ÆTHELMEARC
COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #122 Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Feast of St. Bee
31 October, AS XLIV
All Hallows Eve
Greetings from Myfanwy!
Herein pray find commentary on Æ #122 (aka the Pennsic Letter).
Due
to various time constraints this month [some SCA, some mundane), I
only had time to conflict check in the May and June 2009 LoARS --
everything before that had already been interfiled into the O&A,
and
the July LoAR has not yet been posted online. I tried to be
relatively thorough otherwise, especially on the checking the name
documentation.
Due to the amount of the commentary (in spite of the relatively small
amount of conflict-checking done) this is being mailed off in batches
(my file is about 15 pages of text, even before the bibliography was
inserted).
I remain your servant and the Society.
Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Ruth Morrisson
myfanwy@nauticom.net
1. Alays de Rambert -- Per chevron raguly, gules and Or, three hares
sejant counterchanged.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
The hares could be a bit larger, but are probably registrable.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
2. Annys de Valle -- Per chevron inverted purpure and sable,
a chevron inverted ermine, in chief a fox passant argent.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname are as cited. Additionally, the same raw data
also cites <William Valle>.
This chevron is a bit shallow -- it should probably be more of an
acute angle. It also seems to be a bit far down on the field (it
should be centered better). I know, it’s a per chevron inverted/a
chevron inverted, but it should still follow the rule of thumb for a
regular chevron, especially since it’s the primary charge -- even if
the fox has to be bit smaller in comparison.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
3. Anzelm W{o-}u{l/}czek -- Or, in pale a caucasian [sic] women
[sic], vester [sic] vert, crined sable, arms elevated, sejant affronty
atop a crow close sable.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
Obviously, there is a typo in the blazon -- it should say
"vested" vert"; I'm not sure whether
"caucasian" needs to be capitalized, but I suspect that it should be.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
4. Avelina del Dolce -- Vert, in pale a dance slipper Or and a
unicorn rampant argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
5. Belcolore da Castiglione -- Argent, in pale a lion statant gules
and a castle purpure.
The docs for the given name are mostly as given; in fact the given
name appears only once in the data set.
The docs for the byname appear to be as given.
6. Bella de la Rose -- Gules, on a chevron sable fimbriated between
three rose [sic], two roses slipped and leaved Or.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
I’m not certain that the submitted blazon
adequately describes the
position and orientation of the tertiaries.
Possible reblazon: Gules, on a chevron sable fimbriated
between three roses, two roses chevronwise, slipped and leaved,
flowers to center, Or.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
7. Bera Jorundsdóttir
All the docs for the given name are as cited. Note, however that the
definition in Zoega is found *after* other definitions, specifically
as a verb meaning “to bear” [URL:
http://www.northvegr.org/zoega/049.php].
The docs for the byname also appear to be as cited.
8. Caítriona Erris inghean Uí Bhraonáin -- Ermine,
three cats azure.
The docs for all name elements are as cited; the grammar appears to be
correct, but I’m not sure if the locative needs to be lenited as well
as the patronymic. Is there a reason why the submitter is not using
the documented form <Irruis>?
I don’t believe that there is a default posture for domestic cats.
Therefore the posture should be specified.
Reblazon: Ermine, three cats sejant azure.
Very nice armory!
no conflicts found in the LoARs
9. Charlotte Frasier -- Gules, a goat’s head erased argent, a chief
Or.
The online docs for both name elements are as cited. The combination
of French (the documented spelling for the given name) with Scots is a
step from period practice; I presume that by the 16th century there
isn’t a lot of difference between French and Norman French, if any.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
10. Chi An’ling -- Vert, two peonies singlely [sic] slipped and
leaved argent.
The Solveig docs appear to be as cited.
Artist’s note: the submitter really wanted peonies, so the consulting
herald and I walked her through Matsuya’s section on mon with peony
flowers. The design is from Matsuya [p 24, fig. 17], with the style
of leaves from a couple other peony designs [specifically p. 24, figs.
15 and 17; p. 20; and p. 28, fig. 12]. I wouldn’t have blazoned it as
slipped and leaved, but Ana Lynch, the herald who did the armory
consult, did, so I gave it leaves and the submitter went away happy.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
11. Cinnion map Liuelin map Higuel (badge) -- (Fieldless) A comet
bendwise sinister inverted azure.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
12. Connor MacGregor of the Bog -- Gules, on a bend sinister between
two lion’s paws Or three roundels sable.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname are mostly as cited; there is a typo in the
URL for the Parliament of Scotland records -- it should be
<http>, not <hhtp>!
