Nice English name from the 14th century onwards!
Artist's note: Please center the cabbage on the field.
Although Burke was documented as the submitter's legal surname, she does not need to rely on the Legal Name Allowance because it is also an attested English surname.
The submitter requested authenticity for "late period northern Italian." This name may be authentic for that time and place, but we cannot be certain. Cassiano was the name of a saint and it continued to be used well into the 16th century in Italy. The byname de Castello and its variants are also frequently found in late period. Whether either of these elements is particularly appropriate for northern Italy is unclear.
There is a step from period practice for the use of a compass star.
Nice Japanese name from the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573)! This name is appropriate for a man of the buke class (the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval Japan).
Although the form gives the name as Fredrick Silver Rose, the name appeared on the Letter of Intent as Fredrik Silver Rose with no explanation for the change from Kingdom. We remind Kingdoms that all changes from the forms must be summarized on the Letter of Intent.
Garnet subsequently clarified that the desired spelling for the given name is Fredrik and we are registering the name in that form.
Nice late 16th century German name!
This name combines a Gaelic given name with an English byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
The submitter requested authenticity for "Italian later period." This name is authentic for the 16th-17th century in the area of Palermo, Italy.
Submitted as Mær Bitra, the submitter desires a byname meaning "bitterness." In commentary, Gunnvor Orle suggested that the descriptive byname Beiska was closer to the desired meaning. At the submitter's request, we are registering the name as Mær Beiska.
Excellent late 15th century Spanish name! Both elements are attested in Jaén, Spain in 1495.
Submitted as Ósvífr inn harði, in commentary Gunnvor Orle noted that this particular descriptive byname does not need a marker; in other words, it can be registered with or without inn. At the submitter's request, we have dropped the marker and are registering the name as Ósvífr _ harði.
The submitter's previous device, Gules, on a cross Or a mullet gules, on a chief indented Or two dragons passant respectant gules, is released.
Artist's note: Please draw the cross larger.
Nice device!
S{o,}lveig provided useful commentary on the design of Japanese mon and the "handedness." I include the commentary here, edited to clarify images that she references:
Japanese heraldic designs have handedness. There are two Japanese approaches for blazoning the difference between the two versions. In one version, the default is simply assume [sic] and the mirror image will have a word reversing the orientation inserted into the Japanese blazon. The second method specifies one orientation as left and the other as right which of course could be rendered as sinister and dexter in Anglo-Norman blazon. [She provides two images of mitsutomoe, one with the tails pointing widdershins, the other with the tails pointing deasil]. In the examples below, [widdershins] is a left tomoe while [deasil] is a right tomoe.
The tomoe in the design submitted by Satou-dono is blazoned (sans tincture) as hidari mitsu tomoe-mon or "Left-hand triple tomoe design".
In saltire has two possible orientations in Japanese heraldry. [She here includes two images of hawk feathers in saltire, the first with the feather bendwise sinister surmounting, and the second with the feather bendwise surmounting]. [The first image] is the default, while [the second image] is reversed. While the handedness of [the first image] is not specified in the Japanese blazon, the blazon for [the second image] notes that the right hand hawk feather lies on top.
Regardless of whether or not the College of Arms at any particular time decides to count handedness of Japanese armory for difference, handedness is definitely a blazonable difference within a Japanese context and should be faithfully blazoned by the College of Arms.
The College does not count handedness of tomoe for difference, any more than we count the direction of a triskelion. While there might have been a blazonable difference in period, the submitter has not indicated that the direction has any personal meaning. With one exception, the tomoe registered in the last six years have all been "left-handed," and all of the mitsutomoe are "left-handed," including the depiction in the Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry. Therefore we decline at this time to blazon the distinction.
There is a step from period practice for the use of mitsutomoe.
The submitter's previous device, Quarterly azure and argent, a tyger rampant contourny gules and in chief two lotus blossoms affronty counterchanged, is retained as a badge.
Nice German name for circa 1300!
Originally submitted as Sirus della Fenice, the name was changed at Kingdom to Sirus delli Fenice to match the documentation that could be found. Fortunately, after the close of commentary, Ursula Palimpsest found evidence of a man named Giovanni della Fenice in a collection of 16th century (1540-1587) letters of the Medici family. Based on this evidence, the originally-submitted byname is registerable. Therefore, we have restored the name to Sirus della Fenice.
The submitter requested authenticity for Italian language/culture. Although both elements are Italian, the name is not authentic because they do not overlap in time. Sirus is from the 15th century while della Fenice was found in the 16th century.
The Letter of Intent argued for Silverthorn as the lingua Societatis form of a constructed Old Norse byname. However, the constructed byname was not adequately documented from attested elements in Old Norse. In particular, no evidence could be found for the construction color + thorn in such bynames or for the element þyrni (thorn) as the second element in a compound byname. Therefore, the construction did not meet the requirements of PN1B2b. Fortunately, in commentary, Lillia Crampette was able to construct a byname meaning "silverthorn" from pre-1100 English elements, allowing its lingua Societatis form Silverthorn to be combined with the Old Norse given name Þora.
This name combines an Old Norse given name with the lingua Societatis form of an English byname, an acceptable lingual mix as long as both elements are dated prior to 1100 C.E., which is the case here.
Alternatively, the submitter may wish to know that Thora is an early 13th century English given name that can also be combined with Silverthorn. If the submitter prefers this form of the name, she may make a request for reconsideration.
The byname V{o,}lu- is not presumptuous and can be registered. [V{o,}lu-Helena in Flamska, 10/2012 LoAR, A-Ansteorra].
The submitter requested authenticity for the Old Norse language. This name is authentic for 9th-10th century Old Norse in Iceland.
Artist's note: Please make the mullet larger to fill the available space.
(to Æthelmearc acceptances) (to Æthelmearc returns)
Nice badge!
Submitted as Order of the Sanguine Thorn, per the April 2012 Cover Letter, only heraldic tincture terms and the ordinary color terms for heraldic tinctures may be used in order names. Further, "no convincing evidence has been presented for the use of non-heraldic color names, including the names for particular shades of a color, like scarlet or crimson." [April 2012 Cover Letter] No new evidence has been presented since April 2012 for the use of non-heraldic color terms. Accordingly, while ordinary color names (such as red) or heraldic tinctures (such as gules) can be registered in order names, the use of a color term outside of these two categories, such as sanguine, continues to be prohibited by precedent.
At the Kingdom's request, we have changed the name to Order of _ Sanguins Thorn. Sanguin is a 16th century English surname that can be used as a given name. This order name follows the pattern of orders named after saints plus associated objects, usually heraldic charges. [Carillion, Barony of. Order name Order of Irons Bell, 11/2014 LoAR, A-East]
This order names follows the attested pattern of names based on two heraldic charges -- namely, a spur and a lion.
This order names follows the attested pattern of names based on two heraldic charges -- namely, a claw and a lion.
There is a step from period practice for the use of charges oriented in annulo.
The submitter's previous device, Quarterly sable and Or, two domestic cats rampant Or and a bordure gules, is retained as a badge.
Submitted as Daimhin _ Daire, the submitter indicated that he preferred a marked Gaelic form of the byname rather than the unmarked English form he submitted. At the submitter's request, we have changed the name to Daimhin Ó Daire for registration.
The submitter's previous name, Sibéal inghean uí Ruairc, is retained as an alternate name.
Durin is a French literary name of a human character from the romance of Amadis de Gaule. This name is registerable because French has an established pattern of using the names of characters from literature, particularly Arthurian literature and romances.
In commentary, Lillia Crampette constructed Oldenmoor as an English place name based on the surname Olden and the generic toponym -moor. The pattern of constructing compound English place names from surnames and toponyms is found in Juliana de Luna's "Compound Placenames in English" (http://www.medievalscotland.org/jes/EnglishCompoundPlacenames/).
This name combines a French given name with an English byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
Artist's note: Please draw the foot larger, with more of the "palm" visible behind the roundel. Ref: the Arms of Brandagli, Insignia Lucensium, Senensium, Pisanorum, Pistoianorum, Volterranorum, Aretinorum, Cortonensium, Borgo a S. Sepolcro [BSB Cod.icon. 278] (1550-1555) (f.164r)
The submitter is a viscount and is thus entitled to display a coronet.
The Old Norse given name Hj{o,}rdís (with or without the diacritical mark) can be constructed from attested elements:
Heralds at the Pelican decision meeting found the necessary three examples of each element used in attested given names: Hjorulfr, Hjorvarðr and Hjortr; Vigdís, Arndís and Álfdís. Therefore, Hj{o,}rdís is registerable as a constructed Old Norse given name. [Hj{o,}rdís Sigbjarnardóttir, 8/2017 LoAR, A-Atlantia]
Commenters on this name noted that all of the examples of Hj{o,}r- names are masculine. Given the scarcity of data for feminine names, we do not limit our use of data unless the element is inherently gendered. While second elements such as -dís or -hildr were only used by women (and others were only used by men), that does not appear to be the case for first elements. Elements such as Alf- are found in both male and female Old Norse names.
There is a step from period practice for the use of hexagons.
Madrone is the registered name of an SCA branch.
Saint Bunstable is the registered name of an SCA branch. The College of Saint Bunstable is a subsidiary group of the Barony of Madrone and the Barony has permission from the College to use its name in an order name. For more details on such permissions, please see the Cover Letter.
Madrone is the registered name of an SCA branch.
Madrone is the registered name of an SCA branch.
Submitted as Award of the Porte de l'Eau Chalice, we currently have no evidence supporting order names in the pattern Place Name + Charge. When place names appear in order names, they appear as either the sole element or at the end of the name. Therefore, with the Barony's permission, we have changed the name to Award of the Chalice of Porte de l'Eau.
Porte de l'Eau is the registered name of an SCA branch. The Canton of Porte de l'Eau is a subsidiary group of the Barony of Madrone and the Barony has permission from the Canton to use its name in an order name. For more details on such permissions, please see the Cover Letter.
Nice late 15th century Gaelic name!
Nice 16th century English name!
Artist's note: Please provide contrasting internal detailing to the dandelions.
Submitted as Russell Cam-buel, no evidence could be found supporting the construction of the byname. However, both Cam and Buel are attested late period English bynames. With the submitter's permission, we have changed the name to Russell Cam Buel for registration.
Although Russell was documented in the Letter of Intent as the submitter's legal given name, the submitter does not need to rely on the Legal Name Allowance because it is also an attested 1590s English given name.
The submitter requested authenticity for 13-14th century England. This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent. Fortunately, Seraphina Ragged Staff identified the authenticity request during commentary, allowing sufficient time for research.
Although Thomas is authentic for this time period, the constructed place name Greyhaven is not. All of our examples of place names using the element -haven are from later in period.
Commenters questioned whether the byname was reasonable given that Stonehenge is a famous landmark and not a place where people actually lived. After the close of commentary, Lillia Crampette provided evidence of English bynames based on landmarks such as del Quitstones (of the standing stones/monoliths), atte Holywelle (by/near the holy well), atte Denne (by/near the cavern/tomb) and de la Berewe (of the burial mound). In addition, we found evidence of manor houses named for nearby landmarks which sometimes include the word Manor in their names and sometimes did not. This evidence is sufficient to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that her requested name is registerable, either as a reference to a henge made of stone nearby her dwelling or as a reference to a manor house built near a henge made of stone.
(to An Tir acceptances) (to An Tir returns) (to An Tir pends)
Blazoned when registered in May 2005 as Quarterly argent and gules, two tricunes gules, we are clarifying the combination of charges. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion.
Blazoned when registered in November 1990 as Sable, vetu Or, within a torii gate argent a tricune Or, we are clarifying the combination of charges in the secondary charge group. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion. We are also correcting the tincture of the passion nails, which are argent, not Or.
(to Ansteorra acceptances) (to Ansteorra returns)
Although Adelaide was documented in the Letter of Intent as an English name, Elizabeth Sable Chime also found the name in French, making the entire name French.
Nice device!
The submitter has permission for their device to conflict with the armory of Adrian Flechyr, Per chevron gules and sable, a demi-sun issuant from the line of division and a tower Or.
There is a step from period practice for the use of the sejant erect affronty posture by a quadruped other than a lion.
(to Artemisia acceptances) (to Artemisia returns)
This was pended for redraw on the November 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns.
This was pended for redraw on the November 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns.
This heraldic title was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns for discussion of whether, as a matter of policy, furs should be treated like other heraldic tinctures for the purposes of creating heraldic titles and order names. Effective as of the date of this letter, single-word fur tinctures, such as erminois, vair, ermine and pean may be used in order names and heraldic titles just like any other heraldic tinctures. See the Cover Letter for more details.
This heraldic title uses the attested pattern of Heraldic Tincture + Heraldic Charge, and thus can be registered.
Originally registered in November 2008 and transferred to Milana as a device in May 2012 with the blazon Per pale vert and Or, a vol and in chief a tricune counterchanged, we are clarifying the combination of charges in the secondary charge group. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion.
Baronial Warband is a generic identifier.
There is a step from period practice for the use of lightning bolts outside of the context of a thunderbolt.
Nice English name for the 1570s!
This name can be registered either as a Gaelic saint's name combined with an English surname or as a wholly English name using the gray period surname Senan as a given name.
This was pended for redraw on the November 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns.
There is a step from period practice for the use of a natural tiger's head.
The submitter's previous name, Joseph Grünewald of York, is retained as an alternate name.
(to Atenveldt acceptances) (to Atenveldt returns)
This is the defining instance of a spiral iron, or spiral gridiron. It is a period tool, dating from the Iron Age in Scandinavia, and used to grill meats, similar to the more commonly known gridiron. Given their notably different shapes, there is a DC between a spiral iron and a gridiron.
Nice badge!
The Gaelic saint's name Ceara is found in the gray period Martyrology of Donegal. Therefore, it can be combined with an English surname.
Nice device!
There is a step from period practice for the use of a bird in a displayed posture other than an eagle.
Artist's note: Please draw the chief larger to give more space for the escallops.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th-16th century Scottish. This name is not authentic for that time period because the given name Hextilda can only be dated to the 12th century.
This submission was originally marked as a new name and not a name change. Kingdom subsequently clarified that the submitter already had a name registered. The submitter's previous name, Abigael of Inishowen, is retained as an alternate name.
This name combines an English given name and a Dutch byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
Artist's note: Please draw fewer ermine spots.
Nice 16th century Spanish name!
The submitter's previous name, Juan de Rojo, is released.
Although this item appeared on the Letter of Intent as a name change from Catrion ni Raghaillach, we found no evidence that this name had ever been registered.
Nice 16th century German name!
Nice 16th century German name!
(to Atlantia acceptances) (to Atlantia returns)
Nice 9th-10th century Icelandic name!
There is a step from period practice for the use of a natural tiger.
The submitter is a countess and thus entitled to the display of a coronet.
Nice device!
Lillia Crampette provided evidence of plural toponymic bynames in English, including de Welles, de Brokes, and atte Stonis.
(to Avacal acceptances) (to Avacal returns)
Blazoned when registered in April 2002 as Per pale sable and gules, a tricune inverted within a bordure Or, we are clarifying the combination of charges in the primary charge group. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion.
The submitter has permission to conflict with the badge of Brendan MacRonan, Argent, a dolphin urinant vert.
Questions were raised in commentary about whether the praenomen should be spelled Caius or Gaius. Both of these spellings are acceptable for our purposes. As Alisoun Metron Ariston noted in commentary, "[b]oth appear in various contexts, sometimes in the same period and same dialect, at other times reflecting a chronological or dialectical difference."
