This is the February 2005 Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptance and Returns for Escutcheon’s November 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, devices or badges in braces have been returned or pended. Commentary, rulings, etc. by Rouge Scarpe are placed in CAP PRINT. Thanks to AElfreda & Mikhail (A&M), Knut, Femke, Master Gunnvor, Master Talan, and Master John ap Wynne, for this month’s commentary.

1) {Cleflands, Barony of -- New Order - Order of the Burning River}
(Cleveland, OH)

According to the paperwork: “-in reference to the times the Cuyahoga River has caught fire, most notably on June 22, 1969.” This is all the documentation that came with the submission.

Client *will not* accept major changes and cares more meaning.

PENDED PER CLIENTS REQUEST

2) {Cleflands, Barony of -- New Order - Order of the River}
(Cleveland, OH)

According to the paperwork: “-in reference to the Cuyahoga River.” This is all the documentation that came with the submission.

Client *will not* accept major changes and cares more meaning.

PENDED PER CLIENTS REQUEST

3) Dafydd Arth (M) - {Device Change -- Per saltire purpure and gules, a mullet of eight points voided Or}
(Bloomington, IN)
(name reg'd 'Sept '95)

Client wishes to released: "Quarterly azure and purpure, two recorders crossed in saltire, on a chief argent a bear statant contourny between two fleur-de-lys sable," reg'd Sept '95

Knut - Regula Alicia la Placida - November of 1992 (via Calontir): (Fieldless) On a mullet of eight points Or, another quarterly vert and gules.
Single CD for fieldless. No CD for tincture only of the tertiary.

Return for conflict.

A&M - Device: We agree that there is a conflict with the badge of Regula Alicia la Placida.

DEVICE RETURNED FOR CONFLICT WITH ALICIA LA PALCIDA

4) Elizabella Marchant (F) -- Device Resubmission -- Per bend sinister argent and azure, a rose proper and a garb Or.
(Shaker Hts, OH)
(name reg'd Aug '96)

Her original device: Per chevron ployé azure and argent, two roses argent and a Lacy knot purpure was returned by Laurel, May '98 was returned for using a charged chape, which isn’t allowed.

Knut and A&M - Clear

DEVICED PASSED TO LAUREL

#5) {Erick Maxskelly (M) New name and device -- Gyronny gules and Or, a ship's wheel, on a chief sable three bezants}
(Foxvale)

The submitter will allow all changes, cares most about language/culture, and asks for an authentic name for the time of "Hundred Years' War" in Scotland.

[Erick]: Black, pg. 256, s.n. Erikson, notes a Laurence Erickson in 1613. Given the way patronymics are formed, this implies that Erick in some form existed in period and that Erick is a possible late period spelling.

[Maxskelly]: Black, pg. 564, s.n .Macskelly lists a Alexandre Maxskelly in 1489.

The device, unfortunately, fall afoul of the following precedent: The ship's wheel is apparently not a period charge. Barring documentation to the contrary this must be returned. (Hans Van Hoorn, 3/98 p. 18)

Alternate suggestions would be appreciated.

Name Commentary

Femke - While the submitted evidence does imply the existence of <Erick> as a given name, I could find no evidence for it in any of my sources used in England or Scotland during the submitter’s period. Withycomb states that it was brought to England by the Danes, but soon died out. It was not revived until the 19th century. The surname <Maxskelly> is likely the Scots language rendering of the Gaelic name <Mac Scalaidhe>, found in MacLysaght. With a more appropriate Scots language given name, it should be fine.
Talan -
<[Erick]: Black, pg. 256, s.n. Erikson, notes a Laurence Erickson in 1613. Given the way patronymics are formed, this implies that Erick in some form existed in period and that Erick is a possible late period spelling.

The reference given by Black makes it clear that the citation is from Shetland. These islands, which were home to a flourishing pre-Viking society, were completely taken over early in the Viking Age by Norwegian colonists; indeed, the native toponymy in both Shetland and Orkney seems to have been completely superseded by Norse names (Barbara E. Crawford, ed., Scandinavian Settlement in Northern Britain (London: Leicester Univ. Press, 1995), pp. 24f, 62f). Orkney was in Norse hands until the mid-14th century, when title passed to Sir Henry Sinclair. Old Norse and its descendant Norn were the language of the islands for several centuries; by the early 14th century Norn was beginning to give way to Gaelic and Scots, but it didn't completely die out until the early 17th century. Norse influence in Shetland, further from the Scottish mainland, was even stronger. Under these circumstances it's hardly surprising that personal naming in Orkney and especially Shetland cannot safely be extrapolated much beyond the islands; in the last couple centuries of the SCA period I'd hesitate to extrapolate beyond Caithness.

In particular, all this citation shows is that at some point a form of Old Norse <Eiríkr> found its way to the Shetland; it doesn't say when, and it doesn't say whether the name spread beyond the immediate area. It doesn't even say whether the name was actually used as a forename in the form <Erick>: Black not infrequently normalizes spellings without mentioning the fact, and surname forms aren't necessarily identical to forename forms, especially after the surname has become hereditary. Admittedly, it seems likely that non-hereditary bynames, and especially true patronymics and locatives, persisted longer in the Shetland than in many other places, but we don't know the actual status of this citation.

Thus, we really can't evaluate the name without more information; and since we lack more detailed information on naming in Shetland, about all we can do is look at the evidence for <Eiríkr> in the British Isles in general.

The name was uncommon in England (Insley s.n. <Eiríkr>). Domesday Book mentions half a dozen men with that name living in 1066, all but one holding land in Lincolnshire; the spellings are <Eiric>, <Æiric>, <Eric>, <Erich>, <Eriz>, and <Arich> (von Feilitzen s.n. <Eiríkr>). Besides the Domesday Book examples Fellows Jensen (76) found only three bearers of the name in Lincolnshire, <Siuate f. Airic> 1154x89, <Errichi de Gustona> ca.1150 (from a MS. of ca.1330), and <Radulfus f. Eirici> 1204, 1209; she found none in Yorkshire. Insley found just one example in Norfolk, <Airicus> 1166x70. I know of no later period examples in England. The evidence strongly suggests that in England the name never achieved any significant popularity even in the Danelaw and that it died out by about 1200.

The name seems also to have been rare in the Hiberno-Norse settlements in Ireland; I've found just one instance so far, <Thórstain mc. Eric> in the Annals of Ulster, annal 1103.5 (5th entry in the annal for the year 1103), available on-line at http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001A/index.html.

I've found no evidence of the name on the Scottish mainland or even in Orkney; in particular, neither it nor the patronymic based on it is mentioned in George Lamb, Orkney Surnames (Edinburgh: Paul Harris Publishing, 1981).

I did find one other instance of the patronymic in Shetland: Sara L. Uckelman, 'Names from the Shetland Isles' at <http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/shetland/index.html> has <Erasmus Eariksoun> 1602x04. (This citation reinforces my suspicion that Black's <Erickson> may be normalized. It's worth noting that the same source has a forename <Eaner>, evidently from Old Norse <Einarr> that shows a similar development and orthography.)

In short, after about 1200 we have no evidence of the name anywhere in the British Isles except Shetland, and there we have it only in the early 17th century in patronymic form. We don't know whether the patronymic was inherited at this late date, so we don't know when the patronym was in use in Shetland, and hence we don't know in what form it was used. *If* it was in use as late as the 16th century, it seems likely that <Earik> is a better guide to contemporary local forms than is Black's <Erick>, but if it was in use, it was quite rare: Lamb, who does discuss 17th century Shetland forenames and surnames of patronymic origin, doesn't mention it.

>[Maxskelly]: Black, pg. 564, s.n. Macskelly lists a Alexandre Maxskelly in 1489.

Black says that the name is from Irish <MacScalaighe>, and it's worth noting that all of his examples are from the southwest of Scotland: Dunbertane (modern Dumbarton) in Strathclyde, Kirkcudbrightshire, and Galloway, and this citation is his earliest. It appears, therefore, that the surname is a relatively late import from Ireland. Even if some form of Old Norse <Eiríkr> was still in use in the Northern Isles at that date, the combination is extremely implausible, to say the least. One has to imagine a Maxskelly from the southwest relocating late in the SCA period to Shetland in the far northeast and giving one of his sons a name that seems to have had only local currency and to have been quite rare even locally if indeed it was in use at all.

