Æthelmearc Letter of Report Æ113
August 26, 2008 (AS 43)


Greetings from Alheydis Garnet,
We would very much like to thank those who commented on this month's letter: The Heronter Heralds and Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon!
The items accepted on this letter have been forwarded to Laurel for further consideration, where we expect they will be decided on in December of 2008.
1: Artán Becc - New Device Accepted
Quarterly sable and purpure, in bend two griffins argent.

The question was raised as to whether a posture should be blazoned. The SCA Glossary of Terms, Table 4, at http://heraldry.sca.org/coagloss.html#default gives the default posture of a griffin as segreant.

2: Bran mac Dímmáin - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per bend gules and sable, an axe blade to sinister argent and a spearhead bendwise Or.

 3: Cailin mac Cainnich - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per pale argent and gules, a wolf passant reguardant tail nowed in triquetra between in chief three lozenges ployé and in base three lozenges ployé two and one counterchanged.

In response to commentary, the blazon was corrected to include the posture of the wolf as passant and further changed to more explicitly specify the arrangement of the lozenges.

4: Caitríona Chruinn inghean Uí Chonaill - New Alternate Name  Accepted

5: Cynwyl MacDaire - New Exchange of Device and Badge Accepted
Old badge/New Device: Argent, two piles in point sable, each charged with a plate.
Old Device (released): Per saltire argent and sable, four sinister hands couped apaumy, all counterchanged

6: Grimr Laeknisson - New Name Accepted

The question was raised at kingdom whether a Norse patronymic formed from a descriptive or occupational byname is authentic and/or registerable. I am asking the College for assistance in researching this matter, and I defer to Pelican for clarification.

7: Katerina de la Marne - New Badge Accepted
Azure, a quatrefoil between three horseshoes Or. 

8: Keneth the Conqueror - New Name Accepted    

While I agree with commenters that the "twitch factor" is noticeable, the existence of non-royal bearers of the byname is enough to warrant giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt, and of the College's more extensive resources.

9: Mór inghean Sheachnasaigh - New Name Accepted; New Device Returned
Vert, on a tower argent a trefoil vert.

The device conflicts with Joe of Rivenstar (reg. 04/1994 via the Middle), "(Fieldless) On a tower argent a cross of Jerusalem vert," with one CD for the field but none for changing just the type of tertiary. RfS X.4.j.ii state:
ii. For armory that has no more than two types of charge directly on the field and has no overall charges, substantially changing the type of all of a group of charges placed entirely on an ordinary or other suitable charge is one clear difference. Only the new submission is required to meet these conditions in order to benefit from this clause. A charge is suitable for the purposes of this rule if (a) it is simple enough in outline to be voided, and (b) it is correctly drawn with an interior substantial enough to display easily recognizable charges.
In this case, the tower is not simple enough in outline to be voided. RfS VIII.3 state is part, "...Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with simple geometric charges placed in the center of the design."

Note that the trefoil is also only marginally identifiable. The slip should be longer and thinner, so as not to appear at all like a fourth petal.

10: Rastislav Mikhailovich Dneprovskii - New Name & New Device Accepted
Or, a fox rampant contourny gules sustaining a halbard reversed, in chief three compass stars sable.

The blazon was revised in response to commentary. The question was raised as to whether this is a halberd or a battle-axe. I defer to Wreath on that. Because the halberd is as long as the fox, it may considered sustained under current precedent. The "stars" have been reblazoned as compass stars rather than mullets of eight, because the points in cross are noticeably larger that the points in saltire.

11: Reynard le Vavasseur - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per chevron vert and sable, a chevron rompu Or between two feathers and a crescent argent.

12: Vilhjálmr Eðvarðarson - New Name & New Device Accepted
Azure, on a bend sinister between two axes bendwise blades to sinister chief Or three knives gules.

13: William Parris - New Device Change Accepted
Gules, on a pale doubly endorsed Or three cinquefoils gules.

14: William Walter Armstrong - New Name Accepted

This concludes our Letter of Report Æ 113 dated August 26, 2008.