This name combines Old English and Middle English in a single name; this is one step from period practice. Because spelling of the byname, Pyper was undated, there was some question whether it could be combined with an Old English given name without introducing a second step from temporal disparity. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Pipe list William le Pype 1274, s.n. Pinn list John Pinn, Pynne 1211, and a host of other pi- to py- shifts in the 13th C. Pyper would be unremarkable in that century.
Her old name, Gwynhavyr of Heather Glen, is released.
Her previously registered device, Pean, a dove volant argent maintaining in its beak a heart gules, is released.
Please advise the submitter to draw the leaf slightly narrower.
Nice name!
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Irish. The documentation submitted shows Oitir as the Middle Irish Gaelic form of this name. However, Black, Surnames of Scotland, and Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, both show Mac Oitir as the Modern Irish form of this name. It is likely that this is also the Early Modern Irish form for this name. However, as we have no 15th C examples of this name, we cannot guarantee its authenticity.
This was originally registered in July 1984 as Gules, a dexter gauntlet fesswise proper holding a goblet Or. A conflict check was called against this device this month, and a visual check determined that its two charges are definitely co-primaries. We have reblazoned it to make that fact clear.
Please advise the submitter that using fewer checks on the field would improve the identifiability of the fox. Making the fox larger might also help.
Please advise the submitter to draw the charges larger.
Precedent on the given name, Brenna, set in 10/94 says, "Brenna is only marginally justifiable for the Classical Mediterranean area. Its use in an Anglo-Irish name as one of two given names becomes two steps beyond period practice..." Since that time, the name has been registered seven times without comment with non-Italian bynames, most recently in the registration of Brenna Bethan in February 2003. While lack of comment is not proof of opinion, this at least suggests that past Laurels have viewed this as an acceptable Italian name. Certainly, there is a significant pool of Italian names that are derived from Latin names, a pattern which Brenna follows. We note that this name mixes English and Italian in a single name, which is one step from period practice.
Kerry is the submitter's legal given name.
Please advise the submitter that while this is registerable, using fewer escallops would help with identifiability. In an orle of charges the typical number of charges ranges from eight to sixteen.
This name combines an Old Gaelic form of the given name with an Early Modern Irish Gaelic form of the byname; this is one step beyond period practice. A fully Early Modern Irish Gaelic form of this name is Teamhair inghean Pharthaláin.
The submitter requested authenticity for Manx language/culture. The question was raised whether Quilliam was a reasonable period Manx surname. Although no dated form of Quilliam was found, Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames says s.n. Qualter, "Manx names for MacWalter...Qualtrough 1430." Other Manx surnames names that follow this pattern are Quayle 1540 from MacFayle, Quine 1504 from Mac Cuinn, Quinnye 1429 from Mac Connaidh, Quyrke 1511 from Mac Cuirc. The evidence strongly suggests that Quilliam is a reasonable late period Manx surname.
The submitter justified this household name as a possible sign name, but provided no documentation for winds or four winds as objects depicted in period. However, Orle noted, "Winds are depicted on many early maps." Indeed, a web search revealed a large number of period maps showing various numbers of winds. Johannes Eschuidus's 1489 map of the world (http://www.henry-davis.com/MAPS/EMwebpages/201C.html) and Nicolas Germanus's 1420 world map both show fourteen winds; this seems to be the usual number for Ptolomeic maps of the world. In her article "Wind Diagrams and Medieval Cosmology" Barbara Orbrist says "..the four major winds also appear in the opposite role of guarantor of cosmic order, by being associated with the cardinal axes, the other winds being reduced to the subordinate position of potential troublemakers. Pictorial representations of winds constitute a main source of information on the view of winds as maintaining the stability of the cosmos..." (Speculum, Vol. 72, No. 1. (Jan., 1997), p 38). This seems sufficient to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that a depiction of Four Winds would be a reasonable and recognizable icon for a late period inn sign.
Submitted as Annibella Silver, no documentation was submitted and none found showing the submitted spelling in period. Nor is there evidence for a pattern of a->i spelling shifts in the middle of a name. Therefore, we have changed the name to Annabella Silver. Annabella is the Latin form of Annabel; the vernacular form is dated to 1327 in Withycombe.
Submitted on the Letter of Intent as a request for reblazon, this emblazon does NOT match the one that is registered. Therefore, what has been submitted is a change of device, and such an action requires the usual fee to be paid to Laurel. The Atenveldt submissions herald was notified of this. Having been promised that the payment is on its way, we are registering it.
Submitted as Caitlin O'Sullivan, Caitlin is a modern form of this name and, by precedent, not registerable:
Caitilín ni Killane. Submitted as Caitlín ni Killian, there were some issues with this name. No documentation was provided and none was found that the form Caitlín was used in period, though evidence was found of it as a modern name. We have changed the given name to the documented Early Modern Irish Gaelic (c. 1200 to c. 1700) form Caitilín in order to register this name. [Trimaris-A, LoAR 09/2003]
The submitter accepted major changes, so we have changed the name to Catyln O'Sullivan, which uses a form of the given name dated to 1441 in Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Catlin. This puts the name in a fully Anglicized form.
Submitted as Dimitri Biagi, the documentation submitted for the given name explicitly describes this as a modern Italian form. Loosely translated, de Felice says this about the name: "the form Dimitri is the Slavic form of Demetrio, it represents a name of foreign residents and is, above all, a recent name of fashion, exotic or of literary derivation particularly from Russian literature." Barring evidence of significant contact between Russia and Italy in period or evidence of the use of this form in period in Italy, the form Dimitri is not registerable as part of an Italian name. The spelling Demetrio is a saint's name found in Italy in period. Although there is no evidence that this particular saint's name entered the Italian naming pool, it is registerable as part of an Italian name. We have, therefore, changed this name to Demetrio Biagi.
Submitted as Dielle d'Irlande, the submitter suggested that the given name was a feminine form of the masculine name Diel. However, the submitted documentation showed that Diel was a surname derived separated from the original patronymic by several different forms. The name Diele is found as a German masculine given name in 1397 in Bahlow (s.n. Diehle). This was the closest period form of the submitted name we could find, and the submitter expressed no particular preference for gender. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames s.n. Ireland list de Irlande in 1200. We have changed the name to Diele de Irlande to match the available documentation. The name combines German and English, which is one step from period practice.
The only summarization of the documentation for the given name was that it appeared in a particular source; no documentation was included for the byname. By Laurel precedent, the College is not required to document name submissions where the documentation is not adequately summarized on the LoI. In this case, multiple members of the College provided documentation for these names. Because the College was willing to do this extra work, this lack of summarization will not be held against the submitter. Kingdom submissions heralds should be aware that inadequate summarization of supporting documentation has been and will continue to be a reason for return.
The cotising of a saltire nowy or saltire nowy quadrate is a step from period practice, but as that is the only "weirdness" present, this can be registered.
The cotising of a saltire nowy or saltire nowy quadrate is a step from period practice, but as that is the only "weirdness" present, this can be registered.
The question was raised whether the use of the surname MacQueen or its variants in an SCA name is presumptous. This precedent is directly relevent to this question:
[Registering Mark FitzRoy.] RfS VI.1. states that "Names documented to have been used in period may be used, even if they were derived from titles, provided there is no suggestion of territorial claim or explicit assertion of rank." FitzRoy meets that criteria. RfS VI.3. states that "Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered." There is no implication of "identity with or close relationship to" any protected individual or character as used here. Consequently, the surname here is not considered pretentious. [6/94, p.8]
In this case, the surname may be interpreted by English speakers as "son of the Queen", but that is because it is a phonetic rendering. The name in Gaelic is Mac Shuibhne, whose written form carries no hint of presumption.
Please advise the submitter to draw the ployé line of the pile with more pronounced curves.
Please advise the submitter to draw the griffins larger.
Submitted under the name Duncan MacKennie.
Submitted as Einarr Andersson, this name combined an Old Norse given name with a Swedish patronymic. The submitter requested authenticity for "language and/or culture," but no language and/or culture was specified on the form. An fully Swedish form was closest to the submitted form in appearance, so we have changed the name to Einar Andersson, a fully Swedish form. Both of these names are dated to the 14th C in Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn. A fully Old Norse form is Einarr Andreasson.
The submitter made a request for authenticity which was not summarized on the LoI. Therefore, the College's attention was focused on whether this name was registerable rather than authentic. In the future, failure to summarize requests for authenticity on the LoI will be cause to pend a name submission for further research. For more information, see the May Cover Letter. We note that the submitted form of the name is registerable, although not authentic. Einarr is dated to as late as 1340 in Lind, Norsk-isländska personbinamn från medeltiden, which makes the given name and the byname temporally compatible.
