Æthelmearc Letter of Report Æ122
November 14, 2009 (AS 44)

Greetings from Alheydis Garnet,
I would very much like to thank those who commented on this month's letter: Livia Valentini of the Abhainn Ciach Ghlais Heralds, The Delftwood Blowhard commenting Group, 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 March of 2010.
1: Alays de Rambert - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per chevron raguly, gules and Or, three hares sejant counterchanged.
2: Annys de Valle - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per chevron inverted purpure and sable, a chevron inverted ermine, in chief a fox passant argent.

We note that the chevron should be more acute and higher on the field, but we believe the emblazon to be registerable with an artist's note.
3: Anzelm Wōułczek - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with correct blazon
Or, in pale a Caucasian woman vested vert crined sable arms elevated sejant affronty atop a crow close sable.

We have asked the College's assistance in finding additional support, if necessary, for the motif of a human riding an animal, especially a bird, in period, and whether low contrast is found between the vestment and the animal in such a motif.
We note the low contrast between the vestment of the woman and the crow, however, RfS VIII.2.b.ii states, "A charge must have good contrast with any charge placed wholly on it." Since the woman is not wholly on the crow, this paragraph does not apply. Further, it is our opinion that the armorial identifiability required by RfS VIII.3. does not suffer.
4: Avelina del Dolce - New Device Accepted
Vert, in pale a dance slipper Or and a unicorn rampant argent.

We have asked for clarification as to whether the charge to chief should be blazoned specifically as a dance slipper or simply as a shoe.
5: Belcolore da Castiglione - New Name & New Device Accepted
Argent, in pale a lion statant gules and a castle purpure. 
6: Bella de la Rose - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Gules, on a chevron sable fimbriated between three rose, two roses slipped and leaved chevronwise, flowers to center, Or.

The question was raised at kingdom whether this design violates the sword-and-dagger rule. Since a CD for type would be granted between a rose and a rose slipped and leaved, and because the presence of the stems and leaves does not interfere with the identifiability of either charge, it is our opinion that this design does not violate the sword-and-dagger rule. We have asked Wreath for clarification.
Note that the orientation of the teriary roses was blazoned more explicitly.
7: Bera Jorundardóttir - New Name Changed

Submitted to kingdom as Bera Jorundsdóttir, the grammar of the patronym was changed at kingdom in light of the instructions in Geirr Bassi. Geirr Bassi, p. 17, states that the genitive case of names ending with -undr is formed by changing the ending -r to -ar. The patronymic suffix -son or -dóttir is then added to the genitive case stem. We note that the change from -s- to -ar- should count as a minor change, which the submitter allows.
8: Caitríona Irruis inghean Uí Bhraonáin - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted
Ermine, three cats sejant azure.

Submitted to kingdom as Caitríona Erris inghean Uí Bhraonáin, the descriptive byname was changed as kingdom to match the documentation. While Erris is the place name from which the locative descriptive byname is derived, the adjectival byname is documented as Irruis.
9: Charlotte Fraser - New Name & New Device Accepted
Gules, a goat's head erased argent, a chief Or.

Note that the ILoI included a typographic error in the header. The byname, as it appears on the submission form, is Fraser, not Frasier.
10: Chi An-Lei - New Name Changed & Device Accepted
Vert, two peonies singlely slipped and leaved argent.

