This is the August 2004 Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon’s June 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 Knute, Malcolm, Femke, Mikhail and AElfreda (M & A), and Master Talan Gwynek for this month’s commentary.
1) Alexander Kyppyn Kirkcaldy - Badge Resubmission – {Quarterly, argent and purpure, a tower counterchanged, a border engrailed azure.}
Blazon changed to: Quarterly argent and purpure, a tower counterchanged within a bordure engrailed azure.
Name registered November 1994 (via Meridies).
His submission of Quarterly purpure and vair counter vair, in bend two towers proper. was returned in April 2004 for multiple conflicts.
Client resubmitted two badge devices, hoping one will be registrated. (sic) Per Pale, argent purpure, a tower counterchanged, a border engrailed azure has been returned for lack of funds.
RS Note: Apparently the other submission was returned as the paperwork received by Rouge Scarpe is the counterchanged tower.
Commentary
Talan - The comma after 'Quarterly' is incorrect, and the peripheral charge is normally blazoned a bordure (though it's perfectly acceptable to call it a border outside of the blazon). Quarterly argent and purpure, a tower counterchanged, a bordure engrailed azure is not wrong, but it's ugly; a better blazon is Quarterly argent and purpure, a tower counterchanged within a bordure engrailed azure.
Ideally the engrailing should be coarser, with fewer 'bites', each going deeper into the border, but it's within acceptable limits.
The engrailing is smaller than the ideal, but anyone who has a copy of Heraldry, by Bedingfeld and Gwynn-Jones, can see on p.50 a 1559 emblazon with just such engrailing (2nd coat in the 2nd row, with the lion's head jessant-de-lis). Similar engrailing, this time from 1505-34 and of a bend rather than a border, may be seen on p.62 (upper illustration, 2nd coat in bottom row)
Femke - This appears to be clear of conflict.
Knute - The engrailing is too small. Clear. Redraw.
Malcolm - William Shatner School of Blazon? :-D Quarterly argent and purpure, a tower counterchanged within a border engrailed azure.
No conflicts, and good in structure
M & A - The engrailing seems acceptable.
Badge passed to Laurel
2) Alexander Kyppyn Kirkcaldy - Device and Badge Releases – Administrative Action
The client wishes to release the following badges/devices:
Device - Per pale sable and argent, a standing balance counterchanged, on a chief gules three mullets argent. (registered November 1994, changed/released January 1997)
Device - Per pale sable and argent, a standing balance counterchanged, on a chief azure three mullets argent (registered January 1997, changed/released August 2000)
Badge - Sable, a pretzel and on a bordure argent eight keys in annulo sable. (registered May 1996)
Note: A new device was registered August 2000 (Per pale argent and sable, a standing balance counterchanged and on a chief azure, three fish naiant argent) As the second device listed was changed/released in August 2000 it most likely became a badge.
3) Aurelia Iuliana (F) -- New Name and Device – {Vert increscenty Or, a wolf ululant sejant contourney argent}
Blazon changed to: Vert semy of increscents or, a wolf sejant contourny ululant argent
Client is not interested in authenticity and cares most about sound. She would prefer the spelling of Juliana (with a ‘J’).
[Aurelia] -- "The First Thousand Years of British
Names," by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/british1000/
[Aurelius] is referenced throught the SCA Herald's Medieval
Name Archive:
http://www.larp.com/legioxx/nomina.html
siting examples of women's names: [Aurelia Leite] and [Aurelia
Philmatio]
[Iuliana] -- [Iuliana] has a historical reference in the
person and life of St. Juliana.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08555a.htm:
"Juliana suffered martyrdom during the Diocletian persecution (ie AD 302-305, ed. note)"
Name Commentary
Talan - [Aurelia] -- "The First Thousand Years of British Names," by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/british1000/
The names Aurelia and Aurelius are not found in this source, so far as I can tell.