The hand was blazoned on the LoI as being simply in chief. This would put the hand in the center of the chief, as the field does not force it to either side. We have reblazoned the hand as in dexter chief to match its actual position on the emblazon.
Her previously registered device, Per chevron argent and gules, two hands couped sable and a foi throughout argent, is released.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Italian language/culture. There was some question of whether the name Alighieri was unique to the poet. Britannica Online's (search.eb.com) article "Dante" says, "the origins of his family in his great-great-grandfather, Cacciaguida, whom the reader meets in the central cantos of the Paradiso (and from whose wife the family name, Alighieri, derived)." Further research reveals that both Dante's father and grandfather were named Alighiero, and that neither line died with Dante. Therefore, this name is not unique to the poet.
The question was also raised of whether this name was used in the 15th C. A single instance of the patronymic, Alighieri, was found in "Florentine Renaissance Resources: Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532;" but we know this listing is a reference to Dante Alighieri who florished in the late 13th/early 14th C. The website http://www.italica.rai.it/principali/dante/iconografia/alberodante.swf, shows Dante's family tree. On this tree, the given names Alighiero and Alighiera appear in the 14th and 16th C, and the family name Alighieri appears in the 16th C. This strongly suggests that the name continued in use through the 15th C.
The submitter made a request for authenticity which was not summarized on the LoI. Therefore, the College's attention was focused on whether this name was registerable rather than authentic. Failure to summarize requests for authenticity on the LoI may result in a name being pended for further research. For more information, see the May 2004 Cover Letter.
His previously registered device, Gules, two pallets Or, overall a spear and an oar in saltire argent, is retained as a badge.
Listed on the LoI as Gregor of Eisenberg, the forms showed Gregor von Eisenberg. As von is an appropriate preposition in a German name for a German locative byname, we have returned this name to the originally submitted form.
Nice name!
The charges on the chief were blazoned as pots on the Letter of Intent. We have reblazoned them as cauldrons at Metron Ariston's suggestion "simply to ensure this depiction of the pots."
Submitted as Katherine 'Akka, the byname is an Arabic form of Acre, used as an unmarked locative. Unfortunately, Arabic does not form bynames using unmarked locatives. Therefore, we have changed the name to Katherine of Acre, which the submitter indicated was an acceptable alternative form.
Submitted under the name Katrina Petronÿa von Rosenberg.
The current Armorial and Ordinary list an INCORRECT registration date for this item. It is dated November 1977 but was actually registered in March 1978.
This armory was originally registered with the blazon Per pale azure and ermines, a great horned owl [Bubo virginianus] affronty, grasping in its dexter talon a scroll, argent, in dexter chief an estoile Or. To minimize confusion we are changing the blazon of the field to the more distinguishable (and current SCA-standard) term counter-ermine instead, and eliminating the Linnaean name for the bird. (Since the bird was not originally blazoned as proper, the use of the Linnaean term was already redundant.)
This name uses two given names with an Anglicized Irish byname; this is one step beyond period practice.
The submitter requested that the ravens be blazoned passant. However, that is a variant of close, while these birds are quite clearly rising (which is a CD away).
The submitter's previously registered device, Argent, a bear rampant to sinister gules and in chief two ravens passant to sinister, wings addorsed and inverted, sable, is released.
Submitted as Nathanial Urswick, no documentation was provided and none found for this spelling of the given name or for a regular ie to ia switch in English orthography. We have changed the given name to Nathaniel to match the submitted documentation.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the field division such that it comes closer to bisecting the area of the field.
Submitted as Számszeríjász Tibor, the submitter requested authenticity for Hungarian language/culture and accepted all changes. Our best evidence suggests that számszeríjász is not a period word for a crossbowman. Nebuly provides a summarization of the available documentation:
The submitted spelling appears to be modern. I cannot find any support for the use of Számszerijász as a byname. The word literally means "numerical bow/archer", but does not appear in Magay-Országh (one of the best Hungarian-English translating dictionaries) or in Kázmér. This may mean that it is an obscure term. The only period bynames I can find that would mean "archer" are Nyilas or Nylas (Kázmér, s.n. Nyilas) and Iwes or Ywes (ibid., s.n. Íjas). If the submitter allows, I recommend changing the byname to one of the documented forms, especially since we don't even know whether számszerijász is even a period term. The most authentic form would be Nyilas Tiborch.
The submitted documentation provided no dates for the given name, but Kázmér, Régi Magyar Családnevek Szótára: XIV-XVII Század, s.n. Tiborc) shows the form Tiborch, dated 1576. We have, therefore, changed the name to Nyilas Tiborch to comply with the submitter's request for authenticity.
Submitted under the name Philipp von Kellerwald.
Submitted under the name Phillip the Skeptic.
The crosses used in this device are identical in shape to that used in the submitter's badge, registered in November 2003: (Fieldless) A cross formy swallowtailed per pale gules and Or charged with a fleur-de-lys counterchanged. Thus we have used the same blazonry term to describe them.
Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, does not show a dated form of the byname Benn. However, Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, s.n. Benn, cites an Eliz. Benn in 1634, the gray area. This makes the element Benn registerable.
Submitted as Roland Richolf of the Rhine, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th C Germany/time period. Richolf is dated to 1293 (s.n. Richolf) in Brechenmacher, Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen. Bahlow, German Names, s.n. Roland has Rolant in 1260 and s.n. Reimann, Anshelm von dem Reyne in 1367. We have changed this name to Rolant Richolf von dem Reyne to partially comply with the submitter's request of authenticity.
Submitted as Salvatore Rocco de Napoli, we have changed the preposition to da, which is the preposition used for locative bynames in Italian.
The device is clear of Aron Rose of Nairn: Azure, a winged lion rampant, between its forepaws a rose Or. A visual inspection of Aron's armory shows that its rose is clearly a secondary charge. Therefore, there are two CDs, for type and tincture of the secondary charge.
Submitted as Sylvester the Black, the submitter requested authencity for Italian language/culture and accepted all changes. Aryanhwy ferch Catmeal, "Names from Arezzo, Italy, 1306-1528", has five instances of Silvestro. De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani, s.n. Neri lists lo Nero as an adjectival form meaning "the black." We have changed this name to Silvestro lo Nero to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
The submitter made a request for authenticity which was not summarized on the LoI. Therefore, the College's attention was focused on whether this name was registerable rather than authentic. In the future, failure to summarize requests for authenticity on the LoI will be cause to pend a name submission for further research. For more information, see the May 2004 Cover Letter.
As drawn, the spears are rather taller than the fox's head, and as such should be considered as co-primary with it. We have reblazoned the device accordingly.
This name combines an Old or Middle Irish given name with an Early Modern Irish byname; this is one step from period practice.
Please advise the submitter to draw the line of division higher.
Submitted as Tearlach mac Conchobair, the name uses the modern Gaelic given name. "Tearlach is a Modern Gaelic (c. 1700 to present) form of this name. Lacking evidence that it was used in Gaelic in period, it is not registerable." [Tearlach McIntosh, 05/2003 LoAR, R-Atenveldt]." The name also combines a modern Irish Gaelic given name with a Middle Irish Gaelic patronymic; even if the given name were registerable, a combination of a modern Irish name and a Middle Irish name is not registerable due to the temporal disparity between the parts. The Middle Irish Gaelic form Tairdelbach is dated to 1086 in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan's "Dated Names Found in Ó Corráin and Maguire's Irish Names." Therefore, we have changed this name to Tairdelbach mac Conchobair, a fully Middle Irish Gaelic form.
Submitted as Thomas MacManus of Skye, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th C time period and an unspecified (presumably Scottish) language/culture. Black, Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Thomas lists a Thomas filius Maldoneny in the mid-13th C. However, s.n. MacManus the earliest dated form is M'Manis in 1506. Johnston, The Place-names of Scotland, s.n. Skye dates the form Skey to 1292. We changed the name to Thomas M'Manis of Skey to partially comply with the submitter's authenticity request.
This is clear of Ioseph of Locksley, the Rhymer: Vert, a tree eradicated argent. There is one CD for changes to the field. There is another CD for type of tree between a willow vs. a generic tree per the following precedent: "There is a CD between a willow tree and a standard round shaped tree, just as there is a type CD between a pine tree and a standard round shaped tree..." [Aleyn More, Sep 2002, A-Caid]
Submitted as Wilhelus le Cassé, the summary documented le Cassé from Dauzet, Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et Prenoms de France and said it was "a locative byname, "a man from Cassé," a region in southwestern France." However, this isn't what Dauzat says. Instead, this appears to be a toponymic byname for a man who has oak trees growing on his property. Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des Noms de Famille also shows the forms Delcasse and Lecasse. Both Morlet and Dauzet also show a second derivation for the name Casse, a designator for a maker and seller of saucepans (<casserole> en anc.fr.; désigne le marchand de casseroles.) Larousse, Nouveau dictionnaire étymologique dates casse, meaning casserole to 1341. Therefore, we are changing this name to Wilhelus le Casse to match the form in Larousse.
His old name, Padraig Dillon of Liaththor, is released.
This name combines a Welsh given name with a Scots surname, which is one step from period practice.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C Venice. Both Caterina and Margarita are found in Arval Benicoeur's article "Fourteenth Century Venetian Names" as translations from Latin in Sally McKee, Wills from Late Medieval Venetian Crete 1312-1420. Some commenters noted that to make the name authentic, it would be necessary to drop one of the given names. Klapisch-Zuber, Christiane, Women, Family and Ritual in Renaissance Italy, notes, "Approximately 60% of the nine hundred children of Florentine bourgeois families studied by means of familial documentation bear a second given name in the period 1360-1530." Therefore, the double given name is authentic for her period.
The surname is registerable, but may not be authentic for 16th C Venice. The article "Florentine Renaissance Resources: Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532" shows the form della Rosa, but there is no evidence that it is a Venetian form. Furthermore, the article does not provide specific dates for names, so we do not know the dates the name occurs in the source material. A similar name Rosso is found in "Fourteenth Century Venetian Names", but according to de Felice, Dizionario dei Cognomi Italiani, Roso and Rosso are different names with different base derivations. Given this information we can say that this is a reasonable Italian name, but we cannot guarantee that is authentic for 16th C Venice.
Submitted as Eibhlín an Eich Gile, we have changed the name to Eibhlín an Eich Ghil. The form an Eich Ghil is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, whose orthography is Early Modern Irish, even when the events described are from before that period.
Please advise the submitter to draw the horse's rear legs straighter.
Submitted as Gwenllian Pengrych ferch Rhys, Welsh grammar requires that the descriptive bynames that start with the letter p must be lenited when used with a feminine given name. We have, therefore, lenited the byname, which changes the spelling to Gwenllian Bengrych ferch Rhys.
Submitted as Ian Cinnsealach, this name is two steps from period practice: it uses an SCA compatible name, and combines an Anglicized given name with a Gaelic byname. Since the submitter will accept major changes, we have changed the name to Iain Cinnsealach, Iain, itself an SCA compatible name, is a Gaelic form of Ian. This is the smallest possible change which will make the name registerable. A fully Anglicized form of this name would be Ian Kinselagh; Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Cinnsealach lists Kinselagh and Kinshellagh as late period Anglicized forms.
Submitted as Leofcwen Tinner, the submitter requested authenticity for 8th C English. As submitted, the name is two steps from period practice. First, it combines an Old English and Middle English. Second, the earliest dated spelling of the form Tinner or Tynner we could find was in the OED, in 1512. The submitted documentation shows the earliest dated form of Tinner as Tinnier in 1327. We have changed the byname to this form in order to make it registerable. As the College was unable to suggest a Middle English form of the given name, we cannot make this name authentic.
This name appeared on the LoI as Olaf Wolfbrandt, but a timely letter of correction noted that the submitter desired the form Olaf Wulfbrandt. The submitter also noted that he is more interested in having this form of his name registered than he is in his original request for authenticity for 13th C Germany. We have, therefore, changed the name to the submitter's desired form.
His old name, Óláfr Úlfbrandarson, is retained as an alternate name.
His previously registered device, Per saltire Or and sable, four Thor's hammers hafts to center counterchanged and in chief two fleurs-de-lys sable, is retained as a badge to be associated with his old (now alternate) name.
The ladybugs on this submission are placed head to tail. The question was raised if this was a blazonable arrangement. The following precedent is relevant:
In a charge group blazoned as An orle of [charges] in orle, the charges are arranged in orle and the postures of the charges tilt so that they follow each other. Thus, an orle of fish naiant would all be in the default naiant (fesswise) posture, but an orle of fish naiant in orle swim head to tail. [Olivia de Calais, 09/03, A-Ansteorra]
This concept is as applicable to charges in annulo as to charges in orle. We have thus used the superficially redundant blazon to indicate first the arrangement and second the relative postures of the charges.
Submitted as Talon mac Dubhagáin, this name combines a Welsh given name with a Gaelic patronymic; such a combination has been ruled unregisterable for several years. Metron Ariston suggested that Talon could be considered an English given name: "Reaney and Wilson (Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Tallon) show Henry Talon from 1160 and suggest that it is a patronymic derived from French Talon, a form of Old German Talo." However, the deriviation is a bit more specific. What Reaney and Wilson say is "Probably, as suggested by Dauzat for the French Talon a cas-régime of OG Talo." Dauzat says "représente généralement le nom simple talo, au cas régime" --"Usually represents the simple name Talo, in the objective case." As we only register given names in the nominative case (they way they would be recorded in a signature or list), and Talon represents the objective case in both French and English, these citations do not support Talon as an English or French given name. Therefore, Talon is only documented as a given name in Welsh.
Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Ó Dubhagain gives O Doogaine as a late 16th/early 17th C Anglicized form of this name. Welsh and Anglicized Gaelic combinations are registerable although a step from period practice, so we have changed the name to Talon MacDoogaine in order to register it.
The question was raised whether this name combination should be registerable under the grandfather clause. The grandfather clause says that a name or armory, once registered, cannot be unregistered even if rule changes make it unregisterable. The clause also allows continued registration of a name or armorial element as long as the new submission contains no rules violations not already present under the current rules in the currently registered name or armory. In this case, the registration of Talon mac Dubhagáin, a Welsh/Gaelic combination, introduces a violation not present in his primary name, Talon the Bastard, a Welsh/English combination. Had his primary name been a Welsh/Gaelic combination, then the submitted name would have been registerable under the grandfather clause because it had the same violation as the registered name.
His old name, Tancred Bras-de-Fer, is released.
Submitted as Wilhelm Wildemann mit den Hunden, the documentation showed the second byname in all lowercase. We have, therefore, changed this byname to mit den hunden to match the submitted documentation.
Originally registered under the blazon Vert, a lion rampant to sinister, between its paws a rose, all within an orle argent. Her device actually has a winged lion, and we have changed the blazon to reflect that.
The rune was originally blazoned on the Letter of Intent as simply a K-rune. However, the form of runes changes with place and time. The evidence presented indicates that this specific form of rune is local to early Norway, so we have adjusted the blazon such that the rune can be reconstructed with sufficient accuracy from the blazon.
His previously registered device, Argent, on a reremouse head to sinister sable a standing balance argent, a bordure sable, is released.
Her previously registered badge, Purpure, on a pile between four towers argent, a falcon, close and sinister facing, purpure, is released.
Submitted as Malichi von Uri, the submitter requested authenticity for Swiss. The given name Malichi was documented as a Biblical name used in England. We have changed it to Maleachi, the form found in Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible, to partially comply his request for authenticity. Although Biblical names are generally registerable, particular biblical names may not be authentic; for example, we do not know whether anyone was actually named Malachi or Maleachi in Germany or Switzerland prior to 1600. Therefore, we are unable to fully comply with the submitter's request for authenticity.
Please advise the submitter on the proper way to draw the center of a quarterly embattled field; the azure and argent quarters still need to come all together at a single point, even when the lines are embattled.
The question was raised whether Glen Rathlin was too close to Isle of Rathlin; the latter is a placename in the territory owned by this group. The Administrative Handbook section III.A.9 says " No name or device will be registered to a submitter if it is identical to a name or device used by the submitter for purposes of identification outside of a Society context." Glen and Isle are different in sound, appearance, and meaning. This would be sufficient to clear conflict between two SCA branch names, and we see no reason why the same standard would not apply here.
The branch's previously registered device, Barry wavy argent and azure, two dragons combattant gules maintaining between themselves a sword, all within a laurel wreath Or, is retained as Ancient Arms.
Submitted as Alastair Corum, no documentation was provided and none found that Corum is a medieval name. The submitter indicated by he would accept the byname Corran if Corum was not registerable; we have, therefore, made that change. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Corran date M'Corrin and Corrin in the Isle of Man in 1504, and Heather Rose Jones's article, "Manx Names in the Early 16th Century," has Mac Corran. Given this, the variant Corran seems reasonable.
Submitted as Bella Delmare, the byname was documented from the names list in the "Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532." This source lists names in all capital letters and eliminates spaces in name phrases. The usual documentary form of this byname is del Mare; we have changed the byname to this form.
Listed on the LoI as Calum O'Morain, the forms shows something between Calum Ó Moráin and Calum O'Moráin. We believe that the submitter intended to submit the former spelling, which is the Gaelic form of the name. The latter form mixes the Anglicized Gaelic particle O' with the Gaelic patronym Morain, names that mix two languages in a single name phrase are not registerable. We have, therefore, registered the name in the all Gaelic form.
