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1: Æthelmearc, Kingdom of - New Order
Name "Order of the Golden Stirrup" Accepted; New Badge Returned (Fieldless) A stirrup Or. The badge is in conflict with James Ericsson: (Fieldless) A stirrup Or, leathered azure (registered June 1991 via The West) [emblazon]. When the badge design was first consulted, no copy of James's emblazon was available for review. The issue of whether or not a conflict exists between James's badge and the badge proposed here rests upon the relative size of the strapping in James's badge. If the strapping in James's badge is large enough to count for difference, then no conflict exists. However, a scan of James's original emblazon was made available during the commentary process by Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Albion Herald. Upon review of James's emblazon, the concensus of the College was that the strapping on James's stirrup, being noticably less than half of the charge (indeed, less than one-third), does not count for difference. Thus, James's badge, and the one proposed here are, for our purposes, identical. The Heronter Heralds suggest adding a red strap to clear the difference. This design was, in fact, proposed during consult, and was the second choice. |
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| 2: Æthelmearc, Kingdom of - New Badge Returned Sable, a scroll unrolled bendwise argent, overall a sword bendwise sinister and a rapier bendwise crossed in saltire Or. This design violates the "sword-and-dagger" precedent which forbids the use of blazonably distinct charges which are not a CD apart in the same charge group. Also, commenters questioned whether this design was in conflict with the following: 1) Society for Creative Anachronism, Earl Marshal of: Sable, two swords in saltire Or. In the first case, there is a comple change of primary charge. In the Earl Marshal's badge, the two swords of the primary charge group, while in the submitted design, the scroll is the primary charge with the cross blades constituting an overall charge group. Thus, there is one CD for change of type primary charge, one for change of number of primary charge, and one for the addition of an overall charge group. 2) An Tir, Kingdom of (badge for Lists Office, 8/87 An Tir): Sable, a scroll unrolled bendwise argent, overall a sword Or. This is indeed a conflict. One CD may be gained from the addition or deletion of an overall charge, but the Rules for Submission appear to be silent on whether or not a CD may be gained from any changes to an overall charge or charge group. Even if we presume to treat the crossed blades in the manner of tertiaries, there would be only one CD for combined changes to the overall charge group. |
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| 3: Aíbell ingen
Chernacháin - New Device
Accepted Argent, a dragon displayed maintaining a chalice and a needle threaded and on a chief triangular sable a decrescent argent. There was disagreement among commenters as to whether a conflict exists with Robert FitzAlwyn (reg. 02/1987 via the Middle), "Argent, a dragon sejant affronty, wings elevated and displayed, on a chief triangular sable a broad arrow gules, enflamed Or" [emblazon]. In Robert's emblazon, the wings are the dominant feature of the beast and carry much more visual weight than the body, which has neither arms nor legs extending from the body. In Aíbell's emblazon, the wings are noticably reduced, and both arms and legs are clearly extending from the body. While I cannot say for certain that the changes in posture should count for difference, I think that there is enough difference to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt and forward the device for ruling by Laurel. |
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| 4: Benedict Fergus atte
Mede - New Device Accepted
