An Tir College of Heralds: Heraldic Education

FAQs

The Non-Heralds' FAQ

“What Is...” Articles

Please feel free to print or copy the articles in the following list and use them for heraldic education purposes throughout the Kingdom. (See also the Biffy Postings below for more documents you can print out for everyone's education and enjoyment.) The PDF files require the use of Adobe Reader/Acrobat Reader (available on most platforms), Preview (Mac OS X), or any other program that can read PDF files.

What is an SCA Name? [PDF] by Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen, and Dame Zenobia Naphtali.
What is an SCA Branch Name? [PDF] Compiled by Senhora Rafaella d'Allemtejo, with major contributions from Countess Elisabeth de Rossignol, Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen, and Dame Zenobia Naphtali; additional support by Lord Frederic Badger and Signora Francesca Testarossa de' Martini.
What is an SCA Heraldic Device? [PDF] by Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen, Dame Zenobia Naphtali, and Lord Torric inn Bjorn.
What is an SCA Heraldic Badge? by Dame Zenobia Naphtali.

Thanks to Baron Harold Devin for technical assistance with these articles.

General Information

About SCA Heraldry
SCA College of Arms: Education Articles
Modar's Heraldry Page: an amazing number of heraldry-related links, including Heraldic Myths by Baron Modar Neznanich. Just about every heraldry page you could ever need is linked from this page.
Frequently Given Answers (That Are Wrong) by Gawain of Miskbridge (this overlaps somewhat with the previous link)
Yves' pages on SCA Heraldry by Yves de Fortanier: articles and class outlines on heraldic topics.
How to build a heraldic library for under $250: the basic books you should start with.

Names

The Medieval Names Archive: Start here! This is probably the best online compilation of information suitable for selecting a medieval name.
What is an SCA Name? [PDF] by Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen, and Dame Zenobia Naphtali.
Choosing a Name & Creating a Persona by Baron Modar Neznanich
Finding a Name and Arms for Historical Re-Creation by Alan Fairfax
Choosing a Society Name: Hints for Newcomers by by Dietmar Reinhart von Straubing and Malachias von Morgenstern
A Brief Introduction to Medieval Bynames by Talan Gwynek and Arval Benicoeur
Quick and Easy Gaelic Names and the Historical Name Generator: Sixteenth Century Irish and Scottish Gaelic Names by Sharon L. Krossa
The Problem Names Project by members of the Academy of Saint Gabriel
Given Names that are Not Suitable for SCA Usage by Jaelle of Armida

Armory

Basic Conflict Checking by Lady Teceangl Bach [1999]
Finding a Name and Arms for Historical Re-Creation by Alan Fairfax
What is an SCA Heraldic Device? [PDF] by Master Jasper Greensmith of the Seagirt Glen, Dame Zenobia Naphtali, and Lord Torric inn Bjorn.
What is an SCA Heraldic Badge? by Dame Zenobia Naphtali.
The Heraldry Cliché Checklist by Alan Fairfax
Top 10 Reasons Your Device May Not Be Registrable! by Æthan of Eppelhyrste [2005]
Heraldry for Kids [PDF], a presentation for teachers and other adults to use when telling children about heraldry, by Lady Esclarmonde de Porcairages

Voice

YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT??? or Doing Court Heraldry Without Having a Nervous Breakdown
by Natasha Orionova Zateeva. (as taught at Kingdom Heraldic Symposium, A.S. 33)
HTML, RTF, DOC
Some Tips on Being a Voice Herald in An Tir
by Ciaran Cluana Ferta, formerly Vox Leonis Herald, Aug. 1998, Augmented by Margaree, Vox Leonis Dec 1999.
HTML, RTF, DOC
Tourney Field Titles
by Ciaran Cluana Ferta, Goutte de Sang Herald, Oct. 2003.
HTML, RTF, DOC
Field Herald Script Cards, 3x5 card format to be printed on card stock.
Another version of Field Herald Patter Cards, to be printed two-sided.
Pocket Court Herald Everything a court herald needs, in a booklet! by Baroness Kateline MarFarlane, OP, Mano d'Oro Herald
Pocket Field Herald Everything a field herald needs, in a booklet! Baroness Kateline MarFarlane, OP, Mano d'Oro Herald

Protocol

Stay tuned for more content here!

Other

Heralds in History in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, by Leslie A. Schweitzer (writing as Dame Zenobia Naphtali, O.L., O.P.) [2002]
The Rest of the Alphabet: The Da'ud Notation System
"But I don't have any books!": Commenting Without Sources, by Juliana de Luna.

Biffy Postings

(Please feel free to print or copy these and put them up on biffies or bulletin boards for heraldic education purposes throughout the Kingdom. These are GIF image files, and as such should be openable in most browsers and other software.)