CAMEL, June 2018 – Lochac College of Heralds

Unto the Heralds and Populace of Lochac, greetings.

I know that sometimes a week can feel like a month, and a month can feel like a week. However, don’t be confused: it has only been a week since my last “monthly” letter. As I have stated before, these are timed to the release of the LoAR so that name and device registrations can be celebrated. In this case, there is an additional reason to celebrate: Hamlets are now official and can have a registered name and badge.

Lochac decided to create Hamlets as a sort of geographically-situated mega-household (or a Canton with less officers, choose your unofficial analogy). As a type of group (branch) there are rules – and they include name registration. Other branches also need a device, but Hamlets will instead be allowed Badges (like Households, but registered to the group, not an individual). Heraldic registration is now available in order to complete the requirements for formation of a Hamlet. The two (incipient) Hamlets that had put in paperwork using the household method have been accepted as Hamlets under this new designation and have their names registered by the College of Arms.

What does this mean for others who might want to establish Hamlets? Firstly, I would suggest you approach your sponsoring group and the Kingdom Seneschal. However, from a heraldic perspective it will now be possible to register a name and badge as per the rules below. You will note the reference to paperwork to be determined. Please give us some time to get this sorted out and I will make sure you are appraised when the forms are available. I would suggest work on the other aspects of starting a group, including prepare a name (with documentation) and have people ready to sign a statement of support for the name when the form is ready.

Congratulations to the Barony of Southron Gaard for being the test case that got this happening. I will be interested to see what other Kingdoms seek permission to create Hamlets.

In service to the Crown and Kingdom of Lochac, always.

Sorle Maknicoll
Crux Australis Principal Herald.

Here is in decision on Hamlets from the LoAR cover letter:

*From Pelican: Hamlets*

The Kingdoms of Lochac and Drachenwald both use the term “Hamlet” to apply to entities that fall somewhere between branches and households. No one had attempted to register names for these entities until recently. Therefore, the Laurel office had not established policy for whether and how names for Hamlets should be registered.

The Barony of Southron Gaard within the Kingdom of Lochac submitted two Hamlet names over the last several months. The name *Hamlet of Gildenwick* appeared on the June 26, 2017, Lochac Letter of Intent and then on the November 2017 Letter of Pends and Discussion. The name *Hamlet of Wildmoor* appeared on the October 24, 2017, Lochac Letter of Intent; it was pended awaiting the outcome of the larger discussion on Hamlets. Having now received instructions from the Board of Directors concerning the status of Hamlets, decisions on these two specific Hamlet names are included in this month’s Letter of Acceptances and Returns.

Effective as of the date of issuance of this Letter, registration of the names of Hamlets is subject to the following rules:

Only Lochac and Drachenwald may submit names and badges for Hamlets. Any other Kingdom wishing to do so must first obtain the same variance from the Board of Directors as Lochac and Drachenwald.
Hamlet names are considered branch names for the purposes of the College of Arms. *Hamlet* is the designator and the substantive elements of the name must be appropriate for a place name.
*Hamlet of* is considered neutral in language and time period, just like any other branch name designator. Because of the special status of Hamlets we are not currently accepting translations of the term “hamlet” into other languages.
Hamlets may register badges but they may not register arms.
Hamlets may not display a laurel wreath as part of their armory unless and until they transition to being official SCA branches.
A petition of support will be required to register a name or badge for a Hamlet. We are consulting with Lochac and Drachenwald about the most practical form of such a petition given the special status of Hamlets.

Here are the registrations from the April 2018 LoAR:

Æsa Feilan. Name and device. Per chevron sable and vert, two wolves combatant and a sheaf of arrows argent.

Aliette Le Lievre. Device. Azure, a rabbit courant argent and a bordure argent semy of Hungerford knots azure.

Drusticc inigena Eddarrnonn. Badge. Per bend enarched nebuly gules papellony Or and Or.

Eliza de Walkden. Name.

Elyna Delynor. Name.

Gildenwick, Hamlet of. Branch name.

Ginevra Isabella di Serafino Visconti. Badge. (Fieldless) A Canterbury cross argent.

Gwynhavyr of River Haven. Badge. Argent, a bend sinister and a chief wavy azure.

Ingvarr Karlason. Name and device. Per chevron inverted gules and vert, a chevron inverted argent and in chief a boar’s head cabossed Or.

John Longschankes the Grey. Device. Vert, a garb and in chief five mullets of four points in chevron Or.

Kathrine Asbjørnsdatter. Release of name and device. Per bend sinister gules and argent, a lion Or and a serpent erect, tail nowed sable.

Merewyn degli Fiore. Badge. (Fieldless) A lily within and conjoined to an annulet sable.

Merlin Grindall le Chat. Alternate name Guðfinna k{o,}ttr Járnh{o,}nd.

Rúna Hundadóttir. Name.

Saint Cecilia, College of. Badge for populace. (Fieldless) In saltire an organ pipe vert and an organ pipe Or.

Sigbrandr Stillingr. Name.

Southron Gaard, Barony of. Badge association for L’Ordre du Coeur Loyal. Gules, a Canterbury cross and in chief three mullets argent.

Sympkyn of the Moor. Name.

Þóra Rauðaskeggadóttir. Name and device. Argent, a bend sinister wavy azure between three emmets sable and an oak tree proper.

Ulfar Hausakljufr. Device change. Per pale sable and Or, a Catherine wheel argent between three crosses formy counterchanged.

Vígdís Svínahildardóttir. Name and device. Or, a winged pig courant gules.

Wildmoor, Hamlet of. Branch name.

Rocket Herald will send out individual missives to all those with acceptances and returns. Quarrel Herald will update the Lochac Roll of Arms, which will be available here.