Greetings all,

As a Kingdom submissions herald I am aware that while some Baronies and Shires are replete with skilled book heralds, many are not.

For those without easy access to a book herald to help with a name and/or device submission, internet forums such as this one are often the best place to bounce around ideas and get help from many different gentles interested in heraldry (whether they self-identify as a herald or not ).

I note several other experienced book heralds are already members of this community and the number will only grow as the community grows.

So whether you're looking for a place to start putting together a name or device, or seeking help putting the finishing touches on your documentation, I encourage you to start a new topic in this sub-forum because there are heralds around to help.

Hello...My local herald is not on and was wondering if there were any other Northshield Heralds on board to look at a device and let me know if it will pass..

Thanks

Elena

The heraldry rules are the same for every Kingdom, so you don't need a Northshield herald specifically to look at your device.

If you upload an image of your design and link to it from the forum, we can all have a look and make suggestions.

Great im hoping it will pass and all...

Elena De Braci's Device

First, let me note that crescents were almost always shown "horns up" in period heraldry and that a secondary charge within another secondary charge (e.g. butterfly within a wreath of ivy) is not a motif I have ever seen in period heraldry.

This is also quite a complex device which is not authentic for most of period.

However, none of these less authentic design choices will stop your device being registered under the current rules.

One thing that I believe will be a cause for return is the choice of butterfly depiction. "Chasing" or letting the field show through a charge is not allowed in SCA heraldry so you will need to connect the wings to the body and use thin black lines for the internal detailing. I had a client whose dragonflies were returned for the exact same thing.

Once you fix the butterfly, this is probably within the bounds of registrable style so let's check for conflict.

The blazon for this is tricky due to the complexity but here's my go at it:

Per pale purpure and sable, on a fess wavy argent two increscents counterchanged sable and purpure, in chief a butterfly within a wreath of ivy argent.

This appears to be clear of conflict. I note that the complexity could be reduced without risking conflict. For example, you could remove both the butterfly and the ivy wreath and it still appears to be clear of conflict. But that's just my love of simple armory talking.

My herald had said this for the blazon but wanted it double checked...

Per pale purpure and sable; to chief a butterfly in wreath of ivy, on a fess wavy, argent, two increscents counter-changed

Your herald's blazon, while it mentions all the elements of your device, is not completely consistent with the preferred style of the College of Arms.

Correct SCA blazoning gives the primary charge (in your case the fess) directly after the field and the secondary and tertiary charges after that.

Don't worry too much about the blazon. It is the emblazon (i.e. the picture) that is registered. The College of Arms often rewrites blazons to better fit the emblazon.

So been working on my device and name submission and had a lil question regarding the name...
I am new to the SCA so the most basic and idiotic explanation is the best...
What does one need to do to get their name submitted?
I was looking into being English/Irish from the 1530's...
I looked at the name archives found on the SCA site and my first name was found in both Irish and English and the last name found in english...

So If say the first name was first found recorded in the 13th century can I still use it in the 15th? and I then assume that I have to use the last name from the time it was first recorded till a later date...

Am I understanding this correctly?

Elena De Braci wrote:


Depends on which Kingdom you're from. By your profile you're from Northshield so follow the directions on this page: http://www.northshield.org/Posts/HeraldrySubmissions.aspx

If you have a local branch herald, they will be able to help you with filling in the forms correctly.



Yes. Anything less than 300 years between your given name and byname documentation is perfectly acceptable. More than 300 years may still be registrable but is considered a Step From Period Practice (SFPP). For this reason, it is a good idea to use documentation as close in time and place as possible.

Elena de Braci is an excellent 14th century English name. It can be documented from a number of sources, of which these two are only one example:

Elena - Feminine given name listed in "Feminine names from 14th C Exeter" by Sara L. Uckelman (heraldry.sca.org/names/english/exeterfem14thc.html)

de Braci - Locative byname listed in "14th Century Worcestershire Masculine Names"
by Aryanhwy merch Catmael (Sara L. Uckelman) (heraldry.sca.org/names/english/surworc14.html)

So would both those links be the documentation I would need to print out to submit?

But doesn't the rule of tincture (no colour on a colour) preclude a shield divided per pale with purpure and sable?