THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED:

ÆTHELMEARC

Abhainn Cíach Ghlais, Shire of. Badge. (Fieldless) An oak leaf bendwise sinister inverted gules.

Aurelio di Baldasare. Device. Gyronny gules and argent, a bull passant guardant Or within a bordure sable.

Corbinus de Cuvis. Name and device. Vert, on a bend azure fimbriated argent a flanged mace Or.

Submitted as Corbinus de Cuvae, the place name in this Latin name is in the nominative case rather than the required ablative case. Metron Ariston notes:

Corbinus is a Latin form and so is Cuvae even though it is documented from Dauzat. (The Latin feminine ending -ae is a dead giveaway.)...The locative should be in the ablative after de rather than in the nominative as it is here. A fully grammatical form of the name would then be Corbinus de Cuvis.

We have changed the name to Corbinus de Cuvis to correct the grammar.

Faith Rayne. Name change from holding name Faith of Hunter's Home.

Nice 16th C English name!

Garrett Williamson. Name.

Gille MacDhonuill. Badge. (Fieldless) Three oak leaves conjoined in pall inverted stems to center gules.

Hildegardis quae et Berthegundis. Name.

Nice 9th C Frankish name!

Lasairfhíona inghean Uí Ghallchobhair. Name.

Nice 15th C Irish name!

Laurette de Montasalvy. Reblazon of device. Argent, two hummingbirds hovering respectant and a chief engrailed purpure.

When registered in May 2002, this was blazoned Argent, two hummingbirds rising respectant wings elevated and addorsed and a chief engrailed purpure. The hummingbirds are not in the standard rising posture, but are instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the birds' posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Marian of Blackwood. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The submitter requested an authentic 16th C English name. By the 16th C, prepositions in locative bynames had largely fallen out of use. The expected form of this name in the 16th C is simply Marian Blackwood. However, Rowel notes:

It's worth noting that we have a single example of an "of" byname as the only byname for a man in 16th C England. It's in my article "Naming Practices in 16th Century Gloucestershire" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/GlocNamePractices/) which lists John of Avocull & Jane Atkens wed. 13 Jun 1580

Given this, the name is supported for the 16th C, although the more usual form would drop the preposition.

AN TIR

Aine Paixdecoeur. Device change. Or, a humpback whale naiant to sinister base sable between two bendlets wavy all between two roses vert seeded Or.

We would have blazoned this simply as a natural whale, but the submitter has consistently asked for a humpback whale. As the humpback whale appears to have been known in period, though not by that name, and as emblazoned this now matches the depictions of a humpback whale, we are acceding to her wishes.

Her previous device, Or, a natural whale naiant to sinister base sable between two bendlets wavy all between two roses vert seeded Or, is released.

An Tir, Kingdom of. Badge transfer to Tir Rígh, Principality of. Azure, a compass star voided argent.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Golden Flame (see RETURNS for other order name).

Submitted as The Order of the Golden Flame, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Golden Flame.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Gilded Feather.

Submitted as The Order of the Gilded Feather, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Gilded Feather.

The pattern Order of the Gilded [object] is grandfathered to this branch.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of Fortitude.

Submitted as The Order of Fortitude, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of Fortitude.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the White Claw.

Submitted as The Order of the White Claw, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the White Claw.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Silver Lute.

Submitted as The Order of the Silver Lute, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Silver Lute.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Red Oak.

Submitted as The Order of the Red Oak, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Red Oak.

This is not a conflict with the heraldic title Rede Boke Herald. While the modern reader may be inclined to pronounce Rede and red the same way, and boke so that it rhymes with oak, this is not a correct Middle English pronunciation. For one thing, the terminal -e is pronounced in Middle English, making both Rede and Boke two syllables as opposed to the one syllable in the modern (or at least Elizabethan) Red and Oak (the syllables are unaccented, but still there). Second, the first e in Rede is pronounced with an ay sound rather than the eh sound in Red, making this \RAY-d@\ vs \REHD\. Finally, Boke has a leading voiced consonant not present in Oak. Taken together, these differences create a sufficient aural difference to keep these names from conflicting.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Red Gryphon of Avacal.

Submitted as The Order of the Red Gryphon of Avacal, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Red Gryphon of Avacal.

Avacal, Principality of. Order name Order of the Heart and Gryphon.

Submitted as The Order of the Heart and Gryphon, we do not typically register a definite article preceding the designator of an order name. We have, therefore, changed the name to Order of the Heart and Gryphon.

Calandra de Silva. Name and badge. (Fieldless) A goutte barry Or and sable.

This name mixes Italian and Spanish; this is one step from period practice.

Elewys Cuylter of Finchingefeld. Name.

Submitted as Elewys Cuylter of Finchingfield, the submitter requested an authentic 13th C name. The place name Finchingfield is the current spelling for the name, not a documented period form. This name was documented from "The textile industry in Essex in the late 12th and 13th centuries: A study based on occupational names in charter sources" by Michael Gervers. While the personal names in this source are period forms, the place names appear to be modernized. For one thing, the place name spellings match the header forms in Ekwall, A Dictionary of Place Names and Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. For another, although the place names are from various documents and dates, none of them display variant spellings. Ekwall, s.n. Finchingfield, shows Finchingefeld in 1177 and 1193. We have changed the name to Elewys Cuylter of Finchingefeld to fulfill the submitter's request for an authentic 13th C English name.

This was pended on the May 2007 LoAR.

Elisabeth de Rossignol. Blanket permission to conflict with name.

Elizabeth Turner de Carlisle. Name change from Áine Steele.

Her old name, Áine Steele, is retained as an alternative name.

Geoffrey Mylar. Name and device. Purpure, a pale Or and overall an otter rampant argent.

Hugo Bugg. Name and device. Barry argent and vert, a grenade gules enflamed proper within a bordure sable.

Nice 13th C northern English name!

Iuliana de la Sara. Device. Per fess embattled sable and vert, a wolf passant and an acorn inverted slipped and leaved argent.

Karin Ollesdotter av Augvaldsnes. Badge. (Fieldless) In fess a whistling arrow vert sustained by a seahorse gules.

This is a resubmission of a badge returned on the LoAR of February 2007. The previous submission, like this one, had a whistling arrow as the central charge; but the previous submission included no documentation for the charge. As it would have been the defining instance of a whistling arrow in Society armory, documentation was necessary. The resubmission has included a photograph from the Museum of Anthropology (University of Missouri at Columbia), showing a whistling arrowhead from 13th C. Mongolia.

The documentation showed that the artifact existed in period Mongolia -- not that it was known to period Europeans, as required by RfS VII.3. Given that the documented period contact between Mongols and Europeans (albeit mostly of a combat nature) is enough to allow Mongol names to be registered, and that weapons are the class of artifact most likely to be known by both sides of that combat, we will grant the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the whistling arrow might have been known to period Europeans. As with non-European flora and fauna that may have been (but not documented as) known to period Europe, non-European artifacts that may have been known are registerable but considered a step from period practice. Documented proof that the Europeans knew of the artifact in question is best; the suitability of artifacts lacking this documentation for use in Society armory will be determined on a case-be-case basis.

Please advise the submitter to draw the charges so that the seahorse is roughly the same size as the arrow. We know of no examples in period armory where a sustaining creature (that's not actually a supporter) is so much smaller than the charge it sustains. As this issue was not raised in the previous return, we will not penalize her for resubmitting the same emblazon.

Magy of Aberdeen. Name and device. Argent, an ivy leaf and a chief vert.

Nice 15th C Scots name!

Mariella da Ravenna. Name.

Submitted as Marianella da Ravenna, the submitter requested a name authentic for late 13th/early 14th C Venice. Albion notes:

Since the Venetian dialect is northern Italian, I also checked a couple of northern Italian articles. "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names" by Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek

(<http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html>) has the name <Maria>. "Italian names from Imola, 1312" by Aryanhwy merch Catmael (<http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/italian/imolafemalph.html>) lists 4 instances of <Maria>. The same article has 3 instances of <Margarita> and 1 instance of <Margaritella>, suggesting that <-ella> could be used as a feminine diminutive. I'd prefer more examples before arguing for a constructed name, but this makes <Mariella> at least possible (given the examples of <Maria> in the same article). We could try to construct <Mariannella> using the Florentine <Marianna>, but that's going pretty far afield. <Mariella>, <Mariannella>, and <Marianella> all appear to be modern Italian names. Plain <Maria> definitely appears to be the most authentic option for the submitter's desired time & place.

We have changed the name to Mariella da Ravenna to comply with the submitter's request for authenticity. We note that the submitted form is registerable but not authentic.

Muirgheal inghean Alasdair. Device change. Sable, a lion passant Or and in chief three mullets argent.

There was some discussion as to whether this was a primary charge and three secondary charges or four co-primary charges. It is a primary charge and three secondary charges: their placement is exactly where a primary and three secondaries in chief ought to be; and each secondary, individually, is significantly smaller than the lion. The mullets are shoved up to chief (they don't extend nearly as far into the field as primaries would); and the lion, being passant and therefore mostly horizontal, couldn't be drawn much larger, really.

Her previous device, Sable, in bend a compass star argent and a cat sejant Or, is retained as a badge.

Muirgheal inghean Alasdair. Badge. (Fieldless) In fess a mullet argent sustained by a lion passant Or.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Acceptance of badge transfer from An Tir, Kingdom of. Azure, a compass star voided argent.

Tobias le Blunt. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Nice 12th C English name!

Tristram O'Shee. Badge. Argent, a sea-dragon gules and on a chief wavy sable three fleurs-de-lis argent.

Valentino da Siena. Badge. (Fieldless) A label dovetailed Or.

The LoI did not include the emblazon for this badge; however, Lions Blood posted the emblazon in commentary the same day that the LoI was posted. We therefore assume that the majority of the commenters actually saw the emblazon and will not pend it for further conflict checking.

Vanya Betzina. Device. Sable, on a bend sinister gules fimbriated Or between two crosses clechy three crosses clechy palewise argent.

Vanya Betzina. Badge. Argent, a cross clechy voided within a double tressure sable.

A cross of Toulouse, which is a period charge, is effectively a cross clechy pometty on the points and is voided by definition. Since the voiding is acceptable (and necessary) for a cross of Toulouse, the somewhat simpler cross clechy is also voidable.

Ziyadatallah al-Ifriqi ibn `Abd Allah. Name.

ANSTEORRA

Caitriona Keavy ni Ainle. Reblazon of device. Per bend sinister embattled argent and gules, a honeysuckle flower slipped and leaved vert and a hummingbird rising Or.

When registered in September 1992, this was blazoned Per bend sinister embattled argent and gules, a honeysuckle flower vert and a hummingbird volant Or. However, the hummingbird is actually in the posture blazoned as rising in Society armory. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion. We have also added the slipping and leaving of the flower, which were omitted from the original blazon.

ATENVELDT

Cassia Mortivaux. Reblazon of device. Vert, on a bend between a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy Or, a hummingbird rising contourny palewise sable.

When registered in September 1992, this was blazoned Vert, on a bend between a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy Or, a hummingbird volant to sinister sable. However, the hummingbird is actually in the posture blazoned as rising in Society armory. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion. We have also specified that the bird is palewise, i.e., does not follow the line of the bend.

Eleanora Valentina Beota. Reblazon of device. Azure, on a pile ployé argent, a hummingbird hovering vert.

Registered in January 1987, this was reblazoned May 1987 as Azure, on a pile ploye argent, a hummingbird rising, wings elevated and addorsed vert. The hummingbird is not in the standard rising posture, but is instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion. Since we were amending the blazon, we have added the accent to the term ployé as well.

Kyra Kai ferch Madoc. Reblazon of device. Per pale vert and azure, on a lozenge argent a torch sable enflamed per pale azure and vert.

When registered in February 1984, this was blazoned Per pale vert and azure, on a lozenge argent a cresset torch sable enflamed per pale azure and vert. However, the primary charge is not a cresset torch, which we would assume was a torch topped with a cresset (i.e., the firebasket atop a beacon), but rather a simple torch. We have amended the blazon accordingly.

Michael Romark. Reblazon of device. Or, on a pale gules between two torches sable enflamed gules, a lion rampant Or.

When registered in September 1987, this was blazoned Or, on a pale gules between two cresset torches sable, enflamed gules, a lion rampant Or. However, the secondary charges are not cresset torches, which we would assume were torches topped with a cresset (i.e., the firebasket atop a beacon), but rather simple torches. We have amended the blazon accordingly.

Tamsina of Norwich. Reblazon of device. Per bend argent and vert mullety of four points Or, in sinister chief a hummingbird hovering contourny gules.

When registered in February 1988, this was blazoned Per bend argent and vert, mulletty of four points Or, in sinister chief a hummingbird rising to sinister, wings elevated and addorsed, gules. The hummingbird is not in the standard rising posture, but is instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the bird's posture, and tightened the blazon a touch. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

ATLANTIA

Antonio di Capizzi. Device. Per chevron wavy Or and azure, a demi-sun and a sealion erect guardant counterchanged.

Please advise the submitter to draw the wavy line more prominently and evenly.

Atlantia, Kingdom of. Badge for Award of the Vexillum Atlantiae. Per pale argent and azure, a fess wavy cotised counterchanged, overall two swords in saltire Or.

Avelyn of Kennington. Device change. Vert, a fox's mask between three crescents argent.

Her previous device, Azure, a fox's mask Or between three crescents argent is released.

Bj{o,}rn inn hávi. Name and device. Per pale sable and Or, two wyverns combatant and on a chief three roundels, all counterchanged.

Listed on the LoI as Bjorn inn hávi, the summary noted that the o was intended to be an o-oganek. This character is typically registered using the Da'ud notation {o,}. We have changed the name to the desired form: Bj{o,}rn inn hávi.

Please advise the submitter that the internal detailing should be included for the sable wyvern.

Caer Mear, Barony of. Reblazon of badge for the Order of the Pharos. Gules, atop a grey granite tower a copper brazier enflamed proper.

Registered in January 1982 with the blazon Gules, atop a grey granite tower a beacon enflamed proper, the charge atop is not a heraldic beacon, which is a defined charge (which does not, as far we know, have a proper tincture); it is not even a cresset, the fire-basket atop a beacon. It's a broad dish filled with flame -- the charge known in SCA armory as a brazier. We have corrected the blazon as well as we can.

Eadric the Potter. Name and device. Per saltire argent and azure, in pale two goblets gules.

Labhaiose inghean uí Raghailligh. Reblazon of device. Or, an ink bottle sable between three hummingbirds hovering purpure.

When registered in June 1998, this was blazoned Or, an ink bottle sable between three hummingbirds rising purpure. The hummingbirds are not in the standard rising posture, but are instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the birds' posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Meriall Hogaine. Name change from Muirgheal inghean uí Ógaín.

Her old name, Muirgheal inghean uí Ógaín, is released.

Rhieinwylydd verch Einion Llanaelhaearn. Badge. Per bend indented argent and sable, a fleur-de-lys azure and a lion's head cabossed argent.

Sarah Elizabeth of Bellwood. Name.

Thomas of Chester. Device. Azure, a saltire and on a chief Or three gouttes de sang.

Willa Faye Dunne. Device change. Argent, a weeping willow tree proper within an orle vert.

The use of a weeping willow tree is a step from period practice.

Her previous device, Or, a bend enarched sable surmounted by a weeping willow tree vert, a bordure embattled sable, is released.

CAID

Abigail of Lough Derravara. Reblazon of device. Argent, a hummingbird hovering to sinister vert headed gules sustaining in its beak a threaded needle sable, a chief counter-compony gules and Or.

This was registered in September 1997 and the blazon corrected in November 1998 to Argent, a hummingbird volant to sinister vert headed gules sustaining in its beak a threaded needle sable, a chief counter-company gules and Or; however, the hummingbird is not in the standard volant posture, but is instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion. We have reblazoned the bird's posture, as well as corrected the spelling of the chief's division.

Agelos Evienece. Reblazon of badge for the Company of the Lance. Per saltire argent and azure, a torch sable enflamed proper.

When registered in February 1982, this was blazoned Per saltire argent and azure, a cresset sable, enflamed proper. However, the primary charge is not a cresset, which is a defined heraldic charge (the firebasket atop a beacon), but is a simple torch. We have amended the blazon accordingly.

Aileen O'Shea. Device. Per bend argent and sable, a cross crosslet fitchy counterchanged and a chief embattled sable.

Please advise the submitter to draw the charges larger.

Alacya Daveraugh. Reblazon of device. Argent, a bend azure between a ruby-throated hummingbird volant to sinister, wings addorsed proper, and a sprig of three cherries gules, slipped and leaved vert.

When registered in August 1979, this was blazoned Argent, a bend azure between a ruby-throated hummingbird countervolant and a sprig of three red cherries proper [Archilocus colubris]. The hummingbird is definitely volant - its body is more-or-less horizontal - but the volant posture normally has the wings on either side of the bird's body, instead of addorsed as here. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion. Since we had to amend the blazon, we took the liberty of removing the Linnaean specification, and reblazoning the cherries in standard heraldic tinctures.

Amina of Gyldenholt. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per chevron sable and argent, on a chevron counterchanged three roses proper.

Submitted under the name Amina az-Zahra'.

Brett of Altavia. Holding name and device. Per bend azure and vert, a bat-winged dragon-tailed griffin segreant between three roundels Or.

