This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR.
Precedent set in October 2002 forbade the registration of unmarked patronymics in Russian names:
Bola is a Russian masculine given name. Lacking evidence that Russian used unmarked patronymic bynames, we have changed this to the patronymic form Bolin in order to register this name. [Gorm Bolin, 10/2002, A-Middle]
This appeal raised the issue of whether there is evidence for unmarked patronymic bynames in Russian. The submitter and commenters provided examples that could be interpreted as unmarked patronymics in Russian names. Furthermore, they found statements from authorities on Russian names supporting unmarked patronymics as a rare practice in Russian names. The evidence presented is sufficient to allow unmarked patronymics in Russian names as a rare, but registerable practice. Therefore, this name is registerable. For more details on the information provided for this practice, see this month's Cover Letter.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR.
Her old name, Mariia Kotova, is released.
His old name, Petr Kotov, is released.
This name is a Russian name using an unmarked patronymic. For more information on the registerability of this practice, see this month's Cover Letter.
Rhiannon is an SCA-compatible Welsh name.
There was some question whether the spelling Thorolf was registerable. While it is questionable whether it is registerable as a modern Anglicization of an Old Norse spelling, it is registerable as an independent Norwegian name. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn från Medeltiden s.n. Þórólfr, shows the nominative Torof, 1417, and the genitive Torofs, 1428, Þorolfs, 1474, and the Latin Thorolphus in 1299. This suggests Thorolf as a Norwegian spelling. Therefore, this name mixes Norwegian and English; this is one step from period practice.
While the per chevron line is a bit low, given the fact that there are three identical charges two and one, it is an acceptable depiction. If the bottommost charge had been different (for example, a mullet), this would have most likely have been returned for blurring the distinction between a per chevron field and a point pointed.
Nice cant.
Commentary raised the issue of whether the use of the chi-rho and the color purpure was presumptuous in combination with the name Konstantinos. The issue arises because the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (approximately 280-337) ordered the adoption of the chi-rho as part of his standard (known as the labarum), the standards of his legions, various shields and helmets in use in the army, and on coinage of the Empire, based on a vision he experienced on the eve of the battle of Milvian Bridge (October 312 AD). This adoption of what the Catholic Encyclopedia identifies as a previously existing Christian symbol led to it becoming both well known and associated with Constantine himself. However, the pre-existing use of the chi-rho as a Christian symbol, the widespread and non-personal use of it during Constantine's reign, and the wide popularity it enjoyed in the centuries following Constantine, cause the association of the symbol, color, and name to fall short of creating a presumptuous claim in this case.
Submitted under the name Konstantinos Doukas.
Nice 15th C French name!
The arrangement of charges - with the fleur-de-lys in the center of the shield and the sword in the upper sixth of the shield - makes these charges a primary charge with a secondary charge in chief, despite the fact the sword is longer than the fleur-de-lys is wide.
Nice 16th C English name!
When registered in May 2001 with the blazon Argent, a bridge throughout embattled sable masoned argent issuant from a ford proper, in chief a raven's head erased sable within a laurel wreath vert, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. See the Cover Letter for further details.
Please advise the submitter to draw fewer ermine spots.
Her old name, Bébhinn Morgan, is retained as an alternate name.
The submission form listed Bébinn ingen Aeda as her primary Society name. However, Bébinn ingen Aeda was registered as an alternate in March 2006; the forms for the 2006 submission noted that Bébinn ingen Aeda was an alternate name (not a change of primary name).
Submitted as Arnþórr opinsjoðr, the documentation, Haraldsson, The Old Norse Name, p 26, lists the byname as opinsjóðr. We require accents in Old Norse names to be used or dropped consistently. Therefore, we have changed the name to Arnþórr opinsjóðr in order to register it; we note that Arnþorr opinsjoðr would also be a registerable form.
Nice armory.
There was some question whether this name is a presumptuous claim of relationship to Llewelyn ap Cadwaladr ap Dafydd ap Hywel, registered February 1990. In this case, it is possible to interpret these names as a grandfather/grandson relationship. RfS VI.3 says "Names Claiming Specific Relationships. - Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered." Does this cover the grandparent/descendant relationship? There is no precedent on that particular relationship, but there is one on sibling relationships:
The question was raised whether this name is a claim of relationship with Anastasiia Ivanova Petreshalova listed earlier in this letter. The bynames strongly suggests they are sisters. RfS VI.3 says "Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered...Explicit claims to descend from a particular person, such as Edwin fitzWilliam Marshall or Rhys ap Cariadoc of the Bow will not be registered... In some cases a unique name, surname, or epithet is so closely related to an individual that its use alone can imply relationship to that individual. There is only one family that uses the name Baggins of Bag End , so Joan Baggins of Bag End would not be appropriate." This clearly defines "close relationship" as being the child or parent of a protected name or using a well-known byname unique to a particular family. Neither is the case here; therefore, this name does not violate RfS VI.3. [Svatava Ivanova Petreshalova, April 2007]
While VI.3 has been interpreted to cover husband/wife relationships, we feel that, just as it does not extend to siblings, it does not extend to grandfather/descendant relationships. This is consistent with the way we treat armory, where a claim of grandparent/descendant is represented heraldically by two CDs. We see no reason why we should treat this relationship differently for names than we do for armory. Therefore, this name is not a presumptuous claim of relationship.
Registered in October 2004 with the blazon Per fess purpure and Or, in pale a pot Or atop a tree stump proper, a pot implies a default heraldic pot (i.e., a flesh-pot, with looped handles and three legs). However, as the charge isn't a flesh-pot, we are substituting another term that more accurately describes this form: deep, but wider than it is tall, and with a lifting grip on either side.
When registered in November 1990 with the blazon Azure, three crosses flory and on a chief Or a triple-towered bridge crenellated gules, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in January 1999 with the blazon Vert, on a pale azure fimbriated in base a laurel wreath argent, overall in chief a bridge Or, the number of spans on the bridge was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in September 2001with the blazon Argent, in pale three bridges between flaunches azure each flaunch charged with a laurel wreath argent, the number of spans on the bridges was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
Registered in August 1998 with the blazon Argent, a sinister gauntlet sable and in base three gouttes de sang, that blazon describes an apaumy gauntlet.
Registered in August 1998 with the blazon Per bend sinister gules and azure, a pot argent, a bordure Or, a pot, implies a default heraldic pot (i.e., a flesh-pot, with looped handles and three legs). However, as the charge isn't a flesh-pot, we are substituting another term that more accurately describes this form: deep, but wider than it is tall, and with a lifting grip on either side.
Ian is the submitter's legal given name.
This device is clear of the device of Alric of Couentreu, Sable, a scythe Or, and the device of Sylwein ferch Rhiwallon Blaidd, Purpure, a scythe argent. In each case there's a CD for tincture, for the field against Sylwein, and for the charge against Alric. There is a second CD for the difference between a sickle and a scythe: both are period charges, and we have no evidence that they were used interchangeably.
Scythe blades are more common than full scythes in period heraldry, but there are at least a couple of examples of the latter. One is the arms of William Prers, c.1295, Gules, a scythe argent. (Anglo-Norman Armory II, Humphery-Smith, p.548) The same arms were quartered by John Maynwaring, c.1520, who also bore the scythe argent as his personal badge. (Banners, Standards and Badges, de Walden collection, p.202). Sickles are much more common, found as early as c.1340 in the arms of Zürnler (Zurich Roll #323) and as late as 1605 in the arms of von Lüder (Siebmacher, plate 139).
Nice 16th C German name!
Originally submitted as Miles Stockton, the name was changed to Miles Stocton at kingdom to comply with the submitter's request for an authentic 13th C English name. Albion notes that Watts, Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, Based on the Collections of the English Place-Name Society, s.n. Stockton has the header spelling in 1290. We have, therefore, changed the name back to the originally submitted form.
There was some question whether this name requires the preposition de to make it authentic. Reaney, A Dictionary of English Surnames, p xvi, says:
Ekwall remarks that the preposition begins to be dropped shortly after 1300, is mostly preserved through the fourteenth century, but after 1400 is usually absent. His earliest example is 1318. Fransson states that in York, de disappears in the early fifteenth century; in Lancashire it sometimes occurs c1450; whilst in the south it is regularly dropped at the end of the fourteenth century.
Tengvik has noted in 1066 in Domesday Book 163 examples of local surnames consisting of a single place-name without a preposition. There are a few also in 1086...A further 100 have been noted in twelfth-century documents from both English and French places, 28 in the Curia Regis Rolls (1201-21), mostly English...
...it seems clear, therefore, that there was a definite tendency to drop the preposition from 1066; by the end of the thirteenth century the tendency was marked in Sussex and steadily increasing. In the first quarter of the fourteenth century Surrey shared this tendency, but it had not reached London...
Given this, we believe that Miles Stockton is an authentic late 13th C form for this name. The form Miles de Stockton would be more typical, but the form without the preposition is not unexpected.
Submitted as Angharad Ewan, the submitter requested an authentic 10th C name. As submitted, the name combines Welsh and Scots. While there are Welsh equivalents of the name Ewan, we know of no Scots equivalents for Angharad. To make this name authentic, then, it needs to be a fully Welsh form. Harpy notes the spelling acgarat in a 10th C charter from the Book of Llandav, and a Latin genitive form hancarate in the Book of Chad dated between the 8th and 10th C. From this, she derives a likely nominative ancarat. On the byname, she notes:
The Book of Llandav provides a nice selection, showing the range of spelling variation that the name enjoyed at the time. The following are examples from 8-11th c. charters in this collection:
Euguen (p.205) 708
Yuein (p.236) 885
Eugein (p.223) 940
Iguein (p.241) 970
Ouein (pp.246, 252) 1005-1020
Huweyn (p.248) 1020
At least in these examples, there seems to be a clear shift in spelling ca. 1000 with earlier "-g(u)-" giving way to later "-u/w-". The pre-1000 spellings also have a strong concensus on ending in "-ein". There's less concensus on the opening, with "Eu-" being the only repeated spelling, however it is also the spelling that best reflects the name's linguistic derivation, which may be a reason for moving it to the top of the recommendations. Focusing specifically on the 10th century charters, then we can suggest "Eugein" as preferred, but "Iguein" as also attested.
The 10th c. Harleian MS 3859 (as published in Bartrum EWGT), on the other hand, uses "Eugein" for names of mentioned individuals who lived prior to the 8th century, but uses "Ouein" or "Ouen" for individuals dating more closely to the 10th century composition date. So the recommendation can be revised further to offering either a slightly more archaic "Eugein" or a slightly more innovative "Ouein" (with other less prototypical spellings also occurring).
In addition, we have no examples of unmarked patronymics in 10th C Welsh names, so a patronymic marker needs to be added here. We have changed the name to Ancarat merch Ouein to fulfill her request for an authentic 10th C name.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR; at that time, her device was registered under the holding name Angharad of Tir Ysgithr.
Submitted as Bellana Morgan, the given name was a proposed variant of the Italian name Bellina. Bellina is found in Arval Benicoeur, "Feminine Given Names from the Online Catasto of Florence of 1427," (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/catasto/). No documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that the submitted form is a reasonable spelling variant of the documented name. We have changed the name to Bellina Morgan to match the documentation.
This name mixes Italian and English; this is one step from period practice.
The submitter has permission to conflict with the device of Merrick Dowling, Sable, a bend cotised between two death's heads argent.
We note that the emblazon in OSCAR appears somewhat different than the emblazon sent to Laurel. Comparing the outlines, this difference appears to be due to computer coloring the emblazon rather than scanning the emblazon. At this time we are not generally returning armory for such coloring mismatches, but it may be grounds for return on a case by case basis. We also note that Laurel policy may change in the future to make such recolorings returnable. We strongly urge submission heralds to simply scan a color copy of the emblazon and use that in OSCAR.
This name mixes Gaelic and Scots; this is one step from period practice.
Originally registered in April 1973 with the blazon Vert, a bald eagle [Haliaetus leucocephalus] attacking to the sinister proper, fimbriated Or, in chief a sun in glory, the tincture of the sun was not clear. As attacking is not a defined heraldic posture, the eagle's posture has been reblazoned. In accordance with current SCA blazon practice, we have dropped the Linnaean specification.
The submitter requested an authentic 14th C Austrian name. We went to the database of Austrian records at the "MOnasteriuM, Virtual Archive of Central European monasteries and dynasties" (www.monasterium.net) to see what we could find. While an examination of the archives shows that Reut or Rewt is the more common spelling for Reith in both German and Latin documents, the spelling Reith is found in the 14th C. A document dated 1303 bears the name Marchart der Reither (Stiftsarchiv Zwettl (http://www.stift-zwettl.at), Regest: GB 14, 186.) Albrecht is found in 1300 (OÖLA Linz, Bestand Mondsee (www.landesarchiv-ooe.at/), OÖUB 4 (Wien 1867) Nr. 379, S. 353. Given this, Albrecht von Reith is an authentic Austrian name, although Albrecht von Reut would be a more typical 14th C form.
Nice device. Please advise the submitter to draw the crosses larger.
Her previous device, Sable, two sewing needles in saltire Or threaded and in chief a thistle argent, is released.
Registered in January 1989 with the blazon Or, a garb of three oak branches between two linden leaves inverted vert, all within a bordure rayonny purpure, the leaves were not specified as stemless, which would not result in the submitted emblazon. These leaves look similar to deeply cloven hearts. We have amended the blazon to help assure proper reproduction.
Nice 1st C Roman name!
Submitted as Graham Johannason, the byname combines a Latinized feminine given name in the nominative case with an English patronymic marker. We have no examples of Latinized feminine names in the nominative case used in English marked patronymics. We have changed the name to Graham filius Johanne (which puts the matronym in the required genitive case) in order to register it.
This name combines German and English; this is one step from period practice.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable a rapier fesswise Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the cover letter for further details.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable a pair of calipers Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable a barrel palewise Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable a pheon Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable three harps Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in April 2001 with the blazon Or, a bridge and on a chief sable a helm Or, the number of arches of the bridge (which is specified in the Barony's device) was omitted. See the Cover Letter for further details.
The canton's previous arms, Or, a stag's head erased gules within a laurel wreath vert, in base three barrulets wavy azure, are released.
