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ATENVELDT COLLEGE OF HERALDS 25 March 2009, A.S. XLIII
LETTER OF PRESENTATION Kingdom of Atenveldt


Unto Their Royal Majesties Walrick and Cecelia; Duchess Elzbieta Rurikovskaia, Aten Principal Herald; the Heralds in the Atenveldt College of Heralds; and to All Whom These Presents Come,

Greetings from Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy, Parhelium Herald!



This is the March 2009 Atenveldt Letter of Presentation. It precedes the external Letter of Intent that will contain the following submissions that are presented here, asking questions of submitters and local heralds who have worked with them; if these questions are not addressed, the submission may be returned by the Atenveldt College of Heralds. I accept online commentary, in addition to questions pertaining to heraldry and consultation. Please have commentary to me concerning submissions consider for the April Letter of Intent by 10 April 2009. (There are a LOT fewer than last month!)


Submissions Website: You can send electronic commentary on the most recent internal LoIs through the site, in addition to any questions you might have. Current submission forms (the ONLY forms that can be used) can be found on the site. Please let your local populace know about the site, too: atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com.


Recent Actions by the College of Arms: the results of the Laurel meetings from December 2008 (covering Atenveldt submissions found in the August 2008 Letter of Intent) are posted at the end of this report.


Please consider the following submissions for the April 2009 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:


Bernard d'Acre (Sundragon): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Gyronny sable and gules, an escutcheon Or charged with a tower vert.

The name is French. Bernard is a masculine given name found in “An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris,” Colm Dubh ( http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/paris.html#B ). d'Acre, "of Acre," is a locative surname found in "French Names from Two Thirteenth Century Chronicles," Arval Benicoeur (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/crusades/ ). The client is interested in a name for a 13th C. Frank born in the Holy Land, specifically Acre/Akko, a city in northern Palestine. He desires a male name and is most interested in the language/culture of the name. He will not accept Major Changes.


Fiona inghean Mheg Uidhir (Mons Tonitrus): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, September 2008

Vert, a cow statant and in chief an arrow fesswise reversed enfiled of three annulets Or.

The name was registered September 2008.

The original submission, Or, on a bend vert between a cow statant gules and a sheaf of arrows inverted sable three annulets Or., was returned for conflict. “With three types of charges on the field, this design cannot be considered 'simple armory' for purposes of RfS X.4.j.ii. Therefore, it is a conflict with the device of Edolina del Fylde, Or, on a bend vert three acorns palewise Or, with a single CD for addition of the secondary charges and nothing for the change to only the type of the tertiary charges.” It has been somewhat redesigned.


Gavine Kerr (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per bend wavy sable and Or, two wolves' heads erased contourny counterchanged.

Gavine is a masculine given name dated to 1509 in “Early 16th Century Scottish Lowland Names,” Sharon L. Krossa ( http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/ ). Kerr is dated to 1357 in Black's The Surnames of Scotland, pp. 394-9 s.n. Ker, Kerr. The client desires a male name and is most interested in the language/culture of the name (Scots). He will not accept Major Changes to the name.


Gawayn Langknyfe (Barony of Atenveldt): NEW DEVICE

Per bend sinister sable and gules, a minotaur betweeen in bend two battle-axes, all per bend Or and argent.

The name was registered October 2006.

I love this guy! (The scariest thing about this submission (and Ysabel's below) is that the consulting herald is Aryanhwy merch Catmael. Small world...) I might tend to draw him with the head raised a little so that the distinctive horns are clear of the shoulders/body and stand out against the dark field.


Johannes Cunctator (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per chevron throughout gules and Or, two arrows inverted in chevron Or and a roundel per fess embowed counterembowed argent and sable.

The name is Latin, “John the Delayer.” Johannes is found in Withycombe, 3rd edition, pp. 178-9 s.n. John. The most famous person to bear the descriptive byname is Qunitus Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator (ca. 280-203 BC); his strategic tactics of delay were used during the Second Punic War, which earned him the accolade as an agnomen. (Johannes, on the other hand, just puts things off.) The client desires a male name and is most interested in the meaning of the name.

I think I'd be a little “happier” with the device were the line of division dropped so that the arrows could be drawn larger and be not so overwhelmed by the roundel, since they are co-primary charges.


Kateryn de Grey of Arwik (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME

The name is English. Kateryn is a feminine name dated to 1456 in “Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames: Katharine,” Talan Gwynek ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Katharine ). de Gray is an English surname dated to 1196 in Reaney and Wilson, 3rd edition, s.n. Gray, Grey, le Grey. Anwik is a Scottish town on the eastern coast of Scotland and south of Edinborough, found on a 1558-1566 Map of Scotland ( http://www.nls.uk/maps/Scotland/detail.cfm?id=126 , National Library of Scotland map collection). The client desires a female name and is most interested in the sound of the name. She will not accept major changes.


Phelan Ó Coileáin (Barony of Atenveldt): NEW BADGE

Sable, a Templar cross gules within a Templar cross argent.

The name was registered August 2000.

I'd blazon this as Sable, an <X> cross gules fimbriated argent. (this is just how fimbriation should be rendered, and although this is a rather complex cross, I feel that this is still a simple enough design to fimbriate). While blazoned by the client as a “Templar cross,” it is more accurately blazoned as a cross alisée, according to the Pictorial Dictionary, or as a croix pattée alésée arrondie, according to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_patt%C3%A9e ). The Templars apparently used or had attributed to them, a number of cross styles: Thomas de Revele's device submission in the November 2008 LoI shows three crosses that we blazoned as “Templar crosses,” for lack of a better term.


Sankt Vladimir, College of (Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff): NEW BADGE

(Fieldless) A spear sable surmounted by an open book argent, winged gules, inscribed with the words “Ex obscuro, Lux; E studio Dementia” sable.

The name was registered October 2001.

The badge uses elements of the College's registered arms, Argent, an angel argent winged and garbed gules crined and cuirassed sable, maintaining in its dexter hand a spear bendwise and in its sinister hand an open book argent, in chief a laurel wreath gules.


Sara Blackthorne (Atenveldt): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, December 2008

Argent, on a heart gules a key fesswise reversed wards to base argent and in chief a staff fesswise entwined by a thorn vine sable.

The name was registered December 2008.

The previous submission, Argent, on a heart gules a key fesswise reversed wards to base Or and in chief a staff fesswise sable entwined by a vine vert thorned sable., was returned for an excessive complexity count of nine. The client has eliminated two of the tinctures, reducing the count to seven. Her husband, William Griffin Blackthorne, also has on his registered device a thorn vine, Gules, a griffin's head contourny couped on a chief argent a staff entwined with a leafless vine thorned sable. (note that his staff and vine combination is also all one tincture, sable).


Ysabel de Rouen (Barony of Atenveldt): NEW DEVICE

Per pale argent and sable, a cauldron and in chief two fleur-de-lys counterchanged., on a base azure a needle fesswise reversed argent.

The name was registered September 2006.

I've fiddled with the submitted blazon, which described the cauldron “atop” the base. I'm fairly sure that this isn't permitted (but if there's a Precedent for or against, it's better than just making off-the-cuff thoughts like that).


The following submissions appear in the February 2009 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:


Angus ulbh MacLeod: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per pale sable and Or, a valknut between three mullets of eight points counterchanged.

