Unto Elisabeth, Laurel Queen of Arms, Her Honorable Staff, and the commenting Members of the College of Arms,

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

Please note the following clarification on a submission appearing in the 30 August 2005 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

                8. Arsenda of Calais: NEW DEVICE

                Per chevron vert and azure, two estoiles and a winged scarab argent.

While not mentioned in the blazon, the scarab is maintaining two roundels in its legs, both argent, a larger one in its forelegs and a smaller one in its hindlegs (the “sun” and “moon” disks). Two of three previously-registered armories with winged scarabs (those of Alessandra Raffaela di Luciano and Tuia Kynara of Illyricum) mention in the blazon a roundel being maintained. The College may want to consider whether amending the blazon of Arsenda’s submission to better match the emblazon.

The Atenveldt College of Heralds requests the consideration and registration of the following names and armory with the College of Arms. Unless specifically stated, the submitter will accept any spelling and grammar corrections; assistance in these areas is appreciated.

1. Abigail de Westminster: NEW NAME

The name is English. Abigail is a Biblical name, a wife of David (1 Sam 25, 27, 30; 2 Sam 2, 3). It was used by the Jews of Medieval England c. 1070-1290) according to “Jewish Naming Convention in Angevin England,” by Eleazar ha-Levi ( http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/jewish.html ).

Westminster is a borough of London, the name historically used to describe the area around Westminster Abbey – the West Minster, or church. The Palace of Westminster came to be the principal royal residence after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, and later housed the developing Parliament and law courts of England

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster ). Ekwall has s.n. Westminster (Middlesex), [aet Westmunster 785, Westmynster 971...] meaning “western monastery.”

Eleazar ha-Levi’s article also notes that the use of the locative construction de Placename was used by both sexes.

2. Alexander of Tyre: NEW DEVICE

Per bend gules and sable, on a bend argent four crosses formy palewise gules.

The name appears in the 20 July 2005 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

3. Amalie zu dem Blumen: DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, December 2004

Argent, a gurges, a base azure charged with a sprig of three carnations argent, slipped and leaved vert.

The name was registered December 2003.

The original device submission, Argent, a gurges azure surmounted by a carnation vert., was returned for redrawing: as drawn, the charge, while blazoned as a carnation, was indistinguishable between a lotus blossom affronty and a sun.

4. Bree McGavin: NEW NAME

The documentation suggested that this spelling of the Irish Gaelic feminine name Bríg was possible (S. Gabriel Report Archive 733 ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/733 )), but a reading of the report appears to show that Bree was used only to demonstrate the pronunciation of the name.

O Corrain and Maguire comment that the traditional form of the name is Bríg and the modern form is Brígh, and that the name is attributed to 13 saints (p. 36). While the client would prefer the easily pronounced spelling Bree (no matter its etymology), she will accept Bríg as necessary (and, unfortunately, given the date of the byname, she might have to accept the later form).

Period forms for MacGavin (a variant of MacGowan) are found Black's The Surnames of Scotland. They are in the "grey" period of name acceptability, between 1600 and 1650: McGawin (1613) and M'Gawyne (1643). This particular spelling has been registered as recently as February 2005 to Dante McGavin. The combination seems to be a registerable step from period practice.

The client is most interested in the sound of the name.

5. Bree McGavin: NEW DEVICE

Per bend argent and purpure, a cauldron and three hearts counterchanged.

6. Ceara mac Tag: NAME RESUBMISSION from Laurel, November 2002 (as Khalisa bint Muthanna)

The original name submission was returned for lack of documentation for the given name; this is a complete redesign.

Ceara is a feminine Irish Gaelic name, an undated feminine given name from a saint’s name (post 1200) in Ó Corráin and Maguire, p. 50, s.n. Cera.

The byname, mac Tag, is based on the Anglicized form of the genitive form of the IrG name Tadhgán, found in "Names and Naming Practices in the Red Book of Ormond (Ireland 14th Century)" ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/lateirish/ormond-glossary.html#Glossary ). In internal commentary, Aryanhwy merch Catmeal suggested that Tadhgán is a diminutive of Tadhg, and it's reasonable to think that if Tadhgán was anglicized as Tagan, that Tadhg could be anglicized Tag.

The name is registerable with one step from period practice, for combining Gaelic and English in the same name.

[The client’s original hope for the name was Ceara mac Tadhg. As Ceara never left the Irish Gaelic name pool to our knowledge, to maintain a “mac” byname, another language that might’ve interacted with Irish Gaelic was introduced. She didn’t like the Anglicized genitive form of Tadhg in this name (Mac Thighe) and so went with a suggestion made by Aryanhwy merch Catmael.]

7. Colyn MacRuairidh of Rathlin: NEW BADGE

Vert, a beehive argent.

The name was registered December 2003.

8. Damian Silberberg: NEW NAME

Damian is an English masculine given name dated to 1205 in Withycombe, used for several centuries after the attested date (3^rd ed., p. 78, s.n. Damian). It appears to be a period German patronymic byname well, with Joh. Damian 1498; 1530 Hans Damion; and 1423 Hans Daman (Brechenmacher, s.n. Dam(i)an, Damion, page 266-267).

Silberberg, “Silver Mountain,” is a German locative byname, dated to 1390 in Brechenmacker as <Cunrat zem Silberberg> in Frieburg.

The client is most interested in the meaning of the byname and will not accept major changes. This is registerable with a weirdness for combining German and English in the same name.

9. Damian Silberberg: NEW DEVICE

Per pale Or and gules, two wings terminating in hands conjoined and upraised with swords crossed in saltire counterchanged.

10. Geirríðr in víðfgrla: NEW NAME.

The name is Old Norse. Geirríðr is a feminine given name in The Old Norse Name, Geirr-Bassi Haraldsson, p. 10.

