Unto Olwynn Laurel; Aryanhwy Pelican; Istvan Wreath; and the commenting Members of the College of Arms,

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

The Atenveldt College of Heralds requests the consideration and registration of the following names and armory with the College of Arms.

Please note: Unless specifically stated, the submitter will accept any spelling and grammar corrections; all assistance is appreciated.

1. Ainaiyra al-Rashna: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Purpure, on a chevron argent three mullets of eight points azure.

Ainaiyra is a feminine Old Persian name found in "Avesta: Zoroastrian Archives" ( http://www.avesta.org/znames.htm ).

[Ideally, the client would like to have the given name Inara, which she has found only on modern name sites (said to mean "ray of light," http://www.behindthename.com/submit/view.php?name=inara). We have been unable to document it as a period Arabic name and ask for the assistance from the College in possibly finding a period source for this very much preferred choice of name. She will entertain any name that comes close to the pronunciation of Inara. She is aware (as am I now aware) that Inara is a character in the Firefly/Serenity series.]

Rashna is a masculine Parsi name, referring to "Justice; name of an angel; name of the 18th day of the month"; it is found in the same source as Ainaiyra.

"Period Arabic Names and Naming Practices," Da'ud ibn Auda ( http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/arabic-naming2.htm ) uses as an example of a laqab, a combination of words into a byname or epithet of some admirable quality the person had (or would like to have) al-Rashid, "the Rightly-guided." Rashid also appears as a masculine 'ism (personal name) in that paper. We are speculating that perhaps Persian might be closely enough related to Arabic that a similar construction could be made such that the name might reflect "Ainaiyra the Just." If this is not the case, the client is willing to accept Rashna as a patronymic/nasab, as Ainaiyra bint Rashna, or something that is more correct in construction.

2. Ascelin àlainn inghean Ailill: NEW BADGE

(Fieldless) Two dragons segreant addorsed, tails pendant and entwined argent.

The name appears in the 30 August 2008 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

The badge uses elements from her device, also appearing on that Letter of Intent, Per fess azure and argent, a dragon segreant counterchanged. I'm unsure whether it should be included in the blazon that the edges of the wings are in contact.

3. Christiane Dax: NEW BADGE

(Fieldless) A shakefork gules surmounted by a death's head sable.

The name was registered July 2007.

According to the Pictorial Dictionary, a skull missing its lower jaw can be blazoned as a "death's head".

4. Gepa of Sundragon: NEW BADGE

Sable, four billets fesswise two and two, a sinister canton Or.

The name was registered September 2006.

5. Jean Michel du Tonnay: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Azure, a hawk rising contourny Or sustaining a trident bendwise sinister argent.

The name is French. Jean and Michel are masculine given names, dated to 1588 and 1509 respectively in "Given Names from Brittany, 1384-1600," Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn ( http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/latebreton.html ). Dauzat cites Michel as both a given name and a patronymic, but with no dates (p. 433 s.n. Michel); there are several examples of Michel as an English/Norman surname in Reaney and Wilson, dating to 1219 and 1236 (3^rd edition, p. 311 s.n. Mitchel).

Elisabeth Laurel Emerita provides documentation for the locative Tonnay: Dauzat et Rostaing Dictionnaire etymologique de noms de lieux en France sub Tonnay-Boutonne shows Tonnay-Charente, with the spelling 'Taunay' dated to 1142.  Tonnay-Boutonne and Tonnay-Charente are stated to mean Tonnay, on the Boutonne and Charente respectively (these are both rivers.)

The client prefers "du Tonnay" to "de Tonnay." If he cannot have "du Tonnay" in his registered name, he would prefer to drop that part of the name completely and register "Jean Michel." (Both forms are clear of simple conflicts in the Armorial.) The client desires a masculine name and cares most about the spelling of the name. He desires a 16th C. French name.

6. Josep de Ackelane: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Argent, a chevron azure between three acorns slipped and leaved proper.

Josep is an English masculine given name, a spelling variation of Joseph; this form is dated to 1273 in Withycombe, 3^rd edition, pp. 180-1, s.n. Joseph.

de Ackelane is an English surname dated to 1275, with a William de Ackelane of Devonshire (Reaney and Wilson, 3rd edition, p. 2, s.n. Ackland, Acland. The Acland/Ackland names basically mean "from the land populated by oaks," which cants with the acorn sprigs, as desired by the client.

The client doesn't care about the gender of the name and is most interested in the meaning of the name. She will not accept Major changes to the name.

7. Marina de Medina: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Erminois, a demi-lion gules.

The name is Spanish. Marina is a feminine given name found in "Spanish Names from the Late 15th Century," Juliana de Luna

( http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/isabella/WomensGivenAlpha.html ).

de Medina is a Spanish locative name found in the same source ( http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/isabella/locative.html ).

The client desires a female name and is most interested in the language/culture of the name (Spanish/Spain). She will not accept Major or Minor changes to the name.

8. Mateo Dominguez: NEW DEVICE

Per pale sable and gules, a chevron between two griffins combatant and a Latin cross formy Or.

The name appears in the 30 August 2008 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

9. Melissa of Monster Hall: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Argent, a Gorgon's head cabossed proper crined with serpents vert and a bordure embattled sable.

Melissa is the client's legal given name; she has provided a copy of her Arizona driver's license for Laurel.

The household name the Monsters of Monster Hall was registered to Denis of the Titans January 1973. Count Denis has provided a letter of permission for Melissa to use "Monster Hall" as part of her SCA name. The one sticking point here is that while Melissa and her husband are members of this household, they are not legally related to Denis. Further correspondence with his Excellency (at his initiation) demonstrates that he has no problem at all with the client using a portion of the household name as an element of her registered SCA name. Considering that the client is not trying to register "Melissa of the Monster of Monster Hall," this may not be an issue at all.