These are not paws, but paw *prints* (whether they’re feline-variety
or not I can’t say). I don’t know if this is a typo on the blazon or
a mis-blazon from the submission form.
Possible reblazon: Gules, on a bend sinister between two lions’ paw
prints Or, three [pellets/gunstones/ogresses].
no conflicts found in the LoARs
13. Daibhidh Clàrsair -- Per bend sinister dovetailed purpure
and
ermine, a dragon in annulo Or and a talbot gules.
The talbot is extremely small -- it should fill the space better. It
also needs to have its posture specified -- there does not appear to
be a default.
Does the fact that the dragon appears to be biting its tail need to be
specified in the blazon?
Possible reblazon: Per bend sinister dovetailed purpure and ermine, a
dragon in annulo [biting its tail] Or and a talbot passant gules.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
14. David Chadwyk -- Argent, a fireball vert enflamed gules
and on a chief vert three rapiers argent.
Um, no -- this is *four* rapiers, not three. [I was the artist of
record and specifically remembered the number of rapiers, because it
was unusual, and also because my copy of the form had the name cut off
at the top and I made a note to check on the name.]
no conflicts found in the LoARs
15. Deryk Legard -- Per fess azure and vert, an oak tree argent
charged with a mullet of four points gules.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
For a single primary and a single tertiary, this still has a
complexity count of six. Twitchy of both landscape heraldry and the
White Tree of Gondor, but prob. okay on both accounts.
Possible reblazon: Per fess azure and vert, on an oak tree argent a
mullet of four points gules.
Possible reblazon: Per fess azure and vert, on the crown of an oak
tree argent a mullet of four points gules.
clear of #26 this letter
There is a CD for changing the field and one for adding the tertiary
charge; there is probably also at least one for removing the charged
chief.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
16. Donndubhán Malach -- Argent, a cross cotised gules, overall
a
dragon statant sable. The ÓC&M docs for the given name are
as cited;
additionally, it says:
This name occurs prin- [sic] cipally in Munster where it is borne by
a
number of ninth- [sic] and tenth-century princes. From it derives
the
modern surname Ó Donnabháin (O Donovan).
The name can also be found in O’Brien’s “Index of Names in Irish
Annals: Donndubán”
[http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/Donnduban.shtml].
The submitted spelling is found once in the raw data, in the name
<Donndubhán, mac Iomhair>, dated to 995.
The docs for the byname appear to be as cited; however, it isn’t clear
whether the word can stand alone or needs to have a adjective appended
to it; it also isn’t clear whether the byname needs to be lower case.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
17. Eachmharcach an Fhasaigh (name resub)
The name docs appear to be as cited. Given that the submitter is
female, but the name is masculine, does lenition have to be considered
when it comes to the grammar of the name?
18. Elric de Lindeseya
I don’t have the source cited for the docs for the given name. However,
the submitted spelling can also be found in Reaney and Wilson
[pp. 5-6, sn Aldrich]; it is dated to 1066, and appears to be the
_Domesday Boke_ citation.
The docs for the byname are as cited.
19. Erik of the Three Streams
The docs for the given name are as cited (but I had to check the hard
copy for the page citations -- the website link, which appears to be a
combination of a database and a .pdf of the text, does not seem to
have actual page numbers).
The Reaney and Wilson docs for the byname are as cited.
20. Evan Goch
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname are also as cited, but note that <Goch>
would
probably be a mutated (i.e., lenited) form; Morgan and Morgan (p. 71,
sn Coch) says:
Coch [sic] when used of a person means ‘red- [sic]
haired’; the
compound pengoch [sic] ‘red-head(ed)’ [sic] conveys
the same meaning.
These two forms are used extensively and are the source of several
surnames, mainly due to the several ways of spelling
coch/goch [sic]
in documents written by non-Welsh scribes.... The normal usage is
to use the mutated form goch [sic] after the
personal name; examples
occur of retaining the radical consonant where one expects the
lenited
form.
21. Fáolan [sic] Dubh mac Lochlainn -- Quarterly argent and
azure, in
bend two wolf’s heads erased sable.
I found the name by doing a name pattern search (for some of the
elements in combination, specifically <Dubh mac>) in the online
O&A;
it was registered 1/09 via the Middle as <Faolán Dubh mac
Lochlainn>. I suspect that since the accents are not in the same
places, it could
not have been found by doing a standard search for the entire name as
listed here.
Nice armory!
no conflicts found in the LoARs
22. Gaius Plinius Iustinianus -- Sable, a crampon and on a chief Or a
mongoose couchant to sinister guardant sable.
The docs for <Gaius> and <Plinius> appear to be as cited
(although I
question whether or not taking two of the name elements of someone
that famous would be presumptuous).
