A key cross is a period charge found in the arms of Pisa. It is defined as a cross clechy pommety at the points.
Submitted as Angharad Banadaspus Drakenhefd, the name has several problems. According to Cassius Dio, Roman History, Banadaspus is the second king of the Iazyges, who fought against Marcus Antonius. The same passage describes how after the supplication of the Iazyges, fifty-five hundred of them were sent as troops to Britain. However, the submitted documentation does not show contact between the Welsh (or Wales) and this section of the Roman army; there is no reason to believe that an Iazygian name would appear as part of a Welsh name. Barring documentation showing substantial contact between these particular cultures, such a combination is not registerable. As the submitter will allow us to drop this element, we have done so in order to register the name.
Furthermore, the name Banadaspus dates to around 175 AD. This means that even if it were registerable as part of a Welsh name, the other elements would have to be documented from before 475 AD. As the element Drakenhefd was registered as a Middle English construction, this is impossible to do in this case.
Her old name, Angharad Drakenhefd o Fynydd Blaena, is released.
Her previous device, Argent, a natural panther passant sable between two bars purpure between three roses sable, is retained as a badge.
Her previous device, Gules, a boar rampant to sinister argent and in chief two suns Or, eclipsed sable, is released.
Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure wider.
This name combines English and German; this is one step from period practice. The submitter requested authenticity for 12th C. While both name elements are dated to the 12th C, it is highly unlikely they would have been used together in the same name since they are documented from different languages/cultures. As we know of no 12th C German equivalents to the given name, nor any 12th C English equivalents to the byname, we are unable to make this name authentic as requested.
Nice Dutch name!
The submitter has a letter of permission to conflict with Order of the Keystone from the Kingdom of Æthelmearc.
Submitted under the name Otger die Wilde.
Nice name!
This is not in conflict with the badge for Steffan the Scrivener, (Fieldless) A domestic cat sejant affronty sable sustaining in its mouth a quill pen Or, which is reblazoned elsewhere in this letter. There is a CD for fieldlessness and another for removing the sustained quill pen.
The submitter is a court baron and thus entitled to use a coronet.
There was some question whether this submission conflicted with the real world Clan MacAndrew. In July 2005, precedent noted that clans that "are not listed as major or armigerous clans in standard reference works on Scottish clans, such as the Scottish Clan Encyclopedia" are not generally worthy of protection. As no one found a listing for Clan MacAndrew in such a standard reference work, and because no evidence was presented that this was a major or armigerous clan, it is not considered worthy of protection for purposes of conflict/presumption.
Nice armory!
Submitted under the name Alexander of Tyre, that name was returned on the November 2005 LoAR.
Submitted as Bree McGavin, no documentation was submitted and none found for a name in either English or Irish spelled Bree. The documentation shows Bree as the phonetic spelling of the Middle Irish Brig or Early Modern Irish Brigh. Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names s.n. Brig, says that the name was born by 13 saints. Therefore, Brig and Brigh are registerable because they are the forms of the name of a saint. Early Modern Irish is temporally (if not linguistically) consistent with the Anglicized byname McGavin. We have changed the name to Brigh McGavin in order to register it. If the submitter is interested in a fully Irish version of this name, we suggest Brigh inghean an Ghobhann. The Annals of the Four Masters (found at www.ucc.ie/celt) has a Muirchertach Mac an Gobhann in 1341.
Submitted as Ceara mac Tag, the byname mac Tag was intended as a theoretical Anglicization of the name inghean Taidhg. This was based on the 16th C Anglicization O Tagan from the Irish Ó Tadhgain. However, the first syllable in the genitive Tadhgain has a different pronunciation from the genitive Taidgh, therefore, it is not reasonable to base an Anglicization of the second name on the pronunciation of the first. In addition, in such Anglicizations, the patronymic particle is usually capitalized. We have changed this to Ceara MacTagan in order to register it. O Tagan is a late period Anglicization of Ó Tadhgháin found in Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Ó Tadhgáin.
Nice badge!
Submitted as Geirríðr in víðfgrla, the documentation, Geirr Bassi Haraldsson, The Old Norse Name, shows the masculine form of the byname as inn víðf{o,}rla. We have changed the name to Geirríðr in víðf{o,}rla to match the documentation.
Registered in January 1984 with the blazon Azure, two natural tigers rampant addorsed argent, their tails entwined around a sword inverted proper, the sword is taller than the tigers making it a sustained charge. In order to ensure that the tigers are properly drawn, we have added the fact that they are marked sable.
Registered March 1980 with the blazon Gules, an ibex statant Or, its sinister fore-leg raised and entangled in the slide of a sackbut bendwise sinister, bell to base, argent, the ibex is a natural ibex, not a heraldic ibex. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion on ibexes.
This name mixes Swedish and Scots; this is one step from period practice. The submitter requested a name authentic for 14th C Scotland/Perth, but accepted only minor changes. Because of this, we are unable to change the language of the given name to make this name authentic. No evidence has been found for use of the letter k in the name Michael in Scots (the common tongue spoken in Perth in the 14th C). Forms of this name found in Black include Michael in Latin contexts in 1214 and 1307, and Michel(l) and Mechil (as a surname or part of a surname) in the 15th and 16th C. The Dictionary of the Scots Language (http://www.dsl.ac.uk) also lists Michel in 1400. The spelling of the locative, Perth, is consistent with 14th C Scots forms. Johnston, The Placenames of Scotland s.n. Perth, lists this spelling in 1210, while Black, The Surnames of Scotland s.n. Perth, lists a John de Perth in 1296, and a Thomas of Perth in 1339-40.If the submitter is interested in an authentic 14th C Scots name, we suggest Michel de Perth or Michel of Perth.
This is neither a heraldic rainbow nor a natural rainbow; however, it is grandfathered to the barony as it matches the rainbow on their arms.
This is neither a heraldic rainbow nor a natural rainbow; however, it is grandfathered to the barony as it matches the rainbow on their arms.
Submitted under the name William MacLeod the Moonstag, this device would have been returned for presumption under RfS XI.2 - Charge and Name Combination. The byname "the Moonstag" combined with increscent-roundel-decrescent combination, which is widely used by Wiccans and neo-pagans, and the stag's head creates too strong an association with the Lord of the Forest. However, as the problematic name element ("the Moonstag") is not registerable, this device may be registered under a holding name.
Classic armory!
Submitted under the name Kolfrosta Varinsdottír.
Her previous badge, (Fieldless) A swan rousant contourny gules maintaining in its beak a closing nail Or, is released.
Her previous device, Purpure, a stag's head caboshed and in base a double rose argent and purpure, is retained as a badge.
Good heraldry! Classic armory and well drawn.
Submitted as Annalies Gabriel, women's surnames in German almost always appear in either the feminine form or in the genitive case. We have changed the name to Annalies Gabriels, the genitive form, to correct the grammar.
