AN TIR

Albrecht von Pfeffers. Name.

Alen Bendbow. Device. Vert, on a bend between two bows bendwise argent, a bow vert.

Algar de Devonshire. Name.

Alonzo Petri. Name and device. Gules, a bend Or between two open scrolls fesswise argent, on a chief Or three Latin crosses sable.

Anastasia de Vaucouleurs. Name and device. Gyronny of six from dexter chief azure and Or, a cat dormant between three fleurs-de-lys argent.

Astrid of Flanders. Device. Gules, on a sun throughout Or a phoenix gules, enflamed proper, all within a bordure Or mulletty gules.

The phoenix was blazoned on the LOI as proper, with the 12th Century Cambridge Bestiary cited as the authority (via Dennys' Heraldic Imagination). While the Bestiary describes the phoenix as "reddish purple", I would hesitate to define that as its heraldically proper tincture. As it turns out, there's at least one period heraldic example of a phoenix proper: the crest of the Worshipful Company of Painters, granted 1486, is blazoned a Fenyx in his propre nature and coloure. That phoenix is colored mostly gold, with red highlights and details. (Bromley & Child, Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London, p.184 and plate 39)
As the phoenix in this submission is not tinctured like the phoenix proper in the Painters' crest, I have reblazoned it gules.

The given name was submitted as Brichniht, using themes documented in Searle. However, as Lord Palimpsest notes, the chosen spellings of the themes use different scribal conventions: the CH of Brich- and the H of -niht are pronounced identically. We have therefore spelled them identically, as well.

Rule X.2 applies between most types of beast head, just as it does between most types of beast. This is clear of such armories as Buckfould (Papworth 927), Per chevron argent and sable, three buck's heads erased counterchanged, attired Or.
The bottommost charge of a group of three charges 2&1 is considered "half" the group for purposes of counting difference (LoAR cover letter of 6 Sept 90); so this is clear of Berwyke (Papworth 923), Argent, three bear's heads erased sable, with a CD for field and a CD for tincture of the charge in base.

Douglas Cameron of Skye. Device. Per fess azure and vert, a bison's head cabossed between flaunches argent.

Eric of Kethkart. Device. Per bend sinister vert and gules, a bend sinister cotised Or.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the bend wider.

George of Mousehole. Name and device. Per chevron gules and argent, two old men's heads affronty, couped at the shoulders argent, and a Cornish chough rising, wings addorsed proper.

The Cornish chough proper is black with red beak and feet; like a sword proper, it's a shorthand description of heraldic tinctures, not a complex Linnaean depiction.

James d'Orléans. Name and device. Pily azure and agent, a hawk displayed and bendwise sinister inverted gules.

There are examples from Continental armory of birds displayed and rotated from the vertical: e.g. von Eptingen (Siebmacher, plate 129), Or, an eagle displayed and fesswise sable.

The byname was submitted as Sparrhawke, but none of our sources could document the double-R. Since it seems to have altered the pronunciation in period, we've substituted the documented spelling.
I count a Substantial Difference between a unicorn and a dragon; even when dormant, the dragon's wings are prominent. Rule X.2 thus brings this clear of Rosalind Moondragon (SCA), Gules, a dragon dormant, on a chief argent three roses gules.

Kateline MacFarlane. Badge. (fieldless) A throne argent, seat and back cushioned azure, thereon a skull argent.

While the style is less than optimal ["I am Oz, the Great and Powerful....."], it appears to be registerable.

This had been pended from the August meeting. Please instruct the submitter to draw the invecting a bit larger.

The given name was submitted as Layamon. The name is undoubtedly period, but the submitted transliteration is modern, replacing the yogh with a Y. We have substituted one of the spellings from the submitter's own documentation; he could also have Laweman (which is how it should be pronounced in any case).

While we're willing to blazon this as a hollyhock, we note that there's no heraldic difference between it and a rose.

Richard Sparhawke. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The byname was submitted as Sparrhawke, but none of our sources could document the double-R. Since it seems to have altered the pronunciation in period, we've substituted the documented spelling.

Using my predecessor's "Auda/Ali" test, this is clear of the registered name of Richard of Locksley. The two names have differently emphasized syllables, and Richenda does not seem to directly derive from Richard.

Sara Blackmoor of Darkwoods. Device. Gules, a unicorn rampant contourny within an orle argent.

Sibylla Penrose of Netherhay. Name and device. Vert, an octofoil argent.

Legh, 1568, mentions the octofoil ("double quaterfoyle"), though citing no examples of its use. Given that it was described in period, I'm willing to grant a CD between it and a cinquefoil. This lovely device is thus clear of Rowan Perigrynne, Vert, a cinquefoil within a bordure argent; and of Reddish (Papworth 868), Sable, a cinquefoil argent.

Trahaearn ap Ieuan. Device. Gules, a pall wavy inverted between three herons argent.

We appreciate the cant.

Vincent Valentine. Name (see RETURNS for device).

William Robert de Fersith. Name.

Wolfgang de Warenne. Name and device. Purpure, on a bend engrailed Or three roses proper.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the roses larger.

Alric of Ashfield. Name.

The given name was spelled Alfric on the LOI, but Alric on the forms and documentation. Since both forms are equally acceptable, we've substituted the submitted form.

Antoinette Clarissa du Bête. Name.

The byname was submitted as DeLeBete, documented from a private geneology as an early form of Ledbetter. However, none of our more reputable sources confirm Ledbetter as anything but "lead beater", nor do they show this unusual French grammatical usage. We have substituted the correct French for "of the Beast".

The middle name was submitted as Malein, which is a surname. Russian names tended to use epithets, not surnames, in the middle of the name, so we've replaced Malein with the adjective Malyi "small", from which it derives.

Aric Gewehr. Name and device. Per bend sinister gules and sable, a bend sinister azure fimbriated Or between a dragonfly argent and an escallop inverted Or.

Bahlow cites Gewehr as a surname dated to 1350, in a slightly different spelling; it means, not "rifle", but "guarantor". Please instruct the submitter to draw the fimbriation wider.

This badge was returned June 92 for conflict with the badge of Fridrikr Tomasson av Knusslig Hamn: Barry wavy argent and azure, a sun within a bordure Or. The return was in error: Master Fridrikr had released that badge Jan 91. Just in case, though, he's provided a letter of permission.
Please instruct the submitters to draw the sun larger.

Brenna Logan. Badge. (fieldless) A bay horse's head contourny proper issuant from a chevron couped inverted per chevron inverted sable and argent.

Bronzehelm, Shire of. Device. Azure, a helm affronty Or within a laurel wreath, a chief indented argent.

Ceridwen Mordelyn Eryri. Name.

The name was submitted as Ceridwen Mortelyn ni Eryri. The first byname was said to mean "sea-harp", but could just as easily (and more plausibly) mean "big harp"; either way, lenition should change the T to a D. The particle ni was meant to mean "of", but in Welsh it's a pronoun, "our"; as Welsh locatives regularly omitted the preposition, we have done so here.

Fiammetta la Ghianda. Name and device. Argent, a tree couped sable, on a base gules an acorn Or.

The given name was submitted as Fiametta, but the documentation showed the above form.

Godwin Blackrose. Device. Argent, a fess rayonny gules between a garden rose bendwise sinister sable, slipped and leaved vert, and a sheaf of arrows sable.

The blazon on the LOI had three gouts de sang dripping from the rose. On the emblazon, the gouts were so small as to be near-invisible -- and untinctured, to boot. We see no point in even mentioning them in the blazon. Even without the gouts, this is close to the limit of acceptable style.

Hreodbeorht Talbot ap Cyngen. Device. Argent, on a pale azure between two decrescents in chief, a decrescent in base, overall a bordure embattled counterchanged.

Isolde de Lisieux. Name.

Jessica of Atenveldt. Holding name (see RETURNS) and device. Argent, a phoenix contourny purpure rising from flames proper, within an orle of feathers conjoined vert.

This was submitted under the name Akilina O'Cinndeargain.

Laura of the Elmwood. Name and device. Per fess indented azure and sable, on a demi-bezant issuant from the line of division, a trefoil slipped vert.

Licoricia du Lac Noir. Name.

Michelitto Antonio David Carducci. Name.

The given name was submitted as Migulito, but the evidence didn't support that form for Italian: Migul is not Italian for "Michael". (For that matter, it doesn't appear to be a name in any language, although the Spanish Miguel comes close.) We've substituted Michelitto, which appears to be a valid diminutive of the Italian Michele (though Michelino is the more common form; De Felice's Dizionario dei Nomi Italiani, p.262).

One Thousand Eyes, Barony of. Name for the Order of the Peacock's Heart.

One Thousand Eyes, Barony of. Name for the Order of the Swan and the Escallop.

The Order's name follows a period construction: v. Portugal's Order of the Tower and the Sword, founded 1459, or the Holy See's Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, formed 1573.
This is clear of Bavaria's Order of the Swan, founded 1440. (Friar 333) Per Rule V.2, addition of the phrase "and the Escallop" brings it clear. A similar argument brings it clear of the Order of the Escallop, registered to the Barony of Forgotten Sea.

Raoghnailt Marie Beatrix de la Barbe. Name and device. Per pale argent and azure, a panther's face sable incensed proper within a bordure crusilly fleury counterchanged.

Robert of Bohemia. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Robin Randell Petrie. Name.

Takeda Ujimasa. Name and device. Or, a sexfoil pierced gules, a bordure sable semy of lozenges Or.

The given name was misspelled Ujimosa on the LOI; the forms and the documentation show the form as registered.

The given name was spelled U'lfarr on the forms and LOI, a misreading of the Norse Úlfarr. In this case, it seems simpler to use the anglicized form, and omit the diacritical mark.

Lord Green Anchor has provided ample documentation for this form of astrolabe, dating it to c.1480. Visually, it differs from an astronomer's astrolabe in the large cutout areas (so the wind won't keep blowing it aside and make readings more difficult). Where the astronomer's astrolabe is visually a roundel with diapering, the mariner's astrolabe is visually a wheel with diapering.

