APPROVALS 16 December XIX (1984)

THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSIONS ARE APPROVED:

Kingdom of Ansteorra

Alden Pharamond. Name and device. Per pall wavy argent, vert and azure, a wolf's head and an eagle's head both erased respectant argent, and in chief a wooden staff proper and a sword azure crossed in saltire.

DISCUSSION: Withycombe (p. 115) indicates that the given name Pharamond was fairly popular in Norman England, so it is not unique.

Aleana o'r Gorwydd Serennog (submitted as Aleana gan yr Seroggorwydd). Name change (from Aleana Gorwydd Gwyn) and badge. A pegasus volant to sinister sable mullety of seven points argent.

NOTE: According to Batonvert, the preposition gan means 'with', not 'of'. 'Of the'is o yr, which contracts to o'r. In addition, the adjective follows the noun in Welsh, so Gorwydd 'horse' should precede Serennog 'starry'. Y Geriadur Mawr lists serlog and serog, but does not specify under what circumstances these would be used; the implication is that they are inflected or mutated forms. In the absence of more definite information, we have used the primary form serennog, which we have the greatest reason to believe correct, and invite correction from anyone better informed in these matters than we.

Amber Dorigen of Limerick. Name change (from Bridget Dorigen of Limerick).

Ansteorra, Kingdom of. Device change. Or, a mullet of five greater and five lesser points sable within a laurel wreath vert, in chief a crown of three points, all within a tressure sable, overall issuant from base a demi­sun gules.

DISCUSSION: This restores the demi­sun that was removed from the royal arms in August. The resulting design, although complex, is covered by the grandfather clause; not only was the sun a component of the former arms, it is also to be found in the arms of the Queen, Crown Prince, and Crown Princess.

The Rules for Submissions (article VIII.2) state that the name and arms of an SCA branch must have the approval of a majority of its members. With baronies, shires, and other "small" branches, this is usually dealt with by requiring a petition of some sort. There does not appear to be an established procedure for obtaining approval when the branch in question is a kingdom or principality. I am therefore promulgating the following:

1) Any planned change to the name or arms of a kingdom or principality must be announced in the official branch newsletter, and sufficient time must be allowed for the populace to respond to the proposal.

2) The branch herald (or representative) is responsible for tallying the responses and seeing to it that a summary is transmitted to the Laurel Sovereign of Arms.

3) The proposed change must be subscribed to by the sovereign and consort and their heirs (if any), and it must be ratified by the officers of the branch. Evidence that this has been done should be included with the submission.

The intent of these procedures is to ensure that the populace be made aware of the change and be given an opportunity to express opinions thereon; that the change have royal approval; and that the curia or its equivalent be involved in the process. The procedures are, I hope, general enough to work in all kingdoms and simple enough to be practical.

Ansteorra, Kingdom of. Badge for the Queen's Champion. A cup­hilted rapier inverted sable, overall a rose sable charged with another Or, thereon a mullet of five greater and five lesser points sable.

DISCUSSION: The consensus of the College of Arms was that this badge be excepted from the restriction on charged tertiary charges.*

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"Surcharges?" he asked. "No," said another, "that's a knight's fee."

Arlene the Soother. Device (reblazon). Vert, a natural sea­horse argent between two flaunches Or.

Barrett of Downpatrick. Name and device. Argent, a brown bear's head caboshed proper and on a chief vert three caltraps argent.

Brendan O Corraidhe. Device. Gyronny gules ermined Or, and Or, on a roundel pean a fleur­de­lis inverted Or.

Cerelia de Lacy of Sherborne. Device (appeal). Purpure, a seahorse erect within a bordure embattled argent.

DISCUSSION: Although there is a strong visual similarity between this device and that of JOCELYN OF FAIRFAX, by Society standards the two are clear.

Eldern Hills, Shire of. Badge. Per pale argent and gules, two chevronels counterchanged.

Gaufridus Baldewin Gilbertson. Name and device. Gules, a chevron between two chess­rooks and a caltrap Or.

Genevieve Louise Magee. Name only.

Geoffrey Sebastian Fitzwilliam. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Godfrey de la Fosse. Device. Azure, a winged aardvark statant erect affronty, wings displayed, in chief a comet fesswise enarched, all within a bordure engrailed Or.

Karin Abendsterne. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and azure, a unicorn statant to sinister reguardant between in dexter chief a mullet of seven points and in base another argent.

NOTE: This is poorly balanced.

Keridwen Bowen. Name only.

Lorelle Joyan de Besancon. Name only.

Mara of the Crystal Sword. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Mara Marguerite of House Morningstar (submitted as Mara Marie Marguerite of House Morningstar). Name change (from Sharon Siobhan Morningstar).

NOTE: The use of two different forms of Mary as given names is highly improbable. We have dropped the second of them.

Marcus le Silex. Badge. Per saltire argent and sable, a saltire counterchanged, overall an annulet vert.

Matthias von Rheinfels. Name and device. Sable, a bend sinister wavy azure fimbriated between a falcon and a tower argent.

Rose Stewart Cathan. Name and device. Quarterly per fess embattled argent and azure, a quill pen bendwise sable between two hares courant counter­courant, each bearing in its mouth an open scroll, argent.

DISCUSSION: The legs of the rabbits are not in the standard heraldic "running" position, but we concluded this could be left to the artist. We didn't want to be accused of splitting hares.

Trystan ap Gryffyn. Name only.

Kingdom of Caid

Angharad O Dubhdabhoireann (submitted as Angharad ni Dubhdabhoireann). Name and device. Per pale Or and sable, a chevron counterchanged, overall a lion dormant guardant and on a chief triangular gules a Celtic cross Or.