The Nova Roma docs are as cited. I don’t have the
Dean cite. Has a photocopy been provided? As for the other Wikipedia
cites, they are not quite as cited: in both cases the name is not
written as <Iustinius>, but <Iustinus>. I don’t know if the
grammar
is correct for the other form.
Artist’s note: IIRC, the critter was a trace job; I think it was from
a previous attempt that was found at the Point to have conflicts. I’m
not sure, in retrospect, if this is really couchant (but it’s not
really sejant either....). Also, is this sufficiently like a
mongoose? Without seeing the blazon I might have been more likely to
say “ferret” (they’re all weaseloids to me).
no conflicts found in the LoARs
23. Galdra-Aron -- Gules, a fret Or between in fess two wyverns
respectant argent.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
Like Fridrikr, I have a problem with a byname suggesting magical
powers. I also wonder about whether such a byname would be found in
conjunctions with a Christian/Biblical given name.
I am sufficiently unfamiliar with Scandanavian-type grammar to know
whether a prepended byname counts as a second name element for SCA
registration purposes.
The main part of the fret is pretty small, given that it is (probably)
the primary charge -- I’m not sure whether it’s a primary between
secondaries or three co-primaries (IIRC, there may be a difference in
how the blazon is worded, but I haven’t found which wording denotes
which configuration of charges.
The posture of the wyverns should probably be specified -- by
Precedent, the default posture is statant; this is from
François’
first tenure as Laurel:
..note that wyverns are statant by default... [Godwin of
Edington,
10/03,
A-Ansteorra]
However, it should be noted that these could also be blazoned as
sejant. This is also from François’ first tenure:
[passant vs. sejant] [sic] When quadruped postures
are used to blazon
two-legged monsters, the difference between some of these postures
becomes blurred. While there is a CD between a sejant quadruped
and a statant quadruped, there is no clear distinction between a
wyvern
statant and a wyvern sejant. Both legs are down, and the angle of
the
body and disposition of the tail is variable in both postures. Nor
is there
a clear distinction between a wyvern passant and a wyvern statant or
sejant. The passant [sic] wyvern has one leg
raised, as opposed to both
legs on the ground as in the other two postures. Current precedent
does
not give difference between these postures: "[a wyvern
passant vs. a dragon
sejant] [sic] As a wyvern passant [sic]
can be equally blazoned as a wyvern
sejant [sic], there is no CD for posture, thus there is
only a single CD for
the tincture of the wyvern." (LoAR 10/00).
Additionally, a Precedent from Bruce’s tenure says:
Wyverns are statant [sic] (or sejant
[sic]; for wyverns, the postures are
the same) by default. See the examples in Parker
[sic], pp.122-123 [sic],
and Franklyn & Tanner [sic] 354.
(Gylis Kingston, August, 1993, pg. 5)
Possible reblazon: Gules, a fret Or between in fess two wyverns sejant
respectant argent.
Possible reblazon: Gules, a fret Or between in fess two wyverns
statant respectant argent.
Possible reblazon: Gules, in fess a fret Or between two wyverns sejant
respectant argent.
Possible reblazon: Gules, in fess a fret Or between two wyverns
statant respectant argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
24. Galla Amsel -- Vert, estoilly, a triquetra between two enfields
addorsed and a stag lodged argent.
I don’t have either Bahlow or Brechenmacher.
The (male) name <Gallas/Gallus/Gall> can be found in Uckelman’s
“German Names from 1495” [URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/german/german1495.html] and one
instance of <Gall> can be found in her “German Names from
Nürnberg,
1497” [URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/german/nurnberg1497.html]. I was
not able, however, to find a feminine form in any of the “Medieval
Names Archive [URL: http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/] articles on
German names; nor was I able to find the surname in any St. Gabriel
articles.
Note: I’m only nominally the artist of record -- Olwynn, the Laurel
Sovereign, originally did the artwork (I believe it was a trace job)
but the next day I had to add the semy to clear conflict.
Note that according to the PIC-DIC, enfields do not seem to have a
default posture; therefore these need to be reblazoned as being
“rampant addorsed”.
Probable reblazon: Vert, estoilly, a triquetra between two enfields
rampant addorsed and a stag lodged argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
25. Grimaldus the Chapelain -- Per pale argent and gules, a Maltese
cross within an orle counterchanged sable and argent.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
Nice armory!
Possible reblazon: Per pale argent and gules, a Maltese cross within
an orle per pale sable and argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
26. Hallveig knarrarbringa -- Gules, an oak tree eradicated and on a
chief argent two ravens rising sable.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname appear to mostly be as cited; however, there
appears to be a typo: I think it’s supposed to say “weak feminine
adjective end with -a”.