The above is the submitter's name as currently registered. Her forms suggest she thinks it's spelled differently. You might let her know the correct spelling, and encourage her to submit a name change if she's dissatisfied with it.

Aodhán Doilfin. Household name for Grúdlann Cois Cuain.

Bryan MacPherson of Caerdon. Name.

Conrad Hebenstorm. Name and device. Azure, issuant from sinister base four piles wavy in point argent.

Eleanor Courtenay. Name.

This was submitted as Eleanor Courtenay of Devonshire, which infringed on the Courtenay Earls of Devon (1911 E.Brit. , vol.VII, p.325). We've deleted the problematic part of the name.
Lord Obelisk notes Eleanor, granddaughter of Edward I, who married Hugh Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon (1911 E.Brit. , op.cit.). She doesn't appear to have been famous enough to warrant her own entry in several general references I consulted; so we wouldn't protect her name, even from an exact conflict.

Laeghaire ua'Laverty. Alternate persona name for Geoffrey Peel (see RETURNS for badge).

Tirloch of Tallaght. Device. Azure, on a bend argent between two harps Or, a bear passant sable.

CAID

Callum Macleod. Name and device. Counter-ermine, a bend sinister wreathed gules and argent, cotised plain argent.

Fionnabhair Ioncyn. Name.

Guilliermo Ugarte de Navarra. Name change (from Kitagawa Akira) and device change. Per pall argent, gules, and sable, a crescent per pale sable and gules and two crosses of Santiago argent.

The toponymic was submitted as Navarre, which is the French form of the name. We've substituted the Spanish form, as his forms requested.
The submitter's previous name, Kitagawa Akira, and previous device (Sable, a Japanese stream and in chief a mullet of six points between two herons rising respectant, wings addorsed, argent) are retained as an alternate persona name and badge.

Margaret of Saint Edmundsbury. Name.

Sarah Winterbourne. Name.

Selene Colfox. Name change (from Selene of the Sable Fox).

Her previous name, Selene of the Sable Fox, is retained as an alternate persona name.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the embattlements larger.

Triaria de la Rivière. Name and device. Gules, a crossbow and in chief three thistles argent.

Though the byname was spelled Rivièra on the LOI, the forms have the correct French Rivière.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the thistles larger.

Alban Saint Albans. Release of badge. Per pale Or and sable, a human head cabossed counterchanged.

Angus MacElroy. Name and device. Gyronny argent and sable, two estoiles and a mortar and pestle gules.

Anna de Curson. Name.

Brennan Conyngham of Ayrshire. Name.

While Brennan may be an anglicization of the Irish Brénainn, as suggested in the LOI, Lord Dolphin notes that it's also a common anglicization of surnames derived from the given name Bránan -- and should therefore be an acceptable spelling of that name as well.

Corwin Fidelis. Device. Ermine, on a pale counter-ermine between two hearts gules, enflamed to chief proper, a sword inverted Or.

Dugald MacPherson. Badge. Argent, four matchlock pistols in saltire, handles to center sable, between four roses azure.

Elspeth Fauconneau. Name.

The byname was spelled Fauconnau on the LOI, but the forms and documentation show the spelling we've registered.

Erich Küchengehilfe. Name.

The byname was submitted as Küchengehilfer, but the above seems to be the correct German for "kitchen helper". However, forms such as Küchler or Kuchelin would be more authentic period bynames with the same meaning. Perhaps you could interest the submitter in one of these?

The toponymic was submitted as de Istra. Istra is a peninsula in Croatia, and therefore wouldn't use de; as most cultures routinely dropped the preposition in toponymic names, we've done so here. She could also use the Latin de Istria.

Hinterland, Shire of. Device. Gules, a dragon dormant in annulo between three laurel wreaths Or.

Isabeau MacPherson. Name.

The surname was submitted as MacPhearson, but no documentation was presented for that spelling -- which is pronounced quite differently from the standard spelling. We've substituted the documented form.

Kenneth Lyon of the Curr. Device. Per chevron throughout azure and ermine, three lions counterchanged.

Nice device!

Lecelin Judithe Gifford. Name.

Leonora Kateryn de Provence. Name and device. Argent, four caltraps in cross, points to center gules within a bordure sable.

The caltraps could stand to be drawn a bit larger.

The given name was submitted as Maebh, which is unlikely: it combines the anglicized AE with the Irish BH. Both the submitter's own documentation, and O Corrain & Maguire, p.135, indicate that Meabh is the more correct spelling.

Nazar Druzhinin. Device. Or, a sprig of three linden leaves and on a chief vert, a Cavendish knot Or.

Olaf of Forgotten Sea. Holding name (see RETURNS) and device. Azure, a double-bitted axe argent, the haft of wood proper entwined by an asp Or, a bordure Or ermined azure.

This was submitted under the name, Olaf Ösplund Frä Östersund.
There was some question as to whether this serpent-entwined axe was too close to the rod of Aesclepius, a reserved charge; I decided that the prominent axe-head made it quite clearly not a rod of Aesclepius.
The serpent is large enough to be granted a CD in this case; this is thus clear of such armories as Oldmixon (Papworth 10), Azure, a battle-axe Or headed argent. There's no difference for the tincture of the haft, but there's a CD for the bordure, and (in this case) a CD for the serpent.

Good armory! There's a CD (at least) between a horse's head and a unicorn's head, bringing this clear of the badge of Rosewitha Wolfsdottir (SCA): (fieldless) A unicorn's head couped to sinister azure.

The byname was submitted as ní Padhraic, but the particle ní causes the following name to aspirate. We've corrected the grammar.

Aleksandr Levsha. Name.

The byname was submitted as Yevsha. Given the intended meaning ("left-handed") and the evidence presented, Levsha or Lyevsha would be more reasonable transliterations of the Russian. We've changed the spelling accordingly.

Angus MacRae. Device. Or, a bear rampant maintaining an axe sable, on a chief embattled gules a decrescent and an increscent Or.

Though presented on the LOI as a new name, the submitter's name was registered 26 Oct 91.

Bev of Settmour Swamp. Holding name (see RETURNS) and device. Gules, a unicorn's horn throughout between two dolphins urinant respectant Or.

This was submitted under the name Rhiannon de Licorne of Carreg Cennen.

The name was registered in this form on the LoAR of Aug 92.

The byname was submitted as Myrkjartanarson, but absent documentation of the declension of Myrkjartan (1st, 2nd or 3rd declension), it seems safest to assume it to be of the 1st declension, like most given names in Old Norse. We've amended the patronymic accordingly.

Excellent armory!

Caitlin O hAodha. Device. Vert, a chevron and in base a fleur-de-lys, all within a bordure Or.

Cerridwen nic Alister. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The double-R in Cerridwen is apparently a valid 10th Century variation. (Evans, p.xxii)

This was submitted under the name Lanassa ha Levkene. That name had been returned on the LoAR of May 92; the device was forwarded to Laurel in full knowledge of the name's return. I was sorely tempted to return the device, for lack of a name; only compassion for the submitter (who is in no way to blame) stayed my hand. If this situation recurs, I will not be so lenient.

Damianus Petrolino. Name and device. Per bend sinister argent and sable, a skull sable jessant-de-lys gules and an eagle's foot erased inverted argent maintaining a torteau.

While far from ideal, this is registerable style.

While the byname is an acceptable construction, in period it wouldn't mean what the submitter thinks: it would refer to the watchman of a winding path.
Unicorns are rampant by default.

Eloise of Coulter. Badge. (fieldless) An arm embowed palewise issuant from flames Or.

Friedrich Karl von Wolfstein. Household name for Haus von Wolfstein.

Gabrielle van Nijenrode. Device. Gules, a fess bretessed between three gouts and an amphora Or.

The charge in base was blazoned as an ampulla, or perfume bottle, but was drawn as a water amphora.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the bordure narrower.

The byname was submitted as d'Alatri, claimed to be a variant of the documented Italian surname d'Altieri. No evidence was presented to support this claim, and on the surface it seems implausible: the change in pronunciation is marked. We've substituted the documented form.
There are period examples of gyronny fields, where alternating gyrons were charged: e.g. the arms of Stoker, Lord Mayor of London in 1484, Gyronny of six azure and argent, each argent gyron charged with a popinjay proper. The submission is clear, both technically and visually, of Laura Rydal (SCA), Gyronny argent and sable, in cross four roses proper. A comparisons of the emblazons shows that Laura's roses truly are in cross, as blazoned.

Gwendolyn Sylvania. Device. Vert, a mushroom and a chief Or.

Helena Gereman. Device. Argent, on a bend purpure between two crescents azure, three escallops argent.

When Papworth's blazons contain ellipses [...], we assume that he simply didn't know the exact tinctures -- and in cases of possible conflict, we give the submitter the benefit of the doubt. This does not conflict with Murdiston (Papworth 273), ... on a bend ... between two crescents ... an estoile ....
For the record, we'll probably extend our policy to Chesshyre & Woodcock's Dictionary of British Arms (the so-called "New Papworth"); since that work explicitly contains only devices, not badges, we can assume that a blazon with no tinctures listed shows a lack of knowledge (or perhaps the overzealousness of the compilers), not tinctureless armory.

Laurence Newsum. Name.

Mark Feuergeist. Name change (from Baltor Marcsson).

Though not as common as animal bynames (e.g. Catt), the names of imaginary creatures were also adopted as bynames in period (e.g. Worm). In particular, Bahlow (p.162) cites Geist "ghost" as such a byname. There should be no problem with Feuergeist "salamander" (literally "fire-spirit") as a byname.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the pawprints larger.

Murtagh MacKenzie. Name and device. Argent, a lymphad in full sail vert, on a chief wavy purpure two crosses formy Or.

Nebelwald, Shire of. Name.

Padraig Dubh MacEanruig. Device. Sable, three griffins Or, a chief Or fretty sable.

Ragnar the Wolf. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Rhiannon Rhyl. Name.

The byname was submtted as O'Rhyl, which appears to be an Irish surname construction unsuitable for Welsh. If the Welsh preposition o "of" were used, the placename would mutate; the normal Welsh usage would be to omit the preposition altogether. We've done so here.