This was submitted under the name Secca of Venice, which was returned on the October 2007 LoAR.

Genefe Wizsilberlin. Name and device. Per bend and per fess vert and argent, a wolf's head couped and an oak leaf bendwise argent.

Listed on the LoI as Genefe Wizsilberin, both the forms and the documentation show Genefe Wizselberlin. We have made this correction.

Batonvert commented:

Several of the late-period heraldic tracts mention two gyrons arranged as here: Legh's Accedens of Armory, fo.86, de Bara's Blason des Armoiries, p.32, and Guillim's Display of Heraldrie, p.81. All of them agree that's enough to blazon this as two gyrons, with no other qualifiers (such as in bend) needed. So this could be Vert, two gyrons between a wolf's head erased and an oak leaf bendwise argent. However, since we would inevitably ask after the placement of the gyrons, the submitted blazon is probably better.

In the SCA this is treated as a field, not as a field with charges. To avoid confusion, both in the placement of the gyrons and whether or not they are charges, we have retained the submitted blazon, per bend and per fess.

Giulietta Cifala. Reblazon of device. Purpure, a fan between three hummingbirds hovering Or.

When registered in December 1996, this was blazoned Purpure, a fan between three hummingbirds rising, wings elevated and addorsed Or. The hummingbirds are not in the standard rising posture, but are instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the birds' posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Giulietta Cifala. Reblazon of badge. (Fieldless) On a fan Or a hummingbird hovering purpure.

When registered in December 1996, this was blazoned (Fieldless) On a fan Or a hummingbird rising, wings elevated and addorsed purpure. The hummingbird is not in the standard rising posture, but is instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the bird's posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Henri le Juif. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Isabeau d'Aquitaine. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Johanna von Giebelstadt. Name.

Juliette d'Avignon. Name.

Kára sindri. Device. Per fess vert and lozengy vert and Or, a fess and in chief a woolsack argent.

Katryn de Abbeneye. Name and device. Or, a bishop's crozier gules and overall a fess embattled vert.

Listed on the LoI as Katryn of Abbeneye, a timely correction was issued to change the name to Katryn de Abbeney. Both the forms and the documentation show Katryn de Abbeneye, so we have registered the name in that form.

Khalida al-Khansa'. Device. Per pale sable and argent, a lotus blossom in profile gules.

Lyondemere, Barony of. Badge (see RETURNS for other badge). (Fieldless) In pale a garter buckled in annulo buckle to chief vert and a trident head dependent from the garter Or.

Meadhbh inghean mhic Aoidhghein. Device. Azure semy of musical notes, on a fess argent a triquetra azure.

Meadhbh inghean uí Mhaoil Riain. Name and device. Quarterly gules and sable, a Lacy knot and in sinister chief a rose argent.

Michael of Doncaster. Name.

Roderic Leopold Schade. Name change from Rorich Leopold Schade.

His old name, Rorich Leopold Schade, is released.

Wölfel Wizsilberlin. Name.

CALONTIR

Angharad ferch Moriddig Hir. Name.

Jacqueline de Meux. Badge. (Fieldless) A domestic cat salient tail nowed Or winged purpure.

Blazoned on the LoI as coward, the tail does not extend between the cat's legs and is therefore not coward. Please advise the submitter that heraldic artists are unlikely to draw the tail in front of the cat nor are they likely to knot it such that it resembles a triquetra.

Lucius Angelini de Santa Croce. Name.

Magdalena vander Meere. Name change from Meredydd ferch Owain ap Eliseg.

Nice 16th C Flemish name!

Her old name, Meredydd ferch Owain ap Eliseg, is retained as an alternative name.

Skiolldolfr þynning. Name.

Submitted as Skj{o.}dúlfr þynning, the submitter requested an authentic 9th C Norse name. The byname is found in the Landnamabok (the Icelandic Book of Settlements) in the spelling þyning, which is a fine 9th C name. The given name is also found in that work, but not in the submitted spelling. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn fr{a.}n Medeltiden, s.n. Ski{o,}ldúlfr, lists a SkiolldolfrVemvnder s. a Skilldolfs stoðvm from Landnamabok. We have changed the name to Skiolldolfr þynning to fulfill the submitter's authenticity request. We note that that name is almost registerable as submitted, but not authentic. The letter represented by {o.} in this name is an o-ogonek. In Da'ud notation, this character is represented as {o,}. This means the submitted form is registerable in the form Skj{o,}dúlfr þynning.

Tamara Tysyachyvólos. Name and device. Gules, a card pique Or between in cross four bezants.

Tamara Tysyachyvólos. Badge. (Fieldless) On a card pique gules, in cross four bezants.

Tatiana Nikonovna Besprozvannyja. Device change. Argent semy of patriarchal crosses sable, on a pile inverted wavy gules a natural tiger passant reguardant argent striped sable, a bordure counterchanged gules and argent semy of patriarchal crosses sable.

This depiction of the pile, patriarchal crosses, and the tiger are grandfathered to the submitter.

We note that strewn charges (semy) are not part of the field tincture. As such, counterchanged does not indicate that the item counterchanged is also semy. We have thus explicitly blazoned the bordure semy of patriarchal crosses.

Her previous device, Argent semy of patriarchal crosses sable, on a pile inverted wavy per pale gules and azure a tiger passant reguardant argent striped sable, is released.

Titus Decimius Alexander. Name and device. Quarterly sable and purpure, a skull within a bordure embattled Or.

DRACHENWALD

Agmund Stoltefoth. Device. Azure, a pile Or and overall a chevron counterchanged.

Clancy Fairchild of Ulster. Name and device. Argent, a trefoil and a bordure gules.

Clancy is the submitter's legal given name.

The submitter requested an authentic Irish name. However, we have no evidence for Clancy as an Anglicized Irish given name in period. Given this, we are unable to make the name authentic as requested.

Nice armory.

Mór inghean Bhriain. Name and device. Argent, a rowan tree fructed issuant from a base gules, and on the base three bezants.

Nice Early Modern Irish feminine name!

Siubhán inghean Fhearghusa. Name.

Turstin fiz Osbern. Name.

EAST

Adhemar de Villarquamada. Name change from Morgan de Villarquamada.

This submission raised the question whether names mixing Occitan and Spanish were registerable. Metron Ariston presents this evidence for contact between the two cultures:

Apart from the use of Occitan as a literary language which can be shown to have definite influences upon Aragonese poetry and vocabulary, there was a constant trade between Acquitaine and the portions of Spain where the Aragonese dialect was prevalent. Even at a rather late stage Occitan was predominant on Toulouse which was a major staging point for both pilgrimage and trade to Spain so there should really be no problem in mixing the languages.

Given this information, names combining Occitan and Spanish are registerable, but a step from period practice. We would encourage the College of Arms to see whether they can locate examples of such mixtures, which would show that such names registerable without the step from period practice.

His previous name, Morgan de Villarquamada, is released.

This was pended on the May 2007 LoAR.

Antonio Patrasso. Name and device. Gules, on a sun Or a cat herissony contourny sable, all within a bordure engrailed Or.

Regarding the posture herissony, precedent states:

A question was raised regarding the use of herissony in our blazonry. While the term itself, to the best of our knowledge, is not period, the posture was done in period. Hierosme de Bara's Le Blason des Armoiries (1581) shows a cat in this position. [The submission was blazoned as herissony] (Rowan of Iron Mountain, 8/97 p. 10)

As a period posture for cats, cats herissony may be registered. While there is no difference granted between a cat statant or passant and a cat herissony, we will continue to use the term herissony as an aid to heraldic artists.

Aurelia da Calabria. Device. Gules, on a bend cotised argent three trilliums gules, barbed vert.

Because of the radial symmetry of the trilliums these can be considered to be in their default orientation (following the line of the bend) or palewise inverted.

Nice armory.

Bjorn of Endeweard. Name.

Elizabeth Elenore Lovell. Reblazon of device. Purpure, a bend engrailed between six hummingbirds hovering contourny argent.

When registered in February 1997, this was blazoned Purpure, a bend engrailed between six hummingbirds rising contourny argent. The hummingbirds are not in the standard rising posture, but are instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the birds' posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Enola of Ensconce. Reblazon of device. Sable, a rose bendwise sinister argent slipped and leaved vert, distilling a gout de sang, between in bend a mullet and a Norse sun cross argent.

Registered in August 1979 with the blazon Sable, a white garden rose bendsinsterwise slipped and leaved proper, distilling un gout de sang between a mullet and a sun cross argent, that blazon was unclear as to the placement of the secondary charges.

Eva Woderose. Device. Gules, on a bend sinister between two wolves couchant argent, three roses proper.

Freydis Karlsdottir. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Gavin of Brockton. Name and device. Argent, on a fess between two domestic cats sejant and another couchant sable, three fleurs-de-lys argent.

