ACCEPTANCES

ĆTHELMEARC

Amaryllis Coleman. Badge (see RETURNS for other badge). (Fieldless) A needle fesswise reversed Or threaded vert.
 
Bohdan Medvíd. Device. Azure, a bear salient and in chief a Ukrainian trident head Or.
 
Drogo Rabenwald. Device. Per bend sinister azure and sable, an armadillo rampant argent.

The armadillo is a New World animal. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the word "armadillo", referring to this animal, to 1577 and 1594. Armadillos are also found in several regions occupied by the Spanish long before the end of period. As armadillos were known to Western Europeans in period they may be registered, albeit as a step from period style (a "weirdness"). Per the LoAR of August 1999, "New World flora and fauna... are a discouraged weirdness, but registerable." Armory with a single step from period style may be registered, and there are no other steps from period style in this device.

Gregory Hillson. Name and device. Or, a tower azure between flaunches vert.
 
Ian Damebrigge of Wychwood. Badge. (Fieldless) On the bowl of a spoon argent a blackletter miniscule h sable.
 
Isabel of Sherwood. Name and device. Or, a horse passant sable between four fleurs-de-lys three and one azure.
 
Kateryna Ty Isaf. Badge. (Fieldless) A cat's head cabossed per pale sable and argent.
 
Khodoska Mordasova. Name and device. Per pale azure and argent, an open book between three suns counterchanged.
 
Mustafa the Red. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Pavla de la Satu Mare. Device. Per pall argent purpure and sable, in chief a demi-pegasus couped sable.

The Glossary of Terms indicates that a demi-beast is erect by default.

Ríoghnach de Fae. Name and device. Per pale sable and argent, a dragon rampant counterchanged maintaining a flame Or.

Submitted as Ríonach de Fae, Ríonach is an Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1700 to present) form. Lacking evidence that it is a plausible form in period, it is not registerable. The Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1200 to c. 1700) form of this name is Ríoghnach. We have changed the given name to this form in order to register this name.

This device does not conflict with the badge of Benedict Saint-Jean Eldridge, (Fieldless) A wyvern displayed per pale argent and sable. There is one CD for fieldlessness and another CD for changing the posture of the monster. Wyverns and dragons are variants of the same charge in period, and they thus have a meaningful posture comparison. See the Cover Letter for the July 2003 LoAR for more discussion of meaningful posture comparisons (also known as "comparable postures").

Ryska Kononova. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and vert, a bend wavy between two winged lions segreant Or.
 

ANSTEORRA

Katherine Letavernier. Name.

Submitted as Katherine le Taverniere, the submitter requested authenticity for late 1500s French and allowed minor changes. This name was documented from the Academy of Saint Gabriel, client letter 2629 (http://www.s-gabriel.org/2629). This letter describes forms of this name appropriate for different periods. For the late 1500s, the expected form of this byname would be Letavernier. We have changed the byname to this form in order to make this name authentic for the submitter's requested time and language.

Wolfger von Sibenbürgen. Device. Or, a nesselblatt sable.

Nice German armory to go with the German name!

AN TIR

Aedan MacEwan. Name change from Aedan Haukesblod (see RETURNS for device).

His previous name, Aedan Haukesblod, is released.

Aedan MacEwan. Alternate name Aedan the Silent.
 
Brynach ap Rhys. Badge. (Fieldless) A bow reversed gules.
 
Cadoc Godeboldus. Name and device. Per bend sable and argent, a goblet Or and a sword gules.
 
Christopher MacEveny. Device. Vert, a merman proper crined Or tailed azure maintaining a horn in his dexter hand and a trident in his sinister hand all issuant from a base wavy Or.

The merman is in his default affronty guardant posture. For mermen and mermaids, this posture is often tilted slightly to the side rather than fully affronty: this is a standard period way of drawing merfolk. The hair color of the merman was not blazoned in the Letter of Intent, but was blazoned on the submitter's form. Since the Pictorial Dictionary notes that the hair color of merfolk proper is usually blazoned explicitly, and the submitter did so on the original blazon, we have done so here.

Some commenters mentioned the fact that the merman has his tail reflexed up in a 'u' in this emblazon. The main body of the merman through the top of his tail (where his hips would be if he had them) issues from the base, and the end of his tail also issues from the base, and these two pieces of the merman are not conjoined to each other. This is an acceptable way of drawing a merman issuant from a base. It is analogous to the period practice of drawing a demi-lion issuant from a line of division so both the demi-lion and the end of the demi-lion's tail are issuant from the line of division and are not conjoined to each other. It is the choice of the heraldic artist to decide whether to draw the merman in this fashion, whether to draw him so that his body and tail end are conjoined, or to draw him without the tail tip showing at all.

Conall Mac Quharrie. Name.

Submitted as Conall Mac Quarrie, no documentation was found that MacQuarrie is a period form. All of the examples of this name found in period, both presented in the LoI and those found by the College, that are spelled -Qu- also include the -h- in the middle of the name. As an example, Black (p. 558 s.n. MacQuarrie) dates the form McQuharrie to 1573. We have changed the byname to the form Mac Quharrie, a plausible period form based on the example from Black, in order to register this name.

Duncan Darroch. Device. Argent, two compass stars in fess and on a point pointed ployé vert a compass star argent.
 
Eden Kent. Device. Per pale argent and gules, in fess a radish gules leaved vert sustained by a bat-winged rabbit rampant Or all within a bordure sable.
 
Eden Kent. Badge. (Fieldless) In fess a bat-winged rabbit contourny sustaining a radish leaved Or.
 
Everild le Kembere. Name.
 
Halldórr hálfskeggr. Name and device. Vert, a sword inverted argent between flaunches Or each flaunch charged with a drinking horn point to center sable.

Submitted as Halldórr halfskeggr, Old Norse names are registerable with accents used or omitted consistently throughout the name. As the given name included accents, we have added the missing accent to the byname.

Hans Dürrmast von der Wanderlust. Badge. (Fieldless) A mullet of five greater and five lesser points within and conjoined to an annulet argent.

He has a letter of permission to conflict from Alexandre sur la Mer, Azure, a compass rose argent.

Jocelyn Montgomery de Lyons. Name.
 
Kateryne of Hindscroft. Badge. (Fieldless) A cat sejant contourny purpure.
 
Keterlin von dem Drachen. Name.
 
Muriel Rose de Wessex. Name and device. Vert, on a pale between two greyhounds rampant Or three fleurs-de-lys azure.
 
Raffe Ó Donnabháin. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Rohesia Morleigh. Name.

Submitted as Rohesia Moreleigh, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th to 14th C English and allowed minor changes. No documentation was presented and none was found that Moreleigh is a period form of this placename. The LoI stated that "Moreleigh is cited from P.H. Reaney & R.M. Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames, pg 314, sub Morley, dating Moreleigh to 1377." This statement is in error. The name dated to 1377 at this location in Reaney & Wilson is Thomas Morleigh. We have changed the submitted byname to Morleigh to match this documentation and to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.

Rowena Kyncade. Name.
 
Styrkárr Bjarnarson. Name change from holding name Styrkárr of Aquaterra.
 
Symmonne Deccarrette de Villette. Name change from Darbie of Ironmaid and device change. Argent, two dragons combattant tails nowed to base in a Ormond knot the dexter dragon gules and the sinister dragon sable and in chief a flame per pale gules and sable.

Her previous alternate name, Symmonne Deccarrete de Villete, is released.

Her previous primary name, Darbie of Ironmaid, is retained as an alternate name.

The dragons were originally blazoned as breathing flames. Even though the flames breathed by a dragon are usually not large (and are considered too small to be worth difference), these minute wisps of flame are so insignificant that we have omitted them entirely from the blazon.

The submitter asked that the tails of the dragon be blazoned as nowed in an Ormand knot [sic]." The SCA usually uses the term Wake knot for this knot, but the term Ormond knot is found as a synonym for this knot in standard real-world and SCA sources (Brooke-Little's An Heraldic Alphabet and the Pictorial Dictionary). Since the submitter wants to use this alternate name for the knot, we have acceded to her request, although we have fixed the spelling of the knot to the documented spelling Ormond Knot.

Her current device, Per pale sable and argent, two dragons statant erect respectant counterchanged breathing flames proper, a chief per pale ermine and counter-ermine, is retained as a badge.

Tacye Maple. Device. Purpure, a catamount sejant guardant Or charged on the shoulder with an ermine spot sable and on a chief invected Or three maple leaves gules.
 
Tamlin Mac Gryhme of Westray. Name.

Submitted as Tamlin Mac Grim of Westray, no documentation was found to support Mac Grim as a plausible spelling in period. Woulfe (p. 545 s.n. Ó Gréacháin) lists O Gryhme as an Anglicized Irish surname dated to temp. Elizabeth I-James I. Based on this example, we have changed this name to Mac Gryhme in order to register this name.

Wolfker Krieg von Lindenthal. Name and device. Per pale sable and argent, two wolves combattant counterchanged within an orle gules.
 

ARTEMISIA

Giliana Attewatyr. Name and device. Argent, a bend wavy azure between a tree eradicated proper and an otter statant sable.
 

ATENVELDT

Amy Marie MacCormack. Name and device. Per chevron inverted vert and purpure, a chevron inverted embattled-counterembattled Or between a harp argent and a spaniel statant Or.

Note: Amy is her legal given name and Marie is her legal middle name.

Angus MacGregor of Argyll. Name and device. Azure semy of annulets, on a bend sinister Or three bull's heads cabossed palewise azure.
 
Anna Carye. Device. Per chevron azure and gules, on a pall inverted engrailed between two natural dolphins haurient embowed and a lighthouse argent six escallops palewise gules.
 
Bryon l'Ours d'Argent de Bourgogne. Badge. Per pale sable and gules, two bears combattant within an orle argent.
 
Cecily d'Abernon. Device. Azure, on a pale between two turtles argent three damask roses proper slipped and leaved vert.

The damask roses proper are drawn as naturalistic pink roses. The Letter of Intent cited the Pictorial Dictionary, which states that "When blazoned as a 'garden rose' or a 'damask rose', the rose is depicted as found in nature, the petals overlapping and slightly spread... a garden rose may not be blazoned 'proper', but must have its tinctures explicitly blazoned. (The exception is the 'damask rose', a breed attested in Elizabethan herbals; this variety was always pink, so a 'damask rose proper' is pink, slipped vert)."

The commentary was consistent in feeling that we should no longer blazon charges as damask roses, since damask roses are garden roses, citing the following precedent: "The commentary is in, with a clear majority of commenters in favor of adopting Baron Bruce's proposal that we continue to accept garden roses in SCA armory, but simply blazon them as roses. As a consequence, we will immediately and henceforth blazon a rose, whether the default heraldic rose or the garden rose, as a rose" (Cover Letter with the November 1994 LoAR).

The commentary also took issue with the statement in the Pictorial Dictionary that the damask rose was "always pink": both the commentary and the researches of Wreath's staff indicated that damask roses in the Elizabethan period could be found in both pink and white forms.

If a "garden rose" is just an artistic variant of a heraldic rose, and a damask rose is a garden rose, then the "damask rose proper" has a problem because heraldic roses may not be pink, as pink is not a heraldic tincture. Some commenters suggested that perhaps the pink roses could be considered a "light gules" but the color of these roses is too far from gules to be considered a "light gules" (and is, moreover, too far from argent to be considered a "dark argent.")

The SCA has only registered three damask roses in its history. Of these three registrations, only one of them is still registered: one of the registrations was really gules, not pink (and was later reblazoned as gules) and another one was released.

Because the pink naturalistic damask rose is not found in period heraldry, is not compatible with period heraldry, and is not found with great frequency in existing SCA heraldry, it will no longer be registered as of the July Laurel meeting.

Corwin de Harfleur. Badge. Azure, five annulets interlaced in saltire and a bordure argent.
 
Donngal de Buchanan. Device. Vert, a double-headed eagle Or and a bordure embattled Or ermined vert.
 
Duncan Silverwolf McTyre. Badge. Per fess azure and vert, a boar statant to sinister argent within an orle of oak leaves stems outwards Or.

This submission was originally pended on the July 2003 LoAR.

Fáelán Cameron. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and vert semy of wolf's pawprints Or, in dexter chief a wolf's head erased Or.
 
Hrafn Bloodaxe. Name and device. Per chevron sable and argent, in base a double-bitted axe all within a bordure gules.
 
Jonathon von Trotha and Deille of Farnham. Household name House Astrum Aureum.
 
Malise of Sundragon. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Purpure, a rapier and a musket in saltire and on a point pointed argent an open book sable.