"Monster," dated to 1567 and 1586 with this spelling, is found in the COED as an imaginary animal like a centaur or sphinx or an heraldic dragon or griffin, that, outside of heraldic jurisdiction, also suggests great size and ferocity.

"Hall," as a place of residence, is dated to 1596 with this spelling in the COED. "A Brief, Incomplete, and Rather Stopgap Article about European Household and Other Group Names Before 1600," Sharon L. Krossa ( http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/ ) demonstrates the use of "hall" in reference to a residence in 1430, as Stanewey halle ( http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/englandmanors.shtml ), albeit with a geographical designator.

The client desires a female name. She will not accept Major or Minor changes to the name.

10. Richard Attekirck the Rabbit: NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per bend sinister gules and azure, a rabbit courant and two swords in saltire argent.

The name is English. Richard is a masculine given name found in "An Index to the 1296 Lay Subsidy Rolls for Rutland, England," Karen Larsdatter ( http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/Rutland/given-masc-alpha.htm ). Attekirck is an English locative byname dated to 1301 (Reaney and Wilson, 3^rd edition, p. 266, s.n. Kirk). the Rabbit is a nickname having been given to him for his feistiness in battle (yes, indeed, "killer rabbit") that "stuck," and he would like to include it as part of his name, if possible. Period spellings of rabbit, according to the COED, tend to lean toward rabet, although the client would prefer just plain old rabbit.

11. Rowland Tode: NEW NAME AND DEVICE

Argent, a chevron azure between two wooden wagon wheels proper and a frog vert.

The name is English. Rowland is a masculine given name, and this spelling is dated to 1529 in Withycombe, 3^rd edition, p. 256, s.n. Roland. This is supported by S. Gabriel reports 2294 ( http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2294.txt ) and 2637 ( http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2637.txt ).

Tode is an English surname. This spelling, and the alternatives Todd and Todde are placed in a range 1547-1685; Thomas Tode is cited in a date range 1504-1515; Richard Tode is dated to 1530; and Abraham Tode is dated to 1547. All of these are found in the catalog of Then National Archives of the UK ( www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ); the information was accessed in an advanced search for "Tode" with the date range 1300-1500. The client will not accept Major changes to the name.

According to the Pictorial Dictionary, a frog's default posture is tergiant as it is seen here.

12. Rowland Tode: NEW HOUSEHOLD NAME, Rowland Tode Haule

The name is English. Rowland is a masculine given name, and this spelling is dated to 1529 in Withycombe, 3^rd edition, p. 256, s.n. Roland. This is supported by S. Gabriel reports 2294 ( http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2294.txt ) and 2637 ( http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2637.txt ).

Tode is an English surname. This spelling, and the alternatives Todd and Todde are placed in a range 1547-1685; Thomas Tode is cited in a date range 1504-1515; Richard Tode is dated to 1530; and Abraham Tode is dated to 1547. All of these are found in the catalogue of Then National Archives of the UK ( www.nationalarchives.gov.uk ); the information was accessed in an advanced search for "Tode" with the date range 1300-1500.

Haule is a variant spelling of hall, a large private residence or a manorial hall. The COED dates an example of this particular spelling to 1606. The Middle English Dictionary from the University of Michigan ( http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/med/ ) shows the spelling of haule c. 1500, and reference to a large public chamber within a residence, mansion or palace as haulle c. 1440 and haule c. 1450 ( http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/m/mec/med-idx?type=proxquote&q1=hall&operator1=Near&amt1=40&q2=haulle&operator2=Near&amt2=40&q3=&size=First+100 )

"A Brief, Incomplete, and Rather Stopgap Article about European Household and Other Group Names Before 1600," Sharon L. Krossa ( http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/ ) demonstrates the use of an individual's full name, not just a surname, as a designator for his house, sir Henry Percy house, c. 1475 ( http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/englandhouse.shtml ).

This article also demonstrates the use of "hall" in reference to a residence in 1430, as Stanewey halle ( http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/englandmanors.shtml ), albeit with a geographical designator.

The client desires to use his full name in the household name, to avoid conflict with the already-registered Toad Hall. He is also adamant about using a spelling of Hall that includes the -u- in it, hence documentation for the alternative spellings haule and haulle.

13. Seán an Gleanna: DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, April 2008

Argent, three martlets gules, on a chief sable a claymore bendwise sinister inverted proper.

The name was registered April 2008.

The original submission was returned for mismatched emblazons on OSCAR vs. submission forms (on one, the martlets had feet; on the other, they were missing feet). That has been corrected, and the martlets have been rendered without feet, as is most typically the case in period armory.

I was assisted in the preparation of this letter by Helena de Argentoune.

This letter contains 7 new names, 1 new household name, 8 new devices, 3 new badges, and 1 device resubmission. This is a total of 20 items, 19 of them new. A check to cover fees will be sent separately.

Thank you again for your great indulgence and patience, your expertise and your willingness to share it.

I remain,

Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy

c/o Linda Miku

2527 East 3rd Street; Tucson AZ 85716

atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com

brickbat@nexiliscom.com

Commonly-Cited References

Black, George F. The Surnames of Scotland.

Medieval Names Archive. http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/

Ó Corráin, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire. Irish Names.

Reaney, P.H. and R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames, 2^nd Edition, 1976, reprinted 1979.

Withycombe, E.G., The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 3rd Edition. London, Oxford University Press, 1977.