Eastmarch
3 Las Palomas
Orinda, CA 94563
20 November 1978 (AS XIII)
Karina of the Far West, Laurel Queen of Arms,
to the Heralds of the Kingdoms and Principalities,
Greeting.
The following applications are rejected:
* Since the Amberlands group has practices so different from those of the S.C.A., I think they would find more congenial company by transferring their allegiance to the Mythopoeic Society. Its rules are quite different, and no one there would object to their naming themselves and their group after well-known originals. (Typical branch names are Gondor, Avalon, Annwn.) Many S. C. A. Members are also Mythopoeic members. Information can be obtained from Glen GoodKnight, Box 4671, Whittier, CA 90607. Vesper Herald, who is helping with the filing as I draft this, suggests that if they wish to remain affiliated with us, they could adopt some innocuous name for public use and when in private call themselves what they please. I must point out also that "Barimen," their surname, is an anagram of ‘in Amber."
* Corwin dubh Barimen. Change the surname. If the name Corwin is used, do not use a unicorn.
* Dun Gael of Galway. "Fortress of the Gael" would be a fine eke-name, but it is not a proper first name. Add one.
* Dworkin Barimen. Same comment as Corwin, above.
* Elizabeth Essex of Amberlands. Too reminiscent of the play Elizabeth and Essex.
* Julian Barimen. Same objection as Corwin and Dworkin for the surname.
* Salaamallah the Corpulent. I do not plan to recognize this field. It is midway between "Scaly" and "Plumetty". See my letter of November 15 for illustrations.
* Vardak Mirceavitch Basarabov. We will have to have the genus and species of the pine cones proper. They could be roundish and purple (Pinus albicaulis); narrow oval and light brown (P. attenuata); oval-to-oblong and reddish to yellow-brown (P. halapensis) -- to name only a few possibilities. If borne stem-up, they should be blazoned "reversed."
* Vlad the Impala. The name is a clumsy takeoff on that of Vlad Tepes, the Hammer of the Turks. As Manuel Garcia O'Kelly would put it, it's a funny-once.
* Algernon Hartesmond (change). A hart is a male red deer over five years old. Appropriately branched antlers should be shown to identify it. The animal shown here has no antlers, and would have to be blazoned a hind (female red deer).
* Arwyn Antarae. This is too much of a landscape, and too complex, to be heraldry.
* Asleik Skallagrimsson. The patronymic, "son of Bald-Grim," would make its bearer at least a half brother of Egil Skallagrimsson, the hero of one of the great Norse sagas. On the device, the garb should be drawn with the heads of the wheat showing. (If some other grain than wheat, that should be stated.)
* Atackq'vix: Scasþolaen Lankhmarna. This one aroused objections from all quarters on both the name and the device. Start over.
* Caelwulf Longstrider. This legless animal is not a sea stag. See Woodward's Art of Heraldry, page 149, figure 361.
* Deirdre Breffsdottir (badge); Which futhark does this dag belong to? There are several possibilities.
* Duntusque Minam von Cameroon. The device was generally objected to as busy and confused. Start over with a better name than "Dun't ask."
* Gray of West Shore. Gray cannot be used as a given name. It is the surname of a famous noble house. We have already rejected a lady for this reason for the West Kingdom. The device conflicts with the Magistrate of Technic in A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire by Michael Bishop.
* Gwenllian of the Middle Marches. This is macramé, not heraldry.
* Gyongyver a Vitezaszszony. Try this again as "a bend ... overall a hawk ... ", since that is the way it was drawn. The wording of the blazon implies that the hawk is located entirely upon the bend, color on color. Also, I would like some attestation for the spelling of the name.
* Joselin, Cigfran Myddrael (badge for House Ravenswood). Virtually identical to Erryk Blackwolf's badge: Per bend sinister sable and gules, a plate.
* Hugo von Feuerklippe. Conflicts with Beacon Herald, Meridies: A beacon enflamed.
* Izora of the Silver Rose. Conflicts with Chandrabālā, Vert a kris reversed above a crescent argent.
* House Wayward. History form missing. Who is head of household?
* Johnnae of the Hawks Flying. The thistle is still incorrect; see the drawing. Also (which we didn't catch before because the drawing had been re-colored) the flaunches must be of one color, not two. They represent "flanks," that is, sides, of an under-robe which is seen through the openings of an open-sided surcote.
* Orson die Grosse Mauer. A fess, if embattled, is embattled on both sides.
* Qu'marin of Rivenstar. Give attestation of the name as distinct from the drug, coumarin.
* Randall Alartinual. The drawing is not a true Jerusalem Cross, but a representation of a modern piece of jewelry based on the heraldic version. The usual form is shown at the right.
* Rivenstar Alchemy Guild. The drawing shows a modern retort. An alembic that has been used in heraldry is illustrated on p. 372 of Parker's Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry.
* Robert Sartor von Pays-Bas. Clean up the language — don't use a German preposition with a French noun.
* Rory O'Tomrair. This is too nearly Ulster (Argent, a hand couped gules) borne in pretence. In any case we do not use single escutcheons; whatever it was charged with, it would look like an escutcheon of pretence.
* Eoforwic, Shire. This trillium is not like any of those I am familiar with. Genus and species is necessary for living things blazoned "proper."
I remain at your service,
/s Karina Far West
Karina of the Far West
Laurel Queen of Arms
KFW/mp