This is the June2004 Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon’s April 2004 Letter of Intent.
Unless otherwise noted, all clients will accept changes. Comments in braces {} were removed from the Letter of Intent sent to Laurel and the College of Arms. Names, devices, or badges in braces have been returned or pended. Commentary, rulings, etc. by Rouge Scarpe are placed in small cap print. Thanks to Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Ælfreda æt Æthelwealda & Mikhail of Lubelska, Canute, Roberd, Malcolm, the SW Ohio Commenting Consortium, Master John ap Wynne, and Master Talan Gwynek.
1) Brangwayn Snowden (F)
--Resubmission -- Quarterly Or and gules, a spiderweb
throughout counterchanged
(Cleveland, OH)
(name reg/d 1/02)
Device was returned by Laurel Jan. '02 -- Per fess rayonny and per pale Or and gules, in bend two ravens displayed sable
(Esct. Note: As this is over the year grace period for appeals, the client has sent a check with the submission.)
Ary - Her previous device was returned for conflict. This is a complete redesign. I found no conflicts with this new design. While a spiderweb is a complex charge, when it is the only charge on the field and I feel that it is not too complex to counter- change, as identifiability is preserved. However, this precedent should be noted:
"[Gyronny purpure and argent, a spider web counterchanged] ... returned ... for lack of identifiability due to excessive counterchanging of a thin line charge. [Lodowick of Grays Inn, 08/99, R-Æthelmearc]"
I think that versus a gyronny field, as in the precedent, a quarterly field, as in this submission, is sufficiently simpler that this can be sent forward for Wreath to make the decision.
Malcolm - Well, this is - unusual. However, I don't believe thin line charges can be counterchanged, can they? A pity if that is so, because it's rather striking. Normally this kind of armory jangles my nerves. In the color version, the "gules" seems more orange, too.
Roberd - I am of the opinion that the device does not run afoul of the RfS VIII.3 prohibition on excessive counterchanging. I found no conflicts.
Ohio Consortium (hereafter Ohio) - No conflicts found. The consensus was that while a spiderweb was a relatively complex charge, in this case the contrast in the emblazon was adequate.
Mikhail & AElfreda (hereafter M&A) - The spiderweb should be blazoned as "throughout"
i added throughout to the blazon and this device will be passed on to laurel
2) Custance the Compassionate (F) --
Device Resubmission -- Per fess wavy argent and sable, in
chief a decrescent and an increscent azure
(Spring Lake, MI)
(name reg'd 1/03)
Device returned by Laurel Jan '03 -- Per fess wavy argent and sable a decrescent and an increscent azure
Ary - Please give the reasons for previous returns on the LoI. Her previous arms, "Per fess wavy argent and sable, in chief a decrescent and an increscent azure," were returned with this reason:
"The emblazon blurs the distinction between a chief and a per fess line of division. If this is a charged chief, the line marking the bottom of the chief needs to be higher, and in particular, the bottom of the wavy line should not extend as far down as the fess point of the shield. If this is a per fess division, the wavy line should extend equally over and under the fess line of the shield. As this cannot be accurately blazoned, it must be returned per RfS VII.7."
This resubmission has barely lowered the line of division. I do not know if this minute change is sufficient to clear the previous problems.
Talan - The line of division could stand to have slightly larger waves, dropping a little lower in the troughs, but that's a matter of aesthetics, not necessity: this is clearly a per fess division and not a chief. Note that the line of division is centered at exactly the same height on the shield as the per fess line in the quarterly division of Brangwayn's submission (Nr. 1 on this ILoI), which looks just fine.
Malcolm - The way this is drawn, it looks like a fat chief. I've seen bad artwork get bounced from Laurel before, despite correct blazon and no other problems. That's my only concern with this.
Roberd - I found no conflicts. I will say, however, that when I saw the emblazon in color, I was struck by the resemblance of the upper half of the device to computer-controlled adversaries in "Pac Man". Which is more indicative, I think, of a misspent youth on my part than on any shortcoming in the device.
Ohio - Several comments to Pac-man came up, though not considered any reason to fail device. . The issue of the fess line seems to be fixed, though could still have been drawn more clearly. Appears free of conflict.
passed to laurel
3) Cynwrig ap Llywelyn (M) -- New
Name
(Barony of Cleftlands)
Based on "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names" by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystl/welsh13.html
Also according to the Client, "Gerald of Wales a Cynwrig and quite a few Llwelyn(s) in his book about his travels through Wales."
Talan - Typo: the URL should be <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welsh13.html>.
It's an article based on names found in the Merioneth Lay Subsidy Roll of 1292-3, a tax roll written by people familiar with English and Latin but not necessarily Welsh and who therefore generally did not use 'classical' Welsh spellings. The people whose names were recorded, however, were Welsh, since that area of northwestern Wales had as yet seen little immigration from England, so the names are a good indication of late 13th century Welsh naming practice in that region.