The name is English and Scots Gaelic. It avoids conflict with Aonghus MacLeoid, registered August 1988, with the addition of the byname, ulbh.

Angus is a masculine given name, the Anglicized form used in Scotland from the Irish Gaelic Óengus (pp. 148-9, Ó Corráin and Maguire, Irish Names).

This spelling of MacLeod is dated to 1227 in Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, 3rd edition, p. 292 s.n. MacLeod via Black.

Ulbh is found in An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language, Alexander MacBain, Gairm Publications, Glasgow, 1982, http://www.ceantar.org/Dicts/MB2/index.html. It comes from the Norse ulfr, “wolf,” but is defined by McBain somewhat less than the literal animal and more as a person with a bestial, rough personality, “you brute! (Sutherland); from Norse ulfr, wolf.”. The byname is Scots Gaelic, which is likely one step from period practice, mixing it with the Englished elements of the name.

The client desires a male name. He is most interested in the sound and language/culture of the name (none specified). He wishes the name authentic for “Scottish”. He will not accept Major changes to the name (although at the Kingdom level, he was very open to suggestions resolving the original conflict with Aonghus MacLeoid).

The original submission, using compass stars instead of mullets of eight points, was returned because while SCA-compatible charges can be used, only one such charge can be used in a piece of armory, as the use is one step from period practice; the use of both valknuts and compass stars uses two such charges and would be a reason for return. (See RfS 7.6.a. Compatible Charges - Charges that have not been documented to period may be ruled SCA-compatible; the use of an SCA-compatible charge is a step from period practice., for more information.)

It was also returned for redrawing: if the client desired to use a valknut, the standard depiction in SCA armory is three voided triangles interlaced, rather than the more “solid” form seen on his original submission. The use of a valknut, an SCA-compatible charge, is one step from period practice. The client and I have been working together on the resubmission, and he is happy with this redesign.


Dubhchobhlaigh inghean Eoin uí Ealaighthe (Ered Sul): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, May 2008.

Vert, a fleece and in base two filled drop spindles argent.


Einarr atgørvimaðr (Twin Moons): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, January 1999

Per chevron purpure and argent, three Thor's hammers in fess argent and a bear rampant sable.


Raffaelle de Mallorca (Twin Moons): TWO NEW BADGES

(Fieldless) A belt in annulo purpure.

(Fieldless) A belt in annulo vert.

The name was registered June 1995.


Thomas Cyriak Bonaventure (Granholme): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, July 2008

Gules, two chevronels between a mullet of eight points and a cannon mounted in a ship's carriage, a bordure Or.

The name was registered March 2008.

The previous submission, Gules, a chevron between a mullet of eight points and a cannon mounted in a ship's carriage, a bordure Or., was returned for conflict with the device of Frae Fitzalleyne, Gules, issuant from a chevron, a demi-dragon rampant, in base a cinquefoil, all within a bordure, all Or. “There is a single CD for changing the type of secondary charges. Even though Frae's dragon is issuant from the chevron, it is still a secondary charge. No difference is granted for the fact that it is conjoined to the chevron while Thomas's mullet is not. Nor is there a CD for changing the number of secondary charges. The cannon in its carriage is considered a single charge, thus both devices have only two secondary charges.” The redesign has cleared the conflict by changing the number of primary charges, providing a second CD.

The following submissions appear in the February 2009 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:


NOTE: Not all submissions appearing in the Estrella 2009 Letter of Presentation appear here; a few were held over until next month for further research. The outcome of those submissions will appear in the April 2009 Letter of Presentation.


This month's commentary is provided by Helena de Argentoune [HdA], Katherine Throckmorton [KT], Kedivor Tal mab Cadwgan [KtmC], Maridonna Benvenuti [MB], Rohese de Dinan, Red Hawk Herald, Calontir [RdD].


Æsa Hauksdóttir (Twin Moons): NAME RESUBMISSION from Laurel 10/03; NEW DEVICE: Gyronny gules and ermine, a hawk striking Or.

Nice Name! [KT]

Irmínsul Ættír Nafnasafnið, by Haukur Þorgeirsson has Æsa (Æsu) f - Of the Æsir. -- http://www.irminsul.org/arc/012ht.html

Question -- does "of the Æsir" mean "one of the Æsir"?  If so, this may be presumptious, since the Æsir were Norse gods. [RdD] Given that this name appears in Aryanhwy's work, and the original return doesn't mention this potential presumption, I'm thinking that this is an acceptable name. [MMM]

Rohese mentioned a number of very close calls, many of them with birds volant. I suspect some of these will require the registered armories to be pulled for comparison, but I think that any of them that are actually volant should have 1 CD for posture, as a true volant has the wings on either side of a bird's body, not addorsed in any way (more like displayed). Of course, this all might be wishful thinking on my part! [MMM]


Æsa Ǫngull (Windale): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per pale gules and argent, a melusine and in chief three escallops inverted counterchanged.

As far as I know, Norse bynames were not formed by using the father's unmodified given name, so the name should be Ǫngulsdóttir. Unfortunately, adding the element -dottir is a major change, which the submitter does not allow. [KT]


Ailis O'Mathghamhain (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend sinister vert and azure, a beehive and three butterflies Or.

Since the given name is Gaelic, it would be much better to use the fully Gaelic inghean Uí Mathghamhna. [KT, RdD] With the anglicized form of the name, I'd expect to see the given name spelled 'Alis' in the English way. That said, Anglicized Irish/Gaelic combinations are registerable. [KT]

Ailis (spelled as Ailís) is indeed dated to 1285 in Mari's article as an Early Modern Irish Gaelic feminine name, http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/Feminine/Alis.shtml . This matched the EMIG masculine name used as a patryonymic. [MMM]


Ailis inghean Ui O'Nuallain (Mons Tonitrus): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Azure, a winged unicorn segreant azure and a base engrailed gules.

I believe the blazon is wrong, based on the device's picture it should be Argent, a winged unicorn segreant azure and a base engrailed gules. Otherwise this would be color on color and thus not acceptable. [KtmC] You are correct; the field should be argent. [MMM]

The given name is also found in "Index of Names in Irish Annals" by Mari nic Brian dated to 1285 with this spelling, I don't know the rules well enough to be sure, but it looks like the byname is intended to use the genitive of Niallan, which is dated to the 9th century in the same source. [KT]

Could this be an attempt at a matronymic using Nuala?  In any case, it should not have both ui and O' as these are equivalent.  I don't believe there are any clan names using a woman as the eponymous ancester. Ailis inghean ui Neill would be a fine similar name if she is open to changes. [RdD]

The client provided additional documentation (yay!). Ó Nualláin is a header found in Woulfe, p. 627, in “16th & 17th Century Anglicized Irish Surnames from Woulfe,” Mari Elspeth nic Bryan ( http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/Woulfe/SortedByAnglicizedSpelling_O8.shtml ). Anglicized forms of the name are O Nolane and O Nowlane. I think there are too many “O”s here, and the name is more correct as Ailís inghean Uí Nualláin. [MMM]


Ainder ingen Demmáin (Tir Ysgithr): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, 4/08: Per fess sable and azure, a recorder bendwise sinister Or and three crescents argent.

