Østgarðr – Techniques of Digital Heraldry

Badges for the Champions of Østgarðr

I’ve recently completed the design of a set of badges requested by the Vicereines of Østgarðr for use by their provincial champions.

The designs incorporate the green and white field used for provincial regalia along with symbols associated with the various areas of endeavor: armored combat, fencing, archery, thrown weapons, youth combat, arts and sciences, and bardic performance.

The initial designs I started with featured crossed arrows and axes, but those turned out to have conflicts with previously-registered armory, and in the end I like the distinction we ended up with of having single charges for the fields in which folks demonstrate their excellence individually rather than head-to-head.

It’s anticipated that these will be displayed along with the populace emblem as part of baldric-style sashes worn by the champions in court and other formal events.

An Ancient Branch Name

When the Canton of Whyt Whey resolved to change its name to Appleholm last year, it simultaneously submitted a household name similar to its original name in order to memorialize this bit of its history. We went down this road because there was no option to preserve the old name as our “ancient name” the way we already had with “ancient arms.”

So I was surprised to hear this summer that our name change was pended to consider establishing support for ancient branch names. The change provoked a fair amount of discussion but in the end we decided to take the opportunity to preserve the old name.

Branch Arms on the East Kingdom Pennsic Sheetwalls

The sheetwalls surrounding the East Kingdom royal encampment at Pennsic are donated by local branches, and decorated with their arms.

This lovely display of the provincial arms is reported to have been created by Lord Renier VerPlanck (sometimes written Reijnier Verplanck), and is likely about fifteen years old.

Populace Pride

As the Society recognizes Queer Pride this month, I thought I would share a couple of images I created featuring the populace badges of the East Kingdom and the Crown Province of Østgarðr, which folks are free to use.

Click either image for a higher-resolution PNG file.

Populace Badge of Northpass

Back in 2018 I provided some support for the Canton of Northpass’s efforts to design and register a populace badge, but due to some other drama I somehow never got around to posting about it.

With the news that the Canton of Northpass will soon be reinstated, I thought it was fitting to dust off those emblazons and make them accessible again.

The Crown Province’s Shibbøleðr

Newcomers and neighbors of the Crown Province inevitably run into a tricky question: how do you pronounce Østgarðr?

There are (at least) three potential pitfalls packed into this one word, and even many long-time residents habitually get one or two of them wrong.

Continue reading “The Crown Province’s Shibbøleðr”

Heraldic Love in the Seahorse

I put together a page about #HeraldicLove for the spring issue of the Seahorse (aka the E-Horse), the provincial newsletter of Østgarðr.

Armorial of the Viceregents of the Crown Province

Back in 2018 I created an image for the fiftieth anniversary of Østgarðr (and by extension, of the East Kingdom) that shows the arms of the viceroys and vicereines, the unique title held by the landed representatives of the Crown here in the only Crown Province of the Known World.

When I drew this five years ago, Suuder and Lada still wore the chains of state which serve the viceregents as the civil equivalent of the coronets one finds in the 185 baronies which follow us in the Armorial of Precedence. Tonight I’ve updated the chart to reflect the investiture last autumn of Angelica and Sofya, joint Viceréinas of Østgarðr. Long may they serve!

Name Change for Appleholm & Whyt Whey

The Canton of Whyt Whey was founded in the late 1980s, with its name registration appearing on the January 1990 LoAR. In the decades since, the original population has moved out of our region and been replaced by a new generation of participants, for whom the old name didn’t have the same valence, and over the last few years an effort was undertaken to consider possible changes. Following a great deal of thought, the populace settled on Appleholm as its new name, for which the forms were submitted this month.

Appleholm is a constructed Middle English place name.
Continue reading “Name Change for Appleholm & Whyt Whey”

A Parochial New Yorker’s Map of the Current Middle Ages

This illustration is a play on SCA geography shown as a medieval T-and-O map crossed with the classic New Yorker cover.

Manhattan is in the center of the world (rightly so), with the West at the top, Long Island in the bottom left, and New England in bottom right.

(Hat tip to Þorfinn for the original idea, Angelica for the New Yorker tie-in, Brían for a great first round of Latin corrections, and Maral for a Canadian vocabulary suggestion.)