[Aurelius] is referenced throught the SCA Herald's Medieval Name Archive: http://www.larp.com/legioxx/nomina.html siting examples of women's names: [Aurelia Leite] and [Aurelia Philmatio]
Obviously this is support for Aurelia, not Aurelius.
[Iuliana] -- [Iuliana] has a historical reference in the person and life of St. Juliana. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08555a.htm:
"Juliana suffered martyrdom during the Diocletian persecution (ie AD 302-305, ed. note)"
Client would actually prefer the registration of "Juliana" rather then "Iuliana" and is not that interested in authenticity.
In view of the comparatively weak documentation, I'm going to start from scratch with this one. At one time most women's names were recorded simply as a feminized gentilicium and an abbreviated explicit patronymic, e.g., Antonia M.f., which expands to Antonia Marci filia 'Antonia, daughter of Marcus'. All women of the gens Antonii -- roughly 'the Antonine clan' -- were known as Antonia. During the first century CE, however, it seems gradually to have become normal for women, like men, to use cognomina, like the Briton Claudia Rufina. (Birley, 15) After the Edict of Caracalla extended Roman citizenship to all free aliens in the Roman empire, Aurelius (feminine Aurelia became the single most common gentilicium. (Ibid., 18) In Britain, for instance, we find Aurelia Victorina, probably from the later 3rd c. CE; Aurelia Eubia, probably also from the 3rd c.; the sisters Aurelia Sabinilla and Aurelia Caula; the sisters Aurelia Romana and Aurelia Sabina, possibly of earlier date; and others. (Ibid., 108ff)
Iulianus (feminine Iuliana) is a very common cognomen derived from the gentilicium Iulius. (Morlet, II:67b)
Thus, Aurelia Iuliana, if viewed as a 3rd century name, say, straightforwardly consists of a common gentilicium and a common cognomen in that order and should be quite unexceptionable.
The spelling Juliana isn't really appropriate. It's true that the letter J was used as a graphic variant of I for quite some time before the two letters came (in the 16th century) to be used consistently for the consonant and the vowel, respectively, but I have seen the long (i.e., j) variant only in hands from the high Middle Ages and later, and the brief history of the letter J in the American Heritage Dictionary (3rd ed.) agrees that the variant is of medieval origin. The name, on the other hand, is late Roman at the latest.
Birley, Anthony. The People of Roman Britain (London: B T Batsford, Ltd, 1979).
Femke - Aurelia is fine, as a praenomen. I can’t find either Iuliana or Juliana used as a nomen anywhere. Given that the pool of names used as nomen was closed and very small, this may be a problem. Aurelia Julia would be better construction.
Device Commentary
Talan - Although increscenty is understandable and is even found in one registered blazon, it's not a standard term and strikes me as awkward; I would use semy of increscents, which occurs in eight registered blazons. It's contourny, not contourney, and the wolf's attributes are a bit out of order. In general you want to list the attributes in descending order of importance; in this case that gives you:
(1) sejant -- the basic posture
(2) contourny -- orientation within that posture
(3) ululant -- posture of head
Thus: Vert semy of crescents or, a wolf sejant contourny ululant argent.
Ideally the wolf should be larger, filling the field, but it's within acceptable limits.
Femke - no conflicts noted.
Knute - Vert increscenty Or, a wolf sejant ululant contourny argent
There is a weirdness for the non-period SCA compatible ululuant posture.
Clear
Malcolm - No conflicts that I could find, and looks legal, well drawn, and well blazoned.
M & A - Suggested blazon: Vert, increscenty Or, a wolf sejant contourny uluant argent.
Name passed to Laurel
Device passed to Laurel
4) Caterina {Delrosso} (F) -- New Name and Device -- Gules, a winged lion rampant sable fimbriated argent within a bordure sable semy of roundels argent.
