A Heraldic Tabard for Lady Peryn Rose Whytehorse
Inspired by and created with the assistance of Mistress Aeruin ni h’Earain o Chonemara
This entry is within the category of Heraldic Display. The following documentation will be presented in three different sections. The first section will contain the references that were consulted to demonstrate the appearance of the tabard within our period of study. The second section will involve the tabards that are on display here for judging and why certain decisions were made. The third section will contain notes on the actual construction of the pieces. It is my understanding that this category is more concerned with the heraldic display itself than with the accuracy of the construction methods used to achieve said display. This third section is being provided more for information’s sake and with the hope that during the populace review some good gentles might be inspired by the display and desire to create a tabard for themselves. Hopefully the construction section would give them some ideas.
Tabards within our period of study
The following quote is the entry on Tabards from A Dictionary of Heraldry

Tabard: A dress coat worn over armour form the late fifteenth century to the mid sixteenth century. Similar to the jupon but reaching below the thigh and with broad sleeves to the elbow, the tabard was emblazoned front and back and on the sleeve, and served a purely armorial purpose. In general use only during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII, the tabard was a first waisted, later ones falling straight from the shoulders. It has been suggested that heralds of the period wore cast-off tabards as a form of livery indicative of their special relationship with a particular noble. The tabard continued to be used by heralds long after it ceased to be worn by the nobility. At first it was actually worn as a garment, thereafter it was used as a peculiar form of insignia, particularly at funerals, when it was carried on a pole before the heralds (Friar, p 337).

The search for images of tabards began with Fox-Davies beautiful poster book of Heraldic Designs. In it the author has condensed a large amount of information from many different sources into a purely visual format. The images relevant to this project were found on plate 27, shown below.
These images, while lovely, are modern illustrations of images pulled from original manuscripts. The specific figure of interest to this project is figure 2.

The next step was to find the actual images that Fox-Davies interpreted. Sometime between 1455 and 1460 Duke Rene d’Anjou wrote a treatise on tournaments in all of their pomp and circumstance. His emphasis was on the more formal ‘tournament as a festival’ that had evolved by his time. Along with extensive instructions on how to hold a tournament d’Anjou provides what is possibly the most comprehensive visual record of what tournaments looked like in his time. Fortunately this includes heralds in tabards. (Barber, p 180). The images below are from his treatise, and the tabards, which we are concerned with, are plainly visible.

(Barber, p 181)
The upper image shows two heralds in tabards with two pursuivants with trumpets proclaiming the opening of a tournament. The lower images are two of a series that depict the formal challenge being sent from the Duke of Brittany to the Duke of Bourbon. Wearing the tabard of his master, the herald presents challenge to the Duke of Bourbon. Because the herald is wearing the tabard of his master, it is as if the Duke himself was before the challenged. (Barber, p 180). In the upper image we have found the source of Fox-Davies illustration figure 2. The herald on the horse with the quarterly device is nearly identical to Fox-Davies version.     
The above images from d’Anjou were also found in another source along with several other images of interest to this project. One is an image of a parade of heralds in their tabards from a tourney book dated to between 1509 and 1547. In the front you can see the pursuivants with their tabards athwart followed by heralds in tabards and carrying white wands (Neubecker, p 12).

Even more interesting are these photographs of surviving tabards from the Dukedom of Burgundy:
Unfortunately neither the text nor the bibliography supplies a date for these garments, but they so closely resemble the tabards found in the artist plates that they are well worth noting.
By looking at surviving art and garments it is fairly simple to develop a pattern for a tabard. They are fairly simple pieces with both front and back hanging straight from the shoulders and flaring out where the simple half round sleeves meet the sides. The device should be present on the front, back and both sleeves. The entire garment is open down the sides and is to be worn over clothing.
Barber, Richard and Barker, Juliet. Tournaments Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages. New York: Weidenfed & Nicolson, 1989.
Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles. Heraldic Designs. New York: Crescent Books, 1988.
Friar, Stephen, ed. A Dictionary of Heraldry. New York: Harmony Books, 1987.
Neubecker, Ottfried, and Brooke-Little, J.P. Heraldry Sources, Symbols and Meaning. London: Tiger Books       International, 1997.

Nicolle, David.  Romano-Byzantine Armies:  4th – 9th Centuries.  London:  Osprey Men-at-Arms Series no. 247, 1992.

