APPROVALS 15 December XX (1985)

THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSIONS ARE APPROVED:

Kingdom of An Tir

Elspeth Alyna of Alnwick. Name correction (from Alyne). [May 1984]

Kingdom of Atenveldt

Aaron Caldarius. Name and device. Gules, a chevron sable fimbriated and in base a sun Or charged with a pellet.

NOTE: According to Brigantia, Caldarius actually means "pertaining to or suitable for warming."

DISCUSSION: This is the normal position for a chevron when the only other charge is in base. It is not necessary to blazon it as enhanced.

Albern Bran. Name only.

Alexandre Blackstone of Yorkshire. Name and device. Argent, two chevronels azure, overall a sinister gauntlet aversant erect sable, clasping a garden rose gules slipped and leaved vert, all within a bordure embattled sable.

Bartholomew of Wolfetwain. Badge for House Wolfetwain. Gules, a triskelion gammadion in annulo Or, overall a grey wolf's head erased to sinister proper all within a bordure embattled Or. (Canis lupus)

DISCUSSION: This was submitted as a triskelion arrondi. See the cover letter for a discussion of the blazon.

Correus Dracontius. Name only.

DISCUSSION: According to Brigantia, correus is a classical Latin word meaning "a partaker in guilt, a joint criminal." The submitter's documentation (John Bury, History of the Later Roman Empire, pp. 204­212) clearly uses it as the name of a leader of the Bellovaci slain in battle with the Romans. I can find no indication that said domitable Gaul ever appeared as a "co­defendant," and so am giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt.

Elspeth Merryweather. Name only.

Eowyn Rebekah of Windhaven. Badge. Bendy sinister Or and gules, on a sun sable in saltire a sword inverted proper and a pair of scissors inverted Or, bladed argent.

NOTE: The scissors pictured here are a modern, ergometric pair. Please use a more period representation.

Hans Makler. Name only.

NOTE: Duplicate submission. This name was approved at the August 1985 Laurel meeting.

Jotham Wechsler. Name and device. Per chevron throughout, argent ermined gules, and sable, two mullets of six points sable, and a fool's hat, points embowed, Or.

Kuromori Kiriko. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Lyn of Whitewolfe. Device. Gules, a pile wavy bendwise issuant from sinister base between two roundels argent each charged with a rose gules, barbed and seeded proper.

Maire Bridgit ni Mhoire O'Meagher (submitted as Maire Bridgit niMore O'Meagher). Name only.

NOTE: The particle ni takes the aspirated genitive form of the parent's given name, which in the case of Mór (the Irish name anglicized as More) is Mhoire. We

have corrected the name accordingly. The name could be made more consistent by using Brighid instead of Bridgit, and O Meachair rather than O'Meagher.

Murdoc of Armagh. Device. Per bend ermine and azure, a dog­tailed sea­dog rampant to sinister, grasping a quill Or, all within a bordure potenty per bend azure and Or.

DISCUSSION: No mention was made on his two previous submissions (in either the comments or the LoARs) about the shaky contrast between the sea­dog and the ermine half of the field. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Rodney Jean Dozier. Name and device. Per pale dovetailed Or and gules, a wood axe bendwise sinister argent, hafted sable.

DISCUSSION: Rodney is his mundane given name.

Saerlaith as an Fhasaich. Device. Per pale gules and sable, two bat­winged snails respectant, wings erect and addorsed, in base a fleur­de­lys all Or.

NOTE: All right! (The first emblazon is definitely the better of the two.)

Salima bint Radiyya (submitted as al­Sokkr Salima bint Radiyya). Name and device. Argent, a pale between in chief a decrescent and an increscent purpure, overall a winged scimitar counterchanged.

NOTE: al­Sokkr appears to be a nickname or modifier of some sort, and so, to the best of our knowledge, would not precede the given name. (Solar's LoC mentioned that documentation of this practice was provided with the submission of Sayf al-Qamar Tarik ibn Abdul; it doesn't seem to have made it into the latter's folder.) We have omitted it, pending documentation, in order to register the remainder of the submission.

DISCUSSION: The documentation included with the submission (from Islam and the Arabic World, edited by Bernard Lewis) speaks of one Radiyya, daughter of Iltutmish; and also of "Bayram Khan's charming young widow," Salima, so the remainder of the name appears to be period. (This information should have been included in the letter of intent.)

Serlo of Litchfield. Device. Gyronny gules and Or, a vulture close sable.

Wayne Jägger the Knifemaker. Name only.

DISCUSSION: Wayne is his mundane given name. In period, it was a surname. (Reaney DBS 367)

Kingdom of Caid

Alyssa Ethelinda Byron of Fairhaven. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and Or, a phoenix, head to sinister, within a bordure embattled counterchanged.

DISCUSSION: It is my judgement that "of Fairhaven" should not conflict with the registered household name "Fairhaven." See the discussion in the cover letter for details.

Amytis de la Fontaine. Name and device. Argent, a unicornate natural seahorse erect to sinister vert, a chief vert fretty argent.

Caid, Kingdom of. Change of badge for the Order of the Dolphin of Caid. Azure, a dolphin embowed uriant to sinister argent. NOTE: The old badge is released.

Caid, Kingdom of. Change of badge for the Order of the Harp Argent. Azure, a harp within a bordure embattled argent. NOTE: The old badge is released.

Caldera Keep, Canton of. Name only.

Céline Jeanne de Hermain. Name change (from Céline de Hermain).

Dennis of Gyldenholt (submitted as Takeda Tetsubo). Name and device. Sable, two pallets argent, on each in bend a lozenge sable.

NOTE: According to Monsho, tetsubo is not a given name, but a weapon. He suggests combining tetsu­ with one of the following themes: -hei, ­ichiro, ­ji, ­jiro, -kichi, ­ma, ­nosuke, ­o, ­omi, ­taro, ­zo. We have used a holding name, in order to register the device.

Eadweard the Kraken. Name and device. Paly argent and sable, a dragon's head couped Or, breathing flames proper, within a bordure Or.

Jessica Attenborough. Name and device. Erminois, an Emperor penguin statant to sinister proper and on a chief gules three roses Or.*

"Penguins don't come from next door, they come from the Antarctic!"

Katherine Elizabeth MacGregor. Name and device. Argent, a cross parted and fretted sable between in bend two seahorses vert and in bend sinister two thistles proper.

Kendric de Morlaix. Badge. Vert, a crescent within a bordure Or.

Llywel Silverserpent of the Misty Moors. Name and device. Argent, three shamrocks gules and on a chief sable two Maltese crosses argent.

Marie d'Acre. Badge. Argent, a penguin rampant reguardant sable, marked and bellied argent, collared gules.

Milo de la Rose Noire. Name correction (from del). [August 1985]

Padrig Awdrie y Tir Coedwig. Name and device. Per bend wavy vert and Or, a mullet of eight points argent and an annulet azure.

Roscelin de Saint Rémy. Name and device. Purpure mullety argent, two comets inverted in saltire and issuant from base a demi­sun Or, eclipsed of the field.

Theodric Pendar of Faulconwood. Badge for Ynys Pendar. Azure, a saltire couped ending in four pheons surmounted by a four­petalled primrose argent.

Kingdom of Calontir

Aron of Katharinenstadt. Device (correction). Per pale azure crusily argent, and argent crusily azure, a cross crosslet fitchy throughout per pale argent and azure. [September 1985]

Hertha Blair of Froggestow. Name correction (from Froggescow). [August 1985]

Kingdom of the East

Shauna of Carrick Point. Device (correction). Per chevron vert and argent, in pale a flute fesswise argent and a raven volant, wings elevated and addorsed, sable. [October 1985]

Kingdom of the Middle

Aiden Alfeadur. Badge for House Lalaiel. Gyronny­wavy of six, sable mullety argent, and vert mulletty Or, an estoile argent.

Allison Kaspar the Silvertongued. Name and device. Gules, a hare salient Or debruised by a sword bendwise sinister proper.*

There you go, splitting hares again.

Ann of Hamner. Name and device. Quarterly Or and gules, four oak leaves in saltire stems to center counterchanged.

DISCUSSION: Technically, this submission conflicts with WALES: Quarterly Or and gules, four lions passant guardant counterchanged. The complete­difference­of-charge rule applies only when there are three or fewer charges, so there is only a single point of difference, for type of primary charge. When I last encountered this problem (EDWARD FITZRANULF, 10 Mar 1985), I referred it to the College of Arms for further comment. The College's response was mixed, so I decided to take the more conservative approach (9 Jun 1985), and uphold the rule in its existing form.

Confronted with the problem again, I find I have progressed from questioning the conflict to being patently dissatisfied with it. I can no more countenance calling conflict between this and WALES than I can bouncing "Gules, in pale three crosses Or" against ENGLAND. I am therefore extending the complete­difference-of­charge rule to include four identical charges in a standard arrangement.

If Dragon Herald wishes to appeal EDWARD FITZRANULF, he has my blessing.

