Monster Media 1994 #1/monster.zip/monster/TEXT/SCA_TIPS.ZIP/SCA_TIPS

Text File | 1994-01-27 | 69KB | 1,542 lines

                      The Unofficial, Uncopywritten
     Hints and Tips for Newbies, Goobs, and other Persons unused to
                                 the SCA


INTRO

             Life in the Current Middle Ages
             _______________________________

Written by Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke ( [e-mail] )
Editted with the author's permission by Arval Benicoeur
        ([e-mail])


SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronism, which is a group
dedicated to recreating the Middle Ages in the present. Many
groups meet weekly, and at these meetings we dance, talk, study,
learn, revel, and make plans. But first, let's get a little bit
of info about the SCA in general.

              Where did the SCA come from?

The avowed purpose of the SCA is the study and recreation of the
European Middle Ages, its crafts, sciences, arts, traditions,
literature, etc. The SCA "period" is defined to be 600 AD to 1600
AD, concentrating on the Western European High Middle Ages. Under
the aegis of the SCA we study dance, calligraphy, martial arts,
cooking,  metalwork, stained glass, costuming, literature....
well, if they did  it, somebody in the SCA does it (Except die of
the Plague!).

As you can probably guess, the thing that separates the SCA from
a Humanities 101 class is the *active* participation in the
learning process. To learn costuming, you design and build
costumes. To learn SCA infantry fighting, you make armor,
weapons, shields, etc., and put them on and go learn how it feels
to wear them when somebody is swinging a (rattan) sword at you.
To learn brewing, you make (and sample!) your own wines, meads
and beers.

You will frequently hear a SCA person describe the SCA as
recreating the Middle Ages "as they ought to have been." In some
ways this is true -- we have few plagues, indoor plumbing, few
peasants. In the dead of winter we have other things to eat than
King's venison, salt pork and dried tubers.

The SCA was invented (discovered? begun?) in 1966 in Berkeley,
California by a group of Science Fiction and Fantasy fans who
wanted a "theme" party. Following the party, a group got together
to discuss the idea of a medieval re-creation and re-enactment
group. (which has ended up being much like the Civil War,
Revolutionary War or Buckskinning re-enactment groups that were
beginning to form in the US.) In Britain Medieval and British
Civil War recreation societies had existed for any number of
years. The Californians incorporated as a non-profit educational
society, started forming groups, and away they went.
Since 1966, the society has grown to include nearly 13,000 paying
members in the US, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Sweden,
Germany, Italy, France, Korea, Okinawa, New Zealand, Australia
and Greenland. Current demographic estimates indicate that for
every dues-paying member there are 4 non-subscribing members
active in local groups.

              How is the SCA Organized?

The SCA is a feudal society. No democracies for us! The SCA
"Knowne World" is divided into twelve Kingdoms, each with a King
and Queen (who rule by right of arms), a Prince and Princess
(heirs to the throne), and a council or Curia of Great Officers
who handle the mundane, day to day details of running the
kingdom.

A feudal society takes its form from the idea of honor and duty.
A noble owes duty of service to his lord, who might be a Baron or
Knight.  His lord owes in return the duty of protection from
danger and food, money, etc. when times are bad.

On the next level up, the higher nobles owe fealty (the word that
encompasses this idea of reciprocal responsibilities) to the
King. In return for their service as good stewards of the land
and readily available warriors, the King owes Knights, Barons,
and other high nobles protection, honor, and a return of money,
food, etc in times of hardship. It is something like the idea of
a Pyramid club, but the benefits are greater and the idea of
personal honor and mutual responsibility, not profit, tie the
structure together (or at least it did in Europe for nearly a
thousand years).

In the SCA this structure underlies our Society, although not
nearly as rigidly as in the medieval days. Our King, the head of
our Kingdom and our liege lord, has fought for the right to bear
the crown by fighting in a Crown Tourney for the right to make
his Lady Queen. <In the case of female fighters, she has fought
for the right to make her Lord King.> In some Kingdoms, like the
West (middle California), the King's word is law, and the people
willingly obey his every whim. Of course, four to six months
later there is a new King, with different ideas. Life can get
interesting.

Fighting in the SCA, or Why are those people hitting each other?

Fighting in the SCA evolved from what happened when two armed
knights were unhorsed and had to fight on the ground. It
resembles nothing so much as medieval infantry fighting. There
are two basic types of SCA fights: single combat, and group or
team battles, known as melees. SCA fighting does have rules. The
first, and most important rule, is that each and every fighter on
the field has honor. The fighter keeps faith with his honor by
accepting blows that would be killing or wounding (more about
this a little later).
The second is like unto it; A fighter keeps faith with his
brother fighters by acknowledging his opponent's word -- if he
says it was light, it was light. Since we prefer that no one get
hurt, SCA fighting is done with real armor (made with leather,
metal, padding, kydex, etc) and rattan swords. Rattan is that
bamboo-y stuff, only with a solid core, that furniture is made
of. Rattan, surprisingly enough, is springy enough to absorb some
of the force of the blow (although blows are *real solid*) and
light enough to approximate a real steel sword. Swords are made
by wrapping rattan staffs with strapping tape, covering them with
duct tape (known as silver tape) for esthetic reasons, and
attaching some sort of crosspiece or guard. Armor is much more
complex -- some armor, being made of steel, rivets, leather, etc,
can take more than 40 hours per piece of armor (for example, a
armored "glove" with moving fingers and joints can take upwards
of 75 hours to complete).

There are several essential and required pieces of armor -- helm,
neck and cervical vertebrae protection, elbows and knees,
kidneys, hands, groin. After that, most SCA fighters wear chest,
leg, arm and forearm, and feet protection.

If a blow hits hard enough that a sword would have cloven mail,
it is "good". Beginning fighters, as they are being trained, are
taught blow calibrations. Fighters are trained, by the way.
Aspiring fighters attend some months of fighter practices where
they learn the rules and learn how to protect themselves on the
field. After some time, they attempt to "authorize" -- they go
before a panel of experienced fighters, fight a couple of rounds,
and if the panel decides the fighter is safe (not good, you
understand, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an opponent)
they are authorized to fight in Tourneys. This process (from
starting to fight to being authorized) can take from a couple of
months to a year or more.






GENERAL
From the Lady Avwye Mehr-nasim
     My suggestions:

          1.  Get a membership.  It gets you the bennies.  You
get your own newsletter instead of having to call people and ask
what's happening, and how
     1.A. Memberships get more than the $10 off at Pennsic.  It
gets you the pre-war information which is VERY important,
especially if you are new to the SCA or this is your first War.
     2.  Make and wear warm garb.  You are going to be outside
all day, and probably all night, and you are going to be
miserable if your "costume" won't protect you from the elements.
Do your garb in solid, sturdy fabric.  Make a woolen
overtunic/vest whatever to put on.  Cloaks are romatic and
dashing, but they also give you no real protection if you're
trying to move around in one. (They're drafty and don't keep you
as warm as 'normal garb' made in warmth giving fabrics.)
     3. Take your own stuff to events.  This includes food and
medicines.  Plan how and what you are going to eat.  You thought
someone else was just going to hand you dinner?  Everyone has
aspirin/alka-seltzer/bandaids?  Ha! Are you cooking on a grill?
Over a fire?  Is it allowed?  Don't expect ot be able to go out
into the woods and cut down a tree and be able to cook dinner.
(it's probably illegal, and green wood doesn't burn)
     4. Read. Read read read read read, and read some more.  Go
to the library and look up the history books. (You should
remember this from grade school.) Ask the librarian for help.
They don't bite. No one will think you're a geek just because
you've done some "research".  Don't rely on others to tell you
"what you need to know" about medieval history, they're usually
wrong.  You can rest secure and smug knowing you know better.
     5. Don't drink out of metal goblets.  It makes your drink
taste like shit.  Wood is bad, too, but better than metal. Glass
or ceramic is best, and more durable than you think.


