Society for Creative Anachronism
College of Arms

601 S Washington #137
Stillwater OK 74074
+1 405 428 3662
[email protected]

For the July 2022 meetings, printed September 7, 2022

To all the College of Arms and all others who may read this missive, from Emma Laurel, Elisabetta Pelican, and Oddr Wreath, greetings.

* From Laurel: Articles, the Website, and You

Many know that heraldry.sca.org is a great resource for many articles, but it's also not the easiest place to explore and find what you need. We do want to redesign, but in the meantime we wanted to make sure all were aware of a few tips:

Help us to help you!

* From Laurel: Alternate Titles in Scots and Middle English

Scots titles are being added to the List of Alternate Titles as proposed on Palimpsest's April 20th Rules Letter. Middle English titles are being added as proposed on Palimpsest's April 21st Rules Letter with some additional variants proposed in commentary. Additionally, the table currently labeled English will be updated to Early Modern English. The updated list will be available at http://heraldry.sca.org/titles.html within the next few days.

Commenters asked why only some spellings were being included in the table, not every variant that has been found. The primary reason is to keep the table to a manageable size. A note will be added to the table explaining that not all spelling variants are listed and that any documentable spelling variant is acceptable as an alternate title.

* From Laurel: A SENA Formatting Update

An update to SENA (http://heraldry.sca.org/sena.html) was released on August 27th that added links to all sections. If you right click the link icon, you will be able to copy the url for the specific section. Several people had asked for this feature. These links may be useful in commentary, but are not required.

Additionally, all of the section references were updated to consistently not use periods. For example, GP.3 was changed to GP3. This matches the way that SENA sections are referenced on Letters of Intent and in Letters of Acceptance and Returns. Finally, several internal links were fixed so they go to the section called out, not elsewhere in SENA.

* From Pelican: On the given name Kára

This month we considered the Old Norse feminine name Kára sterka. Commentary on this item raised the question of the evidence we have supporting the given name Kára. The submitter documented this element from "The Old Norse Name" by Geirr Bassi, which has been our gold standard for Old Norse names since it was published in the 1980s.

Since the publication of this work, scholarship has expanded and enhanced our understanding of Scandinavia during the SCA period. Re-examining the evidence we currently have for the feminine given name Kára yielded a surprising lack of women using this given name aside from a single legendary valkyrie, not only during the Viking Age but any time within the SCA period. We examined personal name elements as well as place name elements to see if evidence of a woman named Kára could be found, and we still could not find any. Sources we consulted included, but were not limited to: Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn frĺn Medeltiden (E.H. Lind, http://hdl.handle.net/2077/61239), Diplomatarium Danicum (https://diplomatarium.dk), Diplomatarium Fennicum (http://df.narc.fi/), Diplomatarium Norvegicum (https://www.dokpro.uio.no/dipl_norv/diplom_field_eng.html), Diplomatarium Suecanum (https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sdhk), and Norwegian Farm Names (Olaf Rygh, https://www.dokpro.uio.no/rygh_ng/rygh_form.html). We also considered evidence provided during the commentary period.

Therefore, after the August 2022 Letters of Intent, we will no longer register the feminine given name Kára in any Scandinavian language, including Old Norse. The feminine given name Kara remains registerable in English and German, where it is attested in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The spelling Cara is also attested in English and German, and this spelling is found in Spanish and Italian as well.

* From Pelican: Admin Handbook - Appendix H Update

On the June 2011 Cover Letter Pelican noted "Mills Dictionary of British Place-Names has replaced the earlier Dictionary of English Place-Names (the former is in print, the latter readily available as a used book)." However, the Admin Handbook still refers solely to Dictionary of English Place-Names, despite the fact that the link provided with that entry leads to Dictionary of British Place-Names. Either version of the book is acceptable; they should be referred to as either [Mills English] or [Mills British] as appropriate. Palimpsest has been directed to update Appendix H to reflect this.

* From Wreath: On Line Art

Recently we have been pondering the role of the line art in our submission process. While it does have a certain amount of utility to heralds and scribes both, that utility has largely been outside the realm of actual registration, and indeed at times it has been the cause of administrative returns due to blazonable differences between the line art and colored emblazon.

We are requesting further discussion of the current requirements for line art. This discussion will be on the next Letter of Pends and Discussion.

* From Palimpsest: SENA GP3 Error

A change that was proposed on the April 17, 2021 Rules Letter and that was intended to be accepted was missed when publishing the approved changes to SENA GP3 on the July 2021 Cover Letter. The sentence at the beginning of the second paragraph ("The center of the Society is medieval and Renaissance Europe.") should have been deleted and was not. This is being corrected and the update to SENA will be available at https://heraldry.sca.org/sena.html#GP3 approximately a week after the October Board of Directors meeting.

