ÆTHELMEARC COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #131
Solveig Throndardottir

Baron Fridrikr!

Greetings from Solveig!

1. Company of the White Lion

    The White Lion Society is definitely not sufficiently
    important to protect and I wonder why it should be
    considered so. The White Lion Society appears to be
    an extra-governmental society of "friends" of Her
    Majesty's College of Arms.

3. Argent, a natural tiger salient contourny gules marked sable within a bordure rayonny sable estencely Or

    Just remember that the natural tiger is a weirdness.

4. Amelie Reinhardt

    I don't see what makes this name Gypsy/Romani

5. Argent, two squirrels sejant erect addorsed in chief three acorns sable

    I do not believe that the blazon matches the emblazon as the
    maintained swords are omitted from the blazon.

    Argent, two squirrels sejant erect addorsed each maintaining
    a sword and in chief three acorns sable

7. Vert, on an open scroll argent a treble clef sable

    Two questions. What is the current rule regarding glyphs?
    And, is this a proper pre-1601 treble clef?

    I suspect that at best the treble clef does not count for difference either by its presence or absence. This makes the design simply "Vert, an open scroll argent". However, I do not believe that it conflicts with the following:

    (Fieldless) An open scroll argent fretty vert.

However, I am less confident about

    Vert, on an open scroll argent a quill pen bendwise sinister gules, a bordure fleuretty Or.

    (Fieldless) A open scroll argent charged with a paw print azure

8. Per bend vert and azure, a shirtless man maintaining in his right hand a tankard argent between two tandkards and a viking ship Or

    The emblazon looks a bit busy.

15. Chauncey Longbow

    Personally, I suspect that Longbow doesn't work as a byname, but please send it up to Laurel so that a holding name can be created for the armory.

18. Delilah de la Rose

    I doubt that Delilah would be used as a period given name as the biblical character is not exactly a model person.

19. Gules, a phoenix and on a chief Or three roses proper

    Oooh purty!

40. Azure, a sword inverted proper winged argent between three books argent bound Or

    Shouldn't this be blazoned

    Azure a sword inverted and winged argent between three books argent bound Or

41. Or, a church purpure between three dogs courant sable

    The "church" is not reconstructable from the blazon or else it is an out-of-period dependency upon New England churches. Actually, the depiction of the "church" in this device appears rather overtly modern (post 1600) to me.

42. Per fess azure and Or fretty azure, a stirrup Or

    Is this the depiction of a stirrup from the PicDic or something. The problem for me is I am familiar with stirrups which do not at all look like this stirrup. Basically, I would like to see a modifier in front of stirrup which specifies the type of stirrup. Unfortunately, I do not know enough about stirrups to supply one.

44. I wish that the name were German.

45. Azure, in pale a triangle inverted surmounting a triangle overlapping at the points, both voided argent

    Voided overlapping triangles. I suppose that it should be checked against an hour glass. However, I am bothered about the design itself which is both thin-line heraldry and abstract symbology.

57. Sable, twenty hawks' bells, 4, 4, 4, 4, and 4 and on a chief Or two oak leaves fructed vert

    Shouldn't this be a seme of hawk's bells ?

60. Satou Kenshin

    As I wrote previously, Kenshin is technically a "houmyou" 法名 (name in religion). Such names were taken when someone became a monk or nun. Some daimyou would shave their heads and enter religious orders while still continuing to lead their domains in practice. Basically, the person with this proposed name should be advised that Kenshin is not a normative name unless he intends to recreate a monk. Can it be registered, I suppose it can be, but the person registering the name should have this business explained to him. It is sort of like calling yourself Pius or Innocent based on the names of popes.

64. Trent Turner

    Looks like this name follows the cited precedent.

Your Humble Servant
Solveig Throndardottir
Amateur Scholar