August 27, 1980 AS XV

LETTER OF ACCEPTANCES AND REJECTIONS

ACCEPTANCES BY KINGDOM

KINGDOM OF ANSTEORRA

Alexis Geoffrey Burns. Argent, a chevron enhanced and a base azure, overall a Maltese cross gules, fimbriated argent.

Byron de Macenswell. Tierced per pall inverted azure, argent and sable, a lion's jambe bendwise erased Or, an axe reversed gules and an estoile argent.

Curlew of Drogheala. Per fess argent and vert, a deebird curlew (Phaeopus borealis) close affrontée, head to sinister, proper perched upon two rocks issuant from base Or.

Denys de Boyier. Gules, a pithon displayed guardant debruised vert, winged, ram-horned and fimbriated Or.

Note: A pithon is a winged serpent. A snake with its tail looped over its body is debruised. Displayed has the head facing to dexter. Guardant means looking out towards the viewer, no matter how the body is positioned. We will use the spelling pithon for the heraldic winged serpent and python for the natural beast. If anyone wants a natural python we will require the genus and species, then it is a natural python. Otherwise it is the winged serpent. (There is more than one species of python.)

Elric of Erehwon. Spelling change. Change of blazon. Per pale sable and argent, in base a mullet between in pile two lightning flashes counterchanged.

Note: Debased is no longer used as it means mirror imaged and is an abatement.

Erik Dragonslayer the Clawhanded. Azure, on a saltire argent two swords in saltire azure, overall a pithon displayed guardant Or.

Gladwen of Ayelsford. Ermine, a stag lodged Or, a chief urdy vert, fimbriated Or.

Godfrey Fosse. Azure, an aardvark statant erect affrontée and in chief a comet Or.

Note: There is only one species of aardvark. Whenever a common name for a plant or animal has only one species associated with it, the genus and species need not be given. If there are variations within the species then the breed must be specified. When the charge is a specified tincture the only question is whether or not there is more than one possible outline for the data given. When the charge is proper the question is whether the outline and/or the coloring is completely specified. Here the aardvark has only one species, only one outline, and is of a specified tincture, so genus and species need not be specified.

Katherine Marie Yvonne Jetté. Vert, a lightning flash fesswise throughout Or between in pale a horse's head couped argent and in compass star a bezant between eight billets Or.

Note: This means there are four long billets and four short billets around the bezant in alternation, as if it was a dismembered compass star.

Kathryn Grace Enright O'Neill. Vert, on a plate a cat passant sable all within a bordure Or charged with a tressure gules.

Note: To save space, a cat is a domestic cat. If you want a mountain lion it is a catamount.

Kleinbjorn Tarlson. Sable, a double-bitted axe argent, hafted proper, between on a pair of flaunches Or two natural sea-horses erect addorsed argent, fimbriated sable.

Note: By default a natural sea-horse is (Synghathidae hippocampus). If you want a non-standard natural sea-horse (which do exist) you must specify genus and species, even if the tincture is specified, as it is here.

Korwyn Marius Velis Ariannaid. Azure, phoenix close affrontée, head to sinister, Or within an annulet between in fess two greatswords palewise reversed argent.

Note: a phoenix is an eagle rising from flames. The flames need not be specified because if they weren’t there it would be an eagle instead of a phoenix.

Kyla Maire Reynolds of Galloway. Vert, a shamrock Or surmounted by a harp sable, in base a chevronel and a chief Or.

Note: Galloway is a place and so cannot be used as a surname. I have added "of".

Launce of the Rose. Argent, a tilting lance bendwise sinister and in base a rosebud slipped and thorned azure.

Loch Soilleir, Canton of

Note: This is a name approval only.

Michael FitzRaymond of Twin Cedars. Argent, a pale azure between two spear-heads and on a chief vert a griffin passant argent.

Namron, Barony of. Badge for the Order of the Heart of the Sable Storm. A pile wavy Or.

Sasaki Yoshikazu. Argent, a bar enhanced gules, overall three arrows inverted in saltire and in pale Or.

Selva of the Treeless Plain. Vert, semé of tree stumps eradicated proper, in saltire two axes Or.

Valadonis the Wanderer. Per chevron inverted azure and sable, a chevronel inverted between in pale an eagle displayed, head to sinister, and a compass star pierced argent.

Valadonis the Wanderer. Badge. Sable, on a pile azure fimbriate between two compass stars pierced an eagle displayed, head to sinister, argent.