Listed on the LoI as Avelina of the Woods, Golden Dolphin issued a timely letter of correction to change the name to Avelina of the Wood. We have made this change.
Submitted as Baldewin von Aaken, the submitter requested authenticity for 1230 Aachen. Aachen is a city in Northern Germany, so the Low German preposition van is appropriate for an authentic name at that place and time. We have changed the name to Baldewin van Aaken to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
Her previous device, Vert, on a bend wavy between two fleurs-de-lys Or an arrow inverted vert, is retained as a badge.
The submitter requested an authentic Gaelic name. The name Brigit is a saint's name, and therefore registerable, but it is not found as part of the general Gaelic naming pool. Given this, the name is certainly Gaelic, but is not authentic.
This name is not in conflict with Kyneth mac Ewen, registered August 1988, or with Coinneach MacIain, registered February 1994. While mac Eoghain and mac Ewen are identical in pronunciation, Kyneth and Cearnach are significantly different in appearance, and the difference in sound is sufficient (approximately KI-neth vs approximately KAHR-nahch) to prevent conflict. In the latter case, the given names, Cearnach and Coinneach are similar in appearance and sound, but the bynames mac Iain (pronounced approximately mac KAYNE) and mac Eoghain (pronounced mac KEW-in) are significantly different in sound and appearance.
This name mixes English and German; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Egill gullbj{o,}rn, gullbj{o,}rn is a constructed byname intended to mean "gold bear". However, no documentation was provided and none found to suggest that color + animal bynames are found in Old Norse:
Lacking solid evidence of a clear pattern of descriptive bynames of the form [color] + [animal] in Old Norse, there is no support for the submitted Hvithestr as a plausible descriptive byname in Old Norse [Kristin Hvithestr, 12/2003 LoAR, West-R]
However, Gullbjarnarson is a reasonable patronymic based on the given name Bj{o,}rn with a prepended byname Gull- "gold". As the submitter will accept major changes, we have changed the name to Egill Gullbjarnarson in order to register it.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the bordure narrower.
Submitted under the name Finnr beytill.
Submitted as Gormr Dómarson, the correct genitive form of the patronymic is Dómarsson. We have made this change to correct the grammar.
Submitted as Isolda of Crosthwaite, the submitter requested a name authentic for 12th C Northern England. At that time, the expected locative preposition is the Latin or Norman French de. We have registered the name as Isolda de Crosthwaite to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
His old name, Roch de Wythye, is released.
There was some question whether the spelling Gaspard was found in period. A search in Gallica (gallica.bnf.fr) found a facsimile of a book published in 1590 (MDXC), De l'Amour, whose author is, according to the original title page, Gaspard Paparin. This dates the spelling within period, but very late. In addition, the commenters were unable to find any other variants of Gaspard in use in France before the late 15th C. This makes it highly unlikely that the name would have evolved into a surname in France in our period (the equivalent Jasper is found in England as a surname in 1561, Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames s.n. Jasper). The submitter requested a name authentic for France, but allowed only minor changes. Given the late 16th C date for Gaspard as a given name in France, we cannot recommend its use as a surname or as a true patronymic in an authentic French name.
Submitted under the name Justi Ormstunga.
Submitted as Karin Taylor Cameron, precedent holds that double inherited surnames in Scots are unregisterable:
[Robert M'Ean of Kyle]. Submitted as Robert Kyle MacEoin, ...As submitted, the name has two problems. First, the use of double inherited surnames is unattested in Scots naming practice. However, names of the form "given+surname+of locative" are common in Scotland in the 16th C. Switching the order of the bynames and making Kyle a true locative solves this problem.[January, 2005]
Because Cameron is found as a placename, we can remedy the problem here by inserting a locative marker into the name. We have changed the name to Karin Taylor de Cameron in order to register it.
This name mixes Scots and Swedish; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Larisa Valke, the surname is German. Women's surnames in German almost always appear in either the feminine form or in the genitive case. We have changed the name to Larisa Valkes, the genitive form, to correct the grammar. This name combines Russian and German; this is one step from period practice.
Please advise the submitter to draw more frets.
Please advise the submitter to draw more frets.
Submitted as Château de Furneux, the submitter requested authenticity for an unspecified language and time period. As the substantive element is documented as Anglo-Norman and the designator is French, we will assume that the submitter wants a French form of this name appropriate to the forms of French used in England. There is an example of such a work, Liber Albus, compiled in 1419 and available at http://www.anglo-norman.net/xslt/texts/albus.xml. Liber Albus is a compilation of works, most of which were written sometime before 1320. This work has the word furneux (although not as a placename); this spelling is reasonably close to the 1293 spelling Furneus found in Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames s.n. Furneaux. The Liber Albus has the word Chastelle to refer to castles: de Chastelle de Wyndesore and le Chastelle Baynarde. Therefore, Chastelle de Furneaux would be a reasonable French form of this name as found in England in the 14th C. We have changed this name accordingly to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.
This is not in conflict with Ceolgar of Amberglen, Per fess wavy argent and azure, a drakkar sailing to sinister and four arrows fretted, counterchanged. Under RfS X.4 there is a CD for changing the type of primary charges and another for changing the number of primary charges from five to two.
Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure wider.
Her old name, Minna Rose Krupp, is released.
Submitted under the name Morgan ap Rhodri.
Nice Italian name!
Submitted as Wulfwyn Isabella Ælfwines dohtor, the submitter requested authenticity for 11th C England. As submitted, the name uses a double-given name in an Old English context, but we know of no examples of double-given names in Old English practices. Barring documentation for this practice, names in Old English contexts that use double-given names are not registerable. In addition, the name mixes Old and Middle English. Dropping the the Middle English given name both makes the name registerable and also authentic for Old English. We have done this and registered this name as Wulfwyn Ælfwines dohtor. If the submitter prefers the name Isabella, we note that Isabella Ælfwines dohtor is registerable, although the combination of Old and Middle English is a step from period practice.
Submitted as Anastasiia Wierga Ivanova, the w in Wierga and v in Ivanova represent the same letter in Cyrillic. When registering names not originally written in the Roman alphabet, we require a single transcription system to be used throughout. We have changed the name to Anasatasiia Vierga Ivanova; this represents the appropriate spelling under a consistent transcription system.
This name mixes English and Italian; this is one step from period practice.
There was some question whether the spelling Blase was reasonable for an English given name. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames s.n. Blaze, has a Blase Sawyter in 1555.
Submitted as Dananir al Attar, a feminine occupational byname in Arabic must be in the feminine form. We have changed the name to Dananir al-Attarah to correct the grammar.
This name mixes Old Norse and English, this is one step from period practice.
This does not conflict with the Barony of Windmasters' Hill's badge, Gules, a winged domestic cat salient to sinister and maintaining a sword palewise argent. There is a CD for adding the base. As precedent grants a CD between a heraldic panther and a cat, we will also grant a CD between a winged (heraldic) panther and a winged cat.
