Artist's note: Please make the eye sockets of the skulls sable or argent, since they open into the skull cavity, not onto the field.
Nice 9th-11th century Old Norse name from Iceland!
Nice device!
This household name is based on the attested pattern of House of [full name], which is found in English and Scots. Horne is an English surname dated to the second half of the 16th century and thus may be used as a given name per SENA Appendix A.
The horns of the ibex's massacre used in this submission are similar to those found in the Zurich Roll.
(to Æthelmearc acceptances) (to Æthelmearc returns)
The submitter's previous name, Akizuki Kaede, is released.
The submitter requested authenticity for 14th-15th century German. This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent, but was fortunately identified by Lilie Ragged Staff in a timely fashion. Kingdoms are reminded that all requests for authenticity must be summarized on the Letter of Intent to avoid a name needing to be pended for further research.
This name meets that request, as it is authentic for the 15th century in Germany. The given name Contze is German vernacular, but the byname Villicus is Latinized German; this lingual mix is often found in documents throughout Germany during the requested time period. If the submitter wishes either of the fully Latinized German forms authentic for the early 14th century, Conradus dictus Villicus and Conradus Villicus, or the fully German vernacular form Contze Meier, they may make a request for reconsideration.
The submitter requested authenticity for 15th century England. This name meets that request as it is authentic from the late 13th century through the end of our period in England.
Nice device!
There is a step from core practice for the use of compass stars.
The byname the Small is lingua Societatis for the attested Middle English byname la Smale.
(to An Tir acceptances) (to An Tir returns)
This name combines an Irish Gaelic given name with an English byname, an acceptable lingual mix per SENA Appendix C.
(to Artemisia acceptances) (to Artemisia returns)
The submitter's previous device, Per pale gules and sable, a dragon argent within an orle Or, is released.
Nice device!
(to Atenveldt acceptances) (to Atenveldt returns) (to Atenveldt pends)
Appearing on the Letter of Intent as Anastiia of Moorehaven, there are two issues with this name. First, the documentation for the byname relied on the Branch Name Allowance, SENA PN1B2f. Moorhaven is the registered name of the SCA branch. Therefore, we have corrected this apparent typo for registration.
In addition, the submission form shows the given name as Anastaii, not Anastiia; no reasoning for the change was summarized on the Letter of Intent. Kingdoms are reminded that all changes to a submission must be summarized in this manner so that commenters at the Laurel level have all of the information they need to evaluate the submission properly. No documentation was provided and none could be found for the given names Anastaii or Anastiia. We have therefore registered this name with the standard Russian form Anastasiia to match what is in the documentation summary on the submission form and with the submitter's consent.
There is a step from core practice for the use of a pawprint.
Appearing on the Letter of Intent as Anya Schulepnikov, this is not the spelling that appears on the submission form. The byname on the form is spelled Shchulepnikov, which is the spelling attested to period. As the form on the LoI appears to be a typographical error, we have corrected it for registration and restored the spelling on the submission form.
Anya is the submitter's legal given name.
The submitter requested authenticity for medieval ethnic Russian. This name does not meet that request. No documentation was provided for the given name Anya in medieval Russia; the Cyrillic characters submitted represent the names Anna and An'na respectively. In addition, the byname as submitted is in its masculine form. While elements registered using the Legal Name Allowance are considered gender neutral, allowing us to register this name as submitted, names in period Russian must agree in gender. If the submitter is interested in either of the names Anna Shchulepnikova, An'na Shchulepnikova or Anya Shchulepnikova, they may make a request for reconsideration.
Nice badge!
Nice device!
There is a step from core practice for use of a pawprint.
(to Atlantia acceptances) (to Atlantia returns)
(to Avacal acceptances) (to Avacal returns)
This name combines a double Spanish given name, a Spanish byname and an Italian locative. This lingual mix is permitted via SENA Appendix C.
The use of a mullet of six points elongated to base is allowed under the Existing Registration Allowance as the charge is registered to the submitter's father, Lot Ramirez.