NOTE: Ni is used with a given name to form a patronymic; according to Batonvert, sept names take O. DISCUSSION: "A chief triangular is a continental term of questionable period. Either prove it is in period or switch to per chevron inverted." (WvS, 28 Nov 80, p. 8; cited in Prec III 15) A chief triangular was registered to JERILYN OF VERT SILVA in January 1981, in consequence of which the earlier ruling was explicitly reversed in June 1981. I can find no indication that the charge was subsequently disallowed.

Charles of Shepardswell. Device. Per chevron vert and Or, three dexter arms embowed in armor, each maintaining a scimitar palewise inverted, edge to sin­ ister, all counterchanged.

NOTE: Very nice.

Chrysogon of the Isles (submitted as Chrysogon Aquaeyes). Name and device. Argent, a unicorn couchant reguardant sable between in cross four roses purpure, barbed vert.

NOTE: As Brigantia and Virgule have both pointed out, aqua does not appear to have been used as an adjective describing color until very late. The earliest reference given in the O.E.D. for "aquamarine" as a color is dated 1846. We have substituted the name of the submitter's local branch in order to register the device.

Elsbeth Anne Roth. Name and device. Vert, two osier branches in saltire between three mullets of six points Or, in chief a wolf's head caboshed argent.

John of Somme Whyre. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and vert ermined Or, in dexter chief a ram's head caboshed argent.

DISCUSSION: This submission drew a number of comments that the name is a "funny­once" and should be disallowed as a joke name under the Guidelines on Offensiveness. (Appendix II.6 of the Rules for Submissions)

The definition given in the rules explicitly encourages canting arms, and further states that "period­style submissions that happen to embody a pun are acceptable ... but submissions which are torqued around into non­period forms to embody an obvious joke are not." The name is, as nearly as I can determine, a correct period construction; by my reading of the rules, not only is this legal, it's tacitly encouraged!

Offensiveness is an argument that should be invoked rarely. It is, in a sense, the most subjective reason for rejection we have ­ "we don't like this" ­­ and rapidly loses meaning if it is applied indiscriminately. My personal guideline is to attempt to distinguish between that which is "in poor or questionable taste" ­­ meaning that I find it irritating, and maybe my friends don't like it either, but if that's what the guy wants, that's his problem ­ and that which is truly "offensive" ­­ meaning that I have reason to believe that a significant number of people will be hurt or angered by it.

While the present example may be in questionable taste ("obnoxious to the heraldry," as Brigantia so adroitly put it), I cannot in good conscience construe it as offensive, nor is it a "torqued around" or "false variation" of a name.

As for the potential conflict with MORGAN ARGANTE ELANDRIS OF CANTREF GWAELON ("Sable, a ram's skull cabossed argent"), I count a major point for the difference in field and a minor point for the position of the head, which is sufficient between a device and a badge.

Lynnette Sandoval de la Villa de los Unicornios (submitted as Lynnette de Sandoval del Ville de los Unicornios). Name and device. Purpure, a unicorn couchant to sinister argent, armed Or, between three roses argent.

NOTE: We are familiar with Sandoval as a surname, but not as a place name, so the preposition de is apparently out of place. Ville is French; the Spanish form is Villa, which takes de la. We have amended the name accordingly. The heraldic unicorn has a lion's tail. (Dennys 163) Please correct the emblazon.

Madeleine Aurore des Mille Roses. Name change (from Myriam Adrienne Reynaud des Mille Roses); see RETURNS for device.

Manfried von Falkenmond. Change of device. Quarterly gules and vert, perched atop a crescent Or a falcon, hooded and jessed, argent.

NOTE: His old arms are released.

Owen Trevelyan. Name and device. Gules, upon a saltire quarter­pierced argent a griffin segreant Or, feathered argent, between four roses gules each charged with a rose Or.

NOTE: This is rather busy. DISCUSSION: I am inclined to treat an otherwise uncharged double rose as an organic charge, and therefore a single layer.

Renata Kestrel of Highwynds. Change of device. Argent, on a pile urdy between two compass stars sable a rose argent.

NOTE: The pile should extend most of the way to the base. Please correct the emblazon. Her old device is released.

Theresia von Tux. Badge. In fess three crosses couped, parted and fretted azure.

DISCUSSION: Article XI.7 of the Rules for Submissions places several restrictions on fieldless badges, but it requires that the charges be connected only if some are of a metal and others color.

Zenobia Naphtali. Device. Quarterly ermine and Or, a stag springing to sinister reguardant sable, within a bordure sable bezanty.

Kingdom of the East

Amber of Hallsflor. Name and device. Per pale sable and Or, two oak trees eradicated conjoined in fess counterchanged, on a chief gules three acorns Or.

Beoric of Granite Hills. Name and device. Azure, a chevron gules, fimbriated, between two bears' heads erased and a bugle horn Or.

DISCUSSION: We felt there was enough visual difference to bring this clear of MILES RUPERT STUART.

Bogdan Kobzar. Name and device. Per chevron azure and argent, two Ukrainian trident heads Or and a kobza (Ukrainian lute) sable.

Bogdan Kobzar. Badge. Argent, a saber reversed gules, the blade between two sprigs of two cattails issuant from the quillons sable.

