Greetings unto all who read these words from Lord Alan Fairfax, Rouge Scarpe Herald,
This is the letter of acceptances and returns for Escutcheon's June 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.
After many years as a commenter, Lady Mhorag inghean Dhuibhghiolla is moving out of kingdom. Thank you, Lady Mhorag, for your service; it will be missed.
On a more conventional note, thanks to Master John ap Wynne, Adeliza de Saviniaco, Lord Eirik Banna, Lady Mhorag inghean Dhuibhghiolla, Lady Ælfreda æt Æthelwealda, Lord Mikhail of Lubelska, Lord Thorvald Redhair, Lady Gwenhyvar Nocturnal, and Lord Percival ap Gwilym Trefanwy.
NEW ADDRESS: Effective September 1, my new postal address
will be 92 Ridgemont,
Pontiac, MI, 48340.
1) Anne of Dragonhurst-New Name {and Device
Per bend sinister gules and argent, a dragon sejant erect contourny, wings elevated and addorsed argent and a hurst of three pine trees atop a mount couped gules.}
The client documents Anne with a variety of historical examples, including Anne Boleyn and Anne of Cleves. Anne is also a header in Withycombe. She provides no documentation for Dragonhurst, except for evidence that dragons were believed to exist in period.
We were unable to find any examples of English placenames using the elements Dragon, but since Dragon- is so common in SCA placenames we expect that it can be registered.
{The hurst in this design is drawn three-dimensionally. Since the depiction of the hurst is the only problem, we are pending the device for redrawing.}
{2) Arnbjorn Brandkjarni-New Name and Device
Per fess debased argent and sable, an eagle displayed and a bear statant argent counterchanged.
Arnbjorn is found in Geirr-Bassi, 7. Brandkjarni is intended to be a Norse translation of "Burning Stone," the name of the client's original group.
Brandkjarni does not follow Norse naming practices, and so we are returning this name. Although Burning Stone is a registered SCA branch names, branch names can only be registered as part of any SCA name in their original form. Arnbjorn of Burning Stone is registerable, but Arnbjorn Brandkjarni is not. Alternatively, the client could construct a period Norse byname.
Even if the name had passed, we would have to return the device because the base is well on the way to being a per fess field division. If there is no conflict, the client would be better off raising the line and turning it into a field division; otherwise, he should make the base much smaller.}
3) Bebhinn Dubh-New Name and Device
Vert, on a fess between three plates, a turtle contourney azure.
The client documented Bebhinn from Todd, Celtic Names for Children, 19. Ó Corrain & Maguire, 29-30, have the spellings Bebinn, Befind, and Béibhinn. The client documents Dubh from Todd, 35. The form Dub is found in Jones, "Early Irish Feminine Names from the Index to O'Brien's Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae." Black, s.n. Duff, also refers to Dubh as a Gaelic word meaning "black."
According to Laurel precedent (3/93, s.n. Alexander Michael Connor O'Malley), an emblazon of a natural sea turtle (a turtle with flippers instead of feet) should be blazoned as a turtle. Although some concerns were raised about the identifiability of the turtle, most commenters agreed that it could be recognized.
{4) Bebhinn Dubh-New Badge
Argent, a turtle tergiant azure.
Unfortunately, we must return this badge for conflict with Nicolete de Brabant, Argent, a turtle tergiant azure a bordure sable. There is 1 CD for removing the bordure.}
5) Bettina von Haschenfeld-New Name
The client intends to have a German name. She documents Bettina from Mittleman, "Feminine Given Names from the Online Catasto of Florence of 1427." (www.panix.com/~mittle/names/castato). She also documents Bettin to the 11th century in Speer, "Dutch Womens' Names before 1100" (www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/ names/earlydutchfem.html).
The client constructed von Haschenfeld from a German-English dictionary and is intended to mean "from the Hare Field." We were able to find additional support in Brechenmacher, s.n. Hasch, which shows Haschentaler (meaning "from Hare Valley"). This shows that Haschen- was used as a first element in German place-names, so von Haschenfeld is a reasonable German locative byname.
{6) Black Hart the Smith-New Name and Device
Argent, in pale a heart and an anvil, a bordure sable.
This name was listed as a resubmission on Escutcheon's letter, but it is a new item. The client documented Black and Hart in both Reaney & Wilson (46, 219) and Black (78, 345). However, he documented them only as bynames, not as given names. Therefore, we have to return his submission for lack of a given name.}
7) Cassandra of Glastonbury-New Name {and Device
Azure, a triskele and in chief a stick shuttle argent.}
Cassandra is dated 1208 in Scott, "Feminine Given Names in 'A Dictionary of English Surnames.'" Glastonbury, a well-known medieval English town, is mentioned in Mills, 144.
{We must return this device for conflict with the Order of the Triskele of Trimaris, Azure, a triskele argent.}
8) Cathal Macdoyl-Device Resubmission
Per bend sinister wavy vert and azure, a thistle and a compass rose Or.