Nice badge!
(to Caid acceptances) (to Caid returns)
Questions were raised in commentary about whether the 16th century English surname Develin could be used as a given name even though it was likely Irish in origin. In parallel circumstances, we ruled that the surname Donovan could be used as a given name:
Donovan was documented as a 1584 English family name from Leicester. While it is presumably of Irish origin, it is functioning as an English family name here and can be used to create a given name following the pattern of late period English surnames used as given names. [Donovan Gunn, 9/2012 LoAR, A-Caid]
There is no reason to treat Develin differently.
Additionally, by longstanding precedent, if a Gaelic header in Woulfe has italicized 16th and early 17th century Anglicized Irish forms under it, then we give the submitter the benefit of the doubt that the Gaelic form was also used in the 16th and early 17th centuries. [October 2010 Cover Letter] In this case, an Anglicized Irish form does appear under the heading Ó Sirideáin, making that header form registerable as a 16th and early 17th century Gaelic form.
This name combines an English given name with a Gaelic byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
There is a step from period practice for use of triskelion of spirals.
Nice 13th century Hebrew name!
Kitsu is the registered surname of the submitter's parent.
The submitter's previous name, Sigurðr skrifari, is released.
Blazoned when registered in December 1991 as Bendy sans nombre argent and vert, on a pale engrailed azure three harps argent, we are clarifying the field to be just bendy.
Submitted as Household of Galens White Falcon, this household name did not follow any attested period pattern. Fortunately, only small adjustments were necessary to make the name registerable. Whitefalcon is a plausible constructed English surname based on inn-sign bynames such as Whytehorse and Whitelomb. Galen is an attested English given name. Therefore, Household of Galen_ Whitefalcon follows the pattern of English inns and taverns named after the full names of their owners. With the submitter's permission, we have made this change.
(to Calontir acceptances) (to Calontir returns)
Nice Viking age Swedish name!
(to Drachenwald acceptances) (to Drachenwald returns)
This was pended for redraw on the November 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns.
The submitter is a knight and thus entitled to the display of an annulet of chain.
(to Ealdormere acceptances) (to Ealdormere returns)
Blazoned when registered in February 1982 as Paly sans nombre azure and argent, on a bend sinister engrailed between a hemispheric astrolabe and an equatorium Or three estoiles gules, we are clarifying that this is a normal paly field.
Nice Viking Age Old Norse name!
Originally submitted as Brian of Centre Downe, the name was changed at Kingdom to Brian Woods Walker because Kingdom was unable to document the original byname. Commenters constructed Centre Downe as a compound English place name based on the family name Centre and the toponym Downe, as shown in Juliana de Luna's "Compound Placenames in English" (http://medievalscotland.org/jes/EnglishCompoundPlacenames/). Therefore, we have changed the name back to its originally-submitted form.
There is a step from period practice for the use of a cross nowy.
This name combines a German given name with a Swedish byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
Artist's note: Please exaggerate the features of the arrow and the grozing iron to aid in identification.
Blazoned when registered in July 1989 as (Fieldless) An open book within hearts sans nombre palewise in annulo argent, we are clarifying that this is an annulet of hearts.
Charges in annulo not in their default orientation are a step from period practice.
The submitter requested authenticity for an unspecified language and/or culture. This name combines a Gaelic given name with an English byname. Although it can be registered per Appendix C, the name is not authentic because we have no evidence of names mixing these two languages actually being used in period.
Blazoned when registered in December 1995 as Argent, a tricune inverted azure, we are clarifying the combination of charges. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion.
Submitted as Gelgeis ingen Áedáin, diacritical markings must be used consistently throughout Gaelic names. Therefore, we have changed the name to Gelgéis ingen Áedáin for registration.
The submitter requested that the patronymic marker be spelled inghean if possible. However, that spelling is only used post-1200, more than 500 years after the attested instance of the given name. Therefore, under PN2C2a, it cannot be used in this name.
Questions were raised in commentary about whether the o-ogonek found in some transliterations of Gunnbj{o,}rn needed to be included because the name uses the diacritical mark in the byname. It does not. "The o-ogonek ({o,}) character can be retained or omitted as the submitter wishes, regardless of whether diacritical markings are included in the name." [Jorunn V{o,}kr, April 2018, A-Atenveldt]
Nice 9th-10th century Icelandic name!
The submitter requested authenticity for later period Finnish. This name is plausibly authentic for the 16th century.
The submitter has permission for their device to conflict with the device of Johanna aff Hucka, Azure, a cross formy within and conjoined to an annulet Or.
Nice device!
If the submitter is primarily interested in a Viking Age name, the patronymic would be Magnúsardottír. The submitted patronymic is more appropriate for later in period. If the submitter prefers the Viking Age form, she may make a request for reconsideration.
Artist's note: Please draw the waves larger to aid in identification.
The submitter's previous device, Gules, a ram's head cabossed between three mullets of four points argent, is released.
Nice badge!
Nice late 16th century English name!
Nice Spanish name from the late 15th century onwards!
Submitted as Scolastica Capellarius, it was noted in commentary that, if the submitter is intended to be the hatmaker (as opposed to a member of the hatmaker's family), the byname should be the feminine Capellaria. As the submitter preferred this form, we have made this change.
Nice 9th-10th century Icelandic name!
The submitter may be interested to know that Ulfr Bardsson is a 14th century Norwegian form of the same name. If the submitter prefers this form, he may make a request for reconsideration.
Submitted as Zofiya Jodurqin, the name in this form could not be registered for several reasons. First, the submitter wanted a Mongol byname that means "stubborn." However, Zofiya was documented as a Lithuanian name. Lithuanian is in the Baltic language group, which cannot be combined with Mongol under Appendix C. Second, Jordurquin was a constructed element based on a modern Mongol dictionary. We have no evidence for this construction in period.
Fortunately, with the help of Ursula Palimpsest, and the consent of the submitter, we were able to change the name to a registerable form. The submitter agreed to change the given name to Zofeia, a Russian form of the same given name. Örebek is an attested medieval Mongol byname meaning "stubborn, persistent." Russian can be combined with Mongol under Appendix C. We are happy to make this change for registration.
(to East acceptances) (to East returns) (to East pends)
Artist's note: Please center the book between the spindles.
The submitter documented this form of artist's palette from several period sources, notably the portrait of the Flemish artist Hans Bol (d.1593). This form is now acceptable for our use.
Nice 15th century Scots name!
There is a step from period practice for the use of natural tiger's head.
(to Lochac acceptances) (to Lochac returns)
Originally submitted as Derfel {E-}adh{u-}n, the name was changed at Kingdom to Derfel Eden on the mistaken understanding that unmarked patronymics were not allowed in Old English. This is not the case. SENA Appendix A says that Old English patronymics can be marked or unmarked. Therefore, we have partially restored the name to Derfel Eadhun, using the standard rendering of the Old English name (without diacritical markings, for which we could not find support). As Derfel is a saint's name, it is temporally neutral and can be combined with a 9th century Old English name.
Having originally submitted the name as Éimhín MacTir, the name was changed at Kingdom to the English-Scots Emin MacTir because Éimhín could not be documented. However, Lillia Crampette found Éimhín as a saint's name in the gray period Martyrology of Donegal. Therefore, we have restored the name to its original form.
This name combines a Gaelic saint's name with a Scots byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
This name does not conflict with the registered Kieran MacTier under PN3C1. Not only do the names differ in appearance by several letters, the given names differ in sound by two syllables: Keer-an vs. Kar-ah.
The submitter's previous device, Argent, in saltire a pen and an artist's paintbrush sable, a bordure purpure, is retained as a badge.
Originally submitted as Una Ulfsdottir, during commentary the submitter requested a change to Una Hrolfsdottir. A timely correction was issued by Kingdom, allowing us time to review the requested change. The name in the requested form is registerable.
Nice 16th century Italian name from Venice!
(to Meridies acceptances) (to Meridies returns)
This device was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns to discuss the potential for substantial difference for the type of flower. There is an SC between roses and columbines. For more information about the new policy regarding conflict between types of flowers, please see the Cover Letter.
(to Middle acceptances) (to Middle returns)
(to Northshield acceptances) (to Northshield returns)
Adelaide Pympernell noted that there was a historical person known as Albrecht von Sachsen-Eisenach (1599 - 1644). PN4D states that, "[f]or individuals important enough to protect, we protect all forms in which their name was known." Because some sources refer to Albrecht von Sachsen-Eisenach as simply von Eisenach, we must consider his significance.
Albrecht von Sachsen-Eisenach ruled the duchy of Saxe-Eisenach (in German, Sachsen-Eisenach) for four years. PN4D1 states:
Sovereign rulers of significant states are generally important enough to protect. Some historical city-states are not considered significant states. Provinces or regions integrated into larger units like the Holy Roman Empire are not generally considered significant states. Sovereigns of small states that did not give rise directly to modern countries will not be protected under this clause, nor will legendary kings of any state (though these kings may be individually important enough to protect).
Saxe-Eisenach existed intermittently as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Neither the city of Eisenach nor the duchy of Saxe-Eisenach gave rise directly to a modern country. Thus, under PN4D1, the ruler of Saxe-Eisenach is not automatically important enough to protect.
The test for personal significance is set out in PN4D1:
Individuals whose names are recognized by a significant number of people in the Society without having to look them up in a reference are generally important enough to protect. Individuals recognized only by specialists in a subject are unlikely to be important enough to protect. Individuals who are only recognized with the assistance of reference books are unlikely to be important enough to protect.
Individuals whose work and/or life are still influential today are generally important enough to protect. Those whose work significantly shaped the course of world history, science, or the arts are generally important enough to protect. This is generally measured by examining measures like the length of encyclopedia articles about the person and his/her work, numbers of search engine hits for the individual, and the like.
Albrecht von Sachsen-Eisenach did not have any major personal achievements that would make him important enough to protect. He does not have an entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica. His Wikipedia article is extremely short. He ruled for only four years, during which very little of importance seems to have occurred. He is not, therefore, important enough to protect from presumption. The name can be registered as submitted.
The submitter requested authenticity for 16th century German. This name meets that request.
There is a step from period practice for use of New World hummingbirds.
Ivan was documented as the submitter's legal given name. However, he does not need to rely on the Legal Name Allowance because Seraphina Ragged Staff found evidence of Ivan as an English given name in the FamilySearch Historical Records.
