One of the primary ways that individuals participate in the SCA is through creating a persona –someone from a particular time and place relating to Western Europe before A.D. 1600. This creates the foundational context for learning about the Middle Ages. While all times and places are open for exploring, many people focus much of their learning on the time and place their persona is from.
Creating a heraldic device is part of developing your persona. Master Jasper Greensmith on the SCA Heraldry site says, “Your heraldic device (informally, your “coat of arms”) is essentially your personal “logo,” and identifies you the way a company’s logo identifies the company. On a banner, it tells everyone you’re at an event. On a shield, it tells who’s on the field fighting. On tableware, it tells whose place it’s at. On clothing, it tells who’s in the clothing.” Badges were used to identify what belonged to a person or group.
- Device = “This is me.”
- Badge = “This is mine.”
Our shire’s herald position is currently vacant.
Here are some primary web pages related to heraldry, persona development, and titles:
- Heraldic Device Resources
- Name Lists
- Persona Resources
- Awards in Northshield
- The Shire of Rokeclif’s Order of Precedence
- Traceable Heraldic Art
BONUS LINK: Ansteorra’s downloadable Herald’s Toolbox – tons of terrific resources for heraldry, including free software, a heraldic art library, and the training textbook they use for heralds there
Rokeclif’s device is blazoned: Vert, a phoenix Or within a laurel wreath and on a chief argent three cattails slipped and leaved proper.
(Blazoning is a highly organized means of describing a device so that anyone who knows the rules can reproduce the device without seeing it.) It was registered with the College of Heralds in February of 1997.
Rokeclif’s badge is blazoned: (Fieldless) A cattail slipped and leaved proper. The badge was registered in May of 1998.