The submitter provided an article, The Cultural History of the Giant Panda ("Ailuropoda Melanoleuca") in Early China by Donald Harper (https://www.jstor.org/stable/24392405), as documentation for the primary charge. In it, the word "mo" -- meaning panda -- was also used for beasts more closely resembling the tapir, in addition to clear references to the pelt of a giant panda of the 9th century.
As an animal documented as known to period people, there is no longer a step from core practice for the use of the panda. Further, we take this moment to explicitly define pandas proper as argent marked sable, and ask Palimpsest to update Table 4 in the Glossary of Terms with this information.
There is a step from core practice for the use of otters in annulo but not in their default orientation.
Commenters questioned whether or not the FamilySearch record provided for the given name Augutin was accurate, despite it being from an approved batch. The February 2019 Cover Letter gives guidance on how to handle a possible mistaken transcription from the original source document in FamilySearch. In this instance, we do not have digital access to the original source document this record was generated from. There is no way of knowing one way or another whether the spelling Augutin is a mistranscription. Therefore, consistent with our policy of giving submitters the benefit of the doubt, we are registering this name as submitted, because the record has an acceptable batch number as shown in the Administrative Handbook Appendix H.
The submitter indicated an interest in the spelling Agoutin for the given name. We were not able to find this spelling as a given name, but it appears as a byname in late 16th and early 17th century France. We do not have evidence currently that surnames were used as given names in the French language during our period. However, the submitter might be interested to know that the names Darkwater Agoutin or [English or French given name] Agoutin Darkwater are ways of incorporating this name element into a registerable name. If they are interested in any of these options, they may submit a request for reconsideration.
Nice 16th century Spanish name!
Nice device!
This device was pended on the September 2022 LoAR for a redraw to increase the size of the needle to allow it to be identified.
Submitted as Tachiba'na no Kitsugorou Yakayosh_, a timely correction was issued removing the element no and updating the third name element to Takayoshi. We have made these changes for registration.
The submitter requested authenticity for the Heian period of the Japanese culture. As modified, this name meets that request.
Commenters questioned whether the particle ingen (the standard Middle Irish form of "daughter") needed to use the Early Modern Irish spelling inghean to be linguistically compatible with the Early Modern Irish Gaelic spelling of the father's name under SENA PN1B1, which requires that all words in the same name phrase need to be in the same language. It does not. The submitter provided evidence of the spelling ingen still being used in the 15th and 16th centuries. In addition, we have a growing number of examples in the Irish Annals that show the spelling ingen persisting well past 1200, which is the usual cutoff date for Middle Irish Gaelic name elements. We therefore rule that in Gaelic, any attested spelling of the particle dated within 500 years of the other elements in the name is permitted within the same name phrase. We further direct Palimpsest to open a Rules Letter addressing the examples in SENA PN1B1.
Nice Irish Gaelic name circa 1400!
This name was originally documented as a double English given name and a German byname. However, Alys Ogress was able to find both Nathaniel and Adrian in German contexts, allowing us to remove the lingual mix.
Nice 16th century Welsh name!
The use of per chevron enhanced is permitted in this design via the Existing Registration Allowance as this field is registered to the submitter's mother, Gwendolyn of Amberwood.
(to Caid acceptances) (to Caid returns) (to Caid pends)
Artist's note: Period armory typically had no more than half as many ermine spots as seen here.
The spelling Sevenstar is a reasonable interpolated Early Modern English spelling of the Middle English spelling Sevensterre.
This name combines a French or Dutch given name with an English byname, either of which is an acceptable lingual mix per SENA Appendix C.
When we registered the name Lugh mac Eric, we offered this form to the submitter. We are happy to accept this request for reconsideration!
This name combines a Gaelic given name with a Scots byname, an acceptable lingual mix per SENA Appendix C.
(to Calontir acceptances) (to Calontir returns)
Nice badge!
Submitted as Bragi Bogbrjótr, this name is not constructed correctly. The grammatically correct form of this Old Norse byname is Bogabrjótr. We have made this change for registration.
The submitter requested authenticity for "Scandinavian Viking". This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent, but was fortunately identified by Lilie Ragged Staff in a timely fashion. Kingdoms are reminded that all requests for authenticity must be summarized on the Letter of Intent to avoid a name needing to be pended for further research.
