Mundane and SCA default for a barrel both place the long axis horizontally. Therefore, this badge does not conflict with the badge for the Barony of Concordia of the Snows, (Fieldless) On a barrel proper a snowflake argent environed of a snake involved Or. There is a CD for the change of orientation of the barrel and the CD for fieldless badges.
Ćthelmearc Brewers Guild is a generic designator.
Blazoned on the LoI as argent, the forms had the 'fieldless' checkbox marked and the armory was explicitly blazoned as fieldless. No mention of whether this change was acceptable to the submitter was made on the LoI. Since this design cannot be fieldless, we will register it with the field. Mention of such changes should be explicit on the LoI.
This is clear of Oliver Cromwell (important non-SCA armory), Sable, a lion rampant argent. There is a CD for the addition of the secondary swords and a CD for the addition of the sustained spear. While the definition of sustained is currently under discussion, that discussion relates to whether the spear would be co-primary or a secondary. In either case, the spear is large enough to count for difference, so the submission is clear with two CDs.
Listed on the LoI as Angharad Vach, the name was originally submitted as Angharad Bach, and changed on the basis of Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th C Welsh Names", which gives Vach as the mutated form of Bach and says "Women will always use the mutated form of a nickname". However, as Morgan and Morgan, Welsh Surnames, s.n. Bach, point out, the adjective bach is an exception to this otherwise fairly general rule. They give the following examples of women using the unmutated form: Alice Bache 1219, Efa Bach 1350-1415, and Marrion Bache 1578. Based on these examples, we have restored the name to the originally submitted form.
There is at least significant difference between a Celtic cross and a cross of Calvary, so this device is clear of Lute MacAlpine, Per pale sable and vert, a Celtic cross argent and in chief three compass stars Or, with one CD for the field and one CD for the type of cross. We decline at this time to rule whether there is substantial difference between these crosses. Please see the August 2008 Cover Letter for a call for discussion on that issue.
Blazoned on the LoI as argent, the forms had the 'fieldless' checkbox marked and the armory was explicitly blazoned as fieldless. No mention of whether this change was acceptable to the submitter was made on the LoI. Since this design cannot be fieldless, we will register it with the field. Mention of such changes should be explicit on the LoI.
This is not a conflict with Scotland, (Fieldless) A thistle proper. There is a CD for the difference between a fieldless and fielded design and another CD for the change of number of primary charges.
Submitted as Ciaragán na Traga, the only example of the given name that was found is from the 10th century; for this period, the Middle Irish form of the name, Ciaracán or Ciarucán, is appropriate. Ciaragán is the standardized Early Modern Irish form, appropriate for c. 1200 to c. 1700; lacking evidence that the name was in use in this period, the Early Modern Irish form Ciaragán is not registerable. We have changed the name to Ciaracán na Traga in order to register it. This name combines Middle and Early Modern Irish; this is one step from period practice.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the ermine spots larger, so they are more recognizable.
Submitted as Eowyn Rindill, the given name Eowyn was documented as an Old English feminine name constructed from the prototheme Eo- and the deuterotheme -wyn. However, no examples were provided, and none could be found, for Eo- being used as a prototheme in feminine names. Lacking such evidence, it cannot be combined with the feminine deuterotheme -wyn. The closest feminine name that the commenters found is Eawyn, which is found in the Latin oblique form Eawynne in Anglo-Saxon Charter S 517b, dated to 946. The Latin nominative form of Eawynne would be Eawynna, which most likely represents the Old English vernacular Eawyn or Eawynn.
The byname Rindill was documented as Old Norse. Precedent requires that Old Norse descriptive bynames which are not based on proper nouns or adjectives be registered in the lower case. We have changed the name to Eawyn rindill in order to register it.
Submitted as Szösz(i)ke Anna, the submitter requested authenticity for Hungarian, cared most about the meaning "flaxen-haired", and did not allow major changes. Eastern Crown provides information on authentic forms of the name:
The bit in parentheses appears to stem from a misinterpretation of the dictionary entry: the notation indicates that there are two very similar words with the same meaning, szöszke and szöszike. The former (two-syllable) word does actually occur as a period byname, but in very different spellings: Zezke 1471, 1509; Zhewzke 1549 (Kázmér p. 1028 s.n. Szöszke).
Bynames alluding to haircolor in period Hungarian generally omit the word 'hair' (haj) or 'haired' (hajú). The two exceptions in Kázmér both happen to refer to light-colored hair: Sárhajú (related to sárga 'yellow'), which indicates blond hair, and Szárhajú, which indicates blond or strawberry blond hair. Period spellings s.n. Sárhajú (p. 914): Sarhayo 1401, 1408/1409, 1471; Sarhayw 1421, 1430, 1458, 1549; Saarhayw 1425; Sarhayow 1453; Sarhyw 1469; Sarhayv 1549. Period spellings s.n. Szárhajú (p. 971): Zarhayow 1403, zarhay 1469.
By far the most common Hungarian byname indicating pale hair color is Sz{o"}ke. In period, the first vowel sound presented the usual orthographic difficulties (because it doesn't occur in Latin), so Kázmér's entry (pp. 1024-1025) shows a wide variety of spellings. The first few will give an idea (and incidentally show just how far back the byname goes -- 13th century is very early for bynames in Hungary!): Nicolao Sceuke 1268/1271, zeuke 1325, Zeuke 1327, Johannes Zeuke 1331, Zewkemortunhaza [placename] 1335/1449. The most common spellings are Zeuke and Zewke. The modern spelling is gray-area (1625), while the closest pre-1600 version is Zöke, dated to 1562 and 1574.
Based on the various spellings seen above of the sounds involved, a late-period Szöszke Anna is not out of the question, though Zözke is more likely (and Zewzke or Zeuzke would garner an 'excellent name' comment from me).
In order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity, we have changed the name to Zeuzke Anna (the form preferred by the submitter).
Precedent says:
The question was raised as to whether or not this is considered slot machine since it has three dissimilar charges in one group. While it is true that it has three charges, when a bow and arrow are in their standard, expected position they are considered one charge, just like a sword in a scabbard is considered one charge. It is only when they are separated, or put into non standard positions for their normal use, such as being crossed in saltire, that they become two separate charges. [Innogen Mac Leod A-04/1999]
Therefore, this device is registerable: since a bow and arrow in this arrangement are considered a single charge, this submission contains only two types of charge in the group.
Submitted as Gernot von Meer, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th century German and cares most about not changing the given name and having a byname meaning 'of the sea'. The byname von Meer violates RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency by combining High German von with Low German Meer. A wholly Low German form of the byname would use the Low German preposition van, e.g. the bynames vam Mere 1480, 1481, van dem Meer 1484, 1492, van dem Mere 1483, and van deme Mere 1480, 1481 in Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Low German Names from Hamburg, 1475-1529". Any of these forms could be authentically combined with a Low German given name. However, Gernot is a High German given name, and we have not found any Low German cognates of it. Since the submitter cares most about keeping the given name Gernot unchanged, we need to consider High German bynames meaning 'of the sea'. The usual High German word for 'sea' is see. We found two bynames based on this word: vomme Sewe, dated to 1336 in Bahlow, A Dictionary of German Names, s.n. Seeber, and im Seo, dated to 1381 in Brechenmacher, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen, s.n. See. Of these, vomme Sewe is closer in date to the 1344 date of the given name. We have changed the name to Gernot vomme Sewe to meet his request for an authentic 14th C German name.
Submitted as Johannes Dehn, the submitter requested a byname meaning 'Dane'. Brechenmacher, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen, s.n. Dehn(e) indicates that Dehn is a patronymic byname based on a pet form of Degenhart, and that the Middle Low German word for 'Dane, Danish' is dene. He gives examples of Dene 1358, 1475, s.n. Däne, Dähn, and 1488 s.n. Dene; the variant Den is dated to 1540 s.n. Dehn. We have changed the name to Johannes Dene so that it has his desired meaning.
The submitter's old device, Per pale sable and argent, a Lacy knot and a bordure per pale argent and azure, is retained as a badge.
Submitted as Rhiannon Vreith wreic Gryffyd, the only documentation provided for the byname Vreith was a copy of an email from Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. However, this email does not provide any period citations for Vreith, it only notes that the nickname Braith "fits very well with the sorts of nicknames we see in Welsh records of the 13-14th century". Lacking citations to back up these assertions, this email is insufficient support to register Vreith. As the submitter allows all changes, we have dropped the problematic element.
The name Rhiannon is SCA compatible; its use is one step from period practice. As ruled on the May 2008 Cover Letter, as of the May 2009 decision meeting we will no longer consider any name element to be SCA compatible.
Submitted under the name Sina di Andreas Valori, that name was returned on the June 2008 LoAR.
Submitted as Die Gesellschaft von den Güldenen Sternen, by precedent from December 2007 (q. Avacal, Principality of) we do not register the definite article in front of the designator. Though the submitters do not allow major changes, they have specifically allowed the definite article die to be dropped. We have done so in order to register the order name.
The submitters requested authenticity for 14th C Upper German. As submitted, the name is authentic for this place and period and we commend them on their research.
This does not conflict with the Barony of Ered Sűl's Order of the Golden Star; the substantive elements Star and Sternen are significantly different in sound and spelling.
There was some question whether Taisiia was a variant of Tasia, a diminutive of Anastasia. If it were, then the submitted name would conflict with Anastasia Volkova per RfS V.1.a.i which says, "Irrespective of differences in sound and appearance, a given name is not significantly different from any of its diminutives when they are used as given names." Fause Losenge provides information on the etymology of Taisiia:
[Taisiia is] the name of a legendary 4th century Egyptian saint. It appears that her name is variously given in the Greek sources as <Thais> (two syllables), <Thaisis>, and <Thaisia>, which last is evidently the source of Russian <Tajsija>.
Since Taisiia is not a diminutive of Anastasia, the two names are compared with respect to their sound and spelling. As these are significantly different, this does not conflict with Anastasia Volkova.
Submitted as Aurora_Rosalia, both elements were documented as given names. However, no documentation was provided for the use of unmarked matronymic bynames in period Italian, so we can only interpret the submitted name as two given names. Under this interpretation, the name violated RfS III.2.a which says that "a personal name must contain a given name and at least one byname." Juliana de Luna, "Names in 15th Century Florence and her Dominions: the Condado", shows examples of the construction di + <feminine give name>. We have changed the name to Aurora di Rosalia to make the second element a marked matronymic byname in order to register it.
Though the LoI documented Aurora from de Felice, Nomi, s.n. Aurora, that source gives no indication that this name was used in the Middle Ages. The November 2006 LoAR notes that "Aurora is found in Roman Christian inscriptions, which would place it in the 5th or 6th C at the latest." The earliest example that we have of Rosalia is the saint mentioned in de Felice, Nomi, s.n. Rosalia, who died in 1160. This gives a temporal disparity of greater than 300 years between the two elements; this is one step from period practice. As Latin and Italian are regularly combined in the same name (see, e.g., Mari Elspeth nic Brian, "Italian Men's Names in Rome, 1473-1484", and Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Italian names from Imola, 1312"), there is no second step from period practice for the lingual combination.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the paw prints in a slightly less stylized fashion, so they are more easily recognizable.
The use of paw prints is a step from period practice.
Submitted as Kristin Ayre, the submitter desired a masculine name and allowed all changes. All the examples of Kristin that were provided on the LoI or found in commentary were feminine. Black, The Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Christinus notes that Cristinus was "a common personal name in the thirteenth century and later", citing examples from Latin-language documents from c.1220-44, c.1233-44, 1333, and 1364. The expected vernacular form would be Cristin. We have changed the name to Cristin Ayre in order to make it masculine.
This device was originally returned in February 2000:
Conflict with Alesia de Maris of Ravenstar, Argent, a raven close, on a chief sable three mullets Or. There is one CD for the difference in type and tincture of tertiary charges. However, there is no difference between ravens and falcons. The device is also in conflict with Jennifer Keruer, Argent, a Cornish chough and on a chief embattled sable three plates. There is a CD for embattling the chief, but nothing by RfS X.4.j for the tincture change only of the roundels. There is no difference between the falcon and the Cornish chough. For more details on the reason why falcons have no difference from either ravens or Cornish choughs, see the Cover Letter of this LoAR.
This precedent was overturned on the August 2007 Cover Letter:
As a merlin/falcon close and a raven close are both period heraldic charges, in their period posture (close), and as period heralds consistently distinguished, in their heraldic art, the birds in these positions, we will grant a CD between a merlin/falcon close and a raven close.
Therefore, Muirenn's device is clear of Alesia's with a CD for the difference in the birds and a CD for the difference in the type and tincture of the tertiary charges.
Precedent from the January 2002 Cover Letter says that, by definition, a Cornish chough is identical to a raven except that the chough is beaked and armed gules. The birds are, therefore, identical for purposes of conflict. Muirenn's device is also clear of Jennifer's, with a CD for the difference in the birds and a CD for embattling the chief.
Listed on the LoI as Roderick Greenefield, a timely correction was issued changing the name to Roderick Greenfield. The client requested authenticity for 14th-16th C England; as the given name was documented from Scotland, and no English examples were provided in commentary, we cannot confirm that this name is authentic.
His old device, Vert, two wolves sejant addorsed, in chief a wolf's head cabossed argent, a bordure dovetailed Or, is retained as a badge.
Submitted as Johanne Kathrijn die Waeyer, no documentation was provided and none found for double given names in Dutch before 1600. Therefore, we confirm precedent set in June 2004 (s.n. Lenairt Harmans) which says that lacking evidence for double given names in Dutch, they are not registerable. Though the submitter does not allow major changes, she has specifically allowed the dropping of Kathrijn. We have changed the name to Johanne_die Waeyer in order to register it.
Submitted as flames proper, the flames are mostly Or with small amounts of gules detailing, and we were told that this detailing was done to avoid color on color issues. As Or flames, they are not color on color. We note for the submitter that proper flames would be drawn with alternating tongues of gules and Or, which is considered neutrally tinctured, and thus would have acceptable contrast with the sable field as well.
Listed on the LoI as Onóra inghean Corbmaic, the name was originally submitted as Onóra inghean Cormac. The byname was changed in kingdom to use one of the dated forms of Cormac in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals". However, such a change was not required; because of the mixed orthography that is found in many of the Irish annals, we prefer to register the standardized forms of names found in the annals, which in this case is Cormac. Following inghean, Cormac needs to be lenited and put in the genitive case, e.g., inghean Chormaic. We have changed the name to Onóra inghean Chormaic in order to correct the grammar and restore the name to a form closer to the originally submitted form.
There was some discussion on whether this was a period depiction of a cradle - and it very well may not be - period depictions of cradles with the canopy appear to have had sides on the canopy. However, the submitted cradle is the one that appears in the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry, which shows the emblazon from the defining instance of this charge in SCA heraldry. We are reluctant to penalize submitters for depictions which come directly from our own published references.
Submitted as Sara of Dragonsmarch, the byname was documented as being a registered branch name. However, the branch's name was registered as Shire of Dragonmarch. We have corrected the byname to match the registered form of the branch name.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the cinquefoils larger and the per chevron line of division lower on the field.
Submitted as Adaliza Fitz Symmons of Elmstone, Elmstone is the modern name of the place; the closest pre-1600 spellings that could be found are Elmeston(e) and Elmyston(e) in Watts, Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names, s.n. Elmstone Hardwick; we have changed the name to Adaliza Fitz Symmons of Elmestone in order to register it.
Her previous name, Adaliza Fitz Symmons, is released.
Please inform the submitter that, while this slightly-embowed depiction of tergiant, which appears to have the legs in a posture that suggests crawling, is registerable, this is not the way it will likely be depicted by heraldic artists. The usual version has a straight-backed lizard with its legs evenly and symmetrically spaced, much as they would be for a displayed posture.
Her former device, Per chevron indented sable and purpure, two natural seahorses Or and a winged sea-unicorn argent winged crined and armed Or, is released.
While this device has a complexity of nine (argent, purpure, vert, Or, sable, rose, lily, bordure, cross), the overall effect is not out of line for period armory. Therefore, it is registerable.
Her former device, Per chevron sable and argent, two caravels in full sail argent and a rose purpure, is retained as a badge.
Listed on the LoI as Khadijah bint Yusuf al_-Andalusiyya_, the forms had Khadijah bint Yusuf al-Andalusiyyah. The form on the LoI uses different transcription systems for Khadijah and al-Andalusiyya while the version on the forms uses a consistent transcription system throughout, which is required for registration. Additionally, there should not be a space between the article al and the rest of the byname. We have restored the name to the originally submitted form; we note that Khadija_ bint Yusuf al-Andalusiyya_ is also registerable.
His former device, Per bend sinister gules and argent, a bagpipe and a claymore bendwise sinister counterchanged, is retained as a badge.
His former device, Per chevron sable and purpure, two wedges of cheese and in pall three goblets conjoined bases to center Or, is retained as a badge.
The submitter requested authenticity for 12th-14th C English; this name is plausible for 13th and 14th C England (we do not have any 12th C examples of the given name).
Submitted as Octavia de Gaillard, no documentation was provided, and none found by the commenters, for Gaillard as a place name; lacking such evidence, de Gaillard is not correctly formed. We have dropped the preposition to register the name as Octavia_Gaillard. The submitter requested authenticity for the 14th century (no language/culture specified). While we have not found any examples of Octavia used in the Middle Ages, it does appear in literature known in the 14th century, so it's not impossible that Octavia was used.
Submitted under the name Uilliam mac Eoin, that name was returned on the September 2008 LoAR.
The submitter indicated that she cares most about Italian language. The byname de Porta is Latin; the expected Italian form is da Porta. As the name is registerable as submitted, and the submitter did not request authenticity, we are leaving the name unchanged.
Her old device, Per fess indented of five points sable and Or, a decrescent Or and five chevronels braced gules, is retained as a badge.
Submitted as Jacques le Fou, Fou was documented as the modern French form of the word for 'mad, crazy'. However, no evidence was provided that this spelling, as opposed to the Old French fol, was used in our period. The Old French form is found in Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, which has le fol 1202 s.n. Foll and 1297 s.n. Wade. The word was spelled fol as late as 1611, according to Le Trésor de la Langue Française informatisé (http://atilf.atilf.fr/), s.v. fou. We have changed the name to Jacques le Fol to match the documentation in order to register it.
While the position of the stick (here shown to sinister) does not match that on his device, the position is not blazoned and does not count for difference.
Listed on the LoI as Amalgaid mac Donnagán, the name was originally submitted as Amalgaid mac Donnagŕin, and changed to match the documentation. Donnagán was documented from MacLysaght, Surnames of Ireland, s.n. Donagan, but this source gives Donnagán as a modern Irish form. We do not register modern forms of Irish names unless this form was also in use in our period. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals" has one example of this name, in 882. In the 9th century, the correct form of the name is the Middle Irish spelling Donnucán, which becomes Donnucáin when put in the genitive case following mac. We have changed the name to Amalgaid mac Donnucáin in order to register it.
Several commenters asked whether the chisel was identifiable. The emblazon of the chisel appears to be taken nearly directly from the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry. We are reluctant to penalize the submitter for a depiction taken from one of our own standard reference works.