Recorder should be longer, extending almost to the corners of the chief. [HdA] She has consistently drawn the recorder in this orientation, and it hasn't been an issue (so far!); it is a little 'petite,' I'll admit. [MMM]


Akita Saki (Ered Sul): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per pale argent and sable, two cats sejant respectant counterchanged.

Is it possible to get copies of "Name Construction in Medieval Japan"? I'd like to rebuild my library of references. (Long story). [KtmC] I don't know if it's available in its entirety online, but you should be able to order it from The Outlaw Press (Potboiler Press, 1999 [Box 30171, Columbia, MO 65205). [MMM]

I don't have access to Solveig's work, so could not check the given name.  I verified Akita from  An Online Japanese Miscellany: Japanese Names, by Edward Effingham -- found in the table: Some surnames of families active prior to 1600.  -- http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/miscellany/names.html [RdD]


Alexander Sparhauk (Twin Moons): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Sable, in pall four triskeles argent.

Nice Name! [KT]

Withycombe also dates Alexander to 1316, which puts both elements in the early 14th century. [RdD]


Alexsander der Dachs (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per chevron azure and vert, an open book Or between three compass roses argent.

The citation from Bahlow is actually "the mayor, Alexsander, Brsl. 1229."  Bahlow does give "Dachs" but not "der Dachs".  Dachs is undated.

 Brechenmacher, s.n. Dachs, has: ÜN. 1322 Conr. Dahs zu Augsburg: ZhVSch. V, 46 -- 1392 Konr. D., gräfl. Schreiber zu Stuttgart: WV (N.F.) XXV, 332 (hat im Wappen einen Dachskopf) -- 1414 Heinr. Tachs, Kirchherr zu Laufen (Zürich): REC. III Nr. 8396, u.v.a.

This would appear to support Dachs to 1392 and Tachs to 1414.  I could not find anywhere a form with "der". [RdD]


Alianora Sweetlove (Granite Mountain): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Purpure, a cup and in dexter chief a wand bendwise Or.

What's the reason for the wand's orientation? Does placing it in the corner run into issues of augmentation? [KtmC] The client just wants this orientation of the charges (think Wiccan). I don't consider this in the realm of augmentations, as most augmentations (at least the ones that are designed to look like augmentations to one's armory) usually incorporate a charged canton, and in this kingdom, a sun of some sort. [MMM]

Nice Name! [KT]

The actual citation for 1279 of the surname is SweteloveSweetlove is the header form. [RdD]

Consider Jacquetta Edington of Yorkshire: Purpure, a goblet and in chief three roses Or.; 1 CD present for number of secondaries +1 1 CD for type of secondaries = 2 CDS à Clear. [HdA]


Anders the Fox (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Gules ermined argent, a fox courant argent winged Or.

Withycombe does indeed have the form Anders, but in the section on foreign language variants of Andrew. A search of Saint Gabriel reveals many wacky and wonderful English variants of Andrew, but Anders doesn't seem to be one of them. Using the article 'the' in English doesn't seem to be as common as just using the name of the animal as a byname but should be registerable. That said, Andrew Fox would be a really excellent English name. [KT]

Some further searching appears to find And(h)ers as a masculine Swedish given name dated to 1378 in "Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn” (Swedish Medieval Names), http://www.sofi.se/servlet/GetDoc?meta_id=1801. Given that the combination of English and Old Norse name elements in a single name is a step from period practice, the combination of Swedish and English name elements is likely to be one as well. [MMM]

Hugo le Fox is the example in R & W, which should support a vernacular "the Fox". I also could not find Anders in Withycombe.  However, Bahlow has Anders von der Wede dated to 1372 in Silesia.  German and English is a weirdness. Alternately, a fully German version meaning the same would be Anders Fuchs.  Bahlow, s.n. Fuchs has Nikol. Vulpes de domo zem Fuchse dated to 1269.  Anders the Fox would then be a German name using the Lingua Anglica rule. [RdD]


Anselm Bacheler (Twin Moons): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per chevron azure and sable, two serpents nowed and a halberd Or.

If Bacheler means a young knight, should this be consider presumption? Otherwise I see no other problems with the submission. [KtmC]

I don't think that presumption should be a concern here. The OED defines a 'knight bachelor' as as being one who doesn't have his own arms or lands and is in the service of a knight who does, which in SCA terms is more like being a squire than a knight. Further, from the 14th century onward, according to the OED, 'bachelor' could refer to a junior member of a guild or other organization (as in a 'bachelor of arts'), so the byname need not refer to a junior knight, it could just as easily refer to a junior greengrocer. Finally, since the common modern English meaning of the word is 'an unmarried man', the name is unlikely to be evocative of rank. [KT]


Ári Ansson (Windale): NEW BADGE: Gules, scaly argent.

Nice armoury. I toyed with the idea of doing something similar with one of the furs. With the increase in the personal registrations I may re-consider it. [KTmC]


Baldric der Krieger and Joscelin de Lyons (Mons Tonitrus): NEW JOINT BADGE: (Fieldless) A phoenix sable issuant from flames purpure and argent, within and conjoined to a six-belled joscelyn wreathed gules and Or, belled purpure.

VERY busy badge.  But the client is aware of that and still loves it  and so I cannot fault her.

Consider Annys de Vernun of Kettering: (Fieldless) A torse wreathed Or and gules., for House de Vernun; 1 CD for fielded vs. fieldless + 1 CD for adding the phoenix + (possibly) another for adding the (possibly) maintained bells = at least 2 CDs à clear. [HdA]


Cain the Black (Granite Mountain): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Gyronny arrondy argent and sable, a monk's habit sable.

Edericke le Blacke is dated to 1275 in Reaney & Wilson, sn. Black. [RdD]

No conflicts found.  Checked under category “Clothing – gown” in Online O&A. Believe there to be a CD between a robe and a complete human figure, but checked anyway. If there is no CD between a robe and a human figure, this is still clear of the badge for the Outlands “Order of the Walker of the Way” with a CD for the field and a CD for the orientation of  the figure. (I believe the figure in the badge is in profile, but we may need to pull the original emblazon to be sure. The robe in the submission is affronty.”) If the staff in the registered badge  is considered to be co-primary, then there is also a CD due to removal of the staff. Outlands, Kingdom of the: Argent, a palmer, robed, hooded and bearing a staff sable. for the Order of the Walker of the Way

Clear of: Rhianwen o Enfys Disberod: Or, a palmer passant, robed, hooded, and bearing a staff sable, atop a cloudless natural rainbow issuant from base proper. With a CD for the field and a CD for removal of the rainbow regardless of whether or not there is a CD present for removal of the staff. There may also be a CD present for orientation of the figure, but we would need to see the emblazon of the registered device to be sure. [HdA] I know Rhiawen's armory very well; I think the orientations of the sole charges are clear. [MMM]


Cassandra Attewoode (Tir Ysgithr): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, November 2003: Azure, a rose barbed within a wreath of thorn per pale Or and argent.

The name was registered November 2003.

The original submission, Argent, a rose azure barbed within a wreath of thorns vert., was returned for conflict with Alyanora of Vinca, Argent, a periwinkle [Vinca minor] proper. “There is one CD for adding the wreath of thorns. Per the May 2000 LoAR, 'Periwinkles are bluish purple and by current precedent (see the September 1996 LoAR, pg. 17 ...) they are not significantly different from either blue or purple roses.'” This is a slight redesign.


