Designing Your Device
Early on in most people's time with the SCA there comes the desire to create a device. All too often however this is undertaken with little understanding of the restraints that the laws of heraldry places on you and what qualities were looked for in Mediaeval heraldry. Too avoid heartache and/or embarassment at a later time this meeting can help to clarify what Heraldry means and how it should be utilised.
Materials Required
- The SCA Armorial.
- The SCA Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry.
- Textas
- Blank paper, or paper with shield shapes prepared.
- Any good Heraldry book containing mediaeval devices.
Meeting Outline
If it has not been mentioned in previous meetings it is a good idea to go over the origins of heraldry. Explain why Arms were taken up and that they were meant to be identifiable from a long distance.
Go over the basic rules of Heraldry (colours and metals, no colour on colour or metal on metal, positions of beasts, lines of division etc.). Point out things that aren't done in the SCA such as the use of protected devices, use of pentagrams and other symbols that are considered offensive. Mention points of difference that are required to ensure that all devices are unique.
Talk about the stylistic values placed on heraldry. Encourage people to keep things simple. Show people the usual forms that arms took. Mention that female arms often appeared on a lozenge. Definitely mention canting (punning) heraldry.
Allow people to design their own devices. It is definitely recommended that the Armorial be close at hand so that people don't get too attached to devices that they can't have.
Possible Problems
Some people find the laws of the SCA College of Arms infuriating. Try your best to explain why they do the things that they do.
Other Options
Take a complex device and a simple one (or several of each) drawn on the same scale. Show it to people from the far end of the room and see how accurately people can distinguish and describe them.
Resources and References
A few useful online sites are:
Webbed by Conrad Leviston. Please mail any suggestions/corrections/comments