CAMeL

Mistress Aislinn de Valence
Crux Australis Herald
Megan Dansie
P.O. Box 526
Unley SA 5061
Phone: IDD+61 8 8293 6635
Internet: aislinn@merlin..net.au

Important Addresses | Subscriptions | From Crux | About Reports
Heraldic Resources | Submission Requirements | Submissions to Laurel
Returns | Pended | September Letter | October Letter | Corrections

December 1997

Those wonderful people who helped.

Baron Osgot of Corfe (David Carter)
Master Tovye Woolmongere (Tony Stankiewicz) PE
Viscount Haos Windchaser Pursuivant (Danny Bartel)
Viscountess Bryony Beekeeper (Brenda Bartel)
Lady Katerina da Brescia (Karen Ogden)
Dafydd yr Estron (David Carlisle)
William Blacwode (Andrew Kenner)

Next meeting
January 4th 1998, 2pm. Meetings will usually be on the first Sunday of the month at 2pm. Call first if you are bringing a submission to the meeting.

This is your last issue (unless you renew)
Steven Maynard
Andrew Pass
Susie Hobbs
Aron Paul
Peter Kearins
Narelle Griffin
Linda Ramsbottom

Important Addresses
Hund Herald: þorfinn Hrolfsson. External commentary franchise and heraldic publications. [Steven Roylance] 1592 Malvern Road, Glen Iris VIC 3146. Ph (03) 9885 6348.

Cannon Pursuivant: Haos Windchaser. Precedence and Gentry list. [Danny Bartel] PO Box 1623 Kersbrook SA 5231. Ph (08) 8389 3404.

Baryl Pursuivant: Thomas Flamanc of Kelsale. External commentary. [John Sawyer] Ph (03) 9543 4847.

Bombard Pursuivant: þorfinn Hrolfsson. Ceremonies deputy.

Positions vacant:Field/voice deputy; regional mentors.

Subscriptions
C.A.M.(e).L. is available from Crux Australis at $20 per year. Make cheques payable to "SCA Inc. College of Heralds". Note that due to lower production costs, the Camel will cost $20 a year, from 1st January 1998. Laurel's Letter of Acceptance and Return is available from the SCA College of Arms, C/O Mistress Sionyn Muirgen niDhomnall, Pelican Queen of Arms...
Jackie Watson
3532 Winding Wind Cove
Bartlett TN 38135-3044, USA
...for US$25 per year. Make cheques payable to "SCA Inc. - College of Arms".
Please note that everything of relevance to Lochac will be published in the CAMeL.

From Crux
This month I would like to explain my philosophy about rosters and heraldic ranks.

Any Herald in training or any volunteer in a tabard for a day is a Cornet. Cornets officially wear green baldrics with crossed gold trumpets. In practical terms, they probably wear whatever was lent to them.

The first permanent heraldic rank is a Pursuivant Extrordinary, or PE. A PE should be competent in at least one area of heraldry, i.e. book, field or court, and have at least a vague idea about the others. I will not roster a PE without being assured that they know the basics of book heraldry. You do not have to be a PE to be a group herald, but if you are not, I will roster you as 'acting' until you have enough experience to be a PE. I may ask you to sit a simple test on book heraldry before I roster you.

A Pursuivant should be competent in all heraldic areas and shine in at least one. This rank is personal, like that of PE, and stays with you whether you are a group herald or not. Ideally baronial heralds should be pursuivants, and if they are not, they are 'acting' pursuivant. This is like 'higher duties' in the Public Service.

Some officers carry the title Herald. So while I am Crux, my title is Herald. In a couple of years, I will be a pursuivant again. Only rare individuals are given a permanent title of herald. Master þorfinn Hrolfsson, Hund Herald is the only one in Lochac.