with revised blazon Per pale vert and sable, a salamander contourny argent enflamed proper and on a chief embattled argent three mullets of seven points azure. Commenters noted the high complexity count of six tinctures and three types of charges. RfS VIII.1.a reads: As the number of tinctures involved in a device increases, the number of types of charge should decrease. As the number of types increases, the number of tinctures should decrease. In no case should the number of different tinctures or types of charges be so great as to eliminate the visual impact of any single design element. As a rule of thumb, the total of the number of tinctures plus the number of types of charges in a design should not exceed eight. As another guideline, three or more types of charges should not be used in the same group. Since the maximum of eight is a "rule of thumb", we must consider whether the visual impact of any single design element is eliminated. I believe the visual impact of each element is preserved, despite the high number of tinctures and charges. Therefore, I think it best to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt and forward the device for ruling by Laurel. |
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| 5: Boris Dragons Bane - New Device Change Accepted with revised
blazon Gules, in pale a chevron enhanced and a griffin passant between three pairs of two axes argent crossed in saltire. Concern was raised as to whether the chevron is too enhanced to be registerable. In this design, the chevron is part of a charge group arranged in pale. When charges are in pale, the upper charge is naturally enhanced, while the lower is naturally abased. If the chevron were the sole primary charge, it would certainly be overly enhanced. However, given that it is part of a charge group arranged in pale, I think it prudent to defer to Laurel for clarification. |
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| 6: Brandr húslangr - New Device Returned Azure, on a bend argent a rose gules barbed, stemmed and leaved vert. This is conflicts with Andréa de Champs de Batailles (reg. 11/1979 via the West), "Azure, on a bend argent a unicorn's head palewise couped sable between two cinquefoils purpure." |
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| 7: Bridget Cordelia of Beau
Fleuve - New Name & New
Device Accepted Per pale sable and argent, three fleurs-de-lys counterchanged. |
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| 8: Ceindrech merch Elidir - New Name Accepted with change Submitted to Kingdom as ... verch .... Albion noted: "For the period that she's interested in, and the period that the elements are dated from, she needs the Old Welsh spelling <merch>, not the medieval Welsh spelling <verch>." |
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| 9: Erlendr rauðhrafn - New Name & New Device Returned Per pale indented argent and gules, a raven maintaining a tankard counterchanged. The examples of documented Norse descriptive bynames used to support the constructed byname, rauðhrafn, include only one example of the pattern [color]+[animal]: rauðrefr ("red fox"). Albion notes, "The example of <rauðrefr> in Geirr Bassi is an error; the byname actually found in the sagas is <rauðnefr> 'red nose'. Thus, we have no evidence that specifically supports the desciptive byname construction of [color]+[animal]. In addition, Albion notes the following precedent: The submitted byname Hvithestr was submitted as a combination of two descriptive bynames found in Geirr Bassi, hvít 'white' (p. 23) and hestr 'horse' (p. 22). The most often cited example of the an Old Norse descriptive byname of the form [color] + [animal] is rauðrefr, found in Geirr Bassi (p. 26). Geirr Bassi gives the meaning of 'red fox' for this name. However, this byname and meaning have been found to be an error. Via italics, he indicates that this byname came from the Landnámabók. However, the Landnámabók does not have an example of any person with that byname. It seems to be a typo for rauðnefr 'red-nose'. When an earlier submission referred to the byname rauðrefr listed in Geirr Bassi, Gunnvör silfrahárr found this information:
As this information removes support for the byname rauðrefr in Geirr Bassi, we are left with no confirmed examples of descriptive bynames of the form [color] + [animal] in Old Norse. One commenter reported an example of rauðbekri 'red ram' as appearing in the Landnámabók, but the information provided was incomplete and we were unable to find the byname in the online version of the Landnámabók. Further, as stated in a previous ruling:
Lacking solid evidence of a clear
pattern of descriptive bynames of
the form [color] + [animal] in Old Norse, there is no support for the
submitted Hvithestr as a plausible descriptive
byname in Old Norse. [LoAR 12/2003, s.n. Kristin Hvithestr]
Without a name to accompany it, the device must also be returned. Although commenters found no conflicts, it was suggested that the per pale division line be drawn with fewer and steeper indents. |