This is clear of William Montagu du Vert's badge, Paly Or and azure, a human head affronty argent, crined and bearded sable, the beard ornamented with bells Or. There is a CD for changes to the field and another for the tincture of the head, as the head in William's badge is half sable.
This is not a conflict with Jack Lalanne. Although Jack is a celebrity, his name is not so recognized by SCA members that it is intrusive to a majority of participants. In addition, he does not have his own entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Therefore, he is not important enough to protect.
Submitted as Kate{rv}ina Magdaléna Stoyanovna, the name mixes two Czech given name with a Russian patronymic. However, no documentation was provided and none found to suggest that double given names were used in Czech naming practices. The name can be made registerable, though. Nebuly notes:
However, the submitted name is not registerable with a double given name in Czech. Fortunately, all elements have equivalents in Russian, so the name can be registered as Katerina Magdalena Stoianovna. The name Katerina is dated to 1108 in Wickenden (s.n. Ekaterina), Magdalena is dated 1594 (ibid., q.v.), and Stoianov is c1495 (ibid., s.n. Stoian).
In accordance with these comments, we have changed the name to Katerina Magdalena Stoianovna, a fully Russian form, in order to register it. We are explicitly not addressing the question of whether names combining Czech and Russian are registerable at this time. We note that such a registration would require documentation of substantial contact between these two cultures.
While there is no heraldic difference between a polar bear and a brown bear, there is an artistic difference. As polar bears were known to Europeans in period, we have acceded to the submitter's desires and blazoned this as a polar bear. According to Mistress Gunnvor, the Viking Answer Lady, (http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/vik_pets.shtml):
The compound noun hvítabiôrn is the Old Norse word for "white bear" (polar bear), sometimes also called "ice bears". The very first polar bear was brought to Europe by Ingimund the Old as a gift to the king of Norway about A.D. 900; Isleif, the first bishop of Iceland, also brought one as a present to the German emperor about A.D. 1050. One of the most enjoyable tales from Old Norse literature both to read and tell aloud is the story of Auðunn and the Bear (Auðunar þáttr vestfirzka). This story recounts how a young man, Auðunn, captures a polar bear and takes it as a gift to the King of Denmark, thereby earning his fortune.
This is clear of Brynach MacCallum, Azure, in fess a needle Or sustained by a bear rampant argent vested in a fool's motley lozengy Or and gules, reblazoned elsewhere in this letter. Brynach's bear is clad head to foot in fool's motley - only the head and forepaws are argent. There is thus a CD for the tincture of the bear, in addition to the CD for adding the wolf's teeth. There is a third CD for removing the sustained needle.
Submitted as Matheus Fáelán Reyner, the name contains either a double given name or an unmarked patronymic. The second element is Gaelic, and there is no evidence for either practice in names using Gaelic forms. Therefore, we have dropped this element and registered this name as Matheus Reyner.
Submitted as Sáerlaith ingen mhic Néill, the name is Middle Irish. However, in Middle Irish, lenition is not written for the consonant m. We have changed the name to Sáerlaith ingen mic Néill to correct the grammar.
Registered in June 1992 and reblazoned in October 1992 as (Fieldless) A domestic cat sejant affronty sable holding in its mouth a quill pen Or, the quill pen is as large as the cat making it a sustained charge. We have reblazoned the badge to indicate this.
Registered in April 1990 with the blazon Sable, on a roundel erminois, a cat sejant affronty sable, maintaining in its mouth a quill argent, this device has been reblazoned several times, most recently in October 1992 as Sable, on a roundel erminois, a cat sejant affronty sable, holding in its mouth a quill pen argent. The term holding is ambiguous. The quill pen is much smaller than the cat, so it is a maintained charge. We have reblazoned the device to indicate this.
Please advise the submitter to draw the valknuts larger.
The posture of the bird is period, as found in the arms of the English College of Arms (1595) among others. See, for example, Woodcock & Robinson, Oxford Guide to Heraldry, plate 4.
The submitter is a viscountess and thus entitled to the coronet.
This is clear of Roxana of Shiraz, Azure, a natural ibex passant between three mullets of eight points argent, which is reblazoned elsewhere on this letter. There is a CD for the number of secondary charges and another for their type. There is a third CD for the difference between a natural ibex and a reindeer. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion on ibexes.
While several commenters argued that this was a crest and thus not registerable, Laurel has previous ruled that helms with crests are registerable:
[(Fieldless) A helm sable torsed mantled and maintaining as a crest a crescent Or] This badge was returned in kingdom on the grounds that it resembles a crest and precedent has indicated many times that the SCA does not register crests. However, a variety of period evidence located by the College of Arms and by Wreath staff suggests that a helm with mantling and a crest is not at all unreasonable as an heraldic charge.
Certainly, plain helms are found as charges in period heraldry. They can, for example, be found in the arms of Daubeney (St. George's Roll 1285), Compton and Hamby (Collins' Roll 1295), Helmshoven (Zurich Roll 1340), von Widlungen (Siebmacher 1605), and Robertoun (Pont's Manuscript 1624). In addition, Parker (p. 317 s.n. Helmet) mentions that helmets used as heraldic charges are sometimes found with plumes of feathers, a fact borne out by Papworth's blazon of the arms of Mynyot from Phili-pot's Ordinary (1406), Arg. three helmets with open visors adorned with plumes of feathers az, and by the arms of von Frese (Siebmacher p. 204), Azure, a helm affronty proper crested of three ostrich plumes argent. Period examples of helms crested of items other than feathers can be found in multiple examples from Siebmacher: von Helme (p. 205), Argent, a helm proper crested of five banners sable, die Schaden (p. 208), Azure, a helm affronty proper mantled Or and crested of three pennons gules, argent and Or, Kircheim (p. 243), Gules, a helm affronty proper mantled Or and crested of a pair of horns argent, Kirttorf (p. 243), Gules, a helm affronty proper mantled azure and crested of a pair of horns argent, and Niedenstein (p.244), Or, a helm affronty proper crested of a lion rampant gules between a pair of bull's horns sable. These examples, several of which include both crest and mantling, lead us to conclude that the submitted badge, despite the unattested addition of the torse, is acceptable style. [Klaus Rother von Schweinichen and Thaddeus von Orlamünde, 6/05, A-East]
As with most helms in heraldry, the Saxon helm faces to dexter by default.
The submitter expressed interest in a Scottish Gaelic name. However, this name is fully Scots (a language similar to English, spoken in the non-Gaelic regions of Scotland during the last 300 years of the SCA period.) The byname Moir appears appropriate as both a Scots and a Gaelic spelling. Black, The Surnames of Scotland s.n. Moir, shows the spelling Moyr in 1534, and the y-->i switch is well documented in Scots naming practices. If the submitter is interested in a fully Gaelic form of this name, we suggest Eoin Moir MacLeóid. The given names Eoin and Leód are both found in Krossa, "Scottish Gaelic Given Names"; the submitter documented the element Moir from Kross, "Scottish Gaelic Descriptive Bynames."
