Format of the SCA Armorial Database

by Iulstan Sigewealding
9 December 1998
updated by Herveus d'Ormonde
1 December 2018

This document describes the format used to record names and armory in the SCA Armorial Database. The database is actually a flat text file. The text is mostly ASCII, with a few Latin-1 encodings. (Latin-1 is an extension of ASCII and is an international standard. Unfortunately, its 8-bit codes are NOT compatible with the "437" code page normally active on PCs running MS-DOS in the United States.)

The file consists of a copyright notice followed by records.

NOTICE

The copyright notice begins with a line that reads "NOTICE:" and ends with a line that reads "END OF NOTICE." The records begin immediately after the end-of-notice.

RECORDS

Each record occupies a single line in the file, and each line contains one record. A record has at least five fields, separated by stiles ('|'). The five required fields are: name, source, type, text, and notes, in that order.

• (1) a name associated with the item
  • If the type is one of 'B' 'D' 'N' 'a' 'b' 'd' 'g' 'j' 's' 'BD' 'BN' 'W', or 'D?', this is the registrant's name.
  • If the type is 'AN', this is the alternate name.
  • If the type is 'HN', this is the household name.
  • If the type is 'O', this is the name of the award or order.
  • If the type is 't', this is the heraldic title.
  • If the type is one of 'ANC' 'BNC' 'BNc' 'NC' 'Nc' 'HNC', 'OC', or 'u', this is the earlier name.
  • If the type is one of 'Bv' 'Bvc' 'v', or 'vc', this is the incorrect spelling of the name.
  • If the type is 'C', this is a blank.
  • If the type is 'R', this indicates where the cross-reference appears in the Armorial.
  • If the type is 'r', this indicates a word or phrase that is reserved or too generic for registration by itself.

  There is no official limit on the length of a name.

• (2) reference to the source of the information:
  • (a) empty, for items whose source is unknown
  • (b) a six-digit LoAR date (in the form YYYYMM) optionally followed by a kingdom ID letter

    Examples:

    • '197010' (= the October 1970 LoAR or errata letter)
    • '199001E' (= the January 1990 LoAR or errata letter under "EAST")
    • '205912W' (= the December 2059 LoAR or errata letter under "WEST")

    In this case, the LoAR date indicates the date of the Laurel action that created the record. For combined records (record types 'B' 'BD' and 'D') this is not necessarily the date the name was registered, nor is it necessarily the date the armory was registered.

  • (c) a dash, followed by an LoAR date, optionally followed by a kingdom ID letter

    In this case, the item has been released, transfered, redesignated, corrected, reblazoned, or is otherwise obsolete. The date is the date of the obsoleting action.

  • (d) a pair of LoAR dates, each optionally followed by a kingdom ID, the pair separated by a dash

    In this case, the item is obsolete. The second date is the obsoleting action, and the first date is the last action before the obsoleting action.

  The kingdom ID letters correspond closely to codes used by the S.C.A. Registry:

  • A = Atenveldt
  • C = Caid
  • D = Drachenwald
  • E = East
  • G = Gleann Abhann
  • H = AEthelmearc
  • K = Calontir
  • L = Laurel or SCA (not submitted through a specific kingdom)
  • M = Middle
  • m = Ealdormere
  • N = An Tir
  • n = Northshield
  • O = Outlands
  • Q = Atlantia
  • R = Artemisia
  • S = Meridies
  • T = Trimaris
  • V = Avacal
  • W = West
  • w = Lochac
  • X = Ansteorra

• (3) record type (required):
  • a = Augmentation of arms
  • ABN = Ancient Branch Name
  • AN = Alternate Name
  • ANC = Alternate Name Change
  • b = Badge (also used for misc. armory -- see "notes" field)
  • B = personal name and Badge (combined record)
  • BN = Branch Name
  • BD = Branch name and Device (combined record)
  • BNC = Branch Name Change
  • BNc = Branch Name Correction
  • Bv = Branch name Variant without correction (probable error)
  • Bvc = Branch name Variant with Correction
  • C = Comment (database identification and version control data)
  • d = Device
  • D = personal name and Device (combined record)
  • D? = uncertain type of armory (could be a, b, d, or s)
  • g = reGalia
  • HN = Household Name
  • HNC = Household Name Change
  • j = Joint badge cross-reference
  • N = primary personal Name
  • NC = personal Name Change
  • Nc = personal Name Correction
  • O = award name or Order name
  • OC = award name change or Order name Change
  • r = reserved/generic word/phrase
  • R = cross-Reference
  • s = Seal
  • t = heraldic Title
  • u = branch designator update
  • v = personal name Variant without correction (probable error)
  • vc = personal name Variant with Correction
  • W = heraldic will

• (4) text:
  • If the type is one of 'B' 'D' 'a' 'b' 'd' 'g' 's' 'BD', or 'D?', this is the blazon.
  • If the type is 'BN' 'N', or 'W', this must be empty.
  • If the type is 'j', this is the name of other registrant of the joint badge. (The other registrant's record will have the complete blazon.)
  • If the type is 'ABN', this is the current name of the branch.
  • If the type is 'AN', this is 'For' followed by the primary name of the registrant.
  • If the type is 'HN', this is the name of the registrant, or a list of registrants, enclosed in double-quotes and separated by 'and'.
  • If the type is 'O', this is the name of the branch that registered the award or order.
  • If the type is 't', this is the name of the branch or person which registered the title.
  • If the type is 'BNC', or 'NC', this is the word 'See' followed by the new (branch or personal) name.
  • If the type is 'ANC' 'HNC', or 'OC' this is the new (alternate, household, or award/order) name.
  • If the type is 'BNc', 'Bv', 'Bvc', 'Nc', 'u', 'v', or 'vc', this is the corrected form of the (branch or personal) name.
  • If the type is 'C', this is the text of the comment.
  • If the type is 'R', this is the word 'See' followed by the name under which the referenced item appears, or a list of names enclosed in double-quotes and separated by 'or'.
  • If the type is 'r', this is 'Society for Creative Anachronism'.

  There is no official limit on the length of the text field.

• (5) notes, individually enclosed in parentheses:
  • To clarify the blazon: 'A Cross of Samildanach is four Menorahs in cross'
  • To indicate the status the item: 'Closed' 'Deceased' 'Disbanded' '-released' '-corrected blazon'
  • To indicate a special class of armory: 'Civil Ensign' 'Ensign' 'Flag' 'Naval Ensign' 'War Banner'
  • To indicate the intended use of the item: 'For House of Duckford' 'For the populace'
  • To indicate the other holder of a joint badge: 'JB: Elinor Aurora of Rosewood'

  There is no official limit on the number of notes or their length.

• (6) other fields:

  For name items, there are always exactly four stiles (and thus five fields).

  For armory items (types 'B' 'D' 'a' 'b' 'd' 'g' 's' 'BD' and 'D?') additional fields are used to describe the headings under which the armory is indexed in the SCA Ordinary. Obsolete armory is not indexed, and there is no official limit on the number of headings.

Related web pages:

• Non-ASCII Symbols in the SCA Armorial Database
• About SCA Heraldry
• Search Forms for the SCA Armorial

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