     -A note on my earlier comments about warm garb: plan to have
it even for indoor events, especially those in the north during
the winter. Often the hall is not heated....and you can't eat
feast wrapped up in a cloak.
     -Make sure your tent is waterproof _before_ you take it to
an event. Set it up in your back yard and set it under a hose or
sprinkler for a couple of hours.  Imagine being in it all night,
when it's started to rain around midnight. Will you survive until
dawn?  A lot of the tents affordable to student members are
cheaply made and leak, everywhere.  Get a tube of seam sealer and
a can of spray waterproofing.
     -Scotchguard (or other brand name) your hems and boots.  Wet
feet suck.  And you will  be tramping around in grass wet from
dew, even in the summer at otherwise dry events.  Muddy wet hems
make you look terrible, and will often permanently stain your
garb.
     -Pick up your garbage. Yes, you. All of it.  Now.
     -If you are not real keen on the idea of becoming a "stick
jock" and joining the rattan fighting, or the fencing, DO NOT
parade around in chain mail and black studded leather "armour"
with a butcher shop display of knives like some b-movie outlaw
hero.  The real fighters will treat you badly, and NO ONE is
going to believe the image you are trying to present anyway.  If
you stop and look, none of the rattan fighters wear their armour
and weapons off the field, except in very special situations.
     -If you are female, for god's sake avoid the bunny-fur and
chainmail bikini look.  This is not an S&M/B&D party, and you
will be treated badly.
     -DO have a good sharp knife (you _do_ know how to sharpen a
knife, don't you?) on hand.  It doesn't have to be a fancy rambo
commando knife, either.  A quality pocketknife is quite handy,
except for feast where you will want something suitable for table
use.  (I have been at feasts where I was the only one of 12
seated who had something to carve the whole chicken the cooks
foisted on us) beware, as not all sites provide washing up
facilities after the meal (and washing your dishes in the
restrooms is _bad_, it will often result in getting the owners of
the site pissed at the entire society). Other handy things to
have in your basket: matches, paper towels, and a bottle opener,
a tablecloth or piece of fabric to use as such.

               Avwye Mehr-nasim
               House von Drachenklauie
               East Kingdom


- carry a sharp carving knife and a carving fork, you'll make
friends!

- carry a plastic bag to take your dirty feast dishes home with
you

- try to have extra candles

- candle weights are wonderful. (Some churches use them - a heavy
ring that sits at the top of the candle keeps it from dripping.)

--
Henry Troup - [e-mail]



Some pithy advice:

          Always upgrade to period.

When I started in the SCA, I had little knowledge of period
practices and little cash.  I scraped together simple garb and
made do with mostly horribly modern or thinly disguised things.
However, I promised myself that, as I researched, I would
gradually replace things with more period or better disguised
objects (depending on my finances).

Thus, when I wanted to make new garb, I looked at some period
pictures of Jews in the Middle East before designing stuff.
(Guess what, they wear T-tunics and hosen.  At least some of them
do.)  I nursed my yucko, leaking mundane tent through one last
Pennsic so we could save up money for a period tent (used, but
sound.  also roomier and more comfy).

          Yaakov



EVENT
Best snippet I can think of under event packing.  If it is a
outdoor camping event.  Put a pair of underpants and socks in a
large zip lock bag. When your tent ends up in three feet water
and you 300 miles from home. It is then you apreciate dry socks
and underware.  By the same note keep a spare set of mudanes in
your car. It is 40 degrees and has been raining for three days
straight. No one will state you to a ant hill for using common
sense and putting on some warm dry mundanes.

Another snippet about common sense. Think about where you are
going to be. That short tunic and tights may look nice at a event
held at a church hall, but you will freeze your cod piece off at
night during Pensic. If it is not your persona make some garb
that affords the ability keep you warm.  Being a natraully cold
blooded person I am one of those who are always cold.  My wife
made for me some mongol pants and long tunics Something I could
wear a mundane pair of long underwear under.  There is no fun in
being miserable and they don't give out laurels for being a
martyr to your garb.

The above should read "even if it is not your persona, "

Mundanes=non period clothes.
Keep a set of non-period clothes in your car. In case fire, flood
pestilence etc.  Lot of people expecailly guys.  Will wear thier
non-period clothes to the event, toss them in tent along with
everything else. Then the pensic flood comes and soaks all you
have.  Like I said it's been raining for three days, it's 40
degrees out. No one is going to stake you to a ant hill for
showing some common sense and putting on some warm, dry clothes
regardless of the era.

John Patrick McCarthy
House Mendicus  (the beggars guild)
Barnony Of Andlecraig
Middle Relm


*Always* bring the following: insect repellent, sunscreen, an
extra pair of warm socks sealed in a plastic bag, and matches in
a waterproof container. Ladies, bring at *least* one extra
sanitary napkin or tampon.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Not beer, not soda, not
gatorade: plain ordinary water.

Learn what nettles, poison ivy, etc. look like and avoid them.

Never eat wild berries unless you're 100% sure they are safe;
deadly nightshade has attractive shiny red berries which are
highly toxic. Never eat wild mushrooms unless you are 200% sure
they are safe.

When riding in someone else's car, cut your luggage down as much
as possible and bring at *least* $5 extra to pay for gas.

                         Saewynn Silfrhrafn
                         Barony of Madrone, An Tir
                         mka Kathy Marshall
                         Seattle, WA
                         [e-mail]


The best tip my lord has ever come up with is puting a packing
list on the computer.  We bring it up whenever we go to an event.
It has several versions.  One is Period camping, Regular SCA
camping, Event, Event with feast.etc.  We even have a version for
mundane camping.  We use the approrite list and check off
everything we need, then we do not forget anything.  Items on the
list include anything we have ever needed, then if we do not need
it this time, we just cross it off.  works great and saves
frustration of trying to remember at the last minute.

Sandy


Keeping Warm
- Wear a nightcap to bed. Most body heat is lost from the head
and covering it can make you *much* warmer. I've tried knitted
ski caps, hooded sweatshirts and flannelette "mop-tops", but my
favourite is a medieval lirapipe hood. Made from fleecy
sweatshirt fabric and with a short hood, it's soft, easily
washable, very warm and medieval-ish in appearance!

- "For every layer over you, put TWO under you." If you make your
bed on the ground, on a foam mattress or on an airmattress, the
ground is sucking heat from your body faster than the air is. For
every blanket you put over yourself, put two between you and the
ground,

Keeping Cool
- It's cooler under the trees. When seeking shelter from the sun
and heat, a tree is a much better refuge than any fabric sunshade
or single-storey building. The moisture that is constantly
evaporating from the leaves makes a cooler mini-climate zone
directly under the tree.

