ÆTHELMEARC
Æthelmearc, Kingdom of. Badge for Order of the Golden Stirrup. (Fieldless) A stirrup Or leathered gules. 
This is clear of James Ericsson, (Fieldless) A stirrup Or, leathered azure. There is a CD for being a fieldless badge. Since James's armory is not drawn with the leather strap large enough to be considered half the charge, his stirrup is considered to be entirely Or. The strap in the new submission is large enough to be considered half the charge. Therefore, there is a CD for the change of the charge from all Or to half gules, half Or. Were James's leather half the charge, this would still be clear, with the second CD coming from the change of tincture of half the charge from azure to gules.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Barak Elandris Bear the Wallsbane. Augmentation of device. Per chevron inverted grady sable and Or, masoned sable, in chief a bear's paw print Or and for augmentation in chief a demi-escarbuncle argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Beatrix Krieger. Name and device. Or goutty de sang, a cat couchant guardant and on a chief sable an ax fesswise reversed blade to base Or. 
The submitter indicated that if the name had to be changed, she cared most about 12th-century language and culture. The name is registerable as submitted; it's an excellent late 15th C/early 16th C German name. In the 12th century, we would expect the byname to be feminized, e.g., Beatrix Kriegerin.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Brandr húslangr. Device. Azure, on a bend argent cotised Or, a rose gules slipped and leaved vert. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Briana de Mendoza. Name and device. Gules, an eagle argent and a bordure argent semy of cedar trees vert. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Catalina de Luna. Name and device. Per pale purpure and Or, a quatrefoil and in chief three decrescents counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Catherine O'Herlihy. Badge. (Fieldless) An otter's head cabossed azure sustaining in its mouth a reed pen argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Daiwyn Cadwaladwr. Name and device. Gules, a mouse rampant contourny argent, in base three fleurs-de-lys Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Elizabeth Thorne. Name change from Rose Thorne. 
The submitter requested authenticity for 12th-14th C England. Both elements are dated to the 13th C, so this is a fine 13th C English name.
Her previous name, Rose Thorne, is retained as an alternate name.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Gabriel de Wenslagh. Name and device. Gules, a stag at gaze and on a chief argent three bickerns gules. 
Bickern is another term for a two-horned anvil.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Ghita Rinaldi de Amici. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Giovanni da Monza. Name and device. Gyronny Or and sable, three griffins segreant gules. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Griffin le Grey. Name and device. Argent, on a chevron between three lymphads in full sail azure three escallops argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 13 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Grímólfr berserkr. Name and device. Per pale azure and argent, three wolf's heads erased counterchanged. 
This is clear of the device for Lochlainn mac Faoláin Bháin, Per pale azure and argent, a chevron between three wolf's heads erased counterchanged, by X.1, for removal of the primary chevron.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Gytha Oddsdottir. Name and device. Per chevron inverted azure and vert, in chief a cat dormant Or and issuant from dexter base three wolf's teeth argent. 
The given name was documented from Withycombe, Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, s.n. Githa, who mentions the 11th C Danish wife of the Earl of Wessex. However, Withycombe in this case is using a standardized form of the name, so this does not support the use of the spelling Gytha in the 11th century. However, alternate documentation can be given; Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn s.n. Gydha dates Gytha to 1259. Using this alternate documentation, the name combines Swedish and Old Norse; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 15 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Nishimura Saburou. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 16 on the Ã+thelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Petr Kotok. Device. Quarterly gules and sable, a bezant between eight sickles in annulo hafts to center Or. 
There was some question in commentary as to whether this charge is visually similar to a sun and, if so, whether it is a visual conflict. Consensus at the meeting was that it was clearly identifiable as a roundel between sickles, and therefore, visually distinct from a sun.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 17 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]
Willehalm Sturmere. Name. 
This name is withdrawn by request of the submitter.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 18 on the Æthelmearc letter of May 31, 2008.]

ANSTEORRA
Coblaith Muimnech. Name change from Coblaith Mhuimhneach and device. Azure fretty, a chief Or. 
Her previous name, Coblaith Mhuimhneach, is released.
The submitter has permission to conflict with Elizabeth Upton, Azure, a fret and on a chief Or a castle azure.
The submitter has permission to conflict with Gwydden Lawen, Sable, a fret and a chief Or. The letter was sufficient to provide Coblaith permission to conflict so we can register Coblaith's device. The letter also included provisions for a blanket permission to conflict from Gwydden, which has been addressed under the West returns.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Luke Aucher. Device. Argent, a great auk close sable and a chief rayonny gules. 
Please instruct the submitter to draw the bird with more internal detailing.
This is the defining instance of a great auk in SCA heraldry. Several reference works state that its habitat included Europe. The last recorded specimens in Britain were found in County Waterford in 1834, the last in Scotland being on the island of St. Kilda in July 1840. As fauna native to Europe, the use of a great auk is not considered a step from period practice.
The earliest citation of the "auk", according to the OED, is "1580 Tusser Husb. (1878) 140 Ill husbandry drowseth At fortune so auke: good husbandry rowseth himselfe as a hauke." The other term for this sort of bird, the garefowl, appears in the OED with an earliest citation of "c 1549 Munro in Sibald De Animalibus Scotiæ 22 Avis Gare dicta, Corvo Marino Similis, ovo maximo", defined as "The great auk." Since both terms appear to be period, we will allow either, and will retain the canting term used by the submitter.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Matthias von Tirol der wachter. Name. 
Submitted as Matthias von Tirol der Wachter, no documentation was provided on the LoI for putting a literal descriptive after a locative byname formed with von in German. Ælfwynn Leoflæde dohtor provides the following examples from Socin, Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch. Nach oberrheinischen Quellen des 12. und 13. Jahrhunderts:
	-	Sifrit von Binzhein der schifman BKI (p. 312)
	-	Albrecht von Blazheim der phister 1299 (p. 312)
	-	meister Heinrich von Emmerrach der phister 1293 (p.315)
	-	meyer Johans von Hesingen der m{ui}nzer 1297 (p.318)
	-	Ch{uo}nrat von L{ov}fen der grat{uo}cher 1299 (p. 320)
	-	Rodolf von Mulnhusen der kremer 1280 (p.322)
	-	her Diethelm von Sliengen der meiger von Liela 1298 (p.328)
	-	Ch{uo}nzin und Heinrich von Spire die steinmezzigin BKI (p.328)
	-	her Johannes von St{ue}lingen der schriber 1298 (p.329)
	-	Johans von Friburg der kuphersmit 1293 (p.332)
	-	Johans von Wolfswilr der suter 1297 (p. 333)
	-	Peter von Wolfswilr der suter 1297 (p. 333)
	-	Johannes von Zeringen der stocwerter 1300 (p. 334)
In all of these examples, the literal descriptive is not capitalized. We have changed the name to Matthias von Tirol der wachter to match the documented examples.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Melinda del Feld. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
Melinda is the submitter's legal given name.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Melinda del Feld. Device. Per bend sinister vert and argent, in dexter chief a garb Or. 
This is in conflict with the armory of Roderick Elkington, Per bend sinister vert and argent, a garb Or and a loaf of bread proper, registered elsewhere on this letter. There is a single CD for removing the bread, which is half of the primary charge group. Both Melinda and Roderick are members of the SCA, so we must consider the order in which the LoIs were received. Gleann Abhann's Letter was dated May 20 and Ansteorra's was dated May 30. Roderick is, therefore, given precedence and we are forced to return this device.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Rachel Caimbeul. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Gyronny sable and Or, on a lozenge purpure a horse rampant argent. 
Several commenters suggested that the use of the surname Caimbuel combined with the gyronny sable and Or field constituted a claim of pretense. This is not the case. Laurel set precedent in April 2006, in the acceptance of the armory of Fáelán Caimbeul:
This device is evocative of Campbell, Duke of Argyll (important non-SCA arms), Gyronny Or and sable; however, as it has two CDs from the Campbell arms there is not an issue of pretense. This is an extension of the precedent set in the October 2001 Cover Letter, which stated in part "Note that if a real-world coat of arms is not considered important enough to protect in the SCA, a CD will certainly suffice to remove any problem of presumption due to the combination of name and armory." Laurel has previously ruled on the combination of the Campbell name and arms, in registering Gyronny Or and sable, a wolf's head cabossed argent, on a chief gules three crescents Or to Alasdair Iain Caimbeul in November 1990, stating "Several commenters expressed some qualms about the combination of the surname Campbell (in any form) and the gyronny arms of the Campbells. Given that the only allusion to the Campbells in the arms here is the gyronny field and that this proposal has three Clear Visual Differences from the Campbell arms, we felt that the allusion was not excessive."
The submitted armory has an identical issue. While it is undeniably reminiscent of the protected arms of Campbell, Duke of Argyll, Gyronny Or and sable, it has two CDs from those arms, for the addition of the charged lozenge, and is therefore not presumptuous.
Submitted under the name Regan Caimbeul.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Regan Caimbeul. Name. 
This is returned for lack of documentation for Regan used as a given name, either masculine or feminine. Regan was documented on the LoI from Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames, s.nn. Mac Riagáin, Ó Riagáin, which dates the Anglicized Irish forms M'Regan and O Regane to temp. Elizabeth I-James I. However, there are various 16th and early 17th century mac- and Ó- style bynames in Woulfe which are based on given names that fell out of use many centuries earlier. Riagán appears to be such a name; the name does not appear in Ó Corráin and Maguire, Irish Names, and Mari Elspeth nic Brian, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", only has examples in the Old and Middle Irish eras, the latest being a record from 1191, referring to a man who had probably died earlier. Lacking evidence that the given name Riagán was used in the 16th century, the citations from Woulfe do not support the registerability of Regan as an Anglicized Irish given name.
The submitter indicated that she desired a feminine name; the examples discussed above are all masculine. The only instances of Regan used as a feminine name that could be found by the commenters occur in literature, in Spenser's "Faerie Queen", book 2 Canto 10, Holinshed's The Historie of England, book 2 Chapter 5, and Shakespeare's "King Lear". However, none of these examples meet the requirements for registerability of literary names. The original precedent on the registerability of literary names, set on the February 1999 cover letter, says that "minor characters from minor works may or may not be acceptable." Though the "Faerie Queene" and Holinshed are definitely not minor works, the character Regan in both is a minor character, being mentioned only once and in passing. Also, the literary names allowance only extends to names found in literature published before 1600. Past precedent indicates that names which appear in Shakespearean plays first written or performed after 1600 do not fall under the literary names allowance:
While the name does appear in Shakespeare's Hamlet, this play was not published until after 1600, nor was evidence found that it was performed before that 1600. This makes the name Osric unregisterable as a literary name from that play. [Osric of Blakwode, Atenveldt-R, 02/2007 LoAR]
"King Lear" is thought to have been written between 1603 and 1606; lacking evidence that it was published or performed before 1600, names in this play are not registerable under the literary name allowances.
We are left with insufficient support to allow the registration of Regan as either a masculine or a feminine given name. We note that Riacán, the Old and Middle Irish form of Riagán, is registerable and would be pronounced similarly to Regan, but as Riacán is a masculine name and the submitter has requested a feminine name, we are reluctant to change the name to Riacán Caimbeul to register it, and are instead returning it so the submitter can consider her options.
