25 July 2004, A.S. XXXIX
Kingdom of Atenveldt

Unto Their Royal Majesties Cosmo Craven and Ismenia; Lord Seamus McDaid, Aten Principal Herald; the Heralds in the Atenveldt College of Heralds; and to All Whom These Presents Come,

Greetings of the New Year from Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy, Brickbat Herald!

This is the July 2004 internal Atenveldt Letter of Intent. It precedes the external LoI that will contain the following submissions, 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: brickbat@nexiliscom.com. Please have comments or questions to me, on any armorial matter, by 15 August 2004.

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: Once again, Lady Stephanie Krakowska from the Shire of Iron Wood Loch was able to attend a Heraldry Hut meeting in July (very cool, aside from driving through a very hot desert). The next Heraldry Hut will be held on Friday, 20 August, beginning at 7:30 PM.

Consultation Tables, Etc.: WOW! Talk about all the heralds (particularly from the most occidental parts of our kingdom!) who traveled to the Tri-Baronial Collegium in the Barony of Atenveldt in July–Stephania (Iron Wood Loch), Isabella (Windale), and Oslaf (Burning Sands) were in attendance, and rumor has it Regan (Londinium) was lurking about, too. This was a very large event, with many and divers classes offered. The Consultation Table was set up in everyone’s way (ahem...), and it generated no little business. I’d like to thank Ástríðr Þórgeirsdóttir for slogging into the fray and working at the Table for the whole time it was open, in addition to Katherine Throckmorton (Brymstone), Oslaf and Stephania, who lent hands, heads, and strong backs in some cases when they weren’t off taking or teaching classes. I’d hate to think how swamped we would’ve been had we actively advertised the Table.

And just because the Collegium was such fun, we’re doing it again at Kingdom Arts, 7 August. If you can spend an hour or so consulting with the populace, filling out forms, drawing, coloring, or otherwise armorially schmoozing, feel free to drop by.

Just so you can brace yourself, there is likely to be an “interim” internal Letter of Intent, or a very early August one, with submissions to be commented upon, in the event that a Consultation Table at Kingdom Arts is well-attended.

Please consider the following submissions for the August 2004 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

Amalie zu dem Blumen (Sundragon): NEW DEVICE

Argent, a gurges azure and a carnation vert.

The name was registered December 2003.

According to the Pictorial Dictionary, the gurges is considered a charge rather than a field treatment, so this device has two co-primaries.

Aonghais Mercari (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE and BADGE

Per bend Or and vert, an eagle striking and a roundel counterchanged.

(fieldless) A sinister wing ending in a talon Or sustaining a scimitar argent.

Black shows the Scots Gaelic form of the given name as Aonghas or Aonghus and the Ir. Gaelic form as Aonghus (pp. 23-4 s.n. Angus), but this spelling has been registered by the CoA, as recently as October 2003. The byname is an occupational one, something that looks like the Latin term for “merchant”, mercator. I could see this as a formal recording of an individual in church records as his given name and his occupation, I don’t know if it would be seen in Irish or Scots records, or if Mercari is correct (could this be a plural form of mercator, a reference to a guild/assocation of merchants? would it be acceptable as a byname?).

Avelyn of the Oak Grove (Brymstone): NEW NAME

The name is English. Avelyn is a feminine given name dated to 1379, in “Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames: Avelina,” Talan Gwynek ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Avelina ). The byname is a locative patronymic (it was registered to Beatrice Elaine of the Oak Grove way back in 1988). It might be a bit more period to render it into something like atten Oke (1296) or atte Nokes (1332) (both found in Reaney and Wilson, 2^nd edition, s.n. Oak), but this should be acceptable. (The submitter initially desired an Irish Gaelic name with Aiblin as the given name; however, she prefers locatives to patronymics, and not only are those rare in Irish Gaelic, but she wasn’t able to determine a translation.)

Archibald of Argyll (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per bend sinister azure and sable, a caravel Or and three skeletons argent.

Archibald comes from the OE Ercanbald, and while common for some time in England, it retained its popularity as a masculine given name in Scotland (Withycombe, 3^rd edition, pp. 30-1). “Early 16th Century Scottish Lowland Names, Draft Edition,” Sharon L. Krossa ( http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/ ) demonstrates Archibalde as a 1503 spelling of the name, but the variant spelling Archibald should be reasonable. Argyll is a county in southwestern Scotland What concerns me most about the name is that there is a Harchbald, Earl of Argyll c. 1493 cited in Black, pp. 27-8, s.n. Archibald. I have a Bad Feeling that this name might be consider presumptuous.