- Use evaporation to make your own coolness. Evaporation causes
cooling so wet your hair OR wear a wet facecloth under your hat
OR wet down your hat.

Elizabeth Braidwood
[e-mail]


FEAST
How never to be hungry at an SCA event.
    Feasts (attending): If you're a vegetarian, take your own
food. Many a feast I went to in my vegetarian phase tried to
accommodate for a vegetarian -- but their version of
accommodation was to leave the pieces of meat big enough for you
to pick out.

    Feasts (feastocratting): Money permitting, buy some things
for convenience. If your dish requires a lot of garlic, for
example, invest some money in pre-cut garlic. Mincing garlic
takes forever.

      Water in large pots will take at least three times as long
to boil as you think it's supposed to. Start a large pot of water
to boil at least 1.5 to 2 hours before you need it.

Caitrin Gordon, Barony of Delftwood, Principality of Aethelmearc
Barb French      [e-mail]


The good lady Caitrin ([e-mail]) writes:
>    Feasts (attending): If you're a vegetarian, take your own
food. Many a
>      feast I went to in my vegetarian phase tried to
accommodate for a
>      vegetarian -- but their version of accommodation was to
leave the
>      pieces of meat big enough for you to pick out.

This *must* vary by location. One of the reasons I continue to go
to feasts here is because it's one of the few times I can get
enough food for not that much money. (Often, going to events is a
better food deal than getting pizza... more for less.) And I'm a
vegetarian...

        Loki Brynjolfr Myrkjartanarson





For each person in your party:
A plate
A bowl
A knife
A spoon
A fork (whether they use it or not is another matter)
A tankard or goblet or both
A napkin
Tablecloth space or placemat

For the group to share:
A large bowl for sops
Candles
Candle holders
Glass candle screens (required for no-open-flames sites)
Salt
Serving pieces (such as ladles, spoons, etc)

Niceties which are not necessary, but add to the enjoyment
Decorative table runners
Banners
Chair cushions
Decorative trivets
Bread tray

Mundanities which are necessary
A towel for wiping off dishes
A plastic bag for bagging the dirty dishes for transport home
Ziploc bags for transporting any leftovers
A separate plastic bag for transporting soiled linens (for
example, you will not want to compound your problems by putting
the wine-spill soaked napkin in the bag with the unstained
table linens).
Any anti-allergy treatment required by surprise ingredients
Rolaids or Tums (just in case)

I have also learned that the availability of seating varies
widely
from event to event, so it is always prudent to bring along
something
which can serve as an erstwhile chair.

Yours in service,
Rosaline Weaver
Shire of Rokkehealdon, Middle Kingdom


CHILD

Make sure you have  *LOTS* of baby sitters.  It's much easier if
you can spread the childcare duties out.  Also lots of things for
the little ones to do  (toys, games, paper & crayons, ect.)  A
child saftey line (read that leash) is also a good idea.

Peace, Love, and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Diablu

HERALD
Once you've been around the SCA, you want to dress and act like
everyone else.  Part of this involves heraldry and the design of
a personal device.  This is not a trivial matter since the time
and expense involved in regestering a device can be considerable.
And, as I was told, once you paint or mark all your stuff with
the device, you won't want to change it.
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
[e-mail]
Content-Length: 22540


I originally wrote these articles for "The Ursus", the newsletter
for the Barony of Septentria.  The first one appeared in Issue
#162 (July AS XXVIII), and the rest followed, one per month.  You
are welcome to distribute these, for non-profit purposes (you can
recover your printing costs), or publish them in any SCA group
newsletter.  If you _do_ publish them in a newsletter, I wouldn't
mind a copy (but don't insist on it), or, at the very least, let
me know (thru E-Mail) that it's been printed, and which
newsletter.  If you want to mail me the newsletter, my address
is: Ian Klinck, 11 Duke St, Elmira, Ontario, CANADA, N3B 2W4. I
_do_, however, insist that proper credit be given: that is, a
byline giving me credit for writing the article, and a line
something to the effect of "First Printed in _The Ursus_, the
newsletter of the Barony of Septentria, Issue ###, Month, AS
XXVII.  Reprinted by permission of the author."  (Each article
has its issue & date noted.)
Please note: the submissions process described is for the _Middle
Kingdom_. I am not familiar with other kingdoms, so before you
print that particular article, edit it to describe _your_
kingdom's submission process!

                                   Thanks,
                                     Rhys ap Bledri,
                                     Bryniau Tywynnog Pursuivant
                                     (Ian Klinck)

([e-mail])

P.S. There may be more articles added to this series (right now,
I'm considering one on "Things _not_ to do when designing
armoury", and maybe one on chosing and documenting a name... If I
do write any more, I'll be sure to mention it on the mailing
list, and if you have any other good ideas, let me know!

(Ursus #162, July AS XXVIII)

                Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds

     Most members of the society know about the College of
Heralds, and have a general idea of how the submission process
works.  Many people, however, shy away from submitting their name
and device, either because they do not understand the process, or
because they believe that it is too difficult to get a submission
to pass.  This series of articles is meant to give you an
overview of the submission process, help you prepare an
acceptable submission, and give you an idea of what you should
and should not do with your device or badge once it has passed.

                 I. Names, Devices and Badges

     In order to register a name with the College of Arms, you
must choose a given name, and a byname.  In most times and places
in the period of the Society, a person would likely be known by a
number of different bynames, depending on the circumstances.  For
example, John, whose father was Richard, might be known as John,
Richard's son.  As he grew up, and became one of the tallest men
in the town, he might then be called Tall John.  When he
travelled outside of his native London, he might be known as John
of London.  When he then established himself in the trade of
blacksmithing, he might be called John the Smith.  So, if this
particular John is your persona, should you register "Tall John
Richard's Son the Smith of London"?

      Technically, you could, but it is more than a little
awkward.  My suggestion is that you should register one, or maybe
two bynames, but feel free to use any that are appropriate to
you, or, even better, any of those given to you by those around
you.
     Perhaps the most important piece of advice for someone who
is choosing a name is this:  Before you settle on a Society name,
and preferably even before you start using one, do a little bit
of research, and choose a name you know you can document.
Otherwise you may find yourself stuck with a name you cannot
register, which is so well-known that it is difficult to change!

     Your device (or arms, if you have your AoA) is meant to
identify you, especially on the battlefield.  In essence, the
device is you.  It should only be worn by you, or a herald in
your personal service (someone acting as a messenger, not
necessarily a herald in the College of Heralds), who, when
conducting business in your name, is essentially acting as you.
     A device can be displayed on a banner, worn on a fighting
surcote or tabard, or painted on your shield.  Another popular
method of display is the wearing of heraldic clothing (garb with
the device worked into it, like the kingdom and principality
surcotes worn by the Queen and Princess).  While it seems that,
especially during the sideless surcote period, heraldic garb was
popular in women's clothing, there is little evidence for men's
heraldic garb, other than fighting surcotes.
     It is important to remember that your device represents you,
and should not be displayed by anyone else.  If a banner with
your device is hanging in the hall, it indicates that you are
present.  If a fighter is bearing a shield with your device on
it, it should be you.  (If you paint your device on a shield, and
lend it to someone else at a tournament or war, you should
"debase" the device, to indicate that the bearer is not actually
you.  SCA tradition is to put a piece of duct tape diagonally
over the shield.)