Hrólfr Hrafnssen. Name reconsideration from Ruulfr Rafnsson.

Submitted as Hrólfr Hrafnsen, the practice of dropping of the -s genitive ending from the patronymic was documented from a personal conversation the submitter had with an East Norse expert more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, such conversations are not documentation (although this provides a fascinating thread to follow if the submitter is convinced that both the statement and his memory of it are accurate). We have changed the name to the standard grammatical form, Hrólfr Hrafnssen in order to register it.

His old name, Ruulfr Rafnsson, is released.

Lillia de Vaux. Device change. Argent semy of crampets, a bend azure.

Nice armory.

This is the defining instance of a crampet in Society armory. The crampet is the metal tip on the end of a scabbard (also known as a chape, bouterol, or boteroll); it's a period heraldic charge, best known as the badge of the de la Warr family. The various heraldic texts (Brooke-Little's Heraldic Alphabet, p. 73; Parker, p. 566) show the crampet in a number of forms, but they all have a closed bottom and the upper ends split into two prongs each, with the inner prongs bending to center. The form in this submission, taken from carvings on the de la Warr chantry chapel, 1535, have the inner prongs conjoined with an open heart-shaped space in the middle. This form is very close to that shown on a standard for "the Lord Laware", as noted by Batonvert:

I've recently acquired a wonderful book, Banners, Standards and Badges from a Tudor Manuscript In the College of Arms, 1904, the only source outside the College for MS.I.2, a book of standards c.1520. The renderings I've been able to check have been faithful reproductions. The standard for "the Lord Laware" shows his alphyn badge on a field powdered with crampets... drawn pretty much as they are here. (The interiors of the crampets were less heartlike.) It looks like this might have been the original version of the charge.

Based on this information, we are comfortable with registering this form of crampet as the defining form for Society armory. Any other documented period rendition is, of course, equally valid.

Her previous device, Purpure, a lily and on a chief argent three pairs of rapiers inverted in saltire sable, is released.

Lillia de Vaux. Badge. (Fieldless) A crampet argent.

Nice armory.

Phillip Reed. Badge. (Fieldless) A fleur-de-lis gules each petal charged with a fleam argent.

Roibeard mac Neill mhic Ghille Eoin. Name change from holding name Robert of Smoking Rocks.

Nice 16th C Hebridian name!

Scott of Settmour Swamp. Holding name and device. Sable, a fess checky azure and argent between four boars passant contourny argent.

Please advise the submitter to draw the traits of the checky such that the height of each is the same.

This was submitted under the name Culann mac Cianain, which was returned on the September 2007 LoAR.

Sof'ia Zhirinskaia. Name and device. Per pale sable and argent, a spider and a bordure counterchanged.

LAUREL

Rohan. Important non-SCA arms. Vert, a horse courant argent.

The device for Ránulfr Þorfinnsson, Vert, a horse courant dismembered argent, between two axes in chevron blades to center Or and a flame proper, was pended on the May 2007 LoAR for a discussion of whether or not the arms of Rohan should be protected. The Letter of Pends and Discussion (LoPaD) noted:

This device is pended for discussion on whether or not we should protect Rohan, Vert, a horse courant argent. Latimer in commentary noted:

The Lord of the Rings having undergone a resurgence in visibility and popularity since the 1995 decision not to protect its armory, I request reconsideration of the protection of Rohan: Vert, a horse courant argent. This is notably visible in the movie (albeit sporadically) as the war banner carried into the battle at Minas Tirith. (The banner is double-sided, with the horse facing the hoist, and is rendered in an artistic style resembling the dismemberment here.) If Rohan is protected, then this must be returned, having just one CD for adding the secondary charges.

The 1995 ruling that Latimer references states "The commentary on this and the other proposals from Tolkien was somewhat mixed. However popular the Lord of the Rings trilogy is among older members of the SCA, it appears to have lost much of its status over the intervening years. Here, the commentary generally favored not protecting these arms."

The Adminstrative Handbook section III.B.5 states "Armory of Major Characters or Significant Geographical Locations from Literary Sources - The armory of major characters or significant geographical locations from period or modern literary works of all genres may be protected on a case by case basis. Armory considered sufficiently important will be listed in the Society Armorial and Ordinary when it is brought to Laurel's attention, but is protected prior to that addition.

Commentary was unanimous in the opinion that even if the 1995 ruling was correct (and many believe it was not), that the arms of Rohan are sufficiently well-known enough and important enough to protect.

LOCHAC

Isabel María del Aguila. Name change from Heloys de Mont Saint Michel.

Her old name, Heloys de Mont Saint Michel, is retained as an alternate.

João Baptista de Oliveira. Name and device. Per chevron azure and argent, three fireballs in chevron Or and a seadog rampant vert.

Listed on the LoI as Jo{a~}o Baptista de Oliveira, the transliteration {a~} is Da'ud notation for ã. When an actual accent mark can be used, it is preferred for registration over its alternative Da'ud notation. We have changed the transliteration to João Baptista de Oliveira.

Please advise the submitter to draw the fireballs larger.

Katherina Weyssin von Regenspurk. Name and device. Gules, a dance argent cotised Or.

Katherina Weyssin von Regenspurk. Blanket permission to conflict with name and device. Gules, a dance argent cotised Or.

The item was labeled as a blanket permission to conflict, but no details about the name portion of this letter were included on the LoI. In this case, permission is granted for registration of names that are "a countable difference from the registered name." Since we do not count difference for name in the same we we count difference for CD, we will interpret this to mean "not identical to the registered name.

We remind submissions heralds that the text of a letter of permission to conflict, minus the person's mundane name, is the documentation for such an item. Ideally, the full text of the letter should be included on the LoI. If this is not possible, then a summary of its conditions must be included on the LoI.

Permission to conflict is granted for any armory that is one countable step (CD) different from her registered device.

Rosamond de Montfort. Name correction from Rosamond de Montford.

Her old name, Rosamond de Montford, is released.

Tristan d'Avignon. Name and device. Per pale vert and sable, a peregrine falcon striking Or between three bezants.

Turino Orsini. Name.

MERIDIES

Alexander Schaw. Name.

Andreas de Mornay. Name.

As documented, this name mixes German and French, which is one step from period practice. However, Siren notes:

<Andreas> isn't German; it's a learned form (based on the Greek) that's found in contexts all around Europe. D&R (s.n. St-André) give <S. Andreas li Boschos> v. 1250 and <S. Andreas> 1287, 1213, and 13th c. It's also found in Morlet, dated to 1032-60, 11th and 12th c., etc.

Beornwulf s{e-} cealdheort. Device (see RETURNS for badge). Per saltire gules and azure, four wolves passant contourny in annulo argent.

Dagmar bint Omar. Reblazon of device. Argent, a staff of Aesculapius between on two gores azure, two hummingbirds hovering respectant argent.

Registered in July 1990, this was reblazoned February 1991 as Argent, a staff of Aesculapius between on two gores azure, two hummingbirds rising respectant, wings elevated and addorsed, argent. However, these hummingbirds are not in the standard rising posture, but are instead in the hovering posture unique to the hummingbird: body erect but embowed, wings addorsed, tail tucked forward under the body. We have reblazoned the birds' posture. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

Edward MacTavisch. Name and device. Argent, a boar statant and on a chief gules an arrow Or.

Originally submitted as Edward MacTavish, the name was changed at kingdom to Edward Mac Tawish to match the documentation, Black, The Surnames of Scotland, s.n. MACTAVISH. However, this book shows the name as McTawisch. The sch spelling for the sound sh is the typical spelling for that sound in Scots during the 15th and 16th C. The submitter requested an authentic 13-15th C Scottish name that sounded like MacTavish. The spelling found in Black is support for the form MacTavisch: in 15th and 16th C Scots, the letters v and w are generally interchangable for representing the v sound and often where a name is spelled with the consonant w (w is also used for vowel sounds in Scots, but the w/v switch is considerably less common in that situation). For 16th C Scots, Dickenson, The Court Book of the Barony of Carnwath 1523-1542 has these examples: girdwod/girdvod, lewinstoune/levinstoune, somervil/somerwill, watson/vatson, and wrycht/vrycht. In the late 15th C, a quick glance at the first 15 pages of Bain, Records of the Burgh of Prestwick has these examples from the records of 1470: Walcar/Valcar (pp 2-3), Wode/Vode(pp 2 and 12), Ondirwod/Vndirvode (p 12). Given this, McTavisch is an expected alternative spelling for McTawisch. By precedent, the scribal abbreviation Mc in first generation Scottish surnames is expanded to Mac. We have changed the name to Edward MacTavisch, an authentic late 15th C form, to comply with precedent, match the documentation, and fulfill the submitter's request for authenticity.