Cecilia du Lac d’Argent (Brymstone): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Vert, on a bend sinister argent three unicorns passant palewise gules.

Cecilia is a feminine given name, the name of a virgin saint and considered the patron saint of music, and it is seen in this form in England in 1197-1219, 1273 and 1428; the French form is Cécile (Withycombe, 3^rd edition, pp. 60-1). Her name in the Canon of the Mass probably accounts for it being a popular name over several centuries. The byname is French, “of (the) White Lake”. There are great number of name registrations to French personae who are of the Lake, the Black Lake, the Crystal Lake, and the Blue Lake; this seems to be a reasonable coined locative. She will not accept major changes to the name.

Freydis in kyrri Alfarinsdottir (Brymstone): NEW NAME

The name is Old Norse. Freydis is a feminine given name found in Eiriks saga rauða c. late 1100's and in Grænlendinga saga (1382-1395) from the Viking Answer Lady’s website (www.vikinganswerlady.com ). The patronmyic Alfarrin is found in the same source as an ON masculine given name; the first element Alf- is identical with Old Danish as Alvar and in OWNorse as Álfarr, while the second element -arinn may either come from arinn, “hearth,” or more likely from arin-, related to örn, “eagle”. Alfarrin is also found in “Viking Names found in the Landnámabók,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/landnamabok.html ), with the terminal -n removed and -sdottir added to form the patronymic. in kyrri, “the gentle, quiet,” is found in “Viking Bynames found in the Landnámabók,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/vikbynames.html ). This is a very nice ON name.

Friedrick Schmitt (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and BADGE

(fieldless) Three bones interlaced argent.

The name is German. Friedrich is the masculine given name form of the Old German Frithuric (Withycombe, 3^rd edition, pp. 121-2); I haven’t been able to find a spelling like Friedrick, but it appears that the submitter would strongly prefer this spelling if it is possible. Schmitt appears to be a form of Shmidt (Bahlow, p. 453).

According to the Pictorial Dictionary, the standard heraldic bone is the human femur or a similar “long bone” (with the noticeable heads or knobs at the ends of the bone). I don’t know if it might be clearer in the blazon to add that the bones are interlaced as a triangle inverted.

Max Chance (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Sable, two mermaids respectant, tails crossed and each maintaining a rapier crossed in saltire, in chief five mullets Or.

Maximilian is found occasionally in England, but is more popular as a German masculine given name, often as Max (Withycombe, 3^rd edition, p. 215); no dates are given for the occurrence of the name, and the submitter would prefer Max to Maximilian if that is a period diminutive. Both forms have been registered (as recently as 2003), but there are so few “Max”es that this might be a case of legal name use. Chance is an England surname, dated earliest in 1209 and 1310 (Reaney and Wilson, 2^nd edition, p. 90). English-German names are considered a weirdness by the CoA but are still registerable.

Stefania Krakowska (Iron Wood Loch): NEW BADGE

(fieldless) A triskelion of arms proper vested papellony sable and argent, each hand maintaining a wooden recorder proper.

The name was registered June 2002. This badge is to be held jointly with Rathfled du Noir (name registered December 1992).

Vallawulf Rurikson (Brymstone): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Azure, two scarpes between two wolves passant argent.

Argh on the name! The submitter originally used Valorwolf, something that I didn’t think had a chance of registration. Somewhere along the way, we cobbled together this, and for the life of me, I cannot find notes on my cobbling efforts. “Irmínsul Ættír Nafnasafnið, Icelandic and Heathen Names,” Haukur Þorgeirsson (http://www.irminsul.org/arc/012ht.html ) is a listing of Old Icelandic names. It does contain Hrærekr as a masculine given name of a famous lord, which is seemingly modernized to Ruric (according to the paper), and could be made into the patronymic Hrærekson. (Ruriksson has been registered as recently as 1995, and there are a number of Ruriks registered as given names.) The same citation shows -olfr as a suffix for “wolf,” and -valdr as a suffix meaning “powerful,” although Valgerðr is shown as a (feminine) given name meaning “Great Gerðr,” an instance with the suffix being used as a protheme.