Please note that when blazoning items in saltire, the bendwise charge is blazoned first and the bendwise sinister charge is blazoned second.

Submitted under the name Malise Athelstan MacKendry.

Mariana Vivia de Santiago. Name change from Mariana de Santiago and device. Argent, a heart sable winged gules within a bordure embattled azure.

Her previous name, Mariana de Santiago, is released.

Nicholas Fletcher of Canterbury. Device. Azure ermined argent, a greyhound courant and on a chief Or an arrow reversed gules.
 
Tatiana Laski Krakowska. Alternate name Sancha Galindo de Toledo.

Good name!

EALDORMERE

Auguste of Ben Dunfirth. Badge. Per bend sinister embattled azure and argent, three greyhounds courant contourny in bend sinister argent and a pair of legs couped addorsed azure.
 
Ealdormere, Kingdom of. Badge. (Fieldless) In fess an ostrich feather sustained by a wolf rampant argent.
 

EAST

Elizabeth of Stonemarch. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per fess vert and argent, two foxes statant counterchanged.

Submitted under the name Tomyris of the Sauromatae.

Jeremy of the East. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Argent, a skull sable.

Nice, simple (if somewhat morbid) arms!

Submitted under the name Kjalgrimr Klugh.

Kalliera Laskarina. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and vert, a trillium argent barbed and seeded within and conjoined to an annulet Or.
 
Kalliera Laskarina. Badge. (Fieldless) A trillium vert barbed and seeded within and conjoined to an annulet Or.
 
Karl Klauezahn. Badge. Per fess azure and vert, a castle and in chief a roundel argent.
 
Kataura Hachirô. Device. Azure, two carpenter's squares angles to chief short arms crossed in saltire all within an annulet argent.
 
Kataura Kagehira. Name and device. Vert, a dragonfly bendwise within a hexagon voided argent.
 
Kate Galleghure. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Kate Gallagher, the submitter requested authenticity for Anglicized Irish and allowed any changes. Gallagher was documented as a modern Anglicized Irish surname found in MacLysaght (s.n. Gallagher). Woulfe (p. 538 s.n. Ó Gallchobhair) lists O Galleghure as an Anglicized Irish surname dated to temp. Elizabeth I-James I. It was not unusual for women's bynames to omit the particle O in Anglicized Irish forms. Therefore, we have changed this byname to Galleghure, based on the period example from Woulfe, in order to partially meet the submitter's request for authenticity and to register this name.

The LoI documented Kate as an English name found in "Withycombe, s.n. 'Katharine, et. al.', [which] dates 'Kate' from The Coventry Mysteries, 15th century" and says that:

Ó Corrain and Maguire, s.n. "Caiterína", notes Caterína was well-known in 15th C. in Ireland, and that pet forms included 'Cáit'. We believe this would have been anglicized to 'Kate'.

However, Ó Corráin & Maguire (s.n. Caiterina) does not give a date for the diminutive Cait and no evidence has been found of Cait as a period diminutive. Therefore, while Kate is registerable as an English feminine given name, it is not authentic for an Anglicized Irish form of a Gaelic name.

Katelin McDaveyd. Name and device. Sable, in fess three swords and on a chief argent three falcons sable.

Submitted as Katelin McDevit, McDevit was submitted as an Anglicized Irish surname based on the modern Anglicized Irish forms (Mac) Davitt and (Mac) Devitt found in MacLysaght (s.n. MacDaid). No evidence was found that McDevit is a plausible period form of this name. Woulfe (p. 348 s.n. Mac Daibhéid) dates the Anglicized Irish forms M'Daveyd and M'Deyt to temp. Elizabeth I-James I. Based on the period example M'Daveyd, we have changed the byname to McDaveyd, a plausible period form, in order to register this name.

Nice device!

Kateline Conteville. Name and device. Purpure, a dragon couchant within an orle argent.

The dragon was originally blazoned with its wings elevated and inverted, which is a contradiction in terms. The wings are addorsed, which is the default for a winged quadruped couchant. In the past, we have sometimes blazoned wings as either elevated (wingtips to chief) or inverted (wingtips to base), but the distinction between elevated and inverted is not a period heraldic difference but a mere artistic choice. This is most apparent in displayed eagles, as noted in the LoAR of August 2001, "An examination of the development of the various heraldic eagles shows that the direction of the wingtips of a displayed eagle is entirely a matter of artistic license. To avoid incorrectly limiting the submitter's ability to display the arms in reasonable period variants, we will no longer specify 'elevated' and 'inverted' when blazoning displayed birds."

The winged quadrupedal monsters, such as griffins and dragons, appear to follow the same pattern as birds. We therefore will not distinguish elevated and inverted wingtips when posturing those monsters.

Kirsten Weisel and Jerrolt Bäschler. Joint badge. Per pale azure and ermine, two weasels rampant addorsed their tails entwined counterchanged.
 
Kis Mária. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Konner MacPherson. Device. Quarterly per fess rayonny sable and argent semy of thistles sable, two lions passant guardant argent.

Please advise the submitter not to draw the thistles so that they obscure the rayonny line of partition.

Kusunoki Akitada. Name.
 
Laurencia MacLeod. Name.
 
Magnus of the East. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Gules, on a chevron argent two axes in chevron heads to center sable and in base a tankard Or.

Submitted under the name Magnus Haakonssen.

Margaret of Highbridge. Name.
 
Maria Alegreza Nicoletti. Alternate name Molle Blythe (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Molly Blythe, no evidence was found of the form Molly in period. However, Metron Ariston found support for the form Molle:

While Molly is not dated, Molle is well attested with Reaney and Wilson (Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Moll) citing Walterus filius Molle from 1203 and Molle litel from 1277 as well as Alan Molle and Adam Molle from 1250.

As the submitter allows any changes, we have changed the given name to the period form Molle in order to register this name.

Marion of Preston. Device. Erminois, a bordure azure semy of cinquefoils argent.
 
Merlyn von Bremen. Name.
 
Michael the Unsure. Name and badge. (Fieldless) On a tower argent three gunstones in pale.
 
Michal Almond de Champagne. Badge. (Fieldless) A fleur-de-lis per pale argent and sable.
 
Milissent de Haithwait. Name.

Listed on the LoI as Milissent  Heathwait, this name was submitted as Milissent du Heathwait. The article du was removed at Kingdom as none of the documented examples of this byname contained an article.

An additional problem with the submitted byname du Heathwait was that it combined the French du 'of the' with Heathwait, which was documented as the modern English form of a location in England. The combination of French and English in a single name phrase violates RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase.

No evidence was found that an Hea- spelling of this placename is plausible in period. A number of forms of this placename were found dated to period, including in Ekwall (s.n. Heathwaite), which dates the form Haithwait to c. 1175. We have changed this byname to the English form de Haithwait in order to resolve these issues and to make this name sound more like the submitted form (as the submitter indicated that sound was most important).

Muirgheal Mag Raith. Device change. Chevronelly azure and Or crusilly formy azure.

Her previous device, Per bend and per bend sinister wavy Azure and Or ermined azure, a pile inverted bendwise counterchanged, is released.

Murienne Duquette. Name and device. Per pale Or and gules, two dragons combattant counterchanged.

Note: Duquette is her legal surname.

Nice device!

This is clear under RfS X.2 from both Cassandra of Kingswear, Per pale Or and gules, two winged stags combattant counterchanged and Ysabeau Cameron, Per pale Or and Gules, two hippogriffs combatant counterchanged. Per the LoAR of July 2001, "There is a substantial difference between a dragon and a griffin." Dragons are at least as different from winged stags and hippogriffs as they are from griffins.

Nest verch Tangwistel. Device. Per pale embattled azure and Or, an arrow azure.
 
Niccolo da Palermo. Name and device. Argent, three bendlets gules and in sinister chief a unicorn's head couped sable.
 
Padraig Ó Taidg. Name and device (see RETURNS for badge). Azure, a double tressure argent.

Submitted as Padraig Ó Taidc, the submitter allowed minor changes to the byname only. The submitted byname Ó Taidc combines Ó, which is an Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1200 to c. 1700) form, with Taidc, which is a Middle Irish Gaelic (c. 900 to c. 1200) form. As a result, this byname violated RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase. We have changed this byname to the fully Early Modern Irish Gaelic form Ó Taidg in order to register this name.

Nice device!

Pekka Karvulakki. Name and device. Per saltire gules and Or, a raven contourny within a bordure sable.
 
Perote Campbell. Name and device. Per bend vert and azure, a ram's head erased contourny and a hedgehog rampant Or.
 
Rauve Griffon de Lauraët. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Rhiannon verch Tegan Glascoed. Badge. (Fieldless) A cat rampant surmounted in saltire by a shepherd's crook bendwise sinister azure.
 
Robert Tirel de Wachefel. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Robert Tyrrell de Wachefel, the submitter requested authenticity for "English circa the Domesday Book" and allowed any changes.

Reaney & Wilson (s.n. Tirrell) date Walter Tirel to 1086, citing the source for this name as the Domesday Book. We have changed this name to use the form Tirel in order to partially meet the submitter's request for authenticity. As the College did not find a form of the placename Wakefield from the time of the Domesday Book, we were unable to make this name completely authentic for the submitter's desired time period.

Rosa da Murano. Device. Paly wavy argent and azure, four roses two and two Or.
 
Rosa da Murano. Badge. (Fieldless) An axe fesswise Or hafted proper.
 
Salia d'Angleterre. Name and device. Quarterly azure and gules, a dragon segreant within an orle argent.
 
Seaan O'Hagan. Name and device. Argent, on a single-horned anvil sable a pheon argent and on a chief sable three trilliums inverted argent.
 
Sion ap Llywelyn. Name and device. Azure, on a chevron between three gouttes argent a drakkar azure.
 
Sláine Scriptore. Name and device. Per pale sable and vert, in pale a skull and a war hammer fesswise Or.
 
Su'ad al-Raqqasah. Name and device. Argent, on a chevron ployé throughout between three lotus blossoms in profile azure three decrescents argent.
 
Sylvia du Vey. Name and device. Per pale purpure and vert, a horse passant contourny and on a chief argent an arrow inverted bendwise sinister between two fleurs-de-lys inverted purpure.

Listed on the LoI as Sylvia le Vey, this name was submitted as Sylvia du Vey. The byname was changed at kingdom to match the documented placename Le Vey, as they could not find documentation for the byname du Vey. However, the locative byname derived from the place Le Vey would be du Vey. We have therefore returned this to the submitted form.

Tairdelbach hua Ruaircc. Name and device. Pily bendy argent and sable, a sword inverted gules.

Submitted as Tairdelbach Ó Ruairc, the submitter requested authenticity for 11th C Irish Gaelic. The submitted byname Ó Ruairc is an Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1200 to c. 1700) form. The corresponding Middle Irish Gaelic (c. 900 to c. 1200) form is hua Ruaircc. We have changed the byname to this form to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.

This device does not conflict with Pádraig Ó Riain, Or, a sword inverted gules between two pallets dancetty vert. The commenter raising this issue surmised that, perhaps, armory using two pallets was interchangeable with a paly field - if so, Pádraig's device would be heraldically interchangeable with Paly dancetty Or and vert, a sword inverted gules. However, this is not the case, since armory with only two pallets is not interchangeable with a paly field:

Armory using three or more pallets is interchangeable with paly on visual grounds and on grounds of historical heraldic difference. Armory using two pallets is visually distinct from paly, and evidence was neither presented nor found that paly and two pallets should be considered artistic variants of each other in period. (LoAR of May 2002)

The reader interested in the general interchangeability of three or more diminutives of ordinaries multiply divided fields should also reference the LoAR of February 2002 (for the interchangeability of paly and three or more pallets, and the interchangeability of barry and three or more bars), and the LoAR of November 2001 (for the interchangeability of chevronelly and three or more chevronels).

Thus, when comparing this submission with Pádraig's, there is one CD for changing the field (from Or to Pily bendy argent and sable) and a second CD for removing the secondary charge group of pallets dancetty vert.

Talan Gwyllt. Name.
 
Temyl Rasche Hutter. Name and device. Sable, on a chevron between three open books Or two arrows inverted in chevron sable.
 
Tigernan Fox. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Viennet de la Mer. Name and device. Argent, on a pale wavy between two Latin crosses formy swallowtailed azure a sea-unicorn argent.

Submitted as Viennet de  Mer, the submitted byname, 'of sea', is not grammatically correct. We have changed this byname to de la Mer 'of the sea', which is dated to 1423 in Aryanhwy merch Catmael's article "French Names From Paris, 1423 & 1438" (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/paris1423.html), in order to register this name.

Vincenzo Martino Mazza. Name.
 
