Altavia History
Awards — Dates — Devices — DunOr — Regalia — Titles
Altavia Canton and Baronial Dates
- New Albion was founded in Mar 1977 (approx) as a Canton of the Barony of The Angels. It encompassed the San Fernando Valley.
- Name changed to Canton of Sarn Wold in Apr or May 1978.
- Name changed to Canton of Altavia, registered in April of 1982.
- “alta via” is Latin for “high way”, thus “Altavia” (pronounced: all-TAY-vee-ah) is a reference to the San Fernando Valley’s freeway system
- Altavia became a Barony on May 14, 1983 (registered in July of 1983) By now it also included Malibu.
Altavia’s Barons and Baronesses
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Sir Robear du Bois and Mistress Kristin Alfhidr of Trondheim stepped up at the Canton Anniversary tournament where the Canton was elevated to a Barony on May 14, 1983 |
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Master Michael Maggotslayor and Mistress Amadea da Strada Dragonessa stepped up at the “Altavia Holiday Ball”, held in Altavia’s Canton of Dun Or on December 30, 1989 |
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Master Duryn the Red and Lady Ælfwyn Wodende stepped up at an Altavian Investiture luncheon on September 25, 1994 |
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Master Laertes Blackavar McBride and The Honorable Lady Bridget Lucia MacKenzie stepped up at an Altavia court held during the lunch break at Twelfth Night on January 8, 2005 |
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THL Thorin O’Seaghda and THL Courtney of the White Meadow stepped up at opening court of Altavia Anniversary on May 10, 2008 |
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Master Laertes Blackavar McBride and The Honorable Lady Bridget Lucia MacKenzie stepped up as Vicar and Vicaress at Dreiburgen Anniversary on October 25, 2008 at a court held in the Altavia pavilion |
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THL Secca of Kent and Lady Meliora Deverel stepped up at Altavia Anniversary on May 9, 2009 |
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THL Cristofanus Castellani and Mistress Cecilia Medici stepped up at Altavia Anniversary May 10, 2014 |
Altavia’s Device, Badges, and Motto
Motto: Theatrum, non dramatis (Theater, not drama)
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Baronial Device: registered in April of 1982 Argent, a fret sable and on a chief vert a laurel wreath argent.
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Populace Badge: registered in July of 1983 Per pale vert and sable, two horses rampant reguardant addorsed within a bordure argent. |
| Populace Badge: registered in February of 2003 Argent fretty sable, a chief vert. |
Altavia’s Baronial Awards
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Argent Fret of Altavia (Altavia’s Baronial arts award) Started by Laertes and Bridget. Registered to Altavia in October of 2005 |
| Sable Fret of Altavia (Altavia’s Baronial service award) Started by Robear and Kristin. Registered to Altavia in August of 1982 |
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 Given by Robear and Kristin (Made by Kristin) |
 Given by Michael and Amadea (Made by Robie) |
Given by Duryn and Ælfwyn (Made by Duryn) |  Given by Laertes and Bridget (Made by Asenath de Winter) |
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Vert Fret, Order of the (Altavia’s Baronial fighting award)) Started by Laertes and Bridget. Registered to Altavia in October of 2005 |
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Starre and the Stone, Order of the –Altavia’s extraordinary service award Awarded to holders of the Sable Fret who continue to provide extraordinary service and support to the Barony and (most importantly) throughout the Kingdom.This is a polling order.Started by Duryn and Ælfwyn in 1995 as the Estrella de Vida. Registered to Altavia as the Starre and the Stone in August of 1997
Holders of the Starre and the Stone 1995-05-13: Duncan Andrew Songhawke Tengri-in Jida Retired and Reinstated in 2014 by Baron Christofanus and Baroness Cecilia 2014-10-26: Timotheus Zacharia von Schloss Zwilling
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Altavia’s Retired Baronial Awards
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Ars Alta — Precursor of the Argent Fret – arts award, for teaching and work in an artistic field Not registered. |
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The Pearl of Altavia — Precursor of the Starre and the Stone – Altavia’s extraordinary service award – Awarded to holders of the Sable Fret who continue to provide extraordinary service and support to the Barony and (most importantly) throughout the Kingdom.Each year’s awards were slightly different, but each featured a pearl in a necklace or pendent arrangement.Started by Michael and Amadea, as the Pearl of Altavia. Registered to Altavia, as the Order of the White Pearl, in November of 1998.The Pearl of Altavia was closed in September 1994. The Order of the White Pearl was never used, it was replaced by the Estrella de Vida (later to become the Starre and the Stone) in 1995.
Holders of the Pearl of Altavia: |
Altavia’s Titles
- Sable Fret Pursuivant (Title for Altavia’s Herald)
- This heraldic title was registered to Caid, Kingdom of in March of 1983 (via Caid) and transferred to Altavia, Barony of in December of 2003 (via Caid).
- “Baron Altavia” and “Baroness Altavia“
SCA heraldry reserves this term for the founding Baron and Baroness. Thus Robear is Baron Altavia, and Kristin is Baroness Altavia.
- “Master of Altavia” and “Mistress of Altavia” — Baronial Heir’s Titles
Baron Robear: “I don’t know what current nomenclature is (out side of nextellency), but we followed the tradition used in northern England and Scotland, where the holder of the title is called the Lord of …, and their heir is called the Master of …, so when the King and Queen recognized them as our heirs, Michael was called the Master of Altavia, and Amadea was called the Mistress of Altavia.”
- “Heirs” and “Nextellency“
Used in Altavia to refer to the Master and Mistress of Altavia. Although many Baronies in Caid use the terms Reeve and Reevess, these terms were used historically to refer to a person who supervises lands for another, rather than for the heirs to a title or throne. Thus Altavia has traditionally used Heirs to refer tot he couple, and most recently has augmented that with Nextellency (Next Excellency) to refer to the individual heirs.
Altavia Baronial Regalia
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Baronial Coronets
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Baronial Thrones
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Daughter Barony – Dun Or
- Jul 1985 – 1st appearance in the Crown Prints as the Altavia Canton of Calmadun
- Sep 1985 – Canton of Dun Calma registered
- Oct 1885 – 1st Anniversary Tournament of Calmadun
- Mar 1986 – CP lists them as Canton of Dun Calma (heraldic correction of Calmadun)
- Apr 1986 – CP lists them as Canton of Dun Or
- May 1986 – Canton of Dun Or was registered
- October 17, 1992 – Dun Or became a Barony
Compiled by Mistress Lynnette de Sandoval del Valle de los Unicornios