Heraldic Displays

NON-AWARD LEVEL Non Award
Anyone in the SCA may register an armorial device with the College of Heralds and are encouraged to do so. Even before an individual has been recognized with an Award of Arms, they are entitled to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment."

NON-ARMIGEROUS AWARDS (UNRANKED) Non Armigerous
> When the Crown of Avacal has recognized an individual with an Non-Armigerous Award, the individual continues to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment." The badge of the award may be placed on either side of the "Motto" "Scrolled Parchment."

AWARD OF ARMS LEVEL
When the Crown of Avacal has recognized an individual with an Award of Arms, the individual continues to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment." In addition, the achievement may now contain a "black or dark grey Helm" and a "Torse" with "Mantling" or "Streamers" of the main tinctures of the device. The badge of the award may also be placed on either side of the "Motto," "Scrolled Parchment," or on the "Streamers" or on the "Mantling."

COURT BARONCY
This award carries with it an Award of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. The individual continues to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment." In addition, the achievement may now contain a "black or dark grey Helm" and a "Torse" with "Mantling" or "Streamers" of the main tinctures of the device. The badge of the award may be placed on either side of the "Motto," "Scrolled Parchment," or on the "Streamers" or on the "Mantling." The recipient may also display a "Baronial Coronet" consisting of a band surmounted by four or six pearls.

GRANT OF ARMS LEVEL
When the Crown of Avacal has recognized an individual with a Grant of Arms, the individual continues to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment," a "black or dark grey Helm" and a "Torse" with "Mantling" or "Streamers" of the main tinctures of the device. The badge of the award may be placed on either side of the "Motto" "Scrolled Parchment," on the "Streamers" or on the "Mantling." In addition, the recipient may also display a "Crest" atop the helm and may chose to have the "Crest" hold a banner of the Avacal populace badge. They may display a "Medallion of the Badge of the Order" on a "Ribbon" for the order medallion to hang from. It is strongly suggested to follow the colours of our awards and orders for your "Ribbon"," Argent (white) and Or (gold) with a Gules (red) border. You may use any colour, however, Argent (white), which is restricted for the Order of Defense and Or (gold), which is restricted for County or Duchy. In addition, recipient may also display one "Supporter" and a "Compartment." The badge of the award may be placed on the "Supporter" or in the "Compartment."

NOBLE SOCIETY OF THE GRIFFIN CONVEYS A GRANT OF ARMS
When the Crown of Avacal has recognized an individual with the Noble Society of the Griffin, which conveys both a Grant of Arms and a Court Baronetcy, the individual continues to display their "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" and a "Motto" on a "Scrolled Parchment," a "black or dark grey Helm" and a "Torse" with "Mantling" or "Streamers" of the main tinctures of the device. In addition, they may also display a "Crest" atop the helm and may also chose to have the "Crest" hold a banner of the Populace badge. The recipient may also display a "Baronial Coronet" consisting of a band surmounted by four or six pearls and may chose to place it on the "Torse," replace the "Torse," replace both the "Torse" and "Helm" or on one of the "Supporters." In addition, recipient may also display one "Supporter" and a "Compartment."