Submitted as Talorgen nei Wrguist, the documentation summary notes "It is unclear whether nei is linguistically compatible with the final element with which it shares a phrase." The name is documented entirely from Heather Rose Jones, "A Consideration of Pictish Names" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/pictnames). The particle nei is not found in the source material for Pictish names, but appears once in the article in this phrase:
The Old Irish equivalent (and cognate) of nepos is "n{i'}a", and this shows up in an Irish Ogham inscription in the genitive "niottas" (which isn't a form that would normally appear in a name, but it shows that it was used). The Old Welsh form would be "nei", and a reconstructed Brythonic form (compatible with the Classical name forms) would be "*neis".
As such, we believe the Old Welsh form is introduced to support the reconstructed Brythonic form, rather than as a element compatible with Pictish names. Further, the Brythonic form is compatible with the Classical name forms, not the later names (neither the given name nor the byname here are noted as Classical names in this article). The article notes the occurrence of the equivalent Latin term nepos; we have changed the name to Talorgen nepos Wrguist in order to register it.
The use of a bird displayed, other than an eagle, is a step from period practice.
Registered in June 1985 with the blazon Purpure, in pale a linden tree and a crescent and on a chief Or a goblet between two mullets of four points purpure, the tree doesn't have the heart-shaped leaves which define the linden. We have reblazoned this as a laurel tree, since the leaves appear to be of that shape (elliptical, non-serrated, pointed at both ends).
Listed on the LoI as Ceallach O' Cadhla, a timely correction was issued stating that the desired form was Ceallach Ó Cadhla. We have made this correction.
The submitter requested an authentic Irish Gaelic name. This is an authentic 13th C Irish Gaelic name.
This name mixes Middle Irish Gaelic with Old Norse; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Doiros Crispinus, there was some question whether this combination of a Gaulish idionym and a Roman cognomen was registerable. Harpy provided these comments on a similar construction in the registration of Artus Quintus (registered February 2003):
Artus Quintus is plausible as the name of a Romanized Gaul or Briton. One common pattern on the acquisition of Roman citizenship was to retain the original "native" given name as a cognomen, and adopt a Roman nomen (family name). (See. e.g. Harold Johnston's Private Life of the Romans.) While this might appear in "full" triple-name formula with a praenomen, inscriptional forms increasingly drop the praenomen, and examples with only the nomen and cognomen can be found in Joshua Whatmough's Dialects of Ancient Gaul. Artus can be found as a Latin form of a Gaulish personal name in Whatmough (p.743, 803). Quintus was quite versatile as a name element, occurring as a praenomen (Johnston), nomen, and cognomen (Solin & Salomies Repertorium Nominum Gentilium et Cognominum Latino), as well as appearing in Gaul (Whatmough -- as a single-element name, presumably corresponding to a cognomen). The client's response to previous consultation indicates that he was interested in a construction using Quintus as a patronym -- the simplest construction that had been suggested was Artus Quinti with the father's name in the genitive case...(Whatmough and Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum provide many examples of Gaulish names of this format.)
Given this, a Latin form of Doiros with the genitive Crispini would be an attested construction. We do not have a Latin form of Doiros, but Gaulish and Latin cultures had significant contact and we have examples of names using elements from both cultures (although the names are typically rendered in either Gaulish or Latin orthography). This name is, therefore, registerable in the form Doiros Crispini; we have made this change in order to register it. We note that the combination of Gaulish and Roman orthographies is a step from period practice.
Submitted as Elspeth M'affeith, the College of Arms has, by long tradition, declined to register scribal abbreviations:
Note that long tradition indicates that the Society registers the full form of the name, not a specific scribal abbreviation of it. [December 1983]
The exception, although never expressly addressed by precedent, has been Scottish surnames, which have been regularly registered using the abbreviated patronymic markers M' and Mc. It is time to bring this practice to a close and treat Scottish patronymic markers in the same way we treat all other abbreviations. We have changed the name to Elspeth Macaffeith, the expected unabbreviated form of this name, in order to register it. We note the words of our illustrious predecessor on the topic of abbreviated forms:
Note that the fact that the name is registered in its proper form does not forbid the use of abbreviations by scribes where this is appropriate, both in names and other contexts, and in fact the use of period style ligatures and abbreviations should be encouraged in everyday use. [January 1988]
For more information about expanding abbreviations of Scottish patronymic markers, see this month's Cover Letter.
Please advise the submitter that all of the embattlements should be of equal width.
Blazond on the LoI as an inkpot, the charge is not an inkpot as defined for SCA use, nor is it simply a pot which implies a flesh-pot or cooking pot. The term clay pot does describe this type of basic ceramic pot, and will be used for this type of pot in the future.
This name mixes German and French; this is one step from period practice.
Registered in January 1990 with the blazon Vert, ermined, a poplar tree, its roots nowed in the form of a Ukrainian trident head inverted, all within a bordure embattled argent, the shape of the tree does not match any poplar tree we could identify. In accordance with the discussion in the Cover Letter, we have reblazoned it as a generic tree.
Submitted as Genevieve D'Eye, the byname D'Eye is a secondary header form in Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Eye. Precedent holds that header forms must be shown to be consistent with period spelling to be registerable. This is not the case here. The d' in a name is typical in French names where the locative starts with a vowel, but this is not the case with English names. Eye is firmly English; Reaney and Wilson derive the placename from the Old English eg. In English, the preposition is spelled out whether or not the following locative starts with a vowel. The cited section in Reaney and Wilson show the forms de la Eye 1327, and de Eya in 1191. We have changed the name to Genevieve de Eye in order to register it.
Submitted as James Táilliúir, the name conflicts with the singer/songwriter James Taylor. Most of the commenters noted the conflict. According to "Britannica Online" (search.eb.com), Taylor is the "American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who defined the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s. Bob Dylan brought confessional poetry to folk rock, but Taylor became the epitome of the troubadour whose life was the subject of his songs." The article notes that he is still an important force in the music industry. Luckily, the submitter will accept major changes, so this conflict is not fatal for this submission. Effrick Neyn Ken3ocht Mcherrald notes:
Gaels did use patronymic bynames based on the father's occupation, and in Scotland at least there is evidence in late period for the Gaelic byname <mac an Táilliúir> 'son of the tailor', in the form of these period Scots language bynames of Gaels (Black, s.n. Macintaylor):
Alexander McKyntalyhur 1392
John Mckyntalyhur 1392
Hugh Makintalyour 1495
...So it wouldn't surprise me that if an Englishman bynamed <Tailor> in English (or Latin) was called something in Gaelic based on his English byname, he was called <mac an Táilliúir>...
If the modern singer/songwriter James Taylor is deemed important enough to protect...then the conflict could be cleared by using the occupation based patronymic: <James mac an Táilliúir>.
We have changed the name to James mac an Táilliúir in order to register it. If the submitter is interested in a fully Scots Gaelic version of this name, we recommend Seamus mac an Táilliúir; Seamus is found as a Scottish Gaelic name in Sharon Krossa's "Historical Name Generator: Sixteenth Century Irish and Scottish Gaelic Names" (http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/hng16gaelic/).
This name mixes Hungarian and Italian; this is a step from period practice.
