al-Asiriyya or indeed simply
as Sabira al-Asiriyya, but these are considerably more than minor changes, so we are returning the
name for further work. We suggest that the submitter be put in touch with Laurel, who is always
happy to help with Arabic names.
Troy of Seleone. Household Name for Emerichs Keep.
Emerich is either German, in which case Keep is out of place, or an unattested spelling of a name
usually found in English records as Emeric(us) or Emery. A Middle English Emericeskepe might
possibly have become Emerickeskeep by the end of our period, though Emery Keep accords better
with the available evidence. Moreover, no example of keep in a period English place-name is
known. With a change in the generic term, however, the name can be made to follow period models
very closely. Modern Barnard Castle was recorded as Bernardescastell in 1399, and there is also a
place named Richards Castle ((baronia) Castri Ricardi 1212); Emericescastell would be an exact
parallel of these names.
However, this submission was made before the 12/95 return of his personal name
submission, Tobias, son of Emerich, and the 3/96 return of his lady s personal name submission,
Jessimond of Emerichs Keep. The lady wanted her name to match her husband s, and the present
form implies that the household name is intended to match both. Normally we would be inclined to
make it Emericeskepe and give kepe the benefit of the doubt; but since we do not know how they
will modify their personal names, we prefer in this case simply to return the household name. This
way they can resubmit at no extra cost a version that matches their revised personal names; the
alternative would force them either to live with a mismatched household name or to pay to change
it.
MIDDLE
Ailred Mac Pìoba An Th•rra Dhuibh. Name.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
Ailred Mac Pìoba An Th•rra Dhuibh. Household name.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be returned.
Additionally, the LoI did not state the household name being submitted.
Alan Járnhauss inn Hárlangri. Device change. Quarterly vert
and sable, a wolf salient reguardant maintaining a ram in its jaws argent.
Conflict with Jonathan Crusadene Whitewolfe, Gules ermined argent, a wolf rampant argent. There
is only one CD, for the changes to the field.
Andrew Maklaurene. Name and device. Azure, three comets fesswise in pale
and on a chief argent three crescents gules.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
Baronial Colleges of Nordleigh, Canton of the. Name and device. Sable,
between three squirrels rampant a laurel wreath Or.
This submission raises two separate issues, one stylistic, the other administrative. Stylistically the
name is said to be modelled on that of Kings College (Cambridge), though the obvious analogical
construction would be Barons College. This is probably too generic to be registered, but we see no
serious stylistic bar to registering Barons College at Nordleigh, say. Barons Colleges at Nordleigh is
another matter: it seems very unlikely that two colleges within a single university would have been
given the same name. We are also reluctant to allow Baronial in lieu of Barons without some
support from period usage. In addition to Kings College, there are the Queens Colleges at
Cambridge and Oxford, Bishops Castle in Shropshire, Countesthorpe the countess s village in
Leicestershire, and other similar constructs to support Barons College; as a model for Baronial only
Royal comes to mind. Moreover, the OED does not attest baronial until the middle of the 18th
century (though it probably existed at least a bit earlier).
The change from the submitted name to Barons College at Nordleigh is formally not very
large. However, it appears that the group specifically chose Baronial rather than Barons in order
that the modifier might refer to both the Baron and the Baroness, and it chose Colleges because in
the modern world it is based simultaneously at Carleton College and at St. Olaf College. Under the
circumstances we are not willing to make these changes without permission and must therefore
return the name.
The administrative problem concerns the use of college, an officially approved designator
for an institutional branch based at a school, research facility, or the like. The submitted name
implies that the group is administratively a canton, and it is so listed in the most recent Middle
Kingdom newsletter. The distinction is significant, since cantons and colleges are subject to
different administrative requirements. If in fact the group is administratively a college, there is no
problem: they need only drop the words Canton of (and indeed must do so). Assuming that it is a
canton, however, the question arises: May a canton use the word college, which as a designator has
a specific (and in this case inappropriate) meaning, as a non-designating part of its name? The
relevant part of RfS III.2.b says that a branch name "must consist of a designator that identifies the
type of entity and at least one descriptive element and that `[t]he designator must be appropriate
to the status of the submitter". In Canton of the Baronial Colleges of Nordleigh it is clear from the
syntax that Canton is the required designator; the rule says nothing about the use of designators in
the descriptive part of the name, so the first requirement is technically met, and if the group is a
canton, the second requirement is met as well. In the absence of stylistic problems we would
therefore not have returned the name. Nevertheless, we agree with Hawk that the use of an
administratively inappropriate standard designator in the descriptive part of a branch name is
potentially confusing and urge the group to consider this issue before resubmitting their
name.
As we cannot form holding names for groups, we are having to return the
device.
Cynred Broccan. Badge. [Fieldless] An annulet surmounted by a mullet of four
points.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be returned.
Additionally, the LoI gave no tincture for the charges.
Cynred Broccan. Household name and badge for House Dyrhamfyrd.
[Fieldless] Within an annulet argent four heads azure hearing spangenhelms conjoined argent.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be returned.
Additionally, there were some stylistic questions about the badge.
Elizabetta Venusta. Name.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
Geirólfr of D kktungl. Name and device. Per saltire azure and sable, on
a flame argent a gauntlet clutching a rose fesswise reversed slipped and leaved sable.
The byname is intended to mean "of Darkmoon", referring to the unregistered name of his
household. There are several problems here. First, as virtually all commenters noted, the English
preposition is completely out of place. Several went further to note that even an Old Norse
preposition is probably inappropriate, pointing out that although D kktungl might possibly be
justifiable as an epithet, it cannot be construed as the name of a period place or socio-economic
group. It isn't clear that it is a reasonable hypothetical Old Norse epithet; there seem to be few if
any parallels. Nevertheless, we would probably have given the benefit of the doubt to an idiomatic
byname that could be taken to refer to the phase of the moon at its bearer's birth or on the
occasion of some notable exploit of his. Unfortunately, d kktungl is almost certainly not at all
idiomatic. Though tungl is the ordinary word for "moon", its underlying sense is "a luminary", and
the combination with d kkr "dark" is therefore at least faintly oxymoronic. Even more telling is the
fact that Old Norse has a completely different word for the new moon: nið. Niðamyrkr is
"pitch darkness and no moon". The name would be acceptable as Geirólfr Nið or
Niðamyrkr.
The device conflicts with Elvira de Cordoba, Per pale gules and sable on a flame argent a
unicorn s head couped sable. There is only one CD, for the changes to the field. X.4.j.ii. does not
allow a second for the change to type only of a tertiary charge on a complex charge such as a
flame.
Halfdan the Blackanvil. Name and device. Argent, a chevron Or fimbriated
between three anvils sable.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be returned.
Additionally, there were some questions regarding the propriety of the construction of the
byname.
Owls' Haven, Shire of. Name and device. Argent, a Great Horned owl proper
within and perched upon a laurel wreath vert grasped by a wyvern's claw vert issuant from a ford.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
Shattered Oak, Shire of. Device. Sable, in pale a lightning bolt and a forked
tree blasted issuant from a mount argent charged with a laurel wreath sable.
The fact that none of the commenters was able to suggest a good way to blazon "a tree being split
by a lightning bolt" is a strong indication of the non-heraldic nature of the design. Additionally,
the lightning bolt tends to get lost among the branches of the tree, making the design somewhat
ambiguous visually. The design could be much improved by removing the lightning bolt
entirely.
Skalla Gorm the Frenzied. Name and device. Per pale sable and gules, a harpy
displayed wings inverted brandishing two swords argent.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
Skalla Gorm the Frenzied. Household name and badge for House Red Herring.
[Fieldless] A herring naiant gules.
As no forms or submission fees were ever received for this submission, it must be
returned.
OUTLANDS
Claudia Lisabetta Senatori da Firenze. Device. Azure, on a pile between a
fleam reversed and a fleam argent a water bouget sable.
Though no blazon was included in the LoI, which would normally have required this to be pended,
the primary charge is not really a pile; but neither is it a chapé field nor a chief triangular.
"The field is not really chaussé it is not per chevron inverted, it is not a pile, it is not a
chief triangular; being somewhere between all of these, we really don't know what it is.