Wilhelm von Ostenbrücke. Name and device. Argent, on a fess embattled between three Maltese crosses azure a sword reversed argent.
 
William Grey. Name.
 
Wojciek z Krakowa. Name and device. Per chevron azure and gules, on a chevron between two crosses formy and an eagle argent a pair of compasses sable.

Submitted as Wojeick z Krakow, the submitter allowed any changes. Nebuly provided commentary regarding aspects of this name:

The submitted and documented spellings of the given name do not match. [...] Knab (p129, s.n. Wojciech) documents Wojciek to 1399, which at least has all the same letters as the submitted spelling. However, judging by entries in the SSNO (s.n. Wojciech), the most common period spelling was Woyczech.

The byname is grammatically incorrect, since the Polish preposition z takes the genitive form of the town's name. The name should be corrected to Wojciek z Krakowa.

As no documentation was presented and none was found to support Wojeick as a plausible form in period, it is not registerable. We have changed this name to the form suggested by Nebuly in order to correct the spelling and grammar issues in order to register this name.

Wulfstan Thorhallsson. Badge. Per saltire sable and gules, a crescent argent.
 
Wulfwyn ćt Mćldun. Name and device. Azure, a saltire Or between four wolf's heads cabossed argent.

Submitted as Wulfwyn atte Maeldun, the documentation showed the placename as Mćldun, not Maeldun. We have made this correction.

This name combined the Middle English atte with the Old English placename Mćldun and, so, violated RfS III.1.a, which requires linguistic consistency within a name phrase. We have changed atte to the Old English ćt in order to make the byname fully Old English and register this name.

Nice device!

Yehoshua ben Haim haLevi. Name change from William Atwode and device change. Or, a bend between two shofars bendwise azure.

His previous name, William Atwode, is released.

The submitter does not indicate the disposition of his previous device, Argent, a griffin segreant azure and on a chief sable a comet argent. It must therefore be released in accordance with Administrative Handbook clause IV.C.7.

Yon de la Sčle. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Good name!

Yrsa Ásmundardóttir. Name.

Submitted as Yrsa Asmundsdóttir, the patronymic Asmundsdóttir was not correctly formed. The patronymic byname formed from the masculine given name Ásmundr is Ásmundardóttir. We have made this correction.

LOCHAC

Decimus Furius Maximus. Name.

This submission was originally pended on the July 2003 LoAR.

Nathaniel Mendoza de Guadalajara. Device. Ermine, on a cross gules a seraph argent.

This submission was originally pended on the July 2003 LoAR.

MERIDIES

Alessandra da Ferrara. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Alicia of Dunbar. Name and device. Per pale vert and Or, in pale a roundel and a butterfly counterchanged.
 
Caitríona inghean Ghuaire. Name and badge. Or, on a plate fimbriated gules a dragon passant all within a bordure rayonny sable.

Submitted as Caitríona inghean Guaire, the patronym was not lenited in the byname, as is required by Gaelic grammar. We have made this correction.

Constance of An Dun Theine. Name.
 
Domenica Zorzi. Name correction from Dominica Zorzi.

Her previous name, Dominica Zorzi, is released.

Elizabeth Hansdaatter. Name and device. Argent, on a fess purpure three billets argent.

Listed on the LoI as Elizabeth Handatter, the submitter requested authenticity for Danish and allowed minor changes to the byname only. The submission form listed the byname as Handatter while the attached worksheet listed it as Hansdatter. The submitter contacted Pennon to clarify this issue. The submitter indicates that she intended to submit the form Hansdatter. All evidence provided with this submission and found by the College supports the form Hans- in this byname. Therefore, we have added the missing s back into this byname.

Multiple members of the College found support for -datter as a Swedish form and noted the Academy of Saint Gabriel's client report #2166 (http://www.s-gabriel.org/2166), which states:

In Danish, the word for "daughter" appears as <dother> 1495, <dotter> 1524, <daatter> 1550, <daater> 1514, 1529, <daather> 1514 [6].

[6] Kalkar, Karl Otto Herman Tryde, _Ordbog til det AEldre Danske Sprog (1300-1700)_ (Copenhagen, Thieles bogtrykkeri, 1881-1907), s.v. D{ao}tter.

Based on this information, we have changed the byname to Hansdaatter in order to make this byname authentic for Danish as requested by the submitter.

Étaín ingen Domnaill. Name and device. Per pale azure and Or, two lions couchant respectant and on a chief two cat's pawprints counterchanged.
 
Eva Moray. Name and device. Per pale azure and purpure, a goblet Or and in chief a dagger fesswise argent.
 
Garen of Marion Glen. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Note: Garen is his legal given name.

Giovanna da Correggio. Name and device. Per fess azure and argent, in chief a goblet argent and in base three strawberries proper.
 
Kaeli of Marion Glen. Name and device. Or, a horse passant and a chief raguly sable.

Note: Kaeli is her legal given name.

Nice device!

Peterfi Mihal. Name and device. Argent, in pale two Continental panthers rampant sable between flaunches vert.

Submitted as Peter Mihal, the submitter requested authenticity for Hungarian (not Latinized) "possibly as early as 1000 A.D." and indicated that he desired the name to mean 'Michael, son of Peter'.

While period Hungarian names may have either the given name or the byname first, in the cases of names with unmarked patronymics, we only register the name with the given name first in order to resolve any issues with conflict checking:

The question was raised as to which is the appropriate form for Hungarian names, with the submission for István Nyiregyhazi. Should the given name go first or the byname first. Hungarian names may be registered with either the given name or byname as the first element, except when the byname is an unmarked patronym or metronym. In that case, the byname should follow the given name; this is consistent with Hungarian practice through the mid 16th century. (CL with the August 1998 LoAR, p. 2)

Nebuly suggested ways to address this issue:

For this name to mean "Michael, son of Peter" as the client desires, it will have to be changed. It is true that we usually allow Hungarian names to be registered with either element of the name first. However, when the byname is an unmarked patronymic (as it is here), Precedent says the given name must be placed first for registration.

There are two ways we can solve this problem. Either we can invert the order of the name elements as Mihal Peter, or we could use a marked patronymic instead of an unmarked one, such as Peterfi Mihal. The spelling Peterfi can be documented to as early as 1511 (Kázmér, s.n. Péterfi).

As the form Peterfi Mihal is a smaller change than switching the order of the name elements to Mihal Peter, we have registered this name with the marked patronymic byname form Peterfi in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity and to match his desired meaning.

Rixa Eriksdottir. Device. Quarterly gules and sable, a dragon segreant crowned between three mullets argent.

The submitter is a court baroness and entitled to bear a coronet in her device.

Tegan of Marion Glen. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Note: Tegan is his legal given name.

Victoria Rose. Name and device. Vert, a rose and on a chief indented Or three hearts vert.

This device does not conflict with Kathleen O'Donnelly, Vert, a cinquefoil and on a chief Or three leaves vert. There is one CD for indenting the chief and a second for changing the type of charges on the chief. The leaves in Kathleen's device are the standard leaf shape. There is substantial difference between hearts and standard leaves, although there is not substantial difference between hearts and all leaf shapes. There is therefore a second CD for changing the tertiary charges under RfS X.4.j.ii, as revised in the December 2003 LoAR cover letter: "For armory that has no more than two types of charge directly on the field and has no overall charges, substantially changing the type of all of a group of charges placed entirely on an ordinary or other suitable charge is one clear difference."

MIDDLE

Bran of Lough Derg. Device. Or, in pale a raven displayed sable perched atop a crescent inverted gules all within a bordure embattled sable.
 
Maire of Glencole. Name.

Submitted as Maire of Glencoe, the spelling of the placename was a modern form, not found before 1600. Documented forms (from Johnstone s.n. Glencoe) include Glenchomore 1343, Glencole 1494, Glencowyn 1500, and Glencoyne 1500. We have changed the byname to a documented period form in order to register this name.

Melchor Stoneteeth. Device. Argent masoned, a bull rampant guardant sable and on a chief embattled azure a sword fesswise reversed argent.
 
Zygmunt Nadratowski. Device. Per pale argent and gules, a cross fourchy between the tines of each fork a roundel sable.

This was blazoned in the Letter of Intent (and by the submitter) as a cross Osmorog. The submitter provided some documentation which the submitting herald provided, at least in part, to the College on-line. The Letter of Intent says that the documentation has associated dates in period, but the on-line versions of the documentation did not provide any dates or any associated explanatory text. The provided documentation only showed the emblazon and fringes of the surrounding text, which were cut off when the documentation was originally reproduced or scanned. No other documentation was provided to Wreath from the submitting kingdom.

The College's research noted that the charges surrounding the cross Osmorog (roundels in this emblazon) are not integral parts of the cross Osmorog but need to be blazoned separately. The College's research also resulted in significant doubt about whether the cross in this submission is a correct depiction of a period cross Osmorog. We have thus chosen to blazon this device using standard Western terms.

We considered blazoning this either as a variant of a cross moline or of a cross fourchy. Because the ends of a cross moline are pointed and deeply curved, and the ends of this cross are couped flat and only slightly curved, we have reblazoned these as crosses fourchy.

NORTHSHIELD

Eithni ingen Talorgain. Name and device. Argent, a frog rampant vert within a bordure sable.

Submitted as Eithni ingen Talorgan, the submitter requested authenticity for Pictish and allowed any changes. The submitted byname ingen Talorgan has Talorgan as a nominative form. We have changed this to the genitive form Talorgain, as required by Gaelic grammar, in order to register this name.

Emma Fette. Name.

Good name!

John Chandler. Device. Per bend argent and purpure, a fess counterchanged.
 
Margarethe Bogenschützin. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and purpure, an owl argent within a bordure ermine.
 
Setembrina Bramante. Name and device. Per chevron azure and argent, a moon in its plenitude argent and a pithon azure.

This was originally blazoned as a sea-python. Firstly, the bat-winged snake monster found in this submission is blazoned as a pithon, and the natural snake is blazoned as a python. Secondly, this charge does not have a fish's tail, as one would expect from a sea-pithon. The small detail at the end of the tail is not large enough to require reblazoning this as a sea-pithon.

OUTLANDS

Angus Montgomery the Forrester. Badge. (Fieldless) An arrow Or and overall a hound passant ermine.
 
Ástriđr of Dragonsspine. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Or, a popinjay vert and a chief doubly-enarched azure.

Submitted under the name Ástriđr Ketilsdóttir.

Birgitta Andersdotther. Name and device. Azure, a dance argent between two natural seahorses respectant and a handbell Or.
 
Briana of Nahrun Kabirun. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per chevron azure and argent, a dove displayed argent and a tree blasted and eradicated sable.

The name was submitted as Briana Bronwen Du Bois.

Caer Galen, Barony of. Badge. Per pale Or and azure, a harp counterchanged.
 
Cailte Caitchairn. Name change from Caoilte Caitchairn.

Her previous name, Caoilte Caitchairn, is released.

Caitilín inghean Sheáin. Name and device. Per chevron azure and argent, a wolf's head erased and a dumbek counterchanged.

Submitted as Caitilín inghean Seáin, the patronym was not lenited in the byname, as is required by Gaelic grammar. We have made this correction.

The wolf's head was originally blazoned as ululant, a term used in SCA heraldry for a wolf in some posture with its head pointed to chief and howling. In this emblazon, the muzzle of the head is tilted to dexter chief, which is a reasonable artistic variant for a plain wolf's head. We do not believe that it is necessary to blazon a charge consisting only of a head in profile as ululant.

Citadel of the Southern Pass, Barony of the. Order name Order of Arquites Australes.

Submitted as Order of Arquites Australis, based on the documentation, this order name basically means 'Order of Southern Bowmen'. No documentation was presented and none was found that an adjective meaning 'Southern' would have appeared in an order name in period. However, the barony has previously registered Order of the Lux Australis (registered in November 1993), Order of the Flos Australis (registered April 1988), and Order of the Astrum Australis (registered March 1985). Roughly translated, these order names mean 'Order of the Southern Light', 'Order of the Southern Flower', and 'Order of the Southern Star', respectively. Therefore, this basic construction is grandfathered to the barony so long as the noun in the order name is within the rather wide group of 'light', 'flower', and 'star'.

The submitted order name was intended to mean 'Order of the Southern Bowmen', based on the documentation provided in the LoI:

Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898) (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0062). Under 'arquites', it says to look under 'sagitarii', which says "The bowmen of the Roman armies. These were generally raised by levy or furnished by the allies. The Cretan, Balearic, and Asiatic bowmen were especially celebrated." The Barony already has other Order names using 'Australis', meaning 'southern'.

In this case, the grammar of the order name is not quite correct. Metron Ariston explains:

A quick look at the big Lewis and Short confirms my initial impression that arquites does appear in a classical gloss for sagittarii but also confirms my recollection that this form is plura[l]. That being the case, I would expect the plural form of the adjective: australes. That would make the nominative form arquites australes. However, if they really want a Latin form, it should be Ordo followed by the genitive: Ordo Arquitum Australium.

Based on Metron Ariston's information, we have changed the adjective in this order name from the singular Australis to the plural Australes in order to match the plural Arquites referring to bowmen (rather than a single bowman).

While Arquites 'bowmen' does not fall into the same category of 'star', 'flower', and 'light' used in the barony's previously registered order names, a word meaning 'bowmen' is reasonable based on examples of period order names referring to plural groups of people such as Militia, Knights, Preachers, etc., listed in Meradudd Cethin's article "Project Ordensnamen OR What do you mean that the Anceint[sic] and Venerable Order of the Most Holy and Righteous Wombat's Toenail isn't period?" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/order/). As a result, the order name Order of Arquites Australes violates the RfS (due to lack of documentation of 'Southern' in an order name) in the same manner as the previously registered order names. While the word grandfathered via these order names is the singular form Arquitis, it is reasonable to allow the grandfathering to extend to the plural form Arquites because construction of this order name omitting Australes ('Order of the Bowmen') otherwise follows period construction examples.

Elia Stefansdottir. Name and device. Per fess azure and vert, a beaver sejant erect contourny Or.

This device does not conflict with Brighid ní Shirideáin, Per fess azure and vert, a sea-dog rampant Or. There is one CD for changing the posture of the animal and a second CD for the type difference between a sea-dog and a beaver.

One commenter asserted that the sea-dog is "the heraldic depiction of a natural beaver", and went on to reason that, as a result, no difference should be given between a sea-dog and a beaver. No references or documentation were provided to support this assertion. Two questions are begged by this unsupported assertion:

As for the first question, the only source we found saying that the beaver is the origin of the sea-dog is Fox-Davies' A Complete Guide to Heraldry, where the sea-dog is discussed with the other dogs in the chapter titled "Beasts". Parker's A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry mentions a conjecture that the crocodile is the origin of the sea-dog. However, it seems generally agreed that the most likely origin of the sea-dog is the otter (as stated in Parker's A Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, Woodward's A Treatise on Heraldry British and Foreign, and Moule's The Heraldry of Fish).

As for the second question, RfS X.4.e gives clear criteria for when we should, and should not, give difference between two charges. That rule states "Types of charges considered to be separate in period, for example a lion and an heraldic tyger, will be considered different."

In comparing the sea-dog with the most likely animal of origin, the otter, Woodward states explicitly that "The otter may be the original of the heraldic creature known as the sea-dog, but it is quite clear that, as represented, the latter finds a fitting place among armorial monsters. The otter, of whose use in armory The Heraldry of Fish contains a sufficient number of instances both as a charge and as a supporter, is usually drawn proper, and is thus very unlike the heraldic sea-dog." By "drawn proper" it is clear in context that Woodward means "drawn naturalistically" rather than "in its proper tincture": The Heraldry of Fish, pp. 147-149, provides a sizeable discussion of armory using otters, none of which are tinctured proper, but which are illustrated using naturalistic otters.

Visually, the sea-dog is quite distinct in period heraldry from period heraldic otters and from period heraldic beavers. The sea-dog is drawn like a talbot with prominent scales and fins. It often has a paddle-shaped tail, but not always: the sea-hounds dated to 1547 on p. 155 of Dennys' The Heraldic Imagination do not have paddle-shaped tails. The sea-dog's prominent fins often extend to the head of the creature as in the crest circa 1528 for Thomson on the bottom row of figure 13 of Woodcock and Robinson's The Oxford Guide to Heraldry, stated in the index to be a sea-dog.

By contrast, the heraldic otter is drawn as a smooth-furred animal with the shape of an ermine, except with a wider tail, as can be seen in the various arms of Meldrum (a good example is in the 15th C Armorial de Berry). The otter's head is a particularly popular charge in period Scottish heraldry, and is very different from the finned talbot-like head of a sea-dog: the heraldic otter's head has a pointed weasel-like face and small erect round ears, rather than the blunt muzzle, large floppy ears, and finny details of a sea-dog's head.

The heraldic beaver is drawn with a stocky, smooth-furred (not finned or scaled) body, a wide (usually, but not always, paddle-like) tail, and small or nonexistent ears. It is sometimes contorted into an unspeakable posture based on the medieval view of this animal's habits, as noted in Dennys' The Heraldic Imagination, p. 151. As an example of a beaver in a standard heraldic posture, see the family of Biber, Or, a beaver rampant sable, in the 14th C Zuricher Wappenrolle (http://ladyivanor.knownworldweb.com/zroadt2r.htm). Some heraldic beavers did not resemble naturalistic beavers but did maintain the smooth-furred body, wide tail, and small (or nonexistent) ears of the beaver. Note, for example, the arms of the town of Biberach from 1483 (redrawn in Fox-Davies' A Complete Guide to Heraldry from the Concilum von Constanz), also in the chapter on "Beasts". Note also the arms of the same town on f. 219 of Siebmacher from 1605, which depict a less stocky beaver than the other examples, but which still cannot be visually confused with a sea-dog.

The evidence above appears to strongly indicate that a sea-dog and a beaver were considered distinct charges in period and should be given a CD for type difference under RfS X.4.e.

We do note that Fox-Davies, in his discussion of the sea-dog, states that "There has been considerable uncertainty as to what the sinister supporter [of the city of Oxford] was intended to represent. A reference to the original record shows that a beaver is the real supporter, but the representation of the animal, which in form has varied little, is very similar to that of a sea-dog." Certainly the sinister supporter of the city of Oxford in the emblazon used in Fox-Davies' time does not closely resemble a sea-dog, although it does resemble Siebmacher's beaver. A depiction of the emblazon used in Fox-Davies' time (roughly 100 years ago) is depicted at http://www.oxfordbusiness.info/civic/old_oxford/town_hall.htm, which site states that the charge is indeed intended to depict a beaver. It is not clear what emblazons Fox-Davies is using to support his assertion that the depictions of the sea-dog and the beaver are "very similar": it is entirely possible that any "very similar" emblazons are found after 1600. Given the other evidence above, we do not feel that Fox-Davies' assertion contravenes the demonstrated general pattern by which sea-dogs were drawn distinctly from beavers before 1600.

Finn mac Dubgaill meic Cuill. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and azure, an anchor Or sustained by a sea-lion argent.

Submitted as Fionn mac Dubhghaill mhic Cuill, the submitter requested authenticity for the 9th to 12th C and allowed minor changes. The form Fionn mac Dubhghaill mhic Cuill is an Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1200 to c. 1700) form. The corresponding Middle Irish Gaelic (c. 900 to c. 1200) form of this name is Finn mac Dubgaill meic Cuill. We have changed this name to the Middle Irish Gaelic form in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.

Floriana de Priego. Name.
 
Gwentliana filia Iohannes. Name.

Submitted as Gwenlliana  Iohannes, the submitter requested authenticity for Welsh and allowed any changes. Clarion provided commentary regarding an authentic form of this name:

Given the use of both Wen and Gwen in the 13th century guide [Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Names", http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welsh13.html], Gwentliana is probably a reasonable variant of Gwenllian for the 13th century. Taking the suggestion from the LoI that the name be normalized to the 13th century, this form is closer to the submitter's originally desired name. Probably the best for this period would be Gwentliana filia Iohannes.

We have changed this name to the Latinized form suggested by Clarion in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity. Gwentliana filia Iohannes is a Latinized form, which would have appeared in documents from Wales in the submitter's desired time period.

This is close to, but clear of, Gwenllian ferch Owain (registered in January 1998). While both Owain and Iohannes are forms of John, they are being used in bynames and are in different languages (Welsh and Latin, respectively). As a result, the two bynames must only be significantly different in both sound and appearance, which they are.

Iohannes Kynith. Name.
 
Ivar Mac Enys. Name.

Submitted as Ivar MacGuiness, the submitter requested authenticity for 10th to 16th C Manx/Irish. The LoI stated that the submitter allowed no changes. However, his form clearly shows that he will allow minor changes.

The documentation provided for MacGuiness in the LoI was: "MacGuiness is listed as a variant of Mag Aongusa, on page 74 of Irish Family Names by Kelly." However, no documentation was provided and none was found to support the spelling MacGuiness as a plausible period form. Metron Ariston explains:

[...] J. J. Kneen's The Personal Names of the Isle of Man [...] (p. 127) does cite forms for Guinness (with two "n's") but they are well out of period: Mac Gennis from 1718 and Guinness from 1812 and 1816. Black (Surnames of Scotland, s.n. MacInnes) gives the same patronymic derivation and shows one Donald McKynes from 1514, Duncan M'Kynnes from 1548, John dow M'Aneiss from 1574, John Dow Mc Inoss from 1583 and Mcynwiss from 1525. Here too, however, the orthographies that we associate with the stout are late: McGinnis and M'Guenis both appear only from 1745.

Kneen (p. 127 s.n. Guinness) indicates that this is a variant of Kinnish. Under Kinnish (p. 155) he dates the forms Mac Enys to 1417 and Mac Inesh to 1511. We have changed the byname to the form Mac Enys in order to make this byname authentic for the submitter's requested time and culture.

Jacques Lambert. Name.

Good name!

Kaleriia Andronikova. Name change from holding name Gail of the Outlands.
 
Kristana Tancz. Name.
 
Lorcan Mac Colla. Device. Per chevron argent and purpure, two cows statant respectant sable and a battle axe argent.

Please advise the submitter to draw the per chevron line with a steeper angle and a bit lower on the field.

Lucas de Caid. Device. Azure, a chevron and in chief two stag's heads cabossed Or.
 
Mac Con mac Conaill. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and argent, in bend three wolves passant counterchanged.
 
Milo Sohnovich. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
Otto von Aken. Name and device. Per pale argent and sable, a chevron and in base a tower counterchanged.

Listed on the LoI as Otto van Aaken, this name was submitted as Otto von Aachen and changed at Kingdom to better match available documentation. The submitter requested authenticity for 1350 - 1400 German (Rhineland area).

Bahlow (p. 1 s.n. Aaken) dates Heinrich Aken to 1484 and notes that "around 1300, de Aken meant the city of Aachen as a place of origin". Orle notes that

[Name] What [Kingdom] actually did was change it to a Low German spelling. Since the Rhineland is closer to Middle High German for that period I would use von Aken.

Based on the citations in Bahlow and the information provided by Orle, we have changed this byname to the form von Aken to match documented period spellings and to make this name authentic for the submitter's requested time and culture.

Armorial designs of the form A chevron... and in base a [charge] are often drawn with the chevron higher on the field than normal, to best fill the space: "[Per chevron gules and vert, a chevron and in base a Latin cross parted and fretted Or] Though, as a number of commenters noted, the field division and chevron were drawn higher on the field than normal, in a design like this the chevron will normally be enhanced. It is not necessary to blazon the fact" (LoAR of December 1994). Even given this period tendency, please advise the submitter to draw the chevron lower on the field: it is drawn quite high on the field in this emblazon, even for this sort of armorial design.

Rebekah Tynker. Name and device. Per pale azure and ermine, a dove displayed within an orle counterchanged.

Note: Rebekah is her legal given name.

Rois inghean Domhnaill. Name change from holding name Danette of the Outlands.

Good name!

Samuel Tynker. Name.

Note: Samuel is his legal given name.

The LoI noted that the submitter originally submitted the form Sam rather than Samuel. As that is the case, the submitter may wish to know that a period diminutive Samme was found by the College. Aryanhwy merch Catmael explains:

If he'd really prefer a diminutive, Reaney & Wilson s.n. Sam says that "<Samson Fullon'> 1265 is also called <Samme> (c.1260)." While it's not a diminutive of <Samuel>, it's closer to <Sam> than <Samuel> is.

Sveinn Grímarsson. Device. Per chevron vair and Or, in base a raven displayed sable.
 
Thalia Ruggenall. Name and device. Per chevron argent and vert, two dragonflies vert and an oak tree fructed and couped Or.

There was some controversy regarding the registerability of the given name Thalia. Thalia was registered with an English byname in 1995:

In Greek mythology Thalia 'bloom; good cheer, wealth, plenty' was the Muse of comedy and one of the three Graces; the other two Graces were Euphrosyne 'cheerfulness, mirth, merriment' and Aglaia 'splendor, beauty, brightness'. Evidence for period use of the names of the Muses is slight [...] De Felice mentions several saints Eufrosina and indicates that Aglaia was used during the Italian Renaissance, while Withycombe notes a legendary saint Aglaia. Thus, the names of at least two of the three Graces were in use in Europe toward the end of our period; [...] we are willing to grant the possibility that the remaining name, Thalia, might have been used then. [Thalia Woodhall, 09/1995, A-An Tir]

Additionally, De Felice Dizionario dei nomi Italiani (p. 160 s.n. Euterpe) indicates that the name Euterpe, also the name of a Muse, came into use in the Italian Renaissance. Based on this evidence, it is reasonable to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the name of the third Grace could have been used in Italy during the Renaissance. We do not know the form it would have taken, but the spelling Thalia is a reasonable Latinized form.

Lacking evidence that any of the names of the Muses or Graces were used in England during the Renaissance, Thalia is not registerable as an English name. As English and Italian are registerable in the same name with one weirdness, this name is registerable.

There was a question raised during commentary regarding the what exactly the documentation was that was referenced in the ruling:

Note: documentation was presented for the use of Thalia by humans in our period. [Thalia Baroncelli, 09/1998, A-Middle]

A check of the submitter's file indicates that a commenter found the name Thalia as a 1st-2nd C A. D. Greek feminine given name in P. M. Fraser and E. Matthews, A Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (volume IIIA, p. 197 s.n. [theta-alpha-lamda-eta-iota-alpha]), which lists Thalia as a Latin form.

TRIMARIS

None.

WEST

Dietrich Lorenz Uhl. Device. Quarterly Or and sable, an owl gules between four crosses clechy counterchanged.
 
Eiríkr Snorrason. Name and device. Per bend sinister rayonny gules and Or, two drinking horns counterchanged.

The per bend sinister line of division has 13 well-drawn rayonny repeats. This is an acceptable (and not "pinking-sheary") depiction of a per bend sinister rayonny line. As noted in the October 2003 LoAR, "Rayonny, because of its design, needs smaller and more frequent repeats than most complex lines of partition. Fifteen repetitions of a complex line down the center of the shield (palewise, bendwise, or the side of a pile) would be marginal or unacceptable for engrailed, embattled, or wavy, but it is more acceptable for rayonny."

Eshabelle the Fair. Name.
 
Gracye of Guthrie. Device. Argent, on a bend Or fimbriated between two hearts purpure, three roses azure barbed and seeded proper.
 
Henri de Valery sur Somme. Name.
 
Hirsch von Henford. Badge. (Fieldless) Two stag's heads erased addorsed and conjoined at the neck Or.

The deer heads lose some of their identifiability due to the high degree of conjoining and the unexpected interlacing of the deers' horns. Please advise the submitter to draw the heads so that they are more clearly separated.

Isabel McThomas. Name and device. Per fess argent and vert ermined argent, a sea-serpent ondoyant and issuant from the line of division azure.

Submitted as Isabel McThomais, this is a case of Black and Whyte. The LoI stated that:

The surname is a variant of one in Black (p.566 at MacTavish) - the citation is for Doncan M'Thamais in 1355. This is a variant spelling. (The submittor cites <http://www.mactamhais.liquidweb.com/pswd2.htm> for her documentation -- and that website seems to be quoting Black, but the page number is different. The website gives the desired spelling. Copies from the website will be enclosed for Laurel's evaluation.)

The Web site implies that the information listed is from Donald Whyte's Scottish Surnames. Under the header "p. 173 - MacTAVISH", the Web page states that "Duncan McThomais is recorded at Glassary in 1355, when he served on an inquest regarding the lands of that parish". However, Whyte has no entry for MacTAVISH (or any spelling thereof). While Whyte gives dates, most of the listed names seem to be modernized. This factor, combined with his failure to note sources, makes this an unreliable source for our purposes.

Black (p. 566 s.n. MACTAVISH) states that "Doncan M'Thamais was one of those cited in 1355 to give evidence regarding the lands of Glassre in Argyllshire (HP., II, p. 139)". HP indicates that Black's source for this information was the Highland Papers. The Highland Papers are notorious for modifying spellings from the original documents and cannot be considered reliable for representing spellings of names from our period. In most cases, there are enough other spelling variants in Black's entries to support a dubious citation from the Highland Papers as being plausible in our period. However, the spelling -ais in the submitted name is indicative of a Gaelic rather than Scots form of this byname. As Black (s.nn. MacTavish, MacThomas) lists no other dated examples of a -ais spelling of this byname in period, we must assume that the single example of M'Thamais cited from the Highland Papers is a post-period "updated" form, and is, therefore, not registerable.

As the submitter allows any changes, we have changed this byname to the form McThomas, dated to 1537 in Black (s.n. McThomas), in order to register this name.

A number of commenters expressed concerns about the posture of the serpent. They cited a precedent concerning a sea-serpent ondoyant emergent, an SCA invention which is described in the Pictorial Dictionary under Sea-Serpent:

[Per fess azure and Or, three flanged maces palewise in fess argent and a sea-serpent emergent ondoyant to sinister vert.] While there is perhaps a precedent for the peculiarly fragmented partial sea-serpent in Caid in the armoury of the Barony of Calafia, this is an old one. The serpent emerging from thin air does not seem to be a period charge and the effect here is to have three charges in fess in chief with another three non-identical fragments in base [the three separated pieces of the sea-serpent] (LoAR of June 1990).

We believe that the stylistic problem with ondoyant emergent serpents is that they incorporate two steps from period style (also known colloquially as "two weirdnesses"). The serpent is broken into "non-identical fragments" (one step from period style) that are disassociated from each other because they are "emerging from thin air" (the second step from period style). Armory incorporating two steps from period style is not registerable.

A serpent ondoyant and issuant from a [line of division], however, is only one step from period style (colloquially, "one weirdness"). Period armory is replete with animals issuant from lines of division or from charges. In some of these cases, there is even a small degree of fragmentation of the charge: the tail of a demi-lion issuant from a line of division may sometimes be separated from the rest of the demi-lion. The fact that a serpent ondoyant and issuant from [a line of division] is broken into three or more "non-identical fragments" when it emerges from the line of division is still one step from period style. However, these fragments are associated with each other by the line of division from which they all issue, so this design does not have the second step from period style, that of disassociation by "emerging from thin air." Armory with only one step from period style may be registered.

Jimena Montoya. Name and device. Gules, a demi-maiden in her modesty and on a chief embattled argent a sword fesswise gules.
 
Kazdoya Ruslander. Device change. Purpure, a chief trefly-counter-trefly Or.

Her previous device, Purpure, a garb and a chief trefly-counter-trefly Or, is retained as a badge.

Rhys Gethin. Name and device. Vert semy-de-lys Or, the Archangel Michael argent haloed Or.

The submitter has permission to conflict with a badge of the Shire of Charlesbury Crossing, Vert, a winged man displayed maintaining above his head a spear fesswise argent.

Richard of Alder Tree. Badge. (Fieldless) In saltire an ermine spot sable and a sword inverted argent.
 
Vivienne la Louve. Name (see RETURNS for device).
 
William Alexander Johnston. Name and device. Argent, on a pile throughout gules between two bears rampant addorsed sable a torch Or.
 

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN RETURNED FOR FURTHER WORK

ĆTHELMEARC

Amaryllis Coleman. Badge. (Fieldless) A sexfoil Or seeded sable.

The College did not feel that this flower, originally blazoned as an amaryllis flower, was clearly identifiable as an amaryllis flower. The flower in this emblazon is affronty and has six equally-sized and equally-spaced petals that come to slight points at the end. Both the commentary from the College and the documentation provided with the submission indicated that an amaryllis flower has petals that are significantly longer, thinner, and more sharply pointed than the petals of the flower in this emblazon. The documentation also indicated that the amaryllis flower has a trumpet shape that was visually apparent even when the flower was affronty, while this flower appears to be flat. We have reblazoned the flower in this emblazon as a sexfoil, as it is well within the range of depictions which we expect for that stylized heraldic charge.

This submission therefore conflicts with the Caidan badge for the Legion of Courtesy, (Fieldless) A rose Or barbed and seeded vert. There is one CD for fieldlessness. There is no difference for the miniscule tincture changes due to barbing and seeding, which is much less than half the charge.

There is no difference given between a rose and a cinquefoil by long-standing precedent, as noted in the LoAR of August 2001, which referred to the LoARs of September 2000 and November 1990. The difference between cinquefoils and sexfoils is heraldically negligible. The SCA does not give difference between things numbered five and six as stated in RfS X.4.f, and by extension, we do not give difference between charges with attributes that are enumerated five and six, such as mullets of five and six points. Moreover, cinquefoils are not infrequently drawn as sexfoils in period. A single piece of armory using multiple cinquefoils may be drawn with the occasional sexfoil in place of an (apparently random) cinquefoil.

Conflict is not transitive: if A conflicts with B and B conflicts with C, it is not required that A must conflict with C. However, in this case, given the very close depictions and occasional interchangeability of both roses and cinquefoils in period, and of cinquefoils and sexfoils in period, we do believe that sexfoils should not be given difference from roses under RfS X.4.e.

Mustafa the Red. Device. Argent, a bend azure between an increscent gules and a sword sable.

Conflict with Constance MacCallum of Hoghton, Argent, a bend azure between a jester's hat per pale gules and purpure, and a brimmed beret bendwise sinister sable, plumed purpure. There is one CD for changing the type of secondary charges. However, there is not a CD for changing the tincture of the secondary charges, as less than half the tincture of the secondary charge group has changed.

ANSTEORRA

None.

AN TIR

Aedan MacEwan. Device. Vert, a natural tiger displayed Or marked sable within a bordure rayonny Or.

The tiger was blazoned on the LoI as statant erect affronty, but no evidence was presented, and none was found, indicating that this is a period posture. Note that statant erect is a rare posture in period that is used almost exclusively for bears, and sejant erect affronty is an even rarer posture in period. Because these two postures are so rare, we do not believe that statant erect affronty can be reasonably extrapolated to be a period-compatible posture. None of the commenters who discussed the armorial style of this submission were comfortable with considering the posture of this tiger to be period style. We therefore will not be registering this posture now or in the future.

Much of the commentary suggested that the tiger is in the displayed posture, so we have blazoned it using that term. However, displayed is also not an appropriate posture for wingless quadrupeds. Per the LoAR of July 1995, p. 2, "The bear was blazoned as statant displayed in the LoI, but there was a consensus among the commenters that displayed is an avian posture inappropriate for beasts (as, for example, rampant is a quadrupedal posture inappropriate for birds)."

Note that the bear in the July 1995 submission referenced in the precedent above was in fact registered and blazoned with the statant erect affronty posture, rather than being reblazoned as displayed and returned for non-period style. However, the College has benefited from much research and learning during the years since that ruling, and its opinions have changed. In fact, al-Jamal, who was the Laurel who wrote the July 1995 ruling, commented on the current submission as follows: "Okay, I suppose it can be argued that it is only one step from a period leonine posture (sejant erect affronty), but that posture is very rare, and this one has not been noted in period heraldry, and is effectively 'displayed', a bird posture. I'm against it."

Corwyn de Wemyss. Device change. Per pale vert and azure, a Thor's hammer inverted and a bordure embattled Or.

Conflict with Ancel FitzCharles, Vert, a stone hammer within a bordure embattled Or. There is one CD for changing the field. Both the Thor's hammer inverted and the stone hammer have their heads to chief and their handles to base, so there is no change in charge orientation. A stone hammer has a head in the shape of a billet fesswise. Because the Thor's hammer is not a period heraldic charge, its difference from other types of charge must be determined on visual grounds per RfS X.4.e, and there is not sufficient visual difference between a stone hammer and a Thor's hammer inverted to give a CD.

In addition, the embattlements were drawn too shallowly to be registered. Please advise the submitter that embattlements should be as deep as they are wide.

Geoffroi FitzGeorge. Device. Argent, a scorpion fesswise contourny gules and a chief double enarched and on a point pointed sable a sheaf of arrows inverted Or.

Combinations of chiefs and bases of any sort are rare in period. The combination of the non-period chief doubly enarched and the vanishingly rare charged point pointed leads to issues of field-ground reversal. It is difficult to determine if the scorpion is placed on some oddly-shaped central argent charge on a sable field, or if the armory consists of a red scorpion on an argent field between an unlikely combination of sable peripheral charges.

The combination of tinctures and types of charge in this device add to eight. RfS VIII.1.a states "As a rule of thumb, the total of the number of tinctures plus the number of types of charges in a design should not exceed eight [or the armory will be considered overly complex]." The College felt strongly that in this armory, the combination of the complexity and the aforementioned style issues pushed the armory past the limits of registerable style.