Cleft Lands, Barony of. Badge. Per bend sinister nebuly argent and azure.

Eirik Broken­ax. Name and device. Argent, a Norman ax reversed fructed and in chief a decrescent between two mullets of six points all within a bordure sable.

DISCUSSION: A couple of the commentators objected to the hyphen in the byname. The previous rulings I have been able to find apply to pairs of given names or surnames joined by hyphens (e.g., Jean­Claude Dubois and Reginald Remington-Smythe), not to the use of hyphens in compound nouns. To the best of my knowledge, the hyphen itself has not been shown to be out of period, nor has it been demonstrated that a compound noun used as a descriptive would not be hyphenated.

Eirik Broken­ax. Badge for Simeon of the Leafy Heights. Per pale vert and Or, an increscent and a decrescent within a bordure embattled counterchanged.

Eugene Louis Montclare. Name and device. Argent, atop a mount of six peaks (coupeaux) vert a raven close sable maintaining in its beak a scale gules.

Goselyn of the Spur. Name only.

Rosamund Calvert. Name only.

Theodric von Rostock. Name and device. Per pale gules and sable, a cross moline between in dexter two increscents and in sinister two decrescents argent.

Thomas Damian Black. Name and device. Per pale argent and sable, a double­bitted axe between a mullet of six points and a rose all counterchanged.

NOTE: Roses have five petals, not six.

Tirnewydd, March of. Badge. Argent, fretty gules, a sun Or within a bordure gules.

DISCUSSION: "On a case­by­case basis we will treat a field fretty as a fur with regard to the Rule of Tincture. The charge placed on the fretty should not be of the same tincture as the underlying field." (WvS, 22 Apr 84, p. 5) This submission meets the stated requirements for contrast.

Kingdom of Trimaris

Alain Picot de Boisfeuillu. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Alexandre Christophe de Nancy. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Anne of the Tall Trees. Name and device. Vert, an oak leaf fesswise argent.

NOTE: The letter of intent gave her name as Anne, but the submission forms say Annie. Which is correct?

DISCUSSION: This differs from the mon of HOSHINA ("Sable, an oak leaf in pale argent") by a minor point for tincture and a major for orientation.

Arianne des Jardins. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Cara Boccacio (submitted as Cara Angiola de Boccacio). Name and device. Sable, a unicorn's head erased argent, on a chief Or, three pomegranates slipped and leaved proper.

NOTE: The preposition was given as de in the letter of intent, and di on the forms. It does not appear to be correct before the Italian surname Boccacio. Brigantia believes the latter to have originated as a nickname (it is the Italian for "grimace" or "funny face"), which makes a preposition of origin unlikely.

There were also some questions raised regarding Angiola. Mistress Alisoun noted in particular that it is close to Angioino, the Italian equivalent of Angevin, and pointed out that a formative part of Giovanni Boccaccio's career was spent in the Angevin court at Naples. The information sheet mentions documentation from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Could the details be made available to the College? We have abbreviated the name in order to register the device.

DISCUSSION: Vesper has requested a point count against HEINRICH PALANTINE: Sable, a unicorn's head couped argent, collared of a chain Or, within a bordure embattled argent. (SCA) I count (1) a major and a minor point for difference in type and tincture of secondary charge, (2) a minor point for addition/removal of tertiary charges, (3) a technical minor for couped versus erased [XIII.3], (4) no difference (artistic license) for the chain around the unicorn s neck. (Mind you, I'm not endorsing this point count, merely relaying what I believe the rules permit. Personally, I don't think we should allow any difference between couped and erased.)

Catrina Highrider. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Consuela Maria de Leon. Name and device. Argent, two horses combattant sable and in chief a cross of four pheons, the points to the center gules, overall a label of three points sable.

DISCUSSION: In SCA heraldry, a woman may bear a label as a mark of cadency. The blazon for the cross is taken from Parker, p. 155.

Damhnait Reynard. Name and device. Argent, on a bend sinister between two quills bendwise sinister vert, a popinjay volant to sinister argent.

Darkwater, Barony of. Order of the Trident Keype (name and badge). Sable, on an escallop inverted Or, a castle of three towers gules.

DISCUSSION: I consider the term friendly (indicating that the castle's portcullis is up; roughly equivalent to the mundane ajourd) to be in the same category as langued and orbed ­ a detail too insignificant to be blazoned.

Duncan Angus MacDonald. Device. Argent, on a chevron sable between two griffins combattant and two swords in saltire azure, three compass­stars Or.

Ejvan Vsevolodovich. Name and device. Per pale vert and argent, a wheat stalk slipped and leaved Or, and a patriarchal cross flory azure, a chief raguly counterchanged.

NOTE: The name Ejvan raised a number of eyebrows. Brigantia found Evja as a feminine name from the Norse Landnamabok, but none of the Scandinavian equivalents of John that we were able to find came even close to this.

Esclairmonde Ravenscroft. Name and device. Per pale purpure and argent, two chevronels between three crescents all counterchanged.

NOTE: Nice and simple.

Finnuala MacLeod. Name and device. Per pale Or and vert, a bull's head caboshed within an orle of pairs of thistles in saltire all counterchanged.

Geoffrey de Tocqueville. Name and device. Per pale azure and Or, a chess knight within a bordure counterchanged.

NOTE: We would appreciate a copy of the emblazon he is now using, to keep the files as accurate as possible.

Geoffrey Maynard of York. Name and device. Per fess engrailed Or and azure, in chief a tortoise tergiant vert.

DISCUSSION: Tergiant (from Latin tergum, "back") means "turned with its back to the viewer.' The only source I've ever found for the spelling turgiant is Julian Franklyn, who was apparently unaware of the word's general meaning.

Glyrmnerholde, Shire of. Name and device. Sable, on a tower within a laurel wreath argent, a mullet sable, in chief two mullets argent.

Ian of Beinn Dhubh (submitted as Ian of Ben Dubh). Name and device. Argent, a dragon gules and a winged unicorn sable combattant, in chief a cross fleury fitchy at the foot and a base rayonny azure.

NOTE: According to Brigantia, the correct Gaelic for "black mountain" is Beinn Dhubh. We have amended the spelling of the name accordingly.

DISCUSSION: The charge in chief was submitted as a cross of St. Iago, with no origin given for the designation. The drawing matches the "cross of St. James" (#689) shown on page 116 of Ernst Lehner's Symbols, Signs and Signets. The given name James is related to Jacob, the Welsh equivalent of which is Iago, so I suppose the appellation is legitimate (Withycombe 169­171), but this illustrates the problem with using obscure names for charges (particularly types of crosses). We have reblazoned the charge in question as a cross "fleury fitchy at the foot."

Jason the Fletcher. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Jean Claude Dominique Jeanin. Name and device. Or, a pegasus segreant and in chief an unstrung recurved bow fesswise and inverted sable, between two flaunches vert, on each a sword Or.

DISCUSSION: If my reading of Dauzat is correct, Jeanin is one of the many hypocoristic derivatives of Jean. (p. 343) See the cover letter for a discussion of segreant vs. rampant.

Please note that the standard heraldic bow is a longbow; it is not recurved, and it is normally depicted as bent and strung. This is a more recognizable form than the above, and it is preferred.

Kenneth MacCintsacairt. Name and device. Sable, issuant from an open tankard argent, a dexter arm embowed reversed proper, grasping a sword fesswise argent.*

"Thank you, Thing."

Lance Nyström. Name and device. Argent, on a bend wavy azure between two demipegasi azure, a tilting spear argent.

DISCUSSION: See the 9 November cover letter for a discussion of the plural of pegasus.

Leopold of Darkwater. Name and device. Argent, a sea­wolf tailed as a fish erect azure, on chief sable, a sword fesswise between two anchors Or.

NOTE: Holding names are for use by the Laurel office only. Problems found at the kingdom level should be dealt with before the submission is sent out on a letter of intent. I will make an exception in this case.

Livia of Ravenswode. Name and device. Per bend azure and gules, in bend sinister a moon in her complement argent, and a phoenix Or.

NOTE: A "moon in her complement" is shown full­faced. Please correct the emblazon.

Ljudmilla von Königsberg. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Melbrigda of Oak Glen. Name and device. Per bend sinister embowed counter­embowed vert and Or, a kangaroo sejant erect with young pouched, Or, and a thistle proper.

NOTE: The line of division should be much more prominent. Please correct the emblazon.

DISCUSSION: Melbrigda appears to be a corruption of Máel Brigte or Maelbrigte, the name of a 12th­century Irish scribe. (Franqois Henry. Irish Art in the Romanesque Period, pages 64­66. Cornell University Press, no date.)

Mitsuhashi Masaie (submitted as Mitsuhashi no Masaie). Name only (see RETURNS for device).

NOTE: According to Monsho, no is a particle of grammar "that is understood and, therefore, unnecessary to write or say." Ibis states that "it doesn't belong here between a family name and a given name."

