Glossary of Jargon
used by the SCA and the SGU

Armiduous
Common mistaken form of armigerous, q. v.

Armiger
A person who has an award of arms or higher, q. v.  Any person may be addressed as "milord" or "milady," but only an armiger is properly addressed as "Lord X" or "Lady Y."

Armigerous
Having an award of arms or better; the adjectival form of armiger.

Arms
The heraldic device of someone who has an award of arms or better is his or her arms; other people have devices, in the SCA and SGU, whereas in the real Middle Ages they had nothing at all; commoners didn't have heraldic devices of any kind.  In the SCA and SGU the lowest level of arms is an award of arms; above that is a grant of arms, commonly conferred on Barons; while the noble orders of the Spur, the Laurel, the Pelican, and the rank of Count/Countess and Duke/Duchess confer a patent of arms.

Award of Arms
The lowest level of recognition that makes someone a gentleman or gentle woman.  An award of arms may be given by itself, or it may be conferred by admission to an order which makes one an armiger if one isn't already.

Baron
The titular head of a local group, appointed until he can no longer serve, the group can no longer stand him, or he dies in office.

Baroness
A female baron.  It's usual for a group to have both a Baron and a Baroness, and for them to be married to each other.  However, single Barons, single Baronesses, Barons and Baronesses who weren't married, and even Barons and Baronesses who were each married to someone else, have all occurred.

Barony
A local group, sovereign under the Kingdom, is usually a barony, headed by a baron and baroness.

Count
When a fighter has served his first reign as king, and his successor is crowned, the ex-King becomes a Count.

Countess
A woman who has been Queen once.

Duke
When a fighter has served his second reign as king, and his successor is crowned, the ex-King becomes a Duke.

Duchess
A woman who has been Queen twice or more.

Eric
The edge of the fighting field at a tournament, usually a cord hung with flags, suspended from poles; traditionally red.

Exchequer
(1) An SCA or SGU group's bank account, as in, "How much do we have in the exchequer?"  (2) The financial office, the Office of the Exchequer.  (3) The current holder of the office in a given branch, for instance the Master or Mistress of the Exchequer of the Barony of Calafia is the current treasurer of the SGU group in San Diego and Imperial counties.

Founding Baron (Baroness)
The first baron (baroness) of a local group.

Founding Barony
In the Kingdom of Patria, one of the five baronies that banded together to create the Kingdom.

Grant of Arms
The middle level of recognition.  An grant of arms may be given by itself, as it commonly is to Barons and Baronesses.  It may also be conferred by admission to an order which carries a grant of arms with it, if one doesn't already have a grant or patent.

King
The male ruler of a Kingdom, who becomes Crown Prince by winning a Crown Tourney, is crowned at the next Coronation event, and reigns until his successor is crowned at the Coronation event after that.  On the occasions when a woman wins the crown tourney, her husband or significant other is called Prince Consort rather than King.

Kingdom
A large area with a large population, ruled by a King chosen by combat at a Crown Tourney.  Most kingdoms are founded by a collaboration of a number of baronies, known thereafter as the Founding Baronies of the Kingdom.  In 1978 the SGU kingdoms are Patria (southern California), the East (east coast), the Middle (Idaho through Ohio, Canada from Alberta to the Atlantic), Atenveldt (Arizona through Florida), and An Tir (Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska).  The SCA kingdoms are the West (northern California), the East, the Middle, Atenveldt, An Tir, and Caid (southern California).

KSCA
The initials indicating knighthood in the Society for Creative Anachronism; analogous to O.S. in the SGU.

Mundane
(1) Pertaining to the real world outside the SCA or SGU, for instance "mundane law" means real-world laws, rather than SCA/SGU rules.  (2) Real-world clothing, as in "Time to put on my mundanes and go home, darn it."  (3) A person who isn't a member of the SCA or SGU; wearing medieval costumes in real life, in order to get a reaction from non-members, is known as "freaking the mundanes."

O. L.
The initials indicating membership in the Order of the Laurel.

O. P.
The initials indicating membership in the Order of the Pelican.

Order of the Laurel
The order of nobility recognizing mastery of one or more arts, fully equal in honor and precedence to knighthood.  Members of the order are referred to Masters or Mistresses of the Laurel, are addressed as "Master" or "Mistress" (first name), and may place the initials O. L. after their names in documents and correspondence.  Badge: Or, a laurel wreath Vert.

Order of the Pelican
The order of nobility recognizing diligence and service, fully equal in honor and precedence to knighthood.  Members of the order are referred to Masters or Mistresses of the Pelican, are addressed as "Master" or "Mistress" (first name), and may place the initials O. P. after their names in documents and correspondence.  Badge: Vert, a pelican in her piety Proper.

Order of the Spur
In the SGU, the order of nobility recognizing martial prowess; knighthood.  Members of the order are referred to Knights, are addressed as "Sir" (first name), and may place the initials O. S. after their names in documents and correspondence.  Badge: Azure, a prick spur Argent.

O. S.
The initials indicating membership in the Order of the Spur.

Patent of Arms
The highest level of recognition.  A patent of arms is never given by itself.  When one is admitted to the Order of the Spur, the Order of the Laurel, the Order of the Pelican, or made a Count or Countess, this carries with it a patent of arms unless you already have one.

Prince Consort
The husband or significant other of a woman who becomes Queen in her own right, by fighting in and winning a Crown Tourney, is called Prince Consort rather than King.

Queen
(1) Usually, the winner of a Crown Tourney is a man; he becomes King, and his wife or significant other becomes Queen.  (2) When a woman wins a Crown Tourney she becomes Queen in her own right; also known as "Queen Regnant" to underline the fact that she, not her Prince Consort, was the one who won the crown.

SCA
The abbreviation for the Society for Creative Anachronism, pronounced "Ess See Ay" on the West Coast, "skaw" on the East Coast.

SCAdian
A member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, used by SCA members in the East, and by medieval organizations other than the SCA, such as the SGU.  SCAdians on the West Coast refer to themselves as SCA members.

SGU
The abbreviation for the Society of the Golden Unicorn, pronounced "Ess Gee You."

SGUer
A member of the Society of the Golden Unicorn, a term used by SCA members, who pronounce it "skewer."  SGUers refer to themselves as SGU members.

Society for Creative Anachronism
A club started in Berkeley, California on May 1, 1967.  Incorporated as a non-profit educational organization, it claims to recreate the Middle Ages at its events, "not as they were, but as they should have been."

Society of the Golden Unicorn
A club started in San Diego, California in 1973, by members of the Society for Creative Anachronism fed up with the SCA's Board of Directors and other aspects of the SCA.  The SGU calls itself "the SCA as it should have been."