Catylyn verch Morgant ap Llewellyn (Windale): NEW HOUSEHOLD NAME, House of Morgant, and NEW HOUSEHOLD BADGE: (Fieldless) Three drinking horns fretted in triangle argent.

“Period Welsh Models for SCA Households and the Nomenclature Thereof,” Heather Rose Jones ( http://www.heatherrosejones.com/welshhouseholdname/family.html ) demonstrates that a group of siblings, or even more distantly-related individuals, can be referred to as Plant X (X's children). Rather than the somewhat jarring House Morgant or House of Morgant, a fully Welsh “household” name that uses a father's full name X, or in some cases just the father's given name, as is the case here, as Plant Morgant. How about that? [MMM]

Household names... don't they have to follow the rule about period inn signs? (I don't have my copy of the rules handy), and how does the change in the name documentation requirements affect household names? The blazon of the horns works very well for me, by the way. [KtmC]

“Drinking horns” is probably as close to a blazononable description as we’re going to get with this type of charge. Here’s another blazon that might get us closer:  Mikhail the Varangian: Azure, three drinking horns interlaced in a triskelion, pierced by their own tips within a bordure argent. I like the “interlaced in triskelion” description. But “fretted in triangle” is also used: Finnbogi Úlfkelsson: Gyronny argent and vert, three drinking horns fretted in triangle sable. [HdA] Ragged Staff Herald graciously provided the emblazons for both of these armories, and it appears that either blazon might be usable for Catylyn's badge. The only difference between hers and the previously-registered ones is that hers has the ends/tips of the horns outward, while the other two have the mouths of the horns outward. [MMM]


Chadwick von Mangold (BoAtenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Vert, a fess embattled argent masoned sable between five mullets and another argent.

A fess embattled and masoned could probably be equally blazoned as a “wall throughout embattled.” [HdA]


Christiana of Shaftesbury (Crimson Citadel): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per pale gules and Or, a horse passant counterchanged.

Nice Name! [KT]

Heraldic simplicity! Sometimes less is more. [KtmC]

Comments: Love this armory!!!!! [HdA]


Conmáel Fiach (Twin Moons): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Vert, two angles intertwined and on a chief argent three ravens close sable.


David Ckarel (Mons Tonitrus): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Argent, a dragon's head cabossed azure.

I can't find anything like 'Ckarel' either in Bahlow, on S-Gabriel or even as modern surname. [KT]

The name is German. David is a masculine given name dated to 1356, 1425 and 1586 and found in “Medieval German Given Names from Silesia: Men's Names,” Talan Gwynek ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/bahlowMasc.html ). Ckarel is a German surname found in “German Names from Nürnberg, 1497: Surnames,” Sara L. Uckelman ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/german/surnamesnurn.html ). [MMM]

Consider Michael of Casteles Kepe: (Fieldless) A dragon's head erased azure.; 1 CD for adding the field + 1 CD orientation of the head = 2 CDs à Clear.

Hakon de Decker: Argent, a dragon's head couped contourny azure breathing flames gules, and a labrys azure.;1 CD for orientation of the head + 1 CD for removal of the labrys = 2 CDs à Clear.

Garlon Dragonheart ap Rheged: Argent, a dragon's head, couped and sinister facing, within a heart azure, voided argent.; 1 CD for orientation of the head + 1 CD for removing the heart = 2 CDs à Clear. [HdA]


Desiderata of the Osprey (Sundragon): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, July 2007: Per fess azure semy of seven-pointed mullets argent and vert, a fess sable fimbriated sable.

If the number of mullets – seven – is important to the submitter, we should blazon it explicitly.  While the number seven is not considered to be different from seme for purposes of conflict-checking, there is potentially quite a difference artistically. [HdA]


Diamant Richardes (Windale): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Vert, a wolf's head cabossed and in base three annulets interlaced in fess Or.

Talan Gwynek's "Feminine Given Names from a Dictionary of English Surnames" (which uses a few sources in additon to Reaney and Wilson) as a citation for 'Diamant' dated to 1327. The entry can be found at http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Diamanda . [KT] Bless you, Katherine! [MMM]


Dominic de la Mer (Twin Moons): NEW DEVICE: Argent, in saltire a peacock feather proper and a rose azure slipped and leaved vert, a bordure embattled purpure.

The embattlements should be drawn as high as they are wide. This is not a cause for return as they are plainly embattlements, but this is worthy of a not to the artist. I am uncertain that a rose in profile as this is  currently registerable.  Drawn in profile, this “rose” isn’t really identifiable AS a rose. It could as easily be a chrysanthemum or a daisy. Lack of identifiability IS a cause for return. Suggest this be returned so that the rose can be redrawn so that the blossom is affronty and therefore identifiable as a rose.[HdA]


Elizabet Alfinnsdottir (Windale): NEW HOUSEHOLD NAME House of Rigg's Rest and BADGE: (Fieldless) A raven migrant sable charged with a Thor's hammer Or.

The raven is “migrant to chief.” I would like to see the “arms” of the Thor’s hammer drawn wider to help with identifiability.  As drawn, this looks more than a little like a drill bit. [HdA]


Eoin the Steward (Atenveldt): NAME RESUBMISSION from Laurel, July 2007

The submitter might be interested in the Gaelic byname 'na Moar' which means 'of the Stewards'. If I read Mari's article correctly, it would have the same meaning, and would allow the name to be made wholly Gaelic. Alternately, 'the Steward' might be a reasonable translation of 'na Moar' allowing the byname to be lingua anglica, rather than English. 'na Moar' can be found in "Index to Names in Irish Annals' by Mari nic Bryan. The citation is here: http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/DescriptiveBynames/Topic.shtml#Occupations [KT]

Eoin is an Early Modern Irish Gaelic masculine given name, dating from 1246 through 1600 (“Index of Names in Irish Annals: Eoin,” Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/Eoin.shtml ) . [MMM]


Finn Mac Dubhdara (Atenveldt): NEW NAME


Geneviève Elphinstone (Twin Moons): NEW NAME


Giuliana Francesca Bellini (Sundragon): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per saltire vert and sable, on a saltire Or a fox courant regardant proper bearing in its mouth a torteau.

Despite the supremely beefy saltire, I LOVE this device!  The clearly maintained torteau doesn’t count towards difference. I’m afraid, however, that this may get returned for violating the rule of tincture as the argent  markings are in contact with the Or saltire.

“A fox proper in the SCA is "Red with black 'socks' and white at tip of tail"” [October 2002 LoAR]

Keep an eye on this submission from Meridies which may have the same issue: Gwendolen Elizabeth Stewart, Meridies 11/08 [HdA] Even thought the tail tip, belly and bib are argent, I'm sure that more than half of the fox's outline is sable or gules, which gives sufficient contrast with the Or saltire to make the beast easily identifiable. [MMM]


Gregory of Sherwood (Sundragon): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, July 2007: Per fess azure and vert, a single-arched bridge throughout argent masoned sable between three mullets of four points elongated to base and a goblet Or.