Raffe Ó Donnabháin. Device. Per fess nebuly vert and sable, in chief three fir trees eradicated and in base a wolf's head erased Or.

The line of division is drawn with too many and too small repetitions to be registerable, particularly on a low contrast field division. RfS VIII.3 states "Identifiable elements may be rendered unidentifiable by significant reduction in size, marginal contrast..." It is acceptable to draw a nebuly line of partition between vert and sable as long as the identifiability is not lost for other reasons.

The wolf's head was originally blazoned as ululant, a term used in SCA heraldry for a wolf in some posture with its head pointed to chief and howling. In this emblazon, the muzzle of the head is tilted to dexter chief, which is a reasonable artistic variant for a wolf's head. We do not believe that it is necessary to blazon a charge consisting only of a head in profile as ululant.

Please advise the submitter to draw the eradicated trees with longer roots.

ARTEMISIA

Isabeau Lia Rossedal. Device. Azure, a chevron ployé argent between two roses and a rod of Aesculapius Or.

Conflict with Triston de Grey, Azure, a chevron argent between three dragon's heads couped, those in chief addorsed Or. There is one CD for changing the type of secondary charges. There is no difference between a plain chevron and a chevron ployé: "[a chevron ployé vs. a chevron] Conflict ... there is only a single CD for the type of the secondary charges. [implying no CD for ployé vs. plain]" (LoAR of April 2000).

Please advise the submitter to draw the chevron with a steeper angle in the future.

John Gilson. Device. Vert, a rapier and in chief a billet argent.

Conflict with John of Gravesend, Vert, a sword palewise proper, surmounted at the tip by a helm affronty argent. This appears to simply be a change of secondary charge type, replacing the helmet with the billet. The helmet in John Gravesend's device is effectively a secondary charge conjoined to the tip of the sword. There is no difference for removing the conjoining.

ATENVELDT

Malise Athelstan MacKendry. Name.

This name has one weirdness for mixing the English Athelstan with an otherwise Scots name and a second weirdness for a double given name in Scots. As the submitter allows no major changes, we were unable to drop one of the given names in order to register this name.

Additionally, no evidence was found that the spelling MacKendry is a plausible period form. Metron Ariston found a spelling quite close to the submitted MacKendry:

Under MacHendrie in Surnames of Scotland, Black notes Gilchrist Makhenry from 1480, which is very close indeed.

His armory has been registered under the holding name Malise of Sundragon.

EALDORMERE

Phillida Parker. Device. Per fess wavy azure and Or, a natural rainbow and three fir trees couped vert.

The natural rainbow is drawn correctly for a natural rainbow as stated in the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry: "The 'natural rainbow proper', an SCA invention, has white clouds, and seven colored bands, as found in nature: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet." The order of the bands is given from top to bottom. This submission thus addresses the main reason for the previous return (in June 2001), which was that the bands of the rainbow were in the opposite order on the previous submission, starting with violet on top and ending with red on the bottom. The redesign also addresses a concern raised in the previous return, about whether the argent clouds of the rainbow kept the entire natural rainbow from having sufficient contrast with the underlying argent field.

However, as part of this redesign, the natural rainbow has moved from lying entirely on an argent (metal) portion of the field to lying entirely on an azure (color) portion of the field. The natural rainbow is more than half color, and thus has insufficient contrast with the underlying azure field per RfS VIII.2.a.ii, since the rainbow is not "An element equally divided of a color and a metal." In order to be such an evenly divided element, the white clouds of the rainbow and/or the yellow band of the rainbow would need to be disproportionally large. We thus overturn the portion of the following precedent that states that a natural rainbow is a neutral charge (as referred to in the Pictorial Dictionary):

A natural rainbow proper shall consist of the same band between two white clouds but with the natural spectrum, from gules in chief to purpure in base. This type of rainbow would count as a combined metal/color charge and thus be neutral. (Cover Letter of 25 May 82)

EAST

Kate Galleghure. Device. Argent, in pale a serpent erect vert and a crescent gules within a bordure embattled vert.

This serpent was blazoned as erect, but an erect serpent has its body fully palewise. The front half of this serpent is palewise and the back half of the serpent is mostly fesswise with the very end of the tail reflexed up over its back. No evidence was presented that this is a period posture for a serpent, nor was evidence presented for a term that would clearly blazon this posture. This submission is thus in violation of RfS VII.7.b, "Reconstruction Requirement - Elements must be reconstructible in a recognizable form from a competent blazon."

Kis Mária. Device. Argent, an escarbuncle of six arms per fess sable and gules in chief a gerbil sable.

The gerbil is a Mongolian animal that was first found by Western Europeans in the 19th C. While some members of the College suggested reblazoning this animal as a hamster, hamsters have vestigial tails and gerbils have long thin furry tails. Because this is not a period animal, and cannot easily be reblazoned using a period heraldic animal, it may not be registered under RfS VII.4, "Period Flora and Fauna".

Some commenters asked about the registerability of escarbuncles with six arms. Per the LoAR of February 2001, "Escarbuncles of six arms are found in period arms according to A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry."

Kjalgrimr Klugh. Name.

This name is being returned for lack of documentation of Kjalgrimr as a plausible given name in Old Norse. The LoI supported this name as follows:

Constructed name from elements found in Geirr Bassi. "Kjal-" from given names 'Kjallakr' and 'Kjalv{o.}r', pg. 12. "-grimr" from names such as 'Kolgrimr', pg. 12, and 'Thorgrimr', pg. 16. From Friedemann (aka Aryanhwy merch Catmael), Viking Bynames found in the 'Landnámabók' there are two instances of "Kjalki", meaning 'jawbone'. In Ţorgeirsson, "Grímr (Gríms) m - from Grím-. Also a name suffix" and "Grím - A name prefix meaning 'mask, disguise, helm, night'."

Gunnvör silfrahárr found

In the submitted documentation with this name, the by-name <kjálki> (note the a-acute) would not be related to a proposed name element <Kjal->. The word <kjálki> is cognate to English "cheek" and does mean "jawbone" but would not be useful in documenting the submittor's proposed name of <Kjalgrimr> (see Cleasby p. 340 s.v.<kjálki>.)

The name <Kjallakr> is simply an Old Norse adaptation of the Irish name <Cellach> (see, for example, Academy of St. Gabriel Reports #1392 and #1667 at www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi?1392+0 and www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi?1667+0). <Kjallakr> occurs in Old Norse texts as the name of a son of an Irish king, and also appears as a name in Iceland several times in Landnámabók (Netútgáfan Website. www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/landnama.htm chs. 21, 27, 30, 32, 33, 40, 102). <Kjallakr> does not represent an Old Norse two-element name, and so the first syllable cannot be peeled off and used as a name-element elsewhere.

The Old Norse feminine name <Kjalvör> appears in Landnámabók ch 51. (Netútgáfan Website. www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/landnama.htm). Here <Kjal-> does appear as one element of a two-element name, combined with the exclusively feminine second element <-vör>. As far as I am aware, <Kjal-> appears nowhere else in other Old Norse names, and therefore we have evidence only that the name-element is used in (a) feminine name(s).

Lacking evidence of Kjal- used as a protheme in an Old Norse dithematic name, the constructed Kjalgrimr is not a plausible Old Norse masculine name and is not registerable. As the submitter is most interested in sound, he may wish to know that the closest sounding Old Norse masculine name found by the College was Kolgrímr found in Geirr Bassi (p. 12).

His armory has been registered under the holding name Jeremy of the East.

Magnus Haakonssen. Name.

This name conflicts with King Magnús Hákaonarson, who also appears in sources as Magnus Haakonsson and Magnus VI, King of Norway (1263-1280). We traditionally protect the names of kings. Additionally, this particular king left a significant impact. Metron Ariston explains:

[H]e gained the byname of lagab{oe}tir or law-mender from his sweeping reform of the Norse law codes in 1274. These law codes were widely observed for centuries even in lands now considered Scots: for instance, Orkney observed them until nearly the end of the fifteenth century (www.udallaw.com/chronology.htm).

His armory has been registered under the holding name Magnus of the East.

Maria Alegreza Nicoletti. Device. Gules, three dragons passant contourny Or.

Conflict with Rosamonde de l'Oiselet, Gules, three dragons sejant erect Or, each maintaining a harp argent. There is one CD for changing the posture from sejant to passant contourny by RfS X.4.h, which states in part, "Multiple changes to the posture or orientation of the same charges may not be counted separately, so a lion passant bendwise is one clear difference from a lion couchant to sinister." There is no difference for removing the maintained charges.

Padraig Ó Taidg. Badge. Azure, a bordure argent charged with eight lozenges throughout conjoined at the tips azure.

The identifiability of both the bordure and the lozenges in this emblazon is lost due to the high degree of conjoining. The lozenges are both conjoined with each other and the edges of the bordure. Some commenters thought that the emblazon was intended to be a representation of the top of a faceted gemstone. The badge is thus in violation of RfS VIII.3, which states in pertinent part, "Identifiable elements may be rendered unidentifiable by ...being obscured by other elements of the design."

Patrick McConville. Name.

McConville was documented as a modern Anglicized Irish surname found in MacLysaght (s.n. (Mac) Conville). No evidence was found that this spelling is a plausible period form. Lacking such evidence, it is not registerable. Woulfe (p. 341 s.n. Mac Conmhaoil) dates the Anglicized Irish forms M'Convale, M'Conwaile, and M'Conwell to temp. Elizabeth I-James I. As there are plenty of examples of Anglicized Irish surnames of the form Mc- in the late 16th C, forms such as McConvale, McConwaile, and McConwell are also plausible for this time period. As the submitter allows no changes, we were unable to change the byname to one of these forms in order to register this name.

Rauve Griffon de Lauraët. Device. Per pale vert and argent, an increscent Or.

Conflict with Darius Coligny (registered in August 2003), Plumetty sable and argent, an increscent Or. There is only one CD for changing the field.

Robert Tirel de Wachefel. Device. Sable, a sword inverted argent transfixing a heart inverted Or and on a chief argent three crosses formy gules.

The heart loses its identifiability due to the combination of the inversion of the heart and the obscuration of the heart by the sword. This submission is thus in violation of RfS VIII.3, "Armorial Identifiability".

Symond Harley. Device. Azure, two piles in point inverted bendwise sinister azure fimbriated overall a hare sejant argent.

Previous precedent disallows "overall charges surmounting fimbriated ordinaries (9 March 86, p.12)". This armory uses an overall charge surmounting fimbriated ordinaries, and thus is not registerable.

Tigernan Fox. Device. Per pale sable and vert, in pale a hanging balance and a sword inverted Or.

In this emblazon, the hanging balance and the sword inverted are so close to each other that they are almost conjoined. This emblazon resembled a standing balance so closely that this submission is in visual conflict under RfS X.5 with the badge of Elena Anatolievna Pavlova, (Fieldless) A standing balance Or.

Note that precedent has previously held that a hanging balance resting atop a vertical "stand-shaped" charge can be given no difference from a standing balance without invoking RfS X.5, in cases where the hanging balance was conjoined to the "stand-shaped" charge. The LoAR of January 1998 noted that: "[Gules, a double-bitted axe inverted and balanced on its haft a set of scales Or.] This conflicts with ... (Fieldless) A standing balance Or., with one CD for the field." This precedent was reaffirmed in the LoAR of September 2003 where a hanging balance atop a sword was given no difference from a standing balance.

Tomyris of the Sauromatae. Name.

This name is being returned for multiple problems. These include:

The documentation provided in the LoI for this name was:

Tomyris - from Herodotas, Book I, Section 20 (page 123). According to the submission paperwork, "'Tomyris' was a scythian Queen's name."

Sauromatae - from Herodotas, page 306, Book IV, Section 105 (page 306). According to the submission paperwork, "The Sauromatae were another tribe (other clan?) that shared same customs, language, etc."

The first problem with this submission was that no photocopies of the sources cited for this documentation were provided with the submission. As this source is not listed in Appendix H of the Administrative Handbook, "Name Books That Do Not Require Photocopies to Laurel", photocopies are required for this documentation. Lacking these photocopies, the submitted documentation may not be used to support this submission.

Another problem was the construction for the byname of the Sauromatae. The construction for this byname was of the [tribe name]. Bynames referring to tribe or clan names are formed in different ways in different languages. No documentation was provided and none was found to support of the [tribe name] as a plausible form in whatever language is appropriate for the term Sauromatae. Lacking such evidence, this byname is not registerable. This byname could be considered a Lingua Anglica rendering of a byname formed from a tribe name. However, to appeal to the Lingua Anglica allowance, documentation must be provided to support the byname in the original language. Only then may a Lingua Anglica form be determined.

