SCA - College of Arms
P.O. Box 742825
Dallas, TX 75374-2825
(214) 276-2129
74107.1446@compuserve.com
Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive do Shayk Da'ud ibn
Auda, Laurel King of Arms, and Baron Talan Gwynek, Pelican King of Arms, send Greetings!
The March 1996 Laurel meeting was held on Saturday, March 9, 1996, and considered the following Letters
of Intent: Meridies (10/31); Outlands (11/1); Atlantia (11/12); An Tir (11/13); West (11/15); Outlands
(11/20); and Meridies (11/30). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's
hands no later than January 31, 1996. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's
hands no later than February 28, 1996.
The April 1996 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 1996, and will consider the following
Letters of Intent: Caid (11/27); Middle (12/4); Middle (12/6); An Tir (12/10); Atlantia (12/10); West (12/18);
Laurel (12/21); East (12/21); Outlands (12/26); and Caid (12/29). Original commentary on
these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than February 28, 1996. Responses and rebuttals to
commentary must be in the College's hands no later than March 31, 1996.
The May 1996 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 18, 1996, and will consider the following
Letters of Intent: Middle (11/7); Trefoil (1/2); Atenveldt (1/10); West (1/16); An Tir (1/18); Atlantia (1/21);
East (1/25); and Outlands (1/29). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's
hands no later than March 31, 1996. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's
hands no later than April 30, 1996.
The June 1996 Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 1996, and will consider Letters
of Intent dated and mailed in February 1996. One (or two, if sufficiently short) Letters of Intent will be
considered at the Laurel roadshow meeting on Sunday, June 23, 1996, at the Known World Heraldic
Symposium. Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than
April 30, 1996. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than May
31, 1996.
The July 1996 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 14, 1996, and will consider the following
Letters of Intent Ansterorra (February 29 but postmarked March 8), Atlantia (March 10), Middle (March
5), Drachenwald (Februrary 21), Atenveldt (March 20), West (March 20), and Caid (March 24).
Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than May 31, 1996.
Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than June 30,
1996.
Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this Cover Letter.
Date of mailing of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of
certain Letters of Intent. Additionally, not all Letters of Intent received have been scheduled because the
administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, etc.) have not yet
been met.
ROSTER CHANGES
Beginning April 1, 1996, Laurel designate Jaelle of Armida's new address is: Judy Gerjuoy, 600 Cedar
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012. Her new telephone number is (202) 726-4396.
As of March 31, 1996, Lymphad Herald (Trimaris) is retiring. His successor is Meghan Oriana Lauder
(Mary Ann Eklund), 35 East Vining Street, Winter Gardens, FL 34787; (407) 877-9256; sven@onetinc.com.
Please modify your Roster and mailing list accordingly.
Beginning April 1, Rouge Scarpe (Middle) is stepping down. His successor is Elena de Vexin, (Joann Peek),
1223 Lave Avenue, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46805. Please modify your Roster and mailing list
accordingly.
EX ROSTRO PELECANI
What Is a Period Name? Several recent submissions have prompted me to think about just
what we mean by a period name. Last month we registered the name Harrys Rob of
Wamphray; as Hund pointed out in commentary, this name is basically a popular form of a name
that might have appeared in quite a different guise in an official document. On the other hand, a few years
ago we registered the name Dominicus filius Raimundi, a documentary form par
excellence. Other examples, though less clear-cut, tend to confirm that we register both
documentary and vernacular forms.
This being the case, it is very hard to justify the long-standing prohibition against names of the form
X called Y. In the early records it is quite common to find people recorded as X
cognomento Y or, later, X dictus Y, X genannt Y, etc., all meaning X called
Y. These are official documentary forms no different in principle from X filius Y;
like filius Y, dictus Y serves to specify which X is in question. To this it may
be objected that no one was ever actually called X dictus Y; he was either X,
or Y, depending on the occasion. This is probably true; on the other hand, it is also likely
that no one was actually called X filius Y. The citation William Cros le Bole
1305 is almost certainly just an abbreviated form of the type of citation seen in Johannes Gyffard
dictus le Boef 1297; in each we are given the man's more or less formal name (William
Cros, Johannes Gyffard) and his common nickname. We would register the first
name and not the second despite the fact that they are merely slightly different ways of recording the same
kind of information.
Our practice seems quite inconsistent. Perhaps we oughtn't to go as far as the clerk who in 1418 described
a man as Nichol Wigh oþrwise callyd Nicholas Ketringham oþrwise callyd John
Segrave otherwise callyd Nicholl' Pecche(!), but we already register names that are as far from
ordinary oral use as Johannes Gyffard dictus le Boef; why, then, should we not allow this
last? More generally, should we make our practice more consistent by permitting the registration of names
of the dictus type provided that they are period in style? Please give me your commentary
by the first of June.
FREE TRUMPET PRESS WEST
Free Trumpet Press West announces the availability of the 6th Edition of the Armorial, complete through
December 1995, for US$27.
The 6th Edition of the Ordinary is due to be available at the end of March. The price has not yet been
determined, but will probably be in the US$45-50 range.
The 2nd Edition of Paul Wickenden of Thanet's Period Russian Names, a major expansion
of the first edition, is not available for US$17.
MISCELLANY
More early precedents for your education and enjoyment:
[Cross of Samildanach.] The blazon submitted was incomprehensible to anyone who had not seen
the emblazon, so when we could not describe it we named it. (Karina of the Far West, 30 Jun 79, p.
38)
Device and one of the badges probably conflict with an early Curtiss-Wright patent. (UN, 30 Jan
76, p. 7)
The practice of awarding Brownie points is discontinued. It was originally a merely oral expression
of approval (or the reverse), but a too-literal member of the West College assumed that they were
recorded. This idea spread to some of his correspondents ... Don't worry - I will note strong
reactions to devices! (Karina of the Far West, 12 Dec 75, p. 1)
The conclave decided that since this is a badge the difference in gender and markings of the
animals is sufficient. (Karina of the Far West, 30 Jun 79, p. 4)
[Infant's arm.] It has pudgy fingers, hence the infant designation. (Karina of the Far West, 30 Jun
79, p. 27)
The south end of a dragon going north is not a suitable subject for heraldry. You could have a
dragon's tail emerging from a cave or from behind a rock ... or a dragon's tail couped and served
on a platter for Twelfth Night. But not a dragon's fundament escaping over a wall. (Karina of the
Far West, 17 Aug 78, p. 9)
In order to make our blazons intelligible to the Lyon Office, we will adopt the standard names for
roundels and drops of the various colors. (Karina of the Far West, 10 Jan 78, p. 1)
For one thing the emblazon shows the kraken with eight tentacles instead of the appropriate ten,
and an oval human eye instead of a round molluscan eye. For another, there is no such thing as a
kraken proper; they change color according to their mood of the moment, and Mithras only knows
what emotions a kraken would experience while vulning itself in the head. (Karina of the Far West,
17 Aug 78, p. 9)
Until next month, pray believe that I am, and remain,
Copyright ©
1996,97 Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.