Rachel Kathleen Cundiff. Name change (from Kathleen Cundiff).

Raoul Luc Benét. Name and device. Per pale sable and gules, a fleur­de­lys argent and a base vair.

Raschid Abd'ullah ibn Iacoob al Baghdadi. Name and device. Gules, semy of decrescents argent, in pale an Arabic oil lamp and two scimitars inverted in saltire with edges to base Or.

Rosalind Francesca of Wyvernwoode. Name and device. Gules, on a bend ermine cotised Or, an arrow and bow sable, all within a bordure pean.

NOTE: Holding names are for use by the Laurel office only. Problems found at the kingdom level should be dealt with before the submission is sent out on a letter of intent. I will make an exception in this case. Please make the cotises wider.

Sergio Descarado. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Stephen Axehelm l'Etrange. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Suzanne Renée Barineau. Name and device. Per pale Or and vert, a cat sejant to sinister sable and a peregrine falcon close Or, a chief engrailed counterchanged.

Theodosius Athanasius. Name and device. Argent, a Byzantine harp azure, a bordure compony azure and Or.

NOTE: We have corrected the spelling of the given name.

Trimaris, Kingdom of. Heraldic titles (transfer from Kingdom of Meridies).

Archive Pursuivant

Crusilly Pursuivant

Ensign Pursuivant

Sextant Herald

Triskele Principal Herald

Wyvern Pursuivant

Trimaris, Kingdom of. Heraldic titles (new).

Barque Pursuivant

Chart Herald

Coracle Herald

Lymphad Herald

Seacat Pursuivant

Sundial Pursuivant

Uriah Lightfoot. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Wilhelm Steinhauser. Name and device. Or, a bend between a tower and an eagle displayed, and on a chief sable, three crosses crosslet fitchy Or.

Kingdom of the West

Avarr of the Misty Isles. Device. Counter­ermine, an anchor Or maintained by a sea­horse erect to sinister argent and a sea­lion erect Or.

Beast Valley, Canton of. Name only (appeal).

SYNOPSIS: The branch name was originally returned in June 1985, for conflict with Beast Valley, a location in the game RuneQuest. The West has appealed this ruling, arguing (1) that "Beast Valley" is a generic descriptive, and so should be allowed under Rule VIII.3; and (2) that "games are even more ephemeral than most books," and so should not constitute a source for potential conflicts. They also stated their intention of obtaining a letter of permission from the game's creators.

DISCUSSION: Taking the second point first, a game is as reasonable a source of conflict as a comic book, a fantasy novel, or a movie or television show. If a significant portion of the membership of the SCA is likely to have experience of it, then the potential for perceived conflict still exists.

In a case such as this, permission is irrelevant. We are not attempting to protect the game's creators from having their invention stolen (although it helps, I suppose, to know that they don't mind); we're trying to make our universe an independent or derivative creation, rather than a copy.

The first argument is supportable, although it does strain the limits of the rule in question. A true "generic descriptive" is geographical in nature ­ Iron Mountain, Three Rivers. There could easily be many such places, and none of them, to the best of our knowledge, was of great historical significance, so it does the Society no harm to have one as well.

The case for "Outlands" (the exception that precipitated the rule) isn't quite as good. I was able to put together some pretty good arguments based on geography and demographics, showing that the name was appropriate; but I couldn't show that it or names like it had been used repeatedly in the mundane world or in fiction. This is what was needed to be completely in line with the principle, and to counter the occurrence of the name in Lewis Carroll's "Sylvie and Bruno."

"Beast Valley," as the name of an area encompassing a wild­animal preserve, would be an appropriate descriptive. As the handle for an Air Force Base ("flying dragons"), it's a bit contrived. That, however, is a judgement based on a persona story (even if it is the "persona" of a group). On the more practical side, we have the following:

1) "Beast Valley" occurs in the game RuneQuest, where it appears to be a locale like any other. (Monsho states that "depending on the campaign, it is extremely important, or 'just' important".) The "Valley of the Beasts" appears in Algernon Blackwood's The Dance of Death and Other Stories. (London, 1927) The name is not unique. It also does not appear to be common.

2) The name is descriptive, and can be made to apply to the branch (although it takes a bit of poetic license to do so).

The name is not unique, it can be construed as a descriptive, and it does not seem to be high enough on anyone's list to bring about an impassioned argument for its "importance." (The impassioned arguments are directed at other targets.) It is a judgement call. My decision, after taking counsel with my advisors, is to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Brighid of Bethanie. Device (correction). Per bend sinister Or and vert, a dogwood flower argent tipped gules fimbriated sable, and a mourning dove close to sinister argent. [July 1979]

Christian du Glaive. Name and device. Sable, three lions rampant to sinister, on a chief argent, three crosses bottony sable.

