ACCEPTANCES

THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN REGISTERED:

AN TIR

Aleemah al Shammariyyah. Name.

The name was submitted as Aleemah al Shammar; we have feminized the tribal byname to match the feminine given name.

Alys Sylfreloc of Ælesmera. Name.

The name was submitted as Alys Sylfrloc of Ælsmera. There are early spellings of silver ending in -fr, but in compounds they add -e before a consonant. Ælsmera was based on an erroneous etymology of Ellesmere in one of her sources; no one found a plausible derivation for it, but Ælesmera could be an early post- Conquest form of `Ælf's or Ælle's mere'. We have made the smallest possible changes to register the name; if she wants the locative to refer to Ellesmere in Shropshire, it should be El(l)esmere or El(l)esmera.

An Tir, Kingdom of. Badge. Checky Or and argent, a lion's sinister jambe erased grasping a bow fesswise sable.

Balthazar the Quiet. Device. Sable, a camel statant contourny between three decrescents Or.

Bénédicte Victouron de Vence. Name.

Brin Dub mac Aeda. Name.

The name was submitted as Brin Dubh MacAoidh. The origin and even the actual existence of Brin are uncertain, but the one known instance is found in an Old English context, and an Old English-Irish combination does not seem out of the question. He permits changes preserving the meaning; to allow him to keep the slightly problematic given name, we have adjusted the spelling of the byname and patronymic to a form contemporaneous with Brin.

Brocc Mac Taidhg. Name and device. Sable, a ruined tower between flaunches each flaunch charged with a sword gules.

The name was submitted as Brocc MacTaidhg; we have added the space to follow normal Irish practice.

Please make sure that he knows that the flaunches should issue from the corners of the chief.

Caitlyn Emrys. Device. Vert, a chevron between three peacocks pavonated to base argent.

Nice armory!

Catelin Spenser of Newmarket. Name.

The name was submitted as Caitlin Spenser of Newmarket. The bulk of the name is English, so the given name must follow English spelling conventions. Unfortunately, the digraph ai represented quite different sounds in English and Irish orthography; the Irish name is most unlikely to have been transcribed Caitlin in an English context. She permits changes to preserve the sound; Cateline probably comes closest to capturing the sound of the Irish name, but to accommodate the possibility that she uses the common mispronunciation `KATE-linn' we have substituted the equally acceptable English variant Catelin. (It was suggested by Lion's Blood that this submission should receive the benefit of the doubt, since it was made before the discussion of mixed Gaelic/Anglicized names in the 6/95 Cover Letter. However, we note that as of April a number of such names had been changed or returned of such names, e.g., Duncan MacGriogair of Hawkwood (Atlantia), returned on the 1/95 LoAR. The discussion in the June Cover Letter is a clarification and explanation of a policy already in force when this submission was made.)

Giovanni di Gregorio. Device. Per pale argent and sable, on a torteau a roundel counterchanged of the field, a bordure gules.

Giovanni di Gregorio. Badge. Per pale argent and sable, on a torteau a roundel counterchanged of the field.

Isabel Tamar Le Fort. Name.

The name was submitted as Isabel Tamar Lefort on the LoI, apparently changed at kingdom from Isabel Tamar Le Fort or LeFort (the spacing is ambiguous). We have tried to restore the original form; the capitalized article is very rare but documentable.

Leticia Troischesnes. Name and device. Sable, on a bend sinister Or three oak leaves vert and in dexter chief a crescent argent.

The name was submitted as Leticia Troischênes, but the replacement of es by ê does not seem to have occurred until after the end of our period.

Marielle Cassandra MacGregor. Name and device. Azure, a tower argent on a chief Or a thistle issuant from the line of division proper.

Muirgheal nic Dhonnachaidh. Name.

Dhonnachaidh is at worst a modern variant of the more usual Dhonnchaidh. Please inform her that if she wants the patronymic to mean `daughter of Duncan', she should change it to nighean Dhonn(a)chaidh.

Myrkjartan Liknarlauss. Name and device. Or, in fess a sword inverted gules between two Latin crosses bottony and in chief a label azure.

ANSTEORRA

Agilwulf the Loud. Device. Sable, a shark Or and a chief argent.

Aleksandra Marovna Vinokurova. Name.

The name was submitted as Aleksandra Marovna Vinokuroa, but her form had the correct spelling Vinokurova.

Alexis Sinclair. Device. Sable, three portcullises Or.

Nice armory!

Anastasia Marie Charbonneau. Name.

Angharad Rhonwen of Caerleon. Device. Purpure, a sea serpent nowed in a Cavendish knot bendwise Or.

Versus Brynhildr Kormaksdottir, Gules, a Norse serpent nowed Or, there is one CD for the change of the field and another for the orientation of the charge (bendwise vs. basically globular - Brynhildr's Norse serpent is nowed into three loops, one and two).

Annabelle Marie FitzSimmons. Device. Or, a natural rainbow proper issuant from clouds between three pansies within a bordure purpure.

Asaph Heart. Device. Vairy sable and Or, a heart gules overall a baton argent.

Calemund Berserk. Name.

The name was submitted as Calamund Berserkr. The Old English given name is Cal(e)mund, inferred from place-names. The Old Norse inflectional ending -r was consistently lost in English contexts. As his forms permit, we have made minor changes to bring the name into line with documentary evidence. (Since he appears originally to have wanted Calamon, he might prefer Kalman, an Old Norse borrowing of Irish Colmán.)

Elizabeth of Castleton. Name and device. Or, a seahorse, on a chief wavy purpure three doubled crosses Or.

Ethan Sinclair. Name.

Though not documented in period usage, Ethan is a name of the type extensively mined by the Puritans in the late sixteenth century.

Hrothgar Frosthair. Device. Azure, on a pale engrailed argent between two mullets argent a double-bitted axe sable.

Inis Feinics, Canton of. Name.

The name was submitted as Inishfeinics; however, inish is the English spelling of Irish inis. Since they allow minor changes, we have followed their apparent intent and made the name wholly Irish. Inishfenix and Inishfeanix are likely period English spellings, either of which would also be acceptable.

Jaida al Tusiyya. Name.

Jules René de Lyon. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and argent, a lion rampant to sinister and a fleur-de-lys counterchanged within a bordure counter-compony argent and gules.

The name was submitted as Jules Rene' de Lyon on the LoI, but the form has the correct spelling.

Please ask him to draw the lion a little larger in the future.

Kristof Fugger von Augsburg. Name.

It was suggested that this name violates RfS VI.3 (Names Claiming Specific Relationships), since the well-known Fugger family of bankers was based in Augsburg. However, the specific prohibition is against `[n]ames that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character'. Since no significant member of the banking family seems to have been named Kristof or any variant thereof, the name does not violate RfS VI.3.

Lasairfhiona ní Dhoineannaigh. Device. Gules, a catamount sejant contourny, on a chief rayonny Or three goblets gules.

Lucas du Belier. Name and device. Azure, two rams combattant within a bordure argent.

The byname is analogous to the source of the modern surname Duboc `[son] of the buck'; it signifies a son of a man nicknamed `the ram'.

Madog Cochfarf. Device. Per bend gules and argent, a boar courant azure.

Pepin Moroni. Badge. [Fieldless] A jester's bauble facing dexter gules, faced argent.

Rígán hinn Stilligr. Badge. Argent, a rhinoceros rampant azure within a bordure dovetailed sable.

Tegan Rhos. Name.

Tiernan Shepherd. Device. Gules, a bend sinister checky argent and sable between two crescents Or.

Tristian of Tyne Weir. Device. Per chevron rayonny argent goutty and gules, a triskele argent.

Wilhelm der Wulf von dem Schwarzwald. Name and device. Per bend sinister argent and Or, a bend sinister gules between a wolf's head couped contourny sable and a tree proper.