Submitted to kingdom as Chi An'ling, the second name phrase was changed at kingdom in light of commentary from Solveig Throndardottir. Solveig, in subsequent consultation with Garnet writes, "The reading should probably be:  Chi An-Rei (pronounced Chee Awn-Lay) instead of chi An-Ling."
Solveig explained in personal discussion with Garnet that Rei may be equally validly transcribed as Lei. The Japanese language lacks an L, per se, but the Japanese sound represented by R is used as an approximation of the Chinese L-sound. Solveig has further explained in personal discussion with Garnet that her source, a Japanese language dictionary of Chinese-origin kanji, serves as a better source for period readings (pronunciations) of Chinese logograms than most Chinese dictionaries. The reason for this is that Chinese words/kanji were borrowed into Japanese over a period of many centuries, ossifying the then-current Chinese pronunciation (or a close Japanese approximation) at the time that the word came into use in Japanese. Japanese kanji dictionaries typically date varying readings to the Chinese dynasty under which the reading was first borrowed. Solveig asserts that Lei (recorded in Japanese as Rei but pronounced closer to Lei) is the pre-1600 reading.
We note that the submission form used an apostrophe between the transcriptions of the byname logograms, whereas Solveig's subsequest correspondence used a hyphen. We have elected to replace the apostrophe with a hyphen to reflect Solveig's most recent commentary.
11: Cinnion map Liuelin map Higuel - New Badge Accepted
(Fieldless) A comet bendwise sinister inverted azure.

It was noted by kingdom commenters that the comet resembles a feather. We note the possible visual conflict with the Heralds' Seals for Silver Quill Pursuivant, (Tinctureless) A quill bendwise sinister within a roundel, noting further that the tinctureless roundel qualifies as a medium for heraldic display. We defer to Wreath's judgement.
We note also Moses von dem Falken, Argent, a feather azure, which would be clear with one CD for fieldlessness and one CD for orientation. However, on a more general note, the concern was raised  as to whether orientation should count as the sole CD for a fieldless badge, since the objects on which the badge is placed might fail to have an orientation of its own (like a dinner plate, for example). We have invited Wreath to consider the matter.
12: Connor MacGregor of the Bog - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Gules, on a bend sinister between two lion's paw prints Or three pellets.
13: Daibhidh Clàrsair - New Device Accepted with reblazon as redrawn
Per bend sinister dovetailed purpure and ermine, a dragon in annulo biting its tail Or and a talbot passant gules.

Note that this emblazon was redrawn at kingdom. The talbot was made larger to make it more clearly a co-primary charge. Also, the dragon was blazoned more explicitly.
14: David Chadwyk - New Device Accepted with corrected blazon
Argent, a fireball vert enflamed gules and on a chief vert four rapiers argent.

The number of rapiers was corrected from three to four. We note that the rapiers are small by necessity, but not so much as to be unidentifiable.
15: Deryk Legard - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Per fess azure and vert, on the crown of an oak tree argent a mullet of four points gules.
16: Donndubhán Malach - New Name & New Device Returned
Argent, a cross cotised gules, overall a dragon statant sable.

The byname is taken from a modern Gaelic-English dictionary. The element malach- is derived from mala, meaning "eyebrow". The entry specifically states that malach- is a protothematic form used in compounds with adjectives. The example given in the entry is malachduibh, meaning "dark-eyebrowed". This entry alone does not support the use of malach- as a stand-alone descriptive byname. Neither does it document that a descriptive compound with the prototheme malach- was used by humans as a descriptive byname in our period.

A search for "malach" on CELT yielded two possible instances of a compound form in use as a descriptive byname:
Fóbrais M' Aodhócc malach-dubh (from part 13 of Bethada Náem nÉrenn [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G201000/text013.html])
Murcadh malach-dhubh (from Life of Naile (Betha Naile) [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G202014.html])
It would need to be determined whether these are period texts, and whether these references are indeed personal names. However, the submitter does not allow major changes, and thus the change from Malach to Malach-dubh (or some variant) is disallowed.
Without an accompanying name submission, the device must also be returned.
17: Eachmharcach an Fhasaigh - Resub Name Accepted 
18: Elric de Lindeseya - New Name Accepted 
19: Erik of the Three Streams - New Name Accepted

Based on the documentation, it would seem that Erik Threestreams would be a more authentic form. However, because the submitter has not requested authenticity, we have elected not to make the change at kingdom. We defer to Pelican as to whether the form submitted here is registerable.
20: Evan Goch - New Name Accepted
21: Faolán Dubh mac Lochlainn - New Device Accepted
Quarterly argent and azure, in bend two wolf's heads erased sable. 
22: Gaius Plinius Iustinianus - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Sable, a crampon and on a chief Or a mongoose sejant to sinister guardant sable.