Finally, he says that he wants a name that's authentic for Scotland during the Hundred Years' War, i.e., roughly 1337-1453. On the available evidence it's not clear that the desired surname had even reached Scotland before the end of the Hundred Years' War, let alone Shetland. The name does not appear to be compatible with his preference, and I see no way to modify it to make it so. (In my opinion it isn't even registerable, as it clearly fails RfS I.1 (Compatibility), in particular RfS I.1.b (Compatible Style).)

John - Erik: essentially a Viking name; however, let’s not forget that the Norse held sway in northern Scotland and the Isles until 1585. I’d consult a Norse name expert, but here are some head starts: See Haraldsson (p.9), who lists “Eirikr’; also see Norman (p.115, p.120, p,129); common name in Scotland from 843 - 1542, undergoing various changes: Eirikr, Erik, Eric. Maxskelly: client’s source (Black) is sufficient.

Device Commentary

A&M - Device: Suggestions for a different main charge include a Catherine Wheel (based on looks), and a Compass Rose or one of the items found under Tool-astronomical (based on the idea of navigation).

Femke - As for the armory, perhaps and Escarbuncle would give a similar look.

Talan - The device, unfortunately, fall afoul of the following precedent: The ship's wheel is apparently not a period charge. Barring documentation to the contrary this must be returned. (Hans Van Hoorn, 3/98 p. 18) Perhaps he would consider an anchor.

NAME RETURNED FOR VIOLATIONS OF RfS I.1 AND RfS I.1.b. DEVICE RETURNED FOR USE OF A NON PERIOD CHARGE

6) Etienne Saintier (M) -- New Name and Device - {Per fess Or and azure, in chief an open book inscribed "ES VERUS IPSO" in base three bells on the first.}
(Cynnabar)

I found the blazon very confusing and I’m sure someone will fix it. I did correct the escutcheon as it was too small for the form. The client originally had “Per pale” when it was clearly “Per fess.” I contacted the client and fixed his form but the “three bells on the first” is how it appears on the form.

[Etienne] "French Names from Two Thirteenth Century Chronicles," Masculine Given Names by Arval Benicoeur http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/crusades/crusadesHommes.html

[Saintier] http://atilf.atilf.fr/Dendien/scripts/tlfiv5/advanced.exe?8;s=1370401365;

(The printout is provided with the paperwork, to get to this site you need to type: http://atilf.atilf.fr/ and follow the instructions. The site is in french and my french is very rusty.)

Client states that he wishes to be contacted if there must be any changes and cares for French, mid-late 16th century.

Name Commentary

Talan - This spelling persisted through the SCA period; numerous examples from the period 1470-1520 can be seen at <http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/bordeaux.html> (Aryanhwy merch Cadmael, 'Names Found in Commercial Documents from Bordeaux, 1470-1520'). Indeed, this orthographic retention of silent preconsonantal

Device Commentary

A&M - In addition to the lack of contrast between the argent book and the Or field, there is no translation given for the words on the book., which is required.From the Precedents of Francois la Flamme:[on a chief wavy argent the Norse runes tyr, urus, sig, isa, and isa] No translation was provided for the word on the chief. The SCA requires that a translation be provided for any phrases used in armory: Secondly, a translation of the Arabic [used on the device submission] is required by Laurel precedent and the Administrative Handbook. (LoAR April 1999, p. 20) Please inform the submitter that a translation of the text [on the bordure] should be included with the submission. (LoAR July 2000, p.4)[Ævarr inn víðf{o,}rli, 01/03, R-Caid]

Although the color emblazon shows a per fess line of division, the black and white mini is much closer to a chief and field.

Knut - Per fess Or and azure, an open book argent charged with the words "ES VERUS IPSO" sable and three bells Or

The argent book on Or violates RfS VIII.2.b.

Return for violating RfS VIII.2.b

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL.

DEVICE RETURNED FOR VIOLATION OF RfS VIII.2.b AND NOT HAVING TRANSLATION OF WORDING ON BOOK.

#7) Fergus MacPherson (M) New name and device -- Vert, an equal-armed Celtic cross and on a chief Or two lozenges vert
(Shadowed Stars)

The submitter allows minor changes only and requests authenticity for 10th-12th century on the main form, but only asks for registerability on the worksheet.

[Fergus]: Ó Corráin and Maguire, pg. 97, s.n. Fergus, notes a St. Fergus of Iniskeen. The spelling is the pre-1200 form.

[MacPherson]: Black, pg. 557, s.n. MacPherson, lists this as a header form and notes: a small sepf of Cambells in the neighborhood of Glassary Argyleshire in the 14th-15th c. bore the name of MacPherson

Name Commentary

Talan - <MacPherson> is an Anglicized form. The modern Irish is <Mac an Phearsúin> or <Mac an Phearsain> (Woulfe s.n. <Mac an Phearsúin>), and the modern Scottish Gaelic is <Mac a' Phearsain> (Dwelly, 1022). The normalized 10th - 12th century form, however, would be <mac in Phersún> or <mac in Phersúin> (Dictionary of the Irish Language, Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials, s.v. <persún> gives both <persúin> and <persún> for the genitive singular).

The various annals don't seem to be very helpful: the earliest instance that I've found so far is from 1373, for a man whose forename appears to have been replaced by the sobriquet 'son of the parson':

The Annals of Connacht for the year 1373 (Annal 1373.5) note the death of <Mac an Persun Mac Feorais>; so do the Annals of Loch Cé (LC1373.4), making him <Mac an Persun Mic Feorais>, and the Annals of Ulster (U1373.7), making him <mac an Persuin>. <http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100011/index.html> <http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100010B/index.html> <http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001B/index.html>

Black s.n. <Macpherson> actually has an earlier example of the byname: <Donaldus M'Inpersuyn> 1355. This is still some distance from the 12th century, however, and I simply don't know whether the byname goes back that far. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I'd simply put the name into consistent early orthography: <Fergus mac in Phersúin>.

John - Fergus: very documentable, both historically and from mythological sources. See Ashley (pp.405-406; p. 196); lists Fergus Eochaid of Dalriata, Fergus Mac Ferchard (p.721), and Fergus Mor. Norman (p. 115, p.120, p. 129) lists the old spelling of ‘Fearghas’ as common between 843-1542, when ‘Fergus’, the Anglicized variant, became prevalent. See also Morris (p. 124, p. 168, p. 180); also Mackillop (pp. 189-192)

MacPherson: see Dorward (p.232); Grimble (pp. 199-202)

Device Commentary

Knut - Aithbric an Ardain Dhuibh - March of 1989 (via Caid): Vert, a Celtic cross within a bordure Or.

CD type of secondaries, CD tertiaries

Owain ap Hugh of Merioneth - February of 1994 (via Meridies): Vert, a Celtic cross Or and on a chief argent a dragon couchant gules.

CD tincture of secondaries, CD type and tincture of tertiaries.

Timothy of Sheffield - April of 1993 (via Atlantia): Azure, a Celtic cross and on a chief Or, three Arabic lamps azure, lit proper.

CD field, CD type and tincture of tertiaries

Clear

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#8) Fiacc mac Áeda New device - {Per bend sinister argent and purpure, a bird migrant bendwise sinister sable, a fireball argent}
(Red Spears)

His name was registered in May, 1998.

The device worksheets notes the source Seibmacher, Wappenbuch, page 52 (plate 32), Lobowitz for the position of the bird.

RS - UPON RECEIVING AN E-MAIL FROM THE CLIENT, HE WISHED TO HAVE A BIRD MIGRANT NOT DISPLAYED. HE WILL BE SENDING CORRECT FORMS.

PENDED PER CLIENT REQUEST

#9) Finnvarðr Mj{o,}ksiglandi Grisson (M) New name and device -- Per fess rayonny gules and azure, in chief two oars in saltire argent.
(Cleftlands)

The submitter will accept all changes and particularly notes that reordering of the elements is acceptable. If changes must be made he wants to preserve a Viking name.

[Finnvarðr]: Geirr Bassi, pg. 9, lists it as a male given name.

[Mj{o,}ksigland]i: Geirr Bassi, pg 26, lists it (uncapitalized) as a descriptive byname meaining 'much-sailing, far- travelling'

[Griss]: Geirr Bassi, pg. 10, lists it as a male given name. The formation Grisson is based on the rules for patronimics listed on pp. 17-18.

