Submitted as Ældric of Logan, the submitter's documentation showed men in Scotland named Robert Logan (1204), Thurbrand de Logan (1230), and Adam de Logan (1226). Based on the time and location, these records would have been in Latin or Scoto-Norman French (closely related to Anglo-Norman French used in England during the same time period). As a name combining Old English and Latin or French is registerable, we have changed the name to >Ældric de Logan.
The question was raised whether the name Aidan is reasonable as an English given name, since the Gaelic name Aodhán or Áedán fell out of popular use in Ireland before the 11th C. The saint in question appears as Aidanus in Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum . As Bede was known and read in England throughout period, Aidanus is certainly registerable as a period name. As Aidan is the appropriate English vernacular form of the Latin Aidanus, this name is registerable as a literary name.
Submitted as Kj{o,}tvi Thorgrimsson, the submitter requested authenticity for 9th-11th C Old Norse. Old Norse names are registerable either using all accents and other diacritical marks or none. In addition, an authentic Old Norse transcription would use a Þ instead of the modern Th. We have changed the name to Kj{o,}tví Þorgrimsson to reflect this.
As documented, this name contained two given names and no byname. Such a name is not registerable via RfS III.2.a "Personal names - a personal name must contain a given name and at least one byname." Boke suggested that this might be a given name and an unmarked metronymic. Her article "French Names from Paris 1421, 1423, and 1438" shows what appear to be several unmarked metronymics, including Heloys, Kathelin, and Magdelene. This shows a pattern of unmarked metronymics in French during the 15th C, making this name registerable.
Submitted as Björn inn svarti, the submitter requested authenticity for Old Norse. Using the o-umlaut (ö) instead of the o-ogonek ({o,}) is a later convention that really only gained popularity in modern times because of the limitations of standard typefonts. We have changed the given name to Bj{o,}rn to follow the normal transcription system.
His old name, Pierce O'Connor, is retained as an alternate name.
The summarization of documentation of the given name cited the wrong header; the documentation in Withycombe was listed s.n. Lovell, not the cited Loveday. Submissions heralds, please be careful to proofread LoIs; miscited documentation may be cause for return.
Nice armory!
Her previously registered device, Per chevron purpure and sable, two fleurs-de-lys and a sword Or, is retained as a badge.
The summarization of documentation of the given name cited the wrong header; the documentation in Withycombe was listed s.n. Vitalis, not the cited Violet. Submissions heralds, please be careful to proofread LoIs; misciting documentation may be cause for return.
Keith is the submitter's legal given name.
The submitter requested an authentic 15th-16th C feminine Flemish name. There was some question whether the preposition+article combination van den was authentic, since only vanden was included in the submitted documentation. Luanna de Grood's "Flemish Given Names From Bruges" has several examples of names that appear alternatively with vanden and van den, including vanden/van den Broucke, vanden/van den Bussche, and vanden/van den Weede.
Nice name!
The source from which the given name is documented, John Hine Mundy, Men and Women at Toulouse in the Age of the Cathars, normalizes the given names. This source appears to be an excellent starting point for determining if a name was used in Toulouse in period, but it should not be an ending source for documenting period forms of given names.
The spelling of the byname, Calais, is found in 1419 [Cotton Galba B.I fol. 157] Signet of Henry in which "[our counsellor is] ordeined for to goo to Calais". This letter is found at the Corpus of Middle English website, http://www.hti.umich.edu/c/cme/.
The submitter requested authenticity for Anglo-Saxon language/culture. The source from which the given name was documented notes that Bertana is a Latin form of a name found in an Old English document. The cited Bertana is an abbess, and her name appears in a fully Latin context. This may be a Latin form of an Old English name, or it may refer to a foreigner living in England. Metron Ariston notes: "Since the Bertha who married Pepin, the son of Charlemagne, also appears in Latin sources as Bertana, there is good reason for supposing that this is a Latinization of the not uncommon Frankish name Bertha." Therefore, while we can say this is an authentic name form likely to appear in Old English documents, we cannot guarantee that this is an authentic name for an Anglo-Saxon woman.
This name is clear of the registered name Mari Alexander. By precedent, set in 7/00, the names Alexander and Alasdair do not conflict. Therefore, patronymics formed from these names do not conflict either.
Submitted as Shoshonna Drakere, the summarization says that Shoshana is found in the Apocrypha and the New Testament. However, no information was provided for the version or translation where this form was found. Nor were photocopies included; please note that no version of The Bible or any apocrypha appear on the no-photocopy list. Since the College was unable to confirm that this spelling appeared in a period translation, we cannot register this form. However, Boke notes that Reaney and Wilson, The Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Gowthorpe, has Sosanna in 1298. We have changed the spelling of the given name to this form.
The previously registered device Argent, chausse' azure, in pale a laurel wreath vert and an aeolus azure is released.
Submitted as Adelheid Silberschmidt vom Schwartzwald, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th C German language/culture. Double bynames are unattested in German naming practices until the 15th C. Therefore, we have registered this name as Adelheid Silverschmidt to fulfill her request for authenticity.
If the submitter would prefer a 14th C German name using her preferred locative byname, Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen, s.n. Schwarzwald cites a Bernh. Swartewold in 1350. Adelheid Swartewold would be an equally authentic 14th C German name.
The submitter requested authenticity for English. However, a message from the submitter revealed that she was happiest with the form she had submitted than with a more authentic form. Although various forms of Barbara were documented earlier, the earliest citation found for the spelling Barbara is 1533 in Julian Goodwyn's "English Names from Brass Inscriptions." This gives a more than 400 year gap between the date for the given name spelling and that for the byname, which is found in the Domesday book.
While there is no CD between any number of frets (throughout) and fretty, the distinction between two frets and fretty is blazonable in this case.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C German language/culture but accepted no changes. Luckily, this is a very reasonable 15th C German name.
The request for authenticity was not summarized on this letter. Had the submitted documentation not already shown this to be an authentic name, we would have been forced to pend this for further research.
The submitter did not request an authentic Viking name; she merely indicated that if the name must be changed, she was most interested in having a Viking name. Since the name as submitted is registerable (although not authentic for what most of the society considers the Viking era), no changes were necessary.
This is clear of Rhiannon Ansachd, Gules, a saltire cotised Or, as cited on the LoI. There are CDs for number and type of secondary charges. As period blazons give (for example) a bend between two cotises, the cotising on all sides of a multi-sided ordinary necessarily involves more than one secondary charge.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the saltire a bit narrower and more centered on the field.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C English language/culture. Although the actual spelling Philippa was not found in the 16th C, Talan Gwynek's "Late Sixteenth Century English Given Names" shows Philipa and Mari Elspeth nic Bryan's "Names in Chesham 1538/1600/1" has Philippe in 1566. The submitted form Philippa seems wholey unremarkable (these remarks notwithstanding).
The submitter requested a name authentic to 13th C Scotland and accepted no changes. Both names are documented in England around the 13th C. While this is a reasonable 13th C English name, it is not a Scottish name as far as we can tell.
Submitted as Alice Elizabeth Threadgold, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th-13th C England. Double given names are not found in English naming practices until the 16th C, and they are rare even at that late date. An authentic 12th-13th C English name would have only one given name. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Threadgold, give the spelling Tredegold in 1166. To fulfill her request for authenticity we have dropped one of the given names and changed the spelling of the byname to the 12th C form found in Reaney and Wilson, giving Alice Tredegold.
This name is not a claim to be the daughter of Morgan ap Rhys ap Bran under RfS VI.3 "Names that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered." By our rules, Morgan ap Rhys and Morgan ap Rhys ap Bran are clear of conflict; this means they can denote two different people. Since the name Morgan ap Rhys is not registered, claiming to be his daughter is not presumptuous.
This name mixes Old English and Welsh; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Ari svartihjálmr, the question was raised whether svarti-, meaning black, swarthy, was used to describe the color of objects rather than the color of hair, skin, and fur. Geir T Zoëga, A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, http://www.northvegr.org/zoega, lists svartaðr "dyed black", and svart-leggja, an axe with a black handle;" this seems sufficient to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt. The examples found in Zoëga and those supplied by Orle from Cleasby, Richard and Guðbrandr Vigfusson, An Icelandic-English Dictionary suggest that svarthjálmr is the correct formation for this name. We have made this change. We note that the nickname means "black helmet" not "dark helmet."
His old name, Láebán Lacroix, is retained as an alternate name.
Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure and the arms of the cross a bit wider.
While the transfer on this letter originally stated it was to Southron Gaard, Barony of, the acceptance (found on the March 2004 Lochac LoI) is from Lochac, Kingdom of. A corrected letter of transfer was received from Caid which allows this transfer to be accepted.
While the transfer on this letter orginally stated it was to Ildhafn, Barony of, the acceptance (found on the March 2004 Lochac LoI) is from Lochac, Kingdom of. A corrected letter of transfer was received from Caid which allows this transfer to be accepted.
Chamayn is the submitter's legal middle name. Middle names can be derived from either given names or surnames; whether a middle name is registerable as a given name depends on its derivation and use. A web search found one non-fantasy usage of this name --again, as a middle name. The submitter believes it is a rendering of some sort of the Spanish given name, Ximena. No documentation was presented for this derivation, although none of the commenters argued against it. Therefore, we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt that Chamyn is a given name in type.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the line of division higher. As drawn, it was barely registerable.
Her old name, Eleri ferch Morien, is retained as an alternate name.
His old name, Eric Loren Elcara, is released.
Most of the discussion on this submission concerned how to blazon the fleurs-de-lys. The following precedent is relevant:
[Or, in annulo eight ladybugs tergiant in annulo gules, marked sable] The ladybugs on this submission are placed head to tail. The question was raised if this was a blazonable arrangement. The following precedent is relevant:
In a charge group blazoned as An orle of [charges] in orle, the charges are arranged in orle and the postures of the charges tilt so that they follow each other. Thus, an orle of fish naiant would all be in the default naiant (fesswise) posture, but an orle of fish naiant in orle swim head to tail. [Olivia de Calais, 09/03, A-Ansteorra]
This concept is as applicable to charges in annulo as to charges in orle. We have thus used the superficially redundant blazon to indicate first the arrangement and second the relative postures of the charges. [Jun 2003, Acc-Atlantia, Roxana Greenstreet]
The fleurs-de-lys here follow a similar mutual orientation to the charges in the above precedents. Four charges cannot be in annulo; their arrangement must be specified. For this and other similar cases, the arrangement of the charges is blazoned before the charges are identified, and their (mutual) orientation is blazoned afterwards. This formula yields in cross four fleurs-de-lys in annulo which we have used in the final blazon.
Submitted as Jason Brewer the Mad, the submitter indicated that he would prefer the order Jason the Mad Brewer with the byname meaning "the mad brewer." The OED shows mad in 1325 with the meaning "carried away by enthusiasm or desire." We have changed the name to Jason le Mad Brewer. This gives the desired word order, although not the desired meaning.
Blanket permission is granted to register fielded armory that is one CD away from her badge (Fieldless) A unicorn's head couped sable.
Blanket permission is granted to register fielded armory that is one CD away from her badge Argent, a unicorn's head couped sable.
Her old name, Lucia da Silva is released.