NOTE: Obelisk has questioned the proposed designation, Morachi Sech, and I am reluctant to approve it without at least trying to verify that it is correct. Copies of the appropriate pages from the applicant's source and an indication of the Cyrillic spelling he has transliterated would seem to be in order. DISCUSSION: The badge is extremely close to DYMOCK, "Argent, a sword in pale gules." (Papworth 1102) The cattails, being of indeterminate prominence, do not rate full treatment as secondary charges ­ I would consider them a strong minor point ­ and the difference between a sword and a saber is either a weak minor or negligible. Given the noticeable change in outline of the charge, the uncadencylike (sorry ...) nature of the change, and the fact that this is a badge being compared against single­charge mundane arms, I am inclined to treat the two as being sufficiently different.

Caryl de Trecesson. Badge. Or, semy of lozenges gules, a domino mask sable.

Caryl de Trecesson. Badge. Sable, an ermine spot within an annulet, all within a bordure Or.

Caterina del Cavallo. Name only.

Catherine du Fay. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Charles the Zealous. Device. Purpure, a fess Or between two eating forks in saltire and a sheep statant argent.

Diana Brythonwen ferch Cynfarch ap Cynan. Badge for House Starsong. Per chevron azure and argent, three estoiles in chevron argent and on a torteau a semiminim note Or.

DISCUSSION: According to Gardner Read, a semiminim (quarter note) should have an open head (indicating that it is in two­part or duple meter) if it is drawn with a flag. What is shown in the emblazon is a fusa (eighth note). This seemed too much a quibble to justify either returning or reblazoning the submission, particularly when the difference is of so little significance heraldically. (Gardner Read. Music Notation: A Manual of Modern Practice, pages 14­16. Taplinger Publishing Company, second edition 1979.).

Eloise Aurelia Childebert. Name only.

Elspeth Fortescue. Name and device. Sable, an eagle's leg erased at the thigh and in base a mullet argent.

Geneveve de Randers. Name and device. Per bend argent and sable, two torches counterchanged.

NOTE: Very, very nice.

Gideanus Tacitus. Device. Argent, an owl displayed gardant sable between three pheons inverted gules all within a bordure sable.

Giuseppe Casazza. Device. Per saltire checky Or and vert, and ermine, a saltire counterchanged within a bordure sable.

DISCUSSION: This is rather busy, but it appears to be within the bounds of SCA heraldry.

Gwilym ap Alun. Name and device. Vert, two boat oars inverted in saltire argent and in base an escallop inverted Or.

DISCUSSION: The default position for a boat oar is with the blade (the "business end") in chief. This appears to be true of both SCA and mundane heraldry.*

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* According to the milord mortant herald, the opposite is true of Outlandish

heraldry. Mundane blazon applies the terms dexter and sinister from the point of view of the bearer. Outlandish heraldry takes the practice a step further ­ the only way a fighter can see what's on his shield is to peer over the top; therefore, in Outlandish heraldry, the default position for everything is upside­down.

John Mordredson. Name and device. Checky azure and argent, a bend gules, overall a boar rampant Or.

Jorge Johansen. Name only.

Lyanna of Kerneough. Device. Sable a plate between four mullets in cross, all within a bordure argent.

Lyanna of Kerneough. Badge. Sable, two drinking horns in saltire argent and in chief upon a plate a stag's head cabossed sable.

NOTE: This was submitted as a badge for Tylu Kerneough. Kerneough turns out to be an alternate form of Cornwall, which is unacceptable for the name of a household. (Rules VIII.6)

Manfred von Halsstern. Badge. Argent, a Gorgon's head cabossed sable, langued and orbed, within a pair of bull's horns gules.

DISCUSSION: The Gorgons were three monstrous sisters in Greek mythology. "Their hair was a cluster of writhing snakes, and their faces were so hideous that all who saw them were turned to stone." (NCE 1110) Cabossed is a perfectly reasonable default for a Gorgon's head ­­ it is the obvious and most recognizable aspect ­ but given the proliferation of ad hoc defaults in SCA heraldry, it is probably better to err on the side of explicitness.

Marius del Raut. Name and device. Per chevron ermine and sable, three roundels counterchanged.

NOTE: Very nice.

Medhbh o Armaigh (submitted as Medhbh na Armagh). Name only.

NOTE: According to Batonvert, the Irish preposition meaning 'from' is o, which takes the dative case. We have altered the name accordingly.

Rhydderich Hael. Badge for Rhydderich Hael Calligraphers' Guild. Per saltire vert and sable, two quill pens in saltire argent and in chief an ink bottle Or.

Stefan the Black. Name only.

Stephan Schmidt. Device. Gyronny argent and sable, a unicorn's head couped at the shoulders gules within a bordure counterchanged.

Kingdom of Meridies

Aislinn O'Tuama. Name and device. Counter­ermine, two scarpes wavy gules, overall a griffin dormant, wings addorsed, argent.

DISCUSSION: Gules on counter­ermine is permitted by articles IX.4 and IX.5 of the Rules for Submissions, and the scarpes are few enough and wide enough to provide at least a modicum of contrast. Addorsed (French adossé) means "back­to­back"; when applied to wings (what Parker confusingly calls endorsed), it means that the wings have been thrown back from the body (so they are no longer close) and are parallel to each other. Depending on their angle with respect to the body, the wings may be addorsed, elevated and addorsed, or erect. (That, at least, is how I have come to interpret what I've read. Anyone who wishes to offer supplementary or contradictory views, in the name of general education and enlightenment, is more than welcome to do so.).

Alessandra Alegretti. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Alysea of Ashley. Name and device. Per bend sinister embattled azure and Or, a sun Or and an ash tree eradicated sable.

