This is the June 2005 Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon’s April 2005 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 Canut, Mikhail and AElfreda (A&M), Bronwen, Gunnvor, and Master Talan for this month’s commentary.

Fiacc mac Aeda – Device – pended from the February 2005 LoAR

RETURNED FOR LACK OF REDRAWN COPIES OF DEVICE

Cleftlands, Barony of – Order Name – Order of the Burning River and Order of the River

RETURNED FOR LACK OF DOCUMENTATION

1) Antonia da Troina -- New Badge-- Vert semy of sparks argent, on a plate, a dolphin naiant purpure
(Elkhart, IN)

(Esct Note: When I went looking for her name registration I found this: Antonia di Troina name registered Sept '94, however I found she has a household name registered under Antonia da Troina - Sept '98. Does this make a difference?)

REBLAZON – Argent, a dolphin naiant Purpure within a bordure vert estencely argent.

Badge Commentary

Bronwen - This should be re-blazoned as Vert estencilly argent, on a plate a dolphin naiant purpure.

However, this could also be blazoned as Argent, a dolphin naiant purpure and a bordure vert estencilly argent. Both appear to be clear of conflict though.

Canute - Argent, a dolphin purpure and a bordure vert estencely argent

There appears to be more argent than vert, which makes it the field and the vert a charge on the field.

Clear both ways.

Talan - That would be 'Vert estencely argent, on a plate a dolphin naiant purpure.' However, 'Argent, a dolphin naiant Purpure within a bordure vert estencely argent' is more in keeping
with period armory and arguably a more accurate blazon of the submitted emblazon.

BADGE PASSED TO LAUREL

2) Elsa die Kleine -- Device Appeal -- Per chevron azure and argent, two musical notes and a mouse statant counterchanged
(Tiffin, OH)
(Name forward to Laurel Dec '04)

This is an appeal of a device that was returned Dec. 2004 : "Device will be returned for redraw. I checked with a music laurel regarding the drawing of the musical notes and there is no evidence that musical notes were ever drawn as indicated here. For a look at a period musical score go to http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/dkazes/mus110/GregorianChant/"

According to the paperwork: "Unfortunately, the link provided in the LoAR is no longer operation, but is not particularly relevant, as it gives the musical notation used for Gregorian chant, which is an older form of notation, which cannot reliably indicate rhythm. It is not suitable for heraldic display, since the notes themselves (exclusive of ligatures) take the form of a delf."

The client submits 13 examples of period music from England, Italy, Spain and France; an instruction sheet on reading period musical notation, and two examples of a reprinting of period music in period notation. (Esct. Note: I scanned one page of the book thick documentation for commentors to look at. From John Wilby's contribution to Thomas Morley's collection of madrigals, "The Triumphes of Oriana," London 1601.)

From Armory Precedents of François la Flamme (Aug. 2001-2004), quoting a precedent from Jaelle of Armida (June 1996 - June 1999):

? ? "[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. . . .

For those interested in the "newer research: mention 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]"

From the Primary Sources listed:

? ? From Music in Elizabethan England, by Dorothy E. Mason, 7th printing, Folgers Books, 1958: "Beginning of Tenor part of the Service from Mornyng and Euenyng Prayer, London, 1565."

From Faber Early Organ Series, Vol. 16: Italy 1517-1599, edited by James Dalton, London: Faber Music Limited: 1988: "L'autre jour par un matin," by Marc' Antonio Cavazzoni from Recerchari, Motetti, Canzoni, Libro primo, 1523."

From Faber Early Organ Series, Vol 4: Spain & Portugal c. 1550-1620, edited by James Dalton, London: Faber Music Limited: 1988: "From Libro llamado Arte de tañ er Fantasia, 1565."

DEVICED PASSED TO LAUREL

3) Engelbert the Pious -- Device Resubmission -- Quarterly azure and vert, between two estoilles of twelve points in bend a lightening bolt couped bendwise sinister argent
(Hammond, IN)
(Name reg'd Dec '03)

(Esct Note: This device was returned by Laurel Dec. 2003, but the letter from the Opinicus Pursuivant was dated May 20, '04)

According to Laurel: "The device: Azure, a sword argent and overall a crescent Or. This device conflicts with a badge of Michael Städtler Zweihänder, Azure, a sword proper, overall a lion's head cabossed Or. There is one CD for changing the type of the overall charge and no difference for the small tincture change between a sword argent and a sword proper."

Device Commentary

A&M - The central charge is unrecognizable as a lightning bolt. In addition, the field (at least on my computer) appears to be drawn in non-heraldic shades of green and blue.