The submission was sent to Laurel with incomplete forms: they weren't colored. Only the generosity of a member of Laurel's staff (who found himself with a spare moment and some colored pens) kept this from being returned, per the Administrative Handbook, p.3.

Solveig Throndardottir. Badge. (fieldless) A sun azure eclipsed argent.

Against the mon of Tamara (Hawley 70), Dark, on a roundel engrailed light, a roundel dark, I grant a CD between a roundel engrailed and a sun. Against the mon of Kinoshita (Hawley 69), Dark, on a sun light three tomoe in annulo dark, there's a CD for type and number of tertiaries.

The supporting documentation for this name was entirely in Japanese, which makes it of little value to the current Laurel. Fortunately, Lord El-Munadi found both name elements in O'Neill's Japanese Names, as a surname and given name respectively (pp.244, 265).

Therion Sean Storie. Name and device. Azure, a saltire argent, a chief embattled Or goutty de sang.

Thorsteinn Asbjornsson. Name.

The byname was spelled Asbjornson on the LOI, with one S; the forms showed the double-S spelling. Though Asbjarnarson is the standard patronymic form for Old Norse, there are period examples (e.g. Bjornsson) of this variation.

MERIDIES

Aeruin ní hEaráin ó Chonemara. Badge. (fieldless) A popinjay contourny proper, perched atop a trumpet fesswise reversed Or.

A popinjay proper is green with red details; it's a shorthand term for heraldic tinctures, not a Linnaean proper. Moreover, unlike many such terms, popinjays proper are period.

Arrienne Lenorra Ashford. Device. Argent, a Celtic cross within a bordure fleury purpure.

Blackmoor Keep, Shire of. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Brisane de Celchyth. Device. Per bend sinister embattled Or and sable, a griffin segreant to sinister and a talbot rampant counterchanged.

Elspeth of Hampshire. Name.

Godwine of Sherborne. Name.

Matilda de Waterford. Name.

The name was submitted as Maltilda de la Waterford. The given name was misspelled on the LOI; the forms and documentation show Matilda. While there's ample evidence of the Norman de being used with English placenames, such constructions would not have added a superfluous article; we've therefore deleted it here.

Rory MacAuliffe. Name.

Scota MacAuliffe. Name.

Given the citation of Uchtred filius Scot in 1124 (Reaney DBS II, p.309), we're prepared to believe that Scot is a period given name. Scota would be a reasonable feminization of the Latin form Scotus.

Urluin le Garlykemongere. Name (see RETURNS for device).

William FitzJohn. Name (see PENDED for device).

Wulf Battell. Name.

Yvonne des Saintes Maries de la Mer. Name (see RETURNS for device).

We have made the preposition plural, which seems to be correct idiom for this toponymic.

Aasa Sørensdotter. Name and device. Potenty en point argent and vert, a sea-lion naiant embowed gules.

Adnar Dionadair. Name and device. Counter-ermine, two reed pens in saltire and issuant from base a demi-sun Or.

There was some debate as to whether the field should be blazoned Sable goutty d'eau inverted. However, examples have been produced showing this to be a valid depiction of ermine spots. It would probably be better, however, if the submitter could be introduced to more standard ermine stylizations.

Aelfric the Kestrell. Badge (see RETURNS for household name). (fieldless) A falcon rising, wings displayed vert marked sable, surmounted by a drawn bow, arrow nocked, Or.

This was submitted as a badge for House Kestrell. This is essentially a falcon drawing a bow and arrow; in this case, we're willing to treat the bow and arrow as a separate group of charges from the falcon.

As a rule, baby animals are not used in SCA heraldry: they're visually indistinguishable from adult animals, and period examples of their use are rare. Lambs appear to be an exception: not only is the Paschal lamb often found in period armory, but lambs were used for canting purposes (e.g. the arms of Lambert -- or the current submission).

Alicia of Hyde Hill. Name.

Alisaundre of Greyhame. Name and device. Per bend wavy gules and sable, three lozenges in bend sinister within a bordure argent.

The nature of the motif mandates a center lozenge small enough to leave the line of division unobscured; therefore, this does not run afoul of Rule VIII.3.

Anatolia Chryse. Name.

Angantyr Brynjolfsson. Name and device. Argent, three double-bitted axes in bend gules within a bordure embattled sable.

Angus mac Dhomhnuill. Device. Purpure, two chevronels Or between three crosses crosslet fitchy argent.

Angus Mackinnon. Name.

Angus Rose. Name.

Anna of the Western Hill. Device. Ermine, a lizard tergiant fesswise azure, issuant from chief a demi-sun gules.

The sun should not be drawn as some sort of complex chief. Please instruct the submitter.

His previous device (Per pale sable and argent, a wolf passant between three decrescents and in chief a tower all counterchanged) is released.

Arthur FitzWilliam the Scholar. Device. Azure, in pale an open book and two retorts, necks in saltire Or within a bordure potenty argent.

Athanasia di Lumini. Name and device. Sable mullety of six points, a winged torch displayed Or.

The semy should have more mullets, and be in a more regular pattern. Please instruct the submitter.

Berwyn Aethelbryght of Ackley. Name.

Brian Mac Finn the Grey. Name and device. Argent, on a roundel between in pale two swords fesswise, that in chief reversed sable, a lyre Or.

Do please instruct him on how to draw a lyre!

Bronwen of Brightoaks. Name and device. Per pale argent and azure, a Catherine wheel counterchanged, on a chief sable three cat's faces Or.

Cáelán Ó Rogallaig. Name and device. Per pale sable and vert, a talbot sejant and on a chief argent, three crescents sable.

Caius Severius Sabinus. Name.

Catlin Siobhán McNulty. Name and device. Per chevron Or and sable, three shamrocks, one and two, and a breadloaf counterchanged.

Catriona d'Arcy. Name and device. Azure, a pantheon rampant argent estoily sable between five mullets two, two, and one argent.

The byname was submitted as D'Arcy, but the documentation supports either Darcy or d'Arcy; we have substituted the latter. Please instruct the submitter to draw the mullets larger, and to draw the estoiles on the pantheon correctly.

Ciar of Connemara. Name and device. Sable, a bend sinister vert fimbriated between a tree eradicated and a lit candle ensconced argent.

Colin MacBean. Name.

Colin the Hermit of Lindisfarne. Name.

Dafydd Aberystwyth. Name.

Dougal MacFinlay. Device. Per bend sable and azure, on a bend wavy argent three caltraps palewise sable.

The caltrops should be drawn larger. Please instruct the submitter.

Dragon's Vale, Shire of. Name and device. Per chevron inverted argent and sable scaly argent, in chief three dragons passant contourny sable and a laurel wreath vert, three and one.

Duncan of Dunsinane. Name.

Edward Reinherz. Name.

Egill Gunnbjarnarson. Name and badge (see RETURNS for device). Gules, a pomegranate Or seeded gules between three bees, all within a bordure Or.

Einarr Dunwulf Björnsson. Device. Argent, a sword inverted sable between flaunches embattled gules, each charged with a wolf's head erased argent.

Ellen of the Scholars. Name.

Emelina Sharparowe. Device. Gules, on a nesselblatt Or a seeblatt sable.

Finn Herjólfsson. Badge. Sable semy of hangman's nooses argent, an annulet of chain Or.

Fiona Averylle of Maidenhead. Augmentation of arms. Gules, an elephant passant trumpeting, on a chief raguly argent two annulets gules, and for augmentation, in center chief an inescutcheon sable charged with an annulet Or.

We will allow augmentations to use quaternary charges in simple cases, such as this one. The blazon reflects the fact that the device may be displayed either with or without the augmentation; conflict should be checked against both forms.

Gary Tavistok. Name and device. Per pale gules and Or, a lion rampant Or and a bear sejant erect contourny sable, a point pointed ermine.

Gary is the submitter's mundane given name, but it also appears to be an acceptable anglicization of the Gaelic Garaidh. (Hanks & Hodges, DFN 129)

Gwyneth MacAulay. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Hans Wolfgang vom Drachen. Name and device. Per fess sable and argent, a dragon passant and a cross formy counterchanged.

The byname was submitted as vom Drache; however, the use of vom (von dem) casts the following noun into the dative case. We've corrected the grammar.

Ihashi Hidezo. Name.

Irene the Questing. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Ivar Gunnarsson. Name.

Jeanne Anne la Bonnetière. Name and device. Gules, a griffin with the forelegs of a horse passant contourny regardant coward between five annulets two, two, and one, all within a bordure Or.

Jeanne d'Arbois. Device. Per chevron argent, and vert semy of pine trees argent, in chief two crosses crosslet sable.

John James MacCrimmon. Name.

John Raven. Name.

Joshua Frost. Name.

Judith von Ankum. Device. Sable mullety of eight points, a harp within a bordure argent.

Julianna Maria Wilhelmina von Metten. Name.

Karsten von Meissen. Name.

Kormák Tryggvason. Name and device. Or, an otter rampant guardant contourny between in bend sinister two ermine spots sable.

Kuang Hsiao Han. Name.

Lloyd of Penrose. Device. Per pale Or and gules, a chevron inverted surmounted by a chevron per pale gules and Or, between three Latin crosses counterchanged.

Lucien l'Étranger. Name.

The byname was submitted as L'Etranger. To the best of our knowledge, French usage would not capitalize the article. We've corrected the spelling, and added the accent to the E.

Michaela de Romeny. Household name for House Battleaxe (see RETURNS for badge).

Possible conflict was cited against the HMS Battleaxe. I intend to offer warships the same protection as military units: if they're important enough to be cited in general references (such as encyclopedias), then they will be protected. The Battleaxe does not appear in the references I searched; we needn't protect it.

Morcant le Moune. Name and device. Sable, a death's head argent within a bordure argent semy of hearts sable.

Muirne ni Bhranaigh. Name.

Oisin Mac Lugdach of the Shannon. Name and device. Per pale azure and argent, the moon in her complement within a bordure indented counterchanged.

