Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive does Shayk Da'ud ibn Auda, Laurel King of Arms, send Greetings!

The December Laurel meeting was held on Saturday, December 17, 1994, and considered the following letters of intent: East (8/5), Outlands (8/11), West (8/11), An Tir (8/13), Caid (8/20), Calontir (8/21), Trimaris (8/25), Meridies (8/25), and Atlantia (8/27). Original commentary on these LoIs should have been in the College's hands no later than October 31, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary should have been in the College's hands no later than November 31, 1994.

The January 1995 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 14, 1995, to consider the following Letters of Intent: Middle (9/12), An Tir (9/14), Atlantia (9/14), Caid (9/19), Outlands (9/20), Calontir (9/24), and West (9/25). Original commentary on these LoIs should have been in the College's hands no later than November 30, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than December 31, 1994.

The February 1995 Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 18, 1995 (please note the new date), to consider the following letters of intent (except for one or possibly two short letters to be considered at the Meridien Kingdom Heraldic Symposium on February 11): East (10/1), Ansteorra (dated September but mailed 10/7), An Tir (10/13), Atlantia (10/16), Middle (10/16), Outlands (10/20), Calontir (10/22), West (10/26), and Meridies (10/28). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than December 31, 1994. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than January 31, 1995.

The March 1995 meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 11, 1995, and will consider Letters of Intent dated and mailed in November 1994. Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than January 31, 1995. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than February 28, 1995.

Not all Letters of Intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this Cover Letter. Date of mailing of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain Letters of Intent.

ROSTER CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

Lord Richard Omrisson of the Wolvenkin has resigned as Aten Principal Herald. The acting Aten Principal Herald is Ángela Sara María Díaz de Valdés (Lisa Ceal), 2323 West Emelita, Mesa, AZ 85202; (602) 969-5307 (before 9:00 p.m. Mountain Time). Please add her to the Roster and mailing list.

Beginning January 1, 1995, the new Ferrule Herald (Meridies) will be: Dunstan Dangar of Shaddowe Woode (Dan Calvert), c/o Linda S. Helm-Little, 2500 21st Street West, Birmingham, AL 35208. The current Ferrule, Mistress Ammalynne, will continue to comment as part of Lord Dunstan's staff.

Vesper Herald (West) Juturna di Parma's address is not entirely correct on the Roster. It should be "877 San Lucas Avenue".

Please remove Clarion Herald (Laurel staff) from your mailing list for non-commenting.

KNOWN WORLD HERALDIC SYMPOSIUM 1995

Enclosed with this LoAR is a copy of the registration form for the 1995 KWHS to be held in Denver, Colorado on June 23-25, 1995, as well as class information forms for those who would like to teach one or more classes there.

KNOWN WORLD HERALDIC SYMPOSIUM 1996

While there were a number of differing viewpoints on whether to hold a separate Known World Heraldic Symposium in 1996, the clear majority consensus of those who wrote or called to express an opinion was to hold such a symposium separately from the Thirty Year Celebration. As a consequence, we are reopening bids for the 1996 Known World Heraldic Symposium. Careful attention will need to be paid to both location and date, as the dates and places of the Thirty Year Celebration and Pennsic will need to be considered in any planning.

Any group wishing to host the 1996 KWHS should have their bids mailed out to the members of the College of Arms by May 1, 1995, so that discussion of the bids may be made and chosen before and announced at the 1995 KWHS to be held in Denver.

As always, if anyone has any questions regarding a bid, please feel free to call me or the autocrat(s) of any of the last several Symposia for answers, advice, or just general "what can I expect" information.

THE ALTERNATE TITLES LIST (or, "Heere - or Herre - we go again!")

There appears to be a typo in the current Alternate Titles List. The List gives the Danish equivalent for "Lord" as "Heere". All of the evidence, including photocopies from English/Danish and Danish/English dictionary, demonstrates that the title should be Herre. Please note the correction on your copies.