Her device has been registered under the holding name Rachel Caimbeul.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]
Vilhiálmr vetr. Device. Argent, three annulets interlaced within a bordure purpure. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Ansteorra letter of May 30, 2008.]

AN TIR
Adwen Wrenne. Name and device. Or, on a pale cotised azure a sun argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Ælfwynn Spearheafoces dohtor. Name. 
Submitted as Ælfwynn Spearheafoc_, the byname Spearheafoc was documented from Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Sparrowhawk. However, while Reaney & Wilson say of the Middle English examples of the surname that they ''must be both patronymic and a nickname'', they give no evidence for Spearheafoc used as a nickname, as opposed to a given name, in Old English. The submitter indicated that if Spearheafoc was not registerable as a nickname that she'd accept a patronymic byname based on Spearheafoc instead. The expected feminine patronymic byname based on Spearheafoc is Spearheafoces dohtor; we have change the name to Ælfwynn Spearheafoces dohtor in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Aonghus Mac Aonghuis. Name. 
Submitted as Aonghuis MacAonghuis, this name had two problems. First, Aonghuis is the genitive form of Aonghus; we register given names in the nominative, and not an inflected, form. Second, no documentation was provided for omitting the space between Mac and the patronym in a Gaelic byname in period. We have changed the name to Aonghus Mac_Aonghuis in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Arion the Wanderer. Device. Or goutty de sang, on a pile throughout azure a trident Or. 
The submission appears to have been colored in crayon. This is highly undesirable, as the wax will melt over time and stick to the facing page.
While the pile is wider than the usual in the SCA, it does not issue from the corners of the field and is, therefore, acceptable as a pile. Indeed, the Narrative Portrait of the life of Henry Unton, which resides in the National Portrait Gallery in London, UK, painted in 1596, shows arms with one of the quarters depicting Or, on a pile gules between (something), three leopards Or with the pile as nearly issuant from the corners of the shield as in the submitted depiction. The image can be seen at http://www.mape.org.uk/activities/unton/portrait/bits/frames.htm, in the "Henry's Birth" part of the image, on the lower right. Piles still should not be drawn with the lines issuing from the upper corners, but much more latitude will be allowed than has previously been the case.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Constantia of Madrone. Holding name and device. Azure, a dove volant and on a chief dovetailed Or three doves volant azure. 
Submitted under the name Constantia in der lachun, that name was pended on the June 2008 LoAR.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
John Wolfstan and Guerin Valletort de Harfleur. Joint badge. (Fieldless) A tilting spear fracted, the halves in saltire Or. 
This badge is returned for a lack of identifiability. Neither the commenters nor those at the meeting were able to tell that this was two halves of a single item, fracted and placed in saltire. Many of them thought that the two parts were identical charges. On resubmission, the submitter should be aware that this design, while technically blazonable, may not be possible to emblazon in a fashion where the charge is identifiable.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 6 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Katharine atte Moure. Name. 
This is returned for conflict with Catriona de Mura. Catriona is a modern Gaelic form of Katharine, and the two names are not pronounced significantly differently. The bynames are significantly different in appearance, but given that Middle English Moure was pronounced with two syllables, it is not significantly different from Mura in sound.
This name would also have been in conflict with Cateline de la Mor, but that name is released elsewhere on this letter.
The name does not conflict with Caitilin Mhor. The bynames are significantly different in appearance, and the change in the pronunciation of the initial consonant (Mh in Gaelic being pronounced roughly \V\) plus the different number of syllables is a significant difference in sound.
Her device was registered under the holding name Katharine of Lions Gate.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 7 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Katharine of Lions Gate. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Gules, on a chevron argent five lozenges throughout gules and in base a goose regardant argent. 
Blazoned on the Letter of Intent as a chevron enhanced, period armory would routinely displace a chevron slightly so that a large charge could fit under it. Given that practice, this is simply a chevron.
Submitted under the name Katharine atte Moure.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Katla máni. Name and device. Sable, in bend a decrescent and a cat sejant guardant argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Milisandia verch Watkyn. Name and device. Per pale argent and azure, an oak tree proper and on a chief sable three bears sejant erect contourny argent. 
Watkyn was documented as an English diminutive of Walter, with 13th and 14th century examples cited from Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Watkin. The byname does not violate RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency, as we have examples of Welsh verch used with linguistically English patronyms:
The byname ap Erwin does not violate RfS III.1.a, which requires lingual consistency. Though ap was documented as Welsh and Erwin was documented as English, evidence has been found of late period Welsh using English names in bynames that include ap or ferch. This issue has previously been addressed by the precedent:
Found on the LoI as Myfanwy ferch Gerallt, it was originally submitted as Myfanwy ap Gerald, and changed in kingdom because it was felt that the use of ap or ferch needed a Welsh name. However, late period Welsh used ap and ferch with English names, so we have restored the patronymic to the originally submitted form. (LoAR November 1998, p. 4).
As a result, the byname ap Erwin is registerable as a Welsh byname that incorporates an English name, which follows documented period practice. [Rhydderch ap Erwin, 03/2004, A-Æthelmearc]
As Morgan & Morgan, Welsh Surnames, p. 183 have examples of Walter used in Wales from the end of the 13th century on, verch Watkyn is unremarkable.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Mýrún Bjarnardóttir. Name and device. Per bend sinister argent and Or, a brown bear statant proper. 
Please inform the submitter that the byname does not mean 'bear', it means 'daughter of Bj{o,}rn'.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Robert de Perceval. Device. Argent, on a lozenge gules a bear statant argent, on a chief gules three crosses formy argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Sylva Silfri. Name. 
Listed on the LoI as Sylva Silfri, the documentation provided on the forms and the LoI was for Sylvia, not Sylva. If the submitter desires the name Sylva, then this is the spelling that needs to be documented on the LoI.
As no documentation was provided for Sylva either on the LoI or by the commenters, we can only consider this name under the form Sylvia Silfri. This name is not registerable because it has two steps from period practice. The given name Sylvia was documented as the name of a 6th century Roman martyr who was made a saint by Pope Clement VIII in the 16th century. Because Norway was a Christian country at this time, we can give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that Saint Sylvia was known in 16th C Norway. This means that even though we do not have any clear evidence that the name was added to the Norwegian naming pool in our period, Sylvia is registerable in 16th C Norwegian contexts through the saint's name allowance. However, combining a name documented to 16th C Norwegian contexts with a byname found in Viking-era Old Norse is two steps from period practice: one for the lingual combination and one for the temporal disparity of greater than 300 years. If we had evidence that a Norwegian cognate of Old Norse silfri was used as a byname any time in the 13th century onwards, this would remove the temporal disparity and allow the name to be registered. As no such evidence was provided, we are forced to return this name.
If she wishes to resubmit a name using the byname silfri, we note that this form is not correct for a woman. The correct form is either silfra or in silfra, with the definite article.
Her armory has been registered under the holding name Sylvia of Madrone.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 12 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]
Sylvia of Madrone. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Sable, a flame between flaunches argent. 
While the flaunches do not issue from the corners, they are recognizable as flaunches and, therefore, these are registerable. Please instruct the submitter to draw the flaunches issuant from the upper corners of the field in the future.
The device is clear of the armory of Modius von Mergentheim, Sable, a flame and a base argent, with one CD for the change of type and one CD for the change of number of peripheral charges. While flaunches must always be borne in pairs, there are still two of them.
Submitted under the name Sylva Silfri.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the An Tir letter of May 25, 2008.]

ATENVELDT
Fiona inghean Mheg Uidhir. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
Submitted as Fiona Mag Uidhir, this used a Gaelic feminine given name with a Gaelic masculine byname. Because bynames were used literally in Gaelic, they must agree in gender with the given name; this means that the byname needs to be in the feminine form to be registered with a feminine given name. The appropriate feminine form of Mag Uidhir is inghean Mheg Uidhir or inghean Mhég Uidhir. We have changed the name to Fiona inghean Mheg Uidhir in order to register it.
The given name Fiona is an SCA-compatible Gaelic name; its use is one step from period practice. As ruled on the May 2008 Cover Letter, as of the May 2009 decision meeting we will no longer consider any name element to be SCA-compatible.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]
Fiona inghean Mheg Uidhir. Device. Or, on a bend vert between a cow statant gules and a sheaf of arrows inverted sable three annulets Or. 
With three types of charges on the field, this design cannot be considered 'simple armory' for purposes of RfS X.4.j.ii. Therefore, it is a conflict with the device of Edolina del Fylde, Or, on a bend vert three acorns palewise Or, with a single CD for addition of the secondary charges and nothing for the change to only the type of the tertiary charges.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]
Hans Rüpprecht. Device. Sable, on a pile issuant from sinister chief argent three grenades in bend sinister bendwise sinister gules. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]
Steffen von der Grün. Name and device. Or, a gurges vert and on a chief gules three arrows bendwise sinister Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]
Uilliam mac Eoin. Name. 
This is returned for conflict with William MacKeown and with William MacIan. In both cases, while the bynames are significantly different in appearance, the only difference in sound is a slight change in the vowel sound. The change in pronunciation of a single vowel is not a significant difference in sound:
[B]y long-standing precedent, the change of a single vowel is not a sufficient difference between two names [Darchester, Shire of, 04/2003 LoAR, R-Caid].
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]
Zafira bint Zahira. Name and device. Gules estencelly Or, a rabbit's massacre argent within a bordure lozengy argent and sable. 
Submitted as Zafira al-Zahira, the byname al-Zahira was documented from the January 2003 LoAR:
The submitted form of the byname al-Zahir is a masculine form. Arabic descriptive bynames must match the gender of the given name. As the name Scheherazade is feminine, we have changed the byname to the feminine form al-Zahira in order to register this name. [Scheherazade al-Zahira, East-A]
However, the source used for al-Zahir in this registration, Da'ud ibn Auda, "Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices", has since been revised and updated and the byname al-Zahir has been removed. None of the commenters were able to provide any independent support for either al-Zahir or al-Zahira. Lacking evidence that either the masculine or the feminine form is a plausible Arabic byname, they are both not registerable. Siren notes that
Ana Labarta, in La Onomástica de los Moriscos Valencianos, is at least willing to contemplate that Zahira (with the first 'a' long) was used as a given name by Moriscos in late period Valencia, but the form of the name is only written in Romance, making its identification unsure.
We are willing to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt, and have changed the name to Zafira bint Zahira in order to register it. The registration of Umm al-Ghazala Jami'a bint Shirin al-Armaniyya (March 2006) gives a number of examples of matronymic bynames in Arabic, provided by Palimpsest. At that time, the precedent from April 1994 forbidding matronymics was not explicitly overturned. We hereby do so.
The submitted armory includes a pair of rabbit ears, set at a slight angle to each other, and conjoined by a small bit of the scalp of the unfortunate beast. Evidence was provided that this motif was used in period heraldry, but we must be able to blazon it. The only term that comes to mind for this arrangement that includes the piece of scalp is 'massacre', by analogy to a stag's massacre, and we are so blazoning this motif.
To be blazoned as a massacre, other massacres need to be composed of an identifiable element uniquely associated with an animal's scalp or the top of the skull, such as stag's horns or rabbit ears. Charges which do not meet this requirement, such as generic cat's or dog's ears conjoined to part of a scalp or skull, will not be registered unless they are uniquely identifiable.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Atenveldt letter of May 25, 2008.]