PATENT OF ARMS
SIMPLE PATENT OF ARMS When the Crown of Avacal has recognized an individual with a Patent of Arms, the individual is entitled to display a "Full Achievement." The display may include the basic addiments of the Award of Arms and the Grant of Arms and in addition, may now include a change in colour of (see below) "Helm" and two "Supporters."
ORDER OF CHIVALRY This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the Order of the Chivalry and a "white Helm." "A Chain of Gold Links" or a "White Belt" may encircle the "Escutcheon" of the Knights. Alternatively, one or both of the "Supporters" may wear the white belt and/or the gold chain. For the Masters at Arms, a "White Baldric" may be placed across the "Escutcheon." Alternatively, one or both of the "Supporter" may wear the white baldric.
ORDER OF THE LAUREL This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the Order of the Laurel - being a "Green Laurel Wreath" and a "white Helm." A "Green Laurel Wreath" may encircle the "Escutcheon" or alternatively, one or both "Supporters" may wear the wreath on their head(s).
ORDER OF THE PELICAN This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the Order of Pelican - being a "Pelican in her piety," a "Pelican vulning itself" and/or a "Chapeau (gules, lined with ermine)" and a "white Helm." Any regalia may be placed anywhere on the achievement and not on the "Escutcheon," this includes on one or both "Supporters."
ORDER OF DEFENSE This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the Order of Defense - being a "white livery collar" and/or the "badge, three rapiers in pall inverted tips crossed" and a "white Helm." The "white livery collar" may replace the "Ribbon" and the order badge may be hung from it. They may also chose to place the white livery collar and/or the badge on one or both "Supporters."
VISCOUNTY This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display a "a Pearled Coronet of twelve or sixteen points" and a "white Helm."
COUNTY This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the County rank - being a "Gold Embattled Coronet" and a "Gold Helm." Members of the Order of the Rose may encircle the "Escutcheon" with a "Wreath of Red Hearts and Roses proper" or a "Wreath of Red Roses Proper." If either wreath is displayed in the form of a medallion, the field of the medallion and the "Scrolled Parchment" from which it hangs shall be coloured gold.
DUCHY This award carries with it a Patent of Arms if the recipient does not already have one. In addition to the addiments of the Simple Patent of Arms, here the achievement may also display the regalia of the Duchy rant - being a "Gold Coronet of Strawberry Leaves" and a "gold Helm." Members of the Order of the Rose may encircle the "Escutcheon" with a "Wreath of Gold Hearts and Roses Barbed Green Seeded Red" or a "Wreath of Roses Barbed Green Seeded Red" and a "Gold Strawberry-leaved Coronet on Top of the Wreath."

BRANCH ARMS
SIMPLE BRANCH ARMS The display may include the Branch's "Registered Device" on an "Escutcheon" with a "Crest" atop a "Helm" (designated below) and a "Torse with Mantling of the main tinctures of the device," "Supporters" on their "Compartment" and a "Motto."
PROVINCE, SHIRE, CANTON, STRONGHOLD AND COLLEGE In addition to the addiments of the Simple Branch Arms, the group may use a "black Helm."
BARONY In addition to the addiments of the Simple Branch Arms, Baronies are entitled and encouraged to display a "Baronial Coronet" on a "black Helm" consisting of a band surmounted by four or six pearls. Baronies are also encouraged to use their major charge as a "Supporter."
KINGDOM In addition to the addiments of the Simple Branch Arms, the Kingdom of Avacal may use a "Gold Helm" or a "Rendition of the Avacal Royal Crowns." The "Supporters" should be two Griffins.

DEFINITIONS

Chapeau:

The "Chapeau" or "Cap of Maintenance" is colour "gules lined with ermine."

Compartment:

The "Compartment" is an optional "Piece of Ground" upon which the achievement rests. Supporters look more natural standing on something solid rather than floating in air. Common compartments are grassy hills drawn with or without flowers, a watery ford (especially when the supporters are fish or sea-monsters) or an architectural contract such as a carved stone platform, which is also an ideal place for display of the "Motto," as if it were carved into the stone. Then again, a a compartment might be made up of a pile of books, a mound of stone, ornate iron or gold-work or a shelf of wood. The compartment area may be used for other heraldic allusion or symbolism as seems appropriate to the recipient like a Mountain Range or a Desert Plain. The Kingdom and Baronies may wish to allude to their awards and/or orders in the design of the compartment. It is recommended that a "Motto Scrolled Parchment" not be used as a compartment for supporters to stand upon. This is known in period and particularly in post-period heraldic art, but the scroll is generally held to look flimsy in this context. Mottoes on architectural elements, however, do not have this problem and so this type of display is encouraged when it is desired that the motto be incorporated into the design of the compartment. Tokens, awards, insignia or artistic elements honouring individuals may be worked into the overall design of the achievement and the compartment is considered the best area of display these addiments.

Coronet: The specific coronets are discussed under each achievement type. The coronet can be used in the place of the "Torse" or the "Helm." When the coronet takes the place of the helm, it should rest directly on and extend all the way across the top of the escutcheon, becoming a major part of the design. In such a display, the coronet is often drawn with a high degree of detailing in the way of jewels and relief work.

Crest:

A “Crest” is an added decoration on top of the “Helm”. The form in heraldry appears to originate from early helm decorations used in tournament that were derived from the wearer’s fieldless badge. Many common crest shapes, such as a pair of wings, a pair of large bull's horns, an animal's head, etc., are shapes that could be easily mounted to sit on top of a helm with the “Mantling” draped in a natural manner from an attachment around the base. Crests such as an entire statant or rampant animal are also found in heraldry; however the airy space around the legs made them more difficult to attach to the helm thus making them less natural as a mounted crest. Crests should always face in the same direction that the helm faces. In an achievement using a “Crest”, it is not uncommon for period art to omit the “Torse” so that the crest flows seamlessly into the “Mantling”.

Escutcheon: The “Escutcheon” referred to here is the shield shape upon which the main display of registered arms is found. While the standard shield shape for armorial display is the “heater,” similar to the Avacal device submission form. Other shield shapes have been used for armorial display depending on the place and time of the display. A good survey of these shield shapes over time and place can be found in Neubecker's Heraldry - Sources, Symbols and Meanings. In period, women occasionally used a lozenge shaped shield for armorial display, a practice that was more common in later period than in earlier. However, during the majority of the Society's times and places, women used the same kind of shield, as did men, so the lozenge shape is not encouraged

Helm:

The “Helm” is placed on top of the shield, touching, not floating above it. The tincture (colour) of the helm has been previously described. The style of helm is up to the recipient and is generally taken from their period, if applicable. When the helm has a crest, the helm and crest should face in the same direction, i.e. if the crest is a lion's face affronty (facing forward), then the helm should be affronty.

Mantling: “Mantling” is simple, vigorous and flowing turns of cloth drawn so as to set off the achievement and fill the space provided. The edges may be scalloped with tassels added to the ends. Normally, mantling is displayed with the most primary “color” of the device on the outer side of the fabric and the most primary “metal or fur” of the device on the lining or inside of the fabric.

Medallion: A “Medallion” is normally a large circular or oval “Medal” stamped or inscribed with a design commemorating a specific award.

Motto: The “Motto” is a brief sentence, phrase or single word used to express a principle, goal or ideal. The motto is usually found above or beneath the main design of the achievement and is generally drawn on a representation of "Scrolled Parchment," but may also be incorporated into the compartment. Motto's are not registered.

Ribbon:

A “Ribbon” is a narrow strip or band of fine fabric and is only used in combination with a medallion hanging from it.

Scrolled Parchment:

A scrolled parchment is where the "Motto" is written.

Streamers: “Streamers” are a late and post-period substitution for mantling, especially in achievements for women where the arms are drawn on a “Lozenge” rather than an “Escutcheon” and there is no “Helm”, “Torse” and “Mantling”. Streamers are long narrow strips of fabric and can have tassels hanging from the ends. However, during the majority of the SCA's times and places, women used the same kind of shield, as did men, so since the lozenge shape is not encouraged, likewise, “Streamers” are discouraged.

Supporters:

“Supporters” hold up the “Escutcheon”. People and fourlegged animals or monsters are the most common types of supporters. Other kinds can also be found, such as a two-legged bird standing on one leg and holding the shield with the other, fish or finned monsters and inanimate objects. A shield displayed over two crossed swords has the swords acting as supporters. Supporters may or may not echo charges used in the arms or may or may not relate to the owner’s badge. The two supporters can be of the same type, or two different types.

Torse:

The “Torse” is a band of twisted cloth that holds the “Mantling” on the “Helm”. The torse is drawn using he same two tinctures of the “Mantling” in six alternating twists with the furthermost left twist being the metal or fur.