Kingdom of An Tir

NOTE: Name appeal accepted. Appledore is a non-unique descriptive name appropriate to the branch.

NOTE: Name appeal accepted. Since none of the rulers of Persia called Bahram are recorded as using The Resplendent as a descriptive, I am forced to agree with the appeal, although I consider it rather presumptuous. The senmurv is an Iranian monster consisting of the front half of a dog and the wings and rear body of a bird. It was copiously documented (Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin XX (Nov. 1961), "The Senmurv," by Prudence Oliver Harper).

NOTE: Name appeal partially accepted. Tibetan name approved without McPhee. The Rules for Heraldic Submissions (V.3) state: "All Society names must be consistent with period naming practices . . . . This principle means that the overall style or form of each submission must also be in period or else consistent with period practices." Thus, not only each part of a name but the whole name itself as a combination must be consistent with period practices. This means that you have to be able to point to specific period practices and say that the name is consistent with them. These practices will be in specific languages, and therefore a Society name must be consistent with period naming practices of one to three specific languages. This is not a rules change, but just a common-sense clarification.
Based upon the response of the College of Arms, I have decided to treat the use of two widely separated languages in a name as a discouraged practice rather than a generally restricted practice. (The use of three widely separated languages would be too weird to accept.) Ting uses Scots Gaelic and Tibetan, a rather unlikely combina-tion. I won't get involved with the probability that such a meeting of languages could have occurred in period.
The fact remains that Ting must still be consistent with Tibetan and Scots Gaelic naming practices, since those are the languages in his name. This is the only way we could possibly say he is consistent with period naming practices. I accept the documentation that the Tibetan name is valid and that McPhee is a valid Scots surname. The problem comes with the combination.
The Board of Directors has ruled that a person with a persona from outside the scope of the SCA is only acceptable as a visitor. Thus we are forced to consider Ting as being a Tibetan who has traveled to Scotland and who has won admittance to Clan McPhee. (Were he to have been born of a Scots parent, he would have been given a Christian name.)
All evidence seems to indicate that if a clan adopted such a person, he would be expected to adopt a good Scots Christian name rather than a "heathenish" (to their minds) Tibetan name. At the very least, the Tibetan name would be shortened to its given name, if it is a compound name. The documentation does seem to indicate that this is the case, as the name consists of a part meaning "meditation," the genitive participle "of," and a part meaning "lion."
Therefore there is considerable doubt that this combination is consistent with Scottish naming practices.
The Rules for Heraldic Submissions (V.6) state: "It is the responsibility of the person submitting a submission to ensure that all necessary information and supporting documentation are included in the submission." Ting has shown that the Tibetan and Scots names are separately correct, but not that they are correct to combine in this manner.
Pending such documentation, I will adopt Baton Vert's and Brachet's suggestion that the College register the Tibetan name alone. In rare cases where a unique compound name in a rarely used language from outside the scope of the SCA is submitted, the College does allow an exception to the requirement of an additional word.
Thus I will register Ting's Tibetan name without McPhee. In order to preserve the proper transliteration, I will retain the hyphens. If Ting can submit documenta-tion of a distantly foreign non-Christian name being combined in period with a Scottish surname, then I will add the McPhee.
The Board of Directors will be polling the SCA membership on the scope of the SCA later this year. If the Board, acting on the results of the poll, broadens the scope of the SCA, then I will reconsider this case. If it turns out that there is a shorter form of Ting's name (such as Sengge) that could constitute a Tibetan given name that might have been acceptable to a Scots clan, then I will reconsider the case.

Kingdom of Ansteorra

NOTE: The firewheel has blossoms of varying colors and so cannot be termed proper. I have therefore blazoned it as gules.

NOTE: Identity of outline is not a factor between SCA badges and mundane arms, except for the most famous mundane arms, such as arms and flags of countries.

NOTE: A stork statant has its dexter leg upraised by default. If both legs were on the ground, it would be a stork close.

NOTE: This would be much better if the bands and handle were a metal. While minor details are not required to obey the Rule of Tincture, it is preferable that they do so.

NOTE: Rhiannon can only be used if there is not an allusion to the goddess of the moon in the device. The crescents does constitute an allusion, although not as bad as actual moons. I have therefore added the "of Bristol" to help difference the name, as allowed on the submittor's form.