We wish to remind the College that a bend sinister embattled is embattled on the upper edge only. Thus this does not conflict with Philip Oneeye, Sable, on a bend sinister embattled argent, three crosses crosslet fitchy sable. There is a CD for the changes to the tertiary charges and another for the ordinary being embattled on both edges rather than on only the upper edge.
Submitted as Award of the Guidon De Sang, it is standard practice not to capitalize the preposition in constructions of this sort. We have, therefore, changed the name to Award of the Guidon de Sang.
Please advise the submitter to draw the roundels a little smaller so that they touch neither the bend nor the edge of the shield.
Submitted under the name Sven gunnolfr Ragnaldson, that name was returned on the June 2005 LoAR.
Submitted as Alesia Anna von Altmühl, no documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that the spelling Altmühl is found in period. However, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "German Names from Nürnberg, 1497", notes several modern places with the ending -mühl(e) found in period with the endings -mul and -mull. These pairs include Erichmühle/Ergmul, Gauchsmühle/Gauczmull, and Obermühle/Obernmul. This suggests that Altmul would be a reasonable period form for this name. We have changed the name to Alesia Anna von Altmul in order to register it.
Good armory.
Please advise the submitter that the charges should be drawn larger.
This is the defining instance of the block plane in SCA armory. It matches the block plane seen in Albrecht Durer 's Melencolia, 1514, as seen at http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/durer/melencol.jpg.html. The block plane is shown in profile, fesswise and with the handle to dexter by default.
Submitted as Alis ingen Ailín, both Alis and Ailín are Early Modern Irish spellings. This means that the Middle Irish feminine patronymic particle ingen is inappropriate in this name. We have substituted the appropriate Early Modern Irish particle and registered this name as Alis inghean Ailín.
The LoI misstated the source for the patronymic. Although it was listed as Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names, the source was actually Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames. In addition to this source, the patronymic is found in 1550 in The Annals of the Four Masters in the name Muiris Mac Ailín.
Submitted as Ælven Roeys, no documentation was submitted to support the spelling Ælven. This spelling was built from a combination of Old English and Middle English spellings--all ultimately derived from the Old English name Ælfwine. The use of the letter v requires that this be a Middle English variant as that letter is not found in Old English. However, we have found no variants of this name that use both the v and the Æ. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Alvin/Alven, have the surname variant Alvene in 1272; the header form Alven is consistent with this spelling. We have changed the name to Alven Roeys in order to register it.
The submitted documentation was not summarized on the Letter of Intent. Had the commenters not provided sufficient information about this name for registration, we would have been forced to return it.
His old name, Alwin de Roye, is released.
The submitter requested an authentic Spanish name. While the name is registerable as submitted, the order of the names is unusual. Siren explains:
The problem with this name isn't the number of elements (three element surnames are found, and even four-element ones, though the latter is about as unlikely for a person of our rank as those three given names), but the order of these surnames. Basically there are two ways to "construct" a three or more element surname: to add locatives to a "list" or to compound surnames using <y> 'and'. So, I'd say that this needs to be either <Castillo y Suarez de Sevilla> or <Saurez del Castillo y de Sevilla> (or something equivalent).
As the changes suggested by Siren are major changes disallowed by the submitter, we are unable to change this name to make it authentic as the submitter requested.
Submitted as Anne Descôtes, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th-13th C France but accepted minor changes only. On this month's Cover Letter, the use of the circumflex diacritical mark in French words that cannot be shown to have used this mark in period was declared unregisterable. In this case Descôtes is a variant of Descostes; we have substituted the latter spelling in order to register the name. While the byname appears in a work whose header forms are generally accepted as consistent with period, we do not have actual dates for the byname. Lacking dates, we cannot say whether this name is authentic.
The summarization of this name was not adequate. The summarization for the given name notes that the submitter did not include documentation. When this happens, there are only three reasonable actions for a submissions herald to take: return the name for lack of documentation, document the name yourself, or failing being able to find documentation, ask the College for help in documenting it. It is never appropriate to simply note that there is no documentation for an element. In addition, the summary for the byname said only that a name appeared on a particular page of a particular book. It is not enough to say this; you must also say what a book has to say about a name, and, if as is the case here, the source is in a language other than English, provide a translation of cited material. Had the commenters not filled in the blanks here, we would have been forced to return this name.
Please advise the submitter to draw the waves deeper.
Submitted as Bjorn Blundr Tómasson, the submitter requested authenticity for 9th C Norse. The documentation shows the given name as Bj{o,}rn. In addition, precedent holds that descriptive bynames in Old Norse should be in all lowercase. We have changed the name to Bj{o,}rn blundr Tómasson to match the documentation and comply with his request for authenticity.
This name uses a matronymic as part of an Early Modern Irish name; this is one step from period practice. Both elements are Early Modern Irish forms of saints names. By precedent Irish saint's names that are found in use only on their Middle Irish form are also registerable without penalty in their Early Modern Irish form. Had either name element been Middle Irish, this name would have been unregisterable; by precedent, Gaelic matronymics are only registerable as part of Early Modern Irish names because their use has only been found in Early Modern Irish names.
The summarization of the documentation for this name was inadequate; it included only the source and the page number. In this case, the source was Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names. The registerability of this name depended on several pieces of information available in this source: the gender of the name elements, whether they were Middle Irish or Early Modern Irish, and whether or not these were saint's names. Had the commenters not provided the missing information, we would have been forced to return this name.
When citing names from non-English sources, it is important to provide a translation of the relevant information from the source. Although the translations are significantly less than perfect, even a computer-generated translation will provide the gist of what's going on in most non-English sources. Free machine translation is available at http://babelfish.altavista.com or http://www.babblefish.com/babblefish/language_webt.htm.
The summarization of the documentation was not adequate. The given name was summarized with only a source and a page number; the summary says nothing about what the source has to say about the name. As the source is Withycombe, The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, summarizing the information about the entry is important as not all names in this work are found in period. For the byname, no documentation at all was provided. It is a submissions herald's duty to find and supply missing documentation where possible. This includes asking for help from various experts or mailing lists. If documentation cannot be found, then a name should be returned in kingdom or else the LoI should include a request for help in locating appropriate documentation. Had the commenters not supplied the missing information, we would have been forced to return this name.
Listed on the LoI as Esperanza Lucero de Novarra, the forms show Esperanza Lucero de Navarra. We have changed the name to the spelling shown on the form.
Her old name, Ása bjarki Bjarnadóttir, is retained as an alternate name.
Please advise the submitter to draw the anchors larger and somewhat further apart.
This does not conflict with Godfried of Frisia, Azure, two natural tigers rampant addorsed argent marked sable, their tails entwined around and sustaining a sword inverted proper, which is reblazoned elsewhere on this letter. There is a CD for removing the sword and another for adding the anchors.