     While a device represents you, a badge indicates that
something is yours.  A badge can be used to mark your property,
or be worn by your household or retainers.  It, too, can be
displayed on a banner.  A badge should, ideally, be connected and
fieldless (i.e. it is one piece, with no specified background -
think in terms of a piece of jewellery, like a pendant).  When
designing a badge, you can base your design on your device, or
some aspect of it, but you do not need to do so.  (In fact, you
do not even need to have a device in order to register a badge.)
     You may register as many as three badges, and use them for
different purposes (e.g. for your household to wear, or to mark
your personal property).

Next month: Designing Armoury

-----
(Ursus #163, August AS XXVIII)

                Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds
                     II. Designing Armoury

     Heraldry is, in my opinion, one of the most important
factors that contribute to the "medieval atmosphere" at a Society
event, and it is also one of the areas of the Society where it is
very easy to be authentic.  Unfortunately, many of the devices
that are designed (and even registered!) look more like modern
art than medieval heraldry.
     So how do you go about designing a device?  (Note: the fifth
article in this series describes some specific period practices
that are uncommon in SCA armoury.)
     Your first step is to come up with a general idea of the
elements you would like in your device.  Decide if there are any
particular colours or charges you wish to use.  Do not set your
heart on one specific design at this point, however.  Your local
pursuivant may find a conflict, or a stylistic problem, and you
may have to make changes.
     Try to make your device say something about you.  If you're
a brewer, perhaps a keg would be a good charge, a weaver could
use a shuttle, a scholar could use a book.  Another period
practice is to use "canting arms", a sort of pun on your surname.
An example would be someone with the surname Martin using
martlets (small birds) in their device.  Do not, however, try to
tell your entire life story in your device - choose one or two of
the most important aspects of your persona, or your device will
be very cluttered (and difficult to draw).
     Once you have some idea of what you want, and, perhaps, have
drawn up a few possibilities, talk to your local pursuivant.  He
(or she) will be able to point out any stylistic problems, and,
if he has the resources available, make some preliminary checks
for conflict with existing devices.  Once you have decided on a
specific design, he will be able to help you to prepare your
submission.
      A valuable resource at any point of the design process is a
heraldry book containing pictures of period armoury.  Looking
through one of these will give you something of a "feel" for the
style of period armoury, and may give you some ideas for your
design.


     Finally, there are two guidelines that you will often hear
with regards to designing armoury.  First, you want something
that you can reproduce fairly easily.  So, before you submit it,
draw it ten times.  Second, you want to have a device (or badge)
that you like, and that you will continue to like.  So, draw and
colour a nice-sized version of it, and hang it over your bed, or
somewhere else where you will see it often.  Leave it there for a
few weeks.  If you still like it, then submit it.

Next Month: Submission Technicalities
---------
(Ursus #164, September AS XXVIII)

                Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds
                III. Submission Technicalities

1) How do I submit a name/device/badge?
     First, get a copy of the appropriate form from your local
pursuivant.  Fill it in, and draw the device or badge.  Don't
worry about the section that says "Blazon".  That's the heraldic
description of the device, and filling it in is part of your
pursuivant's job.  Then, make copies.  Your pursuivant will want
two copies of a name form, plus two copies of any documentation
to go along with it.  For armoury (device or badge), he'll want
four copies, three coloured and one uncoloured.  Now hand these
over to your local pursuivant, along with a money order for $6.50
(US) per item (a name, device, or badge are each one item.) made
out to "SCA, Inc. - Middle Kingdom College of Heralds".  Now,
wait for six months to a year, and keep your eye on the letters
from the Dragon Herald in the Pale, to see if it is accepted or
returned.

2) Why does it take so long?
     Your local pursuivant may hold on to your submissions for a
short time, to check for conflict, or, if he is expecting
submissions from someone else shortly, he may wish to send
several at once, to save on postage.  He will then send a package
of submissions to the Escutcheon Herald (a deputy of the Dragon
Herald), who will write up an "Internal Letter of Comment",
containing a list of all of the names and devices submitted to
him in the past month.  This letter is then sent to a number of
"commenting heralds" throughout the Kingdom, who, usually in
groups, check the submissions for conflict and style.  After some
time (theoretically about 2 months), the Dragon Herald will
prepare a "Letter of Intent", containing a list of those
submissions which were found acceptable by the commenting
heralds.  This letter is then sent to the Laurel Sovereign of
Arms.  A similar commenting process takes place at this level
(theoretically taking another 3 months), after which Laurel makes
a final decision whether to accept or reject each item.  A
"Letter of Acceptances and Returns" will then be sent back to
Dragon, who will disseminate the information (by publishing it in
the Pale, and sending the submitter a letter).

3) My submission bounced.  Now what?
     If you prepare a new submission within a year of the return,
you can re-submit for free, but if you take longer, you will have
to pay again, so get on it right away!  You will be told why your
submission was returned, so, using this information, you can work
with your local pursuivant to make changes to your original
submission, or you can start from scratch, if you so desire.
There is an avenue for appeals, if you feel that your submission
was returned improperly, but before doing this, talk to some
experienced heralds about it.
  4) Can I just submit a device, and no name?
     No.  We need a name to associate your device with.  You can
submit both items together, or submit the name first, and the
device later, but there must be a name registered in order to
register armoury.  If, however, your submission of a name and a
device reaches Laurel, and your name is returned, but your device
is found acceptable, you will be assigned a holding name (a
"temporary name", usually based on your real name and your home
group name).  Your device will be registered to the holding name,
and, when you re-submit your name, the holding name will be
changed.

Next month: Heraldry Rumours
---------
(Ursus #165, October AS XXVIII)

                Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds
                     IV. Heraldry Rumours

     There are a number of commonly-held, false beliefs about
heraldic submissions.  These are a few of them:

1) "A device has to be really complex to clear conflict."
     A number of very simple devices have passed recently.
Admittedly, passing a field-only device (a device with no
charges) is quite probably impossible, but beyond that, it is
relatively easy to make a device sufficiently different from any
other, without making the device too complex.
     First, if the main charge in a device is of a different
type, the device is different.  A fleur-de-lis is different from
a cross is different from an eagle, even if they are all green on
a white field.  (It is important to note that this is in
reference to the type of charge: i.e. two charges which are
fairly similar can still conflict, such as an eagle and a raven,
or an arrow and a sword.)
     Failing this, the heralds begin to count "clear visual
differences" (CVD's) to determine if your device differs
sufficiently from an existing device.  Some examples of CVD's are
change in colour, change in number, change in position (e.g. a
lion rampant vs. a lion statant), or addition of subordinaries
(such as a chief or bordure) or secondary charges.  Finally, when
registering a badge, making it "fieldless" (i.e. no specified
background) gives it an automatic CVD with anything.  Two of
these CVD's are sufficient difference that a device is not
considered to conflict.  So, even if your device is exactly the
same as another one, it can be cleared of conflict with
relatively small changes.