I’m not certain of the posture of these birds; the wing position seems
to be somewhere between that of “rising” and “volant” [c.f. Parker,
pp. 625-26]. Even worse, Woodward [Plate XXV, fig. 7] shows a falcon
rising which is very different -- the wings are elevated inverted and
addorsed.
Possible reblazon: Gules, an oak tree eradicated and on a chief argent
two ravens rising, wings displayed and inverted, sable.
Possible reblazon: Gules, an oak tree eradicated and on a chief argent
two ravens volant bendwise sable.
clear of #15 this letter:
There is a CD for changing the field, and at least one for adding the
charged chief; there is probably also one for removing the tertiary
charge.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
27. Hubert le Webber -- Per fess azure and gules, two spears in
saltire Or.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
Nice name!
This is clear of the armory on the previous ILoI for Khristian Pykh --
Quarterly vert and sable, two spears in saltire argent; there are CDs
for changing the field and for changing the tincture of the spears.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
28. Hugh of York -- Or, a saltire gules and overall a four-leaved
clover crosswise vert, a bordure gules.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
I don’t have a copy of Mills. Reaney and Wilson [p. 508, sn York]
cites <John de York [sic]>, dated to 1324, and
<Thomas York [sic]>, dated to 1522.
I did a Google search on the name; there is a Wikipedia article about
St. John’s Abbey, Colchester [URL:
http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Abbey,_Colchester]; it says:
Colchester Abbey: A Benedictine monastery founded by
Eudo, son of
Hubert de Ria, seneschal of King William II (William Rufus) in 1096.
This
particular location was chosen for the monastery by Eudo as it was
believed
to be the site of a supposed miracle....
The first Abbot was Hugh of York, elected in 1104.
However there does not appear to be a link from this article to
anything else about him. Another Hugh of York (d. 1317) was cited on
the British History Online website [URL:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=35370]:
“A priory for friars of the order of St. Mary de Areno was founded
in Westminster in 1267 by William Arnand, a knight of Henry III. It
lasted just fifty years, the community coming to an end with the
death
of the last brother, Hugh of York, in 1317.
I doubt that either of these individuals is important enough to
protect.
According to the PIC-DIC [sn Foil], only trefoils have “a definitive
default posture, with petal to chief”; it isn’t clear whether the
clover [effectively a quatrefoil] needs to have its orientation
specifically blazoned or not, and it is, in fact, depicted in the same
orientation as the quatrefoil is [PIC-DIC, fig. 299a].
no conflicts found in the LoARs
29. Iwan Berenthaler -- Per pale gules and counter-ermine, on a bear
rampant argent argent a mascle sable.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
30. James of Hartstone (badge) -- Argent, in fess three apples gules
slipped and leaved proper.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
31. Joie la bedelle -- Azure, a standing seraph within an annulet of
mullets voided and interlaced argent.
The docs for both name elements are as cited (I presume that the
definite article <la> should be included, even though neither
neither it nor <le> are found in the docs for that occupation).
Artist’s note: This armory would have been *so* much nicer if it had
been an orle of the mullets, rather than having them in annulo.
I did some Precedent dives for charges in annulo vs. in orle vs. a
semy. This would be clear of any piece of armory that has the same
primary and the mullets in annulo; this is from François’ first
tenure:
[Argent goutty de sang, a laurel wreath vert] [sic] The device
is clear of conflict
with the Barony of Coeur d'Ennui, Argent, a laurel wreath
vert within eight
boars' heads couped in annulo gules [sic]. There is one CD
for the type of
secondary charges and another for arrangement. This is clearly a
group
of strewn charges rather than charges in annulo, as can be seen from
the
gouttes in the middle of the laurel wreath. [Campofiamme,
Stronghold of,
10/01, A-Drachenwald] [sic]
Another Precedent (also from François’ first tenure, suggests
that
because there are eight of the mullets, it should be clear from any
similar piece of armory that has five or fewer secondary charges
*either* in orle *or* in annulo.
