As the herald of the Crown Province of Østgarðr, I am well aware that it is the only branch in the Society to bear that particular designator — a result of its distinctive history as the home territory of the earliest royalty of the East Kingdom — and I became curious as to what other unusual branch designators were to be found in the catacombs of the Society’s armorial database.
A bit of data extraction produced the following table: Continue reading “Frequency of Branch Designators”
The East Kingdom Order of Precedence site, generally referred to as “the EK OP”, records tens of thousands of kingdom and baronial awards issued over the East’s fifty-year history.
It’s an impressive feat of data collection, given the all-volunteer nature of our Society, but it is not flawless. The reporting process involves repeated transcription of unfamiliar names, and I am given to understand that the web interface used to enter and update data in the system is not particularly easy to use, so a number of errors and omissions have accumulated over time and it can take a while to correct them. Continue reading “Provincial Awards Missing From the Kingdom Order of Precedence”
In the period of 2003-2005, an armorial roll was assembled for members of the Canton of Whyt Whey by Doña Sancha de Flores.
The pages were preserved at archive.org (1, 2) and I thought they might be interesting as a snapshot of local participants from that time. Continue reading “An Early Roll of Arms of the Canton of Whyt Whey”
On December 1, I was pleased to meet with a group of aspiring and intermediate heralds from Østgarðr and its neighboring Barony of An Dubhaigeainn to offer over five hours of classes in the practice of onomastics and armorial design and registration in the Society for Creative Anachronism.
My thanks to Lilie Dubh inghean ui Mordha for her capable teaching assistance, especially on the names side, and to Sláine báen Ronán for writing up a description of the event for publication in the East Kingdom Gazette, reproduced below with her kind permission. Continue reading “Book Heraldry Symposium in Lion’s End”
On the eighth day of September, in year fifty three of our society, their Excellencies Østgarðr, Suuder Il Kha’an and Lada Il-Khatun, returning home from their recent victories in the summer’s war, did progress to their canton of Northpass for the Feast of John Barleycorn, and therein did hold court.
Their Excellencies began by inviting all newcomers, who had attended no more than three events, to present themselves, and they expressed their pleasure to see the great number of gentles who stepped forward. Each of the newcomers was given a seahorse candle as a token of the province’s welcome and was invited to return again soon, and the populace cheered for their continuing participation. Continue reading “Court Report, Barleycorn”
The regalia committee of the Crown Province of Østgarðr has solicited design proposals for a pair of field coronets for the Viceregents.
I’ve never designed anything of this sort before, but it seemed intriguing and I wanted to try my hand at it. The results are attached in PDF format.
I expect that the province has received other submissions with more artistic merit, and don’t expect this design to be selected, but this was a good learning exercise, and I figured it’d be good for the other entries to have a little competition.
On the seventh day of July, Anno Societatis LIII, their Excellencies of Østgarðr did progress to the canton of Northpass to attend the martial exhibition called Blood and Axes, and at the conclusion of the day’s activities they held court in the the shade of the wooden pavilion to address the crowd therein assembled.
As their first order of business, their excellencies asked any newcomers, being those for whom this was their first, second, or third event, to step forward, and presented them each with a pair of seahorse candles in the colors of the province, and all assembled did cheer the newcomers and their future participation in the society. Continue reading “Court Report, Blood and Axes”
On the thirteenth day of January, Anno Societatis 52, their excellencies Suuder Saran and Lada Monguligin, Il-Kha’an and Il-Khatun of the Il-Khanate of Østgarđr, did progress to Deck The Halls of Valhalla, held in the Old Stone House in their canton of Brokenbridge, and therein did they hold court.
Firstly his excellency Suuder addressed the populace and thanked them for their attendance in that hall.
Continue reading “Court Report, Deck The Halls of Valhalla”Sixteen months after being made the Herald of the Canton of Whyt Whey, I have been appointed the Herald of the Crown Province of Østgarđr, whose title is Seahorse Pursuivant. My report from the meeting of the Provincial Officers Council follows.
To the populace of the Crown Province of Østgarðr, on behalf of their Viceroy and Vicereine, does Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin send his greetings.
Following this evening’s Commons meeting, the Provincial Officers Council gathered to review the candidates for those offices whose terms expire this month.
Herein are recorded the result of that session as I recall them.
Baronè Francesco Gaetano Grèco d’Edessa has stepped down as Seneschal. Please join me in thanking him for his service.
Hlæfdige Alienor Salton, called Piglet, has been selected as the new Provincial Seneschal by a vote of the Officers Council.
Alienor has also been appointed to be the province’s Webminister. The former occupant of that office, Lady Arnora Ketilsdottir, stepped down earlier this year to care for her newborn — our thanks and congratulations to her and her family.
Alienor is stepping down from her positions in the Canton of Whyt Whey, ceding those offices to her deputies; Lady Vika Grigina z Prahy will serve as the Seneschal of Whyt Whey, and Lady Anneke Valmarsdotter will become the Whyt Whey webminister.
Lord Mongu Chinua has stepped down as Herald. He has the province’s appreciation for his efforts in this office in recent years.
Your humble correspondent, Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin, has been appointed to be the new provincial Herald. I have asked Chinua to stay on and assist me as deputy herald, for I shall have need of his knowledge.
I am stepping down from my position as Herald of Whyt Whey, and passing that office to my deputy, Lord Erich Guter Muth, who served in that position before me.
Lady Marion of York has stepped down as provincial Fencing Marshal. She has ably led the rapier corps, and we look forward to seeing her on the field again in the coming year.
Alexander MacLachlan has been appointed to serve as the Fencing Marshal. In recent months he has been actively working to energize the fencing program and we eagerly anticipate his continued success. Alienor has also asked him to assist her as deputy Seneschal, where his experience will be much appreciated.
Magistra Rufina Cambrensis has been re-appointed to her position as provincial Chronicler. Her reliable publication of our monthly newsletter, the E-Horse, is a valuable service to all members of the populace.
For the outgoing and incoming officers of the province — Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
By my hand at Straus Park on the feast day of St. Florentius, I remain yours in service,
— Mathghamhain Ua Ruadháin
Seahorse Pursuivant
As we approach the 50th anniversary of Østgarđr, and indeed of the East Kingdom — because in the beginning, Østgarđr was the East — we’ve been looking back over our history, and in keeping with that project I thought I would catalog the armorial devices of the viceroys and vicereines of Østgarđr since the earliest days. Continue reading “The Arms of The Viceroys and Vicereines of Østgarðr”