NOTE: Draw the bend sinister somewhat larger.

NOTE: Gules does have sufficient contrast against pean.

Kingdom of Caid

NOTE: I am informed that your name would be more accurate if you replaced Topaz with Topazio and Nicolo with Niccolo. This would still fit within the 50- character limit.

NOTE: An arrow proper has a brown wood shaft, a black iron point, and unspecified fletching, the exact fletch-ing color(s) left up to the artist. The exact shade of brown or type of wood should be a note to the artist. As an aid to simplicity, we shall henceforth consider the default color for any wooden object to be brown, with the shade of brown left up to the artist, in the same way that the exact shade of blue used for an azure charge is left up to the artist.

NOTE: Mistress Eriod informs me that Gaelic names can place the father's descriptive after the father's given name as part of a patronymic following nic. In this case the proper formation is a compound form. Thus "Calista, daughter of the servant of St. Andrew" is properly translated as Calista nic Ghilleandrais. I will therefore register this form.

NOTE: The addition of the leaf and arrow prevents any conflict with the SRL badges that have acorns.

NOTE: The chevron inverted should be raised up to touch the chief.

NOTE: Are you aware of the slang meaning for "Schlange"? I am told it is Yiddish for the male member. It really is German for serpent, so I am passing it, but you should know that your name has another meaning.

Kingdom of the East

Kingdom of Meridies (Principality of Trimaris)

NOTE: The type of fabric (lace) the handkerchief is made of is too small a detail to go into the blazon.

NOTE: Excellent heraldry!

NOTE TO HERALDS: Parker's implies that a gore is borne singly. (In fact, I have never heard of arms with two gores.)

NOTE: She releases her former arms.

NOTE: "Sub rosa" is a Latin phrase meaning, literally, "under the rose." The combination "della SubRosa" is therefore meaningless and I have deleted it.

NOTE: Naissant means "issuing from the middle of an ordinary." Please do not draw the hair blowing in the wind, as that is not heraldic.

NOTE: Heads cannot be combattant, as they do not have legs to be rampant. Combattant means rampant respectant. The proper name usage here is "o," not "O'.

NOTE: According to our sources, "Narrissa" does not mean "of the sea," as thalassa (θαλασσα) is the Greek for "sea." Narissa seems to be a valid variant of Nurissa and Damara is a reasonable variant of Tamara.

NOTE: This would be better heraldry if the trees were not partially covered by the base.

NOTE: The specification of a small charge (the snail) as proper is poor practice. A viewer really can't tell at a distance what type of snail this is. It's hard just to see that it is a snail. Since the drawing is basically sable, I have blazoned it that way. The exact description of the snail can be a note to the artist. I have also corrected merch to ferch because all of my references agree that merch always mutates to ferch when used as a patronymic.

NOTE: The estoile and argent sail and banners are barely sufficient difference from Noble, while the differences of bordure and tincture are barely sufficient from Edric the Unsteady. The use of a single charge on the banners is legal but poor practice. It would be better to have plain argent banners.

NOTE: The registration of a name diminutive is poor practice. It is much better to register the formal name and then use the diminutive, as that is the period practice.

NOTE: The use of hyphenated names appears to be out of period, so I have removed the hyphen.

NOTE: Draw the charges larger.

NOTE: Meaghan is pronounced Māyăn. If you want Magan, then drop the "h," as that changes the pronunciation. This fimbriation is poor practice but simple enough to be legal.

NOTE: The following heraldic titles are approved for Meridies: Anvil, Arbor, Archive, Crusilly, Ensign, Hammer, Red Raven, Sextant, Thunder, and Triskele.

NOTE: Monford seems to be a legal combination of a rare protheme (mon-) and a more common deuterotheme (-ford). However, you should be aware of its similarity to the famous surname Mountford (Montford/Montfort). You should also be aware of the fact that monks were required to adopt the name of a saint or apostle. Your name would be much more authentic for your persona if you added a saint's name before Monford.

NOTE: Leigh-Nora is a modern, out-of-period form. The forms Lenore, Leonore, or Leonara did not occur in England until the l9th century, according to Withycombe. The only period usage is one of the forms of Eleanora. I have therefore deleted Leigh-Nora. Please tell me which variant of Eleanora you wish. Mistress Eriod tells me that the correct translation for your household name is Didean Dorchachta, so I have used that. The badge is rather busy but acceptable.

