Cynnabar

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Barony of Cynnabar

Per pall sable, argent and gules, a laurel wreath vert and in chief a tower argent.
Information
Founded:May 1978
Modern Location:Ann Arbor, MI metropolitan area

Contents

About

Cynnabar is a Barony in the Pentamere Region of the Middle Kingdom. It is bordered by the Barony of Roaring Wastes, Barony of Northwoods, and the Shire of Talonval.

Heraldry

  • Arms/Device -
  • Badge - (Fieldless) An elephant statant Or.
  • Badge (Populace) - (Fieldless) An elephant proper maintaining on its back a tower argent.
  • Badge (Baronial Livery) - Per pall sable, argent, and gules.
  • Badge (Company of the Defenders of the Tower) - Per pall sable, argent, and gules, in chief a tower Or.
  • Badge (Award of Elephants Heart) - (Fieldless) On an elephant argent a heart gules.
  • Badge (Order of the Lamp of the Tower) - Argent, a beacon sable enflamed proper atop a mount vert.
  • Badge (Award of the Elephants Tusk) - Gules, three wolves' teeth issuant from base argent.
  • Badge (Award of the Silver Tower of Cynnabar) - Per pale sable and gules, a wall issuant from base argent masoned sable.
  • Badge (Order of Towers Watch) - Sable, issuant from a wall issuant from base argent masoned sable, a demi-man proper vested Or maintaining a halberd argent.
  • Badge (Order of Saint Barbara of Cynnabar) - (Fieldless) A brunette demi-maiden proper vested gules maintaining to sinister a tower argent.
  • Badge (Order of the Base of the Tower) - Per pale gules and sable, a wall issuant from base argent masoned and portalled sable.

Territories

Baronial Lineage

Cynnabar Baronage

Baronial Awards

  • Award of the Elephant's Heart - An award of general recognition given to those who have been of service or shown their enthusiasm and love for the Barony.
  • Award of the Tower's Foundation - our mid-level award for service to the Barony and its populace
  • Defender of the Tower - for dedicated service in and to the Baronial Levy as well as skill at arms. Defenders are permitted to paint the towers on their Baronial shields gold instead of silver to show their rank.
  • Award of the Tower's Light - for excellence in the arts & sciences
  • Award of the Argent Buttress - given to persons outside the Barony who nonetheless have provided great service and support for the Barony of Cynnabar.
  • Order of the Silver Tower - currently the highest level award for excellence in service to the Barony in any area. This is generally an award that is determined by polling the order.
  • Order of the Elephant's Tusk - an award given by Their Excellencies to those who inspire us to greater deeds within the Society through their skill, comportment, and medieval portrayal.
  • Order of the Tower's Watch - given by the most recently created Watchman to someone who has shown continual commitment to the Barony. Members of the order are permitted to title themselves Watchmen of the Tower.
  • Order of Saint Barbara of Cynnabar - given to persons outside the Barony who have provided great service and support for the Barony of Cynnabar.
  • Order of the Lamb - given to persons showing great enthusiasm in the arts.

Peers of Cynnabar

Knights

Laurels

Pelicans

Masters of Defence

History

Heraldry History

The name Shire of Cynnabar was registered with the SCA College of Heralds in January of 1996. The name was changed to Barony of Cynnabar in June of 2017.
The heraldic device was registered in July of 1983.
The badge "An elephant statant Or" was registered in January of 1996.
The badge for the Populace was registered in January of 2018.
The badge for Company of the Defenders of the Tower was registered in January of 2018. The award name was registered in September of 2017
The badge for Award of Elephants Heart was registered in October of 2018. The award name was registered in June of 2017
The badge for Order of the Lamp of the Tower was registered in October of 2018. The award name was registered in September of 2017
The badge for Award of the Elephants Tusk was registered in October of 2018. The award name was registered in August of 2017
The badge for Award of the Silver Tower of Cynnabar was registered in October of 2018. The award name was registered in June of 2017
The badge for Order of Towers Watch was registered in October of 2018. The award name was registered in June of 2017
The badge for Order of Saint Barbara of Cynnabar was registered in September of 2020. The award name was registered in September of 2017
The badge for Order of the Base of the Tower was registered in September of 2020. The award name was registered in September of 2017
The badge for Baronial Livery was registered in September of 2020.

Origin of the Name Cynnabar

Originally written by Midair MacCormaic in April 1996

Did you know that Cynnabar's name was originally rejected by the Laurel King of Arms? Indeed, we might have been referred to the Shire's original name, "Dearne Ansilet," until the group came up with something new, had not the conflict been resolved. I discovered this while digging through the Seneschal files, so let me have the honor of telling you the events as I can put them together...

Although we were originally called the Shire of Dearne Ansilet, this name was rejected by the Office of the Laurel King of Arms in 1980. Thus the search for a new name began. There are four basic criteria for an SCA name:

  1. Originality; creativity.
  2. Authenticity and linguistic correctness.
  3. Appropriateness to time and place.
  4. Avoidance of conflict with prior use in history, the SCA, and fiction.

Back then, the group had developed into a persona that they were able to articulate. The group felt like a fortified Italian city, located near two strong neighbors (The Barony of Northwoods and the Dark Horde), but open to trade and on good terms with both. They wanted a name that was simple, ancient and with an Eastern flavor.