It is not clear whether Calum is a period given name. However, Black, Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Gillecallum says, "G. Gille Caluim, 'servant of Calum,' i.e. Columba. A very popular personal name in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries." Based on this we have decided to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt.
This position of the wolf's teeth (issuant from base) is a step from period practice but is only a single "weirdness."
Submitted under the name Hiyama no Oniko.
Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure wider and with deeper embattlements.
This is clear of Harold of Pleasure, as reblazoned elsewhere on this LoAR: Gules, a dexter gauntlet fesswise proper holding a goblet Or. A possible conflict had been called against Harold because, under the old blazon, it was unclear whether the gauntlet was worth difference or not. A visual check of Harold's armory shows that the gauntlet and goblet are co-primaries, so there is a CD for number of primary charges and a CD for removing the secondary charges.
The submitter has a letter of permission to conflict with Elizabeth of Misty Highlands: Gules, a chalice Or and in chief two stirrups argent.
Submitted as Francesco Gaetano Greco de Edessa, the final byname elides to d'Edessa in Italian. We have made this change.
His old name, Francesco Gaetano Greco da Foresta Orientale, is released.
Submitted as Justina Elizabeth Vigilanté, the byname was documented from Fucilla, Our Italian Surnames. The problem with Fucilla is that there are few, if any, dates in this source. So, in most instances, it is not possible to tell simply from reading the entry in Fucilla if the name is period or not. In most cases, the same name may be found in other sources, in others, a pattern of similar names may be documented. In this case, no dated citations for this name were found. However, the Oxford English Dictionary dates the spelling vigilant as an adjective meaning "wakeful and watchful" to 1480. This seems a reasonable English descriptive byname, and has the sound and meaning desired by the submitter. We have changed the spelling to Justina Elizabeth Vigilant to match the form found in the OED.
Submitted as Lenairt Melcior Harmans, no documentation was provided and none found for the use of double given names in Dutch naming practice prior to 1600. Barring such documentation, Dutch names using double given names are not registerable. Because the submitter specifically allowed dropping the second given name, we have done this in order to register this name.
Listed on the LoI as Natal'ía Karaulova, the forms showed Natal'ia Karaulova. As Natal'ia is the documented spelling, we have changed the name back to the originally submitted form.
Please advise the submitter to draw the wavy line more boldly.
Submitted as Anne the Shy, this spelling of the byname is not found until after the mid 17th C. We have changed the spelling to Shey, a spelling dated to 1600 in the OED.
Although the epithet the Shy is far-fetched, it is not impossible. The OED's first citation is in 1000, "Riming Poem 43 (Gr.) Nu min hre{dh}er is hreoh heowsi{dh}um [read heofsi{dh}um] sceoh nydbys{dh}um neah". Talan Gwynek provides these translations and gloss:
Fairly literally, retaining the OE word order:
Now my heart/mind is troubled, of lamentable occurrences
shy, to troubles near; departs by night in flight what
before in day was dear/precious/excellent.More idiomatically:
Now my heart/mind is troubled, easily frightened by
lamentable occurrences, near to troubles; what before in
day was dear/precious/excellent flees by night.Notes:
<Hreþer> is both 'heart' and 'mind'; since I'm not trying for a poetic translation, I'll leave it as 'heart/mind'.
The word <hêofsîþ> is from a root <hêof-> seen in <hêof> 'wailing, mourning, grief' and <hêofan> 'to lament', and <sîð>, a word with many meanings: 'going, motion, journey, errand; departure, death; expedition, undertaking, enterprise; road, way; time, turn, occasion; conduct, way of life, manner; fate, destiny, experience, hap, fortune'. <Hêofsîþ> is glossed 'lamentable state' in Clark Hall & Meritt's OE dictionary, but in context something like 'lamentable occurrences' seems better.
<Scêoh> is glossed 'shy, timid' by CH&M; the OED s.v. <shy> usefully has exactly this line as its first citation for the obsolete sense 'easily frightened or startled'.
We find the word with the same meaning used by Shakespeare in Measure for Measure,"A shie fellow was the Duke." Given the long history of this word, we are inclined to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that it could have given rise to an epithet meaning "timid or easily frightened."
The given name was documented from Yonge, History of Christian Names, which has not been considered a trustworthy source since 1992, and Dunkling and Gosling, The New American Dictionary of Baby Names, which is also not reliable documentation for period names. If a submitter does not provide adequate documentation, submissions heralds should not be shy about finding and substituting better documentation, either on their own or from commentary provided by other heralds. Use of sources known to be unreliable as the sole documentation for a name is reason for return if none of the commenters provide better documentation. Fortunately, in this case Boke's article "16th C Gloucestershire Naming Practices" shows the spelling Bridget.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C Irish and accepted minor changes. The name is Anglicized Irish not Gaelic, but it is a reasonable 16th C Anglicized Irish name.
Please advise the submitter to draw fewer and larger ermine spots.
The submitted requested authenticity for Frisian language/culture. The given name appears to be a reasonable late period Frisian feminine given name; the submitter's documentation shows examples of the root Femme used in both Frisia and Holland, and has provide ample period examples of the dinimutive -ke in late period Frisia. No documentation was provided that Roas is a period Frisian spelling of this word, but given that it is a modern spelling of a very common period word (rose), we are willing to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt.
Submitted as Geoffrey of Wigmore, the submitter requested authenticity for 13th-14th C English language/culture. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surname cites a Roger de Wigmore in 1199. We have changed this name to Geoffrey de Wigmore to fulfill his request for authenticity.
The documentation summary cited web articles, but did not include the name of the author of these articles. When citing web articles, please include the name of the author. This not only makes it easier for the commenters to check the documentation, but it is also a professional courtesy to the author.
We received two letters from the submitter. While the first letter was worded as a heraldic will, the second was worded as an immediate transfer. Later correspondence with the transferor and transferee made it clear that this was to be an immediate transfer.
The submitter requested authenticity for an unspecified language/culture and time period. In such a case, we are reluctant to guess at what the submitter actually wants. The name is registerable as submitted; it is a likely Anglicization of an Old Norse name. If the submitter is interested in a fully Old Norse form of this name, we suggest Þorfinnr inn veiðimaðr. Both the given name and the byname of this form are found in Geirr Bassi Haraldson, The Old Norse Name.
The documentation for this name was not adequately summarized. The documentation for the given name was merely that the name occurred in a particular source. The summarization gave no dates, nor indicated what the source said about the name. No documentation was included for the byname. If a kingdom cannot find documentation for a particular name, the name should be returned in kingdom or the fact that no documentation could be found should be noted on the LoI with a plea for help to the College. In this case, the College provided the necessary documentation, but absent such work, such inadequate summarization and documentation is and continues to be reason for return.
Submitted as Cailean Dubh mac Eoin, the submitter requested authenticity for Scottish Gaelic. Cailean is a modern form of this name. According to Sharon Krossa's article, Scottish Gaelic Names, it is recorded in Scottish Gaelic sources in the 15th and 16th C as Cailin. We have changed the given name to this spelling to fufill the submitter's request for authenticity.
Nice name!
The question was raised whether this name conflicted with the character actor Michael Constantine of Room 222 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame. The concensus at the Known World Heraldic Symposium road show was that this actor is not important enough to protect.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the diagonal lines of division issuing from the corners.
Submitted as Ailleann ingen Fhiodhbhuidhe, the byname uses the Old and Middle Irish form of the patronymic particle with an Early Modern Irish Gaelic form of the patronymic itself. Therefore, we changed the particle to inghean to render the byname phrase fully in Early Modern Irish Gaelic.
The charges were blazoned on the Letter of Intent as crosses of ermine spots, but that would require the ermine spots to be conjoined by their tops, rather than have the bottoms pointing to center as is shown on the form. We have reblazoned the armory accordingly.
Please advise the submitter to draw the top of the pile inverted closer to the top of the shield.
Submitted as Fína ingen Chionaith, we have changed the spelling of the given name to Fíne to match the documentation. The patronymic mixes the Old and Middle Irish Gaelic patronymic particle, ingen, with an Early Modern Irish Gaelic spelling of the patronymic. We have changed the byname to ingen Chináeda, a fully Middle Irish Gaelic form of the patronymic.
His alternate name, Marcus Atticus Neapolitanus, is released.
Submitted as Meadhbh inghean Imchada uí Flaithbertaig, the submitter requested authenticity for Irish/Gaelic language/culture. As submitted, the name mixes an Early Modern Irish Gaelic form of the given name and patronymic patricle with Middle Irish Gaelic patronymics. We have changed the name to a fully Middle Irish Gaelic form, Medb ingen Imchada uí Fhlaithbertaig, in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
The heraldic title degree is changed from Pursuivant to Herald. Additional information about this change is contained in the cover letter.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the ram's head larger.
