Part one of a two-part article on SCA field heraldry.
This covers just the basics.

	SCA Field Heraldry and Its Finer Points, Part 1
	Updated: Jan 10, 2005

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Part 1: Just the Basics

Be neutral

Whenever you're serving as a field herald, avoid the temptation to "cheer for", "root for", or insult any fighter, even under your breath. A fancier term for this is "impartial". Do pay attention to the bout. Being near the field and unarmored, this is for your own safety.

Flow of activity

During the tourney, there is a flow of activity for the field heralds:

1. Open tourney
2. Receive cards
3. Announce upcoming bouts
4. Lead salutes for current bout
5. Announce victor (if appropriate)
6. Hand off cards
7. Repeat steps 2-5 until tourney is done, then close tourney

Handle the cards, part 1

At the start of the tourney, receive two or three pairs of cards with the fighters' information on them. Make sure to keep them in order during the tourney. Arrange them in your hand so that you can make the announcements smoothly.

Announce the upcoming bouts

The field herald should always have the pairings (such as on pairs of index cards) for at least the next two bouts in their ring (also called a "field" or "eric"). I've made many a call like this:

"Would – A and B take the field!"
"Then – C and D armor up!"
"And – E and F make ready!"

At least those are the arming calls that have been used here for many years in Eastern Meridies. Other kingdoms have different calls. Your Kingdom might have a traditional set of arming calls. The lead field herald (henceforth, Lead FH) should let you know what text to use.

Bye fight

When a fighter in the list has to face an opponent who is not a competitor in order to even out the number of fights, that bout is called a bye fight. Just add "…for a bye fight" to the end of the arming calls.

Lead the salutes

In the example below, "indicate them" means to make a presenting gesture toward that fighter with a flat open hand, fingers all together. Here is one example of what to say once both fighters are in place:

"My lords and ladies, A [indicate them] meets B [indicate them] in honorable combat!"

At this point, lower your voice to address only the two fighters in your ring.

"Good gentles, let us salute the Crown of Meridies." [all show reverence]

"Salute the one who inspires your chivalry." [fighters salute]

"Salute your worthy opponent." [fighters salute]

"Heed now the marshals."

As with arming calls, your Kingdom may use a different litany than what's above. The Lead FH should let you know what to say for the salutes. In other kingdoms, it is said that the herald begins the combat. If that's you, make sure the marshals are ready and you're off the field before saying "Lay on!", "Allez!", "Begin!", or whatever is customary.

Who to call first

Treat male fighters and female fighters equally on the field. Whoever has higher precedence/rank is the fighter you should announce first. If you're not sure, you could ask them or make a quick guess.

Announce the victor

This isn't always a good idea if there are more than two rings (see Part 2). When this IS appropriate, first let the marshal indicate which fighter won the bout. Then say something like:

"My lords and ladies, victory to B!"

However, don't announce B's entire name. Just their title and first name.

Handle the cards, part 2

After each bout, return the pair of cards for the bout that was just fought to the listkeeper (via a runner, if one is available) with the winner's card on top. This convention helps the listkeeper. In other kingdoms, the field herald also writes "W" and "L" on the appropriate cards.

Obtain a new set of cards (if available) and do the next set of arming calls when it's your turn.

Multiple rings

The fighters must be able to hear the arming calls to summon them to the correct ring. Wait until it is your turn to begin your arming calls. (For more on this, see Part 2 below.)

When there are multiple rings, pay attention to the other field heralds and work with them. The Lead FH should have a convention for which field herald should announce the next set of arming calls if two field heralds are ready at the same time.

If there are more than two rings, it might make sense NOT to announce the victor because the field herald for another ring may need to begin their arming calls.

Not feeling well?

If you're feeling anything but fine, inform the Lead FH that you need a replacement quickly!

Thank you!

After you're released from service, be sure to thank the people who helped you, like the runners, the other field heralds, the waterbearers, and others who made your day on the field easier.

How to make announcements

(Kudos to Mistress Adelaide, former principal herald for Drachenwald, for her help on this section.)

This is at the end of the basics section because it is relatively long and detailed.

1. Stand up straight, but not at attention
   Your voice comes from forcing air out of your windpipe across your vocal cords. If your windpipe isn't straight, the air comes out with less force and your voice is not as strong as it could be.
   
2. Fill your lungs with air
   Put your hands on your ribs and breathe in. Feel your ribs move out. Now pretend you're going to hold your breath for 60 seconds and do it again. Everything moved more, right? Here's another test: Put your fingers just below your ribcage and breathe in. If your fingers didn't move out, you're not using your abdominal muscles to use all of your lung capacity.
   
   Breathe out by pushing your muscles out to make room for your lungs. Practice this slowly, a few breaths at a time. Your sides may get a little sore at first. Also, until you learn to control breathing this deep naturally, you may hyperventilate and get dizzy or even pass out. Start slowly. It gets easier with steady practice.
   
3. Lower your pitch
   It's normal to want to raise your vocal pitch when you speak louder. When you're going to be using your voice a lot, like when doing field heraldry, your voice will last longer if you lower your pitch. This is true for both men and women. If your pitch drifts back up, you might be getting tired.
   
4. Be grand
   Just like in Court, you're on stage when you're making announcements. Make sure everyone can hear what you're saying. Project your influence throughout the populace as well as your voice.
   
5. Open your mouth nice and wide... and e-nun-ci-ate
   Good heralds don't mumble. Speak crisply and distinctly. It is better to make announcements slowly and clearly. Also, leave your hands where they are. Avoid the temptation to cup your hands around your mouth. It doesn't help when addressing an audience over a wide area.
   
6. Visualize
   Reinforce all of this mentally. Picture yourself doing everything right – your strong, clear voice coming from your gut, going forth from you. People hearing and understanding your every announcement. It'll be great.

This is "just the basics", enough to get you by so you can help out on the field.

Part 2 has advice for learning how to "run the show"…

 

Your feedback is most welcome!

 

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Original page posted: June 10, 1999. Last tweaked: July 1, 2006.

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