THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN REGISTERED:

AN TIR

Christopher the Mason. Name and device. Purpure, three columns in fess argent, a bordure Or.

David of Moffat. Badge. [Fieldless] A cross-crosslet argent quarter-pierced gules.

Fjorleif in Haga. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Joanna of Oxgoddes. Name and device. Per saltire vert and purpure, on a plate a trillium sable, leaved vert.

The trillium is drawn very naturalistically, which reduces its recognizability somewhat, but not to the point of being unregistrable here. You might recommend the more standard heraldic depiction (such as the one in the Pictorial Dictionary) to the submitter.

Seumas Camshronach an Lochabair. Name.

Submitted as Seumas na Camshroinaich nam Lochaber, Camshronach (without the particle) is an adjectival form meaning "of the Camerons", and "of Lochaber" would be an Lochabair. We have therefore modified the name to correct the grammar.

Uodalrica MacDonnell. Device. Per pale Or and sable, on a bend sinister between two spur rowels a lightning bolt counterchanged.

Wynefrid Sealbhach Colquhoun. Badge. Argent, a quatrefoil saltirewise slipped vert within a bordure dovetailed purpure.

Wynefrid Sealbhach Colquhoun. Device. Per pale azure and purpure, on a pale dovetailed between two escallops inverted argent, three quatrefoils saltirewise slipped vert.

ANSTEORRA

Aleksandra Rysin. Name.

Ana Maria Madelena Selvaggio. Device. Gules, a stag at gaze, on a chief embattled Or four mullets gules.

Branwyn Gwynarth. Name and device. Per pale vert and Or, a fret and in the interstices four roundels counterchanged.

Collegium Turris Animarum. Name and device. Vert, a chalice within a laurel wreath and on a chief embattled Or a mullet of five greater and five lesser points sable.

Pretty Device!

Eiríkr Blódhskegg Bjarnarson. Name.

Francis Thorpe. Name and device. Argent, a galleon reversed sable and on a chief wavy purpure three garden roses slipped and leaved argent.

Submitted as Francis Thorppe, the double "p" is an orthographical device used to indicate that the immediately preceding vowel is short; as the vowel does not immediately precede the "p" (as it does in Throp, Thropp), the doubling of the "p" is extremely unlikely and unattested in the documentation. We have therefore dropped it as the submitter's forms allowed.

Giolla Bhríghde Gwaelyn. Device. Vert, a bear's head erased argent, on a chief embattled Or three St. Brigid's crosses vert.

Konstantin Syncellus. Name.

Melisenda de Barcelona. Name.

Penelope Miriam Darling. Name.

Robert Thomas de Bucton. Name.

Siegfried von Siegen. Device. Chevronelly vert and argent, a lion rampant queue forchy Or, on a chief sable three mullets of four points Or.

This was pended from the April 1994 Laurel meeting.

Twr Cath, College of. Device. Per chevron gules and Or, a lion passant guardant argent and a tower azure within a laurel wreath vert.

Please show the submitters how a properly drawn laurel wreath would nearly surround the tower.

Wulf Fairhair. Household name for Hus Hvitulf.

Though submitted on the LoI as Husholdning Hvít Ulf, "holdning" was apparently added at kingdom. Husholdning is more accurately glossed as "housekeeping". We have therefore dropped it, and made the minor grammatical corrections as desired by the submitter to give the Norse for "House White Wolf".

ATLANTIA

Æthelflæd of Stæfforda. Name.

Submitted as Æthelflæd of Stæfford, we have placed the placename in the dative case after the preposition.

Anastasia Amalasuintha of Hyrnkeepe. Name.

Cassia Lavender de Morten. Name and device. Purpure, a saltire ermine between four candles argent, lit at both ends proper.

Hrothgar Thorgrimsson. Device. Gyronny argent and gules, a drakkar sail set between two clarions in pale sable.

Kenwrec FitzRaymund. Device. Per saltire sable and gules, on a lozenge Or a sword inverted sable.

Please ask the submitter to draw the sword more boldly.

Norman the Mad. Name.

[Picture of Laurel peeking around a shower curtain: "Norman? Is that you?" J]

Taliesin d'Argonne. Name.

There was some discussion as to whether the name would more properly be de l'Argonne. As Green Anchor noted, the Times Atlas lists the forest as Forêt d'Argonne, and the number of cities in that area named [X]-en-Argonne leads us to believe that the registered form is correct.

Torquil MacTaggart the Steadfast. Name.

Ysabeau Cameron. Badge. Purpure, a coronet and on a chief argent three roses purpure.

Ysabeau Cameron. Badge. [Fieldless] A rustre per fess argent and purpure.

CAID

Annabelle Amidieu de Sonnay. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and azure, a pegasus passant argent.

Submitted as Annabel Amidieu Sonnet on the LoI, the name originally submitted was Annabelle Amidieu de Sonnet. Palimpsest presented sufficient evidence to restore the originally submitted spelling of the given, and suggested an attested byname from Dauzat and Rostaing with the same pronunciation as the original de Sonnet.

Beatrice Celestine of Normandy. Device. Per fess sable and gules, a winged boar passant contourny and an open book argent.

Please ask the submitter in the future to drawn the wings on the boar away from its body. Though moderately visible on the large emblazon, had they been required for difference this could have been a problem.

Caid, Kingdom of. Badge. Gules, on a phoenix Or rising from flames proper a Roman numeral V gules, in chief a crescent, a bordure Or.

Camilla Saebu of North Aurdal. Name.

Catrin ferch Dafydd. Name change from Catrin Rhiannon d'Arc.

The submitter is releasing her currently registered primary name, and making her currently registered alternate persona name her primary name. Submitted as Catrin ferch Daffydd on the LoI, the above is the registered form.

Einar Sclater of Orkney. Device. Or, a boar passant to sinister sable, on a chief embattled gules an arrow Or.

Evan the Forester. Device. Azure, a pair of stag's attires, on a point pointed argent three pallets vert.

Francesca Lucia d'Alberto dei Lorenzi. Name and badge only (see RETURNS for device). [Fieldless] A gorgon's head cabossed Or.

Submitted as Francesca Lucia d'Alberto de Lorenzi, we have modified the name to restore the submitter's original submitted article which appears to be at least as correct as the form to which the kingdom changed it.

Versus Maydenstun (Papworth, p. 912), Gules, a maiden's head proper crined Or, there is a CD for fieldlessness, and another for type, in that a maiden's head also includes the shoulders and upper chest. This is sufficient to grant a CD from just a head.

Gerhard of Nordvald. Name change from Derek of Nordvald.

Submitted as Gerhard Rogand of Nordvald, the documentation for the construction Rogand was very weak. -and appears even in the submitter's documentation to be a participial ending and would probably not have been combined with Rog-. We need more documentation for this construction, as a consequence we have dropped the problematic element in order to register the name.

Joshua the Pilgrim. Name.

Milan Ivanovich. Name.

Richard de Montcornet. Device (see RETURNS for name change). Or, a massacre and a mount vert.

Submitted with a name change to Richard of Greenhorn Mountain.

Sciath Ni Chúanachtaigh of Clan MacRath. Name and device. Gyronny gules and argent, a dragon couchant wings elevated azure, in chief a compass star Or.

Submitted as Sciath Ni Cúanachtach of Clan MacRath, we have modified the name to properly aspirate the patronymic.

Teleri of Gwynedd. Name and device. Quarterly per fess embattled argent and sable, in bend two oak leaves bendwise vert fructed proper.

Vittoria da Faenza. Name and device. Argent, a horse salient azure between in chief two roses purpure, crined sable.

Submitted as Vittoria di Faenza, we have corrected the preposition. (In Italian, di is used in patronymics; da is the normal medieval preposition for a locative surname.)

CALONTIR

Amanda of Coldcastle. Device. Or, a gurges sable within a bordure gules.

Anastacia Eve Errington. Name.

While spelling Anastasia with a "c" is unattested in and of itself, the existence of Anastach' and Stacy, cited by Palimpsest, lead us to grant this variant the benefit of the doubt.

Dominic Sanmicheli. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Erich Küchengehilfe. Device. Per bend sinister vert and sable, a cleaver bendwise sinister reversed argent.

Estelle Holroyde. Name and device. Azure, a turtle within a bordure indented argent.

Fiona Fairweather. Device. Argent, a dragon sejant contourny, on a chief purpure three decrescents argent.

Ilya Yaroslavovich. Name change from holding name of David of Grimfells.

Kazimierz Samostrelov. Device. Per pale argent and Or, three arrows bendwise fretted with three others bendwise sinister sable.