Name Commentary

Femke - While all of the elements of the name appear to be documented to period, the descriptive byname should probably not be capitalized. Nor can I find any evidence in my admittedly limited resources to support a double byname

Gunnvor - Geirr Bassi p. 9 s.n. <Finnvarðr> is correctly cited. The name is found in Landnámabók chs. 22 and 28.

The byname <mjo,ksiglandi> is correctly cited from Geirr Bassi p.26. The use of <j> to represent consonantal appeared in the 19th century, introduced to written Icelandic by the Danish linguist Rasmus Rask, 1737-1832 - early medieval manuscripts in Old Norse would have written the byname as <mio,ksiglandi>, but either spelling may be used in modern normalization. Following the usual standards of normalization, however, Old Norse bynames should be lower-case.

The patronymic should have an i-acute. See Geirr Bassi p. 10 s.n.<Gríss>. Landnámabók
(http://www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/landnama.htm) has a number of examples of the name <Gríss>, including the patronymic form <GaltiGríssson> in ch. 74.

Device Commentary

Knut & Femke- Clear

NAME CHANGED TO Finnvarðr Mj{o,}ksiglandi Grisson AND PASSED TO LAUREL

DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

10) Gabrielle Juliana Raron New Badge -- (Fieldless) On a castle azure a rose seeded of a heart Or.
(Oregon, OH)
(name reg'd Jan '95)

Knut - [On a rose argent barbed vert a cat sejant affronty sable]...This does not conflict with the badge of Martin Luther, (Fieldless) A rose argent seeded of a heart gules charged with a Latin cross sable. There is one CD for fieldlessness. There is a second CD for changing the type and tincture of tertiary charge (from a black cat to a red heart). There is no additional difference for removal of the quaternary charge (the black cross on the red heart), as we do not give difference for addition, removal, or changes to quaternary charges. [Laurin of Rosewood, 06/03, R-An Tir] Precedents - François, under Flower -- Rose

The treatment of "seeding" in a specified shape on a rose is treated as a charge. The heart lies on the rose, which doesn't lie on the field.

The heart is too small to identify, violating RfS VIII.3.

Marguerite du Royon - February of 2004 (via the West): (Fieldless) On a tower azure a fleur-de-lys Or.

Single CD for fieldless, no CD for type only of the tertiaries, no difference possible for the illegal quaternary.

Return for conflict

Femke - Clear of conflict

THOUGH PERIOD HERALDS DREW NO DESTINCTION BETWEEN THE TOWER AND THE CASTLE, SOCIETY HERALDRY DISTINGUISHES THE CASTLE FROM THE TOWER.

BADGE PASSED TO LAUREL

#11) Ingrid Elizabeth de Marksberry New Badge -- (Fieldless) A slip of elderberry flowered and fructed proper
(Loveland, OH)
(name reg'd Sept 1996)

The depiction of the slip was taken from her registered device, Or, a slip of elderberry, flowered and fructed proper, and on a chief vert a ladle reversed Or.

A&M - We consider the slip to be close enough to bendwise sinister to not have to consider it against charges in the per pale orientation. Comparing it with Armando Ramos el Caido (badge registered in July of 1996): (Fieldless) A branch blasted bendwise sinister proper, we find 1CD for fieldlessness, and 1 CD for the prominent flowers/fruits.

Knut - This looks like it is actually between bendwise sinister and palewise, possibly blurring the distinction between them. Orientation is worth a CD and MUST be immediately identifiable. The exact alignment isn't reproducible from blazon.

Is this depiction grandfathered?

This does not conflict with Rosalia O Brogan, Argent, two rose branches in saltire vert, each with a rose gules, and on a chief sable three butterflies Or. The rose branches in Rosalia's device are drawn correctly so that they are predominantly branches (ending in a small rose). The charges in this submission, originally also blazoned as rose branches, are drawn as roses slipped and leaved: the roses are at least half the visual weight of the charge. There is a CD between roses and rose branches, and another CD by RfS X.4.j.ii for changing the type only of tertiary charge on the chief. We acknowlege that there is a decided visual similarity between these two devices, but it is not quite enough to be a conflict under RfS X.5. The submitter also has a letter of permission to conflict with Rosalia O Brogan, rendering the issue moot. [Abigail O Brogan, 02/02, A-Ansteorra] Precedents - François, under TREE BRANCH

[Per pale argent and azure, an oak branch fructed counterchanged] Conflict with Daniel of Glenmor, Per pale argent and azure, a pine tree counterchanged. Precedent indicates that a tree branch is not significantly different from a tree of the same type: "Conflict with ... Argent, an oak branch eradicated gules, with one CD for the addition of the flaunches, but by prior precedent nothing for the difference between a branch and a tree" (LoAR of March 1994, p. 17). In this emblazon, it is certainly apparent that the branch approximates a tree in shape. Because the oak branch in this submission is effectively an oak tree, the comparison between Johan's and Daniel's devices is effectively a comparison between an oak tree and a pine tree. As a result, there is one CD for significant change in type of tree between oak and pine, but not substantial difference under X.2. [Johan de Foderingeye, 06/03, R-Ealdormere] Precedents - François, under TREE BRANCH

... no difference between a tree and a tree blasted: "There is no CD between a tree eradicated and a tree blasted and eradicated, as noted in the August 1994 LoAR... This is because there are period depictions of trees with only a few leaves." (LoAR July 2000) [Kenric of Rohan, 03/02, R-Meridies] Precedents - François, under TREE

Considered as palewise:

Madrone, Barony of - August of 1979: (Fieldless) A madrone tree eradicated proper (as in the arms).

O'Connor Don - December of 1994 (via Laurel): Argent, a tree eradicated vert.

Isadora of Orange Wode - February of 1986 (via Calontir): Ermine, chaussé-ployé sable, an orange tree eradicated proper.

Single CDs for fieldless.

Jamie of the Oakenshield - August of 1993 (via the West): Argent, an oak tree eradicated proper, its trunk grasped by a sinister gauntlet fesswise aversant sable.

CD fieldless, possible CD for the gauntlet.

Considered as bendwise sinister:

Armando Ramos el Caido - July of 1996 (via Atenveldt): (Fieldless) A branch blasted bendwise sinister proper.

Single CD for fieldless. No CD between a tree and a tree blasted.

Return for violating RfS VII.7 and conflict.

Femke - seems to be clear, though it might be difficult to determine whether difference would be granted between the submitted device and this one:

Lowri Amarawd o'r Maes · The following device associated with this name was registered in September of 1984 (via An Tir): Or, a basil flower purpure, slipped and leaved vert.

I suppose it depends on how the basil is drawn, and what color the berries and blossoms really are in the submitted device (I can’t really tell on my monitor).

BADGE PASSED TO LAUREL

#12) Imayne de Merlowe (F) New name change from Alexandra Adderly and new device -- Gules, two lions sejant addorsed respected and a bordure Or
(Afonlyn)

BLAZON CHANGED TO: Gules, two liones sejant addorsed regardant and a bordure Or

Her original name was registered November 2003 in the East. If the new name is registered, she would like her former name released.

She will accept minor changes only and cares most about the sound of the name.

[Imayne]: Withycombe, s.n. Ismen(i)a, dates Imayne in 1379.

[de Merlowe]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Marlow, list wido de Merlave in 1225; Richard de Merlawe in 1325-6, and Joan Marlowe in 1534. This form should be an valid interpolated variant of the listed forms.

The submitter notes that the form was found in a S. Gabriel letter, but a search on "Merlowe" failed to find the indicated letter.

Name Commentary

Talan -

>[de Merlowe]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Marlow, list wido de Merlave in 1225

No, they list <Wido de Merlaue> 1225

>Richard de Merlawe in 1325-6, and Joan Marlowe in 1534.

They also have <Alice Marlowe> 1494.

>This form should be an valid interpolated variant of the listed forms.

It doesn't work that way. Interpolation among variants that are contemporary with one another is often legitimate, because the forms often just represent different but freely interchangeable ways of spelling the same thing. Interpolation of variants that are widely separated in time, like these, is much less likely to be legitimate, because it's easy to end up with something that's neither fish nor fowl, being partly from one period and partly from another. In this case, for instance, it's conceivable that the change from early <Mer-> to late <Mar-> and the change from to <o> in the second syllable were roughly contemporary, in which case one would not get a mixed form.

