Unto Their Royal Majesties Phelan and Elzbieta; the Honourable Lord Seamus McDaid, 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 February 2007 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 for names and armory: brickbat@nexiliscom.com. Please have comments or questions to me concerning this Letter by 15 March 2007.

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.

Heraldry Hut : The next meeting is Friday, 16 March, beginning at 7:30 PM.

Recent Actions by the College of Arms: the final actions on those submissions appearing in the July 2006 Atenveldt Letter of Intent and finally considered by the S.C.A. College of Arms at its November 2006 meetings appear at the end of this report.

Please consider the following submissions for the MARCH 2007 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

The majority of submissions for the March LoI will come from submissions accepted at Estrella War XXIII. You can find those submissions and comment upon them on the Letter of Presentation dated 21 February 2007. Please have your comments on those submissions to me by 5 March 2007. Please have your comments on the following submissions to me by 15 March 2007. Thanks!

Avelyn of Oakgrove (Brymstone): NEW DEVICE

Per pale gules and azure, a triskelion of three serpents within an annulet argent.

The name was registered December 2004.

I think something needs to be included in the blazon about the fact that the serpents are biting the next one’s neck, but I can’t come up with an elegant description.

Caitilín inghean Diarmada (Brymstone): NEW NAME, DEVICE and BADGE

(device) Argent, an escallop shell inverted gules and on chief sable three roundels argent.

(badge) (Fieldless) An escallop shell inverted gules.

The name is Early Modern Irish Gaelic. Caitilín is a feminine given name found in “Index of Names in Irish Annals,” Mari Elspeth nic Bryan ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/ ), dated from 1411 to 1592. Diarmada is the genitive form of Diarmaid, a masculine given name dated widely from 1202 to 1585 in the same source. The client desires a feminine name and is most interested in the language/culture of the name (16^th C. Irish Gaelic).

Fearghus Reamhar mac Mhaoil Domaich mhic Thoirhealdaich (Brymstone): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per bend gules and azure, on a bend argent three lions’ heads erased palewise azure.

The name is Scots Gaelic. Fearghus is found in Black s.n. Fergus and was a common masculine name throughout SCA period. mac Mahoil Domaich is a patronymic based on the masculine name Maol Domhnaich, found in “Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Men,” Sharon Krossa, http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/gaelicgiven/ . Toirdhealbhach is a masculine name found in the same source; mhic marks it as the second element in a two-generation patronymic, and the name has been lenited. Reamhar is a descriptive byname meaning “the stout” and is found in “Quick and East Gaelic Names,” Sharon Krossa, http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/ . The client desires a masculine name (and a really, really long one), and is most interested in the language/culture of the name (16^th C. Scots Gaelic).

Valbrandr Skjaldrsson (Brymstone): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per chevron inverted sable and vert, in pale a feather fesswise and a sword, in base two stags, all Or.

The name is Old Norse. Valbrandr is a masculine given name found in Geirr Bassi Haraldsson’s The Old Norse Name and in “Viking Names found in the Landnámabók,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael, http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/norse/landnamabok.html . Skjaldr is stated to be a masculine given name found at the website www.vikinganswerlady.com . However, I find Skjald- as a protheme (in the name Skjaldbjörn) and the masculine given name Skjöldr; neither are *quite* Skjaldr, and I don’t know if it can stand alone as a masculine name. Assuming that it can, this seems to be the correct way to form the patronymic ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/norse/sg-viking.html ). The client desires a masculine name and will not accept major or minor changes to the name.

The following appear in the FEBRUARY 2007 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

This month’s commentary is provided by Helena de Argentoune [HdA], Knute Hvitabjörn [KH], and Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy [MMM].

Alysandir Velzian (Tir Ysgithr): NEW DEVICE: Per fess vert and sable, three swords in pile inverted, tips crossed, proper.

[Consider] Deaton Claymore, badge: Vert, two claymores in saltire surmounted by a third inverted proper. Possible RfS X.5 conflict (Visual Test. - If the tinctures, shapes, or arrangement of the charges in a submission create an overwhelming visual resemblance to a piece of protected armory, the submission may be held to conflict even if sufficient theoretical difference can be counted between them.) [KH]

Hard to say if there will be a CD between “in pile” and “a sheaf of swords.” It would seem to be a minor positional change from “tips crossed” to “crossed in the middle,” but maybe it’s visually more distinct than I am currently thinking: Triangular form vs. the X-shape with an extra vertical bar.