Submitted under the name Nonie Wlfraven.
Blazoned on the LoI as Per pale purpure and vert, a cameleopard proper between three stumps eradicated Or, there is no proper tincture defined for a camelopard. Enough commenters noted that they conflict checked under the correct tinctures (Or marked sable) that this may be registered rather than pended.
The summarization of the documentation for this name included source, page number, citations of period spellings, and the dates when these spellings were found. This is exactly what we look for in a summarization. Good job!
This is not considered marshalled arms under RfS XI.3 due to the wavy per fess line.
Submitted as Ricard Lemarigner, the documentation, Morlet, Dictionnaire Etymologique de Noms de Famille, shows the byname as Lemarignier. We have made this change to match the documentation.
The summarization of the documentation for this name was inadequate. It consisted only of the name of the work from which the name was documented and the entry/page number. For name dictionaries such as Morlet, where some names are explicitly modern, it is important to summarize what the work says about the name. Had the commenters not provided the missing information, we would have been forced to return this name.
Nice armory!
The issue was raised if lions could be jessant of anything other than a fleur-de-lys. In April 1999 Laurel ruled when returning Francesca Da Trani's badge:
[Sable, a lion's head cabossed Or transfixed by a pomegranate gules, slipped and leaved vert] This is being returned for style. It is two steps removed from any attested period practice. The charge is essentially a lion's head jessant-de-pomegranate. This is unattested, but not by itself cause for return. In considering the submission of Eudoxia d'Antioche with an owl's head jessant-de-lys in March 1996 Laurel wrote "There was ... some concern that we here we are getting too far from period practice. (Period practice being leopard's head jessant-de-lys; one step from period practice being other beast's heads; and two steps from period practice being other types of heads, including birds' heads.) Given that we have in recent years a number of different types of heads (including humanoid) jessant of items other than a fleur-de-lys (including a complex cross), Laurel does not feel that this submission is so far from SCA practice as warrant a return on that ground." The second problem is that the pomegranate here is entirely on the lion's head, not overlapping as does a true jessant treatment. This makes the submission two steps removed from period practice, which is cause for return.
The pomegranate in this submission overlaps the head, though it would be better if the stem extended further, and thus is registerable -- although it is one step from period practice.
Listed on the LoI as Algar Irehande, the documentation showed the byname was intended as Irenhande. We have made this change to match the documentation.
Listed on the LoI as Algar Irehande, the forms showed Alfgar the Ironhand of Lincoln. No mention of the fact that the name was changed nor of why it was changed was made on the LoI. However, consultation with the client revealed that the change had been made with his approval. Normally, we would pend this submission to allow further commentary from the College. However, since the submitter was very definite that he wanted and approved this change, and since the changed form is registerable, we will not pend the item in this case. In future, whether or not to pend items when changes are not mentioned on the LoI will be made on a case by case basis. In general, such items will be pended.
Registered in August 1979 with the blazon Azure, on a pile Or in chief a sun gules, the sun is not in chief but drawn to fill the pile.
Submitted as Sofia Tyzes, the submitter request authenticity for 16th C Hungarian language/culture. The byname, Tyzes, is documented in this spelling to 1389 and 1614 in Kázmér, Régi Magyar Családnevek Szótára: XIV-XVII Század s.n. Tüzes. Sofia is a 16th C Hungarian form of this given name; however, by precedent, Hungarian names in their Hungarian forms are registered in the order byname+given name. We have changed the name to Tyzes Sofia to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity. If the submitted prefers the order given + byname, it would be necessary to put the given name into its Latin form. We would expect this name to be recorded as Tyzes Sofia in Hungarian contexts and as Sophia Tyzes in Latin contexts.
We note that the submitter made a request for authenticity that was not summarized on the LoI. Had the commenters not addressed authenticity for this name in their commentary, we would have been forced to pend it for research toward fulfilling that request.
Submitted as Aine inghean Cormac, Gaelic grammar requires two changes to the patronymic. First, the letter c lenites when used to form a patronymic for a woman. Second, the patronymic needs to be in the genitive case; as submitted the patronymic is in the nominative case. We have changed the name to Aine inghean Chormaic to correct the grammar.
Please advise the submitter that the chevron should be drawn wider.
The name Vadász Annoka was submitted via Atlantia on their September 27 Letter of Intent. These names are essentially the same name; Vadász Annoka is the fully Hungarian form while Annaka Vadas is the Latinized form. When two conflicting names are considered in the same month, there are several procedures in place to determine which one should be registered. If the names have a difference of a syllable (the minimum required by the Rules for Submission for a registered name not to conflict with the owner's legal name), then we will attempt to contact the submitters and have them submit mutual letters of permission to conflict. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Therefore, the "tiebreaking" rules go into effect. First, membership is checked; in this case if one submitter is a member of SCA, Inc and the other is not, then the member gets preference. However, in this case, both submitters are currently members of SCA, Inc and were members at the times the submissions were made. The second tiebreaker is the date on the Letter of Intent. Unfortunately, both Atlantia letter and the Outlands letter were dated September 27, 2005. In this case, we fall back on the submission date written on the forms. The Outlands form shows a submission date of July 20, 2005, while the Atlantian form shows August 14, 2005. Therefore, preference must go to the earlier dated submission.
Submitted as Caoilfhionn inghean ui Sheanain, the given name was documented from Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames. Given names found in this book are generally in their Modern Gaelic forms; that is the case with Caoilfhionn. Barring documentation that this spelling is found in period, it is not registerable. Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names give Cáelfind/Cáelainn as Middle Irish forms (900-1200), and Caoilinn as the Early Modern Irish form (1200-1700) of this name. Although we have no evidence that this name was used during the Early Modern Irish period, the source describes it as a saint's name. This means that, by precedent, the Early Modern Irish form of the name is registerable even though we have no evidence it was actually used. We have changed the name to Caoilinn inghean ui Sheanain in order to register it.
The submitter requested an authentic 14th C Irish name. We have no evidence that the saint's name was still in use in the 14th C; therefore we are unable to make this name authentic as requested. However, the form registered is a fully Early Modern Irish form, so the spelling is correct for 14th C.
The submitter indicated that, if the name needed to be changed to be registerable, he was most interested in the meaning of the byname which he defined as "male duck". Please inform that submitter that Drakere does not mean "male duck". According to Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Drake, Drakere is a metonymic for Draker 'standard-bearer'. Reaney and Wilson do say that the surname Drake may also be from the ME drake 'male duck.'
This name mixes French and German; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Elzebeth Bluscichof, the descriptive byname needs to be in either the feminine form or the genitive case. We have changed the name to Elzebeth Bluscichofin, a feminine form, to correct the grammar. Other alternatives would be Bluscichofyn (another feminine spelling), or the genitive forms Bluscichofen or Bluscichofs.
Nicely drawn dolphin. Please advise the submitter to draw the cotises wider.
Nice name!
This was accidentally left off the December 2005 LoAR.