Ariel ap Gryffyn. Name and device. Chevronelly inverted gules and argent, a male griffin segreant Or and on a chief embattled azure, three mullets of seven points Or.

Aylwyn de Tregarth. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Cassandra of Ardanroe. Name and device. Sable, semy of violets Or, on a plate three violets proper. (Viola tricolor)

NOTE: The violets in the semy should fewer and larger.

Catherine the White. Name correction (from Cathrine the White); see RETURNS for device.

Constanza di Giovanni. Device (reblazon). Sable, a dove ascending within a mascle between in chief two trefoils Or.

Crystyna Hyrundo. Device. Or, two barn swallows volant counter­volant in fess proper within a bordure gules semy­denlys Or. (Hirundo rustics)

DISCUSSION: The swallows are azure, bellied gules.

Eadwyn Inhold. Device. Per chevron gules and purpure, a chevron cotised between in dexter chief a castle and in base a sprig of two oak leaves fesswise fructed Or.

NOTE: This would be much better with a second castle for balance.

Genevieve de Provence. Name and device. Purpure, a bend Or surmounted by a lute palewise affronty counterchanged within a bordure dovetailed argent.

Patrick de la Schawe. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

DISCUSSION: The byname is period; there is a Richard de la Schawe in the subsidy rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. (Reaney DBS 316)

Robert of the Isles. Badge (appeal). Counter­ermine, a demi­wolf erect conjoined in fess to the sinister half of a lymphad argent.

DISCUSSION: Master Wilhelm returned the original submission in May 1983, saying, "You may not combine two charges by dimidiation. This is also an infringement upon the Cinque Ports, the only user of these dimidiated charges." (WvS, 26 May 83, p. 20) The applicant has appealed this ruling on the grounds that (1) this is not dimidiation, since it consists of a single charge on a single field; (2) other monsters, such as sea­horses are combined by joining different parts of objects, and are not considered dimidiation; and (3) the charge was not unique to the Cinque Ports.

1) The first argument confuses dimidiation as a form of marshalling with the dimidiation of two charges. Fox­Davies, in The Art of Heraldry, bears out the latter concept (in reference, if not in blazon) when he speaks of the "lions passant guardant dimidiated" of the Cinque Ports (pp. 128­129), and Parker's entry on dimidiated refers the reader to ship for a discussion of the Cinque Ports.*

2) The second argument is, I think, an imperfect analogy. Many, if not most, of the chimerical creatures had an existencein folklore outside of heraldic usage, while the lion­ship of the Cinque Ports was clearly an heraldic invention. "There can be no doubt whatever that this originally came from the dimidiation of two separate coats," Fox­Davies avers.

3) Of the six "exceptions" to the claim of uniqueness listed in the third argument, four (Sandwich, Hastings, Ramsgate, and Feversham Abbey) were part of the association of maritime towns known as the Cinque Ports.

However, the charge associated with the Cinque Ports is a lion dimidiated with a hulk. The charge in Baron Robert's proposed badge is a wolf dimidiated with a galleon. While it is obvious that the latter charge was composed in imitation of the former, it is nonetheless not the lion­ship of the Cinque Ports. If we claim infringement, we are in effect reserving a whole class of charges, if not an entire heraldic concept.

While the creation of charges by dimidiation is not something we should in general be encouraging, a significant number of the heralds who commented on this submission thought it reasonable. In this case, at least, I am willing to grant an exception. What Baron Robert has done, after all, is to create a new charge in the pattern of mundane armory, and that is something worth encouraging.

"With only a little ingenuity, one can find strikingly new ways of using old charges. This occurred to a subject of Bhakail who was patiently told by a local herald why he could not have a fire­breathing dragon. 'Very well, then I'll have a fire­breathing badger!' And very nice looking it is."

(Alfgar the Sententious. The road less traveled by: a few notes on armorial design in the Society. The Second Bienniel Ysgithrian Heraldic Symposium, page 58.)

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* Not to mention the occasional cockatrice in motley.

Kingdom of the Middle

Adam Antoine Gabrial Dante. Name and device. Or, on a pale sable a fleur­de­lys argent, all within a bordure sable.

DISCUSSION: This is both visually and technically clear of RODBERT COSPATRICK.

Aleksandra Ivanovna Nemka. Name correction (from Alexsandra Ivanovna Nemka) and device. Azure, a bar gemel wavy between in chief three mullets of seven points and in base a pine tree eradicated Or.

Andrew Gillies. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Athalwolf Svartaskald. Name and device. Sable, an open scroll Or between in fess two wolves combattant and in base a roundel argent.

Brian Karlnar. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Caolbhach MacOisdealbhaigh (submitted as Caolbhach MacCostello). Name and device. Azure, three bezants, each charged with a shamrock vert, within a bordure Or.

NOTE: According to Batonvert, MacCostello is a modern surname. We have substituted the Irish form of the patronymic in order to register the device.

Catherine de Babeuf. Device. Or, two sprigs of rosemary in saltire vert between four violet blossoms purpure seeded Or, all within anannulet vert.

Daniel Eyesham of Tweed. Device. Gules crusily, a stag lodged Or, and a chief doubly enarched ermine.

NOTE: Nice.

Hikawa Murasaki. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Janos of Ratisbon. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

NOTE: Ratisbon is the English name of the city known in German as Regensburg. We have replaced von with of, so the preposition agrees in language with the following noun.

Johann Gewitter Sonderling. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Martin Eurico de Gijon. Name and device. Argent, chapé embattled gules, a wolf sejant affronty azure and in chief two fraises argent.

Rosamond de Stormont. Name only.