This name does not meet this request. Though the byname was constructed using an attested period pattern, we do not have evidence of its actual use in period at this time.
Nice badge!
(to Drachenwald acceptances) (to Drachenwald returns)
There is at least a DC between a puffin and a raven, and no SENA A3D1b issue is presented. We decline at this time to determine whether puffins belong in the same category as penguins, or with parrots.
Nice 14th-16th century Portuguese name!
This name combines an English surname from the second half of the 16th century used as a given name and a French surname, an acceptable lingual mix per SENA Appendix C.
Nice late 16th century French name!
The submitter might be interested to know that another locative byname meaning 'from Lyon' would be de Lyons. If they are interested in this name, they may make a request for reconsideration.
Given the existence of the cross gringole, to which the primary charge group in this device strikingly alludes, we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt regarding our long-standing precedent against registering animate charges inverted, which may or may not otherwise apply to this arrangement. Absent documentation demonstrating its use in period, however, we will consider this arrangement of four serpents entwined in cross to be a step from core practice.
The name, Royal Moneyer's Guild of Ealdormere, is a generic identifier.
Nice badge!
Submitted as Kata Hærudòttir, this byname is not constructed correctly. The Old West Norse suffix -dóttir is spelled with an o-acute (ó) rather than an o-grave (ò). We have corrected this for registration.
The given name Kata was documented from the "Pet Names" section of Cleasby-Vigfusson's An Icelandic-English Dictionary. These names have been given the benefit of the doubt as recently as January 2021 [Kisa K{o,}ttr, 01/2021, A-Meridies]; therefore, we may register this name as modified.
The submitter's previous device, Purpure, a chevron and in chief two suns Or, is released.
(to Ealdormere acceptances) (to Ealdormere returns)
This order name follows the attested period pattern of orders named for saints. When registering Order of Artemis, we wrote:
In August of 2005, the use of orders named after pagan deities and "saints" was allowed but ruled a step from period practice. Under SENA, there are no steps from period practice for names. Given that order names were derived from classical references (like the Golden Fleece) and from the names of saints, we will continue to allow order names to use the names of pagan gods and other figures that would have been venerated in those places that had order names. [East, Kingdom of, 06/2013, A-East]
SENA NPN1C2d also requires that name phrases must be shown to be a form by which the entity was known in that time and place. The Hindu deities would have been known to Europeans by at least the late 15th century, when there was a strong Portuguese presence there. However, the recent guidance on the scope of the Society given by the Board of Directors would give us reason to reconsider whether knowledge by Europeans is necessary if we have documentation from our period at all. The Hindu goddess Durga appears in Sanskrit texts as early as the 5th or 6th century CE, putting knowledge of her in India solidly within the scope of the Society. We therefore expand the existing precedent and allow that any pagan gods or goddesses may be used in order names provided that suitable documentation can be provided that they were known to people who lived in our period.
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration of the original Sanskrit characters gives the goddess' name as Durg{a-}. The macron may be omitted if desired, and the submitters have chosen to do so in this case. Therefore, this name may be registered as submitted.
Submitted as Award of the Rabbit and Moon, the submitter indicated a preference for the form Award of the Rabbit in the Moon if documentation could be found. There is an established pattern of Tudor ships being named for badges in this manner; period examples include Cloud in the Sonne, Fawlcone in the Feterlocke, and The Rose in the Sonne. Similarly, we have orders whose names bear this sort of description of badges or regalia. Of these types we find Emprise de l'Escu vert a la Dame Blanche 'Enterprise of the Green Shield with the White Lady', Gesellen die roden Arme han 'Companions who have the red Arms', and Collar de las disciplinas con la aguila blanca 'collar of the disciples with the white eagle'. Accordingly, Award of the Rabbit in the Moon would seem to follow these examples of casual language describing heraldic badges, in this case on a moon a rabbit, and we are happy to make this change at the submitter's request.
The submitter requested authenticity for England. This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent, but fortunately it was noted in a timely manner by Lilie Ragged Staff. Kingdoms are reminded that all authenticity requests must appear on the LoI to avoid a name needing to be pended for further research.
This name meets that request as it is authentic for late 13th century England.