Victor Adolphus Kerelius. Argent, on a shakefork azure a tower Or, all within a bordurelet engrailed sable.

William Fitzwalter of Wallingford. Pean, a lion passant Or within a bordure gules charged with seven bezants.

Zoren Uff Eiren. Per pale azure and vert, a saltire couped Or within a bordure argent.

Note: A saltire couped has its ends cut off at right angles. A salteral is a saltire with its ends cut off fesswise, i.e. the ends are horizontal.

 

KINGDOM OF ATENVELDT

Adler des Berges. Badge. Per saltire sable and argent, a Bowen cross counterchanged.

Note: A Bowen cross is a Bowen knot rotated 45 degrees to be in cross, with the loops straightened into straight lines and right angle bends. It looks like five mascles conjoined in cross.

Britha of the Unicorn's Forest. Azure, a pallet wavy couped argent between a dragon counter-couchant, tail pendant, Or and a unicorn couchant argent.

Note: You cannot have a river proper, especially on azure. I have made it argent.

Britha of the Unicorn's Forest.Badge. Argent, a unicorn couchant chased azure.

Elrhond Windrider. Badge. Azure, a chevronel interlaced with another inverted argent.

Justin du Roc. Per bend sinister azure and counter-ermine, in dexter chief an Arabian roc counter-volant, wings addorsed, argent grasping in its talons an elephant statant proper.

Katja Dara. Formerly Panka Puspam.

Name change only.

Robin of Rhovanion. Sable, on a bend sinister argent between a plate charged with a dragon counter-segreant sable and a tipless broken sword bendwise sinister argent a scarpe raguly gules.

Sikhijvala Gehe Candra. Badge. Formerly registered to Ksudra Yutha. Purpure, eight elephants passant in annulo, trunks conjoined to tails, argent.

William of the High Woods. Formerly Ksudra Yutha. Counter-ermine, on a chief argent a grove of seven fir trees proper.

 

KINGDOM OF CAID

Balin of Tor. Change. Argent, two wings conjoined in lure azure, semé-de-lys argent, overall a sword gules.

Beneth of Glenarvon. Badge for House Drimore. Per pale double arched to sinister azure and counter-ermine, in pale to dexter a tower and a lion's head cabossed and in sinister a pomegranate argent.

Umbar Thundercaller. Argent, two flaunches cotised and in chief a kindjal dagger inverted sable surmounted by a madu shield gules.

 

KINGDOM OF MERIDIES

Thomas Megatherium of Castle Leviathan. Name change.

Note: Adding "the Wordsmith" makes the name too long. Since this part of the name is a nickname and seems to be the least important part I have deleted it in favor of adding Megatherium back in. I have no objection to him using his nickname in his correspondence, but the College will not use it.

 

KINGDOM OF THE MIDDLE

Brynalf Kraagsdatter. Per pale wavy Or and sable mullety argent, a willow branch palewise wavy throughout vert.

Corwin Ravenhammer. Per chevron enhanced Or and gules, two hammers sable and a raven (Corvus corax) close proper.

David of Cath Mawr. Argent, in saltire two lightning bolts issuant from chief Or, fimbriated and overall a natural panther's head cabossed sable, orbed Or and langued gules.

Note: The fimbriation should be drawn four times wider.

Eleanor of Pica. Vert, a magpie (pica pica) close proper grasping in its dexter talon a feather argent.

Eliahu ben Itzhak. Or, on a mullet of six points sable a griffin counter-sejant erect, grasping in its dexter talon three arrows inverted and in its sinister talon a paintbrush and palette, all Or.

Guillaume, le Chien Blanc. Sable a Samoyed dog counter-statant proper and a chief argent.

Harold of Bears' Haven. Badge for House Bears' Haven. Argent, two bars gules, overall a scowling brown bear's head cabossed wearing a Norman conical helmet proper.

Johannes Peregrinus. Change of blazon. Argent, in chevron five lozenges palewise sable between four barrulets gules.

Note: The three diminuatives of the fesse are the bar, the closet and the barrulet in decreasing order of size.

Joyesse de Wolfe of Cath Mawr. Argent, a lion counter-sejant erect coward gardant gules seated upon a stone sable and playing a viol vert with a bow sable.

Mohammed Tor ibn Alber abend al Rahman. Gules, a killer whale (Orcus orcus) erect embowed counter-embowed proper, lipped vert.

Note: This is the opposite curvature from haurient. This looks like a question mark (art work here) while haurient loks like a capital C with the head at the top turned to dexter (art work here).