Consider Juneborg, Shire of: Per fess azure and vert, a wall with a portal argent between a sun and a laurel wreath Or. There are 2 CDs present for type and number of secondaries à Clear. [HdA]


Honour Grenehart (Tir Ysgithr): NEW ALTERNATE NAME, Umm Sit al-Jami' Ismat al-Mua'llima

Ismat is found undated in Ahmed (I'd point out that the lack of dates only means that a name cannot be said to be period, not that it is certainly modern). In the case of Ismat, the adjectival form of the name 'Ismati' is found in "Persian Feminine Names of the Safavid Period' by Aryanhwy merch Catamel and Ursula Georges http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ursula/persian.html
Further, as ismat means "honor, purity, chastity' in Arabic, it fits very well with the pattern found in the names in the Cairo Genzia of giving girls names based on desirable qualities (Hasab (noble); Jamila (beautiful); and Sa'ada (happiness) follow this pattern).
As for the 'Sitt al-Jami' portion of the name, it is quite clear that whole 'Sitt al-X' family of names were not literal titles, but rather figurative descriptions of hoped for qualities, putting us firmly into 'Regina the Laundress' territory, especially since in this case the name refers not to the submitter, but her daughter. [KT]


Helena de Argentoune (Twin Moons): NEW ALTERNATE NAME, Helena Handbasket

According to the OED, 'handbasket', meaning 'a basket to be carried in the hand', has been used since at least 1495, and the desired spelling can be dated to 1583. [KT]


Iuliana inghean Phadraig (Tir Ysgithr): NEW DEVICE: Per pale sable and vert, two unicorns rampant argent.

The name was registered July 2007.

Kudos to the submitter on her fine period style! Conflict with Owyn Greenwood: Quarterly vert and argent, two unicorns argent. There is no CD for arrangement because the unicorns are forced onto the vert in the registered device, this leaves the only countable CD as the one for the field. Suggest adding a demi-sun issuant from base argent to clear the conflict. [HdA]

Further consultation with the client has led to a slight redesign, Per pale sable and vert, three unicorns rampant one and two, argent. This is clear of Caitríona inghean Uí Mhórdha: Azure, three unicorns rampant argent., with 1 CD for the field and 1 CD for the orientation of the charges on the field. [MMM]


Jaida al-Zanjan (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME

The name is Arabic. Jaida is a feminine given name/'ism found in “Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices,” Da'ud ibn Auda (http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/names/arabic-naming2.htm ). al-Zandan, is a nisba, or a byname, that in this case demonstrates geographical origin, either by birth or by residence, “from Zanjan”; the Zanjan is a region in northwestern Iran that was once the seat of an active caravan trade (unimaps.com/placelist_mideast.html ). Sayf al-Qamar Tarik ibn Abdul suggests that the name might be more accurate as al-Zanjaniya(h), referring to the person as a woman from Zanjan.

The client desires a feminine name and is most interested in the sound of the name, particularly the given name as Jaida.

'al-Zanjan' would refer to the place itself. To make a feminine byname, it needs to be al-Zanjaniya. [KT]


James Macgregor (Ered Sul): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Counterermine, a saltire gules fimbriated surmounted by a lion rampant maintaining in both forepaws a flanged mace argent.

The name appears to be clear of conflict, nor could I find any 'real world' James MacGregors worth protecting. I'd note that the given name James can be found in 'Early 16th Century Scottish Lowland Names' by Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte
http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/menalpha.shtml
Making the name wholly Scots. Although this spelling of MacGregor isn't in Black, it has been registered many, many times. [KT]

Consider Gwyneth Fayrfax: Counter-ermine, a saltire azure fimbriated, overall an owl argent.;1 CD for tincture of the primary + 1 CD for change of type of overall charge = 2 CDs à Clear.

Brak of the Eagle's Eyrie: Sable, a saltire gules fimbriated and overall an eagle's sinister wing argent.; 1 CD for the field + 1 CD for changing the tyoe of the overall charge = 2 CDs à Clear.

Fitzgerald also Ireland: Argent, a saltire gules.; Important non-SCA arms; 1 CD for the field + 1 CD for adding the overall charge + nothing for the fimbriation = 2 CDs à Clear. [HdA]


Joscelin de Lyons (Mons Tonitrus): NEW DEVICE CHANGE: Per pall inverted purpure, Or ermined gules and sable, two lions rampant addorsed Or and purpure and a joscelyn wreather Or and gules, belled argent.

This device looks very busy to me, I counted at least 7 different points, charges, tinctures, field divisions and treatments. Other than being busy, if it works, than I don't see why we shouldn't forward it. [KtmC] The “rule of 8” only extends to tinctures and charge types, so I count five tinctures and three charge types (lions, ermine spots, joscelyn); it might've hit the theoretical limit, but the design is balanced. [MMM]

VERY busy device.  But the client is aware of that and still loves it  and so I cannot fault her. [HdA]


Juliana Ruadh MacLachlan (Tir Ysgithr): CHANGE OF HOLDING NAME, from Juliana of Carreg Wen


Laura O'Nolloghaine (Granite Mountain): NEW NAME

English and Anglicized Irish is registerable, albiet as a step from period practice. [KT]


Maeloc ap Morgant (Windale): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend azure and sable, a wolf rampant and in sinister chief a triskele argent.

Maeloc appears to be the name of a 6th century bishop, who lived most of his life in Spain. Some information about him can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mailoc. Whether this would represent the 6th Welsh spelling, the modern Welsh spelling or the hispanized spelling I do not know. I'm also not sure if its temporally compatible with Morgant. That said, the given name Maeloc has been registered once before, in May of 1990 when it was registered without commentary via Meridies. [KT]

Consider Agravaine Rhiwallon: Per bend sinister azure and sable, a wolf rampant argent maintaining between his paws a sun argent eclipsed sable, in chief three lozenges argent.; 2 CDs present for type and number of secondaries à Clear.

Consider Artusio Joscelinus: Per chevron purpure and sable, a wolf rampant contourny between three triskeles argent.; 1 CD for field + 1 CD for number of secondaries = 2 CDs à Clear. [HdA]


Marceau de Valcourt: NEW BADGE: Or, a bordure purpure semy-de-lys bases to center Or.

I agree the bordure needs to be smaller. I'd suggest about half the current size. [KtmC]

The bordure should be about one-third thinner. [HdA]


Marceau de Valcourt (Twin Moons): BADGE RESUBMISSION from Kingdom, December 2007: Sable, semy of dumbeks Or, two women vested statant respectant maintaining a brazier argent of flames proper, on a chief Or three cups purpure.

I'm not sure that cups are distinguishable from the doumbeks, but I think this is as good as its going to get, and likely a judgement call for Wreath. [KT]

This is the best version of this badge that I’ve seen yet.  Unfortunately, the dancers are dressed in modern belly dancer garb.  Generally-speaking, they need to be dressed in something that is documentable to pre-1600 in order to be registerable. The goblets also need to be drawn larger in order to be identifiable AS goblets. [HdA]


Maria Bernardina DeSilva (Ered Sul): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Argent, a raven rising to sinister sable and in sinister chief a dragonfly inverted bendwise sinister vert.


Meadhbh ni Dhubhthaigh (Mons Tonitrus): NEW BADGE: Sable, in pale five goutes in chevron and a tankard Or, foamed proper.