The byname was documented from Black, Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Cospatric, which says that the spelling Gospatric occurs in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles; it is the name of an 11th century Anglo-Saxon eorl who went to Scotland. The name also occurs in Anglo-Saxon Charter S 1243, dating between 1041 and 1064, as Gospatrik. These are the only examples of the name that we have found spelled with G- instead of C-, so we must consider Gospatric as an Old English name. From the middle of the 11th century we have a handful of examples of unmarked patronymic bynames in Old English. These are discussed in Tengvik, Old English Bynames, pp. 209 ff. He says:
Here the important question arises: are we concerned with the genitive relation (with the omission of the particle filius), or has an original nominative been added to the proper name? The general explanation (The Complete Peerage III, 611 f, Förster, Ex Book, 46, note 14, Ewen, 87, 103, note 2, 120, Smith, 47, Hofmann, 27) that filius was dropped is borne out by the instances such as the following:
Osbern Hauoc ~ Osbern filius Hauoc
Eudo Clamahoc ~ Eudo filis [sic] Clamahoc
Willelmus Baderon ~ Willelmus filius Baderon
Rainaldus Croc ~ Rainaldus filius Croc
Walterus Dudde ~ Walterus filius Dudde
The omission of OE suna is shown by the following instances:
Rau Theo{b~} ~ Rau Theod{b~} sune
Aluuinus Dode ~ Aluuinus Dodesune
Aldene Tope, brother of Ulf Tope suna
But in cases where the loss of filius cannot be so clearly proved as in the above-mentioned instances there is also the possibility that the additional Christian name represents an original nominative. This has also been pointed out by Smith, 47, and Fransson, 27, but neither of these scholars explains satisfactorily the origin of this type of byname...
Referring to the conditions in France and Scandinavia where Christian names used as bynames have existed he [Fransson, 27] is inclined to believe that the same customs might have prevailed in England. This may be right, but there are other circumstances that may make the problem somewhat more complicated. We must bear in mind that it is not until Domesday that bynames of this kind make their appearance in England...Therefore the possibility that we might be concerned with a French importation should be taken into consideration.
On the basis of these examples, we can conclude that unmarked patronyms based on Old English names were rare but not non-existent in the middle of the 11th century. We rule that an Old English masculine name can be used as an unmarked patronymic byname when there is evidence that the name was in use when this pattern is found, i.e., we allow it for names which were in use in the middle of the 11th century or later.
This name combines Old and Middle English; this is one step from period practice.
The byname Magauran was documented from MacLysaght, Surnames of Ireland, s.n. Magauran, as an anglicized form of the byname Mag Shamhradháin. The July 2007 cover letter says of MacLysaght:
This book is about modern names and provides modern forms of both Gaelic and Anglicized spellings. At one time, this book was the best reference we had for Irish names, but this is no longer the case. Because MacLysaght provides few if any dates, and because the forms given in this work are explicitly modern, it is no longer acceptable as sole documentation for Irish names.
In order for Magauran to be registerable, it would need to be shown either that Magauran was used as an anglicization of Mag Shamhradháin in our period or that Magauran is a plausible constructed anglicized form on the basis of other period Anglicized Irish bynames. Rowel found evidence of the former:
The source is: Linehan, John C. The Irish Scots and The "Scotch-Irish". (Concord, NH: The American-Irish Historical Society, 1902). In this source, the vast majority of pp. 84-94 are quotations from another source which Linehan specifies on p. 84, "Mr. Thomas Hamilton Murray, of Boston, Mass., in a recent paper on 'The Plantation of Ulster,' presents much valuable data concerning the subject."
On p. 84, Murray (quoted) states "The plantation of Ulster is generally regarded as including the period from 1508 to 1620."
On pp. 85-86, Murray (quoted again) introduces a list of names with the explanation, "Among the native Irish in Ulster to whom land was allowed at the time of the Plantation, and as part of the Plantation, were the following, the number of acres allowed each being also given."
The list of names covers pp. 85-92. On p. 87, included in the list are:
Cormacke McGawran
Hugh McManus Oge Magauran, gent
Breene Oge McGauran, gent
Looking at the names throughout the list, it's possible that <Mc-> and <O'-> in each are normalized. But, given the variation in spelling, it doesn't appear that other portions of the names are normalized (as we can see by the variations of <Magauran> seen in the three names above.
On the basis of these citations we are able to register the name.
Listed on the LoI as Cecilia dei Medici, the name was changed in kingdom from Cecilia_Medici to match the available documentation. As Siren notes, the form without the preposition is also plausible; Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Names from Arezzo, Italy, 1386-1528", dates Francesco di Giuliano di Giovenco Medici to 1482. Therefore, we have restored the name to the originally submitted form.
Please instruct the submitter to draw all of the charges larger, to better fill the space.
This is clear of the badge for the Barony of An Crosaire, (Fieldless) A saltire couped sable involved by a snake facing sinister vert armed and langued gules. There is a CD for a fieldless design. Examination of the emblazon shows that the snake is definitely large enough to count for difference, so there is a second CD for the removal of the snake.
Submitted as Gemma Beccari di Arezzo, Arezzo was documented as a place name, not a given name. The usual preposition in Italian locative bynames is da, which elides before vowels. We have changed the name to Gemma Beccari d'Arezzo to correct the grammar.
While this device has five tinctures (argent, gules, Or, vert, azure) and charges (rose, ford, chief, garb), for a complexity count of nine, the overall effect is not out of line for period armory. Therefore, it is registerable.
Submitted under the name Guillaume du Puits en Pierre.
Please draw the embattlements more square.
Her old device, Vert, two natural dolphins haurient respectant within a orle of ivy Or, is retained as a badge.
Submitted under the name Rayne the Archer.
Submitted as Nuala ingen Floinn, the submitter requested authenticity for an unspecified language/culture (presumably Gaelic). Floinn was documented as a 16th or early 17th genitive form of Flann; this makes it an Early Modern Irish form. As such, ingen Floinn violates RfS III.1.a by combining Old or Middle Irish ingen with Early Modern Irish Floinn. Also, in a feminine byname, Floinn needs to lenite to Fhloinn. We have changed the name to the wholly Early Modern Irish form Nuala inghean Fhloinn in order to correct the grammar. As Nuala is also found in the 16th C, Nuala inghean Fhloinn is an authentic 16th C Irish Gaelic name.
By our rules, using different types of charge on either side of a per pale line of division is considered presumptuous, unless "used in contexts that ensure marshalling is not suggested." Precedent says:
[Per pale, a harp and a cross of four lozenges, a chief embattled] The chief was a mark of primary cadency in period (Gayre's Heraldic Cadency, p.153), and it became part of the Stodart system of cadency used today in Scotland. Thus, the addition of a chief to quartered armory would not remove the appearance of marshalling. However, the chief's use as a brisure was never as widespread as the bordure's; where the bordure would be used to cadence all forms of marshalling, the chief would only be used to cadence quartering. In the case of impalement --- which implies a marital coat, not an inherited one --- the addition of the chief is sufficient to remove the appearance of marshalling. (Ćthelstan von Ransbergen, September, 1992, pg. 1)
Similarly, the chief in this submission is sufficient to remove the appearance of marshalling, making this device registerable.
Submitted as Sophia of Dehlingen, the byname violated RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency by combining English of with German Dehlingen in the same phrase. We have corrected the name to Sophia von Dehlingen in order to register it.
Listed on the LoI as Sviatoslava Akilina Vasil'evskaia zhena Nicolaia, the forms listed the name as Sviatoslava Akilina Vasil'evskaia zhena Nikolaia. No mention of this discrepancy was made on the LoI; we remind submissions heralds that any time you change a name in kingdom, you must mention this on the LoI and give the reason for the change.
The byname zhena Nikolaia was intended to mean 'wife of Nikolai'. However, this is not quite correct. Following zhena, the masculine name needs to be in the feminine patronymic form, e.g., Nikolaeva; this follows the examples found in the "Grammar" section of Paul Wickenden of Thanet, "A Dictionary of Period Russian Names", which has, among other examples, the name Mar'ia Mikhailovskaia zhena Agramakova dated to 1567. We have changed the name to Sviatoslava Akilina Vasil'evskaia zhena Nikolaeva to correct the grammar in order to register it.
This name combines Gaelic and French; this is one step from period practice.
Her previous name, Doiros Crispini, is released.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the holly sprigs larger and to draw the tails on the fox more separated, so that the charges are more easily identified from a distance.
The submitter has corrected the issues raised in the previous return - the plummet matches the image in the arms of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers on their website (http://www.plumberscompany.org.uk/).
Conflict was called against the badge for the Shire of La Grande Tente, (Fieldless) A pavilion purpure. Saker contacted the shire and they graciously provided permission to conflict. Because of the permission to conflict, we are not ruling at this time on whether a tent and a plummet are identical for purposes of conflict.
The owl is in a posture with one leg raised. Some commenters questioned if this was an allowable posture. By precedent, the owl's legs are in an acceptable, though unblazoned, variant of close:
The raven was originally blazoned with its dexter talon raised. This detail has been ruled unblazonable in the past: "A bird passant, that is to say, with one leg raised, is considered an unblazoned variant of close" (LoAR February 1996, p. 1). Quite a few period birds close are drawn with one leg raised to some degree, especially massive birds such as cocks, hens and swans. Perhaps this is because the bird better fills the space at the bottom of the shield when drawn with one leg raised.[Branwen of Werchesvorde - Atenveldt, 02/2002]
Precedent also says that different birds in their period postures will be granted a CD, regardless of whether those postures are identical. Difference has also been granted in the past for the difference between owls and raptors in the close position: "... there is another CD for changing the type of bird from an owl close to a falcon close. [Falco de Jablonec, 06/02, A-Drachenwald]". Therefore, this submission is clear of Raven Silverthorne, Quarterly sable and gules, a raven between three roses argent. There is a CD for the field and a CD for the difference between a raven close and an owl close guardant.