NOTE: I have corrected merch to ferch because all of my references agree that merch mutates to ferch when used as a patronymic. Please draw all of the charges larger.

NOTE: Since the blazons of the device and badge were not resubmitted, I cannot rule on them. Please resubmit them.

NOTE: We only protect against name conflicts within the SCA and with important mundane or fictional persons.

NOTE: English does not seem to have "xx" as a part of a name. All my references list Fox or Foxe but not Foxxe, so I have deleted the extra "x."

NOTE: This is a modern style. It would be much better if a heraldic grenade were used instead of the flaming plate.

NOTE: Appeal accepted.

Note: we have no record of an earlier submission.

NOTE: Draw the battlements fewer and larger. "Keype" is not a valid variant of "Keep," according to the OED. I therefore retain the earlier spelling, although I will combine the two words into one.

NOTE: The following are approved: Order of the Emerald Sea, Order of the Cross and Serpent, Order of the Silver Trident, Order of Trimarian Gratitude, Order of the Triskele of Trimaris, Order of the Wyvern's Claw.

NOTE: The adjective "geschwind" requires the addition of the definite article, producing "der Geschwinde." Counter-changing a bordure this way is highly unusual and rather poor practice, but I cannot see a clear reason for rejecting it. It would be much better heraldry if it were changed to a field division of per fess indented, moving the charges down accordingly.

Kingdom of the Middle

NOTE: Your name was 54 characters long and the limit is 50, so I deleted "of the Twilight Lands."

NOTE: Her old arms become a badge. Compass stars have straight points.

NOTE: This name is poor practice, as it has a middle name, a surname, and a patro-nymic. This would really be better if it were shortened. I have corrected merch to ferch because all of my references agree that merch (daughter) invariably mutates to ferch when used as a patronymic.

NOTE: I have switched the order of the two surnames because, as submitted, the name violated period practice. If you want to have both a surname and a place name, then the surname comes before the place name. The device would be better with a more normal style of quatrefoil.

NOTE: Hyphenated names appear to be out of period, so I removed the hyphen.

NOTE: Tintagel only has one "l."

NOTE: Polaris sent me the requested documentation. The Scottish Clans and Their Tartans, p. 28, states: "The style Mac-'ic used by certain persons in these families is not a 'chiefly' title, but actually denotes a cadet of the line of the affixed name, usually applied when the person was not actual chief or chieftain." Evidently it is used when the spelling of the clan name has not yet been approved.

NOTE: Mistress Eriod informs me that "de an" contracts to form "den" without an apostrophe, and that it aspirates the following consonant, yielding "den Fharraigi." I have therefore used that form.

Kingdom of the West

NOTE: This was left off of the November letter.

Kingdom of An Tir

NOTE: The badge conflicts with Braunch: Gules, a leopard's head Or jessant-de-lis argent (Papworth, p. 911). Leopards and lions were interchangeable in medieval times. A leopard was a lion passant guardant. In any event, the common fleur-de-lys argent removes any possi-bility of invoking the compete-difference-of-charge rule.

NOTE: Device appeal rejected. I apologize for my misleading comment in April 1982. What I meant to say was that adding a powdering of azure ermine spots does not make the field an even division of color and metal. All twenty variants of ermine do count as furs, but last year the College decided that furs and proper charges were only conditionally exempt from the Rule of Tincture. We required that there still be sufficient contrast. In this case, the lightning flash is partially obscured behind the lion and has poor contrast against the field. (Lightning flashes are a poor practice, anyway.) Delete the lightning flash, or make it a color.

Kingdom of Ansteorra

Kingdom of Caid

NOTE: Device rejected. The laurel wreath should be larger. Grey is a variant of argent. If the tower is drawn as a light grey, it blends into the argent sword blade. If the tower is drawn as a dark grey, it has insufficient contrast against the azure. Thus the device lacks contrast. I suggest something like: Per fess azure and vert, a laurel wreath or, a tower argent, and in saltire a recorder and a sword inverted proper, assuming that doesn't conflict.

