April 15, 2000

Greetings unto Lady Clarissa Wykeham, Dragon; Lord Alan Fairfax, Rouge Scarpe; and the commenting members of the Midrealm College of Heralds; from Lord Paul Wickenden of Thanet, Escutcheon.

Here are the March 2000 submissions for your consideration and commenting. All commentary should be sent to Rouge Scarpe Herald, Alan Fairfax, early enough to arrive by June 1, 2000, with copies to Dragon and myself. Unless otherwise stated, all name submissions will accept minor and major changes to grammar and/or spelling.

1) Anna Donnelly. New Name.

The name is undocumented. The client cares most about sound and would like to have an authentic English name.

Anna is found in Withycombe (25) and dated to 1031. Donnelly is in MacLysaght (86) as a modern spelling of Ó Donnghaile.

2) Ashildr Ulfsdöttir. New Name and Device. Per pale azure and vert, three hares in pale couchant contourny argent.

Ashildr is in Geirr Bassi (8). Ulfsdöttir is formed according to the rules for patronymics in ibid (17) from Ulfr (which is found in Ibid [15]). She would like to have an authentic Norse name. She will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

3) Calum MkGow. New Name and Device. Sable crussily crosslet fitchy, a horse rampant Or.

Calum is found in Cresswell, Tuttle Dictionary of First Names (162) as a "Gaelic" form of Malcolm and is undated. MkGow is dated to 1473 (under "Macgow") in Black (505).

The client blazoned this as a horse "within five crosses crosslet fitchy Or -- 2 in chief, 2 in flanks, 1 in base." But even beyond the clunkiness of the supplied blazon, the crosses crosslet fitchy are not evenly placed around the horse and they are not really a semy either. My guess is that it will have to be returned for a redraw. What do you think?

4) Cassandra of Glastonbury. Device Resubmission. Azure, a stick shuttle bendwise between two triskelions argent.

{Name reg'd 2/00}

The client's previous submission (Azure, a triskele and in chief a stick shuttle argent) was returned by Rouge Scarpe for conflict with the Order of the Triskele (Azure, a triskele argent) on 8/99. The client has created a new design with the same elements.

5) Celestria de Cranham. New Name.

Celestria is documented in Nicolaa's "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex Co, England, 1182-1272" (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/5145/names.html) which lists it six times. Cranham is an English place name that is described as "at least a thousand years" old by the "Introduction to the History of Cranham Website" (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/ ~kelsey/cranchin.htm). The client would like to have an authentic 13th-14th century name but will NOT permit MAJOR or MINOR changes.

6) Dana Y Crochenydd. New Name and Device. Per pale gules and argent, an oakleaf counterchanged.

Dana is the client's modern given name (copy of driver's license enclosed). Y Crochenydd is a literal translation of "the potter" in Welsh according to a Welsh dictionary. We do not know if it is properly formed. She cares most about meaning and would like to have an authentic Welsh name.

7) Drusilla Galbraith. New Name.

Drusilla is a Biblical name (Acts 24:24). Galbraith is in Reaney & Wilson (182) and dated to the early 13th century. She would like to have an authentic 16th century Scottish/English name.

8) Erinn inghean uí Rónáin. New Name and Device. Argent vetu ploye azure, a domestic cat couchant contourny vert.

Erinn is given as an undated alternate spelling of Eriu in Cotteral, Encyclopedia of Mythology (128) but there is no indication it was used by human beings in period. The grammar of inghean uí is explained in Krossa, "Quick and Easy Gaelic Bynames" ( http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/). The final element is documented in Jones, "100 Most Popular Men's Names in Early Medieval Ireland" (http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names /tangwystyl/irish100). The client cares most about sound and wants to have an authentic 11th century name. She would like to keep the spelling of Erinn if possible, but will accept alternate spellings.

9) Fearann na Criche, Shire of. New Group Badge. (Fieldless) Three oak branches in saltire argent.

{Name reg'd 3/91}

This item was pended on last month's LoI for lack of payment. Payment has now been provided. The item is intended as a general populace badge.

10) Friederich Eric Helmut von Rheinhausen. New Badge. Per pale Or and pean, a chevron counterchanged.

{Name reg'd 2/87}

11) Gavin MkGow. New Name and Device. Sable, a celtic warbird closed argent, in sinister chief three arrows in saltire proper, banded gules.

Gavin is found as a surname in Black (292) but Black also mentions it was popular as a given name. Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names (203) has Gavin but is undated. Sierra, Celtic Baby Names (22) dates it to the 16th century. MkGow is dated to 1473 (under "Macgow") in Black (505). The client cares most about sound.

The device has several problems beyond being unaesthetic. The band has poor contrast against the field. The sheaf of arrows look like an augmentation. The bird is too stylistic to be reproduceable. The arrows should probably just be argent.

12) Gonzalez de la Esperanza. New Name and Device. Gules, a lion rampant grasping a battle axe Or.

The name is cited as "Very common name in mid + late medieval Castille + Leon; surname refers to name of village -- also a common and widespread custom in Spain." The client cares most about having a Spanish/Castillian name and would like his Castillian name to be authentic for the 13th-15th centuries. He will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

As this assertion is undocumented and unsupported, it is probably insufficient for registration [and no, it did NOT come from Gabriel! :) ]. If anyone can help with Spanish naming practices, that would be swell!

The client also enclosed his motto ("Dios y mi derecho") for registration with the device. As we don't register mottos, I am ignoring the request. The client also enclosed an explanatory letter in which he explained that this design is identical (minus an augmentation) to the designs he has registered with the American College of Heraldry and the Augustan Society. This piece of information raises a serious question of registerability. As those who comment on the CoA's mailing list are aware, there is a rather heated debate about the registration of modernly-registered arms within the SCA (even by those who are entitled to bear them). I suspect we may be looking at a similar case here. I have enclosed the letter to Rouge Scarpe but will not send a copy to Laurel unless Rouge Scarpe feels it is relevant.

13) Gonzalez de la Esperanza. New Badge. (Fieldless) A lion rampant vert armed gules, grasping a battle axe Or, a cross formy gules within the upper part of the tail.

{Name submitted on this LoI}

The badge includes a difficult-to-blazon and unconnected cross formy which makes this fieldless badge unregisterable in the SCA. Again, the client notes that he has already registered this with the American College of Heraldry, so we have the same problems as before.

14) Joshua Silverstone. New Name and Device. Gules, two wyverns combatant tails conjoined argent, a chief argent fretty gules.

Joshua is in Withycombe (181) as a post-Reformation name. Silverstone is in Reaney, Origin of English Surnames (350) as a 14th century name from Northamptonshire. The client cares most about having an English 9th-13th century name (but has NOT requested an authentic name).

15) Leolin Gofar. Badge Resubmission. (Fieldless) An escallop per pale azure and vert.

{Name reg'd 7/99}

The client's previous submission (Per pale azure and vert, a lion's paw print Or) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 2/00 for conflict with Luciano Giovanni di Churburg (Purpure, chape ploye Or, ermined purpure, a bear's paw print Or). This is a complete redesign.

16) Lettice Godfree. New Device. Per pale argent and azure, a compass star and a base barry wavy counterchanged.

{Name reg'd 4/93}

17) Luisa Jardinera. New Name and Device. Argent chape purpure, a bee rising proper.

Luis is "from SCA site listing ship manifests from Spanish ships." Jardinera is Spanish for "gardener" according to the Cassell's Spanish/English Dictionary. She would like to be known as "Luisa the Gardener" and cares most about that meaning. She is interested in having an authentic 16th century Basque name.

18) Marjorie de ffeyrefeld. New Name.

Marjorie is in Withycombe (207) (under "Margery") and dated to approximately the 12th century. The surname is in Reaney & Wilson (113) in this spelling (under "Fairfield") and dated to 1331. The client would prefer that the surname not be capitalized (and it is not capitalized in Reaney & Wilson) but will allow it to be so. She cares most about sound and will NOT permit MAJOR changes.

19) Morwenna Llynn Llydaw. Device Resubmission. Azure, a seahorse contourny ermine, a bordure Or.

{Name reg'd 5/99}

The client's first submission (Or, on a hurt a horse's head couped argent) was returned by Laurel on 5/99 for conflict with Ekaterina Vladimirovna (Or, on a hurt a horse's head couped argent) and improper coloring. Rouge Scarpe returned her resubmission (Or, on a hurt a seahorse erect contourny ermine) on 1/00 for the same conflict. This is a new design. I hate to say it, but I think that the bordure is actually a bit too butch!

20) Richard Kelly. New Name and Device. Argent, on a pale sable between two spears gules, a spear argent.

Richard is dated to 1157 through Richard I (1157-1199) in the Webster's 7th Dictionary. It is also in James MacKay, William Wallace: Brave Heart (18). Wallace of Kelly is mentioned in Bain (284) and Kelly Castle was destroyed by Robert the Bruce in 1308, according to Scott, Robert the Bruce (11). No photocopies are included. The client would like to have an authentic 14th century Scottish name. He will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

Kelly is dated in Black (390) to 1373 as a surname.

21) Seónaid Sinclair. New Name and Device. Or, on a bend sinister between a battle-axe and a battle-axe reversed gules, three grenades Or.

Seónaid is found in Mittleman, "Some Scottish Gaelic Feminine Names" (http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/ arval/scotgaelfem/) as a header spelling (and this spelling is not documented). Sinclair is in Reaney & Wilson (411) as an undated header spelling. The client cares most about having a Scottish name and would like the name to be authentic.

22) Terry O'Maoileoin of Lyon House. New Name and Device. Vert ermined Or, a cross lionced Or, langed gules.

Terry is found in Foster (137) and undated. It is found in Withycombe (263 - under "Terence" [undated]; 264-5 - under "Theodoric" [dated 1273]). It is found in Reaney & Wilson (442) as given and a surname in various spellings and dates (but not this spelling as a given name). O'Maoileoin is the pre-Anglicized version of Malone according to the client. His documentation includes: MacLysaght, Irish Families (220) which gives Ó Maoileoin as undated but notes that it never appears in this spelling with an English name. Grenham, Clans and Families of Ireland (149) gives Ó Maoil Eoin and is undated. O'Hart, Irish Pedigrees (635) gives O'Maoil Eoin and dates it to the 13th century [and their are additional citations within this last work]. No documentation is provided for the "of Lyon House." The client cares most about having an Irish name "of noble blood" and would like to have a name which is authentic for a 9th-14th century Irish nobleman. He will NOT permit MAJOR or MINOR changes.

As the client's modern name is Terry Malone, there may be a problem here (the client is using two elements of his modern name), depending on whether we count a difference between Malone and O'Maoileoin. It would also be a good thing if we could date the client's preferred spelling of the surname.

The first "Or" in the blazon may be unnecessary. "Lionced," according to Brooke-Little (133) is when a charge, such as a cross, terminates in lion's faces.

23) William Blood. New Name.

No documentation for the name is provided. The client cares most about sound and would like to have an authentic English name.

Withycombe (293) has William as one of the most common names in period. Blood is a header spelling in Reaney & Wilson (50) but is not dated in this spelling.

The following submissions have been PENDED and the clients notified:

P1) Frederich Holstein der Tollhase. Device Resubmission. Per pale purpure and vert, a cow rampant ermine, in base a demi sun and on a chief Or, three crosses formy sable.

{Name reg'd 11/98}

This item was submitted on the old forms. The client has been supplied with a copy of the new forms and asked to submit those.

The following submission has been RETURNED and the clients notified:

R1) Taran an Draigh. New Name and Device. Per bend argent and gules, a bend sable between a dragon displayed gules and a castle argent.

These items were pended on the January ILoI for multiple problems. The client never replied to our requests so we are forced to administratively return it.

Yours In Service,

Paul Wickenden of Thanet

c/o SCA -- MK College of Heralds
P.O. Box 44623
Madison WI 53744-4623
submissions@midrealm.org

Dragon:

Rouge Scarpe: