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Ýves’ pages on SCA heraldry |
Updated: 01 Jan 2011 |
Articles, interactive class guides, and links to many sites.
CONTENTS
- Testimonials
- Why do heraldry?
- More about the heraldry pages on this site
- Links to more SCA heraldry Web sites and email groups
- About the author
Quickie Links
Jump directly to another page. For more details, scroll on down...
Testimonials
- "You have good information that I want to make sure people see." – Modar
Neznanich
[ Modar's Heraldry Site is a prime resource for SCA heralds. ]
- "Thank you so much for the information on heraldry. I have just become pursuivant for
(a shire in another kingdom), and am frantically gathering sources for heraldry. Your pages
put together very useful "how-to's" for SCA heralds-in-training."
- "...what a fantastic resource!! the Heraldry section alone is worth the price of admission.
i love those classes you've come up with! ::gushgush::" – Aoife nic Ruiari, also
called Omaddaun
- "...the real value of your Heraldry site lies as a tool in the education of =new= heralds (as well as furthering the cause of heraldry in the SCA). – Aoife (again)
Why do heraldry?
When I describe the SCA to someone, my favorite phrase to use is: "we re-create the fun stuff from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance". For heralds (OK, well, at least for me anyway), part of the fun stuff is doing what heralds did Back Then – making announcements and wake-up calls, running errands, keeping records, serving as a master of ceremony, working with personal heraldry (the devices and badges that people put on their banners, shields and other belongings for identification), and so on.
Effective, beautiful heraldry makes for better tourneys, better pas d'armes, better courts, better events, and better groups – they can all run more efficiently and look good doing it!
More about the heraldry pages on this site
An interactive class guide. Up to seven students take roles in a pretend court with pretend awards.
Another interactive class guide. Follow two name and device submissions from client to Laurel and back again. The first example is a comedy of errors!
Back in '07, I looked on the Web and asked people in other kingdoms what the heralds there said to call the fighters to the field for the current and upcoming bouts. The potential migration patterns are interesting.
If you're within a few hours of Atlanta, Georgia, invite some heralds and artists to your SCA group for a workshop.
Ideas for an SCA heraldry college: administration, testing, and five divisions of classes.
Advice for aspiring court heralds. What to do, how to behave, what can go awry, things to say, and recommendations for similar articles by other people.
(Or... Just what all do local heralds do, anyway?) An outline of tasks and responsibilities
for the local herald ("pursuivant"), based on my own experience.
Field Heraldry and Its Finer Points
Learn the basics in Part 1. Learn the finer points (including packing list suggestions, preparing index cards, and how to speed up a tourney) in Part 2.
How to be a Better Local Herald
Ideas on how to provide better service as a group pursuivant.
An imp's heraldic dictionary
A humorous list, a la Ambrose Bierce, of heraldic terms and definitions
A list of exactly what I would want to process a submission for a client. I used past versions of this list as a baronial pursuivant.
A detailed project timetable for the local herald.
An article written for a younger audience, though grown-ups can also find it entertaining and useful.
Using a table format to run a list
Instructions on how to run a list with a format that uses "bye" fights only rarely. Successive pages have four detailed fictional examples and a critical analysis from two actual tournaments that I ran using this format.
Links to more Web sites and email groups on SCA heraldry
SCA HERALDRY PAGE – many articles and links.
I used to maintain links of my own here, but the official SCA page is much better now and goes far beyond what I had (which was pretty good).
About the author
I've been involved with various aspects of heraldry in Meridies (on and off) since about 1986. Since early 2007, I've served as the Heraldry Web Deputy for Meridies. More recently, I claimed "Arbor Pursuivant" for this office and competed a two-year term as the kingdom clerk of precedence.
For about four years during 1996-2000, I served as the herald (pursuivant) for my local group. My registered device (shown to the right) is: Argent, a handbell purpure, a bordure purpure ermined argent. Do you like it?
Your feedback is most welcome. Would you like to send me email?
Original page posted: April 30, 1999 • Links tested: January 1, 2011 • Last tweaked:
January 1, 2011
The address for this page is [ www.therotunda.net/heraldry/index.html ]
Nothing on my Web site is the official publication of anyone else. Unauthorized use for profit is not permitted.