[tirrigh-heralds] General Heraldry Questions

[Britt]

On 8/6/07, Elaine McMillan <emcmillan64 at shaw.ca> wrote:
> I didn't intend to join the list. I was looking at the Tir Righ Online
> Tracking System and it says "If you have any questions, please send us mail
> at collegeofheralds at tirrigh.org"). Since I had a question, I sent the email.
> Rather unexpectedly, I received an email saying I'd been added to the
> list...

Keep it, and when you're done with us, unsubscribe. :)  In the
meantime, having you subscribed to the list is a good way to keep you
involved in the dialogue actively so you're not receiving information
filtered through an editer and can ask questions as they come up.

> That aside - my question was about granting permission to conflict.

It's up to the person who discovers they're in conflict to decide
whether or not to request permission.  Sometimes they do, sometimes
they also decide that if it's that close they'd prefer a design that
isn't in conflict and truly unique.  Having had a Trimarian move into
our shire with a design all but identical to someone already in the
branch who had considered going for permission since 'they're so far
away we'll never even meet' was an amusing reminder of the fact that
the Known World is a pretty small place when you factor in all the
moving a person might do in their lifetime for purposes of family and
career.  Likewise did someone from Prince Edward Island reside in
Dragon's Mist for a time and decide that international boundaries were
no boundaries at all heraldically. :)

Anyway, the person returned for conflict might well have redesigned
something completely different from the armory that had been in
conflict with yours.  That's not at all uncommon, with the next
submission being radically different from the first.  It is very kind
of you to inquire like this.  You're now on the heraldic radar as
someone approachable should another come up who might make that
request.

Standard procedure for seeking permission includes contacting the
SCAHRLDS mailing list and directly contacting the submission herald in
the kingdom the conflicting armory was registered from.  This allows
local, private communication initially so that privacy is retained
until such time as permission is given and the letter sent.  So if
someone is looking for you, they will probably have their herald
contact Lions Blood.  If you've moved since registration, Lions Blood
can ask the ATH and Tir Righ heralds mailing lists for news of you,
can contact kingdom and see where your Crier is sent (Seneschals are
friends of the heralds in finding people), and can use other mailing
lists and information to find you.  The OP is always useful, since it
lists branches through which awards are received, as well.

We have a network.  Is it any wonder that in period heralds were often
used as spies?  :)

- Teceangl, former Lions Blood Herald