Valr and Valldidida are demonstrated as masculine given names in An Introduction to Old Norse, E.V. Gordon, p. 410, as men in “Þorfinn’s Journey,” suggesting Valr as a stand-alone name and Val(l)- as a possible protheme. Gordon shows ulfr, “wolf” (p. 391). The submitter will not accept major changes to the name (but if we can’t justify this submission to the point of being returned, I’m sure he’d listen to alternatives. The sound of the name (closest to Valorwolf) is the most important aspect to him.).

Vincenza di Leonardo (Atenveldt): NEW NAME and DEVICE

Per bend enarched azure and argent, a talbot’s head erased and two roses azure.

The name is Italian. The masculine given name Vincenzo is found in “Italian Names from Florence, 1427,” Ferrante LeVolpe ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ferrante/catasto/ ), and “Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names,” Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html#table ) demonstrate a feminine given name Michola as a possible feminine form of Michelo, and Pencina a feminine form of Benci (the typical feminization of masculine names in a Latin-based language). A Vincensa da Gubbio was registered by the CoA in May 1998. The byname “daughter/child of Leonardo,” uses a masculine given name also found in Ferrante’s paper. The submitter is most interested in the sound of the name and that the languae/culture is Italian.

The following submissions are included in the JULY 2004 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

This month’s commentary is provided by Aryanhwy merch Catmael [AmC], Ástríðr Þórgeirsdóttir [ÁÞ], Knute Hvitabjörn [KH], Maridonna Benvenuti [MB], Oslaf of Northumbria [ON] and Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy [MMM].

Aelina inn ákafr (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per fess engrailed argent and gules, four roses three and one counterchanged, barbed vert.

Ae is not an acceptable alternate spelling of Æ: "Ælfwynn of Witebi. Name and device...."Submitted as Aelfwynn of Whitby...The form Ælfwynn is an Old English name, used by the Anglo-Saxons, which Searle (pp. 29-30 s.n. Ælfwynn) dates to the 10th C. No evidence was presented and none was found to support Aelfwynn as a variant spelling of Ælfwynn. Lacking such evidence, the form Aelfwynn is not registerable. [Atlantia-A, LoAR 2004-02]"”. My index of feminine names from SMP (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/smp/) has many many spellings of this name, but none with Ae- or -ae- as the initial vowel sequence. The closest to the submitted spelling is the Ælina dated to 1315 s.n. Gisla; this is noted as being the genitive form of the name. There are three citations for the nominative Æline, 1378 s.n. Bonde, 1430 s.n. Germund, and 1440 s.n. Grip. It could be that Ælina is the genitive of Æline, and thus not registerable in the nominative position (as all given names are registered). However, given the citations for Elina, Helina, and Elyna, all in the above cited article, Ælina seems reasonable as a nominative form too.

However, as noted on the LoI, these are all later-period Swedish forms of the name. If she truly wants a name authentic for Old Norse, then the form Elína as cited from my list of names from the Landnamabok is a better choice. The article most definitely needs to be in; inn is masculine and incorrect in a feminine name. Does Gordon provide any evidence that áfakr was used as a byname? [AmC]

I have done a bit of research on the declension of adjectives. According to "Old Norse for Beginners" Lesson 3, adjectives are declined differently when used with the definite article.( http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/olessons/lesson3.php?colors=1) Digging in to Gordon (E.V. Gordon’s An Introduction to Old Norse, 2nd edition, p. 312, and p.291) I find that the weak form of the adjective is used after the definite article. Additionally, we should use the feminine weak form of ákafr, which I think would be ökafa (with ö standing in for o-pothook), but might be ákafa. It is unclear to me based on the example given in Gordon if the u-mutation occurs for the weak declension. So we should write Ælina in ökafa or Ælina in ákafa. [ÁÞ]

Vert barbing is the default for roses, so this can be dropped from the blazon. [AmC]

The size of the rose in the base give the device a weighty appearance? There is more room to fill with the single charge kinda out of balance? [ON] Funny you should mention that, Oslaf: The differing sizes of the roses is pushing sword and dagger. It is not legal for the same charge to be part of two different charge groups on the field. [KH]

Additionally, there are issues with Agnes Barbarossa: Quarterly gules and argent, four roses counterchanged, barbed and seeded proper.; and Laura Rydal of Grasmere: Gyronny argent and sable, in cross four roses proper. Single CDs for the fields. No CDs for the tincture of one of four roses. The tinctures of the roses forces the arrangement of the submission. Return for multiple conflicts.[KH]

I’ve contacted the submitter with some modifications of the original device, and we will be submitting Per pale argent and gules, a fess engrailed sable between three roses gules and another argent. This clears the conflicts cited.