Submitted as Ameline Lambert le Fèvre, the submitter requested authenticity for 13th C French. There are a few names that seem to be of the form [given]+[unmarked patronymic]+[occupation] in Colm Dubh's "Index to the Given names in the 1292 Paris Census". Occupational bynames at this time are literal and agree in gender with the given name; le is the masculine article. The appropriate feminine article is la. Also, literal occupational bynames are usually written in all lowercase. While the concept of a female blacksmith in 13th C France seems unlikely, an appropriate 13th C form of this name is Ameline Lambert la fèvre. We have made that change to partially fulfill her request for authenticity.
Her previously registered device, Gules, a chevron inverted between a mullet and a bear passant Or, is released.
This name combines Welsh and Irish Gaelic in a single name; this is one step from period practice.
The submitter requested authenticity for Welsh/Irish. While there is evidence of occasional contact between Ireland and Wales in period, so far, the College has been unable to find evidence of Welsh names in an Irish context or vice versa. Because the submitter has not specified a preference for either language, we do not feel comfortable changing the name to either a fully Irish or a fully Welsh form. If the submitter is interested in a fully Irish form of this name, we suggest Seán mac Dubhghaill. The name Domhnall mac Dubhghaill appears year 1558 entry in the Annals of the Four Masters, while Séan appears in the same work several times during the 15th and 16th C.
According to the Weat Kingdom online order of precedence, the submitter was knighted on 3 January 2004, and is thus entitled to bear the orle of chain.
His previously registered device, Vert, a bear passant reguardant within a bordure embattled Or, is retained as a badge.
Submitted as Elizabeth de Beaucaire, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th-14th C French, and accepted only minor changes. Metron Ariston notes that the place known today as Beaucaire withstood a siege in 1216 during the Albigensian Crusade. Given this information, Daði Ðorfinson found this placename spelled Belcaire in La Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise, which says, in Provencal
E pueish si s'en fugit am son caval corant
A Belcaire, d'on era, on foron sei parant
We have changed the name to Elizabeth de Belcaire to partially comply with her request for authenticity.
The given name, Elizabeth, was documented as an English name; but there is no evidence that this is a native French form. The 13th C Old French translation of Guillame of Tyre's 11th C work, Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum, has the form Isabel; a 13th C French form of this name is Isabel de Belcaire.
A possible conflict was called with the Middle Kingdom's badge for the Order of the Dragon's Tooth: Or, on a pale vert three fangs palewise Or. If this submission were considered as Or, on a pale vert a pale argent charged with a peacock feather proper, so there is a single CD for aggregate changes to the tertiary charges, but under the alternate blazon the peacock feather would be a quaternary charge and thus not countable for difference.
Clarion and Owen led the argument that the above interpretation only applies to alternate blazons that could legally be registered. After consideration we agree in part. The following precedent is relevant:
There is a well-established rule that one cannot blazon one's way out of a conflict. As a general rule this is true, but it should not be taken to overrule period interpretation. For example, "Argent, a fess sable" could also be blazoned as "Sable, a chief and a base argent". We would not infer therefore that "Argent, on a fess sable three eagles argent" conflicts with "Sable, in fess three eagles argent" with only one CD for the removal of the peripheral charges. Not all possible blazons are equally plausible, and implausible blazons don't necessarily result in a conflict. [Apr 1998, Acc-Calontir, Brynhildr uppsaling Grimkelsdottir]
Reblazoning this submission as a pale charged with another pale charged with a feather would not be registerable (four layers). Since the unregisterable blazon is the only blazon under which the conflict exists, this is not a conflict.
We feel it necessary to point out that when comparing items for conflict, registered armory gets greater protection than the new item under consideration. Therefore, we may consider already registered armory under alternate blazons that may have been legal in the past but are not legal today. However, that circumstance does not apply here. (See this month's Cover Letter under "From Wreath: Alternate Blazons and Conflicts" for details.)
Submitted under the name Jaida al-Rakhshandra.
- Explicit littera accipendorum -
None.
None.
There are not enough indentations on the bordure. Eight indentations on a bordure looks too close to a mullet of eight points. This is especially true on a round shield shape but applies to other shield shapes as well. Thus identifiability is not sufficient, and there is a visual conflict with Paul of Sunriver (Azure, a compass-star Or). Were there half again as many indents, the close resemblance to a mullet would be greatly reduced, eliminating these problems.
There is too much overlap between the arrows and the knot. This violates our current standards for fieldless badges, according to the precedent cited by Black Pillar:
[(Fieldless) An annulet sable overall a dragon segreant argent] The dragon has a high degree of overlap with the underlying annulet, which is not acceptable style for fieldless badges. Moreover, an overall charge should extend significantly past the outlines of the underlying charge, which is not the case in this armory. [Alden Drake, 04/03, R-Ansteorra]
In this particular submission, the identifiability of all the charges is seriously compromised. It was difficult to tell whether the underlying knot was a Lacy or Bowen knot, and it is far more difficult to identify the arrows than it should be.
This name is an aural conflict with Duncan MacKinnon when both are pronounced properly. According to Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, the pronunciation of MacFhionghuine, the Gaelic form of MacKinnon, "The pronunciation, as I heard it in Argyleshire, would be represented by Mac Cionuin. Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names give the pronunciation of the Cion syllable in Cionaodh as "(k'un)." Curiously enough, Mac Cionnaodha is Gaelic version Black, Surnames of Scotland gives for MacKenna, of which MacKennie is a proposed spelling variant. Therefore, the two pronunciations differ only by a single sound--a soft consonent at the end of an unstressed syllable. This is too close for registration.
His device was registered under the holding name Duncan of Atenveldt.
This conflicts with Richard Ericksson, the Burgundian Norseman: Sable, on a bend cotised Or a castle palewise and a hurst of three pine trees palewise sable. There is only one CD, for the cumulative changes to the group of charges on the bend.
The line of division, or at least its bottommost point, is too high; the field division does not come close enough to bisecting the field. This is in accordance with precedent:
As a general rule, chevrons inverted issue from the sides of the shield. One might posit that it could be acceptable for a chevron inverted to issue from the chief corners of the field, because in some displays of armory using chevrons in period on a square form of display (a banner or a square quarter), the chevron issues from the bottom corners of the field. However, the chevrons in those period examples still effectively bisect the field. The chevron inverted in this submission is too high on the field to bisect the field. This is therefore not an acceptable depiction of a chevron inverted. [Erika Bjornsdottir, R-Trimaris, Apr 2003]
Likewise, per chevron inverted field divisions must also bisect the field, or at least come close. As drawn, the line of division on this emblazon is too high on the field to bisect the field, and is therefore not an acceptable depiction of a per chevron inverted division.
The name is returned for presumption against Harun al-Rashid. al-Jamal says it best:
Harun al-Rashid is arguably the very best-known medieval Arab [he was not "caliph of Persia", as the LoI states, and he did not live in Persia. He ruled the entire Muslim world at that time from Bagdad which, as we should all know by now, is in Iraq] after (and maybe even before) Muhammad in the West; more than Saladin, more than Baybars, more than 'Antar, people know the name Harun al-Rashid. That being the case, to attempt to register that name and clear it of conflict by the addition of a non-period, non-Arabic byname is simply being disingenuous. No one hearing the first two parts of the name is going to think of anyone other than the 'Abbasid caliph, so the problem is not conflict, but presumption.
Furthermore, the epithet "Toe Mangler" cannot be supported. To use an English epithet in an otherwise Arabic name, the epithet must be either a reasonable English descriptive byname or a translation of an Arabic descriptive byname. No evidence was provided and none found that "Toe Mangler" is either of these. Therefore, it is not registerable.
As for the device, there are two independent causes for return here. First, each "check" of the field has a small dot at its center. These were present on both the miniature and full-size emblazons. We cannot blazon these dots and do not know why they are there at all. The Letter of Intent does not mention them, so redrawing the field without the dots would solve this problem.
Second, the tertiary charges present a combination of identifiability problems and non-period style. As drawn, there is confusion about whether the four fleurs-de-lys form a cross of fleurs-de-lys. While they do not, it is very hard to tell, even from the full-size emblazon. Given that they do not form a cross, the charges on the fess give the appearance of "primary" and "secondary" tertiary charges groups on the fess. This has long been cause for return:
[... on a pale azure a salmon haurient embowed contourny in chief a compass star argent ...] It is not period style to have two different tertiary groups on the same underlying charge. The difference in scale between the salmon and the compass star makes the compass star appear to be in a subsidiary charge group to the salmon. There is precedent pertaining to this matter:
[returning A mullet Or charged with a fleur-de-lys florency between five daggers points outwards sable] None of the commenters could find a similar motif: a primary charged with a tertiary X and a group of five tertiary Y's. Barring documentation of such an arrangement of tertiary charges, we believe that the motif is not a period one and therefore unregistrable. [The submission was returned for this reason and for conflict.] (Esperanza Razzolini d'Asolo, 10/95 p. 15)
(The device was returned for this reason and for redrawing the laurel wreath.) [Oct 2001, Ret-Drachenwald, Uma, Shire of]
For the current submission, if the charges on the fess were instead on a field, they would be ...four fleurs-de-lys in cross, bases to center, between a pair of drinking horns, obviously a primary charge group between secondaries. Thus this example follows the above precedents. If, instead, the charges on the fess were drawn as a cross of fleurs-de-lys, bases to center, between a pair of drinking horns then there would be a single group of three charges on the fess, which would be registerable. (We would still have to check for conflict and other potential style problems with the redrawn armory.)
This name uses a double given name; one of the names is Czech and the other Hungarian. No documentation was provided and none found or use of double given names in either of these cultures. Without such evidence, a Czech or Hungarian name using two given names is not registerable. We would drop one of the given names in order to register this name, but the submitter will not accept major changes.
Her armory was registered under the holding name Katrina of Atenveldt.
This conflicts with Jean Teresa Violante of Heather and Arn: Purpure, on a heart Or a violet slipped and leaved proper. There is only one CD for cumulative changes to the tertiary charge.
In addition, the charge on the heart is not identifiable as a double-horned hennin. Questions were raised in commentary about its identifiability; as drawn it looks like an abstract geometric shape. While the submitter has provided ample pictorial evidence for double-horned hennins in period, all of the examples provided had curved bottoms, not straight as in the submitted drawing, and the bottoms all had a band of some sort of trim on them, a feature which greatly helps in identifying the object as headgear. Therefore, if a resubmission wishes to use a double-horned hennin, it needs to be identifiable as such solely from its appearance (to paraphrase RfS VII.7.a, Identification Requirement).
Crosses crosslet are not voidable, nor can they be fimbriated. (Any charge that may be voided may be fimbriated, and vice versa.) RfS VIII.3 states that "Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with simple geometric charges placed in the center of the design." Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme clarified this as Laurel:
We consider voiding to have the same visual weight as adding a tertiary charge --- i.e. Sable, a cross Or voided gules and Sable, a cross Or charged with another gules are interchangeable blazons, yielding the same emblazon. This view is supported by period heraldic treatises: e.g. Guillim's Display of Heraldrie, 1632, in discussing chevrons voided, says "if you say voided onely, it is ever understood that the field sheweth thorow the middle part of the charge voided. If the middle part of this chevron were of a different metall, colour, or furre from the Field, then should you Blazon it thus: A Chevron engrailed Or, surmounted of another, of such or such colour."
We can use the equivalence between voiding and adding tertiaries to determine when voiding is acceptable: if the voided charge can be reblazoned as On a [charge], another --- that is, if the inner line and the outer line of the voided charge are geometrically similar --- then it's simple enough to void.
For instance, in the illustrations below, figure A could equally well be blazoned a delf voided or a delf charged with a delf; either blazon is correct for that picture. Figures B and C, on the other hand, are definitely a griffin's head voided and a griffin's head charged with another, respectively; the emblazons are quite dissimilar, and the inner line of figure B is not the shape of a griffin's head. The delf voided, then, is acceptable, but the griffin's head voided is not.
By this guideline, mullets, hearts and triangles are all simple enough to be voided or fimbriated. This is only a rule of thumb, of course, not an ironclad law, but it helps us decide a thorny question, it's consistent with how we (and some period heralds) view voiding, and it eliminates the need to collect reams of case law. I shall be employing it henceforth. [Nov 1992, Cover Letter]
Some later precedents deal directly with the issue of voiding or fimbriating complex crosses:
[Returning (Fieldless) A cross botonny gules charged with a crescent argent] The weight of the commentary was that a cross botonny is not a simple enough primary charge for X.4.j.ii. to apply, and that this submission is indeed in conflict with Pilkington (Papworth, p. 652), Argent, on a cross botonny gules another of the first, with one CD for fieldlessness but nothing for the change to the type only of what is effectively the tertiary. [Dec 1993, Ret-Atlantia, Anton Tremayne]
[returning a Jerusalem cross fimbriated] It is Laurel's belief that a cross potent, the central cross in a cross of Jerusalem, falls into the same "too complex to fimbriate" category as roses and suns. Even were that not felt to be the case, however, the amount of fimbriation, of both the cross potent and the four surrounding crosses couped, is excessive and sufficient grounds for return in and of itself. [Dec 1995, Ret-Trimaris, Sebastian Blacke]
The typical implementation of Bruce's test for more than a decade has been informally called the "photoreduction test." Start with a picture of the charge and make a photocopy of it at 90% reduction. Cut the reduced copy out close to its outer edge all the way around. Now place it on top of the original picture. If the result looks like that charge voided, then that charge is voidable; otherwise it is not.
A cross crosslet does not pass the "photoreduction test," so voiding or fimbriating one violates RfS VIII.3.
The jester's hood violates the rule of tincture, specifically RfS VIII.2.b.iv: "Elements evenly divided into multiple parts of two different tinctures must have good contrast between their parts." Vert and gules do not have good contrast, and gyronny (even gyronny of six) is "multiple parts" since it is neither two parts nor quarterly nor per saltire (the exceptions defined in RfS VIII.2.b.iii).
The line of division, or at least its bottommost point, is too high; as drawn it does not come close enough to bisecting the area of the field. This is in accordance with precedent:
As a general rule, chevrons inverted issue from the sides of the shield. One might posit that it could be acceptable for a chevron inverted to issue from the chief corners of the field, because in some displays of armory using chevrons in period on a square form of display (a banner or a square quarter), the chevron issues from the bottom corners of the field. However, the chevrons in those period examples still effectively bisect the field. The chevron inverted in this submission is too high on the field to bisect the field. This is therefore not an acceptable depiction of a chevron inverted. [Erika Bjornsdottir, R-Trimaris, Apr 2003]
Likewise, per chevron inverted field divisions must also bisect the field, or at least come close. As drawn, the line of division on this emblazon is too high on the field to bisect the field, and is therefore not an acceptable depiction of a per chevron inverted division.
Please advise the submitter to draw the erasing of the bear's head more boldly in any resubmission using this charge.
According to current precedent, while charges that are also shapes of armorial display may be registered as fieldless badges when uncharged under certain other conditions, these same charges cannot be registered as fieldless badges when charged, since when charged they too closely resemble an independent display of armory. (This particular submission is effectively a display of "Or, [in fess] three martlets azure.") A billet fesswise is a shape of armorial display, and as such cannot be registered as a fieldless badge by itself when it is charged, as is the case here.
No evidence was submitted and none found that Kellerwald a period placename or that it was constructed according to period German place name or forest name patterns. Blaeu's Atlas, published in 1635, contains a map showing the area where the Nationalpark Kellerwald Ederseete is located. However, scanning the maps of Germany from Blaeu's Atlas revealed no placename Kellerwald in that area. Nor does this name match a pattern of forest names. A scan of these maps and of Brechenmacher, Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen shows forest names based on names of rivers that run through them (Spre waldt), forest names based on descriptions (Schwartzwald, Oderwaldt, Freywalde) and forest names based on local placenames (Thuninger Waldt, Gehrigswaldt. None were found combining occupation+wald or unmistakably surname+wald.
The occupational byname Keller is well-attested; Brechenmacher dates it to 1255 and 1280. We would drop the preposition von and the deuterotheme -wald leaving the occupational surname, but the submitter will not accept changes.
His armory was registered under the name Philipp of Mons Tonitrus.
The epithet, though the word was dated to the late 16th C, is far too late to have been used in this kind of epithetical formation. Furthermore, the byname is based on an abstract concept, a usage not generally found in English epithets. In 10/96, Laurel returned Aurelius the Arronious of Bikeleswade with these remarks, "Period nicknames tend to be straightforward and to use common words: Thynnewyt `thin [of] wit, stupid', le Wis `the wise', Badinteheved `bad in the head', le Wilfulle, le Proude `the proud', le Hardy `the courageous', le Sour, le Cursede, le Deuyle `the devil', Blaksoule `black-soul'. The learned erroneous simply doesn't belong in this company." The learned Skeptic is a similar stretch. The submitter may want to consider a byname based on a more concrete attribute.
His armory was registered under the holding name Phillip of Twin Moons.
As documented, this name uses three given names. At the end of period, double given names are occasionally found in England, but no evidence was provided nor any found for triple given names. An alternative interpretation is that the name consists of two given names, an unmarked matronymic and an inherited surname. Because Leah is not found in use in English names until the 17th C, this cannot be an inherited surname. Unfortunately, by the time double given names are found in England, literal matronymics had fallen out of use. Dropping one of the given names would resolve both of these issues, but the submitter will not accept major changes.
