November 15, 1998

Greetings unto Master Dmitrii Volkovich, 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 October 1998 submissions for your consideration and commenting. All commentary should be sent to Rouge Scarpe Herald, Alan Fairfax, early enough to arrive by January 1, 1999, with copies to Dragon and myself. Unless otherwise stated, all name submissions will accept minor and major changes to grammar and/or spelling.

1) Aeron of Martlett's Lair. New Name and Device. Per bend sinister argent and sable, a martlet displayed and a hog statant counterchanged.

Aeron is an undocumented spelling variation of the German name Ahren, which is taken from Kenyon's Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook (123) [which is virtually worthless as a documentation source] and undated. Martlett's Lair is documented as "a birthplace name" [whatever that is]. The client claims to want a name which is authentic for 8th or 9th century Ireland [!]. Obviously, this name needs intensive care!

I cannot find the name Aeron or Ahren in my German, English, or Irish name sources. Also, in looking through Brechenmacher, I find no indication that Aeron would be a plausible spelling variation. I also can find no indication that Martlett's Lair follows English (let alone Irish) naming conventions for toponyms.

2) Aldiana Dragonetti. New Name.

Aldiana is from Mittleman, "Feminine Given Names from Thirteenth Century Perugia" ( http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/perugia/perugiaFemAlpha.html). Dragonetti is from Herlihy and Klapisch-Zuber, "Online Catasto of 1427" ( http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/catasto/). The client cares most about language (Italian) and will NOT allow MAJOR changes to the name.

I had been slightly concerned that the byname might not be correct. The database states that all names are truncated to ten characters (were additional letters left out?). However, I have confirmed the spelling of the name in De Felice, Cognomi (116) under "Drago."

3) Arabella Jennet Davidson. New Name.

Arabella is from Withycombe (29) under "Arabel(la)" and dated to 1255 as an English name (and earlier as Scottish). Jennet is in Ibid (172) under "Janet" and dated prior to 1660 with the implication that its variants were common in period. Davidson is in Black (202) and dated to 1430 in this spelling. She will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

4) Brigit ingen Thighearnáin. New Name.

Brigit is in Ó Corráin & Maguire (36). ingen is Gaelic for "daughter of." Thighearnáin is alleged to be in MacLysaght but I could not find it. The client cares most about sound and wants an authentic late 11th or early 12th century name. She will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

The closest I could find to the client's requested byname is Tighearnáin (under "Mac Ternan") in MacLysaght (284). As the client will accept minor changes (including the deletion of a letter) I would suggest that we correct the spelling unless someone can find the submitted spelling.

5) Christiana de Avochelie for Domus Amicorum. New House Name.

{Name reg'd 8/97}

The name is intended to mean "House of Friends" in Latin. She cares most about meaning and would like the name to be authentic for c12-16th century but does not care about a particular culture.

6) Clarel the Innocent. New Name and Device. Per bend azure and purpure, a dragon dormant bendwise argent.

Clarel is dated to 1219 in "Feminine Given Names in DES" at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/reaneyAG.html as a dim of Claire. No documentation of the byname is provided. The client cares most about meaning and sound and wants the name corrected for the intended meaning (of the byname?) but will NOT permit changes (she is using the old forms).

The dragon is lying very strangely upon the line of division in a rather non-heraldic posture.

7) Diarmait Ó Corragáin. New Name and Device. Or, a portcullis gules, on a chief sable, three open books Or.

Diarmait is in Ó Corráin & Maguire (73). Ó Corragáin is in MacLysaght (60) under "Corrigan." The Pennsic worksheet is enclosed. The client is interested in having the name be an authentic Irish name.

8) Duvessa of Movilla. New Name.

Duvessa is dated to 1301 in Coghlan, Book of Irish Names (18) who says that it means "dark beauty." Movilla is an Irish place name according to Ibid (111) which means "plain of the ancient tree." The client wants to preserve the names meaning in Irish and wants a 14th century Irish name. She will NOT permit MAJOR changes.

I could not corroborate the information and Coghlan is not a terribly good source.

9) Gwendolen de Lindsay. Name and Device Resubmission. Per bend sinister Or and sable, a unicorn rampant guardant and a butterfly counterchanged.

The client's previous submission of the name Gwendoline de Lindsay was pended by Rouge Scarpe on 8/98 for problems with the given name's spelling (which the client has changed). For documentation, the client offers a quote from Opinicus (8/13/98) that "Gwendolen, while not documentable, has been ruled SCA acceptable." Hopefully, Opinicus will give us the citation. As for the byname, the client writes "'de Lindsay' previously submitted and accepted." Once again, this is pretty thin (as we do not take prior registration as documentation). The client cares most about sound.

On the June 1998 ILoI, de Lindsay was documented through the name "Baldric de Lindsay" to 1086 in Moncreiffe of that Ilk, The Highland Clans.

Her previous device (Or, a unicorn rampant guardant sable ) was returned by Rouge Scarpe (on 8/98) for conflict with Charles Edward Alexander Everman (Ermine, a unicorn rampant sable, armed crined, tufted on the hocks, and unguled gules). The addition of the butterfly probably clears this previous conflict.

