SCA - College of Arms

600 Cedar Street, NW

Washington, DC 20012

(202) 726-4396

herald@sca.org

http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel

August 28, 1998

Unto the members of the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive do Mistress Jaelle of Armida, Laurel Queen of Arms, and Mistress Sionyn Muirgen ní Dhomnall, Pelican Queen of Arms, send Greetings!

The August Laurel meeting was held on Saturday, August 22, 1998 and considered the following letters of intent: An Tir (January 25), East (dated March 26, postmarked April 3), Outlands (April 9), Lochac (April 20), Atlantia (April 23), Meridies (April 25), Atenveldt (April 25), Artemesia (April 28), West (April 28), AEthelmearc (April 30), Trimaris (April 30), and Caid (April 30). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than June 30, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than July 31, 1998.

The September Laurel meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 1998 and will consider the following letters of intent: Middle (April 14 redated to May pending receipt of paperwork), An Tir (April 27, redated to May 15 based on postmark), Middle (May 2), Lochac (May 3), Drachenwald (May 6), Atlantia (May 20), West (May 27), Outlands (May 29), Ansteorra (May 30), Caid (May 30) and Meridies (May 30). Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than July 31, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than August 31, 1998.

The October Laurel meeting is scheduled for October 10, 1998 and will consider the following letters of intent: An Tir (May 19, redated by Laurel to June 5 based on postmark), Atenveldt (May 25, redated by Laurel to June 11 based on postmark), Outlands (June 5), AEthelmearc (June 6), East (June 6), Calontir (June 11), Atlantia (June 16), Drachenwald (June 16), Lochac (June 16), An Tir (June 22), West (June 28), Middle (June 28) Ansteorra (June 30) and Meridies (June 30). .Original commentary on these LoIs must be in the College's hands no later than August 31, 1998. Responses and rebuttals to commentary must be in the College's hands no later than September 30, 1998.

The November Laurel meeting is scheduled for November 21, 1998 and will consider the following letters of intent: Middle (July 9), Lochac (July 12), Drachenwald (July 14), Atlantia (July 15), Outlands (July 15), Caid (July 17), An Tir (July 20), East (July 27), West (July 27), Trimaris (July 28) Ansteorra (July 30) and Meridies (July 30).

The December Laurel meeting is tentatively scheduled for December 12, 1998.

REMINDER: due to problems with receipt of Laurel packets, until the packet containing the paperwork is received, the letter may not be scheduled.

There still seems to be some confusion about the dating of LoIs. If the LoI is postmarked past the first of the month following the date of the LoI, it will be redated to the postmarked month, unless the submissions herald can convince me otherwise. However, if it is dated on the first, that is acceptable.

I am calling for commentary on our ban on mixing Gaelic/English names. We have disallowed them since halfway through Master Da'ud's second tenure as Laurel. However, we are still getting mixed Gaelic/English names on a regular basis, forcing us to either change or return them.

Furthermore, this ban was put into place because at the time Laurel felt that there was no evidence for mixed Gaelic/English names. While it is true that not much evidence has been presented, some has been presented for some Gaelic names appearing with English names. And, of course, courtesy of the lingua Anglica clause, a Gaelic given name with an English descriptive or locative is registerable.

Finally, if there is any one naming issue more misunderstood among the general populace of the SCA, it is this ban. I have received numerous complaints about it throughout the Known World.

Please send me your commentary on this issue by the of December, 1998.

The question was raised as to which is the appropriate form for Hungarian names, with the submission for István Nyiregyhazi. Should the given name go first or the byname first. Hungarian names may be registered with either the given name or byname as the first element, except when the byname is an unmarked patronym or metronym. In that case, the byname should follow the given name; this is consistent with Hungarian practice through the mid 16th century.

Lord Walraven van Nijmegen has provided the following examples from Kázmér Miklós's Régi Magyar Családnevek Szótára: XIV-XVII Század, Magyar Nyelvtudományi Társaság, Budapest, 1993.