The article indicates that of the 53 masculine names occurring at least five times in the data, Cynwrig and Llywelyn ranked 10th and 19th in popularity respectively. These are the modern standard spellings; in the document the names actually appear as Kenuric and Kenneric, and as Lewelin and Lewelyn.
The spelling Cynwrig ap Llywelyn is modern, but the underlying name is certainly fine ca. 1300. According to Gabriel report Nr. 2260 (Gwenlliana), Cynwrig would likely have been spelled Kynwric in Welsh records at that time. (The name seems to have gone out of use during the 15th c., so the modern spelling is less appropriate than usual.) The spelling Llywelyn is found in Jesus College MS. 20, dated by Bartrum to the latter part of the 14th c. but based on earlier sources, so Kynwric ap Llywelyn is probably a better form.
Also according to the Client, "Gerald of Wales a Cynwrig and quite a few Llwelyn(s) in his book about his travels through Wales."
It's not important, and I'd omit the whole business from the LoI, but for the record a quick check of the translation on my shelf shows that he did indeed meet a Cynwrig ap Rhys in his travels, and he mentions at least one Llywelyn (names given here in modern Welsh form, not those of my 19th c. English translation).
Ohio – Good solid name.
John – Cynwrig: see Gruffudd (p 28); Morgan & Morgan (pp. 79-80); Norman (p 192) lists it as common for the period between 1283-1536; Walker (p. 164) lists “Cynwrig ap Llywarch’; and (p. 98) lists ‘Cynwrig ap Rhys’; also spelled ‘Cynric’ by various sources. Used both as a first name and a surname.
Llywelyn: see Gruffudd (p. 65); Morgan & Morgan (pp. 147-151); Rowlands (pp. 122-124); Norman (p. 185) lists it as common between 1200-1283; Morby (p. 74) lists it as the name of two or three Welsh princes. Used both as a first name and a surname.
name changed to Kynwric ap Llywelyn and passed to laurel
4) Emmelyne de Marksbury (F) --
Device Change -- Gules, six fusils argent
(Loveland, OH)
(name changed, reg'd Mar '03)
Client is requesting that her former Device: Ermine, three fir trees couped within a bordure vert. which was reg.'d Dec '88.be released.
Ary - What lovely arms! I found no conflicts.
Talan - Excellent taste. However, the blazon needs to be changed slightly: in SCA blazon the charges are lozenges, not fusils.
The lozenge was blazoned on the LoI as a fusil. "Fusils do not have an independent existence as a charge" (LoAR 1/91). The term fusil may be used when describing a group of lozenges conjoined into an ordinary, such as a bend or fess fusilly. [Brigid of Kincarn, 01/02, A-Ansteorra]
(Draft Precedents from the tenure of François la Flamme s.v. Lozenge.) Make it 'Gules, six lozenges argent'. (The desired 3, 2, 1 arrangement should be the default.)
Malcolm - Simple and elegant. Just the way old Malcolm likes it. And no conflicts. Someone send this up now before Laurel passes something similar. :-)
Roberd - Blazon-fu: Gules, six lozenges argent
In the Precedents of Francois: "The lozenge was blazoned on the LoI as a fusil. "Fusils do not have an independent existence as a charge" (LoAR 1/91). The term fusil may be used when describing a group of lozenges conjoined into an ordinary, such as a bend or fess fusilly. [Brigid of Kincarn, 01/02, A-Ansteorra]"
I found no conflicts. Nice arms. Simple, but distinctive.
Cnut - Elvegast, Canton - April of 2001 (via Atlantia):
Gules, a bend sinister of five lozenges conjoined argent.
CDs orientation and arrangement of primaries.
Clear
Ohio - In discussing the existing precedent regarding fusils as lozenges, a logical question arose to the effect of, Given the common terminology of the singular term fusil, why is it justifiable only to represent the fusil as the conjoined fusilly? If the charge were truly only intended to be used in that way, there would be no logical reason for the singular term fusil to exist, let alone have the commonality that it does in almost any standard reference. Parker re-states the principle of the existing precedent, but in rather vague and uncertain terms. Many found the precedent to be of questionable merit.
First, there is no need for the term fusil. In early blazon the single charge, whatever its proportions, is always simply a losenge, the Old French source of our lozenge. Later in period the term fusil was occasionally used instead, but it was used synonymously: the notion that the fusil is a tall, narrow lozenge is post-period. Since the distinction is not period, the SCA CoA has for many years preferred to use the original terminology. So why do we use fusilly? That’s a little more complicated.
In early blazon the Old French terms engresle and endente, from which we get engrailed and indented, respectively, were used interchangeably. When applied to a bend or fess they could mean either what we now mean by indented or what we now mean by fusilly. Starting in the 13th century the term engresle was sometimes applied to what we would now blazon an engrailed ordinary, but engrailing was at that time just an artistic variant of indenting; the systematic distinction between the two, though period, came somewhat later. At some point before the end of our period, in fact, all three treatments of an ordinary – indented, engrailed, and fusilly – had come to be considered distinct, so we need to be able to distinguish them in blazon. In this case early usage doesn’t help us, since it didn’t distinguish them. Our solution is to use terminology from later in our period.
It
may help to realize that fusilly should be thought of not
as ‘made up of fusils’, but rather as ‘shaped like
a bunch of fusils’: fusil is a variant of Old French fusel
‘a spindle’, and of course a spindle wound with thread
does look like a long, skinny lozenge.
Potential conflict Sable, semy of lozenges argent Genevieve de
Lironcourt. 11/02 Ansteorra. According to the Pic-dic, >
6 makes a semy, but the group is doubtful over the clear
difference between 6 and 7 items. A relevent precedent was found,
[Quarterly sable and gules, all semy of fraises Or]
Conflict with ... Azure, six roses, two, two and two, Or. There is not a CD for number of primary charges, nor is there one for arrangement. [Colin Tyndall de ffrayser, 09/00, R-Artemisia]. Again, 6 vs semy did not a CD make
The group felt that a CD would be justifiable for 5 or fewer vs semy, as the difference would be easily assimilated even at a distance, but not for 6 or more vs. semy. Nice design, but appears to conflict with Genevieve as above, with only 1 CD for field tincture.
M&A - Francois sez: "The lozenge was blazoned on the LoI as a fusil. "Fusils do not have an
independent existence as a charge" (LoAR 1/91). The term fusil may be used when describing a group of lozenges conjoined into an ordinary, such as a bend or fess fusilly. [Brigid of Kincarn, 01/02, A-Ansteorra]"
As such, the charges should be blazoned as "lozenges".
device is passed to laurel. the device does not conflict with colin due to the simplicity rule.
5) Faoileann inghean Tighearnaigh (F)--
New Device -- Per bed azure and purpure, abend bevilled, a
chief engrailed argent
(Crestline, OH)
(name reg'd Sept '02)
Ary - A few typos in the blazon: "Per be_n_d azure and purpure, _a b_end bevilled and a chief _invected_ argent."
This is a correctly drawn bend beviled. See the arms of Peter Trevor in the Northshield Armorial - http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/sca/armorial.html
Talan - The chief is invected, not engrailed. (And parting 'per bed' is bunk and ought to be cot during proofreading! <g>)
Malcolm - Per bed? I think someone stayed up to late to type these, eh? I think I know what we mean, though. Looks clear on conflicts. Hmmm. I like the style. Is this typo - or rather, these typos come to look at it closer - part of the submission, or an overworked escutcheon?
Roberd - No conflicts that I could find.
Ohio - Declared, by general consensus, fugly . Chief should be described as invected, not engrailed. Probably a redraw is in order
changing engrailed to invected and passing to laurel, but with the typo’s corrected.
6) Gulli-Grenjaðr (F) --
Resubmission -- Argent, a rat rampant within a tressure sable
(Newport, MI)
(name reg'd Mar '03)
Client wrote a letter of explaining that she missed the deadline for appeal because she was hospitalized. She wanted a tressure and not a border. She's enclosed the fee and wants to try again. This is the same blazon as before.
According to the Nov '02 ILOAR: "The device is being returned for redrawing. The “tressure” is not identifiable as such and looks more like a mini bordure, which doesn’t really exist. If the client wishes to submit a tressure, this needs to be correctly depicted on the emblazon. If she wishes to have a bordure, then this should be fed."
Ary- This is not registerable, as we do not register single diminutives and this is too narrow to be an orle. From the precedents of Alisoun: "We do not use single diminutives and so this
[single tressure] has to be an orle. (LoAR Jun 88, p. 20)"
The previous return was in error when it stated that a single tressure would be acceptable. This must be returned and redrawn as an orle, a bordure, or a double tressure.
Talan - Out of curiosity, does she know that she has a man's name?
The arms are likely to be returned on the basis of an old policy of not registering single diminutives, but there is in fact a later precedent that arguably allows the single tressure (emphasis added to the relevant part):
[Per fess purpure and vert, a <charge> within a bordure argent charged with a tressure per fess purpure and vert, originally blazoned as an orle and a bordure] The submission caused us a few minutes of heartburn. The equal width of the outer three stripes, and the fact that the central stripe is of the field, gave this the appearance of a bordure voided, not of an orle within a bordure.
