April 15, 1999

Greetings unto Lady Clarissa Wykeham, Dragon-Elect; 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 1999 submissions for your consideration and commenting. All commentary should be sent to Rouge Scarpe Herald, Alan Fairfax, early enough to arrive by June 1, 1999, with copies to Dragon-Elect and myself. Unless otherwise stated, all name submissions will accept minor and major changes to grammar and/or spelling.

Please note: I will be MOVING in May. This has come up suddenly (we have lost our lease) and will be relocating next month. I do not know my new address yet but it will appear in the next LoI. Send any surface correspondence with me (after May 20th) to that new address.

Also, I have joined the late 20th century and now have the capability to receive formatted attachments by email. That means that I no longer need you to send me your comments in plain text if you are commenting electronically. RTF works best, but I can accept just about anything.

1) Aleksándra Drakónova. New Name and Device. Argent, a owl displayed sable, in chief a decrescent vert, all between three points azure.

The client documents the given name from Pushkareva, Zhenshchiny drevnei rusi (150) which dates the name Aleksandra (without the accent) to the mid 15th century. For the byname, the client notes a consultation with Paul Wickenden on March 1997. The byname is intended to mean "daughter of the Dragon." She adds the following comment: "All I am claiming by Drakon is to be a member of the populace of the Middle Kingdom whose device is a dragon. I am not claiming divine/non-human parentage." She cares most about having a Russian name and will NOT accept MAJOR changes (while it is not mentioned on her forms, she does not want her first name to be changed to "Alexandra" under any circumstances).

Obviously, I should comment. The accents need to be removed as they are merely stress marks and we have a precedent from Da'ud I that they are not registered with Russian names. While the documentation from Natasha Pushkareva's book does indeed document the name she wants, she has gone to much more trouble than she needed. First of all because the book she used is available in English and secondly (and far more importantly) because Aleksandra is found in Wickenden, 2nd ed (4) and dated to 1389. I have rather more trouble with the byname and never actually told the client I could document it (we've all been there, no?). Drakon is in fact the correct word for the mythical beast of a Dragon. There are period stories of such beasts in Russian folklore. The byname Drakonova is correctly formed grammatically to be the female offspring of a man named Drakon or to be a feminine byname meaning "Dragon." There are several Russian bynames that have supernatural meanings like Kikimorina ("witch") which is dated to 1580 in Veselovskii, Onomastikon (139). I have found names that were formed from the names of spirits, trolls, and sorcerers as well. With all that in mind, I would consider the name registerable even though I cannot document it directly. It does not claim any special powers. The name is registerable but the accent marks must be removed.

The blazon is the client's. It sounds odd to me, but I am not certain of how to fix it.

2) Angharad ferch Tangwystyl. New Badge. (Fieldless) A butterfly sable mulletty Or.

{Name reg'd 1/93}

3) Bébhinn Kendrick. New Name.

Bébhinn was anglicized to Vevian in Ireland, according to Coghlan, Grehan, and Joyce, Book of Irish Names (36). Kendrick is an anglicization of the Welsh name Cynwig, according to Rowlands & Rowlands, Surnames of Wales (119).

I am concerned that, even with Laurel's lifting of the Gaelic names strictures, that this name is too problematic -- combining an anglicized Welsh surname with a Gaelic given name. However, this is not a speciality so I leave it to others to sort it out.

4) Beornmann on Chester. New Name and Device. Chapé argent and ermines, a brown bear's (Ursus Artos) head caboshed proper, a base vert.

The documentation notes that "beorn" is Old English for a "strong warrior" and "mann" means man. These elements are found combined in the name Bereman which is in Reaney & Wilson (no page given) under "Barman." The byname is intended to indicate that the client is from Chester. An attached letter asserts that "Beornmann on Dentune" would mean "Beornmann, from Denton" but no documentation is provided for them and there is no documentation of the period of the toponym. The client cares most about having an Old English masculine name and would like the name to be an authentic 10-11th century Anglo-Saxon name.

5) Brigette de Sainte Mere-Eglise. New Name and Device. Azure, on a pale argent a rose azure, barbed vert, seeded Or, overall a dragon in annulo Or.

Brigette is found in Withycombe (54). Sainte Mere-Église [note the accent mark] is dated to 1463 as a placename in De Genouillac, Dictionnaire des Fiefs (484). The client cares most about meaning (she wants to be from the indicated location and instructs us that a change of spelling to indicate this correctly is OK). She will NOT accept MAJOR changes.

6) Ceanntighern Macillechallum. Badge Resubmission. Or, a chevron azure between two thistles and a castle gules.