There was a badge I handled when I was Twin Palms Pursuivant that was Sable a tankard argent (with yellow foam at the top. I do not recall the submittor's name or if the badge was ever registered. I'm concerned this could be a conflict. I believe the badge is used by House Too Much Fun in BofA, but I could be wrong. [KtmC]

I don’t think these charges are “in pale.”  The gouttes are clearly secondaries and  are plainly in chief. Suggested re-blazon as “Sable, a tankard Or foamed argent in chief five gouttes in chevron Or.” [HdA]


Michel von Kiel (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Sable, a double-bladed ax between a pair of stag's antlers, in chief three crosses formy argent.

I did not know that Michel was also a German name, I'll remember that. This device is sufficiently different from House Staghold (sable a sword in pale between a stag's attire argent). That of course assumes that Staghold did finally submit/register their device. [KtmC] It was returned for conflict. [MMM]


Mikael Thorson inn irski (Mons Tonitrus): NEW NAME


Morgan Donner (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Azure ermined argent, a thorn vine palewise argent.

The unique ermine spots make this look very modern in design. They look rather more like insects instead of ermine spots. I am uncertain of the identifiability of the charge in combination with the ermine spots. On a plain back ground, the vine would be more identifiable AS a vine. [HdA] Ermine spots can be of many designs. While this choice might not be the wisest in playing up the identifiability of the vine, this form does appear in the Pictorial Dictionary and is the client's desired form. This would probably look better/more recogniable were they drawn smaller. [MMM]


Naila al-`Aliyya (Granite Mountain): CHANGE OF HOLDING NAME, from Sabrina of Granite Mountain


Nakada Tadamitsu (Granite Mountain): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, August 2007: Argent, a billet gules masoned argent and a sinister gore sable.

I am uncertain that the masoning can share a tincture with the field and have the design remain registerable. I believe that it must have some contrast with the field. [HdA] I think that there's no reason for it not to...for a masoning to “work,” it has to have sufficient contrast with the charge it is masoning, and the charge itself must have adequate contrast with the field it lies upon (unless it's a fieldless badge, like a brickbat...) [MMM]


Neot Fisk (Ered Sul): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Azure, a horse courant and in dexter chief a crescent argent.


Owen Meadmaker (Twin Moons): NEW NAME


Postumus Octavius Gallus (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend Or and sable, a rooster contourny, sinister leg raised, gules.


Rhodri Longshanks (Sundragon): NEW BADGES

Counterermine, a double tressure bezanty Or.

Argent, a torteau charged with a bezant all within a double tressure crescenty azure.

I like the design of the badges, although I feel they are more like arms than badges. Still very nicely done. [KtmC]

(Bezants) Is the number of bezants important to the submitter? The double-tressure is NOT “bezanty.” Tthe bezants are surmounting the double-tressure instead of being drawn on the bars of the double-tressure. I believe the  actual  arrangement of the bezants is also important to the submittor. Suggested reblazon: “Counterermine, a double-tressure, surmounted by six bezants two, two and two.” [HdA]

(Torteau) Is the number of crescents  important to the submitter? The double-tressure is NOT “crescenty.” The crescents are surmount the double-tressure instead of being drawn on the bars of the double-tressure. I believe the  actual  arrangement of the crescents is also important to the submittor. Suggested reblazon: “Argent,a torteau charged with an ermine spot Or all within  a double-tressure, surmounted by six crescents bases to center two, two and two.” [HdA]


Rosamond de Lockesford (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Azure, three padlocks in bend argent and a ford.

The name is English. Rosamond is a feminine given name dated with this spelling to 1282 in “Feminine Given Names in
A Dictionary of English Surnames: Rosamund,” Talan Gwynek ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Rosamund ). de Lockesford is an English surname found in Reaney and Wilson, 3rd edition, s.n. Luxford; Isabella de Lockesford is dated to 1327. The client desires a female name and is more interested in the sound of the name.


Rüdiger Seraphim (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend sinister vert and sable, in dexter chief a ram-horned boar's head erased argent.

POSSIBLE Conflict. Walter of Minstead: (Fieldless) A boar's head couped close argent.; 1 CD for the field + 1 CD for addition of horns = 2 CDs à Clear. If the addition of the horns is not considered to be significant, this is a conflict. Reversing the direction of the boar’s head would clear if so. [HdA]


Santiago Ramirez de Calatrava (Granholme): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Lozengy vert and Or, a panther rampant argent spotted of diverse tinctures, incensed azure and maintaining a cross fitchy elongated to base gules.

The panther does need mores spots. Also, since the blazon basically says the spots are variously colored, I assume it will look rather like the sprinkles on a cupcake? [KtmC] Yes, but the rainbow ones, not the little chocolate ones. [MMM]


Serle Xell (Atenveldt): NEW NAME


Sybilla of Beaumaris (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend sinister vert and argent, a pair of three annulets interlaced one and two counterchanged.


Tigernán Fian (Twin Moons): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Argent, a chevron ployé and in base a cross of Toulouse gules.


Þóra in kristna (Atenveldt): NEW DEVICE: Azure, a beehive surrounded by bees and on a chief Or three sunflowers azure.


Torren the Pathmaker (Iron Wood Loch): NEW NAME


Umm Yahya Sanaa al-Hindyah (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE:Purpure, an elephant statant and on a chief Or three hearts gules.


Victoria of the Vales of Barnsdale (Tir Ysgithr): NEW AUGMENTATION OF ARMS: Or, an insect-winged naked woman passant, wings chased, azure, and as an augmentation on a canton azure in pale a coronet and a sun in glory Or.

Does this depiction of the insect-winged woman match that of her original device? [HdA] Absolutely. Soon after, the CoA ruled that “winged” object could only be winged with eagle (feathery) or bat/dragon (leathery) wings, not insect wings of any kind (butterfly, moth, dragonfly, etc.). [MMM]


Wlfric de Passele (Twin Moons): NEW NAME


Yaska the Nomad (Tir Ysgithr) NEW NAME and DEVICE: Argent, a winged kraken gules.

I love this device!!! I would be wary of visual conflicts here. The kraken is complex enough in and of itself that it’s possible. Closest is:  Ariya Arkadova: Vairy Or and sable, a kraken gules. 1 CD for the field + 1 CD for adding the wings = 2 CDs à Clear. [HdA]


Yehoshua Ben Abraam (Twin Moons): NEW NAME


Ysabel DeVega: (Ered Sul) NEW NAME



The following submissions were registered by the S.C.A. College of Arms, December 2008:


Ascelina Alánn ingen Ailella. Name and device. Per fess azure and argent, a dragon counterchanged.

Submitted as Ascelin_ àlainn inghean Ailill_, the name had a number of small problems. First, Ascelin was documented as a masculine given name, which means it cannot be combined with a Gaelic byname using a form of inghean 'daughter'. The submitter noted that if Ascelin was not registerable she preferred the variant Ascelina. Ascelina is a Latinized form of the English name Asceline, and is dated to 1195, 1205, 1207, 1210, 1214, and 1228 in Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames." Second, the byname inghean Ailill violated RfS III.1.a. Linguistic Consistency by combining Early Modern Irish inghean with Middle Irish Ailill.. The latest example that we have of the masculine name Ailill is from 973, in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals." Additionally, following ingen the father's name needs to be in the genitive case, i.e., Ailella. This means that the appropriate byname meaning 'daughter of Ailill' is Middle Irish ingen Ailella. Third, the byname àlainn, meaning 'comely', was documented from McBain, An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language. This is a dictionary of modern Gaelic, and so it does not provide support for the use of this word as a medieval Gaelic byname. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", shows forms of this word used throughout the Old and Middle Irish eras; during this period, the appropriate spelling is Alánd or Alánn. Though we haven't found any examples of Alánn or Alánd used by women, it's not unreasonable to think that it might have been so used. We have changed the name to Ascelina Alánn ingen Ailella in order to register it.