[Purpure, a tower within five compass stars in annulo
Or] [sic] Conflict with
a badge of Roland O'Donnell, Purpure, a tower within an orle
of lions rampant
Or [sic]. There is a CD for the change in type of secondary
charges. There
is normally a CD for changing the arrangement of a group of
unnumbered
(and thus "many") [sic] charges from in orle to
in annulo [sic], even on a
round badge form. However, Roland's emblazon shows that there are
only seven lions in his group of unnumbered charges. Because there
are
relatively few charges in both these secondary charge groups, the
difference
in arrangement is much less obvious than when there are eight or
more
charges in each group. Most of the charges in the two groups are in
the
same place on the field, and would likely to be in the same place on
the
field on any shape of escutcheon. Therefore, there is no difference
for the
change in arrangement, and nothing for the change in number from
five
to seven charges by RfS X.4.f. [Agripina Argyra,
01/02, R-Ansteorra] [sic]
And this Precedent suggests that if that there had been fewer than
five of the mullets, it would have been a potential conflict with with
a semy; it, again, is from François’ first tenure:
[Or, semy of mullets of five greater and five lesser points
sable] [sic] This also
conflicts with ... Or, five mullets in annulo
sable... [sic] When one considers
a group of as few as five charges, there is no difference between
the
arrangements in annulo [sic] and
semy [sic], because in annulo [sic]
is
about as close as one can come to strewing five charges evenly on an
entire field. This is similar to the ruling in the LoAR of September
2000,
which ruled, "[semy of fraises Or] [sic] Conflict with ...
Azure, six roses, two,
two and two, Or [sic]. There is not a CD ... for
arrangement." [sic] [Timothy
of Glastinbury, 10/03,
R-Ansteorra] [sic]
However, because this submission *does* have eight mullets, it should
be automatically at least one CD away from any armory with that has
mullety or an orle of mullets.
Possible reblazon: Azure, a standing seraph within eight mullets in
annulo, voided and interlaced, argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
32. Kallista Morguna -- Purpure, a squirrel maintaining an acorn
within an orle of nine acorns Or.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname are also as cited. I would have expected the
patronymic to be something more like <Morgunovna>, but I checked
in
Wickenden for the chapter on Grammar, which says, in the section on
“Feminine Patronymics” [pp. xxiii-xxv]:
[p. xxiv] 1) In most cases, women used the same types of patronymics
as men. However, their bynames had to agree with the gender of the
subject, which, in Russian, means that they had to add an “a” [sic]
on the
end (not to be confused with the “genitive a’s” [sic] used by
men..., for
example, Anna Vasilchikova [sic] (1585-6) [RIB !! 294],
Ogrofena Rechkina
[sic] (1623) [RIB II 481], and Euprakseia Chebotova
[sic] (1585-6) [RIB II 306].
Therefore:
Alekseev becomes Alekseeva [sic], Antonov becomes
Antonova [sic],
Mikhailov becomes Mikhailova [sic]
Borodin becomes Borodina [sic], Malinin becomes
Malinina [aic],
Sviatoslavov becomes Sviatoslavova [sic]
Vasil’ev becomes Vasil’eva [sic], Iakovlev becomes
Iakovleva [sic],
Ievlev becomes Ielveva [sic]
Wickenden [ibid., p. xxv] goes on to explain that the modern Russian
form <-ovna/-evna) is rare in medieval times, but found on occasion.
Apparently the number of acorns in the orle had some deep significance
to the submitter; but from the point of view of the artist of record,
trying to get the spacing of charges in orle is hard enough to begin
with, without having to stick an extra one in someplace (I normally do
8 charges for an orle, just like I normally do eight for a bordure
charged with a semy.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
33. Katelinen van Wetteren -- Per bend argent and vert, in bend three
mullets of six points counterchanged.
The docs for the given name are as cited; they can be found at [URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/dutch/earlydutch14.html].
The docs for the byname are as cited.
If the mullets were on a bend, this orientation would be the default
(i.e., as following the line of the bend). I’m not certain whether
this would be the case when they are directly on the field, or if
their orientation needs to be specifically blazoned,
Possible reblazon: Per bend argent and vert, in bend three mullets of
six points bendwise counterchanged.
Possible reblazon: Per bend argent and vert, three mullets of six
points bendwise in bend counterchanged.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
34. Lantani de Forez -- Sable, a ruined tower argent and on a
chief Or three branches of coral gules.
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for the byname are mostly as cited [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/crusades/crusadesLieux.html;
however, it is not entirely clear whether the proper construction is
<de Forez> or <du Forez>, since the articles are not listed
with any
of the place names (<du> is a contraction of <de + le>, the
example
given being <du Roche>, from <de + le Roche>).
no conflicts found in the LoARs
35. Lína in danska -- Vert, on a pale doubly endorsed argent
three
fir trees [sic].
Okay, I’ll bite. Is it a new name or a name resub (and what about the
armory)?
The docs for both name elements appear to be as cited.