The name derives from Marlow in Buckinghamshire, for which Ekwall offers the following spellings: <æt Mereláfan> 1015, <Merlave> 1086, <Merlaua> 1184, <Parva Merlaue> 1204, and <Magna Merlaue> 1237x40. He identifies the first element as OE <mere> 'a lake' and suggests that the second may be OE <lâfe>, plural of <lâf> 'remnant, remains', dative plural <lâfum> (whence <-láfan> in the late OE citation). Watts s.n. <Marlow> concurs, explaining the name as 'land left after the draining of a pond' and adding citations <Merlaw> and <Merlawa> throughout the period 1189-1204.

As far as the evidence given above goes, every citation through 1325-6 is of the <Merla-> type, while every citation from 1494 on is of the <Marlo-> type. However, Google comes to the rescue. 'The Man Behind the Masque', a prosopographical study of politics, the character of local government, and its officials in cities and towns of East Anglia, at <http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/mcontent.html>, is especially useful. In the list of officers of borough government at <http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/mapp1_2f.html> it notes that one <John de Merlowe> was a Parliamentary burgess for Lynn in May 1298, February 1305, August 1312, July 1313, and September 1313. In another such list at <http://www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/mapp1_2c.html> it notes that a <John de Merlowe>, presumably the same man, was mayor of Lynn in 1294-95, 1295-96, 1299-1300, 1300-1301, and 1311-1312. The forename is undoubtedly normalized from a Latin original, but the bynames appear to be documentary (e.g., <de Eboraco> has not been replaced by <de York> or <of York>, <de Waynflete> has not been replaced by the modern <Wainfleet>, <de Cranewyc> and <Ryghtwys> are clearly not modern spellings, and so on).

At <http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Documents/mayors_and_sheriffs_of_london.htm> is 'Mayors and Sheriffs of London, 1273-1602, Edward I through Elizabeth I'. It lists a <Richard Merlowe> as sheriff in 1402-3 and a <Richard Marlow, ironmonger>, whose name also appears as <Richard Merlowe>, as mayor in 1417-18. Since both forms are offered, it's likely that the surname spellings, at least, are documentary; other surname spellings on the page point in the same direction. Moreover, Richard Hakluyt's 'The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation', available at <http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/h/hakluyt/voyages/>, has a chapter consisting of the text of 'A new concord concluded between king Henry the 4. and Vlricus de Iungingen Master generall of Prussia in the yeare of our Lord 1409' that begins as follows:

By this indenture or letters indented be it euidently knowen (for the perpetual memory of the matter) vnto all faithfull Christians, that the noble and honourable personages Richard Merlowe Maior and citizen of London,

The chapter's URL is <http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/h/hakluyt/voyages/chapter175.html>.

Evidently the mixed spelling did appear in the late 13th century and persisted at least into the early 15th century. In particular, it occurs early enough to be compatible with both the documentary preposition <de> and the forename <Imayne>.

Femke - The given name is fine. Her documentation for the byname has a long gap between the spellings, neither of which is the spelling submitted. I also was unsuccessful in finding the Saint Gabriel letter referred to by the submitter. Therefore, <Imayne de Merlawe> might be a more appropriate spelling.

Device Commentary

Knut - Seamus ua Murchada - December of 1995 (via the Middle): Gules, a cubit sustaining a hunting horn reversed within a bordure Or.

CD type of primaries, possible CD arrangement. This looks like it could be misblazoned. I suspect that it should be a horn sustained by a cubit, with an in pale arrangement.

Otherwise clear.

Visual call.

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#13) Ioan James de Marksberry (M) New name and device -- Per pale azure and vert, two swords crossed in saltire between in pale a helm to dexter argent and a flame proper
(Fenix)

[Ioan]: Ó Corráin and Maguire, pg. 88, s.n. Eoin list Ioan as a 13th century form.

[James], Withycombe, s.n. James, dates James to 1240.

[de Marksberry]: Submitter cites the Grandfather clause. The submission includes a note from his mother, Ingrid Elizabeth de Marksberry declaring him her natural son.

Name Commentary

Talan - The name is thoroughly inauthentic, thanks to the intrusion of Irish <Ioan> into an otherwise purely English name, but by current CoA policy it's probably registerable, as long as <James> is taken to be a patronymic byname rather than a second given name.

Femke - documentation appears to be adequate, however the givein double name has one Irish Gaelic element and one English. This may be a problem.

Device Commentary

Knut & Femke - Clear

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#14) Isleifr New device, name currently under consideration - {Argent estencilly, an anvil and three eagles sable}

(Esct. Note: This has now been returned to client. In the Nov. ILOAR that came out while I was working on the ILOI, the name has been returned for violating R.f.S III.2.a)

15) Julia Koressina (F) -- New Name
(Illiton)
Client will *not* accept major changes.

[Julia] -- legal first name. She included her driver's license and SCA Membership card as proof. She also cites R.f.S II.4: Legal Names.

[Koressina] -- Chavez, "Personal Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the Later Byzantine Era," http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/family_names.html, s.n. [Koresses], lists Koresses as a family name used in the 12th century taken from The Doukai: A contribution to Byzantine Prospography. This is the feminization of the family name as per rules listed at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/feminizing.html of the same article.

Talan - The name <Julia> (spelled <Iulia>) was still in use in the Roman empire between 527 and 641, according to Berret Chavez, 'Common Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the 6th and 7th Centuries',
<http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/byzantine/early_byz_names.html#table_links>.
Whether it continued into the 12th century I have no idea, but it wouldn't be astonishing; this use of the legal name allowance is far less objectionable than most.

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL

#16) Konrad Ryman (M) New name and device -- Or, a bras armé and on a chief azure three martlets Or
(Shadowed Stars)

The submitter will allow *no* changes. While he specified authenticity for German on the main form, the worksheet indicates no request for authenticity.

BLAZON CHANGED TO: Or, a sword fesswise reversed sustained by an armoured arm fesswise embowed and on a chief azure three martlets Or

Konrad: Bahlow, pg. 308, s.n. Konrad notes it is the Latin documentary form of the old German royal name Kunrad ands notes that the form Kuonrat is the popular form in the Middle ages. Brechenmacher, s.n. Konrad, lists a Conr. filius Conradi in 1297.

Ryman: Bahlow, pg. 447, s.n Reimann, notes a Frenzcel Ryman in 1409. Brechenmacher, s.n. Rymans, dates that form to 1374.

Name Commentary

Talan - Socin (137) has <Conrad> 1298, which may be from a Latin source, and German-context <Chu[o]nrat> 1293 and <Cu[o]nrat> 14th century. (Here <u[o]> stands for a with an <o> directly above it; this was one common spelling of the Middle High German diphthong spelled <uo> in Bahlow's comment above.) Roland Mulch, Arnsburger Personennamen: Untersuchungen zum Namenmaterial aus Arnsburger Urkunden vom 13. - 16. Jahrhundert (Darmstadt & Marburg: Hessischen Historischen Kommission Darmstadt and the Historischen Kommission für Hessen, 1974), p. 78, has <Bruder Conrad gen. Lempe> 1375, clearly a German-language citation. I've not found an example of <Konrad> from that general period, and there's no doubt that <C> spellings were more common than <K> spellings, but in general there's enough C/K variation that <Konrad> is probably at least a possible form in the early 15th century (to match the citation for the surname).

>Ryman: Bahlow, pg. 447, s.n Reimann, notes a Frenzcel Ryman in 1409. Brechenmacher, s.n. Rymans, dates that form to 1374.

This is incorrect: Brechenmacher has no entry for <Rymans>. Brechenmacher s.n. <Riemann> cites <Curd Rymans> 1374. He says that the byname is patronymic in origin, from the forename <Richman>. Since asyndetic patronymics (i.e., those consisting of the unmodified patronym) are at least as common as those with genitival <-s>, <Ryman> should be fine. The name would be a bit better as <Conrad Ryman(s)>, but <Konrad Ryman> should be within the range of possible forms ca.1400.