Elizabeth of Rae Fen. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and argent crusily purpure, a spider argent.

The locative byname is grandfathered to the submitter; she is the daughter of Richard of Rae Fen, whose name was registered June 1984.

Elspeth MakCaddam. Name.

Kynwric Gwent. Badge. Sable, in fess a sword sustained at the hilt by two wings with hands issuant, a bordure embattled argent.

Lucia da Padua. Name.

Margareta Gijsberts. Name and device. Vert, on a chief wavy argent two bees sable.

Mariana Cristina Tirado de Aragon. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Meridies, Kingdom of. Reblazon of badge for the Order of the Argent Lily. (Fieldless) A lily blossom affronty argent.

Register in October 1997 with the blazon (Fieldless) A lily blossom argent, that blazon failed to note that the lily is in fact affronty.

Owen Arbalista. Alternate name Drogo FitzOdo.

Rodger de Morval. Name (see RETURNS for device).

As documented, this name is a step from period practice. There is a more than 300 year gap between the 1584 date given for the spelling Rodger and the 1238 date for Morval. While it seems likely that the spelling Morval was used later in period (it appears as a standard modern spelling in a number of history books), we have been unable to find an unambiguous example of this spelling dated between 1238 and 1650.

Simond del Brokes. Name and device. Argent, a wingless dragon rampant sable bellied and a bordure gules.

Nice 14th C English name!

Sorcha inghean Chaillin. Device. Per chevron vert and purpure, three Bowen crosses and a coney couchant argent.

Sorcha inghean Ghregoir. Name.

Listed on the LoI as Sorcha inghean Ghreagir, a timely correction of the name to Sorcha inghean Ghreagair was issued. The spelling Greagair was documented as a modern spelling in Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames. We have not found examples of this spelling in period. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index to Names in Irish Annals" (http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/) notes Gregoir as the closest spelling to the one submitted; the appropriate feminine patronymic form is inghean Ghregoir. We have changed the name to Sorcha inghean Ghregoir in order to register it.

Tobias Morgan. Name and device. Quarterly azure and argent, a fret couped counterchanged and a bordure sable.

Nice 16th C English name!

Please instruct the submitter that the bottom couped edges of the fret do not touch the bordure.

MIDDLE

Abel Frölicher. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Ædric Lambert. Device. Per pale azure and sable, in pale a roundel argent and a wolfsbane blossom stem to chief Or, a bordure argent.

There is no default orientation for a wolfsbane blossom. Please advise the submitter to draw the bordure at least twice as wide as shown in this submission.

Andreas von Meißen. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The submitter requested an authentic 15th-16th C German name, but this request was not summarized on the LoI. Had the name not already been an authentic 15th C German name, we would have been forced to pend this name.

Isabel Ximena Galiano de Valera. Device. Argent, a hummingbird rising vert and on a chief embattled purpure a feather bendwise sinister argent between two clay pots Or.

Blazoned on the LoI as jars, jars would have lids. The charges are clay pots: handle-less, footless, flat-bottomed vessels of this shape. The charge was first registered, in this form and blazon, to William Taylor the Pure, in August 1997.

The use of a hummingbird is a step from period practice. The Rules for Submission (RfS) section VII.4, as published on the June 2007 Cover Letter, state:

The use of flora and fauna native to the New World, Africa, Asia, and other non-European locales will be registerable if it is reasonable to believe that Europeans knew them in period. Their use will be considered a step from period practice, unless they were used as charges in period heraldry, including crests and badges, in which case their use is not a weirdness.

Commenters provided sufficient evidence that, while native to the Americas, the hummingbird was known to Europeans in period. Thus, a hummingbird may be registered but its use is considered a step from period practice.

Some commenters argued that this device should be returned for being two steps from period practice, with the second step being a complexity count of eight (four tinctures: argent, vert, purpure, Or, and four charges: hummingbird, chief, clay pots, and feather). Cited was the return of Cadwan Galwiddoe of Redmarch's badge in June 2000:

This device has multiple weirdnesses or rarities: a gyronny of sixteen with a central charge, a complexity count of eight, and identifiability problems with the primary charge. While none of these problems (with the possible exception of identifiability) would, by themselves, make the device returnable, the combination is fatal.

While a high complexity count may be grounds for return, it is not considered a step from period practice. There are examples of period armory - most notably Tudor armory - that have complexity counts of eight or higher. This is the reason that a maximum complexity count of eight is a guideline, not a limit (unlike the number of types of charges in a group). In general, armory with a high complexity count will be non-period in style, which may contribute to causes for a return. In this case, a complexity count of eight is acceptable as all of the charges are clearly identifiable, there is a single primary charge with charged chief, and the pattern an X between two Ys on a chief is not unknown in period heraldry.

Please advise the submitter to draw the feather somewhat larger and more clearly bendwise.

James Underhill. Name.

Kalan Rosovidov Kievich. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Zophia Pyotrowska. Name.

NORTHSHIELD

Eric of Nordleigh. Name.

Kateryn Lepton de Gilling. Name and device. Sable, on a cross raguly Or a martlet gules between four pears vert.

Nice 16th C English name!

Kolgrima Eiriksdottir. Name.

Nice Old Norse name!

The LoI's summary of documentation said that the forms Kolgrima and Eirikr appeared in Haraldson, The Old Norse Name, but the forms shown in that work were actually Kolgríma and Eiríkr. While we register Old Norse names both with and without the accents, when citing a source, it is important to show the form as it appears in the source -- in this case, the form with the accents.

Kristin Leifsdottir. Device. Argent, on a bend sinister between an increscent and a decrescent azure, three roses argent.

Raymond Silverwood. Alternate name Vitek Nahaika.

This name uses an unmarked patronymic in a Russian name; this is one step from period practice.

OUTLANDS

Gelgéis ingen Amargein. Name.

Listed on the LoI as Geléis ingen Amargein, the forms show the spelling Geileis ingen Amargein. Geiléis is the post-colon header form of this name in Ó Corrain and Maguire, Irish Names; this means it is the standard modern form. We only have evidence for the given name as an Old Irish name; a Gelghes ingen rig Connacht (Gelgeis, daughter of the king of Connacht) appears in a 654 entry of the Annals of Tigernach. We have no evidence that the name was either the name of a saint or continued in use until the Early Modern Irish period, so this name is only registerable in its Old or Middle Irish form. The standard Old/Middle Irish form for this name is Gelgéis (the first header form for the name in Ó Corráin and Maguire). We have changed the name to Gelgéis ingen Amargein, a fully Middle Irish form, in order to register it.

Joshua Dennesson. Name and device. Per bend vert and argent, an open scroll and a lion's gambe erased fesswise counterchanged.

SIREN

Sparre Pursuivant, Le. Release of heraldic title.

Stafford Herald. Release of heraldic title.

Suchenwirt Herald. Release of heraldic title.

Swethe Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Talbot Herald. Release of heraldic title.

Thury Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Torrington Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Tury Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Tyger Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Verrey Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Ville Bon Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Villebon Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Wark Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Waysford Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Werk Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Wexford Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

Worcester Herald. Release of heraldic title.

TRIMARIS

Ara Aradottir. Reblazon of device. Or, a ruby-throated hummingbird rising proper, on a chief azure three oak leaves bendwise sinister inverted Or.

When registered in April 1988, this was blazoned Or, a male ruby-throated hummingbird volant, wings elevated, proper, on a chief azure, three oak leaves bendwise sinister inverted Or [Archilachus colubris]. The hummingbird is actually in the posture blazoned as rising in Society armory, which means the wings need not be specified. We've also simplified the blazon a bit, removing the bird's gender and Linnaean specification.

WEST

Alan of Ockham. Reblazon of device. Gules, on a pile bendwise inverted throughout Or a hummingbird hovering palewise vert, throated gules, tailed sable.

When registered in June 1981, this was blazoned Gules, on a pile inverted bendwise throughout Or, an Allen's hummingbird hovering palewise proper [Selasphorus sasin]. This is the Society's defining instance of the hovering posture for hummingbirds. However, the bird is not tinctured as an Allen's hummingbird: it does not, for instance, match any of the photos at the Academy of Natural Sciences website (vireo.acnatsci.org). We have reblazoned the bird's tinctures explicitly, and removed the Linnaean specification from the blazon. Please see this month's Cover Letter for further discussion.

- Explicit littera accipendorum -

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN RETURNED FOR FURTHER WORK:

ÆTHELMEARC

Marian of Blackwood. Device. Quarterly argent semy of trefoils sable and sable, a rose proper.

This is returned for conflict with the badge for the House of Lancaster, (Fieldless) A rose gules. Due to the size and number of the trefoils, and the wide variety of ermine spots used in period heraldry, this appears to be Quarterly ermine and sable, a rose proper. As such, there is only a single CD for adding the equivalent of a field. Similarly, the submitted device conflicts with the device for Judith the Rose, Argent, a rose gules slipped and leaved proper. There's a CD for the field but none for slipping and leaving.