The name was submitted as Wilhelm der Wolf aus Dem Schwarzwald, and his form has Wilhelm der Wulf aus dem Schwarzwald. We have corrected the preposition to conform to German usage. He specifically requested Wulf instead of the modern German Wolf; as it is an attested Low German form, we are able to comply, though we note that Wilhelm de Wulf von dem Swartwalde would probably be more consistent.

Though technically having a complexity count of nine (six tinctures, including brown and vert) and three types of charge, the tree proper of the device can be (and was) argued as adding a complexity count of only two, because the tree is visually expected to be brown and green. In any case, the device taken as a whole seems sufficiently simple (an ordinary between two secondaries) that it is not overly complex, despite the technical complexity count", for registration.

William Drake. Name.

William FitzBubba. Device. Sable, a chess rook within a bordure argent.

Nice armory!

Wlfric Huffman. Device. Per pale gules and Or, two Grecian sphinxes combattant counterchanged.

ATENVELDT

Anvirre Thorndyke of Turlough. Device. Per bend sinister counter-ermine and azure, a vol within an orle argent.

Arabella Moira of Heatherhill. Household name and badge for House Heatherhill (jointly with Aoife ní Chiarán of Durrow). Per pale indented purpure and Or, two sprigs of heather counterchanged.

Atenveldt, Barony of. Name and badge for Order of the Pearl of Youth. Gules, two palm trees couped crossed in saltire in chief a roundel argent.

Aurora Ashland of Woolhaven. Badge. Vert, a ramp rampant argent within a bordure rayonny Or.

Please ask her to draw the rays of the rayonny line of division a little larger.

Aurora Ashland of Woolhaven. Device. Per bend rayonny vert and Or semy of sprigs gules, in sinister chief a ram rampant argent.

Please ask her to draw the rays of the rayonny line of division a little larger.

Baldwin Giffard. Device. Gyronny of twelve Or and sable, a Celtic cross within a bordure argent.

Bjarki Hvítabjarnarson. Name.

The name was submitted as Bjarki Hvita-Bjarnarson on the LoI; we have substituted the equally acceptable spelling on his form. The name means `Bjarki son of White Björn'. The well-known Icelandic poet Egill Skallagrímsson had a name of this type: his father was Skalla-Grímr `bald Grim'.

Bulah the Silver Merchant. Name.

The name was submitted as Beulah the Silver Merchant, with the given name justified by RfS II.4 (Legal Names), but according to her driver's license, her first name is Bulah, and she accepts changes. In the Middle Ages a silver merchant would more likely have been called Silver or Silversmith.

Diego de Marulanda. Device. Per pale gules and azure, two boars combattant each sustaining a double-bitted axe, a base embattled argent.

Duncan Bane fuar bhathais. Device. Argent, in pale an increscent moon and a mullet of eight points within a bordure rayonny sable.

Isabeau Della Farfalla. Device. Argent, a saltire per saltire azure and sable between in pale two butterflies sable.

Leowyn Constance Marshall. Device. Per pale wavy azure and argent, a natural tiger rampant contourny argent marked sable and a mullet of eight points elongated palewise azure.

Please ask her to draw more and deeper "waves" to the line of division.

Melangel ferch Rhys ap Owain. Device. Vert, a catamount rampant argent on a point pointed Or a cat's pawprint sable.

Murdoch MacLennan. Device. Azure, a flamberge inverted argent issuant from a heart Or between flaunches argent each charged with a Latin cross flory gules.

Robert du Mont. Device. Azure, three chevronels braced and in chief a crescent all within a bordure argent.

Shannon of the Dark Woods. Name change from holding name Shannon of Gryphon's Lair.

Shannon is her legal name.

Wenefred of Hay on Wye. Device. Per bend vert and purpure, a bend between a handbell and a bud of garlic argent.

ATLANTIA

Michael Ryan of York. Device. Quarterly sable and vert, two pheons inverted and an escallop Or.

Tancred dello Falco. Device. Quarterly sable and argent, two falcons striking to sinister argent.

Tancred dello Falco. Badge. Sable, on a clenched gauntlet argent a rose proper, a bordure argent.

Versus Aliskye MacKyven Raizel, Sable, on a flame Or another gules charged with a sinister gauntlet clenched affronty argent, a bordure argent (as reblazoned in the accompanying Errata Letter), there are CDs for the type and for the tincture of the primary charge, plus a CD for the changes to the tertiary charges.

CAID

Alexandra of Aquitaine. Name.

Angus Dugald MacLeod. Name and device. Sable, a fess fusily Or between two swords in saltire and vol argent, a bordure Or.

Aoife ní tSinéad ní Chearnaigh. Name.

The name was submitted on the LoI as Aoife Sinéad Ó Cearnaigh, which in Harpy's words `manages to hit the two most common SCA Irish name errors: a double given name and a masculine patronym with a feminine given name'. The lady's original submission was Aoife Sinéad Cearnach; the Caidan CoH corrected the third given name to a patronymic form. She permits minor corrections; to make the name conform to Irish naming practice, we have corrected the gender of the patronymic and converted the second given name to a metronymic, making her the daughter of Sinéad who is the daughter of Cearnach. This change is at the edge of what we consider `minor'; had the Caidan CoH not already made a parallel change, we would probably have returned the name and suggested Aoife ní Chearnaigh as a fine, late-period Irish name.

Arianna of Chelsea. Name.

Arielle de Champeyneys. Device. Per chevron embattled argent and purpure, two roses sable and a wolf rampant argent.

Her previously registered device, Per bend sinister rayonny purpure ermined argent and argent ermined purpure, two winged lions segreant counterchanged argent and purpure, is released.

Brand Armand of Lancaster. Device. Gules, a winged sword Or.

Direk Ivanovich. Name and device. Gules, a pile argent and overall a dragon passant Or.

The name was submitted as Dirk Ivanovich, but no one produced evidence of sufficient interaction between the Low Countries and Russia in period to justify the combination; Dirk was instead justified by appeal to RfS II.4 (Legal Names), but no proof was offered. While we do not doubt that Dirk is his modern given name, we do require adequate documentation of that fact. Since he allows minor changes, we have substituted Direk, dated to 1480 in the form Dierek in A Dictionary of Period Russian Names by Paul Wickenden of Thanet.

Drogo Fitz William. Name change from Iorwerth Dubhoharag ap Morcant.

Dustin the Harmless. Device. Per pale azure and argent, a snake erect counterchanged.

Gregory Morgan. Name.

Jacob Maximilion of the Black Forest. Device. Quarterly gules and checky argent and sable, a card pique Or.

James Andrew MacAllister. Name change from James of Amberwood.

Katerine de Westecote. Name and device. Or, a rose branch bendwise sinister vert flowered gules between two hummingbirds rising wings addorsed vert.

The name is excellent.

Mary Isabel of Heatherstone. Name and device. Azure, on a pall inverted between three bells Or three sprigs of heather proper bound by a ribbon azure.

The name was submitted as Mary Isabelle of Heatherstone, but her form has Isabel.

Miriam Shadewehauke. Name.

The name was submitted as Miriam Shadowhawk, and there was general agreement that the byname owed more to fantasy than to period naming practice. However, Old English sceadu `a shadow, shade, a shady place, a shelter' may occur in the place-names Shadow Brook and Shadwell, and Middle English halke `a corner, a nook, a hiding-place', from OE halc `a cavity', occasionally appears with vocalized l as hauke. Sceadu became ME shade, shad(e)we, and a mediæval Shadewehauke `shady nook' does not seem altogether improbable. As her forms allow, we have substituted documented period spellings for the locative element.

Murtagh of the Galloglas. Device. Gules, a dragon passant Or, on a chief rayonny argent three crosses formy fitchy sable.