The device is being returned for non-period style. It has multiple weirdnesses or rarities: a charged bend bevilled, a bend bevilled (charged or not) between secondary charges, a complexity count of eight, and the use of pawprints. This is explained in the following precedents:
[Returning Gyronny of sixteen gules and argent, a windmill sable, a bordure vert bezanty] This device has multiple weirdnesses or rarities: a gyronny of sixteen with a central charge, a complexity count of eight, and identifiability problems with the primary charge. While none of these problems (with the possible exception of identifiability) would, by themselves, make the device returnable, the combination is fatal. [Jun 2000, Ret-Atlantia, Cadwan Galwiddoe of Redmarch]
[Returning Per chevron enhanced argent and sable, two pawprints and a wolf's head cabossed counterchanged for two weirdnesses] The paw prints are one weirdness... [Jul 1996, Ret-Atenveldt, Morgan Blaidd Du]
Even the documented per bend bevilled cannot, by Laurel precedent, be used with dissimilar charges. Legh, Accidences of Armory (1586), asserts that the field should not be charged at all. We have, as one step beyond period practice, allowed the field to be used with a single type of simple charge. The submitted device, however, would be at least two steps beyond period practice. [Béla Kós, 02/01, R-Outlands]
While none of these problems would, by itself, make the device returnable, the combination is not registerable.
This conflicts with Erin of Rencester: Purpure, a chevron rompu between two mullets and a dumbeg argent. There is a single CD for the change of type of the secondary charges.
Questions were raised in commentary about the tincture of the dog's collar. If the collar were of a contrasting tincture that had been inadvertently omitted from the blazon, that would yield a second CD for adding a tertiary charge. On the full-color emblazon, the collar is indeed argent, and as such it is effectively nothing more than an artistic variation of the argent head, worth no difference.
This conflicts with Allendale of the Evergreens: Argent, a pine tree proper. There is one CD for adding the charges to the primary group, but that is the only CD that be gained from such an addition.
The flowers/foils are not identifiable as drawn in this submission. While blazoned as quatrefoils, we have no evidence of quatrefoil petals being drawn with either "seeding" or multiple lobes. In addition, nobody was able to identify this as any particular type of flower. Therefore this must be redrawn either as a recognizable quatrefoil or some other identifiable flower; if this flower can be identified, documentation needs to be provided for its visual appearance and its being known in period.
Although Tselomudrenni was documented as constructed from a Russian word meaning "the chaste," no evidence was submitted and none found suggesting this byname was either used in Russia or followed a pattern of Russian descriptive bynames. We would drop this element, but the submitter would not accept major changes. Therefore, this name must be returned.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Russian language/culture. However, this was not noted on the LoI. Therefore, the College's attention was focused on whether this name was registerable rather than authentic. For more information, see the May cover letter. We note that Voron Gregor'ev is a fine 15th C Russian name.
The device violates RfS VIII.3 which states in part that "Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with simple geometric charges placed in the center of the design." This design forces the chevron to be abased, which moves it out of the center of the design; therefore it cannot be voided or fimbriated.
It might be possible to view the charge combination in question as five beehives in chevron inverted between two chevronels inverted. However, the use of such a design anywhere other than the center of the shield is too far from period style to be registered. Precedent disallows the use of an ordinary abased and cotised (between two of its diminutives):
[a bend abased and cotised argent] No documentation was presented for ordinaries which are both abased and cotised. Abased ordinaries are so rare in period armory that this treatment appears to be too far a departure from period heraldic style to be acceptable without documentation. [Arabella Mackinnon, 06/03, R-Ansteorra]
If we are not going to allow an <ordinary> between two <same ordinaries> all abased (a period way to blazon an <ordinary> cotised), then neither should we allow <anything> between two ordinaries, all abased, which is the situation with this submission.
The "maunch fracted" is not identifiable. While it has indeed been redrawn from the previous attempt, the "fracting" still yields the result of appearing to be "two slightly different styles of maunches addorsed rather than a single fracted charge" as noted on the previous return. At any distance the break looks like a straight line and not indented, so the indents obviously need to be drawn more boldly. Part of the identifiability problem also stems from the particular depiction of the maunch. The "shoulder" end of the maunch needs to be drawn to look more obviously like an end that attaches to the rest of the garment, and unmistakably NOT an end that a hand should come out of. If both of the above suggestions are applied successfully, the charge has a much better chance of looking like a single maunch torn in half rather than two maunches addorsed.
None.
This conflicts with Jumanah bint Nur al-Zarqa': Per bend Or and vert, a peacock in his pride argent. The only CD is for changing the field. (Jumanah's armory was registered in February 2004.)
None.
This violates RfS VIII.4, Obtrusive Modernity, and specifically VIII.4.b, Modern Insignia. VIII.4.b states "Overt allusions to modern insignia, trademarks, or common designs may not be registered." VIII.4 states that "'modern' is defined as anything outside the period of the Society." It was the overwhelming opinion of the College that this motif is too reminiscent of pirate designs featuring a skull above crossed items (typically bones or cutlasses) that go back only to the early 18th century. In particular (as noted by Palmer), John "Calico Jack" Rackham (hanged for a pirate in 1720) was reported to fly Sable, in pale a skull and a pair of cutlasses in saltire argent. Laurel precedent has held that "A name that, by its very presence, destroys any medieval ambience is not a name we should register." (Porsche Audi, August 1992, p.28) The same applies to armory, and designs such as this almost inevitably generate thoughts of post-period pirates, which likewise "destroy any medieval ambience". (We do not dispute the presence in period of those who practiced piracy or something closely akin to it. That is not the point.)
The charges here are not drawn such that they are "recognizable solely from their appearance" and thus must be returned for a redraw per RfS VII.7.a, Identification Requirement. The petals of a trillium should be significantly larger than the barbs; the wings need to be drawn in a form readily recognizable as wings.
This conflicts with Bran Davidson of Clan Chattan: Sable, a chevron ployé between two tabors and a boar's head couped Or, with one CD for the change of types of secondary charges. There is no CD between an ordinary and an ordinary ployé by precedent [pile vs. pile ployé]: "There is no CD between ployé and straight edges" [Rickard of Gwyntarian, 10/01, R-Middle].
It was claimed that the padlocks should be considered the primary charges, with the chevron as an overall charge, based on an idea found in an article by Levin (Pedro de Alcazar) found on the Laurel website. This article purports that certain families used bends overall for cadency steps; the extension to include chevrons was asserted by the submitter. However, the citation from Levin is irrelevant: this chevron is neither a bend, nor overall. Furthermore, to quote Siren: "Even if we were to accept the analysis of a chevron as an overall charge, having an overall charge makes a device ineligible for X.2. In addition, as the old armory [Bran's] has three types of charge [directly on the field], the conflict cannot be cleared through X.2." No matter how this armory is analyzed, X.2 does not apply and there remains only one CD for changing the type of the charges surrounding the chevron.
The primary charge is not recognizable as a winged trumpet, and must be redrawn to be readily identifiable as such. While the submitter has a similarly blazoned motif in already registered armory, the registered depiction is considerably more recognizable than the one in this submission.
Although the theme word Oni- is included in Solveig Thronderdottir's Name Construction in Medieval Japan, the theme is not dated to before 1600 in that work. No documentation was provided and none found that names using this theme are anything but modern. Barring such evidence, names constructed using this theme are not registerable.
His armory was registered under the name Dexter of Dragon's Aerie.
This violates RfS VIII.4, Obtrusive Modernity, and in specific VIII.4.b, Modern Insignia: "Overt allusions to modern insignia, trademarks, or common designs may not be registered." RfS VIII.4 states that "'modern' is defined as anything outside the period of the Society." While the use of letters and words is found in period armory, most if not all of the period examples we have found use the same case of letter for all the letters on a given design. The use of an uppercase 'H' with a lowercase 'e' is therefore jarring, and causes anyone familiar with modern chemical symbols to think of the element helium, whose symbol is indeed "He". Helium was discovered and named in the 19th century, well out of the period of the Society.
The submitted name, Sonja Ryzaja, was transcribed using the International Phonetic transcription system as described on p. ix of Wickenden, Dictionary of Period Russian Names. However, the submitter appears to have confused the transcription for the 8th character, {zv}--z-hachek, for that of the 9th character in the table, z. This transcription system gives Sonja Ry{zv}aja as the correct form of this name. We would change it to this form, but she will not accept any changes. Therefore, we are forced to return it.
