[antir-heralds] period charge?

[Jillian Bower]

Okay....

Here is what I did to conflict check this badge which I think comes up clear.

Proposed device: Sable, a roundel between in fess an increscent and a decrescent and on a base argent a mullet of six points sable

This armory does not qualify for any clearance under RfS X.2 because there are more than two kinds of charges on the field.

* Precedents

Roundel

[Per bend sinister gules and azure, in fess a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent argent] This device does not conflict with ... Per fess engrailed sable and argent, a roundel between a decrescent and an increscent argent There is a CD for changing the field. There is also a CD for changing the posture of two of the three charges: each of the crescents has been reversed. (Alternately, you can see it as a change of arrangement of the charges, by swapping the outermost two charges.)

Some commenters mentioned that this arrangement of a roundel and crescents is not typical of period armory, and we concur, but this armorial design is registerable as long as the charges maintain their identifiability: "While we will reluctantly register the arrangement of an increscent, roundel and decrescent if they aren't conjoined, the conjoining makes them unidentifiable as well as non-period" (LoAR September 1997 p. 23) [Elizabeth Karlsdotter, 12/03, A-Drachenwald]

Mullet

[a sun vs. a mullet of seven points] By current precedent there is not a CD between a multi-pointed mullet and sun... [Máire MacPharthláin, 02/02, R-Calontir]

... there is no difference between mullets of five points and mullets of six points. There is a wealth of period evidence showing that mullets may be drawn either with five or six points as artist's license, with Continental armorists showing a preference for six-pointed mullets and British artists showing a preference for five-pointed mullets. The general SCA practices for difference of mullets of various numbers of points have been unchanged for some years but were summarized in the February 2002 LoAR: "The rules for change of type of mullets follow the rules for change of number of charges. Mullets of n points will get a CD from mullets of m points if RfS X.4.f gives a CD for changing the number of charges from n to m." RfS X.4.f does not give difference between groups of five charges and six charges, and therefore our general SCA practice for determining difference between these types of mullets conveniently matches the period practice. [Brian macSeyfang, 06/02, R-Atenvel
 dt]

[mullets vs. compass stars] ... a second CD between the default mullets of five points and compass stars. RfS X.4.e states that "A charge not used in period armory will be considered different in type if its shape in normal depiction is significantly different." Compass stars are not used in period armory and thus must be compared with mullets of five points on visual grounds. They have sufficient visual difference to be given a CD. [Asad de Barcelona, 10/03, A-Æthelmearc]

Crescent

There is ... no difference between an increscent and an increscent moon. [Galiena of Lindisfarne, 08/01, R-Meridies]


* Ordinary searches

Categories “Roundel – Whole – 1 – Uncharged – Plain line – Argent”, “Crescent – 2” , “Mullet – Uncharged – 1 – Sable” and “Base – Charged – Plain line” yield nothing close.

All devices in these categories that were even somewhat similar shared at least three of the following CDs from the proposed armory:

- change to the field by RfS X.4.a
- adding a charge group by RfS X.4.b
- changing the tincture of a charge group by RfS X.4.d
- changing the type of the charges in a charge group by RfS X.4.e
- changing the number of charges in a charge group by RfS X.4.f

There were a lot of devices that I counted against  in my head. I don't think I missed any. I resorted to looking up blazon pattern strings just to make sure I didn't miss things... I did "on a base argent" and "between an increscent and a descrescent".

Hopefully those were the right places to look! :)

--
In joyful service to the Summits and An Tir,
Lady Áine Steele
Löwenmähne Herald

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Britt <tierna.britt at gmail.com>
> > I -think- it should blazon:
> >
> > Sable, a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent and on a base argent a 
> mullet of six points sable
> 
> Yup.
> 
> > So, "a roundel" is the primary charge group, "an increscent and a decrescent" 
> is the secondary charge group, "a base" is a teriary charge group and "a mullet 
> of six points" is a second tertiary group. Right?
> 
> Nope. :)
> A tertiary charge group is one which lies entirely on other charges on
> the field or overall.
> The roundel is the primary charge group. The crescents are the first
> secondary charge group. The base is the second secondary charge group
> because peripheral charges as defined in RfS X.4.a.i. are always a
> separate group from other primaries on the field. The mullet is the
> tertiary charge group.
> 
> Now it's legal, nice job.
> 
> > Complexity count is: roundel-1, increscent-2, decrescent-3, base-4, mullet-5, 
> sable-6, argent-7.
> 
> That's borderline, but all the charges are standard and the
> two-tincture design should make it quite acceptable.
> 
> It'll be a bit difficult to conflict check because with three charges
> on the field it doesn't qualify for X.2.
> I'll leave it to you, though. The style is now legal, so on to
> conflict checking. Post what you do; we'll help you work through the
> minutae. :)
> 
> - Teceangl