The submitter requested authenticity for a person with a Scottish mother and an Irish father. An authentic name for a woman with Scottish and Irish Gaelic parents would be wholly Gaelic. As the submitted name combines Latinized English and Gaelic, it is not authentic. Because we do not have any Gaelic form of Ascelina, we cannot make the name authentic.

Cecilia Mowebray. Badge. (Fieldless) A mullet of four points per pale azure and argent.

This is in conflict with Eleanor Leonard, (Tinctureless) A mullet of four points distilling a goutte. As Cecilia's mullet is not a solid tincture, this is registerable with Eleanor's blanket permission to conflict. Please see the January 2002 Cover Letter for more details of this permission.

Cecilia Mowebray. Badge. (Fieldless) A swan's head erased contourny argent gorged of a torse vert.

Cian O Cuilin. Name.

Submitted as Cian O'Cuilin, the submitter requested an authentic Irish name. The byname O'Cuilin is not authentic and violates RfS III.1.a. Linguistic Consistency by combining English O' with Gaelic Cuilin in the same phrase. A wholly Gaelic form of the byname is Ó Cuilín, which is a header in Woulfe, Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames. Woulfe indicates that this byname was in use temp. Elizabeth I - James I. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", has an example of Cian in 1577. This means that Cian O Cuilin is an authentic 16th C Irish Gaelic name. We have changed the name to Cian O_Cuilin to meet his request for authenticity.

This was pended on the April 2008 LoAR.

Fáelán hua Fáeláin. Name change from holding name Daniel of Twin Moons.

Submitted as Fáelán O'Phelan, this combined an Old or Middle Irish given name with an Anglicized Irish byname. The submitter requested authenticity for Irish. A wholly Old or Middle Irish form of the name is Fáelán hua Fáeláin. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals", has examples of Fáelán throughout the Old and Middle Irish periods. Clan style bynames, using ua, first show up in Irish Gaelic around the 10th century. This means that Fáelán hua Fáeláin is an authentic name for the 10th-12th C. We have changed the name to Fáelán hua Fáeláin to meet his authenticity request. This was pended on the April 2008 LoAR.

Ascelina Alánn ingen Ailella Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Gyronny arrondy of six Or and sable, on each Or gyron a wyvern displayed gules.

Submitted under the name Eogan of the Breton March.

Kára inghean Dhuibhsith. Name and device. Per fess embattled sable and argent, a sword bendwise sinister inverted and a dragon sejant erect contourny counterchanged.

Submitted as Kára inghean Dhubhshith, the byname inghean Dhubhshith was documented from Black, The Surnames of Scotland, s.n. MacFee, where it is given as the Gaelic form of the Scots byname MacFee. However, precedent says:

Please note that when Black documents a name as simply "Gaelic", he means that it is modern Gaelic. Unless documentation is provided showing that these spellings are found in period, they are, in general, not registerable [Séamus MacDhùghaill, LoAR 10/2006, Outlands-R]. This means that the citation from Black by itself does not provide sufficient documentation to register the byname inghean Dhubhshith. Previous precedent addresses the information that Black provides s.n. MacFee:

Black (s.n. MacFee) also states that "The AFM. record Dubside (mod[ern] G[aelic] Dubhsidhe) as fer-leiginn or reader of Iona in 1164 [...]". In this case, Black seems to have misidentified his source. His notation of AFM indicates that this information came from "Annals of the kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters. Edited by John O'Donovan. Dublin, 1848-51. 7 v." (Black, p. lix). However, the rendering of O'Donovan's Annals of the Four Masters available at the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) website shows that the entries for 1164 (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005B/) do not list any person by this name. However, the "The Annals of Ulster", also at the CELT site (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001/), entry U1164.2, includes the text "in fer leiginn (.i., Dub Sidhe)", where Dub Sidhe is a man's given name. Later examples of forms of this byname show -th- forms rather than -dh- forms. For example, the "Annals of Loch Cé A.D.1014-1590" (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100010B/), entry LC1577.10, includes the name Ferdorcha mac Dhuibhsith. Therefore, we have changed this byname to mac Duib Sidhe, based on the example from the "Annals of Ulster", in order to retain the -sidh spelling which the submitter used consistently throughout his submission form. [Rumann mac Duib Sidhe, 02/2004, A-Atlantia]

Based on this information, we have changed the name to Kára inghean Dhuibhsith in order to register the name.

Malinda Angelanne Hohen van Kester. Badge. Per fess embattled azure and argent, a heart gules, in chief a strawberry leaf argent.

Strawberry leaves are a compound leaf with three lobes, exactly as depicted.

Mateo Dominguez. Name.

Nice 15th C Spanish name!

Sara Blackthorne. Name change from Sara Rebecka Chadburn (see RETURNS for device).

Her previous name, Sara Rebecka Chadburn, is retained as an alternate name.

Stefan Jäger von Ansbach. Name and device. Paly bendy sinister argent and azure, on a bend sinister wavy vert between two edelweiss blossoms Or three fish argent.

Submitted as Stefan der Jäger von Ansbach, the documented forms of the byname do not use the definite article der. In order to register it, we have changed the name to Stefan_Jäger von Ansbach to match the documentation.

Please instruct the submitter to draw a more prominent wavy.

Tabitha Whitewolf. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The byname Whitewolf was documented via the grandfather clause. The LoI noted that the submitter had permission from her legal father-in-law, Johnathan Crusadene Whitewolf, to use the element Whitewolf in her name under the grandfather clause. However, the letter of permission provided is not valid: It contains neither Tabitha's SCA name nor her legal name. At least one of these must be included for the letter of permission to be valid.

Members of Pelican's staff were able to provide alternate documentation for the byname Whitewolf. Margaret Makafee's "Inn, Shop, or House names found in imprints from the EEBO database, 1473-1600" contains a number of inn sign names following the pattern <color> + <wild animal>, including Black beare, Black oliphante, Golden hinde, Red lion, Whyte beare, and White hart. On the basis of these examples, White wolf is a plausible late-period English inn sign name. When used as a part of a byname, we would expect the two words to run together, i.e., Whitewolf, following the examples in Reaney & Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.nn. Graygoose, Whitebuck.

Vincenzo Antonio Maria Paci. Name and device. Argent, two rapiers in saltire sable surmounted by a rose purpure and on a chief azure five mullets argent.

Submitted as Vincenzo Antonio Maria Pace, as documented the name combined four given names with no byname. No examples of period Italian names using four given names were provided on the LoI or in commentary; lacking examples, this pattern is not registerable.

The easiest solution is to make the final given name a family name, by changing it to Paci, i.e., Vincenzo Antonio Maria Paci. This leaves the name with three given names, which is a rare but documentable practice in late-period Italy. Precedent says:

Three given names is registerable in Italian, but is a weirdness: While registerable, the use of three given names in Italian is not typical in period. To date, only one example has been found. The registration of Arianna Rosa Christina Veneziano (registered in February 1996) was supported by documentation that Catherine de' Medici was christened Caterina Maria Romola. This single example of three given names in Italian makes three give names registerable, though a weirdness. Catherine de' Medici was born in 1519, so the example we have for three given names is 16th century. [Novella Francesca Caterina Zancani, 02/2003 LoAR, A-Calontir]

More recently, Maridonna Benvenuti has found the following:

James Grubb's "Provincial Families of the Renaissance", John Hopkins Univ. Press, 1996 includes naming practices for the Veneto (modern name of the region). On page 42 he says, "Personal names remained unstable in the Quattrocento and beyond, and the individual might have changed names completely in the service of a spiritual or humanist ideal: one Vincetine of the Volpe family was know variously as Nicolo, Battista, and Enea. Even those who retained baptismal names might customize them. Giovanni Andrea Nicolo Arnaldi shed his first and third names; brother Giovanni Battista and chronicler Giovanni Battista Pagliarini dropped their first names; and many with compounds - Margarita Bona Arnaldi and her brother Silvestro Francesco - dropped the second."

Because we have more than one example of Italian names with three given names, we rule that this pattern is no longer a step from period practice.

Walrick de Blakeney. Badge. (Fieldless) A tower per pale sable and argent.

Walrick de Blakeney. Badge. (Fieldless) In pale a demi-sun Or issuant from a tower per pale sable and argent.

Walrick de Blakeney. Badge. (Fieldless) A mullet of four points per pale sable and argent.

This is in conflict with Eleanor Leonard, (Tinctureless) A mullet of four points distilling a goutte. As Walrick's mullet is not a solid tincture, this is registerable with Eleanor's blanket permission to conflict. Please see the January 2002 Cover Letter for more details of this permission.


The following submissions were returned by the College of Arms for further work, December 2008:


Eogan of the Breton March. Name.

Originally listed on the LoI as Eoghan of the Breton March, a timely correction was issued changing the name to Eogan of the Breton March. The byname of the Breton March was documented from "About Song of Roland" (http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/roland/about.html) which indicated that Roland was called "Lord of the Breton Marches" in Einhard's Vita Karoli Magni, written c. 830-833. However, this is not quite the case. Section 9 of Einhard's Vita calls Roland Hruodlandus Brittanici limitis praefectus 'Hruodland prefect of the territory of Brittany/the Bretons'. The translation of Brittanici limitis as 'of the Breton March' is, as far as we have been able to determine, modern. What is modernly referred to as the "Breton March" is an administrative region in Neustria, the western part of the Frankish kingdom. The administrative region was first created under the rule of the Merovingian dynasty in the late seventh or early eighth century. This is the march where Roland was prefect. The Carolingians recreated this administrative region in 861, and the area was united with the neighboring Norman region in 911. So far as we have been able to tell, the phrase Brittanici limes is an administrative label rather than a geographical name. If it is primarily an administrative term, then it is not appropriate for use in a locative byname. The distinction between an administrative label and a geographical name is, for example, the distinction between 'the county of York' and York or Yorkshire. A man who lived in the county of York would use the byname of York or of Yorkshire, not of the county of York. Similarly, someone who lived in the Brittanici limes would not be known as de Brittanici limite but rather de Brittania 'of Brittany' or Brittanicus 'the Breton'. We would change the name to Eogan de Brittania or Eogan Brittanicus, but the submitter does not allow major changes.

His device has been registered under the holding name Geoffrey of Atenveldt.

Galen MacKintoch. Device. Sable, a bend abased Or charged with a bendlet vert, in sinister chief a wing terminating in a hand sustaining a sword bendwise argent.

This is returned for using a motif not found in period heraldry. The original return of this device, in January 2008, said "If this is resubmitted with a bend abased, the submitter should be prepared to argue why a bend abased charged with a bendlet should be allowed." The submitter has failed to do so. The only statement to that effect on the LoI was a reference to a 2002 registration of the same motif being registered, and the statement that it was registered without comment. It has long been policy that prior registration is no guarantee of future registerability and that registrations without comment do not set precedent. Section III.B.1 of the Admin Handbook requires that "Once registered, an item shall be protected until written notice of release is received by the Laurel Office from the owner,", so we are unable to overturn registrations resulting from mistakes, but we are unwilling to be forced to continue making the same mistakes.

Commenters questioned whether the bend, sword, and wing are co-primary charges. If they are, this submission would be in violation of Section VIII.1.a, which says that "As another guideline, three or more types of charges should not be used in the same group." Since we are returning this submission for the above reason, it is not necessary to decide this issue at this time. Please instruct the submitter that any resubmission of this motif, with documentation for the bend abased, should be drawn so that the bend, wing, and sword are clearly not a single co-primary group.

Sara Blackthorne. Device. Argent, on a heart gules a key fesswise reversed wards to base Or and in chief a staff fesswise sable entwined by a vine vert thorned sable.

With five tinctures (argent, gules, Or, sable, vert) and four types of charge (heart, key, staff, vine), this design has a complexity count of nine, exceeding our limit of eight. We will register designs that exceed this limit only if they are good period style, which this design is not.

Sorcha Broussard. Name and device. Per fess azure and argent, on a fess Or between two escallops argent and a manta ray sable a rose gules.

The name is returned for administrative reasons. The documentation for the byname was inadequately summarized on the LoI; no information was provided about what the source said about Broussard. For further information on what constitutes a proper summary, please see the Cover Letter of this LoAR.

The device is returned for excessive complexity. The Letter of Intent noted that this device has a complexity of nine, which is beyond our rule of thumb limit of eight, except for designs which are considered to be good period style. Several commenters noted that the manta ray is New World fauna and its use is, therefore, a step from period practice. Precedent on manta rays says:

Blazoned on the LoI as a skate, the primary charge is instead a manta ray, which is distinguished by its two "horns". We have no explicit period citations for the manta ray, but it lives in waters frequented by the Spanish in period; we are giving it the benefit of the doubt here. If the submitters would prefer to resubmit with a genuine skate (as their order name would suggest), they could do no better than to copy the depiction of a skate in the Macclesfield Psalter, c.1330, as seen at http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/gallery/macclesfield/gallery.html. [Tir-y-Don, Barony of, 11/05, A-Atlantia]

More information was discovered during research for this submission: manta rays are surface fish known to exist in the Mediterranean, so they are not New World fauna, whose use is an automatic step from period practice. Unfortunately, there are still no period citations for the existence of manta rays, meaning that we would still be required to give the submitter benefit of the doubt in order to register this device. Since it would require this benefit it cannot be considered good period style, and so the device must be returned.

Tabitha Whitewolf. Device. Gules, a wolf rampant argent queue-forchy of lions tails between three four-leaved clovers Or.

The device is returned for a redraw. The items in the corner are not identifiable from any distance as clovers, violating Section VII..7.a of the Rules for Submission, which requires that "all items must be recognizable solely from their appearance."

Please inform the submitter that, on resubmission, we suggest that the wolf be drawn with lupine tails rather than leonine, to promote recognizability.


Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy

c/o Linda Miku

2527 East 3rd Street

Tucson AZ 85716

brickbat@nexiliscom.com

atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com





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