AN TIR

Avacal, Principality of. Order name The Order of the Valkyrie.

This order name does not match known meta-patterns for order names. The meta-patterns for order names only support orders named for specific deities, not classes of deities. The documentation provided for this name, The Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. Walkyrie, notes this is a designation for a class of goddesses, not the name of a particular goddess. Although there is a note "found only as the rendering of L Bellona, the goddess of war, or of names of the Furies and Gorgons of classical mythology", in this case, we believe "rendering" to mean "gloss" rather than "alternative name". The quote given for these definitions shows several Roman and Greek names followed by the header word: "c725 Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) E351 Eurynis, walcyr{z}e. Ibid. H87 Herinis, walcri{zz}e. Ibid. T159 Tisifone, uual~cyr{z}e." This is a glossary equating particular Furies and goddess names as "walkyrie", saying each was named "walkyrie". While the name of a particular Valkyrie may be registerable as the descriptive element of an order name, the word describing the class of deities known as Valkyrie is not. We note, too, that the spelling Valkyrie is unattested until the 18th C.

We note that the definate article the is not typically found before the designator of an order name. In resubmitting, we would recommend dropping this article.

Tobias le Blunt. Device. Per pale argent and sable, two piles palewise each charged with a roundel counterchanged.

This device is returned for presumption: under our rules, this is marshalled armory. The Rules for Submissions section XI.3 states "No section of the field may contain an ordinary that terminates at the edge of that section, or more than one charge unless those charges are part of a group over the whole field." A pile is an ordinary, therefore this is considered to impale the arms Argent, on a pile sable a roundel argent and Sable, on a pile argent a roundel sable.

Tomas deCourcy. Name.

No documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that the form deCourcy, with the preposition and name joined and the capital letter in the middle of the formation, was found in period. While the submitter has documented that some form of de Courcy was used, the submitted form appeared only in a list of apparently modernized names found in Arthur Kinney, Titled Elizabethans. All other examples of the name show a space between the preposition and the name itself, and we have no examples of other names in Elizabethan times that use this particular pattern. Barring documentation that this particular rendering is actually found in Elizabethan times, it is not registerable. We would change the name to Tomas de Courcy, but the submitter will accept no changes.

ANSTEORRA

None.

ATENVELDT

None.

ATLANTIA

Giles Green. Device. Quarterly argent ermined vert and vert, in bend sinister two hummingbirds rising contourny, each sustaining with both feet a sword fesswise reversed argent.

This is returned for the appearance of marshalling. His previous submission was returned on the January 2007 LoAR with the note: "This device is returned for a redraw of the swords. The swords are small, which is appropriate for maintained charges, but because they are mostly against the bodies of the birds they have no contrast. It is obvious that there is something there, so it needs to be included in the blazon, but the swords are unidentifiable and so the device must be returned." It was the fact that the swords were against the birds' bodies, not their size, that was the main problem. In attempting to correct that problem, the swords were drawn larger, thereby introducing a new problem. The Rules for Submission (XI.3.b) require each section of a quartered field to contain no more than a single charge; the sustained swords are large enough to violate that rule, creating the appearance of quartered arms.

There was some question whether or not this device could be registered even with maintained charges. As explained in the Cover Letter, this design - with the swords clearly maintained and identifiable - would be registerable.

The use of a hummingbird is a step from period practice. The Rules for Submission (RfS) section VII.4, as published on the June 2007 Cover Letter, state:

The use of flora and fauna native to the New World, Africa, Asia, and other non-European locales will be registerable if it is reasonable to believe that Europeans knew them in period. Their use will be considered a step from period practice, unless they were used as charges in period heraldry, including crests and badges, in which case their use is not a weirdness [sic].

Commenters provided sufficient evidence that, while native to the Americas, the hummingbird was known to Europeans in period. Thus, a hummingbird may be registered but its use is considered a step from period practice.

CAID

Amina az-Zahra'. Name.

Conflict with Aminah al-Zarqah, registered August 2003. The given names are alternative transliterations of each other. The bynames differ slightly in sound, but not significantly. In this case, both al- and az- are pronounced \ahz\. In addition, we do not register the form az-:

The byname al-Zahra is pronounced 'az-Zahra', but it is always written al-Zahra...[Zubaydah az-Zahra, 02/02, R-Meridies]

These two names are too close in sound and appearance. To clear this conflict, we suggest adding an additional descriptive or patronymic byname. We also suggest changing the az- to the required form al-.

Her armory was registered under the holding name Amina of Gyldenholt.

Ellisif Leifsdóttir. Device. Per bend sinister purpure and azure, a bend sinister Or between a cresset argent flammant proper and a bird perched atop a branch fesswise argent.

This device is returned for redrawing. The flames proper are not correctly drawn - they are Or fimbriated gules, which is sufficient reason for return. The branch is not clearly a branch - many commenters were unable to identify it; this may have been sufficient grounds for return by itself. We note that this has a complexity count of nine, with five tinctures (purpure, azure, Or, argent, and gules) and four charges (bend sinister, cresset, bird, branch); as a rule of thumb the complexity count should not exceed eight. This contributes to the reasons for return. We recommend that the submitter consider reducing the complexity count. On resubmission, please advise the submitter that the bird should be drawn less plump.

The primary charge was blazoned on the LoI as a bend; sufficient commenters noted that it is actually a bend sinister that this need not be pended for further conflict checking.

Some commenters noted that the charge in chief, blazoned on the LoI as a beacon was incorrectly drawn and should be returned for that reason. Batonvert noted

the charge in chief, though not a beacon, is nonetheless a period charge. It's known as a cresset (or sometimes a fire-basket), and was the part of the beacon that sat atop the pole (Friar's Dictionary of Heraldry, p.115). The cresset was the badge of John Holland, Duke of Exeter, d.1446, mentioned as such in a political broadside written in 1449 (Gayre's Heraldic Standards, p.94; Fox-Davies' Heraldic Badges, p.100). It was also one of Henry V's badges, to judge by the illustration in Bedingfeld & Gwynn-Jones' Heraldry, p.129.

As a period heraldic charge, it is registerable.

Henri le Juif. Device. Per bend purpure and sable, a bend wavy between a sword and a rose argent.

This device is returned for lack of identifiability of the sword: the quillons appear to be sable and thus invisible on the purpure field, fatally hindering the sword's identifiability.

The field was blazoned on the LoI as per bend wavy. We have reblazoned it simply as per bend as it is impossible to tell that the field has a complex line of division.

Isabeau d'Aquitaine. Device. Per pale purpure and sable, a coney courant and a bordure argent.

This is returned for conflict with the device for Sionán Ó Cruimin, Sable, a rabbit statant, a bordure argent: there is a single CD for changes to the field. A rabbit and a coney are the same charge and no difference is granted between courant and statant.

Johann von Magdeburg. Device. Sable, in canton a goblet and a gore sinister argent.

This device is returned for conflict with the device of Frederic Badger, Sable, a chalice within an orle argent. There is a CD for changing the peripheral ordinary from an orle to a gore. In returning Sable, in chief a dragon couchant Or and a gore Or papellony gules (Miklos Temesvari, October 2006) for conflict with Sable, a dragon dormant Or, it was ruled:

There is a CD for adding the gore; however, the gore forces the dragon to move and thus there is not a CD for the position of the dragon. RfS X.4.g states "Changing the relative position of charges in any group placed directly on the field or overall is one clear difference, provided that the change is not caused by other changes in the design." Adding the gore forces the dragon to move, thus its location cannot grant CD.

In the same manner, there is not a CD for the forced move of the goblet in the submitted device and, thus, this must be returned for conflict.

Lyondemere, Barony of. Badge. Barry wavy vert and argent, a sandpiper close Or.

This badge is returned for multiple conflicts: the device of John of Ravenwolf, Sable, a raven speaking Or, beaked and membered argent; the badge of Falan Bitor, Gules ermined argent, a duck naiant Or; and the device of Sabine de Provence, Quarterly azure and ermine, a hen close Or. In each case, there is a CD for changes to the field but nothing for the type of bird.

The submitted badge is clear of the device of Sabia Gunnhild Hunang, Gules, a Celtic hawk statant close reguardant Or with and the device of Vigge Jonsson, Vert, a dunghill cock Or. In each case there is a CD for changes to the field and a second CD for changing the type of bird. We note that a Celtic hawk is a hawk in name only; in fact, there may be a CD between a hawk and a Celtic hawk though we decline to so rule at this time.

Ránulfr Þorfinnsson. Device. Vert, a horse courant dismembered argent, between two axes in chevron blades to center Or and a flame proper.