Chaussé issues from the corners of the chief and would touch the base point of the shield;
per chevron inverted would issue from the sides of the field (rather than the chief corners); a pile
would issue from farther in on the chief (rather [than] from the corners) and would almost touch
the base point of the shield and would not have room for a charge beneath it; and a chief
triangular would not descend the field nearly so far as the one here does. Please have them choose
one and reemblazon it properly." (Da'ud ibn Auda, LoAR October 1990, p. 21) This also must be
returned for redrawing as one or another of the options.
OUTLANDS/TREFOIL
Elzabeth Osanna Zelter. Device. Argent, upon a mount vert, a pavilion between
in chief two mullets voided and interlaced azure.
Despite all of the commentary on this submission which discussed such things as anti-discrimination
law and various other issues, as it was in the prior submission of this device in July 1994, "`the
issue in question is modern offense', and consideration of this device has to focus on that issue as
the central one here." To quote from relevant portions of the prior return: "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 [and as further research and
commentary have indicated since, in dictionary definitions and in usage in correspondence and
news articles], the two terms are often used interchangeably [by Wiccans and non-Wiccans alike].
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." [LoAR July 1994, pp. 11-12]
Trefoil presented a goodly number of examples of the use of mullets of five points voided
and interlaced in modern commercial and political venues. Included among her examples were
usage by Fingerhut, the national flag of Morocco, Prodigy, the seal of the Solomon Islands, Lone
Star Industries in Tennessee, a 1995 design of Diet Coke can, the 1995 Arts Resources Calendar of
the City of El Paso, Texas. Clearly, this must be considered as supporting the position of the
charge's inoffensiveness to the population at large.
Trefoil also cited a number of articles which indicate a growing acceptance or tolerance of
Wicca in general.
On the other hand, Pale submitted a sizable number of newspaper articles from across the
United States in 1995 in which pentacles and pentagrams were plainly called "satanic symbols",
sometimes by chiefs of police, law enforcement officers, and newspaper editors. A few examples
are:
"On the door someone has spray-painted a gold pentacle " the devil's logo." (The
Observer, November 19, 1995)
"But what if Satanists wanted to draw pentagrams on government property? How
would Ms. Warren feel about the constitutional right of free speech then?" (The Richmond
Times Dispatch, January 2, 1995, Tuesday, City Edition, Editorial, p. A-8)
"'Satan is Lord' dominates one wall. On the ceiling, the word 'Jews' is splattered
with a red slash through it. Two swastikas and a satanic pentagram round out the decor."
(The Record, December 3, 1995)
"'If I have an officer who is a Satanist, I'd have to allow him to put a pentagram on
his squad car,' he [Police Chief Donald Grady II] said. 'I think that would be more
offensive to a Catholic community [than his order requiring removal of personal and
religious items from squad cars].'" (The Santa Fe New Mexican, November 17,
1995)
"The fire follows three incidents in October in which vandals broke into classrooms
-- once at Hoover and twice at Glendale High School -- and either stole or attempted to
steal computer parts, then scribbled pentagrams or other satanic-style symbols on the walls
or chalk boards." (Los Angeles Times, November 2, 1995, Valley Edition)
"Time and nature haven't been the only enemy. Transients and youths have built
fires on the floors and scrawled graffiti throughout. A pentagram is painted on the floor of
one room; evidence, police say, of satanic worship." (The Salt Lake Tribune, August 21,
1995)
"As in the first case, satanic symbols known in the cult subculture accompanied the
cat's body. Written in blood on one door was "Jesus is Dead" and on the other door were
two pentagrams, satanic symbols featuring an inverted five-point star within a circle, also
drawn in blood." (The Tampa Tribune, March 21, 1995)
"For proof, parishioners flash fuzzy photographs of a pentagram -- a Satanic
symbol -- that was scratched in the gravel of the church's parking lot a few weeks after the
assault." (Los Angeles Times, January 29, 1995)
Also to be considered are statements by Wiccans and other neo-pagans regarding the public
perception of the pentacle/pentagram:
"Being a witch is not easy. [Morgana Katrina] Cabot said she's had rocks thrown at