Femke - while the given name is stated as a Latin form, the byname does not appear to be. This may or may not pose a problem

Device Commentary

Knute - Or, a sword fesswise reversed sustained by an armoured arm fesswise embowed and on a chief azure three martlets Or

Roger Carpenter of Rye - October of 1986 (via Caid): Or, in pale a carpenter's axe reversed and a carpenter's square, point to base, and on a chief azure three annulets Or.

CD type primaries, CD orientation half of primary group. Since the sword and axe are both long skinny charges, there is a CD for the orientation difference between the fesswise sword and the palewise axe. No CD for type only of tertiaries. Neither item is simple armoury for either RfS X.2 or X.4.j.ii.

Clear

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#17) Konrad Ryman New badge -- (Fieldless) A martlet Or
(Shadowed Star)

This should be clear of a badge for Adelicia Tagliaferro (September 1994), (Fieldless) An owl Or. There is a CD for fieldlessness and another for the type of bird.

Knut - ... there is another CD for changing the type of bird from an owl close to a falcon close. [Falco de Jablonec, 06/02, A-Drachenwald] Precedents - François, under Bird -- Owl

Adelicia Tagliaferro - September of 1994 (via Ansteorra): (Fieldless) An owl Or.

Adelicia Tagliaferro - October of 1983 (via Ansteorra): Gules, an owl Or.

CD fieldless, I would give a CD between a martlet and an owl.

Sabia Gunnhild Hunang - April of 1982 (via Ansteorra): Gules, a Celtic hawk statant close reguardant Or.

This Celtic hawk is troublesome. I suspect that it might be a stylized depiction that could be considered a "generic" bird.

Visual call

BADGE PASSED TO LAUREL

#18) Máel Rúain mac Seáin (M) New name and device -- Or crusilly purpure, a rooster crowing, wings elevated, sable
(Gwyntarian)

The submitter will allow any changes and requests and authentic 13th century Irish name.

BLAZON CHANGED TO: Or cursilly purpure a cock rising sable

[Máel Rúain]: The submitter supplies documentation from the Annals of the Four Masters, pg. 295, listing a Máel Rúain ad-reth ríched.

[Mac Seain]: Woulfe, pg. 404 lists this as a header form, undated. The Index to the Annals, s.n. Seán, lists Seáin as the Early Modern genitive form.

Name Commentary

Talan - <Máel Ruain> (no accent on the ) is the normalized pre-1200 spelling; the normalized post-1200 spelling, which is what he should have, is <Maol Ruain>. The reference is apparently to St. Mael Ruain; the Annals of the Four Masters (M787.2) give the name as <Mael Ruain> and put his death in 787, though this should actually be 792 (<http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005A/index.html>, <http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005A/index.html>).
The Annals of Ulster (U792.1) also spell the name <Mael Ruain>, dating his death to 792 (<http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001A/index.html>), and the Annals of Inisfallen (I792.1) do the same (<http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100004/index.html>). A slightly later instance of the name comes from the Annals of the Four Masters (M880.2), which mentions the bishop <Maol Ruain, epscop Lusca> (<http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005A/text071.html>), but I've not found any later examples. (There *are* later instances of the clan name derived from <Maol Ruain>, but they're irrelevant.)

>[Mac Seain]: Woulfe, pg. 404 lists this as a header form, undated. The Index to the Annals, s.n. Seán, lists Seáin as the Early Modern genitive form.

The problem here is that <Seán> is an Anglo-Norman import to Ireland; specifically, it's a borrowing of <Jehan>. Thus, you can't expect to get a <mac Seáin> before about 1200, a good 300 years after the latest available example of the forename <Maol Ruain>. However, this is considered only a 'weirdness', so the name is probably registerable as <Maol Ruain mac Seáin>.

John - Mael - see O’Corrain/Maguire (pp.129-131); they list ‘Mael Ruanaid (red-haired one), or ‘champion’;

Ruain: see O’Corrian/Maguire (p. 130); Norman (p. 221); common from dark ages to 1536.

MacSeain: Old Gaelic form of ‘macShane’. See O’Corrain/Maguire (p.163) listing ‘Seaan, Sean’; Bell (pp. 181-182); Maclysaght (p. 268)’ O’Laughlir (p. 237).

Device Commentary

Knut - The cock crowing has (also per Parker) has been listed as close, since the fact that the cock's beak is open is not significant in SCA heraldry... Precedents - François, Appendix A, - under Notes on Content

Cock [including Dunghill Cock, Moorcock] - Close, Displayed Precedents - François, Appendix A

This cock is rising, not close.

Clear

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#19) Mathilda Harper (F) New name and device -- Per chevron inverted azure and paly Or and vert
(Caer Gwent)

The submitter does not ask for authenticity but does request that if the name must be changed, she cares mostly about it being 16th English.

[Mathilda]: Mundane name, driver's copy is included. It can also be found in the article "Feminine Given Names in Chesham" by Mari neyn Brian (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/chesham/), 1538-1600/1 dated to 1550.

[Harper]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Harper, list a Reginald le Harper in 1275. The article Surnames in Durham and Northumberland, 1521-1615 s.n. Harper, date this form in 1567.

Name Commentary

Femke - Documentation seems adequate. Actually, <Mathilda> is perfectly period for her. Saint Gabriel report 2161 states: Your own name, <Mathilda>, is an excellent choice for your period. We find it recorded in Buckinghamshire in 1550. [4] It derives originally from the Continental Germanic name <Mahthild>, which over time became <Matilda> and finally <Maud(e)>. [5] By the 16th century, we find more instances of the name recorded as <Maude>, <Mawde>, and the like, but <Matilda> and <Mathilda>are still found. [6] <Mathilda Piper> or <Maude Piper> would be a fine name for your period. [4] Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Given Names in Chesham, 1538-1600/1"(WWW: J. Mittleman, 1999) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/mari/cheshams.n. Mathilda, accessed 6 November 2000. [5] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Matilda. [6] It is also possible that as with other names, the recorded form and the spoken form differ. Just as we would expect someone recorded in 1400 as <Etheldreda> to use the pronunciation of the name <Audrey> in common use, a 16th century woman whose name was recorded as <Mathilda> might be known as <Maude>. We believe that either the pronunciation \m@-TIL-d@\, where\@\ represents the sound of in <soda> and <about>, or \MAWD\ is appropriate. The name was never pronounced \m@-THIL-d@\, however, as you feared might be the case. Therefore, there is no need to invoke the legal name allowance.

Device Commentary

A&M - The color emblazon has an odd number of vertical stripes, and thus the blazon should be: "Per chevron inverted azure and Or, issuant from the line of division five pallets vert". It is unclear if the mini-emblazon has an even or odd number of pieces (the one on the far left is either rather wide, or is two stripes with a faint line dividing them). We suspect it is odd due to the centered middle stripe.

Against Hedwig von Lübeck (registered in October of 1983 ): "Azure chaussé ployé per pale gules and sable, fimbriated Or" we find 1 CD for tincture changes to half the field, and 1 CD for addition of the pallets. If Mathilda's device is considered as "Per chevron inverted azure and paly Or and vert" (and thus these are both field-primary armory), we find 1 CD for changes to half the field tincture, and 1 CD for significantly changing the number of partitions.

Knut - [Gules chaussé Or, a seahorse sejant counterchanged] Conflict with ...Or, a pile gules. By long standing precedent, chaussé fields can alternatively be blazoned as having a pile, and both forms must be considered for conflict. Or, on a pile gules, a seahorse sejant counterchanged conflicts with Or, a pile gules, with only one CD for the addition of the tertiary charge. [Samhthann ni Giolla Mhuire, 10/99, R-Calontir] Precedents - Elsbeth, under FIELD DIVISION -- Chaussé

Hedwig von Lübeck - October of 1983 (via the East):Azure chaussé ployé per pale gules and sable, fimbriated Or.

Considered as piles, these have a single CD for the fields.

Return for conflict.

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#20) Mathildis Death New badge -- Vert, a swan rousant argent charged with a quill pen bendwise vert
(Caer Gwent)

Her name is on the Jan 2004 ILoAR as "Mathildis De'Ath." It was ruled upon on the May 2004 LoAR, but we do not yet have the results.

(Esct Note: I've just recieved the May '04 LOAR, Laurel registered her name as "Mathildis Death." The client has been contacted and she wishes to continue with this submission.)