NOTE: Garalee seems, from the forms, to be a combination of Gary and Lee. The name Gary itself is very recent. This sort of combination is very modern and not consistent with period usage. It is instead the sort of name one finds frequently in the South. I suggest Gareth Lee (using Lee as a surname). The device seems acceptable.

NOTE: Badge rejected. Two straight trumpets in saltire is a reserved charge usable only in tinctureless seals of heralds' offices.

Kingdom of Meridies (P. of Trimaris)

NOTE: Device rejected. The device conflicts with Albert: Azure, a gryphon segreant Or (Papworth, p. 981). It is close to Leopold von Haskenberg: Azure, an opinicus sejant grasping in its dexter upraised forepaw a goblet Or. I have centered the gryphon in the blazon because it is not heraldic to have a single main charge off to one side. There is plenty of room for the sword and dagger with the gryphon centered.

NOTE: Name rejected Akira is a given name. Mr. Akira Kurosawa uses the modern Japanese practice of following the European practice, placing the given name first. Thus you have two given names and no surname. Monsho tells me that Noriuji-no should not be part of the formal name, just as no-kami is not part of the registered name of an armiger. Thus your name violates period Japanese naming practices. Delete Akira and Noriuji-no and add a family name in their place. You must fimbriate the mist in the mon since you cannot place an argent charge upon another argent charge.

NOTE: Device rejected. Devices are flat abstract representations. Trying to display depth in this manner is not heraldic. While I can accept a door charged with a lamp, I don't think a lamp seen through a doorway is heraldic. Does anyone know if Arabic heraldry ever used doorways?

NOTE: Name and device rejected. Name: Kilwitch, besides being offensive, is not a valid variation of Kilhwch, the lover in the Mabinogion. Mistress Eriod states that Kilhwch is a unique famous name that appears only in this story of the Mabinogion (and therefore it cannot be used) and that it is not a proper Welsh surname form. Corineous seems to be an incorrect variant of Corinius, Duke of Witchland, from The Worm Ouroboros, by E. R. Eddison. Device: The device lacks contrast. The ermine furs are not even divisions of the field and therefore are basically a simple field seme of ermine spots. As with proper, we require sufficient contrast for furs, and Or on argent does not have sufficient contrast. The ermine furs are still furs and so those violations of the Rule of Tincture that have reasonable contrast are allowed. For example, you can place gules on counter-ermine.

NOTE: Name rejected. Baton Vert states that this name is not Anglo-Saxon. Please document it or else resubmit another name. Cyn is very close to cyng (A-S for king), which isn't allowed. A proper Anglo-Saxon name close to your translation would be Merowald Aethelbeorn (sea + ruler and noble + warrior). Draw all charges larger.

NOTE: Name change rejected; alternate name rejected; mon conflicts. The College voted 7 to 5 to reject the combined use of the name Edward Bolingbroke and a red rose. Thus last month's ruling stands. Edward can have either Bolingbroke or the red rose, but not both. The general rule is that surnames of royal houses may not be used at all, and that other famous surnames may not be used in conjunction with elements in the device that allude to the arms belonging to that famous surname.

As to the Japanese submissions, Monshō states that Toryu Shingen-no-kami does not belong in the name. (The no-kami portion is a title used in the SCA for armigers.) You should only register the family name and given name. (A number of people also thought the use of Shingen to be rather presumptuous.) The mon conflicts with the mon of Muramutsu (Mon--The Japanese Family Crest, p. 35). blonsho informs me, and my references agree, that tomoe are always borne with the tails outwards so the heads touch.

NOTE: Name rejected. Gallant is an adjective, not a given name. Taking a variation of an adjective (Galland) does not make it a given name. Please add a given name. A red fox's proper tincture is a reddish brown, which will have very poor contrast against a green field.

NOTE: Device rejected. What you have drawn is a chief. If you want the field divided into sable and gules, then use a correct per fess division. It would be much better as all gules or all sable. As it stands, you have a sable chief wavy on a gules field, which is color on color. A field divided into two colors or two metals must be an even division.

NOTE: Name and device rejected. Baton Vert states that Graeghafoc is not a given name. The College long ago ruled that all Society names must have a given name plus at least one other word, for purposes of identification. This name has no given name and is only one word. The College allows the use of charges from other cultures on a case-by-case basis, but requires that the complete device be consistent with normal period heraldic style. The device here is just too complicated. I suggest you delete the pheons and simplify the shield boss. The bird motifs and bars nowy couped are acceptable.