Her old name, Ceolwen æt Axanbrycge, is retained as an alternate name.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C Italian. While no documentation was submitted showing Tagliaferro in the 16th C, this spelling is appropriate for that time.
Her previous device, Argent, a strawberry gules leaved vert seeded Or and on a chief gules three cloves Or, is released.
This name mixes Gaelic and Scots; this is one step from period practice. If the submitter is interested in a fully Scots version of this name, we suggest Murdoch MacGregor; Black, The Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Murdoch, dates the execution of Murdoch, second duke of Albany, to 1425. If the submitter is interested in a fully Gaelic version, we suggest Muiredach mac Grigair; Grigair is found as both the nominative and genitive form of this name in Sharon Krossa, "Scottish Gaelic Given Names."
Blazoned on the LoI as a wine press, the primary charge is identical to that on his registered device. We have therefore retained that blazon here, blazoning it as a cider press.
While the LoI neglected to mention the fact, the submitter was granted an augmentation of arms in March 2002.
This name mixes English and Gaelic; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Thyræ Úlfr, precedent requires that Old Norse bynames be written in all lowercase. We have changed the name to Thyræ úlfr in order to register it.
Nice name!
Please advise the submitter to draw the fess with more and deeper waves.
There was some question whether this title was currently in use by the British College of Arms. The website for the College, www.college-of-arms.gov.uk, does not list this as a current title.
Branwyn is the submitter's legal given name. FitzRoberts is the registered byname of her mother and is, therefore, registerable to her under the grandfather clause.
Please advise the submitter on how to correctly draw heraldic roses. In addition, some internal detailing would aid in the identification of the roses.
Registered January 1984 with the blazon Azure, an ibex passant between three mullets of eight points argent, the ibex is a natural ibex, not a heraldic ibex. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion on ibexes.
The byname de la Bere is registered to her husband, Stephen de la Bere, and is, therefore, grandfathered to her.
The submitter has a letter of permission to conflict with Stephen de la Bere's device, Vert, a bear passant and on a point pointed argent two roundels in fess azure.
- Explicit littera accipendorum -
This device is returned for conflict with Ingerith Ryzka, Per chevron ployé azure and Or, two compass stars Or and a double-bitted axe gules, with a single CD for changes to the bottommost charge. There is not a CD between mullets of eight points and compass stars, nor is any difference granted between per chevron ployé and per chevron. While the bottommost charge differs in type and tincture, the Glossary of Terms (q.v. Half) notes: "The bottommost of three charges arranged two and one, either alone on the field or surrounding a central ordinary such as a fess or chevron, is defined as half of that charge group. However, no more than one difference may be obtained by making changes to that bottommost charge."
This is an aural conflict with the English writer and satirist of the 19th C, Oscar Wilde. While the commenters were divided about whether or not this was actually an aural conflict, there were an overwhelming number of comments noting the possibility of conflict. The article is unstressed and the bynames are identical. The difference in the given name is in the two middle consonant -tg- versus -sc-; while -t and -s are formed in different parts of the mouth, -c and -g are not. This means the most folks pronounce Otger as a lisped variant of Oscar.
Why is Oscar Wilde important enough to protect? While he did not flourish in period, he is generally recognized as one of the great (and certainly one of the most notorious) English playwrights and authors. He was a driving force in the pre-Raphaelite movement which is largely responsible for the popularity of Arthurian ideals and literature in the modern era, his plays and writings are familiar to many modern readers, and the plays are regularly performed by both amateur and professional theaters, studied in high schools and universities, and even appear on a semi-regular basis as films. In a large number of works of modern historical fiction based in Victorian London, he is a popular character. He is important enough and his name recognizable enough to protect.
His armory has been registered under the holding name Otger of Aquaterra.
The submitter requested that this device be withdrawn from consideration.
No documentation was submitted and none found to show that a word combining moon and stag forms a meaningful descriptive byname in English or follows known patterns for forming English bynames. As Orle notes, "The elements may be documented to period but the combined byname is nonsense. I can document Star and Ship to period but that doesn't make Starship a period name." We would drop the offending element, but the name William MacLeod is an aural conflict with Uilleam MacLeòid, registered Jan 1997.
His armory has been registered under the holding name William of Mons Tonitrus.
This device is returned for redraw. The overlap between the black crosses and the black eagle blurs the outline of the eagle to such an extent that it is not recognizable. The use of strewn charges of the same tincture as the primary charge is allowable, but they should be drawn in such a way as to minimize the overlap of the charges.
The byname, beytill--"horse-penis" or "banger/pounder"--is offensive per RfS IV.1 which says "Pornographic or scatological terms will not be registered. Obscene terminology, sexually explicit material, bathroom or toilet humor, etc. are considered inherently offensive by a large segment of the Society and general population." There is some merit to the argument that beytill is a species of plant that resembles a horse's member, including the definition in Richard Cleasby's, An Icelandic English Dictionary. However, two other reasonably scholarly sources give it the meanings listed above, Haraldsson, The Old Norse Name, and Finnur Jónsson: "Tilnavnene i den islandske Oldlitteratur" in Aarbøger for nordisk oldkyndighed og historie 1907 vol. 22.
Some commenters argued that, because the name was in a language that few SCA members understand, the sexual reference would go unnoticed and hence the name would not be offensive. This argument carries some weight. However, the rule does not make exceptions for "offensive terms in the SCA lingua anglica". We apply the same rules to non-English languages for documentation, construction, and grammar; we must, therefore, apply the same standards in matters of offensive. The rule doesn't say that the Society has to understand it, but strongly suggests that the very nature of the name is what makes it offensive, and once the translation is made known, the name itself would be inherently offensive to a large segment of the Society. Given this, we are forced to return this name.
His armory has been registered under the name Finnr of Sacred Stone.
This device is returned for a redraw. The line of division is so low that it blurs the distinction between a field divided per fess and a field with a chief. When he resubmits, please have him draw this so that it is clearly either one or the other. The ship's prow was drawn as a gold gryphon's head; this is an artistic detail that need not be blazoned.
This device is returned for non-period style. No documentation was provided, and none could be found, that charges were entwined about ordinaries in period. The serpent here is neither surmounting nor surmounted by the cross; nor is it a tertiary charge. When she resubmits, please have her draw the serpent as one of these -- or else provide examples of charges entwined around ordinaries in period armory.
All available evidence suggests that Kolfrosta is a unique legendary name, and, therefore, unregisterable. The name was documented from Lind, Norsk Isländska Dopnamn och Fingerade Namn Fr{a.}n Medeltiden s.n. Kolfrosta, who lists the name only as a character in Bósa saga ok Harruads (The Saga of Bosi and Herraud), one of the legendary sagas. In this saga, Kolfrosta is a priestess "made strong by magic" who can travel in the shape of an animal. This is at best a partially human character. Given the unique occurrence of the name and the supernatural nature of the character that bears it, the name Kolfrosta is not suitable for SCA registration. If the submitter is interested in a similar sounding given name, we suggest Kolfinna; Lind lists examples of this spelling from 1000 through 1334.
