This site is explanation and resources for players of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a non-profit Medieval Recreation and Research-LARP hybrid that's main goal is enjoyment and fun, but dressed in clothing from before 1600CE. Within the organization, players can register persona names and heraldry (think coat of arms). The process is somewhat stringent, as it's the one historically accurate hill we will die on, so this is guide below is for people who are lost and/or looking for help on this registration process. (That was said with love, as Choi Min is a herald, and can help).

Basic Walkthrough for New Folk

For Names

1. Keep to one Romanization system. 

2. Please mention whether the meaning or sound is more important to you. Or both!

3. Mention the Chinese characters that you want if meaning is the important part. Things to think about:

   1. Do you care whether the characters are flipped in position? (If yes, please say so) 

   2. Are you pulling from a name you know is of the right culture/language, but don't know what characters are behind the phonetics? Mention those.

   3. If you're pulling from a modern name, will you be upset if the pronunciation is found to be different in a pre-1600 context? (Wanting a character for it's meaning versus wanting the sound)

   4. Do you care for one character but don't mind what the other ones are?

4. Use dictionaries like Pleco (app), Jisho.org (website), Kanji Study (app), Imiwa (app), JLect (website), Wiktionary (website) and look up these characters or the syllables you are looking for, and cite them in your submission documents. 

5. Find the submission documents on your kingdom website and fill it out, and attach a short version of all the research you did. If you are from a kingdom that requires a warranted herald to help you submit, contact your local group and ask who is nearest to help, or email your kingdom submissions officer. 

6. Send in this information to your kingdom submissions officer, and then let someone, such as Choi Min, know so that they can keep an eye on it through the process and be able to contact you if there's issues. 

For Armory

1. Pick a path:

   1. One: Are you wanting something done with a bunch of pieces or patterns existent in European heraldry that is already registerable?

   2. Or Two: are you wanting a color-on-color, or a new charge (main image/symbol) that would be easier to call by it's name than having to chimera together using animals, or anything else that you know is period for the culture you are aiming for, but isn't as do-able in European heraldry as is standardized by the College? 

2. If you picked One, then you can generally consult any herald, and they'll figure out a way to translate the image in your head to Heraldese terms. Special Note: This is including even things like, documentation for a new charge, but the design is simple enough to explain in Heraldese after adding a noun for it. 

3. If you picked Two, then you will need to show multiple examples of that pattern, or that culture's heraldry-like system allowing it. This makes it an added step, and is usually more frustrating, but if you are armed with your compiled research/multiple sources showing this pattern or system, then add it to your application, and then begin converting that explanation to Heraldese. 

4. After you know what you want, and have a good visual for your proposed armory, then throw a copy to your herald, or the pile of heralds in various online spaces, and as for a "conflict check." What this is, is to make sure no one else happened to have anything registered already that looks too similar in design, so that you don't go through all this effort and have it rejected because we forgot this step. 

5. Once you think it's clear, and you have your image ready in "crayola" basics colors and in a line-art only, add all that evidence you have and submit it. Then let someone, such as Choi Min, know once you've submitted them, so they can keep tabs on it through the commentary process, and be able to contact you if there's any questions.

If you tried to register Asian heraldry in the past (Pre-2018) and were denied or stymied and frustrated, you should consider trying again!  

If you need help please use the forms of contact below in the footer, such as my email, or via messaging me via one of the social media methods.

SENA (Standards for Evaluation of Names and Armory)/BOD Directives of Note:

(This is mostly for heralds' (my?) reference.)

• (Prior to 2018, any non-European names had to be registered by proving a culture had contact with Europe before 1600CE. This proof was found for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Mongolian, specifically at least, and names were able to be registered this way.)

• Banning of Asian Dragons in Heraldry in August 2017, and the Unbanning of them in April 2019 (see below allowing of Fantastical Fauna)

  • Dragon Toes: The previous long-standing restriction on the number of toes per foot that Chinese dragons may have without presuming upon the King of Korea or the Emperor of China are still in effect. 

    • Note by Choi Min: This is incorrect, as the King of Korea is represented by the 5-toed dragon, just like the Chinese Emperor is. Getting the wording updated is on my docket.

• Aug 2018: SCA Mission Statement updates to remove the European Requirement 

  • The SCA is devoted to the research and re-creation of pre-17th century skills, arts, combat, culture, and employing knowledge of world history to enrich the lives of participants through events, demonstrations, and other educational presentations and activities.

• Allowing Non-European Flora and Fauna (Fantastical as well), but counting as a Step from Core Practice (SCP, previously known as SPP), April 2019

  • Most SCAdians are registering within the rules of the documented patterns of various European heraldries, and are just adding a fantastical creature to, or moving elements around within a European-style.  See here for suggested possibilities.

• Aug 2022: SCA July 2022 President's Report issued a directive on Oral History inclusivity:

  • Oral Tradition Resolution

    • To further inclusion of cultural diversity in the SCA, the following Resolution was adopted by the Board:

    • Whereas some historical cultures are based on oral traditions; and 

    • Whereas some historical cultures lost historical documentation due to environmental and human intervention; and 

    • Whereas many historical cultures existed outside of the European sphere.

    • The Board of Directors does hereby direct all officers whose area of influence would be naturally affected by this directive, to develop a protocol for the full recognition and approval of aspects of cultures not based wholly on written documentation, but sufficiently shown to be in existence during the period covered under SCA guidelines.

• Restricted Charge: Swastika

  • Even though the swastika is in use for Buddhism today and historically throughout Asia, the SCA mostly operates within the USA, Europe, and Australia, and as such, under no circumstances will a swastika ever be allowed to register.