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| 10: Finnr jafnkollr - New Name Accepted & New Device
Accepted with revised blazon Gules, a merlin striking wings addorsed sustaining an axe bendwise Or. Several commenters noted a possible conflict with Owain of Corn Valley, Gules, a peregine falcon rising wings displayed Or maintaining in both talons a halberd bendwise sinister sable. There is one CD for the difference in posture between striking, wings addorsed and rising, wings displayed: The device is clear of Martin le Harpur of Faulkbourne, reblazoned elsewhere in this letter, Azure, in pale a falcon rising wings displayed argent perched on a harp Or, a bordure ermine. As the harp also one of the primary charges and there is a CD for type between a falcon rising and a swan rousant, there are two CDs for number and type of primary charges, as well as a third for the difference in posture (wings addorsed vs. wings displayed) between the two birds. [LoAR February 2001, s.n. Cecilia Kandzierzawa] There is a second CD for adding a sustained charge (versus Owain's maintained charge, which does not count as part of the primary charge group). If Owain's halberd were to be deemed sustained, rather than maintained, there would be a CD for change of color to half the primary group. Commenters questioned whether the wing position was correctly blazoned, and whether some of terms were dedundant. Since the default wing position for rising is displayed, and since striking and displayed are so similar in body style (there is no difference granted between them), I think it important to specify that the wings are addorsed. The wings on the emblazon, however, are inverted rather than elevated (the wing tips are folded down, rather than pointing up and away from the body). Since wings inverted seems to be the default for both rising and striking, this term has been dropped from the blazon. |
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| 11: Grímkell bogsveigir - New Name Accepted with change & New
Device Accepted Per chevron sable and Or, an arrow fesswise point to sinister Or and a hammer sable. The name and device appeared on AEthelmearc Letter of Intent AE108 and were pended to allow the submitter time to approve of the redrawing of his device. The name had been submitted as Bogsveigir and was changed on LoR AE108 to bogsveigir in response to commentary. The name was pended to allow the name and device to be presented to Laurel on the same external letter. The emblazon submitted on ILoI AE108 made use of a per chevron division that was far too shallow. The redrawing submitted here corrects that problem. |
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| 12: Gwen Telynores - New Name Approved The heralds of Abhainn Ciach Ghlais noted the registered name Gwenhwyvar Telynores, registered August 1996 via the East. RfS V.1.a.i. states: Two given names are significantly
different only if they differ significantly in sound and appearance.
Irrespective of differences in sound and appearance, a given name is
not significantly different from any of its diminutives when they are
used as given names. However, two diminutives of the same given name
are significantly different if they differ significantly in sound and
appearance.
While this submission would appear to be a case of a diminutive (Gwen) conflicting with its full counterpart (Gwenhwyvar), this may not be the case. "Women's Names in the First Half of 16th Century Wales: Given Names" by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn [http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welshWomen16/given.html] lists both Gwen and Gwenhwyvar as separate header names. Academy of Saint Gabriel reports 1125 [http://www.s-gabriel.org/1125] and 2567 [http://www.s-gabriel.org/2567] also treat the two as separate and distinct names. Further correspondence from Tangwystyl clarifies the basis for the possibility that the two are distinct names. She states: The first question is: do
we have good evidence for "Gwen" being used as a given name in
any sense (and not as a scribal abbreviation)? This is a
slippery question because unless a document clearly avoids using
abbreviations entirely, there are rarely clear clues that whether
something that _could_
be an abbreviation is or is not. Not all abbreviations
include suspension marks.
The second question is: do we have good evidence for "Gwen" being used as a diminutive of _any_ name (as contrasted with an abbreviation for some other name)? The third question is: do we have evidence for "Gwen" being used specifically as a diminutive for Gwenhwyfar? Item 1 -- Do we have unambiguous evidence for Gwen as a given name? Evidence from legal records isn't definitive because they're extremely prone to abbreviations. (Consider, for example, that about a third of all examples of Gruffudd in these records appear as the abbreviation "Gr", and a third of Davids are recorded as "Dd".) So while we have examples of "Gwen" showing up in legal records, we can't assume that this _isn't_ an abbreviation for some name beginning in "Gwen-". This uncertainty is less applicable to various legendary and saintly Gwens show appear in early genealogies, as these texts rarely abbreviate given names, but the texts also are less certain as a source for ordinary use in the later part of period. The documentary source for the above-mentioned article (Chancery records) is a summary transcription made in the early 20th century, so the lack of abbreviations in it _may_ be due to editorial expansion (although the variability of spellings suggests that the editors weren't normalizing -- at least for the Welsh names). But I've found at least one entry that preserves an abbreviation, possibly due to the unfamiliarity of the editor with the name: "Gwen verch Eden" where "Eden" is best understood as the very common abbreviation for Ednyfed (via the usual Anglo-Latin spelling Edenyved). So even here there's an absence of complete certainty that "Gwen" can't be an abbreviation. On the other hand, the one example of "Gwenne" in this source can't be a simple truncation of any longer name beginning with Gwen-, so it falls on the side of establishing Gwen as an independent name in at least some cases. A much stronger piece of evidence is the numerous examples of "Gwen" in the parish record from the late 16th/early 17th century known as "Y Cwtta Cyfarwydd". This record includes virtually no abbreviations of given names, so we can be quite confident that the names written "Gwen" represent an independent name "Gwen". Item 2 -- Do we have unambiguous evidence that Gwen was used either as an abbreviation or as a diminutive of any name? The immediate question is, how would we know? Well, the texts of legal records that mention the same person multiple times are a good context for this sort of information. For example, in the 1294 Rhuthin court records, the same man appears as "Adam le Verdon" and "Ad' le Verdon~", similarly "Kenwric ap Wervilla" and "Ken~ ap Wervilla", "Wladusa Lotice" (i.e., Gwladus) and "Wlad' Lotice". Similarly, the 1429 Broniarth court records mention the same person as "Hol' ap Ieuan ap Ieuan ap dd'" and "Hoel ap Ienc' ap Ieuan ap dd'" (i.e., "Ieuan" and "Ienc[yn]" are the same person). But this sort of example is a bit rarer in the data. So there exists the possibility of establishing if "Gwen" could be used as an abbreviation for "Gwenllian" or "Gwenhwyfar" (or "Gwendydd" or other rare possibilities). However, when it comes down to it, I haven't yet found any examples of this type for Gwen. So ... not proven. However in order to establish clearly that "Gwen" could be used as a diminutive, and not simply an abbreviation, we'd need to find not only a matched pair of references like the Ieuan/ Iencyn example, but one where the spelling rules out abbreviation (like the Gwenne example) or where there's meta-commentary in the original source identifying the short form as a diminutive. So ... not proven. This makes Item 3 moot. So the preponderance of evidence says that "Gwen" existed as an independent name and that we have no unambiguous examples of it being used as either an abbreviation or a diminutive of any other name -- although statistically speaking, even if it were, we'd be unlikely to happen across evidence that proved it. I'll add as an appendix that -- setting aside the difficulties of the evidence -- period Welsh diminutives are most typically formed by taking the first syllable of the root name (sometimes with a slight shift in the vowel) and adding one of a set of diminutive suffixes. So there isn't an established pattern in period that would be expected to generate Gwen as a diminutive. Thus, since Gwen and Gwenhwyvar differ significantly in both sound and appearance, and since we have no conclusive evidence that either is the diminutive of the other, and since there isn't an established pattern in period that would be expected to generate Gwen as a diminutive, the submitted name should not be in conflict with Gwenhwyvar Telynores under RfS V.1.a.i. |
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| 13: Gwion ab Willim - New Name Accepted |
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| 14: Maghnus an Chnoic na