Part of the blazon is missing. I suspect that it’s supposed to say
“Vert, on a pale doubly endorsed argent, three fir trees vert” (at
least that how I would, given the color mini).
no conflicts found in the LoARs
36. Lucius Livius Lazarus (resub name and device) -- Sable, a Roman
numeral II (two) [sic] between in pale two mullets voided and
interlaced within and conjoined to [sic] annulets Or.
I was unable to access the URL links for the praenomen and nomen -- I
got a “404 Not Found” error message which said: Not Found
The requested URL /~bkharvey/roman/sources/names.htm was
not found on this server.
Apache/2.0.52 (Red Hat) Server at www.personal.kent.edu
Port 80
I did check the MNA [URL: http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/]
for other articles on Roman names.
<L{u-}cius> is listed as a prænomen in Chapter 2 of
Johnston’s _The
Private Life of the Romans_ (1903, 1932) [URL:
http://www.forumromanum.org/life/johnston_2.html#41], used by the
Aemilii, the Claudii, and the Julian gens.
<Livius> is found as the nomen of a man cited in St. Gabriel
report
#2206 [URL:
http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2206.txt]:
By the late Republic period, women usually bore a feminized nomen
followed by a feminized form or even a feminine diminutive of their
father's cognomen. For example, the daughter of <Marcus Livius
Drusus> was recorded as <Livia Drusilla>, although <Livia
Drusa>
would have been equally appropriate. The docs for the cognomen appear to be as cited.
The armory is not particularly good style.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
37. Matthias di Lupo Corsi -- Azure, a sword inverted proper and
overall a winged book argent bound Or charged with a [sic] Omega
symbol inverted azure.
If he wants an Italian name, why is the documentation for the given
name Dutch and German? (German I could *maybe* see, but Dutch?). Has
the submitter checked the magic authenticity box?
The Dutch docs for the given name are as cited. I don’t have Bahlow,
but the name is also found in Scott’s “Medieval German Names from
Silesia” [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/bahlowMasc.html]; the form
<Mathias> is dated 1332, 1375, and 1388; the form <Matheus>
is dated
to 1354. Additionally, the same spelling (i.e., with the single
<t>)
is also found in Uckelman’s “15th Century Low German Men’s Names from
Mecklenburg” [URL: http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/
names/german/mathias-m.html] in the name <Mathias Vorman>, which
is
dated to 1469.
I also searched through the Italian names articles on the St. Gabriel
website, in case the submitter decides he wants a wholly Italian name.
In most of the articles, the form <Matteo> seemed to be the most
common; I did find several articles with names that were closer
(although not identical) to the submitted spelling. The Mittleman and
Scott article, “Fourteen Century Venetian Personal Names” [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14given.html#table]
gives <Matheo> as a form of <Mafeo>. In Uckelman’s “Italian
Names
from Imola, 1312” [URL: http://www.ellipsis.
cx/~liana/names/italian/imolamascalph.html] a documented spelling is
<Matheus>; this spelling is also found in her article “Men’s
Names
from !5th Century Naples”[URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/italian/naplesmen.html]. In her
article “Italian Masculine Given Names from 15th- and 16th-century
Viterbo”[URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/italian/viterbo.html] there are
seven instances of the header form <Matthia> (variously spelled
as
<Maffeo>, <Mathia> and <Mattheo>) as well as the
header spelling;
oddly enough, this spelling is also listed as a woman’s name in the
Smith article “Names from Sixteenth Century Venice” [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/juliana/16thcvenice.html].
The docs for the byname elements are as cited.
The combination of German and Italian is is a step from period
practice; there is not a current ruling on the combination of Italian
and Dutch.
Is there still a layer limit? Because this looks like four layers
deep (field, sword, book, tertiary).
This seems to have a really wide opening for an omega symbol/character
(it looks like a horseshoe); this:
Ω
is more of what I would expect an upright omega to look like.
Quoting the June ‘09 LoAR, there is a discussion about letters and
other tertiary charges on books:
Precedent, set for letters on books, says:
This submission generated much discussion on the nature of words
on books. The letters on Yale University's arms, Azure, an open book
argent charged with Hebrew letters sable, have previously been ruled
to act as tertiary charges. Laurel has also ruled "In general, open
books
may be drawn with numerous small writing marks as artistic license,
the
writing so small that it could not be read from any distance, but
such
writing would not be blazoned. [Branwen filia Iohannis de Monmouth,
04/02, A-East]" [sic].
The question becomes, when does the writing become so small that
it cannot be read? In general, more that 10 or 11 letters on a
single primary
charge will be considered unreadable and will not count for
difference;
for a secondary charge (or multiple primary charges) this number
will
be reduced due to the smaller size of the books. More than two or
three
letters on a tertiary charge will be too small to read. In SCA arms,
such
small writing will not be blazoned. In the case of important non-SCA
arms this writing may be blazoned even if it does not count for
difference.