Listed on the LoI as Elisabeth Gotfridsdotter, the name was originally submitted as Elisabeth Gottfridsdotter, and changed in kingdom to match the documentation. Siren notes that the Danmarks Riges Breve (The letters of the Kingdom of Denmark) has Gottfried in 1404 and Gotfred in 1407; the same source dates Gotfrid to 1402. On the basis of these examples, Gottfrid seems a plausible extrapolation, and so we have restored the name to the originally submitted form.
This name combines Dutch with High German; this is one step from period practice.
This name combines Scots and French; this is one step from period practice.
The forms noted that this badge was to be associated with Golden Oak Inn and this association was not mentioned on LoI. We are unable to make this association: Neither Estela nor William have that household name registered and it is not a generic name, such as "Baronial Guard." Please inform the submitters that it will not be possible to register this name, as Serwyl ap Morgan is the owner of the title Golden Oak Herald, and designators such as Herald and Inn are ignored for purposes of name conflict.
Endeweard is the registered name of an SCA branch.
At least one commenter called for this to be returned because the wolf's teeth are not nearly touching in the center of the field.
An examination of Siebmacher's plate 135, the armory of Keudel zu Schwebda, shows that the wolf's teeth in that emblazon do not all reach the center of the field, either: the top set of teeth are much more spread than that, due to the need to make room for the bottom of the helmet, in much the same way that the submitter's teeth are moved to make room for one of the field's ermine spots. Another example, on plate 28, shows teeth issuant from base, all three of which reach different heights on the field.
Based on this information, the following precedent is overturned:
This is being returned for improper drawing and non-period style, stemming from improper use of wolf's teeth. The examples of wolf's teeth in the Pictorial Dictionary and in Siebmacher show that the teeth invariably extend almost to the center line; where teeth come from both sides they almost touch. Those on this submission do not come close. This is in itself grounds for return. (May 2004, Dubhagán mac Ruairc)
Wolf's teeth should extend most of the way into the center of the field, but allowing enough space for an ermine spot or a strewn charge, especially when this affects only one tooth or one pair of teeth, is not cause for return.
This is clear of the armory of Isolde de Ely, Per pale vert and sable, three wolf's teeth issuant from dexter and three wolf's teeth issuant from sinister argent. There is a CD for the changes to the field and one for the addition of the charge in chief.
This is a correctly drawn period bridge, which is throughout and has at least three arches. The September 2007 Cover Letter defines a period bridge:
We hereby rule officially that, in Society armory, the default bridge is not throughout. (It's easy enough to blazon a throughout bridge when one is submitted.) However, we also rule that, in Society armory, there is no default number of spans; the number must, in every case, be explicitly blazoned. A bridge drawn in the period style -- throughout, three or more spans -- will be granted difference from a castle, per RfS X.4.e. And, at the risk of sounding metaphorical, we'd like there to be water under the bridge.
A correctly drawn period bridge will be granted substantial difference from a fess. As such, this is clear of Spain, Gules, a fess Or.
The arches should be drawn slightly larger in proportion to the rest of the bridge.
This is clear of the armory of Ceri of Carmarthen, Per pale azure and argent, two martlets respectant counterchanged. Loons are a type of duck, which falls into the 'swan-shaped' category of birds. Martlets are 'regular-shaped' birds. Both of these birds are in period postures: ducks are found naiant in period armory, and martlets are close by default. Under current precedent, from the November 2003 Cover Letter, birds in different categories found in period postures are considered X.2 different.
We note that, even if they were not both in period postures, they fall into different categories. Birds in different categories are considered to be at least a CD apart. Therefore, the designs are also clear under X.4 with a CD for the field and a CD for the type of bird.
This is clear of William Castille, Gules, a griffin segreant and a chief Or. Griffins and dragons were ruled to be substantially different on the July 2001 LoAR. The design is not suitable for purposes of RfS X.2 since there are three types of charge on the field (dragon, horn, chief). Using RfS X.4, it is clear with three CDs: one for the change of type of primary charge from griffin to dragon, one for the addition of the secondary horns, and one for the addition of the tertiary gouttes.
The use of lightning bolts, per section VII.6.a of the Rules for Submission, is a step from period practice.
Submitted as Layli_ bint H{i}z{i}r, the submitter requested an authentic Middle Eastern name. The name as originally submitted combined a Persian given name with a Turkish byname; an authentic name would be wholly Persian or wholly Turkish. We were unable to determine a Persian form of the byname, but Siren provided information on Turkish forms of Layli:
It appears [Turkish] might have kept the Persian vocalization. In the same book [Kamran Talattof, Jerome W. Clinton, K. Allin Luther, The Poetry of Nizami Ganjavi: Knowledge, Love, and Rhetoric (New York: Macmillan, 2001)], I found the article "Layla and Majnun 'in the Turkish Manner'," which gives on p. 31 <Leylii> (long i) for the woman's name from a 15th c. poem. Majnun becomes <Mecnuun> (long u).
We have changed the name to Leylii bint H{i}z{i}r to meet her request for authenticity.
The notation {i} represents the Turkish lower-case i-without-dot; for more information see the Cover Letter of this LoAR.
Nice armory!
The submitter requested authenticity for Italian, with no period specified. All of the elements can be found in the 1427 Catasto of Florence. The use of two given names in an early 15th C Italian name is unusual, but not impossible.
This is clear of the device of John of Two Towers, Sable, on a cross nowy argent, a compass star gules. There is a CD for the field and, by RfS X.4.j.ii, a CD for the substantial change of the type only of the tertiary charge, from compass star to rose.
Submitted as Rukiyah al-Zarqa, this used two different transcription systems in the same name: the k in Rukiyah and the q in Zarqa represent the same Arabic letter, an emphatic k. The more standard transcription system is the one that uses q for this letter; in this system, Rukiyah is transcribed as Ruqayah. We have changed the name to Ruqayah al-Zarqa so that it uses a uniform transcription system, which is required for registration.
Submitted as Uriangqatai-ün Quaidu, the correct genitive suffix for a name ending in a diphthong is -yin, not -ün. We have changed the name to Uriangqatai-yin Quaidu to correct the grammar in order to register it.
There were many calls in commentary to return this for having more than one allusion to a deity. Eve is not a deity, nor is she a saint. Also, the reason for the restriction is for presumption and pretense issues. We note that this armory is being registered to Aethelwyn, not Eve, so the question of presumption does not arise. It is unremarkable that a brotherhood dedicated to a mythological figure might want to have references to that figure in their symbols.
We also note that, by precedent, the combination of 'serpent and apple' has already been declared registerable to a person with the name 'Eve':
[Aoife ni Aodhagain with Chevronelly azure and argent, a serpent glissant palewise gules holding in its mouth an apple slipped and leaved vert] It has been ruled acceptable (Thora of Thescorre, LoAR of Aug 92) to have a single armorial allusion to a deity name that's also a documented period given name. It's reasonable to extend the policy, in this case, to the Biblical name Eve (often used as an anglicization of Aoife). The allusion here is mild, and acceptable. (Aoífe ni Aodhagáin, August, 1993, pg. 6)
If it's allowable to be Eve and use the serpent-and-apple motif, it is allowable to be part of Eve's brotherhood and use the motif.
Several commenters asked whether this is a period design or whether there should be a step from period practice for the framing. A step from period practice for the framing would be the only single step from period practice for the device, so the badge would be registerable anyway. We decline to rule at this time on the question of whether the framing is a step from period practice.
Submitted as Alianora bat Asriel, this combined a Latinized English given name with a Hebrew byname transliterated into the Roman alphabet. It was quite common for Jewish women to use given names from the vernacular language of the culture in which they lived in combination with Hebrew bynames. These names could be written either wholly in Hebrew characters or wholly in Roman characters. A name written in Hebrew could be rendered into the Roman alphabet in two ways: Either it could be simply transliterated into Roman characters, or it could be translated into Latin. (For examples of both these practices, see Julie Kahan, "Jewish Women's Names in 13th to 15th Century Navarre".) We do not have any examples of Hebrew names rendered into Roman characters where the given name has been Latinized but the byname has been simply transliterated. Barring evidence of this combination, Latinized given names are not registerable with transliterated Hebrew bynames. We have changed the name to Alianor_ bat Asriel to use one of the expected vernacular forms of the given name. If she would like to maintain the Latinized form of the given name, we recommend Latinizing the byname, filia Asriel.
Several commenters said that this should be returned for having too many repeats. While it is drawn with somewhat smaller nebules than we would normally expect, it is recognizable from a distance and is, therefore, registerable. Please instruct the submitter to draw slightly fewer and larger nebules in the future.
Nice name!
Submitted as Eleanor Grey of West Riding, the locative byname was supposed to refer to the region of Yorkshire. However, all pre-1600 examples of the place name that we found referred to it as the West Riding (in some spelling), and no documentation was provided for dropping the definite article the. We would add the definite article the, but the submitter does not allow major changes, such as adding an element. Blue Anchor offers an alternative justification for the byname:
Bardsley s.n. Raven has Raven de Riding. R&W s.n. Reading suggests that period names such as Richard del Ryding 1277, Sara de Redyngg 1311, and William atte Rydyng 1339 are from OE *rydding, and mean "clearing". Even if saying someone is from the West Riding turns out not to work, perhaps the same result can be gained by constructing a name meaning "west clearing" using this word. A quick glance at West- names in R&W shows plenty of parallel forms such as Westfield, Westland.
The parallel examples show the place names as one word. We have changed the name to Eleanor Grey of Westriding to match the documented place names.
Originally listed on the LoI as Fiore Leonette Bardi, a timely correction was issued changing the name to Fiore Leonetta Bardi.
Submitted as Hayashi Ryôichiro Katanori, the client cared most about the culture of the name (Japanese). The zokumyô Ryôichiro and the nanori Katanori were both documented from Edward of Effingham, "Nihon Zatsuroku: An Online Japanese Miscellany." This article is not a reliable source for information about medieval Japanese names; it does not distinguish between medieval and modern names, mixes protothemes and deuterothemes in the same list, and does not provide any references to its sources. The article should be used with caution and information in it should be backed up with citations from more reliable sources, such as Solveig Throndardottir, Name Construction in Medieval Japan, whenever possible. Unfortunately, no such support was provided for Ryôichiro. The most similar yobina or zokumyô that we could find is Yo'ichirou, dated to 1600 in Solveig, p. 373.
The nanori Katanori was constructed from the list of "Principal pro- & deuterothemes in common Japanese men's nanori" in Edward's article. However, not every prototheme can also be a deuterotheme, and vice versa, and since this list does not distinguish between the two that means that this list is of little use. We found a number of nanori with the theme kata 'direction, method', but only used as a deuterotheme: Korekata, Masakata, Nagakata, Sukekata, Tomokata, Yorikata, Yoshikata. We also found examples of nori 'required form, example; make an example; teaching, dogma; example, pattern' used as a prototheme, including the following: Nori'ie, Noriyori, Norikiyo, Norimu'ne, Norimori, Noritsu'ne, Noriyori. All of these nanori were used in the Hei'an era, and are found in Solveig, p. 212. On the basis of these examples, Norikata is a plausible nanori. Since the submitter allows all changes, we have changed the name to Hayashi Yo'ichirou Norikata in order to register the name.
Submitted as Mari Sol_, the element Sol was documented as a feminine given name. Lacking evidence that Spanish used unmarked matronymic bynames, this meant that the name consisted of two given names and so violated RfS III.2.a which says that "a personal name must contain a given name and at least one byname. The submitter indicated that if Mari Sol_ was not registerable, she would accept Mari Sol de Leon. This fact was not noted on the LoI, and generally the College does not consider alternative submissions like this. However, since both the byname de Leon and the construction <given> + <given> + <locative byname> is grandfathered to the submitter, we will make an exception in this case, and register the name as Mari Sol de Leon.
Her previous name, Maria Sol de Leon, is retained as an alternate name.
Originally listed on the LoI as Sáerlaith inghean Roibeárd, a timely correction was issued changing the name to Soerlaidh inghean Robeard to use dated forms found in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals".
In general, we recommend against using the specific dated forms found in Mari's article. The annals are chronological listings, arranged by year, of historical (and often also legendary) events. They were often compiled much later than many of the events that they record, often from older sources that no longer survive. For example, the Annals of the Four Masters were compiled between 1632 and 1636, but they cover events that occurred (or were supposed to have occurred) centuries and even millennia earlier. Some of the compilers seem to have been happy to substitute familiar spellings of their own period for those in their sources. Others seem to have made an effort to preserve the older spellings, but they were not wholly successful. In general, we find varying mixtures of earlier and later spelling conventions. In particular, a spelling found in an annal for the year 1153, say, need not be characteristic either of 12th century spellings or of the spelling of the period in which the manuscript was compiled.
As a result, the dated spellings in the annals are not wholly reliable. Because we do not have detailed information on the normal range of variation in non-annals sources, we prefer to register the standardized spellings of the names. The specific spellings found in the annals can be registered in a case by case basis, if evidence is provided that the non-standard spellings are within the normal range of variation found in sources other than the Irish annals.
Mari's article gives one example of Sáerlaith, a woman who died in 969. This puts the name in the Middle Irish era. The commenters were not able to provide any evidence that Soerlaidh falls within the possible range of variation of Sáerlaith in Middle Irish. Lacking such evidence, Soerlaidh is not registerable as a Middle Irish form of Sáerlaith.
Additionally, following inghean, Robeard needs to be in the genitive case, e.g., Robeaird. We have changed the name to Sáerlaith inghean Robeaird in order to register it. This name combines Middle Irish and Early Modern Irish; this is one step from period practice.
The submitter requested authenticity for 12th-14th C Irish. The only example of the given name that was found is for a woman who lived in 969; lacking evidence that the name remained in use past the 10th century, this name is not authentic for her desired time period. Also, the submitter indicated that she cared most about the meaning 'Shyla daughter of Robert'. Sáerlaith is neither pronounced like nor related to Shyla. Shyla appears to be a modern phonetic rendering of the name Síle, a Gaelic adaption of Cecilia. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", has examples of Síle in the 15th and 16th centuries; Síle inghean Robeaird would be an authentic name for this period, if the submitter is interested.
The device is clear of Dathi O'Cooney, Vert, on a bend between two coneys salient argent three trefoils slipped palewise vert. There is a CD for the change of type of the secondary charges and a CD for the change in orientation of half of the secondary charge group. It is also clear of the badge of Tuiren de Lisle and Jahn of Outman, Vert, on a bend between a winged unicorn salient, wings elevated and addorsed, and a unicorn salient reguardant argent, an arrow point in chief sable, with a CD for the multiple changes to the tertiary charges and a CD for the orientation of half the secondary charge group.
Her previous name, Merlyn Vollarc, is released.
This badge is clear of that of Lijsbeth Tijsz van Brugge, Per pale purpure and vert, a winged lion segreant to sinister maintaining a sun in splendor Or. There is a CD for the fieldless design. Difference between a sphinx and a winged lion hinges on whether or not the two were distinguished in period. The Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry says that the sphinx is not a period charge. Batonvert has discovered new information:
[...I have] updated information on the sphinx. It was described in period heraldic tracts (such as Bossewell's Armorie, 1572), and was granted as a crest to Robert Parris, 1573 (Dennys, Heraldic Imagination, p.118). These were all blazoned simply as sphinxes, but were depicted as what we'd blazon Greek sphinxes. The charge is period, so I daresay period differencing should apply.
As such, we are granting a CD between sphinxes and winged lions.
We note that this device has white-out on it. The original line of division on the emblazon on this form was wavy-crested, and that was how the blazon originally read. Additionally, the SCA surname was whited out. This is not the way that changes should be made on a form at kingdom, and since nothing was mentioned on the LoI, we were prepared to summarily return this device submission for administrative reasons: all changes made by kingdom need to be approved by the submitter, and we will not assume that changes made to forms were so approved. After examining the copy of the form in the possession of Ragged Staff, it appears likely that the whited-out changes were made by the submitter.
In all cases, kingdom should note any and all changes made to submissions at kingdom, and explicitly state that the submitter has approved those changes. In the case where the forms were received in this condition at kingdom, such should also be noted on the LoI. To do otherwise risks summary administrative return.
The use of lightning bolts, per section VII.6.a of the Rules for Submission, is a step from period practice.
When the name Rannald Mcintyre was submitted in 2000, the LoI failed to note that it was a change of the holding name Rághnall of nan Crioch Tuatha. As a result, the submitter's device was not associated with the new name and the holding name was not released.
Since this was an error on an LoI, the correction had to appear on an LoI and go through the commentary process (per Admin Handbook VI.B). As this requirement has now been met, we are linking the two submissions and releasing the holding name.
His device, Vert, a vol and a chief embattled Or, is associated with this name.
Blazoned when registered as Quarterly argent and Or, a swan naiant within a bordure sable, an examination of the forms shows that the wings are actually elevated and addorsed.
- Explicit littera accipiendorum -
None.
Conflict with Alan M'Bain; the given names are variants of each other and the bynames are not sufficiently different in sound.
Conflict with Thomas Quilliam, Azure, a carpenter's square, point to chief argent. There is one CD for the difference between a fielded and a fieldless design, but nothing for the difference between a carpenter's square in this arrangement and a chevron couped.
This device is returned for a redraw. The charge in sinister is not recognizable as a horse. Indeed, many commenters at first thought that it was a unicorn, since it appears very similar to many common heraldic depictions of unicorns: the tail is a lion's tail, the hooves appear to be cloven, there are extra tufts of hair in the places one expects them on a unicorn, the head is bent in towards itself in the same way that many depictions of unicorns does. The only piece missing is the single horn on the head. Just as we don't register horses with a unicorn's horn as unicorns, we don't register hornless unicorns as horses.
By our rules, using different types of charge on either side of a per-pale line of division is considered presumptuous, unless "used in contexts that ensure marshalling is not suggested." Precedent says:
[Per pale, a harp and a cross of four lozenges, a chief embattled] The chief was a mark of primary cadency in period (Gayre's Heraldic Cadency, p.153), and it became part of the Stodart system of cadency used today in Scotland. Thus, the addition of a chief to quartered armory would not remove the appearance of marshalling. However, the chief's use as a brisure was never as widespread as the bordure's; where the bordure would be used to cadence all forms of marshalling, the chief would only be used to cadence quartering. In the case of impalement --- which implies a marital coat, not an inherited one --- the addition of the chief is sufficient to remove the appearance of marshalling. (Ćthelstan von Ransbergen, September, 1992, pg. 1)
Properly drawn, this device would be acceptable if it has no conflicts when resubmitted.
This device must be returned for conflict with Brocc of Alderden, (Fieldless) A goutte d'eau. There is a single CD for the difference between a fielded and a fieldless design. While the submitter included a letter of permission that may be from Brocc, the letter is not valid. Section IV.C.3 of the Admin Handbook requires that a letter of permission to conflict include both the Society and legal names of the person granting permission. The first few lines of text on the permission form we received seem to be omitted, and the form does not have this information. The only identification we have for them on the form is the signature. Laurel does not have a signature on file for Brocc of Alderden, so we can not compare the signatures.
This was an appeal of the order name Order of the Lions Pinion, which was returned May 2007 because there was no evidence that "lion's shoulder blade" followed the heraldic charge meta-pattern for order names. The appeal indicated that "lion's shoulder blade" was not the meaning originally intended for the order name, and that they desired to use the word pinion in the sense found in the Oxford English Dictionary of "a small cog-wheel the teeth of which engage with those of a larger one; also a spindle, arbor, or axle, having cogs or teeth which engage with the teeth of a wheel."
