Greetings unto all who read these words from Lord Alan Fairfax, Rouge Scarpe Herald,
This is the Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon's March 1999 letter. 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; general comments or replies to commentary are also placed in braces.
I would like to thank Lord Brennon Egan who is commenting for the first time this month. Thanks also Master John ap Wynne, Lord Thorvald Redhair, Mistress Elena de Vexin, Lord Eirik Banna, Lady Mhorag inghean Dhuibhghiolla, Lord Andrew Maklaurene, Lady Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Lady Ælfreda æt Æthelwealda, Lord Mikhail of Lubelska, and Lord Alasdair Montgomery for their commentary.
For the first time in many months, we have neither pended items nor items from the Crown.
1) Aleksandra Drakonova--New Name {and Device
Argent, an owl displayed sable between three points azure, in chief a decrescent vert.}
Submitted as Aleksándra Drakónova. We have removed the accents to conform with normal Russian transliteration. The client dates Aleksandra to the mid-15th century from Pushkareva, Zhenshchiny drevnei rusi, 150; it is dated to 1389 in Wickenden, 4. The client offers no documentation for Drakonova, except to say that it means "daughter of the dragon." Drakon is the Russian word for "dragon," but we found no evidence for a name Drakon. However, there are examples of Russian bynames formed from the names of supernatural creatures (such as Kikimorina, meaning "witch," dated to 1580 in Veselovskii, Onomastikon, 139) and there are also examples of Russian patronymics formed from bynames. Thus, Drakonova can be justified as a patronymic formed from the hypothetical Russian byname Drakon.
{NOTE: The evidence we have is not actually sufficient to support the argument for registering the name. One reference to the name "witch" is not enough to support a general pattern of names based on mythical creatures. I am only sending this name on because Paul comments on Russian names for the College of Arms, and I am trusting him to provide the necessary evidence for the name in his commentary to Laurel. Please don't use a single example to document a pattern; under normal circumstances the name will be returned.
We are returning the device because it uses three points. There is no period example of three points in heraldry, and according to books on heraldry the sinister and dexter points should not appear in the same coat of arms. For these reasons, Laurel precedent prohbits the use of three points in SCA heraldry (LoAR 4/92, page 10).}
2) Angharad ferch Tangwystl--New Badge
(Fieldless) A butterfly sable mullety Or.
The client's name was registered 1/93.
3) Bébhinn Kendrick--New Name
The client documents Bébhinn from Coghlan, Book of Irish Names, 36. {This is not an acceptable source--don't use it!} Several other forms of the name are found in Ó Corraín & Maguire, 29-30. The client documents Kendrick as an English form of the Welsh name Cynwig. {Welsh and Irish are totally different, and normally this name would get returned. But…} Kendrick is found in MacLysaght, Irish Families, 175 as a form of MacKendrick, which is the English form of the Gaelic mac Eanraig. Black does not have any period examples of Kendrick, and I have some doubts about whether the form Kendrick can be found in period. However, I am sending on the name for further comment.
4) Beornmann on Ceaster--New Name and Device
Argent chapé counter-ermine, a brown bear's head caboshed proper, a base vert.
Submitted as Beornman on Chester. The client documents Beornmann as the Old English form of the Middle English name Bereman, which is found in Reaney & Wilson, s.n. Barman. {Note: in a source that's arranged in alphabetical order, it is acceptable, and often preferable, to reference the entry rather than the page number.} The preposition on is found in Moore et al., 322; the Old English spelling Ceaster for Chester is found in ibid., 294. (The commenter who provided this information did not give me a more complete reference; I will include more complete information in commentary).
{Ermines is a word for what the SCA calls counter-ermine.} The charge a brown bear's head caboshed proper should be acceptable; Laurel in July 1996 registered a brown hound's head proper on the grounds that Brown Hound was the proper name for a breed of dog (see Ailithir Loingseoir, An Tir). By extension, brown bear's head proper should be registerable, since the brown bear is a recognized species.
