Assorted Lessons in SCA Heraldry

Edited By Jaelle of Armida. (mka Judy Gerjuoy)

Unusable charges

A previous lesson discussed how the rules define usable charges. Some charges are acceptable under Part VII, but have restrictions placed on their use in Society armory. This lesson will deal with this.
Some charges are restricted, meaning no one may register armory bearing these charges, and some charges are reserved, meaning there are certain conditions placed on who may register what.

There are two reasons a charge is restricted or reserved:

Presumptuous charges make a claim to a specific thing. If the bearer is entitled to that thing, the use is appropriate. For example, a Papal cross says "I am the Pope ." Since this is a mundane office, no one in the context of the Society may claim to be the Pope, thus no one may bear a Papal cross. The Papal cross is a restricted charge. A wreath of roses implies that the bearer has reigned as a consort in the Society. If you have done this, you may bear this charge, otherwise, you may not. A wreath of roses is a reserved charge.
Part I.2 of the Rules for Submission, General Principles mentions Offense: "No name or armory will be registered that may be offensive to a significant segment of the Society of the general population." The swastika, while a period charge, is so tainted by its association with the Nazis as to be unusable. All offensive charges are restricted.

The list of offensive charges includes:

Note also that charges that are inoffensive in their own right may be organized so as to create an offensive picture.

The list of presumptuous charges includes:

Most of the charges on the presumptuous list are so strongly associated with Royalty that to use them on armory would claim to be that Royal person.

The 5-toed Chinese dragon was reserved to the Chinese Emperor, while the 4-toed variety was reserved to the King of Korea.

Chinese dragons used in Society armory must have no more than three toes on each foot.

The Red Hand of Ulster is an Augmentation of Arms granted to Baronets in Great Britain.

France is not just a charge, but a ground with charges. This restriction means you may not have armory with an azure field and more than three or more Or fleurs-de-lys. It also means you may not have an azure charge with three or more Or fleurs-de-lys on it.

The following reserved charges may be used if certain conditions are met:

Crowns/coronets come in various types. Only Dukes and Duchesses may use ducal coronets (coronets with strawberry leaves). County coronets (embattled) may only be used by Counts,Countesses, Dukes or Duchess. They are reserved to those of county rank, but to achieve ducal rank you must first achieve county rank, so people of ducal rank may use them. Viscounts, Viscountesses, Court Barons and Court Baroness may use a coronet in their arms as long as it isn't embattled or has strawberry leaves. The arms of a Kingdom must bear a crown. The arms of the consort, the heirs, or-territorial princes and princesses may bear a crown.

Wreaths of Roses are reserved to former consorts of kingdoms.

The annulet of chain and the white belt are reserved to Knights.

The white baldric is reserved to the Masters of Arms.

Crossed trumpets signify official heraldic offices.

Laurel Wreaths may only be borne on group arms, but must be on group arms. In addition, the badge of the Order of the Laurel contains a laurel wreath.

A pelican in her piety and the cap of maintenance may only be borne by Masters and Mistresses of the pelican.

Try your hand at some exercises.

For each of the following charges, under what conditions may it be used in Society armory?

1. A rose gules crowned Or

2. A trillium argent crowned Or

3. A circular chain purpure

4. A hand appaumy azure

5. A county coronet

6. Two trumpets in saltire

7. A lion rampant dismembered and bleeding

8. A laurel wreath gules

9. A rose per pale argent and gules

10. A rose per fess gules and Or

11. A chevron azure, seme-de-lis argent

12. A bordure azure, seme-de-lis Or

13. A hurt charged with a fleur-de-lis Or

14. A hand gules enflamed proper

15. A wreath of oak proper

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Credits:
Armory content written by Herveus d"Ormonde (mka Michael Houghton)
Name content written by Jaelle of Armida (mka Judy Gerjuoy)
Web layout, design, and additional editing by Frederic Badger (mka Brander Roullett)