View source for Bastard

A '''bastard''' is, simply put, a [[child]] [[birth|born]] out of wedlock, something which happened with considerable frequency in [[period]].  To be an '''illegitimate child''' carried a considerable social stigma in [[medieval]] times; bastards, it was believed, were born of lust and carried the "taint" of their nature.  For this reason the modern usage of the word "bastard" is typically a derogatory statement implying unpleasant or unreasonable behaviour.  Interestingly, in most modern circles illegitimacy does not carry a social stigma, but the usage of the word "bastard" is more popular than ever.

In [[period]], bastards could be acknowledged by their fathers, thus erasing the stain of ''bastardy''.

In [[heraldry]], the [[bend sinister]] was a mark of difference denoting that one was a bastard.  In [[SCA]] heraldry, the bend sinister officially carries no such connotation, but anyone with a bend sinister on their [[arms]] can expect some teasing from [[herald]]s.