Metron Ariston points out several more issues with this name:

Several points. First of all, the author who mentions Tomyris is generally referred to as Herodotus, if you are using English conventions. Secondly, Tomyris appears to be a unique character. The only instance that I can recall of the name appearing is in conjunction with the queen of the Massagetae who defeated and slew the Persian king Cyrus. While this story was quite popular in Renaissance art, the bloodthirsty nature of the story and the barbaric associations of the name would militate against its adoption in common use. In any case, it is clear that the submitter is placing the name in the classical Herodotean context and that presents a problem since, while modern authors sometimes associate the Sauromatae with the classical Amazon, they were in antiquity regarded as a Scythian people. That being so, consider what Herodotus says about the Massagetae whom Tomyris ruled: "Now the Massagetai are said to be a great and warlike nation, dwelling eastward, toward the rising of the sun, beyond the river Araxes, and opposite the Issedonians. By many they are regarded as a Scythian race. In their dress and mode of living the Massagetai resemble the Scythians." (www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/tomyris.html). Many ancient authors consider the Sauromatae, the Massagetae and the Scythians to be nearly indistinguishable so this name appears to use a unique given name in a context that associates the bearer with the same cultural background as the character associated with that given name. (That is leaving aside the issue of whether Tomyris is actually a historical character or a borrowing from nomadic legend. . .)

As a result, the only documentation we have for Tomyris is as the name of a legendary queen. Lacking evidence that this name was used by humans and is not unique, this name is not registerable. Further, since "[m]any ancient authors consider the Sauromatae, the Massagetae and the Scythians to be nearly indistinguishable", the combination of Tomyris with a byname based on the Sauromatae tribe is effectively a claim to be this legendary queen.

The most significant, problem was that no documentation was provided and none was found that a 6th C B.C. Scythian or Sauromatae culture had contact with medieval or Renaissance Europe. Names from Pharonic Egypt have previously been ruled unregisterable:

Another, and more basic, question regarding this submission, is whether and how well pharaonic Egyptian names fit into the scope of the SCA. Rules for Submission I.1. notes that "The Society for Creative Anachronism studies pre-Seventeenth Century Western Culture. The period of the Society has been defined to extend until 1600 A.D. Its domain includes Europe and areas that had contact with Europe during this period." (emphasis added) The Introduction in the Preface of the 1995 Organizational Handbook defines the scope of the SCA even more narrowly: "The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a non-profit educational organziation devoted to the study of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Most of its activities take place in the context of a social structure adapted from the forms of the European Middle Ages...." (emphasis added) [...]

On the other hand, the College more or less routinely allows Roman and Greek names to be registered. Is this name significantly different from those? If I may quote Harpy: "The cultures of classical Greece and Rome were accessible to medieval Europeans (at least, cultured and literate ones) from written records - records that were deliberately and consciously preserved. But the language of the hieroglyphs was dead; knowledge of the writing system lost completely. Recall that it was only with the late 18th century discovery of the Rosetta Stone, with its trilingual inscription including Greek, that "modern" people were again able to try to decipher the writings of ancient Egypt. A classical Roman name, or a Biblical Hebrew name would in some way be accessible to a medieval European (highly educated scholar), but an ancient Egyptian name would not be something that he could have any knowledge of or familiarity with. There is simply no connection available." In other words, yes, there is a difference. Ancient Greece and Rome "had contact" with Europe during "the Middle Ages and Renaissance" through their writings; pharaonic Egypt did not. Ancient Egyptian names thus appear to be outside the scope and domain of the SCA, much as Australian flora and fauna or Australian aboriginal names are. (Merit-ankht-Seker of Sakkara, LoAR March 1995, pp. 14-15)

In this case, the name Tomyris and a tribe called the Sauromatae are referenced in writings that were accessable to a highly educated scholar in medieval Europe. Even so, while a child in some cultures could have been given a given name from ancient writings, no evidence was found that a byname referring to an ancient tribe is reasonable in medieval or Renaissance Europe. Lacking such evidence, this byname is not registerable. Additionally, only some classical names were given to children. Names with negative connotations were usually not in this group. As noted by Metron Ariston, while the story of Tomyris "was quite popular in Renaissance art, the bloodthirsty nature of the story and the barbaric associations of the name would militate against its adoption in common use." Lacking evidence that the associations with Tomyris are equivalent with names from classical literature that were given to children in the Renaissance, Tomyris is not registerable as a classical name revived in the Renaissance.

Her armory has been registered under the holding name Elizabeth of Stonemarch.

Yon de la Sčle. Device. Per pale sable and gules, a dragon segreant contourny Or.

Conflict with William Thespos Dragonsclaw, Per bend sinister gules and sable, a dragon segreant to sinister Or.. There is only one CD for changing the field.

LOCHAC

Sebastian of Ventbarré. Badge. Quarterly gules and Or, in sinister canton an eagle's wing terminating in a hand grasping a sword sable.

This submission was originally pended on the July 2003 LoAR.

RfS XI.3.b on marshalling states "Such fields [that are commonly used for marshalling, such as quarterly] may only be used when no single portion of the field may appear to be an independent piece of armory... No section of the field may contain ... more than one charge unless those charges are part of a group over the whole field." The College was asked to determine whether this eagle's wing terminating in a hand grasping a sword, a motif found in German armory, was effectively a single charge (like a Paschal lamb, which is considered a single charge even though the lamb maintains a banner over its shoulder), or whether this motif was to be considered a combination of "more than one charge."

Unfortunately, we did not receive much commentary on this issue. Based on the commentary we have received, and the research we were able to do after the meeting, it appears appropriate to rule that the eagle's wing terminating in a hand is a single charge, and the sword is a second charge. This submission is in thus in violation of RfS XI.3.b.

The combination of the eagle's wing terminating in a hand and the sword is not so common in period that it is clearly considered a single charge (unlike a Paschal lamb). In addition, the eagle's wing terminating with a hand has grasped objects other than a sword in real-world and SCA heraldry. Leonhard's Das Grosse Buch der Wappenkunst illustrates eagle's wings terminating in hands grasping stalks of wheat as well as an eagle's wing terminating in a hand and grasping a sword, both undated and both on p. 204. The SCA has also registered the eagle's wing terminating in a hand and grasping a charge other than a sword in the device of Franz of Ratisbon, Per pale azure and Or, a sinister eagle's wing terminating in a hand maintaining an axe counterchanged. Unfortunately we were not able to address specifically period practices in this discussion, as no period examples of this sort of armory were adduced in commentary (either on the appeal or on the original submission), and we were not able to find any period examples in our limited research time after the heraldry meeting.

MERIDIES

Alessandra da Ferrara. Device. Argent, three chevronels azure and overall a fleur-de-lys gules.

In this emblazon, the three chevronels are crunched together in the center of the shield. We would not expect to find three chevronels so close together in period armory unless the chevronels were forced close together due to the presence of secondary charges (as one might find in the hypothetical armory Argent, three chevronels azure between three fleurs-de-lys gules). In this emblazon, the three chevronels were drawn so close together that this armory could almost be reblazoned as Argent, on a chevron azure two chevronels argent and overall a fleur-de-lys gules. As a general rule, three chevronels will be drawn to fill the field, and are in fact considered interchangeable with the chevronelly field division (see the LoAR of November 2001 for more details about this).

Period armory does admit the possibility of two small diminutives of an ordinary that are close together (rather than filling the shield): a bar gemel (bar "twinned"). The bar gemel is heraldically distinct from two bars: the bar gemel consists of two very thin bars drawn close together, while two bars will fill the space allotted to them. A bar gemel is, in effect, a voided bar. A good period example of this practice can be seen in the Herald's Roll circa 1280 on p. 8 of Bedingfield and Gwynn-Jones' Heraldry: a coat using two bars is found in the center coat of the bottom row, whereas armory using two bars gemel is found on the dexter coat of the top row, and on the sinister coat of the middle row. No evidence has been presented, and none has been found for a "triplet" version of a bar gemel. The "gemel" treatment of other ordinaries, such as chevronels, bendlets or pallets, is vanishingly rare in period. Aside from a few examples of bendlets gemel in the 15th C Italian Stemmario Trivulziano, no evidence has been presented or found for gemel charges other than bars. The idea of a triplet version of a chevronel is thus two steps from period practice ("two weirdnesses") and not registerable. Thus, it is not reasonable to interpret this emblazon as using such a hypothetical "triplet chevronel."

Because this emblazon blurs the distinction between three chevronels and a chevron charged with two chevronels, it may not be registered per RfS VII.7.a, "Identification Requirement".

If this submission is resubmitted with three chevronels in a more standard depiction, there are some conflict issues that will need to be addressed on resubmission. These possible conflicts include, but are not limited to, the City of Florence (important non-SCA armory), Argent, a fleur-de-lys gules, and Rebecca Silver, Chevronelly azure and argent. These (and other conflicts like them) will need to be addressed due to the interchangeability of three chevronels and the chevronelly field mentioned in the November 2001 LoAR.

Garen of Marion Glen. Device. Quarterly argent and Or, a hawk azure belled gules.

Conflict with Reginleif Ragnarsdottir, Or chapé gules, a raven azure. There is one CD for changing the field but no difference between a raven close and a falcon close per the following precedent from the Cover Letter for the January 2002 LoAR. This precedent uses the period term corbie to refer to ravens, crows and similar birds:

When it comes to the question of the difference of a close falcon and a close corbie, it appears that a falcon close could be drawn in period so that it was not distinguishable from a corbie close. See for example v. Falckenstein, f. 193 of Siebmacher, Azure three falcons argent ... as a crest, a falcon rising wings displayed argent. In the Cover Letter of the January 2000 LoAR, Laurel ruled in pertinent part, "In the future I expect that I will be more likely to grant difference between different types of birds when (a) they are (a) different in period, (b) in a period posture, (c) drawn correctly, and (d) there is some visual difference (i.e., there is really no visual difference between a popinjay and a hawk).". It appears that, at least in the case of falcons close versus corbies close, there are cases where there is no visual difference, even though they are in a period posture and in well-drawn works of heraldic art. Therefore, falcons close are not entitled to difference from corbies close.

Tegan of Marion Glen. Device. Or, a dragon segreant gules and a bordure azure.

Conflict with Gareth Deufreuddwyd ap Rhys, Or, a wyvern erect gules within a bordure per bend sinister sable and gules. There is one CD for changing the tincture of the bordure. There is neither type nor posture difference given between a wyvern erect and a dragon segreant.

MIDDLE

Shih Tan Po. Name and device. Sable, a wheel enflamed to chief Or and in chief two natural tigers couchant respectant Or marked sable.

Shih, Tan, and Po were all documented as surnames. Therefore, this name does not contain a given name and, so, violates RfS III.2.a, "Personal Names", which requires that a personal name must "contain a given name and at least one byname".

Additionally, Tan and Po were documented as modern surnames. No documentation was provided and none was found to support these elements in period. Lacking such documentation, they are not registerable.

Heraldic enflaming generally surrounds the enflamed charge with small tongues of flame issuant from the charge's entire perimeter. In this submission, the depiction of the "enflam[ing] to chief" effectively fimbriates the top half of the wheel with flame, rather than issuing small tongues of flame from the top portion of the wheel. Such fimbriation of flame is not registerable: "The flames here act only as a very complex fimbriation, which has been previously disallowed" (LoAR of May 1995, p. 14).

In this submission, only part of the wheel is enflamed, not the entire wheel. Usually, an entire charge must be enflamed, although at times the SCA has allowed a clearly separable portion of a charge to be enflamed (such as enflaming only the blade of a sword). It was the opinion of the College that it is not appropriate to only enflame the top of a wheel. Thus, even if the enflaming were redrawn so that it did not appear to be fimbriation of flame, this submission has a stylistic problem. Without supporting documentation, this motif may not be registered.

NORTHSHIELD

DanR Ţúsunđjalasmiđer. Name change from Danyal Barham Ravani.

This name has multiple issues.

The form shows that this name was submitted as Daniel Ţúsunđjalasmiđer. No indication was provided at any point that the submitter was at all involved in any change to a given name of DanR. Additionally, the only documentation provided for the given name in the LoI was from Geirr Bassi, which lists Danr, not DanR.

Ţúsunđjalasmiđer was submitted as a byname meaning 'thousand kind craftsman'. However, no evidence was provided and none was found to support a byname with this meaning as a plausible Old Norse byname. Lacking such evidence, this name is not registerable.

Additionally, there was significant discussion whether the construction of Ţúsunđjalasmiđer is even valid as a word in Old Norse. The College found support for Ţúsund as a word in Old Icelandic meaning 'thousand' or, literally, 'a swarm of hundreds', and for smiđr 'smith' (not 'craftsman') as an Old Norse byname. However, no support was found for the element jala.

The byname would be registerable as smiđr. However, such a significant change to the byname is a major change, which the submitter does not allow.

Wang Ao. Name and device. Sable, on a plate the Chinese character osho azure.

This name is being returned for problems with both the given name and the surname.

No documentation was presented and none was found for Ao as a given name in Chinese. Lacking such documentation, it is not registerable.

While Wang was documented as a Chinese surname in period, it also appears on the "List of Alternate Titles" as the Chinese equivalent for Prince. As such, it is reserved for use in the SCA and is not registerable as a byname or surname. While given names, such as Regina, that are documented as being used in period are registerable so long as there is "no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank", the same is not true for bynames that explicitly imply rank, including those listed on the "List of Alternate Titles". Therefore, this name must be returned for violation of RfS VI.1 "Names Claiming Rank".

No documentation was presented showing that this character was a period Chinese character. In addition, Chinese characters often represent entire words or phrases and thus may have intrinsic meaning. No documentation was provided by the submitting Kingdom or the College for the meaning associated with this character. As noted in the LoAR of July 2002, "Because we do not know what the ... writing means, it has the potential to either be nonsensical or offensive."

In addition, this device has a number of conflicts for which there is only one CD for changing the group of tertiary charges under RfS X.4.j. A typical conflict is Cassandra of the East Winds, Sable, on a plate, a flame gules.

OUTLANDS

Ástriđr Ketilsdóttir. Name.

This name conflicts with Estrid Ketilsdottir (registered in April 1997). Estrid is an English form of the Old Norse Ástriđr. Additionally, there is insufficient difference in sound and appearance between these two forms.

Her armory has been registered under the holding name Ástriđr of Dragonsspine.

Briana Bronwen Du Bois. Name.

This name is being returned for a combination of issues.

Briana is a literary feminine given found in Spanish and English in late period (see the Cover Letter for the December 2001 LoAR for details). Bronwen is an SCA-compatible Welsh feminine given name. Regarding Du Bois, the LoI stated:

Du Bois is found in "French Surnames from Paris, 1421, 1423 & 1438" by Aryanhwy merch Catmael (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/paris1423surnames.html), with this spelling dated to 1421 and 1423.

In fact, the spelling dated to 1421 and 1423 in that source is du Bois not Du Bois.

Therefore, this name has one weirdness for an element (Bronwen) that is SCA compatible. Additionally, this name (at best) combines Welsh, English, and French in a single name. The LoI did not address whether such a combination complies with RfS III.1, which states in part, "Each name as a whole should be compatible with the culture of a single time and place". At best, such a combination is a weirdness. Alternatively, it is not registerable. Regardless, this name has one weirdness for use of the SCA-compatible element and at least one weirdness for the lingual combination, and is, therefore, not registerable.

As the submitter allowed no major changes, we were unable to drop the element Bronwen and register her name as Briana du Bois.

Her armory has been registered under the holding name Briana of Nahrun Kabirun.

Milo Sohnovich. Device. Per bend sinister sable and gules, three bezants in bend sinister between in bend a crescent horns to sinister base argent and a scimitar bendwise sinister blade to base proper.

The primary bezants are drawn very small, even smaller than one would usually expect from a tertiary charge. We cannot construct a blazon that will reproduce the proportions of these charges. This submission therefore violates RfS VII.7.b, which states in pertinent part "Any element used in Society armory must be describable in standard heraldic terms so that a competent heraldic artist can reproduce the armory solely from the blazon."

This submission cannot be made registerable by simply drawing the bezants larger. If the bezants were drawn larger, they would be so close in size to the other charges that this armory would appear to be a single group of co-primary charges arranged two, one, and two, consisting of three types of charge (crescent, roundel, scimitar). Armory using a single group consisting of more than two types of charge is considered overly complex per RfS VIII.1.a.

Sergius Oppius Scaevola. Name.

The submitter requested authenticity for 1st C A.D. Rome and allowed minor changes. The standard Roman tria nomina (three element name) is constructed as praenomen + nomen + cognomen. Evidence was found for both Sergius and Oppius as nomen and for Scaevola as a cognomen. Therefore, the submitted name has the form nomen + nomen + cognomen. No evidence was found that this a construction is plausible as a Roman name. Lacking such evidence, this name is not registerable.

Thyra ulfsvina. Name.

The submitter requested authenticity for "Norse/Icelandic" and allowed any changes.

The byname ulfsvina 'wolf's friend' was submitted as a constructed byname formed from elements found in Geir T. Zoëga, A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic (http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/). This source is a dictionary, not a name resource. While useful, it must be remembered that not every word in this source was applied to humans or would have been used as descriptive bynames in period. Some adjectives may never have been applied to a living creature. Some may have only applied to gods or mythical beasts in sagas or mythology. Others may have, indeed, been used to describe humans.

Therefore, while the submitted documentation could support the plausibility of ulfsvina as a word in Old Icelandic, it does not necessarily provide evidence that such a word would have been used as a descriptive byname for humans in period.

To determine the plausibility of ulfsvina as a descriptive byname, it must be compared to descriptive bynames known to have been used by humans in period. While the LoI noted that Geirr Bassi lists the descriptive byname barnakarl 'friend to children', no documentation was presented and none was found that a byname constructed as [animal] friend would have been used as a descriptive byname applied to humans in Old Norse. Lacking such evidence, ulfsvina is not registerable.

As the submitter requested authenticity for "Norse/Icelandic", she may wish to know that Thyra is a modern English rendering of the Old Norse feminine given name Ţyri. There is some evidence that Thyra may have also appeared in late-period Danish. However, from the information that the College was able to find, the form Thyra is not authentic for the Old Norse period.

TRIMARIS

Southern Wastes, Barony of the. Branch name and device. Argent, a chief rayonny azure.

Submitted as Southern Wastes, Incipient Barony of the, the status of Incipient should be removed from this submission as the College does not track this status.

There were numerous administrative reasons for returning this name and device:

  1. Populous Pole. There is little populace to poll at the pole, and Corpora III.C.6 requires 25 subscribing members. http://www.thequarter.org/SouthernWastes/officers.html implies that the group is padding their membership with penguins. For example, it appears that the baron is an emperor and the librarian is a macaroni.

  2. Populace Poll. There was no populace poll in support of the name or device, as required by Administrative Handbook section IV.C.5.

  3. Paper. No forms, fees, or documentation were provided for this submission, as required by Administrative Handbook section IV.C.1, IV.D, and IV.C.2. We did receive something which might, at one time, have resembled forms; we suggest that the branch use waterproof colors and better refrigeration. The College accepts checks and money orders in US currency; despite the presence of Pelican Queen of Arms on the CoA roster, we do not accept payment in fish.

  4. Laurel Wreath. Branch arms are required to use a laurel wreath, per Administrative Handbook section II.D.2. We realize that vegetation is scarce in this branch. A picture of an acceptable laurel wreath may be found at the end of the Glossary of Terms, at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/coagloss.html. Better views of the leaves may be found in the spice rack under "bay."

  5. Clock. Per http://www.thequarter.org/issue20/page01.php, The Quarter owes Laurel Clerk and Keeper of the Records one official Quarter clock, and it has yet to be delivered.

Please note that, due to the complete lack of documentation, the College was unable to do any research, so we decline to rule on stylistic or conflict issues concerning the name or device at this time. As stated in the Cover Letter to the September 2003 LoAR in the section entitled "From Laurel: Time is a Precious Resource":

If you are unsure what is required either for documentation for a submission or in summarization in a letter of intent, I direct your attention to the Administrative Handbook (section V.B.2.b), the December 2002 LoAR Cover Letter secion "From Pelican: Inadequate Summarization of Submissions", and the November 2001 LoAR Cover Letter section "From Laurel Clerk: Things Missing from LoIs".

We wish to note that the depiction of the rayonny line on the chief is one of the best that Wreath and her staff have seen during this tenure, as depicted at http://www.thequarter.org/SouthernWastes/heraldry.html. However, we advise that any resubmission draw the chief somewhat deeper. It should also be noted that resubmissions must always address every reason for return.

For more discussion of the Web site http://www.thequarter.org/, please see the cover letter with this LoAR.

WEST

Aelia Apollina. Name change from Aileth Gardiner.

This name is being returned for lack of documentation of the byname Apollina.

Apollos is documented as a masculine given name found in Bardas Xiphias's article "Common Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the 6th and 7th Centuries" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/early_byz_names.html).

Bardas Xiphias's article "Personal Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the Later Byzantine Era" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/introduction.html) includes a section entitled "Structure of Aristocratic Personal Names in the 10th Through 15th Centuries" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/structures.html). In this section, he states that, "By the turn of the millennium, the inherited family name was the typical surname in the Roman Empire." He explains that when these family names were used in women's names, they took on a "feminized" form. It is in relation to these inherited family names that he explains that a family name ending in -os in a man's name would become -ina in a woman's name.

The submitted byname Apollina was constructed by taking a 6th to 7th C masculine given name and applying to it patterns documented only for 10th to 15th C family name constructions. No evidence was provided and none was found to support such a combination. Therefore, lacking evidence that Apollina is a properly constructed feminine byname in period, it is not registerable.

Additionally, the submitter's form included a request for authenticity for Byzantine language/culture. However, the LoI did not include this information. As a result, the College was not given the opportunity to adequately comment on this submission.

We would remind submission heralds that proper summarization of forms, including changes allowed by the submitter and requests for authenticity, is required as part of the LoI. Improper summarization of a submission is cause for return of that submission. The College of Arms has a limited amount of time and all of us are volunteers. Asking the College to evaluate names based on incomplete or entirely missing data is both unfair to the College and a disservice to the submitter.

The submitter also listed three alternate names on her form. However, as no documentation was presented to the College for any of these, they may not be considered.

Vivienne la Louve. Device. Or, a wolf statant to sinister and a bordure sable.

This device conflicts with Sabah al-Zaman, Or, a wolf sejant ululant contourny and a bordure sable. There is one CD for changing the posture of the wolf. This also conflicts with Michael of Worcester, Or, in pale a fox statant to sinister sable, maintaining in its mouth a squirrel purpure, and a mount sable. There is one CD for changing the mount to a bordure, but no difference between a fox and a wolf, and no difference for removing the maintained squirrel.

West, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Chequey Herald.

No documentation was presented and none was found that a heraldic title in period would have been drawn from field divisions or field treatments, rather than charges. Lacking such evidence, this title is not registerable.

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN PENDED UNTIL THE JULY 2004 LAUREL MEETING (OR AS NOTED)

ATENVELDT

Jens Sveinsson. Device. Argent, a merman proper crined sable maintaining in his sinister hand a torch sable enflamed azure and on a bordure engrailed vert three escallops argent.

The merman was blazoned as proper crined sable. A proper merman has light pinkish Caucasian skin, as noted in the Glossary of Terms table of "Conventional 'Proper' Colorings" under "mermaid". However, the merman in this submission is drawn with dark brown skin (and long black hair and a small black Van Dyke beard).

The LoI stated that "Further correspondence with the submitter has determined that he would really prefer the merman not to be a typical 'Caucasian' merman, but rather brown-skinned (like an Islander, East Indian or Native American, population groups that Western Europeans were aware)." The LoI also discussed whether or not a merman proper (with Caucasian skin) had adequate contrast with an argent field. The blazon and discussions on the LoI caused the commenting College to believe that the merman in this submission had light pinkish Caucasian skin, not dark brown skin. This submission has been pended for further research and commentary under the correct tinctures.

The Cover Letter for the December 2002 LoAR discussed humans with dark brown skin found in period heraldry, which is to say, Moors and some Saracens (which do not represent the "Islander, East Indian, or Native American" ethnic groups mentioned in the Letter of Intent). This merman does not have the short curly hair and clean shaven features of the heraldic Moor, so he cannot be blazoned as a Moorish merman. He does not have the headgear (turban, torse, or crown) of the heraldic Saracen, so he cannot be blazoned as a Saracenic merman. This Cover Letter also mentions the fact that the default Saracen proper is Caucasian, and while we do know that there were occasional proper dark-brown-skinned Saracens found in period heraldry, the SCA has not yet decided how to blazon them.

When discussing this pended submission, please address the following issues:

We are not ruling at this time on the issue of whether a Caucasian merman may be registered on an argent field, as that issue is not applicable to this submission.


Created at 2004-03-31T01:07:38