And while you're looking at the Danish list of alternate titles, Morsulus brings into question the use of "Fru" for "Lady". According to the Gyldendals Dansk engelsk, p. 160, "Fru" is used only before a surname analogously to the English "Mrs." Frue, from the same page, seems like a more accurate translation, since it has connotations of authority and can also be used before a surname. The Engelsk-Dansk dictionary, p. 233, gives "Dame" and "Frue" as equivalents for "Lady", but not "Fru". Your opinions and research are solicited before a decision is made at the April Laurel meeting on this proposed change to the Alternate Titles List.

RfS XI.4 (or, "Charging Inescutcheons")

It was pointed out that in the registrations last September of the devices of Mersi Stonegate and Gabriela Silver Fox we have apparently moved from a prior interpretation of RfS XI.4. The Rule itself states:

Arms of Pretense - Armory that uses charges which themselves are charged in such a way as to appear to be arms of pretense is considered presumptuous.

Period and modern heraldic practice asserts a claim to land or property by surmounting an individual's usual armory with a display of armory associated with that claim. Such arms of pretense are most commonly placed on an inescutcheon or lozenge, but may also appear on other geometric charges such as roundels, cartouches, etc. For this reason, such charges may not be charged in such a way as to suggest independent arms. Such charges may not contain an ordinary that terminates at the edge, or more than one charge.

While we have regularly allowed roundels, lozenges, cartouches, etc. to be charged with a single charge, prior Laurel precedent has continued to return charged inescutcheons. The wording of Rule XI.4 which seems most applicable is "... in such a way as to appear to be arms of pretense ..." and "... such charges may not be charged in such a way as to suggest independent arms." It has been noted that there is no way an inescutcheon can be charged without suggesting a display of independent arms because, unlike roundels, lozenges, etc., a charged inescutcheon so strongly suggests pretense that even a single tertiary has been sufficient to cause a submission to be returned under this Rule.

Should we continue to return charged inescutcheons under RfS XI.4? Your research and commentary on this issue is sought.

SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Free Trumpet Press West has available copies of the Alternate Titles List. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope. The correct postage after January 1, 1995 for U.S. delivery is $.55.

Medieval France: A Compilation of People and Places from Charlemagne to Jeanne d'Arc by Lisa J. Steele is now available from White Rose Publishing, P.O. Box 933, Amherst, MA 01004-0933. This volume is billed as "a traveller's atlas to the history and locations" of medieval France, with a comprehensive listing of historical sites from villages to cities, an extensive overview of French geography, history, and society, and a detailed timeline an lists of landed nobility, with 14 detailed regional maps, 9 city maps, and dozens of illustrations. The cost is $21.95 plus $3.00 postage (though that may have just gone up slightly due to the Postal Service increase of January 1). Current projects for White Rose Publishing include similar atlases on Medieval Italy and Medieval Africa, and they have a source book on medieval universities which they hope to have ready by Pennsic. (They are also looking for a reviewer for Tournaments Illuminated, if anyone is interested.)

MISCELLANY

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY

Look up the arms of this company (granted in 1600) in The General Armory, Encyclopedia Heraldica, Papworth's Ordinary, and I daresay many more and the following blazon will be seen.

Az three ships of three masts rigged and under full sail, the sails pennants and ensigns Arg each charged with a cross Gu; on a chief of the second a pale quarterly Az and Gu, on the 1st and 4th a fleur-de-lis; in the 2nd and 3rd a lion passant gardant all of the second between two roses Gu seeded Or barbed Vert. This blazon is incorrect. Have a look at a reduced copy of the original grant in "The Oxford Guide to Heraldry" Woodcock and Robinson (a magnifying glass will be needed to enable the blazon to be read). The grant states:- Azure three ships gold. The error being compounded by the use of the words "of the second". By inserting the correct tincture for the ships the blazon immediately becomes clear. When blazoning, and to avoid this type of confusion, do not use the terminology "of the field; ....first; ....second" and so on.

Bernard C.J. Gowing, Chelmsford, in a letter published in The Heraldry Gazette, September 1994, p. 8

Until next month, I remain, as ever,

Your faithful servant,

Da'ud ibn Auda

Laurel King of Arms