Harold the Herald: An Automated Heraldic Conflict Checking

Systemby David P. Salley

Problem Statement

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a non-profit educational organization whose members study and re-create aspects of the Middle Ages.

The Society maintains a registry of its members heraldic devices (popularly referred to as “coats of arms”)

Problem Statement (cont’d)

The Society adds over 500 devices to its registry each year, more than England’s College of Arms registered in the last century

Prior to the late 1990’s this registration was done strictly manually. Online text checking has improved the situation, but not by much

The Honorable Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald

Lake

“Barry wavy vert and argent, a unicorn’s head couped sable, armed, orbed and crined and a chief wavy Or.”

Heraldic Tinctures Gules = Red Sable = Black Vert = Green Purpure = Purple Azure = Blue

Or = Yellow Argent = White

Field Divisions

Lines of Partition

Ordinaries & Sub-ordinaries

Charge Positions

Charge Positions (cont’d)

The Honorable Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald

Lake

“Barry wavy vert and argent, a unicorn’s head couped sable, armed, orbed and crined and a chief wavy Or.”

Backus-Naur Grammar 1. <blazon> : : <field> <charge-list> 2. <field> : : <division> <background> AND <background> | <background> 3. <division> : : <field-division> [<partition>] | <line-division> [<partition>] 4. <field-division> : : BARRY | CHECKY | VAIRY | etc. 5. <line-division> : : PER BEND | PER FESS | PER PALE | etc. 6. <partition> : : DOVETAILED | EMBATTLED | POTENTY | etc. 7. <background> : : <tincture> | <color> <treatment> <metal> | <metal><treatment>

<color> 8. <tincture> : : <color> | <metal> | <fur> 9. <color> : : AZURE | GULES | PURPURE | VERT | SABLE 10. <metal> : : ARGENT | OR 11. <fur> : : ERMINE | VAIR | PEAN | etc. 12. <treatment> : : FRETTY | MAILLY | MASONED | etc. 13. <charge-list> : : <charge> <charge-list> | (empty) 14. <charge> : : [<location>] <number> <type> [<position>] [<tincture-a>] 15. <location> : : IN DEXTER | IN SINISTER | etc. 16. <number> : : A | AN | ONE | TWO | THREE | etc. 17. <type> : : BEND | TIGER | MULLET | EAGLE | DRAGON | etc. 18. <position> : : BENDWISE | RAMPANT | DISPLAYED | etc. 19. <tincture-a> : : PROPER | COUNTER-CHANGED | <tincture>

Field ATN

Charge-list ATN

Conflict Checking

Conflict Checking - Fields Division – Barry Partition – Wavy FieldT1 – Vert FieldT2 – Argent

1st Point of Difference

Division – Quarterly

Partition – none FieldT1 – Vert FieldT2 – Argent

Conflict Checking – Chargelist

Type1 – Uni. Head

Not Enough Difference

Type1 – Horse Head

Conflict Checking - Charge

Location1 – Center Number1 – One Type1 – Uni. Head Position1 – Couped Tincture1 – Sable

Not Enough Difference

Location1 – Center

Number1 – One Type1 – Horse

Head Position1 –

Couped Tincture1 - Sable

Conflict Checking

Conflict Checking - Fields Division – Barry Partition – Wavy FieldT1 – Vert FieldT2 – Argent

1st Point of Difference

Division – Quarterly

Partition – none FieldT1 – Vert FieldT2 – Argent

Conflict Checking - Chargelist

Type1 – Uni. Head Type2 – Chief

2nd Point of Difference

Type1 – Horse Head

Program Demonstration

The SCA Database The Submission Rules The Authority Files The March Letter of Intent My Capstone Paper My Conference Paper

Possible Applications for Similar Technology

SCA College of Arms England’s College of Arms Corporate Logos Clowns International CSI – Tattoo Database

NBC vs. Nebraska Network

Clowns International

Clowns International

Clowns International

Clowns International

CSI: Tattoo Database

Bibliography

Bedgood, Alan, ed. (1995). The Known World Handbook (Milpitas, CA: Society for Creative Anachronism)

Christiansen, Thomas and Schwartz, Randal L.(1997). Learning Perl ( O’Reilly and Associates).

Fox-Davies, A.C. 1997. A Complete Guide to Heraldry. London, England: Gramercy Books

Parker, James. A Glossary of Terms Used in British Heraldry, London, England: Tuttle Publishing

Rich, Elaine and Knight, Kevin (1991). Artificial Intelligence, (New York:McGraw-Hill).

Russell, Stuart and Norvig, Peter. 1995. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Questions and

Two Final Anecdotes

Thank You!