This was pended on the May 2007 LoAR for a discussion of whether or not the arms of Rohan should be protected. The consensus of the College was that those arms, Vert, a horse courant argent, are indeed important enough to protect. For a discussion of this decision, please see under Rohan in the Laurel Acceptances of this LoAR.

As the arms of Rohan are protected, the submitted device must be returned for conflict with them. There is a CD for adding the secondary charges but nothing for dismembering the horse.

Sárán Ó Donnchadha. Name.

This name was withdrawn by the submitter.

Theodric of Pavia. Device. Per bend sinister Or and gules, two eagles volant palewise heads to sinister counterchanged.

This device is returned as the eagles cannot be reproduced from the blazon: they are less eagles than cloissoné brooches from the Angevin period. We note that by default eagles are displayed; these eagles are not displayed as by definition that requires there be legs sticking out on either side, which these do not have.

CALONTIR

Eisenhund, College of. Branch name change from Lost Forest, Shire of.

This place name does not match known patterns for forming German place names. No documentation was provided and none found to support the use of -hund "hound" or for any animal name as the second element in two-part compound German town or city names. While animal names are used in this way in house names, house names are not appropriate models for branch names. Barring documentation for such a formation, it is not registerable.

Maximillian Johann von Kleve. Device. Sable, an orle of crosses formy argent.

This device has been withdrawn by the submitter.

Sythe Blackwolfe. Household name House Dragon's Haven.

This name does not follow a documented pattern for household names. While it has been demonstrated that Haven was used in place names in period (specifically for harbor names or the names of areas near harbors), such names follow certain patterns. Rowel noted several examples from Speed's The Counties of Britain; they include Waterford haven ([town name] + haven), New Haven ([new] + [topographic element]), (North Haven [direction] + [topographic element]). Mills, A Dictionary of British Place Names, s.n. Little Haven and Broad Haven have the Lytel hauen and Brode Hauen both in 1578 ([shape description] + haven). Dragon or Dragon's falls into none of these categories. The most common pattern found is [place name] + haven. To form a place name using the elements dragon and haven, dragon would need to be part of a properly constructed English place name. That is not the case here. Given this, we are forced to return this name.

In resubmitting please note the comments below about patterns of late period English house names. In addition, the apostrophe in Dragon's is not registerable. The apostrophe was not used in English for possessives until after 1650.

The question was raised whether names of the form House + [place name] followed a pattern found in English names for groups of organized people. We have found no examples of this pattern. However, we have some examples of the pattern [place name] + [house/hall/lodge]. All examples below are from John Norden, Speculum Britanniae. The first parte an historicall, & chorographicall discription of Middlesex. Wherin are also alphabeticallie sett downe, the names of the cyties, townes, parishes hamletes, howses of name &c. W.th direction spedelie to finde anie place desired in the mappe & the distance betwene place and place without compasses. Cum priuilegio. By the trauaile and vew of Iohn Norden. Anno 1593. Names include Enfielde house (located in Enfield), Northals lodge (in Northals), and Lambeth house (near Lambeth), and Westminster Hall (in Westminster). There are several other examples based on either a territorial title or the surname of the original builder (in very few cases does the name of the listed resident match the name of the house). Examples include Augustines Lodge, Buls Lodge, Bufhoppes hall, New hall, Hendon house, Bassings hall, Heneage House, Schrewsburye house, More hall, Durham house (built by the Bishop of Durham), and Burghley house (built by Lord Burghley). Given this, we would recommend late period household names following either of these patterns [surname] + [house or hall], [surname]+s + [house, hall, or lodge], [place name] + [house, hall, or lodge].

DRACHENWALD

None.

EAST

Freydis Karlsdottir. Device. Argent, two bars wavy azure between a fox courant gules and a pair of scissors bendwise sinister, points to base vert.

This device is returned for lack of documentation: the scissors appear to be modern scissors and are not registerable without documentation that this form of scissors is found within our period of study. On resubmission, please advise the submitter to draw the waves with more amplitude.

Patrick McConville. Device. Sable, a spoon Or.

This device is returned for conflict with the badge of Balin the Fairhaired, Sable, an oar Or. The visual resemblance between the two armories is overwhelming. It is also a technical conflict with Balin's badge: while X.4.e gives a CD between an oar and a spoon, we need substantial difference (X.2) to bring these armories clear.

Þórlæifr hvítskegg. Device. Sable, three wolf's heads caboshed one and two argent each jessant of an arrow Or.

This device is returned for combining two elements each of which is a step from period practice. As noted in the return of Æðeluulf munuc's device on the November 2007 LoAR:

This device is returned for combining two elements each of which is a step from period practice. The period motif of a lion's face jessant-de-lys, with a lion's or leopard's head cabossed and a fleur-de-lys issuant from the back of its head and out its open mouth, was the basis for this design; but we have no examples of the motif that uses any head but a lion's head, or any jessant charge but a fleur-de-lys. In theory, one might substitute another type of head, but precedent speaks to that issue:

[considering an owl's head jessant-de-lis] There was ... some concern that we here we are getting too far from period practice. (Period practice being leopard's head jessant-de-lys; one step from period practice being other beast's heads; and two steps from period practice being other types of heads, including birds' heads.) [Eudoxia d'Antioche, 03/96]

In theory, one might also substitute another type of jessant charge: but the history of the lion's face jessant-de-lys makes that improbable as a period motif. The original form of the arms of Cantilou or Cantilupe, Gules, three fleurs-de-lys Or, was modified c.1290 to Gules, three leopards' heads jessant-de-lys Or [Wagner's Historic Heraldry of Britain, p. 43]; so the heads were a modification of the fleurs-de-lys, not the other way around. There are, of course, other examples of animals' heads transfixed by pointed charges (swords, spearheads, etc.) in period; but the specific motif of a head jessant-de-[charge] is unique and separate from those. We must rule, based on the motif's history, that having a head jessant any charge besides a fleur-de-lys is likewise a step from period practice.

So we have the use of a head (not a leopard's) jessant, which is one step from period practice; and the use of jessant-de-[not a fleur-de-lys], which is a second step from period practice. (And the ram's head here is definitely jessant: the gold of the trumpet is seen coming out of the ram's mouth, and is in front of the lower jaw.) The two steps together bring this beyond the permissible bounds of heraldic style; it must be returned.

Mind you, if this had been Counter-ermine, a straight trumpet Or surmounted by a ram's head cabossed argent armed Or, it would have been acceptable style; and we were tempted to register it that way. But we cannot register a manifestly incorrect blazon merely to avoid a stylistic problem; by the correct blazon for what was submitted, this must be returned.

In the case of the submitted device, we also have the use of a head (not a leopard's) jessant, which is one step from period practice; and the use of jessant-de-[not a fleur-de-lys], which is a second step from period practice. And, as with the ram's head last month, the wolf's heads here are definitely jessant: the gold of the arrows is seen coming out of the wolves' mouths, and the arrows are in front of the lower jaws.

We note that, barring conflict or another stylistic problem, that Sable, three arrows one and two Or each surmounted by a wolf's head caboshed argent would be registerable.

The submitted device is clear of the device for Cameron of Caldoon, Sable, three ornamental Chinese Fu dog's heads cabossed argent: Cameron's dogs heads are not canine heads; an ornamental Chinese Fu dog is a statute not a canine. Therefore, there is a CD for the type of primary charge and another for their arrangement.

LAUREL

None.

LOCHAC

None.

MERIDIES

Beornwulf s{e-} cealdheort. Badge. (Fieldless) An acorn azure.

Unfortunately, this must be returned as the emblazon in OSCAR does not match the emblazon sent to Laurel: the internal detailing, including the lines on the cap, differs between the two emblazons.

Mariana Cristina Tirado de Aragon. Device. Or, a chili pepper proper entwined with a snake head to dexter vert.

A chili pepper proper is gules with a vert cap.

This is device is returned for conflict with the device of Cei Wiclif of Haewengraes, Or, a chili pepper bendwise sinister proper. There is a CD for the orientation of the chili pepper, but nothing for adding the snake, which is the equivalent of a maintained charge.

Rodger de Morval. Device. Per pale checky sable and argent and gules, two lozenges counterchanged and a horse rampant per pale argent and checky sable and argent.

This device is returned for lack of contrast. This was blazoned on the LoI as Per pale checky sable and argent and gules, two lozenges and a horse rampant counterchanged. That matched the emblazon posted on OSCAR; however, the form sent to Laurel had the dexter half of the horse as argent not gules; argent on a field checky sable and argent lacks sufficient contrast for registration. In addition, we are not convinced that a horse that is partially checky can be drawn in such a manner that it is recognizable. Based on the emblazon in OSCAR, this would have been returned for lack of identifiability if it had not been returned for lack of contrast.

Sorcha inghean Chaillin. Name correction from Sorcha ingan Chaillene.

