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[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)
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[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 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)
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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)
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[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)
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