(to Outlands acceptances) (to Outlands returns)
As Paul de Lever Cronke, this name was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns for discussion of whether it is an obtrusively modern reference to the phrase "Pull the lever, Kronk!" from the Disney movie The Emperor's New Groove, which enjoyed some fame as a meme. PN2E states:
No name will be registered that either in whole or in part is obtrusively modern. Something is said to be obtrusively modern when it makes a modern joke or reference that destroys medieval ambience and drags the average person mentally back to the present day. Obtrusiveness can be either in the written form or when spoken. A period name that has a modern referent will not generally be considered obtrusively modern. Only extreme examples will be returned.
Longstanding precedent defines the test for obtrusive modernity as whether the name "grab[s] the listener by the scruff of the neck and haul[s] him, will he or nill he, back into the [21st] Century." [Porsche Audi, 08/1992 LoAR, Caid-R] "The fact that this is a 'joke name' is not, in and of itself, a problem. The College has registered a number of names, perfectly period in formation, that embodied humor: Drew Steele, Miles Long, and John of Somme Whyre spring to mind as examples." (Porsche Audi, August, 1992, pg. 28) When considering the registration of joke names, the key question is whether the joke is necessarily a modern one: "Joke names have long been registered, when the reference was not modern." [Mould de Cheder, 2/2011 LoAR, A-Trimaris]
Most commenters found this name to be obtrusively modern because the joke was necessarily modern. Further, multiple people noted that, once they heard the reference/saw the meme, they could not get modern reference out of their brains. Even applying the fairly liberal standard for obtrusive modernity, this name grabbed too many listeners by the scruff of the neck and dragged them into the 21st century.
To address the obtrusive modernity problem, the submitter agreed to drop the element Cronke. As Paul de Lever_, the name is not obtrusively modern. Even if constructed as the phrase "pull the lever," a lever was a period tool and thus this might be a period joke. Moreover, the joke requires a deliberate mispronunciation of the name to arrive at the joke. By precedent, the fact that one could deliberately mispronounce a name to come up with a potentially offensive phrase is not a bar to registration. [Basilius Fuchs, Dec. 2010, A-An Tir] The same is true when obtrusive modernity depends on a deliberate mispronunciation.
Blazoned when registered in March 2003 as (Tinctureless) On a fess wavy between in chief two straight trumpets in saltire and triskeles sans nombre a crown of four points, we are clarifying the charges in base to be semy.
(to Trimaris acceptances) (to Trimaris returns)
Submitted as Bernal Diez _, this name was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns for discussion of whether it presumes on the historical figure Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1496-1584). Because he is known in many sources as simply Bernal Diaz, without the locative, PN4D requires us to undertake the presumption analysis.
PN4D1 of SENA states, in relevant part:
Individuals whose names are recognized by a significant number of people in the Society without having to look them up in a reference are generally important enough to protect. Individuals recognized only by specialists in a subject are unlikely to be important enough to protect. Individuals who are only recognized with the assistance of reference books are unlikely to be important enough to protect.
Individuals whose work and/or life are still influential today are generally important enough to protect. Those whose work significantly shaped the course of world history, science, or the arts are generally important enough to protect. This is generally measured by examining measures like the length of encyclopedia articles about the person and his/her work, numbers of search engine hits for the individual, and the like.
Bernal Diaz was a conquistador and, more importantly, the author of The True History of the Conquest of New Spain, which details Hernán Cortés' expedition against the Aztecs. Diaz's work is one of the most important sources of information about the Spanish invasion of Mexico. His name is the first hit on Google searches for "Bernal Diaz" or "Bernal Diez," and those searches yield several pages of results. He has his own entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bernal-Diaz-del-Castillo), a fairly substantial entry on Wikipedia, and an entry in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Mesoamerica. The True History is available both in original form and in translation/transcriptions and continues to be relied upon by students of Spanish and Mesoamerican history. Bernal Diaz therefore meets our standards for protection under PN4D1.
When advised of the presumption issue, the submitter agreed to add a locative byname unrelated to the historical Bernal Diaz. The byname de Leon is found in "Spanish Names from the Late 15th Century" by Juliana de Luna (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/isabella/locative.html). As Bernal Diaz de Leon, the name is free of conflict and presumption issues.
As modified, nice Spanish name from the late 15th century onwards!
Blazoned when registered in October 1976 as Chevronelly sans nombre argent and gules, a spearhead sable, we are clarifying that the field is just chevronelly.
Blazoned when registered in January 1972 as Azure, three forks two-tined and tangued Or, on a chief argent three tricunes sable, we are clarifying the combination of charges on the chief. See the Cover Letter for a fuller discussion.
(to West acceptances) (to West returns)
- Explicit littera accipiendorum -
None.
(to Æthelmearc acceptances) (to Æthelmearc returns)
This device is returned for conflict with the device of Ceinwen merch Hugh, Azure, crusilly patonce Or, a dove migrant bendwise sinister argent. There is one DC for changing the type of secondary charge from billet to cross.
This badge is also returned for blurring the distinction of postures and orientations. While blazoned as volant, the sea-mew is depicted as seen from below, with the breast and bottoms of the wings visible as a bird displayed, but with the feet tucked in and invisible, like volant. Further, the angle of the charge is halfway between palewise and bendwise. Each of these issues are grounds for return, and the combination absolutely requires it.
