Precedents of the SCA College of Arms (Tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme)

PRECEDENTS OF THE S.C.A. COLLEGE OF ARMS

The Tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme

NAMES -- Anglo-Saxon

There was some controversy as to whether Ælfra is a valid Anglo-Saxon name. Certainly Ælf- is a documented prototheme; Searle ( Onomasticon Anglosaxonicum) cites -ra as a deuterotheme, giving Burra and Ceolra as examples of its use. Searle's scholarship has been questioned by modern authorities, but it seems that Bur- is a valid prototheme as well, a variant spelling of Burg-, Burh-: there is at least one example of its use, Burric. This lends credence to Burra being a thematic name --- and -ra a valid deuterotheme. At any rate, I am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt in this case. (Ælfra Long, January, 1993, pg. 9)

NAMES -- Arabic

[Layla Khadijah al-Khayzuran] The middle element, being an epithet, was given an article to accord with Arabic naming practice. (Layla al-Khadijah al-Khayzuran, July, 1992, pg. 5)

The submitter's documentation shows Abih as an Arabic name: Ziyad ibn Abih was the ruler of al-Basrah in the 7th Century. (Ibrahim ibn Abih al-Thaalibi, August, 1992, pg. 21)

The byname was submitted as al-Aziz, "the Powerful", which is one of the 99 names of Allah. So far as we can tell, this would not have been used, unmodified, in a period Arabic name. The submitter's own documentation showed the name 'Abd al-Aziz, "servant of the Powerful", which we have substituted. (Ali ibn Ibrahim 'Abd al-Aziz, October, 1992, pg. 18)

NAMES -- Bynames

[The name] was submitted as Mielikki Kanteletar, with the claim that the byname was Finnish for "lady harper". Unfortunately, its meaning is closer to "female zither" --- not the musician, but the instrument itself. Kanteletar is also the name of a collection of epic Finnish poetry; as such, it's not necessarily acceptable, any more than John Iliad or Mary Elder Edda would be.

In Finnish, soittaja is both the noun meaning "musician" and a suffix meaning "-player", modifying the genitive of the instrument's name. Thus harppu (harp), piano (piano), and torvi (trumpet) become harpunsoittaja (harpist), pianonsoittaja (pianist), and torvensoittaja (trumpeter), respectively. (Examples are from Wuolle's Suomalais-Englantilainen Sanakirja.) [Name registered as Kantelensoittajatar] (Mielikki Kantelensoittajatar, July, 1992, pp. 2-3)

[Fence Splitter] While this is registerable, perhaps you could suggest to the submitter a more authentic byname: e.g. Trandill ("split-stick"), or Timbrklofandi ("timber-splitter"). (Eiríkr Fence Splitter, July, 1992, pg. 4)

[Vanderman] The byname ...was supposed to mean "wandering man" in Dutch. It does not, nor could anyone document it as a surname. The correct Dutch for the meaning he seems to want ("wanderer, rambler, rover") is zwerver. (Magnus Zwerver, July, 1992, pg. 14)

Wolfshead is a period term for an outlaw. (Robert Wolfshead, July, 1992, pg. 15)

The byname was submitted as Reidleac, but that form combines English and Scots Gaelic into a single word. Such practice is disallowed per Rule III.2.a. We have substituted a completely English spelling [Reidleck]; he could also have the Gaelic Ruadhleac, if he wishes. (Odinel Reidleck, August, 1992, pg. 7)

[Stormrkartr] The byname is incorrectly formed: in combination, stormr loses its final R. Even were it correctly formed, it wouldn't mean what the submitter claims: stormkartr means "storm cart", not "storm bringer". Finally, even if the name meant "storm bringer", it would be a claim to superhuman powers, forbidden under Rule VI.2. (Knutr Stormrkartr, August, 1992, pg. 24)

[Thorfinn Skull Splitter] The byname is the translation of the Old Norse hausakljulfr (Geirr Bassi, p.22); and having recently accepted the epithet Fence Splitter, we feel we must accept the lingua franca translation of a period byname. (Thorfinn Skull Splitter, September, 1992, pg. 26)

Several commenters suggested that the use of -bane with inanimate objects was post-period. However, the OED does give instances of the verb bane used with inanimate objects such as bones (in 1568) and voyages (in 1639, within our 50-year "grey zone" for documentation). The construction, I concede, owes more to historical novels than to historical evidence ...but I don't believe the usage is sufficient grounds for returning a name. (Damian Bladesbane, September, 1992, pg. 31)

Rather to our surprise, the Classic Greek for "fire hair" really is the idiom for a redhead (Danielis Pyrsokomos, September, 1992, pg. 31)

Although the byname Shieldwrecker is marginally registerable, it doesn't mean what the submitter thinks: it might mean "one who takes revenge on a shield", or "one who casts a shield ashore." Please advise the submitter that there are period epithets for one who damages his shield: Crakesheld (from 1327) or Breakshield would be an improvement. (Haldan Shieldwrecker of Warrior's Gate, September, 1992, pg. 32)

Stormsinger doesn't appear to be a valid period byname; it smacks too much of fantasy, rather than history. We need some documentation for the name, or at least for similar names. (Dielle Stormsinger, September, 1992, pg. 43)

[Serpentsbane] Given the OED's period citations of hensbane and wolfsbane, this does not seem an unreasonable construction. (Thomas Serpentsbane, October, 1992, pg. 17)

The OED confirms maied as a variant form of mead, "meadow"; ironmaied would be a field where iron could be found (a meteorite fall, or an outcropping of iron ore). The toponymic, though strongly reminiscent of the Iron Maiden, does appear to be a valid construction; and if the submitter can live with the inevitable jokes, so can we. (Darbie of Ironmaid, November, 1992, pg. 2)

[Firebow] The byname was justified as an epithet for one whose bow was decorated with flames of fire (analogous to Longsword). Most of the commenters found that argument implausible. However, fire also appears to be a variant spelling of OE fere, "bold, fierce, proud", and Proudbow is a much less implausible construction. (Brendan Firebow, November, 1992, pg. 7)

[Wildeorcynn] The byname seems to go beyond the normal practice of animal epithets. Such epithets claim the attributes of a particular animal; for instance, the surname Deere may derive from "[swift as a] deer". Wildeorcynn means literally that she is of the same species as a deer; it is not a metaphor. Without documentation that such literal animal epithets were used in period, this must be returned. (Robyn Wildeorcynn, November, 1992, pg. 20)

[Firehawk] As Lady Badger notes, fire is a variant spelling of ME fere, "fierce". "Fierce hawk" is not an unreasonable byname, though the total combination of name elements is on the ragged edge of acceptability. (Gaius Firehawk MacLeod, January, 1993, pg. 13)

[Foxhair] Given the period examples in Jönsjö's Middle English Nicknames of Todheved "fox-head" and Horsher "horse-hair", the submitted byname is quite reasonable. (Joscelin Foxhair, June, 1993, pg. 2)

[Of the Purple Moonstone] We have stated (LoAR of July 92) that "we should continue to accept [of the <adjective> <noun> bynames], so long as they aren't complete nonsense." Purple Moonstone is complete nonsense. Moonstone is a form of albite (plagioclase feldspar), and is only found in white, grey, and very light blue (Sorrell's Minerals of the World, p.220). I agree that modern synthetic stones can be given the opalescence of natural moonstone in any color, including purple --- but such synthetics are, by definition, not period. (Katherine of the Moonstone, June, 1993, pg. 5)

This submission was an appeal of a return by the Ansteorran College for non-period style. The submitter contends that the phrase la Tisserande des Mots ("the weaver of words") could only be interpreted metaphorically, so its literal meaning is beside the point; and that a person "of poetic inclination" would have described herself by such a metaphor.

Unfortunately, the submitter has provided no evidence that period bynames were ever so fanciful or metaphoric. In both English and French, bynames are usually straightforward descriptions: of origin, of personal description, of trade or craft. Even a professional bard would call himself simply bard. Without some evidence that "abstract metaphor" was used in period bynames, the name cannot be accepted.

Even accepting the submitter's argument at face value, the construction's literal meaning ("weaver of words") doesn't yield a valid metaphor for her desired meaning ("poet, storyteller"). The concept of weaving is used in several metaphors, but always referring to the final product: the OED (under "weave" and "weaver") cites period examples of weaving allegory, history, and woe; post-period metaphors refer to weaving tales, fables and songs. In every case, the metaphor involves the final product, not the materials used: a "weaver of words" might possibly be an inventor of new words, but never a poet or storyteller. In any case, we would need hard evidence of that usage in French before we could register the byname. (Lynette la Tisserande des Mots, June, 1993, pg. 17)

Given Lord Palimpsest's examples of "oath bynames" --- that is, bynames taken from the owner's favorite oath (e.g., Mitgoczhilfen "With God's Help", 1397) --- the use of Teufel "[to the] Devil" is not unreasonable. [Name returned for grammar problems] (Utto zur Duffel, June, 1993, pg. 20)

NAMES -- Coined

There are numerous period examples of bynames of the form of the [noun], and even of the [adjective] [noun]: Götz of the Iron Hand (1480-1562) springs to mind as an example of the latter. Given that, we should continue to accept such names, so long as they aren't complete nonsense. (Ingrid of the Blue Snows, July, 1992, pg. 13)

The byname was submitted as the Mischief Maker. According to the OED, in period idiom, one would not make mischief; one would either do mischief or be mischief. We have used the latter meaning here [by registering the Mischief], as closer to both period form and his desired meaning. It would be well, however, to tell the submitter that "mischief" was a much stronger term in period; "evil" would be closer to the same meaning today. (Morgan the Mischief, August, 1992, pg. 6)

It had been previously ruled (LoAR of 29 March 87) that the protheme Cwen- "woman, queen" was presumptuous, and unacceptable for SCA use. I agree that, as an independent element, it presents problems on a par with, say, Earl as a given name. It is a common and well-documented Anglo-Saxon name theme, however, and when correctly used, should not imply rank to a reasonable listener. I therefore reverse the current policy, and formally rule that the protheme Cwen- is acceptable for Anglo-Saxon constructions. (Cwenfolcyn de Hauteville, August, 1992, pg. 8)

[the Ravenhaired] The OED cites examples of Shakespeare using raven as a color: e.g. eyes "raven-black", or "raven-colored love". It is more poetic than was normal for period descriptives, but seems acceptable. (Elizabeth Canynges the Ravenhaired., August, 1992, pg. 14)

[Bee-Taymer] The OED cites tamer as "one who domesticates [animals]", so it could conceivably apply to bees. Still, Beeward is the more authentic epithet for the occupation. (Rhonda the Bee-Taymer, September, 1992, pg. 15)

[Dagon] Morlet (vol.II, p.64) cites Dago as an early French given name. Given examples of such names adding the suffix -on (Talo/Talon, Hugo/Hugon, Malo/Malon, etc.), Dagon is at least plausible (Dagon Robert Fenwick, September, 1992, pg. 16)

[Shieldbane] Several commenters suggested that the use of -bane with inanimate objects was post-period. However, the OED does give instances of the verb bane used with inanimate objects such as bones (in 1568) and voyages (in 1639, within our 50-year "grey zone" for documentation). The construction, I concede, owes more to historical novels than to historical evidence --- Breakshield would be a more plausible construction in this case --- but I don't believe the usage is sufficient grounds for returning a name. (Gareth Shieldbane, September, 1992, pg. 19)

[Kökejin of the Iron Horde] The Mongol hordes were evidently named for colors, not materials; the Golden Horde wasn't so named because of an abundance of the precious metal. The White Horde and the Blue Horde, cited by Lord Clarion, reinforce this naming pattern. The OED cites the adjective iron "having the appearance of iron; of the colour of iron" from 1613, within our 50-year "grey zone" on documentation; Iron Horde is acceptable only as a very late-period translation of a Mongol term. The more period term for "iron-colored" would be irony. [see also Mochi of the Iron Horde, same page] (Kökejin of the Iron Horde, September, 1992, pg. 20)

[Melisaundre] The given name was ...justified as a hybrid of Melisande and Alisaundre. Unfortunately, French names aren't thematic (as, e.g., Old Norse names are); melding the first half of one French name with the last half of another doesn't usually yield a valid given name. (In this case, the two names aren't even derived from the same source: Melisande is ultimately German in origin, and Alisaundre derives from the Greek.) While it might be plausible that one name would change due to the other's influence, we'd like to see some evidence of this; pending such evidence, we've substituted the documented name Melisenda. (Melisenda Brigitte Nazaire d'Avignon, September, 1992, pg. 24)

[MacFlandry] The surname does not appear to be correctly constructed. The LOI attempted to justify MacFlandry as meaning "son of the man from Flanders". There are examples in Black of MacX surnames, where X is an ethnic name: e.g., MacBrabner, "son of the Brabanter", and MacBretny, "son of the Breton". Based on those names, we could accept "son of the man from Flanders" --- but unfortunately, the term for "man from Flanders" is Fleming, which sounds nothing like Flanders (or Flandry). The surname de Flandre, also cited in the documentation, means "of Flanders"; Mac (de) Flandre would mean "son of Flanders", which (except in a metaphoric sense) is impossible. Either Lyulf de Flandry or Lyulf MacFleming would be a valid construction; MacFlandry is not. (Lyulf MacFlandry, September, 1992, pg. 43)

The submitter, on his submission forms, tried to justify MacFlandry as "a made-up Scots-sounding name", ...The name [however] cannot be considered "made-up" when it's documented from period elements; it's the incorrect grammar, not the choice of elements, that mandates the return. (Lyulf MacFlandry, September, 1992, pg. 43)

[Serpentsbane] Given the OED's period citations of hensbane and wolfsbane, this does not seem an unreasonable construction. (Thomas Serpentsbane, October, 1992, pg. 17)

The OED cites instances of horsekeeper and swinekeeper in period; wolfkeeper looks equally acceptable. (Hertha Wolfkeeper, October, 1992, pg. 18)

Though it's been registered in the SCA, Melusine has not been documented as a period given name. The example closest to period is Melusina von der Schulenburg, cited in Withycombe, p.220; she was born in 1667, according to evidence presented for the submission of Melusine Whitcroft the Petite. Susequent registrations of Melusine have depended on this citation.