Bordures voided and fimbriated have been disallowed since Aug 83. Playing with the widths a bit, to make this a bordure cotised, would be equally unacceptable. On the other hand, A BORDURE CHARGED WITH A TRESSURE IS A PERFECTLY LEGAL DESIGN. In the end, we decided that the latter blazon is the most accurate and reproducible description of the submitted emblazon --- and since it appears to be legal, we've accepted it. It also guarantees the device to be clear of [Azure, a within a double tressure argent]. (Lisette de Ville, August, 1993, pg. 10)
(Precedents from the tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme s.v. Orle and Tressure.)
It is not clear that putting the charge on a bordure should make any difference to its acceptability. There are other reasons to argue for the acceptability of the design, starting with the history of the orle and tressure.
Brault (Early Blazon s.v. orle1) quotes H.S. London: 'I have not found the word orle used either for a voided scocheon or for a broad tressure before the middle or latter half of the sixteenth century, e.g., in Gerard Legh's Accedence of Armorie, 1564, fo. 68'. Before that the term meant 'bordure' except in such phrases as orle de merloz 'orle of martlets', which describe charges placed as if on a bordure. He also notes that according to Sir Anthony Wagner, Historic Heraldry, p. 111, the word orle assumed its modern English meaning only in the 16th century; the significant point, however, is that he gives this meaning as 'voided escutcheon'. S.v. faus escu he establishes that this term, literally 'false escutcheon', refers to the orle, mentioning inter alia that Matthew Paris used the Latin equivalent in his blazon of the orle in the Balliol arms: Scutum d'azuro, falsum scutum d'or, cruces d'or (i.e., Azure crusily and an orle or). In short, the orle began as a bordure and then became in effect the bordure of an inescutcheon.
S.v. treçoir he shows that the tressure had a very different origin: in all likelihood it was originally a stylized hair-ribbon. Thus, it would appear that at least through the SCA period the tressure was not thought of as a diminutive of (what we now call) the orle. He also notes an early example of the single tressure in the arms of the Rumigny family; if I read the Old French correctly, they are Or, on a saltire gules surmounting a tressure vert five escallops argent.
Dictionary of British Arms (I:249) has the following coats:
Argent, a lion rampant within a tressure sable (quartered by Wemyss);
Or, a lion rampant within a tressure gules (Wemys, of Reras);
A lion rampant within a tressure flory on the outer edge (David Renton, of Bille, a seal, 1464);
and
Or, a lion rampant gules within a tressure flory vert (S Jehan Dumbart).
On p. 252 it has a seal, perhaps from 1378, of A Paschal lamb within a tressure flory counterflory. From p. 273:
Two lions passant within a tressure (1340 seal of William of Felton), and
Gules, two lions passant within a tressure argent and a label azure (Monsire William de Felton).
Parker s.v. Tressure notes the arms of John Bridges, Bishop of Oxford, 1618 (sans tinctures, since they're from a brass): the arms of the episcopal see impaling three owls within a tressure flory counterflory; the date is simply the date of the man's death.
In short, it would be entirely possible to fight for this coat. Since, CoA conventions aside, there's really nothing wrong with it, I'd be inclined to make the case, since the lady is unlikely to be in a position to make it herself.
Malcolm - I thought tressures weren't possible, that it had to be a double tressure because they regarded them as diminutives of an orle? Has this changed? If so, I don't find anything in the precedents. Other than that, this is a good 'un as far as I can see.
As for the name, I like it, it's very Norse! :-)
Roberd - > Ommadonn an Luch
> The following device associated with this name was registered in April
> of 2002 (via the East): Argent, semy of shamrocks vert, a mouse
> rampant sable maintaining an Irish harp Or stringed vert.
One CD for removal of the strewn charges, another for the addition of the tressure, so there's no conflict.
> Samantha MacChluarain
> Either the name or the following device associated it (or both) were
> registered in January of 1973: Or, annuletty, a mouse rampant sable.
One CD for change of tincture of the field, one for the removal of the strewn charges, and one for the addition of the tressure. Clear.
Cnut - This has to be blazoned as an orle since we don't register single diminutives of ordinaries. This is purely a blazon issue. In SCA practice, on a single device the singular is orle while the plural is tressures. This is just like one fess and two bars.
The orle is a bit thin.
Talan makes a good argument for applying RfS VIII.6.b. Since it is also an element of the design, this will require documenting that rat rampant exists in English heraldry under the standards of RfS VII.1, not RfS VII.4.
Rat, (fr. rat): This rodent occurs only in one or two coats of arms. Paly of six or and gules, on a rat salient sable--TRAT, Cornwall. Argent, a fesse gules in chief a rat of the last--BELLET. Ermine, a fesse engrailed between three rats(? weasels) passant gules--John ISLIP, Abbot of Westminster. Parker
I would argue that the TRAT arms adequately establish that a rat rampant exists, which meets the requirements of RfS VIII.6.b. The only other requirement for the documented regional execption to be argued is the client's specific request.
Clear
Ohio - The rat would seem an entirely period and appropriate charge and is mentioned in several standard texts as uncommon, but hardly unheard of or inappropriate. The singular tressure is against SCA usage being the diminutive of an orle. Should be redesigned as a proper orle or as a bordure.
based on the commentary provided by master talan i am sending this on to laurel with his commentary. wreath can make the decision of allowing for the tressure or changing it to an orle.
7) Jaret of Coventry (M) -- New Name
and [Device -- Per chevron inverted sable and vert, in chief a
pheon inverted Or.]
(Cleftlands)
Jaret -- Reaney & Wilson <Garrad>; c. Jaret Havelok - 1539.
Coventry -- "A Collection of 613 English Borough Names for Use in Locative bynames," by Lord Frederic Badger; http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/badger/placenames.html
Name Commentary
Talan - > Jaret -- Reaney & Wilson <Garrad>; c. Jaret Havelok - > 1539.
I don't know what the 'c.' is, unless it's intended to abbreviate 'citation', 'citing', or the like, but the citation is otherwise correct; geographically it's from Durham. Bardsley s.n. Jarratt adds Jarret Blithman 1539, from Newcastle.
We also have from Durham:
Jarate Donn, married 23 Jul 1561 at Gateshead;
Jarret Heaton or Heatson, married 25 Sep 1576 at Gateshead;
Jarret Car, married 23 Feb 1573/4 at Durham St Oswald;
Jarrett Lambert, married 5 Dec 1574 at Durham St Oswald;
and
Jarrat Benton, married 18 Jan 1600/1 at Newcastle St Andrews.
The data are from these transcriptions of marriage registers:
<http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/Transcriptions/DUR/GAT1558.html>
<http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/Transcriptions/DUR/DSO.html>
<http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/Transcriptions/NBL/NSA1600.html>
The name derives from both Gerald and Gerard, and I've been unable to find any examples before the 16th c., even as a surname. It appears to be a fairly late development.
> Coventry -- "A Collection of 613 English Borough Names
> for Use in Locative bynames," by Lord Frederic Badger;
> http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/badger/placenames.html
Reaney & Wilson s.n. Coventry: Alan de Couintre 1194, Henry de Coventre 1262-63, John Coventre 1366.
Bardsley s.n. Coventry: Thomas de Coventre 1273, William de Covingtre 1273, Alexander de Coventre 1291-92, Johannes de Coventre 1379, Hellen Coventrie 1575.
Watts, The Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names s.n. Coventry, says that the spelling Coventry appears as early as 1249, though it seems fairly clear that this was not the usual spelling in the 13th and 14th centuries.
If Jar(r)et and the like is indeed as late a development as it appears to be, the prepositional byname is very unlikely: such bynames are extremely rare after about 1400.
The name would be fine as Jaret Coventry, however.
Malcolm - Name checks out, good locative byname. No conflicts found there.
Device Commentary
Ary - This is clear of Egill Svenssoni (reg. 01/1995 via the West), "Per pall inverted sable, gules and Or, in dexter chief a broadarrow inverted Or." There is one CD for the field, and since the placement of the arrowhead in both Jaret and Egill's devices is not forced, there is another CD for placement. It is likewise clear of Kirk of Wendarrow (reg. 07/1971), "Vert, a pheon inverted Or," with one CD for the field, and one for the placement of the pheon.
Malcolm - Armory is very simple and elegant again, though I wonder if it will conflict with "Per pall inverted sable, gules and Or, in dexter chief a broadarrow inverted Or." (Egil Svenssoni, '95 West Kingdom)
Roberd - The following device associated with this name was registered in October of 1991 (via Calontir): Per bend sinister vert and gules, two broadarrows inverted Or.
One CD for changes to the field, one for change of number of the charges, one for the unforced move to chief. Clear.
Cnut - This lacks the engrailing characteristic of a pheon.
Egill Svensson - January of 1995 (via the West):
Per pall inverted sable, gules and Or, in dexter chief a broadarrow inverted Or.
Kirk of Wendarrow - July of 1971: Vert, a pheon inverted Or
CDs fields, CDs unforced changes of location.
Clear
Ohio - Pic-dic maintains negligible difference between pheons with scalloped inner edges and broadheads with smooth inner edges for differencing purposes. No conflicts found. Name checks out.
M&A - Device: This is clear of Egill Svensson (reg 1/95) "Per pall inverted sable, gules and Or, in dexter chief a broadarrow inverted Or" and Kirk of Wendarrow (reg 7/71) "Vert, a pheon inverted Or." In both cases, there is one CD for the field, and a second for the non-forced move to chief.
name change to jaret coventry and passed to laurel
device – will be pended until client is contacted to see if they want a pheon or a broadarrow. if they truly want a pheon it will be returned for redraw since as drawn that is surely a broadarrow instead of a pheon..