From the Precedents of Elsbeth Anne Roth: "The lightning flash has been a disallowed change since August 1983 barring any evidence that such a depiction was used in period. We currently allow a lightning bolt. This is a thin line with arrows at both ends, with a square zigzag pattern (like the edge of an embattled ordinary.) However, even the lightning bolt was not found in period except as part of a thunderbolt, a more complex charged used in classical Roman insignia. We recommend that the submitter use a thunderbolt. [Roiberd Mor Barra, 05/00, R-Drachenwald]"

Bronwen - The changes address the former conflict, but this probably should read 'between in bend two estoilles of twelve points' -- and this is not any sort of heraldic lightning bolt I've ever seen. It is not embattled, and should be redrawn as an acceptable heraldic lightning bolt.

Canute - Quarterly azure and vert, a ??? between in bend two suns argent.

The primary charge isn't identifiable or blazonable.

Return for violating RfS VII.7.a.

Talan - That's 'Quarterly azure and vert, an unidentifiable charge bendwise sinister between two suns argent'. The central charge is not a lightning bolt. The SCA lightning bolt is an invented charge based on part of the classical Roman thunderbolt; it has square zigzags, as if it were following an embattled partition line. This should not be registerable.

DEVICE RETURNED FOR VIOLATING RfS VII.7.a.

4) Helewyse de Birkestad (F) -- New Name and Device – {Argent, a chevron gules between two pots vert and an oaken slip acorned proper.}
(Marche of the Marshes)

Client will *not* major or minor changes and yet has also checked for 13th century English.

[Helewyse] -- "Feminine Given Names in A Dic. of Eng. Surnames," by Talan Gwynek
(http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Helewise)
[Helewyse] s.n. [Helewise] c. 1294 (S:Rúnmann)

http://www.mathematical.com/vivonnewilliam1226.html lists "Helewyse De Vivonne born Abt 1229 Of, Chewton, Somersetshire, England, died 1250"
(Esct. Note: I couldn't get this link to work. Try: http://www.mathematical.com/maletmabel1195.html. Thanks Talon.)
"The PEDIGREE of Helewyse (Hawise) (Baroness) of LANCASTER"
(http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jamesdow/s039/f049386.htm) lists s.n. Helwise (Helewyse) FitzGilbert de Lancaster: Helewyse (Hawise) (Baroness) of Lancaster (no dates given)

[de Birkestad] -- "Lancashire Assize Rolls," pg 15. Publish by the record society of Lancashire and Cheshire. Vol XLVII, 1904. In the table of contents it lists "Assize Roll 404. 30-31, Henry III., Lancaster, 20 October 1246" Copies of frontispiece, index and relevant pages attached lists [Alan de Birkestad]

Client also submitted documentation for her device.

[Pot] -- http://www.heraldicclipart.com/catalog/pot.html

[oaken, slip acorned proper] -- "A Display of Heraldrie, London 1611" by John Guillim, , p 105.

(Esct Note: So the client set the blazon to 'acorned' as that's what appears in the provided documentation and not 'fructed'. I'll let the commentors decide if it needs to be changed or not.)

Name Commentary

Talan - The genealogical links are evidence that the name in some form was in use at the dates given, but they're not evidence for specific spellings: genealogists customarily normalize spellings for convenience, since they're interested in the identities of the people, not the clerical details that matter to us. The citation above, however, is documentary.

Bronwen - Nice name

Device Commentary

A&M - Probable conflict with the device of Alyna of the Ilex (registered in September of 2002): Argent, a chevron throughout gules between three sprigs of holly vert fructed gules. There is 1 CD for type, but nothing for chevron vs chevron throughout. Changing half the tincture of half of the charges (from vert fructed gules to half vert and half brown) is probably not worth a second CD.

From the Precedents of Elsbeth Anne Roth: "[a chevron throughout raguly on the upper edge] Conflict with ... Azure, a chevron embattled argent. There is a CD for the addition of the secondaries, but nothing for the difference between a chevron embattled and a chevron raguly on the upper edge nor for the difference between a chevron and a chevron throughout. [Thome le Lent, 05/00, R-Drachenwald]"

Bronwen - I would suggest that this might be re-blazoned as Argent, a chevron gules between two cauldrons vert and an oak sprig fructed proper.

Looks clear.

Canute - Argent, a chevron gules between two pots vert and an oak sprig fructed proper.

Alyna of the Ilex - September of 2002 (via Calontir): Argent, a chevron throughout gules between three sprigs of holly vert fructed gules.

Single CD for type of secondaries

Return for conflict

Talan - Clearer: 'Argent, a chevron gules between two cauldrons vert and an oak slip palewise leaved and fructed proper'.

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL. DEVICE RETURNED FOR CONFLICT

5) Marina de Valencia (F) -- New Name
(Wurm Wald)

Client will *not* accept major changes. She does care for 16th century Spanish.

[Marina] -- "16th Century Spanish Names," by Elsbeth Anne Roth.
(http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/spanish/fem-given-alpha.html)

[Marina de Castro] c. 1574

[de Valencia] -- "16th Century Spanish Names," by Elsbeth Anne Roth.
(http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/spanish/bynames-alpha.html)

[Ana de Valencia] c. 1574

Name Commentary

Talan - The name and documentation both appear to be fine.

Bronwen - Nice name

NAME PASSED TO LAUREL

6) Robert Downey of Forfar -- Resubmission -- Ermine, a tower and on a chief embattled vert a fiddle fesswise reversed and a fiddle fesswise argent
(Peoria, IL)
(Name reg'd May '04)

The original submission "Ermine, a tower and on a chief embattled vert three fiddles argent" was returned by Laurel, May 04 for "The charges on the chief are not identifiable at any reasonable distance. This is primarily due to their small size. This problem is almost inevitable if one tries to put such a charge palewise on a chief."

REBLAZON: Ermine, a tower and on a chief embattled vert, two fiddles fesswise necks to center argent.

Device Commentary

Bronwen - This redraw addresses the issues of the previous return, but should these be re-blazoned as 'violins', or left as 'fiddles'?

This is clear of Antonio Franco di Milano registered in April of 1992 (via the Middle):
Ermine, a tower vert and on a chief gules three lion's heads couped argent.

One CD per Rfs.X.4.e. for the type of the chief, a second CD per Rfs.X.4.d. for the tincture of the chief, and a third CD per Rfs.X.4.j. for multiple changes to the tertiaries (type and number).

I found none closer.

Canute – Ermine, a tower and on a chief embattled vert two fiddles necks to center argent

The ermine spots should be fewer and larger.

Clear

Talan - Or '... and on a chief embattled vert two fiddles fesswise necks to centre argent'. It would be more in keeping with usual period practice to have the fiddles pointing in the same direction, but the submitted design should be acceptable.

DEVISED PASSED TO LAUREL

7) Thomas Haworth -- Device Appeal -- Gyronny gules and argent, eight quavers counterchanged azure and argent
(Tiffin, OH)
(Name has been forwarded to Laurel Feb. '05)

This is an appeal of a device that was returned February '05 : "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 period muical (sic) scores http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/dkazes/mus110/GregorianChant/"

The client submits 13 examples of period music from England, Italy, Spain and France; an instruction sheet on reading period musical notation, and two examples of a reprinting of period music in period notation. (Esct. Note: Since this is the same documentation as Elsa die Kleine's, the same scanned image applies.)

From Armory Precedents of Franç ois la Flamme (Aug. 2001-2004), quoting a precedent from Jaelle of Armida (June 1996 - June 1999):

From the Primary Sources listed:

? ? From Music in Elizabethan England, by Dorothy E. Mason, 7th printing, Folgers Books, 1958: "Beginning of Tenor part of the Service from Mornyng and Euenyng Prayer, London, 1565."

From Faber Early Organ Series, Vol. 16: Italy 1517-1599, edited by James Dalton, London: Faber Music Limited: 1988: "L'autre jour par un matin," by Marc' Antonio Cavazzoni from Recerchari, Motetti, Canzoni, Libro primo, 1523."

From Faber Early Organ Series, Vol 4: Spain & Portugal c. 1550-1620, edited by James Dalton, London: Faber Music Limited: 1988: "From Libro llamado Arte de tañ er Fantasia, 1565."

DEVICE PASSED TO LAUREL

8) {Thorkell inn Vikverski Magnusson -- New Name and Device -- Gules, three conies in annulo contourny argent.}
(Marche of the Marshes)

Client will *not* accept major changes and wants early 10th century Norweigian viking.

According to the paperwork:

"All information taken from Geirr Bassi Haraldsson, "The Old Norse Name."

First name [Þorkell] - english proper [Thorkell] p. 16.
Descriptive [inn vikverski] -- english proper - 'man from oslo fjord,' p 29.
Last name [Magnusson] -- english proper - 'son of Magnus,' p. 17"

Name Commentary

Gunnvor - On the personal name:

<Þorkell> is indeed listed on p. 16 in Geirr Bassi. Lind has dated examples for a Norwegian man named <Þorkell klyppr> ca. 900's and ca. 1000's has <Þorkell fostri Asmunda s.>, <Þorkell fostri Sumarliða s.>, with many instances aftyer that through around 1500.

E.H. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Dopnamn ock Fingerade Namn från Medeltiden. Uppsala & Leipzig: 1905-1915. sup. Oslo, Uppsala and Kobenhavn: 1931. Cols. 1184-1187 s.n. <Þorkell>

On the byname:

<Víkverjar> (plural form, with an acute accent on the ) was the term for men from the county Wik in Norway. <Víkverskr>, singular, is the adjective meaning "man from Wik". See: Cleasby, Richard and Guðbrandr Vigfusson. An Icelandic-English Dictionary. 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon. 1957. From http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oi_cleasbyvigfusson_about.html
P. 717 S.v. <Víkverjar>.