Originally submitted as Maren Rikarðsdottir, the name was changed to Marinn Rikarðsdottir at kingdom; the reason for the change was not noted on the LoI. Rocket notes "DGP Fornavne [Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, &o Rikard Hornby, Danmarks Gamle Personnavne, Vol. I: Fornavne] under marina has 1410 <Maren>, Datter af Hr. Jens Mikkelsen, 1410 <Maren Juersd>" There was also some question as to the correct form for the patronymic. Metron Ariston notes that Lind (Norsk-Isländka Dopnamn) shows both Rikarðarson and Rikarðsson, making Rikarðsdottir a reasonable Norwegian form. Given this information, we have changed the name back to the originally submitted form. We note that this name combines Danish and Norwegian; this is a step from period practice.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR; at that time her device was registered under the holding name Kelly of Crystal Mynes.
As noted in the March 2002 Cover Letter, a boar proper is brown.
The submitter is a court baroness and thus entitled to display a pearled coronet.
The designator Three Rivers Players is a generic identifier. It consists of the branch name and a common noun appropriate for describing a group of people with a common occupation. We note that this form of generic identifier marks the badge for use by any player (that is actor or performer) in Three Rivers; the grammar of the identifier requires this since a generic identifier is merely a description, not a proper name for an organized group of people. If the badge is for use by a specific group or guild, then a designator should be added to the descriptor -- or a household name should be registered for this group or guild.
The byname phrase Gardener of Barley Marsh is grandfathered to her; it is part of the registered name of her father, John Gardener of Barley Marsh (registered December 1994).
When registered in April 1998 with the blazon Vert, a bridge throughout Or between two increscents argent, the number of spans on the bridge was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
The submitter has permission to conflict with the badge of Peter of Dun Calma, Per pale embattled gules and Or, and with the device of Biringeira de Vasconçellos, Per pale urdy gules and argent, a bordure counterermine.
This device does not conflict with the flag for Malta, Per pale argent and gules, as there is one CD for the adding the complex line of division and another for reversing the order of the tinctures.
This name combines Old English and Middle English; this is a step from period practice.
Nice classic badge.
Submitted as Saint Bavon's Company, the use of an apostrophe in English to indicate possession is a post-period development. According to the Oxford English Dictionary s.v. apostrophe:
2. The sign (') used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters, as in o'er, thro', can't; and as a sign of the modern English genitive or possessive case, as in boy's, boys', men's, conscience', Moses'. In the latter case, it originally marked merely the omission of e in writing, as in fox's, James's, and was equally common in the nominative plural, esp. of proper names and foreign words (as folio's = folioes); it was gradually disused in the latter, and extended to all possessives, even where e had not been previously written, as in man's, children's, conscience' sake. This was not yet established in 1725.
We have changed the name to Saint Bavons Company in order to register it.
When registered in December 1992 with the blazon Vert, a pale argent between two towers joined by a bridge overall Or, on a chief indented argent a laurel wreath vert, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned.
See the Cover Letter for further details.
A mantle is a period heraldic charge dating from 1586 in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, as shown in The Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London (plate 38). As drawn in this submission, the mantle is similar to that form, including the collar; it's affronty, slightly open by default. The mantles shown in Guillim, 1632 (p.275) and Friar's Dictionary of Heraldry (p.63) are basically the same but without the collar and with tasseled cords in front. Either depiction is correct.
In the return of Lochac's badge, (Fieldless) A mantle gules, lined and charged on the sinister breast with a mullet of six points argent in June 2003), it was noted "if someone wore a red mantle which was lined white and charged on the sinister breast with a mullet of six points argent, it would not appear to be a correct display of this badge. ... One correct heraldic display... would be to create an enameled pin in the shape of the charged mantle. Another correct display would be to make a flag and put a picture of the charged mantle on the flag." Similarly, the correct display of this badge is not a yellow mantle; it would be a pin or medallion displaying a yellow mantle.
The submitter requested an authentic 13th-14th C English name. As submitted, the name combines the Latin Emma with the English of Akerynton. For a fully authentic name, we would expect either a fully English or a fully Latinized version. Fully Latinized would be Emma de Akerynton, while a fully English form would be Emm of Akerynton. Because the submitter will not accept changes in language to any parts of the name, we cannot register this name in a fully authentic form.
When registered in February 1982 with the blazon Argent, a heron statant close upon a bridge gules, within a laurel wreath and in canton an oak tree eradicated vert, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. In addition, we have amended the blazon to reflect the co-primary status of the bridge and heron. See the Cover Letter for further details.
The beast is clearly wooly; however, the lack of internal detailing and the shape of the head hinder identification. Please advise the submitter to make the animal more sheep-like.
When registered in February 1987 with the blazon Argent, three pallets wavy azure, overall a bridge throughout sable, masoned argent, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. See the Cover Letter for details.
His old name, John Marshall of Hartshorn-dale, is released.
When registered in June 1989 with the blazon (Fieldless) A bridge vert, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. See the Cover Letter for further details.
This was registered in January 1992 with the blazon Bendy wavy azure and Or, on a chief argent, three linden trees proper. However, despite the cant on the name, these do not have the heart-shaped leaves which define the linden. We have reblazoned the trees as laurel trees, that being a better match with the leaves as drawn. Please see the Cover Letter for further details.
This was registered in March of 1985 with the blazon Per chevron vert and sable, two mullets of eight points and a linden tree eradicated argent,The tree lacks the heart-shaped leaves which define the linden; in fact, it has no discernable leaves at all, the foliage being drawn as an invected mass. We have reblazoned it as a generic tree. Please see the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in March 1997 with the blazon Argent, a boar statant, in base a bridge throughout vert, the number of spans on the bridge was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
While lining up the indentations of the chief with the lozenges is not the only way to draw an indented chief on a lozengy field, it is definitely a common, and valid, depiction.
Submitted as Ailis inghean Mhedhbha, the patronym was intended as the genitive form of Medhbha. However, Medhbha mixes orthographies for the Middle Irish Medb with the Early Modern Irish Meadhbh. Middle Irish matronymics are not registerable, so to make it registerable, the entire name must be Early Modern Irish. We have changed the name to Ailis inghean Mheadhbha in order to register it.
Nice arms.
The shire has permission to conflict with the badge of Erinlin Aldhelm, Sable, a hunting horn within a bordure Or.
Her previous device, Purpure, a saltire and on a chief argent, three roses purpure barbed vert and seeded Or, is released.
The permission to conflict is for armory that is one countable step (a CD) from her device.
Nice device.
Her old name, Eline Wentworth, is released.
The barony has permission to conflict with the badge for Thorgrimr inn Kyrri, (Fieldless) A lymphad with oars shipped argent, sails set and pennoned sable.
Registered in February 2007 with the blazon Per fess counter-ermine and gules, in base an ermine dormant argent, the position of the ermine's head was omitted. A dormant creature has its head in front of the body by default (i.e., couchant, but with the head lowered to the "ground"); if the head is curled around to face the tail, the fact must be blazoned. Note that the head should still be on the field; if it's tucked into the creature's body, the creature may well be returned as unidentifiable. A dormant creature should not be curled into a ball in a naturalistic depiction of the creature. A creature in a ball may warrant return for non-period style and an unblazonable position.
Nice 15th C Italian name!