8)
Kashiwadebe no Hikojirõ Kihõ (M)-- New Name
(Barony of the Cleftlands)
Derived from "Name Constructions in Medieval Japan" by Solveig Throndorttir. p. 37 Kashiwadebe "Oak Leaf Gatherers" used as a surname.
Hikojirõ -- is my Yobina; p 198 -- hiko means "boy" and jirou means "second son"
Kihõ -- is the imina, chosen when the clients persona becomes a traveling poet. (Esct. Note: This is exactly as it appears on the paperwork.)
Talan - > Derived from "Name Constructions in Medieval Japan" by Solveig Throndorttir. p. 37 Kashiwadebe "Oak Leaf Gatherers" used as a surname.
More correctly, it's the name of a historical guild; Solveig indicates that they were used as surnames. Her illustrative example supports the use of the possessive particle no here.
> Hikojirõ -- is my Yobina; p 198 -- hiko means "boy" and jirou means "second son"
The compound is not actually found on p. 198, but the analogous Hikosaburou 1572 is. Saburou is 'third son', and Jirou is 'second son' (pp. 209-210). (I'm using Solveig's transliteration here; her ou is the submitter's õ, which in turn is a non-standard ASCII substitute for o-macron.)
> Kihõ -- is the imina, chosen when the clients persona becomes a traveling poet.
This appears to be problematic. Solveig discuss imina on pp. 51-52, describing them as 'posthumous names adopted during life' by Buddhist monks. They are composed of two kanji, each with its Chinese reading, and most monks bore only the single imina and no other name. A few bore a secondary name called an azana. Thus, it is not clear that an imina can be combined with a surname and yobina.
There are several kanji each for the Chinese readings KI and HOU. At least one pair even makes an apparently reasonable compound, one meaning 'lucky/fortunate treasure' (pp. 230, 270). Whether this is a reasonable imina, however, I can't say. I'd go ahead and send it up in hopes that someone knows more; at worst it's probably acceptable with loss of Kihou.
Ohio - Clearly, the tilde should be macrons. ( Cecily)
passed to laurel
9) Kathren Ross of Invirnisse (F)—
New Device -- Argent, in pale a compass star azure and a
phoenix gules rising from flames proper, within a bordure azure
(Van Wert, OH)
Name has been sent on to Laurel Mar '04.
Ary - On the mini colored emblazon, the flames look like "Or fimbriated gules". Is that true of the large emblazons? If so, then this must be returned:
"Flames are too complex in shape to be fimbriated. Flames proper are drawn correctly using alternating tongues of Or and gules flame, rather than gules fimbriated Or (which, in earlier days of SCA heraldry, had been considered a correct form of proper flames). See the Cover Letter for the April 1995 LoAR for more discussion on proper flames. [Giovanna da Ferrara, 12/01, R-Meridies]"
Talan - The emblazon is right on the border between in pale a compass star and a phoenix and a phoenix and in chief a compass star.
Malcolm - I don't find any conflicts, though this device isn't to my taste. The artwork looks lifted from the Pic-Dic, which isn't a problem, but the flames look weird. As with number 2 above, I have some concern that Laurel will bounce it because they don't like the emblazon.
Roberd - I found no conflicts.
Cnut - There is a weirdness for using the non-period SCA compatible compass star. The coloring of the flames might be a problem. Proper flames have alternating tongues of Or and gules. This looks very close to the illegal fimbriated flames motif.
Aldith of Memmesfed - September of 1989 (via Caid):
Argent, in pale a mullet of four points azure and a stag's head affronty couped proper, attired sable, within a bordure azure.
CDs type and tincture of half of primary group.
Cáemgen mac Daill - February of 1992 (via the East):
Argent, in fess an arrow inverted azure and a tabby cat sejant gules, tail entwined about the arrow, all within a bordure azure.
CDs type and arrangement of primary group.
Clear
Between the odd tinturing of the flames and the weirdness for the compass star, there is a good chance that this will be returned for a redraw.
Ohio - The compass star is compatible with the description and illustration in the Pic-dic. There was some debate over whether the tincture of the flames on the emblazon was correct or not. No conflict was found, though we eventually gave up searching phoenixes.
passed to laurel. the flames look fine on the large drawing and are colored correctly for the type of field they are on.
[10) Laszlo Savino -- New Name and
Device -- Or, a chevron between two towers and two axes in
saltire purpure]
(Sternfield)
Laszlo dated to 1569 per "16th
Century Hungarian Male Names"
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/magyar.html
Savino dated to 1596 per http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/toprus.html
Client cares most about the names of Laszlo and Savino. Changes to name structure to match culture (16th Hungarian) are acceptable.
Name Commentary
Talan - > Laszlo dated to 1569 per "16th Century Hungarian Male Names" http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/magyar.html
The title and URL are both wrong, as is the date. The page is 'Hungarian Personal Names of the 16th Century' by Walraven van Nijmegen, the URL is <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/magyar16.html>, and Laszlo is dated to 1560, not 1569.
> Savino dated to 1596 per http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/toprus.html
This is Paul Wickenden's article on 'Locative Bynames in Medieval Russian'. It does not date Savino to 1596; rather, it says that Savino is the name of the city, town, village, or district from which the locative byname Savinskii is derived, and it dates this byname to 1595 (not 1596). (Of course this does mean that there must have been a place named Savino at that time.)
> Client cares most about the names of Laszlo and Savino.
> Changes to name structure to match culture (16th Hungarian) are acceptable.
I'm not sure why he thinks that an unmodified Russian place-name is likely to make a reasonable 16th c. Hungarian byname. Here's the most relevant part of what Walraven says about Hungarian locative bynames in his 'Hungarian Names 101' at
<http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1336/magyarnames101.html>:
The second major class of byname is the locative, and is formed from a person's place of birth, place of origin, or place of residence. Nearly all bynames of this type are formed by adding the suffix -i to the name of a village, province, or other geographic location.
A bit of searching on the web finds a Savino in Russia over in the vicinity of Nizhni Novgorod, some 200 miles or so east and a little north of Moscow; this is a long way from Hungary. Another, not quite so far east, is still northeast of Moscow. There may of course be others as well. None the less, this isn't very promising, to say the least. I'd return the name on the grounds that it doesn't appear to follow Hungarian practice. (Or Russian: Paul does not mention unmodified place-names as a Russian type of locative byname.)
Ohio - Corrected name link should be, ....1336/magyar16.html . Arms rather cliché and TSCA, but workable.
Device Commentary
Ary - I found no conflicts with the device.
Malcolm - I find neither conflict nor rule to cause them to be returned. The blazon, somehow, seems clumsy to me, though I can find no better way to blazon it myself; it just doesn't "Roll trippingly off the tongue" if you know what I'm saying.
Roberd - Amazingly, to my mind, I found no conflicts, though I found several close. Perhaps the closest was:
> Isabeau de Bordeaux > Registerd in the East, 12/89
> Or, a chevron azure, masoned Or, between three roses azure.
One CD for the change of type of the secondary charges (X.4.e), and one for the removal of the masoning. Clear.
M&A - This is clear of Aoibeann of Arran (reg 5/85) "Or, a chevron cotised purpure between three thistles proper." There is one CD for changing type of secondaries, and a second for removing the cotising.
Name returned for non-Hungarian naming practices.
Device returned with name.
11) Rachel l'Abat-jour (F)-- New
Name
(Auren Ripae)
Rachel is the client's legal first name and would like to use it.
l'Abat-jour - French for 'the blind"
Client wants a french name meaning "Rachel the Blind."
Talan - Oh, dear; this is what can happen when one doesn't know quite how to use a bilingual dictionary. An abat-jour is 'a lamp-shade, a candle-shade; an eye-shade; a sun-blind, an awning; a slanting shutter'; quite apart from the fact that it has altogether the wrong meaning, it only dates from 1670 (Petit Robert s.v. abat-jour). The normal French adjective meaning 'blind, without sight' is aveugle; it is also a noun, 'blind person'. It's from Old French avogle, which is found as early as the 11th century and also appears as avoele and avuele (Greimas s.v. avogle). In his expository work on French naming, Dauzat comments that the word, though it was the ordinary word for 'blind', does not seem to have given rise to a hereditary surname, probably because the condition was too personal and individual. His explanation of why it didn't become fixed as a hereditary surname suggests that he knew or thought it likely that the term was nevertheless used as a descriptive byname.
This seems very likely. We know that the byname or its Latin equivalent cecus (Classical caecus) appears in medieval records from many parts of Europe. Reaney & Wilson s.n. Blind cite Edricus Cecus from Domesday Book and and Ralph le Blinde 1274, among others. Brechenmacher s.n. Blind cites Ludolfus Cecus 1135 and Detmar Cecus 1302. Perhaps even better, from some unknown date between 1592 and 1672 he cites the French example of Jean Lejeune, appelé communément l'Aveugle 'Jean Lejeune, commonly called l'Aveugle (the Blind)'. From the Iberian peninsula Dieter Kremer cites Johannes Cecus 1195 and others (Bemerkungen zu den mittelalterlichen hispanischen cognomina (IV), Aufsätze zur Portugiesischen Kulturgeschichte, First Series, Vol. 13, 1974/1975, Sonderdruck aus Portugiesische Forschungen der Görresgesellschaft, ed. Hans Flasche, Aschendorffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Münster, Westfalen; Section 54). E.H. Lind (Norsk-Isländska Personbinamn från Medeltiden, Uppsala, 1920-21) s.v. blindi has many examples of the Old Norse byname (hinn) blindi '(the) blind'. Under the circumstances it would be astonishing if the medieval French never used a byname meaning '(the) blind', and it appears that the natural choice was Old French avogle, later to become aveugle. The change in pronunciation of the vowel occurred during the 12th century; modern eu was one of several spellings used to represent the new sound (M.K. Pope, From Latin to Modern French, rev. ed., Manchester Univ. Press, 1952, Sections 550, 714). Thus, the spelling aveugle should be at least one of several possibilities as early as the 13th century.
She barely needs the modern name allowance for Rachel, if at all: Seror s.n. Rachel notes that it occurs as the name of a Jew at Nottingham in 1244 -- possibly relevant, if the record was Anglo-Norman -- and as Racheel at Salon-de-Provence, France, in 1406. Other forms found in France are Rael 1495, Rahel 1482, Raela 1393, and the diminutive Raheleta 1425. All of these citations are from the south, in Occitan-speaking regions, so an Occitan form of the byname would be preferable; unfortunately, I have no idea what that would be. And it is a bit of a problem, because in most of the Occitan-speaking region French did not replace Occitan even as the language of government and administration until at least 1500 (R. Anthony Lodge, French from Dialect to Standard, Routledge, 1993, p. 124). Still, a Rachel l'Aveugle (or very early Rachel l'Avogle) might be justifiable on its merits and ought to be fine with the modern name allowance.
On the other hand, the change from l'Abat-jour to l'Aveugle is probably large enough to justify returning the name. In that case it would be a kindness to warn her that we have no documentation for a French byname meaning 'the blind', and that while we think it perfectly reasonable, there is a chance that Laurel/Pelican would return the byname. (This may seem unduly pessimistic, but during the present tenure I've seen a couple of decisions that I thought showed a similar unwillingness to make straightforward generalizations from the evidence. I'd rather be over-cautious than raise false hopes. And so far as I can tell, the byname l'Aveugle has never been registered.)
Ohio - Someone had seen prior commentary that the translation of blind was of the noun rather than the adjective, implying that she was a window dressing rather than visually impaired. Others opined that perhaps that was the intent. No one's high school French was adequate to make serious commentary. Name construction seems reasonable whether Rachel is made a weirdness or an English name matched to a French name.
Name will be passed to laurel as Rachel l'Aveugle and we shall see what happens.
12) Wilhelm Michalik (M) -- New
Device -- Sable, in fess a tree eradicated argent and another
Or
(Peoria, IL)
(Name reg'd -- Jan. '03)
Ary - A little odd, style-wise, but I don't see why this wouldn't be acceptable. I found no conflicts.
Talan - A fairly similar period example: the Dictionary of British Arms (I:253) has the arms of Lucas as Argent, a lion azure and another gules combatant coward.
Malcolm - Hmmm. I don't like it. It seems unbalanced. It's legal as church on Sunday, though.
Roberd - I found no conflicts.
Cnut - I did have a twitch on seeing this submission.
Gondor. Sable, a tree blossoming argent.
The commentary on this and the other proposals from Tolkien was somewhat mixed. However popular the Lord of the Rings trilogy is among older members of the SCA, it appears to have lost much of its status over the intervening years. Here, the commentary generally favored not protecting these arms. Precedents - Da'ud 2.2 - Appendix B
This armory could be considered a reference to Telperion and Laurelin.
Clear
Ohio - Several comments were made to Tolkienism, and no one was adequately motivated to find the current precedent on Tolkien heraldry.The precedents are really hard to work with unless you know who issued it. They should create a search engine for the combined precedents to make it more accessible to commentors and consultants. Potential conflict found with Sable, a rosebush eradicated Or Arianwen ferch Edenewen,10/98 Drachenwald. 1 CD for the second charge.
passed to laurel.
In Service,
Mistress Elena de Vexin
Rouge Scarpe Herald
John ap Wynne’s bibliography
1. Gruffudd, Heini, Welsh Personal Names. Y Lolfa Ltd.k Cardiganshire, Wales 1980
2. Morby, John E., Handbook of Kings & Queens. Wordsworth Editions Ltd., Hertfordshore, 1994
3. Morgan, T.J., Morgan, Prys, Welsh Surnames. University of Wales Press Ltd., Cardiff, 1985
4. Norman, Teresa, Names Through the Ages. Berkely Books, New York, 1999
5. Rowlands, John & Sheila, Surnames of Wales. Genealogical Publishing Inc., Baltimore, 1996
6. Walker, David, Medieval Wales. Cambridge University Press Ltd., Cambridge, 1990