Æthelmearc Letter of Report Æ127
June 1, 2010 (AS 45)


Greetings from Fridrikr Garnet and Alheydis Cornelian,
We would very much like to thank those who commented on this month's letter!
The items accepted on this letter have been forwarded to Laurel for further consideration, where we expect they will be decided on in September 2010.

1: Æthelmearc, Kingdom of - New Transfer of Heraldic Title Accepted
Ravenstongue Pursuivant 

2: Antoinette de Lorraine - New Name Accepted 

3: Beatrijs van Cleef - New Name Change Accepted 

4: Beatrijs van Cleef - New Release of Device Accepted
Argent, on a fess azure between three cinquefoils pierced gules, a griffin statant argent
.

5: Beatrijs van Cleef - New Other (Change of badge to device) Accepted
Barry azure and ermine
.

6: Bella Cavalerii - New Name & New Device Accepted
Argent, a horse rampant sable and on a chief purpure three estoiles argent.

7: Bera of Tavastland - New Device Change Returned
Azure, a fess argent charged with two bars gules

This conflicts with Geoffrey of Chadhunt, registered January 1973: Azure, a fess argent charged with two golpes between three crosses patty gules.  There is one CD for the changes to the tertiary charges per RfS X.4.j.ii, but an additional CD is needed.

8: Bera of Tavastland - New Badge Returned 
Quarterly argent and gules, in bend sinister eight apples argent

Violates RfS XI.3 on marshaling which states:

3. Marshalling. - Armory that appears to marshall independent arms is considered presumptuous.

Period marshalling combined two or more separate designs to indicate descent from noble parents and claim to inheritance. Since members of the Society are all required to earn their status on their own merits, apparent claims to inherited status are presumptuous. Divisions commonly used for marshalling, such as quarterly or per pale, may only be used in contexts that ensure marshalling is not suggested.

a. Such fields may be used with identical charges over the entire field, or with complex lines of partition or charges overall that were not used for marshalling in period heraldry.

b. Such fields may only be used when no single portion of the field may appear to be an independent piece of armory.

No section of the field may contain an ordinary that terminates at the edge of that section, or more than one charge unless those charges are part of a group over the whole field. Charged sections must all contain charges of the same type to avoid the appearance of being different from each other.

While there may be some question as to the meaning of "No section of the field may contain an ordinary that terminates at the edge of that section, or more than one charge unless those charges are part of a group over the whole field,"  I also find a precedent from Bruce Draconarius which states:

[Quarterly, in bend two <charges>] Several commenters noted a possible appearance of quartered armory here ...However, the Rules specifically permit this motif as one of those that can use a quarterly field without being considered marshalling. Rule XI.3.b states that the "charged sections must all contain charges of the same type," which applies to this submission. It's unimportant that two of the quarters are uncharged: the SCA College of Arms has never considered plain, single-tincture fields to be worthy of protection, nor a consideration in marshalling. ...In short, this design motif is not considered marshalling; so long as other restrictions are met (e.g. no more than one charge per quarter, etc.) it should be acceptable for SCA use. (Duncan Kieran, July, 1992, pg. 7) [My emphasis]

This ruling states that ONE CHARGE per quarter is the rule.  Thus this violates RfS XI.3 by have the appearance of Quarterly argent and gules, four apples in bend sinister argent.

9: Betha Symonds - New Name Change Accepted

10: Elyse la Breve - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted
Argent, a butterfly bendwise azure and an orle vert.

11: Gruffudd ap Owein - New Name Change & New Device Returned
Sable, a griffin sergeant contourny between three eagles' jambes Or

The name conflicts with Griffyn ap OwainGruffud and Griffyn are variants of each other.

12: Gwydeon of Arden - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted as Redrawn
Argent, a sword inverted and overall two garden roses in saltire, slipped and leaved, sable.

We have to change the grammer on this.  As Arden is not a given name, but rather is a place name (the Forest of Arden) or a surname based on the placename, the name would be Gwydeon of Arden.  If the submitter desires a patronymic, the closest we can come is Gwydeon ap Arthen.  I am awaiting the submitter's desire on this change.

13: Isabetta Orsini - New Name & New Device Accepted
Per fess argent and azure, a bear statant sable and four pawprints fesswise two and two argent.

The use of the pawprints is a step from period practice.  However, we feel it is acceptable.

14: Lasairfhíona inghean Aindriasa - New Name Changed & New Device Accepted
Per saltire vert and argent, a raven close sable between in pale two thistles Or.

I have changed the patronymic for grammatical purposes from Aindrias to Aindriasa.

15: Líadain ní Dheirdre Chaomhánaigh - New Badge Accepted
(Fieldless) A pine tree sable.

16: Marina Martinez de Aragon - New Name & New Device Accepted
Azure on a bend between three roses barbed and seeded argent, three hummingbirds rising vert.

17: Myskia náttfara - New Device Accepted as Redrawn
Purpure, a willow tree eradicated and in chief three mullets of four points argent.

We note that the use of a weeping willow tree is one step from period practice, as per Laurel Precedent from the time of Mistress Elsbeth:

There is a CD between a weeping willow tree and an oak tree or a generic tree. There is not a CD between a white willow, which is the default willow tree, and an oak tree or a generic tree. There is a CD between a white willow tree and a weeping willow tree.  Given that the weeping willow is unknown in period (let alone period Europe), its use is considered one step from period practice (a weirdness).

In counting difference between the weeping willow tree and an oak tree or a plain tree, I note that the Precedent clearly states that "there is a CD between a weeping willow tree and an oak tree or a generic tree."

18: Renaut Lionett - New Name Accepted & New Device Returned
Azure, a chevron ermine between three dexter hands Or.

The device conflicts with <b>Rainer Wulfgar</b> (7/05 Drachenwald) -- Azure, a chevron ermine between three griffins Or. Unfortunately RfS X.2 does not apply here.  It states: "2. Substantially Different Charges - Simple armory does not conflict with other simple armory if the type of every primary charge is substantially changed."  While there is a change to charges between the two devices in question, it is to the secondary charges, not the primary charges. In other words, if Rainer's device were Azure, a fess ermine between three dexter hands appaumy Or, it would be clear of Renaut's proposed arms.  Unfortunately, this is not the case, and since the primary charges are identical, the device must be returned.

19: Richard de Derby - New Name & New Device Accepted
Azure, a swan argent and in base three shamrocks Or.

20: Safiyya bint 'Amr - New Name Accepted 

21: Tadhg Sotl Ó Néill - New Device Accepted
Gules, on a sinister hand apaumy proper three shamrocks one and two vert.

22: Thescorre, Barony of - New Acceptance of Transfer of Heraldic Title Accepted
Ravenstongue Pursuivant 

23: Tiberius Pinarius Varro - New Name & New Device Accepted
Gules, two pallets wavy between in bend two lozenges Or, each charged with a scorpion inverted sable.

24: Tufa cognomento Gunthamundus - New Name Accepted (Kingdom-level resub)

This concludes our Letter of Report Æ127 dated June 1, 2010.