Crux Australis Herald

Baron Uberto Renaldi [mka Nigel Castle]

GPO Box 2719, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia

phone: (08) 8336 6791 or intl +618 8336 6791

"The CAMeL"
June 2000 (A.S. XXXIV)

Unto the College of Heralds of the Principality of Lochac, and all others who may read this missive, from Baron Uberto Renaldi, Crux Australis Herald, greetings!

In this issue…..

Transition to Kingdom | Changes to submission requirements | Heralds' Handbook online

Reports | Roster changes | Important addresses

Subscriptions and Resources | Submission requirements | Meeting schedule

Recent submissions | News of previous submissions | Where are the Articles on Court Heraldry?

 

My usual ranting

First rant: I have said it so many times before that I shouldn't need to be saying it again - NAME SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTATION, including the title page of each book! The full URL of any website used must also be quoted.

I need to see the documentation used so as to build an argument that convinces the commenting heralds of the College of Arms (who are scattered around the whole SCA) that the name being submitted is legally registrable. Without this documentation I am 'flying blind', as it were, which greatly reduces the chance of the name being registered.

Second rant: I have been very disappointed by the lack of reporting. All group heralds must report quarterly. I understand that it is not always possible to meet the deadlines, and don't mind if reports are late. It is silence that is unacceptable - not only is it a breach of a herald's duties and responsibilities, it is also (in my opinion) discourteous.

Reports are your means of telling me what's going on as well as what's going wrong. Without them, I can only assume the worst - that heraldry in Lochac is being neglected. I am convinced that the Lochac College of Heralds has many talented, hardworking members. Please don't give me reason to doubt this.

Finally, for those going to Midwinter I look forward to seeing you there.

Your servant,

Baron Uberto Renaldi,

Crux Australis Herald


Transition to Kingdom

The College of Heralds will play an important role in Lochac's transition to Kingdom. Some of the things we will be required to do are:


Changes to submission requirements

I have decided to reduce the number of copies required for name submissions to just two.

Since the advent of the Internet, Laurel Queen of Arms requires only one hardcopy (rather than two); and Canon Pursuivant informs me that the details published in this newsletter are sufficient for her records.

Note that this applies to names only - four copies of the forms are still required for devices and badges.


Heralds' Handbook online

The majority of the West Kingdom Heralds' Handbook is now available on the internet, thanks to Master Hirsch von Henford. It can be found at www.goldenstag.net/Handbook/index.htm, with most of the articles in PDF format.


Reports

I did not receive end-of-reign reports from the following groups: Stormhold, Agaricus, Borders Crossing, Dismal Fogs and Torlyon.

The next quarterly reports are due by Saturday 2 September 2000. Mark it in your diary now!


Roster changes

A gentle named Raulin has offered to be the first herald for the incipient Shire of Lyos, situated in the central goldfields area of Victoria. As a Cornet, he will be listed as Acting PE for the group.

The College of Saint Ursula has a new herald: Gwenllian y Conwy who, as a cornet, has been rostered as Acting Pursuivant Extraordinary for the group. Her predecessor, Lugaid mac Ruadri Gaifuiltech, has been removed from the roster.

Martyn Fairchild of Grenhamerton has stepped down as PE for the Canton of KraČ Glas, and will remain on the roster as a Pursuivant Extraordinary At Large. Replacing him is Thomas Flamanc of Kelsale, who has assured me that he can juggle both this office and that of Baryl Pursuivant.

Now the bad news: Katrine de Payen has been removed as the herald of the Incipient Shire of Borders Crossing, for failing to report and failing to remain a financial member of the SCA.


Important addresses


Subscriptions and Resources

"The CAMeL" is available from Crux Australis at $20 per year. Make cheques payable to "SCA Inc. College of Heralds".

Laurel's Letter of Acceptance and Return is available from the SCA College of Arms. Send a cheque for $US25 made out to "SCA Inc. — College of Arms" to Bruce R. Nevins, 2527 E. 3rd Street, Tucson AZ, 85716-4114, USA. As usual, everything of relevance to Lochac will be published in "The CAMeL".

Master Thorfinn is the person to talk to about heraldic publications. Possibly the most useful item that he stocks is the ‘Heraldic Pictorial Dictionary for the SCA’ (affectionately known as the PicDic), which will cost you $A8.50 for the first edition or $A12.50 for the second edition. Alternatively, order it directly from the USA via Free Trumpet Press for $US15 (details of their web site are below — and they now take credit cards).

I also recommend that groups acquire some name resources, in particular P.H. Reaney & R.M. Wilson’s ‘A Dictionary of English Surnames’ and E.G. Withycombe’s ‘The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names’.

Many interesting heraldic links can be found through the SCA Heraldry web page at www.sca.org/heraldry including the Laurel home page, on-line armorial and ordinary search, and the Academy of St. Gabriel (an heraldic consultation service). The Free Trumpet Press West web page is www.sca.org/heraldry/ftpw or email klconlin@ilstu.edu


Submission Requirements

Cost: $20 per new submission (name, device or badge). No cost for resubmissions or branch submissions. Make cheques payable to "SCA Inc College of Heralds".

Copies required:

  • Names: two (2) copies of Name form and ALL documentation, including title page of each book.
  • Devices and Badges: four (4) colour copies and one (1) black & white OUTLINE copy. The colour copies should be accurately coloured, preferably in felt tip pen (eg Crayola Classic Colours). Faint colour printers or faint coloured pencil is not acceptable. The colours must be visible across a crowded Herald's meeting.

Please check that submittors have ALL necessary documentation to support each submission. It is up to the submittor to present their submission in a way that makes registration easy. Name documentation should be as accurate as possible, photocopies supplied (even if the reference is a standard one such as Reaney or Withycombe) and page number(s) and edition should also be quoted.


Meeting schedule

Crux Australis Herald holds a meeting once a month to consider submissions, which are then either forwarded to the College of Arms for commentary (and hopefully registration), returned if we find a conflict or a stylistic problem, or occasionally pended awaiting clarification from the submittor. If we have the time and enthusiasm, we may also look at and comment on submissions from other Kingdoms.

Crux meetings are usually held at 36 Rosella Street, Payneham SA, starting at 2pm. Please call (08) 8336 6791 or Email herald@sca.org.au beforehand if you intend to bring submissions for processing. The next meeting is scheduled for the 16th July and the one after that will probably be on the 20th August.

If you can't make it to the meetings but would like to participate in commentary via email, drop me a line and I will add you to the 'blazons' mailing list.

Master Thorfinn Hrolfsson, Hund Herald, also holds regular commentary meetings in Melbourne. Please call him for details on (03) 9885 6348.


Recent submissions

Present at the Crux Australis meeting held on Sunday 18th June 2000 was Baron Uberto Renaldi, Crux Australis Herald, on his own as usual. Commentary was provided via email from Master Thorfinn Hrolfsson.

The following items were SUBMITTED to Laurel Queen of Arms for registering:

  1. Beatrice of Hamtunscir

  2. Group: Innilgard
    Consulting herald: William Forester de Blackwode

    New Device
    Purpure, a decrescent argent within an annulet, a bordure Or.

    The submittors name was registered by Laurel in August 1997. The bordure is drawn rather oddly here (it should follow the curve of the shield more), but not sufficiently to be returned

  3. Tomasia Mariano

  4. Group: College of Saint Monica
    Consulting herald: Idris Blaidd (name) & Thomas Flamanc (device)

    New Name and Device
    Purpure, on a cross vert fimbriated a goutte argent

    The submittor desires a 15th century female Italian (preferably Florentine) name and will accept minor changes only.

    'Tomasia' is listed by Drake, whilst 'Mariano' is presumably in De Felice (another book I must buy for the office sometime...) on p.162, under 'Mariani'. I believe that the byname may need changing to 'Mariana' to match the gender of the given name, but as I am not sure I have forwarded the name as submitted.

The following item has been PENDED:

  1. Emeline Fourault de La Coste

  2. New Name

    No photocopies of the documentation cited were supplied. The notes written on the form indicate that 'Fourault' is on page 264 in Dauzat, but does not specify which of Monsieur Dauzat's books this is from. The statement that 'de La Coste' is 'a village in Provence, France' cannot be accepted without accompanying evidence.

    As soon as I receive the necessary documentation I will be able to forward this name to Laurel for registration.

 

References

Drake, Jo Lori. 'Italian Renaissance Women's Names'. 'http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/rhian/italian.html'.
De Felice, Emidio. 'Dizionario dei Cognomi Italiani'


News of previous submissions

I have not yet received Laurel Queen of Arms' April 2000 Letter of Acceptances and Returns:


Where are the articles on Court Heraldry?

Yes, I know I was going to publish the second instalment this month, but non-SCA activities and planning for College War and Midwinter left me insufficient time to prepare any. It would also have helped if I had been given something to publishä.this is a hint, by the way!

Next month's Camel will have further articles on Court Heraldry, I promise.


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