Two 16th C. Heraldic Creation Ceremonies adapted for use in the SCA In the Middle Ages and Renaissance pursuivants and heralds were invested with their offices by means of a peculiar ceremony. The essence of this ceremony had the candidate "created" as a pursuivant or herald by announcing their title, and then "baptized" with a cup of watered wine. Unlike most ceremonies, this ceremony is perfectly adaptable to use in the SCA. It is brief, colorful, and (in some versions) involves a brief oath, that can be reworked to SCA standards. It is also acceptable for use on the baronial level, since the Baron can "invest" new baronial pursuivant. This ceremony so that it can be done in about 5 minutes with no speech being more than about a minute long. If necessary, the long speech where the herald administers the oath of office to the candidate can be condensed or changed. Historical Basis These ceremonies are based on an outline of 16th c. English ceremony found in Gerard Legh's An Accidens of Armorie, 1585. The wording and actions are based on the sequence of events outlined in the original ceremony, as supplemented by an illustration from Vincent's Precedents, (plate 68 Oxford Guide to Heraldry) an early 17th c. source, which shows a scene from the creation of a Garter King at Arms. The oath is a reworking of the oath found in Leghe. I have attempted to keep an "Elizabethan" feeling to the language while adapting the ceremony to the needs of an SCA court and the oath to the values and duties of an SCA herald. Note that in the ceremony for the creation of the pursuivant, the tabard is put on "sideways". This follows historical practice. Pursuivants wore their tabards "athwart". Heralds wore their tabards in the more usual fashion. Personnel Requirements This ceremony is designed to be performed by a minimum of two people besides the Sovereign/Baron and the candidate. Materials Needed This ceremony requires a tabard for the new herald/pursuivant, a goblet which may be given away which is filled with a bit of water, and something for the new herald/pursuivant to swear his oath upon (a book or a sword depending on the whim of the sovereign/baron). Special Requirements This ceremony will get the candidate slightly wet. The person to be invested as pursuivant should know this beforehand and dress appropriately (i.e. no headdresses or garb which would be ruined by a bit of water). The sovereign and court herald should also know this so that strategically placed towels may be used to mop up any water left on the floor/ground after the ceremony and so that anything that would be damaged by water can be gotten out of the way. There should be enough water in the cup to get the candidate's head a bit damp, not to drench them. The Creation of a Pursuivant Herald: Know that We [Name of Sovereign or Baron] and [Name of Consort or Baroness], [Title of Sovereign and Consort] have need of a pursuivant to carry Our messages of peace and war, to be Our voice, and to teach the noble arts of heraldry, as our loyal servant [Name of Out-Going Pursuivant] has done. Know also that hearing good report of our faithful servant [Name of Candidate] as a gentle(wo)man skilled in the arts of honor we are minded to create [Name of Candidate] as our/a Pursuivant. Herald: Call forth [Name of candidate]! [The candidate is brought forward, being led by the hand a senior herald and flanked by other heralds or pursuivants bearing the necessary paraphernalia - a book, a goblet of water, and a tabard. The company kneels in the royal or baronial presence. If necessary, the number of attendants can be shrunk to just one.] [Attendant moves forward with a book, sword, or other appropriate item to swear an oath upon so that candidate can place his hand upon it.] Herald: [Aside, to candidate] Place your hand upon the book/sword/whatever. Herald: Do you [Candidate], of your own free will, swear to serve your liege lord as pursuivant? Candidate: I so swear. Herald: Do you, of your own free will, swear to serve your office as follows in these articles? The first. You shall be ready in your apparel of arms at coronations, creations, tournaments and festivals with all your power where you shall give guidance to all officers of arms serving under you. The second. You shall devote yourself to your learning and teach those serving under you of all services appertaining to heraldry. 3. You shall be expert in bearing messages and doing courts for your sovereign. 4. You shall make oft visitation of shires and baronies. 5. You shall honor chivalry and courtesy and all acts thereof. 6. You shall make timely reports and keep records of your office. 7. In tourneys, melees, and wars, you shall favor no party but make true report. 8. You shall make public proclamations on your sovereign's behalf in his coat of arms. Herald: Do you swear to abide by this oath for as long as you shall be a pursuivant? Candidate: I so swear. [Attendant moves forward and gives the goblet of water to the sovereign/baron.] Sovereign: Then by your oath, I do create you pursuivant by the name of [heraldic title or group name]. [ Sovereign slowly pours a bit of water from goblet over candidate's head while speaking these words.] Sovereign: As you shall serve me as pursuivant, I shall reward you with largesse. [Sovereign or Baron gives cup to candidate] Herald: Let the pursuivant be invested with his tabard of office, and let him/her wear it athwart as befits his/her rank of pursuivant. [Attendants move forward to put a tabard over the neck of the pursuivant. The tabard should be put on so that the arms of the tabard on are on the candidates chest and back and the front and back drape over the candidates shoulders and arms.] Sovereign: [Aside, to pursuivant] You may go. Herald: For [Candidate], [Heraldic Title/Group Name] Pursuivant, Hoobah/Wassail! [Candidate and company retreat.] The Creation of a Herald Overview This ceremony is almost identical to that for creating a pursuivant. The places where the text is different from that ceremony have been underlined. Requirements The manpower and material requirements of this ceremony are identical to those needed for the creation of a pursuivant. Herald: Know that We [Name of Sovereign or Baron] and [Name of Consort or Baroness], [Title of Sovereign and Consort] have need of a herald to carry Our messages of peace and war, to be Our voice, and to teach the noble arts of heraldry, as our loyal servant [Name of Out-Going herald] has done. Know also that hearing good report of our faithful servant [Name of Candidate] as a gentle(wo)man skilled in the arts of honor we are minded to create [Name of Candidate] as our/a Herald. Herald: Call forth [Name of candidate]! [The candidate is brought forth, being led by the hand a senior herald and flanked by other heralds or pursuivants bearing the necessary paraphanelia - a book, a goblet of water, and a tabard. The company kneels in the royal or baronial presence. If the candidate is already a pursuivant, then he should be come in wearing a tabard as a pursuivant would - e.g. athwart. If necessary the number of attendants can be shrunk to just one person.] [Attendant moves forward with a book, sword, or other appropriate item to swear an oath upon so that candidate can place his hand upon it.] Herald: [Aside, to candidate.] Place your hand upon the book/sword/whatever. Herald: Do you [Candidate], of your own free will, swear to serve your liege lord as herald? Candidate: I so swear. Herald: Do you, of your own free will, serve your office as follows in these articles? The first. You shall be ready in your apparel of arms at coronations, creations, tournaments and festivals with all your power where you shall give guidance to all officers of arms serving under you. The second. You shall devote yourself to your learning and teach those serving under you of all services appertaining to heraldry. 3. You shall be expert in bearing messages and doing courts for your sovereign. 4. You shall make oft visitation of shires and baronies. 5. You shall honor chivalry and courtesy and all acts thereof. 6. You shall make timely reports and keep records of your office. 7. In tourneys, melees, and wars, you shall favor no party but make true report. 8. You shall make public proclamations on your sovereign's behalf in his coat of arms. Herald: Do you swear to abide by this oath for as long as you shall be a herald? Candidate: I so swear. [Attendant moves forward and gives the goblet of water to the sovereign/baron.] Sovereign: Then by your oath, I do create you herald by the name of [Heraldic Title]. [ Sovereign slowly pours a bit of water from goblet over candidate's head while speaking these words.] Sovereign: As you shall serve me as herald, I shall reward you with largesse. [Sovereign/Baron gives the cup to the new herald.] Herald: Let the herald be invested with his tabard of office and let him wear it so that he may be known as a herald. [Attendants move forward to put a tabard over the neck of the herald if he is not wearing one already. If s/he is not wearing a tabard, the tabard should first be put on so that the arms of the tabard on are on the candidate's chest and back and the front and back drape over the candidates shoulders and arms. Then, in a separate and obvious motion, the attendants turn the tabard so that it is worn properly. If the candidate was wearing a tabard athwart already then the attendants merely turn the tabard. Alternately, the candidate could have a tabard with the arms of the kingdom draped over the "generic" green tabard.] Sovereign: [Aside, to the new herald]: You may go. Herald: For [Candidate], [Heraldic Title] Herald, Hoobah!/Wassail! [Candidate and company retreat.] A slightly different version of the ceremony for the creation of a herald has been successfully used in the Middle Kingdom to the satisfaction of all concerned. (The queen especially enjoyed pouring the cup of water over the candidate's head!) Since this ceremony was originally conceived to be used in the Middle Kingdom some of the language will seem a bit out of place. Please, feel free to alter or otherwise amend this ceremony as necessary to suit local conventions. Bibliography Legh, Gerard An Accedence of Armory, London, 1581. Wagner, Sir Anthony Heraldry and Heraldry in the Middle Ages, 2nd Edition, London: Oxford University Press, 1956. Woodcock, Thomas and Robinson, John Martin The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. A 14th Century Herald's Oath, contributed by Christian d'Hiver, The Millrind; Vol. IV, Issue 2, 1993 (text originally published as Dillon, "On a MS Collection of Ordinances of Chivalry in the Fifteenth Century Belonging to Lord Hastings", Archeologica, LVII (1900), 70, as quoted in Chaucer's World, pp. 137-139, C. Olson & M. Crow ed. Columbia, 1948.) ??