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West Kingdom Herald's Handbook

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Last Updated: January, 2018

The original West Kingdom Heralds' Handbook that this is from, created in the mid to late 1980s, was based on computer manuals with a title page for the article providing some information about size, when it was last updated, etc. This allowed someone to print updated versions of individual articles, without having to reprint the whole handbook.

In the "modern" age, where nearly everything is on the web, it made sense to re-format the articles in HTML, add appropriate links between articles, and work from there. Each article should have a "Last Updated" note at the top of the article, authors' names, and an abstract at the top of the page summarizing the article's purpose.

The articles noted in red in the Table of Contents are ones that have not yet been written ... if you are interested, please contact the Baldric and/or Golem Heralds.

DISCLAIMER

This is the West Kingdom Herald's Handbook, a publication of the West Kingdom College of Heralds of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. It is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., and does not delineate SCA policies. In many places it delineates West Kingdom College of Heralds policies.

Introduction

I. Duties of a Herald

  1. The Duties and Responsibilities of Rostered Heralds
  2. Commentary on the Roster Letter Enclosure Letter
  3. Heraldic Regalia and How to Wear It
  4. Requirements for Advancement
  5. Duties of the Major Heraldic Positions
    (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
  6. Senior Heraldic Staff Members
    (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
  7. The Herald as a Local Officer

II. What the College of Heralds Does

  1. How to Use Your College of Heralds
  2. Getting Advice on Heraldry (How to Help the College of Heralds Help You)
  3. The Various Types of SCA Herald
  4. How to be Herald-in-Charge at an Event
  5. How to Organize a Heralds' Roster
         You can download/print a Kingdom Heralds' Roster by selecting this link: Heralds' Roster Form (PDF)

III. Field and Town Crier Heralding

  1. OYEZ, OYEZ! (An intro to field heralding ...)
  2. Who Can Ask for Announcements
  3. What to Say
    1. What To Say: Paraphrasing and Giving Directions
    2. What To Say: List of Alternate Wordings for Common Phrases
    3. What To Say: Field Litany, with Variations
  4. How to Use (not Abuse) Your Voice
  5. How to Run a Lists
  6. The Voice of the Crown
  7. Morning Announcements

IV. Protocol, Titles, Awards and Precedence

  1. What Do I call the Guy With the Hat?
  2. Awards and Honors in the West Kingdom
    (Includes, where possible, images of tokens of for recognitions)
  3. Precedence
  4. Territorial Armory
  5. Precedence in Seating in Court and at Feast, Toasting, and Diverse Other Matters of Protocol
  6. Sumptuary Customs in the West
  7. Crowns and Coronets of the West Kingdom
  8. Alternate Titles List (LAUREL COA SITE)

V. Court Heraldry

  1. Philosopy of Court Heraldry
    1. Philosophy of Court Heraldry: Some Musings on Court and the Function of the Herald Therein
    2. Philosophy of Court Heraldry: On Courts
  2. How to Organize a Court
    1. How to Organize a Court: On the Practical Conduct of Court
    2. How to Organize a Court: On the Art/Science of Court Heraldry
  3. How to Start and End a Court
  4. How to Write a Ceremony
  5. Sample Ceremonies for Small Tournies
  6. Selected Ceremonies of the West Kingdom
  7. Court Report Instructions -- What to Do After Court is Over

VI. Names (Onomastics) - Technical

  1. Documenting Your Name
  2. How to Do Name Consultation
  3. Books and Articles on Names and Naming Practices

VII. Armory - Technical

  1. The Philosophical Roots of Heraldic Design
  2. Basis and Philosophy of SCA Heraldry
  3. The Philosophical Basis of Difference, or What are Little CD's Made of (LAUREL COA SITE)
  4. Books on Armory
  5. A Listing of the Books in the Collection of the College of Heralds of the Kingdom of the West
  6. Lady Argent Snail's Armory Insta-boing Check List (LAUREL COA SITE)
  7. Reserved and Prohibited Charges (LAUREL COA SITE)
  8. Counting Complexity in Devices and Badges (LAUREL COA SITE)

VIII. Names and Armory - Procedural

  1. How to Submit Devices/Badges/Names
    (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
  2. What Happens to Submissions
    (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
  3. Submission Forms
    1. Current Forms (with instructions)
      (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
    2. Heraldi-Scratch ("Scratch Paper" for designing armory)
      (This link is to pages not part of the Handbook, but part of the WK Heralds' Site)
  4. The Consultation Table
  5. Rules For Submission
    1. Glossary of Terms (LAUREL COA SITE)
    2. The Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory (SENA): The Rules for Submission (LAUREL COA SITE)
    3. Administrative Handbook of the College of Arms of the SCA (LAUREL COA SITE)
  6. Efficient Conflict Research Under the Current Rules
  7. Resources Available to Heralds
  8. How to be an Heraldic Consultant
  9. A Guide to the Heraldic Submission Process

IX. Questions Commonly Asked of the Heralds

  1. Questions Commonly Asked of the Heralds
  2. Frequently Given Answers (That are Wrong) (LAUREL COA SITE)

X. What To Tell a New Person

  1. A Very Basic Introduction (PDF)
    Text From Queen Carol's Guide, images updated, one page handout on Heraldry
  2. Heraldry For Scribes (A VERY Good Tutorial on Heraldry)
  3. What To Do With It When It Has Passed
    An incomplete article on what to do with your heraldry can be found at: Armorial Display (ANOTHER SITE)
  4. Articles on Cormac Mór's Heraldry at Poore House site on Heraldic Display:

XI. Miscellanea

  1. Fealty, Loyalty and Obedience
  2. A Non-Herald's View of Heralds
  3. Table of Modern to (West Kingdom) SCA Years

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