5) Brigette de Sainte Mere-Église--New Name and Device
Azure, on a pale argent, within overall a dragon in annulo Or head to base, a rose azure, barbed vert, seeded Or,
Brigette is found in Withycombe, 54. Sainte Mere-Église is dated to 1463 as a French placename in De Genouillac, Dictionnaire des Fiefs, 484. The client cares most about meaning and will not permit major changes.
6) Ceanntighern Macillechallum--Badge Resubmission
Or, a chevron azure between two thistles and a castle gules.
The client's name was registered 8/90. {The client's previous submission, identical to this one, was returned by Rouge Scarpe in 4/98 for redrawning.} This does not conflict with Gottfried von Beringen, Or, a chevron azure between a key fesswise, a quill bendwise sinister, and a tower gules. There is 1 CD for changing the type of 2/3 of the secondary group, and 1 CD for changing the orientation of 2/3 of the secondary group.
7) Ehrenfried Schertenleib--New Name and Device
Quarterly gules and sable, a tricorporate bull argent.
Ehrenfried is dated to "as early as 1100" in the English Bahlow, 105. Schertenleib is a phrase-name dated to the late 13th century in Johnson, The Origin, Meaning, and Development of German Names, 40, which says that it means "shorten the life." The client cares most about meaning and would like to have an authentic German name.
8) Ehrenfried Schertenleib--New Badge
Per pale gules and sable, a bull's head caboshed argent.
{9) Fasach Mor--New Branch Name
The clients provided documentation showing that Fasach Mor means "great wilderness," and that Irish names consist of two parts. However, they don't have any examples of Fasach or any other words meaning "wilderness" or "desert." Without that evidence, the name will almost certainly be returned by Laurel. I suspect that the name can be documented, but sending it to Laurel would only waste their time.}
{10 Galen Stuart--Device Resubmission
Per bend sinister vert and argent, a tulip slipped and leaved counterchanged.
The client's name was registered in 2/98. We are pending this name for redrawing. I hate to penalize someone for a simple drawing, but most of the commenters thought that the device needed to be redrawn. We will contact the client and get forms that have a more recognizable (and centered) tulip.}
11) Hawk's Keye, March of--New Branch Device
Sable, on a bend between two hawks Or, a laurel wreath palewise sable.
12) Katerine MacGregor--New Name
Although mac literally translates as "son of," this is one of the rare cases where it could have been used by a woman. This name is in a English form, and there are late-period examples of Gaelic-speaking families who relocated to English-speaking areas and began mac names as hereditary surnames.
This name might conflict with the registered Caitlin Macgregor. We felt that it was sufficiently different, and have sent it on for further comment.
13) Maria Vincenté de Castilla--New Name
Maria and Vincenté are both dated to the 16th century in Stone, "16th Century Spanish Women's Names" (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/kvs/fnames.html). de Castilla is found in Smith, "Portguese Names 1350-1450"(http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/ juliana/portugeuse). The client cares most about sound and wants a period Spanish name.
{14) Mariam of Woodhaven--New Name and Device
Vert, a branch bendwise between two estoilles in bend sinister Or.
The client asked for her name to be corrected for period English. We have no evidence for Mariam as an English name. We found Marion and Mary, both with several variant spellings--since we're not sure which name the client would prefer, we are pending it while we find out what she wants. The most likely Middle English form of her byname would be de Wodehaeune; again, there are a number of other possibilities.}
15) Maximillian der Zauberer--New Name and Device
Gules, a cogwheel, on a chief argent a dragon passant sable.
Maximillian is dated to 1459 as the name of a Holy Roman Emperor. Der Zauberer is asserted to be a period German occupational name for "magician." It is not directly documented, although the forms "Zouwer" is cited from Brechenmacher and "Zauber" is cited from Bahlow. The documentation is not perfect, but is reasonable, and we are sending it on for further comment.
16) Micheline Elphinstone--Device Resubmission
Azure, six roses, two, two and two, Or.