Thus, the letters on Yale University's arms constitute a tertiary
charge
group while those on Oxford University's arms (DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO
MEO) [sic] do not. [Eibhlín inghean uí Chiaráin,
January 2007,
R-Atlantia]
[sic]
no conflicts found in the LoARs
38. Meadhbh Amhránaíth -- Vairy vert and argent, a tyger
couchant
sable maintaining a harp Or.
The items are both listed as being new, when it appears that they are
in fact in-kingdom resubmissions
The ÓC&M docs for the given name are as cited; note that
this is the
first of the post-1200 header forms, being the first one listed after
the colon. The O’Brien docs are as cited; note that there is a slight
typo in the URL for O’Brien article, having a space between
<.sthm>
and the <l>.
The docs for the byname appear to be as cited, but I can’t tell if the
grammar is actually correct.
Artist’s note -- I wasn’t sure of the tincture order in the emblazon
of vairy. This follows what is shown for Ferrers, Earls of Derby in
Woodward [Plate IV, fig. 13], which is blazoned in the text as being
“Or, vairy gules” (i.e., with the tincture order beginning with the
first vair trait that points upwards); but in the text [p. 69] it
suggests that the tincture order (and thereby, by implication, the
coloring order, for vair , and by extension vairy) depends:
The verbal blazon nearly always commences with the metal, but in the
arrangement of the panes there is a difference between French and
English
usage. In the former the white panes are generally (and I think
more
correctly) [sic] repre- [sic] sented as forming, the first, or upper
line; in
British Heraldry [sic] the reverse is the case.
So where would Ireland’s heraldic allegiance go towards, and whom
would they more likely follow for style and usage? I don’t have a
clue.
Possible reblazon: Vairy argent and vert, a tyger couchant sable
maintaining a harp Or. no conflicts found in the LoARs
39. Michael de Birmingham -- Per bend sinister sable and gules, a
bend sinister urdy Or between a compass star and a bird’s claw argent.
The docs for both name elements are as cited. According to what the
cited rule in the Admin Handbook says [URL:
http://heraldry.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/admin.html#III.A], a small
change, such as adding the element <de> is enough to clear
conflict
with the submitter’s mundane name:
A small change in the name is sufficient for registration, such as
the
addition of a syllable or a spelling change that changes the
pronunciation.
However, a change to spelling without a change in pronunciation is
not
sufficient. For example, Alan Miller could not register the name
Alan
Miller or Allan Miller but he could register the name Alan the
Miller.
Further, submitters may register either a name or armory which is a
close variant of a name or insignia they use outside the Society,
but not
both.
I remember seeing this one at the Point (I may have even been the one
to sign off on it). There was a lot of discussion at the time as to
how to draw the complex line of division on the bend sinister in order
to make it identifiable without making the bend sinister either too
wide (in order to accommodate the secondaries) or too narrow (given
that it is the primary charge).
no conflicts found in the LoARs
40. Nandi of Kings Crossing -- Sable, three piles wavy in point
argent, overall an elephant’s head cabossed Or.
Have photocopies of the docs for the given name been provided? I was
unable to find this source, other than a single Google hit for the
title, in relation to a class at the University of Virginia. I then
did a search for “Nandi Mallaya”, one of the individuals cited. One
of the Google hits was for a site that dates the author to the 15th
century and lists works that are still in print (or have been
reprinted?) [URL: http://openlibrary.org/a/OL1751433A/Nandi_Mallaya];
another site, which claims to give “The Cultural Heritage of Andhra
Pradesh, [URL:
http://www.hydonline.com/cityscape/apstate/Cultural_Overview.htm] says
in part:
Our first twin poets were Nandi Mallaya and Ganta Singana of the
15th [sic]
century.
The color emblazon makes it somewhat easier to identify the piles
underneath the head, but it may need to have an artist’s not
suggesting to move the head up a fraction, so that the bottoms of the
points are more visible.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
41. Olafr the mercenary (device resub) -- Per pale argent and gules,
two crosses formy fitchy at the foot counterchanged sable and argent.
The name can be found on the 3/09 LoAR.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
Note the return of the armory for Loy Schiemann der Kleine (West
5/09) -- Per pale argent and sable, two crosses formy fitchy
counterchanged.
If this had been registered (and a revised form might be) there would
have been a CD for changing half the field; there may or may not be
one for the type of crosses (the "Cross" category has just been
re-organized at the Laurel level, the way the "Bird" category was a
couple of years ago, and I'm not yet familiar enough with it) .
