Outlands College of Heralds

From Outlands Online
Revision as of 12:20, 15 September 2025 by Evpraksiia (talk | contribs) (Removed some unnecessary stuff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Overview

The Outlands College of Heralds is the heraldic arm of the Kingdom of the Outlands within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). It supports name & armory submissions, field and court voice heraldry, awards tracking, scribal activity, and educational outreach across the kingdom. Heralds ensure accurate recordkeeping and provide ceremonial support at events.

Roles

Kingdom Heralds
Title Description Herald
White Stag Principal Herald Chief administrative herald & voice of the Crown Andreas von Meißen
Rampart Herald Submissions (name/device) intake & processing Khalidah bint Yahya'a
Castle Herald Letter of Presentation compiler Vacant
Besom Herald Rampart’s clerk (submission notices) Vacant
Wimble Herald Order of Precedence & awards database Þorvaldr Þórólfsson á Vaksfjall
Wharrow Herald Roll of Arms (registered devices) Llwyus ap Alan
Gimlet Herald Book of Ceremonies & court protocol Anna MacTaggart
Plover Herald Field heraldry coordination Vacant
Weel Herald Education & publications Carlos Nieto de Andrade
Blue Iris Herald Queen’s court herald Gráinne Shocair
Palmer, Scribe, Stags Attire, Liber/Trefoil/Fretty Heralds Deputies, regalia, commentary
Local Heralds
Barony Title Herald
Caerthe Aspen Jethro Stille
al-Barran Scorpion Vacant
Dragonsspine Scalene Angel d'Auvergne
Citadel of the Southern Pass Rook Sayyid Yaya al-Faris ibn Hassan al-Mari
Unser Hafen Barbican Hilarion Angelos Akropolites
Caer Galen Ray du Soleil Vacant
Aarquelle Aarquelle Ragnvaldr of Rendlesham

Reporting and Record Keeping

Reporting Schedule

  • Kingdom Staff: quarterly (due 10 Jan, 10 Apr, 10 Jul, 10 Oct)
  • Baronial Heralds: monthly
  • Shire/Canton/College Heralds: quarterly (to baronial herald or White Stag)
  • Heralds‑at‑Large: periodic activity reports; removal after one year of silence.[1]

Report Contents

Each report should include:

  • Herald’s SCA & legal names, membership info, group served, reporting period, date of report
  • List of submissions sent to Castle Herald (submitter, type, status, dates)
  • Accounting of heraldic funds handled (submission fees in/out)
  • Status of in‑process submissions (milestone dates)
  • Awards received by populace during period
  • Other activities: courts, lists, demos, classes, publications.[1]

Record‑keeping Maintain files for:

  • Correspondence (incoming & outgoing)
  • Submissions (pending & registered)
  • Court Reports & Precedence updates
  • Heraldic reference materials and forms.[1]

Equipment & Resources

Heralds should have:

  • The Outlands Heralds’ Handbook and Guide to Submissions Heraldry[1]
  • Portable file box/folders, scroll case, clipboard, file cards
  • “Greenwear” (tabard/baldric) for voice heraldry
  • SCA Corpora & Kingdom Law texts
  • Access to the Online Ordinary & Armorial (http://oanda.sca.org/)
  • Kingdom heralds’ websites (Rampart, Wimble, Wharrow, Plover, Gimlet, Weel, Stags Attire)
  • Personal heraldic reference library.[1]

Structure

The College comprises three tiers:

  1. Senior Staff – Kingdom officers appointed by White Stag
  2. Local Heralds – Baronial/Shire/Canton/College heralds (White Stag‑approved)
  3. Heralds‑at‑Large – Un‑warranted but active participants.[1]

Heraldic Ranks

  • Messenger‑of‑Arms – Entry level
  • Macer – Demonstrates continuing commitment
  • Pursuivant – Solid knowledge in at least one heraldic area
  • Herald – Excellence in two or more heraldic disciplines
  • Herald Extraordinary – Honorific for outstanding service and impact.[1]

Types of Heraldry

  • Book Heraldry – Assisting with name & device research, documentation, submissions
  • Field Heraldry – Announcing lists, match results, fighter identities
  • Court Heraldry – Master of ceremonies for courts; awards announcements.[1]

Philosophy

Heralds serve as the Crown’s voice with courtesy, discretion, professionalism, and fun. Mentorship and education are core values.[1]

Basic Heraldry Texts

  • Complete Guide to Heraldry (Fox‑Davies)
  • Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry (Draconarius & Akagawa)
  • Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (Withycombe)
  • Surname & place‑name dictionaries (Reaney & Wilson; Black; Ekwall)
  • Dictionary of German Names (Bahlow)

SCA‑Specific Publications

  • Guide to Submissions Heraldry in the Outlands (Companion Handbook)
  • Compleat Anachronist #22, #51, #66
  • Free Trumpet Press pamphlets (Laurel Precedents, KWHS Proceedings)

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Template:Cite web
Retrieved from "http://outlandsonline.com/index.php?title=Outlands_College_of_Heralds&oldid=6887"