Commenters questioned why this is blazoned a pithon instead of an amphiptere as originally submitted. We blazon this monster a pithon, noting that Edward Topsell's 1608 The History of Serpents -- referenced by Wikipedia's article on Amphiptere -- does not actually use the term "amphiptere" for this monster, and the association appears derived by Wikipedia editors. Louvan Geliot's 1635 armorial dictionary "Indice Armorial" includes the "amphistere", which it defines as being a winged serpent who has the head of another serpent on its tail, going on to say that the word is a corruption of "Amphisbaena". Jean-Claude Faure's 1647 "Abrégé méthodique des principes de la science héraldique" also includes an "amphistere", which is drawn with legs (and possibly has a head on the end of its tail, though it's hard to see). As neither description adequately matches this emblazon, we choose to use "pithon".
Artist's note: Please ensure the belly and wings are more completely sable.
This is the defining instance of a chaine shot, a period charge found in the arms of Clifford, Earl of Cumberland, which may be found in the Dictionary of British Arms, among other sources. This depiction is taken from a rendition in one of the quarters of Cumberland's arms emblazoned in The Elements of Armories by Edmund Bolton, 1610, p. 165.
(to East acceptances) (to East returns)
Lagerdamm is the registered name of an SCA branch.
(to Gleann Abhann acceptances) (to Gleann Abhann returns)
Submitted as Gyða Hrafnsdottir, this name was decided at the same meeting as an identical name submission through the Middle Kingdom by Muirne ni Bhranaigh. Previous precedent gives us some guidance on how to decide which submitter's item to register unmodified:
Both Khevron and Mattea are paid SCA members. The submissions appeared on June 22nd LoIs from their respective kingdoms. Khevron's badge was submitted to the West College of Heralds a day before Mattea's device was submitted to the Æthelmearc College of Heralds. Khevron's badge thus has precedence and may be registered. [Khevron Oktavii Tikhikovich Vorotnikov, 10/2005, A-West]
In this instance, both Ginevra and Muirne are paid members. Ginevra's submission is the only one for which we have an exact date received. Therefore, we would have been able to register this name as submitted as it has precedence over the other.
The submitter also requested that the given name be changed to Gyda regardless if there was conflict or not. There is not enough difference between the given names Gyða and Gyda for this change alone to have cleared the original conflict. Because this submission has precedence, we are able to make this change for registration and are registering this name without further modification.
The submitter requested authenticity for Hiberno-Norse/Norse. This name does not meet that request. The given name is Old East Norse from Sweden while the byname is Old West Norse from Iceland.
Nice French name circa 1600!
Barring evidence of its use in period, the use of peripheral ordinaries flory (that is, demi-fleurs issuant from an otherwise plain line of division without the corresponding voids of demi-fleurs pushing into the charge) is a step from core practice.
Submitted as Falkon Ietis, this name uses a Modern Greek transcription system as defined by the Hellenic Organization for Standardization (ELOT); specifically, this is ELOT Type 2. Modern Greek transliteration and transcription systems should be used when an element in Greek appears dated from 1454 (the fall of Constantinople) forward, as the pronunciation of Classical Greek and Modern Greek are not the same. In Modern Greek, for example, the character phi is pronounced as /f/, but in Classical Greek it is pronounced as an aspirated /p/. Both of the submitted name elements date from at least 1200 years prior to 1454; the given name is dated to 212 CE and the byname is described in a volume by Pliny, who died in 79 CE. Therefore, the transliteration system that should be used here is one for Ancient and Medieval Greek. In the American Library Association and Library of Congress standard (ALA-LC) for Ancient and Medieval Greek, the character phi is transliterated as ph instead of f and the character eta is transliterated as {e-} instead of i. We have therefore changed this name to Phalkon Iet{e-}s as this is the smallest change we could make for registration.
We note that the Greek language does not appear in SENA Appendix D, which contains information on the transliteration and transcription standards for other non-Latin scripts. We direct Palimpsest to open a Rules Letter to remedy this.
The submitter might be interested to know that if they can find these elements dated between 1454 and 1650, we would be able to register this name with any number of Modern Greek transcription and transliteration systems as a request for reconsideration.