{Name reg'd 8/90}

The client's previous submission (which was submitted at the time as a house badge) was identical and returned by Rouge Scarpe on 4/98 for redrawing. The redrawing has been done and should be clear of technical problems. The client has not indicated whether he still wants this to be a house badge.

7) Ehrenfried Schertenleib. New Name and Device. Quarterly gules and sable, a tricorporate bull.

Ehrenfried is dated to "as early as 1100" in the English translation of Bahlow (106). Schertenleib is an example of a "sentence name" (satznamen) that were early surnames in use in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, according to Johnson, The Origin, Development & Meanings of German Names (40). This one means "shorten the life." The client cares most about having a German name and would like to have an authentic German name.

8) Ehrenfried Schertenleib. New Badge. Per pale gules and sable, a bull's head coboshed argent.

{See Above for Name}

9) Fásach Mór, Canton of. New Branch Name.

The name is intended to mean "great wilderness." For support, the clients cite an unspecified English-Irish Dictionary and Coghlan, Gregan, and Joyce, Book of Irish Names (no page numbers or entries mentioned). They include a chart which they have created using Coghlan, et al. of Irish place names to indicate that the name follows naming practices in Ireland. Ard-achadh ("high field"), Ath-no-riogh ("the ford of the kings"), Bainseach ("a level place"), Cluainín ("little meadow"), Cluain-caein ("beautiful meadow"), and six more examples are provided. It is unclear whether these suggest a pattern of any sort. The clients care most about the meaning and will NOT permit MAJOR changes to the name. A petition of support was included.

There needs to be a more clear indication of the source for the name and perhaps a better indication of Irish naming patterns to indicate more distinctly that the name follows period patterns.

The Canton's device was pended (see below).

10) Galen Stuart. Device Resubmission. Per bend sinister vert and argent, a tulip slipped and leaved counterchanged.

{Name reg'd 2/98}

The client's previous submission (Lozengy vert and argent, a tulip sable) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 9/97 for problems with identifiability.

11) Hawkes Keye, Marche of. New Branch Device. Sable, on a bend between two hawks Or, a laurel wreath palewise sable.

{Name reg'd 5/98}

A petition of support is included.

12) Katerine MacGregor. New Name.

Katerine is dated to the 15th century as a variant of Katharine in Withycombe (187). MacGregor is in Reaney and Wilson (292) as an undated header spelling. The client wants a feminine name.

13) Maria Vincenté de Castilla. New Name.

Maria and Vincenté are drawn from Stone, "16th Century Spanish Women's Names" (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/kvs/fnames.html) and the locative (de Castilla) and the construction is documented from Smith, "Portugese Names 1350-1450" (http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/ juliana/portugese). The client cares most about sound and would like to have a period Spanish name.

14) Mariam of Woodhaven. New Name and Device. Vert, a branch bendwise between two estoilles in bend sinister Or.

Mariam is documented in Withycombe (211) as a Greek New Testament form of Mary. The byname is undocumented but the submitting pursuivant believes it is a plausible period placename. The client cares most about sound and having an English name. She would like the name to be changed to make it a period English name. She will NOT permit a holding name to be formed.

15) Maximilian der Zauberer. New Name and Device. Gules, a cogwheel, on a chief argent, a dragon passant sable.

Maximilian was the name of a German king and Holy Roman Emperor (1459-1519). The client provided no documentation but we have no reason to doubt this fact. der Zauberer is meant to mean "the magician" in German. It is alleged to be "recorded in various forms in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries" but no source is specifically indicated for this information (although Brechenmacher and Bahlow were used to find variants Zouwer and Zauber respectively). The client cares most about the meaning of the byname and wants a period 14th-16th century German name. He will NOT permit MAJOR changes.

16) Micheline Elphinstone. Device Resubmission. Azure, six roses, two, two, and two Or.

{Name reg'd 7/98}

Her previous submission (Azure, a pale between six roses Or) was returned by Laurel on 12/98 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 regardant argent, maintaining an oak sprig, a bordure engrailed Or.

{Name reg'd 10/94}

The client's identical previous submission was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 12/98 for redrawing of the bordure. The client has complied and given us a very butch engrailed bordure.

18) Óláfr Grimólfsson. New Name and Device. Azure, a winged wolf rampant, on a chief rayonne argent a battle-axe sable.

No documentation is provided for the given name. The second element is a Norse patronymic formed from the given name Grímólfr which is alleged to be a period Norse name [note: the correct patronymic would be Grímólfsson]. The client cares most about having a Viking name and wants the name to be authentic. He will NOT permit MAJOR changes.

The given name is found in Haraldsson (13).