This name mixes Italian and English; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Robin of the May, the byname was originally documented as a possible sign-name based on the hawthorn or may flower; it was returned at kingdom because of lack of documentation for such a construction in a sign. This submission was an appeal of that return. In this particular interpretation, we must agree with kingdom-- there is no documentation to support of the May as an inn sign based on a hawthorn blossom. The only flower that any of the commenters were able to find in period English sign-names is the rose. Fortunately, there is another interpretation of of the May. This interpretation combines a common definition of the word with a pattern found in English sign-names. It is reasonable to interpret this as a shop with a young girl, or maiden, on the sign. The Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. may, gives the definition "A maiden; a virgin; a young woman", dates its earliest quote to 1200, and has examples of mai in 1400, and may in 1450, 1522, 1540, and 1590. Margaret Makafee, "Inn, Shop, or House names found in imprints from the EEBO database, 1473-1600", (http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~grm/sign-of-the.html), has several examples of signs showing human figures including the Black Boy, the Sower, and the Wodows (widows). In this company, a sign of the May or maiden is unexceptional. However, Hund raises the specter that this name violates RfS VI.2 which says "Society names may not claim divine descent, superhuman abilities, or other powers that the submitter does not actually possess." Hund notes, "One of the principal gods of spring in England is Robin as an avatar of the fecundative principle, with May day being its principal festival." We agree that the epithet of the May is too evocative of the Robin being referred to, Robin Goodfellow. Fortunately, changing the preposition and article of the May (which leads to ambiguous interpretations) to the unambiguous atte May solves this problem. We have changed the name to Robin atte May in order to register it.
The submitter indicated that he was interested in a name meaning "Steve the quiet madman". While the submitted name is a fine Old Norse name, it does not have the meaning intended by the submitter. Instead it means "Sveinn the quiet, son of the man named Grimr".
Registered in February 1983 with the blazon Or, two poplar trees in saltire proper issuant from a base urdy azure, the trees are rounded, not elongated. As discussed in the Cover Letter, they have been reblazoned as generic trees.
Registered in September 1973 with the blazon Sable, in chief a turreted bridge fracted through the center by an arrow bendwise sinister gules fimbriated argent, and in base a fire Or, many details of the emblazon were omitted, including the orientation of the arrow and the fact that the bridge has one span. We have done our best to clarify the blazon. See the Cover Letter of a discussion on bridges.
When registered in April 1996 with the blazon Argent, on a fess azure between a bridge and a seal couchant reguardant sable three grenades argent, the fact that the bridge had a single arch was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered May 1988 with the blazon Per chevron azure and argent, in chief a bridge Or, masoned sable, the number of arches on the bridge was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
We note that the May 1988 registration was the change from joint ownership of the badge to sole ownership of the badge. The LoAR omitted the tincture of the masoning; this fact is noted in the O&A. We confirm that the blazon at that time should have included masoned sable to match the original blazon.
When registered in October 1979 with the blazon Sable, a sharpened wooden stake bendwise sinister surmounted by a mushroom proper. [Laecaria ochesopurpurea], the position and the tincture of the mushroom was not clear. In accordance with current SCA blazon practice, we have removed the Linnaean specification.
The submitter requested an authentic Roman name. This name does not follow the classic pattern for women's name in Roman Republic, because Berenice is not a Roman nomen. It is found as a name of Greek and other non-Roman women within the Roman empire, but its use in an authentic Roman name is highly unlikely. It is, however, a possible name for a female slave of Greek origin owned by someone whose cognomen was Calvinus.
Metron Ariston also notes "while the name is not authentically Roman, it is precisely the sort of name that would be given to a daughter by a neo-Latin humanist of the northern Renaissance in the late medieval period. Such men commonly selected Latin or Greek feminine forms for the given names of their daughters (e.g., Galileo's daughter Livia) and Latinized their surnames (for instance, the Protestant icon Jean Calvin Latinized his father's vernacular surname Cauvin to the Latin Calvinus)."
So, while we do not believe the name is authentic for her requested time period, it would be an authentic late period humanist name.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR; at that time, her device was registered under the holding name Berenice of Coldedernhale.
Submitted as Fearghus mac Ronain, the submitter requested an authentic 12th C Gaelic name. In examining a request for an authentic Gaelic name, it is necessary to examine both the correct orthography for the period in question and whether the name parts were actually in use during the requested period. In this case, both name parts were in use during this time. The Annals of the Four Masters notes a "Ferccus, mac tigherna Conaille" (Fergus, son of the lord of Conneaile) in an entry for 1105, while the same work notes a Rónán Ua Daimhin in 1098. While the entries in the Four Masters show the names were in use during the 12th C, it does not give appropriate spellings for that time; the orthography of this annal is mostly Early Modern Irish, in the 12th C, Middle Irish orthography appropriate. A standard Middle Irish form of this name is Fergus mac Ronain; we have changed the name to that form to fulfill the submitter's authenticity request.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR.
When registered in April 2006 with the blazon Per fess azure and vert, on a fess argent between two bridges argent masoned sable and a badger rampant argent marked sable, a laurel wreath vert, the number of spans on the bridges was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
When registered in December 2005 with the blazon Azure, on a fess wavy argent a bridge sable, in chief three mullets of eight points Or, the number of spans in the bridge was not blazoned. See the Cover Letter for further details.
The submitters have letters of permission to conflict with all owners of possibly conflicting order names.
The badge was registered November 1999.
The badge was registered February 2006.
The badge was registered February 2006.
The submitter is a duchess and thus entitled to display the ducal coronet.
The use of a Russian firebird is a step from period practice. However, since they are almost invariably drawn in the Society with wings spread, the fact that it is also effectively displayed here is not a second step from period practice. The firebird as drawn here lacks feet and thus cannot be blazoned as displayed.
Registered in August 1979 with the blazon Per fess azure and vert, a barrulet between in bend sinister a tower and a two-towered bridge argent, the number of spans of the charge in sinister base was omitted from the blazon. Reviewing the emblazon shows the charge to be, in fact, two large towers with a tiny span between them, so we have reblazoned it accordingly.
When registered in May 1985 with the blazon Per pale argent and vert, two bridges throughout counterchanged, a bordure gules, the fact that the bridges were single-arched (and in pale) was omitted from the blazon. See the Cover Letter for further details.
The parts of this name were documented from Saint Gabriel letters. However, the sources from which the names were drawn were not listed:
...St. Gabriel letters provide extensive footnotes on the sources from which the names are drawn, as well as the dates for most of the names discussed. This information should be included when summarizing documentation from a St. Gabriel report. [Bella Lucia da Verona, April 2004]
Fortunately, the commenters provided the missing information. Had they not done so, the name might have been returned.
Her old name, Naarah bat Avraham, is released.
Originally registered in January 1973 with the blazon Gules, a two peaked mountain argent, the mountain is couped, not issuant from base, which is the default for mountains. A mountain (issuant from base) is a peripheral charge and cannot be a primary charge; a mountain couped is in the center of the field and is a primary charge.
Originally registered in January 1973 with the blazon Gules, an estoile of four straight and four rayonny voided rays Or, the fact that only the rayonny rays are voided was not clear.
Please advise the submitter to draw deeper and fewer engrailings.