Neandir of the Flame. Argent, a winged unicorn counter-rampant gules, gorged of a torc Or, issuant from flames azure, all within a bordure vert.

Note: The bordure should be three times wider than shown.

Orden die Grosse Mauer. Counter-ermine, a fess embattled argent masoned sable.

Otto von Schwartzkatz. Sable, a chevron inverted and in chief a sun Or.

Note: Where's the cat?

Vanished Wood, Shire of the. Per fess azure and vert, a double-bitted axe bendwise sinister imbedded in a sprouting oak stump snagged and eradicated proper between seven mullets of eight points in demi-annulo and in base a laurel wreath Or.

Note: Snagged means the tree stump is turned towards the viewer enough to see the top as an elipse.

 

KINGDOM OF THE WEST

Aja du Jardin. Sable, a base indented and issuant from chief a demi-sun Or.

Alena Athdara. Badge. A fleam azure.

Alena Athdara. Badge. A fleam Or.

Ambrosia de Andalucia. Per pale gules and or, a goblet counterchanged.

Ellen Winterbourne. Gyronny azure and vert, on a mullet of eight points argent an eagle's head erased gules, beaked sable.

Eric Foxworthy. Badge. Sable, a winged fox rampant, wings addorsed, argent.

Garrathe of Ravenswood. Azure, a dragon passant gardant between three oak treps couped and in chief a raven stooping, wings addorsed, Or.

Geneviéve de la Mer Bleue. Badge. Per fess engrailed argent and azure, a bottle-nosed dolphin counter-erect embowed (Tursioys truncatus) proper.

Note: The dolphin is in the shape of a capital C.

Hanna of Montengarde. Per fess gules and barry wavy argent and azure, in pale a lion sejant and a dolphin hauriant Or.

Jay d'Argent. Sable, a bend argent between a wyvern statant and a salamander counter-statant gules, enflamed Or.

Jonathan de Lacey. Azure, a lion and a unicorn rampant and addorsed, tails intertwined, within an orle argent.

Katriona Gwen Fergus. Vert, on a saltire gules fimbriated argent a garden rosebud bendwise sinister argent, slipped and leaved vert, all within a bordure argent.

Note: Please add the thorns. Roses do have thorns.

Kristof the Towhead. Gules, in pale a drakkar reversed above a sword fesswise argent all within a rope in orle, nowed in base, Or.

Linda of Collinswood. Azure, ermined argent, a winged unicorn counter-rampant, wings addorsed, Or, standing on a demi-plate issuant from base.

Lindyre of Valreiner. Gules, on a bend sinister double cotised Or three roses gules barbed and seeded proper.

Note: His old device becomes a badge.

Macsen Aelian y ffyrdig. Sable, a lion dormant and in chief a celtic cross argent.

Note: The name of any mortal can be used so long as it is not a title or absolutely unique, and so long as it is adequately differenced from the famous usage by the rest of the Society name. The names of non-mortal beings may not be used unless they were used by people in the real world in our period (ie Jesus, Gabriel, and Diana). Examples of titles are Charlemagne and Amenhotep. An absolutely unique name is one that was only used by the one famous person and is not derivable from other common names. Chuchulain is an example. Macsen is the Welsh form of Maximus, a common Roman name. Although there is only one recorded use of Macsen, it could easily have happened more than once if another Maximus had moved to Wales. Macsen is therefore derivable from Maximus.

Mixial Medvedev iz Kieva. Per fess azure and argent, a European Brown Bear (Ursus horribulus Europus) statant erect proper, grasping in its dexter forepaw a sword argent, hilted sable.

Reatha Carminoui. Purpure, a mermaid in her vanity argent and n a chief Or three lions rampant guardant gules.

Renfield Wanderscribe of the Inland March. Badge for House Tun. Argent, semé of house wrens close proper (Troglodyts aeden), a tun sable, chased argent.

Note: Renfield is from Houston.

Richard of Seahaven. Pean, a gore gules

Note: A gore is by default a gore dexter.

Rosewitha of Holourhold. Azure, issuant from a base two unicorn's heads respectant argent, armed in saltire Or, the dexter head gorged of a wreath of flowers purpure, the sinister of a wreath of leaves vert.

Trista de Cordoba. Change. Argent, three roses conjoined azure, barbed vert, seeded argent, in dexter base a goute de larme.

Walter Feversham. Per chevron embattled argent and vert, two walnut abaci with ebony beads proper and a thunderbolt Or.