[For those who commented on the thinness of the arrow shafts on the mini-emblazon, they are substantially better on the large emblazon.]

Leif Tryggvason. Device. Argent, a bend bretessed gules between a dragon rampant and a maple leaf sable.

Marion Dureward. Name.

Otto von Koblenz. Name change from Ian Maxwell of Dumfries only (see RETURNS for badge).

MERIDIES

Falling Star, Shire of the. Release of device. Sable, in pale a pile and a mullet of six points Or, both within a laurel wreath argent.

When the name was released in the April 1993 LoAR, the device should have been as well.

MIDDLE

Alexis Marcus. Name.

Caitlin of Greenwood. Name.

Catherine de Harcourt. Badge. [Fieldless] A tower vert, masoned and winged Or.

Cecilia Maria Landriani. Name.

Einar Greycloak. Name.

Eleanora Mary of Smitherowe. Name.

Submitted as Eleanora Veronica Mary Smytherowe, Withycombe actually says that Veronica was introduced into Scotland in the later 17th century and into England even later. As a consequence its use in an English name is post-period. We have therefore dropped it. On the submitter's forms the byname was originally submitted as "of Smith's Row"; as a consequence we are adopting Palimpsest's suggestion to re-add the particle and, not incidentally, turn the entire name into an excellent 13th century one.

Elspeth of Hawkesridge. Name and device. Vert, a Lacy knot and in chief two compass stars argent.

Gerard Montjoie de la Fontaine. Name.

Maddalena della Tavolozza. Name.

Rhiannon Amber ferch Morgan. Device. Per pale sable and vert, on a chevron between three roses argent a dragon rampant sable.

Sebastian Thomas of Hawkesridge. Name.

The name would be more likely as either Sebastian Thomas of Hawkeridge or Sebastian Thomas Hawkesridge.

Windhaven, Shire of. Device. Azure, a sea-pithon within a laurel wreath Or.

There was some question as to whether the fish tail was sufficiently identifiable here. Given that no one found any conflicts, while we cannot see granting any difference at all between a pithon and a sea pithon because of the similarity of the fish and serpentine tails here, we saw no reason not to allow this variation here.

[From the discussion at the Laurel meeting: "Sea pithon. Winged sea pithon. See pithon fly. Fly, pithon, fly." "If this was a Canadian submission, would it be a 'Mountie pithon'"? J]

Wulfgar of Rudivale. Name.

OUTLANDS

al-Barran, Barony of. Badge for the Champion of al-Barran. Sable, a chevron argent surmounted by a scorpion Or, and in base a trefoil argent.

al-Barran, Barony of. Badge change for the Heart of the Scorpion of al-Barran. [Fieldless] On a scorpion Or compass star gules.

Though the tincture of the compass star was inadvertently left out of the blazon, most of the commenters accurately deduced its tincture from the text of the entry. Their presently registered badge [Fieldless] a scorpion Or, charged with a mullet of five greater and five lesser points gules is released.

Alejandra Isabel Marín. Name.

Submitted as Alejandra Abelena Isabel Marin, the only documentation for Abelena was from a book entitled Hispanic First Names: a Comprehensive Dictionary of 250 Years of Mexican-American Usage. This is clearly post-period. We need better documentation for Abelena. We have therefore dropped the problematic element in order to register the name. (The "i" in Marin is accented on both the submitters forms and the documentation, though not on the LoI. We have restored it here.)

Blaise de Saint Thibaut. Name and device. Azure, on a bend sinister between two goblets Or, an arrow inverted azure.

Caitlin McKadem. Device. Argent, on a chevron rompu azure three fleurs-de-lys argent, in base a fret gules.

Christina of Ravenna. Name and device. Purpure semy of cinquefoils, on a pile Or, a unicorn rampant gules.

You might tell the submitter that the name would be better, and completely Italianized as Christina da Revenna.

Dane of Needham. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and sable, a ram's head cabossed within a bordure indented Or.

Faolan MacConmara. Device. Per bend engrailed gules and azure, a sun and a sea-dog Or.

Marcus Lorrimer. Name.

Michael David of Aran Island. Badge for House of the Cross and Panther. [Fieldless] A panther's face argent enflamed proper, jessant of a cross crosslet fitchy sable.

The College has a history of registering fieldless badges consisting of charges from both classes of tincture. As a consequence that the cross and the panther's face are of a color and a metal respectively should not be a bar to registration here. The fact that the flames are issuant the panther's nose rather than its mouth is probably more an artistic variant than it is a problem. Certainly it was not mentioned in the registration of this submitter's device, registered September 1992.

Outlands, Kingdom of. Title for the Scorpion Pursuivant.

Robert atte Blackwell. Device. Per pale argent and sable semy of conies couchant counterchanged.

Roland O'Rourke. Name.

TRIMARIS

Iain Grant. Device. Gules, four crosses formy, two, one and one, the center cross within a mascle Or.

This had been pended from the October 1992 Laurel meeting, but had never been ruled on.

WEST

Ædward Stadefæste. Name.

Submitted as Ædward Stædefæste on the LoI, the name appears on the forms as Ædward Stadfæste. The LoI failed to mention that this spelling of the byname appears in the OED as the Danish form. Given the Danish presence in England, I can find no compelling reason not to give the submitter his desired spelling.

Alison Gray of Owlwood. Name and device. Per pale vert and sable, on a plate an owl affronty, perched on a branch sable.

Submitted as Alison Gray of Owls' Wood, we have modified the name because the apostrophe did not become an obligatory mark of the genitive plural until the 18th century and in period does not appear to have been used in this fashion.

Anarra Karlsdottir. Name change Anarra Perrin of Aelinbar.

Submitted as Annara Karlsdottir in the LoI, the double "n" and single "r" in the header were clearly a typographical error.

Arianwen ferch Anna. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Beornwyn the Curmudgeon. Device. Or, goutty de sang, a brock's head caboshed proper within a bordure rayonny sable.

Brennan Halfhand. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Brennin Halfhand, we have modified the name because no one was able to support any form of the given with just an "i" in the second syllable.

Brian di Caffa. Device. Or fretty vert, a cock and a base rayonny gules.

[There were lots of comments, both in the commentary and at the Laurel meeting, about "grilled chicken". J]

Brianna ferch Rhys. Name and device. Purpure, on a pile between a pair of attires argent, a triskele sable.

Brighid Gwynedd. Name.

Caitríona ní Fhlannagáin. Name.

Submitted as Catriona ní Fhlannagáin in the LoI, the documented form, and that appearing on the submitter's forms, is as above.

Conan MacFaolain. Name and device. Or, a chevron cotised gules, in base a thistle gules, slipped and leaved vert.

Submitted as Conan MacFaolán, we have placed the patronym into the genitive.

Diana the Dismal. Name and device. Per fess argent and sable, two reremice counterchanged.

Diane of Carmarthen. Name.

Eleanora de la Birche. Name and device. Or, three squirrels sejant erect gules, each maintaining a mushroom and on a chief vert, a needle threaded Or.

Excellent name, nice armory!

Eric of the Misty Hills. Name and device. Per fess vert and sable, on a fess rayonny Or, a mullet of eight points sable.

You might let the submitter know that the byname is not very likely.

Gershom of Ravensdale. Name and device. Argent, a raven contourny, on a chief sable three bells Or.

Nice armory!

Gregory the Vyl. Name change from holding name of Gregory of Parvus Portus.

Hans von Wolfholz. Name.

Heinrich von Steinbach. Name.

Hephzibah MacLeod of Kilmuir. Name and device. Argent, a scorpion tergiant fesswise reversed and on a chief sable, three caltraps argent.

Little Brúsi of Dragonvale. Device. Sable, three dragons tergiant wings displayed in annulo Or.

The consensus of the commentary was that this posture was both identifiable and permissible for the dragons.

Lorenzo Erudito. Name.

You might let the submitter know that il Scholare might suit his intended meaning better.

Lucia Verdiana Sforza. Name.

Marguerite de Chemillé. Name.

Marguerite Russell of Paisley. Name and device. Per pale argent and azure, a chevron inverted and in chief a Latin cross counterchanged.

Pretty armory.

Mathilde Adycote of Mynheniot. Name and device. Per pale purpure and sable, a sun in its splendor and in chief three acorns bendwise sinister Or.

Rhiceneth ferch Rosamund Delwyddelyn. Name.

Rohese de Fairhurst. Name.

Rosalinda Maria de Santiago de Compostela. Name.

Stephen of Politarchopolis. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per saltire sable and argent, two stag's heads erased argent and two wolf's heads erased sable.

Submitted as Jon Dai.

Tegan Ó Riordáin. Release of name and device. Vert semy of crescents, a wolf couchant and on a chief argent, three Celtic crosses vert.

Vitéz Tatiana. Device. Azure, two scimitars inverted in saltire Or, overall a wolf's head cabossed argent.

The problems with the identifiability of the wolf's head in this posture argue well for the preference for drawing wolves heads in profile, in "their most recognizable aspect".

Vladimir Ivanovich Kurgan the Untrained. Name and device. Chevronelly and per pale argent and gules, a tyger rampant sable.

Submitted as Vladimir Ivanovich Kurgánov the Untrained, Paul Wickenden of Thanet has found support for the submitter's originally desired Kurgan, we have therefor restored it to the name.

Wolfgang von Auerbach. Name.

THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN RETURNED FOR FURTHER WORK:

AN TIR

Fjorleif in Haga. Device. Azure, a horse courant reguardant between three mullets argent.

Conflict with British 26th Engineer Group (Military Ordinary #121), Azure, a horse statant in adumbration argent. There is only one CD, for the addition of the mullets.

Mountain's Edge, Shire of. Device. Per fess enhanced azure and argent, a fess enhanced indented counterchanged in base a laurel wreath vert.

Lion's Blood is correct in noting that the fess is "not dancetty, as the defining characteristic of that complex line is the fact that the indentations on both sides line up. Therefore, if it is anything, it is indented."

However, as Triton quoted of an earlier decision, "The blazon stated the design to be 'per fess rayonny enhanced'. As many in the College noted, there is no such thing. What we have here is a chief, properly enlarged in the period manner to allow the harp to be clearly visible." (Alisoun MacCoul of Elphane, LoAR 21 January 1990, p. 1). And, of course, we cannot have an ordinary (or any other charge, for that matter) overlying a chief. While the suggestion was made that perhaps we could drop the two instances of the word "enhanced" from the blazon and treat the upward shift as merely the artistic allowance of greater space for the single charge in base, that sort of "artistic enhancement" would generally only apply to the ordinary and not to the underlying line of division, which would then, of course, destroy the effect the submitters are trying for. As a consequence, the stylistic problems are too great to be overcome with a mere reblazoning and allowance for artistic license.

Additionally, the overall design has a very modern "feel" to it, reminding Laurel of nothing so much as some mid-20th Century Icelandic civic heraldry which also uses the "mirrored mountains" motif.

Finally, even if the device were not returned for its own problems, it would have had to be returned because the group's name was returned in the May 1994 LoAR, and we cannot form holding names for groups.

ANSTEORRA

Charlotte du Croissant d'Argent. Name.

The parallel made with the many croix placenames is not apt; Dauzat, in discussing the placename Croix states, "These localities take their name from a cross erected either for a pious purpose, or to mark a crossroads or simply a boundary." Crescents were not used as landmarks; the only documented Croissant is in Finisterre in Brittany and comes from the Breton word kroazhent meaning "crossroads." The justification as a sign name is a little more plausible, but no documentation has been presented for inn names in French, and this formation is much less likely than, say, La Lune Croissante (The Waxing Moon) as an inn name.

Giolla Bhríghde Gwaelyn. Household name for Clan MacMathghamhna.

The submitter apparently misunderstood that Baron Bruce's article in the Fall 1993 issue of Tournaments Illuminated does not apply to conflicts, but rather to the style of household names. This conflicts with the Clans MacMahon, as noted by the Ansteorran College of Heralds.

Ranulf l'Errant. Device. Sable, a wolf rampant argent, on a chief embattled gules three compass roses Or.

This violates RfS VIII.2.b.i., the "rule of contrast", which requires that all charges placed on the field have good contrast with the field. The examples of low-contrast armory presented by the submitter are not on point. Of the examples presented, five are registrable in the SCA now (with either the charge or the field being neutral), two more are borderline, and the other two have the low contrast charge as the primary rather than a peripheral. None have any direct support for this submission. Artistic details such as arming, languing, etc. are not generally required to follow the rule of contrast. We do not understand the reference to Laurel's arms; these arms do not break the rule of contrast. Military badges are traditionally not subject to the same restrictions as real armory. In short, only one of the examples presented by the submitter lends any support at all to his case here.

The Ansteorran College added three period examples, another that is quite likely to be period, and eight more of unknown date. But only one of them, Wigfall, has a complex line of division (the rest being plain) and even that one does not show the exact motif being submitted. This is not sufficient support to meet the current requirements for an exception to the Rules.

Torre de los Brazos, Shire of. Badge. Azure, a tower between in fess two swords, a bordure Or.

While no conflicts were found, no petition of support from the officers and/or populace was included, as required by the Administrative Handbook (General Procedures for Submissions C.5., Evidence of Support).

ATLANTIA

None.

CAID

Eilidh Swann Strathlachlan. Device. Checky Or and sable, a swan rousant gules holding in its beak a thistle argent.

Though clear of Stainforth, as cited in the LoI, this conflicts with von Steinfurth (Woodward, p. 262), Or, a swan gules beaked and membered sable. There is only one CD for the field, as the posture is equivalent if not identical.

Francesca Lucia d'Alberto dei Lorenzi. Device. Or, a swan naiant wings elevated between in cross four fleurs-de-lys sable.

Conflict with Western Australia, Or, a swan naiant sable. There is only one CD, for the addition of the secondaries.

Richard of Greenhorn Mountain. Name change from Richard de Montcornet.

This was not a name resubmission, as noted in the LoI, but rather a name change, as his name was registered as Richard de Montcornet in the November 1992 LoAR. As a consequence, it requires the standard action fee. (The currently registered actually appears to be a better construction and, as was noted in the November 1992 LoAR, is "close to the submitter's intended meaning.")

Wintermist, Shire of. Badge. Purpure, a lyre and a bordure invected Or.

It was the consensus of the commenting heralds and those attending the Laurel meeting that there is (and should be) a CD between a lyre and a harp. Thus this should be clear of the SCA badge for the Ministry of the Arts, Purpure, an Irish harp Or. However, the charge as drawn is not a period lyre, which according the Pictorial Dictionary has only 4 strings running between the top bar and the sound box, and the strings do not overlie the top bar. As one commenter noted, this is far more like the "lyre" found on a Georgian clock pendulum. The RfS require that period artifacts be depicted in their period form (see RfS VII.3.). Hence we are returning this for redrawing.

CALONTIR

Dominic Sanmicheli. Device. Per fess gules and azure, in chief a patriarchal cross and in base three Latin crosses Or.

The consensus among the commenters was fairly strong that this violates the ban on using two variants of a single charge type in a single group of charges (the "sword/dagger" rule).

Elspeth Fauconneau. Device. Counter-ermine, on a pile argent a joscelyn wreathed azure and vert, belled Or.

There are two problems here. The first is that the joscelyn is wreathed of two colors, in violation of RfS VIII.2.b.iv. The second is that it conflicts with Pavel Salamanovich Marcev (SCA), Counter-ermine, on a pile argent a seeblatt gules. There is only one CD, for the changes to the tertiary charge.

Otto von Koblenz. Badge. Sable, a mascle of four swords, overall a wolf's head erased contourny argent.

The wolf's head is not really "overall" the mascle of swords; it is rather in that "barely overall" arrangement which has been cause for return in the past. It should either be drawn large enough to be truly "overall" or a little smaller so that it falls entirely within the mascle of swords.

MIDDLE

James of Colby Green. Device. Plummety vert and argent, a crossbow Or armed gules.

Conflict with Baliste (Combo II, cited from Woodward), Gules, a crossbow Or. There is only one CD, for the change to the field.

John Alexander. Name.

Conflict with John Alexander, American artist, listed in the Encyclopedia Britannica.

OUTLANDS

Bedwyr ap Gwrgant Amaethon ap Rhain. Device. Per pale Or and sable, a tree eradicated counterchanged proper and flaming Or.

The sinister half of the tree is not really "flaming", but is rather "of flames". We have not allowed charges of flame for quite some time. Additionally most of the commenters noted that counterchanging a charge, half of which is proper, does not appear to have any period or modern exemplars. Some of the commenters also felt (not necessarily incorrectly) that this appeared to be dimidiated arms, thus falling afoul of RfS XI.3.

Darius of Jaxartes. Device. Per pale sable and argent, in pale five billets fesswise counterchanged and in sinister chief a bull's head cabossed gules.

As has been noted many times in the past one cannot "reblazon one's way" into a registration of a return. If such were the case here, this would have been reblazoned and registered in August 1993, the time of the previous return. As noted in that return, "the visual appearance is not of a pale, but of a group of billets straddling the field division. The lack of identifiability is sufficient reason for return" (emphasis added).

Elzabeth Osanna Zelter. Device. Argent, upon a mount vert a pavilion between in chief two mullets voided and interlaced azure.

Commentary on this appeal ran to an unprecedented 43 pages (not counting what has appeared on the "nets", and yes, I do see and read a fair bit of the conversations held around the "electronic campfire"), much of it in 10 point type. Laurel was tempted to simply say, "Well this is obviously far to controversial to register." However, such would be unfair to the submitter; especially as much of the commentary was on issues only marginally related to the issues being appealed. To address then, the issues at hand:

None of the commenters seemed to feel that the device was overly pictorial. This issue is therefore not a bar to registration.

On the issue of the pentacles, much heat and some light was generated regarding polls and the taking of same, Constitutional law, threats of lawsuits, anecdotes regarding how the "outside world" views the SCA, and how far the "educational purposes" of the SCA should extend, to mention only some of the major points covered. As Couronne Rouge noted, however, "the issue in question is modern offense", and consideration of this device has to focus on that issue as the central one here.

The relevant portions of the Rules for Submissions are found in General Principles I.2.: "Offense - No name or armory will be registered that may be offensive to a significant segment of the Society or the general population. No submission will be registered that is detrimental to the educational purposes or good name of the Society, or the enjoyment of its participants because of offense that may be caused, intentionally or unintentionally, by its use."; Section IX. "Offensive armory may not be registered, as is required by General Principle 2 of these rules. Armory may be innately offensive from its content, or because of its usual associations or the context in which it is placed, such as the swastika which, although used in period armory, is so strongly associated with the Third Reich that it offends a large segment of the population. Armory may be considered offensive even if the submitter did not intend it to be. This section defines the categories of designs that are generally considered offensive."; and Section IX.4. "Offensive Political Symbolism - Symbols specifically associated with social or political movements or events that may be offensive to a particular race, religion, or ethnic group will not be registered. Even if used without prejudice in period, such symbols are offensive by their modern context. Thus, designs suggestive of the SS, the Ku-Klux Klan, or similar organizations, may not be used." I have underlined those portions which I believe may be applicable to the submission at hand.

The ban on pentacles/pentagrams (as Trefoil noted, the two terms are often used interchangeably. As a consequence, any decision affecting the one will of necessity apply to the other) in SCA armory is a long-standing one, by Ioseph of Locksley (1 September 1973), by Karina of the Far West (in correspondence 7 January 1976 and in the LoAR of 10 March 1978), by Wilhelm von Schlüssel (24 October 1979), and by Da'ud ibn Auda (LoAR of August 1990, p. 16). This last was reviewed by the Board of Directors in their April 1991 meeting, who noted, among other things, that "the device was not returned for its specific religious content as perceived by the submitter and her co-religionists, but for the specific anti-religious content as perceived by a far larger number of people, both within and without the SCA. Whether this latter perception is with 'good' cause, whether the distressed person 'should' feel that way, is not the point -- we're not here to declare or enforce moral correctness.... The Board has a duty of care for the whole organization. We heard from a number of people who have had problems in the communities because of perceptions of the SCA as not merely tolerating, but actively encouraging, various anti-social activities. Again, the rightness or wrongness of their perceptions is not at issue; those perceptions are simply part of the larger environment within which the SCA must operate. We can reasonably expect that the SCA will come up against similar perceptions in the future, and we cannot reasonably expect outsiders to understand the subtleties of authority underlying 'registration,' which to them will inevitably imply official recognition, approval, and sanction.... Let me add that so far as any of the Directors could see, there was no solution to this dilemma that will satisfy all our members. Whichever way we chose would cause distress to people of good will who have the interests of the SCA at heart, including ourselves. Your return seems to us to be the least bad among several unattractive alternatives." [Letter from Board of Directors to Laurel, quoted in the Cover Letter with the April 1991 LoAR, pp. 2-3]

Given these long-standing precedents and rulings, the decision then hinges on whether or not sufficient evidence of the charge's inoffensiveness has been presented to overturn them and register the charge. Of all of the evidence presented, whether anecdotal, by poll, citing case law, quoting newspaper stories (e.g., Blockbuster Music banning jewelry pentacles as "occult symbols") or in individual opinions, that most pertinent is that of demonstrated modern usage. Trefoil presented a number of modern uses of pentacles in trademarks (Prodigy, Airline International), on a national flag (Morocco) and seal (the Solomon Islands), and emblems of organizational affiliation (Order of the Eastern Star).

At this point, we have to consider context and usage, because where and how a charge is displayed does affect the perception of that charge. In looking at the examples of modern usage presented in the appeal, the Prodigy star is reminiscent of those drawn by children in grade school, in varied colors, with thicker and thinner lines, and disconnected at the chief point. The Airlines International star is done as two parallel lines; a "star gemel" if you will. The Eastern Star star has a different charge in each "pane", including the central pentagon, which helps to "clutter up" the design. The Moroccan flag is unknown to the vast majority of Americans and Europeans (and is also color on color). Hence its applicability here is lessened because of its relative obscurity. The same applies to the seal of the Solomon Islands.

In each of the cases above, the context and usage lessens the potential problems of offense. People are less prone to see negative connotations in a star seen as drawn by a child, or when other modifications (covering it with other charges, or doubling the lines with which it is drawn). These differences also serve to distance the examples presented from direct support of this design in the context of the SCA.

After much consideration and thought and careful re-reading of all of the documentation and commentary, I feel compelled to uphold the prior precedents disallowing the registration of mullets of five points voided and interlaced, whether within and conjoined to an annulet or standing by themselves. Such charges still are perceived by a significant portion of the population as "the Satanic symbol", and hence cannot be registered by the College.

Mael Marden. Badge for House Ravenskeep. [Fieldless] On a tower Or, a raven's head erased contourny sable.

Conflict with US 37th Artillery Regiment (Military Ordinary #1292), Gules, a tower Or windowed gules with a clock marked sable. There is one CD for fieldlessness, but we lack the necessary second for the change to the type only of the tertiary.

Thora Redhair. Device. Per fess gules and argent, three plates in chevron and a butterfly per chevron gules and vert.

There are two problems with the device here. The first is that the field is not really per fess, but neither is it a field and a chief. This in itself is grounds for return (January 1994 LoAR, p.17). Either way the field is blazoned, the placement of the plates is highly unusual.

The butterfly is so poorly rendered that it was completely unidentifiable to all of the commenters. That, combined with the very carefully contrived "per chevron" treatment so that the forewings are one tincture and the rear wings another, would be sufficient grounds for return even without the problems with the field.

WEST

Arianwen ferch Anna. Device. Argent, a pall inverted azure between three pegasi segreant sable.

Conflict with Catina of Loch Salann (SCA, 12/93), Argent, a pall inverted azure between two cats salient respectant guardant and a chalice sable. There is only one CD for the change to type of the secondary charges.

Brennan Halfhand. Device. Argent, an eagle striking and a bordure vert charged alternately with acorns inverted and oak leaves argent.

The College has a long standing practice of disallowing mixed charge semys. Though the commentary noted two late period examples of mundane armory with mixed-charge semys, two examples are insufficient to establish a pattern or practice sufficient to overturn the current restriction.

Jon Dai. Name.

Conflict with John Day, a minor Elizabethan dramatist, born 1574, who has his own entry in the encyclopedia Britannica.

The armory was registered under the holding name Stephen of Politarchopolis.

Morwenna 'r Glyn. Name.

Conflict Morwen o'r Llyn, per RfS V.1.a., which notes that "two name phrases are considered significantly different if they differ significantly in sound and appearance" (emphasis added). It was the consensus of those at the Laurel meeting that the differences between the two names are not sufficiently "significant".

Muirghein ni Ghrainne. Badge. [Fieldless] On a tower azure, a hawk's lure argent.

Conflict with der Durner (Manesse 101) Argent, a belltower azure roofed gules containing a bell argent. There is one CD for fieldlessness, but the type change between a bell and the hawk's lure insufficient on a complex charge like a tower, and the red roof too small to allow a CD for tincture change.

Ramón de Castellón de la Plana. Device. Azure, issuant from a chevron, a demi-lion contourny maintaining an anchor, between three compass stars argent.

Withdrawn from consideration by the Kingdom. It has been resubmitted in the April LoI.