[Consider] Seward Olafson: Ermine, three swords inverted in pile gules. [HdA] There’s one for the field and one for the tincture of the swords, which makes this clear even before we start wading into orientation waters. [MMM]

Arenvald the Wanderer (Mons Tonitrus): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per bend raguly azure and vert, in sinister chief an eagle’s head erased argent.

Oh, yeah! Butch up the bend! It’s a diminutive at the moment and looks too much like a modern lightning bolt. Also, the “rags” on the bend are currently going in opposite directions. Don’t they all face the same upwards or downwards direction in a “proper” raguly? I’m not sure how to blazon this half-up and half-downward depiction. (Is there such a thing as “raguly counter-raguly” as there is for “embattled counter-embattled” vs. “bretessed.”) [HdA] I haven’t the foggiest idea. I think because of the simplicity of the design, I’d rather send this up and see if the College believes this is a period depiction of raguly, or if there is a more accurate blazon for the line of division. [MMM]

The erasing needs to be bolder. Clear. Redraw. [KH]

Further consultation with the client reveals that he desires a raguly line of division and he’s just as happy with a field division as an ordinary with the complex line. This rendered some of our concerns moot. [MMM]

Arkina Rshtuni (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Argent, goutty de sang, a penguin statant affronty head to dexter sable bellied argent, and a bar gemel enhanced purpure.

Possibly there are too many gouttes (looks like there’s about 30), but it may be fine “as is.” Could it be blazoned as a “penguin proper sable marked argent?” Prolly doesn't matter too much really as there are other penguins in the O&A blazoned as "sable bellied argent." [HdA]

(Alternate blazon): Argent gouty de sang, in pale on a fess purpure a fess argent and a penguin proper.

The goutes should be fewer and larger. Since no parts of goutes show between the purpure stripes although they are cut off by the fess, the white there can't be considered part of the field.

[...a scarp enhanced]... we do not register overly enhanced ordinaries, barring evidence of their use in period, as they are inherantly unbalanced. [Lachlann Wick of Brindle Myre, 11/99, R-Caid] Precedents - Elsbeth, under BEND and BEND SINISTER This fess is too far enhanced to be registerable. Return for non-period style. [KH] I did a quick sketch for the client and neglected to have bits of gouts between the bar gemel. I’ve redrawn the design to show those gouts and to reduced the overall number. I’m concerned about the enhancement (and pretty much kicking myself for suggesting this), but this seems to be the only anomaly in the design, and I’d prefer to send it on in deference to the client. [MMM]

Atenveldt, Barony of: NAME RESUBMISSION from Kingdom , November 2006, for the Order of the Palm Frond of the Barony of Atenveldt

The branch name was registered January 1981.

The Order name follows guidelines seen in Project Ordensnamen, by Meradudd Cethin ( http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/order/ ), basing a name on Things, i.e. tangible items (e.g., Oak). Palm has been used several times in Order and household names as a noun (Order of the Palm of the Barony of Atenveldt, Order of the Argent Palm of Trimaris). Here, it is a descriptor for Frond. Unfortunately, the term frond appears to come into the English language in the 1700's with the advent of Linnaean taxonomy (Compact Oxford English Dictionary). This would probably avoid conflict it the Order name were that of the Palm Leaf. (The term leaf goes back to the 9^th C. A.D.) While the Barony is willing to accept the Order of the Palm Leaf of the Barony of Atenveldt as the Order name, I’d rather send this up with its original name and see what the College of Arms has to say about it. If registered, the Order name is to be associated with the badge submitted by the Barony of Atenveldt which appears in the 17 November 2006 Atenveldt Letter of Intent, Gules, two palm trees couped, trunks crossed in saltire, proper and in chief palm frond fesswise vert.

Aziza al-Labu’a bint Ibrahim ibn Rashid al-Rahhala and Chaninai al-Zarqa' bint Ibrahim ibn Rashid (Tir Ysgithr): NEW JOINT BADGE

Per fess wavy argent and sable, a pair of human footprints counterchanged.

Cailin Mac Kinnach (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME

Ciar ingen Eogain (Windale): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, October 2006: Per fess embattled argent and vert, a bee sable and a rose argent.

The name was registered October 2006.

The original submission, Per fess embattled argent and vert, a bee Or marked sable and a rose argent., was returned for violating the contrast requirements of RfS VIII.2. The bee is considered metallic as it is primarily Or (in fact, about three-quarters). The client is happy with making the bee entirely sable.

Deborah Inis Glas (Sundragon): NEW AUGMENTATION OF ARMS: Vert, a camelopard statant contourny Or spotted sable a bordure Or and as an augmentation on a canton azure, a sun in his glory issuant from base Or, within a bordure argent.