Nice English name circa 1600!
In the 2014 return of the badge of Myfanwy ferch Eifion, (Fieldless) A mushroom gules cap marked argent, for conflict with the device of Johanna von Griffenhurst, Vert, an amanita muscaria mushroom couped proper, we said "the cap represents more than half of the mushroom and thus there is only one DC for the fieldless design.". In forwarding Thalia's device, kingdom correctly notes that Johanna's mushroom as recorded in the archives is less than half gules and suggests that there should be a DC for tincture, which would provide a second DC and thus ensure Thalia's device does not conflict.
We agree that Johanna's mushroom should be considered half gules and half argent, and ask Morsulus to note this in the O&A. Given the range in visual weights of mushroom caps versus stems, we choose at this time to consider mushrooms as taking their tincture equally from both, overturning existing precedent that states tincture is determined solely from the cap.
(to Lochac acceptances) (to Lochac returns)
This device was pended on the September 2022 LoAR to redraw the sun to use equal-length points and rays.
(to Meridies acceptances) (to Meridies returns)
Submitted as Balthazar _ Herr, the submitted name combined a Dutch given name and a German byname; this lingual mix is acceptable for registration per SENA Appendix C. However, the submitter requested authenticity for 16th century Dutch, and the name as submitted did not meet that request. Alys Ogress was able to find the byname de Haer in a Dutch context dated to 1597. This byname both meets the authenticity request and a partially meets the submitter's preference for Balthazar de Herr if such could be documented. We have therefore changed this name to Balthazar de Haer for registration.
The submitter might be interested to know that the byname de Herre was found in a French context. If they are interested in the mixed Dutch/French name Balthazar de Herre or the originally submitted mixed Dutch/German name Balthazar Herr, they may make a request for reconsideration.
Submitted as Gyða _ Hrafnsdóttir, this name was decided at the same meeting as an identical name submission through the Kingdom of Lochac by Ginevra Lucia di Namoraza. Previous precedent gives us some guidance on how to decide which submitter's item to register unmodified:
Both Khevron and Mattea are paid SCA members. The submissions appeared on June 22nd LoIs from their respective kingdoms. Khevron's badge was submitted to the West College of Heralds a day before Mattea's device was submitted to the Æthelmearc College of Heralds. Khevron's badge thus has precedence and may be registered. [Khevron Oktavii Tikhikovich Vorotnikov, 10/2005, A-West]
In this instance, both Ginevra and Muirne are paid members. Ginevra's submission is the only one for which we have an exact date received. Therefore, Ginevra's submission has precedence and we must modify this submission in order to register it. The submitter approved a change to Gyða in spaka Hrafnsdóttir if such a situation were to arise, and we are happy to make this change for registration.
The submitter's previous name, Muirne ni Bhranaigh, is retained as an alternate.
(to Middle acceptances) (to Middle returns)
Nice badge!
There is a step from core practice for the use of a notched keystone. As they appear to be a post-period stylization of this charge, originating as a symbol of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, notched keystones will not be registered after the June 2023 decision meeting without evidence that they were found in period.
(to Outlands acceptances) (to Outlands returns)
This conflicts with the device for Forgal Kerstetter, Vert, an elk's head erased Or and a bordure argent. The submitter is the designated heir in Forgal's heraldic will accepted on the July 2021 LoAR and thus, per the Administrative Handbook IV.G.5, may register this without further permission to conflict.
The label overlies the bordure. This is an acceptable placement for a label. SENA Appendix J notes that a label may be overall and chief. We are updating Appendix I to also make this clear. Please see the Cover Letter for additional information.
The submitter's previous device, Sable, a stag rampant argent and a base ermine, is retained as a badge.
The submitter requested authenticity for Old Norse. This name meets that request as both elements are Old West Norse from Iceland and are dated between the 9th and 11th centuries.
Nice late 13th century French name from Paris!
The submitter requested authenticity for 14th century Italian. This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent, but fortunately it was noted in a timely manner by Lilie Ragged Staff. Kingdoms are reminded that all authenticity requests must appear on the LoI to avoid a name needing to be pended for further research.
This name meets that request.