Dalla of the Misty Forest (Atenveldt): NEW NAME CHANGE from “Dalla Rowden of the Misty Forest”

The original name was registered February 1992; the submitter wishes only to drop the Rowden element of the name.

Fallon of Kerry (Sundragon): NEW NAME

 Ó Corráin and Maguire show s.n. “Faithliu, Faithlenn: Faithleann (fa-l’ an) m. This name is attested in the early pedigrees of the Eo’ganacht and the Da’i Cais. There is a St. Faithliu, son of A’ed Dama’n, the king of the West Munster whose feast day is 4 June...The name could be anglicised Fallon.” (P. 94). Adrian Room, p. 70, s.n. Kerry lists a Gaelic spelling of Ciarrai’, ‘(land of the ) descendants of Ciar”. No date given. Following the formation mentioned above Faithlenn na Ciarrai’ would be one Gaelic spelling. I don’t know if the placename would be lenited. [MB] Marta was really wrong about Fallon not being in Ó Corráin and Maguire. [MMM]

Tangwystyl's "Names and Naming Practices in the Red Book of Ormond (Ireland 14th Century)" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/lateirish/ormond.html) is my best source for anglicized Irish names; however, this covers the period 200 years later than the submitter's desired area, and so is not as useful as one might like. The article however does have ffolan and ffoulin, once apiece, as anglicized forms of Faolan. It has no form of Kerry. In fact, I have been unable to find any evidence for Kerry at all in period. It's not in Reaney and Wilson, nor is it in MacLysaght - and the latter surprises me. Unless evidence for Kerry as a period English form of whatever Irish place name it represents can be found, this should be returned. [AmC]

Correspondence with the submitter has determined that he is most interested in the sound of the name and we are going to delete the request for a 12^th C. Irish name. His father, Michael Arthur of Kerry, has provided a letter of permission to conflict with his name, so he ought to be able to use of Kerry under the grandfather clause. [MMM]

Geoffrey Winterbotham (Twin Moons): NEW NAME

The name is English. Geoffrey is a masculine given name found in “Men's Given Names from Early 13th Century England,” Talan Gwynek (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/eng13/eng13m.html ). Winterbotham is cited as a variant of Winterbottom in A Dictionary of Surnames, Hanks and Hodges; while this is a discouraged source due to the lack of dates, the National Register of Archives’ Historical Manuscripts Commission contains a file record of the Winterbotham family of Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, with deeds, manorial records and family and estate papers ranging from 1466 to 1885 ( http://www.hmc.gov.uk/nra/searches/FEdocs.asp?FER=86087 ).

The given name Geoffrey can be found in “16th Century Names from Ormskirk Parish Registers, 1557 to 1600,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael, ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/ormskirk/ ), which brings it into temporal existence with the byname. I didn’t find Winterbottom or Winterbotham in Reaney & Wilson which usually has earlier spellings. Bardsley, p. 819, s.n.: “Winterbottom, Winterbotham – local, ‘of Winterbottom’; for origin v. Winter. Like most of the surnames whose suffix is the local -bottom, Winterbottom arose in the south-east corner of Lancashire, on the Cheshire and Yorkshire borders. It is believed that Saddleworth is its precise and original habitat v.Higginbotham,...” Dated examples are late period in this source: 1564 for Wintrebothom, and 1590 and 1593 for Winterbottom. [MB]

Looks like a fine name to me. [AmC]

Michael Arthur of Kerry (Sundragon): NEW DEVICE: Azure, two swords proper and a bear rampant argent.

The name was registered January 1987.

Nikaia Angelina Tagarina (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Per pale vert and argent, two Latin crosses potent quadrant each charged with a lozenge, and a base, all counterchanged.

I would prefer a bolder potent treatment. [KH]

Romanus Castelyn (Iron Wood Loch): NEW DEVICE: Per fess sable and gules, a fess embattled counter-embattled between an eagle’s head erased and a tower argent.

