What is a Device?

Your device or "coat of arms" is a personal visual representation of you. Your logo. Your trademark. When you use your device, everyone knows that you are present at the event.

In period, we needed a method of quick identification to tell the difference between foe and friend on the battlefield. Writing words was difficult because of the literacy rates but also the language barriers. So, we started to use simple designs on our shields to represent the person behind it. This method continued into the more peaceful times and was used particularly during the jousting tournament period. The "Coats of Arms" were displayed by those knights in attendance at the tournament and were displayed on themselves, their horse, their banners, etc. Check out the heraldry in the movie "A Knight's Tale", particularly when they are entering the International Championship in London.

Many of our Knights here in the Kingdom also have devices that they occasionally display. Particularly at Crown tournament, you will often see the fighters wearing an individual display of the heraldry or presenting it to the Crown during the processional. During these tournaments, we as spectators can easily see who is fighting whom and identify the combatants on the field. So, if you want a personal identification, then a device may be for you.

What is a Badge?

A Badge is a simple piece of heraldry used to make items. Think of it as a craftman's mark. For some early period personas, choosing a badge maybe more appropriate. We use badges for individuals, groups, and awards or orders.

Badges needed to be simple to cast or carve into the material being marked. A Badge would have only a single object or a group of objects joined together so they could be easily poured. Because the material would vary, the background colour was not important. We define this as "fieldless". We would identify something from the mark itself mostly and maybe by its colour as well.

Personal Badges can be design to either mark our items or can represent us. Group badges including household ones are to mark the individual members or items belonging to the group. Most SCA baronies in Ealdormere also have a populace badge passed which members of their barony can display. If you hold a Kingdom award (either from here in Ealdormere or somewhere else), you may display the badge of the award. Follow the links to Ealdormere Awards for JPEGs.

What Makes for a Good Design?

We first start with some general principles. Good designs should be of a period style and content. We define the SCA period to be Europe or areas that contacted Europe prior to 1600 A.D. For a design to be SCA acceptable, we need to have the colours, background and items to reflect what was found during our period and scope of study. Without this, we can't completely recreate the Current Middle Ages as we want to. We also can't you modern logos or trademarks because of the potential legal issues. Nor can we have anything offensive. Once we get these concepts, we continue to colours and metals.

What colours can I use?

Heraldry was used to quickly identify foe from friend on the battlefield and usually at a great distance. We primarily use the standard eight-crayon pack for most of the tinctures. We use blue (azure), red (gules), purple (purpure), black (sable) and green (vert) as our "colours". We also have two metals, white/silver (argent) and yellow/gold (Or). Pink is a light variation of red. Orange is a dark variation of yellow. Brown is a light variation of black. From far away, pink looks like red or could fade on a light background. Orange may look like either red or yellow depending on the tint. Brown will look like black. Hence the reason why we really stick to the above colours except when the charge is a proper or natural (ask a herald about this).

Our ability to see differences at a significant distance is known as "contrast". We follow a "metal on colour" or "colour on metal" rule to ensure that we have contrast. Our traffic warning signs (deer crossing, railroad crossing, etc) follow this rule to ensure that the driver can see the warning well in advance. We did not design these signs by accident. During our period, we designed heraldry to follow this rule so it could be easily seen.

If you want "metal on metal" or "colour on colour", contact your local herald about possibly making a fieldless badge or some of the other regional exceptions.

What items can I use?

Beyond what would be offensive or modern, we also have a list of reserved or restricted charges. Normally, you can't use honours that you haven't yet obtained (such as a baronial coronet, a crown or a gold chain). You also can't use honours that belong to countries or other such royalty (such as the Queen of England). After that, as long as it was used a heraldic item during our period, you can use it.

We call the items on the background "charges". Charges should be some that you can identify from its appearance easily and should be able to reconstruct easily as well. Remember heraldry is a pictorial representation of someone or some group. Although our armoury has artistic value, we need to have it as a quick visual of who that is on the field. Like the hockey and football teams, all of us know whose playing because of the symbols on their uniforms. Our heraldry is not much different. Don't try to make the charges too complicated or in three dimensions - it wasn't period to do so.

Don't forget if you use animals or monsters that there are lots of positions in which they can be drawn. Check out http://www.sca.org/heraldry/primer/ for the positions and see if any can be used. Not every design has animals in "rampant" so you can come up with one in a different orientation.

Some people try to use their device as their "SCA resume". I'm a fighter, calligrapher and love beer so I need a sword, a pen and tankard. By having many items, we increase the complexity and the chances of conflict and return. Try not to have any more than eight heraldic things associated with your design. In period, Richard the Lionhearted a very famous leader of the crusades didn't have a sword on his device. He's famous enough as it is. Look at some our local Dukes (David, Hasdrubal, Roak, Osis, Berus, etc) and notice that they don't have swords on their devices either. They used charges that represent them that weren't "swords" nor do their devices indicate their SCA resume.

What can I do to the background?

We can change the background (field) with field divisions or field treatments. Field divisions divide the background so that more than one colour and metal can be used. We can divide the background in a variety of ways: vertically (per pale), horizontally (per fess), on the two diagonals (per bend, per bend sinister) and any many others. If you want to use something more than a plain coloured field, contact your local herald or pursuivant for examples, or check out the heraldry primer at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/primer/. Field treatments put small charges in the background (like small ermine spots, small cross, small stars, etc.).

We can also change the lines of the division or on ordinary. Different lines give a different look as well. Check out the heraldry primer for more examples or ask your local herald.

How to put it all together?

First get a copy of the submissions forms, a crayola eight pack of markers, some patience and some heralds help. Heraldic help at the beginning may stop some of the normal problems. Once you get something that you and the herald may like. Draw the charges "big, bold and butch" to use as much of the field as you can. Colour it all in. Then put it on your refrigerator for a month. Look at every day. Does it look like something that:
- you can wear
- you want to display
- can easily reproduced
- you want for a long time
If so, then you may have the device or badge of your dreams. If not, go back to the drawing board (pun intented)!

Why Registration?

Historically, we didn't want anyone was confused as someone else. The main job of the heralds or pursuivants of the time ensured that no two designs would look like or look close enough to be confusing. At the time, regional College of Arms would record who was who with what design and ensure that no one design was "close" to another.

We in the SCA do the same through our registrations process and our College of Arms. We check to ensure that the design is not similar to someone else's that has already been protected. The registration process will attempt to discourage someone not to display your device or badge. But registration does not stop unregistered items from being used. We just attempt to.

But if you have a registered device, the scribes or others can use the blazon (description) or emblazon (picture) to add to items or scrolls for you. Being registered means that it exists and is easily found by anyone looking for it. It makes you famous and just from your design.

Where Do I Go From Here?

Ask for help from your local herald or pursuivant. If you don't have one in your local area or if you have any further questions, contact the Green Mantle Herald (who is charge of submissions) or the Trillium Herald (Kingdom). Their contact information can be found on the Kingdom website, on the Ealdormerian College of herald site or inside the Tidings (our Kingdom newsletter).