ÆTHELMEARC
COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #102 Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Feast of St. David (Dewi)
1 March, AS XLI
Greetings from Myfanwy!
Herein pray find commentary on Æ #102. Everything has been
conflict-checked through the October 2006 LoAR.
I may or may not have a lot of time to work on next month’s letter,
due to Gulf Wars and the Canterbury Tales event, but I’ll try to do at
least style commentary on the armory.
I remain your servant and the Society’s.
Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Ruth Morrisson
myfanwy@nauticom.net
1. Berwyn Conall of Blackwood -- Per chevron throughout sable and
purpure, in chief two wolves combattant argent.
Sigh. Welsh is not Gaelic. What has been submitted is an early Welsh
given name with an early Irish or Scottish Gaelic byname, and an
English/lingua franca locative byname. (it’s *really* good that there
is not a request for authenticity).
That being said...
I don’t have Gruffudd. Reaney and Wilson [p. 41, sn Berwin] gives
<Berwyn> as a subsidiary header form, and cites the name
<Matthew
Berewynson [sic]>, dated to 1428. While this is
later than the submitter’s desired time period (and appears to have
and Old German -- rather than a Celtic -- derivation), this seems to
suggest that the name may have been a given name at one point. However,
Morgan and Morgan [p. 52, sn Berwyn, Berwen] says:
The surname Berwen [sic] occurs in PR Stokesay
140. 1772 Edward Berwen
which may be the name of the mountain range, Berwyn.
Morgan and Morgan then give an example of the use as a locative byname
that is completely out of period (by several centuries).
The ÓC & M docs for <Conall> are as cited; note that
it is (besides
being the name of various -- possibly legendary -- figures) the name
of several saints.
I don’t have Ekwall; Reaney and Wilson [p. 47, sn Blackwood] gives <
William de Blacwode [sic]> dated to 1427 and <Robert
Blakwode [sic]>. dated to 1384. Additionally, Black
[p. 81, sn Blackwood] appears to cite the same
<Robert Blakwode> cited in Reaney and Wilson; a (more or less)
dated
citation for the submitted spelling is for Adam Blackwood, one of the
privy councilors for Mary Queen of Scots.
As emblazoned, this has the appearance of a charged chapé, which
is
not allowed. Given the blazon, the wolves could just as easily be
drawn overlapping the line of division (which I believe, since it is
not a complex line of division, may still be registrable -- a brief
Precedent dive only yielded instances in which the issue was a charge
overlaying a complex line of division on a low contrast field, but
nothing on charges overlaying a plain line of division on a low
contrast field). However, it isn’t clear from the blazon which
emblazon could be derived.
I also did a Precedent dive on the issue of forced-move arrangements.
There is a François Precedent for which I had to look up the
complete
return information in the LoAR: returning the armory for Ingilborg
Sigmundardóttir (8/01 Caid), the LoAR says:
This conflicts with Katherine Goodpasture: Per fess and per
pale embattled erminois
and gules, in bend sinister two talbots passant Or. [sic] There is
a CD for the field. There is not a CD for the placement on
the field, since the arrangement on the
field is forced because the Or wolves in Katherine's arms may not
lie on the
erminois parts of the field. Per the cover letter for the June 2001
LoAR, there is
no difference between talbots and wolves. This means any additional
difference
must be derived from the posture of the beasts.
possibly clear of: Uther Shieldbreaker (badge, 8/94 East) --
(Fieldless) Two talbots combattant argent maintaining between them a
thighbone gules.
There is a CD for field vs. fieldless; if the bone is really a
maintained charge, it may not count for enough to be considered a
co-primary, although there may be something for having the charges all
conjoined. There is nothing for position/arrangement given that this
is a fieldless badge.
possibly clear of: Uther
Shieldbreaker (9/91 East) -- Per saltire argent and azure, in fess two
dogs combattant argent.
There is a CD for changing the field; there is possibly one for the
arrangement of the wolves, because they are not a forced move (unlike
Uther’s, in which the dogs *must* be on the azure portions of the
field).
clear of: Marlo the Morose (6/83 West) -- Quarterly azure and gules,
in fess two poodles rampant argent.
There is a CD for changing the field, and one for changing the
orientation of half the charges (from both rampant to combatant (i.e.,
>| >| vs. |< >|). However, there is not a forced change of
position due to field tincture.
2. Domnall na nAmus -- Vert, three crosses formy Or.
The docs for the name elements are as cited, except that it isn’t
clear (other than in the headers) that the byname is actually of
Anglo-Norman origin. It also isn’t clear whether the submitted form
of the byname is correct, given that the “standard” form appears to be
largely conjectural. Not being a names wonk, however, I suggest that
this be forwarded to Laurel and Pelican as submitted, since the
submitter has not requested authenticity but does express an interest
in “Western Scotland Gaelic” and allows changes.
Nice armory!
probably clear of: Cathleen de Barre (12/96 West) -- Gules, three
crosses crosslet fitchy Or.
probably clear of: clear of: Ximena Yannez de Talavera (4/00
Meridies) -- Per chevron azure and vert, three crosses of Santiago Or.
In each case, there is a CD for changing at least half the field, and
probably one for changing the type of crosses.
clear of: Eric von Wald (10/90 Caid) -- Per bend sable and vert, in
bend sinister three crosses formy Or.
There is a CD for changing half the field, and one for the arrangement
of the crosses.
probably clear of:
Ansgar Schwartzburg (5/97 Ansteorra) -- Per chevron gules and sable,
two crosses potent and a dolphin haurient to sinister Or.
Pádraig Ó Deághaidh (11/98 Atlantia) -- Per
chevron sable and vert,
two Celtic crosses and a stag’s head cabossed Or.
Ognyen Fenlander (1/96 Calontir) -- Per chevron vert and azure, two
Latin crosses and a crane in its vigilance Or.
In each case, there is a CD for changing at least half the field, and
maybe one for changes to at least half of the secondaries (i.e., for
the type of cross).
3. Hadija al Zahra’
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
I’d really like to give this a “nice name” comment, since both
elements are from the same name article, but since they are not dated
citations (and the introduction says that the time range is roughly
700 AD to 1200 AD) I can’t. Sad but true (although completely
registrable as submitted).
4. Helewys Spynnere
The docs for the given name are as cited (note that the name
<Helewys
de Berham> is found in Reaney and Wilson [p. 27, sn Barham]).
Additionally, the submitted spelling is found in Withycombe [p. 148,
sn Helewise], dated to 1273; like the byname,
The docs for the byname are also as cited. Note that the given name
has dated citations in Withycombe [op. cit.] for both <i> and
<y>
spellings, with <Helewis> dated to 1086.
5. Phiala O’Ceallaigh (device resub) -- Argent, semy of crosses
crosslet saltirewise, on a chevron [sic] azure three nettle leaves
argent.
Obviously there is a typo: it should read “on a
chevron azure”.
The crosses crosslet saltirewise could also be blazoned as “crosses of
St. Julian” [c.f. PIC-DIC, sn. SALTIRE, and fig. 622].
Artist’s note: The nettle leaves were as provided by Dame Elsbeth (I
think from an online source).
Let’s not have problems with this (and the following badge) -- I’ve
had to draw this twice now. The first time was at War Practice nearly
2 years ago, but the paperwork apparently got lost; the second time
was a few weeks before this letter was posted. I’d really hate to
have to draw this yet again. :-(
Possible reblazon: Argent, crusily saltirewise, on a chevron azure
three nettle leaves argent.
Possible reblazon: Argent, semy of crosses of St. Julian, on a chevron
azure three nettle leaves argent.
Possible reblazon: Argent, crusily St. Julian,
on a chevron azure
three nettle leaves argent.
possibly not clear of: Quinlan of Sheare (3/75 ??) -- Argent,
on a chevron azure, three quavers palewise argent.
There is a CD for addition of secondaries, but there is only change of
type of tertiaries.
clear of: Samuel of Mossy Dell Fief (1/76 ??) -- Argent, on a chevron
enhanced azure three goats’ heads erased argent, and in base in
saltire a garb of wheat and a scythe proper.
clear of: Dorothy of Mossy Dell Fief (1/76 ??) -- Argent, upon a
chevron enhanced azure, three goats’ heads erased argent, and in base
a shovel and hoe in saltire sable.
In each case, there is at least one CD for significant changes (type,
number and tincture) to the secondaries, as well as a change to the
arrangement of charges, with the chevron being enhanced. However,
there is only change of type of tertiaries.
possibly clear of: Su’ad al-Raqqasah (1/04 East) -- Argent, on a
chevron ployé throughout between three lotus blossoms in profile
azure
three decrescents argent.
There is at least one CD for changes to the secondaries; however,
according to the PIC-DIC [sn CHEVRON and fig. 114] there is no
heraldic difference between a chevron ployé and a plain chevron,
and
there is only change of type of tertiaries.
6. Phiala O’Ceallaigh (badge) -- (Fieldless) On a nettle leaf argent
a cross crosslet saltirewise azure.
Artist’s note: see #5.
no conflicts found
7. Rowan de la Garnison (badge) -- (Fieldless) On a coney courant
argent, three torteaux in fess.
This does not appear to be on the correct form: this is the emblazon
form for fielded badges (c.f., #6, for what a fieldless badge form now
looks like -- the correct form can be downloaded as a pdf file from
the College of Heralds website [URL: http://www.
aeheralds.net/Forms.html. It’s probably just a matter of cutting out
and and pasting the bunny onto the correct form (and then filling the
new form out before photocopying and re-coloring). (That being said,
I might have suggested redrawing the bunny so that the torteaux are
more centered on the torso -- that way they are more centered, and
could also be made somewhat larger.)
Possible reblazon: (Fieldless) On a coney courant argent, in fess
three torteaux.
no conflicts found
8. Thorgrim Skullsplitter (device resub) -- Per pale gules and sable,
two wolves rampant addorsed, each maintaining an axe and on a chief
argent an eagle per pale sable and gules.
The wolves are not especially wolf-like -- seeing the emblazon without
knowing the emblazon might lead to them being mistaken for Continental
panthers.
I realize that the eagle can’t really be made larger, but it still
doesn’t fill the space on the chief well (three eagles would have been
*so* much better).
no conflicts found
Bibliography:
Black, George F. TheSurnamesofScotland:TheirOrigin,Meaning,andHistory.
Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd., 1999, 2004 [copyright: The New York Public
Library, 1946].
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme [Bruce Miller] and Akagawa Yoshio
[Kevin Munday]. APictorial DictionaryofHeraldryAsUsedinTheSocietyforCreativeAnachronism, 2nd Ed., 1992.