her and was spit on at a grocery store when people saw her pentagram necklace. They
thought it stood for a worship of Satan, something she angrily denies." (The Detroit News,
October 13, 1995)
"Yes, many people do connect the inverted pentagram and `satanism"." (Milamber
Silver Wolf, October 27, 1995 correspondence)
"Too many erroneous ideas are being spread around i.e.; 1. That the pentagram is
a symbol of Satanism. Maybe to Satanist who appriated [sic] it from the Pagan Wiccan
religion...." (Faye Jones, Circle of the Emerald Dragon, February 28, 1995
correspondence)
"[M]ost companies who discover a witch on the payroll `will do anything to fire
you,' she [Marie Wilhite, founder of the Pagan Elders Alliance] said. Some local witches
have even received death threats." "Secrecy reigns even among themselves. `Some are so
into their jobs that I know they're not telling me their real names,' Ms. Wilhite said." (The
Dallas Morning News, October 30, 1995, pp. 17A, 20A)
Kit Howard, a member of ADF [Ar nDraiocht Fein, an American organization of
neo-Druids founded in 1983] and their chief information officer, "We aren't taken
seriously. We got covered under the usual misconceptions in today's western society that
affects all neo-pagan groups -- that anything that isn't Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or any
other well-recognized religion must, by definition, be Satanism." ("Modern Druidry",
Renaissance Magazine, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (February 1996), p. 28)
And, of course, the experience of SCA members must also be considered.
"The incident ... occured at a this year's local Renfaire, when a fighter bore an
electrical tape formed pentacle on the side of his helm.... I did not even realize he had it
until I saw him on the field that day. As we prepared to segue to a new demonstration, a
child pointed to the fighter a [sic] loudly proclaimed to all in earshot `Look, Satan!'"
(Wendy C. Donaldson/Lady Eleanor ferch Rhiwallon, June 1994 correspondence)
After careful review of all of the arguments and evidence presented, including all that
presented in the prior submission of this device and the appeal of the kingdom return of Cerridwen
of Raventree's device, in addition to the the four letters received after a call for a letter-writing
campaign in The Circle Network News, a nation-wide Wiccan and pagan publication, I do not
believe that I can say it any better than was said in the July 1994 return of this device: "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. [Based on the evidence presented, s]uch charges still are perceived by a significant
portion of the population as [a] "satanic symbol", and hence cannot be registered by the College."
(emphasis in original) (LoAR July 1994, pp. 11-12)
TRIMARIS
Barbara of the Crossroads. Badge. [Fieldless] On a rose proper a fleece Or.
Conflict with Marta Sansgrail, Argent, a garden rose gules slipped and leaved vert, in the center of
the rose a worm Or. There is the fieldless CD, but nothing for the change of type only of a tertiary
on a non-voidable charge, per RfS X.4.j.ii.
Ceridwen ferch Thomas Vaughan. Name.
Ceridwen is a goddess name that does not seem to have been used by human beings in our period;
however, it has been declared "SCA-compatible", and the name is registerable. Unfortunately, we
must return it, since there was no form in the packet.
The accompanying armory was registered under the holding name Amy of
Trimaris.
Yrsa kistill Gunnarsdóttir. Device. Per fess engrailed vert and sable, a
fish haurient argent.
Conflict with Brendel the Swordfish, Azure, a swordfish palewise haurient embowed to sinister
argent. There is a CD for the field, but nothing for the type between a generic fish and a
swordfish.
WEST
None!
THE FOLLOWING HAVE BEEN PENDED UNTIL THE AUGUST LAUREL
MEETING:
ATLANTIA
Robert de Rath. Device. Sable, on a pile Or ermined gules between two estoiles
Or a sword sable.
This name has not yet been considered. The device must therefore be pended until the
consideration of the name is made at the August Laurel meeting.
DRACHENWALD
Dunja Fuxfell. Device. Per bend sinister argent and vert, a fox's mask gules
and a hawk's bell Or.
The name for this submission was returned last year for lack of forms. It has been resubmitted on
a later LoI. As the name has not yet been considered, we are pending this until the name
submission "catches up" with it.
MERIDIES
Sadira bint Raya al-Asiri. Device. Per fess gules and vert, on a fess sable
fimbriated the Arabic character 'siin' argent.
The tincture of the fimbriation and the tertiary was missing from the LoI.
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