There are only a bare handful of Melusines registered, and the only documentation is post-1650; I think I can safely disallow the name, pending evidence that it's period. I'd be willing to believe it a variant form of Melisenda, Millicent --- but as it's also the name of a mythical monster, I'd like to see some evidence of its period use by humans. (Melusine d'Argent, October, 1992, pg. 21)

The OED confirms maied as a variant form of mead, "meadow"; ironmaied would be a field where iron could be found (a meteorite fall, or an outcropping of iron ore). The toponymic, though strongly reminiscent of the Iron Maiden, does appear to be a valid construction; and if the submitter can live with the inevitable jokes, so can we. (Darbie of Ironmaid, November, 1992, pg. 2)

[Flamehair] We have in the past returned such epithets as Fyrlocc, on the grounds that they didn't follow known period models for English bynames. However, given the recent documentation of Pyrsokomos "flame-hair" as a valid Greek epithet, we are now inclined to permit its lingua franca translation --- but only for names where the original Greek epithet would be acceptable. The submitter will have to demonstrate regular period interaction between Ireland and Greece before this name meets that criterion --- or else show the construction follows period English models. (Fiona Flamehair, May, 1993, pg. 14)

NAMES -- Compatible

Angelina is a period given name: Butler's Lives of the Saints notes the Blessed Angelina of Marsciano, b.1377. (Angeline Aldwyne, September, 1992, pg. 2)

Arianrhod is the name of the Welsh moon goddess, and has not been shown to have been used by humans in period. It has been returned ere now (LoAR of Aug 87, p.13); pending evidence of its period use, it must again be returned. (Sela nic a'Phearsoin of Clan Chattan, December, 1992, pg. 18)

Given that Amber has explicitly been ruled SCA-compatible [BoE, 3 Feb 85], and has been accepted slightly more than a year ago (Dec 91), I'm not inclined to disallow Amber at this time. (Amber Blackwood, January, 1993, pg. 12)

[Domus Artium Utilium, meaning House of the Useful Arts] This isn't an unreasonable name for, e.g., a school; it follows the pattern of the Academia Secretorum Naturae, founded at Naples in 1560 (1911 E.Brit., vol.I, p.99). (Domus Artium Utilium (Una Wynifreed Berry), March, 1993, pg. 15)

Rhea is documented only as the names of two goddesses: the mother of Zeus, and the deified mother of Romulus and Remus. It was disallowed (LoAR of Nov 83) pending evidence of its period use by normal humans; such evidence remains to be presented. Without documenation, the name must once again be returned. (Rhea of Alexandria, May, 1993, pg. 18)

Sabrina does not appear to have been a valid given name in period. Hanks & Hodges err in saying that Geoffrey of Monmouth used the name; he used the name Habren, claiming it was the name of the lady for whom the River Severn (Welsh Hafren) was named. Sabrina is evidently the name of the Celtic river goddess who dwelt in the Severn (Gruffudd 55). At any event, none of these names has been documented as being used by common period humans. (Sabrina la Rose, May, 1993, pg. 20)

Jay is documented only as a noun and surname in period; as it's the client's mundane given name, it was submitted under the aegis of Rule II.4. Such submissions, while usually acceptable, can be returned if the name is "obtrusively modern". We find Jay to be obtrusively modern, by virtue of its sound: it sounds like an initial, as in J. P. Morgan, and thus post-period.

We might have considered this acceptable as a "bird name", akin to Robin, had we been shown a common pattern of usage that birds were used as given names in period. But we could think of no examples offhand, save Robin; and one can make a good case that the bird's name derived from the given name (a diminutive of Robert) rather than the reverse. Without period examples, Jay must be considered intrusively modern, and unacceptable even under the Legal Name Allowance. (Jay MacPhunn, June, 1993, pg. 23)

Miranda has been registered often enough to be considered compatible with period usage. Shakespeare appears to have made up the name for the character in The Tempest (1611) using principles dating from period. At any rate, I see nothing to be gained from banning it now. (Miranda Jourdaine MacDowel, October, 1993, pg. 8)

NAMES -- Deity

[Thora + lightning bolt] Hitherto, the combination of a lightning bolt with a name derived from Thor has been considered an excessive reference to the Norse god. (The list of Prohibited Name/Charge Combinations is found in the 1986 Glossary of Terms, and is still in force.) The rationale has been to avoid, not presumption, but the appearance of a claim of magical power or non-human descent. The need was fairly great when the rule was promulgated, a decade ago; the College had to actively discourage submissions from demi-gods, elves, and wizards. Even today, we get the occasional non-human epithet (e.g. Stormrkartr).

On the other hand, the tenor of the Society has grown more authenticist and less fantasist over the last ten years. And as Lord Dragon notes, "Reference isn't presumption": for instance, submitters named Catharine are permitted, even encouraged, to use Catharine's wheels in their armory.

There are still enough submitters Unclear On The Concept to warrant returning excessive fantasy references, or appearances of magical or non-mortal claims. But the key word is excessive: I think we can henceforth relax our standards a bit. For those names that are well documented as period human names, that also happen to be the names of gods, one armorial allusion to the god will no longer be considered excessive. (Thora of Thescorre, August, 1992, pg. 17)

[Rhiannon de Licorne] "It is a long-standing policy that the name Rhiannon may not be coupled with horses or unicorns, in view of Rhiannon's function as a horse goddess." [AmCoE, 27 Sept 86] (Rhiannon de Licorne of Carreg Cennen, October, 1992, pg. 27)

Eriu is both the name of a country (Ireland) and a goddess. We cannot register this without more definite evidence that this name was used by humans in period. (Eriu Morgana Nic Dhubhghlaise Crawford, October, 1992, pg. 29)

[Dyana Greenwood, Argent, on a tree proper issuant from a base purpure, a decrescent argent] The submission has two problems, each sufficient for return. The first is conflict ...The second is excessive reference to Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon and forest. We've ruled (LoAR of 23 Aug 92) that a deity name used by period humans may add a single additional reference to that deity. The use of Greenwood, the tree and the crescent each constitutes an allusion to the goddess Diana; we find the combination excessive. We've registered the name, but any device resubmission should avoid any references to the goddess Diana. (Dyana Greenwood, May, 1993, pg. 17)

[Aoife ni Aodhagain with Chevronelly azure and argent, a serpent glissant palewise gules holding in its mouth an apple slipped and leaved vert] It has been ruled acceptable (Thora of Thescorre, LoAR of Aug 92) to have a single armorial allusion to a deity name that's also a documented period given name. It's reasonable to extend the policy, in this case, to the Biblical name Eve (often used as an anglicization of Aoife). The allusion here is mild, and acceptable. (Aoífe ni Aodhagáin, August, 1993, pg. 6)

NAMES -- Designation

[Wyvern Heyghts] If Heyghts is considered the designator (equivalent to House), then Wyvern is the substantive element here, and this is clear of Wyvernwood and Wyvern Cliff: their substantive elements are wood and Cliff, respectively. If Heyghts is not the designator (i.e. not transparent, but an integral part of the name), this is still clear, for changing the substantive element from Heights to wood or Cliff respectively. (Wyvern Heyghts (Elyramere of Tymbrelyne Heyghts), July, 1992, pg. 5)

[Seeker's Keep] Keep is the household designator here. (Seeker's Keep (Aelfric se Droflic), September, 1992, pg. 1)

[Tempest Tower] If Tower is considered the household designator (and therefore transparent with respect to conflict), this conflicts with the Order of the Tempest ...Were we to add a designator (e.g. House Tempest Tower), so that Tower became the substantive element of the name, this would conflict with the Order of the Towers of Dreiburgen ...The designator is transparent; the addition of the branch name is worth no difference, per the ruling on the Golden Swan of Calontir; the only countable difference, under the current Rules, is the addition of the adjective Tempest --- which is insufficient, per Rule V.2. (David van den Storm, September, 1992, pg. 38)

The word chosen for "shelter", díon, is an abstract noun, not a concrete noun. (As Lady Harpy put it, díon means "shelter" in the sense of "I was protected from the attacking dog by the shelter of the blackberries.") Consequently, we cannot consider Díon to be a group designation, as required by Rule III.1.b; (Una of Blackberry Hollow, October, 1992, pg. 33)

[Golden Swarm] The name lacks a designator (such as House, Guild, or Company), as required by Rule III.1.b. I don't believe Swarm can be used to refer to a group of humans. (Golden Swarm (Aethelwyn Aethelredson), November, 1992, pg. 17)

Fortaleza should be acceptable as an equivalent for the SCA branch classification of "Stronghold." (Fortaleza de la Frontera, June, 1993, pg. 8)

[Household name Teulu Ffynnon Ddu] Lady Harpy has noted that the use of teulu ("family") with a toponymic household name does not fit Welsh name structure. However, teulu also means "warband" which makes the name more plausible. (Giovanni Fontananera, October, 1993, pg. 9)

NAMES -- Diminutives

Liam doesn't appear to have been a period diminutive of Uilleam. All the sources that cite Liam do so as a modern diminutive; the period diminutive was Uillec. Without evidence of period use, we can't register Liam. (Uilleam Catach ó Maoilbhreanainn, July, 1992, pg. 24)

Janie appears to be a valid period diminutive of Jane, as Janny is from Jan (Reaney & Wilson 252) (Janie Fairchild, August, 1993, pg. 9)

John is not the same name as Jonathan, nor its diminutive [therefore they do not conflict with each other]. (Jonathan ap Morgan, September, 1993, pg. 3)

NAMES -- Documentable

The documentation for Delarosa was from Elsdon Smith's New Dictionary of American Family Names, a most untrustworthy source. Delarosa appears to be the Americanized form of the surname; the original Italian would be Della Rosa. The preposition was almost universally separated from the rest of the byname, according to Fucilla. [Name returned since submittor forbade grammatical changes] (Diana Delarosa di Pergola, August, 1992, pg. 23)

The given name was submitted on the strength of a citation in Geirr Bassi's Old Norse Name. This was an error, probably due to multiple photocopying: the actual name is Kadlin, with an edh. (It appears to be the Old Norse form of the Irish Kathlín.) Kaolin turns out to be a common noun, a form of white clay used in making porcelain; as such, it's unacceptable as a given name in the SCA. (Kaolin Karsikko, August, 1992, pg. 30)

Angelina is a period given name: Butler's Lives of the Saints notes the Blessed Angelina of Marsciano, b.1377. (Angeline Aldwyne, September, 1992, pg. 2)

Given Withycombe's citation of Danyell in 1379, and Dauzat's citations of Michelle and Gabrielle, Danielle seems a reasonable French feminine form. (Danielle Corinna d'Assisi, September, 1992, pg. 5)

Yonge [History of Christian Names] is no longer considered a trustworthy source. Her main strength is the breadth of languages she covered; for many of those languages (including French) she has been superceded by far more reliable works. (Estevene Grippon, September, 1992, pg. 6)

[Order of Black Widows] While I concede that the words black and widow are period words, the phrase black widow is a modern construction. As with the Artemisian Tank Corps (returned Feb 91), though the parts of the name may be period, the name as a whole is decidedly modern. In previous appeals, the submitters have made clear that the Order's name specifically referred to the black widow spider; and that's certainly how the name will be perceived. No evidence has yet been produced that the spider was known to medieval Europeans, or even to anyone prior to the 19th Century. (It didn't even get the name black widow until the early 20th Century.) Without such evidence, we will not register the creature, by name or in armory. (Kingdom of Trimaris, October, 1992, pg. 33)

[Azaleja] Azaleja is a common noun, Serbo-Croatian for the azalea flower. Its use as a given name is based on Bosanac's Prosvjetin Imenoslov, which is apparently a Serbo-Croatian baby-name book (on a par with most of its American counterparts). (Azaleja Imrah Antoniades, December, 1992, pg. 16)

[Hasim] Hasim doesn't appear to be documented as a period given name. Hanks & Hodges' First Names is evidently not reliable in this case; we need to see some period examples of the name's use. (Hasim Solomon, December, 1992, pg. 16)

Mara was the name taken briefly by Naomi in her bitterness (Ruth 1:20). The Bible presents it as a given name, and evidently it was considered a given name until recently (J. Comay, Who's Who in the Old Testament, p.293). It seems a reasonable given name for Society use. (Mara of the Oak Leaf, January, 1993, pg. 4)

Abraxa does not appear to be a valid period placename. Its sole use as a placename was in Thomas More's 1516 novel Utopia as the original name of the island of Utopia. The submitter has argued, in an appeal of a return by Lord Vesper, that this demonstrates Abraxa to have been considered a plausible placename in period.