The client's name was registered in 6/99. {His previous submission, Bendy wavy argent and azure, a brunette mermaid proper maintaining a trumpet bendwise sinister Or, was returned by Rouge Scarpe in 2/99 for conflict. This is a complete redesign. Some commenters were concerned that the line of division was unidentifiable. While we discourage field divisions of vert and azure, especially with complex lines, designs of this sort are registered regularly and we doubt that there will be a problem with this one. Generally, field divisions of this type will be registered as long as there are no charges covering parts of the line of division.}
9) Christopher Jameson-New Name and Device
Gules, a pale betressed argent, in chief three crosses crosslet counterchanged.
Christopher is the client's mundane name. It is dated to 1503 in Lovelace, "English Names from Pre-1600 Brass Inscriptions." Jameson is dated to 1593 from the "Greatham Marriage Register" (www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/genuki/ Transcriptions/DUR/GRE.html). The client says that he previously submitted the name Aelfric Wulfraeding in Atenveldt and that it was returned in 1995, but since he included new payment we have processed this as a new name submission.
There was some discussion about the correct way to blazon the device. Technically, the two outer crosses are secondary charges and the middle cross is a tertiary charge, and so our blazon purists recommended Gules, on a pale betressed between two crosses crosslet in chief argent, a cross crosslet in chief gules. Although this blazon is technically correct, it is so much more unwieldy than the original that we have not used it.
10) Clarissa Wykeham-Device Change Resubmission
Or, a seeblatt azure.
The client's name was registered 11/92. {The client's previous submission, Or, a seeblatt vert, was returned by Rouge Scarpe in 5/99 for conflict with Ysabeau of Prague, Or, a seeblatt vert and a base wavy azure and Or. This change clears that conflict.} If this device is registered, the client wishes to have her current device, Or, on a chevron azure between three hearts gules two swords conjoined at their points Or, released.
11) Clarissa Wykeham-Release of Badge
Or, on a chevron azure between three hearts gules two swords conjoined at their points argent, all within a bordure embattled gules.
12) Colban Silver-New Name {and Device
Per bend sable and azure, a bend between a decrescent and a wolf's head couped close contourny argent.}
Colban is a header spelling in Black, who mentions a Latin document that includes the given name Colbanus, dated to 1107-24. This is good evidence for the use of Colban in Scotland. Silver is in ibid., 726, although this spelling is dated only to 1506. The client cares most about sound and language and wants an authentic Scottish name. He will not permit major changes.
{The crescent in this device is drawn as a very thin "fingernail clipping." This has been cause for return by Laurel in the past, and we don't want to send the device on only to have it returned. Therefore, we are pending the device for redrawing. As long as a redraw is necessary, the client could also make the bend a bit wider.}
13) Donato Pulcinella for Commilitoni della Balestra-Household Badge Resubmission
Sable, a crossbow and on a chief Or a chain sable.
The household name was registered to the client in 4/99. The badge was returned at the same time for administrative reasons.
14) Eloise of Tree-Girt-Sea-New Name and Device
Argent, masoned sable, on a bend sinister azure a unicorn's horn argent.
Eloise is the client's mundane given name. Tree-Girt-Sea is an SCA branch name registered 1/82. She wants her name to be authentic for the culture of the SCA. We could probably find documentation for Eloise, but we feel that documentation would only detract from her goal.
{15) Fásach Mór-New Branch Device
Per chevron vert and Or, a chevron fimbriated between two laurel wreaths and an oak sprig counterchanged.
The client's name was returned by Rouge Scarpe in . However, even if they had a registered name we would have to return this device for fimbriating a counterchanged ordinary (although if the chevron were cotised, as in the original blazon, it would look even more confusing!) We will work with the clients on a redesign.}
16) Guðrún of the Hills-New Name
Submitted as Gudrún of the hills. The client documented Gudrún from Young, The Prose Edda, 113 and from Byock, The Saga of the Volsungs, 132. Both of these sources actually show the name as Guðrún, as does Geirr-Bassi, 10. The client included no documentation for of the Hills, but Geirr-Bassi shows a number of locative bynames (including. ). Of the Hills can be registered as an English translation of a Norse byname which follows this pattern.
{17) Iohannes de Glenfinnan-Device Resubmission
Gules, a Maltese cross fitchy argent between three gouts d'Or in pall.
The client's name was submitted to Laurel on the 4/99 EloI. His previous submission, Paly wavy azure and sable, on a pall Or three Maltese crosses fitchy gules, was returned by Rouge Scarpe in 3/99 for poor contrast of and a mistake in the depiction of the crosses. This is a complete redesign which solves those problems. Unfortunately, it conflicts with Malta, Order of the Knights of, Gules, a Maltese cross argent (important non-SCA flag). Laurel precedent, based on period evidence, does not count a CD for making a cross fitchy. (LoAR 10/90, p. 14).}
18) Kennasport-Group Name Submission
The clients' documentation describes this name as a ME name meaning "Cyne's port." Ekwall, s.n. Kencott, Kenchester, shows that the normal ME form of Cyne in place-names is the first element Kene-, as shown in the examples Kenecott (1229) and Kenechestre (1166).