<Víkverskr> is a strong form of the adjective, while <inn víkverski> is the weak form with the same meaning. Either would be a fine byname for a man from Norway.

It appears as though this particular byname hasn't been used much in the SCA. The only example I find is:

# Thorgeirr in vikverski Karlsson

* This name, registered in January of 1991 (via the Middle), was corrected to Thorgeirr inn vikverski Karlsson in April of 1991 (via the Middle).

Talan - I'm afraid that the submitter is out of luck: while only minor changes are required to make it a fine late 11^th century name, a new patronymic is required to make it fit the early 10th century.

The byname is not normally capitalized, and, more important, the first vowel is long: <inn víkverski>. The byname was borne by at least two men who lived in the 10th century; one is <Arnfinnr hinn víkverski> (E.H. Lind, Norsk-Isländska Personbinamn från Medeltiden, Uppsala, 1920-1; s.v. <Víkverski>).

The second vowel of the patronym is long: the name is <Magnús>. This is a minor problem, however, compared with the fact that an early 10th century Norwegian would not have had a father named <Magnús>; indeed, the patronymic becomes possible only about 150 years after his specified period.

The first recorded Scandinavian bearer of the name is king Magnús the Good, who ruled from 1024 to 1047 and is said to have been named after Charlemagne (Latin Carolus Magnus); the first recorded Icelandic bearer is Magnús Þorsteinsson, who was named after Magnús the Good (John Insley, Scandinavian Personal Names in Norfolk: A Survey Based on Medieval Records and Place-Names, Acta Academiae Regiae Gustavi Adolphi LXII, Uppsala, 1994, s.n. <Magnús>). Insley convincingly refutes arguments offered by Hald to show that the name actually entered the Scandinavian name stock before the 11th century. In particular, he shows that there were not in fact 10th century Viking kings in the British Isles bearing the name; the name actually found is <Maccus>, an Old Irish name used by the Hiberno-Norse and later confused with Old Norse <Magnús>.

Bronwen - the convention in Norse is to capitalize the nickname when it includes a proper place-name, but does 'oslo fjord' qualify here. I'm not sure, and if not 'inn vikverski' would be in lower case.

Device Commentary

A&M - Suggested reblazon "Gules, three conies courant in annulo widdershins argent." Although the conies are not particularly embowed, they are probably acceptably 'in annulo'. This should be clear of the device of Eoin Cerd (registered in August of 1996): "Vert, three rabbits courant in annulo conjoined by the ears argent", with 1 CD for the field, and another for having the conies in the non-default rotation.

From the Precedents of Elsbeth Anne Roth: "[A coney courant and another courant contourny inverted conjoined at the paws argent] The rabbits were originally blazoned as conjoined in annulo. However, the beasts were not drawn in annulo, where the two animals are embowed, but were drawn as courant and courant inverted. By precedent we do not register inverted animals unless they are part of an arrangement in annulo. [Eiríkr Þorvaldson, 10/00, R-Artemisia]"

From the Precedents of Francois la Flamme: "[Three birds close conjoined in annulo sable] these birds are conjoined in annulo. The only conjoining is where the beak of each bird touches the tail of the bird in front of it. This emblazon thus meets the objections stated in the previous return. The outline of the group is somewhat more triangular than round, because the birds have straight backs, but this is an acceptable group of birds conjoined in annulo. [Bran Trefonin, 01/03, A-Atlantia]"

From the Precedents of Francois la Flamme: "... charges in annulo are clockwise by default... [Isabelle d'Avallon¸ 02/02, A-Atenveldt]"

Bronwen - Are these conies contourny? They are running withershins when seen from in front of the shield, but I believe this rendering is the default, isn't it? (Not enough sleep last night).

This is clear of Geneviève Beauchamps registered in November of 2003 (via AEthelmearc):
Gules, a rose Or between three rabbits courant contourny in annulo one and two argent.
While visually very similar, the primary charges are different, and so this is clear by X2.
Also clear of Eoin Cerd was registered in August of 1996 (via the East):
Vert, three rabbits courant in annulo conjoined by the ears argent.
One CD per Rfs.X.4.a. for changes to the field, and a second CD per Rfs.X.4.g. for arrangement.

Canute - Geneviève Beauchamps - November of 2003 (via AEthelmearc): Gules, a rose Or between three rabbits courant contourny in annulo one and two argent.

Clear by RfS X.1.

NAME RETURNED, DEVICE RETURNED ALONG WITH NAME

At your service,

Phebe Bonadeci

Rouge Scarpe Herald