Draft Guidelines: "Introduction", "The Chroniclers of Arms"

[Shyriath]

These are the first segments of a set of draft heraldry guidelines I'm putting together. After a period for comment and possible adjustment, I'll put them up on ShireWiki.

Introduction

A Shirerithian coat of arms is, in essence, a design or symbol unique to a person or entity, to be used by said person or entity for the purposes of identification or self-representation. The task of creating, altering, and recording Shirerithian grants of arms, and associated heraldic devices, falls under the aegis of the Chroniclers of Arms, wielding the heraldic authority delegated to them by the Kaiser.

The design of the arms is defined by the description, or blazon. The blazoning of arms, in order to have meaning as a proper description, must be sufficiently unambiguous that a person familiar with its meaning should, with sufficient artistic ability, be able to create a visual representation of the arms without ever having seen them before. The language of blazon, therefore, contains a number of obscure or technical terms, or otherwise ordinary ones given more precise meanings. Part of the purpose of these Guidelines will be to make the language of Shirerithian blazon clear, and future updates will undoubtedly expand the vocabulary to cover new situations.

All this does not mean, however, that the visual result of interpreting a blazon will be exactly the same. Room exists for differing artistic styles, and for license in interpretation. A representation of arms, so long as it follows its associated blazon and cannot be reasonably mistaken for a different coat of arms, must generally be considered legitimate.

The Guidelines that follow here are meant to aid the Chroniclers of Arms in their duties, as well as aid prospective grantees in determining what they want in their arms and whether they can achieve it.

The Chroniclers of Arms

It is well-known that all governmental authority in Shireroth derives ultimately from the Kaiser. Others may wield that authority in actual fact, but it is ultimately delegated to them by the Throne for purposes of efficiency; thus, various areas of executive power are administered by the Ministries, and legislative power is administered by the Landsraad. In the same way, the Kaiser, being the fons honorum, the source of honors and awards in Shireroth, is able to delegate administration of heraldic matters.

As mentioned in the introduction, therefore, the Chroniclers of Arms shall function as Shireroth’s heraldic authority. It shall be their charge to issue grants of arms and other heraldic devices, to develop the standards by which they are designed, to provide advice and aid in the design process, and to maintain a register or roll of the heraldic grants under their authority.

The senior officer of the Chroniclers and primary heraldic authority of Shireroth shall be the Mango King of Arms. Although Mango King of Arms may elect to carry out zir duties alone, zie may also appoint Heralds as assistants. The position of Alces Principal Herald shall be reserved permanently for an individual entrusted with acting not only as an assistant, but as deputy for Mango King of Arms when the latter is unable to fulfill zir duties. Other Heralds shall be equal in rank and may be appointed or dismissed as required, to be called one of the following: Amity Herald, Blackrock Herald, Cimmeria Herald, Gensym Herald, Modan-Lach Herald.

The Chroniclers of Arms may provide heraldic services not only to individuals, but to subdivisions, to permanent government offices, to companies and corporations; in theory, to any entity (primarily Shirerithian, but foreign as well) that might find use for heraldry in defining itself. And although coats of arms will be the primary focus of the Chroniclers, other heraldic items such as badges, banners, and standards shall fall within the scope of their work.

The activities of the Chroniclers can be divided into four main areas: design, grants, registration, and upkeep. The design portion shall involve the development of Shirerithian blazon and heraldic traditions, and aiding potential grantees in creating arms that are consistent with them.

For those that do not already have them, Mango King of Arms may issue a Grant of Arms after a design has been finalized. When a Grant is issued, the arms and other heraldic devices in question become officially registered as belonging to the grantee, and may not be rightfully used by anyone else. This service will be primarily directed toward Shirerithian citizens and entities, although foreigners may potentially make use of them as well.

A Registration of Arms, on the other hand, will not involve heraldic devices that are newly designed, but those that have already been in use and been considered legitimate for some time prior to their registration. There are several coats of arms within Shireroth itself that would qualify for this, including the national arms themselves, but it is anticipated that citizens of foreign micronations, whether because their governments have no apparatus for the recognition or registration of arms or because they simply wish additional protection for them, may wish to register their arms with the Chroniclers.

Lastly, the Chroniclers must be sure that arms already registered are kept up to reflect the current status of their owners. Whether through changes in feudal rank, appointment to a Ministry, or being inducted into an Order, bearers of arms may not always have the same set of heraldic trappings throughout their micronational lives.