Submitted as Mkty Nakhthor, per the October 2019 Cover Letter, names transliterated from Egyptian hieroglyphs must use vowels even if the underlying writing system does not. Using the same transliteration system as the article used to document the given name allows us to add the vowel e where vowels are needed, giving us the byname Mekety. We have made this change for registration.
The submitter requested authenticity for New Kingdom Egypt. Given the limited information we have available for this culture and time period, this name may meet that request. The New Kingdom is generally considered to run from approximately 1570 BCE through 1069 BCE; during this period, the primary language for writing hieroglyphics was Middle Egyptian. Both the occupational byname and the given name are found in Middle Egyptian, and the pattern of using occupational bynames can be documented to the New Kingdom. However, the given name cannot be dated to earlier than 399 BCE, so we cannot be sure at this time that this name is authentic for the New Kingdom.
The submitter's previous name, Leon Oliver, is retained as an alternate.
The submitter's previous name, James Thomas, is released.
(to Trimaris acceptances) (to Trimaris returns)
Nice Old Norse name from 9th-11th century Iceland!
The submitter's previous device, Quarterly azure and argent, a lion sejant affronty Or, is retained as a badge.
Artist's note: Fewer, larger plates would be more typical of period armory.
The submitter's previous device, Argent, three arrows in fess, on a chief indented azure three wolf's heads cabossed argent, is retained as a badge.
(to West acceptances) (to West returns) (to West pends)
- Explicit littera accipiendorum -
None.
(to Æthelmearc acceptances) (to Æthelmearc returns)
None.
(to An Tir acceptances) (to An Tir returns)
None.
(to Artemisia acceptances) (to Artemisia returns)
None.
(to Atenveldt acceptances) (to Atenveldt returns) (to Atenveldt pends)
None.
(to Atlantia acceptances) (to Atlantia returns)
None.
(to Avacal acceptances) (to Avacal returns)
This name is returned for conflict with the registered Elison Grey. While the given name Alesone is pronounced in period as /AH-liss-soon/ and the given name Elison is pronounced /EHL-iss-son/, one of the modern pronunciations of Alesone is /AHL-iss-son/. There is only one sound that has been changed between these two pronunciations, and that is not enough to clear the aural conflict per the standards set forth in the various sections of SENA PN3C. Therefore, we must return this name.
This device is returned for violating the long-held precedent disallowing inverted animate charges. While snakes may be entwined, without further documentation of snakes inverted this design is not registerable.
(to Caid acceptances) (to Caid returns) (to Caid pends)
None.
(to Calontir acceptances) (to Calontir returns)
None.
(to Drachenwald acceptances) (to Drachenwald returns)
None.
(to Ealdormere acceptances) (to Ealdormere returns)
None.
(to East acceptances) (to East returns)
None.
(to Gleann Abhann acceptances) (to Gleann Abhann returns)
None.
(to Lochac acceptances) (to Lochac returns)
None.
(to Meridies acceptances) (to Meridies returns)
None.
(to Middle acceptances) (to Middle returns)
None.
(to Outlands acceptances) (to Outlands returns)
None.
(to Trimaris acceptances) (to Trimaris returns)
None.
(to West acceptances) (to West returns) (to West pends)
- Explicit littera renuntiationum -
This badge is pended for redraw to enlarge the piercing to improve its visibility. As submitted the piercing is nearly entirely obscured by the pheon.
This was item 1 on the Atenveldt letter of September 25, 2022.
(to Atenveldt acceptances) (to Atenveldt returns) (to Atenveldt pends)
This device is pended to redraw the ermine spots to extend the tails to match those found in period sources. As submitted, they were hard to identify as any known form of ermine spot.
This was item 12 on the Caid letter of September 30, 2022.
(to Caid acceptances) (to Caid returns) (to Caid pends)
This device is pended for redraw to adjust the relative sizes of the raven and helmet to more closely reflect their co-primary nature. As submitted, the drawing blurred the distinction between co-primary charges and a primary raven and secondary helmet.
This was item 1 on the West letter of September 30, 2022.
(to West acceptances) (to West returns) (to West pends)
- Explicit -
Created at 2023-02-07T19:46:35