The device conflicts with John Paul Blacklore: Gyronny of ten sable and Or, a lion rampant to sinister reguardant within an orle argent. There is one CD for the field, but the spots are part of the coloration of the naturalistic cat and not worth a CD. This follows existing precedent:
[Returning Per chevron ermine and sable, a lion's head erased argent] Conflict with the badge for Kasilda Kubasek, Gules, a natural leopard's head erased argent, spotted sable. There is a CD for the field but nothing for the forced change of position on the field. Nor is there a CD for markings on the head of Kasilda's leopard. [Feb 2000, Ret-Middle, Vladislav de Jaffa]
[Returning Per bend azure and vert, a winged Bengal tiger passant argent striped sable] Conflict with a badge for the Barony of Windmasters' Hill, A winged cat passant, forepaw extended, wings elevated and addorsed, argent and with a badge for Alain FitzWilliam l'Aileleon, Per pale Or and gules, a winged lion statant argent. There is not a CD for the addition of the stripes to the tiger, therefore there is only a single CD for the change or addition of the field. [Apr 2000, Ret-Meridies, Ceara inghean Leogháin]
[Returning Gules, a natural tiger couchant guardant contourny Or marked sable for multiple conflicts] There is no difference for changing the type of cat, or for the tincture change represented by the markings, which are less than half the charge. [Nov 2001, Ret-Meridies, Sheila Stuart]
This is clear of Arian Rose of Nairn, as reblazoned elwhere on this letter: Vert, a winged lion segreant to sinister, between its forepaws a rose, all within an orle argent. There is one CD for removing the wings from the lion, and one CD for removing the rose from the design. Arian's old blazon did not mention the wings on the lion, which led commentors to believe this was also a conflict.
The cat was blazoned on the Letter of Intent as a panther, which is a heraldic monster and not a feline beast. We have reblazoned it as a catamount instead.
No evidence was provided and none found that a name meaning "Gathering of the Nine Expectations" follows a pattern found in period Scottish placenames. The documentation cited examples of placenames using Aonach from Watson, The Celtic Placenames of Scotland; these examples include an t-Aonach "the fair", Blàr an Aonaich "plain of the fair", and Aonachán probably "little fair". None use an abstract emotional designation such as "of the Nine Expectations." According to Johnston, The Place-names of Scotland, Gaelic placenames are almost always simple descriptives, "the majority of Celtic names give either the simplest possible description of the site named, or describe some prominent feature, or else the colouring or appearance of it as it strikes the eye." This is an excellent maxim to keep in mind when forming Gaelic placenames.
We note that a number of pieces of documentation for the element Aonach were included with the submission but not summarized, including pages from Watson, and Darton The Dictionary of Scottish Placenames. It is unclear whether this documentation was provided by the submitters or found by the Middle Kingdom College. It is important that the College commenters know about documentation being sent to Laurel with any submission, particularly, as in this case, documentation relevant to the meaning and usage of part of this name.
This has an unregisterable low-contrast complex line of division: "...Finally, we no longer allow combining azure and sable with a complex line of division." (Sep 1997, Returns, Trimaris, Tymm Colbert le Gard) This is one of the combinations that has been held to violate RfS VIII.3, Armorial Identifiability, even without a charge overlying it.
This is being returned for several problems, each of which is by itself cause for return: conflict, coloration, and unidentifiability.
On the Letter of Intent this was blazoned as a phoenix... and in chief two escarbuncles. As drawn, the relative size of the charges makes them a single group of three primary charges. We have changed the blazon to reflect this. Under this interpretation, this conflicts with Desirata Dupré of Dragonsfire Tor: Purpure, three escarbuncles Or. The only CD is for the change to the bottommost charge of three (arranged two and one) on the field. (This is a reason for return all by itself.)
The field needs to use heraldic tinctures, which is not the case here. The tincture of the field on the full-color emblazon is neither purpure nor gules. The tincture problem appears to be a result of the use of color printing, color photocopying, or both. (This problem is in itself reason for return.)
The phoenix on the full-size emblazon has a great deal of internal detail. It is also extremely pixilated, and the combination of these two factors renders it unidentifiable. (Which is also in itself a cause for return.) Computer "clip art" is very convenient for many people to use, but care must be taken to ensure that the final picture remains identifiable. Items with a great deal of internal details are particularly troublesome when printed out on low resolution printers.
None.
This conflicts with Amba Ædhi: Per pale purpure and gules, on a pale argent a cornflower slipped and leaved sable. There is one CD for the field. But this depiction of a cornflower is not significantly different from a rose, nor do we give difference for slipping and leaving. So the only difference between the tertiary charges is for change in number (from one to three), which is not sufficient for a CD per RfS X.4.j.
This position of the head has been disallowed for any beasts except canines. 'While we allow wolves and foxes to be ululant, the head posture is an SCA invention. It is possible that had the head posture been introduced today we would not allow it. Allowing ululant wolves is a step beyond period practice; allowing anything but canines to use the position is two steps beyond period practice and therefore grounds for return' (LoAR December 2000, quoted on LoAR February 2002, p. 2)
This conflicts with Gunwaldt Gullbjørn: A bear passant regardant Or maintaining in his dexter forepaw a torch gules enflamed Or. There is a CD for fieldlessness, but nothing for the change of head posture or removal of the maintained charge.
Originally blazoned as a polar bear, there is no difference between this charge and the plain bear on her device. We have dropped "polar" from the blazon.
We do not register armory using "[all] three points": "Although all three 'points' are mentioned in heraldic tracts, in practice only the base one appears to have been used; and even in the tracts, the dexter and sinister points are described as abatements of honor, to be used separately, and not in conjunction." (LoAR April 1992 p.19)
In addition, this conflicts with Caelan O Ruairc: Per pale azure and sable, a wolf sejant ululant between three decrescents argent. There is one CD, for changing the type of secondary charges (crescents to points), but that is all. There is no CD between a fox and a wolf.
The engrailings on the chevron are too many and too small to be registerable. This was a resubmission of a device most recently returned by Laurel in June 2003. That return was for a redraw, citing identifiability problems with the ermine spots and asking for fewer and larger engrailings on the chevron. While the issue with the ermine spots appears to have been successfully addressed, the chevron on this emblazon is identical to the one returned in June 2003. Since the submitter did not address all the issues raised in the previous return, this must be returned as well.
We note that the 2003 return was itself a resubmission, having been returned by Laurel in 2002. That return was for coloration problems, but the engrailings on the 2002 chevron were significantly fewer and larger than those on the subsequent resubmissions. Replacing the chevron on the current submission with the 2002 chevron would fix the style problem with the chevron, barring introduction of other problems.
The byname al-Rakhshandra has several problems. First, the submitted documentation shows the spelling Rakhshanda not Rakhshandra. Second, Qazi, What's in a Muslim Name, the source for this name, lists it as an 'ism (given name). The submitter has attempted to turn it into a laqab (a type of epithet) by adding an al- in front of it , but Arabic names almost never form laqabs this way. Finally, no evidence was provided and none found that Rakshanda is a name found in period. This name is found only in Qazi, where it is shown as a modern name. Barring evidence that it is a period name, it cannot be registered.
The problems with this name illustrate the problems with using Qazi as a source: it is intended for use by those interested in forming a modern Muslim name, most of the names are undated, and at least some of the modern or undated names are unique to this source. While it may be a reasonable place to start name research, it is not a reasonable place to end it. At one time, it was a useful source because no better resources were available. However, this is no longer the case. Therefore, Qazi is longer be acceptable as adequate documentation or support for an SCA name.
His armory has been registered under the holding name Jaida of Golden Rivers
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
This was submitted on the Letter of Intent as Azure, on the crossbar of a tau cross throughout between two mullets argent, a rose gules between three ravens sable. However, the primary charge used here is not a tau cross throughout. That term was used in the blazon of the submitter's previously registered device, on which there is a significant amount of field showing above the top of the cross. What we have here instead is what Spanish heralds call a jefe-palo (literally "chief-pale"), which is found as a unitary charge in most parts of Southern Europe.
There was general agreement that we should register this if we can blazon it. The usual technique of "on a pale <stuff> and on a chief <otherstuff>" doesn't quite work here, as the rose overlies the junction of the chief and pale. This arrangement of primary and tertiary charges has not been registered before, and we are in search of a best practice for blazoning this device.
Research showed that almost every heraldic language has a specific term for the chief-and-pale combination charge except English and Dutch. We are therefore pending this item to get the input of the College on how best to blazon it.
The rose and ravens are of comparable size, so assuming that the chief-and-pale combination is a unitary charge, there is only one tertiary charge group on it. We have arranged the blazon accordingly.
The form was filled out incorrectly, claiming this device as new when it is actually a change. Because the change is being pended, the submitter will be contacted to determine the desired disposition of her previously registered device: Azure, on the crossbar of a tau cross throughout between two mullets argent, three ravens sable.
(This was item 9 on the East's LoI of February 29, 2004.)
Created at 2004-12-07T23:50:55