19) Osanna d'Argentan. New Device. Argent, a seraph proper, winged azure, vested Or, a bordure nebuly azure.

{Name reg'd 6/98}

20) Signy Kyrre Rikarardottir. New Name and Device. Azure, on a plate a talbot sejant sable.

The client documents the given name using Grettir's Saga and Njal's Saga (both of which are apparently available on-line but the client does not provide a print-out or the URL of the source -- the Online Medieval and Classical Library). Fortunately, the client also notes that the name is found in Haraldsson (14) which is sufficient documentation by itself. Kyree is intended to mean "the quiet" and documented through the Saga of Olaf Kyrre (at the aforementioned unknown website) and through du Chaille, The Viking Age (II: 254) (no photocopy provided) which allegedly notes "Olaf Kyrri, (the Quiet), King of Normway (1067-1093)." Once again, luckily, the client provides copies of a source (Lauring, History of Denmark [64]) which notes that Olav Kyrre was king of Norway in the late 11th century. Rikardr is alleged to be in Haraldsson (14) and the patronymic follows a pattern in Ibid (17). The client cares most about meaning.

Quantity of documentation, by the way, is never the aim. Quality is what matters. The client has misread Ríkarðr as Rikardr. Furthermore, I think the patronymic is not correctly formed and should be Ríkarðsson but ask help from anyone who understands the Norse genitive case better.

21) Signy Kyrre Rikarardottir. New Badge. (Fieldless) A talbot sejant sable.

{See Above for Name}

22) Sixtus Aufunddahin. New Name.

Sixtus is a German name dated to 1501-1550 in Scott, "Late Period German Masculine Given Name" (http://www.panix.com/~mittle/ names/germmasc/plauen16.html). Elias Aufunddahin is dated to 1583 in the English translation of Bahlow (23) under "Auf und dahin" ("up and away"). The client cares most about meaning.

23) Toke Magnusson. Device Resubmission. Purpure, a triskellion of bull's heads argent.

{Name reg'd 10/98}

The client's most recent resubmission (Purpure, a dexter hand inverted, in chief a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent argent) was sent to Laurel on the 11/98 ELoI. We are unsure of why the client has sent up another device "resubmission" as we have no indication that Laurel has ruled on the previous submission and there is no indication with this submission that the client is withdrawing his previous submission. We would recommend contacting the client for clarification. In any case, this is a complete redesign.

24) Toke Magnusson. Badge Resubmission. Purpure, a triskellion of bull's heads argent.

{Name reg'd 10/98}

The client's most recent submission (Purpure, in fess a roundel between an increscent and a descrescent argent) was returned by Laurel on 10/98 for lack of paperwork and a conflict with Fiacha Suileach (Per pale azure and purpure, in fess an increscent argent, a bezant, and a descrescent argent). This is a complete redesign and identical to the client's device resubmission (above).

25) Ulrich von Landstuhl. Device Resubmission. Per chevron vert and azure, a wolf rampant maintaining a halberd, a bordure argent.

{Name reg'd 1/99}

The client's previous submission (Per chevron vert and azure, a wolf salient maintaining a halberd argent) was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 9/98 for conflict with Johnathan Crusadene Whitewolf (Gules, ermined argent, a wolf rampant argent). The addition of the bordure should provide the necessary difference.

The following submissions have been PENDED and the clients notified:

P1) Bran Olum for Norbrigge. New House Name and Device. Sable, a gauntlet affronty grasping a laurel sprig between four mullets in cross, all within a bordure embattled argent.

This was pended for lack of payment and for attempting to register a device to a household. The client has been asked to submit payment and resubmit the device as a badge instead.

P2) Fásach Mór, Canton of. New Branch Device. Per chevron vert and Or, cottised between two laurel wreaths and an oak sprig counterchanged.

This device was pended because it was submitted on the old forms and in an improper quantity (only two colored and no uncolored copies were included). The clients were sent a blank of the new device form, asked to submit it in the proper quantity, and instructed to destroy all copies of the old forms in their possession.

P3) Francesca di Simoneti. New Name and Device. Azure semy of roses Or, a cat sejant argent.

These items were pended because they were submitted on the old forms. The client has been sent blanks of the new forms, asked to submit them in the proper quantity, and instructed to destroy all copies of the old forms in her possession.

P4) Midewinde, Shire of. Branch Device Resubmission. Azure, a bend wavy sinister cotissed argent, in dexter chief a laurel wreath Or.

This device was pended for a lack of petition showing group support for the redesign. We have asked the group's pursuivant to send in a petition.

Yours In Service,

Paul Wickenden of Thanet

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

Dragon-Elect:

Rouge Scarpe: