This is heavily based on a ceremony posted to the SCA-HRLDS mailing list by "Rosalyn Rice" (Lothar von Katzenellenbogen).
This version was adapted by Mark Wroth (Eiríkr Sigurðarson) for use within the Caidan College of Heralds. It has served as the basis for several creations, and remains the basis for such ceremonies. However, it should be noted that it is appropriate to differentiate among the several ranks of heralds in the form of the oath they swear. Squibb's Munimenta Heraldica, while slightly post-period, is a possible source for such rank-specific oaths.
Pursuivants and Heralds were invested with a peculiar ceremony which involved being "created" by announcing their title, and then "baptized" with a cup of watered wine.
This ceremony is perfectly acceptable for use on the baronial level, since the Baron can -- and should -- invest a new baronial pursuivant.
This ceremony can be done in about five minutes with no speech being more than about a minute long. If necessary, the long speech where the herald administers the oath of offices to the candidate can condensed or changed.
This ceremony is based on an outline of a 16th c. English ceremony found in Gerard Legh's Accidens of Armorie, 1585. The wording and actions are based on the sequence of events outlined in the original ceremony, as supplemented by an illustration from Vincent's Precedents, and early 17th c. source, which shows a scene from the creation of a Garter King at Arms. The Oath is based on Dillon, "On a MS Collection of Ordinances of Chivalry in the Fifteenth Century, Belonging to Lord Hastings", Archaeologica LVII (1900), 70, as quoted in Olson & Crowe, Chaucer's World (Columbia, 1948), and further reproduced in Christian d'Hiver, "A 14th Century Herald's Oath" (Millrind Vol IV, Issue 2), with modifications by Eiríkr Sigurðarson to suit it for the SCA.
This ceremony is designed to be performed by a minimum of two people besides the Sovereign/Baron, and the candidate. One of these people should be the court herald.
This ceremony requires a tabard for the new pursuivant, a goblet which may be given away which is filled with a bit of water, something for the new pursuivant to swear his oath upon (a book or sword depending on the whim of the sovereign/baron), and some towels to mop up the water after the baptism and to dry off the candidate.
This ceremony will get the candidate slightly wet. The person to be invested as a pursuivant should know this beforehand and dress appropriately (i.e. no headdress or garb which would be ruined by a bit of water). The sovereign and the court herald should also know this so that strategically placed towels can be used to mop up any water left on the ground/floor after the ceremony, and so that that anything that would be damaged by water can be gotten out of the way.
The candidate should not be wearing any clothing that will interfere with a tabard being put over his head.
If a herald is to be created, there are several options as to how a candidate who is a pursuivant should wear his tabard. He can either not wear a tabard at all, or wear his tabard athwart. (With the sleeves on his chest and back.)
Know that We [Name of Sovereign or Baron] and [Name of Consort or Baroness], [Title of Sovereign and Consort] have need of a pursuivant/herald to carry Our messages in peace and war, to be Our voice, and to teach the noble arts of heraldry[, as our loyal servant [Name of outgoing pursuivant/herald] has done]. Know also that hearing good report of our faithful servant [Name of Candidate] as a gentl(wo)man skilled in the arts of honor we are minded to create [Name of Candidate] as our Pursuivant/Herald.
[Name of Candidate], present yourself before Us!
The candidate is brought forth, being led by the hand by a senior herald and flanked by other heralds or pursuivants bearing the necessary paraphenalia -- a book, a goblet of water, and a tabard. The company kneels in the royal or barional presence. If necessary the number of attendents can be expanded or shrunk.
Attendant moves forward with book/sword to swear an oath upon so that the candidate can place his hand upon it.
[aside, to candidate] Place your hand upon the book/sword/whatever.
Do you [Candidate], of your own free will, swear to serve your liege lord/Sovereign as pursuivant/herald.
I so swear.
Do you, of your own free will, swear to serve your office as follows in these articles?
Following each of the articles, the candidate responds "I so swear".
First, you shall swear that you be true to our high and most excellent prince, our sovereign lord that here is, and to him that makes you a herald. And if you should have any knowledge or hear any imagination of treason, you shall discover it to his high grace or to his noble council; and counsel it in no manner.
And you shall promise and swear that you shall be serviceable to all gentle persons to do their commandments to their worship of noble deeds; and to excuse their worship by your good counsel, and ever ready to offer your service to them.
Also you shall promise and swear to be secret and keep the secrets of knights, squires, ladies, gentlewomen, and all manner of gentle folk; a confessor of arms; and not discover them in any wise except treason abovesaid.
Also you shall promise and swear if any fortune finds you in divers lands and countries where you go or ride, if you find any gentle of name and arms that has lost their goods in service of his lord or of noble acts and has fallen into poverty, and if they ask of your goods for sustenance, you shall give them of your goods to your power and as you bear.
Also you shall promise and swear if you be in any place where you hear debate or peril between two gentles which you be privy to, if so be it that you be required by prince, judge, or any other to bear witness, you shall not be without license of both parties, and when you have leave, you shall not testify for any good favor or awe, but say the truth to your knowledge.
Also you shall promise and swear that you shall pursue learning, and teach officers of arms under you, all manner of things pertaining to nobility.
Also you shall promise and swear that you shall forsake all places of dishonesty and hazard and dishonestly going to common taverns and places of debates and all manner of vices, and take to virtues as much as you are able.
This article and all other articles abovesaid you shall truely keep, so help you God and the saints.
Attendant moves forward and gives the goblet of water to the sovereign/baron Sovereign slowly pours a bit of water from the goblet over the candidate's head while speaking these words:
Then, by your oath, I do create you pursuivant/herald by the name of [Name of Heraldic Title/Group Name].
As you shall serve me as pursuivant/herald, I shall reward you with largesse.Sovereign/Baron gives the cup to the candidate.
At this point, when we have invested Baronial heralds, who are normally expected to swear fealty to their Baron/Baroness as officers, we have inserted the relevant oath, prefacing it with a comment that as an officer of the Barony, therefore does swear fealty.
Let the pursuivant be invested with his tabard of office, and let him wear it athwart as befits his rank of pursuivant, and in no other way.
Attendents move forward and put a tabard on the candidate. The tabard should be put on so that the arms of the tabard are on the candidate's chest and the front and back drape over the candidate's shoulders and arms.
Let the herald be invested with his tabard of office and let him wear it so that he may be known as a herald.
Attendants move forward and put a tabard over the head of the candidate so that it is athwart. Then, in a separate and obvious motion, the tabard is turned so that it is worn properly. If the candidate was already wearing a tabard athwart then the attendants turn the tabard so that it is worn properly. Alternately, the candidate can have a tabard with the arms of the barony/kingdom draped over the "generic" green tabard.
[Aside, to candidate] You may go.
The herald exhorts cheers from the populace.