BLAZON CHANGED TO: Vert, a swan rousant argent charged with a feather bendwise vert

Knut - Vert, a swan rousant wings addorsed argent charged with a feather bendwise vert

The small feather is difficult to identify. It is definitely not identifiable as a quill pen.

Henry V of England - December of 1994 (via Laurel): (Fieldless) A swan rousant wings addorsed argent ducally gorged and chained Or.

CD fieldless, CD feather.

Melisande de Palma - August of 1994 (via the East): (Fieldless) A swan rising proper charged with a C-clef sable.

CD fieldless, CD type and tincture of tertiaries.

Michal of Michelstadt - July of 1997 (via Atenveldt): Vert, two swans rousant respectant argent.

CD number of primaries, CD feather.

Rorik Fredericsson - December of 1999 (via Atlantia): Azure, a grey goose volant bendwise wings addorsed proper gorged of a coronet Or.

CD field, CD feather.

IN LARGER DRAWING, THE ‘QUILL PEN’ IS DRAWN IDENTICAL TO ‘FEATHER’ IN PIC DIC. CHANGED TO BLAZON TO REFLECT DRAWING

BADGE PASSED TO LAUREL

#21) Miklós Magdolna (F) Name change from Caitlin of Greencastle
(Rimsholt)
(Her previous name "Caitlin of Greencastle" was reg'd in the Middle '97)

The submitter will allow any changes and would like an authentic name (presumably Hungarian) meaning Magdolna daughter of Miklós

[Magdolna]: The article "Hungarian Feminine Names" dates Magdolna to 1546-1603.

[Miklós]: Régi Magyar Családnevek Szótára, pg. 734, s.n. Miklós, is dated to 1589 in this form and as a surname (Miklós Istuan).

Current precedent requires that names with unmarked patronymic bynames (such as Miklós) to be used in the last name position. According to the article "And the Last Shall Be First" (in the latest KWHS proceedings), Magdolna Miklós would be interpreted as meaning "Miklós son of Magdolna." The correct version would be either the above or with a Latinized given name: Magdalena Miklós.

Femke - This name seems correct as submitted. Inverted name structure is correct for this culture/period.

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL

#22) Nuala inghean Murchadha (F) New name and device -- Vert, six escallops Or
(Caer Gwent)

The submitter will allow any changes and cares most about the sound of the name

.[Nuala]: Mari's Index of names in Irish Annals, s.n. Nuala, dates the name as a feminine give name from 1225 to 1592.n

[inghean]: Standard post-1200 form of 'daughter'

[Murchadha]: Mari's Index of names in Irish Annals, s.n. Murchad, dates Murchadh in 1150-1592 and lists a Mac Murchadha in 1511. Woulfe refernce missing) lists Murchadha as the genitive form.

Name Commentary

John - Nuala: diminutive of ‘Fionnghuala’; see MacKillop (p. 308); O’Corrain/Maguire (p. 130 under ‘Fionnguala’); Norman (p. 221, p.227)

Murchadh: see O’Corrain/Maguire (pp. 142-143); Norman (p. 221, p22); Conway (p. 78)

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#23) Otto der Beger von Heidelberg (M) New name and device -- Per pale sable and ermine, two stags combattant counterchanged upon a trimount vert
(Caer Gwent)

The submitter will allow any changes and requests that the name be changed to be authentic for 13th Century Germany. He notes that Otto is the most important.

[Otto]: The article "Late Period German Masculine Given Names," by Talan Gwynek (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/germmasc/) dates the name as up to 1300.

[Beger]: Brechenmacher, s.n Beger, dates some form to 1337.

[von Heidelberg]: Brechenmacher, s.n. Heidelberg(er), lists a Wecela de Heidelberc in 1216

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#24) Piotr Zavilov (M) New name and device -- Azure, on a bend sable fimbriated between two panthers passant contourny argent spotted azure a comet argent
(Falcon's Quarry)

The submitter will allow minor changes only and cares most about having a Russian name.

[Piotr]: Wickenden, s.n. Petr, dates Piotr to 1552.

[Zavilov]: Wickeden, s.n. Zavil, dates the varient Zawil to 1167. The patronymic is formed using the rules in the beginning of Wickenden.

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#25) {Romanus ate Comet (M) New name and device -- Or semy of comets gules}
(Andelcrag)

The submitter will allow minor changes only and cares most about having a reference to comet in his name.

[Romanus]: Reaney and Wilson, pg. 382, s.n. Romain, lists a Romanus le corduaner in 1221.

[ate Comet]: Constructed byname following the pattern of bynames taken from inn sign names. Reaney and Wilson, pg. 425, s.n. Starr, lists a Richard ate Sterre as an example of such a byname. The Pictorial Dictionary, under comet, notes it is a period charge, found in the arms of Pope Innocent VII. As period charges have been used to form inn names, this name should be registerable.

Name Commentary

Talan - >[Romanus]: Reaney and Wilson, pg. 382, s.n. Romain, lists a Romanus le corduaner in 1221.

It's worth noting that according to Reaney & Wilson, this is the only known English example of the forename, and that the vernacular would evidently have been <Romayn> or <Romeyn>. The name is a French import that evidently never caught on in England. Thus, we would not expect to find examples of it much after this one.

>[ate Comet]: Constructed byname following the pattern of bynames taken from inn sign names. Reaney and Wilson, pg. 425, s.n. Starr, lists a Richard ate Sterre as an example ofsuch a byname.

It should be noted that this citation is from 1322. Sign names as bynames are quite rare, and the clear examples that I can find are, like this one, from the 14th century (P.H. Reaney, The Origin of English Surnames (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1967), 57f). There is also one possible example from the later 13th century: Eilert Ekwall, Street-Names of the City of London (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, 1954), p. 152, notes that a <Thomas de Kaponeshers> or <Koponeshers> is recorded in 1275, apparently taking his byname from a London tenement first recorded in 1291 as <Caponeshors>. (His byname also appears as Capuneshors> 1278 and <Caponeshorse> 1282.) The name is 'capon's horse' and in Ekwall's words 'might designate a sign which showed a horse with a capon on its back', a sign that 'might have been that of a hostelry, which drew attention to good cheer and accommodation for horses'.

>The Pictorial Dictionary, under comet, notes it is a period charge, found in the arms of Pope Innocent VII. As period charges have been used to form inn names, this name should be registerable.

This rather misses the point. First, inn names were *not* formed from heraldic charges; rather, it just happens that some of the pictorial elements used on inn signs and incorporated in inn names are also pictorial elements used in armory. Secondly, even if the charge is period and is the sort of pictorial element that might have been used by an inn, it has to be shown that the *word* is period.

The OED s.v. <comet> says that Latin <cometa> was borrowed into late Old English as <cometa>, which became Middle English <comete>, found from the 13th century. The early citations suggest that the term wasn't particularly familiar; indeed, those from Layamon's 'Brut' (ca. 1205) and Robert of Gloucester's Chronicle (1297) are also the only two noted in Francis Henry Stratmann, A Middle-English Dictionary, revised by Henry Bradley (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1891), s.v. <comete>. The first of these describes a <selcuðe sterre> 'wondrous star' and says that it's called in Latin <comete>; the second is ‘A star with a lance, that is called <comete>'. The very first citation, from 1134, shows that there was also an Old English term <feaxede steorra> 'hairy star, long-haired star'. (Here I've replaced the documentary form, which is in an oblique case, with the normalized nominative singular.)

In short, it's not clear that the word was in general enough use early enough to have been used as a sign name at any time when we might plausibly find the forename <Romanus>, and it's not even clear that bynames were being formed from sign names at that early date. It's virtually certain that *if* both of these are true, any early 13th century record giving the forename as <Romanus> would give the byname with the standard documentary preposition <de>, not an English form. In the unlikely event that such a byname would have been used in the early 13th century, it would have appeared as <de Comete> (following the possible 13th century example <de Kaponeshers>, or possibly (but I think less likely) <de la Comete>. This is significant, because <Romanus> cannot be anything but a documentary form.

If one is feeling generous, one might stretch a point and go with <Romanus de Comete>.

Device Commentary

Femke - while technically clear, this looks a lot like ‘Or, ermined gules.” Which, under current rules, is a field treatment, therefore may be unregisterable in the same way that a single tincture is disallowed.

LARGER DRAWING IS CLEARLY A SEMY OF COMETS

NAME AND DEVICE RETURNED. CLIENT WILL BE ADVISED OF TALAN’S COMMENTS REGARDING NAME

#26) Séamus Green the Fletcher (M) New name and device -- Argent, on a pale between two arrows inverted vert a bow argent
(Mugmort)

The submitter will allow major and minor changes and cares most about a name meaning the Fletcher and the color green.

The device is clear of Rowan O'Bannon (July 2003), Argent, on a pale between a decrescent and an increscent vert a rowan tree couped argent. There is a CD for changing the type of the secondary charges and another for substantially changing the type of the tertiary charge

[Séamus]: Mari's Index to the Irish Annals, s.n. Séamus, lists this as the standard post-1200 form and dates various forms in the 14th - 16th centuries.

[Green]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Green, lists a John super le grene in 1327.

[Fletcher]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n Fletcher, lists a Peter le flechier in 1227

If possible the submitter would like to drop the word the from the name.

Name Commentary

Talan - The combination of Irish forename and English byname(s) is contrary to period practice and should be unregisterable; unfortunately, it is permitted, though I believe only as a 'weirdness'. It can probably be registered almost as submitted. Dropping the definite article is not possible, however, as it would yield a double byname of a type that is hardly found. (Something that looks very similar is seen in official documents that list not only name but occupation, but the occupation is not in these cases part of the name per se.)

<Green> is a late spelling, not noted by the OED s.v. <green> before the 15th century (and in my experience very rare before the 16th century). At any time compatible with the occupational byname -- no later than the 14th century -- it would have been <Grene> (see numerous citations at Reaney & Wilson s.n. <Green> and Bardsley s.n. <Green>).

Bardsley s.n. <Fletcher> has a couple of examples of the modern spelling combined with the definite article, <Henry le Fletcher> 1273 and an undated <Adam le Fletcher>. Thus, the name is probably registerable as <Séamus Grene le Fletcher> or <Séamus Grene the Fletcher>.

Device Commentary

Knut - Clear

NAME CHANGED TO Séamus Grene the Fletcher AND PASSED TO LAUREL

DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#27) Sean Edward de Marksberry (M) New name and device -- Argent, a dagger and a throwing axe cross in saltire sable, a bordure sable semy of lightning bolts argent
(Fenix)

BLAZON CHANGED TO: Argent, a dagger and a throwing axe in saltire sable, a bordure sable semy of lightning bolts argent

[Sean]: Ó Corráin and Maguire, s.n Seaan notes that the name was brought to Ireland by the Anglo-Norman setlles and was adopted by the Irish.

[Edward]: Withycombe, s.n. Edwards dates the name to 1272.

[de Marksberry]: Submitter cites the Grandfather clause. The submission inclues a note from his mother, Ingrid Elizabeth de Marksberry declaring him her natural son.

Name Commentary

Talan - The name is thoroughly inauthentic, thanks to the intrusion of Irish <Sean> into an otherwise purely English name, but by current CoA policy it's probably registerable, as long as <Edward> is taken to be a patronymic byname rather than a second given name.

Femke - again, this is a double given name with one element Irish Gaelic and the other English. I couldn’t find a direct precedent, but it seems like a stretch.

Device Commentary

Knut - Argent, a dagger and a throwing axe in saltire sable, a bordure sable semy of lightning bolts argent

The lightning bolts along the top of the bordure are difficult to identify.

Clear

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

28) Serena de Viennois (F) New name and device-- Per pale gules and azure, a sun per pale Or and argent
(Louisville, KY)

The submitter allows minor changes only and requests that her name be changed to be authentic for 14th C. Savoi.

[Serena]: The article Names from Fourteenth Century Foix lists Serena as a feminine given name.

[Viennois]: Morlet, pg. 964, s.n. Vienne, indicates that Viennois is a derived ethnic form.

Name Commentary

Talan - >[Viennois]: Morlet, pg. 964, s.n. Vienne, indicates that Viennois is a derived ethnic form.

Which means that it's not a place-name, and the preposition <de> is impossible. <Viennois> is a masculine adjective meaning 'of Vienne' and a noun meaning 'man of or from Vienne'; the corresponding feminine form is <Viennoise>, and the appropriate form of the byname is therefore <la Viennoise> 'the woman of/from Vienne'. This is standard French; I don't know whether something significantly different would have been used in the dialect of Savoy, but I'd guess that this is at least among the possibilities. I'd send it up as <Serena la Viennoise>.

Femke - The full article citation is: Cateline de la Mor, "Names from Fourteenth Century Foix" (SCA: Trimarian Known World Heraldic Symposium, AS XXIX; WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1997) http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/cateline/foix.html. I do wonder what ethnic form <Viennois> is supposed to be. If someone with this source has that information, it would probably be helpful when sent to Laurel.

Device Commentary

Knute - Galen of Bristol - October of 1984 (via the East): Per pale gules and azure, a compass star elongated to base and a base embattled Or

CD tincture of primary, CD base.

Clear

Femke - Device - Clear, and very pretty.

NAME CHANGED TO SERENA LA VIENNOISE AND PASSED TO LAUREL

DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#29) Siobhán Drach (F) New name
(Inkster, MI)

The submitter will allow major and minor changes and cares most about the meaning of the surname (son of Drake).

Siobhán: Ó Corráin and Maguire, pg. 165, s.n. Sibán, lists Siobhán as the post-1200 form and notes that the name was brought to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans.

Drach: Woulfe, pg. 283, s.n. Drach, notes this as a surname meaning son of Drake.

Talan - >Drach: Woulfe, pg. 283, s.n. Drach, notes this as a surname meaning son of Drake.

Not quite; Woulfe actually says that Irish <Drach> is an Irish form of English <Drake>, and he then glosses it as 'son of Drake'. This is not really correct, since English <Drake> is a byname, not a forename (see Reaney & Wilson s.n. <Drake>). In this context <Drach> would most likely mean that her father's byname was <Drach> (English <Drake>) and that it had become a family name.

It's certainly conceivable that an Anglo-Irish woman whose name would have been recorded in a Latin document as <Jo(h)anna Drake> would have been recorded in Irish as <Siobhán Drach>; it's worth sending up, though it doesn't have quite the meaning that she thinks (and apparently wants).

John - Siobhan: see Conway (p. 24); Todd (p.71)

Drach: client’s source is acceptable

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL

#30) Thomas Haworth (M) Name and device - {Gyronny gules and argent, eight quavers counterchanged argent and azure}
(Caer Gwent)

The submitter will allow major and minor changes and cares most about having a 16th century English name.

[Thomas]: Withycombe, s.n. Thomas, notes that from the 13th C. onward, Thomas has been one of the half-dozen commonest namew in England.

[Haworth]: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Haworth, lists a Robert de Hawrth in 1200. Bardsley, s.n. Haworth, lists a John Haworthe in 1594.

The form of the quaver is based on the follow precedent (and the research that supported it):

[a quaver] The musical note drawn here is a lozenge with a vertical stem rising from the sinister end. While this is the standard SCA form in the Pictorial Dictionary, further research has not been able to show this form of musical note as a period musical note. It continues to be registerable, but submitters should be advised that the standard form of such a note would have the stem rising from the top point of the lozenge. To quote from previous precedent:

According to the PicDic, 2nd ed., # 520, "A musical note is ... commonly represented as a lozenge or an ovoid roundel with a vertical stem at one end." The 'musical note' here is not a period form, but a modern (post-period) one. This one neither matches the semiminim note in the Pictorial Dictionary (a lozenge shape with a vertical line from the sinister corner; this version has been superseded by newer research) nor the form the newer research has shown (a lozenge shape with a vertical line from the top corner). (LoAR 3/98 p. 16)

For those interested in the "newer research" mentioned in this LoAR, the documentation for that submission's form of musical note was from Willi Apel's The Notation of Polyphonic Music 900-1600, fifth edition. The analysis indicating that the current standard form of SCA musical note is not found in period musical notation was provided by Magister Klement St. Christoph. [Alicia of Granite Mountain, 01/02, A-Atenveldt]

Name Commentary

Talan - F.K. & S. Hitching, References to English Surnames in 1601 (Walton-on-Thames: Chas. A. Bernau, 1910), p. xli, shows that <Haworth> occurs in parish registers of that year in London and Lancashire.

Femke - The documentation provided for the name perhaps better supports <Thomas Haworthe>

Device Commentary

Knute & Femke - Clear

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL

DEVICE RETURNED FOR REDRAW. MISTRESS ELENA RETURNED A DEVICE WITH MUSICAL NOTES DRAWN THE SAME WAY ON THE DECEMBER 2004 LoAR. WHEN SHE CHECKED WITH A MUSIC LAUREL REGARDING THE DRAWING OF THE NOTES, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT MUSICAL NOTES WERE DRAWN AS INDICATED. CLIENT WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE FOLLOWING WEB SITE FOR A LOOK A PERIOD MUICAL SCORES http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/dkazes/mus110/GregorianChant/

31) {Ulf Des Vandrer} (M) -- New Name
(Marche of Three Towers)

[Ulf] "The Vikings" by Ian Heath, pp. 26-27 "Ulf - Stone Carving of the story of Ulf" "The inscription reads: 'Karsi and Gerbjorn had this stone raised in memory of Ulf their father, God and God's Mother help his soul.' "

[Des] "the" "Berlitz Danish Eng. Dictionary," c. 1974 by Berlitz Pub. Co., pg. 121

[Vandrer] "Wanderer" "Berlitz Danish Eng. Dictionary," c. 1974 by Berlitz Pub. Co., pg. 307

According to the submitted paperwork: "Descriptive names were used for the Norse/Viking cultures ie "Erik the Red." Brian/Ulf has never lived in one place for more than 5 years so wanderer is a description of him. His surname Spenst in Norse as is his ancestry -- the Skoljd family from Denmark. A Danish viking that wanders named 'Ulf'. "

Client *will not* accept major changes and cares to being 11th Century Danish (late Viking) meaning "the wanderer."

Gunnvor - The citation given by the submitter for the personal name is not particularly accurate. The item in question is the Viking Age U343 runestone inscription from Uppland, Sweden: U343+ [* karsi ' uk ...-rn þaiR litu raisa stai- þino ' aftiR ' ulf ' faþur sin ' kuþ hialbi hons ... auk| |kuþs muþi]

[Karsi and ... they had this stone raised in memory of Úlfr, their father. May God help his ... and God's mother.]

See: Samnordisk runtextdatabas. http://home6.swipnet.se/~w-61277/rundata/1.htm Signum U343

For a line-drawing of the stone see: http://www.runebru.se/Thomas%20runstenssida/viking_rist/uppland/html/u_343.html

The correct normalized form of the personal name is <Úlfr>, with a U-acute and a terminal <-r> at the end of the name.

See:
E.H. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade
Namn från Medeltiden. Uppsala & Leipzig: 1905-1915.
sup. Oslo, Uppsala and Kobenhavn: 1931.
Cols. 1054-1056 S.n. <Úlfr>.

Lena Peterson. Nordiskt runnamnslexikon.
Språk- och folkminnes-institutet.
http://www.sofi.se/SOFIU/runlex/
S.n. <UlfR>

Peterson shows more than 80 instances of <Úlfr> in runic inscriptions. Those from Denmark near the submitter’s desired period include:

DR70 - ca. 900
DR230A - ca. 900
DR271 - ca. 1000-1050
DR288 - ca. 1000-1050
DR329 - ca. 1000-1050
DREM85;371b$QA - ca. 800s
DRM116 - 1065-75
DRM117 - 1065-75

DR329, in the submitter’s requested time and place, has a nominative case example of the name showing usage for the submitter’s period (Photo at http://www.arild-hauge.com/arild-hauge/sk-rune-gaardstaanga.jpg):

DR329 : þulfR : uk : ulfR : risþu : stino :
þise : ufteR : osmut : liba : felaga : sin :

[Þólfr and Úlfr raised these stones in memory of Ásmundr Lip, their partner]

Dates and locations from: Samnordisk runtextdatabas.
http://home6.swipnet.se/~w-61277/rundata/1.htm

Lind shows that spellings such as <Wlf> or <Vlf> that lack the final <-r> are quite late, occurring in the late 1300s-1400s.
Peterson shows O.Dan. <Ulf> and O.Swed. <Olf>, <Ulf>, but these will be after 1250, that being the date scholars use to mark the
emergence of Old Danish and Old Swedish.

On the byname, a modern Danish construction is not going to be useful in documenting an Old Norse byname.

The Academy of St. Gabriel Report #2146
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/2146) says of bynames meaning "wanderer":

The byname <the Wanderer> is so common in the Society that it's a cliché, with nearly one hundred registered examples, but it's vanishingly rare in medieval languages.

Old Norse did have some attested bynames that conveyed the sense of traveling and wandering, but even so there were many that conveyed a perjorative sense as a beggar, criminal, etc.

From Geirr Bassi:

mio,ksiglandi (much-sailing, far-travelling)
harþfari (fast-traveller)
hlymreksfari (one who travels to Limerick, Ireland)
snarfari (swift-traveller)
stöng (staff, often used by wanderers, itenerants, and pilgrims)

Other words with similar meanings to "wanderer":

brautingi (wayfarer, tramp, begger; from braut, 'a road')
gangandi (walker, wayfarer, wanderer; from ganga, 'to walk')
go,ngumaðr (vagrant, beggar, wanderer; from ganga, 'to walk')
vallari (pilgrim, wanderer in a foreign land; hence tramp,
beggar, vagabond)
vegfarandi ('way-farer')
vegvíss ('way-wise', acquainted with the road)

Cleasby, Richard and Guðbrandr Vigfusson. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon. 1957. Online at:
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oi_cleasbyvigfusson_about.html
p. 77 s.v. <brautingi>
p. 191 s.v. <göngumaðr>
p. 675 s.v. <vallari>
p. 690 s.v. <vegvíss>

Geir T. Zoëga. A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic. Oxford: Clarendon. 1910. Reprint, Toronto: University of Toronto Press (Medieval Academy Reprints for Teaching 41). June 2004. Online at:http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/index002.php
p. 160 s.v. <gangandi>
p. 478 s.v. <vegfarandi>

NAME RETURNED, CLIENT WILL BE ADVISED OF GUNNVOR’S COMMENTS.

32) Viktor Vukov (M) New name and device -- Or, three wolves rampant azure
(White Waters)

The submitter accepts major and minor changes and requests that his name be made authentic for 1400 Russia.

[Viktor]: Wickenden, s.n. Viktor, dates this spelling to 1356.

[Vukov]: Wickenden, s.n. Vuk, dates Vuk to 1419; the patronymic is formed based on the opening section of Wickenden.

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

33) Westmere, Canton of -- Device Resubmission: Azure, a trident palewise, overall a laurel wreath argent, and on a chief argent, two paw prints sable.
(Paw Paw, MI)
(name sent to Laurel May '04)

This is a third resubmission the first one (returned May '04) was: Azure, a trident palewise, overall a laurel leaf, argent, and on a chief argent, two paw prints sable. Returned for a redraw.

Second resubmission (returned Sept. '04): Azure, a trident palewise, overall a laurel leaf, argent, and on a chief argent, two paw prints sable was again returned for a redrawn. According to RS: "I was going to pend this submission to await the petition of support, but instead I will return it for yet another redraw. This time the client shall have very explicit instructions on how and where to draw the laurel wreath."

A petition of support is included.

Knut - The trident extends below but not above the wreath. It still isn't properly located.

Return for violating RfE VII.7.b.

Femke - Device - Clear, and all problems with the Laurel wreath appear resolved

A&M - This wreath is drawn fairly well, with only the barest tip of the trident within the open ends. We do agree, however, that the wreath is surmounting the trident, as opposed to being overall.

DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

#34) Ysabel la Normande (F) New name and device -- Or, a crequier within a bordure azure
(Shadowed Stars)

The submitter accepts minor changes only and requests the name be changed, if necessary, to be authentic for 1292 Paris meaning "Ysabel the Norman."

Name Commentary

Femke - documentation appears adequate

Device Commentary

Femke - Clear. Very pretty with a nice wide bordure.

Knute - Iodis Ebbesdottir - December of 2001 (via Drachenwald):Or, a bluebell sprig proper a bordure azure.

CD type of primary, probable CD tincture of primary

Pass this up.

NAME AND DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

In Service,

Lady Phebe Bonadeci

Rouge Scarpe Herald