Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms
For the June 2018 meetings, printed August 22, 2018
To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Juliana Laurel, Alys Pelican, and Cormac Wreath, greetings.
Given the number of Greek names that have been submitted lately, I was asked to discuss one of the best sources for such names, the Lexicon of Greek Personal Names (LGPN). The LGPN is an index of all known ancient Greek names used by humans up to approximately the 6th century C.E. The LGPN uses the Greek alphabet. For heralds and submitters unfamiliar with the Greek alphabet, Wikipedia's table of Ancient Greek Romanization systems is helpful (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanization_of_Greek#Ancient_Greek). SCA names must be registered in transliteration rather than in Ancient Greek characters. The College of Arms has allowed names using both the "Classical" and the "ALA-LC" transliteration schemes.
The LPGN project has produced printed volumes covering different regions of the ancient world (http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/publications/), as well as an online database. The statistics for each volume include lists of the most popular male given names and feminine given names from each region. The LGPB website also contains a general discussion of classical Greek naming structure (http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/names/).
There are two ways to search the LGPN's online database. The new database search (found at http://clas-lgpn2.classics.ox.ac.uk/) retrieves information about individuals. To use this search, hit the "Keyboard" link to enter a name in the Greek alphabet, then hit "Show results" to produce a result of matching names. This search accepts the asterisk * as a wildcard: for example, the search MA* returns all people in the database with names beginning Ma- (Mu-alpha). Results from this search can be sorted in various ways, including by the date ("Floruit" column).
The old complex search (found at http://www.lgpn.ox.ac.uk/database/lgpn.php) is a quick way for an expert user to count the number of times a name is used. To use this search, select "contains" or "starts with", set the input of Greek option to "Symbol font" or "Beta code", enter a partial string of letters corresponding to the Greek letters you're interested in, set the display of Greek option to "Unicode", set the maximum answers to "As many as it takes", and hit Search. Display options other than Unicode may truncate names, so they should be avoided. Note that the old complex search does not include dates.
We thank Ursula Palimpsest for providing the information about this very useful resource.
A submission this month asked us to consider the registerability of the cross gurgity. A cross gurgity is a theoretical charge that has no attestion in period use. It was last discussed in the April 2011 LoAR in the device of Alfarr Utherson. Commentary was mixed, with several heralds expressing discomfort with the design as being visually similar to a fylfot. Ultimately, it was registered as a step from period practice.
SENA A7B4 states that "Armorial designs associated with political movements or events that may be offensive to a particular race, religion, or ethnic group will not be registered. Designs identical to those used by or suggestive of groups like the Nazis, the SS, the Ku-Klux Klan, or similar organizations may not be used." The submitter provided documentation of the use by the Nazi Party and modern white supremacists of curved fylfots similar to crosses gurgity. Informal polls of SCA members have shown that the concerns expressed by commenters in 2011 have not faded with time, and in fact have increased with the recent rise in white supremacist activity worldwide.
Given all of these factors, we feel confident that continued registration of this charge would be a detriment to the organization. We therefore rule a cross gurgity a variant of a fylfot, and thus unregisterable in all forms due to offense.
The January 2018 LoAR included a device that was pended for discussion and research on period European armorial uses of the motif of a roundel per fess embowed counter-embowed argent and sable charged in fess with two roundels counterchanged, known in SCA blazon as a t'ai-chi (also commonly known as a yin-yang symbol). It was found in that pend that "No evidence was presented and none could be found that a t'ai-chi was used in period Asian armory. As a non-European artistic motif, a t'ai-chi is unregisterable under SENA, which means that we must consider it under European armorial standards." Commenters were asked for "examples of the full motif in period European armorial contexts, evidence of embowed counter-embowed as a period complex field division, and discussion on roundels as armorial display."
Only one example of the motif was found, an entry from a 5th century Roman manuscript Notitia Dignitatum of over 400 pages, which had copies made in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the section that depicts some 120 unit insignia, one example is found of a shield divided per pale embowed counter-embowed Or (or vert) and azure, charged with two roundels in pale gules). This single pre-heraldic unit insignia is not sufficient to consider the entire motif as a charge, nor the use of embowed counter-embowed as an appropriate line of division for core heraldry purposes. Barring further documentation, the use of either will be grounds for return.
The January 2018 LoAR included a device that was pended for discussion and research on the depictions of France in presumptive arms. In the pend, the College of Arms was asked to find examples in period of Azure, [four/five] fleurs-de-lys Or being used to presume a relationship with France. The College, in turn, turned up depictions of some of the ancient Peers of France using Azure, semy-de-lys interchangeably with Azure, four fleurs-de-lys in their armory, most notably the Dukes of Langres, Reims, Laon, and the Count of Châlons. These Peers use the motif of the Royal Arms of France to show their ties to the Crown, in the same way that the Counts of Noyon and Toulouse, the Duke of Burgundy, and a strong majority of the French Peerage do. The interchangeability between semy and four fleurs for those ancient Peers who had a cross or saltire as their primary charge indicates that four fleurs is a recognized as a motif worthy of protection from presumption.