Phelan Wolfer of Warrington. Name.

Wolfer was documented in the LoI as a German surname; an Irish-German combination would have been somewhat problematic, but the name can be justified as an English occupational byname for a hunter or patronymic (ultimately from Old English Wulfhere).

Wilhelm of Thunderhall. Name.

Thunderhall could be a late form of Thunres-halh `nook of land or water-meadow dedicated to Thunor (Thor)'; parallel examples exist. An English form of the given name would be more likely.

Wilhelm von Homburg. Device change. Argent, a bend Or fimbriated and a bordure gules.

His currently registered arms, Argent, a bend Or fimbriated between two battle axes bendwise, blades to chief within a bordure gules, are released.

Wintermist, Shire of. Badge. [Fieldless] A snowflake gules.

This is being registered to them under the Grandfather Clause (they have snowflakes on their arms).

EAST

Adèle de Lyon. Device. Argent, a bend sinister bretessed azure between two dogs sejant erect contourny sable, a bordure azure.

Aelesia Penwen. Device. Purpure, a castle and in base a fleur-de-lis argent, within a bordure argent semy of thistles proper.

Though the tincture of the thistles was accidentally left off the LoI, most of the commenters guessed correctly that they were proper.

Æthric Daladier. Device. Sable, a thunderbolt argent with lightning bolts Or, a double tressure Or.

Alexandre Ledebuhr. Device. Argent, a bend rayonny and in chief a sun gules.

Alicia Vespasiana. Badge. [Fieldless] A fly sable winged argent.

Allison of Carillion. Device. Azure, an open book between three estoiles Or.

Anneke Vaandrager. Name.

The name was submitted as Anneke Vandrager on the LoI, but both her form and her documentation give the surname as Vaandrager `flag-bearer'. Though the documentation is from Hanks & Hodges, it is supported by a variety of related German names in acceptable sources.

Antoine d'Aubry. Device. Quarterly ermine and gules, two reremice ermine.

As nearly every treatise on heraldry notes (see, e.g., Brooke-Little's An Heraldic Alphabet, p. 205; Parker's Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry, pp. 574-75; and the Glossary of Terms as Used in the Rules for Submissions, under "Tincture"), ermine is tincture in and of itself, and is therefore considered a "plain tincture", just as vert, or gules, or any of the other plain tinctures, for purposes of RfS XI.3.

Arabella ni Cormac. Device. Quarterly gules and sable, a butterfly argent, a chief ermine.

Arianhwyvar verch Morgant. Name.

Berthold Leverenz. Name and device. Sable, a boar rampant contourny checky Or and vert.

The name was submitted as Berthold Levernz on the LoI, but the form has Leverenz, a German patronymic from Laurentius.

Caecelia di Battista. Name and device. Argent, five mascles conjoined in cross and a chief dovetailed vert.

Please inform her that the early Latin spelling of Caecelia is very much out of place with the later-period Italian patronymic; Cecelia is the usual mediæval Latinate form, and Cicilia is a documented Italian variant.

Please ask her to fatten up the mascles a little.

Cáelainn Eóganach. Name and device. Or, an otter sejant erect sable in chief two oak leaves vert.

The name was submitted as Caelinn of Clan Eoghainn on the LoI (her forms have Cáelinn) with a request to translate the byname into Gaelic, preferably Scots. Cáelinn is a miscopying of the early Irish Cáelainn from Ó Corráin & Maguire, p. 41, and her forms indicate that she does not want the modern spelling. We have corrected the typo, but we are unable to comply fully with the request, since Scottish and Irish Gaelic had not yet diverged when the spelling Cáelainn was current. Irish offers a number of ways to say `of the clan, sept, race, etc. of Eógan'; we have done our best to comply with her request by choosing an adjectival form that is still used in Scots Gaelic.

Calogero Urso. Device. Vert, a bear statant contourny Or, a chief indented point in point gules and argent.

You might let him know that one more "zig-zag" on the chief would improve the identifiability of the line of division.

Casimir Sarkastyczny. Device. Per fess argent and gules, in pale a roundel counterchanged sable and argent between two eagles counterchanged.

Catheline la Confusée. Name.

The name was submitted as Catheline la Confusee on the LoI, but her form has the accent.

Cathleen of Greystones. Badge. Argent, a snail vert.

Cecilia Erwyn of Etterick. Badge. [Fieldless] A griffin passant contourny wings close gules maintaining a goblet Or.

Ceri of Carmarthen. Name.

The name was submitted as Ceri of Carmarthan; as she permits, we have corrected the spelling of the place-name to match the documentation.

Ciaran MacLeod of Frosted Hills. Device. Per pale Or and vert, a stag springing proper and on a chief azure three roses Or.

Coileán Ó Loingsigh. Name.

The name was submitted as Coilean O Loingsigh in the LoI, but the accents were present on the form.

Connor MacAskill. Name.

The name was submitted as Connor MacAskil on the LoI, but his form has MacAskill.

Corwin of Darkwater. Badge. [Fieldless] Perched upon tun affronty a raven reguardant sable.

Deirdre Ruadh NicChonmara. Device. Azure, two scarpes and in chief a mullet of four points argent.

Dionysios Gregoropoulos. Device. Or, three roses in bend sable, a bordure rayonny gules.

Domhnall MacFhionndara. Device. Argent, on a pile between in chief two triquetras vert a triquetra and a cat's face argent.

Eisental, Shire of. Badge. [Fieldless] On an anvil azure a compass star argent.

Elaine Flamme. Name.

Elenore Grailseeker. Badge for House Foxesden. [Fieldless] On a castle vert a fox's mask argent.

Norma of Settmour Swamp. Holding name and device. Or, two fern fronds in pile vert, on a chief triangular azure a plate.

Submitted under the name Eliana Mazdak, the name was returned in the June 1995 LoAR.

Elisabetta Castagna. Device. Counter-ermine, on a decrescent argent a rose proper.

Elizabetha Thomas of Warwick. Name.

Though no one produced evidence that the Latin Elizabetha was actually used in England, a 1568 citation of Elizabethe opens the door a crack.

Fiona Randal of Avanmore. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

The name was submitted as Fiona Randal of Avonmore on the LoI, but her form and documentation have Avanmore. The post-period Fiona has been ruled SCA-compatible. (Here it cannot be the modern Irish Fíona, whose phonetic Englishing would have been Fina.)

Francesca Laura di Firenze. Badge. [Fieldless] On a cross couped rayonnant argent a fleur-de-lys gules.

Francois Thibault. Device. Argent, a cock gules and on a chief sable three dolmens argent.

Gabriella del Falco. Name.

Gregorio del Falco. Name.

Grim Svithinskegg. Name.

The name was submitted as Grim Svithskegg; as he permits, we have corrected the grammar of the byname, which means `singed beard'.

Gryffyn Dunham. Name and device. Per bend vert and purpure, a griffin rampant argent charged on the shoulder with a trefoil inverted vert.

Gryffyn Dunham. Badge. [Fieldless] A trefoil inverted vert.

Harekr Haraldsson. Device. Per fess embattled gules and azure, two Thor's hammers and a drakkar Or sail set paly gules and argent.

Ivan Jarnev. Device. Per pale wavy argent and sable, a dragon rampant contourny and Saint Michael maintaining in both hands a sword inverted counterchanged.

Ivar Volosatoi. Name.

James Damian Blackmoor. Device. Gules, a rabbit rampant maintaining a sword and on a chief argent three wooden tankards proper.

Jeanne de Rennes. Device. Argent, on a bend sinister between two swans naiant azure three fleurs-de-lys palewise argent.

Very nice!

Jennet Faolan. Device. Vert, a winged wolf rampant Or, on a chief argent three fox's heads cabossed sable.

She has a letter of permission to conflict from Arianna Faolan, Vert, a winged wolf rampant Or, on a chief argent two bears passant sable.

John the Brewer. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Hund called a conflict with a John Brewer whose name appears in the index to the 15th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. He does not seem to have an article of his own, however, so we do not consider him important enough to protect.

Juan Miguel Cezar. Name and device. Argent, a frog vert between three roses gules barbed and seeded within a bordure embattled sable.

It is very unlikely that a Spanish name would consist solely of three given names, but Díez Melcón, Apellidos Castellanos-Leoneses, p. 299, has one and possibly two such names.

Juliana d'Antioche. Device. Per fess indented azure and argent, two slippers counterchanged.

Katharyn Clatworthy. Name.

Kelly of Settmour Swamp. Holding name and device. Sable, an Irish wolfhound and a stag combattant argent.

Submitted as Maisah al Bahirah, which name was returned in the June 1995 LoAR.

Kinborough Lyons. Name and device. Argent, a rose branch and a sword inverted in saltire sable, on a chief purpure two lions passant argent.

This is an excellent example of an unusual but authentic period name.

Kyneburgh MacKintosh. Name.

The name was submitted as Cyneburh MacKintosh. Since she allows minor changes, we have tried to narrow the gap of several centuries between Old English Cyneburh and Anglo-Gaelic MacKintosh by changing the two features that barely survived the Conquest, the initial C and the final consonantal h.

Lodowick of Grays Inn. Name.

The name was submitted as Lodowick of Grey's Inn on the LoI, but his form has Grays Inn, a form much more characteristic of period usage.

Lucas Pierrot de Renard. Name.

De Renard is a patronymic, not a byname `of the fox'.

Lucrezia Franceschina Andreini. Name.

Mairi ni Raghallaigh. Badge. [Fieldless] On a heart gules, a prick-spur Or.

Mairi ni Raghallaigh. Badge. [Fieldless] A boar passant per pale argent and vert.

Submitted as a household badge for Wodenes Wornas, the household name was returned in the June 1995 LoAR.

Margaret de Luce. Device. Azure, a trillium flower Or and on a chief triangular argent three roses in fess proper.

Mathgamain O'Brien. Device. Per pale argent and azure, two annulets conjoined counterchanged.

Meadhbh ni Mhordha. Name.

Meadhbh ni Loingsigh. Name and device. Purpure, a chevron fracted between three chalices argent.

Megan of Eden. Name.

Mikael McCue. Device. Lozengy azure and argent, on a bend sable three Wake knots Or.

Please see the accompanying Cover Letter for a discussion on the use of a field of Bavaria or near-variant.

Nicoletta de Padova. Device. Gules, a swan naiant and on a chief wavy argent three roses gules.

Please ask her to draw the waves of the chief a little deeper.

Nu'm bint Bâb. Name change from Nu'm bint Sulayman.

The name was submitted as Nu'm bint Bab on the LoI, but the form marks the long vowel of the patronymic.

Odette de la Foi. Name and device. Vert, a cross flory Or overall a swan naiant argent, a bordure engrailed Or.

Otto of Westphalia. Device. Quarterly vair and argent, an otter rampant within a bordure sable.

Philip of Staffordshire. Name and device. Argent, a griffin segreant contourny gules and in chief an eye vert.

Ragnar Freydisarson. Device. Or, a dragon rampant maintaining a trident azure, a demi-sun issuant from base gules.

Reinmar von Aue. Device. Per bend vert and sable, a Bengal tiger rampant Or marked sable and an open scroll Or.

Rhiannon verch Tegan Glascoed. Name and device. Argent semy of acorns sable, a tree couped vert, a bordure sable.

Please inform her that Rhiannon is a Welsh goddess-name that does not seem to have been used by human beings in period.

Robert Abeille. Name and device. Vert, a tree eradicated between three bees Or.

Robert of Northwood. Device. Vert, in fess three pine trees couped and in sinister chief a mullet of eight points argent.

Roderick of Hastings. Device. Per saltire argent and azure, a Celtic cross issuant from base counterchanged.

Rúadhán Ó Ceallaigh. Name change from Cathal Ruadhan ap Hywel ap Llywelyn.

The name was submitted as Ruadhan O Ceallaigh on the LoI, but his form had the accents.

Sáerlaith Rúad. Name change from Igraine Torr de Valere.

The name was submitted as Saerlaith Ruad on the LoI, but her form had the accents.

Sheamus O'Galleghure. Name.

The name was submitted as Seumas O'Galliher, which combines Scots Gaelic Seumas with Englished O'Galliher. A completely Gaelic form would be Seumas Ó Gallchobhair, though the more usual Irish form of the given name is Séamus; Sheamus O'Galleghure is one of several reasonable late-period phonetic English versions. With some hesitation we have registered the latter as being closer to what he submitted, though in general we prefer not to change the given name.

Sibley of Nethercerne. Name and device. Argent, an otter statant guardant contourny and a chief embattled vert.

The name was submitted as Sibley of NetherCerne on the LoI, but the form has Nether Cerne. As she permits, we have made the name conform to normal mediæval practice.

Stefano Ricciuto. Badge. Argent, a dragon vert and another gules combattant maintaining between them an ogress.

Tadg in Sinnach. Name and device. Vert, a deer skull affronty and in chief three roses argent.

This is an excellent early Irish name.

Tristan le Sauvage. Device. Argent, on a fess engrailed on the upper edge azure three death's heads argent, a bordure azure.

Uilleam Mackintosh. Name and device. Per bend sinister argent and vert, a rose sable and a cat salient guardant argent.

Although Uilleam is a Gaelic spelling and Mackintosh is English, the spellings Vilzemsone 1556 and Willeamsoun 1600 (Black, p. 816) support the possibility of Villeam in an English record. Use of U for initial V is unlikely but not impossible.

Veronique l'Amie. Device. Purpure estoilly, a sun in splendor within a bordure Or.

Zachary Wolfhunter. Device. Per chevron sable and gules, in pale a scimitar fesswise and a wolf passant argent.

MERIDIES

Aleksina Taisiya Rogvolodvna. Device. Per fess vert and counter-ermine, a fess potenty, in chief a ferret statant argent masked sable.

Altani Naran. Name.

Ardanroe, Shire of. Badge. Gules, on a fess argent between a sun and a castle Or, two fleurs-de-lys sable.

Brighid of Ferncliff. Device. Azure goutty d'eau, a cross formy fitchy and a gusset sinister argent.

Bronwen o Gydweli. Badge. [Fieldless] An antelope statant within and conjoined to an annulet argent.

Cornelius Brangwyn. Name.

Crystoffer ap Cynan Llwyd. Badge. [Fieldless] A demi-dragon rampant gules within and conjoined to a fetterlock sable.

Dennet de Poitou. Name and device. Azure, a pale erminois between two panthers rampant guardant addorsed Or pellety, incensed gules, on a chief argent three fleurs-de-lys azure.

While this exceeds the rule of thumb limit of RfS VIII.1.a. with four types of charges and five (or six, counting erminois as a separate tincture), it is very well-balanced and visually cohesive. That being the case, we have no qualms about registering it in spite of its technical "complexity count". Nice looking armory!

Eleri of Caerleon. Name.

Forth Castle, Shire of. Name and device. Argent, a tower gules within a laurel wreath, on a chief sable three towers argent.

The name was submitted as the Shire of Fourth Castle, but no one could find period evidence for ordinal numbers in English place-names. The group have explicitly indicated that they will accept Forth Castle `castle on the River Forth' in order to keep the sound.

Grigorii Elisseyevich. Name and device. Azure, a pall inverted sable fimbriated between three mascles.

Gunnar Oxnamegin. Device. Argent, a saltire gules, overall an eagle striking sable, on a chief embattled azure a mullet argent.

Please ask him to raise the upper ends of the saltire a bit. They should issue from the corners rather than the sides of the escutcheon.

Magdalen of Cheshire. Name and device. Lozengy azure and argent, a phoenix gules rising from flames proper, a bordure Or.

Please inform her that Magdalen appears to be a late-period spelling of the given name; by the time it came into use, the name would most probably have been simply Magdalen Cheshire. Maudeleyn of Chesterschyr would be a likelier mediæval spelling.

Please see the accompanying Cover Letter for a discussion of the use of a field of Bavaria or near-variants.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Amethyst Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Blue Saphyre Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Dyamond Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Emerald Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Obsidian Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Ruby Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Meridies, Kingdom of. Title for Topaze Pursuivant.

The originally submitted designator of Herald has been changed to Pursuivant at the request of the Beacon Principal Herald.

Rixende de Rouen. Name.

Victoria of Durham. Device. Purpure, on a pale ermine three roses purpure barbed and seeded proper.

Pretty armory! (You might tell her to use fewer and larger ermine spots on the pale.)

Walter of Minstead. Device. Gules, two spears in saltire argent, in chief a crescent Or.

William FitzJohn. Badge. [Fieldless] A sinister falconer's glove fesswise reversed argent charged on the cuff with a sheaf of three arrows inverted sable.

MIDDLE

Aelfric the Kestrell. Device change. Vert, a pheon within a bordure argent.

His currently registered device, Argent, a falcon rising wings displayed vert marked sable, on a chief vert a bow argent, is released.

Aileen Fitzwilliam. Name change from Aileen ní Bhrighde.

Alaric of Petrea Thule. Name.

Aurora ferch Ceridwen. Name.

Please inform her that Ceridwen is a Welsh goddess-name that does not seem to have been used by human beings in period.

Baldur Peregrinator. Name and device. Per fess sable and argent, in pale an annulet Or and an annulet gules, interlaced.

Brand the Black. Badge. [Fieldless] A trillium sable barbed and seeded Or.

Caer Draeth, Canton of. Name and device. Gules, on a fess wavy between a bear statant contourny and a mountain argent a laurel wreath gules.

This does not conflict aurally with the registered name of the Shire of Caer Darth; the difference in pronunciation between Darth and Draeth is essentially the same as the difference between tart and trite.

Cynred Broccan. Name.

Irish Broccán is phonetically compatible with Old English, which occasionally used unmarked patronymics. In case he is more concerned with the meaning, please inform him that the Old English for `Cynred (the) Badger' is Cynred (se) Brocc.

Cynthia Blackmore. Name and device. Per pall inverted argent, Or and sable, two horses combattant sable and a seahorse naiant argent.

Dilan mac in tsaeir. Name and device. Vert, a bull rampant to sinister argent armed Or within a bordure quarterly gules and argent.

The name was submitted as Dylan MacAnTsaior with a request to correct the grammar and spelling for Gaelic. Dylan, which he supposes to be Gaelic, is Welsh and exhibits non-Irish orthography, but there was an early Irish name Díl (masculine and feminine) to which we have added the very productive diminutive suffix -án to produce a close Irish approximation to the Welsh name. The surname as submitted was close to the modern Mac an tSaoir, but the corresponding modern spelling of Dílán would be Díolán; in order to make the smallest possible change to the given name, we have substituted a documented early form of the patronymic.

Eric Edwardson. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Gwendolen Penbryn. Name and device. Azure, a fess wavy Or between a dove migrant and five escallops three and two argent.

The name was submitted as Gwendolyn yr Penbryn. The place-name Penbryn should not be accompanied by the definite article; as her forms allow, we have dropped it, and we have replaced Gwendolyn by a less modern spelling. Please inform her that the name does not seem to have been used by human beings in period. (See the Cover Letter for a more complete discussion of Gwendolyn.)

Please ask her to draw the fess a bit more wavy in the future.

Gwynethe of Glastonbury. Name.

Hrokr of Ealdormere. Name and device. Gyronny sable and Or, a stag trippant guardant contourny gules gorged of a coronet argent within a bordure gules.

According to his forms, he is seeking a documentable name as close as possible to Roak; other possibilities are Roc, from Domesday Book, and Roach (pronounced `ro-akh'), from an early Irish genealogy.

Isabella Oakwood. Device. Azure, an oak leaf and on a chief argent three acorns azure.

Jararvellir, Barony of. Badge. Azure, three bars wavy between a swordfish and a swordfish contourny Or.

John Alexander of Winged Hills. Name.

Joleicia of Litchfield. [Fieldless] A trillium argent barbed vert charged with the letter J sable.

Though in English the capital letter J appears to be post-period (per the Oxford English Dictionary), such did appear in Spanish in the 16th Century.

Julius Whitetassle. Name and device. Azure, on a chevron purpure fimbriated argent three arrowheads inverted Or.

Kevin O'Shaughnessy. Device. Argent semy of arrows bendwise sinister inverted azure, a dog statant sable.

Klaus Hartel von Ulm. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

The name was submitted as Klaus Hartel aus Ulm; he permits minor changes, so we have corrected the preposition.

Magni Eriksson. Name.

The name was submitted as Magni Erikson with a request for grammar and spelling corrections, so we have added the extra s in accordance with normal Norse practice.

Marian of Heatherdale. Device. Per chevron throughout purpure and argent, a merlin displayed gules maintaining two sprigs of heather proper between three annulets counterchanged.

Niniane de Bretagne. Name.

Please inform her that Niniane is merely a (documented) spelling variant of masculine Ninian, not a feminization. More authentic forms of the byname are le Bret and le Breto(u)n.

Ófeigr Valgardsson. Name and device. Per fess purpure and vert, a drinking horn palewise argent.

The name was submitted as Ofeigr Valgardsson on the LoI, but his form had the accent.

Peter of Starleaf Gate. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Purpure, in fess a coney sejant erect contourny argent and a fountain.

Submitted as Petro Zos Chabina.

Ragnar Arason of Vinland. Device. Gules, a rat sejant erect guardant maintaining a sword and on a chief argent two ravens close sable.

Rhys ap Bledri. Badge. [Fieldless] A cross bottony argent between and conjoined with four hurts.

Robert Emil de Beauvais. Device. Per pale sable and gules, a griffin sejant between three mullets Or.

Rolf de Chablis. Badge. [Fieldless] A pair of bat wings conjoined gules.

Rosaline Weaver. Household name and badge for Penilond Maner. Purpure, a cross parted and fretted between in chief two annulets Or.

This is a splendidly authentic household name.

Sebastian Thomas of Hawkesridge. Device. Or, an eagle rising wings displayed gules perched upon a gauntlet fesswise and on a chief sable three compass stars argent.

Sigridr Rognvaldsdottir. Name and device. Vert, an adze Or reversed within a bordure compony argent and azure.

Thorarinn Gunnersson. Name.

The name was submitted as Thorarinn Gunnarsson on the LoI, but his form has Gunnersson, which is also documentable. We do not consider the modern author of fantasy and science fiction important enough to protect.

Valerian Sharpe Boncore. Device. Sable, a heart within a bordure embattled Or.

Zadok ben Solomon ibn Alfakhar. Name.

PALIMPSEST LETTER OF INTENT TO PROTECT

Folkunga, House of (Modern). Azure semy of hearts gules, three scarpes wavy argent and overall a lion rampant crowned Or. [This is the House founded by Birger Jarl of Sweden.]

This is the modern form of the coat for this family, already protected in the MPII List (and modified in the accompanying Errata Letter).

WEST

Adeline de Montfort. Name and device. Azure, on a bend between a fleur-de-lys and three swords argent three fleurs-de-lys palewise azure.

This is an excellent name.

Anthony Westley. Name and device. Azure, a seawolf naiant reguardant queue forchy and on a chief invected argent a sword reversed azure.

Anthony Westley. Badge. Sable, on a bezant a wolf's pawprint sable, a bordure Or

Charles Ravenstone. Device. Per fess lozengy argent and sable and argent, a bird's leg a-la-quise sable.

Versus Aaron Cornellion of Blackhawk Moor, A hawk's leg erased a-la-quise sable taloned Or sustaining a cup-hilted rapier argent handled sable (as reblazoned in the accompanying Errata Letter), there are CDs for fielded vs. fieldless, and the rapier in Aaron's badge is of a size sufficient to warrant the necessary second for its removal here.

Geoffrey Scott. Name and device. Azure, a chevron and in base a compass star Or.

Versus Tristan FitzAaron, Per pale gules and azure, in pale a chevron and an estoile pierced Or, there is a CD for the field and another by current precedent for the difference between an estoile and a compass star.

Haluin æt Eoforeslea. Name and device. Sable, in bend four winged swine statant argent.

There does not seem to be an Old English prototheme Hal-, but the Anglo-Norman addition of inorganic H is common, so Haluin is a possible variant of Aluin, which is found in Domesday Book. (It is also a Continental Germanic name, attested as Haluinus 791.) The spelling of the place-name is extremely conservative for an Anglo-Norman name; Evoreslea is one of several much likelier forms.

John of Blackhawk. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Kiera Lye d'Alessandria. Device. Argent, three roses proper within an orle gules.

Versus the augmentation of the Duchy of Montrose, Argent, three roses gules, the augmentation appears from all of the evidence presented to have been and continues to be borne only as a quartering, not as an independent coat. As such, we are extremely hesitant to call a conflict with a piece of armory which does not appear to have an independent existence, but is borne only as part of a quartered coat.

Llewellen of Strathclyde. Name and device. Per chevron azure and argent three pairs of arrows inverted in saltire within a bordure all counterchanged.

Please ask him to draw the field's line of division a little higher on the field.

Llewellyn de Guerre. Name and device. Argent, a thistle proper, a bordure embattled purpure semy-de-lys argent.

The loss of the article from the more common de la Guerre is unusual but in this case is supported by the documentation.

Lodewicus von Fürstenwalde. Name change from Lodevicus von Fürstenwalde and device. Per pale sable and argent, a Maltese cross counterchanged.

Lorenzo Erudito. Device. Quarterly argent and vert, a rose within an orle sable.

Nathaniel Brewer. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Raulf of Esenden. Name.

Rikardr grabardr Jonsson. Name.

Romille de Mont Blanc. Device. Argent, a pantheon rampant gules mullety Or, a chief sable.

Stahlburg, Shire of. Name.

Teleri Tawel. Device change. Sable, in chief three crosses clechy Or.

Her currently registered device, Sable, a winged mouse sejant erect, tail nowed in base Or, is retained as a badge.

RETURNS

THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN RETURNED FOR FURTHER WORK:

AN TIR

Ailithir Loingseoir. Badge. [Fieldless] A brown hound's head erased proper gorged of a torse azure and Or.

In a situation analogous to this submission, Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme ruled that "The owls were blazoned on the LOI as brown owls ... proper, but no such type of owl exists.... [W]e insisted on a species of owl known to period Europeans." (LoAR of January 1993, p. 17) While both brown owls and brown hounds existed in period, they were not an identifiable individual breed. Indeed, the talbot, which was suggested as a possibility, by all of the evidence submitted were much preferred in either black or white. The Dun hound, another recommendation in the commentary, tends to be tawny or tan, effectively Or. The use of a "brown [X] proper", where X is not part of the name of the creature (as in "brown bear") and where a separate breed or species has a "widely understood default [brown] coloration", appears to be a way of attempting to add another tincture to the standard seven tinctures used in heraldry. Such should be discouraged. [As one of the attendees at the roadshow meeting noted, carrying the registration of a "brown hound's head proper" logically, we could then start registering "pink elephants proper". Surely this is not a situation where the College desires to go.]

ANSTEORRA

Agilwulf the Loud. Badge. [Fieldless] A shark Or.

Conflict with Barony of Jaravellir, Pean, a catfish naiant Or, with only one CD for fieldlessness. We have not generally granted a difference between types of natural fish.

ATENVELDT

Konall Rogersson. Device. Or, a serpent embowed counter-embowed palewise contourny gules, a bordure gules ermined Or.

The universal reaction of those attending the Laurel meeting, including the non-heralds, was that this device is immediately and overwhelmingly reminiscent of Superman (Or, an S within and conjoined to a bordure gules). The submitted device contains a motif with strong modern connotations and cannot be registered. See RfS VIII.4.b., "Overt allusions to modern insignia, trademarks, or common designs may not be registered."

Lynn O'Liam of the Lavender Isles. Name and device. Or, a willow tree proper, on a chief vert four increscents Or.

Liam does not seem to have been a period diminutive of Irish Uilliam; had this been the only problem with the name, we would simply have dropped O'Liam, as she expressly allows. Unfortunately, both of the other elements are somewhat problematic as well. Lynn is her modern middle name. As Laurel noted in returning Needham Bledsoe (10/91 LoAR, Outlands), a modern middle name may be used as a Society given name only if it is a given name by type, and Lynn is in origin a locative surname; she might consider the period diminutives Lina and Linet. Finally, although lavendre (referring to the plant) goes back at least to the thirteenth century, no one was able to document the naming of islands for their flora as a period English practice. Given the modern perception of Lynn as a given name and its close similarity to the attested Lina, we would have been willing to overlook either of these problems as a single `weirdness'. But as it stands, the name has too many problems to be registered. Would she consider Lina Lavendere of the Isles?

The device conflicts with Ariel de Narbonne, Or, a willow tree couped and on a chief vert three suns in splendor Or. There is only one CD, for the changes to the charges on the chief.

Nathair Airgid, Shire of. Device. Per saltire gules and sable, a bird-winged pithon erect its tail environed of a laurel wreath argent.

The charge in base is not a laurel wreath, which is a nearly circular charge, but is rather two sprigs of laurel crossed at the tips. Such renditions of wreaths have been cause for return in the past. Additionally, the primary charge as drawn is not a pithon (for an example of which see the Pictorial Dictionary, 2nd ed., No. 571); it is, rather, a legless, bird-winged dragon, which in this posture looks remarkably like a hippocampus. Indeed, one of the non-heralds attending the Laurel meeting believed that it was such upon seeing it. As such, this does not meet the requirements of RfS. VII.7.a. ("Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance").

Raym 'Inan bint Rabi'ah. Name.

The name was submitted as Raym Inan Bint Rabiyah on the LoI; we have replaced this with the spelling that appears on her form and in her documentation. Unfortunately, Rabi'ah is feminine, and the use of metronymics does not appear to be part of Arabic naming practice. Neither does the use of two given names; both practices have been grounds for return in the past (Aliyah bint Leyla, Middle, 4/94 LoAR; Nasr Hasan ibn Muhammad Abdullaziz, Calontir, 11/93 LoAR). We recommend that she drop one of the given names and replace Rabi'ah with a masculine name.

ATLANTIA

None!

BRACHET LETTER OF INTENT TO PROTECT

Gondor. Sable, a tree blossoming argent.

The commentary on this and the other proposals from Tolkien was somewhat mixed. However popular the Lord of the Rings trilogy is among older members of the SCA, it appears to have lost much of its status over the intervening years. Here, the commentary generally favored not protecting these arms.

Heirs of Elendil. Sable, a tree surmounted by a crown in the midst of seven estoiles [each of six rays] in annulo, all argent.

The commentary on this and the other proposals from Tolkien was somewhat mixed. However popular the Lord of the Rings trilogy is among older members of the SCA, it appears to have lost much of its status over the intervening years. Here, although the commentary slightly favored protecting these arms, the problem here is that the description given in Lord of the Rings does not lead to an unambiguous blazon. The verbal description given therein (Professor Tolkien appears never to have drawn this himself) regarding Aragorn's standard, which has a black field, is: "There flowered a White Tree, and that was for Gondor; but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had borne for years beyond count." The depictions which have been made of this standard have the stars in a variety of arrangements, including strewn, in annulo, and in an arc above the tree. Given the lack of a standard blazonable depiction and variety of ways in which the description in the book might be blazoned (each of which is at least one CD apart from the others), added to which is the question of whether the "stars" are mullets or estoiles, we are extremely hesitant to register something which can be depicted in so many widely varying ways.

Rohan. Vert, a horse courant argent.

The commentary on this and the other proposals from Tolkien was somewhat mixed. However popular the Lord of the Rings trilogy is among older members of the SCA, it appears to have lost much of its status over the intervening years. Here, the commentary generally favored not protecting these arms.

Hospital of St. Mary Bethlem. Azure, an estoile of eight rays argent.

While the name of the hospital was reasonably well-known to many of the commenters (because of its status as the origin of the word bedlam, the armory itself appears to be entirely obscure. As a consequence, there was very little support for protection of these arms.

John de Vere. Gules, three cinquefoils argent.

As noted in some of the commentary, the arms of John de Vere are already on the protected list. However, these arms are not those, and no one presented any evidence that these arms are of sufficient import to protect as well.

CAID

None!

EAST

Anna Katherine von Argenthal. Device. Per pall arrondy azure, argent and vert.

Conflict with Crispus Alexander, Gyronny of three arrondi gules, Or and purpure. There is only one CD, for the change to the tinctures.

Aralyn Ermintrude of the Falling Waters. Device change. Azure, a frauenadler displayed argent armed and crined Or within an orle of mullets argent.

Submitted under the name of Aralyn Thorgrimsdottir, it was stated in the LoI that the name was in process, we could not find a name change submission for this individual.

Conflict with Janet Breakstone, Azure, a harpy displayed grasping in her dexter talon a human skull, all proper. There is a CD for adding the mullets, but the harpy in Janet's badge is mostly argent with a "flesh-colored" upper torso, effectively also argent and, even if considered as Or, far less than one-half the charge (which would be necessary to allow a CD for tincture).

Fiona Randal of Avanmore. Device. Or, an owl displayed gules maintaining in each claw a thistle proper, a chief invected sable.

Conflict with Alexandru von Talmetz, Or, an eagle displayed gules, in chief a sword fesswise reversed sable. There is one CD for changing the type of the charge in chief (RfS X.4.e.: "Significantly changing the type of any group of charges placed directly on the field, including strewn charges or charges overall, is one clear difference"), but nothing for type of raptor in identical postures and nothing for the maintained charges.

Fucha de la Rua. Device. Gules, on a quadruply-towered Eastern castle Or a mushroom counter-ermine, in base a scimitar fesswise Or.

No one could create an adequate blazon for the primary charge, and it does not appear to follow any specific architectural type that could be blazoned. An "Eastern castle" does not appear in any of the general reference books of heraldic charges Laurel was able to consult, nor has it been registered before in the SCA. Laurel would note that the castle does not appear to match any middle eastern or Indian architecture he has seen in his studies of those areas (though he remembers seeing a not too dissimilar edifice in one of the early Sinbad movies.) As a consequence, this must be returned because the primary charge cannot be reconstructed from the blazon (as required by RfS VII.7.b), nor can it be readily identified from its appearance alone (as required by RfS VII.7.a).

Gwendolyn ferch Dai. Name change from Gwendolen ferch Dai.

Gwendolyn is a modern spelling of a name that does not seem to have been used in period outside of literature. By virtue of its popularity in the Society it is apparently SCA-compatible, but we will at least require a less modern spelling. See the Cover Letter for a more complete discussion.

John the Brewer. Device. Argent, a fess gules between a lion passant guardant and in base the initial B between two birch leaves sable.

This violates the complexity limits of RfS VIII.1.a., with three different types of charge in the secondary charge group.

Kataura Hachirô. Device. Azure, two chevronels braced and couped and in base three gouttes in annulo, a bordure argent.

This is the same design which was returned in the May 1993 LoAR. The new blazon does not solve the problems noted at that time by Laurel because it does not accurately describe the emblazon. A chevronel couped would not be tipped at an angle or have one leg twice as long as the other; and though there are period examples of tear-drop goutes, none have been bent like these. Moreover, this looks much more like two charges in pale. It might almost be better described as Azure, in pale an upper-case letter W inverted argent and on a plate a triskele throughout azure all within a bordure argent; the crossing of the middle bars of the "W" and the dismemberment of the plate by the triskele are, however, problematic. All in all, we must concede that the blazon will not reproduce the emblazon, as required by RfS VII.7.b, and that the elements of this design are not recognizable solely from their appearance, as required by RfS VII.7.a. and RfS VIII.3.

Lassar ingen Aeda. Device. Sable, on a flame Or a raven displayed sable.

Conflict with Kristan Ahearn, Vert, upon a ball of flame Or a bull rampant to sinister, head lowered, gules, with one CD for the tincture of the field, but nothing for the change to type only of the tertiary charge. Conflict also with William of Sark, Sable, a flame proper. A visual check showed William's to be drawn as Sable, upon a flame Or a flame gules. There is thus only one CD for the change to the type and tincture of the tertiary charge.

Tadg in Sinnach. Alternate persona name of Tadhari al-Zaa'ir.

Zaa'ir was documented as a name but not as a word, so it is not clear that al-Zaa'ir is an acceptable byname. He intended it to mean `the visitor'; Laurel suggests Tadhari al-Garib `the stranger'. If he prefers to keep the sound, he might try the patronymic form Tadhari ibn Zaa'ir.

MERIDIES

Brian MacBrand. Transfer of badge to Aeruin ni hEarain o Chonemara.

Withdrawn from consideration at the request of the submitter and the submissions herald.

MIDDLE

Arslan Sanjarzade Yildirim-Kilij. Name and device. Sable, on an annulet within an ivy vine in orle Or, three foxes courant contourny in orle azure.

We are returning this name for further documentation. On the basis of the available information, Arslan Sanjarzade appears to be modern, Western-style Turkish name constructed from period elements; Schimmel, Islamic Names, p. 80, says, however, that the family name preceded the given name in those few families that had family names before this century. The submitter's documentation shows some period examples of names compounded from what are either simpler names or a combination of a nickname and a name, but there is no documentation for compound nicknames, nor is there evidence to show where in a period Turkish name a nickname should be placed.

The overall effect of the design of this device is not period heraldic style but rather a more modern style of art. While any individual element -- the ivy vine in orle, the annulet (which in the design here reminded many of the commenters of nothing so much as a life preserver), the rotational symmetry of the charges on the annulet, the modern balance -- may not have been sufficient cause for return in and of itself, the combination works to create a design which is neither period nor heraldic.

Ealdormere, Principality of. Badge for the Prince of Ealdormere. [Fieldless] A wolf's head argent crowned Or.

Blazoned as "Fieldless", the emblazon forms had the charges on a gules field. Since what we register is the emblazon and not the blazon, this must be returned for not matching what they apparently want, which is a fieldless badge.

Additionally, this conflicts with William of Houghton (SCA), Sable, a grey wolf's head erased argent, with only one CD for fieldless vs. fielded. The crown on this submission, though of a reasonable size, is more akin in size and visual impact to a maintained charge than to addition of a tertiary charge or gorging (as in the precedent set by Baron Bruce as Laurel in the LoAR of 9/93). There is also a conflict with Talanque (SCA), Sable, a horned wolf's head erased argent, with the same "point count".

