RfS Part VII, Compatible Armorial Content

#7PART VII - COMPATIBLE ARMORIAL CONTENT Every element in a piece of Society armory must be compatible with period armorial practices, as is required by General Principle I.1.a of these rules. This section defines the categories of elements that the College of Arms has generally found to be compatible, those which have been ruled not compatible, and those generally found to be a step from period practice. Armory that is one step from period practice is registerable; armory that is two steps from period practice is not registerable. #7.11. Period Charges. - Ordinaries and other charges used in period armory may be registered. No charge that is documented as having been used in period European heraldry, including as an element of a crest or badge, will be considered a step from period practice. Use of a charge in heraldry after 1600 does not guarantee its acceptability. Thus, even though they appear in modern British heraldry, DNA molecules and hydrogen atoms may not be used. #7.22. Period Armorial Elements. - Lines of division, lines of partition, field treatments, and other elements used in period armory may be registered. Use of an element in period art does not guarantee its acceptability for armory. Use of the Greek key design, which was common in period decorative art, never carried over into armory. If an element of period art not used as a heraldic charge in period is determined to be registerable, it will be considered a step from period practice. #7.33. Period Artifacts. - Artifacts that were known in the period and domain of the Society may be registered in armory, provided they are depicted in their period forms. A pen, for instance, must be depicted as a quill pen or other period form, not a fountain pen. A wheel must be depicted as a wagon wheel, not a rubber tire from an automobile. The use of artifacts that, though not found in period armory, follow a pattern of charges found in period armory, will not be considered a step from period practice. For instance, there are so many examples of tools used by European craftsmen being used as charges in period armory, that any tool documented as in use in Europe prior to 1600 is generally acceptable without being a step from period practice. Artifacts that do not follow a pattern of charges found in period armory, such as an aeolipile, will be considered a step from period practice. #7.44. Period Flora and Fauna. - Flora and fauna that were known in the period and domain of the Society may be registered in armory. Flora and fauna documented as having been used as charges in period heraldry, including crests and badges, will not be considered a step from period practice. This includes New World and sub-Saharan African flora and fauna. The use of flora and fauna native to Europe, including coastal waters, that cannot otherwise be documented as heraldic charges will not be considered a step from period practice. While some flora (such as roses and lilies) and fauna (such as lions and dogs) are much more common than others, there is still a wide practice of using a variety of flora and fauna in period armory. The use of flora and fauna native to the New World, Africa, Asia, and other non-European locales will be registerable if it is reasonable to believe that Europeans knew them in period. Their use will be considered a step from period practice, unless they were used as charges in period heraldry, including crests and badges, in which case their use is not a weirdness. Consider a turkey and a manatee: they are both New World fauna, but the turkey is documented as part of a crest in period armory. The use of a turkey, therefore, is not a step from period practice. The use of a manatee as a charge, pending evidence that it was used in period armory, is a step from period practice. Hybrids or mutations of period forms known to have been developed after 1600 generally may not be used as charges. For example, the English Sheepdog may not be used in Society armory because it was developed after 1600. #7.55. Compatible Monsters. - Monsters compatible with period armorial practice may be registered in armory. Monsters described in period sources may be used in the Society, even if they were not used in period heraldry. New monsters may be formed for Society use on the analogy of period monsters, so long as all components remain sufficiently identifiable in the compound monster. For example, the Society has created the sea fox parallel to the sea lion and sea horse. Adding wings to a non-winged creature is another common period method of creating heraldic monsters. Monsters described in period sources or created in a manner that follow period practice will not be considered a step from period practice. #7.66. Compatible Armorial Elements. - Any charge, line of division, line of partition, field treatment, or other armorial element that has been ruled compatible with period heraldic style may be registered in armory. 6.a. Compatible Charges - Charges that have not been documented to period may be ruled SCA-compatible; the use of an SCA-compatible charge is a step from period practice. A ruling that a charge is SCA-compatible can change with new evidence. Charges that were in the past ruled a step from period practice may later be ruled unregisterable. Charges that were in the past ruled SCA-compatible because they were rare in period, or that have since been documented as period heraldic charges, are not a step from period practice. Examples of charges that are a step from period practice include compass stars, lightning bolts, pawprints, and valknuts. #7.77. Armorial Element Requirements. - Only elements from the preceding categories that satisfy the following requirements may be registered in armory. >> a. Identification Requirement - Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance.Any charge, line of partition, or field treatment used in Society armory must be identifiable, in and of itself, without labels or excessive explanation. Elements not used in period armory may be defined and accepted for Society use if they are readily distinguishable from elements that are already in use. The compass star, defined in the Society as a mullet of four greater and four lesser points, is immediately identifiable without confusion with other mullets or estoiles once its definition is known. >> b. Reconstruction Requirement - Elements must be reconstructible in a recognizable form from a competent blazon. >> Any element used in Society armory must be describable in standard heraldic terms so that a competent heraldic artist can reproduce the armory solely from the blazon. Elements that cannot be described in such a way that the depiction of the armory will remain consistent may not be used, even if they are identifiable design motifs that were used before 1600. For example, the Tree of Life occurs as a decorative element in period and is readily identifiable as such, but it may not be used in armory since it cannot be defined in a manner that guarantees its consistent depiction. #7.88. Registered Armorial Elements. - Once an armorial element has been registered to an individual or group, the College of Arms may permit that particular individual or group to register that element again, even if it is no longer permissible under the rules in effect at the time the later submission is made. This permission may be extended to close relatives of the submitter if the College of Arms deems it appropriate. Only the actual armorial element from the originally registered submission may be covered by this permission. For example, if an individual had registered armory containing a fimbriated lion many years ago, only that fimbriated lion would be covered under this rule, not fimbriated wolves, eagles, or lions in other postures. The College of Arms might also agree to register this lion to the original submitters children. This allowance will not be granted for submitters other than the original owner under any other circumstances.