There are two problems with this appeal. First, the word pinion in this meaning is first documented to 1659; this is outside even our grey area. Second, order names using an animal + an object or attribute must use an object or attribute normally associated with that animal, per precedent:
Northshield, Principality of. Award name Award of the Griffins Sword. By precedent, Order names using the pattern "beast/monster's+attribute" must use an attribute normally associated with that beast or monster:
Order of the Griffin's Flame- A flame is not an attribute associated with a griffin, therefore we need to see evidence that Griffin's Flame is a reasonable name for an order (January 2000)
A sword is not an attribute normally associated with a griffin. [LoAR 01/2005, Northshield-R]
No documentation was provided that cogwheels are attributes normally associated with lions.
This is a conflict with a badge for the Principality of Cynagua, Quarterly argent and Or, a swan naiant wings elevated and addorsed within a bordure sable, reblazoned elsewhere in this letter. There is a single CD for the changes to the field.
Conflict with Order of the Aries, registered to the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. The substantive elements are insignificantly different in sound and spelling.
The LoI claimed that truehearted is a synonym for loyalty, and that this name followed the pattern of naming an order after a virtue, such as the orders of Silence and Mercy noted on the August 2005 cover letter. However, truehearted is not a synonym for loyalty, but rather a synonym for loyal. The examples provided of orders named after virtues used the nominal, and not the adjectival, form of the word, which in this case would be true-heartedness. Indeed the Oxford English Dictionary s.v. true-hearted gives us an early grey area example of true-heartedness: "Encrease...loyalty and true-heartednesse in his subiects", and its antonym fainthartednesse, is dated to 1580 in the OED s.v. faint-hearted. We would change the order name to Order of_Trueheartednesse to match the documentation and follow period patterns of order names, but the submitters do not allow major changes. Dropping or adding an element, including articles and prepositions, and significantly changing the sound or appearance of an element are both considered major changes.
Conflict with Hrólfr Hrafnssen; the given names are significantly different in spelling, but not in sound.
This device is in conflict with the device of Cordelia FitzRobert of York, Gules, a demi-sun in splendor Or issuant from a cloud argent. The cloud in Cordelia's armory is not large enough to be considered half the charge. Thus, there is only a single CD for the addition of the secondary charges.
Conflict with Seamus Mac Duff. In our period, James was pronounced roughly \DJAH-m@s\, which means that the given names are insignificantly different in sound.
Commenters noted that this plant does not match any heraldic plant. It does not match the depiction of a mandrake in the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry, either the natural plant or the humanoid-shaped variant. None of them could provide a blazon that would cause this depiction to be accurately reproduced. Therefore, this device is returned for violating RfS VII.7.b: "Any element used in Society armory must be describable in standard heraldic terms so that a competent heraldic artist can reproduce the armory solely from the blazon. Elements that cannot be described in such a way that the depiction of the armory will remain consistent may not be used, even if they are identifiable design motifs that were used before 1600."
Using a properly drawn mandrake, this device would be in conflict with the badge for the An Tir Herbalist Guild, Or, a mandrake plant eradicated proper within a bordure vert. There is a single CD for the change of tincture of the bordure.
This is returned for conflict with Canada, (Tinctureless) A maple leaf. There is a CD for the difference between tinctureless and all other armory, but no other CD.
This badge is returned because commenters were unable to recognize the charge to sinister as a bottle. Several thought it was a club, others were entirely unable to recognize it without reading the blazon. The shape also does not match those of period bottles. Period bottles were described on the March 2006 Cover Letter.
No documentation was provided and none found by the commenters that Schlaktenbumlera follows patterns of period German bynames. The LoI cited the article "Women with the Fahnlein" (http://www.st-mike.org/groups/german/women.html) in support of the byname, but Schlaktenbumlera does not appear in this article, only the form Schlachtenbummlerin, and as Silver Trumpet says:
The website referenced is an article from a faire guild - with absolutely no references. The article suggests that this word means 'battle loiterers.' No doubt such women did exist, but I would like to see documentation this word, or any similar word was used as a name element.
The website also doesn't given any evidence that either Schlaktenbumlera or Schlachtenbummlerin are period words. Lacking evidence that these words were used in our period and that they follow patterns of period German bynames, neither Schlaktenbumlera nor Schlachtenbummlerin is registerable.
The device is in conflict with Ranald de Balinhard's device, Azure, in pale three ferrets courant argent. There is a CD for the change in orientation, but that is the only CD. There is no difference for the slight overlap of the heads.
Please instruct the submitter that, if the beast is the kind of beast that can have its head guardant, tricorporate renditions of that beast should have their head guardant. Some creatures can't be guardant: witness the many tricorporate fish in Stemmario Trivulziano.
This is returned for lack of documentation that Ivy Crune follows period patterns of English fellowship names. The LoI showed that Crown, Garland, and Vine all show up in period, or undated but probably period, English inn names. However, though the elements Ivy and Crune may individually be appropriate in an inn name, the combination of the two is not. Most inn names do not include adjectives, and when they do, the adjectives tend to be common descriptives for the object, such as Byshops Myter, Cardynalles hat, Dooble hood, Blew garlande, and Rose garland, all found in Margaret Makafee, "Inn, Shop, or House names found in imprints from the EEBO database, 1473-1600". Based on these examples, Ivy Garland or Vine Garland would be reasonable; Ivy Crune is not. Furthermore, even if it were, showing that a name is appropriate for an inn does not mean that the name is automatically also appropriate for a fellowship. We would change the name to House of the Ivy Garland, but the submitters indicated that if the name must be changed, they cared most about the designator Fellowship, so we are returning the name instead.
The byname ćt Galtris violates RfS III.1.a by combining Old English ćt and Middle English Galtris in the same phrase. A wholly Middle English form would be of Galtris; we would change the name to Ceolwynn of Galtris, but the submitter does not allow major changes such as changing the language of an element.
The Labrador Retriever is a modern breed, originating in the early 19th century. The beasts on this device do not have the appearance of a generic medieval stylization of a 'dog' that would allow us to blazon them as dogs. We are returning this device for violating RfS VII.4, Period Flora and Fauna, which says "Hybrids or mutations of period forms known to have been developed after 1600 generally may not be used as charges. For example, the English Sheepdog may not be used in Society armory because it was developed after 1600."
This badge is returned for multiple reasons.
It is in conflict with the device of Brianne Hyla, Per chevron Or and vert, in base a maple tree couped Or. There is a CD for changes to the field, but the move to base for Brianne's tree is forced by the field. Brianne's tree is a 'maple' due only to artistic detailing, it is otherwise identical to a generic tree and thus not worth any difference.
It is also in conflict with the armory for Della Rovere, Dukes of Urbino, Azure, an oak tree eradicated, its four branches knotted in saltire Or. There is a CD for the field but none for the eradicating and none for the nowing of the branches.
It is also returned for having a charge obscuring the low-contrast complex line of division. While ployé is considered to be equivalent to a plain line for purposes of conflict, it still must be possible to identify it as ployé. In this case, it is difficult to tell what complex line of division is used, due to the overlying charge.
The byname was intended to mean "of the well-in-rock" or "of the rock-well", but while the documentation showed that du Puits en Pierre is a grammatically correct construction in modern French, no evidence was provided either that the phrase is grammatically correct for medieval French or that a toponymic byname with this meaning is plausible for medieval French. The most similar byname that could be found is du Puis 'of the well', which appears in Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "French Names from Paris, 1421, 1423, and 1438". We would change the name to Guillaume du Puis_, but the submitter allows no changes.
His device was registered under the holding name Guillaume of Western Seas.
The name is returned for combining a Welsh given name, Iago, with an Italian byname, Margoni. Names combining Welsh and Italian are not registerable barring evidence of significant contact between Welsh and Italian speakers. The given name was originally documented from de Felice, Nomi, s.n. Jago as a variant of James, but this source gives no indication that Iago was used in our period. The LoI speculated that Iago was also a Spanish form of James. However, the form Iago occurs in Spanish only in the compound Santiago 'Saint James'. The usual Spanish form of James is Diego. This means that we cannot consider Iago to be either Italian or Spanish. The only language in which we could find this particular spelling used in our period is Welsh; Academy of Saint Gabriel Report #2010 gives examples of this spelling in the 13th and 14th centuries.
We found only one Spanish form of the name beginning with a vowel, Iague, which Siren notes appears in Castilla in 1199 (from Crestomatia del Espańol). We would change the name to Iague Margoni to register this as a mixed Spanish/Italian name (this would be one step from period practice), but the submitter does not allow major changes, such as changing the language of an element.
The device conflicts with both the device of Richard of Alsace, Vair, a Latin cross fleury Or and the badge of Calontir, Purpure, a cross of Calatrava Or. Precedent says:
...nothing for the change from cross fleury to a cross of Santiago: "[Per] the March 2001 LoAR, 'A cross patonce and a cross of Santiago are both considered artistic variants of a cross flory; therefore, there is no CD for a cross patonce versus a cross of Santiago' [Mar 2001, Ret-East, Caitlin Davies]. A cross fleury is even closer in depiction to a cross of Santiago than a cross patonce." [Aug 2001, Ret-Lochac, Cristoval Gitano] [Taran z Azov, 12/04, R-Calontir] (François II)
In each case, there is a CD for the changes to the field, but both the Santiago and Calatrava crosses are artistic variants of the cross fleury/flory. As such, they are identical for purposes of conflict.
This is returned for lack of documentation for the pattern <surname> + Chapel in English before 1600. While a number of examples of this pattern were provided in commentary, no evidence was provided that these chapels were known by their current names in our period. In fact, all of the period English chapel names that were found by the commenters were named after saints or other religious figures, e.g., the following examples from the Middle English Dictionary s.v. chapele:
Chapell of Seint Martyn Graunt of London 1464, Chapell of Seynt Stephen 1473, Chapelle Roial of Seint George 1429, collegiate chapelle of All Saints 1466, chapell of Seynt Petir ţe apostell 1423, chapel of Seynt Jame 1426, chapelle of Seynt Johan Baptyst 1464, and St. Stevens chappell a1600 copy of a text from 1472.