Blazoned on the submission form as couchant, the posture of the mongoose was changed at kingdom to sejant. While the distinction between the two postures is not as readily apparant here as with an animal with longer legs, the fact that the torso and abdomen of the mongoose are clearly above the plane on which the feet rest would indicate a sitting, rather than a reclining posture.
23: Galdra-Aron - New Name & New Device Accepted
Gules, a fret Or between in fess two wyverns respectant argent

Commenters at kingdom raised that question whether Galdra- violated RfS VI.2 which states:
2. Names Claiming Powers. – Names containing elements that allude to powers that the submitter does not possess are considered presumptuous.
Society names may not claim divine descent, superhuman abilities, or other powers that the submitter does not actually possess. Such claims include divine patronymics, like Vulcanson; epithets peculiarly associated with divinities or superhuman beings, such as of the Valkyrie; given names that were never used by humans, like the names of some Giants or Dwarves in Norse mythology; or descriptive epithets like Worldblaster.
Note that Geirr-Bassi may document the prepended form of the name in use by a human. We defer to Pelican on the matter.
24: Galle Amsel - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Vert, estoilly, a triquetra between two enfields rampant addorsed and a stag lodged argent.

Submitted to kingdom as Galla, the given name was changed as kingdom to match the documentation that we were able to confirm. Note that Galle is dervied from Gallus, a masculine name.
25: Grimaldus the Chapelain - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per pale argent and gules, a Maltese cross within an orle counterchanged sable and argent. 
26: Hallveig knarrarbringa - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Gules, an oak tree eradicated and on a chief argent two ravens rising, wings displayed and inverted, sable.

The position of the wings was clarified in the blazon.
27: Hubert le Webber - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per fess azure and gules, two spears in saltire Or. 
28: Hugh of York - New Name & New Device Accepted
Or, a saltire gules and overall a four-leaved clover crosswise vert, a bordure gules.

Commenters at kingdom noted two historical personages of the name. Hugh of York was the first abbot of Colchester Abbey founded in 1096 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John's_Abbey,_Colchester]. Another Hugh of York (d. 1317) is mentioned as the last brother of a priory for friars of the order of St. Mary de Areno founded in Westminster in 1267 by William Arnand, a knight of Henry III [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=35370]. Neither has an entry on Britannica Online. We doubt either figure is important enough to protect.
29: Iwan Berenthaler - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per pale gules and counter-ermine, on a bear rampant argent a mascle sable. 
30: James of Hartstone - New Badge Accepted
Argent, in fess three apples gules slipped and leaved proper. 
31: Joie la bedelle - New Name & New Device Accepted
Azure, a standing seraph within an annulet of mullets voided and interlaced argent. 
32: Kallista Morgunova - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted
Purpure, a squirrel maintaining an acorn within an orle of nine acorns Or.

Submitted to kingdom as Kallista Morguna, the byname was changed at kingdom in light if the instructions in Wickenden for the formation of patronyms for women.
Paul Wickenden of Thanet, A Dictionary of Period Russian Names, 3rd ed., p. xxiii-xxiv discusses the formation of feminine patronymic bynames. In the first system described, a final -a is added to the masculine form of the partonmic. In this system, the expected form of the byname would be Morgunova. Page xxii describes a form of masculine patronym formed using the genitive form of the father's name. The expected genitive form of the byname would be Morguna. Page xxii lists this form under masculine patronymics, and does not give evidence that this form was used by women. Page xxv describes a corresponding genitive form for women, but is this system, the woman's given name is preceded by the male relative's full name with a descriptor specifying the relationship (wife, daughter, etc.). Such feminine genitive forms are identifying descriptors and are not to be considered full names. 
33: Katelinen van Wetteren - New Name Accepted & New Device Accepted with reblazon
Per bend argent and vert, in bend three mullets of six points bendwise counterchanged.