The fess is far too narrow and needs to be redrawn. [AmC] The fess is too narrow. [KH] The fess will be drawn wider upon submission to the CoA [MMM].

Senach mac Feideilmid na Droichead Átha (Tir Ysgithr): NEW DEVICE

Per bend sinister Or and gules, a raven’s head erased and an oak leaf counterchanged.

“From now on since there is no evidence that new world flora and fauna were used in period armory, while they will still be permitted, using them will now be considered a weirdness.” (Abigail of Lough Derravara, 9/97 p. 8) Precedents - Jaelle, under Style-Weirdness. There is a weirdness for the new world red oak.[KH] Although an anomaly, it is still registerable. [MMM]

Synnöve mána (Sundragon): NEW DEVICE: Sable, a sun in splendor argent within an orle ermine.

Tiphina of Ledbury (Twin Moons): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Azure, a weasel passant argent, and on a chief argent three sprigs of mint vert.

Use Badger's source with care. Especially note this from the introduction:"DISCLAIMER! These are the modern spellings of these names. The source did not list the period spellings of these place names, so some care must be taken when using these. I would suggest looking into other books, or asking a herald for the documented form of the name closest to the period desired." Badger's article is a starting place for gathering ideas. It should NOT be used as sole documentation for an element, since he does not provided dated spellings. Ekwall s.n. Ledbury has <Liedeberge> DB, <Ledburia> c.1140, <Lindebereia> 1167, <Lideberia> 1169, <Ledebur> 1241. The Latinized form of <Ledburia> is *probably* sufficient evidence to support an English <Ledbury>. [AmC]

Ekwall, p. 293, s.n. Ledbury. [Leideberge DB, Ledburia c1140, Lindeberia 1167, Lideberia 1169, Ledebur 1241] Ledbury is on the Leadon and presumably the first element of the names is the river-name, though the rarity of forms with ‘n’ is remarkable. Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Ledbury shows a John de Ledbury in 1328. [MB]

Given the black tip on the weasel's tail, I would blazon this as an ermine instead of a weasel. [AmC] According to the Pictorial Dictionary, the weasel in its winter coloration, with a black tail tip, is indeed referred to as an ermine. [MMM]

The following submissions are returned by the Atenveldt College of Heralds for further work, July 2004:

Muirgheal of Carlyle (Tir Ysgithr): NEW NAME and DEVICE: Or, a bird-winged pithon erect vert and a base rayonny gules.

Muirgheal is dated to 852 and again to 926 as an Irish Gaelic feminine name in “Scottish Gaelic Given Names for Women: Names of Scottish

If she wants a Scottish Gaelic name, then citing Irish Gaelic evidence is not useful. It's more useful to note that a Gaelic woman is recorded in Latin with the name Muriella in 1284 and another one is recorded in Scots as Murreall in 1568, according to Effrick's article. It is likely that these are forms of the Gaelic given name Muirgheal. Given the 1284 citation, Muirgheal is probably a fine Gaelic name for the end of her period.

of Carlyle is English, not Gaelic, and thus not an authentic choice for her byname. There is no evidence that Scottish Gaels used locatives in their names in Gaelic. Thus, this cannot be made into an authentic Scottish Gaelic name. It can, however, be made into an authentic Scots name for her period - by using the documented form Muriella, and the dated form of the byname de Carlyle. Muriella de Carlyle would be a fantastic Scots

woman's name from her period. Talan's "A List of Feminine Personal Names Found in Scottish Records" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/scottishfem/) also has Muriel a.1174, 1225, 1279, c.1350; this, being a Scots form instead of a Latin form, would make Muriel of Carlyle a fine name.

So, in summary:

authentic Scottish Gaelic form: none available, because Scots Gaels did not use locatives in Gaelic forms of their names

authentic Latin form: Muriella de Carlyle

authentic Scots form: Muriel of Carlyle

These latter could be the names of Highland women, but it should be stressed to the submitter that they are not Gaelic forms. [AmC]

Clear, including wyverns. [KH]

I have contacted the submitter to see how she wishes to proceed with her name; her device has to be held pending the outcome of the name issue.

I remain,

Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy

c/o Linda Miku

2527 East 3^rd Street, Tucson AZ 85716

brickbat@nexiliscom.com; atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com