10) Hakim al-Rashid. Name and Device Resubmission. Gules, a mullet argent, on a chief sable two mullets between the horns of two increscents argent.

The client previously submitted the name Hassan al-Rashid and they were returned by Rouge Scarpe on 11/97 for conflict. Hakim is documented from The Islamic World (40) and is not dated. al-Rashid is documented as a cognomen in Ibid (42). The client wants an Arabic or Turkish name and cares most about the language and culture of the name but will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

The client's previous device submission (Gules, an increscent and a mullet argent between sarawil al-futuwwa) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 11/97 for slot-machine heraldry.

While the mini does not show the chief at all, it is there and is a contrast violation (perhaps the client's computer knew this too?). The device will have to be returned.

11) Isabella de Corbie. Change of Registered Name and Device. Or, a corbie passant sable, a bordure embattled per pale sable and gules.

This is a change of registered name from Magdalen Fairchilde of Corbie's Glen (reg. 12/95). No documentation is provided. The client cares most about language (French) and sound. She wants the name to be authentic for 14th-15th century France. She will NOT permit MAJOR changes.

Isabel is in Withycombe (164) and dated to 1273. There is a "de Corby" dated to 1255 in Reaney & Wilson (109) which seems like a close enough variant to make this name plausible.

If this device is registered, she would like her current device (Per pale ermine and gules, a corbie close sable beaked and membered Or and in chief two roses counterchanged gules and argent) (reg'd 11/96) released. While the Corbie is blazoned by the client as "proper" (it is sable and langued gules), it seemed better to reblazon it as simply sable. The bordure needs to be fed (it is much more emaciated on the large emblazon).

12) John Black. New Name.

John is in Withycombe (84-5) and dated to at least the 12th century. Black is in Reaney and Wilson (46) as a header spelling but not specifically dated.

13) John le Browne. New Name and Device. Checky gules and argent, three maunches sable.

John is in Withycombe (84-5) and dated to at least the 12th century. le Browne is dated to 1318 in Reaney and Wilson (68) under "Brown." The client's modern name is John Brown.

14) Kudrun þe Pilegrim. Device Resubmission. Gules, on a quadruple mount couped argent, a peregrine falcon rising, wings inverted and addorsed, maintaining in its dexter talon an open book argent.

{Name reg'd 5/98}

The client's previous submission (Azure, a peregrine falcon argent, beaked and legged Or, maintaining in its dexter talon an open book argent) was returned by Laurel on 5/98 for lack of forms. Instead of having the kingdom resubmit the device (with the forms this time!), the client has apparently opted for a redesign. Even more strangely, the Rouge Scarpe database lists the reason for the return as "conflict" which Laurel's files contradict.

The client attached a rather nicely researched discussion of the charges and design of the resubmission and wants the falcon to be the primary charge.

My biggest problem with the design is the quadruple mount, which the client herself admits "looks like a crown made of jello." While she believes a German heraldic scribe would know the difference, she admits that an English herald would not even know what it is. I would argue that it looks too much like a crown and thus a) the device is using a reserved charge and must be returned and/or b) looks like a crest and thus is not a registerable design. I say this with some regret as the client obviously has done some nice research and deserves recognition for that.

15) Merideth ni Shionnaigh. Device Resubmission. Vair, a fox passant gules.

{Name reg'd 5/98}

The client's previous submission (Per pale azure and argent, a fox-mask counterchanged) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 12/97 for a direct conflict.

16) Morwenna Llyn Llydaw. New Name and Device. Or, on a hurt, a seahorse haurient rising contourney argent.

Morwenna is in Jones, "Welsh Miscellany" (32). Llyn Llydaw is a lake in Wales, according to "A Journey to the Seven Wonders of Wales" ( http://britannia.com/wales/7wonders/wonder3.html). The client cares most about sound and wants her name to be authentic for 10th century Wales.

17) Red Spears, Barony of for Boar's Heart, Order of. New Order Name and Badge. (Fieldless) On a heart gules, voided Or, a sheaf of three boarspears gules.

{Name reg'd 4/91}

The documentation reads: "Extremely common English. We have previously registered Order of the Boars Eye and Order of the 'Beasties' Heart has been registered at least twice before (Dragons and Bears)."

Could we get some help from our OED experts in dating these name elements?

18) Red Spears, Barony of for l'Épée Rouge, Ordre de. New Order Name.

{Name reg'd 4/91}

Using an English-French dictionary, they found the modern French translation for "Order of the Red Sword." They care most about preserving the meaning in French.

This could also use some help from someone familiar with Old French.

19) Roger de Bar. Device Resubmission. Sable, a scorpion tergiant and in chief five fleurs-de-lys Or.

{Name reg'd 4/98}

The client's previous submission (Sable, on a chief gules, five fleurs-de-lys Or) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 7/98 for tincture violations (color-on-color).

20) Rurik Brattahlid. New Name and Device. Or, chausse purpure, overall two stags respectant, attired of eight, proper.