The Tabards on Display
Peryn Rose Whytehorse
The impetus behind the creation of this tabard came approximately a month and a half before Gulf Wars. Lady Peryn was going to be riding in her very first Emprise and one of the requirements was that a herald in a tabard announces her. She was riding as an individual as well as being a member of a Lance. They had one herald to share between the three of them. Upon consultation with Mistress Aeruin it was decided that we create a reversible tabard based on a tabard that she had created in the past. While a reversible or two-sided tabard is not an item that would be found during our period of study it was the most efficient way to create a garment that could serve multiple different purposes. When the herald was announcing Lady Peryn as an individual competitor he could use the side with her device.

When the herald was announcing either the Lance as a whole or one of the other members competing as an individual he could use the reverse side with the widely recognizable and widely used College of Arms badge. Another consideration that weighed in favor of the use of the College of Arms badge was that this was tabard was being made as a gift for Lady Peryn and there was no guarantee that she would be riding with the same Lance or individuals in the future. If she were riding with a Lance of her own founding and household, the reverse side would have most likely contained the Lance badge.
Both devices have been registered with the SCA College of Arms.

Peryn Rose Whytehorse

The following device associated with this name was registered in May of 2001 (via Meridies):
Per pale sable and azure, a unicorn rampant maintaining a rose slipped and leaved argent, a bordure argent semy of roses azure.

Society for Creative Anachronism, Arms, College of

Either the name or the following badge associated it (or both) were registered in January of 1973:
Vert, two straight trumpets in saltire, bells in chief, Or.
As previously mentioned, a tabard created by Mistress Aeruin for her own personal use inspired this tabard. The second tabard on display here is that very tabard.
Aeruin ni h’Earain o Chonemara
This tabard was constructed with multiple uses in mind.  It was initially created to be worn by the herald to announce Iarlles Aeruin’s challenges at a Coronation Pas d’Arms fought to determine the champion for Her Majesty Isabetta, and has been worn by Iarlles Aeruin several times when functioning as a Royal Herald, or on heraldic business for her home group.
As mentioned above, the reversible nature of this tabard makes it very versatile.  When worn with the green brocade lining side facing outward, the wearer could be formally functioning in any heraldic role needed for an event.  With the more colorful side outward, the herald could be representing Iarlles Aeruin or her household at a tournament for challenges; all of the devices or badges depicted are either registered to Iarlles Aeruin, or carried on one of her shields and surcotes for tournament.
The badges and device depicted on the tabard include the following:

Dun Iolar Dubh

The following badge associated with this name was registered in November of 1988 (via Ansteorra):
Per pale ermine and counter-ermine, an eagle displayed maintaining in its talons a sword bendwise and a coin, all within a bordure counterchanged sable and argent.
This is a household name and badge used several years ago, mostly by gentles associated with Duke Kane and Duchess Ilissa.  The badge remains, though Their Graces have since founded a new household called Shadow Legion, which maintains the black and white household livery but uses a different badge.

Feather, Rose, and Crown Badge

Currently unregistered by the College of Arms (though not for trying; it was not registered in 1996 because of an abundance of devices and badges already registered to Iarlles Aeruin).

(Fieldless)  An ostrich feather palewise argent, charged with a crown Or and a rose sable.
(Yes, heralds may note this is a case of metal on metal; at the time the tabard was constructed, this badge violated the rules of tincture.  The registration attempt included a crown of sable instead.)  The badge is depicted on green, black, and white livery, as it would be otherwise impractical to depict a painted fieldless badge without some sort of field.

Parrot on Trumpet Badge

The following badge associated with this name was registered in October of 1992 (via Meridies):
(Fieldless) A popinjay contourny proper, perched atop a trumpet fesswise reversed Or.
Normally used  with the heraldic position of Popinjay Pursuivant. Again, this fieldless badge is depicted upon a painted field, also for practicality.

Fine Corrghriain Badge

The following badge associated with this name was registered in June of 1984 (via Ansteorra):
Per chevron inverted sable and vert, in chief a compass star gules, fimbriated, and in base two heron's heads, couped at the shoulders, respectant argent, beaked and crested Or.

Registered as personal badge to Iarlles Aeruin, and used for her household.

Device

The following device associated with this name was registered in December of 1986 (via Ansteorra):
Per chevron inverted sable and vert, a grey heron displayed argent, beaked and membered Or, and in chief a compass star gules, fimbriated argent.
The crown about the heron’s neck was added informally at the end of her reign.

