Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the May 2026 meetings, printed July 17, 2026
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Birgitta Laurel, Sara Pelican, and Ollivier Wreath, greetings.
This month, we had a name documented in Japanese (Asa'i Kamiko [A-Ćthelmearc]) using the 2017 Gakumon Reissue of the Corrected Reprinting of the NCMJ Revised 2006 Edition. Several commenters remarked that the transliteration scheme used in the 2017 Gakumon Reissue of the Corrected Reprinting of the NCMJ Revised 2006 Edition uses an apostrophe to denote syllables, a practice which is not carried through other editions, nor is it of common usage in any other Japanese transliteration schemes. The primary complication with the transliteration scheme used in this edition arises during conflict checking, when a name with the apostrophe, and an identical name without the apostrophe do not show up in the same conflict check, even though technically they are spelled and pronounced identically.
At this time, we are stating that if a name is documented from the above-mentioned edition, they should be conflict checked both with and without apostrophes, and that consulting heralds should state the NCMJ edition in their documentation. Apostrophes will be systematically removed from names documented in 2017 Gakumon Reissue of the Corrected Reprinting of the NCMJ Revised 2006 Edition.
We request that Palimpsest to add this information to the Standard Source Errata article.
This month we had multiple instances of order names being submitted stating that the submission used a pattern from SENA Appendix E2, while not actually following the pattern. For example, if one is using the order name pattern Order of [Personal Name] with [a Heraldic Charge] then the first element must be documented as a personal name, and the second element must be documented as a heraldic charge. The order of elements cannot be changed in an order name without documentation to justify the change. For example, The Order of Dolly with the Butterfly is an acceptable order name. However, The Order of the Butterfly of Dolly is not registerable using the pattern Order of [Personal Name] with [a Heraldic Charge].
On the LoPaD dated February 22, 2026, we asked commenters to gather more information to determine when the use of Early Modern English surnames as given names was first documented, and what kind of surnames were used in this pattern. We currently only allow surnames to be used as given names when documented from the second half of the 16th century and into the 17th century.
Given the wealth of examples provided by commenters, including Iago Frankley, Kean Argent Fox, Scolastica la souriete, and Jeanne Marie Palimpsest, there is sufficient evidence to state that English surnames were used as given names from 1500 CE onwards.
Therefore, we are expanding the September 2012 precedent to include very late transitional forms from Middle English, and Early Modern English family names be used as given names.
We direct Palimpsest to add this information to SENA Appendix A.
In this letter [An Tir-A], we accepted a name with a Hungarian given name and a Tuscan byname. The documentation accompanying this submission shows evidence of mixed Hungarian and Tuscan Italian names starting in the 13th century. This evidence, which includes Hungarian given names written in Italian, and the same names recorded in both Italian and Hungarian.
These names were recorded primarily in academic contexts, for both male and female names. We have evidence from "Students from the Medieval Hungarian Kingdom at Italian Universities: Initial Stage of Researches: Sources and Possibilities" by Borbála Kelényi, that Hungarian students kept their Hungarian given names, while often adopting an Italianized byname based on the neighborhood in which they resided.
In Florence specifically, aside from universities, Robert Black talks about humanist teachers who taught older students and ran schools alongside universities in his book Education and Society in Florentine Tuscany: Teachers, pupils and schools, c. 1250-1500. This book describes a number of the gonfaloni (neighborhood names) in reference to where Florentine commercially funded education arises in the 14th century. The gonfaloni names were often adopted by Hungarian students and teachers, both male and female.
"Italian Merchants in the Kingdom of Hungary in late Middle Ages and early Modern Period (13th-1th centuries), in Italy and Europe's Eastern Border (1204-1669), eds. by. Damian I.M. - Pop I. A. - Popovic M. - Simon A., Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien 2012, pp. 119-134." by Andrea Fara has an example of a merchant "Filippo Scolari or Filippo Buondelmonti degli Scolari, known also as Pipo Ozorai or de Ozora (in Hungary) and Pippo Spano (in Italy)." (p. 126).
Given this evidence, we are at this time, explicitly allowing the lingual mix of Hungarian and Italian names, and we direct Palimpsest to open a Rules Letter to discuss adding this lingual mix to SENA Appendix A.
A submission this month caused us to consider whether fimbriation can be applied to only part of a charge group. In the absence of period support, we are disallowing this practice for submissions appearing on LoIs after November 2026.
The changes proposed on Palimpsest's February 22nd Rules Letter are accepted and the Glossary of Terms, Table 2 Reserved Charges, is updated to indicate that the reserved charges for the Order of Defense are considered single charges for purposes of style rules such as Unity of Arrangement (SENA A3D2e), Slot Machine (A3D2a), and Complexity (SENA A3E2). The same note is added to the charges reserved for the Order of the Mark. The updated wording will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/coagloss.html#reserved within a few days.
As proposed on Palimpsest's February 22nd Rules Letter, SENA A3E3 is modified to clarify that the form of papellony that is considered a fur is not registerable without charges. The updated wording will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/sena.html#A3E3 within a few days.
On May 9 at the War of the Principalities in the West, Their Majesties Miles and Tusya elevated Teagan Ulfsdotter, Sable Swan Herald for the Principality of Cynagua, to the Order of Chivalry.
On 7 June at Lilies War, Their Majesties Xerxis and Andromir of Calontir elevated Nikolai Gornostai Spiach'ev, Stote Herald, to the Order of the Pelican.
On 11 June, at the same event, Their Majesties invested him as the Baron of Lonely Tower.
On 27 June at Battlemoor, Andreas von Meißen, White Stag Principal Herald named Meistr Llywus ap Alan, current Wharrow Herald and long-time stalwart of the Outlands College of Heralds, a Herald Extraordinary. Among the many things Master Llywus has done and offices he has held in his decades of heraldic service, he has organized and run the heraldic consultation table at Battlemoor for all 14 years the event has been in existence.
Please send information about happenings to major heralds and major happenings to all heralds to Laurel, so that it can be published here.
Letters of Intent, Comment, Response, Correction, et cetera are to be posted to the OSCAR online system. No paper copies need be sent. All submission forms plus documentation, including petitions, must be uploaded to the OSCAR packet for that letter. For armory, only colored forms are required.
Cheques or money orders for submissions, payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms" are to be sent to Trent Le Clair, 928 Frazier Dr, Walla Walla, WA 99362.
Send roster changes and corrections to Laurel. College of Arms members may also request a copy of the current roster from Laurel.
To subscribe to the mailings of the LoAR, please see the bottom of https://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/lists.html#lists for more instructions.
For all administrative matters, please contact Laurel.
Items listed below in square brackets have not been scheduled yet. For information about future scheduling, please review the status table located on the Web at https://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=137.
The May Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, May 17, 2026 and the Wreath meeting held on Friday, May 15, 2026. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Gleann Abhann (08 Jan, 2026) (pushed due to missing documents), Ćthelmearc (25 Jan, 2026) (pushed due to too many items in the month), Ćthelmearc (27 Jan, 2026) (pushed due to too many items in the month), Ansteorra (31 Jan, 2026), Northshield (01 Feb, 2026), Calontir (04 Feb, 2026), Atlantia (09 Feb, 2026), Gleann Abhann (11 Feb, 2026), Laurel LoPaD (22 Feb, 2026), Palimpsest Rules Letter (22 Feb, 2026), Artemisia (23 Feb, 2026), Caid (26 Feb, 2026), Avacal (27 Feb, 2026), An Tir (28 Feb, 2026), Ansteorra (28 Feb, 2026), Atenveldt (28 Feb, 2026), Drachenwald (28 Feb, 2026), Ealdormere (28 Feb, 2026), East (28 Feb, 2026), Lochac (28 Feb, 2026), Middle (28 Feb, 2026), Outlands (28 Feb, 2026). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Thursday, April 30, 2026.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, June 14, 2026 and the Wreath meeting held on Friday, June 5, 2026. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Meridies (01 Mar, 2026), Atlantia (03 Mar, 2026), Calontir (05 Mar, 2026), Calontir (07 Mar, 2026), An Tir (15 Mar, 2026), Atenveldt (30 Mar, 2026), Avacal (30 Mar, 2026), East (30 Mar, 2026), Lochac (30 Mar, 2026), Outlands (30 Mar, 2026), Ansteorra (31 Mar, 2026), Caid (31 Mar, 2026), Drachenwald (31 Mar, 2026), Ealdormere (31 Mar, 2026), Middle (31 Mar, 2026), Northshield (31 Mar, 2026), West (31 Mar, 2026), Laurel LoPfR (12 Apr, 2026), Laurel LoPfR (20 Apr, 2026). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Sunday, May 31, 2026.
The July Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, July 12, 2026 and the Wreath meeting held on Friday, July 24, 2026. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: An Tir (30 Mar, 2026) (pushed due to lack of correct forms in packet, issue contacting submitter), Meridies (01 Apr, 2026), Calontir (02 Apr, 2026), Artemisia (06 Apr, 2026), Laurel LoPaD (06 Apr, 2026), Atlantia (10 Apr, 2026), Palimpsest Rules Letter (12 Apr, 2026), An Tir (14 Apr, 2026), Laurel LoPaD (14 Apr, 2026), Palimpsest Rules Letter (14 Apr, 2026), Caid (19 Apr, 2026), Meridies (22 Apr, 2026), Laurel LoPaD (28 Apr, 2026), Ealdormere (29 Apr, 2026), Outlands (29 Apr, 2026), Palimpsest Rules Letter (29 Apr, 2026), Atenveldt (30 Apr, 2026), Avacal (30 Apr, 2026), Drachenwald (30 Apr, 2026), East (30 Apr, 2026), Lochac (30 Apr, 2026), Middle (30 Apr, 2026), Laurel LoPfR (24 May, 2026). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Not all letters of intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this cover letter. The date of posting of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain letters of intent. Additionally, some letters of intent received may not have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, et cetera) have not yet been met.
REMINDER: Until all administrative requirements are met, the letter may not be scheduled.
Be assured that I remain
In service
Birgitta Lulli
Laurel Queen of Arms
Created at Fri 17 Jul 2026 04:49:27 PM CDT