2) "You can't pass a lion/dragon/rose/unicorn anymore."
     Many people believe that, since certain charges were very
common in period, and are popular in the Society, it is
impossible to design a device, using these charges, that will
clear conflict.  Admittedly, your options with these are slightly
more limited, but if you have your heart set on a particular
charge, then, so long as you can be flexible in other areas, it
can be done.
     There are a few charges that are restricted within the
society for various reasons.  For example, a wreath of roses is
reserved for queens, princesses, and royal peers; a caduceus is
reserved for (mundane) medical professionals; a fylfot, or
swastika, is prohibited (for obvious reasons).

3) "Heralds have no sense of humour."
     This is usually heard from someone that was just told that
their smurf/pac-man/pizza/roadkill device will not pass.  (Yes,
I've heard of all four.  I trust most of these people were not
serious, but I saw a pac-man on a shield at War.) The problem is
not so much a lack of humour, but a concern for authenticity in
an area where authenticity is easy.  Remember, your device
represents you, and, historically, your family - would you really
want a smurf?

Next Month: Period Practices Seldom Seen in the Society
----------
(Ursus #166, November AS XXVIII)

               Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds
        V. Period Practices Seldom Seen in the Society

     There are a number of elements of period heraldic style
which are underused in the society.  As a result, the use of
these elements will contribute to the "authentic look" of a piece
of armoury, while helping to avoid conflict with any SCA devices.
This topic was mentioned recently on the SCA Heralds' Internet
mailing list, and the following suggestions were made:
     Mikjal Annarbjorn, from the Outlands, suggests:  bends,
bends wavy, bends embattled counter-embattled, bends raguly,
multiple bends, bends of furs, chevrons, multiple chevrons,
chevrons rompu, chevrons of furs, horses, stags, boars, maces,
dice, water bougets.
     Phaedria d'Aurillac, from the West Kingdom, suggests:  semes
(a scattering of charges over a field), especially:  barry, paly,
gyronny, and other field divisions, with half the field seme'd.
She also suggests the use of furs on ordinaries, and even on
charges, such as animals and monsters.
      Arval Benicoeur, former Brigantia (East Kingdom) Principal
Herald, suggests plain chiefs, orles of charges, and pales
between charges.
     I would also suggest that the use of furs in non-standard
colours (e.g. vert ermined or, vairy gules and argent),
ordinaries overall, crosses, in their various forms, the
arrangement of charges in the shape of an ordinary (e.g. ten
bezants in pile, five roses in chevron), and treated charges
(i.e. not a solid colour, but a fur, or checky, barry, paly,
etc.) are all underused in Society armoury. the following
observations.  Vert (green) and purpure (purple) were uncommon
colours, although they are very popular today.  Charges most
often appear singly, or in groups of three or six.
     It is also worth noting something of the medieval philosophy
that lies behind armorial design.  First is the concept of
constancy, that the natural state of things is unchanging
(whereas modern society believes that change is essential for
survival).  This, and the idea that arms represented the family
(and you wanted your family to continue forever) meant that your
device should look balanced and stable.  You don't want your
device to look like a picture of a landscape, because landscapes
change.  You want something that looks like it will stay the same
indefinitely.  Along with this, consider the medieval concept of
symmetry:  Where we  think of symmetry as a radial, or "mirror"
thing, the medieval concept of symmetry was more of a
translational symmetry, so, if you have three wolves on your
device, they should all be facing the same way.  Keep these two
concepts in mind when designing your device, and it will add to
its "authentic feel".

-----
(Ursus #167, December AS XXVIII)

Heraldry Basics for Non-Heralds
VI. A Short Heraldic Bibliography

This is a bibliography of my heraldic library.  There are many
good heraldry books that are not here.

SCA Publications:

Complete Anachronist #22 - "Heraldry"
     A very good introduction to basic armoury as used in the
SCA.  An  invaluable aid to anyone designing a device or badge.

Complete Anachronist #50 - "Armorial Display"
     A guide to what you can do with your device.  Instructions
for making     various sorts of banners, surcotes, etc.

The Middle Kingdom Pursuivant's Handbook
     This is supposed to be the book that lets an inexperienced
herald do their job.  There is a new version, which, according to
Lord Thorvald  (Dragon Herald) should be available any time
now...  There are some rather serious errors in the old version,
but, in general, it is a  good resource.

Non-SCA Publications:

Bossewell, John, _Workes_of_Armorie_, Da Capo Press, New York,
1969.
     This is a reproduction of a treatise on heraldry written in
1572, which, of course, makes it invaluable for the study of
period  heraldry!

Cole, H., _Heraldry_-_Decoration_and_Floral_Forms_, Bracken
Books, London, 1988.
     If I hadn't found this book in a discount bookstore, I
wouldn't have bought it.  It approaches heraldry from a visual
artistic perspective, rather than as an art in its own right.  It
is not a good _heraldic_ resource, but it does have some good
pictures, and can be useful from that perspective.

Fox-Davies, A.C., _A_Complete_Guide_to_Heraldry_, Thomas Nelson &
Sons, England, 1969.
     This is considered by most heralds to be "the Bible of
heraldry".  It covers all aspects of heraldic design and use -
charges, design, features, the language of blazon, etc.  You must
note, however,  that this (as with most heraldic books) is a
_modern_ book on heraldry, so just because "it's in Fox-Davies"
doesn't mean that it is a period heraldic practice.

Oliver, S., _An_Introduction_to_Heraldry_, Quintet Publishing,
London, 1987.
     A very basic introduction.  As a heraldic resource, it has
limited use, but it is a good book for a non-herald to get a
basic exposure to heraldry.  Lots of pictures, and every page is
full-colour.

Rothery, G.C., _Concise_Encyclopedia_of_Heraldry_, Bracken Books,
London, 1985.
     Another good heraldic reference, along the same lines as
Fox-Davies.

Woodcock, T. & J.M. Robinson, _The_Oxford_Guide_to_Heraldry_,
Oxford University Press, Toronto, 1988.
     Yet another good general heraldic reference.  Somewhat
smaller than either Rothery or Fox-Davies, but high-quality
content.

Yearout, F. (ed.), _Heraldry,_Sources,_Symbols,_and_Meanings_,
McGraw-Hill, Maidenhead, 1976.
     While not as clearly organized as Fox-Davies, Rothery, or
Woodcock, this is a reasonable reference.  Its main appeal,
however, is that it is _full_ of colour plates, with many
reproductions of period rolls of arms, pictures and illuminations
showing heraldry, and other such sources.

-----
(Ursus #168, January AS XXVIII)
(note: this one contains a local, er... satirical political
reference.  You may want to delete it... or adapt it to fit your
locale!)

VII. On the use of "Oyez"...

To depart from our main topic of "book heraldry" for a moment, I
feel compelled to comment on the use of the cry "Oyez!"