ATLANTIA
Abel Breme. Badge. Azure, a skeletal arm fesswise embowed reversed sustaining a trident bendwise argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Agatha of the Abbey. Name and device. Argent, three dragonflies within a bordure azure. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Alan de Nedham. Device change. Sable, a chevron couched from sinister Or. 
The submitter's previous device, Sable, a chevron couched from dexter Or, is released.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Albrecht von Reith. Device. Per pale vert and sable, a two-headed double-queued griffin sejant affronty and on a chief Or six broad arrows inverted sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Aldric Smith of Exeter. Device. Per pale azure and vert, an increscent between three sets of four lozenges in cross argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Atlantia, Kingdom of. Acceptance of transfer of heraldic title Metron Ariston Herald from Society for Creative Anachronism. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Beata Lyndon of Taylorwood. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Caitilin MacDonoghue. Name. 
This name combines Gaelic and Anglicized Irish; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Ceridwen Thomas of Taylorwood. Name and device. Per pale vert and argent, a dexter hand apaumy and a sinister hand inverted aversant counterchanged. 
The name Ceridwen is SCA-compatible; its use is one step from period practice. As ruled on the May 2008 Cover Letter, as of the May 2009 decision meeting we will no longer consider any name element to be SCA-compatible.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Donovan Morgan. Reblazon of device. Sable, a sea-dog rampant between three ships, sails furled, on a chief argent a rapier fesswise reversed sable. 
This is being reblazoned at the request of the submitter, due to some issues with improper depiction by some heraldic artists. Sadly, the original blazon of Sable, a sea-dog rampant between three ships, sails furled, on a chief argent a rapier reversed sable is absolutely correct. This is not a problem with the blazon, it is a problem with lack of knowledge on the part of the artists: the default position for long, narrow charges on an ordinary is for the long dimension always to follow the long dimension of ordinary. In the interest of helping the submitter fix his issues with the artists, and because it still results in a valid blazon, we are adding the (technically unnecessary) alignment of the sword.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Draco of Brockore. Name and device. Per pale purpure and vert, on a point pointed Or a mullet sable. 
Submitted as Draco of Brockshore, the documentation for the byname was the same as used in the name Brockshore Abbey, Canton of, which was registered on the August 2008 LoAR as Brockore Abbey, Canton of with this comment:
Submitted as Brockshore Abbey, Canton of, the LoI justified Brockshore on the basis of Pershore, but the deuterotheme of Pershore is -ore (from OE ora 'border, margin, bank, edge'), not -shore. Middle English shore derives from OE *scor(a), but the only examples of this element in English place names that were found used it as a prototheme. Lacking examples of -shore as a deuterotheme, it is not registerable as such in English place names. We have changed the name to Brockore Abbey, Canton of, which uses the constructed place name Brockore, meaning 'shore, bank of the brook'.
As Draco allows minor changes, we have changed the name to Draco of Brockore to match the available documentation.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Gaston Valmont. Device change. Per pale gules and azure, a lion rampant argent charged on the flank with a cross crosslet fitchy purpure and on a chief indented argent three lozenges purpure. 
His old armory, Per pale gules and sable, a lion rampant and on a chief indented argent, three lozenges purpure, is released.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Giles Green. Device. Quarterly argent ermined vert and vert, in bend sinister two hummingbirds rising contourny, each maintaining with both feet a sword fesswise reversed argent. 
The use of hummingbirds is a step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 13 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Ívarr brotamaðr. Device. Per pall vert, argent and sable, a Norse sun cross Or and two raven's heads erased respectant counterchanged. 
The 'Norse sun-cross' is a single charge, much like a cross of Jerusalem. As such, this is not slot-machine heraldry.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Muirghein Ó Faoláin. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and Or, a wolf rampant and a wolf rampant contourny counterchanged. 
This does not conflict with Morgan Faolan. Though Muirghein and Morgan are cognates, neither is a diminutive of the other. Muirghein was pronounced roughly \MUR-yin\ or \MIR-in\, whereas Morgan was pronounced roughly \MOR-gan\. This is a significant difference in sound, which, combined with the significant difference in appearance, means that these two names do not conflict per RfS V.1.b.i.
Please instruct the submitter to draw the wolves larger, to better fill the space.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 15 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Rosalind Delamere. Badge. (Fieldless) Two dogs salient addorsed, tails entwined, collared and conjoined by a chain per pale sable and argent. 
The submitted emblazon has a vertical line extending to the edge of the square emblazon area of the form. Since this is a fieldless design, this line should not have extended beyond the edge of the charges.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 16 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]
Ysoria Baska. Name. 
Baska is the submitter's legal surname.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 17 on the Atlantia letter of May 30, 2008.]

CALONTIR
Aston Tor, Canton of. Heraldic title Sea-Sheep Herald. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Aston Tor, Canton of. Badge. (Fieldless) A sea-sheep Or tailed vert. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Batelur Herald. 
The LoI documented the title as following the heraldic charge pattern, but no evidence was given that the term "battler" picks out a unique and recognizable type of heraldic charge. Additionally, the LoI merely asserted that the term batelur dates to the Middle Ages, but provided no evidence to back up this assertion. Lacking these things, Batelur Herald has not been shown to follow period patterns of heraldic titles and cannot be registered.
If the submitters would like to consider similar alternatives, Siren notes that Morlet, Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles, dates the byname Batelier to 1299, and Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Battle dates Bataile to c.1140 and le Batel to 1327. Her article, "Heraldic Titles from the Middle Ages and Renaissance", provides examples of heraldic titles deriving from surnames in both French and English, which means that Batelier Herald, Bataile Herald, and Batel Herald would all be registerable.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 8 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Blanch Tyger Herald (see RETURNS for other heraldic titles). 
Submitted as White Tyger Herald, this submission, and others on the same letter, raised the question of whether we should allow the registration of heraldic titles based on charges which use English, rather than French, color terms.
Previously, we have allowed both English and French color terms to be used in the registration of English heraldic titles following the "heraldic charge" pattern. This was because, up until recently, very little systematic research into patterns of heraldic titles was available. We are now extremely pleased to announce the culmination of many years' research, Juliana de Luna's new article "Heraldic Titles from the Middle Ages and Renaissance", which is an extensive (and on-going) survey of heraldic titles from all areas and times of Europe. Given this wonderful new resource, we are now in a position to reconsider some of our standards for heraldic titles.
The article contains many examples of English heraldic titles following the pattern <color> + <charge> or <charge> + <color>. In these examples, the color terms used are always forms of the standard French color terms. We hereby rule that, barring evidence for English color terms used in English heraldic titles (either ones based on the "heraldic charge" pattern or the "knightly order" pattern), they are not registerable. We have changed the name to Blanch Tyger Herald in order to register it. We note that given the examples in Juliana's article of English charge names combined with French color terms in heraldic titles, this combination does not violate RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Blue Hawk Herald. 
The use of Blue in this heraldic title does not violate the precedent set above (Calontir, Kingdom of, Blanch Tyger Herald).  Blue is a variant spelling of bleu, the standard French word for the color blue.  We have evidence that the spelling Blue was used in English heraldic titles.  Siren notes that J. Gairdner & R.H. Broadie, es., 'Henry VIII: September 1545, 21-25', Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 20 Part 2: August-December 1545, pp. 181-195, available at http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=80420, dates Bluemantle pursuivant to 1545. This allows Blue to be registered in English heraldic title contexts as a variant form of French Bleu.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Brown Hawk Herald. 
No evidence was provided for the use of a non-heraldic tincture in heraldic titles following the pattern color + heraldic charge. Lacking such evidence, Brown is not registerable in the context of a heraldic title.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Purpure Quill Herald. 
Submitted as Purple Quill Herald, precedent set above (Calontir, Kingdom of, Blanch Tyger Herald), requires that heraldic titles based on charges use French color terms. The Oxford English Dictionary s.v. purpure gives purpure as the standard Old or Middle French word meaning 'purple'. We have changed the title to Purpure Quill Herald in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Calontir, Kingdom of. Heraldic title Vert Hawk Herald. 
Submitted as Green Hawk Herald, precedent set above (Calontir, Kingdom of, Blanch Tyger Herald), requires that heraldic titles based on charges use French color terms. The ordinary French word for the color green is vert, and this term shows up in the real-world heraldic title Eagle-Vert or Eagle Vert Pursuivant, which dates from the early 15th C. We have changed the title to Vert Hawk Herald in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Cordeilla uxor Alexander. Device. Checky argent and gules, an eating fork and spoon in saltire sable and in chief a cauldron Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Halfdan Lynkehand. Name and device. Per saltire argent and sable, in chief two ravens respectant and in base two Danish axes in saltire azure. 
Submitted as Halvdan Lynkehand, the given name was justified on the basis of the Old Norse given name Hálfdan found in Geirr Bassi and the names Halfor 1451 and Halvor 1476 found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, vol. 7, no. 443 and vol. 18, no. 101, respectively. However, justifying the <v/f> switch in Norwegian does not mean that it is also appropriate for Old Norse. By the 15th century, when our examples of the <v/f> switch occur, Old Norse Hálfdan had lost the <f> and was generally spelled Haldan; the Diplomatarium Norvegicum has examples of this spelling in 1411 (vol. 1, no. 630; vol. 3, no. 602) and 1506 (vol. 1, no. 1018). As the submitter notes that he'd accept Halfdan if Halvdan was not registerable, we have changed the name to Halfdan Lynkehand in order to register it.
This name combines Old Norse and German; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Ignatios of Grimfells. Holding name and device. Per chevron vert and lozengy sable and Or, a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy Or and a crux ansata vert. 
Submitted under the name Ignatios ho Notadektes, this name was returned on the July 2008 LoAR
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Kamiizumi Hirotar{o-}. Name and device. Argent, three triangles conjoined one and two purpure. 
Submitted as Kamiizumi Hirotaro, the given name is properly transcribed either Hirotarou or Hirotar{o-}. The May 2008 LoAR explains:
Mitsuhide Shinjir{o-}. There was some question about the transliteration {o-} in Japanese names. Current precedent states:
Submitted as Kato Tatsuko, the family name is properly transcribed with a macron over the o. This is typically shown as either Katou or Kat{o-}. When possible, the College of Arms prefers to use transliterations that use Roman characters. We have changed the name to Katou Tatsuko in order to register it. [Katou Tatsuko. November 2007]
We note that ou and {o-} are equally valid transliterations; if one is used consistently in a name, there is no reason to change it to the other.
Since the submitter indicates that he prefers the spelling that doesn't end in -ou, we have changed the name to Kamiizumi Hirotar{o-} in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Konrad von Roth. Name and device. Argent, a bend sinister gules, overall a wolf rampant per fess azure and sable. 
Submitted as Konrad von Rott, the byname was documented from Bahlow, A Dictionary of German Names, s.n. Rotter. However, as Walraven van Nijmegen notes:
The documentation from Bahlow is inadequate. While it does indeed say that the byname Rotter is common in Bavaria and derives from the place name Rott, there are no dated examples of such a name. The only dated item under the heading Rotter is for Märklin der Rotter (1307), and this is glossed as meaning "harp-player". This is also the only dated example of this name in Brechenmacher (under the same header). I can find no evidence of a period place name Rott.
Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "German Place Names from a 16th C Czech Register", gives Roth as a 16th C form of modern Rothau; this place name is similar in both sound and spelling. We have changed the name to Konrad von Roth in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 13 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]
Uldin de Vatavia. Device. Per pall inverted sable, argent, and gules, in fess two chess pawns fracted, heads in chevron, argent and sable. 
The chess pawns, as drawn, are not easily recognizable as pawns. Only one person in four of the commenters and those present at the meeting recognized them as such. Therefore, we are returning this for violating RfS VIII.3, Armorial Identifiability. Since the non-fracted version appears to be a period variant of chess piece, we are not certain that it is possible to draw this design in such a fashion that the pawns are identifiable.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Calontir letter of May 31, 2008.]

DRACHENWALD
Agatha of Norwich. Name and device. Sable, three lozenges and a bee three and one Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Drachenwald letter of May 21, 2008.]
Flintheath, Shire of. Device change. Sable, in pale a flame argent charged with another gules and a furison all within a laurel wreath argent. 
This is returned for the use of a fimbriated flame. Though they are drawn off-center from each other, commenters were nearly unanimous that the flames depicted on the submitted emblazon appear, from any distance, to be fimbriated. Flames have been consistently ruled to be too complex a charge to fimbriate.
While it may be possible to emblazon this motif in such a way that it does not appear to be a flame fimbriated, we also require that the emblazon be reconstructable in recognizable form from a competent blazon (RfS VII.7.b, Reconstruction Requirement). Most heraldic artists, when presented with the blazon on a flame, a flame, will draw something that will be blazoned as a flame fimbriated. While the shire of Rhuddglyn did succeed in registering a flame on a flame in 2005, there was no comment on the LoAR. Registrations without comment do not set or overturn precedent. Precedent is clear: the motif of a flame on another flame is not registerable no matter how it is blazoned.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Drachenwald letter of May 21, 2008.]

EAST
Alexandre Bautista de la Mar. Name and device. Purpure, on a cross between four galleons Or, five roses sable. 
One commenter suggested that the ships should be blazoned as caravels rather than galleons. The distinguishing characteristics of the galleon - the lateen-rigged mizzenmast, the long prow, the square stern - may be seen in the submitted ships, allowing the submitter's term to be used.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Caitriona inghean Chalbhaigh. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Caitriona inghean Chalbhaigh. Device. Vert, on a bend between six thistles argent, a hawk volant sable. 
This armory is in conflict with the armory of Elizabeth Tremayne of Silverleaf, Vert, semé of thistles slipped and leaved, on a bend argent a peacock tail feather proper. There is but a single CD for the changes to the tertiary charge, from a peacock feather proper to a hawk volant sable. There is no difference granted between six and a semy.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Clare Lightfote. Name and device. Vert, a domestic cat rampant and on a chief Or two dragonflies vert. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Eleanora Tyelmaker. Name and device. Gules, a lion passant guardant between three edelweiss argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Elinor Strangewayes of Dorset. Device. Per pale sable and argent, two domestic cats sejant addorsed counterchanged and a base azure. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Elysabeth Underhill. Badge. (Fieldless) A cinquefoil per bend Or and vert. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Isabelle of Carolingia. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
Carolingia is the name of an SCA branch.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Isabelle of Carolingia. Device. Purpure, a cross between in bend two anchors and in bend sinister two bells and on a chief Or a rose fesswise purpure slipped brown leaved vert. 
This device is returned for multiple reasons.
This design has a complexity count of nine (purpure, Or, brown, vert, cross, anchors, bells, chief, rose), which exceeds the guidelines in RfS VIII.1.a, "the total of the number of tinctures plus the number of types of charges in a design should not exceed eight". We allow period designs to exceed this limit, but this design does not match period designs, so it must be returned.
It is also returned for the use of brown. Brown is not a heraldic tincture. It cannot be applied indiscriminately to objects, though items which are naturally brown may in some cases be registered as a brown X proper. A stem is not generally brown and is not a suitable portion of a charge to be considered as "brown proper". A rose proper has a heraldic definition: a red rose with green barbs and yellow seeds, which does not include a stem or leaves. An heraldic rose slipped and leaved proper adds a green stem and leaves.
Many commenters suggested that this should be considered a marshaled design. It is not. Our rules require that the field be divided for it to have the appearance of marshalling or impalement. While the addition of a cross throughout does not remove the appearance of marshalling on a divided field, neither does it add the appearance of marshalling on a singly-tinctured field.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 7 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Janet Kempe. Badge. (Fieldless) A majuscule letter J sable, overall a violet purpure, seeded Or. 
This armory is returned for violating RfS VII.7.a, Identifiability Requirement, which says "Elements must be recognizable solely from their appearance." A majority of the commenters were unable to identify the "letter J" without recourse to the blazon.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 8 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Judith Daft. Device. Gules semy of bees, a beehive and on a chief Or two Maltese crosses gules. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Nicolette Bonhomme. Badge. (Fieldless) A winged demi-lion maintaining a sword and a rose slipped Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Regina Kurczka. Name and device. Or, a lion gules goutty d'Or between three lilies vert. 
Submitted as Regina Kurczak, the byname Kurczak is a masculine form. Walraven van Nijmegen notes:
Polish nouns ending in a consonant are typically masculine. To feminize a Polish noun ending in -k, the ending is usually converted to -ca or -czka, which would make this byname Kurczaczka. However...I'm inclined to believe that the -ak in this byname is a diminutive suffix, normally found as -ek, -ik, or -yk in modern Polish. The feminine form of this diminutive suffix is simply -ka, making the byname Kurczka /KURCH-kah/ in the feminine.
We have changed the name to Regina Kurczka to correct the grammar.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the East letter of May 21, 2008.]
Scolastica la souriete. Release of alternate name Cateline de la Mor. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008 (from one East letter of May 2008)]

GLEANN ABHANN
Alrekr inn svarti. Name and device. Gules, on a pile azure fimbriated a triquetra Or. 
Please instruct the submitter to remove the extra line down the center of the fimbriation.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Brenna O'Duynie. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
Listed on the LoI as Brenna O_Duibne, the name appeared on the forms as Brenna O'Duibne. The byname O'Duibne was documented from Black, Surnames of Scotland, s.n. Dubni, where Duibne is noted as the genitive of Middle Irish Dubind or Dubinn. This means that O'Duibne violates RfS III.1.a Linguistic Consistency by combining Anglicized Irish O' and Middle Irish Duibne in the same phrase. The wholly Middle Irish form of the byname would be hua Duibne, but as this is the masculine form it could not be used with a feminine given name.
The LoI indicated that Brenna wanted to use the same surname as her children (Murdac and Olivia, submitted on the same LoI). Because bynames were used literally in Gaelic (for example, Ó means 'male descendant though the male line'), in Gaelic contexts a mother and her son would never bear the same byname and a mother and her daughter would only bear the same byname if, by chance, the mother's husband and father had the same name. We do, however, have examples of men and women sharing the same Anglicized Irish bynames. Thus, in Anglicized Irish contexts, a husband, wife, and their children might all share the same byname. Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames, gives O'Dynie as an anglicized form of Ó Duibhne which is dated to Elizabeth I - James I, and M'Duynie as an anglicized form of mac Duibhne dated to the same period. We have changed the name to Brenna O'Duynie in order to give her a byname which can also be used by her children. For examples of women using O style bynames in Anglicized Irish, see the registration of Kathleen O'Dunchan (July 2008).
The given name Brenna was documented on the basis of an April 2000 precedent which says that Brenna is justifiable as a hypothetical Italian name; names combining Italian and Anglicized Irish are a step from period practice. We have revisited this 2000 precedent, and the registerability of the given name Brenna, on the Cover Letter of this LoAR. Effective henceforth, barring new support for Brenna as a period name, Brenna is no longer registerable. However, the current name was submitted in a good faith attempt to conform to precedent in place at the time of the submission. We therefore will allow this name as the final registration under the old precedent.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Brenna O'Duynie. Device. Or, a boar statant gules, on a point pointed vert a shamrock Or all within a bordure vert. 
The base has no contrast with the bordure, making this visually very confusing. Precedent states that "we do not allow a base and a bordure of the same tincture" (Tómas Skotakollr, August 1996, Trimaris). This has long been cause for return.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Celeste d'Arezzo. Name and device. Per saltire azure and Or, in pale a crescent and an ankh argent. 
No evidence was provided on the LoI or found by the commenters that Celeste was used in Italian in our period. However, Celeste can be justified as a 9th-11th C French feminine name on the basis of the masculine names Celestus a. 941, a. 1074, Caelestus Pip. II, and Celest a. 888-898 found in Morlet, Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de l'Ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe Siècle, vol. II.
This name combines French and Italian, which is a step from period practice. If the submitter desires a wholly Italian name, we recommend Celestina d'Arezzo; Celestina is dated to c. 1500 in Davide Shamà, "Genealogie Delle Dinastie Nobili Italiane".
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Collen ap Ifor. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Eleanora de Lorraine. Name. 
This conflicts with Eleanora Maria Josefa of Austria, Duchess of Lorraine. As wife of Micha{l/} Korybut Wi{s'}niowiecki, King of Poland-Lithuania, she was Queen-Consort of Poland in the 17th century.  Per the November 2004 Cover Letter, "[s]overeigns of nations and empires (Kings, Queens, Khans) are always important enough to protect."  Thus, despite the fact that Eleanora Maria Josefa does not have her own entry in standard encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica, she is important enough to protect from conflict.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Ellyn Heath of Hemingford Grey. Badge. Azure, a wedge of Emmental cheese palewise Or. 
There is at least significant difference (a CD) between a wedge of cheese and a triangle. As such, this armory is clear of the device of Dyvin Ragnarsson, Azure, on a triangle Or, a double-bitted axehead gules, voided argent, with the second CD coming from the addition of the tertiary axehead. We decline at this time to rule whether the difference between a triangle and a wedge of cheese is significant or substantial.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Elspeth de Culane. Name. 
This does not conflict with Eliza O'Culane. Irrespective of whether the given names conflict, the two bynames are analogous to the ones in the registration of Katerina de Kelly, March 2008:
This name does not conflict with Catelin O'Kelley, registered September 1996:
Submitted as Constancia Kelly, this name would conflict with Constance O'Keeley (registered in June 1997). The name Kelly has two origins. It is both an Anglicized form of the Gaelic name Ó Cadhla (Woulfe, p. 447 s.n. Ó Cadhla) and a form of a locative byname derived from the locations Kelly and Kellie in Scotland. As both O'Keeley and Kelly are Anglicized forms of the Gaelic name Ó Cadhla, they conflict.
The submitted documentation for the byname specifically mentioned Warin de Kelly, who is dated to 1194 in Reaney & Wilson (s.n. Kelly). We have changed the byname to the marked locative form de Kelly to clear the cited conflict, since patronymic bynames and locative bynames can only conflict via sound and appearance, and de Kelly and O'Keeley are different enough in both sound and appearance that they do not conflict. [Constancia de Kelly, 10/2002, A-Æthelmearc]
Likewise, the bynames de Culane and O'Culane are significantly different in sound and appearance.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Frederick Alton. Device. Per bend argent and vert, a bend wavy sable between a frog and in saltire two rapiers counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Frederick Alton. Badge. Argent, a frog vert between in pale a rapier fesswise reversed and a rapier fesswise sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Gareth ap Morgan. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 11 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Gemma di Vincenzo Castellani. Name. 