His previous badge, (Fieldless) A batwinged pike palewise Or, is released.
Registered in October 1995 with the blazon Argent, a linden tree eradicated proper, on a bordure vert three compass stars argent. However, the tree does not have the heart-shaped leaves which define the linden; in fact, it has no discernable leaves at all, the foliage being drawn as an invected mass. We have reblazoned this as a generic tree.
When registered in November 1981 with the blazon Sable, two towers joined by a bridge Or, the number of spans of the bridge was omitted from the blazon; see the Cover Letter for further details. Though some might think the placement of the towers is obvious from the design, we have elected to be specific here.
- Explicit littera accipendorum -
This device is returned for redraw of the chevron. The ins-and-outs of the complex lines of the chevron are in phase (both up or both down) which means that the chevron is dancetty, not indented as blazoned on the LoI. A chevron indented would have an indent up while the indent opposite of it is down. It's not a chevron indented, by definition; as a chevron dancetty, it's drawn in a non-period style with overbroad, shallow indents.
This badge is nice; however, unfortunately it must be returned for redraw as the trident violates our ban on "thin-line heraldry". The trident must be wider than a single pen width. Commenters had not previously noted this problem as the emblazon was not available in OSCAR.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR.
This conflicts with Constantine Doukas, emperor of Byzantium from 1059-1067. He has his own article in Britannica Online, and is a sovereign, which is a generally protected category for names.
His device was registered under the holding name Konstantinos of Rath an Oir.
None.
This device is returned as the emblazon in OSCAR does not match the emblazon sent to Laurel: the placement of the feathers differs in the two emblazons.
There was much discussion on the identifiability - or lack thereof - of the feathers in this emblazon. If this device had not been returned for administrative reasons, this may have been sufficient grounds for return. On resubmission, please instruct the submitter to draw the feathers larger and more clearly as feathers.
This device is returned as no documentation was sent to Laurel for a dromon, though such documentation was mentioned in the LoI. The ship in the emblazon does not match either of the pictures on the cited web pages; the ship is supposed to have two sails and a catapult - not the three sails most of the commenters saw. As Metron Ariston noted "... it is not clear to me from the provided documentation that there is a clearly definable and reproducible form of dromon and that this particular depiction matches that, if there is. For one thing, at least in the later Byzantine period when the multiple masts such as those seen here became common, lateen sails also became common and the main sail here appears to be a more standard sail than that seen in the reproduction of a depiction from circa 850 at www.grinda.navy.ru/sailship/ship/dromone.htm."
Please advise the submitter that the complexity count of nine (five tinctures - argent, purpure, vert, Or, and sable - and four types charges - roses, dromon, bordure, and Maltese crosses) is potentially cause for return by itself. On resubmission we recommend that she reduce the complexity count to eight or lower.
This device is returned as the emblazon in OSCAR does not match the emblazon sent to Laurel: the owl's legs are drawn significantly different in the two emblazons. This device is also returned for having a bird striking affronty, a posture that is not allowed. We have no examples of this posture in period heraldry and it is inherently three-dimensional in nature. In this emblazon, the feet are not on either side of the body (as for displayed), but under the tail, which is spread. The body is foreshortened and the wings curved to "catch" the air. This is not displayed; it is striking affronty, and must therefore be returned for redraw. Please advise the submitter that a bird displayed, other than an eagle, is a step from period practice.
Blazoned on the LoI as a linden tree, it does not appear to be a heraldic linden tree: a heraldic linden tree has heart-shaped leaves. Blazoned on the LoI as two primary charges, this is actually a primary charge and a secondary charge: the tree is the sole primary charge as it crosses the center line of the shield.
This device is returned as the emblazon in OSCAR does not match the emblazon sent to Laurel: the unicorn's head has been moved.
If this device had not been returned for administrative reasons, it would have been returned for conflict with the badge of Kathryn Fitzroy of Bath, Sable, a unicorn's head couped reversed argent, entwined about the alicorne a serpent, head to sinister, gules. There is a CD for adding the shackle, but nothing for removing the serpent, which is equivalent to a maintained charge.
The lower charge was blazoned on the LoI simply as a collar, which by default implies a horse's collar. We have blazoned it as a shackle to ensure its reproducibility.
Please advise the submitter not to use orange (or at least not so much) for shading. While shading is generally acceptable and assists in recognition of the charge, the shading used here has too much orange in it to be registered.
This device is returned for conflict with the device for Giles of Griffin Hill, Per chevron gules and vert, a griffin sejant erect displayed affrontée coward Or. There is a single CD for changes to the field. The submitted device also conflicts with Giles's badge, (Tinctureless) A griffin sejant erect coward affronté, wings and forelegs displayed. In this case there is a CD for tincturelessness/fieldlessness but that is the only CD. In neither case is there a CD for the number of heads or tails. While there is normally a CD between sejant and sejant erect, when the beast is affronty, there is insufficient detail visible to differentiate between these postures.
This device is returned for conflict with the badge of the Shire of Coeur du Val, Or, a heart gules and a chief wavy azure. There is a single CD for changing the type of peripheral ordinary from a chief wavy to a bordure rayonny.
The name Garwen is not registerable as part of a Welsh name because we have no evidence that Arthurian names were adopted in Welsh culture. The name Garwen appears in one of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein, where she is described as one of the mistresses of King Arthur. According to the submitter's source for this information, "Sources of British History: King Arthur in Early Welsh Literature" (www.britannia.com/history/docs/stanzas.html):
It is believed that the triads evolved as mnemonic devices to assist the recollection of narrative material and that they were used in the bardic schools, with pupil bards learning triad sequences by heart. In all there are some 96 Triads contained in various Welsh manuscripts.
Precedent has this to say about the registerability of names in Arthurian literature in Welsh names:
Ygraine ferch Rhun. Name. Submitted as Ygrainne ferch Rhun, the spelling Ygrainne is not registerable, since no documentation was presented and none could be found that a spelling with a double "n" is plausible. Therefore, we have changed it to the standard form Ygraine. "Precedent allows registration of Arthurian names:
Current precedent is to accept the names of significant characters from period Arthurian literature as there is a pattern of such names being used in England and France in period.' [Bedivere de Byron, 06/99, A-Atlantia]
As such a pattern has not been documented in Welsh, Ygraine ferch Rhun is registerable as a mix of an English given name and a Welsh byname. [10/2001]
A single mention in a mnenomic device is not a definition of a significant character and there is no evidence for the name Garwen except as a Welsh name. As such, the name Garwen is not registerable.
This device is returned for conflict with a badge for the Barony of Stromgard, (Fieldless) A horseshoe inverted argent. There is a CD for the field but nothing for adding the flames. The flames are equivalent to a maintained charge, similar to the flames issuant from a goblet.
This device returned for lack of identifiability. The combination of the small wings and the nearly invisible head render this dragon unidentifiable and it must therefore be returned. While depictions of creatures regardant with their head entirely against the body may be registered on a case-by-case basis, identifiability must be maintained. The dragon's identifiability would be improved by drawing the head extending straight out from the body, which is the normal placement for dormant creatures. We note that the head position is a blazonable detail but does not contribute to difference between various dormant creatures.
Please advise the submitter that on resubmission the dragon's wings should be roughly half the dragon.