Her armory was registered under the holding name Alexandria of Marinus.
This name does not follow a naming pattern found for organized groups of people. In this case, the theoretical model was the English inn sign name. However, no documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that a descriptive term like fretty, an heraldic term describing a particular arrangement of charges, is consistent with names of inn signs. Although heraldic charges are commonly found on inn signs, we have no examples of words commonly found only in heraldic blazon used in inn sign names. To register this name, a pattern of such usage would need to be demonstrated.
Aural conflict with Morgana O'Ruaidhri, registered October, 1985. The only differences in pronunciation are the unstressed final vowel in the given name and the patronymic particle. This is not sufficient difference to clear these names.
His armory has been accepted under the holding name Morgan of Atlantia.
This badge is returned for redraw, or rather, re-coloring. A brown hippopotamus proper would be registerable. However, the emblazon was not brown -- it was an unblazonable combination of grey, brown, green, and white. As depicted, the hippo's coloration could not be described in a way that was reproducible -- and therefore, it cannot be registered, per RfS VII.7.b.
Conflict with Annaka Vadas, an Outlands submission registered on this LoI. These names are essentially the same name; Vadász Annoka is the fully Hungarian form while Annaka Vadas is the Latinized form. When two conflicting names are considered in the same month, there are several procedures in place to determine which one should be registered. If the names have a difference of a syllable (the minimum required by the Rules for Submission for a registered name not to conflict with the owner's legal name), then we will attempt to contact the submitters and have them submit mutual letters of permission to conflict. Unfortunately, that is not the case here. Therefore, the "tiebreaking" rules go into effect. First, membership is checked; in this case if one submitter is a member of SCA, Inc and the other is not, then the member gets preference. However, in this case, both submitters are currently members of SCA, Inc and were members at the times the submissions were made. The second tiebreaker is the date on the Letter of Intent. Unfortunately, both Atlantia letter and the Outlands letter were dated September 27, 2005. In this case, we fall back on the submission date written on the forms. The Outlands form shows a submission date of July 20, 2005, while the Atlantian form shows August 14, 2005. Therefore, preference must go to the earlier dated submission.
This is being returned for lack of contrast of the mermaid proper with the argent pile. As prior precedent notes:
A caucasian mermaid cannot be placed on an argent field, as human (caucasian) flesh proper was somtimes [sic] depicted as argent in period sources. [Lachlann Wick of Brindle Myre, 11/99, R-Caid]
[Per bend sinister azure and argent, a mermaid in her vanity proper] Long precedent and period heraldic practice make Caucasian skin equivalent to argent. If drawn properly, the effectively argent skin of the mermaid would be largely against the argent part of the field. Even as carefully drawn, there is too much of the mermaid's skin against the argent part of the field. Therefore, this must be returned for violating RfS VIII.2, Armorial Contrast. [Ophelia Mulryan, 11/00, R-Drachenwald]
Please advise the submitter that the roundels of the estencelly should be closer together, bunched in groups of threes.
This is returned for counterchanging a long, skinny object along its long axis. "[A sword palewise, winged at the hilt, counterchanged palewise] This run[s] afoul of the ban on long, thin objects counterchanged along their long axis. (LoAR Jun 88, p. 19)."
This device is returned for using improperly drawn flames. The flames in this submission are gules voided Or; this depiction of flames proper has been disallowed since the LoAR of April 1995 cover letter. Flames proper are drawn correctly using alternating tongues of Or and gules flame. See the April 1995 Cover Letter for more discussion on proper flames. Unfortunately, when drawn correctly, flames proper cannot be placed on either a gules or Or field. If the phoenix and flames were resubmitted entirely gules, there would be no stylistic problems with them.
None.
This is returned for conflict with Jaromir Mikhailovich, Azure, on a pile Or a sun gules, which is reblazoned elsewhere on this letter. There is a CD for changes to the field. Precedent grants no difference between a mullet of eight points and a sun. This leaves the change of tincture of the tertiary charge group as the only difference, and this is not worth a CD.
Conflict with Order of the Jewel of AEthelmearc, registered May 1994 and owned by the Kingdom of Æthelmearc. Neither the designator nor the group name in either order name counts for difference. The submitters have a letter of permission to conflict with House of Jewels registered May 1984, owned by Suzanna Jewell.
This device must be returned as a sun is too complex to fimbriate.
This is returned for multiple conflicts. Against Aislynn of Jarrow, (Fieldless) A flame argent, there is a single CD for adding the field. By long standing precedent, chaussé fields can alternatively be blazoned as having a pile, and both forms must be considered for conflict. Considering this as a charged pile it conflicts with Roane Fairegae of Lochlann, Argent, on a pile throughout azure a seal [Phoca vitulina] haurient argent and with Richard FitzGilbert, Argent, on a pile throughout azure a sun Or. In each case there is a single CD for changes to the tertiary charges.
This device is returned for a redraw of the flame. As noted in the April 1995 Cover Letter proper flames should be drawn with alternating gules and Or flames, not as voided or fimbriated charges (which had previously been considered proper flames). If blazoned as a flame gules voided Or, it would still need to be returned since flames are considered too complex to void.
This device is returned for redraw. The acorn is neither bendwise sinister nor palewise but somewhere in between. It needs to be drawn in a standard heraldic orientation.
On resubmission, please advise the submitter to draw fewer and larger ermine spots.
No documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that the name Nonie is found pre-1650. The cited source, Withycombe, The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, says that it is a form of a modern Anglicization of an Irish name. Barring documentation that Nonie is found in period, it is not registerable.
Her armory was registered under the holding name Lyna of Blackwood.
This device is returned for multiple conflicts. Against Ian the Upstanding, Per pale azure and vert, a mullet of six greater and six lesser points argent within six bezants in annulo, there is a CD for removing the bezants; however, there is no difference granted between a sun and a twelve-pointed mullet. Against a badge for the Barony of Rivenstar, Azure, a riven star argent, there is a single CD for changes to the field. There is no difference granted between a sun and a riven star.
The name Sioned does not appear to be found in period. The source from which it was documented, Gruffudd, Welsh Names for Children, describes it as a diminutive of Sian or a femininization of Sion. However, no documentation was submitted showing that Sian is found in period. The earliest date found for Sion is in the grey area; Morgan and Morgan, Welsh Surnames, date this spelling to 1627. If a pattern of feminizing Welsh names by added -ed could be demonstrated, then Sioned might be registerable. Otherwise, it is not registerable.
The word Llifiwr, "sawyer", is dated to 1604 in the "Gieriadur Prifysgol Cymru" (Dictionary of the Welsh Language, http://www.aber.ac.uk/~gpcwww/). This makes Llifiwr registerable as a stand-alone occupational surname. In this situation, though, the byname should either be used without the patronymic marker ([given] Llifiwr meaning "[given] the sawyer") or with the definite article y ([given] verch y Llifwr meaning "[given] daughter of the sawyer").