This is clear of Edwina Galen (SCA), Per pale azure and argent, a fess and overall a roundel, all counterchanged. Even taking the most conservative approach, and considering the roundel in each device as the primary charge, there's a CD for type of secondary (fess vs. bordure) -- and, under our current definition of counterchanging, a CD for tincture of secondary (per pale vs. effectively compony of four).

While Howel Dda, ruler of Wales (d.950), is important enough to protect from conflict, evidently his son Owain is not: I couldn't find him mentioned in any of several general references, not even in the entries for his father.

Pedro de Alcazar. Name.

Rhys Mìcheal Morgan. Name and device. Per chevron indented azure and argent, two mortars and pestles and a dragon couchant regardant contourny counterchanged.

Rising Waters, Barony of. Name change (from Rising Waters, Canton of).

This is more to keep our records straight than for any other reason...

Rising Waters, Barony of. Name and badge for Award of the Spider. Gyronny arrondi gules and argent, a spider sable within a bordure Or.

Rising Waters, Barony of. Name and badge for Order of the Protectors of the Chalice. Gyronny arrondi gules and argent, a cross of Santiago Or within a bordure sable.

Rising Waters, Barony of. Name and badge for Award of the Warriors of the Chalice. Gyronny arrondi gules and argent, a cross of Santiago within a bordure sable.

Though similar in sound, this is clear of the Order of the Warlord's Chalice.

Samuel of Warwickshire. Name.

Stephen of Darkmoor. Name.

Susan of Tirnewydd. Name and device. Azure, an increscent and on a chief argent four mullets azure.

Thorfinn Grimkelsson. Name.

Toirrdelbach Ua Máel Doraid. Device. Or, a Celtic cross vert within a bordure pean.

Against Morgana Swandottir (Or, a Celtic cross equal-armed, quarterly pierced and throughout vert), there is no heraldic difference for the charge being throughout, or not. However, there's a CD for the bordure and a CD for the quarter-piercing, which is visually equivalent to adding a tertiary delf.

As drawn, the sword is both large enough to be worth a CD, and of a different charge group from the mullets. This is clear of the US 103rd Observation Squadron (Azure, a pegasus rising to sinister in adumbration Or), and of Debreceni Ilona (Azure, a pegasus salient to sinister and in chief three compass stars of eight Or).

OUTLANDS

Alethea of Fair Isle. Name and device. Azure, two dolphins haurient respectant and in chief a mullet argent.

This is clear of Colston (Papworth 837): Azure, two barbels haurient respectant argent. There's a CD between dolphins and most kinds of fish.

Anastasius Kriesten. Name.

The byname was submitted as Kresten, said to be a variant form of the German surname Kriesten, Kristen. However, without documentation, this is too great a change of pronunciation to accept as a mere spelling variant. We've substituted the documented form.

There is a CD (at least) between a brazier and a beacon. This is clear of the badge of Henry V (A fire-beacon Or enflamed proper), as well as the seal of the Beacon Principal Herald (A beacon enflamed).

Balin an Claidheamh. Name.

This does not conflict with Balin of the Two Swords, of Arthurian legend. The translation into Gaelic clears this, per Rule V.4.b; and the change from two swords to one removes possible conflict of meaning.

Bryan Morrison. Name and device. Per pale azure and argent, a sea-pegasus and on a chief invected two thistles all counterchanged.

Caerthe, Barony of. Badge. Or, a triskelion of aspen leaves conjoined at the stems vert within a bordure embattled sable.

Aspen leaves should be drawn with jagged edges (as in the submission of the badge for the Order of the Gilded Leaf of Caerthe), not smooth edges. Please inform the submitters.

Eileen Fraser. Device. Barry wavy argent and azure, a cross gules surmounted in base by a closed book bendwise Or.

Fekete Holló Noémi. Name.

Fionn na Féithe. Name.

The byname was submitted as an Feithe, with no attributed meaning on the forms; evidently an was taken to mean "of", and Feithe was taken as a place name. Neither is true: an is the Gaelic definite article, and Bain cites féith, féithe "bog, fen" as an element used in Scots placenames. We have corrected the grammar to mean "Finn of the Fen".

Jago Redbeard. Device. Per saltire embattled Or and vert, four hourglasses counterchanged.

Jago Redbeard. Badge. (fieldless) An hourglass gules.

Classic badge design!

Magnus Rothach. Name and device. Azure, on a saltire argent two berdiches in saltire sable, in chief a ram's head cabossed argent.

The tertiaries were blazoned as Lochaber axes on the LOI. Lochaber axes have a defined heraldic form, characterized by a long curving haft ending in a hook (Parker 29). We have reblazoned these as berdiches, which are characterized by blades mounted at the center and bottom.

The name was submitted as Ördög Béla a Magyar. According to Kálmán, Hungarian names are ordered [nickname] [family name] [given name]. Magyar and Ördög both function as either surnames or nicknames, so either may come first; we have made the minimal necessary changes to the name to allow it to pass. (Magyar Ördög Béla would also be acceptable, and may be closer to the submitter's intended meaning.)

Excellent indentations!

The byname was submitted as Hermanson; we have substituted the German patronymic suffix for the English.

Siobhán of Adare. Name.

Talan the Night Owl. Name.

Thomas Serpentsbane. Name.

Given the OED's period citations of hensbane and wolfsbane, this does not seem an unreasonable construction.

The name was submitted as Vladimir Askoldsson Medvezhatnik, with Askold cited as "a Viking personal name." No other evidence was presented, and none of the commenters could document Askold as a given name, Viking or otherwise. Since such a name would probably be "Russianized" (even stipulating period Russian-Viking interaction), the middle name is doubly problematic. We have therefore deleted it, pending documentation.

Alaric of Wyvernwood. Name (see RETURNS for household name).

Alejandro del Águila. Name.

The byname is documentably period: Baltasar del Águila was a Spanish painter c.1570. (Enciclopedia Universal Ilustrada, vol.4, p.627)

Ali ibn Ibrahim 'Abd al-Aziz. Name and device. Per pale Or and argent, in cross a crescent, another bendwise, another bendwise sinister, and a mullet of six points sable.

The byname was submitted as al-Aziz, "the Powerful", which is one of the 99 names of Allah. So far as we can tell, this would not have been used, unmodified, in a period Arabic name. The submitter's own documentation showed the name 'Abd al-Aziz, "servant of the Powerful", which we have substituted.
The device is awkward to blazon, but symmetric and simple in design.

The above is the submitter's name as registered in March 85. Her forms suggest she thinks it's spelled differently. You might let her know the correct spelling, and encourage her to submit a name change if she's dissatisfied with it.

The byname was submitted as ni Donnchaidh. The patronymic particle ní is Irish; the Scots Gaelic particle would be nin (daughter of) or nic (daughter of the son of). Both particles cause the following name to be aspirated. The submitter has asked that her name be correct Scots Gaelic, so we've changed the name accordingly.

Andrés Javier Ruíz. Name and device. Argent, three griffins in fess and on a chief azure, a unicorn couchant argent.

Basilla la Mercière. Name.

The byname was submitted as le Mercier, but the submitter's forms suggest she wants the feminine form.

Please tell the submitter, if he doesn't already know, that Beale is a woman's name, cognate of the modern Belle.

The given name was submitted as Branwyn, the masculine form of the name. As the submitter requested us to correct the spelling to proper Welsh, we've substituted the feminine form.
The charges in chief were blazoned starfish on the LOI. The starfish is not, to the best of our knowledge, a period heraldic charge; it seems to have started use in Victorian heraldry (Elvin, plate 32). We've reblazoned these as mullets, and leave internal markings to the license of the artist.

Diarmait mac Alasdair Chaomhanaigh. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The bynames were submitted as Caomhanach mac Alasdair. Caomhanach (Kavanagh) is an adjectival surname derived from Caomhán: "of the line of Caomhán". As such, it would follow the patronymic, which in turn would cast it into the genitive case. We've corrected the grammar accordingly.

The OED cites instances of horsekeeper and swinekeeper in period; wolfkeeper looks equally acceptable.

Iain Grant. Name (see PENDED for device).

Janos der Kleine. Device. Sable, a fess wavy between three lions passant, a bordure argent.

Lars Knarrarsmidr. Device. Gules, on a bend between a rooster displayed argent and a lion dormant Or, a spear gules.

Laura de Botelsford. Device. Per saltire vert and sable, a sea-griffin contourny reguardant queue-forchy Or.

Magnus Lodinsson. Device. Argent, a natural panther salient sable, on a chief wavy azure a bezant.

Margaret Elizabeth Aison of Devon. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Medb an Dhragan Shuanaigh. Name.

The name was submitted as Medb a Drac Cotlud, which the client intended to mean "Maeve of the Sleeping Dragon". The actual meaning was closer to "Maeve from within the Sleeping Duck". We have taken Lord Palimpsest's suggested correction, to give the submitter what she wants.

Olgar Bearclaw. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and sable, a bear dormant, a bordure argent.

Unlike the dormant bear in the submission of Abdullah bin Omar (LoAR of Dec 91), this dormant bear is drawn so as to maintain identifiability. It, and the bordure, do need to be drawn larger, however.

Priscilla of Wyvernwood. Name.

Rebekah Anne Parr of Pembroke. Device. Per saltire azure and vert, on a lozenge argent a triskele azure.

Please instruct the submitter to draw the charges larger.

The byname was submitted as ni Conaill. The use of ní causes the following name to be aspirated; we've corrected the grammar.
The charges in chief were blazoned starfish on the LOI. The starfish is not, to the best of our knowledge, a period heraldic charge; it seems to have started use in Victorian heraldry (Elvin, plate 32). We've reblazoned these as mullets, and leave internal markings to the license of the artist.

Sean of Lough Derg. Name and device. Argent, a chevron rompu inverted sable between a sun gules and a crescent sable.

Please tell the submitter to draw the chevron so that it doesn't emerge from the corners of the chief.