DISCUSSION: This submission is technically in conflict with CABRON: Sable, three crosses crosslet and on a chief argent, three crosses crosslet sable. (Papworth 672) I do not consider this reasonable, and am extending the point­and­a­half rule to include this case. See the cover letter for more information.

Julienne de Vigne. Badge. Gules, a pair of scissors fesswise, blades open to sinister, argent.

DISCUSSION: "According to Master Wilhelm, we have been using the term scissors in order to distinguish this charge from the more conventional heraldic ' shears (Parker 614). The shape is period; see The Book of Trades, 'The Embroiderer' (p. 33) and 'The Tailor' (p. 53)." (BoE, 28 Aug 84, p. 1)

Lindret of Bryn Myrddin. Name and device. Quarterly azure and gules, a unicorn's head couped to sinister and a chief dovetailed argent.

Tarnmist, Barony of. Order of the Wooden Keep (name only).

Ulfstan Garwiga. Name and device. Sable, a winged wolf rampant to sinister Or, a bordure counter­compony argent and gules.

THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSIONS ARE RETURNED:

Kingdom of Atenveldt

Albert von Drechenveldt. Badge. Sable, a decrescent argent, overall a bend sinister all within a bordure Or.

REASON FOR RETURN: The motif of a charge debruised by a bend or bend sinister and encircled by a border is the international road sign symbol for "no," now widely used in everything from novelties to advertising. Despite its heraldic antecedents, it is a recognizably mundane combination, and as such is inappropriate for use in the SCA.

DISCUSSION: This particular combination is specifically disallowed under section 5 of Appendix II to the Rules for Submissions. The classification is incorrect (the motif is neither offensive nor political, although such applications may be made of it), but I agree that the symbolism is contrary to the spirit of the Society.

The bend is the actually the correct width for a "debruising" charge.

Kawagi Ishiyama Sazanami Shirosuna. Device/mon. Argent, in pale a cottonwood leaf and a Japanese stream sable.

REASON FOR RETURN: The stream shown in the device, although consistent with Japanese design (the submitter provided a considerable amount of documentation), does not appear to be one of the shapes used in mon; nor does its position appear to be consistent with the principles of Japanese heraldry. What is shown here appears to be a landscape. Please rework this in a more conventional, stylized fashion.

DISCUSSION: This submission does not conflict with any of the citations offered by Monsho. All five of the mon pictured are light on dark, while the one under consideration is dark on light. RFS IX.10 states that this is worth a major point of difference. In each case, there is also a change in type of one of the two major charges; and one of the mon (Yura and Yokose) has acquired an additional charge. I count at least two points in each case, which is sufficient even between SCA coats.

Against O'CONNER ("Argent, an oak tree vert"), there is a minor point for tincture [IX.10] and a full point for the addition of a major charge, which is sufficient between SCA and mundane.

Kuromori Kiriko. Device/mon. Sable, in annulo a Bengal tiger passant and in chief a pheasant volant to sinister argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: According to the comments made on this submission, this design is not consistent with the principles of Japanese mon (although it is quite appropriate for a piece of silk embroidery); and the design and the positions of the charges are not consistent with European heraldry, either. As with the preceding submission, this is basically a picture or "landscape." Please find a more heraldic way of representing the charges.

Kingdom of Caid

Angela of Rosebury. Device change. Gules, a pale offset and endorsed between two mascles argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: The central charge is visually confusing and difficult to identify. Please remove the endorses, or choose another charge.

DISCUSSION: A similar "pale fracted" was returned in the LOAR from the September 1984 meeting (ASA LEE DURANT, p. 13). I noted at the time that "In accordance with Brachet's suggestion, I would be willing to consider a pale offset, but would require a new emblazon and (since we will be coining a new term) a certain amount of concurrence in the College of Arms." I am still willing to consider the charge (without the cotises).

Lambert de Sur. Device. Azure, on a fess cotised Or, a fess gules, and in chief four crosses paty Or.

REASON FOR RETURN: This conflicts with WALTER OF THE WATCH: Azure, on a fess cotised Or, a tilting spear, point to sinister, vert. (SCA) There is a major point of difference for the addition of the crosses, and two minors for change in type and tincture of the charge on the fess (a "bar" vs. a "tilting spear").

DISCUSSION: This strikes me as unreasonable, but I have been unable to formulate a simple, logical, and uniformly applicable basis for an exception. The argument revolves around allowing more difference for the charge on the fess. Were there no ancillary charges, then a case could be made for treating the charge on the fess as a secondary (as it is in Walter's device); but this can be argued either way.

Kingdom of the Middle

Aelfric of York. Device. Per chevron sable and argent, a pile throughout counterchanged, and a chief engrailed gules.

REASON FOR RETURN: The chief violates the rule of contrast as applied to

"overall" charges. See the cover letter for the discussion.

Gwydion Darkmantle. Name only.

REASON FOR RETURN: The name Gwydion may not be used in the Society. See the discussion in the letter from the October 1985 Laurel meeting (KERRY MACGRYPHON, p. 8) and the accompanying cover letter (pp. 5­7).

Thomas ap Llewellyn. Badge. Argent, a wild man statant affronty gules clad in a loincloth sable maintaining in his dexter hand a sword inverted argent hilted sable enflamed gules.

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with GILHAM: Argent, a savage gules holding a club over the shoulder vert. (Papworth 952) Assuming the savage is also affronty (which seems to be the default), we do not see a full point of difference for the details of the figure.

Vasili iz Naitemneshoi Dollina. Device. Gules, three seraph's heads argent, winged Or.

REASON FOR RETURN: No blazon for the submission was given in the letter of intent. The device conflicts with MAYDESTONE: Gules, three women's heads couped at the shoulder argent, hair disheveled Or. (Papworth 936) There is a single point of difference, for the type of head.

Kingdom of Trimaris

Aaron Breck Gordon. Device. Sable, a gryphon segreant Or, grasping in each talon a sword proper, in chief a viscomital coronet Or, pearled argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with WORLINGER: Sable, a griffin Or maintaining a sword palewise proper. (Rietstap) The addition of the coronet in chief is worth only a minor point. It also conflicts with CULEHECH ("Sable, a griffin segreant Or") and EDOUARD D'ATH ("Sable, a griffin segreant, on a chief Or three thistles proper").

There is no SCA­standard viscomital coronet, in actual usage or in armory. (BoE, 2 Dec 84, pp. 3­4) The design shown here is what one finds in modern heraldry books. According to Virgule (who cites the Ilth Britannica), it is a design created in England at the Restoration: "It would not have been recognized by anyone in period, and is not used in other countries. In fact, this design is sometimes used by Italian COUNTS (Gayre, Some Aspects of British and Continental Heraldry, chapter 16)."

We would suggest he substitute a coronet embattled, to which he is now presumably entitled. We would also prefer that he draw the griffin in the conventional "rampant" position, rather than in a Florentine fighting pose.

Alain Picot de Boisfeuillu. Device. Per pale argent and azure, on a bend cottised three battle­axes palewise reversed, all counterchanged.

REASON FOR RETURN: This conflicts with AELFWINE DAES SUDGEMAERES: Per pale argent and azure, a bend cotised counterchanged, overall an elm tree eradicated proper; and with RODRIGO DE CERDANA (badge): Per pale argent and azure, a bend doubly cotised counterchanged. (SCA) The center axe also breaks the rule against counterchanging a skinny object along its long axis, although I"m willing to consider making an exception in this case. (The two surrounding axes suggest the nature of the middle charge.)

Alexandre Christophe de Nancy. Device. Azure, a fret between in pale an estoile of five rays and a phoenix, and in fess two lions sejant erect respectant Or.

REASON FOR RETURN: We feel this is visually too complex. Four of the five charges are of different types. Please simplify.

DISCUSSION: The convention is that estoiles have rays, and mullets points.

Arianne des Jardins. Device. Or, two arrows in saltire and another palewise all inverted gules, surmounted by a fleur­de­lys purpure, between two pallets azure charged with an unstrung recurved bow and another reversed Or, in chief a bar dancetty, the upper points fleury, counterchanged.

REASON FOR RETURN: This is much too complex. We count a total of nine charges of five different types (and four tinctures), in an unusual and complicated arrangement. Please redesign.

Catrina Highrider. Device. Azure, issuant from base a demi­sun Or, on a chief argent a D­ring snaffle bit sable.

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with the state of SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Azure, a demi­sun rising Or, on a chief argent three garbs Or. (Low, Roll of Australian Arms, p. 46) The only difference is in the charges on the chief. We also feel it conflicts with OSRIC STANISLAUS IVYAROVICH: Azure, on a sun issuant Or, a drakkar in sail to sinister proper sailed gules. (SCA) It differs by the addition of a chief and two tertiary charges, at least one of which, in theory, is supposed to demote.

