I have been remiss in posting some of my projects.  This one dates from August 2012 (it’s almost five years old!), when my friend Cormac was made a Pelican in Caid.  In honour of him being named the next Wreath, I’m digging this pair of texts out.  This one was fun, as Cormac was the Crescent Principal Herald at the time, and had a few requests.

One: the first request was to use a period grant of arms.  Now, Cormac has a mid-15th c Scots persona, so using English grants of arms text from the period was well within the scope of things.  I found the grant of arms for Edmond Mille, dated 1450, and used this as a base.

Two: as Cormac was sitting Principal Herald, he had to sign off on any scrolls that mention heraldry, to attest that it was indeed correct (which, given that it’s his own device is really pretty silly), and then requested that this one be a little more . . . well, silly.  So, you’ll see two texts that are pretty close to being the same, just with a few silly differences.

To all present and to come who these letters shall see or hear, Patrick O’Malley alias King in the Realm of Caid and Kara the Twin of Kelton alias Queen in the Realm of Caid, greeting and all humble commendations. Equity will and reason ordains that men, virtuous and of noble courage, be for their merits by renown rewarded, and not only their persons in this mortal life, so brief and transitory, but after them, those issuing from and being begotten by their bodies be in all places of great honour for ever before others distinguished by certain signs and tokens of honour and gentility, that is to say by blazon, helm and crest, so that by their example more shall be persuaded to use their days in feats of arms and other virtuous works to acquire the renown of ancient gentility in their line and posterity. Wherefore We, King and Queen aforesaid, who, not only by common renown but also by the report and testimony of others, noble men worthy of faith am well & truly advertised and informed that Cormac Mór has for long pursued feats of arms & as well in this as in other matters has carried himself valiantly, and honourably governed himself so that he has well deserved & is worthy that henceforth for ever he and his posterity be in all places honourably admitted, received, acknowledged, counted and renowned among the number and of the company of other ancient gentle and noble men. And for the remembrance of this his gentility, We have devised ordained and assigned to the said Cormac Mór, for him the blazon, cap, and crest in the manner following, that is to say: a shield of Per fess with a right step Or and argent. And the crest on the helm, a demi brown bear, proper, as aforesaid, seated on a cap of maintenance gules & lined ermine, mantelled of the same, lined ermine, as the picture, &c., in the margin before this demonstrates, To have, hold and use and possess for him for ever. In testimony whereof We, King and Queen above-named, have signed with our hand and sealed with our seal these presents. Made and given the twelfth day of August, anno societatus XLVII, in the year of grace 2012.

Rex Caidis

Regina Caidis

And now for the more silly of the two: Cormac’s copy to sign, attesting that his own arms are indeed his own arms.

To all present and to come who these letters shall see or hear, Cormac Mór alias Crescent Principal Herald in the Realm of Caid, greeting and all humble commendations. Equity will and reason ordains that men, virtuous and of noble courage, be for their merits by renown rewarded, and not only their persons in this mortal life, so brief and transitory, but after them, those issuing from and being begotten by their bodies be in all places of great honour for ever before others distinguished by certain signs and tokens of honour and gentility, that is to say by blazon, helm and crest, so that by their example more shall be persuaded to use their days in feats of arms and other virtuous works to acquire the renown of ancient gentility in their line and posterity. Wherefore We, Crescent aforesaid, who, not only by common renown but also by the report and testimony of others, noble men worthy of faith am well & truly advertised and informed that Cormac Mór has for long pursued feats of arms by procuring pic-a-nic baskets & as well in this as in other heraldic mayhem has carried himself valiantly, and honourably governed himself so that he has well deserved & is worthy that henceforth for ever he and his posterity be in all places honourably admitted, received, acknowledged, counted and renowned among the number and of the company of other ancient gentle and noble men. And for the remembrance of this his gentility, We have devised ordained and assigned to the said Cormac Mór, for him the blazon, cap, and crest in the manner following, that is to say: a shield of Per fess with a right step Or and argent.  And the crest on the helm, a demi brown bear, proper, as aforesaid, seated on a cap of maintenance gules & lined ermine, mantelled of the same, lined ermine, as the picture, &c., in the margin before this demonstrates, To have, hold and use and possess for him for ever. In testimony whereof We, Crescent above-named, have signed with our hand and sealed with our seal these presents. Made and given the twelfth day of August, anno societatus XLVII, in the year of grace 2012.

Crescent Principal Herald

Cormac, thank you for letting me participate from halfway across the country in your day. It was wonderful.