Loyall provides some further examples of English chapel names recorded in Latin:
From T.F. Kirby, ed., Wykeham's Register vol. ii, London: Simpkin & Co., 1899.
Capella + [holy figure]: capella S. Stephani, p. 156 capella S. Trinitatis, p. 269
Capella de [placename]: capella de Pireforde, p. 327 capella de Retherwyke, p. 389 capella de Stepe, p. 478
From Buckle, "An English composer in royal and aristocratic service", http://oxford.academia.edu/AlexandraBuckle/attachment/197/full/An-English-composer-in-royal-and-aristocrati c-service--Robert-Chirbury--c--1380%E2%80%931454, <capella Regis> 'chapel of the King'.
From a fourteenth-century will http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=66909: <capella de gealda London> 'chapel of the London guild'
All of the examples from the Wykeham register are from the 14th century. We would not be surprised if further research showed these latter three patterns in English (and not just Latin records from English). However, none of these patterns support the submitted name. Lacking evidence that Monelyght Chapel follows period patterns of English chapel names, it is not registerable.
The byname O'Ceallaigh violates RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency by combining Anglicized Irish O' and Gaelic Ceallaigh in the same phrase. We would change the name to the wholly Gaelic Pátraic Ó_Ceallaigh, but the submitter does not allow major changes, such as changing the language of an element.
This is returned for lack of documentation of the given name Rana. The LoI cited the name from Salahuddin Ahmed, A Dictionary of Muslim Names. However, Ahmed gives no dates or other evidence that this name was used in our period, and precedent from August 2008 (q. Ni'ma al-'Aliyya) ruled that Ahmed is not acceptable as the sole source of documentation for a name. As none of the commenters were able to provide any evidence that Rana was used in our period, we are forced to return the name.
Conflict with Reynard Archer. The given name has two roots; it is probably most familiar as a feminine name, derived from French Reine, from Latin Regina. However it can also be, according to Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Rain a short form of names with the deuterotheme Regen-, such as Reyner, Reynold, and Reynard. RfS V.1.a.i says that "irrespective of differences in sound and appearance, a given name is not significantly different from any of its diminutives when they are used as given names." Thus, Rayne conflicts with Reynard when both are used as a given name, as is the case here.
Her device was registered under the holding name Michelle the Archer.
This device is in conflict with the badge of Malcom Leslie the Scot, (Fieldless) A Scottish terrier statant contourny sable, the badge of Lorn Stark, (Fieldless) A wolf courant contourny sable, and the device of Lettice Atwode of Sandhyll, Gyronny gules and Or, a greyhound statant contourny sable. In each case, there is a CD for changes to the field but nothing for the posture and nothing for the difference between a normal dog and a three-headed dog, per the precedent: "[a three-headed hydra vs a dragon] Details of the dragons, including number of heads... count for nothing. (Thomas Grayson of Falconridge, 3/98 p. 22)"
The LoI documented this name as following the construction <given name> + <descriptive byname> + <patronymic byname>, citing the byname Kveld-Úlfr from Geirr Bassi, p. 25, meaning 'evening-wolf, werewolf'. Past precedent has ruled that Kveld-Úlfr is not registerable:
"Kveldulf is a unique name, applied to the grandfather of Egil Skallagrimsson, given to him because he came alive only at night and apparently had werewolf-like tendencies. As a unique name, its use in a patronymic form is a claim to relationship, which is disallowed by RfS V.5." (LoAR 4/91 p.14).
This name is discussed in detail in Academy of S. Gabriel Report #2113:
The original Old Norse name is <Kveld-Úlfr> in the standardized scholarly spelling based on 13th century Icelandic writings. Here <kveld> 'evening' is a nickname, and the man's given name is <Úlfr>. The original <Kveld-Úlfr> lived in the ninth century. According to Egil's saga it was said that he was a shapechanger; he got his nickname because he was so tired and cross in the evening, supposedly on account of his shapechanging. [3,4]
This is the traditional explanation of the name, and the one given in Egil's saga. At least one scholar, however, thinks that <Kveldúlfr> may have been a genuine given name in its own right, and there are arguments in favor of this view. [5]
First, we have no other certain example of the nickname <Kveld->. We did, however, find a 1334 reference to an <Eskillus Qualdolfsson> in Sweden and a 1528 reference to an <Asolff Kvelhuffson> in Lyngdal, Norway. [2,3,5] These are medieval spellings of names whose standardized Old Norse forms would be <Áskell Kveldúlfs son> and <Ásólfr Kveldúlfs son>, respectively. It seems quite possible that one or both of the fathers actually bore the given name <Kveldulv> (to use the standard modern Norwegian spelling). On the other hand, it's also possible that one or both was named <Ulv> and later came to be called <Kveldulv> because of some supposed resemblance to the saga character; at this point there appears to be no way to know for certain.
[2] Lind, E.H. Norsk-Isländska Personbinamn frĺn Medeltiden (Uppsala: 1920-21); s.n. <Kveldúlfr>.
[3] Kruken, Kristoffer, ed. Norsk Personnamnleksikon. 2nd ed. (Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1995); s.n. <Kveldulv>.
[4] Pálsson, Hermann & Paul Edwards, trans. Egil's Saga (Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, 1976); p. 21.
[5] Müller, Gunter. Studien zu den Theriophoren Personennamen der Germanen (Köln: Böhlau Verlag, 1970); pp. 135.
On the basis of this information, we can draw two conclusions: first, Kveld-Úlfr is not a byname. It is either a given name, or preposed byname + a given name. Second, given that we have examples of the name being used by people distinct from the grandfather of Egil Skallagrimsson, it is not unique. We hereby overturn the precedent cited above and allow Kveldúlf to be registered as a late-period Norwegian masculine given name.
However, that means that the submitted name has two given names, and precedent also says, "Old Norse naming practice apparently didn't extend to double given names" [LoAR 05/1996]. We would drop one of the given names, but the submitter does not allow major changes.
This armory is in conflict with that of Alen Bendbow, Vert, on a bend between two bows bendwise argent, a bow vert. There is a single CD for the change of type of secondary charges, from bows to head-and-leaf. By precedent, there is not a CD for the change of the orientation between these sorts of charges:
[Vert, a chevron argent between three stick shuttles bendwise argent, threaded purpure]: This device is returned for multiple conflicts. The thread on a stick shuttle is an artistic detail, blazonable but worth no difference. Thus, this conflicts with the device for Caitlyn Emrys, Vert, a chevron between three peacocks pavonated to base argent, and with the device of Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Vert, a chevron between three falcons argent. In each case, there is a single CD for changing the type of secondary charges. [Brigit Comyn, 12/2006, R-East]
There is not a CD for the changes to type only of the tertiary charge. The submission has three types of charge on the field (bends, head, leaf) and is not eligible for X.4.j.ii.
This submission has a complexity count of 9 (azure, purpure, argent, gules, vert, pegasus, mullet, chief, rose). As such, it is too complex to register except in a simple, period design. Since the compass star is not a period charge, this cannot be a period design. Therefore, we are returning this device.
On resubmission, the submitter should be aware that several commenters mistook the pegasus for a swan, and should draw it in a different manner, so that the charge is unambiguously identifiable.
This is being returned for lack of identifiability. None of the commenters and none of those present at the meeting were able to identify the primary charge from any distance. The problem is made worse by the fact that the monster is marked with Or markings and is on an Or field.
This is being returned for identifiability issues. None of the commenters and none of those present at the meeting were able to identify the primary charge from any distance.
This device is returned for a redraw. From any distance, it is not possible to tell what the complex line of division on the fess is because the repeats are too small. Please instruct the submitter to draw fewer and more prominent engrailings.
Conflict with Isabeau de Brionne. The addition of the liquid (i.e., \r\), and the slight change in vowel in the initial syllable of the byname are unfortunately not quite a significant enough change to clear the two aurally.
Conflict with Kathleen Lennox. As one given name is a diminutive of another, per RfS V.1.a.i, they are insignificantly different even given the differences in sound and spelling.
This is being returned for obtrusive modernity. Precedent says:
[Title for Émail Herald] Even if émail was an appropriate term for a heraldic title, this would be returned for obtrusive modernity. Everyone who commented on this title from outside of An Tir found it obtrusively modern. Everyone thought of e-mail when reading or hearing the title. [An Tir, Kingdom of, LoAR 02/99, An Tir-R]
In the present case, all but one person commented on the title's similarity to the modern term geeky and considered the title obtrusive.
Unfortunately, we must return this lovely heraldic title for conflict with Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall has its own article in the Encyclopedia Britannica, and the majority of the commenters considered it important enough to protect from conflict. Additionally, there are many institutions called Carnegie X which are all named after the American philanthropist. While many of them are not important enough to protect from conflict, the fact that they are all closely associated with a modern figure caused the submitted title to bring that person to most of the commenter's minds. As Walraven van Nijmegen puts it:
There is a wealth of well-known items named Carnegie (including many modern places), but these are almost all named for the Scottish industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, and so this title is likely to bring to mind modern institutions and associations. Some people become so famous that their surname, although shared with others, becomes overly associated with the famous individual. So, just as I would balk at Disney Herald or Rockefeller Herald, I think it inappropriate to register Carnegie Herald.
Whether the issue be considered presumptuous or obtrusive modernity, we agree that, especially given the conflict with Carnegie Hall, this title is not registerable.