42. Onora Dovedale
The docs for the given name are as cited; several of the cites in the
raw data have the submitted spelling (i.e., without the accent).
43. Otelia d’Alsace (badge) -- Gules, a dove migrant to base and a
bordure argent.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
44. Pearce Redsmythe (badge) -- (Fieldless) A bowen cross purpure.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
45. Raghnailt in Eich -- Per pale azure and argent, between two
seahorses respectant a triquetra all within a bordure mullety
counterchanged.
This seems to blur the distinction between which charge(s) are primary
and which are co-primary/secondary. If they are all co-primaries, the
triquetra should be larger; if the the seahorses are the primary
charge group, the triquetra should be smaller and possibly moved up
(e.g., as if it were a maintained charge). If, on the other hand, the
triquetra is actually the primary, it is entirely too small and the
seahorses need to be smaller in comparison to it.
According to the PIC-DIC, this (i.e., “erect”) is the default posture
for seahorses. Note that there is a very old Precedent (from Karina’s
tenure) which says that the default position for seahorses is rampant;
I’m not sure how it could be, given that there are only two legs and a
fishtail (*especially* given that she has a ruling approximately a
year earlier which states:
[Sea lion erect.] [sic] Only four-legged creatures may be
"rampant." [sic]
(KFW, 17 Aug 78 [21], p. 2) [sic]
Possible reblazon: Per pale azure and argent, in fess a
triquetra between two seahorses erect respectant, all within a bordure
mullety counterchanged.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
46. Sétna McBryan
The docs for the given name are as cited; note, however, that the
submitted form (with the accent) is not found: the nominative form
either has the accents but is spelled with a <d> as
<Sédna> or does not have the accents.
47. Sigur{dh} Eiríksson -- Gules, in bend sinister a wing and
another
inverted argent.
The docs for both name elements are as cited.
According to the PIC-DIC [sn Wing], the default for a single wing is a
dexter one, and displayed, which these wings are [PIC-DIC, fig. 799].
The inverted wing is odd. This is not particularly good style (being
neither lateral symmetry nor truly radial symmetry).
The following Precedent, from François’ first tenure, may also
be
possibly relevant:
[... a dexter pair of wings addorsed and a sinister pair of
wings addorsed argent]
[sic] Each side of the field here has, not one wing, but two. It
shows two
wings elevated and addorsed couped. This is visually confusing,
especially
as drawn here, and blurs the distinction between a single wing and a
pair of wings. We also are not aware of examples, outside of crests
with
a helm shown in profile, showing a pair of wings elevated and
addorsed
like this. On a crest, the wings are separated by the width of the
helmet,
which helps with identifiability. Without documentation for these
visually confusing "double wings" [sic] as period style, this must
be returned.
[Margaret MacDuff,
09/01, R-Ansteorra] [sic]
Possible reblazon: Gules, in bend sinister a [dexter] wing and a
[dexter] wing inverted.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
48. Sihr bint Boulos
The docs for the given name are as cited; should, however, the name
actually be <Si{h.}r>?
The St. Gabriel docs are as cited; the docs seem to suggest that the
spelling should perhaps actually be <Bulus>, but I don’t know if
there is a different transliteration that would have the submitted
spelling. It is also unclear whether the byname is even acceptable --
given the negative commentary in the docs -- for its use in an Arabic
context. I have not found the other cites in any of the St. Gabriel
articles on Arabic or other Muslim language/names, nor have I found
the byname in any other source in a language or culture than would
have had contact -- other than the St. Gabriel docs cited, I have not
found any other documentation for either the submitted spelling or
<Boulos>; the Roman form is <Paulus> [URL: ]., and I have
not found
a Greek form. A13th century Spanish form is <Paulo> [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/miguel/sahagun/sahagunNames3.html#names],
as is a late 15th c. Portuguese form [URL:
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/portuguese/masc1565.html]; I have
not found a later form.
The combination of Arabic with either Greek, Coptic, Italian, Persian,
Spanish, Portuguese, or Turkish are all one step from period practice.
49. Trisola Vitalis -- Purpure, a domestic cat sejant and on a chief
argent three dragonflies vert.
The docs for all name elements are as cited.
no conflicts found in the LoARs
Bibliography:
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme [Bruce Miller] and Akagawa
Yoshio [Kevin Munday]. APictorialDictionaryofHeraldryAsUsedinTheSocietyforCreativeAnachronism,
2nd Ed., 1992.
Black, George F. TheSurnamesofScotland:TheirOrigin,Meaning,andHistory.
Edinburgh: Birlinn Ltd., 1999, 2004 [copyright: The New York Public
Library, 1946].