Sigulf Karlnar. Name only.

Kingdom of the West

Adriana Sabatini. Name and device. Or, on a hand of Fatima purpure, a mullet of six points argent, a ford proper.

Aldwin Longwalker. Name only.

Alesandro l'Argentiere (submitted as Alessandro d'Argentiera). Name and device. Gules, a mullet of eight points within a cogwheel within an orle, all Or.

NOTE: According to Brigantia, d'Argentiera is not Latin for "of the Aegean." At her suggestion, we have substituted l'Argentiere 'the silversmith' in order to register the device. Batonvert has pointed out that Cimolus, an island in the Aegean, is known in Italian as Argentiera; is this, perhaps, what the submitter had in mind?.

April Alys O'Dale. Name change (from April of the Dales).

Armanna Goldenwood. Name only.

Davidus Windrider of Clear Mountain. Name and device. Or, a winged dolphin haurient to sinister azure, in sinister chief three mullets of eight points gules.

DISCUSSION: The three mullets in chief are poor style, but this fact was not pointed out when the applicant's previous submission was returned earlier this year, and it would not be fair to him to make an issue of it now.

Earngyld, Barony of. Sea Eagle Pursuivant (name only).

DISCUSSION: Eagle and Eaglevert were both used as titles of nobleman's pursuivants in medieval England. Society practice considers a change of adjective to be sufficient difference between two heraldic titles, but not the addition of an adjective. Since history has provided us in this case with instances of both, and since neither appears to have achieved sufficient notoriety to cause confusion, I see no harm in creating an "Eagle something" or "Something eagle" pursuivant of our own.

Gloria Nightstar. Device. Sable, a three­headed dog sejant affronty, the dexter and sinister heads addorsed, between three mullets of seven points, one and two, argent.

Gregory of North Winds. Name and device. Per bend sinister azure and gules, a snake glissant bendwise and a bordure Or.

Griffinus Silversun (submitted as Griffianus Silversun). Name only.

NOTE: According to Brigantia, Griffinus is the given­name form, while Griffianus would probably be used in Latin in place of a patronymic.

Gwenddydd Rhosyn o Gymru Newydd. Name change (from Gwendydd Rhosyn o Gymru Newydd).

Jacob Seumas MacGregor. Badge. Argent, a lion's head erased to sinister gules between in fess two thistles vert flowered gules.

Jade of Starfall. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Janet Redcloak of Herbkeep. Name and device. Argent, three pestles in mortars and a bordure gules.

NOTE: Very nice.

Maeve ferch Morgan. Device (reblazon). Sable, a unicorn couchant reguardant to sinister, in dexter chief an estoile, all within a bordure argent.

Mary of Greenmeads. Name change (from Mary of Fettburg).

Morna o'Monadh. Device (appeal). Purpure, a mount of three hillocks and on a chief Or three crescents purpure.

NOTE: Appeal sustained. There appears to be a fair amount of latitude in the mundane definition of a mount.

Morna o'Monadh. Badge (appeal). Purpure, a mount of three hillocks Or.

Muriel du Pays Perdu. Name and device. Purpure, a fleur­de­lys Or between two herring haurient argent.

Nicholas the Unshod. Name and device. Per fess embattled argent and sable, two grenades sable enflamed proper and three chevronels braced Or.

Rhaylan o Ynys Witrin. Device. Or, a dragon rampant to sinister and a chief embattled azure.

NOTE: Very nice.

Rivenoak, Shire of. Badge. Gyronny argent and sable, an acorn Or.

Robert de Cambrai. Name only (see RETURNS for device).

Rowany, Barony of. Device. Per chevron dovetailed argent and vert, two rowan trees fructed and eradicated proper and a laurel wreath argent.

DISCUSSION: The fruit of the rowan tree is gules.

Steven Shirebourne. Change of device. Pean,three antelopes rampant argent.

NOTE: Very nice, and very heraldic. His old device becomes a badge.

Thalin Stonefriend. Name only.

Tucken Ashford. Name and device. Sable, three patriarchal crosses botonny in bend Or.

DISCUSSION: "The patriarchal cross does not imply he has that rank. The only such cross we ever forbade for that reason is the Papal. "(KFW, 30 Jun 79, p. 8; in Prec II 11).

Vladimir von Adlerburg. Name only.

Winter's Gate, Barony of. Badge for Order of the Estoile. Sable, an estoile voided and a bordure argent.

THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSIONS ARE RETURNED:

Kingdom of Ansteorra

Geoffrey Sebastian Fitzwilliam. Device. Ermine, a pall sable, over all an urchin rampant to sinister Or.

NOTE: "A charge that is overall or surmounting another charge obeys the Rule of Tincture with respect to the field, not the charge(s) beneath it." (Rules IX.5) The urchin is technically Or on argent.

Malachi Delacot. Device (appeal). Per bend sinister gules and sable, four lozenges conjoined in cross Or.

NOTE: Appeal denied. This still conflicts with IAN BRUCE MACCRAE, "Gyronny azure and gules, a key cross Or. " (SCA) The key cross in Ian's arms is only a minor point different from a cross of four lozenges. (see drawing).

Mara of the Crystal Sword. Device. Vert, a chevron ermine between three horse's heads couped argent.

NOTE: This conflicts with JOBBER, "Vert, a chevron ermine. "(Papworth 377) The addition of a group of identical secondary charges is only one point of difference. It is also too close to BERINDON, "Vert, a chevron ermine between three griffin's heads erased argent" (Papworth 449) and several others.