s.n. Fodor (= ??? hair, q.v. Göndör), a descriptive byname

1307 Johannes fudur 1393 Fodor Gorgein

1413 Nicolao Fodor 1428 Ffodor Mathias

1453 Michaele Fodor 1453 Fodor Andras

1522 Ladislaus Fodor 1557 fodor Esthwan

1574 Blasius Fodor 1574 Fodor balÿnth

s.n. Német (=German), an ethnic byname

1389 Andreas Nemeth 1392 Nimet Janus

1408 Emericus Nimeth

1461 Paulus Nemeth 1460 Nemeth mÿhalrethe

1522 Petrus Nemeth 1510 Nimet Istwan

1574 Martinus Nemeth 1557 Nemet Simon

s.n. Kovács (=smith), an occupational byname

1389 Stephanus Kouach

1413 Paulus Kowach 1444 Kowacz Peter

1467 Nicolao Kovach

1511 Karolus Kowach 1513 kouac mykloson

1557 Stephanus Kowacz 1569 Kowach Benedek

s.n. Toldi (=from Told), a locative byname

1352 Nicolaus de Toldy

1453 Nicolao Tholdy

1481 Georgius Tholdi

1508 Johanne Toldi

1561 Michaelem Tholdy 1554 Toldy Ianost

1588 Barbara Tholdy 1583 Tholdy Istwan

s.n. Péter, Petõ (=child of Peter), an unmarked patronymic

1322 Laurencii Peteu

1398 Stephano Pethew

1401 Stephanum Peter

1453 Anthonium Peter

1465 Michael Pethew

1522 Dyonisius Peter 1510 petew tamas

1566 Ioannes Peter 1566 Peter leorijncz

1596 Emericus Pether 1590 Peter Thamas

s.n. Rózsa (=child of Rosa), an unmarked metronym

1453 Michael Rusa

1484 Matheo Rosa

1521 Joannes Rosa 1525 Rosa Istvan

1558 Mathia Rwsa 1572 Rusa Mathe

1583 Michael Ruza 1592 Rossa Balynth

Documentably reversed orders using locatives, metronyms, and unmarked patronyms are significantly rare before about 1550. Marked patronymics (with -fi/-fy) become common in reverse order a little earlier.

Our thanks to Lord Walraven van Nijmegen for providing this information for us.

This is a reminder to the College that we will be stepping down the end of June 1999. Therefore, anyone interested in applying for the Laurel and/or Pelican job should be thinking about it, and getting a staff together now. Anyone interested in knowing more of what the job entails should feel free to contact me, Mistress Sionyn, Master Da'ud, Master Talan, Master Bruce or Mistress Alisoun.

This is a reminder to everyone to visit the Laurel web site (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel) at regular intervals. We are always adding new information to make it more useful. For instance there is now a link to the webpage for the 1999 Known World Heraldic Symposium (in the Principality of Nordmark, in the Kingdom of Drachenwald). If you have any ideas about articles or subjects you would like to see there let us know. Or, if you have something you think would be useful.

Free Trumpet Press West is now selling the PicDic.

At the present time, SCA branch designators (such as Shire, Barony, etc) are recorded in the SCA Ordinary and Armorial. A branch's designator in the O&A reflects the one used in the LoAR containing the most-recently accepted action of the branch. This means that many of the branch designators in the O&A are years out-of-date. I regularly get comments and complaints about out-of-date branch designators.

Changes of branch status are a BoD matter, not a College of Arms one. Starting with the 8th edition O&A, I'd like to drop all branch designators (and associated articles and prepositions) that are separated from the name by whitespace, except for:

the Principality of the Mists,

the Province of the Mists,

the Barony of the Sun, and

the Principality of the Sun.

This means that "Crosston, Shire of (Name)" will be replaced by "Crosston (Branch Name)", but "Seashire (Name)" would simply become "Seashire (Branch Name)".

Another change proposed for the 8th edition would be to abbreviate common blazon terms in the SCA Ordinary. (The Armorial would be unaffected.) This should help reduce the cost and bulk of the Ordinary. The proposed abbreviations are:

& = and

2 = two

3 = three

4 = four

Arg = argent

Az = azure

Gu = gules

Purp = purpure

Sa = sable

Vt = vert

betw = between

bord = bordure

chev = chevron

chf = chief

ctrch = counterchanged

disp = displayed

embat = embattled

inv = inverted

ramp = rampant

salt = saltire

sin = sinister

Comments on these proposals should be sent to Laurel by December 1st, 1998.

Certified mail.

I cannot accept certified mail at home. If you need to send me anything that requires a signature, contact me privately, and I will send you my work address.

Send roster changes, additions, subtractions, subscriptions to the LoAR and address changes in a separate letter, not in the body of a LoI or LoC to: Mistress Sionyn Muirgen ní Dhomnall, Pelican Queen of Arms, Jackie Watkins, 3532 Winding Wind Cove, Bartlett, TN, 38135-3044. Please make all checks or money orders payable to "SCA Inc. - College of Arms". The cost is currently $25.00 a year.

Also, remember all administrative issues (requests for warrants, quarterly reports, etc.) need to be sent to Pelican.

And remember to be a principal herald or a submissions herald, you must pass a test on the administrative handbook, in advance of receiving your approval from our office. This test is obtained from Pelican.

Miscellany:

Until next month, pray believe that I am, and remain,

Your faithful servant,

Jaelle of Armida

Laurel Queen of Arms