The name and device were registered July 1997. The augmentation (Fieldless) On a canton azure, a sun in his glory issuant from base Or, within a bordure argent., was registered to the Kingdom of Atenveldt 1979. The accolade itself was presented to the lady by TRM Aaron and Alessandra 6 May 2006.

Elena Stavraki (Mons Tonitrus): NEW NAME

Jacquelin Jallier (Granholme): NEW NAME

Livia Alexandra Severa (Atenveldt): DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, October 2006: Gyronny gules and ermine, a cobra erect tail nowed vert.

The name was registered October 2006.

The client’s original device submission, Gyronny gules and ermine, a cobra coiled and erect affronty, head to dexter, vert., was returned for unidentifiability. We have redrawn the cobra in a more identifiable style for a serpent. The blazon is borrowed from the armory of Darius Aurelius, registered May 2004, (Fieldless) A snake erect tail nowed per fess gules and sable.

Uther the Dark and Christopher FitzArthur of Walland Marsh (Atenveldt Highlands): NEW BADGE: Per fess sable mullety Or and gules, a winged stag segreant argent.

Put this on the square badge form. There will be more room to avoid the appearance of an arch. Clear. [KH]

Why wouldn’t having an arch of mullets be okay? It’s certainly beautiful like this. Does the client not want the arch? Is using an arch of mullets non-period style? There are several modern flags and a couple of personal devices listed in the O&A that have an arch of mullets on them. The flag of China, for example, “Gules, in canton a mullet within to sinister an arch of four mullets points to centre Or,” and the flag of Venezuela, “Per fess Or and gules, on a fess azure an arch of seven mullets and in canton the state arms (…),” amongst others. [HdA]

[in chevron five compass stars elongated palewise] To quote Clarion: "It is standard SCA and mundane practice to put charges 'in <ordinary>.'" Thus, this does not fall afoul of the ban against charges in arch, nor that forbidding constellations. [Johann von Sternberg, 09/00, A-Ansteorra]

and

It has been ruled that an arch of charges is not period heraldic style. The ruling was originally for an arch of stars : "Stars surrounding only part of a charge is fantasy art." [BoE, 28 Sept 84] It has since been extended to any charges "in arch". (Michaela de Romeny, October, 1992, pg. 30)

Further consultation with the clients show them willing to use six mullets in chevron. This is a little problematic, in that an odd number of charges will result in making a top “point” to the arrangement, but the re-emblazon aligns the mullets along two straight lines, not an arch. This will be reblazoned as Per fess sable and gules, a winged stag segreant argent and in chief six mullets in chevron Or. [MMM]

The following are returned by the Atenveldt College of Heralds for further work, February 2007:

Elena Stavraki: NEW DEVICE: Or, an ankh and a chief enarched azure.

The chief is pretty much non-existent in the drawing. While pretty, it violates period style rather neatly. According to the cross-conflict table located here http://heralds.artemisia.sca.org/articles/crosstable.html , there is a CD between an ankh and a Celtic cross and a substantial difference by X.2 for an ankh vs. a cross Moline. [HdA]

[Alternate blazon] Or chape ploye, an ankh azure. The ploye is a bit extreme. Clear. [KH]

I don’t agree with the reblazon; my lord husband Symond Bayard le Gris’s device is Azure, a candle and candlestick argent enflamed proper, between a dexter point ploye, a sinister point ployé, and a base argent., and the points are convex, rather than being concave, as is the case here. This might be a path worth following, however, using chape of some nature to blazon the stuff in chief. [MMM]

RETURNED for redrwaing/redesign.

The following were registered by the SCA College of Arms, November 2006:

Æthelflæda Boscher. Name and device. Per fess sable and checky azure and argent, in chief an hourglass fesswise per fess argent and Or framed argent.

This name combines Latinized Old English and Middle English; this is one step from period practice. As the byname is a Middle English occupational term derived from Old French, this combination of name forms is highly unlikely. We would expect a fully Middle English form instead. If the submitter is interested in such a form, we suggest Alfleda Boscher. Selten, Anglo-Saxon Heritage in Middle English Personal Names vol II, p 11, dates Alfleda to 1258.

Áine inghean Chuinn. Name and device. Per pale argent and Or, a mullet purpure charged with a triquetra per pale Or and argent, a chief doubly arched purpure.

