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