None.
This conflicts with the device for Karl Klauezahn, Per pale sable and vert, a wolf rampant and on a chief embattled argent three crosses potent sable. There is a CD for changes to the field but, as there is not a substantial difference between a cross barby and a cross potent, there is not a CD for changes to the tertiary charges. The submitted device also conflicts with the device for Æthelwulf Stealcere, Gules, a theow rampant and on a chief embattled argent four trilliums gules, barbed vert, seeded Or. There is a CD for the changes to the tertiary charges, but we grant no heraldic difference between a theow and a wolf.
While the theow appears in period, the only period examples we can find are supporters. As such it is impossible to tell whether theows were considered different from canines in period as charges on the shield. With that in mind, we are left with visual differences. The theow is described as "A wolf-like monster but with a cow's tail and cloven hooves." (Brooke-Little, An Heraldic Alphabet). Other references agree. Since the only differences are the hooves and tail, there is not enough visual difference to give a CD between theows and other canines.
This device does not conflict with the device of Faolan MacNeill, Vert, a wolf rampant and on a chief embattled argent three crosses formy quadrate sable. There is a CD for changes to the field and another CD for the difference between the crosses, as there is a substantial (X.2) difference a cross barby and a cross formy quadrate.
The submitter has permission to conflict with the device of James inn Danski, Gules, a wolf rampant and on a chief argent three crosses barby fitchy sable.
The fitching on the cross is too small, and may have been sufficient grounds for return by itself. The fitched limb should be at least as long as the other limbs.
This badge is returned for conflict with the device of Mirwen Havenwood, Per pale Or and azure, an oak tree eradicated per pale vert and argent. There is CD for fieldlessness but nothing for the shape of the tree.
This motif is grandfathered to the barony; the trident head does not contribute to difference from other trees. Blazoned on the LoI as a poplar tree, the tree is not elongated. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion of poplar trees.
No documentation was submitted and none found demonstrating that Calanais is a period Gaelic placename, or that the Scots equivalents Calanish or Classerniss are found in period. The name Calanais was documented as a modern placename and also from a branch name, Calanais Nuadh, registered in 1992. While the registration noted that Calanais was Gaelic, no further information about sources or dates were given in the registration. We remind submitters and submissions heralds that past registration is not proof of present registerability -- this is particularly true of registrations, such as the one this was documented from, with notes that do not themselves provide sources or dates. On the various placenames, Rowel provides these citations:
I found an article that directly addresses the origin of the name <Calanais>:
<http://www.britarch.ac.uk/BA/ba17/ba17int.html>
British Archaeology, no 17, September 1996: Essay
[...] So familiar are many of these circles in the literature that I was taken aback to read Magnus Magnusson's Foreword to Calanais: The Standing Stones, by Patrick Ashmore, 1995.
'I have always known it as Callanish or even Callernish. Before that it was called Classerniss. Now we must get used to calling it Calanais, the original Gaelic form of the name . . . And a good thing too,' he wrote.
Unlike the Battle of Waterloo in 1066 And All That which was a 'very Good Thing', the introduction of Calanais is not a 'good thing' but a Bad Thing. The new 'name' exists only in Edward Dwelly's Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary, 1901-11, and it is as spurious as the perverse Calinis of modern maps and the Chalanais of local road signs. In the beginning, around 1700, the stone circle was called 'Classerniss', and this remained popular throughout the 18th century. By 1814, variable Hebridean pronunciation produced alternatives: 'Classerniss', 'Calernish', 'Calarnish', and 'Classernis' but never Calanais which is bogus romanticism.
[...]
By a final irony, the 'Gaelic' Calanais never existed. In The Standing Stones of Callanish, 1977, Gerald and Margaret Ponting wrote that 'The name, like most village names in Lewis, is Norse, not Gaelic in origin'. Place-name experts believe Callanish to be derived from the Viking Kalladarnes, 'the promontory from which a ferry could be hailed', and the interpretation is persuasive. There is a short stretch of water across Loch Roag from Callanish to Linshader. On nearby North Uist another Callernish looks across the narrow sound to Vallay Island. Ferries are probable.
The unlucky Calanais should be ignored as a whimsicality. Fortunately, the meaning of its true name, Callanish, gives this protest a ferry-tale ending.
Given this, barring documentation that Calanais, Callanish, or Classerniss are found in period, the name is not registerable except as part of the full registered branch name Calanais Nuadh.
Note that, even if evidence were found that Calanais was a period placename, the phrase of Calanais mixes English and Gaelic in violation of RfS III.1.a, Linguistic Consistency, which requires that all elements in a name phrase be in a single language.
This device is returned for presumption; the Rules for Submission section X.3 - Marshalling states "Armory that appears to marshal independent arms is considered presumptuous". RfS X.3.b states "Such fields may only be used when no single portion of the field may appear to be an independent piece of armory." As noted in the return of Raghnailt inghean Toirdhealbhaich's device in July 2007:
After much consideration we must agree with those commenters and members of Wreath's staff that saw this device as marshalling Azure, a fret argent and Argent, a fret azure. A charge which is depicted as throughout, when placed in each quarter of a quarterly field, still appears to be throughout that portion of the field. As such, it has the appearance of an independent piece of armory and must be treated as marshalled arms.
In this case, the gules quarters appear to be independent arms, Gules, a fret Or, thus this must be returned.
This badge is returned for conflict with the badge of Aldred von Lechsend aus Froschheim, Quarterly erminois and ermine, a chain crossed in saltire throughout sable; there is a single CD for fieldlessness.
None.
No documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that Cúlann is a period name used by humans. The submitter documented the name from an article at http://www.libraryireland.com which references St. Culann as an Irish saint for whom a bell was named. However, this is a modern English spelling of a saint's name about whom we have no information; the site only says that Culann is a saint, but gives no dates. We have been unable to date this saint's name to period. The only examples of the name Culann found by the submitter's were in the "Táin Bó Cúalnge" from the Book of Leinster (online at the CELT site, http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T301035/). Here is it the name of a wholly legendary character from whom the hero Cú Chulainn derives his name. Barring documentation that the name Culann in non-legendary contexts in period, it is not registerable.
This name conflicts with Toad Hall, registered January 1973. The designators, preposition, and article are transparent for purposes of conflict.
Further, no documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that Academy of the Toad follows known patterns for institutions of learning in England in period. To register a name with a particular type of designator, the submitter should document its use in naming organized groups of people in a particular culture.
This badge must be returned as the toads are almost but not quite conjoined. The charges in a fieldless badge must all be connected.
This item was withdrawn by the submitter.
The name Mahin Bãnu is a compound given name -- two words combined to form a single given name. Loyall explains:
Modern baby-names sites gloss <Mahin> as 'moon', in which case <Mahin Banu> would mean "Moon Lady". The princess's actual title appears to be <Soltanum> or <Sultanum>.