Also included in the discussion was an example in Sammelband Mehrer Wappenbucher of the arms for the "Roy de napels," or King of Naples/Anjou, Azure, five fleurs-de-lys two one and two Or, a label gules. This is a clear variant of the French arms, as the crest of this device and the arms of France (in this Roll of Arms Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or), are identical. As this is a variant of the French arms that is distinctly and clearly five fleurs-de-lys, five must be included in the number of fleurs-de-lys considered when reviewing armory for presumption.
To recap, the use of three or more fleurs-de-lys on an azure background in armory is considered presumptuous against the arms of France, and will be returned. We will make sure this is updated in the Glossary of Terms.
On June 30, at Blades & Bows Quattour, in the Canton of Brockore Abbey in the Kingdom of Atlantia, Their Majesties Dietrich and Una elevated Lucien de la Rochelle, former Pearl Herald, to the Order of the Pelican.
Please send information about happenings to major heralds and major happenings to all heralds to Laurel, so that it can be published here.
Letters of Intent, Comment, Response, Correction, et cetera are to be posted to the OSCAR online system. No paper copies need be sent. All submission forms plus documentation, including petitions, must be posted to the OSCAR online system. While black-and-white emblazons must be included in the Letter of Intent, only colored armory forms need to be posted in the forms area.
Cheques or money orders for submissions, payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms" are to be sent to Stephanie Ray-Solum, Blue Bug Bookkeeping, 2144 Westlake Ave. North Suite F, Seattle, WA 98109.
Send roster changes and corrections to Laurel. College of Arms members may also request a copy of the current roster from Laurel.
For a paper copy of a LoAR, please contact Laurel, at the address above. The cost for one LoAR is $3. Please make all checks or money orders payable to "SCA Inc.-College of Arms". The electronic copy of the LoAR is available free of charge. To subscribe to the mailings of the electronic copy, please see the bottom of http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/lists.html#lists for more instructions.
For all administrative matters, please contact Laurel.
Items listed below in square brackets have not been scheduled yet. For information about future scheduling, please review the status table located on the Web at http://oscar.sca.org/index.php?action=137.
The June Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, June 17, 2018 and KWHSS and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, June 3, 2018 and KWHSS. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Gleann Abhann (06 Mar, 2018), Ansteorra (09 Mar, 2018), Calontir (09 Mar, 2018), Æthelmearc (12 Mar, 2018), An Tir (18 Mar, 2018), Atlantia (23 Mar, 2018), Ealdormere (24 Mar, 2018), Lochac (24 Mar, 2018), Atenveldt (25 Mar, 2018), Middle (28 Mar, 2018), Caid (29 Mar, 2018), Laurel (29 Mar, 2018), Drachenwald (30 Mar, 2018), Outlands (30 Mar, 2018), West (30 Mar, 2018), Artemisia (31 Mar, 2018), Avacal (31 Mar, 2018), East (31 Mar, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (31 Mar, 2018), Meridies (31 Mar, 2018), and Northshield (31 Mar, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Thursday, May 31, 2018.
The July Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, July 22, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, July 15, 2018. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Calontir (08 Apr, 2018), Æthelmearc (11 Apr, 2018), An Tir (15 Apr, 2018), Caid (24 Apr, 2018), Ealdormere (24 Apr, 2018), West (24 Apr, 2018), Atenveldt (25 Apr, 2018), Avacal (25 Apr, 2018), Lochac (26 Apr, 2018), Artemisia (28 Apr, 2018), Atlantia (29 Apr, 2018), Ansteorra (30 Apr, 2018), Drachenwald (30 Apr, 2018), East (30 Apr, 2018), Gleann Abhann (30 Apr, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (30 Apr, 2018), Middle (30 Apr, 2018), Outlands (30 Apr, 2018), and Trimaris (30 Apr, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Saturday, June 30, 2018.
The August Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, August 19, 2018 and the Wreath meeting held on Sunday, August 12, 2018. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Meridies (02 May, 2018), Ansteorra (03 May, 2018), Calontir (04 May, 2018), Æthelmearc (20 May, 2018), Ealdormere (24 May, 2018), Lochac (25 May, 2018), West (28 May, 2018), Northshield (29 May, 2018), Avacal (30 May, 2018), Drachenwald (30 May, 2018), Laurel LoPaD (30 May, 2018), An Tir (31 May, 2018), Ansteorra (31 May, 2018), Artemisia (31 May, 2018), Atenveldt (31 May, 2018), Atlantia (31 May, 2018), Caid (31 May, 2018), East (31 May, 2018), Gleann Abhann (31 May, 2018), Meridies (31 May, 2018), Outlands (31 May, 2018), Trimaris (31 May, 2018). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should be entered into OSCAR by Tuesday, July 31, 2018.
Not all letters of intent may be considered when they are originally scheduled on this cover letter. The date of posting of the LoI, date of receipt of the Laurel packet, or other factors may delay consideration of certain letters of intent. Additionally, some letters of intent received may not have been scheduled because the administrative requirements (receipt of the forms packet, receipt of the necessary fees, et cetera) have not yet been met.
REMINDER: Until all administrative requirements are met, the letter may not be scheduled.
Pray know that I remain,
In service,
Juliana de Luna
Laurel Queen of Arms
Created at 2018-08-22T20:08:08