After four months of discussion, the name Cynnabar came into being. The Science officer (back then, the Arts and Sciences was divided into two separate offices) discovered that under Ann Arbor was a large deposit of mercury, which, in its red sulphide form, was called in alchemy "Cynnabar."

From the Oxford English Dictionary II 419, 1970 by the Clarendon Press, Oxford:

CYNNABER: cinnabar, cinnambre: (1) the red crystalline form of mercuric sulphide, HgS (2) the pigment; vermilion (1382 Wyclif, Jer. xxii 14 "peynteth with cynoper") (3) A rhombohedral mineral ore (1599 Hakluyt, Voyages II, 229 "great quantitie of quicksilver and cinaper") (4) a locality in the Kingdom, somewhat near Northwoods (5) Dragon's blood (1398 Trevish Barth. De P.R. xix, xxvii 878; Hakluyt, op. cit. II 331 "sanguis draconis cinnabaris") (6) Alcheme, a source of quicksilver; the way to make butter of antimony was by use of mercury from cynnaber (1610 B. Jonson Alcheme I iii 616 "cinaper").

Oh, well, yes, (4) wasn't really in the dictionary. The group slipped that in for fun (and acknowledged their playfulness) when they wrote their submission to the Laurel King of Arms.

But the important point they took from the definition is the reference to "dragon's blood." As Cynnabar seemed to be in the virtual center of the Middle Kingdom, and the dragon is the symbol of the Middle Kingdom, the name received unanimous approval from the group.

The group searched long and hard to find any conflicts with any historical, SCA, or literary use. Unfortunately, one slipped through their fingers.

In 1976, Edward Bryant wrote a science fiction novel called Cinnabar. You might remember Edward Bryant from other novels such as Fetish and Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead.

No one in Cynnabar, excuse me, in Dearne Ansilet, had ever heard of this novel. In an effort to get the name Cynnabar passed, the group wrote an appeal letter to the Laurel King of Arms (from which most of the information in this article is taken), stating:

  1. The choice of Cynnabar was made without any influence or reference to the novel.
  2. They do not know of any fame that the name of the Shire would garner from being associated with the novel. Indeed, in the two years they had been actively using that name in the Middle Kingdom, no one ever made the connection to the novel.
  3. They got the name from sources based on ancient meanings, not from the novel.
  4. Mr. Bryant did not invent the name Cinnabar, a fact which he clearly mentions in the book, so no one could accuse the group from stealing an original name from him.

The letter went on, suggesting that if Cynnabar got rejected, then the following alternate forms are available: Cynnaber, Cinaper, Cynoper, Cinnambre, Cinnabaris ("of Cinnabar").

The group also went one step further. They wrote to Mr. Bryant and asked his permission for use of the name. Here is his reply:

"Pursuant to our telephone conversation of today, let me extend to you all appropriate permissions in regard to use of the place-name 'Cinnabar'. I have no objection to the Burgh of Cynnabar's use of the name so long as the Burgh collectively conducts itself with honor and imagination. Please convey these sentiments to whichever parties you feel needful of knowing."

The letter was signed by the then officers of the group:

Daibhid "ruadh" MacLachlan, Seneschal
Eliahu ben Itzhak, Knights-Marshal
Elen O'Dynevr, Exchequer
Angelica of Lostwithiel, M. of Arts
Melisande de Marmande, Pursuivant
Ian MacIan of Annandale, M. of Sciences

As a final bit of information, the designation of "Royal Burgh" was used to reflect, as does the tower, the urban nature of the group, and the traditional autonomy (with respect to the Barony of Northwoods) of this group in Ann Arbor.

Regular Events

Special Events

External Links



Territories
Midrealm Baronies: Andelcrag, Ayreton, Brendoken, Carraig Ban, Cleftlands, Cynnabar, Donnershafen, Fenix, Flame, Flaming Gryphon, Illiton, Middle Marches, Northwoods, Red Spears, Rivenstar, Roaring Wastes, Shadowed Stars, Shattered Crystal, Sternfeld

Midrealm Shires: Afonlyn, Altenberg, Aurea Ripae, Baile na Scolairi, Caer Gwyn, Cuil Choluim, Dark River, Dragon's Vale, Dragonsmark, Eastwatch, Falcon's Quarry, Grenemere, Greyhope, Mynydd Seren, Narrental, Okenshield, Qal`at Ja`far, Ravenslake, Rivenvale, Riviere Constelle, Starleaf Gate, Steren Codha, Stormvale, Swordcliff, Talonval, White Waters

Midrealm Cantons: Alderford, Border Keep, Brackendelve, Castell Gwent, Catteden, Dernehealde, , Ealdnordwuda, Fearann na Criche, Foxvale, Gleann Iaruinn, Grey Gargoyles, Gwyntarian, Havenholde, Hawkes Keye, Hrothgeirsfjorthr, Lochmorrow, Marshes, Mugmort, Norborough, Nordheim, Oakford, Pferdestadt, Rimsholt, Rokkehealden, Thistle, Three Hills, Three Towers, Three Walls, Tirnewydd, Tree-Girt-Sea, Unicorn, Vanished Wood, WealdLake, Westmere, Winged Hills, Woods End

Other Territories: Riding: Hawkland Moor, College: Saint Brutus, Hamlets: Dun Traigh, Blackhawk

Incipient and Proto-Incipient: Auenwald, Austrigatt, Cetus, Grenemere

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