Submitted as Áine MacQuinn, the submitter requested an authentic feminine Irish name. For an authentic Irish name, we would expect the name to be in an all Irish Gaelic form. Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames, s.n. Mac Cuinn, gives Mac Cuinn as an modern Irish Gaelic form of MacQuinn. The Annals of the Four Masters notes a Tuathal mac I Neill .i. mac Airt mic Cuinn and a Conn mac Cuinn in 1531. The expected feminine form of this patronymic is inghean Chuinn; we have changed the name to Áine inghean Chuinn to fulfill her request for authenticity.

Alrick von Baeker. Reblazon of device. Or, a Continental panther passant bendwise azure incensed gules.

Registered July 1974 with the blazon Or, a panther passant bendwise azure, the panther is a Continental panther, not an English panther. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion on the difference between English, Continental, and natural panthers.

Bjorn Krom Hakenberg. Device. Vert, on a bend sinister cotised argent between a sheaf of tulips slipped and a sheaf of arrows inverted Or, a demi-bear affronty palewise, paws outstretched, sable.

Bronwyn Banadruidh. Reblazon of device. Argent, an ounce sejant erect pean, incensed gules.

Registered January 1980 with the blazon Argent, a panther sejant erect pean, armed and issuing flames from the mouth and ears gules, orbed azure, the cat lack the spots of a heraldic panther. Please see the Cover Letter for a discussion on the difference between English, Continental, and natural panthers.

Elena Glamorgan. Reblazon of device. Per pale argent and vert, a natural panther and a bear passant respectant counterchanged and on a chief azure three cinquefoils argent.

Registered August 2004 with the blazon Per pale argent and vert, a natural panther passant contourny and a bear passant counterchanged and on a chief azure three cinquefoils argent, there was some question as to whether the primary charges were in pale or in fess. The blazon has been changed to make it clearer that they are in fess, which is the default for two charges on a per pale field.

Gwenllyan verch Wilkin. Name.

Nice 16th C Welsh name!

Ilona von Neunhoff. Device. Gules, a hop vine palewise Or, fructed argent, a bordure compony azure, semy of towers argent, and Or.

Juan Alonso de la Vega. Device. Per bend sinister argent and sable, an anchor and a tankard counterchanged.

The LoI stated: It seems that in the evolution of anchors, "...Curved arms began to replace straight arms in anchors early in the 19th century...", according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online ( http://www.britannica.com/ ), under Anchor. The large amount of curvature of the anchor's arms is a post period innovation. Period anchors had much straighter arms. The client will be informed of this. While the Encyclopedia Britannica might be correct regarding anchors as used in navies, anchors as used in heraldry frequently had curved arms. See de Bara's Blason des Armoiries (dated 1581), p.64, for a nicely drawn example.

Juan Alonso de la Vega. Badge. (Fieldless) On a tankard argent within and conjoined to an annulet an anchor sable.

Katerina O'Callaghan. Device change. Or, a fox's head contourny erased ducally crowned within a bordure embattled gules.

The submitter is a duchess and thus entitled to display a ducal coronet. Her previous device, Or, a fox's head contourny erased within a bordure embattled gules, is released.

Katerina O'Callaghan. Augmentation. Or, a fox's head contourny erased ducally crowned within a bordure embattled gules and for augmentation on a canton azure, a sun in his glory issuant from base Or, within a bordure argent.

The submitter is a duchess and thus entitled to display a ducal coronet. She received an augmentation of arms in May 2006.

Leonia le Deye. Name.

Submitted as Leonia_Dey, the submitter requested an authentic name; since the given name is dated to the 13th C and the 13th C le Deye is cited as support for the byname, we assume this is for 13th C English. The earliest example of the spelling dey we were able to find is the 1492 citation found in the Oxford English Dictionary. So, while this spelling is certainly registerable, it is not a form we would expect in the 13th C. All earlier spellings we have found starting with dey- have a terminal -e. Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames, s.n. Dey, shows the byname as le Deye in 1277. We have changed the name to Leonia le Deye to meeting the submitter's request for an authentic 13th C name.

Linnett Marie de Ryes. Badge. (Fieldless) An acorn winged Or.

Mathghamhain MacAlpine. Device change. Purpure, between the tips of a vol bendwise sinister argent a ducal coronet bendwise sinister Or, in chief three hearts sable fimbriated argent.

The submitter is a duke and thus entitled to display a ducal coronet. His previous device, Purpure, a pair of wings conjoined bendwise argent, in chief three hearts in fess sable, fimbriated argent, is released.

The following were returned by the SCA College of Arms for further work, November 2006: None!

Thank you again for your involvement in armory on behalf of the populace of the Kingdom of Atenveldt.

Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy

c/o Linda Miku

2527 East 3^rd Street

Tucson AZ 85716

brickbat@nexiliscom.com

atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com