The orientation of the mullets was specified.
34: Lantani de Forez - New Name & New Device Accepted
Sable, a ruined tower argent and on a chief Or three branches of coral gules.

Note the registration of the Kingdom of Atlantia, (Fieldless) A branch of coral inverted gules, registered in June of 2005 (via Atlantia) for the Order of the Coral Branch. The depiction of a coral branch in this submission closely matches that of the Atlantian badge.
35: Lína in danska - New Name Accepted & Device Accepted with corrected blazon
Vert, on a pale doubly endorsed argent three fir trees vert.

The tincture of the trees was specified.
36: Lucius Livius Lazarus - Resub Name & Resub Device Accepted
Sable, a Roman numeral II (two) between in pale two mullets voided and interlaced within and conjoined to annulets Or.
37: Matthias di Lupo Corsi - New Name & New Device Accepted
Azure, a sword inverted proper and overall a winged book argent bound Or charged with an Omega symbol inverted azure.

More than one kingdom commenter raised the question of whether this design violates the limit of three layers. As blazoned, the winged book is a single overall charge. That said, we note the the bottom half of the sword is reminiscent of the "tail" of a vol. We defer to Wreath's interpretation of the emblazon as three or four layers.
We note the following statement made in-kingdom on the Letter of Commentary from the Shire of Abhainn Ciach Ghlais:
Device pulls many elements from the popular sci-fi miniature game Warhammer 40,000 and appears to be an Ultramarine chapter badge.  Some what jarring for those of us familiar with the game.
We have asked for Wreath's judgement as to whether this violates RfS VIII.4, "Armory may not use obtrusively modern designs," and specifically VIII.4.b, "Overt allusions to modern insignia, trademarks, or common designs may not be registered."
38: Meadhbh Amhránaíth - New Name & New Device  Accepted
Vairy vert and argent, a tyger couchant sable maintaining a harp Or.

We are uncertain whether this should be blazoned as submitted here or as Vairy argent and vert...
Myfanwy noted in kingdom commentary:
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.
39: Michael de Birmingham - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per bend sinister sable and gules, a bend sinister urdy Or between a compass star and a bird's claw argent.
40: Nandi of Kings Crossing - New Name & New Device Accepted
Sable, three piles wavy in point argent, overall an elephant's head cabossed Or.
41: Olafr the mercenary - Resub Device Accepted
Per pale argent and gules, two crosses formy fitchy at the foot counterchanged sable and argent.
42: Onora Dovedale - New Name Accepted
43: Otelia d'Alsace - New Badge Accepted
Gules, a dove migrant to base and a bordure argent.
44: Pearce Redsmythe - New Badge Accepted
(Fieldless) A bowen cross purpure.
45: Raghnailt in Eich - New Device Accepted
Per pale azure and argent, between two seahorses respectant a triquetra all within a bordure mullety counterchanged.

The question was raised in-kingdom as to whether the triquetra is a co-primary charge, or a secondary charge between two primary charges. While it would be better if the triquetra were smaller, it is no more than half the height of the seahorses. If three triquetras of this size were placed around a single central seahorse of the size depicted here, there would be no question that the triquestras were secondary charges. Thus, the question is whether the placement of the triquetra between two primary charges requires a further reduction in size beyond what we would require of secondary charges that are not central on the field. We have asked Wreath for clarification.
46: Sétna McBryan - New Name Accepted
47: Sigurðr Eiríksson - New Name & New Device Accepted
Gules, in bend sinister a wing and another inverted argent.
48: Si{h.}r bint Bulus - New Name Changed

Submitted to kingdom as Sihr bint Boulos, the name was changed at kingdom to match the documentation provided. We note, however, that it is apparent that some form of additional documentation was reviewed at Pennsic failed to be added to the submission paperwork. It is our hope that this additional documentation may come to light during the commentary period.
49: Trisola Vitalis - New Name & New Device Accepted
Purpure, a domestic cat sejant and on a chief argent three dragonflies vert.

This concludes our Letter of Report Æ 122 dated November 14, 2009.