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Lady Clarissa Wykeham
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Greetings! I belong to a "medieval history club" called the Society for Creative Anachronism. My main interest in the society is in the heraldry of the time. Heraldry in it's simplist terms is the study of coats of arms. In addition, heralds act as a "master of ceremonies" and the "voice of the crown". One of the more visible aspects of these particular functions is that of a court herald - standing next to the Crown and summoning people before the Crown to receive awards, acknowledgements, gifts, etc. and then proclaiming it to the crowd.
Clarissa is a resident of the Middle Kingdom. The local group that I started with is the Shire of Stormvale. I began to attend Stormvale meetings in 1992 and has served as it's Goals Committee Chairman in 1993, Stormvale Pursuivant in 1994-1995, Stormvale Seneschal in 1996, and as the Co-Web Minister for Stormvale in 1996-1999. She served as the Fenris Herald (Michigan Regional Herald) from March 1997-March 1999 and stepped into the Dragon Herald position on May 30, 1999. In addition, Clarissa has been the event steward for several events hosted by the Shire of Stormvale and has worked a number of other events throughout the region of Pentamer (Michigan). Clarissa was also the war herald for the Pennsic War in 1999 and served the Middle Kingdom as the Dragon Principal Herald from May 30, 1999 to October 20, 2001. The Dragon Principal Herald (or Dragon Herald) is the administrative head of the College of Heralds for the Middle Kingdom. The College of Heralds encompasses all heralds of the kingdom.
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Clarissa was honored with an Award of Arms on January 12, 1994 by Their Majesties Jafar and Catherine for her work as Stormvale Pursuivant. Her Purple Fret was awarded on December 6, 1997 by Their Majesties Palymar and Aislin for her work as Fenris Herald. On February 12, 2000 she was awarded a Dragon's Heart and received a Grant of Arms for her work as Dragon Herald. A Grant of Arms for a kingdom officer confers the use of the dragon as a crest. Their Majesties Finn and Tamara have augmented that crest so that the dragon is holding a black norse hammer - a symbol from Finn's own Arms. His Majesty Finn stated, in court, the augmentation was bestowed as a symbol of his shame in doubting Clarissa's abilities as Dragon Herald. Clarissa was honored by Their Majesties Bardolph and Brigh on September 22, 2001, with an Award of the Doe's Grace for "deomonstrating grace, courtesy, chivalry and honor while giving wise counsel as Dragon Herald and as a friend, and for assisting Them at the Pennsic War 30".
Clarissa went on sabbatical after stepping down as Dragon Herald on October 20, 2001. She is planning to return to active SCA life in the future.
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Description of Award |
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The Award of Arms is a basic service level award, enabling the awardee the right to use the title "Lord" or in my case "Lady", and also gives the right to bear "arms" within the society. My arms are: Or a seeblat azure (see the shield shaped object above in my achievement).
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The Award of the Purple Fret is a mid-level service award. It does not bestow any special titles. |
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The Order of the Dragon's Heart is the highest level service award someone in the Middle Kingdom can receive without actually receiving a peerage (the appropriate peerage being called a Pelican for service). This award allows a person to be informally called "My Honorable Lord/Lady" or "His Lordship/Her Ladyship". These are not formal titles. |
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The Award of the Doe's Grace is an award given by the consort (usually it's the queen) for demonstrating courtesy in the SCA, specifically to the Crown. This is regarded as a special award as it is usually not given to a lot of people. |
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