Submitted as Gemma di Vencenza Castellani, no documentation was provided that Vencenza is a period variant spelling of the documented Vincenzo. We have changed the name to Gemma di Vincenzo Castellani to match the documentation.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Gleann Abhann, Kingdom of. Badge for Order of the Combattant Rams. (Fieldless) Two ram's heads erased fesswise respectant conjoined at the head and horns argent armed Or. 
Conflict with the badge for the Barony of Ramshaven, Gules, in chief two ram's heads couped respectant argent. There's a CD for fieldlessness but nothing for placement against a fieldless badge. Couped vs. erased is not worth a difference, nor is the conjoining. The horns are not half the charge, thus there is not a CD for the different tincture; the slight change of orientation is also not worth a CD.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 13 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Gwenllian verch Rhys de Gwynedd. Name and device. Argent, three chevronelles braced throughout vert and a 'base enhanced' wavy azure. 
This name violates RfS VI.3. Names Claiming Specific Relationships, which says "[n]ames that unmistakably imply identity with or close relationship to a protected person or literary character will generally not be registered." This combination of the bynames verch Rhys and de Gwynedd appears to be making the claim that the submitter is the daughter of Rhys of Gwynedd, King of Gwynedd in the 11th century. We would drop the byname verch Rhys and register the name as Gwenllian_de Gwynedd, but the submitter does not allow major changes. Note that dropping the byname de Gwynedd would bring this name into conflict with Gwenllian ferch Rhys.
The device is returned for blurring the distinction between a base and per fess field division. On resubmission, the submitter should draw the line of division clearly as one or the other.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Hanne vestfirzka. Device. Per pale gules and Or, a sun within a bordure counterchanged. 
Nice armory!
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 15 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Iain O'Donnell of Gleann Abhann. Name. 
This is returned for being two steps from period practice. The first is the use of the SCA-compatible Gaelic name Iain. The second is the combination of the Gaelic given name with the Anglicized Irish byname O'Donnell. As the submitter does not allow major changes, such as changing the language of an element, we are forced to return the name. The submitter should be informed that as of the May 2009 decision meetings, Iain will no longer be considered SCA-compatible and that if he wishes to register the given name Iain, he will have to provide documentation for its use before 1600.
There was some question whether the byname O'Donnell was a period form. The byname was documented from Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Ó Domnaill, where it is given as an anglicized form. However, it is not italicized, and given Woulfe's conventions, the lack of italics indicates that it is a modern form. Rowel found evidence that the spelling Donnell was used in our period. She cites a Murrough Mc Donnell O'Ferrall of Athey-donell who was mentioned in an indenture dated to 10 Feb 1570 quoted in John O'Donovan, ed., Annals of Ireland, by the Four Masters, vol. 5, pp. 1651-1652. This means that O Donnell or O'Donnell is consistent with period Anglicized Irish forms, and so would be registerable.
His device was registered under the holding name John of Gleann Abhann.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 16 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Ingvarr V{o,}rsa. Name. 
The byname V{o,}rsa was documented from Geirr Bassi, The Old Norse Name, but in fact the form listed there is V{o,}rsa-, indicating that the byname is prepended to the given name. The use of V{o,}rsa- as a postposed byname is not grammatically correct. As Fause Losenge explains:
Assuming that the name as a whole is in the nominative case, a postposed byname takes one of three grammatical forms.
	-	A common noun in the nominative case (e.g., <þurs> 'a giant'); the definite article is not used.
	-	An adjective in the nominative case and appropriate gender, with or without the definite article.
	-	A prepositional phrase consisting of a locative preposition followed by a place-name in the case governed by the preposition, which is almost always the dative case (e.g., <á Breiðavaði> 'at Breiðavað' (literally 'at Broadford').
Only the third of these could possibly apply to the place-name V{o,}rs, and its dative case is V{o,}rs, not V{o,}rsa. Alternatively, bynames derived from place-names take one of four forms. The most straightforward is the prepositional type described above; in the case of V{o,}rs, it's <á V{o,}rs>. A second type is the ethnic adjective, generally in <-skr>, formed from the place-name; in the case of V{o,}rs, it's <(h)inn v{o,}rski>. Similar but much less common is the ethnic noun in <-ingr>; an example is <suðreyingr> 'man from the Hebrides'. Finally, there are the preposed locative bynames.
To summarize, the following are all plausible bynames indicating that the bearer either lives or lived in V{o,}rs:
	-	Ingvarr á V{o,}rs (this form generally indicates that he currently lives in Vors)
	-	Ingvarr af V{o,}rs (this form generally indicates that he used to live in Vors but no longer does)
	-	Ingvarr hinn v{o,}rski
	-	Ingvarr v{o,}rksr
	-	Varsa-Ingvarr
Note that we do not recommend the form V{o,}rsa-Ingvarr. This is because Geirr Bassi's entry for this byname is incorrect. He indicates that it is taken from Landnámabók, but the byname which is found there is actually Vorsa-, not V{o,r}sa-. The byname Vorsa- derives from the place name Vors. The expected pre-posed byname formed from V{o,}rs is Varsa-.
Unfortunately, all of the options listed above are a major change from the submitted form, and the submitter does not allow major changes.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 17 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Jaret Goodenough. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 18 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
John of Gleann Abhann. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Quarterly sable and vert, a straight trumpet bendwise sinister between in bend two arrows Or. 
Submitted under the name Iain O'Donnell of Gleann Abhann.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 16 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Jon the Tall. Release of badge. Per chevron gules and per pale sable and argent, a demi-sun eclipsed issuant from base counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 19 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Keyna Aherne. Device. Per saltire vert and Or, a horse passant and a bordure sable. 
The submitter should provide internal detailing on the horse.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 20 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Kolskeggr goði kimbi. Name. 
This is being pended to discuss the possibility of presumption in the use of the term goði. Geirr Bassi, The Old Norse Name, glosses the byname inn goði as 'goði, priest'. Siren raises this issue: 
The word goði means, according to Zoega [sic], "heathen priest, chief (in Iceland during the republic." Cleasby and Vigfusson has a long discussion of the meaning, which seems to start as priest and morph into a word referring to these small-scale chief, with varying numbers of vassals. That then raises the issue of whether the rank of <goði> is one that we'd consider presumptuous.
A review by Danny Yee (who has a massive online site with insightful reviews of anthropology books and others) of Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power says this about the goðar (plural of goði):
Gothar had few special sources of wealth -- some very limited taxes and a chance at price-setting for imports; tithes and trade were open to all farmers. The power of the gothar rested on their status as legal advocates and a gothorth was not a territorial or hereditary chieftaincy but rather "a professional vocation with entrepreneurial overtones".
Precedent concerning the feminine form of this byname says:
Further, there was some question whether the byname gyðja was presumptuous. Geirr Bassi gives the meaning of this byname as 'priestess'. However, Metron Ariston noted that:
The doubts about the usage might be enhanced (and possibly raise an issue of presumption) since Zoega's [sic] Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic (p. 176) shows its primary meaning as "goddess" with "priestess" only secondary.
At this time, we are declining to rule whether use of gyðja is presumptuous. Any resubmission of this name that includes the element gyðja should address this issue. [Solveig Gyðja Christiansdottir, 05/2003 LoAR, R-Drachenwald]
We invite the College's commentary on the question of whether the use of goði is presumptuous and therefore violates RfS VI Presumptuous Names.
The LoI originally included this information about the name:
Submitter desires a male name.
No major changes.
Kolskeggr is found in Geirr-Bassi, pg 13, with two instances of the name found in the materials used.
goði, ibid, pg 22, nickname meaning "local leader".
kimbi, ibid, pg 24, nickname meaning "package, bundle".
The following precedent is provided and may apply:
May 2002 LoAR - "[A] name using two non-patronymic bynames in Old Norse is registerable so long as the bynames could reasonably be used to simultaneously describe the same person. In the case of the submitted name, the two bynames mean 'shrieking' and 'woman from the Orkney Islands'. These bynames have different meanings and could both have described the same person at the same point in her life. Therefore, this name is registerable."
This was in acceptance of Þórdís gjallandi eyverska.
Submitted as Kolskeggr Goðikimbi, this name was changed at Kingdom to reflect the documentation and separate the elements.
His device has been registered under the holding name Kolskeggr of Small Gray Bear.
[PENDED September 2008. This was item 21 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Kolskeggr of Small Gray Bear. Holding name and device (see PENDS for name). Per pale gules and argent, a triskelion arrondi, within each arm a roundel all counterchanged. 
Submitted under the name Kolskeggr goði kimbi.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 21 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Llewen Ambriere. Device. Sable, a phoenix Or rising from flames proper, on a chief argent three triquetrae gules. 
Several commenters complained about this depiction of flames proper, which appeared to them as a cross of flames gules overlaying a saltire of flames Or. This black-and-white outline of a phoenix, with radial flames, has been common in society armory for some years. Indeed, flames 'shaped like an estoile' were determined to be a period depiction of flames on the September 2001 LoAR, in the return (for conflict) of the badge for Eiríkr Mj{o,}ksiglandi Sigurðarson and Astridr Selr Leifsdóttir. Given that it is a period-style depiction of flames, and that the color emblazon meets our criteria for flames proper, having alternating tongues of red and yellow flame, we find this to be an acceptable depiction of flames proper.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 22 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Mærwynn uxor Floriani. Device. Azure, a boar rampant argent and a bordure argent semy of lozenges azure. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 23 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Medb ingen ui Mael Anfaid. Device. Per fess gules and sable, three chalices and an elephant passant argent. 
The submitter has a letter of permission to conflict with Odo de Payens, Per fess embattled purpure and vert, three goblets and a wolf statant argent.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 24 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Mine Lafaye. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 25 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Murdac O'Duynie. Name and device. Or, a saltire vert ermined Or, overall a phoenix sable rising from flames gules. 
Submitted as Murdac O'Duibne, the submitter indicated that he wanted to use the same surname as his mother, whose name was registered above as Brenna O'Duynie. We have changed the name to Murdac O'Duynie to meet this request. See the registration of Brenna's name for a fuller discussion of the originally submitted byname.
There is a temporal disparity of around 600 years between the elements; this is one step from period practice, but it is the only one: Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Murdoch give Murdac as an anglicized form of Irish Muireadhach. This means that the entire name is Anglicized Irish, so there is no lingual incompatibility.
Commentary on the device mainly discussed the fact that this submission appears to be color-on-color. In fact, this is forced by our requirement that overall charges have good contrast with the field, not the charge it lies over. Those present at the meeting were easily able to distinguish what the charges were, and what tinctures they were, even from a distance.
Other commentary complained that this was 'barely overall'. While it is borderline, the charges retain their identifiability. Additionally, the charges are not overlapping by a small amount, but the head, much of the wings, and nearly a quarter of the flame lie entirely on the field.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 26 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Mychel Boese. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 27 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Olivia O'Duynie. Name and device. Or, on a lozenge vert a natural tiger salient argent striped sable. 