Chi Rho and Laurel Badge

A historical device, originally born on the shields of Emperor Constantine’s legions and popular for hundreds of years afterwards in the Eastern Roman Empire (Nicolle, pp 20 –21).  Iarlles Aeruin has worn a Byzantine tunic and carried a center grip round shield with this badge on it, for many years.  Though the design itself originates nearly a thousand years before the medieval “invention” of heraldry, it follows the same principals, and thus does not look “out of place” when compared to the other elements of the tabard.
Construction Methods
Peryn’s Tabard
Ideally the entire tabard would be constructed out of silks and velvets with a mixture of appliqué and embroidery providing the design of the device. Due to both time and monetary constraints we were unable to do it that way.
The body of the arms side of the tabard utilized a lightweight poly/cotton blend fabric in blue and black, the base colors of the field. The fabric was sewn together along the selvedge and the front, back and sleeves were cut out by folding along the joining line and cutting out with the folded pattern along the seam. The white used for the unicorn and bordure was a slightly heavier duck cotton. Brocades in green and gold were chosen for the “generic” side to make it more interesting.
The unicorn and bordure were positioned using iron on adhesive and then appliquéd on by machine. The details in the unicorns were painted on using acrylic paint. A heraldic rose was carved out of a linoleum block and used to block print the azure roses around the bordure and the sleeves, again with acrylic paint. The black details of the roses were painted on by hand.
The horns were positioned using iron on adhesive and then the edges were covered with a separate trim, adhered with professional fabric glue (which is both washable and dry-cleanable).
After all four sides and all four sleeves were completed, then they  were assembled as if we were making two different tabards. They were attached at the shoulders and then the sleeves were attached. Only then did we cut the neck holes, leaving a seam allowance. The two tabards were then sewn together with right sides facing, leaving the neck hole open. They were then turned right side out and topstitched around the perimeter as well as over the shoulders where the sleeves join. The neck hole was finished by hand.
With two people working for a span of two weeks the tabard took approximately 55 hours to complete.
Aeruin’s Tabard
Time, monetary constraints, and complexity also limited the construction of this tabard.
The “generic” side used a green heavy cotton brocade in a nice acanthus leaf pattern, and gold ‘Trigger’  for the trumpets.  Initially, the trumpets were positioned with iron on adhesive and then appliquéd on by machine.  The gold cording trim around the trumpets was hand sewn into place, and trumpet detailing painted on with acrylic paints.
The quartered device and badges were first drawn out in pencil on a full-size paper pattern of the tabard.  Some proportions of the original designs were changed to adapt to the rectangular shape of each quarter, or to the sleeves, or to allow for the shape of the tabard neck hole.  The final lines were then inked with a Sharpie marker, so that they would be more easily seen through the heavy canvas when placed over a small light table.  The pattern was then taped to the back of the actual fabric piece, and placed over the light box.  The designs were then lightly traced in pencil, and then carefully painted with acrylic paints, onto a very heavy cotton canvas that had been previously washed and ironed.  Each individual quarter or sleeve was painted one section at a time, to prevent bleeding of colors into unwanted areas.
The green pieces were assembled into a complete tabard, and this process was repeated with the more colorful sections.  With the right sides facing each other, the complete outer edge of the garment was sewn as one long seam.  Corners of fabric were clipped to facilitate turning the garment right sides out, through the neck hole.  The neck seam allowance was turned under and pressed on the green brocade, and then the more colorful side was rolled under to match.  Finally, the neck opening was hand sewn with an overhand stitch.
With one person working over a span of three weeks, this tabard took nearly 100 hours to complete – not including the hours elapsed waiting for one color to completely dry so another could be used.
At this juncture, it seems right to give credit to the person who gave me the idea for a tabard with different badges on the inside and outside – which necessitates a small story.  Many years ago, the then Laurel King at Arms brought a College of Arms commentary session to a Winter Wonders Event and Herald’s Collegium.  On staff for Lord Laurel was Master Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, Crescent Principal Herald for Caid.  Their Majesties John and Falada had need of a special, “unknown” herald for Royal Court; there was to be the surprise elevation of Lady Floraidh nic Alasdair, the blind harper, to the Laurelate that evening.  Master Bruce was only too happy to volunteer for the job, as he had brought a gorgeous new tabard to the Collegium.  Made by his lady wife, it was reversible, with the arms of Caid on one side (in blue, gold, and cream velvets), and the College of Arms crossed trumpets in the lining – of deep green acanthus-leafed brocade and gold velvet, edged with gold corded trim.  Lady Floraidh was indeed startled to be summoned into court by the voice of an unfamiliar but very articulate herald, wearing one of the most beautiful ‘generic’ tabards anyone had ever seen.  After Court, when asked about the tabard, Master Bruce told the stunned onlookers that the green side was only the lining – and when he removed it to show the velvet Caidian side, people gasped.  Master Bruce smiled, and then said proudly, “That’s why my lady wife is a Laurel.”