We would also appreciate some information on the D­ring snaffle bit, which appears to be a new charge. Is it known to be period?

Finnuala MacLeod. Badge/mon for Akira Takara. Sable, in base a Japanese sun of eight rays, the disc debruised by a three­tiered mist, all within an annulet of bamboo, all argent and fimbriated sable.

REASON FOR RETURN: We do not feel this mon is sufficiently compatible with European heraldry to be blazoned "with normal heraldic terminology" [IX.9]; and according to Monsho, the design is incompatible with Japanese heraldry as well. Please redesign. The name of her alternate persona appears acceptable.

Jason the Fletcher. Device. Vert, on a pall argent, three arrows, points outward, gules.

REASON FOR RETURN: This differs only by the addition of a group of tertiary charges from FOURCADE: Vert, a pall argent. (Rietstap)

John of Lithia. Badge for Chateau Lithia. Per pale sable and gules, on a mullet Or, a fountain.

REASON FOR RETURN: This conflicts with the old­style tinctureless badge of ASTRA CHRISTIANA BENEDICT: On a mullet a cross crosslet. (SCA) There is no difference for the field (v. RICHARD OF BLACKBURY, 20 Oct 85, pp. 21­22), so the only change is the replacement of a tertiary charge.

Ljudmilla von Königsberg. Device. Per bend purpure and argent, a dove volant and a "saltorel flory conjoined with four crescents millsailwise" counterchanged.

REASON FOR RETURN: The charge in base is lovely, but it is not found in any standard references, and the blazons we have been able to devise for it are either inadequate or confusing. She might consider replacing it with a Cross of Calatrava set saltirewise, or a saltorel fleury conjoined with four crescents facing inward.

In redesigning, watch out for KATHLEEN CUILEANN: Per bend azure and argent, in bend sinister a dove volant fesswise argent and a rose gules, barbed and seeded proper within a chaplet graminy of cornflowers and marigolds proper. (SCA) There is a minor point for the change in tincture of half the field, but we are not convinced the changes to the complex charge in base merit a full point and a half.

DISCUSSION: The College of Arms has created a number of ad hoc charges in the past (e.g., the Donnelly Knot and the Cross of Coldharbour), but this practice has for the most part been abandoned. Creating non­descriptive names for new charges only serves to confuse future generations of heralds and scribes.

Mitsuhashi Masaie. Device. Sable, three chopsticks, two in saltire and one in pale, fretted through the points of a hexagon voided, all argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: The device conflicts visually with CLOVIA LUMI: Sable, a snowflake argent. (SCA)

Sergio Descarado. Device. Or, a bend azure, in chief a triple­towered bridge gules over a river azure, in base a heart gules.

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with FREDRIC OF CASTLEROCK: Or, a bend sable between a three­towered castle and a griffin sejant erect to sinister gules. (SCA) There is a major point for change in tincture of the bend and a minor for change in type of the charge in base. We do not feel the difference between the bridge and the castle is sufficient to make up a full second point.

Starhaven, Shire of. Name and device. Azure, a shuttle palewise argent within a laurel wreath and in chief two estoiles Or.

REASON FOR RETURN: I'm sorry, but even with permission, Starhaven is too close to the Barony of Starkhavn. The device appears acceptable.

DISCUSSION: This is not, by the way, a conventional heraldic shuttle, although shuttles of this sort have been registered previously. See the examples under weaver's implements in Parker.

Stephen Axehelm l'Etrange. Device. Purpure, a sea­gryphon erect argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: This conflicts with JOCELYN OF FAIRFAX: Purpure, a winged seaunicorn erect, wings addorsed argent, within a bordure Or. (SCA) There is a point of difference for the bordure, but the changes in type and position of the winged sea­creature do not add enough additional difference.

Trimaris, Kingdom of. Drakkar Herald (name only).

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with Drakkar Pursuivant in Atlantia.

Uriah Lightfoot. Device. Azure, a lion sejant Or, and in sinister chief a crescent argent.

REASON FOR RETURN: Conflict with LUZ: Azure, a lion sejant crowned Or. (Rietstap)

Kingdom of the West

Thalin Stonefriend. Device. Per bend sinister azure and argent, two ship's wheels in bend counterchanged.

REASON FOR RETURN: This conflicts with KATHERINE­THERESIA OF FRANKE­HESSIAN: Per bend sinister gules and argent, two escarbuncles counterchanged. (SCA) There is at best a minor point of difference between a wheel and an escarbuncle.