The byname was submitted as o' Gleann da Loca, intended to mean "of Glendalough". The Irish for Glendalough is Gleann Dá Loch, which would aspirate following ó; to avoid that, we've deleted the preposition, which is unnecessary in Irish toponymics.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the bend sinister correctly issuing from the corner of the shield.

Tik-Astrid Olafsdottir. Name.

Toirdhealbhach an Cat Dubh. Name.

The byname was submitted as an Cait Dhu; we assume he means to be "the black cat" in Irish, and have amended the grammar accordingly.

This was submitted as Order of the White Scarf, with no Kingdom specified. Ansteorra has already registered an Order of the White Scarf, so that would be an exact conflict, even with permission. Moreover, in its letter of permission to Trimaris, Ansteorra granted the right to register Order of the White Scarf of Trimaris. Judging from the treaty signed by Trimaris, Outlands and Ansteorra, the Kingdom name is intended to be added in each Kingdom where the Order exists. We have therefore added it here.

Her previous device (Vert fretty Or, on a bend sinister wavy argent, a blackberry briar leaved and fruited proper) is released.

This was submitted as a household badge for Díon na Sméar Dubh. We have registered this as a personal badge.
The full-sized emblazon supplied by Lady Triskele had the slip entirely on the triskele.

Constance von Messer. Device reblazon. Argent, a butterfly azure marked proper.

This was originally blazoned as a Dyson's metal mark butterfly proper, the tinctures for which no one can ever remember. On the emblazon form, it's mostly blue, with small spots of red and brown; we have generalized the spots as marked proper, and reblazoned it so that conflict may be more readily checked in the future.

This had been pended from the August meeting.

AN TIR

Anne-Marie d'Ailleurs. Name.

The French byname literally means "of Elsewhere", which seems highly improbable as a period locative. (Its more common idiomatic meaning is "on the other hand", which makes even less sense.) We have previously returned names whose locatives were this unspecific: v. Dughal MacDonnel of Kennaquhair ("of Know-Not-Where"), LoAR of Oct 91. This must be returned as well. The submitter disallowed any changes to her name.

The main charge was blazoned on the LOI as a sword Or enflamed proper. However, the flames were not equally gules and Or, but almost entirely gules with Or fimbriation. Such complex fimbriation is not permitted. (I might note that, if the flame were equally gules and Or, the sword Or in its center might be too visually confusing to be registered. The submitter would be better advised to choose different colors altogether.)

This conflicts with the badge for Headless House (SCA): Per fess azure and vert, in base a tower argent couped at the line of division. There is no difference for tower vs. castle, and a comparison of the emblazons showed no real difference for having the charge issuant from the line of division. The only countable difference is the addition of the stag's head, worth a single CD.
Headless House was registered back in 1973, and was intended to be just that: a generic household without a head. Since the badge isn't registered to a specific person, it's impossible to get a letter of permission.

Conflicts with the arms of Shilford (Chesshyre & Woodcock, vol.I, p.23): Or, two bars dancetty sable. There's a single CD, for adding the greyhound.

Though it's been registered in the SCA, Melusine has not been documented as a period given name. The example closest to period is Melusina von der Schulenburg, cited in Withycombe, p.220; she was born in 1667, according to evidence presented for the submission of Melusine Whitcroft the Petite. Susequent registrations of Melusine have depended on this citation.
There are only a bare handful of Melusines registered, and the only documentation is post-1650; I think I can safely disallow the name, pending evidence that it's period. I'd be willing to believe it a variant form of Melisenda, Millicent -- but as it's also the name of a mythical monster, I'd like to see some evidence of its period use by humans.
The device has several problems. First, as drawn, the line of division is not recognizable as Per chevron (or anything else). Second, the natural starfish is not, to the best of our knowledge, a period heraldic charge; it seems to have started use in Victorian heraldry (Elvin, plate 32). Finally, if we reblazon the starfish as a mullet, this would conflict with the arms of Earle (Papworth 990): Paly of ten Or and gules, a mullet in chief argent. There would be just one CD, for the field.

The byname was intended to mean "pint lingerer" in Icelandic; but no documentation was supplied to support that claim. The particle a doesn't seem to be correct Icelandic; and while peli does mean "(quarter- or half-) pint", we couldn't find -nari or its root verb nara. The closest any commenter could come was Pelari, using -ari as an agent suffix (cognate to -arius in Latin); that would not give the submitter's desired meaning.
This is being returned for documentation of the name elements, and some evidence that the construction follows period Icelandic practice.

This conflicts with Alaric Hawkwood of Hawkwood Manor (SCA): Sable, a hawk displayed and on a chief embattled Or, three fir trees eradicated sable. There's a CD for type of tertiary charge, per Rule X.4.j.ii, but no more.

Grafting unicorn's horns onto random animals is not period practice. It has been decried by previous Laurels (LoAR of 3 Aug 86, p.15), and always discouraged; I am taking the final step and, except for Grandfathered cases, disallowing it entirely.

Conflicts with the arms of Brion (Papworth 104): Sable, a lion rampant and a chief Or. There's a CD for adding the tertiaries on the chief, but none for head posture or type of cat.

Akilina O'Cinndeargain. Name.

The use of the Russian given name with the Irish patronymic violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and Ireland. (The device was registered under Jessica of Atenveldt.)

No documentation was provided for either Rader or Raderschloss, and we couldn't find it in our sources. We need some evidence of its use in period before we can register it. The device conflicts with Rowan of Windtree Tower (SCA): Per saltire sable and vert, a sea horse erect argent. There's a single CD, for the field.

Technically, the design uses a single group of three dissimilar charges, in violation of Rule VIII.1.a. Even stipulating that a bow and arrow could be considered a single charge (in the same way a mortar and pestle, or a penner and inkhorn, might be), the design uses an excessive amount of proper coloration, disallowed per VIII.4.c. Finally, the arrow is drawn in an unidentifiable style, with miniscule fletching and points. This must be returned for redesign and redrawing.

This correction has already been made, on the LoAR of 23 Aug 92.

Conflicts with the arms of Cuckle (Papworth 377), Vert, a chevron argent, as cited in the LOI. The submitter's appeal was based on the first-draft wording of Rule X.2, which called armories clear if there was "significant change" in their primary charges -- the same wording that granted a CVD under X.4.e. This amibiguity is exactly why Rule X.2 was reworded to require "substantial change", on the LoAR cover letter of 16 Oct 90: "A chevron vs. a chevron embattled is not a substantial change (both are, after all, the same type of charge, a chevron) for the purposes of this Rule." The same argument applies here.
This also conflicts with the device of Robyn Akre, registered Nov 91: Per pale counter-ermine and azure, a chevron rompu argent. There's a single CD, for the field. (Kudos to Lord Hund, who found this conflict; it isn't yet in the A&O.)

As drawn, the postures of the eagle and the snake make both completely unidentifiable. Volant affronty is not a recognizable posture; the closest heraldic equivalent is displayed. If the bird were drawn in that posture, this would conflict with Gayton (Papworth 304), Sable, an eagle displayed Or.

This conflicts with Hengist, ruler of Kent c.455. (Webster's New Biographical Dictionary, p.462) Cantia was the name for Kent at the time of his rule; this is a direct conflict.

A haladie is a type of dagger from India, with a curved blade coming out of each end of the handle. The form shown in this submission doesn't match the haladie described in the submitter's documentation (Stone 275); nor has any form of haladie been documented as known to period Europeans. This must be returned for documentation.

This conflicts with the arms of Granata (Woodward 339), Azure, a pomegranate Or, seeded gules; and with the badge of the British 9th Division (Military Ordinary #689), Azure, a thistle slipped and leaved all argent. In each case there's a single CD for the addition of the other primary charge.

Conflicts with Cuthbert (Papworth 1043): Or, a serpent erect in pale, the head flexed barwise to the dexter chief, debruised by a fess gules. By current definitions, in each case the serpent is the primary charge; there is thus a single CD, per Rule X.4.e, for changing the type of secondary charge.
When the gentle resubmits, please instruct him to draw the snake larger.

This conflicts with Wyrley (Papworth 951): Azure, three bugle horns argent. There's a single CD, for the arrangement of the horns.

Conflicts with Darkin Armorsbane (SCA): Per chevron sable and argent, two garbs and a drinking horn counterchanged. There is at most one CD for changes to the bottommost charge of a group of three charges 2&1.

The field is gyronny of two dark tinctures, which is disallowed per Rule VIII.2.b.iv. Additionally, we received no petition of support from the populace for this device.

This conflicts with the heraldic title of the Peacock Pursuivant, in the West Kingdom. The addition of the adjective is insufficient difference, per Rule V.2.

This conflicts with the Order of the Polished Mirror, of the Barony of Black Diamond. The deletion of the adjective is insufficient difference, per Rule V.2.

This technically conflicts with Opus, the major character in the nationally syndicated comic strips Bloom County and Outland. Though we hate to admit it, Opus is probably better known than most of the historical figures we'd protect without question; per the Administrative Handbook (p.3), that makes him worthy of protection. See the cover letter for more details on such "popular culture" conflicts.

The earliest citation of the word reluctant is in 1662, past the Society's cut-off date of 1600, past even our 50-year "grey zone" for documentation. We cannot register it without some evidence of period use. We'd have deleted it, except the submitter permitted only minor changes to her name.

This runs afoul of the ban on overly pictorial design, Rule VIII.4.a: the musical notes hovering over the piper are a cartoon representation of music. Moreover, the argent piper has no contrast with the argent field. Finally, period bagpipes had at most two drones. This needs an extensive redesign.

Conflicts with the arms of Burgoigne (Papworth 60), Azure, a talbot passant Or; of Chaffin (ibid), Gules, a talbot passant Or; and of Gavenor (ibid), Gules, a fox passant Or. In each case there's a CD for fieldlessness, but none for type of canine beast, none for passant vs. statant, and none for the posture of the head.

The heraldic rainbow proper has four stripes, vert, argent, Or and gules, in that order (on a light-colored field, which the sable arrow overall implies). The submitted rainbow isn't correctly tinctured for a heraldic rainbow; neither is it properly tinctured for a natural rainbow. And blazoning each of its stripes individually would only emphasize the non-heraldic nature of the submission. If he resubmits with an honest heraldic rainbow, there should be no stylistic problems.

Until such time as the Board of Directors releases the title Master for use by the populace, it must be considered a title of peerage in the Society; we will not register any name that claims to be a "Master [anything]". In the case of the Master Bowmen of the East (LoAR of July 90), it was ruled: "We cannot, in good conscience, register a title reserved by Corpora to peers to any non-peerage group, no matter in what form they propose to use it." The same argument applies to individuals.
We would normally, at this point, register the device under a holding name. However, the device was misblazoned in the LOI, making accurate conflict-checking impossible. The thought of pending a device so that it could be registered under a holding name seems circuitous -- particularly for a device at the very edge of acceptable complexity, as this one is. It seems better, all around, to give the submitter a chance to redesign both the name and device.

This conflicts with Sir Thomas Smith (b.1513), the Elizabethan statesman who negotiated the Treaty of Troyes; and with Sir Thomas Smythe (b.1558), who helped found the Colony of Virginia. Both gentlemen are cited in general references (E.Brit., vol.10. p.906; Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p.1377), and both are important enough to protect.

The submission included no documentation for Yamamoshi as a surname -- only as a compound Japanese noun. O'Neill's Japanese Names doesn't mention it as a name. Pending documentation, this must be returned.
The submitter should be told, when he resubmits, that the particle no is normally omitted from formal Japanese names.

On a fieldless badge, charges cannot issue from the edge of the field; there is no field. This must be returned, per Rule VIII.5.

Gunnar Birkibeinn. Device. Argent, a saltire parted and fretted gules between in fess two ravens addorsed sable.

This conflicts with David Fitzgerald (Papworth 1083): Argent, a saltire gules charged with another humetty of the field. There's a CD for the secondary charges, but the primary charge in both armories is essentially a saltire voided. I can't see granting difference for the tiny changes at the intersection of the saltire.
When this is resubmitted, please note to the submitter that ravens don't have crests -- and do have hairy feathers.

This was blazoned on the LOI as Per fess gules and Or, on a pale counterchanged between two bells, a bell Or. That would be the normal modern blazon, but not the period blazon. In period, this was considered a field division, not a counterchanged pale. It appears to have been considered a field division from its invention, mid-15th Century, to the end of our period: the arms of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, granted 1454, were blazoned on the grant as a schucheon of .vi. pointes of Azure & gold with .iii. greydyron [gridirons] of that same, while the arms of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, were given in the Parliamentary Roll of 1540 as Party of six pieces or and gules three fleurs de lys azure and three pelicans or. It wasn't until Bossewell's Armorie of 1572 that the field began to be blazoned as a counterchanged pale -- and Bossewell makes clear that this is an alternate blazon, not the recommended style. The "official" blazon is still as a six-parted field: "Partie per fesse, countercolored in 6. quarters .... and the same I do commende, for that he which used hys blazon was an Heraulte, and wel learned in theire mysteries."
With such documentation in hand, I have little choice but to count this a conflict with Swymmer, cited in the LOI (Papworth 181): Gules, three bells Or. There's a single CD, for the field.
There was some feeling that the College has a long-standing tradition of regarding this as a counterchanged pale, not a field. I couldn't find any precedent or ruling supporting such a tradition. Quite the contrary: our policy is that we register the emblazon, not the blazon, and a conflict found under any valid blazon is a real conflict. We try not to equate charges with field divisions, but occasionally we must -- witness how often we must call conflict between a pile and Chaussé -- and based on the new research presented, this is such a case. Any change that would distinguish this as a counterchanged pale (e.g. tincture, complex line) would bring this clear of Swymmer; so would reversing the field's tinctures, which would put the bells 1&2.

Conflicts with Rudiger Macklin (SCA): Argent scaly vert, on a compass star nowed and elongated to base sable, a winged ram salient argent. There's a CD for the field, but nothing for type of tertiary on a complex charge.

None!

CALONTIR

Ginevra Cecilia da Firenze. Device. Or, a lion's head azure jessant-de-lys vert.

This conflicts with Terell (Papworth 911): Or, a leopard's head jessant-de-lys gules. After much thought, we decided that the leopard's head jessant-de-lys was common enough in period armory to be considered a single charge, in the same way a penner and inkhorn would be. It could equally well be considered a single group of conjoined charges. Either way, there's a single CD, for the tincture of the primary charge group.

The Dauphiné is a region in SE France, which between 1378 and 1830 was nominally ruled by the Dauphin, the heir to the throne of France. Isabella of Bavaria was the wife of that Dauphin who later became Charles VI (Webster's Biographical Dictionary, p.763). This name is thus a direct conflict, in the same way Diana of Wales would conflict with the wife of the current Prince of Wales.

In Society heraldry, while fields may be gyronny of as many as 12, charges may be gyronny of no more than 8. (LoAR of 22 March 83)
Moreover, this conflicts visually with the badge of Daffyd of Emmet (SCA): (fieldless) A mullet of six points gyronny of twelve Or and gules. (Daffyd's badge, registered in Aug 79, predates the precedent.) While we concede sufficient technical difference, a visual comparison confirmed they were too close.

Conflicts with the arms of Echlin (Papworth 1089): Or, an antique galley with sails furled sable and forked pennon gules. There's a CD for the change to the ship, but we can't see granting Sufficient Difference per Rule X.2; and as both the drakkar and the antique galley (i.e. lymphad) are nearly symmetrical charges, there's no difference for which half of the boat is cut away. Prior Laurel rulings (LoARs of July 91, Nov 91) have granted no difference for the tincture of a ship's sails -- just as we grant no difference for sails furled vs. unfurled.

As drawn, this is not an heraldic flame proper, but a flame Or, marked as though shadowed gules (which is about the closest I could render it). She needs to redraw this as a correct flame proper, or else solid Or (which may introduce new conflicts). Note that, in this case, the coloration of flame proper is defined by the green tertiary charge: gold interior, red exterior.

No documentation was cited to support the submitter's claim that Ösplund was a period Swedish surname; we might accept the Swedish Asplund "aspen grove" as a surname, but we'd want to see evidence for variant spellings. The city of Östersund was not founded until 1786 (Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer, p.1397), so he cannot claim to have been born there in period. Finally, the preposition should not be capitalized, and may even be incorrect Swedish idiom; Lord Palimpsest suggests fraan (modern från) as the appropriate term.
The device was registered under the name Olaf of Forgotten Sea.

Angeline of the Grove. Badge. Azure, a ferret salient to sinister argent.

This conflicts with Aleksandr Bogoliubskii (SCA): Gyronny vert and Or, a ferret statant bendwise sinister to sinister argent. There's a single CD, for the field; the postures are equivalent.

The name is a technical infringement on the planet Mercury; according to the OED, it was spelled as Mercurie in period and was known to be a place. It's certainly famous enough to protect. We might have argued jesuitically that, per the Administrative Handbook (p.3), the College protects only "geographical locations" -- with emphasis on geo-, "earth". But that line of reasoning would seem to open the door for such submissions as House of Antares, and we have a long history of returning extra-terrestrial names.
There were some comments about the electronic nature of the household, but the College doesn't concern itself with households' exact organization. And while the name might be argued to conflict with the Roman god Mercury -- who, like the planet, meets the criteria for protection in the Handbook -- allusions to supernatural guardians were common enough to allow us to call it clear. That is, Compaignie Mercurie no more conflicts with the god Mercury than, say, the Company of St. Jude conflicts with St. Jude.

The device is overly complex. Ermine fimbriation is disallowed (LoAR of 3 Aug 86, p.17), as are overall charges surmounting fimbriated ordinaries (9 March 86, p.12). Reblazoning this as Vert, on a pale ermine a pallet purpure charged with two axe-heads ... overall a lion passant Or would remove those objections, but then the axe-heads would be obvious quaternary charges. No matter how blazoned, this is unacceptably complex.

This is too complex. There are five tinctures and three types of charge, which is on the edge of acceptable complexity; the counterchanged ordinaries, and the unorthodox arrangement of barley, conspire to send it over the edge. This must be returned for simplification; he might be advised to use an honest heraldic garb, as well.

Conflict with the device of Michel d'Avignon (SCA): Per pale sable and argent, a two-towered castle counterchanged. There's no heraldic difference between a tower and a castle; even granting a CD for the flames, there's still not enough difference.
When he resubmits, please have the submitter draw the enflaming in a correct medieval manner: spurts of flames issuant from the sides and top. As drawn, this is halfway between a tower enflamed and a flame charged with a tower.

A fieldless badge cannot have charges issuant from the edge, per Rule VIII.5. Additionally, the sable detailing is mostly on the bust's edge, giving it poor contrast with the gules flame.

The boar's heads were blazoned sable on the LOI, but colored brown on the full emblazon. Unfortunately, that makes them unblazonable: they aren't proper, for boars in nature are dark-grey to black in color. Nor does there seem to be such a thing as a brown boar that could be rendered in this coloring. With no way to blazon the tincture of the heads, this must be returned.

The sable laurel wreath, overlying the sable chevron, is rendered unidentifiable. Indeed, from any distance, the entire device becomes a large black blob; the three conjoined sable charges lose all identity. This needs to be redesigned; changing some tinctures, or making the laurel wreath not overall, might do the trick.

The tincture of the wolves was omitted from the blazon in the LOI. Normally, that would cause the submission to be pended, but Lord Leveret found a conflict, making it moot.
This conflicts with Seadna Adare (SCA) Per chevron azure and argent, two wolves combattant argent, and an oak tree proper. There's a CD for the cumulative changes to the charge in base (LoAR cover letter of 6 Sept 90). However, changes to any but the bottommost of three charges 2&1 don't garner a CD (v. LoAR of Oct 90, p.17), so reversing one of the wolves does not bring this clear.

The byname de Licorne, "of Unicorn", is as ungrammatical in French as in English. Either Licorne must be documented as a place, or else the definite article inserted. Far more problematic was the use of the Welsh horse goddess Rhiannon with "of Unicorn": "It is a long-standing policy that the name Rhiannon may not be coupled with horses or unicorns, in view of Rhiannon's function as a horse goddess." [AmCoE, 27 Sept 86] The submitter specifically forbade any deletions to her name; however, as she permitted a holding name, we've registered her armory under Bev of Settmour Swamp.

Blackmoor Keep, Shire of. Device. Sable, on a pale argent a tower sable, within a laurel wreath overall counterchanged, in chief two fleurs-de-lys argent.

Our general policy (LoAR of July 92, p.20), based on period practice, is that only ordinaries (or similarly simple charges, such as roundels) may be counterchanged across ordinaries. The laurel wreath is not a simple charge, and may not be counterchanged here. While we were tempted to be lenient in this case (considering the arms of the Shire's parent Kingdom contain a laurel wreath counterchanged across a pale), I decided that making an exception here would open a larger can of worms than I could contemplate with equanimity.

The household name and badge were twice submitted on the LOI: once under Jane's name, and once under the name of John the Bearkiller (q.v.). Per our current policy on joint badge registration (LoAR cover letter of 3 Aug 92), one of these gentles must be designated the primary badge-holder. Since the badge uses a currently unacceptable practice (the brown bear's head on the gules field), this could only be registered under the Grandfather Clause -- which means Jane may not be the primary badge-holder.

The household name lacks a designator (House, Domus, etc.), required per Rule III.1.b. Even were such a designator added, the name would be incorrect grammar: "(House) Bear to Be Imminent" makes no sense, in English or Latin. Without knowing the submitter's exact intention, I cannot suggest a correct Latin construction.
The badge has four types of charge and four tinctures, which is pushing the limits of acceptable complexity. Given the poor contrast of the brown head on the gules field, the badge as a whole becomes unacceptable. (The submitter may use a brown head on a gules field, thanks to the Grandfather Clause; but new submissions must still be judged on their own stylistic merits.)
Finally, there's a procedural question regarding the submitter's current joint registration with Heather of Tyson (House of the Scarlet Diamond, Argent, a fillet cross arrondi sable between in bend two lozenges gules). Under our current policy on joint registration, one person would be the primary badge-owner, with authority to release the badge. It's not clear what policy was in force in May 83, when the current household name and badge were registered; it may be that John does not have the unilateral right to release them without Heather's permission. He may wish to consider a straightforward transfer to her, instead.

The rayonny line of division is drawn too small to be visible from any distance. Medieval lines were drawn boldly, the better to be seen. This must be returned for redrawing.

Conflicts with Constance von Messer (SCA), reblazoned elsewhere in this LoAR: Argent, a butterfly azure, marked proper. There's a single CD, for the addition of the gore.

Aelfric the Kestrell. Household name for House Kestrell.

The household name submission was withdrawn by Lord Dragon, having been placed on the LOI by accident.

The bee, as drawn, is halfway between a true overall charge (which would significantly overlap the edges of the spearhead) and a tertiary charge (which would lie entirely on the spearhead). Barely-overall charges were disallowed on the LoAR of 17 June 83. We suggest he resubmit this with the bee as a tertiary charge.

The use of the Russian given name with the English surname violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and England.

This is too complex. It has four tinctures and five types of charge, which exceeds our rule of thumb for complexity as outlined in Rule VIII.1.a. While this rule of thumb may be waived for a truly period design, the use of mullets of four points elongated to base prevents this from being considered such a design.
Lord Crux Australis has advocated renaming the mullet of four points (elongated to base or not) as a cross estoile. The cross estoile is indeed an heraldic charge, found in the arms of van Toulon, of Utrecht; but the earliest citation I've found for it is 19th Century. (I note that Rietstap, who cites van Toulon as his exemplar for the charge, blazons it une croix étoilée (étoile à quatre rais) -- that is, even he gives mullet of four points as an alternate blazon for the charge!) Without evidence that the charge is period, I'm reluctant to start using its Victorian name -- particularly when our current usage is equally good (or bad).

Eriu is both the name of a country (Ireland) and a goddess. We cannot register this without more definite evidence that this name was used by humans in period. She might consider the given name Eórann.
The nowing of the whip renders it unidentifiable. This must be returned, per Rule VIII.3. We would also like to see some documentation for the nowing of the bird's neck.

This is a single group of primaries, of three different types, which violates Rule VIII.1.a. Additionally, the "rapier" is drawn as a modern fencing foil, which has been reason for return ere now (LoAR of Sept 92, p.50).
Finally, though the peacock was blazoned proper on the LOI, its body was tinctured purpure. (Peacocks proper have green bodies.) With five tinctures and three types of charge, this pushed the edge of acceptable complexity.

This conflicts with the badge of Sebastian de Grey (SCA): Per bend sinister argent and sable, an owl affronty sable and a lamp reversed argent enflamed Or. Since both groups of primary charges contain a raptor, Rule X.2 doesn't apply; there is a single CD for type of charge. As noted in the case of Stanwulf the Stern (LoAR of Aug 92, p.26), there is no difference granted for turning an owl affonty.

This conflicts with the arms of von Lamboting (Siebmacher, plate 85): Sable, a rose argent. There is a CD for type of flower, but not the substantial difference required by Rule X.2.

Withdrawn by the submitter.

This conflicts with Robertson (Papworth 723): Vert, a fess between three bucks in full course Or. Wreathing is a single treatment of the fess; the evidence suggests it's considered a tincture change (Or vs. bendy Or and purpure, in this case), with the "invected line" considered artistic license. The only period examples of wreathing are to be found, naturally enough, on the charge known as the wreath or torse: it could be drawn with the folds of cloth bulging the edge, or as an annulet compony. See the examples in Foster, p.121; Parker, pp.308, 631; and Guillim, p.291. If, for the definitive case of wreathing, the invected edge is considered artistic license, then it cannot count for difference here. The wreathing of the fess is worth a single CD, insufficient to bring it clear.

It has been ruled that an arch of charges is not period heraldic style. The ruling was originally for an arch of stars : "Stars surrounding only part of a charge is fantasy art." [BoE, 28 Sept 84] It has since been extended to any charges "in arch". She might try simply putting the bezants in chief.

Ard Thir, Shire of. Name.

This conflicts with the Kingdom of An Tir (SCA). Per Rule V.2, the addition of the adjective ard "high" is not enough to bring it clear. Nor can the definite article an in An Tir be considered an adjective; even though the Kingdom name is never used without the article, it's still an article, not an adjective. (A similar example in modern English might be South Bronx vs. The Bronx.)
Since Ard Thir means "high land", it also conflicts with the Scottish Highlands; Árd-Thir is their name for the region, in their own tongue.

The use of four elements in an English name is anomalous (a "weirdness"), costing the submitter the benefit of the doubt (LoAR of July 92, p.18); it's permissible only if there are no other problems with the name. In this case, the use of Aric is a problem; it is not directly attested (although similar names, such as Arich and Airic, are), and it appears to date from three centuries earlier than the rest of the name. The accumulated weirdnesses are too much to register; we suggest he delete one of the names.
After much soul-searching, I must agree with the commenters who saw an appearance of marshalling in the device. Rule XI.3.b states that quarterly may be used only "when no single portion of the field [appears] to be an independent piece of armory." In general, complexity in any of the quarters makes it look like independent armory; for example, XI.3.b explicitly cites the use of multiple charges in a quarter as unacceptable. The motif Quarterly X and Y, in bend two [charges] is allowable when the uncharged quarters are plain tinctures; we don't protect plain tinctures. But when the uncharged quarters are complex fields, we lose that rationale; and the complexity then begins to make it look like an independent coat. This, beneath all the subtext, is exactly what XI.3.b is meant to prevent.
This must be returned for the appearance of quartered armory. He might consider using plain tinctures in all four quarters, or using a charge overall.

Conflicts with the arms of Knudsen (Rietstap): D'azur à un loup naissant d'argent (Azure, a demi-wolf argent). There's a CD for adding the trimount, but none for the "held" charge.
This submission engendered no little discussion: while the green trimount on the blue field violates Rule VIII.2.b.i, there is considerable evidence that such usage is nonetheless period. See the cover letter for a fuller discussion of this issue.

This conflicts with Albrecht von der Staffel (SCA): Gules, in pale an eagle's head couped and a compass star Or. There is a CD for changing the type of one of the charges on the field, per Rule X.4.e.

The device has multiple conflicts. From mundane heraldry, it conflicts with Chevalerie (Woodward 237): Gules, a horse salient argent. There's a CD for the tincture of the horse, but none for posture or for the arrow. The arms of Chivalet (Woodward 10) are identical, and likewise a conflict; ditto the arms of the Kent County Council (Public Heraldry), Gules, a horse rampant argent. From Society heraldry, it conflicts with Constanzia Tattersall, registered May 92: Gules, a horse rampant Or maintaining between its forelegs a goblet between three lit candles argent. There's a CD for the secondary charges, but none for the "held" charge in Constanzia's armory or the arrow in Richenda's.

This conflicts with Anthony the Sinister (SCA): (fieldless) On a mullet of ten points argent, a pheon sable. There is no difference between multi-pointed mullets; and as a mullet isn't a simple charge, changing the type of tertiary doesn't merit a CD per Rule X.4.j.ii.

Alaric of Wyvernwood. Household name for House RamSword.

RamSword does not appear to be a valid construction for a household name: the internal capitalization is implausible, and the word seems to have no meaning. By our rule of thumb on such names, if we wouldn't accept John RamSword (and we wouldn't!), we shouldn't accept House RamSword.
Moreover, if Ram is considered a modifier to the substantive element Sword, this conflicts with the Order of the Sword, a Swedish order of knighthood founded in 1522 (Franklyn & Tanner, p.322). The designator (House/Order) is transparent, and carries no difference; and the addition of the modifier is insufficient, per Rule V.2.

The "ram's head proper" was colored argent, which has zero contrast on an argent field. When she resubmits, please instruct the submitter to draw the bordure much wider.

The engrailed line is drawn far too small to be visible at any distance. Complex lines should be drawn in a bold heraldic manner, so they can be recognized, per Rules VII.7.a and VIII.3. This must be returned for redrawing.
A hulk is a boat's hull, without sails, mast, or oars (Franklyn & Tanner 179).

This conflicts with Leverton (Papworth 159), Azure, three hares argent; and with Leverington (ibid), Azure, three leverets courant in pale argent. In each case there's a single CD, for posture (against Leverton) or for placement on the field (against Leverington).

Conflicts with the arms of Freppel (Woodward 91): Azure, a bee Or. There's a single CD, for number of bees.
It also conflicts with the badge of the Emperor Napoleon: Azure, semy of bees Or. The badge was used on his coronation robes, and granted by him as an augmentation to Grand Dignitaries of the Empire. (von Volborth's Little Manual of Heraldry, p.59) There is at best a single CD for placement on the field, and even that may be argued.

Tongues of flame are not period, nor is embowing to base of complex lines. The placement of the three flames, of different sizes, is unbalancing. The entire design is strikingly non-period. This must be returned, per Rule VIII.4.
Moreover, we have received no petition of support from the populace for this device.

Conflicts with the arms of Goudelin (Woodward 346): Azure, a sword inverted proper. There's a CD for adding the other three primary charges, but none for the arrangement of the charges just added.

The three charges are of equal visual weight, making this a single group of three dissimilar charges. Such "slot-machine heraldry" is disallowed per Rule VIII.1.a.
The dragon-lion monster is unusual -- the accepted period hybrid of those creatures is the lion-dragon, with a lion's forequarters and wyvern's tail -- but would probably be acceptable by itself, in a simpler design. If the submitter has evidence of its period use, though, we'd appreciate a copy.

The hounds are drawn with a strong "Book of Kells" stylization, which makes them difficult to identify; and though blazoned on the LOI as azure, they are in fact multi-colored in blue, green, red and yellow, again as in the Kells style. Motifs from period art must be used sparingly at best; if they interfere with identification, they become ipso facto non-heraldic, and reason for return. Please instruct the submitter to use a more recognizable rendition of the hounds when he resubmits.

This conflicts with the arms of Chardon (Dictionnaire Heraldique): Azure, three thistles Or. There's a single CD, for the arrangement of the charges; the spider and thread are too small to be worth difference.
It also conflicts with the device of Orianna la Fleur de Bruse (SCA): Azure, a thistle bendwise sinister Or. (This was registered Nov 89; through a clerical error, it's listed in the Armorial, but not the Ordinary.) There's a CD for adding the other two thistles, but again nothing for the "dependant" charge.
Several of the commenters noted the strong allusion to the story of Robert Bruce and the spider. The allusion appears to be intentional in light of the submitter's registered device, which is based on the arms of Bruce. While allusion isn't necessarily presumption, there's a fine line between the two, and the submitter would be well advised to avoid crossing it when he resubmits.

This is overly complex: the profusion of types of charge (engrailed bend, plain cotises, gouts, arrows, horseshoes) and the unusual arrangement of the charges in base, push this beyond the limits of acceptable style. This needs to be simplified; when she resubmits, ask her to draw the charges to fill the available space, as well.

This technically violates the provisions of Rule XI.4, which forbids the use of multiple tertiaries on a roundel as being too close to an inescutcheon of pretense.

With five name elements in three languages, we require some documentation that this is acceptable period style. Presumably (because of the locative) the primary language is German, so any resubmission should address period German naming style: are there period examples of German names with five elements? Without such examples, I must rule as I did for English names (LoAR of July 92) and Italian names (Sept 92), and disallow German names of five or more elements.

The use of the Russian given name with the French surname violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and France.

The household name uses incorrect grammar: the Welsh preposition o causes the following word to mutate. Either Buddug would have to be changed to Fuddug, or the preposition deleted; the latter would have been more common in period Welsh. We would have corrected it, but for the main problem: the name claims relationship to a specific historical figure, Boadicea, which is forbidden per Rule V.5. This is no more registerable than Torquemada's Personal Guard or Richard Lionheart's Drinking Buddies.
The Or sword has insufficient contrast against the (partially) Or field. While maintained charges aren't as strictly bound by the Rule of Contrast as other charges, they still can't share a tincture with the field (v. Phillippa MacCallum, Sept 88).

The name had been previously returned for conflict with Widow's Abbey; for use of the name of an animal not known to period Europeans; and because the College did not wish to appear to endorse an Order that discriminated by gender. The first and third of these issues have been addressed, by permission in one case, by revising the charter of the Order in the other. However, the second issue remains: the phrase black widow has not been demonstrated to be period, either as the name of a spider or anything else.
In conversation, Lord Lymphad has informed me that the phrase was used in period to refer to rapacious women, and that it was given to the spider as an allusion to that usage. He hasn't supported this assertion with documentation, however; and my own efforts at documenting the phrase turned up empty. (The closest I came were some late-period adages to the effect of "Beware of the woman thrice-widowed." It's much the same sentiment, but not helpful in this case.)
While I concede that the words black and widow are period words, the phrase black widow is a modern construction. As with the Artemisian Tank Corps (returned Feb 91), though the parts of the name may be period, the name as a whole is decidedly modern. In previous appeals, the submitters have made clear that the Order's name specifically referred to the black widow spider; and that's certainly how the name will be perceived. No evidence has yet been produced that the spider was known to medieval Europeans, or even to anyone prior to the 19th Century. (It didn't even get the name black widow until the early 20th Century.) Without such evidence, we will not register the creature, by name or in armory.
With regard to the possible conflict with the Marvel comic book character the Black Widow, I believe such character names should only be protected if the name is likely to be known outside the ranks of comic book aficionados. Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, for instance, are well-known enough to be protected; the Black Widow is not. (She's a background character in the Marvel universe; she doesn't even rate her own book.) See the cover letter for a further discussion of this issue.

The household name was intended to mean "shelter of the blackberry". However, the word chosen for "shelter", díon, is an abstract noun, not a concrete noun. (As Lady Harpy put it, díon means "shelter" in the sense of "I was protected from the attacking dog by the shelter of the blackberries.") Consequently, we cannot consider Díon to be a group designation, as required by Rule III.1.b; and none of the commenters could suggest a more concrete substitute, without knowing the submitter's exact intent. This must be returned for consultation.
Note that the correct Irish for "of the blackberry" would use the genitive case: na Sméir Duibhe.

Conflicts with several mundane badges, of which the closest is the plant badge of Clan MacLean: (Fieldless) [A sprig of] Blackberry proper. (Fox-Davies' Book of Badges p. 123)

Ríognhach MacLeod. Device. Per bend azure and argent, two dolphins naiant counterchanged.

This had been pended from the August meeting, so the College might discuss whether it conflicted with William Castellan (SCA): Per bend azure and argent, in sinister chief three dolphins naiant in pale, and in dexter base a fleur-de-lys, all counterchanged. The conflict call depends on the definition of "half a group of charges". I'd suggested in the LoAR that we might consider the line of division to divide the group into "halves", regardless of the numbers involved. The College in general disapproved of my proposal, saying it would encourage poor style; and after reading the arguments, I'm inclined to agree.
Unfortunately, that means this does conflict with William Castellan, as cited. Without a redefinition of "half a group", I cannot grant a CD for changing type of one of a group of four primary charges (from a fleur-de-lys to a dolphin). There's a CD for deleting two of the charges in sinister chief, but no more.
If the submitter wishes to appeal, she might try to either devise an argument under which the current Rules grant two unambiguous CDs for this device; or permission to conflict could be obtained; or a Rules change sought. For now, the return is, in a real sense, the conservative decision. If we return a submission in error, the error can fixed as described above. If we register a submission in error, we're stuck with it.

This had been pended from the August meeting: on the LOI, the tower's tinctures had been incorrectly blazoned, and the crusilly assumed to be artistic-license arrowslits. Lady Brachet has suggested that the submitter would prefer this to be returned for redrawing, rather than have the arrowslits blazoned as crosses couped. I therefore return the badge, noting that artistic details should not be drawn as though they were a tertiary charge group, worth heraldic difference.

ATENVELDT

Griffin's Lair, Canton of. Name.

No petition of popular support was included with this submission. Also, while the LOI spelled the name Griffin's Lair, the submission form spelled it Gryphon's Lair. This is pended to the March meeting to give Lady Aten a chance to forward the petition, and clarify which spelling is desired.

William FitzJohn. Device. Argent a chevron rompu sable between two trefoils vert and a sheaf of three arrows inverted sable.

The blazon on the LOI omitted the tincture of the chevron, making it vert by default. This is pended until the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

Giovanna Costanza. Device. Sable, a fess invected Or, in base a bear passant argent, a chief ermine.

The LoI was missing the tincture of the bear and the type of charge in chief. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

The miniature emblazon in the LOI was pasted in upside-down. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

The tincture of the tertiaries was inadvertently omitted from the LOI. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

Al-Barran, Barony of. Badge resubmission for Order of the Desert Fawn. (fieldless) A wheel sable surmounted by a doe lodged guardant Or.

This was submitted with the doe argent. It turns out to have been a mistake, based on incompletely colored submission forms; the doe should be Or. The Letter of Correction with the amended blazon was not received until mid-October, too late to be considered at this meeting. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

Iain Grant. Name and device. Gules, four crosses formy, two, one, and one, the center cross within a mascle Or.

The device was blazoned on the LOI with a purpure field, but the submission form was colored gules. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct blazon.

On the original LOI of 15 July 92, the name was given as Josef of Itil, and a completely different device submitted (Azure, a wolf's head cabossed argent within a bordure embattled argent semy of stars of David azure). As that device was submitted in error, a new device submission was sent out on the Trimarian Letter of Correction of 24 Aug 92; but the name was given as Joseph of Itil, and the new device misblazoned with three stars of David instead of two.
The above is the correct name, as spelled on the submitter's forms, and the correct blazon for the device. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct name and blazon.

The tinctures of the bottom portion of the field, and consequently of the raven, were reversed in the LOI. This is pended to the March meeting to allow for commentary under the correct name and blazon.