.)
Let shy people bow out, find alternates.
Announce performers' names and parts to class.
Give scripts to volunteer performers.

If you can bring performers with you, they can fill in missing parts and add entertaining dialog.

The pretend awards

The class could come up with ideas for two or three silly awards that use generic regalia (like feast tokens), or the Teacher could bring custom-designed regalia for predetermined silly awards, or you could do one of each. Whatever works.

For class participation, the Teacher could do a quick "mad-libs" game: asking for some adjectives and nouns from the class and combining them into the silly pretend award names for the best and most amusing effect. I've done this too. Always ask for more than you need. For a Court with two awards, I would ask for eight words total.

The master script

The convention used for this script is that all of the roles have been assigned, the Court is a Royal Court, and the teacher narrates the action.

All performers start in audience.
Teacher directs Herald and Chancellor to take places (stage left and right).
Herald meets with Chancellor (in reality, several hours before court) to find out where and when to meet with the Crown to get ready. (Chancellor is done for now and may return to the audience.)
Teacher calls for the Crown.
Teacher privately gives them their headgear and the pretend award regalia. Teacher gives all of the name cards to the Crown. Ask them to remove the cards for themselves, pick two at random (or tell the Teacher if they have specific people in mind), and ignore the rest. Those two people will get the pretend awards in Court.
Herald meets with the Crown. They make a list of court business:
Open Court, Thanks, Person 1 — Award A, Person 2 — Award B, Autocrat, Close Court, Exit
Herald asks Crown Their preferences on what the Herald announces at these times:

When first coming in, such as "All rise!"
How the populace is seated when the entourage is in place
Titles to use when how Crown is announced
Phrases to use to call people into the Presence

Herald should take notes as needed and announce (within reason) what the Crown prefers.
Herald or Teacher fills in recipient names on scrolls (if any) for the pretend awards. Meanwhile, Teacher can ask the class things like: who's never been to a court, who's been to a court in another kingdom — how was it different from here? etc. — and could tell them a story from a past court.
Teacher directs Herald and Autocrat to take places.
Herald goes to find Autocrat to check on name pronunciation.
Teacher reminds class: It can be a good thing when the herald can find someone who knows ...
- Who the award recipients are
- How their names are pronounced
- How to keep it secret
(More people to consider asking besides the autocrat are the officers and peers in the recipient's group.)
Herald returns.
If feasible, Crown gives pretend award regalia to Attendant.
Herald forms the procession order: Herald, Guard, Crown, Attendant, Chancellor.
Teacher: "Remember, my lords, offering to escort a lady into court can be a Very Good Thing."
Teacher also goes over how to enter the Presence, with respect to kingdom customs, when called forth.
Herald says (in some form): Oyez! All rise and make way for King K. and Queen Q.
Crown and Their Entourage process in and take places.
Crown whispers to herald.
Herald says (in some form) that the populace may be seated.
Crown says (in some form): We've had a lot of fun, we've got some awards to give out, etc.
Crown to Herald: call up Person 1.
Herald calls forth Person 1.
Crown speaks favorably about Person 1 with an eye toward the particular award and motions back to the Attendant, who passes forth the correct regalia for Award A.
Herald addresses the populace, reading the award scroll or their script.
Person 1 receives Award A, with optional hugs and kisses (kingdom customs vary), and retires.
Crown whispers to Herald: call up Person 2.
Herald calls forth Person 2.
(As before with Person 1, Award B is bestowed upon Person 2.)
Crown whispers to herald: call up the Autocrat.
Herald calls forth the Autocrat.
The Autocrat's address can includes elements such as: thanks for coming to the event, the feast is on schedule, thanks to everyone who helped with the event, etc.
Crown directs Herald to close Their Court (whispering optional).
Herald announces (in some form): This court is now closed. All Rise!
Process out: Guard, Herald, Crown, and the rest.

When the pretend Court is done, and if time permits, the teacher can take questions from the students. Everyone can share stories from past courts.

I hope you enjoyed this. I have another interactive class guide online
on the SCA heraldry submission process.

Your feedback is most welcome!