The appeal forgets that More's Utopia is an allegory, with its names being descriptive. They are no more to be taken as valid than the names Pride or Goodman, from medieval morality plays. Given that abraxas is far better documented as a type of incantation or amulet ( OED; 1990 E.Brit., vol.1, p.38), we cannot consider it compatible with period toponymic construction --- or, indeed, with period bynames in general --- without better evidence. (Thomas of Abraxa, January, 1993, pg. 35)

There was some question over whether Blodwen ...is a period given Name. Hanks & Hodges (Dictionary of First Names , p.43) unequivocally date it to the Middle Ages. However, Lady Harpy could find no period examples of the name's use in all her sources; she quotes the opinion of a professor in Medieval Welsh that Blodwen as a name dates from the 19th Century. I'd trust Lady Harpy's expertise in this area far more than that of Hanks & Hodges; but either I must declare Hanks & Hodges completely unreliable, even in their most authoritative statements (as we've done for Yonge), or else give the submitter the benefit of the doubt. Since Blodwen has already been accepted for Society use (LoAR of Sept 92), the latter seems the more generous course. (Blodwen ferch Margred, June, 1993, pg. 10)

Short mottos sometimes became became heraldic titles in period. Franklyn and Tanner's Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Heraldry cites the following: the Ich Dien Pursuivant who served the Prince of Wales, c.1475 (p.179), and Il Faut Faire Pursuivant; maintained by Sir John Falstaf and from his word or motto (p.180). We will accept such heraldic titles on a case by case basis. (East Kingdom, September, 1993, pg. 11)

The Arabic name Rabah is indeed cited as a period masculine given name in "Arabic Naming Practices" by Da'ud ibn Auda, West Kingdom Known World Symposium Proceedings, 1987, p.47. (It's translated as "gain".) Lord Clarion's comment on this submission suggests that the entry may have been a typo, but it certainly isn't the result of over-photocopying, or a mistake on the submitter's part. I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt here. (If it is a typo, it will have to be formally corrected.) (Rabah az-Zafir, October, 1993, pg. 4)

NAMES -- Dutch

The v [in van] wasn't capitalized in Dutch names until later, when they were coalesced into a single surname (e.g. Vanderbilt). (David van den Storm, September, 1992, pg. 5)

NAMES -- English

[The Blacksword] The examples of weaponry epithets in Jönsjö generally lack the definite article [name registered without "the"]. (Gaufrid Kelson Blacksword, September, 1992, pg. 19)

[De la Waterford] While there's ample evidence of the Norman de being used with English placenames, such constructions would not have added a superfluous article; we've therefore deleted it here. (Matilda de Waterford, October, 1992, pg. 11)

[Boris Brighthill] The use of the Russian given name with the English surname violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and England. [Such evidence was later presented; see Tatiana Todhunter, March, 1993, pg. 18] (Boris Brighthill, October, 1992, pg. 29)

[Anthony Iron Skull] The byname is a translation into our lingua franca of the Old Norse epithet járnhauss. Given analogous epithets in Latin (testifer, "iron head", 1297) and English (brasenhed, "brass head", 1434), this is not unreasonable even in translation. While [Ironskull] would be a more authentic construction, the above form is acceptable. (Anthony Iron Skull, January, 1993, pg. 3)

According to Lord Palimpsest, Withycombe 's entry on Quentin is inaccurate; it was a masculine name in period, not a feminine name. In this case, it goes well with the masculine patronymic Ó Riordáin; but the submitter should probably be told that her name would have been a man's name in period (even with the feminine Siobhan added). (Quentyn Siobhan Ó Riordáin, January, 1993, pg. 20)

The submitter documents period interaction between England and Russia: Ivan the Terrible took some pains to cultivate a friendly relationship with England. He chartered the London-based Muscovy Company in 1555 to set up trading depots throughout Muscovy (Basil Dmytryshny, Medieval Russia: A Source Book, 900-1700), and himself sought to marry one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies (1911 E.Brit., vol.xv, p.90). Henceforth, we will register English-Russian names from that period. [Supercedes precedent of October 1992, pg. 29 (Boris Brighthill)] (Tatiana Todhunter, March, 1993, pg. 18)

Logan seems acceptable as an anglicization of the Irish Locân, Leogán (Logan Hawkwood, May, 1993, pg. 12)

[Lucius Thayne] A thane (or thegn) was a free retainer in pre-Conquest England, and in Scotland up to the 15th Century; the term denotes a member of territorial nobility corresponding to the Norman baron or knight. The title was one step below the eorl, and might be either earned or inherited. In the SCA, the term is used as the Old English equivalent of "baron", and is therefore reserved. Old English usage puts the title after the name: Ælfred cyning, Leofric eorl, Lyfing arcebisceop. The submitted name is thus exactly in the form that would have been used by a period thane. That fact, along with the Society use of the title, and its hereditary nature in period, outweighs the documented use of Thane, Thaine as a surname later in period. It must therefore be returned as presumptuous. (OED, under the entries for earl, king and thane; '93 E.Brit., vol.11, p.672; Reaney DBS II, pp.112, 345). (Lucius Thayne, July, 1993, pg. 15)

Janie appears to be a valid period diminutive of Jane, as Janny is from Jan (Reaney & Wilson 252) (Janie Fairchild, August, 1993, pg. 9)

John is not the same name as Jonathan, nor its diminutive [therefore they do not conflict with each other]. (Jonathan ap Morgan, September, 1993, pg. 3)

[James o' Gordon] Please make sure the submitter understands that the byname is not a patronymic; it is a toponymic, "of Gordon", the latter being a place. This would be acceptable even without the apostrophe: the OED cites o as a period spelling of "of". (James o' Gordon, October, 1993, pg. 1)

Note that we have in the past allowed the use of Mac with English given names. (Logan Mersc Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 11)

Note that Spanish-English cultural interaction is easily attested via various Tudor marriages; Philip of Spain and Bloody Mary spring to mind. (Maria Adelina Garcia de Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 19)

NAMES -- Epithets

[Layla Khadijah al-Khayzuran] The middle element, being an epithet, was given an article to accord with Arabic naming practice. (Layla al-Khadijah al-Khayzuran, July, 1992, pg. 5)

[Dragon Seeker] Given that the epithet has been registered within the last year (James the Dragonseeker, Aug 91), it's hard to claim that this name exceeds the Society's current standards. The current case need not even be considered a fantasy epithet: both Dragon and Seeker appear to be period surnames. Dragon is documented in Reaney (DBS2 , p.107), and Seeker is a reasonable variant of Seker, Seaker, Seeger ( Black 717). (Dougal Dragon Seeker, July, 1992, pg. 12)

The byname was submitted as the Mischief Maker. According to the OED, in period idiom, one would not make mischief; one would either do mischief or be mischief. We have used the latter meaning here [by registering the Mischief], as closer to both period form and his desired meaning. It would be well, however, to tell the submitter that "mischief" was a much stronger term in period; "evil" would be closer to the same meaning today. (Morgan the Mischief, August, 1992, pg. 6)

[Guardian of the Night with a Mongolian first name] The epithet follows no period naming practice of which we are aware; on the surface, it seems so patently fantasy-oriented as to be unacceptable. At the very least, we need some evidence that Mongols styled themselves in this manner. (Jochi, Guardian of the Night, August, 1992, pg. 24)

[The Blacksword] The examples of weaponry epithets in Jönsjö generally lack the definite article [name registered without "the"]. (Gaufrid Kelson Blacksword, September, 1992, pg. 19)

[Flamehair] We have in the past returned such epithets as Fyrlocc, on the grounds that they didn't follow known period models for English bynames. However, given the recent documentation of Pyrsokomos "flame-hair" as a valid Greek epithet, we are now inclined to permit its lingua franca translation --- but only for names where the original Greek epithet would be acceptable. The submitter will have to demonstrate regular period interaction between Ireland and Greece before this name meets that criterion --- or else show the construction follows period English models. (Fiona Flamehair, May, 1993, pg. 14)

NAMES -- Feminine

[Uodalrica] There was some question in the commentary about the validity of the given name. The original root, Uodalric, is masculine by virtue of its masculine deuterotheme -ric. It's possible that the Latinized form Uodalricus is simply be the default spelling for that time and place --- and therefore, unlike classical Latin names such as Julius/Julia, incapable of being feminized by changing -us to -a. The question cannot be definitively answered, on the basis of the evidence presented for this submission. However, the Society has traditionally been tolerant of feminized forms of period masculine names, whether such feminized names were documented or not; in part, this is an acknowledgement that women's names simply weren't recorded as often as men's names. As a general rule, if the masculine form of a name is documented to period, we assume the feminized form is acceptable. In this particular case, barring any direct evidence to the contrary, we will give the submitter the benefit of the doubt. (Uodalrica MacDonnell, September, 1993, pp. 5-6)

NAMES -- Finnish

NAMES -- French

[DuPray] Neither [Reaney, Dictionary of British Surnames nor Dauzat] supported the coalesced, doubly-capitalized form submitted. (Facon du Pray, September, 1992, pg. 6)

[d'Ailleurs] The French byname literally means "of Elsewhere", which seems highly improbable as a period locative. (Its more common idiomatic meaning is "on the other hand", which makes even less sense.) We have previously returned names whose locatives were this unspecific: v. Dughal MacDonnel of Kennaquhair ("of Know-Not-Where"), LoAR of Oct 91. (Anne-Marie d'Ailleurs, October, 1992, pg. 21)

The submitter cites hyphenated feminine names from near-period: Anne-Julienne Dumont, b.1646 (Lorraine), and Jeanne-Marie DuBois, who bore a son in 1640 (Angouleme). (Dictionnaire Genealogique des Families Canadiennes) These being within our 50-year "grey area" for documentation, they support this form as a late-period French name. (Nicole-Julienne Laviolette, December, 1992, pg. 14)

The use of the Russian given name with the French epithet is in apparent violation of Rule III.2. We need evidence of regular period contact between Russia and France before we can register this name. (Marina la Perdu, January, 1993, pg. 34)

[Clemence d'Avignon] The anti-popes of Avignon do not seem to have exercised the same secular authority there that their Roman counterparts did in the Vatican; and the legitimate Popes who made Avignon their seat did so as the guests of the Counts of Provence. (1911 E.Brit., vol.iii, p.64, and vol.xx, pp.702-704) The name thus does not conflict with those Popes in Avignon (real and anti-) named Clement. (Cala of Savatthi, August, 1993, pg. 11)

NAMES -- Generic

There have recently been some questions about Society branches registering badges to generic names: e.g. a badge for the Stonemarche Scribes' Guild, or for the Keeper of the Regalia of the Principality of the Sun. How are such generic names protected? Why do we register them?

To my mind, these are not names, not in the same style as Order names, household names, heraldic titles, and the like. A better term might be "job-description:" a simple declaration of the intended use of the badge. As such, we haven't held these to the same standards of conflict as other group names: for instance, both Caid and An Tir have badges registered to the Office of the Lists, without any infringement. If every branch officer who may can register a badge, then no one Kingdom may claim sole use of the name of the office; otherwise, only the West could have a Constable. By extension, the same holds true for other branch functions: Baronial Guard, King's Champion, Brewers' Guild, etc. So long as the badge is associated with a purely functional name, it's neither checked for conflict during submission or protected from conflict afterwards.

The key is for the name to be unarguably generic. Lyondemere Baronial Guard is functional, generic, and thus not held to conflict standards. The Lyondemere Levy, a deliberately alliterative name, is not generic, and must meet the normal name submission standards; once registered, it is then protected equally with Order names. (Notice that there are no generic Order names.) Generic names may only be registered by SCA branches, for common branch functions; but such generic names need not be checked for conflict, any more than the names of officers. (28 March, 1993 Cover Letter (January, 1993 LoAR), pg. 2)

[The Caravan] The household name runs afoul of Rule III.1, which requires all names to have at least two name elements; group names must have a designator and "at least one descriptive element" (III.1.b). To put it another way, the name is too generic to be reserved to a single group. Just as we would decline to register The Household or The Group --- or, just as we declined to register The Buttery (Marion of Edwinstowe, LoAR of April 89) --- so must we return this name. If they add a descriptive element (and assuming no conflicts), it should be acceptable. (Taichleach Selwyn, March, 1993, pg. 25)

NAMES -- German

Evidently, the Irish were often found on the Continent during the first millenium A.D., as clerks, missionaries, and scholars. Alcuin brought Irish scribes to the university at Aachen, sponsored by Charlemagne; and St. Gall, the founder of the model monastery in Switzerland, was himself Irish, a disciple of St. Columba. An Irish/German name is thus not beyond the bounds of reason. (Dallán Ó Fearchaidhe vom Kirschwald, July, 1992, pg. 9)

[Kresten] The byname was ...said to be a variant form of the German surname Kriesten, Kristen. However, without documentation, this is too great a change of pronunciation to accept as a mere spelling variant. [name registered as Kresten] (Anastasius Kriesten, October, 1992, pg. 16)

[Susanna Elizabeth Marie Wiegner von Kassel] With five name elements in three languages, we require some documentation that this is acceptable period style. Presumably (because of the locative) the primary language is German, so any resubmission should address period German naming style: are there period examples of German names with five elements? Without such examples, I must rule as I did for English names (LoAR of July 92) and Italian names (Sept 92), and disallow German names of five or more elements. (Susanna Elizabeth Marie Wiegner von Kassel, October, 1992, pg. 32)

Lady Harpy has provided documentation from Socin of the use of zu in its older form ze in locatives with the names of towns and villages: ze Froberg, ze Bernowe (p. 272) and ze Tattenriet (p. 277). (Anna zu Euskirchen, September, 1993, pg. 9)

NAMES -- Given

Gargan seems a reasonable anglicization of Geargán. (Gargan Garnet, June, 1992, pg. 1)

St. Kiara was a female Irish saint, c. 680, according to Butler's Lives of the Saints; the name might also be considered an anglicization of the Irish feminine name Ceara (O Corrain & Maguire p.50). (Kiara o Ddinas Emry, July, 1992, pg. 1)

St. Kiara was a female Irish saint, c.680, according to Butler's Lives of the Saints. Kiera has been accepted as a variant spelling (Kiera nic an Bhaird, April 92). (Kiera Lye d'Alessandria, July, 1992, pg. 13)

Given such names as Michelle and Raphaelle, Arielle seems a reasonable feminization of the Hebrew masculine name Ariel. Certainly, it's preferable to the widespread use of the latter by female personae. (Arielle ni Sheanain, August, 1992, pg. 3)

The given name was submitted as Leala, claimed to be a variant form of Leila. The documentation did not support that claim: in particular, as Leila derives from the Arabic Lailaa, it probably wouldn't change pronunciation so radically.[The name was registered as Leila] (Leila Angwin of the Silver Stallion, August, 1992, pg. 5)

Withycombe, p.24, cites Angelica as the "name of the lady beloved by Orlando" in the works of Ariosto (1474-1533); we find it, and its French form Angelique, acceptable. (Angelique Marielle DuBois, August, 1992, pg. 20)

The submitter's documentation shows Abih as an Arabic name: Ziyad ibn Abih was the ruler of al-Basrah in the 7th Century. (Ibrahim ibn Abih al-Thaalibi, August, 1992, pg. 21)

Briallen is the Welsh for "primrose", and does not seem to have been a given name in period; nor does it belong to a class of common nouns that were regularly used as names in period Welsh. (Briallen o Llanrwst, August, 1992, pg. 22)

The submitter's own documentation gives Rolan as a surname; the closest given name is Rodhlann (or, in modern Irish, Rólann). The double-N changes the sound of the last vowel; it is not a trivial spelling variant [name retured as submittor permitted no changes]. (Rolan O'Cellaigh the Gentle, August, 1992, pg. 25)

The given name was submitted on the strength of a citation in Geirr Bassi's Old Norse Name. This was an error, probably due to multiple photocopying: the actual name is Kadlin, with an edh. (It appears to be the Old Norse form of the Irish Kathlín.) Kaolin turns out to be a common noun, a form of white clay used in making porcelain; as such, it's unacceptable as a given name in the SCA. (Kaolin Karsikko, August, 1992, pg. 30)

Tirlach seems a reasonable anglicization of the Irish given name Toirdhealbhach. (Tirlach Kinsella, September, 1992, pg. 17)

The name Aurora "occurs as a Christian name in inscriptions of the Roman Empire." (Dunkling & Gosling, p.36) (Aurora Gillybary, September, 1992, pg. 28)

[Thyrin] The LOI attempted to justify [the given name] as a variant of Thorin. However, the Y/O shift appears implausible for the period in which Thorin was a name [old Norse]. [The documented Norse name Thyrnni was registered instead.] (Thyrnni of Wolfskrag, September, 1992, pg. 36)

[Richenda] Using my predecessor's "Auda/Ali" test, this is clear of [Richard]. The two names have differently emphasized syllables, and Richenda does not seem to directly derive from Richard. (Richenda of Locksley, October, 1992, pg. 2)

While Brennan may be an anglicization of the Irish Brénainn, as suggested in the LOI, Lord Dolphin notes that it's also a common anglicization of surnames derived from the given name Bránan --- and should therefore be an acceptable spelling of that name as well. (Brennan Conyngham of Ayrshire, October, 1992, pg. 6)

[Scota] Given the citation of Uchtred filius Scot in 1124 (Reaney DBS II, p.309), we're prepared to believe that Scot is a period given name. Scota would be a reasonable feminization of the Latin form Scotus. (Scota MacAuliffe., October, 1992, pg. 11)

Gary ...appears to be an acceptable anglicization of the Gaelic Garaidh. (Hanks & Hodges, DFN 129). (Gary Tavistok, October, 1992, pg. 14)

O Corrain and Maguire (Irish Names ) cite Tara as an anglicization of the period given name Temair, Teamhair. Tara has been submitted by others before, but returned for several reasons: Tara is also the name of the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, and it didn't seem to be a valid rendering of Temair. ("TAH-wair" would be closer to the latter's pronunciation.) The assumption in previous submissions was that Tara is a modern given name, based on the Irish toponymic (or the mansion in Gone with the Wind), and its association with Temair a back-formation; the historical and magical connotations of the Hill of Tara made it unsuitable for a given name.

However, the Irish name for the Hill of Tara (Teamhair) is identical to the documented given name (Columbia Lippincott Gazetter, p.1877; Room's Dictionary of Irish Place Names, p.118). (O Corrain and Maguire note that the Hill was, in fact, named after a Temair of Irish myth.) If the given name and the placename are identical in Irish, and Tara is a valid anglicization of the latter, then it should be acceptable as an anglicization of the former. A similar argument, using surnames instead of placenames, was accepted in the registration of Brayden, on the LoAR of July 92; I see no reason not to accept it here. (Tara of Seaborough., November, 1992, pg. 9)

No documentation has been presented to show Alec as a period diminutive of Alexander; indeed, suchevidence as exists suggests it to be a purely modern diminutive. Without evidence of period use, we cannot register Alec. (Alec Tristan d'Avignon, December, 1992, pg. 16)

Dorian was not a name in period, but an adjective: "pertaining to the inhabitants of Doris, in Greece." Its first use as a given name was in Oscar Wilde's Portrait of Dorian Grey. (Dorian Elwinwood, December, 1992, pg. 17)

According to Lord Palimpsest, Withycombe's entry on Quentin is inaccurate; it was a masculine name in period, not a feminine name. In this case, it goes well with the masculine patronymic Ó Riorda\áin; but the submitter should probably be told that her name would have been a man's name in period (even with the feminine Siobhan added). (Quentyn Siobhan Ó Riorda\áin, January, 1993, pg. 20)

NAMES -- Grammar

[á Kerry] Since Kerry is the anglicized form of the Irish Ciarraí, we have substituted the English preposition. (Berwyn of Kerry, July, 1992, pg. 3)

I'm told that Spanish/Scots interaction, like Spanish/English, was not inconsiderable in the 16th Century, so [a name combining both] is not beyond the bounds of reason. (Alvira MacDonald, July, 1992, pg. 6)

Withycombe (p.xliii) mentions "very rare, isolated examples" of period names with multiple name elements: they grow more common in the late 16th Century, but don't become abundant until the 17th Century. Of those rare instances that do occur, three elements seem to have been the norm: e.g. John William Whytting, c.1386; Robert Browne Lilly, b.1593; Arthur Rous Russhe, b.1564. English names with four elements are so rare in period that I would consider the usage a "weirdness," costing a submitter the benefit of the doubt; and English names with five elements ...I must consider over the edge of acceptability. (Catherine Elizabeth Holly Winthrop of Lincolnshire, July, 1992, pg. 18)

[Tamás of Midian] The land of Midian is mentioned only in Exodus (Moses married a princess of Midian), and does not seem to have still existed by the time of Christ, when Thomas came into use as a name --- much less by medieval times, when the latter was modified by the Magyars to Tamás. As Lord Green Anchor notes, Rule III.2 requires multi-cultural names to show "regular contact between the cultures." While one might argue some contact (albeit one-way) between, say, Old English and Middle English, that argument cannot hold between the Sinai, c.1200 BC, and Hungary, c.1000 AD. These are as culturally incompatible as Aztec and Viking, and may not be used in this manner. (Tamás of Midian, July, 1992, pg. 23)

Pending a full discussion of Irish patronymics (called for in last month's LoAR cover letter), I am taking the grammatically correct route: female names should use the female patronymic particle. (Briana Nig Uidhir, August, 1992, pg. 3)

We have no evidence of regular period contact between Russia ...and Cornwall (Fiona Morwenna Seaborne, August, 1992, pg. 4)

According to Lord Palimpsest, [in Irish Gaelic] while the particle Ó prefixes an h to the following vowel, ni does not. (Caitriona Keavy ni Ainle, September, 1992, pg. 4)

[Kara of Kirriemuir] The given name was submitted as Kara, documented as a Russian diminutive of Karina. However, no evidence was presented for the period Russian/Scots interaction such a name would require [the first name was converted to a Latin name with a similar sound]. (Cara of Kirriemuir, September, 1992, pg. 30)

[Arianna Gunnarsdottir] The Italian given name does not seem compatible with the Old Norse patronymic. Per Rule III.2, we need evidence of period Old Norse/Italian interaction before we can register this name. (Arianna Gunnarsdottir, September, 1992, pg. 43)

The use of the Russian given name with the Irish patronymic violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and Ireland. (Akilina O'Cinndeargain, October, 1992, pg. 22)

The use of four elements in an English name is anomalous (a "weirdness"), costing the submitter the benefit of the doubt (LoAR of July 92, p.18); it's permissible only if there are no other problems with the name. (Aric Thomas Percy Raven, October, 1992, pg. 30)

The use of [a] Russian given name with [a] French surname violates our requirements for cultural contact, as outlined in Rule III.2. We need some evidence of period interaction between Russia and France. (Tamara Germain, October, 1992, pg. 32)

A few recent registrations have left some commenters wondering about the exact status of the College's lingua franca rules. Originally, these were simply the acknowledgement of a hard fact: that the grand majority of SCA folk speak modern English, not Russian, Saxon, Latin, Old Norse, or whatever. The principle was first expressed as a Board ruling (after they'd received correspondence written in medieval Latin!), and codified in the 1986 edition of the Rules for Submissions:

"The official language of the Society is and shall be correct modern English ...Simple particles, such as 'of', may be used without necessarily increasing the counted number of languages contained in the name. The formula , whatever the original languages, is acceptable. This is the usual historian's manner, and therefore Otto of Freising is a familiar form, though he would have been Otto von Freising or some other more Geman or Latin version in most contemporary documents." [NR1]

The same allowance for of is found in the current Rules (Rule III.2.a), though not spelled out in such detail.

Less codified, but of long practice, has been the translation of epithets into our lingua franca. Again, this follows a common historian's usage: Harald I of Norway, for instance, is far better known as Harald Fairhair than by the untranslated Harald Haarfagr. Eric the Red, Philip the Good, Charles the Fat, all are translations of the period names, not the period names themselves. SCA names are permitted a similar translation: a simple epithet, documented as a period form, may be translated into English. (We prefer to register the untranslated form, but I concede that such rigor doesn't always serve our clients' best interests.)

The use of lingua franca translation is extended only to single, simple descriptives. Given names, for instance, may not normally be translated into their putative meaning: e.g. Bear may not be used as a given name, even though it's the lingua franca translation of the given name Björn. Placenames, hereditary surnames, and bynames from different languages (e.g. French and German) likewise don't fall under the lingua franca allowance.

The English translation should be chosen to minimize any intrusive modernity: e.g. the Old Norse byname kunta is better translated as "wench" than as the intrusive "bimbo". (Well, actually, neither of those is exactly right, but there may be children reading.) Period terms are always preferable, but when necessary, we will translate documented period epithets into the Society's common tongue. That seems to be the best compromise between the needs of authenticity and ease of use. (28 March, 1993 Cover Letter (January, 1993 LoAR), pp. 2-3)

In asking commenters to present documentation on Gaelic patronymics (LoAR cover letter of 3 Aug 92), I'd hoped to reach a final synthesis based on research. Results of that research to date have supported our current policy: that, for purely Gaelic patronymics, masculine constructions should not be used in female names. (A handful of examples were offered of female names in masculine constructions --- but they all seem to be anglicized forms, not pure Gaelic forms.) I'd be delighted if counter-evidence were presented --- I all but got down on my knees and begged for such counter-evidence to be presented --- but none has been received to date. As our current policy is based on evidence, so must any change in policy be based on evidence. (Katherine ni Cheallaigh of Skye, January, 1993, pg. 19)

[The name] was submitted as Caer Daibhidh, combining Welsh and Scots Gaelic in a single phrase. This isn't normally permitted, per Rule III.2.a, and has been the reason for the last three returns of their name. The submitters provided evidence (augmented by Lady Harpy) that the element caer- is found in many Scots placenames: e.g. Caerlaverock, Caerlanrig, Caer Ruther. However, in those cases caer- doesn't seem to be from Welsh; the prefix derives either from the Gaelic cathair or from the extinct Cumbric cair, and is only spelled Caer in its modern form, due to the Welsh influence.

It could be argued that, even if Caer were derived from the Gaelic cathair, the submitted name would still seem acceptable, given the cited examples. Most of those examples, though, are anglicized forms; and while an anglicized Caerdavid would be perfectly acceptable, the submitted Gaelic spelling of Daibhidh requires a plausible construction for that language. Not only must Daibhidh be put into the genitive case, but an unanglicized form of Caer must be used. The submission forms do not forbid grammatical corrections, so we've substituted the correct Gaelic spelling; the pronunciation is nearly unchanged from their submitted form. If they prefer the spelling Caer, they may resubmit Caerdavid or the fully Welsh Caer Ddafydd. (College of Cathair Dhaibhaidh, March, 1993, pg. 3)

A couple of our onomasticists have argued for increased standards of temporal compatibility in SCA names: that the English of the 5th and 16th Centuries are as culturally immiscible as Aztec and Viking, and should be as unacceptable, per Rule III.2. The College has mostly been concerned that the parts of a name be compatible geographically (e.g. French and Italian); we've never been strict about the equivalent temporal mismatches. Both Mistress Alisoun and Master Da'ud declined to make temporal compatibility a reason for return. To paraphrase Mistress Alisoun, in a Society where a 10th Century Viking can sit beside an Elizabethan lady at a feast, temporal requirements probably aren't worth the grief. Moreover, some names changed very little over time, in any given country (the modern English John hasn't changed in half a millennium); temporal problems are thus more difficult to demonstrate than geographic problems.

I've no intention of completely overturning the policy of my predecessors. However, in a number of my recent rulings, I've ruled that excessive temporal mismatching can be considered a "weirdness", costing the submitter the benefit of the doubt. With this LoAR, I hereby make the new policy official: If the elements of a submitted name are dated too far apart, then any other anomaly in the name may combine to force it to be returned. The greater the temporal divide, the greater the anomaly: a given name and byname whose spellings are documented within, say, a century of each other will probably be all right, but a three-century divide is pushing it.

By itself, temporal incompatibility is still not sufficient reason for return. I haven't yet been faced with a case so extreme (a couple of millennia, say) to require a return; our worst instance of temporal mismatch (Tamas of Midian) also involved geographic mismatch as well. But henceforth, excessive temporal mismatch may contribute to a name's unacceptability; another problem with the name may cause it to be returned. (8 May, 1993 Cover Letter (March, 1993 LoAR), pg. 4)

[Catherine of Deva] The city now called Chester ceased to be called Deva around the time of the birth of Christ; the use of the latter with the name of a 3rd Century martyr is, in Lady Harpy's words, "screamingly improbable." It is, however, the only "weirdness" in the name, and we're generally forgiving of such anachronisms. (Catherine of Deva, March, 1993, pg. 9)

The submitter documents period interaction between England and Russia: Ivan the Terrible took some pains to cultivate a friendly relationship with England. He chartered the London-based Muscovy Company in 1555 to set up trading depots throughout Muscovy (Basil Dmytryshny, Medieval Russia: A Source Book, 900-1700), and himself sought to marry one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies (1911 E.Brit. , vol.xv, p.90). Henceforth, we will register English-Russian names from that period. [Supercedes precedent of October 1992, pg. 20 (Boris Brighthill)] (Tatiana Todhunter, March, 1993, pg. 18)

We accept German/Spanish interaction, thanks to the Hapsburgs, but German/Argentinian interaction in period remains to be demonstrated (Magda Azul, May, 1993, pg. 1)

[Diego Florez Mendez] The use of the double surname is documented to the late 13th Century: e.g. Pedro Fernandez Vermudiz, 1244. It's acceptable here, since both Florez and Mendez are patronymic forms; the submitted name means "Diego, son of Floro, son of Menendo." (Diego Florez Mendez, May, 1993, pg. 6)

The submitter has documented a pattern of use involving Gaelic names with the Welsh patronymic particle ap. It's reasonable to extend this exception to Rule III.2.a to the feminine equivalent ferch. (Mwynwenn ferch Maelsnectain, July, 1993, pg. 10)

Yiddish, from Eastern Europe, has not been shown to have enough period interaction with Irish to justify combining them in a name. (Deborah Fey O'Mora, August, 1993, pg. 9)

While we have evidence of Arabic/Italian interaction in period, Persian/Italian interaction has yet to be demonstrated. (Beatrice Carmela Mercante, September, 1993, pg. 6)

[Magnus Bjornsson Fairhair] The current construction describes the submitter's father Bjorn as "fairhair" and not himself. If the submitter wishes to be the blond, he should resubmit as Magnus Fairhair Bjornsson. (Magnus Bjornsson Fairhair, September, 1993, pg. 13)

[Borhe Olafs] Lacking any direct evidence to the contrary, we will assume that the genitive form of the father's name [Olafr], with no suffixes or particles, is as acceptable here as it would be in English (e.g. Stevens). (Borhe Olafs, October, 1993, pg. 6)

Swedish-Italian interaction is documented in the Saga of Harald the Ruthless, the story of a Viking's expedition to Sicily: "Actually, King Harald the Ruthless didn't do so well in southern Italy because he met up with compatriots, tribal brothers. Normans from Normandy had moved down there ...even threatening Byzantine properties." ( The Norsemen by Count Eric Oxenstierna, p. 279). Swedes, of course, formed the original Verangian guard in Byzantium, and from there they sailed the Mediterranean. The Italian historian Liudprand (ca. 922-972) wrote in Byzantium, "There is a race living in the north whom the Greeks, because of a peculiarity [he is referring to their red-blond coloring] call Rusii, whereas we call them Normans, according to the location of their homeland. " (quotes in original text, ibid., p. 107). An Italian-Scandinavian name would therefore be acceptable. (Sylvia Stjarnstirrare, October, 1993, pg. 10)

Note that we have in the past allowed the use of Mac with English given names. (Logan Mersc Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 11)

There was some question of Gaelic-Italian interaction in period, but note that St. Columbanus of Ireland (b. Leinster, 543 AD) founded his last monastery in Bobbio, in the foothills of the Apennine mountains of Italy, bringing Christianity to the heathens living there. (Gabriella Allegra Palumbo O'Loingsigh, October, 1993, pg. 19)

NAMES -- Greek

Rather to our surprise, the Classic Greek for "fire hair" really is the idiom for a redhead (Danielis Pyrsokomos, September, 1992, pg. 31)

NAMES -- Group

[Shire of Fire Mountain Keep] Given that the Latin and Old Norse terms for volcano translate more-or-less to "mountain with fire", we can consider this name a translation into the Society's lingua franca. (Shire of Fire Mountain Keep, June, 1992, pg. 1)

[Sigelhundas] Some commenters wondered whether the name's meaning ["sun-dogs"] was reasonable, but given such Anglo-Saxon terms as sigelwaras "sun-men" (their term for Ethiopians), we saw no reason not to accept the construction. The Saxons probably would have used the term to refer to African dogs, not to the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, but I suspect the submitters know that [dogs were used in the armory]. (Shire of Sigelhundas, July, 1992, pg. 2)

There was some question as to whether the released name of a disbanded group could be used in a new personal name. Such new names must start from scratch, but the original documentation of the dead SCA branch might still be consulted. (Sebastian of Ventbarre, September, 1992, pg. 35)

[Canton of Chuzan] There was some discussion as to whether this conflicts with Chuzan, the old name of central Okinawa (where the canton is located). The 1986 edition of the Rules for Submission permitted branch names to "use an old in-period name for the territory actually encompassed in the mundane world by that branch", so long as the old name wasn't in modern use (NR18.c). Thus, for instance, a Society branch along the Atlantic Canadian coast could call itself Vinland under the old Rules.

The current Rules do not contain that provision for obsolete placenames to be used by Society branches. I asked Mistress Alisoun, former Laurel Queen of Arms, and she told me the omission was deliberate. The 1986 Rules protected all mundane placenames, no matter how unimportant or obscure; a special dispensation for SCA branches was sometimes needed. The current Rules protect only famous or important placenames. Thus, if the obsolete name for a territory currently occupied by a Society branch is important or famous, it's protected against conflict by anyone (including the SCA branch); if the obsolete name is unimportant, there's no conflict in the first place, and any branch could use the name [name returned for a different conflict]. (Canton of Chuzan, September, 1992, pg. 53)

Two ...possible problems with the name were mentioned in the commentary .. . The second question, raised in the LOI, involved the use in the SCA, by a Society group, of the mundane name of the same group. Most of the officers and members of Windwardshire are mundanely the officers and members of the Windward Foundation, a 20th Century non-profit corporation. The Society does not permit its members to use their legal names as their SCA names, requiring some distance between modern and medieval identities; the prohibition is found in the Administrative Guidelines, Protected Items -- I: Any Name or Armory used by the Submitter outside the Society. The LOI raised the question as to whether the prohibition applied to groups as well as individuals.

A case could be made for maintaining some distance between modern and medieval identities, even for groups. The two most persuasive concerns are the need to avoid confusion, and the desire to not compel SCA members to join a modern group. The first concern can be better illustrated by, say, a campus group submitting the name of their college (e.g. a group at Santa Monica College, here in Caid, submitting the name College of Santa Monica). The second concern (which I hasten to note is as yet hypothetical!) would have the mundane group require membership in the mundane group as a condition for participating with the SCA group; it's irrelevant whether such a requirement were de jure or simply through social pressure.

The first concern was addressed by the commenters. Most of them felt that, just as simple non-identity prevented confusion between an individual's legal and Society names, it would prevent confusion between a group's legal and Society names. The mundane group is not called Windwardshire; the SCA group is never called anything else.

The other concern is not solely the province of the College of Arms. All the Powers That Be in a Kingdom should object to any illegal coercion such as I've described. A submissions herald might suspect, by a group's choice of name, that such coercion may be happening; if so, he should bring it to the attention of the Kingdom Seneschal, and the two officers should deal with the matter as seems best ...But the mere suspicion of possible future misconduct by a group is not, by itself, grounds for returning their name [name returned for mundane conflict]. (Windwardshire, August, 1993, pg. 14)

NAMES -- Guild

[Saltare] This was submitted as the name for the Kingdom dance guild. Unfortunately, the infinitive verb "to dance" (in English or in Latin) doesn't seem to be a valid group name. Similar guild names in period seem to have been straightforward descriptions of their craft: Company of Coopers, Baker's Guild, etc. We could see a bit more fanciful name, such as the Guild of St. Vitus or the Terpsichorean Guild. We could even see using the Latin saltare, properly conjugated, as part of a Latinized guild name. But the simple "to dance", with no noun or designator, cannot be accepted without more evidence than we've been given. (Kingdom of Meridies, September, 1992, pg. 49)

[Weasel Works] The household name doesn't seem to follow known period usage. The word works appears to be a late-period term referring to a factory; when modified with a noun, the noun is considered the product of the factory (e.g. iron works). A weasel works, then, would not be a factory owned by a man named Weasel, but a factory that made weasels. This appears highly implausible, even as a metaphor. We need some evidence of period compatibility before we can register this name. (Weasel Works (Morgaine Brisen), January, 1993, pg. 27)

NAMES -- Holding

[Alternate name returned for lack of primary name] I don't believe holding names can be formed for anything but armory. (Sophia Sans Peur (Sophia Fearadaigh), August, 1992, pg. 29)

Lord Rocket has asked whether we've changed our policy on the formation of holding names. I wasn't aware that I'd made any changes --- if anything, I've tried to follow the policy as I'd learned it, as outlined in the LoAR of 19 Jan 86. Unfortunately, nowhere in the current Rules do we explicitly state how holding names are to be formed; precedent and "tradition" must therefore be our guides.

When he first took over the Laurel office, Master Da'ud began a series for Tournaments Illuminated; his first column (Winter 90, p.8) discussed holding names. In re-reading that column, I note at least one statement with which I seriously disagree: the statement that a holding name "is NOT your `registered' name, nor are you `stuck' with it." Au contraire: the holding name is indeed a submitter's registered name, until such time as a corrected name is resubmitted. It's in the A&O, it's on the file folder in Laurel's files, we check it for conflict and protect it afterward --- that fits the definition of "registered" in Laurel's eyes. The holding name is to be used in court, on scrolls, on the tourney field, and for all official functions --- until the submitter changes it. We encourage the submitter to change it: by definition, a holding name is used when we would otherwise have to return the armory submission for lack of a name, and we charge no fee for changing a holding name.

That being the case, the holding name should serve "to emphasize the fact that this was a temporary measure, not an unauthorized modification. (Timothy of Carraig Ban ...is more obviously a temporary substitute than [the submitted name with the objectionable phrase omitted].) The idea is to encourage the submitter to correct the problem himself." [LoAR of Jan 86, p.7]

Depending on the case, I will usually form a holding name by combining the submitter's mundane given name with the name of his/her SCA branch. Exceptions may be made when the submitter has specified the holding name he/she would like to receive, or when the use of the mundane given name would sound modern to the ear. In the end, it shouldn't matter exactly how the holding name was formed; submitters with holding names should still be encouraged to resubmit their names, with the problems corrected. (10 June, 1993 Cover Letter (May, 1993 LoAR), pg. 3)

The name Jay MacPhunn was returned on the LoAR of June 93. Normally, we'd register the device submission under a holding name. However, we could not legitimately form a holding name in this case. We usually form holding names from the submitter's mundane given name and his local SCA group; in special cases, we might borrow from the submitted name as well. But the original name was returned because Jay, the submitter's mundane given name, is intrusively modern [See under NAMES -- Legal]. A holding name formed in the usual manner would have the same problem; indeed, all the alternate names suggested by the submitter had that problem. We could not form a holding name in this case --- and therefore cannot register the device.

Some of my staff thought it unfortunate that this device be returned on a technicality regarding the name, and urged me to form a holding name out of whole cloth: Jason of Havbjorn, for instance. I considered it, but decided not to set such a dangerous precedent. The College of Arms already has a reputation for arbitrarily changing people's names. I see no need to fuel that reputation by selecting a name for this client from thin air; that would be truly arbitrary. At least, when correcting people's grammar, we try to give them a name with their desired meaning; when forming a holding name, we either use elements from the submitted name (which we can therefore assume are acceptable to the client) or else the mundane name and SCA branch, following a procedure carefully defined beforehand. Choosing a name on a whim for this submitter would follow neither his preference nor our procedure; it would usurp his privilege to choose his own Society name. Even with the best of intentions --- to register his device --- I'm not willing to take that step. (Jay MacPhunn, July, 1993, pg. 17)

NAMES -- Household

Households, as they are generally known in the Society, don't appear to have historical equivalents; they seem to be unique to the SCA. My best definition would be: "A household is a non-official group of people who like to do things together in a Society context, to the point where they can be treated as a single unit." That definition covers groups of friends, small families, professional guilds (entertainment, brewing, waterbearers, &c), fighting units, and even businesses.

While there were no exact parallels in period to SCA households, there were historical groups that shared one or more functions with the latter. These include the Scots clans (Clan Stewart); ruling dynasties (House of Anjou); professional guilds (Baker's Guild of Augsburg, Worshipful Company of Coopers); military units, including mercenaries (The White Company); and inns (House of the White Hart). Such names as these groups took, then, should be the pattern on which SCA household names are built.

Some house names were taken from the place of origin: House of York, House of Lorraine, House of Valois. Some were taken from a personal epithet of the founder, shared by neither his father nor siblings: House Capet. Some were taken from the founders' surnames -- which, in turn, might be derived originally from a patronymic (Clan MacGregor), a toponymic (Clan Kerr), or an occupation (Clan Stewart). Guild names were straightforward descriptions of their crafts. Mercenary units might be more fanciful, and inn names most fanciful of all; but these still referred to livery or signboards -- in short, to a badge, which was a tangible thing.

House names in period don't seem to have been overly fantastic. For the most part, they come from the same linguistic well as period bynames. In particular, since a period house name was so often simply the surname, byname, or epithet of its founder, any such epithet that is acceptable in a Society personal name should be acceptable as a Society household name. This is the rule of thumb I've formulated for determining the acceptability of household names henceforth. If we would register John X, we should register House X as well. We would not permit John Starwalker, so we should not permit House Starwalker. We would register John of the Red Sickles (wincing, perhaps, but we would), so we should register House of the Red Sickles. (2 July, 1992 Cover Letter (June, 1992 LoAR), pg. 3)

[House Shadowglade] The household name does not appear to follow period exemplars. For one thing, it's nonsense: by definition, a glade is a sunny area. For another thing, we've no period documentation of shadow- used as a theme in English placenames. While I might have stretched that point for an otherwise-acceptable construction, I can't see period houses using such an oxymoron as this. (Tristan Blackmoor of Darkwoods, August, 1992, pg. 23)

[Egil's Nest] This conflicts with Eagle's Nest, a place among the Killarney Lakes in County Kerry, Ireland. It is cited in a general reference ( The New Century Cyclopedia of Names, vol.I, p.1379), so it's important enough to protect. (Egill von Stahl, August, 1992, pg. 27)

[House Catmask] Catmask doesn't seem to be a period term; the closest phrase in the OED, cat-face, dates to the 19th Century. Even as a constructed noun, it doesn't seem a plausible house name; it might conceivably be an inn name, but only if it were a period noun. (House Catmask (Iarngard Ragnarson), August, 1992, pg. 32)

[Seeker's Keep] Keep is the household designator here. (Seeker's Keep (Aelfric se Droflic), September, 1992, pg. 1)

[Iron Horde of Cathanar] As in the case of the Company of the Checquered Shield of Western Seas (LoAR of 19 Jan 91), the use of the SCA branch name implies this is an official group of the Barony of Cathanar. As the submitter doesn't represent Cathanar, he may not style his household in a way that suggests official sanction. (If he has official sanction from Cathanar, the name should be registered to Cathanar.)

Normally, we'd delete the problematic part of the name, and register this as simply the Iron Horde, but that would then introduce conflicts. Specifically, it would conflict with the Iron Guard, a Rumanian fascist organization founded in 1924. Paramilitary and strongly anti-Semite, it played a major role in Rumanian history prior to and during World War II (including the assassination of one Premier and the installation of another). Since it's cited in several general references ( The New Century Cyclopedia of Names, vol.II, p.2135; 1991 Encyclopedia Britannica, vol.7, p.388), the Iron Guard is important enough to protect. (And in any case, I doubt the submitter would like a household name so close to a group whose atrocities offended even the Nazi Gestapo.) (Mengü of Cathanar, September, 1992, pg. 46)

The sennachie, or seanchaidhe, were more than simply historians; they studied and told the old tales and legends, and were the keepers of genealogy and tradition in Ireland and the Scottish highlands. The sennachie became a semi-hereditary class, similar to bards; and it's worth noting that the office of the High Sennachie was the precursor to the Lyon King of Arms. As such, seanchaidhe is a title and rank, not merely the Irish for "historian"; it may not be registered as a household name. (Seonaid of Nairn, September, 1992, pg. 46)

[House Castor Bellator] The household name is Latin for "warrior beaver". This doesn't follow our current guidelines for household names: we wouldn't register John the Warrior Beaver, so we shouldn't register this. It is barely possible that House of the Warrior Beaver might be a late-period English inn name --- but such a name wouldn't be in Latin. (Eadwyn Inhold., September, 1992, pg. 48)

[Maison des Animaux] The name is intrusively modern, strongly evoking the film Animal House (of which the name is an exact translation). Translation into another tongue can bring a name clear, per Rule V.4.b --- but only if the pronunciation is significantly altered. The difference between Animal and Animaux is too small to be considered significant; and the household designator (House, Maison) is transparent, and counts for no difference. As for the "fame" of the conflict, if a sizable fraction of the populace (of which the College of Arms may be considered a representative sample) recognizes Animal House as a movie title, it's probably necessary to protect it from conflict --- not so much for its own sake, as to keep the modern movie reference from intruding on our medieval re-creation. (Jacqueline de Lyons, September, 1992, pg. 49)

The household name and badge were twice submitted on the LOI: once under [the submitter's] name, and once under the name of [another submitter]. Per our current policy on joint badge registration (LoAR cover letter of 3 Aug 92), one of these gentles must be designated the primary badge-holder. [Name and badge attached to other name and returned for unrelated reasons]. (Ursus Imminere (Jane Falada of Englewood), October, 1992, pg. 28)

RamSword does not appear to be a valid construction for a household name: the internal capitalization is implausible, and the word seems to have no meaning. By our rule of thumb on such names, if we wouldn't accept John RamSword (and we wouldn't!), we shouldn't accept House RamSword. (Alaric of Wyvernwood, October, 1992, pg. 31)

NAMES -- Irish

Gargan seems a reasonable anglicization of Gearg�n. (Gargan Garnet, June, 1992, pg. 1)

[á Kerry] Since Kerry is the anglicized form of the Irish Ciarraí, we have substituted the English preposition. (Berwyn of Kerry, July, 1992, pg. 3)

Two of July's name submissions sparked a debate on acceptable style for Irish patronymics --- as opposed to grammatically correct style, not quite the same thing --- with Lord Dragon taking one position in the debate and Lord Habicht the other. As far as I can follow the debate, the first position holds that Irish patronymics have a correct grammar which must be used; and, in particular, this means:

O'[given name]

Ó [given name]

O'Connor

Ó Conchobhair

Ó Connor

O'Conchobhair

Ó [given name] and Mac [given name] are pure patronymics, used by male descendants of [given name]; they should not be used by female descendants, who have their own particles (Ui, ni). Females wishing to use O or Mac should employ the anglicized forms, which were used during and after the transition from pure patronymics to family surname: either, say, Mor ni Chonchobhair or Mor O'Connor, but not Mor Ó Conchobhair.

The second position holds that, while the above statements are grammatically correct, they were not as strictly followed as grammarians might like; there were, in fact, so many grammatical violations in period that it makes no sense to adhere to the above rules. Combinations of Irish particles with anglicized names (and vice versa), or feminine given names with "male-form" patronymics, were commonly used in period; and we should permit them in Society names as well.

I'm undoubtedly over-simplifying both positions enormously --- and perhaps gotten some details wrong, too --- but I hope I've correctly portrayed the essence of each argument. My forte isn't onomastics, so I must rely on the advice of the onomasticists in the College. Cases that require changing (or even returning) an Irish name will depend on which of these arguments I follow. I don't want to make unnecessary changes to submitted names; but I don't want to condone incorrect practice, either.

This sort of debate is best settled by period evidence. Lord Habicht tells me he's compiled evidence that women did use "male-form" patronymics; Lord Dragon tells me he has documentation for his side as well. Other knowledgeable parties in the College may likewise have evidence to present. I urge everyone, therefore, to publish their findings and viewpoints within the next few months. It would be nice if we could end the year with this matter discussed and settled, once and for all [Policy adopted while waiting follows Lord Dragon's view]. (3 August, 1992 Cover Letter (July, 1992 LoAR), pp. 3-4)

Evidently, the Irish were often found on the Continent during the first millenium A.D., as clerks, missionaries, and scholars. Alcuin brought Irish scribes to the university at Aachen, sponsored by Charlemagne; and St. Gall, the founder of the model monastery in Switzerland, was himself Irish, a disciple of St. Columba. An Irish/German name is thus not beyond the bounds of reason. (Dallan O Fearchaidhe vom Kirschwald, July, 1992, pg. 9)

St. Kiara was a female Irish saint, c.680, according to Butler's Lives of the Saints. Kiera has been accepted as a variant spelling (Kiera nic an Bhaird, April 92). (Kiera Lye d'Alessandria, July, 1992, pg. 13)

[ni Connor] The patronymic was submitted as ni Connor, which mixed an Irish particle with an anglicized given name. Lord Dragon found examples of ny as an anglicization of the Irish ní; we have substituted that. (Margaret ny Connor, August, 1992, pg. 16)

The submitter's documentation gives the surname as Ó Ceallaigh, not O'Cellaigh; the construction O'[name], with an apostrophe, is used with anglicized forms [name retured as submittor permitted no changes]. (Rolan O'Cellaigh the Gentle, August, 1992, pg. 25)

According to Lord Palimpsest, [in Irish Gaelic] while the particle Ó prefixes an h to the following vowel, ni does not. (Caitriona Keavy ni Ainle, September, 1992, pg. 4)

Tirlach seems a reasonable anglicization of the Irish given name Toirdhealbhach. (Tirlach Kinsella, September, 1992, pg. 17)

Particularly for the old Irish form used here, Mag is a masculine particle, and cannot be used with the feminine name Eórann. (Eórann MagUidir, September, 1992, pg. 45)

Kairenn (Cairenn) appears to be a unique name, that of the mother of Njall of the Nine Hostages of Irish legend. It has been returned before now (Cairenn of CuaRuadh Keep, Aug 91). (Kairenn Suile Gairitecha, September, 1992, pg. 53)

Ó Corráin and Maguire (Irish Names ) cite Tara as an anglicization of the period given name Temair, Teamhair. Tara has been submitted by others before, but returned for several reasons: Tara is also the name of the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, and it didn't seem to be a valid rendering of Temair. ("TAH-wair" would be closer to the latter's pronunciation.) The assumption in previous submissions was that Tara is a modern given name, based on the Irish toponymic (or the mansion in Gone with the Wind), and its association with Temair a back-formation; the historical and magical connotations of the Hill of Tara made it unsuitable for a given name.

However, the Irish name for the Hill of Tara (Teamhair) is identical to the documented given name (Columbia Lippincott Gazetter, p.1877; Room's Dictionary of Irish Place Names, p.118). (Ó Corráin and Maguire note that the Hill was, in fact, named after a Temair of Irish myth.) If the given name and the placename are identical in Irish, and Tara is a valid anglicization of the latter, then it should be acceptable as an anglicization of the former. A similar argument, using surnames instead of placenames, was accepted in the registration of Brayden, on the LoAR of July 92; I see no reason not to accept it here. (Tara of Seaborough., November, 1992, pg. 9)

The patronymic was submitted as Ó Ceallaigh, with the LOI stating that the submitter "strongly prefers the Gaelic spelling." Her forms, however, also request us to amend the grammar and spelling to be correct for that language. The use of the patronymic particle Ó with a Gaelic name is a purely masculine construction, so far as we can tell from any evidence presented. We've substituted a feminine construction [ní Cheallaigh], with the patronymic aspirated accordingly.

The change described above is our current policy on Irish patronymics; this submission was presented, in part, as an appeal of that policy. The appeal was supposed to have been based on period usage, but little evidence was presented in support: The LOI refers the reader to the client's previous submission (West LOI of 4 April 92). That LOI, in turn, refers to an LOC by Lord Habicht, 10 Nov 88. That LOC, in its turn, refers to a biography of Grania O'Malley (Anne Chambers' Granuaile) which "gives a listing of the many ways that Grania Ui Mhaille's name was rendered in both Gaelic and English records" --- without citing names or dates. At this point, the appeal has gone beyond the bounds of "evidence" into the realm of "folklore".

In asking commenters to present documentation on Gaelic patronymics (LoAR cover letter of 3 Aug 92), I'd hoped to reach a final synthesis based on research. Results of that research to date have supported our current policy: that, for purely Gaelic patronymics, masculine constructions should not be used in female names. (A handful of examples were offered of female names in masculine constructions --- but they all seem to be anglicized forms, not pure Gaelic forms.) I'd be delighted if counter-evidence were presented --- I all but got down on my knees and begged for such counter-evidence to be presented --- but none has been received to date. As our current policy is based on evidence, so must any change in policy be based on evidence.

The submitter may be ní Cheallaigh (purely Irish) or O'Kelly (anglicized Irish), but without real documentation to support the construction, she may not be ...Ó Ceallaigh. (Katherine ní Cheallaigh of Skye, January, 1993, pg. 19)

Fionnula, in Irish legend, was one of the children of Lir who was transformed into a swan. However, as the name was much used by humans in late period, the combination of Fionnula with a swan is not an excessive reference to the legend; see the LoAR of Aug 92, p.17. (Deirdre ni Fhionnula, May, 1993, pg. 4) Logan seems acceptable as an anglicization of the Irish Locân, Leogán (Logan Hawkwood, May, 1993, pg. 12)

Yiddish, from Eastern Europe, has not been shown to have enough period interaction with Irish to justify combining them in a name. (Deborah Fey O'Mora, August, 1993, pg. 9)

While we have evidence of Arabic/Italian interaction in period, Persian/Italian interaction has yet to be demonstrated. (Beatrice Carmela Mercante, September, 1993, pg. 6)

NAMES -- Italian

The submitter documented the last three bynames as Italian nouns ("Mark John Dragon White Wind"), which doesn't appear to be a valid style for Italian names. Even with evidence that Drago, Bianco and Vento are surnames, the use of five name elements is excessive. The longest Italian name documented in the commentary was a 16th Century name with four elements (Giovan Francesco Palladio della Olivi, cited by Lady Ensign). Pending evidence that five-element names are acceptable, I must return this [see aslo the January 1993 LoAR, pg. 23] (Marco Giovanni Drago Bianco Vento, September, 1992, pg. 41)

[Allesandra] According to Lord Palimpsest, Italian pronunciation of double-consonants differs significantly from single consonants; this therefore doesn't seem to be a reasonable variant of the documented Alessandra. (Alessandra Beatrice Desiderio, September, 1993, pg. 1)

NAMES -- Japanese

"It has previously been determined that, as far as the College of Arms is concerned, the names of the clans with an hereditary claim to the shogunate of Japan are equivalent to the surnames of royal families in Europe, and so may not be registered. I agree with this decision, and am upholding it. Tokugawa may not be used." [BoE, 18 May 86] I agree with this decision, and am upholding it. Tokugawa may not be used. (Tokugawa Basha, May, 1993, pg. 16)

NAMES -- Jewish

There remains the question of whether a Hebrew name is in fact a "legal name" within the meaning of II.4. Not all religious names are necessarily legal names; I once had the dubious pleasure of meeting someone from a New Age commune known as Brother Sunshine. In this case, however, the Hebrew name is used in legal documents, including marriage contracts, divorce records, and the like (Michael Asheri, Living Jewish: the Lore and Law of Being a Practicing Jew, p.31). I think it qualifies as a "legal name". (Levia Rhys Llaw Wen, September, 1992, pp. 16-17)

The name was submitted as Elisheva bas Yehudah Arye ha Cohen. Yehudah and Arye are Hebrew given names; they are also nouns meaning "land of Judah" and "lion". There was concern among the commenters that Yehudah Arye might be a title ("the Lion of Judah"), and the name a claim of relationship. "Lion of Judah" was used as a title by the Emperor of Ethiopia, in the 20th Century; it was also applied to Christ (Revelations 5:5).

As it turns out, Yehudah Arye does not mean "Lion of Judah". According to Lady Triton, the word order in Hebrew determines the meaning of a phrase. "Lion of Judah" would thus be Aryeh (shel) Yehudah. The submitted name is therefore not a claim of relationship to a titled individual [Arye dropped to avoid claim of relationship with Yehudah Aryeh ha Cohen (1571-1648)] (Elisheva bas Yehudah ha Cohen, May, 1993, pg. 7)

NAMES -- Joke

[Porsche Audi] Lord Crescent is correct when he states that there is no Rule explicitly banning intrusively modern names. Nonetheless, intrusive modernity is given as a reason for armorial return (VIII.4.b); it is given as a reason for not accepting mundane names, even under the Mundane Name Allowance (II.4); we may reasonably infer that intrusive modernity is unacceptable.

If a specific Rule must be cited, Rule I.1 requires all names to be "compatible with the period and domain of the Society"; moreover, even names formed from period elements can be returned if "they have been specifically declared incompatible by these rules, Laurel precedent, or a policy statement from the Board of Directors." Intrusive modernity has been declared sufficient reason for return in the past: Joe Westermark, the Artemisian Tank Corps, Rolling Thunder, and the Societas Historum Mortum have all been returned for modernity. The precedent is well-established, and therefore, by I.1 may be cited as reason for return.

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. They may elicit chuckles (or groans) from the listener, but no more. Intrusively modern names grab the listener by the scruff of the neck and haul him, will he or nill he, back into the 20th Century. A name that, by its very presence, destroys any medieval ambience is not a name we should register. (Porsche Audi, August, 1992, pg. 28)

NAMES -- Latin

NAMES -- Mongolian

NAMES -- Non-Roman Alphabets

[Ingiriðr] As we've learned to our sorrow in trying to read the numerous formats of the disks sent to us, non-Roman characters are hard to handle, for us and for the Armorial. We register names in the Roman alphabet, not in Cyrillic, kanji, Greek, or runes --- including edhs and thorns. She may certainly spell it with an edh, once the name is registered; but for the record, we have substituted a standard transliteration of the edh [d]. (Ingiridr Hikri Fridriksdottir, August, 1992, pg. 16)

NAMES -- Norse

[Magnidottir] Magni is indeed the genitive form of Magnus --- in Latin. The correct form of the name would be either Magnadottir (if her father is Magni) or Magnúsdottir (if her father is Magnus) [name returned as submittor permitted no corrections]. (Ingfridh Magnidottir, August, 1992, pg. 30)

[Thorfinn Skull Splitter] The byname is the translation of the Old Norse hausakljúlfr (Geirr Bassi, p.22); and having recently accepted the epithet Fence Splitter, we feel we must accept the lingua franca translation of a period byname. (Thorfinn Skull Splitter, September, 1992, pg. 26)

[Asbjornsson] Though Asbjarnarson is the standard patronymic form for Old Norse, there are period examples (e.g. Bjornsson) of this variation. (Thorsteinn Asbjornsson, October, 1992, pg. 10)

NAMES -- Occupational

The OED cites instances of horsekeeper and swinekeeper in period; wolfkeeper looks equally acceptable. (Hertha Wolfkeeper, October, 1992, pg. 18)

NAMES -- Order

[Order of the Swan and Escallop] This is clear of [Order of the Swan] Per Rule V.2, addition of the phrase "and the Escallop" brings it clear. A similar argument brings it clear of the [Order of the Escallop]. (Order of the Swan and Escallop (Barony of One Thousand Eyes), October, 1992, pg. 4)

[L'Ordre du Papillon Argente d'Artemisie] Possible conflict was cited with the Papillon Pursuivant, registered to the Kingdom of the West. The original submission (Order of the Papillon of Artemisia) was returned Nov 90 for that conflict; the submitters have added the color. Many commenters felt that there was still a conflict: the designator (Pursuivant/Order of) is transparent, and explicitly worth no difference, per Rule V.4.d; and neither the addition of the adjective nor the branch name is sufficient difference.

The question is whether the combination --- the adjective and the branch name --- is sufficient difference. We've had conflicting precedents on this point: the Order of the Sable Thistle of Ansteorra was deemed clear of the Order of the Thistle on the LoAR of May 80, but the Order of the Golden Swan of Calontir was deemed to conflict with the Order of the Swan on the LoAR of June 88. Neither of those precedents, however, was made under the current Rules.

Under current precedent, the combination of the adjective and the branch name is sufficient difference. This was ruled in the case of the Order of the Sable Lion of Caerthe (LoAR of Aug 90), which was deemed clear of the Lyon King of Arms. We might be moved to make an exception to this policy in extreme cases (e.g. the Order of the Noble Chivalry of the West, or some such thing), but in general it seems a reasonable policy to maintain. (l'Ordre du Papillon Argente d'Artemisie (Principality of Artemisia), May, 1993, pg. 2)

[Order of the Radiant Rose of Atenveldt] The name conflicts with the SCA's Order of the Rose. Our general policy is that the addition of an adjective plus the territorial branch name is sufficient difference between names --- that is, a hypothetical Order of the White Star of the Middle would not conflict with France's Order of the Star. But we make an exception for the SCA Orders of Peerage, due to their universal application and importance within the Society. We suggest choosing some other noun for the order's name. (Order of the Radiant Rose of Atenveldt (Kingdom of Atenveldt), May, 1993, pg. 14)

[Order of Perseus] Unlike the cases of Compaignie Mercurie (returned Oct 92) and House Sirius (returned Oct 91), the use of a constellation name here neither infringes on an important location, nor appears to be a claim to extraterrestriality. On the first point, a constellation is not a place; it's a pattern of lights. On the second point, most constellations were named either for artifacts or after characters from ancient myth --- which, during the Renaissance, were also the source for Order names. Given the recent registration of the Order of the Pisces (LoAR of June 92), this is acceptable. (Order of Perseus (Barony of Carolingia), June, 1993, pg. 7)

NAMES -- Patronymic

The byname was submitted as ap Tiernon. This is not a valid variant spelling of the documented ap Teyrnon, according to Lady Harpy. We have substituted the documented form. (Llewellyn ap Teyrnon, August, 1992, pg. 16)

[Magnidottir] Magni is indeed the genitive form of Magnus --- in Latin. The correct form of the name would be either Magnadottir (if her father is Magni) or Magnusdottir (if her father is Magnus) [name returned as submittor permitted no corrections]. (Ingfridh Magnidottir, August, 1992, pg. 30)

Particularly for the old Irish form used here, Mag is a masculine particle, and cannot be used with the feminine name Eórann. (Eórann MagUidir, September, 1992, pg. 45)

[Asbjornsson] Though Asbjarnarson is the standard patronymic form for Old Norse, there are period examples (e.g. Bjornsson) of this variation. (Thorsteinn Asbjornsson, October, 1992, pg. 10)

When used as a patronymic particle, the Welsh merch mutates to ferch. There are some early-period texts where the particle didn't mutate in its written form, but did in its spoken form --- i.e. written "merch" but still pronounced "ferch". We've changed the submitter's spelling, to better match the correct pronunciation; she may resubmit with merch if she wishes, but it seemed best that she do so with full knowledge of its orthoepic niceties. (Rhonwen ferch Alun, December, 1992, pg. 13)

NAMES -- Persian

While we have evidence of Arabic/Italian interaction in period, Persian/Italian interaction has yet to be demonstrated. (Beatrice Carmela Mercante, September, 1993, pg. 6)

NAMES -- Place Names

It doesn't seem likely that coalescing willow + wood would cause the initial letter of wood to vanish, any more than with oakwood [name was corrected to Willowwood]. (Edward of Willowwood, July, 1992, pg. 12)

[Glenn Kirrke] Neither the double-N nor the double-R were really plausible variant spellings; the two together stretched plausibility to the breaking point [name registered as Glenkirke]. (Margret of Glenkirke, July, 1992, pg. 14)

No commenter was comfortable with the argument in the LOI supporting Kithwall ["Kithwall is a constructed place name base on the patter found in Kirkwall (the county seat of Orkney) with the initial element coming from Kithehilt (1296) found in Black as a variant of the locative surname Kinhilt"]. A better case can be made, though: Ekwall cites instances (as well he should) of -wall used as a deuterotheme in English place names (e.g. Thirlwall, from OE thirel, "perforation" + weall, "wall"). Hall's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary gives cith, cyth, "seed, germ, shoot" -- so kithwall means essentially "grassy wall", a reasonable toponymic. (Rorius Domhnall Kithwall, July, 1992, pg. 15)

[Heronter] The use of -ter in Ekwall is rare, but seems acceptable; however, Herontor would be a far more probable name. (Shire of Heronter, August, 1992, pg. 15)

[Calanais Nuadh ("New Calanais")] Nueva España (today called Mexico) was named in 1518; Nouveau France, in 1535; Terra Nova was renamed New-Foundland by 1541; and John Smith gave New England its name in 1614. Given such constructions, the submitted name isn't unreasonable. (Shire of Calanais Nuadh, December, 1992, pg. 5)

[Wolfgang of Flame] The byname does not seem to be acceptable style. The submitter is from the Barony of the Flame; Wolfgang of the Flame would thus be acceptable. Following the example of his Baron and Baroness, he could also be Wolfgang Flame. But just as those nobles do not style themselves Baron and Baroness of Flame, so is his submitted byname incorrect. As he forbade any changes to his name, this must be returned. (Wolfgang of Flame, January, 1993, pg. 31)

Abraxa does not appear to be a valid period placename. Its sole use as a placename was in Thomas More's 1516 novel Utopia as the original name of the island of Utopia. The submitter has argued, in an appeal of a return by Lord Vesper, that this demonstrates Abraxa to have been considered a plausible placename in period.

NAMES -- Roman

The name Aurora "occurs as a Christian name in inscriptions of the Roman Empire." (Dunkling & Gosling, p.36) (Aurora Gillybary, September, 1992, pg. 28)

NAMES -- Russian

The name was submitted as Mikhail Vojakin Kazimir, with documentation from Unbegaun. Unfortunately, that documentation does not support this form. Vojakin is not Russian for "warrior", but a surname derived from the word for "warrior" (voyaka, or as Unbegaun spells it, vojaka). If it's to be used as a surname, it should not be in the middle of the name. Likewise, Kazimir is a given name, not a surname, and should not be used in the surname's place. We have made the minimal necessary changes to correct the form of the name [to Mikhail Vojaka Kazimirov]; Mikhail Kazimirovich Vojakin would also be acceptable. (Mikhail Vojaka Kazimirov, August, 1992, pg. 12)

It should be remembered that Unbegaun [in Russian Surnames] originally wrote in German; his transliterations from Cyrillic use the German pronunciation of vowels and consonants. This isn't normally a problem, when the Russian pronunciation is unambiguous; but in this case, given that Russian has a tch letter, Unbegaun's spelling of Voronichin would be incorrectly pronounced by English-speakers. [name registered as Voronikhin]. (Aleksej Voronikhin, November, 1992, pg. 10)

The submitter documents period interaction between England and Russia: Ivan the Terrible took some pains to cultivate a friendly relationship with England. He chartered the London-based Muscovy Company in 1555 to set up trading depots throughout Muscovy (Basil Dmytryshny, Medieval Russia: A Source Book, 900-1700), and himself sought to marry one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies (1911 E.Brit. , vol.xv, p.90). Henceforth, we will register English-Russian names from that period. [Supercedes precedent of October 1992, pg. 29 (Boris Brighthill)] (Tatiana Todhunter, March, 1993, pg. 18)

It's been learned that Russian names did use double given names in period: the first was a baptismal (church) name, and the second a popular (secular) name (Unbegaun 8-10). (Vladimir Rurik Sheremetyev, May, 1993, pg. 3)

NAMES -- Scottish

[Sgórrlámh] The byname ...was intended to mean "scar-hand" in Scots Gaelic. Sgórr means "scar" in the sense of "scar on the land; peak, cliff, notch". The word for the mark of a wound is éarradh, so we've followed Lord Habicht's suggestion and changed the byname [to Lamhearradh]. (Duncan Lamhearradh Campbell, September, 1992, pg. 19)

The Society considers the use of a clan name (Guinne, Gunn) with the seat of the clan (Kilernan) to be presumptuous; the only examples we've found of such usage are by clan chiefs and their immediate families. (Sine Guinne of Kilernan, January, 1993, pg. 24)

Lord Obelisk has noted a Laurel precedent (v. Duncan Forbes of Crathes, LoAR of Nov 90) that disallowed any use of a Scots surname with a Scots toponymic, as it "implies landedness in possession of a feudal barony." I suspect this was not intended to be a permanent change in our policy, which hitherto had disallowed the use of a Scots clan surname with the seat of the clan. Certainly, in the months following the above ruling, we registered Duncan MacFergus of Kintyre (Dec 90, p.7), John MacRobert of Grandloch (Feb 91, p.6), Fergus MacKillop of Skye (April 91, p.5), Gareth MacGunther of Gordon (April 91, p.8), etc. I believe that, in practice if not explicitly, the Nov 90 precedent has been overturned.

Moreover, there is counter-evidence suggesting that Scots surname-toponymic combinations don't necessarily imply possession of a feudal barony. Frank Adams (Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands) gives an instance (p.402) of a small homestead, about five acres, being sufficient to warrant the addition of the toponymic. Adams notes that clan names could be modified for a number of reasons, not all of which concern nobiliary claims: he cites "those who, though unconnected by blood with the clan, had become bound to it by bonds of manrent", and "those of the clan who were ...distinguished by the name of the part of the clan territory occupied by them" (p.398). Black ( Surnames of Scotland) corroborates this in several of his entries; for instance, on p.xxiv we find two examples (Jhon Mour de Sanchar, Robert Mour de Skeldowy), taken from a guild roster of 1431: non-noble, unconnected to the chief of Clan Muir, but definitely combining a Scots surname with a Scots patronymic.

We will continue to prohibit the use of a Scots clan name with the seat or territory of that clan (e.g. Cameron of Lochiel), or a surname with the phrase of that Ilk (or its functional equivalent, e.g Macintosh of Macintosh). That usage, with or without the given name, is the title of the actual chief of the clan or his immediate kin; its use in the SCA represents a direct infringement on actual nobility, and also appears to be a claim to rank, either of which is grounds for return. But by and large, the use of a Scots surname with a Scots placename is acceptable for SCA use. (Alexander MacIntosh of Islay, March, 1993, pp. 7-8)

...the combination of a clan name with the seat or territory of the clan is the prerogative of the chief of the clan, and is thus disallowed in the Society. (Magdalene Katherine MacDonald of Sleat, August, 1993, pg. 17)

NAMES -- Spanish

[De Albuquerque] This is the name of the House of Albuquerque, descended from Sancho de Albuquerque, bastard son of Alphonso XI of Castile. The house may have taken its name from the town of Alburquerque (with two Rs), but the spellings diverged almost immediately. (1911 E.Brit., vol.I, p.516; Louda & Maclagan, table 48) Thus de Albuquerque is not analogous to the English of York; its sole period use was as the surname of a noble house. (Albuquerque, NM, was founded in the early 18th Century; it was named after a Duke of Albuquerque, who was Viceroy of Mexico at the time.) It's not often that a single letter can make the difference between presumption and non-presumption, but that appears to be the case here [name registered as de Alburquerque] (Juana de Alburquerque, May, 1993, pp. 10-11)

The custom of a Spanish woman changing her name upon marriage only took root within the last hundred years, which is out of period. (Maria Adelina Garcia de Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 19)

NAMES -- Spelling Variants

Alvira appears acceptable as a variant form of the Spanish Elvira. (Alvira MacDonald, July, 1992, pg. 6)

The given name was submitted as Leala, claimed to be a variant form of Leila. The documentation did not support that claim: in particular, as Leila derives from the Arabic Lailaa, it probably wouldn't change pronunciation so radically. (Leila Angwin of the Silver Stallion, August, 1992, pg. 5)

[ni Connor] The patronymic was submitted as ni Connor, which mixed an Irish particle with an anglicized given name. Lord Dragon found examples of ny as an anglicization of the Irish ni; we have substituted that. (Margaret ny Connor, August, 1992, pg. 16)

Dafyd ...doesn't appear to be a valid variant of the Welsh Dafydd; the two are pronounced quite differently. (Dafydd son of Donwald, August, 1992, pg. 18)

The v [in van] wasn't capitalized in Dutch names until later, when they were coalesced into a single surname (e.g. Vanderbilt). (David van den Storm, September, 1992, pg. 5)

[DuPray] Neither [Reaney, Dictionary of British Surnames nor Dauzat] supported the coalesced, doubly-capitalized form submitted. (Facon du Pray, September, 1992, pg. 6)

[Thyrin] The LOI attempted to justify [the given name] as a variant of Thorin. However, the Y/O shift appears implausible for the period in which Thorin was a name [old Norse]. [The documented Norse name Thyrnni was registered instead.] (Thyrnni of Wolfskrag, September, 1992, pg. 36)

[Sparhawke] The byname was submitted as Sparrhawke, but none of our sources could document the double-R. Since it seems to have altered the pronunciation in period, we've substituted the documented spelling. (Joanna Sparhawke, October, 1992, pg. 2)

[Asbjornsson] Though Asbjarnarson is the standard patronymic form for Old Norse, there are period examples (e.g. Bjornsson) of this variation. (Thorsteinn Asbjornsson, October, 1992, pg. 10)

[verth Evan] Apparently, verth is a rare but acceptable variant of the Welsh patronymic particle verch (ferch). However, it is in effect a period misspelling; and the submitter's own documentation gives verth Jevan as the consistent form of this byname [name registered]. (Eona verth Evan, November, 1992, pg. 2)

Ó Corráin and Maguire (Irish Names) cite Tara as an anglicization of the period given name Temair, Teamhair. Tara has been submitted by others before, but returned for several reasons: Tara is also the name of the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland, and it didn't seem to be a valid rendering of Temair. ("TAH-wair" would be closer to the latter's pronunciation.) The assumption in previous submissions was that Tara is a modern given name, based on the Irish toponymic (or the mansion in Gone with the Wind), and its association with Temair a back-formation; the historical and magical connotations of the Hill of Tara made it unsuitable for a given name.

The letter å seems to have been introduced into Swedish during its orthographic reforms at the turn of the century, replacing the older aa [thus å is changed to aa when registering names]. (Torbjorn Dawidsson Staalklinga, November, 1992, pg. 10)

NAMES -- Surnames

The byname was submitted as di Rucellai, implying either a patronymic or a toponymic. Rucellai being documented only as a surname, the preposition was inappropriate, and was deleted. (Gabriella Marguerite Simonetti Rucellai, June, 1992, pg. 1)

Much of the commentary opposed the byname Windhorse as overly fantastical ("horse that runs on the wind"). Were that the only interpretation of the epithet, I'd agree it would be unacceptable. Ekwall's Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names, however, also cites wind as a variant of OE winn, "meadow, pasture" (as in such names as Windley and Windridge), and "meadow horse" is a much less objectionable byname. (Angharad Gwendraeth o Fynydd Blaena, July, 1992, pg. 1)

[the Seaborne] While [Seaborne] was unlikely as an epithet, deleting the article made it an acceptable surname. Reaney ( DBS2, p.310) derives several similar surnames from the OE Saebeorn, and Bardsley cites the surname Seiborne to 1581. (Fiona Morwenna Seaborne, August, 1992, pg. 4)

The custom of a Spanish woman changing her name upon marriage only took root within the last hundred years, which is out of period. (Maria Adelina Garcia de Macjenkyne, October, 1993, pg. 19)

NAMES -- Titles

Baatour is a Mongolian title analogous to "knight;" in the variant spelling Bahadur, it has been reserved as a Society title, for use by Mongol-persona Knights, on the LoAR cover letter of 13 Sept 89. As such, it may not be registered in a name. (Timur Baatour Khitai, September, 1992, pg. 47)

[Sara Annchen Baumeister] Until such time as the Board of Directors releases the title Master for use by the populace, it must be considered a title of peerage in the Society; we will not register any name that claims to be a "Master [anything]". In the case of the Master Bowmen of the East (LoAR of July 90), it was ruled: "We cannot, in good conscience, register a title reserved by Corpora to peers to any non-peerage group, no matter in what form they propose to use it." The same argument applies to individuals. (Sara Annchen Baumeister, October, 1992, pg. 24)

It is an ancient and honorable tradition to name heraldic offices after orders: Garter and Toison d'Or (Golden Fleece) are well- known medieval examples, while the classic Society example is (ahem) Laurel. (Kingdom of the East, March, 1993, pg. 5)

[Taurine Pursuivant] While most heraldic titles in period are nouns (Garter, Lyon), there are a few examples taken from war-cries (Montjoie) and adjectives (Volant) [name accepted]. (Taurine Pursuivant (Middle Kingdom), March, 1993, pg. 13)

[Falkemeister]Meister (master) is a reserved title in the SCA, and may not be registered --- either alone, or in combination. (David Falkemeister, March, 1993, pg. 19)

A large part of the Society's re-creation involves titles: bestowing them, earning them, using them. A fundamental axiom is that title, rank and honor may not simply be claimed; John can't call himself Sir John unless he is, in fact, a Knight of the Society. The College's Rules on presumption (in particular, Rule VI.1) follow from this axiom: we won't register any name that sounds like a claim to title, rank or honor.

If someone were to submit an obvious titular claim --- say, Michael Rex --- then the need for return is fairly clear-cut. It's the less straightforward cases that give us headaches: when the "claim" is ambiguous, or when a title evolves into a documented period name. How can we judge which borderline cases are truly presumptous, and which are acceptable?

Examples of period usage help, but don't settle the matter; we also deal with SCA usage, and the perceptions of folk within the Society. (If period usage were our sole guide, then Lord wouldn't be our lowest-ranking title, nor Master one of our highest.) Our lodestar may be found in the Corpora section on Titles (VII.C): our main concern is the appearance of landedness, and of noble or hereditary rank. That, and the list of Society titles, provide some guidelines for judging names, to be balanced with period documentation.

Let me give some concrete examples of the balance we try to keep. The classic example is the given name Regina: a documented given name, but also the Latin for "queen", and on the College's list of titles for use in the Society. If it weren't documented as a name in period, it probably wouldn't be registerable at all (the current case for its masculine counterpart Rex); but as it is documented, it can be used so long as it doesn't violate Corpora's ban on the appearance of landedness. Regina the Baker is acceptable; Regina of Germany is not.

Other names may be acceptable because, even interpreted as titles, they don't interfere with the Society's official title structure. Mary the Apprentice would be registerable because the name implies neither landedness nor official SCA rank. Robert Abbot would be registerable because the "title" is a documented byname, and again implies no official SCA rank. (However, Robert Abbot of Lincoln would imply territoriality, and would be returned.)

Our biggest headache to date has been the title Master/Mistress. Its Society usage as a title of peerage would prevent anyone registering, say, Peter the Master --- despite Master being a documented byname in a number of cultures. Peter the Brewing Master or Peter the Falconry Master are likewise unacceptable, as would be translations into other tongues. This is a case where Society usage takes precedence over such documented bynames as Baumeister. Short of a time machine set for A.S. II, when the first Masters of the Laurel were created, I don't see that anything can be done about the problem at this late date.

The submission that prompted this discussion (Lucius Thayne) was one of these borderline cases. Thaine, Thayne is a documented surname; it's also a rank and title, both in period and in the Society (the OE alternative title for Baron). Its etymology, and literal translation, is "servant"; but that's also the literal translation of knight, so the fact didn't help much. Thane certainly implied landedness in period. The fact that a period thane would have used his title as [Name] thegn, the exact structure of the submitted name, was the deciding factor for me; it gave the submission the appearance of a claim of rank, exactly what our Rules are meant to prevent. Without that final point, the period documentation might have sufficed to make the name acceptable; I really don't know. But you see, now, what sort of juggling act we have to perform --- and why universal satisfaction is impossible. (20 August, 1993 Cover Letter (July, 1993 LoAR), pp. 3-4)

Short mottos sometimes became became heraldic titles in period. Franklyn and Tanner's Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Heraldry cites the following: the Ich Dien Pursuivant who served the Prince of Wales, c.1475 (p.179), and Il Faut Faire Pursuivant; maintained by Sir John Falstaf and from his word or motto (p.180). We will accept such heraldic titles on a case by case basis. (East Kingdom, September, 1993, pg. 11)

It is poor policy to give a canton, and an incipient canton at that, an heraldic title, but this is an internal matter for the kingdom involved. (East Kingdom, September, 1993, pg. 11)

NAMES Two Element Requirement

NAMES -- Unique

Lord Crescent has noted that the only instance of Hiel in the Bible is the name of a man "cursed before the Lord"; he suggests that, for this reason, Hiel would never have actually been used in the Middle Ages. In fact, the names of "cursed" people in the Bible were often used by the non-cursed, even by saints; it's assumed that the name was perfectly innocent before its use by one wicked person. Judas, for instance, was used both by the betrayer of Christ and by one of the Apostles (John 14:22). There's also Ananias, the name of a man struck dead for lying to Peter (Acts 5:5) and of the disciple who restored Paul's sight (Acts 9:17). There are too many such examples for us to disallow a valid period name solely because of "guilt by association"; the name must be shown to be uniquely (or at least overwhelmingly) associated with its "cursed" holder. Lacking such evidence for Hiel, the name should be available for SCA use. (Abiel ben Hiel, March, 1993, pg. 7)

Without evidence that the courtesan Lalage of antiquity had a unique name, we must assume her name to be generally acceptable. (Lalage la Peregrina, June, 1993, pg. 9)

NAMES -- Welsh

Dafyd ...doesn't appear to be a valid variant of the Welsh Dafydd; the two are pronounced quite differently. (Dafydd son of Donwald, August, 1992, pg. 18)

[Iestyn ap Cadfael ap Ianto ap Danno ap Richard ap Owen ap Rhys o'r Cwm] Lord Hund has noted the use on a Welsh gravestone of a similarly lengthy name (John ap Robert ap Porth ap Daffyd ap Gruffydd ap Daffyd Vaughan ap Blethyn ap Gruffydd ap Meredith ap Jerworth ap Llewellyn ap Jerom ap Heilin ap Cowryd ap Cadwan ap Alawgwa ap Cadell of Powys, born 1547). The gravestone is as much a legal "document" as a birth record. (Iestyn ap Cadfael ap Ianto ap Danno ap Richard ap Owen ap Rhys o'r Cwm, September, 1992, pg. 33)

There was some question over whether Blodwen ...is a period given Name. Hanks & Hodges (Dictionary of First Names, p.43) unequivocally date it to the Middle Ages. However, Lady Harpy could find no period examples of the name's use in all her sources; she quotes the opinion of a professor in Medieval Welsh that Blodwen as a name dates from the 19th Century. I'd trust Lady Harpy's expertise in this area far more than that of Hanks & Hodges; but either I must declare Hanks & Hodges completely unreliable, even in their most authoritative statements (as we've done for Yonge), or else give the submitter the benefit of the doubt. Since Blodwen has already been accepted for Society use (LoAR of Sept 92), the latter seems the more generous course. (Blodwen ferch Margred, June, 1993, pg. 10)

NAMES -- Yiddish

Yiddish, from Eastern Europe, has not been shown to have enough period interaction with Irish to justify combining them in a name. (Deborah Fey O'Mora, August, 1993, pg. 9)

NEEDLE

[Per pall inverted arrondi [or schne] a threaded needle inverted bendwise, the needle extending to cover about half the distance possible] As drawn, the needle is completely unidentifiable. It is far too small for the available space; while this normally requires only an admonition to "Draw the charge larger", the flaw is fatal on this field. (Even a correctly-sized needle would be hard pressed to be identified on a field per pall inverted arrondi; the curved lines of the field and thread, and the thinness of the needle, combine to cause confusion rather than clarity.)

If the needle were drawn larger, this might be acceptable; but the submitter would be better advised to choose another field as well. (Hannah Graham, September, 1992, pg. 45)

NESSELBLATT

A <charged> nesselblatt is not equivalent to a <charge> within an indented bordure. This would be more apparent if the armory were displayed on a rectangular banner: the nesselblatt would keep its triangular shape, where the bordure would follow the line of the field. (Mielikki Kantelensoittajatar, October, 1993, pg. 1)

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