Upon resubmission, please draw the billets in their more usual proportions.
This was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns to discuss whether the historical, monstrous depiction of a whale should conflict with a natural dolphin.
This badge conflicts with the device of Wade of Many Places, Per bend sinister, per bend sable and vert, and azure, a bottle-nosed dolphin embowed argent. There is not a DC between a heraldic whale and a natural dolphin. For more information on this decision, please see the Cover Letter.
Nice badge!
(to An Tir acceptances) (to An Tir returns) (to An Tir pends)
None.
(to Ansteorra acceptances) (to Ansteorra returns)
None.
(to Artemisia acceptances) (to Artemisia returns)
This badge is returned for blurring the distinction between sejant and sejant erect. While the difference is easily visible when the creature is in profile due to the angle of the spine, it becomes invisible when the charge is affronty.
This badge is also returned for lack of documentation of the posture sejant affronty, paw raised. The January 2018 Cover Letter discusses affronty postures for quadrupeds in greater detail, and the only documentation found at the time for such a posture in attested period armory was sejant erect affronty.
This badge must be returned for lack of contrast. The sable raven does not have adequate contrast with the vert field. SENA A3B4a requires charges to have good contrast with the background on which they are placed. Absent an Individually Attested Pattern (IAP) of black animate charges on green fields, this cannot be registered. The raven needs to be neutral or metal in tincture.
This badge must also be returned for lack of identifiability. The arrow as drawn is difficult to identify. However, were the entire arrow larger, sufficient to be considered co-primary with the skull and raven, it would be returned for violating SENA A3D2a, Slot Machine. As drawn it is just small enough to be a secondary charge.
Upon resubmission, the ocular and nasal cavities should be the same tincture as the rest of the skull, but at least they are not the tincture of the field. The gap between the jaws, however, should be the tincture of the field as there is nothing behind the mouth to obscure the field.
(to Atenveldt acceptances) (to Atenveldt returns)
This device is returned for violation of Unity of Orientation. The passion nails are arranged in two sets of three in pall inverted, separately from each other and the talbot. Absent documentation for this arrangement being common within a larger charge group, as has been provided for sheaves and charges in saltire, this is grounds for return.
While the passion nails in this arrangement were submitted as tricunes, that charge is an SCA invention last registered twelve years ago, in the device of James O Callan (later transferred to Milana Lancia). As such, it is not registerable without documentation, which was not provided and could not be found.
Upon resubmission, if the talbot is intended to be charged with tertiary roundels, let them be so drawn, and not as natural spots.
(to Atlantia acceptances) (to Atlantia returns)
None.
(to Avacal acceptances) (to Avacal returns)
This device is returned for violation of SENA A3D1. There is no DC between a serpent in annulo and an annulet (see the return of Alexander le Browere, July 1999, upheld September 2012).
(to Caid acceptances) (to Caid returns)
None.
(to Calontir acceptances) (to Calontir returns)
None.
(to Drachenwald acceptances) (to Drachenwald returns)
This device is returned for conflict with the device of Andromeda Xanthia, Or, a gorgon's head cabossed sable and a bordure vert. There is one DC for the tincture of the primary charge, but none for type of humanoid head. In the September 2018 return of the badge of the Barony of Three Mountains, it was ruled, "The depiction of gorgon's heads in period frequently has the snakes styled as hair, or at least with overlapping snakes in some stylish coiffure, which makes the head too similar in silhouette to a human head to grant a DC for type of charge."
This household name was pended on the October 2019 Letter of Acceptances and Returns for discussion of whether it presumes on the DC comics (and movies) organization the Justice League or their headquarters, the Hall of Justice. We conclude that it presumes not only on the Justice League, but also on the real world Universal House of Justice, the supreme ruling body of the Bahá'í Faith. Accordingly, this name must be returned as presumptuous.
NPN4D states that "[a] non-personal name submission is said to presume on a protected name if the substantive element of the submission is not substantially different in sound and appearance from the substantive element of the protected name, or if it makes an unmistakable claim of ownership by or affiliation with the protected name." (emphasis added) The test for protecting a non-personal name is set out in NPN4D1:
A non-personal name submissions is only considered to presume on protected non-personal names. Names of important non-SCA entities are protected from presumption. Entities that we protect include places (countries, regions, and cities), chivalric orders and heraldic titles, and the names of organizations (colleges, businesses, and other such entities).
Places and organizations that are not important enough to have an entry in a standard print encyclopedia, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, are not important enough to protect. Entities that do have an entry must be further considered to determine if they merit protection. In general, entities recognized (without having to look in a reference) by a significant number of people in the Society as the name of a single unique place or entity are likely to be important enough to protect. Historical places or entities that are still influential today or significantly shaped the course of world history, science, or the arts are generally important enough to protect.
In rare cases, places and entities from fiction may be considered important enough to protect, when both a significant number of people in the Society recognize the name of the entity without prompting and the use of the name of the entity would generally be considered by those people a clear reference to that entity.
Although the Justice League is a fictional entity, it is sufficiently well known that it is important enough to protect under NPN4D1. The Justice League has appeared in comics continuously since 1960 (under a variety of different titles). Beyond just comics, the Justice League also appears in extremely popular movies, television shows (live and animated), and video games. The 2017 film grossed $ 657.9 million worldwide. Further, according to Stan Lee, the success of the Justice League comics inspired the creation of the Fantastic Four, kicking off the Marvel comics universe. This level of knowledge and popularity makes the Justice League important enough to protect even though it is fictional.