This cry is to be used _only_ by an official herald on the King's
business, not as a general call for attention (as I have so often
heard it used).  "The King's business" includes such official
occasions as Royal Court, but also the opening of meetings, and
even the invocation of the lists for a tournament.  It does _not_
include an announcement that some gentle has left their
headlights on, or that the bar is now open.  (Although,
considering our new Prince, the latter may become Royal
Business...)  If you find yourself making such an announcement,
use a cry such as "My lords and ladies, please pay heed...", or
something similar - the effect will be the same.

If we can reserve the use of "oyez!" for Royal Business, people
will immediately recognize, when they hear the cry, that what is
about to be said is to be taken as the King's word.  I admit to
being a bit of a stickler for protocol here, but this protocol is
one of the things that makes our re-creation what it is.

Umm, err... does this soapbox belong to someone?  'Scuse me while
I wipe my bootprints off...


SCRIBE

    Calligraphy and illumination:

    The scribe's basic kit should include a T-square and an Ames
Lettering Guide for scroll layout. The Ames Lettering Guide is a
must-have for any scribe. It can save hours in work.

    For repeating borders, such as knotwork, you can save time
and increase precision by drawing one section of the border and
using a light table or a window to trace subsequent sections of
the border (this isn't cheating -- you drew it once!).

    Always roll paint tubes from the bottom. If you squeeze from
the middle, the paint will be thinner in the tube and more likely
to dry out.

    If you have trouble making your calligraphy vertical (it
slants off to one side or another), make vertical guidelines.
Also make sure that  the paper is absolutely vertical and you are
working OVER your paper, not to one side.

...Cait

Caitrin Gordon, Barony of Delftwood, Principality of Aethelmearc
Barb French      [e-mail]



From: [e-mail]
Subject: Tips Wanted (scribes)

Caitrin says:
>    For repeating borders, such as knotwork, you can save time
and increase precision by drawing one section of the border and
using a light table or a window to trace subsequent sections of
the border (this isn't cheating -- you drew it once!).

If you're working on heavy enough paper, you might find it
difficult to use a light table.  However, you can accomplish the
same thing in that case by drawing the pattern once, rubbing the
back of the "pattern" piece with pencil (a carpenter's pencil
works well because it has a broad tip, and it only costs 50 cents
or so), and using the pattern like carbon paper.

Note: do *not* use real (blue) carbon paper; you'll never get the
ink off or covered.

Ellisif

I am not a scribe, but you might try a period technique for
coping
embroidery patterns.  Prick the lines of your 'pattern' closely
with a pin, place it where it is to be copied and 'pounce' or
dust chalk or lampblack over the holes.  This would be most
useful if the pattern needed to be copied a number of times.

Ranvaig (Sharon Palmer)

Caitrin Gordon, Barony of Delftwood, Principality of Aethelmearc
aka (Barbara C. French) writes:
>  2. Arts
>     Calligraphy and illumination:
>     For repeating borders, such as knotwork, you can save time
and increase
>     precision by drawing one section of the border and using a
light table
>     or a window to trace subsequent sections of the border
(this isn't
>     cheating -- you drew it once!).

Rhydderich Hael Calligraphers' Guild version:
        Draw your knot, Celtic beast, whathaveyou, once.  Cover
with tracing paper and trace.  Place the tracing paper onto a
scrap piece of plain white paper WITH THE PENCIL DRAWN SIDE DOWN.
Go over the outline of the mirror image figure with a pencil.
Place the tracing paper back on the scroll original side up.
Position your tracing where you want it.  Go over the outline
again with a pencil.  The pressure of the pencil on top will push
enough graphite from the bottom of the tracing paper onto the
scroll to form a light pencil drawing of the original figure.
You don't need an expensive light table, you don't need to draw
vertically against a window, and best of all, by turning the
tracing back over, you can get mirror images as well as exact
copies.  Have fun!
                                                       - Dagonell




MORE INFO
If you have access to the Internet, there are plenty of sites
that you can search for more SCA information.  First there is the
Rialto, a mailing forum for SCA-types.
THIS IS PART 1 OF THE REC.ORG.SCA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FILE

Section 1:  The Rialto.

1.1  What is the Rialto?  What's it for?

The Rialto consists of a Usenet newsgroup, (rec.org.sca) which is
propagated to thousands of machines world-wide, and an electronic
mail digest (the SCA Digest), which is produced on a badly
overworked machine at MIT, and mailed directly to hundreds of
people, also world-wide.  We are also connected to Fidonet and
other BBS networks.

The Rialto exists to discuss topics of interest to the Society
for Creative Anachronism.  The SCA is a non-profit, educational
organization of people that study the Middle Ages and
Renaissance, and recreate those parts we find most interesting.

1.2  Why is it called the Rialto?

The Rialto is named for a marketplace in Venice in the vicinity
of the Rialto bridge.  As people gathered there to gossip and
exchange ideas, so do we gather here.

1.3  How do I post to the Rialto?

Check with your local system administrator or sysop for
instructions for your exact machine and software.  Generally, you
either post a message to the newsgroup rec.org.sca, or send mail
to [e-mail].  See Part 4 of this posting for guidelines
to posting style.

1.4  What is the SCA Digest?  How do I get on/off it?

The SCA Digest is the electronic mail version of the Rialto.  One
can subscribe and unsubscribe by sending email to
[e-mail], requesting your addition to or
deletion from the list.  Expect this to take up to a week - the
people running the Digest are volunteers with other work to do.
If you read rec.org.sca, there is no need for you to subscribe to
SCA-Request, as messages are gatewayed in both directions.

1.5  Where can I get back issues of the Digest?

You may ask for back issues of any digests by writing to
[e-mail] and specifying the date(s)/number(s)
of the issue you want mailed to you.  That address is serviced by
overworked humans so expect any request to take up to a week to
process.  Please be reasonable about the number of back issues
you request. ("Everything up to now" is *not* reasonable :-)

1.6  Why do I see the answers before the questions?

 The short answer is that messages propagate from one system to
another at varying speeds, and therefore an answer posted on a
well-connected machine may arrive at a less-well-connected
machine before the question does.  The longer answer requires
paying attention to the fact that the Rialto is both a Usenet
newsgroup and a mailing list, and the gateway between them is
another place where the ordering of messages can be scrambled.
There is nothing that can easily (read cost-effectively) be done
about the scrambling of message order (it would require a
complete redesign of the Usenet newsgroups, just to start with)
so please don't ask.  This message scrambling, by the way, is a
good reason to paraphrase or quote just enough of the message you
are answering to make clear what you are talking about.

1.7  Am I allowed to publish Rialto postings in our newsletter?

The legalities of copyright ownership in an electronic medium are
currently murky.  In countries that are signatories to the Berne
Convention (which includes the USA and Canada), text is
copyrighted from the moment of creation. However,  text submitted
to newsgroups and digests _may_ be different, as it is intended
for a wide distribution. There is no clear answer in the USA at
the present time.  The polite thing to do, regardless of whether
a lawyer would tell you it is necessary, is contact the author(s)
of the article(s) in question, and ask for permission to publish.
Abide by their wishes.  Assuming permission is given, you (or
your chronicler) probably want to save a hardcopy of the message
giving you permission.

