Way back in the day, when I had more energy and free time, I had this notion to build a massive database of automatically registerable names, referring to original sources to assist submittors.
This was before Appendix H not requiring photocopies, and certainly before the house fire that cause my heraldic library to suffer a small setback.
However, with the advent of this blog and google docs letting me share this, here is a link to my index of EG Withycombe's Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames. All these names are registerable.
A small note on the codes next to the names. The first section is century, the second section is culture, and the last section is identifier (M=Male, F=Female, S=Surname, P=Place name, G=Group name).
Brand
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvCZkIfD1yl7dGg2YTFqSWVLS1p1QVRYWHE2WnpRcEE&hl=en_US
A blog that deals with matters of heraldry within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). I will try to post items from my heraldic library, bits of heraldic history that I've experienced in the Midrealm and Ealdormere. If others have documentation or heraldic items to add to this blog, you are welcome to contribute -- feel free to email me at checkyboy@gmail.com
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Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label research. Show all posts
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Acknowledgement of a Count and Countess
When Ealdormere was a principality, I was charged as the Trillium Herald
of coming up with some ceremonies. The Midrealm had their ceremony
book that they used at the time, but there were some gaps we needed to
fill, for principality awards, and Ealdormere-specific things, such as
the acknowledgement of a Viscount and Viscountess.
In doing some research, I was able to find an actual period writ creating a viscount from 1440! The text is below:
The king to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, dukes, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, reeves, bailiffs and his other faithful to whom this comes, etc. Greetings.
From that text, I was able to tone down the legalese and keep most of the key phrases. The script below was used for Viscounts and Viscountesses for the duration of our principality days, and upon becoming a kingdom, we simply changed it to be the default ceremony for a Count and Countess.
Counts and Countesses are not created, they are acknowledged. Upon the completion of a successful reign, a former King of Queen becomes a Count or Countess by default, ceremony or no. However, a ceremony to acknowledge their new station as a member of the royal peerage is a good thing. This ceremony can be done on Coronation day or any day thereafter, as convenient to the Crown and the former royalty.
(Based on "Reports from the Lords Committees Touching the Dignity of a Peer of the Realm", London: 1829, Volume V: 235 as cited in Nobles and the Noble Life by Joel T. Rosenthal)
In doing some research, I was able to find an actual period writ creating a viscount from 1440! The text is below:
from
Reports from the Lords Committees Touching the Dignity of a Peer of the
Realm (London, 1829) Volume V: 235 as cited in Nobles and the Noble
Life by Joel T. Rosenthal
The king to the archbishops, bishops, abbots, priors, dukes, earls, barons, justices, sheriffs, reeves, bailiffs and his other faithful to whom this comes, etc. Greetings.
Know
that we observe from our majesty that those who exhibit continuous
faithful service to us, especially in those matters which touch on our
prerogative we proceed to elevate to special honours with great
liberality. And this is especially the case with those whose progenitors
were of noble memory and whose virtues were demonstrated by clear
evidence in the past, as well as with their intrinsic merit. We now act in order that virtue be strengthened and many people be led to upright acts.
Therefore,
considering the noble progenitors of our most dear cousin John, lord of
Beaumont, and the service which his parents faithfully rendered to our
ancestors, and the way in which he has laudably and faithfully devoted
himself to our service in these times, and that he should continue to
act thus in the future, we act so that our lofty prerogative shines to
honour him.
By
our grace in our present parliament the aforesaid John, lord of
Beaumont, our kinsman, and his male heirs begotten of his body, shall be
assigned the name of Viscount Beaumont, and he shall be invested with
the rank of Viscount Beaumont, and he shall have a place in our
parliament and councils and other gatherings over all barons of the
realm. And we assign this in as much as it will especially adorn him
when he stands in the aforesaid status of viscount, according to our
accustomed liberality.
We give and concede by us and our heirs, as is in our power, to the aforesaid John and his heirs with his name, rank, and position: 20 marks, to be received annually by him and his heirs begotten of his body, from the profits of the farm of the county of Lincoln, paid by the hand of the sheriff of that county, whoever he shall be, by equal portions at the terms of Easter and St. Michael. He is to have to hold, for him and his heirs in perpetuity, the aforesaid name, insignia, position, and 20 marks, notwithstanding other gifts or concessions made to the same John by us in a previous time, according to the form of this edict, made and enrolled in this present form and all others notwithstanding.
We give and concede by us and our heirs, as is in our power, to the aforesaid John and his heirs with his name, rank, and position: 20 marks, to be received annually by him and his heirs begotten of his body, from the profits of the farm of the county of Lincoln, paid by the hand of the sheriff of that county, whoever he shall be, by equal portions at the terms of Easter and St. Michael. He is to have to hold, for him and his heirs in perpetuity, the aforesaid name, insignia, position, and 20 marks, notwithstanding other gifts or concessions made to the same John by us in a previous time, according to the form of this edict, made and enrolled in this present form and all others notwithstanding.
In which thing, etc.
Witnessed by the king at Reading, 12th day of February.
By writ of privy seal.
From that text, I was able to tone down the legalese and keep most of the key phrases. The script below was used for Viscounts and Viscountesses for the duration of our principality days, and upon becoming a kingdom, we simply changed it to be the default ceremony for a Count and Countess.