This correction was made when her name was registrated in October 2007. There is no need to make it again.

MIDDLE

Abel Frölicher. Device. Azure, in bend sinister a heart and a hand in benediction Or.

This device is returned for administrative reasons: the shape of the escutcheon differs significantly from that of the standard form. While armory may be displayed on any shape, it must be submitted on the approved forms using the standard display area.

Andreas von Meißen. Device. Per pale gules and argent, a fess wavy cotised counterchanged, overall an eagle displayed within an orle Or.

This device is returned for a redraw or redesign. The wide, shallow waves of the fess and cotises are fatally obscured by the overlying charges. Drawing the fess and cotises with more, and deeper, waves may alleviate this problem. On resubmission, please advise the submitter to draw the orle wider.

Kalan Rosovidov Kievich. Device. Per pale azure and gules, a double-headed eagle and in chief three mullets argent.

This device is returned for a redraw: the eagle's tail is larger than its body. This emblazon is unlikely to be reconstructed from the blazon, and must therefore be returned for violating the Rules for Submission section VII.7.b.

Vitus Aurelius. Device (see PENDS for name). Gules, six towers three and three within a bordure argent.

This device is returned for conflict with the badge for Manfried Odo von Falkenmond, Gules, perched atop a tower a hooded falcon, within a bordure argent. There is a CD for changing the number of primary charges. The falcon is a maintained charge; there is not a CD for removing it.

NORTHSHIELD

None.

OUTLANDS

Cilléne mac Conghalaigh. Device. Per chevron vert and sable, two daggers in chevron and a wolf passant reguardant argent.

This device is returned for using what appears to be sgian dubhs, which to the best of our knowledge are non-period artifacts. Barring evidence that this is a period form of a dagger, standard heraldic daggers should be used on resubmission.

Lingormr gympe inn eykr. Name.

The grammar of this name is incorrect. The byname ekyr is documented as a byname meaning "horse, beast of burden", in other words it is a noun used as a byname. The element inn, however, when found in bynames, is only used with weak-form adjectives. We would drop the element inn, but the submitter will not allow major changes such as dropping an element. Therefore, we are forced to return this name.

Tómas Halvar. Name and device. Quarterly argent and vert, a sinister hand aversant inverted issuant from chief and a two-fingered dexter hand aversant issuant from base argent.

As submitted, this name can only be interpreted as two given names without a byname. Halvar was documented as a late period Swedish given name. No documentation was submitted and none found to support unmarked patronymics in Swedish, or of a practice of using a second given name without a byname in this culture. The given name was documented as Old Norse, but there is no evidence for unmarked patronymics or double given names without a byname (for that matter, for double given names at all) in that culture. We would mark the patronymic, changing the name to Tómas Halvarson, but this would significantly change the sound and appearance of the byname; a major change which the submitter will not accept. Therefore, we are forced to return this name.

This device is returned for lack of documentation of the use of a hand with three fingers as used in this submission. Nor was documentation provided, or found by the College, for the use of two hands with differing numbers of fingers in period heraldry.

The majority of those polled, both heralds and non-heralds, saw this as a display of gang signs. This is also sufficient grounds for return under section IX of the Rules for Submission ("Offensive Armory") as well as section VIII.4 ("Obtrusive Modernity"). Using two identical hands in the same posture would remove this appearance.

This does not violate the so-called "sword-and-dagger" rule, which prohibits the use of two similar but non-identical charges in the same armory (for example, see the return of Desiderata Drake device on the March 2007 LoAR). In this case, the two charges are the same charge - they are just in different orientations and postures. However, this is not good style and its use is not recommended.

This does not create the appearance of marshalled armory under Society rules as both charges are the same charge (a hand). This is no different than allowing something like two lions combatant, which can also be blazoned as a lion rampant to sinister and a lion rampant.

SIREN

Toell Volland Pursuivant. Release of heraldic title.

This title was released in May 2006.

TRIMARIS

None.

WEST

None.

- Explicit littera renuntiationum -

THE FOLLOWING ITEMS HAVE BEEN PENDED UNTIL THE August 2008 LAUREL MEETING (OR AS NOTED):

MIDDLE

Sirið Þorgiersdottir. Name.

This submitter made a request for an authentic 12th C Viking name, but this request was not mentioned on the LoI. We are pending this name to give the commenters the opportunity to address this request.

This item originally appear in the Middle August 2007 LoI. Here is the summarization of information for this submission:

Submitter desires a female name.

No major changes.

Language most important.

Culture (12th Century Viking) most important.

[Sirið]-- Lena Peterson "Nordiskt runnamnslexikon as a runic form of Sigriðr the headform is <Sigrîðr>, where I've used a circumflex instead of the macron in the original, and the form <Sirið> is not found in the article. (This is hardly surprising: there was no <ð> in the runic alphabet.) The runic nominative forms given there are <sikriR>, <sikriþ>, <si[k]riþr>, <si[kr]iþr>, <siriþ>, <[siriþ]>, <[siri(þ)]>, <siriþr>, and an incomplete <siriþ...>. If I remember correctly, square brackets indicate readings taken from older sources of runes that have over time become unreadable or of inscriptions that no longer exist, and parentheses indicate more or less conjectural readings of runes that have been partly defaced over time.

It is important to realize that runic spelling conventions were very different from those used with Roman letters, because the futhark, or runic alphabet, was very different from the Roman alphabet. For most of the Viking age, for instance, it had only 16 letters. In particular, it had only a single rune, transcribed <k>, used for both the k and the g sounds. In non-runic (Roman alphabet) sources, forms without the <g> don't appear until the late 15th century (E.H. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Personbinamn från Medeltiden, Uppsala, 1920-1, s.v. <Sigríðr>). Specifically, he has <Sirid> 1491, <Siridh> 1491, and <Sirryth> 1498. The documents cited can be seen at <http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/middelalder/diplom_vise_tekst.prl?b=8562&s=n&str> =>

for the first two and <http://www.dokpro.uio.no/perl/middelalder/diplom_vise_tekst.prl?b=4487&s=n&str> => for the third; these are Norwegian documents.

[Þorgeirsdottir -- Bassi, "Old Norse Names," p. 16, <Þorgeirr> 51 occurrences recorded; common usage to change 'r' to 's' for 'daughter of.'

This was item 7 on the Middle letter of August 4, 2007.

Victorius Suspectus. Name change from Andrew Bend.

The submitter requested an authentic Roman name, which was not mentioned on the LoI. We are pending this item to allow the commenters the opportunity to address this request.

In addition, the forms clearly note this as a name change from Andrew Bend, registered July 2003. The submitter notes that if the new name is registered, he wishes to release his old name.

This item appear on the August 2007 Middle LoI. Here is the documentation that appeared on the LoI:

Submitter desires a male name.

Sound ('Vici" is what they call me) most important.

Culture (Roman, any period) most important.

[Victorius] -- Morlet `Les noms de personne sur le territoire de l'ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe siècle', vol II," p. 116, "A.787" with -tur- "a. 517-523," "a. 567" <Victorius> is an attested Roman nomen (gens name,gentilicium) (Heikki Solin and Olli Salomies, Repertorium nominum gentilicium et cognominum Latinorum, Olms-Weidmann, New York, 1988, p. 208).

[Suspectus] -- masc. form of Suspecta, Morlet, vol II, p. 109, "which I think it says is that <Suspecta> is from the past participle of the verb <suspicio> 'to suspect, to surmise', used as a byname. This is not listed by Solin and Salomies as a known cognomen, no specific date."

According to the Pennsic worksheet: "he'll also accept <Fuscus> "dark" as his 2nd name, which is found (sans specific dates), Morlet, vol II, p. 53 s.n. Fusco, This is a well-known Roman cognomen (Solin & Salomies, p. 336). He'll also take <Victor> if Victorius isn't acceptable, it's found in "Common Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the 6th and 7th Century," by Bardas Xiphias."

This was item 8 on the Middle letter of August 4, 2007.

Vitus Aurelius. Name.

The submitter requested an authentic Roman name, but no mention of this request was made on the LoI. We are pending this name to allow the commenters a chance to address this request.

This item appeared on the August 2007 Middle LoI. Here is the accompanying information from the LoI:

Submitter desires a male name.

No major changes.

Culture (Roman, any time period) most important.

According to the Pennsic Worksheet: Díez Melcón gives <Vita> p. 83 and <Aurelius> p. 169 as Latin names that give rise to 10th to 13th century Spanish names. . . ." Heikki Solin and Olli Salomies, Repertorium nominum gentilicium et cognominum Latinorum, Olms-Weidmann, New York, 1988, pp. 28, 472, show <Aurelius> as a known Roman nomen (gens name, gentilicium) and <Vitus> as a known Roman cognomen

This was item 9 on the Middle letter of August 4, 2007.

- Explicit -