 

REJECTIONS BY KINGDOM

 

KINGDOM OF ANSTEORRA

Barony of Bjørnsburg. Order of Usae Majoris of Bjørnsburg.

First of all, this should be either the Order of the Ursa Major or the Order Ursae Majoris. Secondly, the big dipper is only a part of the constellation Ursa Majoris. Thirdly the use of a constellation as a charge is out of period and not acceptable. However, I would be willing to consider an ursa major as a charge if you draw the full constellation of mullets in the proper bear shape as drawn by the ancients in our period. The College could then debate whether this is acceptable usage, as such drawings did exist in our period.

Pellinore Philipsen asam Ewain Mucha. Gules, a questing beast rampant argent and a chief wavy Or.

The device is acceptable but the name is not in conjunction with the device. You must either change the word Pellinore or else use a different charge other than the questing beast. The combination of Pellinore and a questing beast is too much of a conflict with King Pellinore. If you want to use a famous name of a mortal you must not only difference from the famous person by the rest of the Society name, but also you must avoid any further reference to the famous person in the device.

Robin of Gilwell. Ermine, on a chief double-arched gules a mustache Or.

Beards, mustaches, hairdos, etc., are not period usage. A braid of hair or a lock of hair is a physical charge you could cut off and hold, and thus mount on a shield. A mustache or a beard, if cut off, just gets you a pile of short hairs. I also take note that the mustache you use has pointed ends, indicating the use of wax. This style is out of period. Pick a different charge and resubmit. The same is true of the badge.

Sean de Carew. Sable, a lightning flash bendwise sinister surmounted by a turtle tergiant erect Or, chased sable.

Chased means to void a charge leaving both the outline and the internal lines. Like voiding, you can chase something of a tincture other than the field. If the turtle was a turtle chased Or then it would be voiced of the field with the gold lines showing. In that case the lightning flash would show through. Since it does not the turtle is a turtle Or, chased sable. This device conflicts with Helmer Marcellus de Corbier. Sable, a leatherback turtle tergiant erect Or. Change from Or to argent and you will be OK.

Thames Saint Brenden. Argent, four crosses humetty conjoined in cross azure.

A cross crosslet does not have its points conjoined. This conflicts with Britton. Argent, a cross crosslet azure (Papworth, p. 603). You cannot be a Saint. You cannot use the word Saint in a name except for the case of a place name.

Ton the Traveller. Badge. Argent, a palmer robed, hooded and bearing a staff, counter-passant sable, debruised by a lozenge checky vert and argent charged with a horse's head couped sable.

This is an inescutcheon of pretense, which is not allowed in the SCA. In the mundane world it represents the fact that the husband is the custodian of the wife's arms. A woman never owns her own arms, they merely pass through her. Only a male can own arms. Whenever a woman marries her husband assumes control of her arms and displays this by either impaling the arms or by using an inescutcheon of pretense, depending on the relative rank of the two. The use of the inescutcheon of pretense means that the wife outranks the husband. In the SCA man and woman are equal. When a Lord and Lady marry they still each retain their arms. Therefore the College does not allow marshalling in this fashion. We suggest that Sir Ton and his lady use for a badge. Checky vert and argent, a palmer robed, hooded, bearing a staff counter-passant and a horse's head couped sable (both in fess).

 

KINGDOM OF ATENVELDT

Liang nu Ying. Or, issuant from dexter base a mountain peak and in sinister a swallow displayed bendwise, wings inverted, head elevated, sable, breasted Or.

This is a landscape. It looks like a picture of the bird against a hazy sunrise next to a mountain. This is not medieval heraldry, which deals in abstract charges arranged in conventional pattern. You cannot be a maid of the Goddess Ying. You must be a human. Choose a new name and device.

Victoria of the Vales of Barnsdale. Or, an insect-winged naked woman statant, sinister leg upraised, hair pendant behind the body to her knees, wings chased, azure.

This is an art deco painting, and very pretty at that, but it is not medieval heraldry. Anytime it takes two lines to describe a single charge like that it usually means the figure is not in a standard position. Simplify the charge and put it in a standard heraldic position and draw it in a period style.

 

KINGDOM OF CAID

Ageles Evionace. Sable, a wolf's head caboshed and in base two swords in saltire argent.

This conflicts with Baudouin. Sable, a wolf's head cabossed argent. (Rietstaap). You need a half point of difference more.

Patée Poutaay of Smaland. Quarterly gules and purpure, a lion rampant Or.