The client's name was registered in 7/98. Her original submission, Azure, a pale between six roses Or, was returned by Laurel in 7/98 for conflict with Jeannette of Briarrose, Azure, on a pale between six roses in annulo Or, a white heath tree couped proper. This redesign clears that conflict.
17) Mirabella Christian du Lac de la Forest--Device Resubmission
Azure, a unicorn salient reguardant argent, maintaining an oak sprig, a bordure Or.
{The client's previous submission was returned for redrawing by Rouge Scarpe in 12/98.} We realize that the bordure is rather large. However, this device was returned once in kingdom because the bordure was too small, so the client's exaggeration is understandable. We will instruct her to draw a narrower bordure in the future. {Heraldic unicorns always have goat-like beards. The "unicorn" on the small emblazon was missing his, but the unicorn on the large emblazon is properly drawn.}
18) Ólafr Grimólfsson--New Name and Device
Azure, a winged wolf rampant, on a chief rayonny a battle-axe sable.
Ólafr is found in Geirr-Bassi, 14. Grimólfr is found in ibid., 10.
19) Osanna d'Argentan--New Device
Argent, a standing seraph proper, winged azure, vested Or, a bordure nebuly azure.
{This device is not color-on-color; the wings cover almost the entire seraph. (A seraph has six wings, two of which cover its body.) Against Moses von dem Falken, Argent, a standing seraph azure, broken chains pendant from wrists and ankles sable, within a bordure rayonny sable goutty d'eau, there is 1 CD for the color of the bordure and 1 CD for the removal of the gouts.}
20) Signy Kyrre Rikarðsdóttir--New Name and Device
Azure, on a plate a talbot sejant sable.
Submitted as Signy Kyrre Rikardardottir. Signy is found in Geirr-Bassi, 14. The client documents Kyrre from Lauring, History of Denmark, 64, which refers to Olaf Kyrre, King of Norway in the late 11th century. Rikarðr is found in Geirr-Bassi, 14. The client apparently misread Rikardr for Rikarðr; we have changed the spelling.
Much to my surprise, we found no conflicts with this device.
{21) Signy Kyrre Rikarðsdóttir--New Badge
(Fieldless) A talbot sejant sable.
Unfortunately, we must return this badge for conflict with Megan Laine, Checky gules and argent, a talbot sejant sable. There is only 1 CD for the field.}
22) Sixtus Aufunddahin--New Name
Sixtus is dated between 1501-1550 in Scott, "Late Period German Masculine Given Names," http://www.panix.com/~mittle/ names/germmasc/plauen16.html. Aufunddahin is dated to 1583 in the English Bahlow, 23, under "Auf und dahin" (German for "up and away.") The client cares most about meaning.
23) Toke Magnusson--Device Resubmission
Purpure, a triskelion of bull's heads argent.
The client's name was registered 10/98. His original submission, Purpure, a dexter hand inverted, in chief a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent argent, was returned by Laurel in 10/98 for administrative reasons. This item appeared on the 11/98 LoAR (which was not sent to Laurel until 12/98) but it was withdrawn at the client's request. This is a complete redesign.
The original submission engendered quite a lot of discussion, in part because it included obvious neo-pagan symbolism; the client withdrew his submission because he's not a pagan!
{24) Toke Magnusson--Badge Resubmission
Purpure, a triskelion of bull's heads argent.
We are returning this submission because it is identical to the device that we passed above.}
{25) Ulrich von Landstuhl--Device Resubmission
Per chevron vert and azure, a wolf rampant maintaining a halberd within a bordure argent.
Unfortunately, we must return this device for conflict with Stephan de la Sauvage, Quarterly gules and sable, a wolf rampant within a bordure argent. If the client isn't completely fed up, we'll make sure that his next submission is checked for conflict before he sends it in.}
Done by my hand, on the thirteenth day of June, anno societatis xxxiii, being the feast of saint Anthony of Padua
Alan Fairfax, Rouge Scarpe
Alan Terlep
5401 S. Cornell
Chicago, IL 60615
(773) 324-1366 (after 11am ET)