n'Iora - New Badge Accepted with revised blazon Azure, a chevron couped and in base a single-headed chess knight argent. Blazoned on the ILoI as Azure, in pale a chevron couped and a single-headed chess knight argent, in response to commentary, this has been reblazoned. The visual weight of the chevron couped is noticably heavier than that of the chess knight. Thus, this has been reblazoned as a primary charge with a secondary charge, rather than two co-primary charges. |
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| 15: Meadhbh of Clan McBain of
Harlaw - New Name And Device
Returned Bynames of the type of Clan X have been disallowed since late 1998: [Isabel Kelsey de Cameron]
Submitted as ... of Clan Cameron, The available evidence indicates that
the way membership in such a clan (no matter what "clan" word was used
for the group) was indicated in a personal name was by the use of
ó (or older ua) plus the clan eponym in the genitive, not by
using a construction equivalent to 'of Clan X'. We have removed the
word clan, and changed the name to the closest registerable form to the
originally submitted form. [LoAR November 1998, s.n. Isabel Kelsey de
Cameron]
Although the submitter has presented a letter of permission of use from Brianna McBain, the owner of the SCA household name Clan McBain of Harlaw, such letters are only applicable when invoking the grandfather clause among persons who are legally related members of the same real-world immediate family. Meadhbh's name submission does not conflict with either Brianna McBain or Clan McBain of Harlaw, and thus a letter of permission to conflict does not apply. Without support for the construction, of Clan X, we are left with the alternative of forming a Scots or (preferrably) Gaelic byname based on the Gaelic origins of McBain. Black, p. 457, s.n. MacBain, gives the alternate form MacVain, from the Gaelic Mac a' ghille bhain. He lists only two examples, both dated post-period: Patrick M'Vaine and John M'Vain, 1638. Here, M' is a scribal abbreviation that expands to Mac. Black, p. 457, s.n. MacBean, gives the Gaelic as Macbheathain, "son of Beathan." Dated examples include: Ferquhar M'Bane, 1513 Duncan mc behan, 1539 Malcolm Makbahing, 1585 Jonet M'Bend, 1617 Alexander McBen, 1621 Angusius M'Beane..., 1621 In these cases, M', Mc and mc are scribal abbreviations and would be expanded to Mac. Meadhbh, combined with any of the Scots bynames listed above would be a single step from period practice, because of the combination of the Gaelic given name and a Scots byname. Wholly Gaelic constructions might include: Meadhbh inghean Uí bheathain Meadhbh inghean Uí a' ghille bhain (this might need grammatical tweaking) Locatives are vanishingly rare in Gaelic naming practices, but are fairly common in Scots names. Black, p. 343-344, s.n. Harlaw gives: William de Harlau, 1204-41 Richard de Harlau and William de Harlau, 1280 Matthew de Harlawe, 1296 William Harlau / Harlow, 1566 William Harlaw, 1528 John Harlaw, 1604 If the submitter is interested in a wholly Scots name, alternatives to Meadhbh might include: Mavis (documentable as Mawis, 1533) [http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/lowland16/womenalpha.shtml] Mawse, 1552 [http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/scots/perth.html] While the submitter does allow major changes, the combined changes necessary to make this name registerable make for a wholesale overhaul, and thus I think it best to return the name and present the submitter with alternatives from which to make an informed resubmission. The device conflicts with Ursula von Liste, Azure, ermined argent, a gryphon segreant queue-forchee within a bordure embattled Or, (reg. 05/1984 via the Middle). There is one CD for the field, but none between a bordure embattled and a bordure dovetailed. |
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| 16: Onnen Greg - New Name Accepted There is some question in the provided documentation as to whether this is a compound given name or a given name plus a byname. I think it best to give the submitter the benefit of the doubt and forward it. The historical Onnen Greg is unlikely to be important enough enough to protect, and so should not present a conflict. |
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| 17: Robert l'Etourdi - New Device Accepted Per saltire Vert and sable, six bezants one, two and three and on a chief Or three pellets. His previous submission, Vert, six bezants one, two and three and on a chief Or three pellets, which appeared on AEthelmearc External Letter of Intent AE108 dated November 30, 2007 was withdrawn by the submitter on January 27, 2008. |
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| 18: Thorolf the Blak - New Device Accepted Quarterly embattled sable and Or, in bend sinister a Thor's hammer and a wolf's head ululant couped contourny sable. Myfanwy notes several stylistic concerns, including the small size of the embattling, the lack of internal detailing on the charges and the anchor-like shape of the Thor's hammer. With the submitter's approval, the emblazon was redrawn to correct these issues. |