Submitted as Olivia O'Duibne, the submitter indicated that she wanted to use the same surname as her mother, whose name was registered above as Brenna O'Duynie. We have changed the name to Olivia O'Duynie to meet this request. See the registration of Brenna's name for a fuller discussion of the originally submitted byname.
This name combines English and Anglicized Irish; this is one step from period practice.
While the emblazon was badly pixilated, it is recognizable and therefore registerable.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 28 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Peter Bonaventure. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 29 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Reinhardt Stahlhelm. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 30 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Roderick Elkington. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and argent, a garb Or and a loaf of bread proper. 
Submitted as Broderick Elkington, the given name Broderick was documented from Bardsley,  A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, p. 137, but it was documented as a surname, not as a given name. Lacking support for Broderick used as a given name in our period, it is not registerable as such. Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Broderick derive the surname from ap Rotheric from Welsh Rhydderch; Roderick is a cognate of Rotheric found in Scots; Munro, Jean, and R.W. Munro, Acts of the Lords of the Isles: 1336-1493, Scottish History Society, 4th Series, vol. 22. Edinburgh: Scottish History Society, 1986, B41 gives the record in Latin of a marriage dispensation dated 1465 for "Roderick Macliode and Marcella Celestini de Insulis." We have changed the name to Roderick Elkington in order to register it.
This device is in mutual conflict with that of Melinda del Feld, Per bend sinister vert and argent, in dexter chief a garb Or, which appears on Ansteorra's May 30th LoI. Since both Melinda and Roderick are members of the SCA, Inc, Roderick's submission has precedence since the Gleann Abhann LoI was issued earlier, on the 20th. Therefore, we are registering this device.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Taddea da Trieste. Name and device. Sable, an elephant statant argent and a bordure ermine. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 31 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Tomás mac Piarais. Name. 
Nice name!
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 32 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Uric Blackoak. Name change from Ulric Blackoak. 
The given name was documented from Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des Noms de Famille, p. 496, but the summary gave no indication that Uric is a period given name. Siren notes that
Brechenmacher (s.n. Urich) gives it as a patronymic form and dates <Conr. Urrici> to 1498 and <Jerg Urricher> to 1591.
We would change the name to Urric Blackoak, but changing the given name from French to German is a major change, which the submitter does not allow.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 33 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Uuroican MacDhubhshith. Name and device. Per fess vert and gules, a sword inverted argent surmounted by a skull sable winged argent, in base a lymphad in full sail argent. 
The byname, MacDhubhshith, was documented from Black, Surnames of Scotland, s.n. MacFee, which says "Gaelic form, MacDhubhshith", with no dates. When Black discusses Gaelic forms without dates, he is discussing modern usage. Lacking evidence that MacDhubhshith is a period Gaelic form, it is not registerable. In addition, the given name is documented as a Pictish name from the 7th C. To be combined with a Gaelic byname, the byname would have to be from a temporal compatible language, which would be either Oghamic Irish or Old Irish. An Oghamic or Old Irish precursor of the byname Mac Dhubhshith would be registerable with a Pictish given name, but no information was provided as to what such a precursor would be.
Additionally, while not a reason for return in its own right, we note that the given name is listed in the documentation as Uroican, not Uuroican. In any resubmission of this name, we recommend that the submitter uses Uroican or provides support for the double uu form of this name.
When viewing the emblazon from any distance, the visual impression is not of a winged skull, it is of a winged sword with something unrecognizable going on near the joint. This impression is reinforced by the fact that the wings are in nearly the exact position one would expect them to be on a winged inverted sword. The skull is unrecognizable, mostly due to the fact that it is sable and has nearly no contrast with the vert field. While technically, the 'skull sable winged argent' is mostly argent and therefore has good contrast with the field, submissions must also satisfy VIII.3 - Armorial Identifiability, which says that "Elements must be used in a design so as to preserve their individual identifiability." As the skull is not identifiable, this submission must be returned.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 34 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]
Wilhelm von Drachenburg. Name and device. Per bend Or and sable, a tower and a comet bendwise counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 35 on the Gleann Abhann letter of May 20, 2008.]

LAUREL
Society for Creative Anachronism. Transfer of heraldic title Metron Ariston Herald to Atlantia, Kingdom of. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Laurel letter of May 30, 2008.]

LOCHAC
Bran na torcdubh mac Brude. Name and device. Per saltire arrondi gules and sable, on a roundel Or a boar passant sable. 
The name is returned for lack of support for the byname na torcdubh. The byname was intended to mean "the black boar", but there are problems with both the construction and with the plausibility of the meaning. We address the latter problems first.
To begin, we need to make a distinction between descriptive bynames and appellations used in place of given names. As Rowel explains:
Descriptive bynames are the elements that we are more familiar with since they come up with moderate frequency in SCA name submissions. They usually appear after the given name and are in nominative or genitive case depending on various factors...Appellations appear here and there in the annals and replace the given name. They are not used in addition to the given name. Of the ones I've extracted from the annals so far, only the most basic ones also appear as descriptive bynames...In general, the appellations tend to be a bit more fanciful than what you usually see in descriptive bynames. So, just because a word or phrase appears in an appellation, does not mean that it is automatically reasonable for a descriptive byname.
Descriptive bynames which refer to animals are extremely rare in Gaelic; they account for around 0.01% of descriptive bynames which appear in Gaelic names, and the only examples that we have are of non-modified animals: Sinnach/Sionnach "fox" and Cu "wolf, hound". No example of the pattern <color> + <animal> has yet been found in Gaelic descriptive bynames. We have exactly one example of such a pattern used as an appellation: In Sindach Find or In Sinnach Finn "the Fair [white] Fox", used for a king who died in 1086. This, perhaps unique, example does not provide sufficient support to register Gaelic descriptive bynames following the pattern <color> + <animal>.
The LoI notes "However, several other examples from Mari's article ["Index of Names in Irish Annals"]: <in Eich Gil> [of] the White Horse; <na nGamhnach> [of] the Milch Cows; <na Mart> [of] the Beeves/Cattle, may allow us to argue that rather than being a black boar, he owns one." As Rowel notes:
The problem here is that all the bynames mentioned in this sentence refer to domesticated animals. Lacking evidence that boars were domesticated in period, <na torcdubh> would not follow this pattern.
Even if examples of this pattern were found using non-domesticated animals, the phrase na torcdubh is not grammatically correct. First, the definite article na is the plural form; if he owns just one black boar, then the article should be an. Following an, the entire phrase needs to be in the genitive case, which torcdubh is not.
Additionally, the byname mac Brude is not grammatically correct; following mac, Brude needs to be put into the genitive case, e.g., mac Bruide. We would drop the problematic byname and register the name as Bran mac Bruide, but the submitter does not allow major changes.
Concerning the device, precedent says:
[Per saltire arrondy vert and sable, a lozenge argent charged with a wolf's head cabossed sable.] This has a complex low-contrast line division overlain by a nonskinny charge. It therefore violates RfS VIII.3 which says in part: "For instance, 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." As al-Jamal notes, "arrondy is considered a complex line of division. As a consequence, it may not be used between two low contrast tinctures with a overlying charge, precisely for the reason shown in the emblazon - the line of division becomes very difficult to identify when it is obscured by an overlying charge." Brachet notes: "Whether or not there is a CD for quarterly arrondi vs quarterly in field-only armory, it is quite clear that the arrondi part simply does not show up in low contrast when the center part of it is obscured by a lozenge." The central part of the field illuminates the lion's share of the difference between plain and arrondy partitions. Obscuring that intersection with a nonskinny charge makes it very difficult to distinguish between plain and arrondy, blurring the difference between two lines of division that have a CD between them. [Mary Kate O'Malley, LoAR 07/2004, Atenveldt-R]
This device has the same problem, and is being returned for the same reason: a non-skinny charge is overlying a complex low-contrast line of division.
Additionally, the per saltire arrondi division was not correctly drawn: instead of the lines being embowed-counterembowed, they were tangent to the roundel (and thus unlikely to meet under the roundel, at the center of the shield).
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Elspeth Jamieson. Device. Argent vêtu ployé azure, two serpents erect respectant entwined sable. 
This is returned for conflict with Werenher von Ingolstadt, Azure, on a lozenge argent, a bear statant erect sable. Precedent, set in April 2008, says "While a lozenge throughout must always be checked as though it were a vêtu field (and thus comparable to all other fields), a lozenge need only be compared to a vêtu field (not to all fields)." The converse is not true - vêtu must be checked against a lozenge throughout, a lozenge, and all fields. Since Elspeth's submission can be blazoned as Azure, on a lozenge ployé throughout argent, two serpents erect respectant, bodies entwined sable, there is only a single CD for the multiple changes to the tertiary charges. We do not give a CD for the difference between a lozenge and a lozenge throughout, nor do we give one for the difference between plain and ployé edges on a charge.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Gabriel de Beaumont and Constanzia Moralez y de Zamora. Joint badge. (Fieldless) A badger rampant to sinister argent. 
This badge is in conflict with the device of David de Bohun, Azure, a badger sejant erect contourny argent marked sable maintaining a thistle Or. There is one CD for fieldlessness. There is not a CD for the markings, the removal of the maintained charge, or the change in posture from sejant erect contourny to rampant to sinister.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Genna inghean Braonáin uí Amaind. Device change. Purpure, four Lacy knots in cross argent. 
Failure to include a blazon on the Letter of Intent may be cause for administrative return or pending of an item. While the blazon was missing from the Letter of Intent, a color emblazon was provided. Sufficient commenters noted the correct blazon that this does not need to be pended for further conflict checking.
The submitter's old device, Argent, a decrescent azure between in fess two heather branches leaved and flowered proper, all within a bordure invected azure, is retained as a badge.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Gregorius Þorvalds son. Name and device. Purpure, on a fess argent a wolf statant contourny regaurdant sable, overall a bordure counterchanged. 
Please instruct the submitter to draw the wolf with a bushy tail, since several commenters initially saw this as a feline until they noticed the distinctly canid head. Additionally, all four feet of the wolf should reach the same horizontal line.
Precedent, from the July 2001 LoAR, says that counterchanging a bordure over an ordinary is a step from period practice: "Given that we allow other peripherals to be counterchanged across an ordinary, we see no reason to disallow it here [a bordure counterchanged over a pile]. However, this practice is not good style and therefore counts as a [step from period practice]." As there is only the one step from period practice, we can register this device.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Kiara de Fae. Device. Per chevron inverted per pale sable and argent and vert, an estoile counterchanged and a hind lodged argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]
Robert de Mar. Name and device. Quarterly argent and gules, a thistle counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Lochac letter of May 21, 2008.]

MERIDIES
Aden Whiterose. Name and device. Sable, on a boar passant between three roses argent a goutte gules. 
Submitted as Aiden Whiterose, the submitter cared most about having a non-Gaelic form of the given name ending in -en, and did not allow major changes. However, no documentation was provided and none found by the commenters for Aiden as an anglicized form of Gaelic Áedán. Siren notes that:
Woulfe gives M'Kiane and M'Kian as dated Anglicized forms of mac Aodháin. He adds M'Ea for Mac Aodha... Closer to his desire is M'Adin and M'Aden, both s.n. Mac Áidín (a diminutive of Adam). All cited Anglicized forms here are dated to t. Eliz I/James I.