[Caterina] -- Census of Florence (1427-1480)
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/catasto/)
Renaissance Florence: A Documentary Study
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html)
[Delrosso] -- Florentine Renaissance Resources: Online Tratte
of Office Holders 1282-1532
(http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/doc/TLSURNAM1.html)
Family Names Appearing in the Catasto of 1427
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ferrante/catasto/family_names.htm)
Client will not accept major changes. Client wants her name to fit her nickname "Caterina the Red". According to her paperwork she writes "The Italian word for red is 'rosso.' She is interested in 14th – 15th century Italian time period, language and culture.
Name Commentary
Talan –
[Caterina] -- Census of Florence (1427-1480) (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/catasto/)
Renaissance Florence: A Documentary Study
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html)
[Delrosso] -- Florentine Renaissance Resources: Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532
(http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/doc/TLSURNAM1.html)
Family Names Appearing in the Catasto of 1427
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ferrante/catasto/family_names.htm)
The correct URL is <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ferrante/catasto/family_names.html>.
Client wants her name to fit her nickname "Caterina the Red" and wants an Italian persona. According to her paperwork she writes "The Italian word for red is 'rosso.'
There's no telling from the Catasto and Tratte databases whether the surname was written Delrosso, del Rosso, or both, but in some form Caterina del Rosso is a fine Florentine name from the early 15th century. It does not, however, mean 'Caterina the Red': Delrosso or del Rosso is a genuine family name, not a descriptive byname. Moreover, its literal meaning is 'of the (masculine) red (one)'; I suspect that it originally had patronymic force and was applied to children of a man called (il) Rosso '(the) Red'. The feminine form of a literally descriptive byname meaning 'the Red' would be la Rossa in standard Italian. It's hard to know for just what period such a byname is appropriate, and whether it would have included the article or not: women's names are typically under-represented, and informal bynames of this type are probably under-represented in late-medieval and Renaissance official records. However, with a little work I think that we can produce a reasonable indirect justification for Caterina la Rossa.
'Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names', by Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek, <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/>, cites Venerio lo Grato from Sally McKee, Wills from Late Medieval Venetian Crete 1312-1420; grato is 'grateful, thankful; pleasant, agreeable', so we have here a descriptive byname 'the Agreeable' or the like in the 14th century Venetian cultural area. The same article notes the forename Caterina and the surname Rosso. This last could be either patronymic, from the identical masculine forename, or a descriptive adjective without the article, but either supports ross- as the correct dialect form for the Venetian region. (The forename Rosso derives from the adjective.) Thus, Caterina la Rossa 'Caterina the Red' would appear to be at least possible in a 14th century Venetian context.
Femke - Caterina is a fine given name. Delrosso seems to be easily documented to period, but I will leave it to wiser heads than mine to determine if this spelling is correct.
Device Commentary
Talan -: A winged lion is far too complex a shape to be fimbriated, and the color emblazon shows that in fact this lion isn't fimbriated: it's simply outlined and detailed in white. (Genuine fimbriation would require a much wider band of white around the lion.) Thus, the lion and the border both violate RfS VIII.2.b.i (contrast requirement for charges on the field). If the lion actually were fimbriated argent, only the border would violate the contrast requirement, but the fimbriated lion would violate RfS VIII.3 (Armorial Identifiability). (It's a pity: tinctures apart, the design isn't bad, and the emblazon is quite well done.)
The border can more concisely be blazoned a bordure sable platy, making the coat Gules, a winged lion rampant sable within a bordure sable platy. (Note that you can't double up the sable tinctures here: Gules, a winged lion rampant within a bordure sable platy would make the lion platy as well as the border.)
From MK Heralds > The bordure is too thin and the roundels are too small.
Not returnably so; compare with the first coat mentioned above. It's also quite similar in proportions to one of the Matthew Paris shields (ca.1244) shown in Plate I in Aspilogia I (2nd coat in first row); it even has the same number of roundels identically distributed around the border.
It wouldn't hurt to suggest that she fatten them up a little, since she's going to have to redo the coat anyway, but only a little.
Femke - this should probably be returned for several reasons – first, a lion is too complex a charge to fimbriate. Second, the sable charge on a gules field brakes the rule of tincture.
Since fimbriation isn’t allowable in this case, that won’t save it.
Knute - Gules, a winged lion segreant sable within a bordure sable semy of roundels argent
The argent is artistic detailing. It isn't wide enough to be called fimbriation.
The winged lion is too complex to void or fimbriate.
The bordure is too thin and the roundels are too small.
The sable on gules of the lion and the bordure both violate RfS VIII.2.
Return for multiple style problems.
Malcolm - Striking, but no. The "fimbriation" is too narrow, and the Lion too complex for fimbriation in SCA heraldry.
M & A - The lion is much to complex to fimbriate (but would otherwise be
color-on-color), the bordure is color-on-color.
Name changed to Caterina la Rossa and passed to Laurel
Device returned for violation of RfS VIII.3
5) Gin Taras (M) – Name Change
Douglas of Ravenslake (registered July 2003) – change to Gin
Taras
"Dictionary of Period Russian Names: Section 6 by Paul Goldschmidt:
[Gin] -- "young"
Eukhim Gin, Ourutsk servant, c. 1545 [Tup103]
[Taras] -- var. Taarasii. Section T-U
Tarasii - "to disturb" c. Tarasii Timofeev syn Kuramzin
(1566) [RIB XIV 75]
Commentary
Talan - > Client wishes to change "Douglas of Ravenslake" (reg'd July 2003) to [Gin Taras].
"Dictionary of Period Russian Names: Section 6 by PaulGoldschmidt:
[Gin] -- "young" Eukhim Gin, Ourutsk servant, c. 1545 [Tup103]
The correct citation (according to the on-line version) is Evkhim Gin 1545.
[Taras] -- var. Taarasii. Section T-U
That should be Tarasii.
Tarasii - "to disturb" c. Tarasii Timofeev syn Kuramzin (1566) [RIB XIV 75]
This citation is irrelevant; the one for Taras is Taras Iakovlich' 15th century, also listed under Tarasii.
In the name Evkhim Gin cited above it appears that Gin functions as a byname. Possibly it can also be used as a forename -- Paul notes that nicknames often replace full forenames -- but this isn't entirely clear. It also isn't clear whether such a nickname can be the first of two forenames. Taras, on the other hand, is unquestionably a forename, from Greek Tarásios. (Unbegaun, 49) The citations clearly justify Taras Gin; indeed, it's fully parallel to Evkhim Gin. It simply isn't clear whether they justify the name in the submitted order. (I am reasonably certain that even if Gin Taras is possible, Taras Gin is much likelier.)
I'd either send it up as Taras Gin, with a note explaining why it was changed and noting that we're not sure that the change is absolutely necessary, or send it up as submitted with a note explaining why we think that it very likely ought to be reversed to Taras Gin.
By the way, it would be a kindness to inform the submitter that the G in Gin is 'hard' (as in gum), and that Taras is stressed on the second syllable, \tah-RAHSS\.
Name passed to Laurel with portions of Talans comments
6) Hrafnhildr Mikaelsdottir (F) -- Device Resubmission -- Argent, a raven rising sable and on a chief rayonny gules{,} two spears in saltire argent.
(Esct. Note: Except for the Letter of Return, the client has provided no contact information except for the consulting herald: Geoffrey of Wroxeter.)
RS Note: I have contacted the consulting herald who provided me with the contact information.
name registered December 2003
Original submission was returned by Rouge Scarpe September 2003 for conflict with the arms of Stephen Grimfalcon de Norfolk (reg. 12/87): Argent, a falcon striking sable within a bordure gules."
The redesign corrects that conflict.