Sovany Barcsi Janos. Name change (from Janos a sovany Barcsi).

NOTE: Given the potentially sweeping effect of this change (if we adopt Hungarian word order for this name, we ought to do it for all Hungarian names, as we have for Japanese), we will need some documentation on the antiquity and scope of the practice, as well as on the practice itself.

Kingdom of Caid

Madeleine Aurore des Mille Roses. Device. Azure, on a bend sinister between a castle triple­towered and a pitcher argent three pink garden roses, slipped and leaved proper. (Rosa ruca)

NOTE: This is in technical conflict with GWENDWYN THE SILENT, "Azure, a bend sinister between a winged unicorn counter­salient and a bat­winged manticore couchant argent." (SCA).

Kingdom of the East

Alexander MacGregor. Name only.

NOTE: The name is in technical conflict with Alasdair MacGregor of Glenstrae, last chief of Clan MacGregor.

Catherine du Fay. Device. Per pale sable and argent, on a fess two domestic cats couchant respectant all counterchanged.

NOTE: This is in technical conflict with ANCILLA THE PACKRAT, "Per pale argent and vert, on a fess counterchanged a rat statant to sinister panniered, gorged, and being led on a chain, by a frog statant to sinister, all counterchanged." (SCA) I count a major point for the changes in tincture and two minor points for the differences in type and position of the tertiary charges, yielding slightly less than two full points.

Ellisif Flakkingskvinne. Name only.

NOTE: Batonvert found kvenna (the genitive plural of kona 'woman') but not kvinne, and believes the byname is incorrect. We weren't able to substantiate it either, and do not feel we can approve it without some documentation.

Kingdom of Meridies

Alessandra Alegretti. Device. Per bend Or and sable, a honeybee rising proper and a honeysuckle blossom Or distilling two gouttes d'Or. (Apis mellifera)

NOTE: The honeybee, much of which is yellow, does not contrast sufficiently with the Or field. We would suggest she make the bee a single color. (Changing the field to argent won't work, since this would cause the wings to disappear.).

Aylwyn de Tregarth. Device. Argent, five chevronels gules interlaced by three crosses crosslet fitchy sable.

NOTE: The College of Arms felt that this design was not consistent with either SCA or mundane heraldry.

Catherine the White. Device. Vair, a bend between two bells argent.

NOTE: The argent charges blend in with the argent portion of the field, which fact was not pointed out, unfortunately, when the previous submission was returned. My usual policy in cases such as this is to grant an exception to the rule in question. In the present instance, however, we feel the contrast problem is too serious to overlook. I would like to apologize, on the part of the Laurel office, for not having caught the problem earlier. We would suggest she change the argent charges to Or; barring conflicts, this ought to do the trick.

Diarmuid MacSeumas O'Siodhachain. Name and device. Per fess sable and Or, a pale and six quatrefoils slipped, all counterchanged.

NOTE: Diarm(u)it appears to be a modern form of the given name most commonly found as Diarmaid. (Withycombe 84) The given name used in a patronymic must be in the genitive case; the Irish form (which the information sheet indicates that he wishes) would be MacS(h)eamuis. The applicant has asked that we not correct spelling or grammar. The device conflicts with SIMEON, "Per fess sable and Or, a pale counterchanged and three trefoils slipped of the second." (Papworth 1010).

Falada of Englewood. Name (appeal) and device. Argent, a deer couchant to sinister regardant proper within a vine of ivy leaves in orle vert. (Dama dama).

NOTE: The comments on this submission indicate that Falada is not a reasonable variant of the Spanish given name Valada, due to differences in pronunciation between b and v in that language. In addition, Brigantia has noted (to a vigorous nod of agreement from one of the people on my staff) that Bambi's mother was named "Fala". Given the similarity of the given name and byname (I am further informed that the woods in Bambi were in England), plus the charges in the device, this submission is flirting dangerously with a literary infringement. Valada is probably an acceptable given name, but I would like to see a photocopy of the appropriate page in the reference cited. A number of the heralds commenting on this submission found the orle of ivy disturbingly reminiscent of a laurel wreath (although I do not remember this objection being raised when ALEEN DU VARNAY was submitted several years ago). Her alternate design conflicts with ANNE OF THE GOLDEN MANTLE, "Vert, on a plate a swan naiant, couped on the fess line, sable." (SCA) There is a major point for the semy, and a minor point for the change in tertiary charge.

Laurelyn FitzGalen of Longwood. Name and device. Vert, a seahorse erect, tail sufflexed, argent, ridden by a blond caucasian woman proper, vested argent, maintaining in her sinister hand a spear palewise proper.

NOTE: Laurelin is the younger of the Two Trees of Valinor, and is no longer an acceptable Society name. Of the two instances on record, LAURELLYN OF ISSTARR was approved prior to the publication of The Silmarillion, and LAURELYN DARKSBANE was passed as a hardship case. The device conflicts with ROWAN OF WINDTREE TOWER, "Per saltire sable and vert, a seahorse erect argent." (SCA) There is a minor point for the field; the addition of the rider and the change in position of the tail do not make up the difference. The design is also redolent of fantasy art, and is only marginally heraldic.

Patrick de la Schawe. Device. Vert, on a bend sinister Or a hare courant to sinister azure.

NOTE: The device is in technical conflict with AMBER OF OAKDEN, "Vert, a bend sinister Or, in bend three acorns bendwise sinister counterchanged," and CRUSAR THE RANGER, "Vert, on a bend sinister Or a star of David between two mullets of six points gules." (SCA) In each case there is a major point for the difference in secondary charges and less than a full point for the tertiaries.