Acknowledgement of a Count or Countess
Counts and Countesses are not created, they are acknowledged. Upon the completion of a successful reign, a former King of Queen becomes a Count or Countess by default, ceremony or no. However, a ceremony to acknowledge their new station as a member of the royal peerage is a good thing. This ceremony can be done on Coronation day or any day thereafter, as convenient to the Crown and the former royalty.
In Ealdormere, patents are given to all
royal peerage automatically, and all Countesses become a Lady of the Rose. The patent is included in this ceremony, and
the Rose ceremony should follow in the same court.
The text within {brackets} is for a
joint ceremony involving a Count and Countess.
Otherwise, simply omit the joint text.
Acknowledgement of a Count and Countess
HERALD: Their
Majesties of Ealdormere invite COUNT N {& COUNTESS N} to attend their
thrones in this court.
<COUNT N and COUNTESS N present
themselves>
Their Majesties greet their Nobles,
Peers, Lords, Ladies, Officers by Letters Warrant, Gentlefolk, Vassals, and
other faithful subjects to whom these words are received, greetings!
Know that we observe from our majesty
those who have exhibited faithful service to Us and Our realm, especially in
matters which touch on Our prerogative, We proceed to elevate to special
honours with great liberality. And this
is especially the case with those of noble memory and virtue as demonstrated by
clear evidence in the recent past, as well as with their intrinsic merit. We now act in order that virtue be strengthened
and many people be led to upright acts.
Therefore, considering our most dear
cousin{s} COUNT {and COUNTESS}, and the service which {he/she/they} have
faithfully rendered Ealdormere, and the way in which they have devoted their
person to our realm in these times, and that they should continue to act thus
in future, We act so that Our lofty prerogative shines to honour {him/her/them}.
By Our grace in our present court COUNT
{and COUNTESS}, our {kinsman/kinfolk/cousins}, shall be acknowledged and assigned
the name and title of Count {and Countess}, and {he/she/they} shall be invested
with the coronet of gold embattled with their rank, and they shall have a place
in our court and council and other gatherings over all other nobles of the
realm.
We give and concede by Us and Our
heirs, as is in Our power, to the aforesaid COUNT {and COUNTESS} their tokens
of rank and position, to be received from us this day forward. They are to have to hold this estate in
perpetuity. Let this act be witnessed by
our councilors the Seneschals of Law, and declared by our Herald this day.
<Coronets
and Regalia are bestowed, hopefully by the Crown allowing the Count to once
again bestow a circlet on his lady.>
For {His/Her/Their} Excellencies, COUNT
N {and COUNTESS N}, Wassail!
(Based on "Reports from the Lords Committees Touching the Dignity of a Peer of the Realm", London: 1829, Volume V: 235 as cited in Nobles and the Noble Life by Joel T. Rosenthal)
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Scandinavian Coronation Ceremonies
I offered to share some details regarding my research into elements of an early-period Coronation ceremony.
I started with some basic reading on wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coronations_in_Norway
Then I went on to find some books that covered in depth scandinavian and german coronations. Here is a post of the research details I found in one book ...
Coronations, by Janos M Bak.
This book details a number of details regarding coronations in different countries, but I found a number of items specifically regarding Danish and Norwegian ceremonies.
* During the danish coronation, the Danish king's ceremony involved `swinging the sword in the cardinal directions` of the kingdom, and handing the sword to the marshal. The king also received the sceptre and orb from the kingdom councillors, swore his oath, and then returned them to the each councillor in charge of it.
* The Swedish coronation oath, recorded for the first time at this occasion, consists of the first part of the professio known from the German ordo. One may assume that the medieval Swedish ordo contained the entire text and was, therefore, identical with the medieval Danish one. Gustavus Wasa quite consciously halved the text. In this way he retained only a general promise of lex, iustitia , and pax to the church and his people. The latter half would have bound him specifically to observe the honor, rights, and privileges of clergy and church, of abbots and of counts as vassals, whose counsel he would also have promised to follow.
*The king, at this time still unmarried, was received at the church door by the bishops, wearing their pallia . After greeting and prayers he was led to the altar while a reponsorium is sung.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=m6nsnzLRPlIC&num=10
I started with some basic reading on wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_coronations_in_Norway
Then I went on to find some books that covered in depth scandinavian and german coronations. Here is a post of the research details I found in one book ...
Coronations, by Janos M Bak.
This book details a number of details regarding coronations in different countries, but I found a number of items specifically regarding Danish and Norwegian ceremonies.
* During the danish coronation, the Danish king's ceremony involved `swinging the sword in the cardinal directions` of the kingdom, and handing the sword to the marshal. The king also received the sceptre and orb from the kingdom councillors, swore his oath, and then returned them to the each councillor in charge of it.
* The Swedish coronation oath, recorded for the first time at this occasion, consists of the first part of the professio known from the German ordo. One may assume that the medieval Swedish ordo contained the entire text and was, therefore, identical with the medieval Danish one. Gustavus Wasa quite consciously halved the text. In this way he retained only a general promise of lex, iustitia , and pax to the church and his people. The latter half would have bound him specifically to observe the honor, rights, and privileges of clergy and church, of abbots and of counts as vassals, whose counsel he would also have promised to follow.
*The king, at this time still unmarried, was received at the church door by the bishops, wearing their pallia . After greeting and prayers he was led to the altar while a reponsorium is sung.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=m6nsnzLRPlIC&num=10
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