NOTE: Device rejected. This conflicts with Rake: Sable, a sun Or. This is the addition of a tertiary charge, a common form for a mark of difference. It is also close to Kourost Bernard of the Eastwoods: Sable, a sun eclipsed Or.

NOTE: Badge rejected. This is far too complex for a badge. We do not register mottoes. The garter is placed around the household badge as a matter of display. You do not register it that way. The display of a garter around one's own arms infringes upon the Order of the Garter, which has the same rights of display. The household name is too close to the Order of the Garter (probably the most famous Order known). The central plate is what should be registered as a badge and even there, the three leaves should all be bendwise. The use of three different leaves instead of three identical leaves is a modern style.

NOTE: Name change rejected; badge and household name rejected. The definite article la is required before the word Ile when a specific island is involved, as is the case here. Therefore the correct form is de la Île, which contracts to de l'Île. You will have to write to the Sable Swan Herald to ask permission for the combined regis-tration of the household name and badge. The combination is too close to the combination of her title and the arms of the Principality of Cynagua.

NOTE: The badge conflicts with Watt: Argent, a tree proper on a mount vert within a bordure gules (Papworth, p. 1116). (Irreverent footnote: A tree on Watt's arms?!?)

NOTE: Name rejected. Monshō says this name consists of three nicknames, and no given name or family name. The ryu is a gold coin in Japan. The mon seems acceptable.

NOTE: Badge rejected. This is color on color. Watch out for Kourost Bernard of the Eastwoods: Sable, a sun eclipsed Or.

NOTE: The centaur's upper torso is in trian aspect. Turn it to dexter or affronty, but not halfway in between. The device is too close to Vanessa de Linn: Azure, a lozenge throughout in pale argent, overall two swans combattant proper.

NOTE: Name and device rejected. Maedhros was a son of Feanor in Middle Earth. While you can make up a name in Sindarin, you cannot use the name of an elf. Furthermore, Sindarin should only be used with other languages that occurred in the book. Italian was not one of these. You cannot use a single chevronel like you have. Make it wider and call it a chevron. The helmet is in trian aspect. Turn it to face either to dexter or forwards.

NOTE: Wyvern Pursuivant conflicts with Wyvern Pursuivant in SRL (3/82).

NOTE: Name rejected. Monshō says you have two surnames and no given name, although the second name should be Ishikawa. Please replace Kawaishi with a given name. The mon seems acceptable.

NOTE: Name rejected. Hashi is a surname, not a given name. Ienobu is a given name. Noriuji could only be used by a monk, according to Monshō, because Nori means the Law of Buddha and was reserved for the names of monks. Thus your name is all wrong. You could use Hashi Ienobu. The mon is questionable since it doesn't look like part of a helm crest at first glance, but rather like the head of a halberd or bill hook.

NOTE: The clan name has the same problem mentioned above. It could only be used by a clan of monks. The clan mon seems acceptable.

NOTE: Device rejected. The hare Or on the ermine field has insufficient contrast. Try using counter-ermine. Then it will be a good set of canting arms.

NOTE: Device rejected. A digigrade paw print is a digigrade paw print to anybody other than a naturalist. In heraldry, we do not distinguish between paw prints of wolves, bears, cats, lions, or dogs, although you can add the specifi-cation to the blazon. This conflicts with the Cub Scout emblem for Wolf: A wolf's paw print. We don't use thin lines like this in heraldry.

NOTE: Device rejected. There is insufficient contrast for the fox on azure, since a red fox is actually rust-colored and black, which do not show up well on azure. Try a fess embattled azure between the fox and the other charges.

NOTE: Name rejected. Ropesle does not appear in either Yonge or Withycombe. Please send in a photocopy of your references. The device is of course acceptable.

NOTE: Arms rejected. In the SCA grey is a variant of argent (being a flat-tone variant of silver). If you want a charge to be grey, blazon it argent and color it grey. In this case, the tower is argent on argent. Change the tower to sable. Draw the proper flames correctly, with the outer part of the flames being gules against the argent and or against the gules or sable. The basic design is rather modern. It would be better to use a broken tower (missing part of the top).

NOTE: Arms rejected. No documentation for the sirrush was submitted. Please send me the documentation. All new charges must be documented.

NOTE: Name rejected. This conflicts with Henry James, the famous English novelish. Please choose a different middle name. Better yet, you could just drop the Henry, since the use of three Christian names like this was very unusual in period. The device seems acceptable, although the style is rather unusual. It would be much better to have a regular cross shape between the two charges in bend.

NOTE: Name rejected. The name conflicts with Thomas Wolfe, a well-known writer. It is also close to Thomas Whitewolf. The fimbriation is unusual, although legal. If you want to avoid having the bordure blend into the field, use gules and argent instead of gules and Or.

NOTE: Name and device rejected. The name conflicts with the Shire of the Isles in Caid. The West Isles is also one of the names of the Celtic immortal lands said to lie to the west. The arms conflict with the Shire of Dawnfield: Per fess azure and vert, in pale a demi-sun issuant from fess Or and a laurel wreath argent. Heraldic dolphins do not have a proper tincture in the SCA. If you want one to be grey, call it argent and color it grey.

Kingdom of the Middle

NOTE: Device rejected. The device conflicts with Durant: Sable, a fess dancetty, in chief three fleurs-de-lys argent (Papworth, p. 714). Beware of many other, less close, conflicts.

NOTE: Device rejected. The puffin and red flames have poor contrast. To improve the device, draw the pall wider, the flames larger, and color the flames as correctly proper (Or against the azure and the puffin and gules against the pall). Please send me a copy of the documentation for the style of moons you use. How does one indicate that the central area is sable? Is this style in period?

NOTE: Name and device rejected. Artigerous is not a given name. It is a created adjective, seeming to mean "having art" (like armigerous means "having arms"). I suggest Arthur Worthington. The device conflicts with L'Orti: Vert, a pale Or (Papworth, p. 1003) and Rhonwen y Llysieuyddes: Vert, a pale Or, overall a domestic cat passant guardant proper. This is also close to the Order of the Dragon's Tooth: Or, on a pale vert three fans Or.

NOTE: Device rejected. There was nearly unanimous sentiment among the College that waves are not acceptable as charges in the SCA. So be it. As waves do not appear to be period European charges, I cannot disagree, so I hereby declare waves to be unacceptable. (A possible exception could be given to the Japanese wave symbol in a mon.) I suggest replacing the wave with a point pointed azure.

NOTE: Device rejected. The device conflicts with Tyler: Vert, a bend argent between six nails Or (Papworth, p. 221) and Hinton: Vert, a bend argent (Papworth, p. 198). Close to Tarysa of Rivendell: Vert, on a bend argent three poinsettias proper.

NOTE: Device rejected. This little dragon is not in a heraldic position, although it is very cute. Please resubmit with the dragon in a more heraldic position, such as in annulo around the pearl or rampant maintaining the pearl in three claws.

NOTE: Device rejected. It conflicts with Paul of Bellatrix: Sable, on a bend Or three compass stars palewise gules. Also close to Isack: Sable, a bend and in chief a leopard's head Or (Papworth, p. 201). Moving the bend slightly is not a point of difference.

NOTE: Arms rejected. A laurel wreath is too complex to fimbriate. Try using a laurel wreath argent.

NOTE: Device rejected. This conflicts with Archdeacon: Argent, a chevron sable (Papworth, p. 373) and Wanton: Argent, a chevron and in base an annulet sable. There is no heraldic difference between a chevron and a chevronel. The use of a single chevronel like this is improper. The adamantine is not a period charge and may not be used.

NOTE: Device rejected. A red fox is actually reddish-brown, which doesn't have enough contrast against azure. Try switching the tinctures of the field and the chief, which also gets you away from the conflict with Gabrielle Rene Antoine de Renard: Azure, a fox passant argent grasping in its upraised forepaw a hunting horn, bell to sinister, a chief embattled Or.

NOTE: Device rejected. The sword and flames look entirely too much like a caduceus, which is a restricted charge. This is because the flames do not look like flames but rather like serpents. Please resubmit with a proper flaming sword that does not look like a caduceus. The laurel wreath should be drawn larger.