This conflicts with Albynette. Gules, a lion rampant Or. (Papworth, p. 78)

 

KINGDOM OF THE MIDDLE

Aethelbert the Quiet. Argent, a tower sable enflamed to chief and sinister gules within a bordure sable.

The bordure should be twice as wide. This conflicts with Baron Sir Frederick of the West Tower. Argent, a tower sable, on its base a cross potence voided argent. You only have one and a half points, and you need two.

Alaric a'Burk of Dragonwood. Vert, a dragon segreant Or between three oak trees couped argent, fructed Or.

This conflicts with Eteocles. Vert, a dragon segreant Or. Adding a number of identical charges counts as a single point of difference. You need one and a half.

Génevieve de Montmorency. Gules, on a pale Or a branch of Montmorency cherry (Pruaus cerasus) fructed and leaved proper.

This conflicts with Hugo de Grandmesmil. Gules, a pale Or (Papworth, p. 1002). You need another half point.

Guillaume de Copé. Or, a tabard displayed vert.

This is not a proper tabard as there is no hole for the head. The sleeves are not correctly draw. There is no way to recognize this as a tabard. It looks like a keyhole. A proper drawing of a tabard showing only one side as it is worn would be recognizable and acceptable, although I am leery of registering a heralds tabard to an individual. True there are no trumptes on the tabard, but the colors are vert and Or.

Illiton, Shire of. Per fess wavy, a mermaid, counter-erect, proper, scaled Or, crined vert, wearing a laurel wreath as a crown vert, holding in sinister inverted hand a trident bendwise sinister Or and in sinister upraised hand a granite tower proper, masoned sable, and wearing a belt of shells argent.

This is far too complex and is Victorian. The mermaids head is in trian aspect, which is out of period. The laurel wreath must be a major charge on the shield, not a little crown. (The Barony of the Angels got a special exception). Simplify and redraw in a medieval style, with a prominent laurel wreath. Have the mermaid in a standard position. You cannot have a granite tower proper. There is pink granite, white granite, gray granite, etc.

James FitzGibbon.

The device is OK, but center the eagle's head on the shield. FitzGibbon means son of Gibbon. You cannot be a son of a monkey and I very much doubt anybody used Gibbon as a given name in our period. Choose a different surname or else document the use of Gibbon in period as a given name.

Juan Macias de Alarcon. Or, a bend gules, overall a sun sable charged with an annulet Or.

This conflicts with Auncell. Or, a bend gules. (Papworth, p. 191)

Lleithan Eleawen Deawnus. Azure, a sinister flank and a chief sable, in sinister chief a compass star elongated throughout to dexter and to base, Or.

This is color on color. A chief and a flank are charges, not divisions.

Linet Bridget Langdon. Tierced per pall fesswise reversed azure, pean and argent, a chevron issuant fesswise from sinister gules, in canton an estoile of eight rays surmounted by a mullet of eight points Or pierced argent.

This is metal on metal. That is neither a sun nor a shuriken. A period shuriken is a throwing knife or a simple pierced star, which is better described as a mullet pierced. Choose either a sun, a pierced mullet or a period shuriken (a small knife).

Mayia of Idyllwylde. Azure, a sea-unicorn erect, tail nowed, argent and in chief a sprig of two bluebell blossoms (Companula totundifola) slipped and leaved, bendwise sinister, proper, fimbriated argent.

This conflicts with Eilonwy Anderoth. Azure, a sea-unicorn erect regardant argent. The position of the head is only a half point.

Michel L’Etranger. Per fess wavy crested Or and azure, overall a natural sea-horse haurient sable.

Wavy crested is out of period. A properly drawn rayonny or wavy or engrailed would be acceptable instead. Where is the dorsal fin on the sea-horse? If you want a sea-horse that does not have a dorsal fin give the genus and species.

Noman the Jongleur.

Noman is not a given name, but instead is a soubriquet. Choose a different given name or document its use as a given name in period. The device looks OK. (Other than being the four suits of the Tarot).

Teagesus. Argent, a bend gules, overall a double-bitted axe sable.

This conflicts with Rorke. Argent, a bend gules, overall a cross patriarchal sable. Also Nicolai Davidovitch Browneavionaki. Argent, a bend counter-ermine, overall a double-bladed axe azure, distilling from the lower points six gouts de sang. We must have a surname for our records. He could be Teagenus the Mercenary.

 

KINGDOM OF THE WEST

Karl von Rhondheim. Or, a condor volant sable.

This conflicts with Schluing. Or, a vulture volant sable (Riestaap). This is virtually an exact conflict.