The submitter has a letter of permission to conflict with Cyneric Dracaheorte: Or, three piles two from chief and one from base gules overall a reremouse sable.
Submitted as Sárnat ingen mhic Caille, the patronymic combines a Middle Irish particle, ingen, with an Early Modern Irish particle, mhic. We have changed the name to an all Middle Irish form, Sárnat ingen meic Caille.
Her previously registered device, Sable, an elephant's head cabossed, on a chief argent three keys palewise wards to chief sable, is released.
This is clear of Fáelchú an Stalcair: Vert, a stag's head cabossed and on a chief argent three Bowen crosses vert. The difference between a stag's head and a bull's head, both properly drawn, is substantial and therefore RfS X.2 applies. Even if it did not, there would be a CD for changing the stag's head to a bull's head, and there is substantial enough difference between a cross patonce (fitchy) and a Bowen cross to get a CD for type only of tertiaries via RfS X.4.j.ii, providing two CDs.
Nice name!
Nice name!
Blazoned on the LoI as a natural antelope's head... within two antelope's horns conjoined at base, natural antelopes vary widely with respect to their horns. These were, however, identified at the meeting as being of a specific type of antelope, so we have reblazoned the head and horns as those of an impala. An online search yielded good pictures with head and horns clearly matching the style on the emblazon, and a range map showing that impalas inhabit coastal areas of modern South Africa and Mozambique. Therefore, impalas (and body parts thereof) are registerable with a "weirdness."
In accordance with the submitter's letter specifying "one countable step" permission is granted to register armory that is one CD away from his registered device: Or, a horse rampant vert.
In accordance with the submitter's letter specifying "one countable step" permission is granted to register armory that is one CD away from his registered badge: (Fieldless) A horse rampant vert.
In accordance with the submitter's letter specifying "one countable step" permission is granted to register armory that is one CD away from his registered badge (formerly his device): Vert, on a bend sinister wavy between two stags rampant Or, three horses rampant palewise sable. (This was retained as a badge when he registered his new device in November 2001, but some versions of the Ordinary inadvertently deleted it. This armory is still registered to Gotfridus.)
This badge was registered in October 1999 under the blazon Or, a cross of four pheons sable within a bordure gules. That blazon made it unclear whether the pheons were pointing inward or outward, as pointed out in commentary when considering this badge as a possible conflict for another item on this month's LoAR. We have added the explicit orientation of the pheons to the blazon to provide the necessary clarity.
Please advise the submitter to draw the boar larger.
Submitted as Ragnarr Ulfsaxi, the submitter requested authenticity for 8th-10th C Anglo-Danish or Danish. The second name has several problems. The submitter formed this name by combining the protheme ulf-, found in Old Norse given names, with the name Saxi. However, no documentation was provided and none found that combining Ulf- with a random Norse given name is a valid pattern for forming a Norse name. As documented, Ulfsaxi should be a given name, but, we do not register names that consist only of two given names. The submitter does note a byname, sax that sounds similar to Saxi. Unfortunatly, this cannot be substituted for -saxi since no documentation was provided and none found that Norse descriptive bynames were formed by combining ulf- with the words for random objects. Since names using the constructions [given]+[patronymic]+[descriptive byname] are found found in Old Norse, we have changed the name to Ragnarr Ulfsson sax; this is an authentic Old Norse name that uses all the submitted elements.
Metron Ariston called a conflict against Commodore Richard Dale, who maintained the blockade of Tripoli celebrated in the Marine Hymn. He served with John Paul Jones on the Bonhomme Richard and no fewer than five ships have been named after him by the U. S. Navy. He has his own entry in the Encylopedia Britannica and is found in some general biographical sources. Under the old rules, this would be a conflict. However, under the current rules, mundane conflict must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
In February 2004, Laurel accepted the name John de Duglas with this statement "However, lacking evidence that John Douglas, eighth Marquis of Queensberry, is generally recognizable on his own to members of the SCA, he is not important enough to protect." This establishes recognizability as an important factor when deciding mundane conflict. While the name Richard Dale is recognizable for those interested in American Naval history, his name does not have the same recognizability of such military figures such as John Paul Jones or George Cornwallis.
Another factor in deciding mundane conflict is how important was the individual. A brief biography of Richard Dale on www.history.navy.mil mentions that he served with distinction as a junior officer and was wounded seriously three times, that he was in charge of the blockade of Tripoli (of "from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli" fame), came home and retired. It also mentions that he was well respected by his collegues on both sides of the Atlantic. These things may make a hero, but it is unclear whether they make him important enough to protect. He does not have his own header in several works where you would expect this, especially of a hero of the American Revolutionary War. These works include the World Book Encyclopedia, The American Revolution, 1775-1783 Encyclopedia (a 2 volume set approximately 2,000 pages in length), and The World Almanac of the American Revolution. Taking this in combination with his somewhat low name recognizability, he is not important enough to protect from conflict.
Submitted as Séigíne inghean uí Draighneain, the submitted documentation shows the patronymic as Draighneáin. In addition, Irish grammar requires that the patronyic be lenited, giving inghean uí Dhraighneáin. We have made these changes.
The submitted documentation dates the given name to 652, but uses a post 1200 form for the patronymic. However, the documentation also notes that Séigíne is the name of two saints. Under the guidelines for registerability of saints' names (see the Cover Letter for the September 2001 LoAR for more details), the form Séigíne is registerable as an Old Irish (c700-c900) or a Middle Irish (c900-c1200) given name, bringing the end date for this form forward to 1200. The name combines an Old or Middle Irish given name with an Early Middle Irish patronymic which is registerable.
If the submitter is interested in an name authentic to Middle Irish, we suggest Séigine ingen huí Draignen. Rowel found the name Conligan m. Draignen in the year 916 entry from the Annals of Ulster on the CELT site, http://www.ucc.ie.celt.
Submitted as Spurius Titinius Odessus Maximus, Metron Ariston notes, "Odessus is the name of a city and would not be used unmodified in this way as a cognomen. Instead it would be transformed into an adjectival form....using standard Latin rules for the formation on such locative adjectives would be Odessius." We have, therefore, changed the name to Spurius Titinius Odessius Maximus.
Some questions were raised in commentary about the fact that some of the leaves are oriented parallel to the curved bordure. We have, in the past, registered a bordure semy of charges with the charges in much the same orientations as the leaves are on this submission. (For one example see April 1992, Atlantia, Bors Boden.) The motif was considered an unblazoned variant. As an orle of charges is visually equivalent to a bordure of the field, semy of charges, the practice applies as well to an orle of charges as it does to charges on a bordure.
This is clear of badges for the Canton of Glaslyn and the Barony of the Steppes: Sable, seme of oak leaves Or. There is one CD for changing the field. The second CD comes from arrangement of the charges. In the absence of other charges on the field, the difference in arrangement between in orle and simply strewn randomly on the field is obvious when both arrangements are drawn correctly.
Submitted as Aveline Karnatz, the locative byname Karnatz, was documented as a header form in Bahlow, German Names. Bahlow gives no dates for this name, nor does he suggest that it was found in period. The earliest documented form of the name the College was able to find was dated to 1704. Without documentation of this name in period, it cannot be registered. We have substituted the placename Carnyn, dated to 1346 in Brechenmacher Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen. This name is similar, although not identical in sound, to the submitted Karnatz.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the hedgehog with visible spines.
Submitted as Drogo of Black Forge, the grammar of the byname marks it as a placename. However, no evidence was found of the use of the element Forge in compound English placenames. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames s.n. Forge, lists a Ralph del Forge in 1297. We have changed the byname to that form in order to register the name.
The submitter requested authenticity for Norse language/culture. Drogo is a name of Frankish or Germanic origin. There is a Bishop Drogo of Metz, contemporary with Charlemagne, and Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Drew cite the name Drogo from the Domesday Book. Furthermore, no documentation was presented and none found that of the Black Forge is a translation of a Norse byname. Therefore, we are unable to fulfill the submitter's authenticity request.
Please advise the submitter that use of this badge must be restricted to those entitled to bear a crown or coronet on their personal armory.
Submitted as Hugh Rose of Kilvarok, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th C Scottish language/culture. Black, The Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Rose cites the family Rose of Kilravock. However, Kilravock is the clan seat of the Rose's according to www.electronicscotland.com and www.burkespeerage.com. As such, then, this name is presumptuous. We have dropped the locative element to prevent the appearance of presumption. There was some question whether Hugh was a Scots form, but Black, s.n. Hughson shows a Andrew Hughson in 1471. Black, s.n. Rose shows a Andrew de Rose in 1440. We have changed the name to Hugh de Rose to register the name and to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
The escutcheon on the armory form was, in at least one dimension, smaller than the size specified in Administrative Handbook IV.C.1.d for submission forms by more than one-half inch, which is the usual variance allowed. However, Laurel has elected to use a more generous allowance until the current revisions to the standards for forms now under way are completed, and thus this armory can be registered.
While "[t]he difficulty in blazoning the triquetras suggests that this is not standard period style" (to quote the previous return of this submitter's similar design from November 2003), the odd orientation of the triquetras is blazonable and is only one step from period practice.
The escutcheon on this armory form was, in at least one dimension, smaller than the size specified in Administrative Handbook IV.C.1.d for submission forms by more than one-half inch, which is the usual variance allowed. However, Laurel has elected to use a more generous allowance until the current revisions to the standards for forms now under way are completed, and thus this armory can be registered.
Please advise the submitter to draw the sea-horses larger to better fill the space.
Submitted as May de la Wold, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th C English. The submitted documentation lists a Richard of ye Wolde in 1327. We have changed the name to May of ye Wolde to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
Roberto is the submitter's legal given name.
The documentation from von Volborth supports this style of pot. The documentation does not supply any clues as to a possible blazon, so we have gone with the submitted "spouted pot" as a plausible choice.
Submitted as Wencenedl inigena Jagomus of Rokesburg, the patronymic phrase ingigena Jagomus has several problems. First, no documentation was provided for the name Jagomus, which was proported to be the Latin for James. The submitted documentation shows that Jacomus as the Latin of James. Furthermore, this phrase mixes Ogham and Latin in the same name phrase, in violation of RFS III.1.a, Linguistic consistency; although the submitter stated that this sometimes occurred, no documentation was submitted showing this. We have dropped this phrase in order to register the name.
The submitter requested authenticity for the Scottish borders in the 12th C. However, the given name is Cornish, while the locative byname is Scots. Although no evidence was provided for Scots/Cornish contact in period, Welsh and Scots mixtures are registerable. Therefore, we will give the submitter the benefit of the doubt and allow Cornish/Scots mixtures. Such mixtures are, however, one step from period practice.
Please advise the submitter to draw larger and slightly fewer embattlements.
Submitted as Agnes Edith Godolphin, the submitter requested authenticity for the late 16th C. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, shows Godolphin as a header form; they list Goldolghan as a 16th C spelling. We have changed the name to Agnes Edith Godolghan to fulfill her request for authenticity.
The submitter requested a name authentic for Spanish language/culture. The given name Alessandra is an Italian name. As the College has been unable to find a feminine version of the Spanish masculine name Alexandre, we are unable to make this a fully Spanish name. Mixing Italian and Spanish in a name is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Alida de Conti, the submitted documentation showed the form de' Conti. This is a scribal abbreviation for dei; we have changed her name to Alida dei Conti to match the submitted documentation.
Alida is the submitter's legal given name.
The submitter requested a name authentic for 1200-1250 Yorkshire. Although this is a lovely authentic 13th C English name, we do not know whether it is a specifically Yorkshirian form.
Please advise the submitter to draw the chevron more centered on the field.
Submitted under the name Aodhan O'Dunlaing.
Some commenters questions whether the spelling Nils was a medieval form of this name. The Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn s.n. Gøte, lists a Nils Gøtesson in 1410.
The full-size emblazon actually does show the chevron as couped. The external submissions herald at the time was supplied with a correct outline but for some reason failed to use it. We see no reason to penalize the submitter in this particular case.
The submitter requested authenticity for Scottish language/culture. The byname was constructed using patterns found in England, not Scotland. The name Longarm does follow valid English constructed byname patterns, however, we cannot say whether it is reasonable for Scotland. A search in Black, Surnames of Scotland, shows the descriptive bynames Long and Lang meaning "long" or "tall", but this work shows only placenames using the prothemes Long- and Lang-. Brice Lang would be a lovely authentic Scottish name; however, such a change would significantly alter the look, sound, and meaning of the name. Therefore, we are leaving the name as is, but note that it may not be authentic for Scottish language/culture.
Nice name!
Submitted as Catherine le Potter, the submitter requested authenticity for 14th-16th C English language/culture. The submitted documentation for Catherine shows this as a 16th C form. By the 16th C, the article had dropped out of surnames derived from occupational terms. Therefore, we have changed her name to Catherine Potter, a fine 16th C form for this name.
Submitted under the name Christian Woolfe.
Submitted as Domnall Brewster, the submitter requested authenticity for 9th-10th C Scottish Gaelic and accepted minor changes only. This name combines a Middle Gaelic given name with a modern Scots byname. Combining Gaelic and Scots is one step from period practice. The submitter's documentation shows le Breuester in 1296, but by the 13th C, the articles were sometimes dropped from occupational bynames. Therefore, we are changing this name to Domnall Breuester to bring the date for his byname closer to his desired period.
While the word staunch, meaning "of a person:standing true to ones principles or purpose" is first found in 1623, precedent allows registration of such bynames even when they are found in the gray area.
[the Runt] While the sense of 'runt' probably intended by the client is clearly post-Period, the meaning dated to 1614 of 'an ignorant, uncouth, or uncultivated person' falls within our 'grey area'. (LoAR 8/91 p.12)
In this case, the intended meaning falls within our grey area (between 1600 and 1649). While this name is highly unlikely, it is registerable.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C English language/culture. Although Darnley\ is a reasonable constructed English placename, we have no evidence that such a place existed in England in the 1\ 6th C. The title Lord Darnley, held by the husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, appears not to hav\ e given rise to a corresponding surname. Therefore, although we know the word existed in the 16th C as a Scottish\ title, and that the construction of the placename is reasonable, we cannot say that it is authentic for 16th C \ English.
Submitted as Fine of the Vale, this name is two steps from period practice. It mixed a Gaelic given name with an English byname, and there is a more than 300 year gap between the dates from the given name (805) and the earliest English variant of the byname, de la Val, dated in 1190. Dauzat and Rostaing dated the form Vals to 1080; we have changed to name to Fíne Vals. This removes the problem for temporal disparity, although combining Gaelic and Old French in the same name is a step from period practice.
Nice name!
The submitter requested authenticity for 1380-1430 England but stated that she preferred the submitted spelling of the given name to other spellings. The spelling Godlefe is dated 1508; because this is the spelling she prefers, we are unwilling to change the spelling of the given name to a spelling found in her desired time period.
Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames" shows the given name spelled Godleue in 1442. An anthology of Chancery English, in a petition of William, Abbot of Bury St Edmunds in 1440 identifies the petitioner as "Willyam Abbot of youre Monasterye at Bury." For a name authentic for the end of her desired period, we suggest Godleue Bury.
His old name, Klaus the Red, is retained as an alternate name.
Submitted as Liadan inghean Aodhan, Gaelic grammar requires the patronymic be in the genitive form. We have changed the name to Liadan inghean Aodhain to correct the grammar.
This names does not conflict with Líadaine nic Áodháin. By precedent in April 2004, the particle nic and inghean do not conflict because they are different in sound and appearance, and because they express a different relationship. Therefore, these names do not conflict.
While the ancient crown bears a distinct resemblance to a ducal coronet, the submitter is in fact a Duke, having completed his second term as King of the East in October 1994.
Nice name!
Nice armory!
The submitter requested authenticity for Spanish language/culture. Although the given name Mercedes is a modern Spanish name, the earliest example we have for its use is in 1690. It is only because the given name is already registered to her that we can register it here. The byname de Calafia, an SCA branch name, is English. While this name as a whole is registerable, it is not authentic.
Her previously registered name, Mercedes Bohdanovna, and device, Per pale and per bend, counter-ermine and gules, in bend sinister two quill pens bendwise Or within a bordure counterchanged, is released.
Please advise the submitter to draw the base smaller.
This name mixes a Gaelic given name with an Anglicized Gaelic patronymic; this is one step from period practice. The Annals of the Four Masters, http://www.ucc.ie.celt/published/G100005B, lists a Dondubhán, mac Iomhair in 995; Nechtan mac Iomhair would be a fully Irish Gaelic form of this name.
Submitted under the name Richard le Hauke.
Submitted as Sichelgaita Von Halsstern, no documentation was provided and none found that Halsstern is a reasonable variant of the German placename Halstern or that it followed patterns of German placename construction. In addition, the preposition in period German locative bynames appear in lowercase. We have made these corrections and changed the name to Sichelgaita von Halstern.
Nice name!
Submitted as Conrad de Burnet, the documentation shows that Burnet is a nickname for someone with brown hair. Because Burnet is not a placename, we have dropped the locative preposition de.
Although the documentation was adequately summarized, the name of the author of the article from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation. It makes it much easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th C Spain. This is a lovely 16th C Spanish name. Some commenters noted that the patronymic appears in the cited source, Elsbeth Anne Roth's "16th Century Spanish Names" as Hernández. However, the introduction to this article says "The entries were altered from the original in that accents were added..." Therefore, we do not see a reason to re-add the accents here.
Although the documentation was adequately summarized, the name of the author of the article from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation. It makes it much easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
Submitted as Kitan von Falkenburg, the submitter requested authenticity for 14/15th C German/French. The spelling of the locative was found on a genealogy website; the spelling Falkenburg appears to be a standard modern English spelling of this placename. We have changed it to Falkenberg, a form dated to 1582 in Brechenmacher, Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen to fulfill his request for authenticity.
The documentation for this name was not adequately summarized on the LoI. Inadequate summarizations may be sufficient reason to return a name. For more information on properly summarizing documentation, please see this month's cover letter.
The name of the author of the article from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation. It makes it much easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
Originally pended in the July 2004 LoAR to give time for the letter of transfer from Caid to arrive.
Originally pended in the July 2004 LoAR to give time for the letter of transfer from Caid to arrive.
Originally pended in the July 2004 LoAR to give time for the letter of transfer from Caid to arrive.
Submitted as Maud le Leitiere, the submitter requested authenticity for 13th C Anglo-French. At that time, occupational bynames were descriptive rather than inherited. They typically appear in all lowercase, and the article must agree in gender with the given name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Maud la leitiere.
The documentation for this name was not adequately summarized on the LoI. The summarization of the given name was simply that it appeared in a particular source. Although we know that names found in the cited source are all within our period, this source includes names found across a span of 600 years. It is important to note the dates when a particular spelling variant is found when using such a source. Such inadequate summarizations may be sufficient reason to return a name. For more information on properly summarizing documentation, please see this month's cover letter.
Although the documentation was adequately summarized, the name of the author of the article from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation; it makes it much easier for commenters to verify information.
Nice armory!
Nice name!
The name of the author of the article from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation. It makes it much easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
The submitter requested authenticity for 1300-1400 Scotland. This is a lovely Scots name for this time period.
The documentation for the given name was not adequately summarized. While all the header forms were shown, nothing is included about what the source says about these forms. Failure to summarize documentation may be cause for returning a name. For information about summarizing documentation, see the July and August 2004 cover letters.
Submitted under the name Angus MacDhomhnuill na Skey.
Submitted as Arianna Faust, there was some question whether the name Arianna was medieval or modern. De Felice, Dizionario dei Nomi Italiano, says the name Arianna derives from a mythological name and from the cult of a Frigian martyr Sant'Arianna and suggests the name may be of modern usage. We have been unable to verify a cult of Sant'Arianna in period outside of the statement made by De Felice. However, the island of Sant'Ariano, an island in the Venetian lagoon, designates Ariano a period Italian saint's name (although it may or may not have been used as a given name, it is a valid part of the naming pool). Arval Benecoeur and Talan Gwynek, "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names" shows Benvenuto/Benvenuta, Donato/Donata, and Francesco/Francesca. This justifies Ariana as a possible period Italian name. We have changed the name to Ariana Faust to match the available documentation. This name mixes the Italian Ariana with the German Faust, this is one step from period practice.
The submitter requested an authentic 15th C name for an Italian woman married to a German husband. No documentation was presented and none found of the sorts of names used by Italian women married to German men. It is not clear whether a 15th C Italian woman would have adopted her husband's surname upon marriage. In addition, most evidence we have suggests that when people of two cultures married, they used names appropriate to the culture in which they lived rather than mixing languages. Therefore, it is doubtful that this name is authentic.
Listed on the LoI as Caitilín unghean Bhreatnaigh, the forms show the patronymic particle is inghean. We have made the correction.
There was some question whether inghean Bhreatnaigh is an appropriate form of this name. Although the CELT site has no examples of this as a name, The Annals of Ulster in the 22nd entry for the year 1485 has "Ri Saxan, .i. Cing Risderd, do marbadh a cath & 5 cet deg do marbadh isin cath-sin, & ri do dhenamh do mac Breatnaigh, neoch le tucadh in cath" 'The king of the Saxons, King Richard, was slain in battle and 1500 were slain in that battle and the son of the Welshman was made king, he by whom the battle was given.' While this is not a name, but rather a description, the form is identical. The patronymic inghean Bhreatnaigh would be the appropriate feminine form.
Her old name, Caitilín Eyverska, is released.
Documentation was provided supporting the presence of camellias in late period Europe. The flowers on the emblazon appear to resemble camellias from one of the pictures provided, though the one on the picture has six petals. Camellias fall into the same heraldic classification as roses; we are using the specific term to preserve the cant.
This name combines a German given name with an English byname; such combinations are one step from period practice.
This name combines an Italian given name with a German byname; this is one step from period practice. The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Italty. However, without changing the byname to an Italian name, we are unable to make this name authentic.
Submitted under the name Deirdre de Manesfeld.
Submitted as Elena Isadora de Cordova, no documentation was presented and none found that the feminine given name Isadora was used in Spain in period. Withycombe, the source for the submitted documentation says that the masculine Isidore came into use in England in the mid 17th C, but suggests that the use of Isadora in England is modern. She does not address the use of the feminine name in Spain. The commenters found reference to an Egyptian Saint Isadora dating to 365; however, there is no documentation showing whether her cult was known in medieval Spain. Antonia Miguel Santos de Borja, "Medieval Spanish Names from the Monastery of Sahagun" shows examples of the patronymic Isidro between 1097-1101 and 1289-1300. We have, therefore, changed the name to Elena Isidro de Cordova in order to register it.
Submitted as Teleri Cadarn, no documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that the name Teleri was used by humans in period. Gruffudd, Welsh Names for Children, derives the modern use of this name from the name of a river. While the name Teleri does appear in the Arthurian tale "Culhwch ac Olwen," an examination of this story shows that the name occurs once in passing when a character swears by a long list of names and events. Current precedent is to accept the names of significant characters from period Arthurian literature. However, Teleri is just a name mentioned in the course of the tale; it is not even the name of a character. Barring documentation that the name was used by humans in period, or that it is the name of a significant period literary character, it cannot be registered. The similar sounding name Eleri is found in Heather Rose Jones, A Welsh Miscellany in the names list taken from Bartrum's Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts and dated examples from Gruffudd. We have changed the name to Eleri Cadarn in order to register it.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th C Burgundy. The given name is documented from Withycombe, which is not a reliable source for non-English names. However, Colm Dubh's "Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Paris Census" gives both Emeline and Emelot. Aryanhwy merch Catmael's "French Names from Paris, 1421, 1423, and 1438" has Emmelot, which strongly suggests Emmeline as a reasonable 15th C French form. The byname, Badoux, is a header form in Morlet Dictionnaire E/tymologique des Noms de Famille, who says it is derived from Badwulf, an baptismal name of Germanic origins. Normally we accept header forms from this work so long as they are consistent with period forms. In this case, there is no evidence that this is not a consistent form. However, we cannot say whether it is authentic for 15th C Burgundy.
Submitted as Enricx Bongnier, several commenters questioned whether Enricx was the nominative form of this name. The name is found in various chansons as both Enric and Enricx. Since Enric appears unambiguously in the nominative case, while it is not always clear whether Enricx is in the nominative or the genitive case, we have changed the name to Enric Bongnier to ensure that the grammar is correct.
The submitter requested authenticity for 12th-15th C French Occitan and accepted minor changes. This name mixes Occitan and French, which is highly unlikely; we would expect the name to be in either a fully French form or a fully Occitan form. A fully French form of this name, documented by the submitter, is Henri Bongnier. As we do not know what the Occitan form is for Bongnier, we cannot suggest a fully Occitan form.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the secondary charges more nearly equal in size, and to draw the chevron with a smaller central chunk and larger side pieces.
Submitted as Geneviève de Barbarel, Morlet Dictionaire Étymologique des Noms de Famille says that Barbarel is a diminutive of barbier, "barber", while Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames indicate it is a matronymic based on the name Barbara. There is no evidence to suggest it is a locative that should appear with the preposition de. Therefore we have dropped the preposition de.
The Letter of Intent had this blazoned as Sable, three oak leaves conjoined and fructed within on a bordure Or an orle of oak leaves vert. We have changed it to match the emblazon.
The question was raised in commentary how to blazon the leaves on the bordure. The following precedent is relevant:
In a charge group blazoned as An orle of [charges] in orle, the charges are arranged in orle and the postures of the charges tilt so that they follow each other. Thus, an orle of fish naiant would all be in the default naiant (fesswise) posture, but an orle of fish naiant in orle swim head to tail. [Olivia de Calais, 09/03, A-Ansteorra]
Charges on a bordure logically have similar properties to those in orle, so these leaves are accurately described as being in orle. (And if you're getting a case of deja vu from reading this, that's because the same issue came up last month, and I simply copied the discussion from then!)
For alligators and crocodiles there is not a significant difference between the statant/passant and couchant/dormant postures.
Submitted as Gysela von Tiefenbach, the submitter requested authenticity for "Germanic language/culture" and allowed minor changes. The form Tiefenbach is a header form; dated forms include Diffinbach, 1200, and der Teuffenpeche, 1295. We have changed the name to Gysela von Diffinbach to match the documentation and meet the submitter's request for authenticity.
Submitted as James of York, this name is in conflict with James II of England, who was Duke of York. As the submitter provided documentation for the byname Nelson and indicated that he would accept James Nelson of York in such a situation, we have changed the name to that form to clear the conflict.
The combination of a chevron with a chevron inverted in the same armory is a distinct step from period practice, but is only one "weirdness."
Submitted as Joselito Leofric, this name has several problems. No documentation was provided and none found that Joselito was used in period or that the period Spanish diminutives were formed by adding -lito. Furthermore, the name combines a Spanish given name with an Anglo-Saxon byname. No documentation was provided and none found for substantial contact between these two cultures. Barring such documentation, such combinations cannot be registered. The submitter indicated that he would accept the given name Guiseppe if necessary. However, as there is no evidence of substantial contact between Italy and Anglo-Saxon England, Italian and Anglo-Saxon name combinations are also unregisterable.
The submitter requests a form as possible to the submitted form, but will accept all changes. Nebuly found the patronymic byname Leodefrediz dated to 1025 in Diez Melcon, Apellidos Castellano-Leoneses: Siglos IX-XIII, ambos inclusive, (p.180, sxn.166). Jose, the name from which Joselito is derived, is dated to 1560 in Elsbeth Anne Roth's "16th C Spanish Names." We have changed the name to Jose Leodefrediz, which is about as close as we can get to the submitted form. There is a 500 year gap between the documentation for the given name and for the byname, which is one step from period practice.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the arrows' heads larger.
The submitter requested authenticity for Old Norse language culture. This is a nice Old Norse name.
Submitted as Mordan Pereschenov, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th century, but specifically requested that the given name, dated to the 16th C, not be changed. Wickenden, A Dictionary of Period Russin Names, shows the spelling of this placename as Peresechen. Nebuly notes:
The constructed form of the locative should be Peresechenev (not -ov), since the final -en in the town's name is a soft consonantal ending. However, Wickenden notes in his introductory material that the use of the ending -ev/-ov to form locatives was only beginning to appear in 12th century Russia. The established ending already in use at the time would have been -skii, but since the given name is not documented earlier than the 16th century, we could register his name as Mordan Peresechenev.
Following Nebuly's comments, we have changed the name to Mordan Peresechenev. Since the -ev-ov form does start to appear in his requested period, this should at least partially meet his request for authenticity.
Please advise the submitter to draw the line of division more steeply.
The use of the per chevron enhanced field division is a step from period practice but appears to be the only one. Please instruct the submitter to draw the chevron wider.
The submitter requested authenticity for 10th/12th C Old Norse/Danelaw. The source used to document the name, Geirr Bassi Haraldsson, The Old Norse Name, is a collection of names from Landnámabók, Islending{o,}gur, and Heimskringla. While these are all wonderful sources for Old Norse names, none of them deal with names in the Danelaw (eastern England between the Rivers Tees and Thames colonized by invading Danish armies in the late 9th C). Therefore, while this is a lovely Old Norse name, we do not know if it is a good name for the Danelaw.
Precedent has long held that cotises are a separate charge group from other secondaries; therefore this does not violate the "slot-machine" ban.
Submitted as Randal Tankersley, the submitter requested authenticity to English 14th C and accepted minor changes. The submitted documentation shows the name Roget Tankerlayman in 1387. Given this, we have changed the name to Randal Tankerlay to fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.
This name mixes a Gaelic given name with an English patronymic, which is one step from period practice.
His previous name is released.
Submitted as Véronique Tortesmains la Parmentiresse, in France in period, literal occupational bynames are written in all lowercase. Therefore, we have changed the name to Véronique Tortesmains la parmentiresse. There was a question whether the sobriquet Tortesmains was a reasonable form, since no documentation was provided for it. However, Jeanne Marie Lacroix's ""Misplaced" Names in Reaney and Wilson" shows this spelling in 1169, s.n. Tort.
The submitter has included a letter of permission to conflict from Herbert von Kalden (Per bend azure and sable, a bend wavy argent).
The submitter requested a name authentic for 16th C England. There was some question whether Blood was a period spelling for this surname. While we do not have evidence of this spelling used as a surname in the 16th C, the OED shows several examples of this spelling of the word in the 16th C. Therefore, it should also be a reasonable 16th C spelling for the surname.
When citing an article from the Web, it is important to include the title of the article or of the webpage in the summarization. This makes it easier for the commenters to verify information. In addition, the name of the author of the webbed articles from which the names were documented was not included. Please include author's names when summarizing documentation. It makes it easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
Submitted as Fox Vale, Shire of, the group requested an authentic medieval name meaning "Fox Valley." All documentation supplied for English placenames using these elements showed the descriptive and topographic elements merged into a single word. We have changed this branch name to Foxvale to match the formations shown in the documentation.
Listed on the LoI as Anplica Fiore, the forms and the documentation showed the given name as Anpliça. We have changed the given name back to this form.
The documentation for this name was not adequately summarized on the LoI. The summarization of the byname was simply that it appeared in a particular source; no dates were include and no information about whether the name was a header form or a dated citation. Such inadequate summarizations may be sufficient reason to return a name. For more information on properly summarizing documentation, please see the July and August 2004 cover letters.
This name mixes an English or Scots name with an Italian name; this is one step beyond period practice.
The submitter requested authenticity for 12th-13th C. The given name is authentic for this time period, but no documentation was submitted and none found for the byname, de Silva, before the 14th C. Therefore, we are unable to fulfill his request for authenticity.
The bordure was blazoned on the LoI as specifically having fifteen pellets. However, on the full size emblazon it has only 14. We have reblazoned it to just plain pelletty. Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure wider.
When citing an article from found on the web, it is important to include the name of the article. This makes it easier for the commenters to verify information. In addition, the author of the articles cited was not properly credited. Please include author's full name when summarizing documentation. It makes it much easier for commenters to verify information and is a professional courtesy to the authors to properly credit their work.
Submitted as Sadb ingen S.uibne, the s. is intended to represent a punctum delens (a letter in Gaelic with a dot over it). This indicates that the letter is lenited. In the standard transcription of such letters in the Roman alphabet, lenition is shown by placing an 'h' after the letter that is lenited. We have changed the name to Sadb ingen Shuibhne to make the transcription system consistent for the Roman alphabet. The submitter is welcome to use the form Suibne with the punctum delens over the S when writing her name, if she wishes.
His old name, Siegfried Schneepanther, is retained as an alternate name.
Submitted as Sölvarr Brynjólfsson, in this case the transliteration ö is a modern convention for encoding o-ogonek; the typical SCA transcription for this character is {o,}. Because the submitter requested authenticity for 9th -12th Viking, and the o-ogenek is the character actually used to spell this name in the Landnamabok, we have changed the spelling to S{o,}lvarr Brynjólfsson.
Please instruct the submitter to draw fewer and larger ivy leaves in the chaplet.
Submitted as Brigit Camshrón, Gaelic grammar requires a descriptive byname such as Camshrón to lenite when used with a feminine given name; therefore, we have changed the name to Brigit Chamshrón to correct its grammar.
The submitter requested authenticity for Irish. However, the byname, Camshrón is Scottish Gaelic. Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Camshrón says this is the name of a "distinguished Scottish clan. He gives no period Anglicizations. As the byname is not native to Ireland, it is unlikely to have been used by an Irish woman.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the field division with a somewhat lower center point.
The submitter requested authenticity for 14th/15h C Irish language/culture. We note that the given name is English, and the byname is an English form found in Ireland. Furthermore, the byname is a late 16th C spelling. We have been unable to find an earlier spelling of the byname in Ireland and so are unable to say whether this name might be authentic for her desired time period.
This does not conflict with Christine de Waughe; the bynames are significantly different in sound and appearance.
The source from which the name was documented was misnamed in the summarization; the correct work is Morlet, les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siècle vol I. This work shows Dalia dated to the 11th C. This name mixes a French given name with an Italian byname, which is one step beyond period practice.
Submitted as Melchior auf Missen, the documentation was unclear as to what type of byname Missen was or whether it was a period byname. However, one of the miniatures in Codex Manesee, http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/cpg848, is titled Margrave Heinrich von Misen. We have changed the name to Melchior von Misen to match the documentation.
The submitter requested authenticity for the 16th C. However, the given name was documented as a Hungarian name and the byname is an SCA branch name, which appears to be Welsh. For an authentic 16th C name, we would suggest either a fully Hungarian name or a fully Welsh name (including a documented Welsh byname). This name is perfectly registerable, though.
There was some discussion about how to blazon peacocks. This "peacock proper" is blue, with tail feathers that are primarily green except for their "eyes." The feathers are effectively "proper" according to precedent: "A peacock feather proper is mostly green, with an iridescent roundel near the end" (September 1993 LoAR). That same LoAR points out "There [is] little difference between a peacock proper and a peacock azure [i.e., not a CD]" (Caitlyn Emrys, September, 1993, p.20). A later precedent also gives no CD between peacocks vert and proper: "[a peacock vert vs a peacock proper] Conflict with...only one CD for the addition of the [secondary charge]... [I.e. there is no CD for tincture]" (Caitlyn Emrys, 10/94 p. 12).
These precedents have given rise to considerable confusion over the years. Modern peacocks tend to have blue and green feathers (and other color feathers as well). Period emblazons are likewise ambiguous, with "proper" peacocks being drawn with varying ratios of blue and green, even for the same armory in different armorials; this supports our longstanding position that a peacock proper has no significant tincture difference from one that is either vert or azure. That ruling is not changed by this decision; we simply intend to clarify that peacocks proper should be predominantly colored in blue and/or green, though any which are basically all one or the other will be blazoned with the heraldic tincture.
Submitted as Thomas Winterbourne of Kent, the submitter requested authenticity for 12th-14th C English language/culture. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames lists a Walter de Winterbourne in 1273. the Latin de was used as the preposition for locative bynames in written records in England during the 12th-14th C. We have changed the name to Thomas Winterbourne de Kent to comply with his request for authenticity.
The spellings of all parts of the name are authentic for the requested period, but the structure of the name as a whole is unlikely. The name pattern can be interpreted as either given+inherited surname+locative or given+locative+locative. There is no evidence for the latter pattern in English naming practices. Evidence for double surnames, or the combination of an inherited surname and a literal locative byname are also rare, but do happen. According to Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, inherited surnames are found amongst the upper classes in the 12th and 13th century and spread throughout the population after that. This makes this combination possible, but highly unlikely. A more likely name for the 12th or 13th C would use only one locative, and if another byname was used, a descriptive, occupational or patronymic byname would be more likely in combination with a locative. For a truly authentic 12-14th C English name, we recommend either Thomas de Winterbourne or Thomas de Kent.
Submitted as Abd al-Rahman al-Javier, the submitter requested authenticity for Moorish Spain. The byname al-Javier combines Arabic and Spanish in a single name phrase in violation of RfS III.1.a, Linguistic Consistency. Although the castle Xavier or Javier is found in Moorish Spain, no documentation was provided and none found showing how the Moors referred to this place.Therefore, we have changed the locative to a fully Spanish form, giving Abd al-Rahman de Javier. This name mixes Arabic and Spanish in a single name; this is one step from period practice.
Submitted as Ádísa Hrefna Úlfsdóttir, the submitter allowed only minor changes. Hrefna is a feminine given names derived from the word hrafn. Geirr Bassi shows the prepended nickname Hrafn-, meaning raven, and lists other bird names as non-prepended bynames, including hegri "heron", hani "rooster", assa "eagle", and masi "seagull". He also lists kraka and kraku- as both a non-prepended and a prepended byname meaning "crow." Given these citations, we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt that hrafn can be used as a non-prepended byname. However, when non-prepended Old Norse bynames are transcribed, they are written in all lowercase. We have, therefore, changed this name to Adísa hrafn Úlfsdóttir to reflect this. Hrafn-Adísa Úlfsdóttir would be an attested way to use this byname; however, changing to this form would be a major change, which the submitter will not allow.
The documentation for this name was not adequately summarized on the LoI. The summarization of both the given name and the byname was simply that the name appeared in a particular source; no dates were include and no information about whether the name was a header form or a dated citation. Such inadequate summarizations may be sufficient reason to return a name. For more information on properly summarizing documentation, please see this month's cover letter.
Long skinny charges, when placed on stripes (such as fesses, chiefs and bends) change their orientation to follow the stripe without need to be blazoned as such. However, the part that would normally be to chief should rotate to be to dexter, so this feather is reversed.
Please advise the submitter to draw the wavy a bit more boldly.
No documentation was included for this submission. This in itself is reason for return. Submissions that cannot be documented should either be returned in Kingdom or should include information about why no documentation was provided. Without either documentation or an explanation for the lack of documentation, we should return such names. Fortunately, the College of Arms graciously provided documentation for this title. Therefore, we will not return this heraldic title.
- Explicit littera accipendorum -
None.
This conflicts with Katriona Silverswan: Per pale azure and argent, an ankh counterchanged. While there is a CD between ankhs and Celtic crosses, that is the only CD present, and the difference is not substantial enough to qualify for X.2, which is necessary to clear the conflict. The changes to the lower three arms between the two cross types are minimal, so visually the overall difference is not substantial.
On the full-size emblazon the unicorn has no horn, which made it unidentifiable as such. The mini-emblazon on the LoI had the horn, which does not match the full-size emblazon.
Making the unicorn larger and with a bit less internal detail, and making the cross thereon somewhat larger will help with identifiability of the tertiary cross.
When a field is divided into more than two parts (except for quarterly and per saltire field divisions), the counterchanging of multiple charges over that field's lines of division constitutes excessive counterchanging per the following precedent:
[Returning Paly of four argent and gules, three spur rowels counterchanged sable and argent] ...In general, complex counterchanging was not found in period armory, probably due to the lack of identifiability of the charges being counterchanged. This problem applies to this submission, which is in violation of RfS VIII.3. That rule states, in pertinent part, "Identifiable elements may be rendered unidentifiable by ... excessive counterchanging... or by being obscured by other elements of the design. A complex divided field could obscure the identity of charges counterchanged." The complex field obscures the identity of the counterchanged charges in this submission. If it could be shown that this sort of design was found in period armory, it might support this design to some extent, but no such documentation has been provided or found. As noted in the LoAR of October 2001, "In general, we would like to see documentation for any charge counterchanged over a multiply divided field, such as barry or gyronny." [Sep 2003, Reet-Atlantia, Davis de Rowell]
Subsequent discussion has made it clear that, even though the tincture of each charge in the above example is only divided into two parts, the fact that there are multiple charges so divided was enough to consider it excessive counterchanging. Neither the piercing of the spur rowels (each of a divided tincture) nor the use of a tincture different from the field was necessary to reach this conclusion; a hypothetical paly of four sable and Or, three roundels counterchanged would have likewise been considered as excessive counterchanging.
With that in mind, the aforementioned precedent applies as well to three roundels on a gyronny field as it does to three on a paly field. This submission therefore violates RfS VIII.3 and must be returned. If documentation were provided for the use of this motif in period, this design could be supported, but such documentation has been neither provided nor found.
No documentation was provided and none found for the construction [Scots given name]+ [Anglicized Gaelic patronymic] + [English descriptive byname]. The 02/02 precedent concerning Brigitte MacFarlane Red addresses this issue:
Black (s.n. Reid) dates Gilbert 'le Rede' to 1296. This takes English out of the lingual mix. However, the bigger problem is placing a the or le style of literal descriptive byname after a Mac- style of surname. Very few types of bynames appear after a Mac- style surname in Scots. Most of these are locatives (i.e. of Edinburgh). All other bynames that have been found after a Mac- byname modify the object of the Mac- byname, and so form a compound byname. For example, Black (p. 475 s.n. MacConachie) dates William M'Ane Makconquhye to 1543. This name means 'William son of John [who was the] son of Duncan'. So William has one patronymic byname that contains multiple generations: M'Ane Makconquhye is his patronymic byname, and it is a single name phrase. In the case of this submission, the Red refers to MacFarlane, not to Brigitte. MacFarlane is a Scots rendering of a Gaelic byname. The cited le Rede is a Scots or English rendering of an English byname. While both elements are Scots, no evidence was presented that they can be combined in a compound patronymic byname MacFarlane the Red. Since Black (s.n. Reid) states that "Reid is also used as an Englishing of Gaelic Ruadh", and Ruadh (meaning 'red') is a logical descriptive to follow Mac Pharlain in Gaelic, MacFarlane Reid is a logical Scots form of this combination. As Black shows Red and Reid to be variants of each other, MacFarlane Red is also a plausible Scots form. As the submitter allows minor changes, we have dropped the in order to register this name.
In this case, the Bold is not a form of a Gaelic descriptive. We would have reordered the name parts to Malcolm the Bold McGregor, giving the form [Scots given name] + [English descriptive byname] + [Anglicized Gaelic patronymic], which is a valid construction for a Scots name. However, the submitter will not accept changes.
The combination of a charge within a belt or strap is listed in the Glossary of Terms under "Restricted Charges" in accordance with the following precedent:
[Returning Or, a gurges purpure within a belt sable] Armory using a charge within a belt strap is restricted as such motifs were used as a standard form of badge display in Scottish armory. [Dec 2000, Ret-Meridies, Pol MacNeill]
RfS XI.1 states: "Armory that contains elements reserved to or required of certain ranks, positions, or territorial entities, inside or outside the Society, is considered presumptuous." This is such a use, and must therefore be returned for violation of that rule.
The depiction of mountains in this emblazon is done in a modernistic style, which nobody was able to blazon in such a way as to be reproducible therefrom. The standard SCA depiction of "a mountain of three peaks (couped)" is to draw the centermost peak taller than the others, so using such a charge may be a way to fix the style problem.
The name was withdrawn by the submitter.
Submitted as Chateau Fleur Delatour, the submitter wanted a name meaning "house of the Flowers in the Tower." No documentation was provided and none found that this is a reasonable constructed name for a household or group of people in French. Dauzat and Rostaing, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France, shows numerous period examples of names combining Chateau + [given name] or Chateau + [locative]. We would drop one of the elements, but either resulting name has problems. Chateau Fleur is an aural conflict with Order of the Flower, while Chateur de la Tour is an aural conflict with Canton of the Towers.
Depending on how we view its primary charge, this armory must be returned for either unreproducibility or conflict.
The term gamelyon occurs only once in armory, as noted in Dennys' Heraldic Imagination:
This odd creature makes but one appearance in armory and was evidently conjured up in the mind of Sir William Dethick, Garter King of Arms, who granted to Thomas Gardner of South Brent in Somerset, in July 1557, the following arms: Quarterly gules and azure on a Bend cotised or between two 'Gamelyons rampant and Volant supporting in their forefoote a Ring or with a Garnett proper' or a Lion's head caboshed of the first with a buckle in his mouth silver between two Fleur de Lys sable. In the Queen's College version the beasts are depicted in trick with lion's body, legs, feet, and tail, indeterminate head with slightly turned up snout, and Dragon's wings. In two College of Arms manuscripts they are depicted like Dragons rampant, while another depicts them like Griffins segreant. Clearly Sir William Dethick had his contemporaries guessing; but as he was considered the most skilful herald of his day, and a member of the original Society of Antiquaries, it is likely that he had some reason for creating this creature.
The depictions described in Dennys are extremely variable and do not help in working out what this charge is supposed to LOOK like. The drawing does not match its text description and is redrawn from a secondary-source redrawing off the original scroll -- which supposedly is not available for perusal, or at least wasn't back then. If we follow the submitter's stated desire to use a gamelyon as the blazon term, the armory thus violates RfS VII.7.a which states: "Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance" and RfS VII.7.b which states in part: "Elements must be reconstructible in a recognizable form from a competent blazon.... Elements that cannot be described in such a way that the depiction of the armory will remain consistent may not be used, even if they are identifiable design motifs that were used before 1600." For these reasons the gamelyon is not an acceptable charge in SCA armory.
It was suggested in commentary that, given the specific drawing of the charge, we could reblazon it as a bat-winged lion. If we treat the charge as a winged feline, however, the armory conflicts with the Barony of Windmaster's Hill (badge for the Order of the Tempest): Gules, a winged domestic cat salient to sinister and maintaining a sword palewise argent. There is one CD for the field, but nothing for the maintained sword. As for type of the primary charge, the following precedent applies:
[a winged serpent vs a bat-winged tree python] The change to the type of wings is too slight to count for the necessary second [CD]. [i.e. there is not a significant difference between a bird-winged and a bat-winged creature.] (Onuphrius Dru Overende, 1/95 p. 14)
As there is no CD for type of wings only between a bat-winged creature and a bird-winged creature of the same base type, there is no CD between Gamel's bat-winged cat and the registered bird-winged cat. This leavs just a single CD for the field, making it a conflict.
This branch's name was returned in March 2004. As of the September 2004 decision meetings the branch had not resubmitted a name. Since holding names cannot be formed for branches, there is no name to register this armory to, and thus it must be returned.
No documentation was provided and none found of a Russian byname meaning "indifferent"; therefore this name cannot be registered under the lingua anglica allowance. Furthermore, by precedent, overly abstract English bynames of this sort are not registerable:
Niobe the Forgetful. [May 2002 LoAR Atlantia-R] "The byname the Forgetful has been registered a total of seven times, most recently in May 1994. Since that time, there have been several rulings regarding abstract descriptive bynames, including:
[returning the nickname the Arronious] Period nicknames tend to be straightforward and to use common words: Thynnewyt thin [of] wit, stupid, le Wis the wise, Badinteheved bad in the head, le Wilfulle, le Proude the proud, le Hardy the courageous, le Sour, le Cursede, le Deuyle the devil, Blaksoule black-soul. The learned erroneous simply doesn't belong in this company. Although the adjective in question is not a past participle, we do not consider this case to be significantly different from those of Adam the Unexpected (East, returned 2/96) and Deirdre the Distracted (Ansteorra, returned 4/94), whose bynames were returned partly for being too abstract. Similarly, erroneous is too far from the common tongue to be at all believable as a period byname. (Aurelius the Arronious of Bikeleswade, 10/96 p. 8)
The same argument applies to the byname the Indifferent.
This conflicts with a badge of Morgan MacNeil of Clan Fergus: Sable, on a pile argent a sword inverted gules, the hilt between three crescents, one and two, azure. There is one CD for aggregate changes to the tertiary charges but that is the only CD available.
This name is two steps from period practice. First, it combines English and Gaelic in the same name. Second, it uses a Gaelic name as part of a double-given name, a practice that is unattested in Gaelic cultures in period. The name Cairnait is grandfathered to the submitter, so Ciarnait Ravenscroft is registerable although one step from period practice. However, as the submitter will not accept major changes, we cannot drop the first given name.
There is one group of four primary charges on the full size emblazon, and we have reblazoned this accordingly. However, as drawn the elfbolts are not identifiable as such, per the following precedent:
The elfbolt is an SCA-invented charge referring to a stone-chipped arrowhead. The Pictorial Dictionary states that "prehistoric specimens found by the ancients were attributed to the Little People."
The College generally found that this artwork, which uses a smoothly rounded charge to depict the elfbolt, was not identifiable as the roughly chipped and angular SCA elfbolt. This is reason for return under RfS VII.7.a.
The College also questioned whether an elfbolt should continue to be registerable in the SCA, as it is an SCA-invented charge. The charge clearly was an artifact that was known in period, namely, old chipped arrowheads that could be found by period people. As a period artifact, a stone-chipped arrowhead may be registered if it is drawn identifiably. [Mar 2003, Ret-Meridies, Eckhart von Eschenbach]
The supposed elfbolts here have the same problem, and need to be redrawn to be recognizable as chipped stone arrowheads.
As drawn the elfbolt is not identifiable as such, per the following precedent:
The elfbolt is an SCA-invented charge referring to a stone-chipped arrowhead. The Pictorial Dictionary states that "prehistoric specimens found by the ancients were attributed to the Little People."
The College generally found that this artwork, which uses a smoothly rounded charge to depict the elfbolt, was not identifiable as the roughly chipped and angular SCA elfbolt. This is reason for return under RfS VII.7.a.
The College also questioned whether an elfbolt should continue to be registerable in the SCA, as it is an SCA-invented charge. The charge clearly was an artifact that was known in period, namely, old chipped arrowheads that could be found by period people. As a period artifact, a stone-chipped arrowhead may be registered if it is drawn identifiably. [Mar 2003, Ret-Meridies, Eckhart von Eschenbach]
The supposed elfbolt here has the same problem, and needs to be redrawn to be recognizable as a chipped stone arrowhead.
This also conflicts with Aelfric the Kestrell: Vert a pheon within a bordure argent. There is one CD for the field but that is all. There is no CD for type between a pheon and an elfbolt, and the tinctures of the charges are all the same.
This conflicts with Conrad de Graz: Ermine, a fret couped of six two-pronged forks Or within a bordure gules. There is one CD for the field but that is all. There is not sufficient difference between a fret couped (even of forks) and a fret to gain a second CD in this case.
None.
The rose, especially its leaves, is drawn so large as to make the line of division completely unidentifiable. This therefore violates RfS VIII.3, Armorial Identifiability: "Elements must be used in a design so as to preserve their individual identifiability.... a complex line of partition could be difficult to recognize between two parts of the field that do not have good contrast if most of the line is also covered by charges."
Blazoned on the LoI as vairy sable and argent, the tinctures of the chief are in fact the reverse, and as shown on the mini-emblazon, all the parts of the chief that touch the field are color on color. This therefore violates the Rule of Tincture. We have regularly returned submissions in the past where two elements requiring good contrast have involved good contrast only between one item and less than half of the other along the line where the elements touch:
[returning per bend barry sable and Or and checky sable and Or ... a bend Or fimbriated ... gules] This is being returned for breaking the rule of tincture, by having a metal on a metal. The gules fimbriation lies entirely on sable on the checky side, and on an equally divided sable and Or field on the other, making the field the fimbriation lies on primarily sable. (Wolfker der Jäger, 10/97 p.10)
[Party of six pieces gules and Or, three <charges> Or and a chief sable] The addition of the chief removes the conflict from the previous return. However, there's now a lack of contrast between the sable chief and the field. The field is equally gules and Or, and technically neutral with respect to contrast --- for charges that are equally supported by the gules and Or traits. A centrally placed sable charge, or a sable bordure, would have sufficient contrast; but a sable chief might not. (The problem is not unique to this field division: Per bend gules and Or is a neutral field, but Per bend gules and Or, a chief sable still suffers a lack of contrast.) In this case, the chief's contrast is exactly the same as with a hypothetical Gules, a pale Or and a chief sable. We would return the latter, were it submitted; we must likewise return this. The client might consider counterchanging the tinctures of the field, or using a bordure. (Geoffrey Peal (Laeghaire ua'Laverty), June, 1993, pg. 18)
RfS VIII.2.b says, in part, "[t]he field must have good contrast with every charge placed directly on it and with charges placed overall." While vair variants are considered neutral, the area of contact between a vairy charge and the underlying field (or between a vairy field and any charge on it) must show good contrast over approximately half its extent (or more).
The emblazon on the submitted form is far too small (3.125 x 4.4 inches); the form itself is not the standard approved form, and information is missing therefrom. On a resubmission, please instruct the submitter to draw the feather more recognizably (or to make it more of a quill pen as originally blazoned), and to draw the bordure thicker and more recognizably nebuly.
The patronymic O'Dunlaing mixes the Anglicized particle O' with the Gaelic patronymic Dunlaing; this violates RfS II.1.a Linguistic Consistency. We would register this as the fully Gaelic Aodhan Ó Dunlaing, but the submitter will accept no changes. Therefore, we must return the name.
His armory was registered under the holding name Aodhan of the East.
This conflicts with Sten av Norden: Azure, an arrow inverted demi-barbed to sinister argent. There is one CD for the number of arrows, but that is all. There is no CD for arrangement when comparing multiple charges against a single charge, and there is no CD for orientation because one of the arrows in this submission has the same orientation as the arrow in the registered armory.
This may also conflict with a badge of Alessandra di Fiore (Aug 2001): Azure, eight pheons in annulo shafts to center argent. There was concern that this blazon might be inaccurate. However, her forms appear to be missing from the Laurel files, thus we were unable to do a visual check. It does not affect the fact of this submission's return, but the submitter should be aware of this possible conflict when considering potential redesigns.
The cats and mazer are sufficiently close in size on the forms to be co-primary charges. This therefore conflicts with Kathleen Erin-go-burne-the-Bragh, Vert, a chalice argent containing flames Or, and with Alatheia Merryweather, Vert, a Bengal tiger sejant contourny argent. In both cases there is only one CD for number of primary charges.
Conflict with Christian Wulf, registered August 1999. The names are variants of each other, identical in sound and nearly identical in appearance.
His device was registered under the holding name Christian of Malagentia.
When a field is divided into more than two parts (except for quarterly and per saltire field divisions), the counterchanging of multiple charges over that field's lines of division constitutes excessive counterchanging per the following precedent:
[Returning Paly of four argent and gules, three spur rowels counterchanged sable and argent] ...In general, complex counterchanging was not found in period armory, probably due to the lack of identifiability of the charges being counterchanged. This problem applies to this submission, which is in violation of RfS VIII.3. That rule states, in pertinent part, "Identifiable elements may be rendered unidentifiable by ... excessive counterchanging... or by being obscured by other elements of the design. A complex divided field could obscure the identity of charges counterchanged." The complex field obscures the identity of the counterchanged charges in this submission. If it could be shown that this sort of design was found in period armory, it might support this design to some extent, but no such documentation has been provided or found. As noted in the LoAR of October 2001, "In general, we would like to see documentation for any charge counterchanged over a multiply divided field, such as barry or gyronny." [Sep 2003, Reet-Atlantia, Davis de Rowell]
Subsequent discussion has made it clear that, even though the tincture of each charge in the above example is only divided into two parts, the fact that there are multiple charges so divided was enough to consider it excessive counterchanging. Neither the piercing of the spur rowels (each of a divided tincture) nor the use of a tincture different from the field was necessary to reach this conclusion; a hypothetical paly of four sable and Or, three roundels counterchanged would have likewise been considered as excessive counterchanging.
With that in mind, the aforementioned precedent applies as well to four decrescents on a gyronny field as it does to three on a paly field. This submission therefore violates RfS VIII.3 and must be returned. If documentation were provided for the use of this motif in period, this design could be supported, but such documentation has been neither provided nor found.
This device is in conflict with a badge of the Kingdom of Caid: Azure, four crescents conjoined in saltire, horns outward, argent. There is a CD for the field, but no CD for type of one out of five charges, nor for number between four and five. This was originally blazoned as a primary mullet and secondary crescents, but the size difference between the charges is not sufficient for that view. Redrawing the charges to make it clear that they are a single primary mullet and secondary crescents would help, although it would need to be checked for conflict as such.
The bordure violates the Rule of Tincture. This is not a divided field per the following precedent:
[Argent, two pallets gules overall a tree vert] This does not conflict with the important non-SCA arms of O'Connor Don ... Argent, a tree eradicated vert. Armory using three or more pallets is interchangeable with paly on visual grounds and on grounds of historical heraldic difference. Armory using two pallets is visually distinct from paly, and evidence was neither presented nor found that paly and two pallets should be considered artistic variants of each other in period. This is therefore clear of O'Connor Don by RfS X.1 for adding a primary charge group (the pallets). [Floris van Montfort, 05/02, A-Drachenwald]
Likewise, armory using two bars is visually distinct from barry, and evidence was neither presented nor found that paly and two pallets should be considered artistic variants of each other in period. Therefore, this must be considered as a sable field, and as such the gules bordure is color on color.
In addition the lion is not truly overall, as its rear paws do not lie on the field.
There are not enough ermine spots on the field to consider this as having the tincture ermine. As a result, there are three types of secondary charge in a single group on the field (ermine spots, roundels, elephant head), in violation of RfS VIII.1.a: "[T]hree or more types of charges should not be used in the same group."
Please instruct the submitter to draw the chevron higher.
Conflict with the registered name Richard del Hauke, registered November, 1995. The names are too close in sound and appearance.
His device has been registered under the holding name Richard of Stonemarche.
Conflict with Bob the Builder, the popular children's character and franchise. The commenters universally recognized the reference. RfS V.1.a.i says "Irrespective of differences in sound and appearance, a given name is not significantly different from any of its diminutives when they are used as given names;" so the given name Robert conflicts with its diminutive Bob.
Listed on the LoI as an Order name, the forms showed this was intended as a guild name. We note that the designator "Company is a designator that applies only to household names. [Dun Carraig, Barony of, 10/99, A-Atlantia]".
The name Company of Gesters is a generic identifier; it cannot be reserved by registration to a single branch. The test for whether something is a generic identifier is whether multiple groups would reasonably have a group of people that would use the unvarnished term Gesters. The OED defines gester as a professional reciter or singer of romances; the word jester is derived from it. The word Gester, therefore, is the name of an occupation which could be plied and applied by groups of entertainers in any SCA branch. Therefore, Company of Gesters is generic and may not be registered to a single group.
As with any generic identifier, the Barony of Stonmarche may have a group known as Company of Gesters if they wish. In this case, the badge is associated with that generic identifier.
The line of division is drawn too low; it is effectively the bottom quarter of a per saltire dovetailed division. This has been cause for return in the past:
[Per chevron argent and azure, in chief a rose slipped and leaved fesswise and in base six gouttes three two and one, counterchanged] The device does not clearly use a per chevron line of division, nor does it use a point pointed. Because of this ambiguity this must be returned under RfS VII.7.a.
Note that a per chevron line of division should appear to divide the field into two equal pieces. This emblazon does not give that appearance. One reason is that the per chevron line is drawn somewhat low on the field - it appears to have been drawn by using the form's guidelines for a per saltire division and drawing the bottom section of that field. In addition, the fact that the rose in chief is drawn as a small charge, with lots of field around it, implies that it is not a charge filling its half of an equally divided field. [Duvessa of Movilla, 03/03, R-Middle]
A per chevron field division should effectively bisect the area of the field. This field, as drawn, does not do so, and thus must be returned. Please advise the submitter to draw the dovetailing less shallowly on any resubmission using dovetailed lines.
This name alludes strongly enough to the figure of history and romance, Alexander the Great, to constitute infringement. Such names were ruled unregisterable in October 1991. The two names do not conflict. The Great is a descriptive byname while of Greatness is a locative byname, and the names are significantly different in sound and appearance. However, every commentor and every person at the decision meeting remarked on the connection, and most found it obtrusive or presumptuous.
If the submitter included a second byname, this would remove the allusion. Any English patronymic except Philip would do, as would an occupational byname that does not allude to military prowess or fame. Some examples are Alexander Thatcher of Greatness (Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Thatcher list a John Thatcher in 1327) or Alexander Saunderson of Greatness (Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Sanderson lists an Adam Saunderson in 1349).
The locative byname phrase na Skey combines Gaelic and English in the same name phrase. This is disallowed by RfS III.1.a, which says "Each [name] phrase must be grammatically correct according to the usage of a single language." We would changed the Gaelic na to the English of, but changing the language of a name element is a major change which the submitter disallows.
In addition, the patronymic is a standard modern spelling, not a period spelling. The Gaelic patronymic was the form shown in Black, The Surnames of Scotland; unless he states otherwise, these are modern forms. In some cases, the modern Gaelic form is consistent with earlier forms. In this case, though, the closest Gaelic form is the Early Modern Gaelic (1200-1700) mac Domhnaill, which is dated to 1529 in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan's "Index of Names in Irish Annals".
As submitted, the name combines English and Gaelic in the same name, which is one step beyond period practice. An all Anglicized form consistent with the late 13th C date of the locative Skey is Angus Makedonenalde of Skey.
His device is registered under the holding name Angus of Northover
No documentation was submitted and none found that a Roman name meaning House of the Rising Sun or House of Sunrise followed Roman or Latin naming patterns for groups of people in period. Barring such documentation, this name is not registerable. The commenters were divided about whether the name, even when translated into Latin, was intrusively modern. The translation into Latin should be sufficiently removed from the modern reference that, if proof were found that the name followed Roman naming practice, it should then be registerable.
The badge submission was made on a form that (a) did not have the Society name of the submitter on it, and (b) had no space for a household/alternate name on it. This does not match the standard Meridian form, and as such must be administratively returned.
Furthermore, the size of the sun blurs the distinction between a sustained and a maintained charge. If the sun is drawn smaller so as to be a properly maintained charge, the badge will conflict with the Barony of Blackstone Mountain: (Fieldless) A bear rampant contourny sable. Any resubmission of this badge should, therefore, use a sun that is clearly co-primary with the bear.
This conflicts with Gregor Dow McGregor: Argent, on a pale between two roses slipped and leaved sable a rapier argent. There is one CD for changing the type of the secondaries. The second CD must come from changes to the tertiary charges. RfS X.4.j.ii does not apply because the type of all the tertiary charges has not been substantially changed. Using X.4.j.i, there is a significant difference in number (between one and two charges) but nothing for the tincture or orientation of only one of the two charges, and X.4.j.i states that "Generally such changes must affect the whole group of charges to be considered visually significant". The following precedent applies:
[Returning an appeal of Azure, a bend argent cotised between a lion rampant and a castle Or] The SCA has always had difficulty dealing with the situation when both the number and the type of a single charge group change. For a classic example, consider the hypothetical arms Azure, a lion Or and a unicorn argent combattant versus Azure, a unicorn argent. In both cases, you have a blue field with a white rampant unicorn. In the first, the unicorn is also accompanied by a gold lion rampant to sinister. The traditional SCA view is to give only one CD for removing the lion so that the two arms are in conflict. However, occasionally, someone tries to argue from a different perspective, namely, that we should give one CD for changing the number of the group (from two to one charge), another CD for changing the type of the group (from half unicorn, half lion to all unicorn), a third CD for changing the tincture of the group (from half Or, half argent, to all argent), and a fourth for changing the posture of the group (from half facing dexter and half facing sinister, to all facing dexter). This, of course, would make the arms well clear of conflict. This interpretation has been disallowed fairly consistently in precedent, although the issue continues to be raised occasionally. The most recent time this issue was addressed was in the LoAR of October 2003, which stated:
Jan van Antwerpen. Device. Quarterly argent and azure, two lymphads sails unfurled azure.
Conflict with Lee Sharpeyes, Quarterly argent and azure, four dhows reversed counterchanged. As noted in the LoAR of July 2001, "There is ... nothing for the change in the type of ship, [or] for reversing a ship." There is one CD for removing the two argent ships, but no other difference may be obtained from this change. One cannot argue, as was done on the Letter of Intent, that "there is a CD for the number of charges, and a CD for changing color of half the primary charges." That is equivalent to saying that there is a CD for removing two of the charges, and another CD for the changing the tincture of the charges that have just been removed. The rules have been interpreted consistently for years, and the following discussion from the LoAR of July 1992 still applies:
One cannot get a CD for adding charges, then another CD for changing the charges just added. This has been an underlying principle of the last three sets of Rules: see the LoAR of 25 Aug 85, p.14, for a full discussion. The difference obtained for adding, say, a bordure engrailed ermine, is exactly the same as for adding a bordure Or. (One does not get a CD for adding the bordure, then a CD for changing its tincture, then another CD for making it engrailed.....)
In the 1985 LoAR cited in this return, Laurel noted:
We have held previously that the addition of a modified charge (such as a roundel engrailed ermine) contributes no more difference than adding an unmodified charge (e.g. a roundel gules). This gets us away from absurdities such as the following: to "Azure, a fleurdelys [sic] Or" we add two bars Or and a bordure argent. We engrail the bordure, change the bars from Or to argent, and then delete the bordure. Depending on how creative you are at counting, you could get anywhere from two to five points for the addition of a pair of silver stripes. Not bad for a couple of minutes' work ...
In addition, it should be recalled that the SCA protects REGISTERED armory. Because of this, the SCA considers changes to have been made from the registered armory to the armory currently under submission, and has interpreted the Rules for Submission in the manner that gives the greatest protection to the registered armory, and allows the fewest possible differences for a change to armory. This implies a certain lack of symmetry to the ruling, because the interpretation of a change from "registered" to "considered" does not necessarily match the change from "considered" to "registered". The February 2003 ruling on Siridean's device applied type first (no type difference) and then number (removing four lions). If we were going from "considered" to "registered", we could arguably give a CD for changing from a lion and a castle to two lions (half the group has changed, and is entitled to a CD) and then give a CD for adding four lions, giving two CDs. But this is not the situation under consideration in this appeal.
In Siridean's case, the submitter is changing one of the lions into a castle, which leaves us with a charge group consisting of five lions and one castle. This change is to less than half of the charges in that group, so there is no CD under RfS X.4.e.
After the change of the type (a lion into a castle), we apply the change to the number by removing all but one of the lions and the castle. Of six charges, we remove four of the lions, leaving a total of two charges in the group, which is a change from six to two. RfS X.4.f notes that two and six are signficantly different, and therefore, entitled to a CD.
After applying the change of type and then the change in number, the submitted armory has but a single CD from Bohun, Earl of Hereford, Constable of England, Azure, a bend argent cotised between six lions rampant Or. The device appeal is denied. [Dec 2003, Ret-Calontir, Siridean MacLachlan]
In this case, we start from Gregor's registered armory. We apply the changes in such a manner as to give that the greatest protection. First, we add the tree stump, which is a significant change in number, but not for tincture because we did not change the tincture of the entire tertiary group (and the tincture change was also dependent on adding the second charge). Then we invert the sword (and embed its tip in the tree stump), which is a change of orientation, but is not a significant difference because we have not changed the orientation of the entire tertiary charge group. Thus there is not a CD for changes to the charges on the pale, and the potential conflict (as cited in the Letter of Intent) stands.
This is being returned for a redraw; the snakes need to be drawn as truly involved, with heads and tails conjoined. In addition, the emblazon on the form is too short, not nearly close enough to the standard height of six inches established in the Administrative Handbook.
This name is two steps from period practice. First, it uses an SCA compatible name, Deirdre. While the Scots form of this name, Deredere is documented in the 12th C, the spelling Deirdre appears to be modern. Second, it combines English and Gaelic in the same name. We would change the name to Deredere de Manesfeld in order to register it, but this would change the language of the given name. This is a major change, which the submitter will not allow.
Her device is registered under the holding name Deredere of Northover.
This device conflicts with Liudmila Vladimirova doch', registered April 2004: Per pale Or and gules, a sun in splendour counterchanged. There is only one CD for the bordure.
This submission was made on a form that (a) did not have the Society name of the submitter on it, and (b) had no space for a household/alternate name on it. This does not match the standard Meridian form, and as such must be administratively returned.
The byname, Mountvoir, is not a plausible placename. The submitter wished a placename meaning "mountain view" and constructed the name from parts of English names that originally derived from French placenames. However, no documentation was submitted or any found that a specific geographic feature, such as a mountain is a reasonable modifier for "view" in period placenames. A search of Mills, A Dictionary of English Placenames, reveals only two placenames using the deuterotheme -voir, Belvoir, "beautiful view", and Belvedere, which is a form of Belvoir. Reaney and Wilson and Ekwall show few names using the prototheme mount- or mont and all either derived from French placenames or have a meaning other than the one desired by the submitter. Dauzat and Rostaing, Dictionnnaire étymologique des nom de lieux en France, s.n. Mons has several pages of names using the protheme Mont-. These include names formed from names of regions, names of villages, personal names, descriptive features of a mountain, military features of a mountain, but no names or themes that would support a name with the desired meaning. Barring evidence of such a name or such a naming pattern in either French or English, this name cannot be registered.
This entry on the Letter of Intent violates Admin Handbook V.B.2.e, Miniature Emblazon: "An accurate representation of each piece of submitted armory shall be included on the letter of intent." All elements of the design must be clearly distinguishable on the miniature emblazon in order to discern if its representation is sufficiently accurate. Such is not the case here. Commentary from the College was copious and unanimous that the quality of the miniature is so poor that it the line delineating the bordure is invisible, the charges around the edge are completely unidentifiable, and that the central charge was barely recognizable as a bird, much less what sort of bird it was. There is no evidence that a corrected miniature emblazon was ever sent out, so this must be returned.
This entry on the Letter of Intent violates Admin Handbook V.B.2.e, Miniature Emblazon: "An accurate representation of each piece of submitted armory shall be included on the letter of intent." All elements of the design must be clearly distinguishable on the miniature emblazon in order to discern if its representation is sufficiently accurate. Such is not the case here. Commentary from the College was copious and unanimous that the quality of the miniature is so poor that the lines delineating the chief and base are invisible. To quote Metron Ariston: "Technically, this is grounds for return. As it is, this makes it impossible for us to determine if the depiction of the urdy is actually urdy or wavy or what and whether the it is feasible to use the alternate proposal of Argent, on a fess urdy between three roses gules, seeded argent, barbed vert, a dolphin naiant to sinister argent." There is no evidence that a corrected miniature emblazon was ever sent out, so this must be returned.
The coloration of the charges was halfway between azure and purpure, blurring the distinction between the tinctures. In addition, this entry on the Letter of Intent violates Admin Handbook V.B.2.e, Miniature Emblazon: "An accurate representation of each piece of submitted armory shall be included on the letter of intent." All elements of the design must be clearly distinguishable on the miniature emblazon in order to discern if its representation is sufficiently accurate. Such is not the case here. Commentary from the College was copious and unanimous that the quality of the miniature is so poor that the compass stars are either invisible or only appear as random dots. There being no evidence that a corrected miniature emblazon was ever sent out, this is a separate cause for return.
This conflicts with Karen Roslin: Argent, a heart gules between two pallets wavy azure. There is a CD for type of secondary charge between bendlets sinister and pallets wavy, but changing the line of division is part of the type change. There is no CD for type between a heart and a seeblatt, leaving just the single CD.
Conflict with Mead Guard, registered 12/87. Mede and Mead are identical in sound and nearly identical in appearance. Designators, such as Guard or Herawde are transparent for purposes of conflict.
This conflicts with a badge of Kezia von Holzenhaus: Or, a cross of four pheons points to center sable within a bordure gules. (This badge has been reblazoned elsewhere in this LoAR.) There is one CD for the bordure. The other CD would have to come from differences in the primary charge group, but the change in number is not significant per RfS X.4.f ("One, two, and three are significantly different from any number, four is significantly different from six or more, and five is significantly different from eight or more" -- the difference between four and five is NOT significant). Neither is there a change in arrangement, as that change is solely caused by the change in number. RfS X.4.g states "Changing the relative positions of charges in any group placed directly on the field or overall is one clear difference, provided that change is not caused by other changes to the design" (emphasis added). A visual inspection of the two badges makes this obvious (commentary at the meeting was unanimous).
The tincture of the wolf's head on the full size emblazon is neither sable nor any other distinct color; it appears to fall somewhere between black and reddish-brown. This appears to be the result of using a color printer and/or color photocopier.
Please instruct the submitter to draw fewer and larger ivy leaves in the chaplet.
None.
No documentation was included for this submission. This in itself is sufficient reason for return.
The College provided documentation for the term money bag; the OED dates it to the late 16th C. However, while the term Money Bag is used to describe a particular form of pouch in SCA heraldry, no evidence was found that this term was ever so used in period heraldry. Furthermore, no documentation was submitted and none found that the term money bag was used in period to describe an object visually distinct from the charge known as a pouch or purse. Without such documentation, Money Bag cannot be registered as a heraldic title.
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
This name conflicts with John Vliet Lindsay who, according to Britannican Online:
...in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1959 to 1965 and as mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973, first as a Republican but from 1971 as a Democrat; in 1972 he was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. Faced with the turbulence of civil-rights and antiwar demonstrations during his terms as mayor, he defused much of the tension by appearing in the streets and talking with the people.
He has his own entry in the Encylopedia Britannica and is found in many general biographical sources. Under the old rules, this would be a conflict. However, under the current rules, mundane conflict must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Only Metron Ariston mentioned this conflict, and there was no response. This may be because the name is not recognized by most of the commenters, or it may be that they believe it is a conflict. More information is needed to determine this. As the heart of mundane conflict is "does this name make a significant portion of SCA participants think of the mundane person", we're pending this for further discussion. Commenters -- is John Vliet Lindsay important enough to protect?
This is being pended to May 2005 for several reasons, which are individually discussed below.
The badge was, in fact, submitted as a joint household badge; these facts were omitted from the LoI. A Letter of Correction with this information has been promised for January 2005. The College should address the question of whether the combination of household name and this armory is presumptuous (which would violate RfS XI.2).
The tincture of the mantling and crescent was omitted from the LoI blazon. As drawn, the crescent/torse/mantling are maintained charges and not worth difference. No conflict was found with (field) a helm sable.
The submitter provided evidence which purportedly supported the idea of a badge consisting of a helm crested with something. However, the textual description of the armory, also supplied by the submitter, suggests that the helm is not actually part of the badge. This evidence does not provide sufficient support to overturn the precedent that this depiction consitutes a crest.
However, some research at the meeting showed that Siebmacher has some instances of stuff issuant from coronets, for example: a monk in f.67, von Aldenberg; a stag's head in f.69, die Grimben; a swan in f.86, von Schoenbuehl. Others are likely to be found in Siebmacher. Given this evidence, we are sending this back to the College for further research on whether helms or other headgear, OTHER than crowns/coronets, appear as charges in period armory (not as part of a suit of armor) with things issuant from or atop them in a crest-like manner.
The tincture of the lion's tail was omitted from the LoI. This is pended to allow for conflict checking under the correct blazon.
This is clear of Aisling ní Fhlaithbheartaigh: Azure, a heart, a sinister hand couped apaumé bendwise sinister and a dexter hand couped apaumé bendwise, one and two, argent. There is one CD for arrangement of the charges, and another CD for orientation of the hands (more than half of the charge group) since none of Aisling's hands are in the same orientation as any of Lulach's.
However, this may conflict with Graham of the Bright Hills: Per fess azure and barry argent and azure, in chief a thistle Or between a pair of clenched gauntlets argent. There is one CD for changes to the field. There is no CD for type or tincture of one out of three charges in an arrangement other than "two and one". There is not a CD for arrangement since Graham's field does not allow his charges to be arranged in bend sinister. There may be a CD for posture between hands apaumy and gauntlets clenched. The applicable precedent is deliberately ambiguous:
Single CD for arrangement. No CD for the type of one of three charges in an arrangement other than two and one. There was also a question about whether a hand should be given a CD for posture versus a hand in benediction. Current precedent regarding gauntlets would imply that this is not so:
[a dexter gauntlet clenched apaumy vs a dexter gauntlet appaumy] The clenching is an artistic detail which does not contribute difference. (William MacGregor, May 1998 p. 22)
However, it is important to remember that gauntlets are often 'mitten gauntlets' and what is true for a gauntlet may not always be true for a hand. We encourage the College to research this issue. [Ihon Vinson MacFergus, 09/01, A-Ansteorra]
A visual inspection of Graham's armory shows that the three charges in chief are all the same size, so they form a single primary charge group. Graham's "gauntlets" have separately articulated fingers, so they appear to be hands with the fingers folded down and showing in front.
This is being pended for further research on whether there should be a CD between a "glove" style gauntlet clenched (with the fingers showing) and a hand apaumy.
- Explicit -
Created at 2005-03-03T21:31:33