Kingdom of the Middle

Andrew Gillies. Device. Quarterly argent and sable,a gilly flower within a chain in orle counterchanged.

NOTE: A loop of chain in any tincture is reserved to knights in the SCA.

Brian Karlnar. Device. Argent, a cobra erect, head to sinister, the tail nowed, between three crescents gules.

NOTE: This is in technical conflict with IPSTANS, "Argent, a chevron between three crescents gules. " (Papworth 408).

Hikawa Murasaki. Device. Purpure, a pile wavy inverted throughout, and on a chief Or a roundel purpure.

NOTE: This is in technical conflict with the Crown Princess of the East, "Purpure, an Eastern crown and on a chief Or three roses purpure." (SCA) There is a major point for type of primary charge, and a minor point for difference in tertiaries.

Janos of Ratisbon. Device. Per pale sable and argent, a bull's head caboshed within a bordure counterchanged.

NOTE: This conflicts with OSMAN AL­KOREISH IBN KAIROS, "Per pale sable and argent, a lotus affronty within a bordure counterchanged."(SCA) Because the bordure is divided (and therefore not "simple"), the complete difference of charge rule may not be invoked. (Rules XII.5) There is therefore only a major point of difference for the type of the primary charge. This is also only a single point different from OLNEY, "Per pale sable and argent, a bull's head counterchanged. " (Papworth 912).

Johann Gewitter Sonderling. Device. Azure, a six­fingered hand apaumy couped at the wrist within six roundels in annulo Or.

NOTE: This conflicts with MICHAEL GYRFALCON OF ELDEN, "Azure, a white gyrfalcon's head erased proper within an orle of bezants," and KOBAYASHI YUTAKA, "Azure, a hurst of two trees couped proper within eight bezants in annulo. "(SCA) In each case, there is a major and a minor point for difference in type and tincture of the primary charge. Several of the commentators also objected to the six­fingered hand. To quote Vesper, "In some countries, at some times during our period, an extra finger was one of the outward signs of being a witch. This is one of the claims that was made against Anne Boleyn.".

Meredith of Gwenedd. Name and device. Azure, a winged lion dormant within a bordure argent crusily moline azure.

NOTE: The place­name is spelled Gwynedd; according to Batonvert, this is grammatically significant. The submitter has asked that we not make any spelling corrections. The device conflicts with MAURFZNHA­IVRIAH, "Azure, an Assyrian gryphon couchant, gazing to chief, wings displayed, argent." (SCA) There is a strong minor point for the visual difference in appearance of the beasts, but the bordure is worth only one point (see EMMERICH OF VAKKERFJELL, below), which is not enough.

Ragnarr Arnbjornsson. Name only.

NOTE: According to The Old Norse Name, the genitive form of ­bjorn is ­biarnar, so the correct patronymic would be Arnbiarnarson. The applicant has requested that we not alter his name to correct grammatical errors.

Xenon of Gray Tower. Name and device. Azure,a chevron argent surmounted by a unicornate natural seahorse Or between three mullets argent.

NOTE: Xenon does not appear to be a correctly formed Greek given name. The noble gas of the same name was discovered in 1898, and is out of period. (OED) The device is too similar to the arms of ARNOTT, "Azure, a chevron between three mullets argent. " (Papworth 459).

Kingdom of the West

Dunham Wycliffe. Name (appeal).

NOTE: This submission was originally returned in August 1981 because Dunham is a surname, not a given name. Vesper has requested that an exception be made based on late­period English usage discussed by William Camden in his Remains Concerning Britain, and has further suggested that the Rules for Submissions be modified to take this usage into account.

Vesper's argument is plausible. It demonstrates that,late in our period, an English godfather sometimes gave his surname to his godchild as a given name. Dunham and Wycliffe are both documentable surnames, and were in use in England during this period. The proposed rules change is a straightforward application of this same argument: "We suggest that SCA names which are formed by using a late­period English surname as a given name and combining it with another surname which was used in late­period England be considered as exceptions to the general ban on the use of surnames as given names. These names would be considered on a case­by­case basis, and the submitt[e]r would have to show ... that the names in question were indeed late­period English surnames."

The problem with this argument is that it represents special pleading in a controversial area. The exceptions I grant generally involve extenuating circumstances, and are either based on a principle I feel comfortable with repeating or else seem isolated enough to have limited scope. An exception in this case would not be limited in scope, even without a rules change. Brigantia expressed the problem nicely:

"Can we say successfully that anyone can use a surname for a given name if they are using both a surname and a given name which are demonstrably existent in Tudor England? (This is what the evidence justifies.) The question will inevitably be asked why can't you use it in sixteenth century French or Danish names and then by extension why not in earlier names so that very quickly we will be at the point where a name like Thorbiornsson the Bold or Delacroix of the Flaming Sword, both of which are in violation of the 'spirit of the law', are legitimate by a kind of reductio ad absurdam."

In all fairness, the question "Is the use of surnames as given names a period practice?" is capable of being answered correctly in both the affirmative and the negative. The most liberal interpretation would be to say, "It started in period, so it is period," and allow surnames to be used as given names without restriction. The most conservative interpretation would be to say, "The practice did not become common until the Middle Ages were over," and disallow even those surnames that became given names during our period.

I consider our present policy to be a workable compromise between these two extremes. It treats the general practice as being out of period (thus removing the need to distinguish by country or period of persona, which is tricky when you're dealing with hybrids), but it permits exceptions when a specific name is shown to have been used in period, or when it is the applicant's mundane given name.

Edwin von Reinhessen. Name and device. Per fess argent and azure, three round buckles, tongues upward, counterchanged.

NOTE: According to Obelisk, the wine province in Germany (the name of which is spelled Rheinhessen) is a modern construction. Our sources seem to bear this out. The device conflicts with WHISELFORD, "Per fess azure and argent, three annulets counterchanged. "(Papworth 5) We count one minor point for the interchange of tinctures, and another for the difference between round buckles and annulets.

Emmerich of Vakkerfjell. Device (appeal). Or, three hammers gules within a bordure gules bezanty.

NOTE: This submission was returned in November 1983 for conflict with MAILLY et al., "Or, three hammers gules." The statement was made at this time that "The addition of a bordure semy is not sufficient difference from mundane arms, given the frequent use of bordures for cadency. Semy is not a charge, but counts as a treatment, like masoned." (WvS, 12Nov83, p. 9) Vesper has appealed this decision on the grounds that it represented a change in the rules, further noting that he saw no reason why a bordure "bezanty" should be considered less different than a bordure "charged with eight bezants." .

In his cover letter of 21 Apr 82, Master Wilhelm ruled that "Semy is a treatment of the field." The subsequent ruling on bordures derives directly from the earlier ruling on semy; in the absence of specific counterexamples, I must consider this an application of an existing rule, rather than a policy change.

The rules, in their present form, draw a distinction between adding a discrete number of charges (six or fewer) and semy of those same charges. The former case represents the addition of two groups of charges, which may be counted separately. A charged chief or bordure is thus worth a major plus a minor point. Semy, however, represents a modification of a charge or of the field. Adding a bordure gules bezanty is thus worth no more than adding a bordure gules masoned argent, a bordure embattled azure, or a bordure pean. Were we to modify an existing coat, however -­ to replace a bordure sable with one of the above -­ we could garner up to a point and a half. The addition of a bordure charged with six bezants would thus constitute sufficient difference from mundane arms, while a bordure charged with eight bezants ("semy of bezants," or "bezanty") would not.

Jade of Starfall. Device. Vert, on a pile wavy ermine, a double­headed eagle displayed sable, in base a compass star argent.

NOTE: A pile should extend most if not all the way to the base; properly drawn, there would not be enough room for a charge (in this case, the compass star) to fit between the pile and the base. This is also only two minor points different from PODMORE, "Vert, on a pile wavy ermine a Moor's head couped proper. " (Papworth 1024).

Keridwen o'r Mynydd Gwyrdd. Badge. Vert, a Hungerford knot, pendant there­from two hawk's bells argent.

NOTE: According to Rule IX.10, this differs by only a minor point (for tincture) from the mon of FUSE, "Sable, an agemaki argent. " (Mon 62) (The visual similarity between the charges is striking.).

Lochac, Region of. Crux Herald (name only).

NOTE: They will need to add an adjective to render this title sufficiently different from that of the Rouge Croix Pursuivant.

Oertha, Principality of. Stellanordica Herald (Seal). Two straight trumpets in saltire, bells in chief, debruised by a compass star.

NOTE: This conflicts with PAUL OF SUNRIVER, "Azure, a compass star Or." (SCA) Drawn normally, the minor axes of the compass star merge with the trumpets; the resulting outline is too indistinct, we feel, to merit a major point of difference.

Richard von Wolff. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and azure, a sun within the arms of a crescent argent.

NOTE: German von is used with the name of a place, which Wolff is not. Richard der Wolf would appear to be correct, as would just plain Wolff without the von. The device conflicts with CHANDRABALA, "Vert a kris reversed above a crescent argent" (SCA) and MINSHULL, "Azure, a crescent enclosing an eight­pointed estoile argent." (Papworth 594) In addition, the star within a crescent was a badge of Richard I; taken together with the name Richard, this is pushing things a bit.

Robert de Cambrai. Device. Quarterly argent and checky Or and sable, in bend two hawks' heads couped to sinister sable.

NOTE: The consensus of the College of Arms, and of the Laurel meeting, is that this constitutes quartering.

Winter's Gate, Barony of. Order of the Silver Swan (name only).

NOTE: The name of the Order conflicts with that of HOUSE SILVERSWAN. (SCA).

PENDING 16 December XIX (1984)

THE FOLLOWING SUBMISSIONS ARE PENDING:

Kingdom of Ansteorra

Theresa of the Ebony Rose. Name only.

NOTE: We need a copy of the letter of permission from THERESA OF THE BLUE ROSE.

Kingdom of Caid

Carreg Wen, Shire of. Device. Argent, in bend two crosses couped purpure, overall a laurel wreath vert.

NOTE: This submission is awaiting a letter of permission from the Canton of the White Stone in the East. Should the latter branch dissolve before permission is given, I would be willing to accept a letter from the baron and baroness of the parent branch; in this case, the two names are unlikely to be confused, so permission is largely a matter of form.

Kingdom of the West

Marthe Aardvarkkeeper. Name only.

NOTE: By analogy to bookkeeper, aardvarkkeeper would presumably also require a doubled k. According to both Elmet and Brigantia, the word aardvark comes from Afrikaans, a form of low Dutch, and is out of period. There are, however, three aardvarks in the Ordinary, and this letter contains an approval for a fourth (with wings, no less). The question before the College is, should this submission be granted an exception to the rule (VI. 1) requiring that all words used in Society names be in period? This submission will be reconsidered at the March meeting.

key cross Ukrainian trident head

(Ian Bruce MacCrae) (Bogdan Kobzar)