The group's real desire is to be named after Countess Kenna Harve, whose name has not been registered. They are concerned about spelling for this reason, but they would be willing to accept a change from Kennasport to Kennaport.
{19) Meave Caldwell de Sayers-New Name and Device
Argent, a fret vert between in fess two fleurs-de-lys gules and in base a rose azure, barbed vert, seeded Or.
Maeve is found in Withycombe, 216. Caldwell is in MacLysaght, 34.. Sayers is described as an English surname used in Ireland in ibid., 265. According to Reaney & Wilson, Sayers is either a patronymic or an occupational name. However, since there is no evidence that Sayers was ever a place-name, the byname de Sayers is impossible.
Normally we would modify the name to Meave Caldwell Sayers, but the client has said that she would not allow major changes. Therefore, we are pending the name and contacting the client for permission to modify her name.
The device is registerable as blazoned, but the drawing has a number of problems-most importantly, the rose is partially covering the fret. Thus we are pending the device for redrawing.}
{20) Merwyn of the Run-New Name and Device
Argent, on a lozenge azure four sunbursts proper.
The client documented Merwyn from Dunkling & Gosling, which is not a reliable source. We were not able to find any other documentation Merwyn. The client also included no documentation for of the Run. Therefore, we are returning this for lack of documentation.
It appears that the client intended to submit Azure, four sunbursts in cross proper, and drew the lozenge on a standard escutcheon form. We will advice her of the proper procedure and encourage her to resubmit.}
21) Midewinde-Group Device Resubmission
Azure, a bend sinister wavy cotised argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath Or.
The group's name was registered in 2/98. Their previous device submission, Per fess azure and gules, a gateway argent and a moon in her plenitude, all within a laurel wreath Or, was returned by Laurel in 12/98 for using the prohibited gateway. This is a complete redesign.
22) Otto Volkmar Tannhäuser-New Name
Otto and Volkmar are both found in Scott, "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia" (www.sca.org/ heraldry/laurel/names/bahlow_v.htm). The client documents Tannhäuser from a 15th-century German myth, which was the inspiration for an opera by Wagner. Tannhäuser is an alternate header spelling in Brechenmacher, I:270. There is no dated reference for this particular form, but the header spelling seemed like enough of a lead to justify sending the name on.
{23) Phillip de Sayers-New Name and Device
Argent, on a bend azure between a book closed vert, tooled Or and three fleurs-de-lys bendwise gules, four Maltese crosses argent.
Phillip is dated to 1186 in Withycombe, 245. De Sayers has the same problem described in #19 above-while Sayers is definitely a period English surname, the construction de Sayers appears to be impossible. Since the client will not allow major changes, we will pend the name for permission to change it to the registerable Phillip Sayers.
We are returning the device because it is too complex-with five tinctures and four types of charges, it exceeds the "rule of thumb limit" of eight.}
{24) Sigrid de la Mare-Device Resubmission
Per pale sable and vert, a cross crosslet Or.
The client's name was registered in 9/98. Her previous device submission, Vert, an eagle rising, wings elevated and addorsed Or and on a chief sable three crosses crosslet Or, was returned by Rouge Scarpe in 4/98 for poor contrast. This is a complete redesign. Unfortunately, it conflicts with Launcelot de Westwood, Azure, a cross bottony fitchy Or. The cross bottony is an artistic variant of the cross crosslet, and there is also no CD for making a cross fitchy, so there is only 1 CD, for changing the field.}
25) Stephana Relicta le Clark-Device Resubmission
Or, pily to point azure, a comet palewise Or.
{The client's name was registered in 5/98. Her previous submission was returned on the ghost LoAR of 12/97. This is a complete redesign.}
26) Tairdelbach ua Conaill-New Name
Tairdelbach is found in Ó Corrain & Maguire, 169. Conall is in ibid, 56; the client has put it into the genitive form Connaill. The client would like his name to be corrected for the 7th to 9th century; we have not attempted to make any corrections.
27) Valley of the Three Walls-Group Name Appeal
The group originally submitted this name without documentation to Rouge Scarpe in 8/98. I spoke with the group pursuivant and changed the name to Three Walls; this form was registered by Laurel in 2/99. The group has decided that they would prefer to keep the original form of their name and they have provided a variety of sources to document it. Their evidence includes the Avenue of a Hundred Fountains (began in Italy in 1569), the Valley of Five Polish Lakes (no date), and the Valley of the Seven Castles (Luxembourg--the oldest castle dates to the 12th century), all documented through tourist-oriented Web pages. They've gone through some effort to document their name, but they haven't found any evidence that the names (as opposed to the places they refer to) are period. I leave it to the College to determine whether these models are similar enough to their submission to justify registering the name.
Done by my hand, on the thirty-first day of August, anno societatis xxxiv, being the feast of saint Aristedes.
Alan Fairfax, Rouge Scarpe
Alan Terlep
92 Ridgemont
Pontiac, MI 48340