                  ---------- End of Part 01 ----------


Second there is a variety of local email forums and FTP (file
transfer protocol) sites that carry information that focuses on a
number of subjects.
From: [e-mail]
Subject: SCA anonymous file transfer archive (monthly posting)

Last-modified: 93.07.09

Much information of interest to SCA folk is available for
anonymous file transfer in the ftp archive on bransle.ucs.mun.ca.
Available files include:

- All periodic postings to the Rialto:
        FAQ, Consultants list, Intro to the SCA, How to find
local groups
- The (somewhat out-of-date) Couriers and Rolls Ethereal lists
- Information on other SCA ftp sites
- Information on Pennsic
- Corpora
- East Kingdom Laws and Policies
- Mailing list archives for SCA and related lists:
        magyar, north, siege, rendance
- Renaissance dance information
- Folk and period music lyrics
- SCA Heraldic documents, including
        the armorial, heralds' handbook, rules for submission

The file /pub/sca/README explains exactly what is available and
when it was last updated.

Ask your local systems consultants about how to use ftp.  If it
is not available at your site, you may retrieve files via email.
Send a message with "send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in
the body to [e-mail] for more information.

Have fun!

Miklos Sandorfia
[e-mail]


THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS PART 2 OF THE REC.ORG.SCA FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS FILE.

Section 2:  Other SCA electronic sources.

2.1  Are there other SCA mailing lists?

    ANTIR       Kingdom of An-Tir
    Subscription:   email to [e-mail]
    Maintainer: Elizabeth Braidwood <[e-mail]>

    BARDIC      Bardic topics
    Subscription:   email to [e-mail]

    CALONTIR    Kingdom of Calontir
    Subscription:   email to [e-mail] with blank subject
line and message body of:
            SUB CALONTIR Firstname Lastname
        substituting your name for First and Last name.

    CAROLINGIA  Barony of Carolingia (Boston, MA)
    Subscription: email to
[e-mail]

    DML     Drachenwald Mailing List - weekly
    Subscription:   email to the maintainer with DML in the
subject.
     Maintainer: Jo Jaquinta ([e-mail] or
[e-mail])
    Archives:   via anonymous FTP at lanczos.maths.tcd.ie
directory /jaymin/sca
            via email - send mail containing the single line HELP
to [e-mail]

    LOUGH DEVANREE  Shire of... (Dublin, Ireland), Ireland, Celts
    Subscription:   contact list maintainer
     Maintainer: Sorcha ui Flahairteaigh
([e-mail])

    MAGYAR      Medieval Hungary and things Hungarian in SCA.
    Subscription:   email to [e-mail]
    Postings:   email to [e-mail]
    Maintainer: Miklos Sandorfia ([e-mail])
    Archives:   via anonymous FTP at bransle.ucs.mun.ca

    NORDMARK    Barony Of Nordmark (Sweden)
    Subscription: [e-mail]
    Postings:   [e-mail]
    Maintainer: [e-mail] (Lindorm)
    Archives:   via email from the administrative address.
    Note: You're welcome to post in English, but most of us on
the list write in Swedish.

    NORTH       East Kingdom Northern Region topics
    Subscription:   email to [e-mail]
    Maintainer: Miklos Sandorfia ([e-mail])
    Archives:   via anonymous FTP at bransle.ucs.mun.ca

    NORTHSHIELD Crown Principality of Northshield, Middle Kingdom
    Subscription: e-mail to [e-mail]
    Posting:    e-mail to [e-mail]
    Maintainer: Wilhelm Dichtermann ([e-mail])
    Archives:   via e-mail from the administrator

    SCAHRLDS    Heraldic discussion
    Subscription:   mail to [e-mail] with
blank subject line and body of:
                SUB SCAHRLDS Firstname Lastname
            substituting your name for First and Last name.
    Maintainer: Kwellend-Njal Kolskeggsson ([e-mail])
    Digest:     sent twice weekly by Alan Fairfax
            ([e-mail])
            Contact him for details.

    SCA-LOCHAC  Principality of Lochac (Australia)
    Subscription: email to [e-mail] (manual list
moderator)
    Posting:    email to [e-mail]
    Maintainer: Delbert von Strasburg ([e-mail])

    SCA-WEST    West Kingdom topics
    Subscription:   mail to [e-mail]
with "help" in the subject line for more information.
    Maintainer: [e-mail].

    SIEGE       Siege engines, pre-black powder fortifications
    Subscription:   mail to [e-mail] with
a blank subject line and body of:
                SUB SIEGE Firstname Lastname
            substituting your name for First and Last name.
    Maintainer: Sebastian ([e-mail])
    Archives: via anonymous FTP at bransle.ucs.mun.ca
                directory /pub/sca/

2.1.1  What other mailing lists of interest are there?

There are lots of other mailing lists that may be be of interest
to SCA people.  Here is a listing of some of them.  To subscribe,
send mail to LISTSERV@<host address>, where <host address> is the
part of the address for the list you're interested in that comes
after the @ sign.  The mail should have nothing in the subject
line, and the body of the message should consist of nothing more
than
            SUB <listname> <yourname>
    where <listname> is the name of the mailing list you are
subscribing to (the part *before* the @ sign) and <yourname> is
your name.  Many of these lists are places where modern-world
scholars communicate, and therefore are not places where persona
is appropriate -- use your modern name.

    [e-mail]          British and Irish history
    [e-mail]           Anglo-Saxon and related
subjects
    [e-mail]         Celtic culture
    [e-mail]         Chaucer and Middle English
    [e-mail]           Early Music
    [e-mail]          Early modern history
    [e-mail]          Renaissance-Reformation
studies
    [e-mail]          folklore
    [e-mail]         Irish traditional music
    [e-mail]           Islamic studies
    [e-mail]         Mediaeval literature
    [e-mail]         Medieval feminist studies
    [e-mail]          Medieval history
    [e-mail]       Medieval texts
    [e-mail]      Performance theory and medieval
drama
    [e-mail]          medieval drama
    [e-mail]  early modern history
    [e-mail]      Renaissance & Baroque Dance
    [e-mail]            Tolkein discussion list
    [e-mail]             discussion of the Torah

2.2  Are there archives of SCA information that I can access?

Yes.  There are several sites that contain various files of SCA
information, including this file, Corpora, the Heraldic Rules for
Submission, the Online Armorial, several kingdom's laws, rules
for combat, and so on.  Each site has a different collection of
material, so you may need to investigate more than one to find
what you need.  Contact your local system administrator to learn
how to use anonymous FTP to retrieve these files.  Those without
FTP  access should send e-mail to [e-mail] with
"send  usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in the body to find
out how to do FTP by e-mail.


    ftp.nau.edu [134.114.64.24] directory /sca
        maintained by [e-mail] (Bill Wilson)
    bransle.ucs.mun.ca [134.153.2.24] directory /pub/sca
        maintained by [e-mail] (Miklos
Sandorfia)
    vela.acs.oakland.edu [141.210.10.2] directory /pub/heralds
        maintained by [e-mail] (Alan Fairfax
Aluricson)

2.3  Does anyone have a contact in ...

The best way to find a contact in a particular area or group is
to look in the Rolls Ethereal.

2.4  What are the Rolls Ethereal?

The Rolls Ethereal list people on the Rialto, at least name and
electronic address, and often interests, location, and awards.
The Rolls are maintained by Justin du Coeur
([e-mail]) and are distributed at intervals of
anywhere from 6 to 12 months.  They are available for anonymous
FTP access at bransle.ucs.mun.ca.