Here are some other examples of <Banu> in compound given names:
In John Woods' pamphlet The Timurid Dynasty, which lists the names of the ethnically Mongol Timurids who ruled Persia prior to the Safavid dynasty, there are four distinct women named <Mihr Bânû>: <Mihr Bânû>, <Mihr Bânû Begum>, and two different women named <Mihr Bânû Bîke>. (In these names, <Bîke> and <Begum> appear to be genuine titles.) The same pamphlet includes one woman named <Shâh Bânû> (literally, 'King Lady') and five named <Shahr Bânû> (one with no title, one who uses <Begum>, three who use <Bîke>, and one with the byname (?) <Kukaltâsh>.) The titles <Bîke> and <Begum> are used with obviously Islamic names, such as <Zaynab>; the list includes no examples of <Banu> used as a title in combination with an Islamic name.
The most famous woman with a compound name including <Banu> is probably <Nurbanu Sultan>, mother of the Ottoman sultan Murad III.
Unfortunately, this means the name violates RfS III.2.a which says "A personal name must contain a given name and at least one byname"; because there is no byname, we are forced to return this name.
This device is returned for a redraw of the crosses. Blazoned on the LoI as Latin crosses clechy, they are not: a Latin cross clechy would be elongated to base, with the clechy motif then applied to all four limb-ends. The crosses in this submission are crosses clechy with the bottom limb stretched into a long point; the base-most limb is not clechy. A cross clechy fitchy at the foot, based on Parker's example of the cross formy fitchy at the foot, would be a cross clechy; with a spike issuant from the center third of the base-most limb. We note that a cross formy fitchy at the foot is a period form of cross, though probably not with that exact blazon: see for example the Armorial de Gelre, fo. 62v, and the banner of Aragon. The crosses in this submission are not really blazonable, which is reason for return. In addition, without documentation for the form of the cross in this submission, it must be returned.
This device is returned under the long-standing ban on chased armory. To quote a return from the March 1986 return of the badge for Reginleif the Unruly: "Umbration, or adumbration, is known in SCA armory as 'chasing'. Chased means voided but with the interior details and lines still showing as well as the outline." (WvS, 22 Jan 80, p.3; in Prec III:14) The practice was disallowed in April 1982, as part of the general ban on 'thin-line heraldry' that also restricted voiding and fimbriation." The dragonflies should be solidly tinctured.
Please advise the submitter that the Or appears to be more orange than Or; this should remedied on resubmission.
The device is returned for using an undocumented and unblazonable heraldic posture. Blazoned on the LoI as simply dancing, it matches no period dance position for which we've been given evidence. There are examples of humans dancing in period heraldry, such as the arms of Hopfer, 1605 (Siebmacher, plate 215), but their posture looks little like the posture used here. In particular, the period examples of dancing humans didn't have the arms raised overhead, as here. The closest blazon we could devise was rampant, arms raised, and that doesn't quite cover it. Unless documentation for this posture in period heraldry is provided, it is not acceptable for humans or humanoids.
There was a question in the commentary about the satyr's shape. The satyr of classical mythology has the hindquarters of a goat, and the tail of a goat or a horse. However, the example of a satyr in period heraldry -- the arms of Arcos, c.1540 (Livro da Nobreza, fo. XL) -- shows it with a lion's tail, as in this submission. It must be considered a valid variant, though no difference is granted for it.
Unfortunately, this device conflicts with the device of Rhonwen Angharad, Vert, a heron-headed torc argent. There is a CD for changing the tincture of the field; however, no difference is granted between a horseshoe and a torc (no matter what the torc's opening looks like).
This device is returned for a redraw. The cross is very poorly drawn: the ends do not visibly break into the recurved forks one expects of millrinds and crosses moline. Also, fitchy doesn't mean the cross's bottom limb is that of a cross pointed; it means the entire bottom limb has been replaced with a spike, tapering from the center to the very point. A medieval herald would have seen this as a long cross (what we'd call a Latin cross) with some unidentifiable frou-frou at the very ends of the limbs.
Please advise the submitter that the top three limbs have to be much more deeply forked and curved, and the bottom limb a spike. We note that a cross fitchy will automatically have a longer bottom limb; it need not be blazoned as a Latin cross.
None.
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This device is returned for a redraw of the line of division - the per chevron line starts at the per fess point and clearly does not bisect the field. We note that this design blurs the distinction between four co-primary charges and a primary with three secondary charges. Given that there are two types of charges, one type on either side of line of division, this appears to be co-primaries. However, the relative size of the hurts makes them appear more like secondary charges. This blurring is sufficient grounds for return.
This was originally pended on the February 2007 LoAR as the commenters noted that this should be a four co-primary charges - rather than the primary charge and three secondary charges as blazoned on the LoI - but did not indicate that they had conflict checked with four co-primary charges. However, commentary on the pend was almost unanimous that this is a primary charge and three secondary charges. This confusion is indicative of the problem with this particular design - it blurs the distinction between four co-primary charges and a primary charge with three secondary charges.
None.
Submitted on the LoI as Gyronny arrondi, the dividing lines don't issue from the top corners of the field, as gyronny (arrondi or not) normally would -- but do issue from the bottom corner of the field. At the top, they're also not centered on the corners, as is permitted as a variant form of gyronny arrondi in the Society (as of the LoAR of July 2005). Finally, the gyrons aren't of equal width, with the result that this is less a field division than it is the Society's cross arrondi, first registered Feb 1998. Yet it can't be that, either, as the crosses which are our basis for the cross arrondi -- found on some of the shields depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry -- have limbs of constant width, not expanding width as shown here. The multiple anomalies of the depiction, and the impossibility of accurately blazoning it, require this to be returned.
We note that, had this been drawn as gyronny arrondi with the gyrons centered on the corners, the addition of the charge overall would be a step from period practice. If this was intended to be the usual gyronny arrondi, please inform the submitter that the bordure should abut the edge of the field, not lie over it: in other words, the lines should issue from the corners of the visible field, not the escutcheon (shield).
Some commenters had difficulty with the stunted depiction of the cat's wings. Please ask the submitter to draw them more full upon resubmission, so they may be recognized. Having the "joints" of the wings higher than the cat's head, for instance, may aid in overall identifiability.
This device is returned for excessive counterchanging; the counterchanging makes the greyhound too difficult to identify. Laurel has previously ruled:
[Paly sable and argent, a unicorn rampant counterchanged] This is excessively counterchanged and non-period style. The unicorn is not identifiable when counterchanged over this multiply divided field. No documentation has been presented, nor could any be found, for the counterchanging of a complex-outlined charge over a multiply divided field. [Cynwrig Chwith, 02/02, R-Atlantia]
Evidence for counterchanging a complex-outlined charge over a multiply divided field has not yet been found.
There was some discussion whether or not the placement of the rose (and the fact that there was a single rose) should be grounds for return. There is period evidence of a multiply divided field with a charge on a single division of that field: the arms of de Cataniis de Modoesta, Paly Or and gules, on the third trait an eagle displayed sable, or of di Cazoli, Barry azure and Or, on the second trait a lion passant azure maintaining an iron rod with a lamp hanging at either end sable flammant gules (Stemmario Trivulziano, pp.88, 108). Having a bendy or bendy sinister field with a single trait charged seems a reasonable extension of period practice.
While not a reason for return, we recommend that on resubmission that the greyhound be drawn with a shorter neck and a sleeker head. We suggest taking a look at the Greyhound Bus logo for an example of a heraldically acceptable greyhound.
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
- Explicit -
Created at 2008-01-02T23:54:14