Rurik was the name of a Varangian and dated to 862 in Bailey and Reit, Universal History of the World (VI: 457). Brattahlid is the name of a Norse settlement in Eiriksfjord, according to Jones, A History of the Vikings (19). The client cares most about sound and would like to have an authentic 10th century Viking name.

I'm not comfortable with the poor contrast of the stags rear sections against the purpure background. The client's drawing of "Or" is actually orange.

21) Sidric Swano. Name and Device Resubmission. Azure, a pall between three swans argent.

The client's previous name (Cedric of Swansea) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 11/97 for lack of documentation. Talan Gwynek wrote a lengthy theoretical argument to justify the given name as a combination of the prototheme SID- and the deuterotheme -RIC, using Morlet as a reference (copies enclosed). He notes that the name would be most probable for 8th-11th century England. Of the byname (or, in this case, a second personal name), Talan mentions several period variations like Suuanahilt (dated 803) and Suaninus (dated 1042) and writes "the simpler pet form <Swano> isn't recorded, but there's all kinds of evidence from other themes that it's a reasonable formation." As before, it is difficult to summarize the depth of the research in an LoI and do so accurately (the client chose not to do so, in fact and simply wrote "see attached" -- an option I cannot offer the commentators) and I apologize in advance for any errors in my summary. The client cares most about sound.

The client's previous device (Azure, a pall inverted between three swans argent) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 11/97 along with the name and also for (an unspecified) conflict.

22) Talon Ravensclawe. Device Resubmission. Per pall Or, gules, and vert, two arrows in saltire Or and in chief a claw contourney couped.

{Name reg'd 3/97}

This original submission (Per pale gules and vert two arrows in saltire, on a chief triangular Or, a raven's talon to sinister gules) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 11/96 for problems with the style of the chief. A badge ([Fieldless] A raven's claw palewise reversed argent, marked sable) was returned by Laurel on 3/97 for being unrecognizable and having tincture problems [I bring this up only because the client references the badge return as the device's previous submission]. It was then apparently resubmitted several times but lost (presumably in the mail). The client has redrawn the device to make it easy to identify. The client's father (Nikolai of Trakai) has given permission for this device to conflict with his (Per pall vert, Or, and gules, in pale a spired tower argent and two arrows inverted in saltire counterchanged) (reg'd 10/93).

23) Tigernach mac Éoghan Ua Áeda. New Name and Device. Per pale argent and gules, a cross crosslet counterchanged, on a chief sable three wolves' heads erased argent.

Tigernach is in Jones's compilation of O'Brien ( http://panix.com/~mittle/names/tangwystyl/irish100). mac Éoghan means "son of Éoghan" and is in Ibid. Ua Áeda means "descendent of Áed" and is in Ibid. The same elements are also found in MacLysaght (286, 101, and 150 respectively). The client cares most about language and wants an authentic 11th century Irish name.

24) Tigernach mac Éoghan Ua Áeda. New Badge. (Fieldless) On a cross crosslet nowy gules, a wolf's head erased argent.

{Name submitted above}

25) Valley of Three Walls, Canton of the. Group Name and Device Resubmission. Per fess sable and vert, a fess embattled-counter-embattled and in chief a chalice within a laurel wreath Or.

There is a problem here, as the group's name was sent forward to Laurel on the 10/98 MK ELoI (#30) as the Canton of Three Walls with the group's alleged permission to alter the name. On this "resubmission"/appeal? they say the opposite.

The clients have documented their group's name with several examples found at various web sites. In Italy, there is the Avenue of the Hundred Fountains, dated to 1569. In Poland, there is the Valley of Seven Castles which is not dated and the Valley of the Five Polish Lakes. No dates or indications of the original spellings is provided, but the client's intent is only to show that their name is based on period practices. Despite the voluminous documentation (there attach about 20 pages), I am a bit afraid that they may not have done so and hope that someone can help. They care most about the meaning "Valley of Three Walls" and will NOT accept MAJOR changes. They specifically do NOT want to shorten the name to Three Walls because they feel it would sound too much like their sibling Canton of Three Hills. A petition of support is enclosed for the name and device.

The group's previous device (Per fess argent and Or, a fess embattled-counter-embattled between in chief a chalice sable within a laurel wreath vert, and a base embattled sable) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on10/98 due to problems with blazonability. The clients have simplified the design. However, the wreath on the device is very thin (and much thinner on the large emblazon).

26) Vonspring, Incipient Canton (?) of. New Group Name.

The documentation states that "Vonspring is the place where Fenri the wolf who will eat the sun at the end of the world is imprisoned until that time in ancient Norse mythology." The clients want a name which is authentic for 10th century or earlier Scandanavian. While it is not important for registration purposes, no indication is provided as to whether Vonspring is to be a Shire or a Canton. A petition of support is included.

Yours In Service,

Paul Wickenden of Thanet

c/o Paul Goldschmidt
802 Bowman Ave
Madison WI 53716
608-224-0126
goldschp@uwplatt.edu

Dragon:

Rouge Scarpe: