Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
16308 SE 165th St
Renton, WA 98058-8221
+1-425-277-0763
herald@sca.org
For the April 2007 meetings, printed July 15, 2007
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Elisabeth Laurel, Jeanne Marie Wreath, and Margaret Pelican, greetings.
For information about future scheduling, please review the status table located on the Web at http://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=137
The April Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held Saturday, April 28, 2007 and Wreath meeting held on Sunday, April 29, 2007. The meetings considered the following Letters of Intent: West (6 Dec 2006), Calontir (11 Dec 2006), Gleann Abhann (14 Dec 2006), Laurel (15 Dec 2006), Middle (16 Dec 2006), Ansteorra (20 Dec 2006), Artemisia (20 Dec 2006), Atenveldt (20 Dec 2006), Æthelmearc (20 Dec 2006), Caid (20 Dec 2006), Drachenwald (20 Dec 2006), Atlantia (26 Dec 2006), Middle (26 Dec 2006), Outlands (27 Dec 2006), and Trimaris (30 Dec 2006). Original commentary on these letters should have been be in the College's hands no later than February 28, 2007. Responses and rebuttals to commentary should have been in the College's hands no later than March 31, 2007.
The May Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held Sunday, May 13, 2007 and the Wreath meeting held Sunday, May 20, 2007. These meetings considered the following Letters of Intent: West (17 Jan 2007), Atenveldt (19 Jan 2007), [Drachenwald (20 Jan 2007)], [Lochac (22 Jan 2007)], Ansteorra (23 Jan 2007), Calontir (23 Jan 2007), Caid (24 Jan 2007), Artemisia (24 Jan 2007), Æthelmearc (25 Jan 2007), Ealdormere (26 Jan 2007), Outlands (27 Jan 2007), Atlantia (28 Jan 2007), Meridies (29 Jan 2007), East (30 Jan 2007), and Laurel (31 Jan 2007). Original commentary on these letters should have been in the College's hands no later than March 31, 2007. Responses and rebuttals to commentary should have been in the College's hands no later than April 30, 2007.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican and Wreath meetings held Sunday June 10, 2007 and at the KWHSS on Sunday, June 17, 2007. These meetings will consider the following Letters of Intent: East (6 Feb 2007), [Drachenwald (19 Feb 2007)], Gleann Abhann (20 Feb 2007), [Lochac (20 Feb 2007)], Meridies (21 Feb 2007), West (21 Feb 2007), Calontir (22 Feb 2007), Laurel LoPaD (23 Feb 2007), Laurel LoI (23 Feb 2007), Atlantia (26 Feb 2007), Ansteorra (27 Feb 2007), Atenveldt (27 Feb 2007), Outlands (27 Feb 2007), and Trimaris (28 Feb 2007). Original commentary on these letters should have been in the College's hands no later than April 30, 2007. Responses and rebuttals to commentary should have been in the College's hands no later than May 31, 2007.
The July Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held Saturday, July 21, 2007 and the Wreath meeting held Sunday, July 15, 2007. These meetings will consider the following Letters of Intent: East (6 Mar 2007), [Middle (11 Mar 2007)], Artemisia (20 Mar 2007), [Lochac (20 Mar 2007)], Laurel (23 Mar 2007), Caid (24 Mar 2007), [Drachenwald (24 Mar 2007)], Æthelmearc (25 Mar 2007), Atenveldt (26 Mar 2007), Calontir (26 Mar 2007), Meridies (26 Mar 2007), Atlantia (27 Mar 2007), Outlands (27 Mar 2007), Ansteorra (27 Mar 2007), [Ealdormere (29 Mar 2007)], West (30 Mar 2007), and [An Tir (31 Mar 2007)]. Original commentary on these letters should have been in the College's hands no later than May 31, 2007. Responses and rebuttals to commentary should have been in the College's hands no later than June 30, 2007.
The August Laurel decisions will be made at the Pennsic roadshow held on Monday, August 6, 2007, at the Pelican meetings held at Pennsic, and at the Wreath meeting held on August 19, 2007. These meetings will consider the following Letters of Intent: East (3 Apr 2007), Northshield (6 Apr 2007), Æthelmearc (15 Apr 2007), [Middle (15 Apr 2007)], [Drachenwald (21 Apr 2007)], Caid (25 Apr 2007), Meridies (25 Apr 2007), West (25 Apr 2007), Ansteorra (27 Apr 2007), [Atenveldt (25 Apr 2007)], Laurel LoPaD (27 Apr 2007), [Outlands (27 Apr 2007)], Atlantia (29 Apr 2007), [An Tir (30 Apr 2007)], and [Trimaris (30 Apr 2007)]. Original commentary on these letters should have been in the College's hands no later than June 30, 2007. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than July 31, 2007.
The September Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican and Wreath meetings held in September 2007. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Calontir (06 May 2007), [Lochac (13 May 2007)], Æthelmearc (15 May 2007), [Drachenwald (20 May 2007)], Laurel LoPaD (21 May 2007), [East (21 May 2007)], [Artemisia (22 May 2007)], [An Tir (23 May 2007)], [Lochac (27 May 2007)], [Atlantia (28 May 2007)], [Ansteorra (29 May 2007)], [Atenveldt (29 May 2007)], and West (31 May 2007). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should be entered into OSCAR by August 31, 2007.
The October Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican and Wreath meetings held in October 2007.  These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: [Middle (03 Jun 2007)], [Outlands (03 Jun 2007)], Laurel LoPaD (14 Jun, 2007), West (19 Jun 2007), [Gleann Abhann (20 Jun 2007)], [Calontir (20 Jun 2007)], [East (24 Jun 2007)], [Drachenwald (25 Jun 2007)], [Lochac (25 Jun 2007)], [Outlands (27 Jun 2007)], [Æthelmearc (28 Jun 2007)], [An Tir (28 Jun 2007)], [Atlantia (28 Jun 2007)], [Meridies (28 Jun 2007)], [Trimaris(28 Jun 2007)], [Atenveldt (29 Jun 2007)], Palimpsest (29 Jun 2007), [Ansteorra (30 Jun 2007)], [Caid (30 Jun 2007)], [Ealdormere (30 Jun 2007)], and [Northshield (30 Jun 2007)]. All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should be entered into OSCAR by September 30, 2007.
Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this cover letter. The date of mailing of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain Letters of Intent. Additionally, some letters of intent received may not have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, et cetera) have not yet been met.
REMINDER: Until all administrative requirements are met, the letter may not be scheduled.
From Laurel: Thanks to Caid for a Great Symposium
The 2007 Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium was much enjoyed by all who attended.  My particular thanks to the autocrat team for a great selection of classes and a convenient site.
Several hours of discussion were spent with the principal heralds and submissions heralds in attendance, as well as with Laurel staff (thanks everyone for all your time and attention).  Among the topics considered were ceasing to print the LoAR in hard copy, and a cut in fees to Laurel with corresponding reductions at the Kingdom level.  These options are still being explored and questions are, as always, welcome.  Everyone in the College is encouraged to regularly check new features on the Laurel web site, which is constantly undergoing revision.
There was, of course, much discussion about OSCAR and its features.  At least one Kingdom is working on adapting the OSCAR code for use as an internal commentary system, and once this is up and reliably working this will be shared with others who would also like to use it.  An OSCAR FAQ is in the works by Herrin Gisela, Laurel education deputy.  The Principal Herald may now assign the level of OSCAR privileges considered appropriate for those wishing to comment from their Kingdom directly on OSCAR, and are reminded that it is their responsibility to keep current with this.  Those Kingdoms who have let more than 2 months go by without issuing a Letter of Intent will now be notified automatically by the OSCAR system of this lapse with a copy to Laurel. The tracking charts are now available on OSCAR and are automatically updated when an LoC/LoI is issued.
Again, watch this space for new developments.
Remember that next year's Symposium will be September 5-7 in the Shire of Thamesreach, Drachenwald.  More information will be shared as it is available via cover letter and the Laurel web site.  For the present, check the 'Laurel-Other' letter dated January 10, 2007 on OSCAR for text of the event bid.
From Laurel: LoI and LoC Lists Out of Service
Effective immediately, submissions heralds and commenters are to stop posting to 'LoI@lists.sca.org' and 'LoC@lists.sca.org'.  These lists have outlived their usefulness with the advent of OSCAR and are turning into spam magnets that are annoying to maintain.
From Laurel: Successors Wanted, Very Much
As per the last month's cover letter, successors for Laurel, Pelican and Wreath are being actively solicited.  Please give it some reasonable consideration; all three job descriptions have changed somewhat in the last few years, and what once might not have been within your skill set might very well be possible now.  As ever, if you'd like to know more, please ask.
From Laurel: Administrative Handbook Rewrite, At Last
I have extended the deadline for individual update requests for Administrative Handbook through Pennsic.  If there is some feature that seems unclear/redundant/inaccurate to you, please write me with the details and your suggested fix.  Please don't hesitate because you're sure someone else has already made the same suggestion; if so, so much the better.  Besides, you could be mistaken.
It is my intention to have the revised and updated Administrative Handbook ready for Board review by the end of my tenure.  Help in accomplishing this would be much appreciated.
From Pelican: Should English and Russian Combinations Continue to be Registerable?
Currently names combining English and Russian are registerable although a step from period practice. The original ruling on such combinations, made in March 1993, states:
The submitter documents period interaction between England and Russia: Ivan the Terrible took some pains to cultivate a friendly relationship with England. He chartered the London-based Muscovy Company in 1555 to set up trading depots throughout Muscovy (Basil Dmytryshyn, Medieval Russia: A Source Book, 900-1700), and himself sought to marry one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies (1911 E.Brit. , vol.xv, p.90). Henceforth, we will register English-Russian names from that period.
By precedent, then, English/Russian combinations are registerable if the elements can be dated to the 16th C. However, it is unclear whether contact between England and Russia was substantial enough for enough time to allow the migration of names from one naming pool into the other before the end of our period. Contact between England and Russia is only documented from the second half of the 16th C with the penetration of Richard Chancellor to Moscow in 1553. The Muscovy company was chartered in 1555, and started sending yearly fleets to Russia shortly afterwards. English merchant communities were established after that, and other Englishmen (such as physicians, assayers, and others skilled in metalwork) were much desired and requested by the Tsar. (information from Edward P. Cheyney, A History of England From the Defeat of the Armada to the Death of Elizabeth). While this suggests an active and lively mixture, it is unclear whether this can be considered substantial enough to allow language combinations. For a contemporary account of contact between England and Russia, see the various works on Elizabethan exploration written by Richard Hakluyt at http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/gutbook/author?name=Hakluyt%2C+Richard%2C+1552%3F-1616. We invite discussion of this matter.
From Pelican: CA#66 "A Welsh Miscellany"
For many years now CA #66, A Welsh Miscellany, by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvyn, has been one of the most popular sources for Welsh name documentation. At one time, it was one of a very few sources on Welsh names widely available for SCA heralds. Even at that time, the names list had problems: it contained legendary names as well as modern forms of names used only at the beginning of our period. Further, there was no way to check the sources for individual names and determine whether they were legendary. Over time (and thanks for the internet) more and better sources (mostly by Tangwystyl) have become widely available. The Welsh Miscellany names list reflects the best we had at the time of its publication, but this is no longer that case. Therefore, the names list in CA #66, A Welsh Miscellany, is no longer acceptable as sole documentation for Welsh names. Any name documented from this source must also be documented from another source that does not have the problems associated with A Welsh Miscellany. We note that the information about name formation is still acceptable as sole documentation for naming patterns.