The root of Mac Áidín is the given name Ádín. While we haven't found any examples of Ádín in the 16th century, Mari Elspeth nic Brian, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", has examples of Ádhamh, the Gaelic form of Adam, in the 16th century. If Ádhamh was used in the 16th C, it's reasonable to assume its diminutive Ádín was also used in the 16th C.  If Ádín was used, then Adin and Aden are plausible 16th-century Anglicized Irish forms of the name. We have changed the name to Aden Whiterose in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Aindrias Ó Seitheacháin. Name. 
The submitter noted that he cared most about the sound of the name, "Andrew O Shy-uke". Please inform him that Aindrias was pronounced roughly \AHN-dree-uhs\. If he'd like a form of the given name which is pronounced closer to Andrew, we recommend Aindriú, the standard Early Modern Irish form of a name found 6 times between 1318 and 1584 in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals".
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Aleyn Cambell. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Birna galin. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Bronwen Du. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
The name Bronwen is SCA-compatible; its use is one step from period practice. As ruled on the May 2008 Cover Letter, as of the May 2009 decision meeting we will no longer consider any name element to be SCA-compatible.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Bronwen Du. Device. Azure, three piles inverted in point argent and overall a phoenix and in chief a roundel gules. 
Blazoned on the LoI as Pily inverted in point azure and argent, a phoenix rising from flames and in chief a roundel gules, the 'divided field' is actually a field with charges. This makes the phoenix and roundel overall charges. As such, this is a violation of RfS VIII.2.b.1, which says "The field must have good contrast with every charge placed directly on it and with charges placed overall." The gules overall charges in this device do not have good contrast with the azure field.
As overall charges, the phoenix and roundel have a second problem. Precedent from the May 2005 LoAR says:
This device must be returned for non-period style. The difference in size between the cross and the coronet makes it impossible to see them as a single charge group, and we have seen no evidence that the use of multiple overall charge groups is in keeping with period practice.
The same problem is evident here - the phoenix and the roundel differ in size enough that it is impossible to see then as anything but two different charge groups.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Catelin Rayne le Marchaunt. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Celeste of Owl's Nest. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per fess gules and sable, three acorns two and one and a stag's massacre argent. 
Submitted under the name Sirona Boinn.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 20 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Constanza Consuela Ximena de Valencia. Device. Quarterly lozengy argent and gules and argent, a pair of scissors sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Eibhlín Macintosh. Name. 
This name combines Gaelic and Scots in the same name; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Elena de Lliria. Name and device. Purpure, a mullet of eight points voided between in bend two lilies argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 9 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Emelot la Mirgesse. Name and device. Quarterly purpure and vert, a bird volant wings addorsed argent maintaining in its beak a mullet of eight points Or. 
This is not in conflict with the device of Laurencia of Carlisle, Per chevron ermine and gules, a swallow volant argent. There is one CD for changes to the field and one CD for the changes to the wing position. It is similarly clear of Christall Gordon, Azure, a dove volant wings elevated and addorsed argent sustaining in its beak a ladle palewise Or, since under current rules, Christall's ladle is a co-primary charge, which gives us a CD for the addition of the co-primary charge and another for the change of field.
The bird in this submission was originally blazoned as a dove. It is not a dove, since it is missing the tuft on the top of the head that distinguishes a dove.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 10 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Georgiana d'Aix la Chapelle. Name. 
The documentation provided for the given name, de Felice, Dizionario dei Nomi Italiani, s.n. Giorgio, gives no indication that Georgiana is a period name. Lacking such evidence, it is not registerable. Siren notes that Giorgia can be found in David Herlihy and Christiane Klapisch-Zuber, "Census and Property Survey of Florentine Domains in the Province of Tuscany, 1427-1480", which also has instances of Anna. We would change the name to Giorgia Anna d'Aix la Chapelle, but this significantly changes the appearance of the name (if not the sound), the hallmark of a major change, and the submitter does not allow major changes.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 11 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Ibor Stele. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
This name combines Gaelic and English in the same name; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Ibor Stele. Device. Argent, a bend sinister counter-ermine between a pellet charged with a triskelion arrondi argent and a wolf's head erased sable gorged of a chain gules. 
This submission has four tinctures (argent, counter-ermine, sable, gules) and five types of charge (bend, roundel, triskle, wolf head, chain). As such, it violates RfS VIII.1.a, Tincture and Charge Limit, which says "As a rule of thumb, the total of the number of tinctures plus the number of types of charges in a design should not exceed eight." While we occasionally allow this limit to be exceeded, we only make this exception for period style designs. This design, having dissimilar secondary charges charged with dissimilar tertiary charges on either side of a bend is not typical of period design. We are, therefore, returning this device.
The December 2002 Cover Letter notes "A collar on an animal's head does indeed function as a tertiary charge and thus must have good contrast with the head on which it lies. This good contrast enhances the collar's visual prominence." The chain in this submission functions as a collar, so there must be good contrast between the chain and the head. Since the gules chain lacks contrast with the sable wolf's head, this device must also be returned for this reason.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 12 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Ingelric Kelvin. Badge. Sable, a fleur-de-lys between two pallets argent. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 13 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Katrine of Rising Stone. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per fess azure and gules, an open book and a cat sejant argent. 
Please instruct the submitter to draw this as a proper per fess field. Since the charges on either side of it can be drawn of roughly equal weight, medieval artists would not have forced the fess line to chief.
Submitted under the name Katrine Witan Runa.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Katrine Witan Runa. Name. 
This name has two problems, both of which are reason for return.
First, the given name Katrine was documented from Withycombe, Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, s.n. Katharine, which says "The Gaelic diminutive Catriona, Katrine and Danish Karen are also sometimes met with." However, it is clear from the context that here Withycombe is discussing contemporary forms, so this citation provides no support for Katrine as a period English form. The only examples that we found of Katrine before 1600 come from non-English sources, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Scots, and Swedish. Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, Danmarks Gamle Personnavne, Vol. I: Fornavne (Copenhagen: 1936-48), s.n. Bekker dates Katrine to 1510; Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "Dutch Names 1393-96" has Katrine; vol. 16, no. 42 of the Diplomatarium Norvegicum has Katrine Knudsdatter 1400; Black, Surnames of Scotland dates the name to 1499 s.n. Yallower and to 1512 s.n. Auchenross; and Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn, vol. 1- (Uppsala: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1967-) has Katrine dated to 1333 s.n. Benediktsson, 1369 s.n. Elef, and 1387 s.n. Hakon. However, none of these languages are registerable with Old English, the language in which the byname was documented.
The second problem for return is the byname itself. The sole documentation for both witan and runa were entries in an Old English dictionary. This gives no indication that either element was ever used as part of a personal descriptive byname, that Witan Runa is a grammatically correct construction, or that, if it was, it follows any pattern of period Old English bynames. Lacking such evidence, Witan Runa is not registerable.
Her device has been registered under the holding name Katrine of Rising Stone.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 14 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Manius Quinctius Malleolus. Name. 
This is an excellent classical Roman name.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 15 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Odette de Noulay. Name and device. Per chevron gules and Or, two lucys in chevron respectant and a drakkar counterchanged. 
Submitted as Odette_Nolais, the documentation for the byname, Morlet, Dictionaire Étymologique de Noms de Famille, p. 732 merely said that Nolais is an orthographic variant of Nolay, the name of a three different French cities or towns. However, no indication was given that either Nolais or Nolay is a period name for any of these towns. Additionally, no documentation was provided for the use of unmarked place names as surnames in French. Lacking such evidence, Nolais is not registerable. Siren notes that Dauzat & Rostaing, Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Lieux de la France, s.n. Nolay dates Noulay to 1437. The expected French byname based on this place name is de Noulay. We have changed the name to Odette de Noulay in order to register it.
The documentation from Morlet was not summarized on the LoI. Had the commenters not provided the missing information, we would have been forced to pend or return this name.
This is clear of Madoc Hawthorne Sinclair, Per chevron gules and Or, three galleons sailing to sinister counterchanged. There is a CD for the change of type the half the charge group and a CD for the change of orientation to 2/3 the charge group (from 'palewise' to 'in chevron').
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 16 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Owen de Montgomery. Name and device. Per saltire argent and azure, an equal-armed Celtic cross formy per saltire gules and Or within an orle counterchanged. 
The submitter has permission to conflict with Olwen de Montgomery.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 17 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Philippa Kempe. Name and device. Per chevron inverted azure and Or, an astrolabe and two needles inverted in chevron inverted counterchanged. 
Originally listed on the LoI as Philippa Kemp_, a timely correction was issued changing the name to Philippa Kempe.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 18 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Santesa da Vale. Name. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 19 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Sirona Boinn. Name. 
The only documentation provided for Sirona used by humans was a genealogical website. Precedent concerning the use of such websites for documentation purposes says:
Heinemann was documented from ancestry.com. The April 2001 LoAR stated the following in regards to the submitted name Sueva the Short:
The given name was documented from Roberts, Notable Kin: An Anthology of Columns First Published in the NEHGS NEXUS, 1986-1995. While we have no reason to doubt the quality of the genealogical research, the goals of genealogists are different from ours and their data is not necessarily applicable to SCA use.
The same issue applies to documentation from genealogy Web sites including ancestry.com. They cannot be relied on for documentation for spelling variants. [Tatiana Heinemann, 08/2001 LoAR, A-Trimaris]
Sometimes information on genealogical websites such as ancestry.com can be independently verified because the sources for the information are cited on the webpage. When this is the case, we will consider names documented from genealogical websites on a case by case basis. In order for a particular case to be acceptable, evidence must be provided that the names have not been modernized or normalized. No such evidence was provided for Sirona. Without more reliable support for Sirona, it is not registerable.
Additionally, the byname was documented from Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Bowen; however, no examples of Boinn are found there. White Antelope notes that Boinn "is found in Ó'Corráin & Maguire; Irish Names; P.33; s.n. Boand: Bóinn as a Gaelic given name, and was the name she originally brought in to consultation." Ó Corráin and Maguire s.n. Boand give only mythological examples of this name. Furthermore, even if evidence were found for the use of this name by humans, unmarked matronyms are not registerable in Gaelic.
Both of these problems are reason for return.
Her device has been registered under the holding name Celeste of Owl's Nest.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 20 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Valdrikr Albriktsson. Name and device. Argent, a fox rampant contourny gules and a sinister gore sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 21 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]
Willelmus Mann. Name and device. Per fess sable and vert, on a fess wavy argent a greyhound courant sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 22 on the Meridies letter of May 31, 2008.]

NORTHSHIELD
Alyna of Pinehyll. Device. Per chevron argent and vert, four pine trees in fess and a squirrel maintaining a pine cone, stem to base, counterchanged. 
This was pended on the January 2008 LoAR.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Laurel letter of May 26, 2008.]
Ia ingen Áeda. Device. Per chevron gules and argent, three mullets of six points in chevron argent and a quatrefoil gules. 
This was pended on the January 2008 LoAR.
As two types of charges lying on either side of a line of division, this is four co-primary charges, not a primary and three secondary charges. There is no way the quatrefoil could be the sole primary without having it overlie the line of division. We apologize to the submitter that the advice given previously was incorrect. Please direct the submitter to draw the mullets and the quatrefoil of more equivalent size.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Laurel letter of May 26, 2008.]