The kingdom has permission to conflict with Calontir's Order of the Calon Cross, but by precedent set in a previous return of Order of the Cross of Lochac, this also conflicts with Meridies's Order of the Meridian Cross. Neither the adjective Meridian nor the phrase of Lochac contribute to difference:
[Order name Order of the Cross of Lochac.] This name conflicts with the Calon Cross, Order of the, registered May 1990. Recent precedent holds that incomplete forms of a branch name are considered transparent for purposes of conflict:
[Order of the Guardians of Fontaine.]This order name conflicts with the Order of the Guardians of Atenveldt. The summarization of documentation states "Fontaine, as the name of the Barony, should satisfy the placename standard." While Fontaine is not the full name of the Barony, and the group has documented Fontaine as a mundane placename, the combination of the main descriptive element of the barony's name in an Order name with ownership by the barony makes it impossible to view this placename as referring to anyplace but the Barony of Fontaine dans Sable. This name would be registerable with a letter of permission to conflict from the Kingdom of Atenveldt. [March 2007]
In this case, it is impossible to view Calon in Calon Cross as anything but a clear reference to Calontir. We note that thie [sic] submitted name would be registerable with a letter of permission to conflict from the Kingdom of Calontir. [Lochac, Kingdom of, 05/2007 LoAR, R-Lochac]
The submitted name should be registerable with a letter of permission to conflict from both the Kingdom of Calontir and the Kingdom of Meridies.
This is returned for tincture issues. The blue of the field was printed on a color printer or a color copier, and it has darkened from the already-dark version to where, from any distance, it is indistinguishable from sable. Properly colored, this device is clear of Tamlene ap Guidgen, Azure, a chasing hammer and a tierce dovetailed Or. There is a CD for the change of type and number of the secondary charges.
This device is in conflict with that of Alyanora of Vinca, Argent, a periwinkle [Vinca minor] proper, with a single CD for the number of roses. As ruled previously, there is no CD for the tincture: "... There is one CD for adding the wreath of thorns. Per the May 2000 LoAR, 'Periwinkles are bluish purple and by current precedent (see the September 1996 LoAR, pg. 17 ...) they are not significantly different from either blue or purple roses.' [LoAR 11/2003]."
This is also a conflict with Heather Rose of Glen Laurie, Argent, three bouquets of three garden roses purpure, slipped and leaved vert. There is a single CD for the change of arrangement. Slipping and leaving does not count for difference, nor is there difference for a heraldic rose versus a garden rose.
The question was raised in commentary over whether the nailing should or should not count for difference. Batonvert addresses the issue:
I did find the example of Tebaud (or Theobald) Verdon (or Verdun), died c.1310, whose arms are most frequently depicted Or fretty gules or Or, a fret gules -- but in at least one example, a roll temp. Edward III, they're depicted Or fretty gules nailed argent. (Humphery-Smith, op.cit., p.456; Woodward 97; see also Foster 197 and Papworth 883 for modern interpretations of the arms.)
Since commenters have found examples of the same device both nailed and not nailed in period, nailing, even such prominent nailing as in this submission, is not worth a CD.
Therefore, the submitted armory conflicts with a badge for the Barony of Altavia, Argent fretty sable, a chief vert, and with the armory of Mathghamhain MacRaith, Argent, a fret sable and a chief embattled gules. In each case, there is a single CD for the removal of the chief.
The submitted device also conflicts with the badge of Elizabeth Musard, (Fieldless) A fret couped sable. There is a CD for the field versus a fieldless design, but per precedent, "There is no difference between [an ordinary] and [the same ordinary] couped on fieldless armory." (LoAR 6/90 Symposium p.3)
Prior precedent holds that this conflicts with one of the badges of Conrad von Graz, Argent, a fret couped of six two-pronged forks sable:
[Per pale counter-ermine and ermine, a fret Or, a bordure gules.] This conflicts with Conrad de [sic] Graz: Ermine, a fret couped of six two-pronged forks Or within a bordure gules. There is one CD for the field but that is all. There is not sufficient difference between a fret couped (even of forks) and a fret to gain a second CD in this case. [Richard Dale, LoAR 09/2004, Calontir-R]
As this submission has several other definite conflicts, we decline to rule at this time whether this precedent should be overturned.
Conflict with Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless telegraph. He is important enough to protect from conflict; the majority of the commenters mentioned him, and an informal poll of non heralds showed that most could name the inventor without prompting. The difference in pronunciation between Marchionni and Marconi is insufficient to clear the two.
This is returned for a redraw. The candles are not identifiable from any distance. Commenters mistook them for pens or paintbrushes. It has been suggested that adding more space between the bottoms and the flames on the candles might help the identifiability of this motif.
This armory is in conflict with that of Edmund the Sentinel, Or, on a heart gules a standing balance argent. There is a single CD for the multiple changes to the tertiary charge.
This device is in conflict with the device of Mar Arthursson, Gules, a chevron couped Or. We do not grant difference for couping an ordinary. Therefore, there is only a single CD for the change of type from a chevron couped to a chevron rayonny.
This device is returned for appearance of marshalling as it violates RfS XI.3, which states that "Divisions commonly used for marshalling, such as quarterly or per pale, may only be used in contexts that ensure marshalling is not suggested." It continues, saying "Charged sections must all contain charges of the same type to avoid the appearance of being different from each other." Because the secondary charges are dissimilar, this style of design has consistently been considered to have the appearance of marshalling under our rules. The use of a cross throughout does not remove the appearance, by precedent:
A cross throughout which overlies the line of division on a quarterly field does not remove the appearance of marshalling by quartering, even if the cross throughout is treated with a complex line (such as engrailed) or has complex ends (such as formy or moline.) A cross which is not throughout, or which does not overlie the quarterly line of division (such as a Tau cross), will remove the appearance of marshalling unless evidence is presented that the cross under discussion was used for marshalling in period heraldry. [Dana the Quarrier, 06/2003, R-Meridies]
Because the cross in this submission is throughout and overlies the line of division on a quarterly field, it does not remove the appearance of marshalling by quartering in this submission.
This was an appeal of a kingdom-level return; the cause for return was that the spelling of the byname Bahvgai was documented from the pronunciation guide of a dictionary. The submitter's appeal was based on two points:
The registration of the submitter's alternate name as Subadai Babagai spelled the byname, intended to be the Mongolian word for 'bear', incorrectly, and that the correct spelling, in Uyghur script, is bagabagai, according to an online translation service. (The Uyghur script was adopted to write Mongolian in the Middle Ages.)
Since names from non-Roman alphabets are registered transliterated into the Roman alphabet, these names should be rendered in a form that makes the original pronunciation clear. Because the alphabets usually do not translate from one to the other directly, the submitter proposed that the byname should be rendered phonetically to preserve the correct sound, and the correct phonetic rendering of bagabagai is bahvgai or baavgai.
There are problems with both points of this argument. With respect to the first point, there were two issues. First, the copy of the email from the translation service does not give bagabagi as the Uyghur spelling of the Mongolian word for 'bear'; it gives bagabagai nugud and defines it as 'bears'. Second, no source was provided for the claim that bagabagai nugud is the correct Uyghur script spelling of 'bears', either in medieval or modern Mongolian. All that was provided was a dictionary reference showing that the modern Mongolian word for 'bear' is baavgai.
Concerning the second point, when considering name elements from languages which do not use the Roman alphabet (such as Russian, Arabic, and Chinese), we routinely register the elements using a single accepted standard, scholarly transliteration or other accepted standard. These transliteration systems are not phonetic: they associate a letter or set of letters in the Roman alphabet to each letter in the original alphabet. This type of transliteration system allows the spelling in the original alphabet to be recovered from the transliterated form. Because different letters in the original language can be used to represent the same sound, a phonetic transliteration would not have this property. This property is also one reason we require a consistent transliteration system be used throughout a name. We see no compelling reason to change our current practice of using standard scholarly transliterations, which are alphabetic, to allow the use of phonetic transcriptions.
Lacking good resources for medieval Mongolian, we're willing to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the modern form Baavgai is also a plausible medieval form. We would change the name to Subadai Baavgai, but the submitter allows no changes.
This name and device were withdrawn by the submitters.
None.
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
Listed on the LoI as Lucrezia Giovanni, the forms indicate that the name was originally submitted as Lucrézia Giovanni. No mention of the change made in kingdom was made on the LoI. As outlined on the June 2008 Cover Letter, failure to note changes made in kingdom is grounds for pending or returning a submission. We are pending this name so that the kingdom can give the reason why the name was changed, so that the commenters can address the name with its full submissions history.
The LoI originally provided the following documentation for the name:
Submitter desires a female name.
Language (Italian) most important.
<Lucrezia> - De Felice, Nomi, p. 241, s.n. Lucrezia, lists this as a feminine given name. "Italian Renaissance Women's Names" by Rhian Lyth of Blackmoor Vale (found at<http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/italian.html>), lists <Lucrezia>.
<Giovanni> - De Felice, Cognomi, s.n. Giovanni, lists this as a surname. "Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532: List of surnames" (found at <http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/doc/TLSURNAM1.htm>l accessed on 26 June 2008) lists the surname <Giovanni> 199 times.
This was item 9 on the Ansteorra letter of June 30, 2008.
The submitter requrested authenticity for 12th C Norman, but this authenticity request was not mentioned on the LoI. We are pending this name to allow the commenters to address the authenticity of the name.
The LoI originally provided the following documentation for the name:
Submitter desires a female name.
No major changes.
Language (12th C. Norman) most important.
[Cecila] - "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames". 1 Talan Gwynek. s.n. Sisely (1154-1189)
[de Courcy] - "French Names from Two Thirteenth Century Chronicles"2. Arval Benicoeur. Courcy; "Placenames are used as surnames with the preposition 'de'".
--
1 - <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Cecilia>
2 - <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/crusades/crusadesLieux.html>
Correction (2008-Jun-30 18:06:50): The documentation for the primary item should be spelled [Cecilia], as requested by the submitter.
This was item 1 on the Outlands letter of June 30, 2008.
- Explicit -
Created at 2009-01-09T01:19:49