Ealdormere, Principality of. Badge for the Princess of Ealdormere. [Fieldless] A trillium argent barbed and seeded vert crowned Or.

Blazoned as "Fieldless", the emblazon forms had the charges on a gules field. Since what we register is the emblazon and not the blazon, this must be returned for not matching what they apparently want, which is a fieldless badge.

Eoforwic, Canton of. Badge. [Fieldless] A tower argent charged with a sword sable.

Blazoned as "Fieldless", the emblazon forms had the charges on an azure field (the form said "field colored for contrast only"). Since what we register is the emblazon and not the blazon, this must be returned for not matching what they apparently want, which is a fieldless badge.

Additionally, this conflicts with Aelfric se Droflic, On a tower argent an acorn sable, cited in the LoI. A tower is not a "voidable" charge as that term was defined by Baron Bruce, and thus a CD may not be obtained for the change to type only of tertiary charge, per RfS X.4.j.ii.

Eric Edwardson. Device. Purpure, two unicorns combattant argent within a bordure Or.

Blazoned as "argent", the emblazon forms had the unicorns colored as "Or". (The forms noted that the "unicorns should be argent".) Since what we register is the emblazon and not the blazon, this must be returned for not matching what he apparently wants, which has the unicorns argent.

Gaerwen of Trafford. Device. Lozengy vert and argent, a crane in its vigilance and on a chief Or three escallops sable.

No mini-emblazon was included in the LoI, as required by the Administrative Handbook.

Klaus Hartel von Ulm. Device. Bendy pily gules and argent, three mullets of eight points one and two.

The position of the mullets is not one and two, as given in the submitted blazon, but none of the commenters was able to create a blazon which would adequately reproduce the emblazon (as required by RfS VII.7.b.). The clumsiness of the few blazons which were suggested indicate the non-period style of the design.

Oonami Yoshirou Kageyoshi. Device. Per pale sable and Or, a double nami counterchanged.

The charge is not readily identifiable solely from its appearance, as required by RfS VII.7.a. Additionally, it requires the use of non-European blazon terms to adequately describe it. "We don't register mon in the traditional Japanese style. Our emphasis is on European armory; our policy on Japanese-style submissions parallels the Society's policy on Japanese personae. Japanese personae are considered visitors to a European court (v. the SCA Organizational Handbook, p.74); Japanese-style armory are considered the attempts of such visitors to register their mon with a European king of arms.... This policy has been in place at least since April 83 --- as have the policy's logical extensions. Mon must be blazonable in European heraldic terminology, and meet European standards of style; a decade of registrations has shown they can do this and still keep their Japanese aura." (Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme, 8 May 1993 Cover Letter (with the March 1993 LoAR), pp. 2-3) Here, the use of a Japanese great wave, or nami, has no European heraldic equivalent; it cannot be described in European heraldic terms. Neither does the use of the term "double" serve to adequately describe the relationship between the two waves.

Petro Zos Chabina. Name.

No one was able to verify the place-name, for which no documentation was provided. There does not appear to be a Czech preposition zos; this is probably an error for z, which appears in the name of the Czech printer Adam z Veleslavína (1546-99). He may wish to consider that the usual Czech form of the given name seems to be Petr, though Petro is at least a modern variant.

The accompanying device was registered under the holding name Peter of Starleaf Gate.

Thorbjorn Osiss Brandsson. Household name and badge for Hrogn fra Osiss. Per pale sable and argent, a rose argent, a wolf's head cabossed sable, and a chief embattled counterchanged.

The correct Old Norse construction for the household name would be Osiss Hrogn `Osiss' spawn'. Fellows Jensen notes in Scandinavian Personal Names in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, pp. XXIX, LI-LII, that many English place-names of Scandinavian origin contain bynames rather than full dithematic names. Osiss `estuary ice' is his registered byname; to the extent that it is an acceptable byname, it should also be an acceptable determiner in a constructed place-name like Osissby. Hrogn, however, is `roe (of fish)', with which it is cognate. It was used as a nickname, but we have no evidence that it ever acquired the extended sense of English spawn. We suggest that afspringr `offspring, progeny; band, detachment of troops' might be very appropriate. In the first sense it would be used in the plural, making Osiss Afspringar; in the second it would be singular, making Osiss Afspringr. (Osiss Börn `Osiss' children' might also be acceptable, though barn `child' was only rarely used metaphorically for `offspring'.)

The "wolf's head" was entirely unidentifiable as such. Guesses included a bird of some sort, and a couple of other suggestions which delicacy forbids us to repeat. We must return this for not meeting the standard set in RfS VII.7.a., "Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance."

Wyn Caradoc of Anglesey. Device. Gules, on a cross nowy quadrate Or a dragon passant gules.

Conflict with Elsa von Thüringen, Gules, on a cross nowy quadrate Or a fireball proper. There is only one CD for the changes to the tertiary charges.

Ziegfried Gunter von Wieselburg. Badge. [Fieldless] A demi-weasel erased rampant sable.

The "weasel" was not identifiable as such. Most commenters, and those attending the Laurel meeting, thought it was a wolf. You might suggest that he try photocopying or tracing the same charge from his device, which is decidedly more "weasel"-like. In the meantime, we must return this for not meeting the standard set in RfS VII.7.a., "Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance."

TRIMARIS

nan Críoch Tuatha, Stronghold of. Device. Argent, a sea-lion gules within a laurel wreath vert, in chief a wooden palisade wall with a gate tower proper.

The identifiability of charge in chief, "a wooden palisade wall with a gate tower", is problematical. A registration of this submission would apparently be the first, and therefore defining, instance of such a charge. Especially in the case of charges not registered previously, the College requires documentation that the charge (a) has been used in period armory or (b) is compatible with similar charges in period armory, and (c) has a standardized depiction which would make reproducability from the blazon possible. We need such documentation here.

This had been pended from the April 1995 Laurel meeting.

WEST

Broinninn MacLaurin. Name and device. Argent, a tower sable, on a chief embattled vert three crescents argent.

The name combines Gaelic Broinninn with Englished Mac Laurin (as the surname appears on her form). It would be fine as Gaelic Broinninn nic Labhruinn, pronounced roughly `brinnin nick laurin', but she permits no changes to the last name. We might have constructed Brinnin as a hypothetical Englishing of the given name, but since she indicates that the language of the name is most important to her, we prefer to return the name and let her decide how to correct it.

The device conflicts with Meghan Catriona McInees of Kinlachline, Argent, a castle sable masoned argent issuant from base, on a chief embattled vert a plate. There is only one CD, for the change in type and number of the tertiaries. We have consistently not granted difference between a tower and a castle, and the issuance/non-issuance from base is insufficient for the necessary second CD.

John of Blackhawk. Device. Gules a patriarchal cross Or.

Conflict with the Counts of Toulouse, Gules, a cross of Toulouse Or. There is one CD for the change to the type of cross, but the "voiding" of the cross of Toulouse is a part of its definition and is not the addition of a tertiary charge.

Nathaniel Brewer. Device. Per chevron gules and azure, in base a garb Or.

Conflict with Grosvenor, Azure, a garb Or; Floeda fram Beram Beorh, Counterermine, a garb Or banded gules; Asdis Stafansdottir, Per fess azure and vert, a garb or embrued' and Grane the Goldman of Hippogriff Tower, Sable, three stalks of wheat as in a garb Or, all cited in the LoI. There is in each case a CD for the changes to the field, but the slight abasement of the garb here is within the artistic limits for a charge in the center of the field. Nathaniel's garb may be in base, but only in the sense that it is in the lower compartment of the field; cover the line of division and it is within the range of reasonable positions for a central charge on a plain field (albeit slightly abased). As a consequence, no CD can reasonably be granted for position on the field.