How do you get rostered? Write to me and introduce yourself. I should know of your activities from the reports from your group herald. If I don't, let me know what you have been doing. I will not roster any group herald unless they write to me personally. If you want a "promotion" talk to me, and I'll consider it. I will let you know if I consider that you need more experience or skills. I will only roster group heralds for two years; after two years, you can ask for a further two years. I have a number of heralds on the roster who may not be active, and who have probably changed address. I would like your comments on the proposal that heralds be removed from the roster for inactivity after, say, two years. The roster is so inaccurate that it has a dead man on it! The difficulty is how to measure activity. I look forward to your comments.

Aislinn.

Reports
I have received reports from the Barony of Stormhold, cantons and colleges; the Barony Ynys Fawr, the Barony of Innilgard, colleges and canton; the Barony of River Haven , the Shire of Mordenvale, the Barony of Politarchopolis, The Shire of Agaricus. Well done! In answer to some issues raised by the reports:

Drogo: It is not my policy to offer free Crux subscriptions. However, feel free to copy your Camel for your cantons, as long as they get the whole document. The Camel is also available on my website, found through the Lochac site.

All: Remember, it is not enough to tell me of changes of canton and college heralds in your reports. The new officer must write to me, and sign a roster letter. A letter from the outgoing officer naming his of her sucessor is nice too.

Yyns Fawr: I do not have a Crux subscription for you, only for Paul Harris.

Kyrii: I like your emphasis on communication up and down the line. I am sure your canton heralds appreciate your monthly newsletters. You do not need to send me copies of the Court Heralds Award Form. They should go to Lochac Scribe and Chronicler, and my deputies Canon and Bombard. You are using an outdated form. Bombard can give you an up to date one.

Reports from the following groups are overdue:

The reports for these groups are overdue. Some of these groups did not report adequately in the last round of reports. If I do not receive reports from these groups IMMEDIATELY, I will be writing to the group Seneschals , and considering the roster status of the heralds in question. If you have trouble reporting, for goodness sake, at least give me a phone call. The office of herald is a required one. Every group must have a herald. How can I help you if you do not report?You should keep a copy for your files, and give copies to your Seneschal, Baron and Baroness and College/Canton Heralds. The sort of things I would like to see in a report include:
The report does not have to be long, or 'forsooth'. It should give me a picture of how Heraldry is going in your group, and what assistance I can give you. It will also help me with assessing requests from Heralds for ranks as PE's or Pursuivants. The next quarterly reports are due by 1st April 1998.
Heraldic Resources
Master (Thorfinn) þorfinn is the Australian Agent for Free Trumpet Press. As the Australian dollar is plunging in value, I have not included a price list as it will already be out of date. Contact þorfinn directly for the latest prices. I also recommend that groups acquire some name resources, in particular Reaney and Withycombe.

Submission Requirements.
Cost: $15 per name, and $15 per device or badge. No cost for resubmissions. Make cheques payable to "SCA Inc College of Heralds". We currently send US$3 (approximately AUS$4.50) to Laurel for each item This will rise as of 1st January 1998 to US$4 (approximately AUS$ 5.90). I will try and absorb the cost increase for as long as possible, but if the Aussie dollar continues to drop, I will have to increase my charges.

Copies required for submissions:
I will reject submissions without a black and white copy as I need to scan it to produce the Letter of Intent for Laurel.

Please check that submitters have ALL documentation. Remember, they have to present their submission in a way that makes registration easy. Name documentation should be as accurate as possible, and copies supplies unless the reference is standard such as Reaney and Withycombe. Even then, the page and edition should be quoted.

I know that some of you have few name resources. There is a lot of help available if you ask for it. I or someone overseas may well be able to help with that tricky name. If you cannot document a name well, you can still submit it, BUT submitters should be made aware that if they check the 'make no changes' box, their name will be returned even if ONE letter is incorrect.

Most submissions I have seen are of an excellent quality. However, it saddens me to return a good submission just because the artwork or documentation is incomplete.

Submissions to Laurel
1. Brennan Halfhand

Politarchopolis

Consulting Herald: Giles Leabrook

Name already registered, device resubmitted.

Device: Argent an eagle striking and on a bordure vert four oak leaves in cross argent. Blazon was changed from seme of oak leaves to reflect the blazon, and also to avoid a conflict.