In addition, this name presumes on the Universal House of Justice, the supreme ruling body of the Bahá'í Faith, which is also important enough to protect under NPN4D1. The Bahá'í Faith has between 5 and 8 million adherents worldwide. Accordingly, the Universal House of Justice qualifies as an entity that is "still influential today or significantly shaped the course of world history, science, or the arts," and is entitled to protection.
(to Ealdormere acceptances) (to Ealdormere returns)
None.
(to East acceptances) (to East returns) (to East pends)
This device is returned for violation of SENA A3D2a which prohibits more than two types of charge in the same charge group, (commonly referred to as "slot-machine" heraldry).
The November 2012 return of the device of Aldrich Fletcher, Per pale argent and sable, a bow surmounted by a sheaf of three arrows fesswise reversed and a wolf sejant contourny counterchanged, a chief indented vert, states:
This device is returned for violating the ban on so-called "slot-machine heraldry", SENA A3D2a, for having more than two types of charges in the same group. While we consider a bow with an arrow nocked to be a single charge, we consider a bow and an arrow in saltire to be two charges; here, we have a bow and a sheaf of arrows in some arrangement that is difficult to describe, but which is clearly two types of charges. The addition of the wolf creates a single charge group with three types of charges, which is not registerable. If we considered this to be a primary charge group consisting of the bow and wolf plus an overall charge group consisting of the sheaf of arrows plus a secondary group consisting of a peripheral ordinary, this arrangement of charge groups would need to be documented, as it is not listed in SENA Appendix J.
This precedent of a bow and anything other than a single nocked arrow being two separate charges was upheld as recently as April 2017, in the return of the device of Ashland de Mumford: "While a bow and arrow are considered to be a single charge when they are in their standard, expected position, this is not true of a bow and needle." The same is true when the bow has more than one arrow; it ceases to be a single charge.
This device is also returned for unity of orientation. The arrangement of the arrows in pile is separate and apart from the arrangement of the bow and the easel.
This would have been the defining instance of an easel in SCA armory. An easel is a period artifact, and the submitter provided several examples of easels in period artwork.
(to Lochac acceptances) (to Lochac returns)
This device is returned for lack of documentation. Originally submitted as Sable, two pheasants rising addorsed chevronelly gules and Or, an orle of ermine spots Or, the birds in the depiction are decidedly firebirds. The LoI states: "Originally submitted using firebirds, which were deemed a disallowed charge as of the November 2006 LOAR. This device was redrawn using pheasants instead, as well as using fewer, broader bands of color on the birds. Original artwork included below."
However, the silhouette and internal details of the birds have not changed, except for the width of the stripes in their tinctures. The most notable feature of the firebird, its long, fanned tail with cascading feathers resembling gouttes of flame, is still very present in both birds in this submission, and is a trait not shared with pheasants. The latter have long but thin tails, and all depictions brought to the decision meeting had the tail feathers stay close together.
As the submitter is clearly intending to submit and depict firebirds, this cannot be pended for redraw; that would be a redesign of the armory with different charges out of line with the intent of the submitter.
Commenters noted that they had difficulty identifying the birds, at least partially due to the heads having low contrast, and the beaks being too small to make out as a detail. Upon resubmission, the submitter should see that the phasing of the lines of division don't hinder identification of the charges.
(to Meridies acceptances) (to Meridies returns)
None.
(to Middle acceptances) (to Middle returns)
None.
(to Northshield acceptances) (to Northshield returns)
None.
(to Outlands acceptances) (to Outlands returns)
None.
(to Trimaris acceptances) (to Trimaris returns)
None.
(to West acceptances) (to West returns)
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
This badge is pended for redraw due to the line drawing not being a proper line drawing of the color emblazon, and the ermine spots being difficult to identify. Wreath staff has redrawn the artwork which has been accepted by the submitter.
This was item 5 on the An Tir letter of December 20, 2019.
Submitted as Order of the Gwraidd, Gwraidd is a Welsh word meaning "root." A root is a period heraldic charge for which an order can be named. [Atenveldt, Barony of. Order name Order of the Root of the Barony of Atenveldt, December 2014, A-Atenveldt] However, under the April 2011 Cover Letter, order names may not use a language in which orders were not actually named in period.
While this decision was being drafted, Pelican staff suggested that, given the close relationship between England and Wales in period, there might be evidence of English order names translated into Welsh. We are pending this name to allow time for additional research on this point.
This was item 17 on the An Tir letter of December 31, 2019.
(to An Tir acceptances) (to An Tir returns) (to An Tir pends)
This device is pended for redraw due to the triquetra and annulet not being colored in. Blue Tyger provided the new artwork in commentary which had previously been approved by the submitter.
This was item 5 on the East letter of December 31, 2019.
This device is pended for redraw due to commenters' inability to identify the wolf's head. Wreath staff has redrawn the artwork which has been accepted by the submitter.
This was item 25 on the East letter of December 31, 2019.
(to East acceptances) (to East returns) (to East pends)
- Explicit -
Created at 2020-05-19T21:24:21