The byname, von Drachenmoor, combines German and English in violation of RfS III.1.a, Linguistic Consistency. While the first element Drachen is documented as a German word, the documentation shows Moor as an English translation of the element Mohr. Even if the spelling was changed to Drachenmohr, the name would still not be registerable. The elements Drachen and Mohr are found in Bahlow/Gentry, German Names, but no documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that a name formed from these two elements follows a pattern found in German place-naming practice. The first element, Drachen is found s.n. Draac(k), as the dative form of Drache or Drach. The word is a descriptive meaning "dragon", or, in the form zum Drachen or van deme Drachin, as a housename. The second element, Moor, is found s.n. Mohr, with the meaning of "a black person, a Moor". Unfortunately, the elements do not combine to form a meaningful German word. We would suggest either Wilhelm van dem Drachin or Wilhelm Mohr. However, either of these changes is a major change which the submitter will not accept. Therefore, we are forced to return this name.
This returned for redraw. The squirrels are about the same size as a vair bell, which severely hinders their identifiability. On resubmission we recommend using eight rows of vair instead of six for the field, and drawing the squirrels significantly larger.
The submitted emblazon bears no resemblance to period armory. The "demi-fool" doesn't look like a human figure, as it lacks arms, legs, and body. As drawn, it looks more like a per chevron field with a mask of comedy balanced at the point. Having the whole figure counterchanged per pale is visually confusing, owing more to modern advertising design than to period emblazonry. The total effect is one of visual confusion and lack of identifiability, which are grounds for return. If she resubmits with a true human figure in blazonably simple tinctures, it should be acceptable style.
As the title of a King of Arms, this title is worthy of protection. Zenobia Naphtali's article "Heralds in History" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/heralds_history.html), notes that Wagner, Heralds and Heraldry in the Middle Ages describes Kings of Arms as having territorial jurisdiction, conferring responsibility over lesser heralds in a territory/march. Kings of Arms are typically described as in service to a sovereign. The rank of King of Arms is important within the heraldic community and, compared to other heraldic titles, rare. It is a minor, but very real, indication of rank. As such, for an SCA member to assume the title of a real-world King of Arms would be presumptuous. Therefore, titles of Kings of Arms should be protected.
Besides being the title of a King of Arms, Agincourt King of Arms is one of the titles used as an exemplar in precedent covering proper formation of heraldic title. This suggests that it is familiar enough within the SCA community that continued protection is a good idea.
As the title of a king of arms, this title is worthy of protection.
As the title of a king of arms, this title is worthy of protection.
The title Athlone Herald is associated with the Irish Order of St Patrick. The order fell into abeyance in 1922, and the heraldic title fell out of use at that time. It has often been noted in discussions about order names that we have very few order names, and we should protect the ones we have. When a heraldic title is associated with an Order, it becomes a rank of sorts, just as order membership conveys a rank of sorts. Just as we would protect the order name, we should protect the associated titles. By this logic, Athlone Herald is important enough to protect.
This title is worthy of protection under several standards. First, it is the title of a King of Arms. Second, it is the heraldic title uniquely associated with a protected chivalric order. Finally, the title is in use today.
This device is returned for multiple conflicts. Against Hans Dürrmast von der Wanderlust, (Fieldless) A mullet of five greater and five lesser points within and conjoined to an annulet argent, there is a single CD for adding the field. No difference is granted between a compass star, that is, a mullet of four greater and four lesser points, and a mullet of five greater and five lesser points. Against Alexandre sur la Mer, Azure, a compass rose argent, there is a single CD for changes to the field. By precedent (q.v. Hans Dörrmast von der Wanderlust, 12/02, R-An Tir), there is no difference given between a compass star within an annulet and a compass rose.
Against Rørik Sverðmaðr, Per fess sable and azure, a compass star within a sea-serpent involved head to base argent, there is a single CD for changes to the field. There is no difference between a sea-serpent involved and an annulet.
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
This name mixes Occitan with Old Norse; such combinations have not yet been examined. While there is ample evidence of contact between the Norse and French in Northern France, the evidence is far scantier for contact between the Provancel region and the Norsemen. While names combining Occitan and French may be registered without penalty, determinations of cultural contact must be examined for each language separately. We are pending this item to allow such examination.
The given name was documented from Flutre, Table des noms propres , which lists it as a name appearing in the Roman de Flamanca, a 12th C Provencal romance. We would like to remind the heraldic community that not all literary names are suitable for registration. When a name is documented from Flutre, further information should be gathered to show that the name is used by ordinary humans. In this case, all characters in this romance, a spoof on courtly love, appear to be regular people, so the given name is registerable.
His armory was registered under the name Justi of Atlantia.
This was item 41 on the Atlantia letter of September 27, 2005.
Listed on the LoI as Auvere d'Aragon, the forms showed Avery d'Aragon. No mention was made on the LoI that a change had been made or of the reason for the change. Because the submitter made no request for authenticity, we are are at a loss to explain this. Changing a name without noting the original form and the reason for the change prevents the commenters from properly assessing the submitter's wishes and from doing research tailored to those wishes. We are changing the name back to the originally submitted form and pending it to allow the commenters a chance to assess whether the submitted form is registerable. The summarization of the documentation for Auvere d'Aragon and relevant comments from this round of commenting appear below.
The LoI summarized the name thus:
According to the paperwork: "References: "Registres des justices de Choisy-le-Temple et Châtenay, 1448-1478: éditions des registres Z2761 et 902 des Archives nationales/ édité s par le Centre d'étude d'histoire juridique. (Paris: Champion, 2000).
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/french/choisy.html" ("Names from Choisy, France, 1475-1478," by Sara L. Uckelman c. [Jehan d'Aragon] 1478)
And Dauzat s.n. <Aragon> notes, unsurprisingly, that this was originally a byname for immigrants from Aragon.
Reaney & Wilson s.n. <Alfred> note that between 1292 and 1313 the name appears in Paris, both as a forename and as a byname, in the form <Auvere> (pronounced approximately \ow-v@-RAY\, with \OW\ as in <cow> and \@\ representing the sound of in <about> and <sofa>). Indeed, an instance of it as a Parisian forename in 1292 can be seen in Colm Dubh's 'An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris' at www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/paris.html
...and Aryanhwy merch Catmael added in commentary:
The fact that this was submitted as <Avery d'Aragon> should have been noted on the LoI, as well as an explanation of why the name was changed. Reaney & Wilson s.n. Averay have <Willelmus filius Averay> 1275, <Nicholas Auverey> 1273, <Walter Averay> 1275, and <Walter Averey> 1279, all of which are closer to his submitted spelling than <Auvere>.
This was item 2 on the Middle letter of September 20, 2005.
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Created at 2006-04-05T21:59:48