Mary of Carrigart. Device. Per pale azure and argent, two swans naiant respectant and on a chief three annulets counterchanged. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Northshield letter of May 27, 2008.]

OUTLANDS
Hawk's Hollow, Canton of. Household name House of the Hooded Hawk and badge association. 
This is being returned for lack of plausibility. While the commenters were able to provide evidence that the phrase hooded hawk occurs in the grey area, and that hooded hawks can be found as crests in period heraldry, these two facts are not sufficient to demonstrate that House of the Hooded Hawk is a plausible English inn sign name. As Siren says:
While indeed a hawk may be hooded in period armory and the words may be demonstrably period (thanks to Margaret), it doesn't follow that it makes a good inn-sign name. We have a fair amount of evidence about inn-signs from English and German, and I now feel comfortable saying that fiddly details (like hooding of a hawk) are not the kinds of things that were used in these sorts of names. A sign of a hawk with a hood would be <House of the Hawk> plain and simple.
This assessment is in keeping with the inn and tavern names found in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "English Sign Names". Lacking evidence that a detail such as hooding would have occurred in an English inn or tavern name, the submitted name does not follow period patterns, and so cannot be registered. We cannot drop the element Hooded as then the name would conflict with Hawk Herald, registered to Calontir (May 1989).
This was to be associated with their badge, Or, a hooded hawk's head erased gules, hooded sable. Since the household name is being returned, we are unable to make this association.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 1 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]
Loghlan de Hay. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
The LoI noted that the name had been changed in kingdom from Lochlan de Hay in order to meet the submitter's request for an authentic 14th C Scots name. However, this authenticity request was not made known to the commenters in a timely fashion, and inspection of the forms shows that the name was originally submitted as Lohlan de Hay, not Lochlan. We remind submissions heralds that it is extremely important to summarize the submission history of a name properly; see the June 2008 cover letter for a further discussion of this. We are pending this submission to allow the commenters to comment on it with the full history available.
The LoI originally provided this information about the name:
Submitter desires a male name.
Language (14th C Scots with the surname HAY) most important.
Culture (14th C Scots) most important.
Changed at Kindom [sic] from "Lochlan de Hay" for temporal compatiblity [sic] (requested spellings were 200+ years apart, modernised the given name to fit the 'de Hay' surname per client's wishes).
[Loghlan] Black, "The Surnames of Scotland", p.410 s.n. LACHLAN "Lochlan, son of Huddredy... c.1158-64; "Eugene fitz Loghlan...1296"; "Louchelan...1304-5"; "Adam Lachlane...1417"
[de Hay]: Black, "The Surnames of Scotland", p.350 s.n. HAY "Thomas de Hay...c1300-20", "William Hay...1332"; "William de Haya...c.1178-82"
[PENDED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]
Loghlan de Hay. Device. Argent, on a fess azure between three escutcheons gules a wolf's head erased argent. 
The wolf's head is not recognizable as such. Many commenters initially thought it was a cat's head. Therefore, this is returned for a redraw as a wolf's head. Properly drawn, this submission is not in conflict with Hay, Earl of Errol, High Constable of Scotland: Argent, three escutcheons gules. It is clear either by X.1 (for adding the primary fess) or by counting CDs (one for the addition of the primary fess, one for the addition of the tertiary head on the fess). Because we consider the new design to be entirely independent armory under our rules, the combination of the name and device is not presumptuous. The argument that any device with such a field combined with the surname Hay is presumption was made, and rejected, when we registered the device of Brendan Hay, Argent, two rapiers in saltire sable between three escutcheons gules, a bordure sable, in December 1992. Please see that decision for more details.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]
Mary Blakthorn. Name change from Mary of Blackthorn and device. Purpure, a dragonfly argent between in base two annulets Or all between flaunches argent. 
Her previous name, Mary of Blackthorn, is retained as an alternate name.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 3 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]
Sigurðr Hákonarson. Device. Gules, a bend sinister bevilled between a Thor's hammer and an anvil Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]
Tyrfingr von Wolfsberg and Gwenhevare of Coventry. Joint badge. Gules, a hawk volant to sinister, wings addorsed and a bordure engrailed Or. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the Outlands letter of May 21, 2008.]

WEST
Ahmad ibn Salim al-Hasib. Name. 
Submitted as Achmed ibn Salim al-Hasib, no documentation was provided that Achmed is a reasonable period variant form of Arabic Ahmad in any language. The LoI cited Da'ud ibn Auda, "Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices", which says that historically some names of important Arabs have been corrupted when used by Europeans (e.g., the philosopher ibn Sina was known as Avicenna to Europeans). However, the article clearly states that not all of the examples provided of this type of corruption date to period. None of the commenters were able to provide any support for -h- being transcribed or corrupted as -ch- in our period. Lacking such evidence, Achmed is not a plausible period variant form of Ahmad. We have changed the name to Ahmad ibn Salim al-Hasib in order to register it.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 1 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Aine de Lacy. Name (see RETURNS for device). 
This name combines English and Gaelic; this is one step from period practice.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 2 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Aine de Lacy. Device. Per pall gules, azure, and azure, a pall between three leopard's faces argent. 
This is being returned for violating the Rules for Submission. RfS VIII.2.b.v requires that elements evenly divided in three tinctures have good contrast between two of their parts. Precedent says:
[Per chevron inverted argent and Or, a pall sable and overall a rose gules seeded Or.] This is being returned for a redraw. As drawn it is not per chevron inverted. It is closest to per pall argent, Or and Or, which is not acceptable. [December 1998, Eleanor de Valence, R-Lochac]
The new submission is an exact analogy, with the metals and colors reversed.
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 2 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Arianwen ferch Morgan. Name. 
The spelling Arianwen was ruled unregisterable on the April 2007 LoAR:
Current precedent holds that Aranwen is registerable as a 12th C literary form of a 5th C semi-legendary name:
Aranwen ferch Dafydd Mawr. Submitted as Arianwen ferch Dafydd Mawr, the spelling Arianwen is a 20th C revival of a name found in a fairly different form in the 5th C. We have no examples of how the name appeared at the time it was actually in use. We did find a form of this name in a 12th C genealogy included in J. Gwenogvryn Evans, The Text of the Book of Llan Dav; this source shows the spelling Aranwen. Given that this is a name used by humans in a written record, we will give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the form Aranwen might have been adopted for use in the 12th C as a literary name. However, barring documentation that some person actually bore this name later than the 5th C and earlier than 1650, the form Arianwen is no longer registerable.
However, upon further consideration, we feel that this precedent is in error. First, the name is found in a genealogical record. While we use these records to show that a particular name was in use at a particular time, we do not use it for spellings for anything but contemporary names, nor do we generally allow names from such records under the literary name citation. Given this, barring documentation that the name that gave rise to the modern Arianwen was found in the Middle Welsh period or later, neither Arianwen nor Aranwen (a 12th C spelling of a 5th C name) is registerable. [Aranwen Bengrek, Calontir-A]
The name is registerable in the Old Welsh spelling Arganguen, but the submitter does not allow major changes, such as changing the language of an element. If the submitter wants to register a form of Arianwen, we recommend Arganguen merch Morcant, using an Old Welsh form of the byname constructible from Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, "The First Thousand Years of British Names".
[RETURNED September 2008. This was item 3 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Berta Mallory. Name and device. Vert, a lion rampant and on a chief Or three crabs gules. 
Nice name!
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 4 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Christophe d'Avignon. Name and device. Ermine, a fleur-de-lys and a bordure azure. 
The documentation for the given name, Dauzat, Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et Prenoms de France, s.n. Christofle, was inadequate, as it provided no evidence that Christophe is a period form. However, Morlet, Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles, p. 20 notes that Christophe can be found in Picardy in the 14th and 15th centuries, which allows us to register this name.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 5 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Colette de Navarre. Name and device. Per chevron sable and argent, two crescents argent and a winged unicorn segreant purpure. 
This name does not conflict with Nicolas de Navarre. While Colette is a feminine form of Colet, and Colet is a diminutive of Nicolas, Colette is not a pet form of Nicolas. Therefore, per RfS V.1.a.i, the two given names are considered only with respect to their sound and appearance. As they are significantly different in both, they do not conflict.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 6 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Colyne Jak Leslie. Device. Ermine, a compass star elongated to base and an orle sable. 
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 7 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Gwydden Lawen. Blanket permission to conflict with device. Sable, a fret and a chief Or. 
The letter grants permission to conflict for armory which has one countable difference (a CD) except for the following arms: Sable, a fret and on a chief Or, a label [of any color] and Sable, a fret Or.
While we register blanket permissions to conflict, all restrictions beyond the standards of "1 CD", "non-identity", or "a blazonable difference" must be easy to describe, such as Eleanor Leonard's "as long as either the field or charge is not a solid tincture" or Alia Marie de Blois' "As long as at least one tincture is not an ermine-type fur."
We will not allow exceptions for specific armory in blanket permissions to conflict, only generic ones. If submitters wish to retain specific armory for their use, the way to do that is to register the armory.
If the submitter wished to protect "armory which has one countable difference except those using a label", we would accept that restriction, as it is a reasonable cadency restriction for heirs.
[RETURNED September 2008. Added by Istvan]
Rian Ó Brógáin. Name. 
Listed on the LoI as  Rian Ó Brógáin, the forms had Rian O Brogan. When names are changed in kingdom, even if it is in consultation with the submitter, it is necessary to list the change, the reason for the change, and the originally submitted form on the LoI. This allows the commenters to evaluate changes made to ensure they are consistent with period practice and the submitter's stated wishes. Failure to mention changes on the LoI is grounds for returning (if the omissions are continual or egregious) or pending names. We are pending this item so that Matins can provide the reason for the change to the name and to allow the commenters the opportunity to address this name knowing its full history.
The LoI originally provided this information about the name:
Submitter desires a male name.
Client requests authenticity for Irish (no time given).
Culture (Irish (no time given)) most important.
<Rian>: From Index of Names in Irish Annals: Ríán, by Mari Elspeth nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O'Brien) <http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/Rian.shtml>Middle Irish Gaelic (c900-c1200) nominative form: Ríán <Ríán> is attested for the years 895, 976, 988, 1015, 1016 (note that is only 895-1016, not 900-1200).
O Corrain & Maguire, p.155 sn. Rian is the post colon form and <R{i/}{a/}n> as the early form.
<O Brogan>: 16th & 17th Century Anglicized Irish Surnames from Woulfe, by Mari Elspeth nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O'Brien) <http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/Woulfe/SortedByAnglicizedSpelling.shtml>O Brogan (page) 444 Ó Brógáin
<Ó Brógáin> O Corrain & Maguire, p. 37, listed as the post colon form.
Woulfe, p.444 sn. O Brogain, cites <O Brogan> as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic <Ø Brøg{a/}in>.
His device was registered under the holding name Rian of Fettburg.
[PENDED September 2008. This was item 8 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]
Rian of Fettburg. Holding name and device (see PENDS for name). Gyronny arrondi azure and argent, a turtle vert. 
Per the July 2005 Cover Letter, placing a charge over the center of this depiction of gyronny arrondi, which has the upper corners of the shield centered in a gyron, is a step from period practice.
Submitted under the name Rian Ó Brógáin.
[ACCEPTED September 2008. This was item 8 on the West letter of May 30, 2008.]