2.5  What's this alt.sca I found?

The first SCA newsgroup was named alt.sca.  When the traffic grew
to a respectable size, we moved to rec.org.sca because the rec
hierarchy gets better distribution.  alt.sca is currently
defunct, but still carried at some sites.  We recommend that
users of alt.sca move over to rec.org.sca, and ask their system
administrator to remove alt.sca from their system, to avoid
future confusion.

2.6  Where can I get songs and lyrics?

There are a number of sites that archive song sources.  Many of
these are dial-up sites, requiring the use of a modem.  Please do
not ask for technical help with this on the Rialto -- there are
sure to be better sources of this information close to you.

    Herald's Point, Ansteorra   [phone]
    TIDMADT, Atlantia           [phone]
    SCRIBE, Ansteorra           [phone]
    City of London, Trimaris    [phone]
    Deus Ex Machina, Atenveldt  [phone]
    Digital Tradition           FTP to FTP.UWP.EDU,
/pub/songs/folk
    bransle.ucs.mun.ca          FTP, /pub/lyrics

                  ---------- End of Part 02 ----------

  Robyyan Torr d'Elandris  Kapellenberg, Windmaster's Hill
Atlantia  Dennis R. Sherman  Triangle Research Libraries Network
[e-mail] Univ. of North Carolina - Chapel Hill


Third there is the consultants list.
------------------------------
From: Dave Aronson <[e-mail]>
Subject: Monthly Posting - Consultant List

                Rialto Resident "Consultant" List as of 8/4/93

              I am still looking for more volunteer consultants.

=================================================================

In order to reduce the number of basic questions asked on the
Rialto, we have drawn up a list of consultants who can answer
many questions in their respective areas.

Here is the list of consultants who have volunteered to answer
questions on various topics.  If you have a question that you
think one of them can answer, ask them first.

 SCA-specific
 ============
 Law - Corpora      Ragnar the Bold     [e-mail]
                    Tibor               [e-mail]
 Law - East Kingdom     Tibor, Ellisif
 holding SCA offices    Therica
[e-mail]
 Publications           Ellisif             [e-mail]
 Fencing rules - East   Tibor
                        Danulf              [e-mail]
 Autocratting           Tibor
                         Rowena   [e-mail]
 Stick-jockery [sic]    Therion             [e-mail]
 Midrealm Combat Rules  Vladyslav
 (fighting/armor)        de Jaffa
[e-mail]
 Exchequers             Margherita          [e-mail]
 NICE Politics          Ragnar the Bold
 Finding local branch   Duncan MacKinnon
  (IN ATLANTIA)            of Tobermory     [e-mail]

 Historical
 ==========
 Anglo-Saxon Culture     Beorthwine of Grafham Wood
                              [e-mail]
 Medieval Philosophy       Beorthwine
 Research Methods
     and Documentation     Beorthwine
 Society and Church        Vladyslav

 English History, esp.     Nicolaa     [e-mail]
  13th and 16th centuries
 General History           Nicolaa
 Costuming, esp 13/16C     Nicolaa
 Embroidery                Alison MacDermot     [e-mail]
                           Nicolaa
 Fencing                   Nicolaa
   (historical and SCA)
 Names/Heraldry - Europe   Heraldry Mailing List *** see below
 Names/Heraldry - Japan    Solveig
[e-mail]
 Heraldry, esp. painting   Godfrey de
  armorial bearings        Shipbrook   [e-mail]
 Music - secular instr     Ellisif
         1200+
 Music - Med. & Ren.
   vocal/instr. music &
   musical instruments     ?????
[e-mail]
 Music, esp. vocals,
   madrigals, & solo &     Chandler
   ensemble performance    Greyfeathre [e-mail]
 Period European music,
   vocal/instrumental      Siobhan
[e-mail]
 Period verse              Siobhan
 Period recipes/redactions Siobhan
 Brewing                   Siobhan
 Languages: Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Middle Welsh, Scots & Irish
Gaelic,
   Swedish, Latin          Siobhan
 Church                    Tadhg
               ocitor![e-mail]
 Calligraphy/illumination  Therica
                           Godfrey
 Food                      Therica
 Auto- & feasto-cratting   Therica
 fabric arts               Therica
 stained glass             Therica
 Dance                     Vashti
               [e-mail]
                           Arenwald    [e-mail]
                           Gwenllian
[e-mail]
 Dance reconstruction,
   music, and research     Miklos      [e-mail]
 Performance Arts          Dagonell    [e-mail]
 Theatre                   Catrin      [e-mail]
 Garb - Viking             Ellisif
 Garb - Mongol             Corun       [e-mail]
 Garb, esp. men's          Godfrey
   Elizabethan
 Garb, sewing, etc.,       Therica
   of all periods
 Textiles - Lace           Ilaine      [e-mail]
 Textiles - &c.            Fiacha      [e-mail]
 Embroidery                Kasia       [e-mail]
 Cooking                   Gwenllian
                           Angharad    [e-mail]
 Brewing                   Duncan      [e-mail]
 Armour                    Arenwald    [e-mail]
 Equestrian                A'isha      [e-mail]
 Medieval Math/Sci.        Tio d'Abaco [e-mail]
 Feudalism                 Hossein     [e-mail]
 Medieval History          Hossein
                           Tadhg
 Culture - General         Hossein
                           Tadhg
 Culture - Spain           Esmeralda    [e-mail]
 Spanish Names/Heraldry    Esmeralda    [e-mail]
 Culture - Spain/Portugal  Pedro       [e-mail]
 History - W. Europe in
  "Age of Exploration" (1400+) Pedro
 Culture - Scots (+Ire.)   Moreach
[e-mail]
 Culture - Welsh           Gwenllian
 Culture - Japanese        Solveig
 Culture - Mongol          Corun       [e-mail]
 Religion - Christian      Tadhg
 Religion - Christian,
  Comparative, Heresies    Vladyslav
 "Welsh Everything"        Keridwen ferch
                             Morgan Glasfryn
[e-mail]

 Other
 =====
 Archery                   Godfrey
 Camping                   Hal Ravn
[e-mail]
                           Dagonell         [e-mail]
 Dispute Mediation         Ragnar the Bold
 Safety                    Hal Ravn
[e-mail]
 Filk                      Dagonell         [e-mail]
 Library Resources         Therion
 Library Resources         Vladyslav

*** About the heraldry mailing list (from Kwellend-Njal)

     The list's address is  [e-mail].  This is
a mailing list of over 100 heralds from all over the (Known)
world and levels of experience.  After all, the list was set up
to answer questions as well as discuss SCA heraldry.

     If you have a question on SCA heraldry, and are not a
subscriber to the list, I suggest that you note that in your
message to the list.  If you want to subscribe to the list while
people are answering your question, just send mail to
[e-mail] with a body of:

subscribe scahrlds yourfirstname yourlastname

and you will be subscribing.  If you are not interested in
reading the list after your question has been discussed, just
sent another message to the listserv with a body of:

unsub scahrlds

and you'll be off of the list.  Easy and relatively painless.
=============================================================