Commentary
Talan - The second comma isn't wanted. This is Argent, a raven rising sable and on a chief rayonny gules two spears (crossed) in saltire argent. (The parentheses indicate that 'crossed' is optional, a matter of taste.)
The addition of the spears clears the conflict (RfS X.4.i).
From MK Heralds > This violates RfS VII.7. The tips of the rayons reach the fess line.
They do not. The chief most point on the bird is the highest one would want to draw a per fess line, and it could go a bit lower.
From MK Heralds > Because of this, it can't really be called a chief.
Nonsense. It can't possibly be anything else.
Femke - the addition of the spears clears the original conflict. No others are noted. Pass
Knute - This violates RfS VII.7. The tips of the rayons reach the fess line. Because of this, it can't really be called a chief. The line is enhanced too far to be acceptable as a per fess field division. This blurs the distinction between per fess and a chief and isn't reproducible from acceptable SCA blazon.
Malcolm - It does look like she has overcome the conflict, as I find none. Closest is 8/84 via the West - Niall o'r Wlad Bell, argent a swan naiant and a chief rayonny gules, and I stopped counting at 3 CD's there,
M & A - The chief seems acceptable. This device should be clear of André du Corbeau (registered in April of 1983): Argent, a raven rising sable, on a chief gules three pairs of arrows inverted in saltire argent. There is one CD for adding a complex line of division to the chief, and a second CD for the spears vs arrows via the following:
From the Armory Precedents of Elsbeth Ann Roth: . . .there is a CD between a spear and an arrow. [Angus Kerr, 06/01, A-East]
Device passed to Laurel.
7) Kalara Madarasz (F) -- New Name and Device -- Sable, a chief argent, three crescents purpure, a pegasus argent
Blazon changed to: Sable, a pegasus and on a chief argent three crescents purpure
[Kalara] -- St. Gabriel Academy Report 2765 (url not provided) [Kalara] is a modern spelling but it is believed that it would be spelled the same way in the 16th century.
[Madarasz] -- {mada/r} in Hungarian means " fowler,
bird-catcher; one who raises or trains birds." [Madarasz] c.
1402
In the bibliography at the bottom of the report: "Further research suggests that it is unlikely that a woman would have been identified by an occupational byname referring to her husband . . . A woman might have been indentnfied (sic) as her husband's wife, but only in a form that omits her given name entirely."
Client will not accept major changes and is interested in 14-16th century Hungarian language/culture.
Name Commentary
Talan - [Kalara] -- St. Gabriel Academy Report 2765 (url not provided)
Once you have the report number, you have the URL: <www.s-gabriel.org/2765>
[Kalara] is a modern spelling but it is believed that it would be spelled the same way in the 16th century.
Yes; as I recall we found no evidence of other forms of the name, and no evidence of Hungarian sound changes that would have affected the spelling of the name.
[Madarasz] -- {mada/r} in Hungarian means " fowler, bird-catcher; one who raises or trains birds."
This is not what the letter says. It says that Hungarian madár is 'bird' and that madárasz is 'fowler, bird-catcher; one who raises or trains birds'.
[Madarasz] c. 1402 In the bibliography at the bottom of the report:"Further research suggests that it is unlikely that a woman would have been identified by an occupational byname refering to her husband . . . A woman might have been indentnfied (sic) as her husband's wife, but only
in a form that omits her given name entirely."
It is not in the bibliography; it is merely a footnote, and moreover one added after the letter was originally sent out, as the note at the bottom of the page makes clear. The word labelled '(sic)' is indeed misspelled in the footnote, but not as it's been copied here: what actually appears in the added footnote is 'identnfied', not 'indentnfied'. (And if one is going to add such notations, one should also label 'refering', which is a misspelling of 'referring'.)
The point of the addendum is not clear in the absence of the relevant part of the original letter, so you need to quote that as well:
“Given the nature of the occupation, we're not sure if this would be an appropriate byname for a woman. It may not be appropriate at all; or it could be that this surname would have implied that the woman was the wife or daughter of a man who actually was a bird-hunter [4]. We unfortunately just don't have enough information for us to make a recommendation.”
You also need the part of [4] that was elided: 'Hungarian bynames were literal, with the possible exception of landed surnames'. We can now see that the addendum rules out most of the possibilities mentioned in the original letter, leaving only the possibility that Kalara herself is the fowler. I know no more about the likelihood of this than I did last fall when the Academy did the research for the letter. One would probably have to know a great deal about late-medieval Hungarian society to say how likely it is that a woman might have been (or at least been referred to as) a fowler or raiser of birds; it would not surprise me if the name turned out to be possible but unlikely, but there is certainly no reason to dismiss it out of hand.
To sum up, the name is (so far as we know) linguistically correct; it's possible that for sociological reasons the byname is unlikely to have been borne by a women, but we have no real evidence bearing on the point one way or the other. In such cases of sociological uncertainty the submitter should always get the benefit of the doubt when the name is otherwise fine; it might be a concern for someone interested in maximal historical authenticity, but it should not concern us.
Femke - The Academy report is here: http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/academy-bin/showfinal.cgi/2765.txt
The by name was sort of an enigma. Pass to Laurel for a decision.
Device Commentary
Talan - The blazon is out of order: the primary charge always comes first. This is Sable, a pegasus and on a chief argent three crescents purpure.
Femke - reblazon – Sable, a pegasus and on a chief argent three crescents purpure. No conflicts noted.
Knute - Sable, a pegasus passant and on a chief argent three crescents purpure
Erenric of Devon - February of 1994 (via Caid):
Sable, a pegasus salient to sinister, wings addorsed, and on a chief argent three decrescents gules.
CD posture of primary, CD tincture and orientation of tertiaries.
Clear
Malcolm - Blazon fu: Sable, a Pegasus and on a chief argent three crescents purpure. It may be possible that the Pegasus needs its posture specified, but I'm not sure what to call it. A little modern and naturalistic for my tastes, but not a show stopper.
M & A - Suggested blazon: Sable, a pegasus passant, on a chief argent three crescents purpure.
Name passed to Laurel
Device passed to Laurel
8) Michael Magnus (M) – Name Change
Magnus de Tymberlake (registered. June 2003) change to Michael Magnus (Client’s original name Brondólfr the Stout, registered March 2003 was changed to Magnus de Tymberlake.)
[Michael] -- "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in
Essex Co., England, 1182-1272" by Magistra Nicolaa de
Bracton http://members.tripod.com/nicolaa5/articles.names.html
Also, client's mundane name and has submitted a copy of his SCA membership card as proof.
[Magnus] -- Reaney & Wilson, "A Dictionary of English Surnames," p. 294 c. Hugo Magnus, 1114.
Commentary
Talan - Client wishes to change his name from Magnus de Timberlake (reg. Jun '03) to [Michael Magnus].
[Michael] -- "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex Co., England, 1182-1272" by Magistra Nicolaa de Bracton http://members.tripod.com/nicolaa5/articles.names.html
This should be <http://members.tripod.com/nicolaa5/articles/names.html>.
Also, client's mundane name and has submitted a copy of his SCA membership card as proof.
[Magnus] -- Reaney & Wilson, "A Dictionary of English Surnames," p. 294 c. Hugo Magnus, 1114.
The name and documentation are fine, though the documentary form Michael does not reflect the usual spoken form: the name was normally pronounced like modern Mitchell and, on the rare occasions when the Latin spelling Michael wasn't used, tends to appear in records as Michel (see, e.g., RW s.n. Mitchell).
Name passed to Laurel
9) Michalato Cappelli (M) -- New Name and Device -- Vert, in pale a heron proper volant to sinister and three chevronelles braced argent.
Blazon changed to: Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a heron volant contourny argent
[Michalato] -- "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names," by Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek, Oct. 1999 (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html#men)
[Cappelli] -- Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532 (http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/doc/TLSURNAM1.html)
Name Commentary
Talan - [Michalato] -- "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names," by Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek, Oct. 1999
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html#men)
Just <http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html> there's no need to include the subsidiary anchor.
[Cappelli] -- Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532 (http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/doc/TLSURNAM1.html)
The URL of the front page of this document should also be given; it is <http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/tratte/>.
It would be nicer if the forename and surname could be documented from the same part of Italy, but the name should be just fine: even if the diminutive Michalato turned out to be peculiar to the region around Venice, Cappelli appears to be the most common variant of the surname (De Felice, Cognomi s.n. Cappelli), with perhaps the least pronounced regional characteristics.
Device Commentary
Talan -: Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a heron volant contourny argent. To my eye the chevronels are clearly primary, with the heron an admittedly very substantial secondary charge in chief. As a matter of taste I prefer contourny to to sinister. Finally, while the heron may in fact be in its proper coloration, I see nothing in the colored emblazon to keep us from simplifying the blazon to take advantage of the fact that all of the charges are the same tincture.
The arms conflict with Conan de Kirketun of Wyvernsreach, Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a wyvern statant to sinister argent, registered 7/91; there is a single CD for changing the type of secondary charge.
Femke - I’m not sure that this is the best blazon. Is the heron really in pale ? The slight trian aspect to the heron might be a problem. As is the fact that he’s not as identifiable as a heron in flight as he would be standing. The chevronels should probably be the primary charge anyway -
Vert, three chevronels braced argent and in chief a heron proper volant to sinister?
This may be a problem?:
Conan de Kirketun of Wyvernsreach
The following device associated with this name was registered in July of 1991 (via Caid):
Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a wyvern statant to sinister argent.
Knute - Vert, three chevronelles braced and in chief a heron volant to sinister argent
The posture of the heron is a bit naturalistic and trian.
Conan de Kirketun of Wyvernsreach - July of 1991 (via Caid): Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a wyvern statant to sinister argent.
CD for type of secondary, CD for posture.
There is a long discussion of orientation and posture in July 2003 cover letter. I believe that the postures of the heron (a two legged and winged creature) and a wyvern statant (a two legged and winged creature) are comparable, due to their similar overall anatomy.
Pass this up.
Malcolm - Again the Pelican seems a little more naturalistic than I'd draw; it suggests motion, but I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. A good heraldic artist would do wonders IMO.
M & A - suggested blazon: Vert, three chevronelles braced argent, and in chief, a heron proper volant contourny.
From what I can see in the emblazon, the beak and legs of the heron are Or, and the wings might have some sable detailing, hence the proper, as opposed to argent. Unfortunately, this device conflicts with Conan de Kirketun of Wyvernsreach (registered July of 1991): Vert, three chevronels braced and in chief a wyvern statant to sinister argent, with only one CD,
for type of secondary.
Name passed to Laurel
Device passed to Laurel (I agree with Knute that there is a second CD for posture – we will let Wreath make the final decision)
10) Rivenvale, Shire of - Device Resubmission - Vert,
on a pile azure fimbriated argent, an angel contourney
maintaining a sword argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath Or.
Blazon changed to: Vert, on a pile throughout azure fimbriated argent an angel statant contourny maintaining a sword palewise argent and in dexter chief a laurel wreath Or.
(name registered October 2002)
Their former device: Azure, a pile fimbriated argent, overall a serpah contourney maintaining a sword argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath overall Or was returned by Laurel, October 2002 for the following reason:
“Overall charges may not surmount fimbriated ordinaries by prior precedent: ‘Ermine fimbriation is disallowed (LoAR of 3Aug 86, p. 17), as are overall charges surmounting fimbriated ordinaries (9 March 86, p. 12)’ (LoAR October 1992 p. 26). The angel lies almost entirely on the pile and the laurel wreath lies almost entirely on the field. If the angel were entirely on the pile and the wreath entirely on the field (but still large enough to be a significant element of the design) then this would be stylistically acceptable, although it is not known whether there would be a problem with conlict.
The angel was originally blazoned as a seraph contourny. Seraphim in period heraldry consist of a human head cabossed conjoined to six wings. The top two pairs of wings are displayed and the bottom pair crosses beneath the head. The SCA has an invented charge of a ‘standing seraph’, which is a standing gowned human with six wings (the top two pairs displayed and the bottom pair crossed over the body). Since the angel in this emblazon is a standing human with two addorsed wings, it is a standard angel and should be blazoned as such.
Angels are affronty by default and so contourny is not a well defined term: the angel must be blazoned as statant contourny. Because an angel is a humanoid monster, the term statant is understood to mean ‘standing as a human does’; it is not necessary to blazon an angel as statant erect. (And it is not period heraldic practice, nor is it respectful, to emblazon an angel statant as an animal would be statant, down on all fours.)”
The redraw and blazon of the device address those issues.
Petition is included.
Commentary
Talan - Again contourny is misspelled, and there should be no comma after fimbriated argent. The pile is throughout, which is not the default. As was pointed out in the previous return, an angel is by default affronty, and a charge affronty cannot be contourny; instead the angel must be blazoned statant contourny. Finally, I would blazon the sword explicitly as being oriented palewise, though I'd not be particularly surprised if the specification were removed from the final blazon. Vert, on a pile throughout azure fimbriated argent an angel statant contourny maintaining a sword palewise argent and in dexter chief a laurel wreath or. (I prefer appropriate conjunctions and prepositions -- 'and', 'within', etc. -- to commas for connecting the descriptions of the various charges.)
Their former device: Azure, a pile fimbriated argent, overall a serpah contourney maintaining a sword argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath overall Or was returned by Laurel, Oct. '02
In case anyone was puzzled, serpah here is a typo for seraph, as they misblazoned the charge in their previous submission.
Their previous submission is given in the 10/02 LoAR as Vert, a pile throughout azure fimbriated argent, overall an angel statant to sinister maintaining a sword argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath overall Or. It was returned because overall charges are not permitted to surmount fimbriated ordinaries. The return continues as follows:
They have adjusted the positions of the angel and wreath as suggested, but there may be some question as to whether the wreath is significant enough; I have no idea what current standards may be. (There are times when I miss rule AR5 in the 1986 RfS: 'The armory of Society branches and offices shall set a good example.')
Femke - This new submission seems to deal with Laurel’s objections. Pass.
Knute - Vert, on a pile throughout azure fimbriated an angel statant contourny maintaining a sword argent, in canton a laurel wreath Or
The fimbriation is too thin. The laurel wreath should be larger.
Aodhagan O Caoimh - August of 1984 (via Ansteorra):
Vert, on a pile azure fimbriated argent an African leopard's face Or.
Marlise von Bernhardt - July of 1987 (via Meridies):
Vert, on a pile azure, fimbriated, a triquetra inverted Or, all within a bordure Or.
CD laurel wreath, CD RfS X.4.j.ii.(b)
Clear
Malcolm - It's not hopeless, though it needs reblazon, to wit: Vert, on a pile azure fimbriated argent an angel statant contourny maintaining a sword argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath Or.
Eh. Passable, I'd say - I didn't find a conflict, but I am not sure of how effective my search was on this.
M & A - This submission has addressed the reasons for the return from Laurel by making the wreath totally on the field and the angel totally on the pile. However, this has made the wreath even smaller and less significant than in their previous submission. The text of the return explicitly noted that the wreath would still have to large enough to be significant. We are not sure if it is.
Device passed to Laurel While I am not positive the laurel wreath is large enough I would prefer Wreath to make the call.
Done in Service,
Elena de Vexin
rougescarpe@midrealm.org
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