2. Cecily de Montsalvy

Catellum Montanum

Consulting Herald: Eleanor of Abergavenny

Name submitted in August, 1997. Device resubmitted, as hind leg was missing in original submission

Device: Azure within a bordure ermine, a winged unicorn passant argent.


3. Gerard du Montagne

Innilgard

Consulting Herald: himself

New name: will leave spelling. Laurel may change to Montaigne if required.

Language: French

Documentation: Montagne; Hanks and Hodges p372; Montagne meaning mountain. Alternate spelling of Montaigne may be more period. Gerard: Withycombe 3rd ed. p131.


4. Giovannino di Vidor

Innilgard

Consulting Herald: Armand de Rocheforte

New name and device. Argent on a pile purpure, a double bitted axe argent.

Language: Italian

Documentation submitted: Giovannino: documentation copy supplied from Italian Gothic Sculpture by John Pope-Hennessy : Giovannino di Grassi active from 1389 to 1398. Vidor: Small town in north of Italy. documentation copy supplied from Italian reference; Vidor...centro anni di storia. See Returns for device.


5. Gwenhwyvar of Abergavenny

Innilgard

Consulting Herald: Tovye Woolmongre

New name and Device. Vert a stag at gaze or on a base embowed sable.

Language: Welsh

Documentation submitted: Gwenhwyvar: Withycombe p140 Abergavenny: place name dating 1191. The Counties of Britain by John Speed p26 and Dictionary of English Place names 4th ed. .by Eilert Ekwall p1. Both name and device seem clear.


6. Katerina Raedaria

Politarchopolis

Name registered in March 1997.

New device: Gules, on a bend sinister argent a seven spoked wheel azure, between two increscents argent. Device appears clear of conflict.


7. Nerrisa de Saye

Saint Florians de la Riviere

Consulting Herald: originally herself

Name registered in September 1996. Device returned September 1997 by Laurel, for Voiding secondary charges (crowns).

Device: Per pale gules and purpure, between three western crowns or, a unicorn passant regardant argent, armed and crined or. The submitter has corrected the problem by removing the voiding. The submitter is a Viscountess and therefore entitled to use crowns in her arms.


8. Osbert of Tewkesbury

Innilgard

Consulting Herald: Tovye Woolmongere

New name and device: Gules, between two broadarrows, on a pile throughout inverted or, a broadarrow inverted gules.

Language: English

Documentation supplied: Osbert: New American Dictionary of First Names which is on the 'Names sources to be Avoided in Documentation' list Appendix F of Administrative Handbook (web ref: http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/admin.html) However, it was found in Withycombe pp234,235, being a Norman French version of Old English name Osbeorht. Tewkesbury: Place name documented in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names 4th ed. p464.
Device: blazoned as pheons, however was changed to broadarrows, as pheons have serrated inside edges. Both names and device appear clear of conflict. The only possible conflict could be gules, on a pile inverted throughout between two anchors or, a bear's head erased sable (Sven Magnusson, Sep 1984). However we feel that there is sufficient difference between an anchor and broadarrow and so have passed it on up to Laurel.

Returns
9. Giovannino di Vidor

Innilgard

Consulting Herald: Armand de Rocheforte

New device: Argent on a pile purpure, a double bitted axe argent. Device conflicts with Gabriella Maddelena Pisano: Argent, on a pile purpure between two common blue irises slipped and leaved proper, a houndstooth burnisher argent and badge: Argent, on a pile purpure, a hounstooth burnisher argent. Device returned for changing. Other option is to gain permission from Gabriella Maddelena Pisano for conflict.

References:

Ekwall Eilert, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names. 4th ed. p47

Hanks, Patrick and Hodges, Flavia: Dictionary of Surnames

Speed, John, The Counties of Britain, p26

Withycombe E.G., The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford University Press, UK, 1979

From the November Letter of Acceptances and Returns
Registrations

Ailern Éireannach. Name.

Styvyn Longshanks. Device.
Gules, a comet bendwise sinister argent ermined gules.

Urusla von Ausbach. Name.