The same source shows the masculine nickname inn víðgrli, “far-traveled” (p. 29). This is likely the accurate feminization of that byname.

The client interested in the meaning of the name.

11. Geirríðr in víðfgrla: NEW DEVICE

Pily barry bendy sinister Or and gules and sable.

The same field division is found in the armory of Bartilmew Blackbourne, registered February 2004 Pily barry gules and Or, a sun sable within a bordure per sable and gules.

12. Mikel of Perth: NEW NAME

The Academy of S. Gabriel Report 2206 ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/2296 ) demonstrates Mikel as a Swedish masculine given name of the 15th-16th C., found in Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn, Vol.1.

Perth is located on the River Tay and has been a community since prehistoric times. James I was the last king to command from a throne at Perth, when he was assassinated by Robert Graeham there in 1437; the capital was moved to Edinburgh in the mid 1450s.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Perth#History ) The Wikipedia entry for Perth, Scotland notes that the Scots Gaelic form of the name is Peairt ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Perth ). If Perth were to be considered the Anglicized form of the placename, mixing it with the Swedish form Mikel might be acceptable. Mixing Swedish with English elements is one stop from period practice.

The client is most interested in the sound of the name and it being authentic for c. 1400 eastern Scotland/Perth. He will not accept major changes to the name. As the only Scots forms of Michael found are Michaell (in "Early 16th Century Scottish Lowland Names,” http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/ ) and the surname Michell (in "Names of women mentioned in the Perth Guildry Book 1464-1598,” http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/scots/perth.html ) , it is unlikely that the name can be made authentic using the submitted spelling.

13. Rivka bat Yehudah: NEW NAME

The name is Hebrew. Rivka is a feminine given name, the wife of Isaac. It is found in “Jewish Women's Names in an Arab Context: Names from the Geniza of Cairo,” Juliana de Luna

( http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/geniza.html ). Although no longer available on the web this article can be seen by going to The Way Back Machine http://www.archive.org/web/web.php , and adding this URL: http://web.archive.org/web/20040407160851/http://web.archive.org/web/20040407160851/http://www.yucs.org/%7Ejules/names/crusades.html

will arrive at “Medieval Jewish Names Research,” Julie Stampnitzky. This article deals with Individuals Mentioned in Hebrew Accounts, 10th-11th centuries, The First Crusade, 1096 in Koln (Cologne), Germany. It includes given name: (Maras) Rivkah.

Yehudah of Nuremberg is the registered SCA name (August 1988) of her legal father. Jehudah is found in “Names of Jews in Rome In the 1550's,” Yehoshua ben Haim haYerushalmi (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/yehoshua/rome_article.html ). Stampnitzky’s article cited above also demonstrates Yehudah in a patronymic form and in a given name form: Mar Yehudah b[en] R[eb] Avraham heChasid and Yehudah [his son-in-law].

14. Sundragon, Barony of: BADGE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, November 2002

Per fess argent and azure, a rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure, clouded azure, and an acorn Or.

The name was registered September 1984.

The original submission, (Fieldless) A rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure clouded azure surmounted by an acorn proper., was returned because the acorn lay almost entirely on the underlying rainbow. Overall charges on fieldless badges should have a very small area of overlap with the underlying charge. It was returned for redesign. The rainbow used here is as it appears on the arms of the barony: a rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure, clouded...azure.

15. Sundragon, Barony of: BADGE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, November 2002

Argent, a fess azure between a rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure, clouded azure, and a heart gules.

The name was registered September 1984.

The original submission, (Fieldless) A rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure, clouded azure surmounted by a heart gules., was returned because the heart lay almost entirely on the underlying rainbow. Overall charges on fieldless badges should have a very small area of overlap with the underlying charge. It was returned for redesign. The rainbow used here is as it appears on the arms of the barony: a rainbow gules, argent, azure, Or and purpure, clouded...azure.

16. Sundragon, Barony of: NEW BADGE

Gules, a dragon segreant contourny and a bordure indented argent.

The name was registered September 1984.

Consider Macsen Felinfoel: Gules, a dragon statant erect to sinister, wings displayed, argent. There is a CD for the bordure, and a probable CD for wing posture.

17. William MacLeod the Moonstag: NEW NAME

William is a masculine given name, introduced into England by the Normans (Withycombe, 3rd edition, pp. 293-4).

MacLeod is a Scottish family name, from the Gaelic MacLeòid (Black, p. 588).

I cannot document the byname, but it is necessary, because unaltered, the name would be in aural conflict with Uilleam MacLeòid, registered in January 1997. Stagge (from OE stagga, “a stag,” Reaney and Wilson, p. 423, s.n. Stag) and Moonlight (Monelight, 1317 and 1470, possibly attached to someone with the penchant for wandering around in the moonlight, Reaney and Wilson, p. 313) provide period use of the elements seen in the byname.

18. William MacLeod the Moonstag: NEW DEVICE

Vert, on a plate a stag’s head cabossed sable, on a chief embattled argent a roundel between a decrescent and an increscent sable.

I was assisted in the preparation of this letter by the commentary of This month’s commentary is provided by Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Ástríðr Þórgeirsdóttir, Helena de Argentoune, Snorri Bjarnarson, Katherine Throckmorton, Knute Hvitabjörn and Maridonna Benvenuti.

This letter contains 7 new names, 5 new devices, 2 new badges, 1 name resubmission, 1 device resubmission and 2 badge resubmissions. This is a total of 18 items, 14 of them new. A check to cover fees will be sent separately.

Thank you again for your 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.

Gordon, E.V. An Introduction to Old Norse, 2^nd edition, Oxford at the Claredon Press, 1957.

MacLysaght, E. The Surnames of Ireland. Dublin, Irish Academic Press, 1991.

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.