* Society Pages

On July 16th, at their Great Northeastern War, Their Eastern Majesties Ryouko'jin and Indrakshi elevated Donovan Shinnock, Golden Rapier Herald, to the Order of the Laurel.

On August 27th, at Tir Righ Investiture in the Kingdom of An Tir, Their Majesties Octamasades and Achaxe elevated Maminka Shevelykha the Bohemian to the Order of the Pelican. Maminka has served as Sinister Gauntlet Herald (submissions notifications) and is well-known for her scribal work.

Also on August 27th at this same event, Their Majesties Octamasades and Achaxe elevated Sigridis Gala Eiriksdottir, known as Gala, to the Order of the Pelican. Gala is a long-time scribe in the Kingdom of An Tir.

Finally, on August 27th at this same event, Their Highnesses of Tir Righ Saif and Alessandra entered the Tir Righ College of Heralds into the Order of the Cornucopia. This Principality-level award is given for donations of time, treasure, and service in the creation of items on behalf of the Coronet or Principality.

On August 27th, at Cattle Raids in the Kingdom of Calontir, Their Majesties Hirsch and Magdalena entered Alexandra Vazquez de Granada, known as Shandra, into the Order of the Calon Cross for her work with various Known World Heralds & Scribes Symposia, among other things. The Order of the Calon Cross is Calontir's grant-level service award.

Please send information about happenings to major heralds and major happenings to all heralds to Laurel, so that it can be published here.

* Send What to Whom

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 Trent Le Clair, 928 Frazier Dr, Walla Walla WA 99362

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.

* Scheduling

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 July Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, July 10, 2022 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, July 9, 2022. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Calontir (06 Apr, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (10 Apr, 2022), Gleann Abhann (11 Apr, 2022), Meridies (12 Apr, 2022), East (16 Apr, 2022), An Tir (17 Apr, 2022), Artemisia (19 Apr, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (20 Apr, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (21 Apr, 2022), Ćthelmearc (24 Apr, 2022), Ealdormere (24 Apr, 2022), Middle (25 Apr, 2022), Outlands (26 Apr, 2022), Avacal (27 Apr, 2022), Drachenwald (27 Apr, 2022), Lochac (27 Apr, 2022), Caid (29 Apr, 2022), Ansteorra (30 Apr, 2022), Atenveldt (30 Apr, 2022), Northshield (30 Apr, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (01 Jun, 2022) (redraws). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Thursday, June 30, 2022.

The August Laurel decisions were made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, August 21, 2022 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, August 13, 2022. These meetings considered the following letters of intent: Atlantia (04 May, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (07 May, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (10 May, 2022), An Tir (13 May, 2022), East (18 May, 2022), Ansteorra (22 May, 2022), Middle (23 May, 2022), West (23 May, 2022), Ealdormere (24 May, 2022), Lochac (26 May, 2022), Caid (27 May, 2022), Outlands (28 May, 2022), Atenveldt (30 May, 2022), Avacal (30 May, 2022), Atlantia (31 May, 2022), Northshield (31 May, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (10 Jul, 2022) (redraws). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Sunday, July 31, 2022.

The September Laurel decisions will be made at the Pelican meeting held on Sunday, September 11, 2022 and the Wreath meeting held on Saturday, September 10, 2022. These meetings will consider the following letters of intent: Meridies (01 Jun, 2022), Laurel LoPaD (02 Jun, 2022), Meridies (02 Jun, 2022), Calontir (03 Jun, 2022), Gleann Abhann (07 Jun, 2022), An Tir (14 Jun, 2022), Middle (19 Jun, 2022), Ansteorra (23 Jun, 2022), Ealdormere (24 Jun, 2022), East (24 Jun, 2022), Lochac (26 Jun, 2022), Outlands (27 Jun, 2022), Meridies (28 Jun, 2022), Artemisia (29 Jun, 2022), Atlantia (29 Jun, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (29 Jun, 2022), Ćthelmearc (30 Jun, 2022), Atenveldt (30 Jun, 2022), Avacal (30 Jun, 2022), Caid (30 Jun, 2022), Drachenwald (30 Jun, 2022), Northshield (30 Jun, 2022), Northshield Other Letter (30 Jun, 2022), Palimpsest Rules Letter (30 Jun, 2022). All commentary, responses, and rebuttals should have been entered into OSCAR by Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

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,

Emma de Fetherstan
Laurel Queen of Arms


Created at 2022-09-07T20:13:36