On Steps From Period Practice

Please excuse another rant on a submissions-related topic.

In SCA heraldry, there exists fascinating gray area called the "Step From Period Practice", often abbreviated to SFPP in general conversation among heralds. In short, an SFPP is something in heraldic practice which is flatly known not to be period, but which is considered a minor enough inconvenience, and is popular enough among submitters, to be allowed, though no more than one per device.

Some examples of an SFPP are the valknut, the wolf ululant (sitting down and howling at the moon), pawprints,  and the "phases of the moon" motif (a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent). Note that this last one is possibly going to be leaving the list, as documentation might have been found. Things can also move off the list in the other direction, if they're found to be so unperiod that they're flat unregisterable.

There is something of an attitude that crops up occasionally that, since you can get away with having one of them, they must be perfectly fine. I believe this attitude to be not only wrong, but harmful.

One of the goals of the SCA is to re-create period art and practice. The Step From Period Practice allowance is a step backwards in this goal. It causes the design of things which can be excessively obtrusively modern. Even if they don't pass the registration process, the glimmer of hope for submitters who see the SFPP allowance means that many are disappointed by an apparently legal design being rejected, and those who aren't, degrade the state of heraldry by a small step.

It makes me long for the days when heralds would create arms and assign them to the deserving...

On Unusual Charges - Part II: Harpies Displayed

The Field is Azure, an Harpey displaied, Crined, Crowned, and Armed, Or. These are the Armes of the noble City of Norenberga, which according to some Authors is sitituate in the very Center of the vast and spacious Country of Germany. The Harpey (saith Upton) should be given to such persons as have committed manslaughter, to the end that by the often view of their Ensignes they might be moved to bewaile the foulnesse of their offence.

This is rather a good entry in the competition for 'charges which should never be shown displayed' by John Guillim in his 1611 Display of Heraldrie.

On Unusual Charges - Part I: The Fiber

R. beareth Verte, a Fiber, Argent. This beaste, Animal est emphibion, because he can live bothe on the lande and in the water, and maketh houses or dennes, arraied with wonderfull crafte, in the brinckes of Rivers, and waters, as Plinie saithe. He is also named Castor, à castrando. For he geldeth him selfe, when he perceiveth that he is persued of the hunter, and bitinge of his stones, which are marveilously good in medicines, layeth them in the sighte of the hunter, knowinge by nature, that he is hunted for the same, and so he escapeth deathe. The whiche Cicero in Scauriana affirmeth: sayinge, that he ransometh him with that parte of his bodyfor whiche he is moste pursued. Juvenall also saithe, that he geldeth him selfe, for the desire he hath to escape. This beast in shape is wonderfull, for his tayle onely is fishe, and all the other deale of his body hathe the fourme of a litle hounde. His hynder feete be as it were feete of an hounde, wherewith especially he goeth on the lande : and his twoo forefeete bene as it were the feet of a Goose, and therewith he chiefely swimmeth in the water. In runninge his is very slowe, Ob ventrem tumidum, & ad terram dendentem. His skinne is full pretious, and properly white.

Are you glad you're not a beaver in period? John Bossewell doesn't have a good life ahead for you...