From Pelican: Concerning the names Arianwen and Aranwen"
A submission this month caused us to review the registerability of the name Aranwen. Current precedent holds that Aranwen is registerable as a 12th C literary form of a 5th C semi-legendary name:
Aranwen ferch Dafydd Mawr Submitted as Arianwen ferch Dafydd Mawr, the spelling Arianwen is a 20th C revival of a name found in a fairly different form in the 5th C. We have no examples of how the name appeared at the time it was actually in use. We did find a form of this name in a 12th C genealogy included in J. Gwenogvryn Evans, The Text of the Book of Llan Dav; this source shows the spelling Aranwen. Given that this is a name used by humans in a written record, we will give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the form Aranwen might have been adopted for use in the 12th C as a literary name. However, barring documentation that some person actually bore this name later than the 5th C and earlier than 1650, the form Arianwen is no longer registerable. 
However, upon further consideration, we feel that this precedent is in error. First, the name is found in a genealogical record. While we use these records to show that a particular name was in use at a particular time, we do not use it for spellings for anything but contemporary names, nor do we generally allow names from such records under the literary name citation. Given this, barring documentation that the name that gave rise to the modern Arianwen was found in the Middle Welsh period or later, neither Arianwen nor Aranwen (a 12th C spelling of a 5th C name) is registerable. This precedent applies to all future submissions of this name.
From Wreath: Concerning Peacocks
The term pavonated (sometimes pavanated) has a long history in the SCA. It was first used in registering a device for Sieglinde von Krause in January 1973, and in one spelling or another, has been used 24 times since then. We note that the OED defines pavonated simply as "colored like a peacock's feather", so the term really shouldn't be used in blazons.
In fact, it hasn't been used consistently in our history. Baldwin Laurel ruled (August 1985) that "the term [pavonated] requires some sort of directive:  e.g., 'pavonated to base' or a 'peacock vert, pavonated gules'."  Many of our blazons in fact use pavonated with a directive; however, many seem to use the term alone, without modifier, to mean "a peacock not in its pride".  Since then, François Laurel ruled (August 2003) that "Peacocks are close by default, with their tails extending behind them, and closed up (rather than being fanned out)", which seems to eliminate much of the need for pavonated in the first place.  We hereby rule that pavonated will no longer be used in SCA blazons.  Further, we'll be examining the registered peacocks, and where necessary, reblazoning them in accordance with the definitions below:
	-	peacock in his pride - statant affronty, tail raised behind him and spread out;
	-	peacock - facing dexter, wings close, tail downwards and closed or slightly spread (the default posture);
	-	peacock contourny - facing sinister, wings close, tail downwards and closed or slightly spread;
	-	peacock, tail spread - facing dexter, wings close, tail downwards and spread out;
	-	peacock contourny, tail spread - facing sinister, wings close, tail downwards and spread out.
Peacocks in other postures must be explicitly blazoned (e.g., rising).
When the peacock is in its default (i.e. with its tail downwards), there is no heraldic difference for the tail's exact placement (straight to base, curved bendwise, etc.), nor for the exact degree of the tail's spread (closed tight, slightly spread, etc.).
Send What to Whom
Letters of Intent, Comment, Response, Correction, et cetera are to be posted to the OSCAR online system. No paper copies need be sent.
Submission packets (one copy of each name form plus documentation, including petitions; two colored copies of each armory form plus two copies of any associated documentation, including petitions) to the SCA College of Arms, PO Box 31755, Billings, MT 59107-1755.
Cheques or money orders for submissions, payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms" are to: Laurel Chancellor of Exchequer, 4N400 Church Rd, Bensenville, IL 60106-2928.
Send roster changes and corrections to Laurel. College of Arms members may also request a copy of the current roster from Laurel.
For a paper copy of a LoAR, please contact Laurel, at the address above. The cost for one LoAR is $3. Please make all checks or money orders payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms". For subscriptions to the electronic copy of the LoAR, please contact Laurel at herald@sca.org. The electronic copy is available free of charge.
For all administrative matters, please contact Laurel.
Pray know that I remain,
In service,
Elisabeth de Rossignol
Laurel Principal Queen of Arms