Unto the College of Heralds of the Kingdom of AEthelmearc and to all to whom these words shall come, greeting from Dagonell Collingwood, Garnet Herald.

I apologize for the lateness of this letter, but I have a good excuse. I've moved. The heraldry files were packed away securely so that they wouldn't get lost in the move. Unfortunately, that also meant they were inaccessible for a while. My computer was boxed up for the longest time, then we discovered the only working phone jack was the one in the kitchen. No net surfing for nearly three weeks. And you thought only drug addicts went into withdrawal symptoms. :-) My new address is David P. Salley, 5294 Webster Road, Fredonia N.Y. 14063. If you've sent something to the old address, don't panic. I still own that house and swing by periodically to check the mail.

I seem to have stirred up a bit of a controversy over the way I type the golden tincture. SCA heralds type it with a capital letter even in the middle of a blazon, to distinguish it from the conjunction. The conjunction doesn't appear in heraldic blazon. There is no historical basis for capitalizing 'Or' other than as the first word. However a number of heralds wish me to continue the SCA tradition rather than the historical one. Call it an idiosyncrasy of mine.

Those of you who are ancient and venerable heralds may remember a certain charming annual heraldic ritual from the East Kingdom. I've decided to institute it in AEthelmearc. The April Fool's Letter of Intent is back!!! Have you always wanted to design a device for your favorite cartoon character? Do you still have that list of really weird but documentable medieval surnames? Can you write a limerick that's an authentic heraldic blazon? Go for it. If you can't draw, don't worry. I'm forcing two of my heraldic artists to draw anything that's needed. (Okay, okay, I said you could draw them, now stop twisting my arms!) If you've only got a half-formed idea, like a weird surname looking for a personal name or vice-versa, send it along. Maybe someone else will send the other half. I'm going to try to put out the letter as close to April 1 as I can manage.

Kudos to Juliana de Luna for running THREE consult tables since my last letter. Most of this letter is the result of her work. As always, commentary is welcome via e-mail at salley@klaatu.canisius.edu. Anything I receive via e-mail, I will post on the web-site. I think that it's good for the junior heralds to see the commentary that senior heralds make (and vice versa.) I will be at Ice Dragon if people wish to hand me commentary there. Comments on this letter are due by April 1.

Happy Valentine's Day from Dagonell!

1. ) Aileann inghen Prosinnsias - new device, name registered May 1999.

"Vert, a chevron argent overall a fleur-de-lys or."

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

2.) Alastar Scott MacCrummin - new device, name registered Aug. 1990

"Or, three triangular trivets azure."

If this device passes, his old device, "Argent, on a flame proper a triangular trivet between three pheons inverted azure." will be released.

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

3.) Angus MacBain - new badge, name registered Dec. 1995

"[Fieldless] A quadrefoil pean, a lion rampant argent."

Herald of Record : Rys with ap Madog

4.) Angus Olyver - new device, name registered May 1997

"Lozengy gules and or, in pale three cannons reverse on a chief sable three bezants."

Herald of Record : Margaret Makfee

5.) Charles de Cayeux (M) - new name and device

Charles - from Dauzat, pg. 112 Popularized after Charlemagne. Source: French

de Cayeux - from Dauzat's Dictionary Etymologic de Noms de Lieux en France, pg. 158

"Azure, a cross ermine, in canton a crescent or."

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

6.) Christofano Vecchione - new badge, name registered Jan. 1992

"[Fieldless] A pear vert."

Judging by his e-mail address, the pun is intentional.

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

7.) Clement of Morocco - device resubmission, name registered Mar. 1997

"Purpure, a bend sinister or charged with a copse of three trees sable."

His previous submission, with the field red, was returned in-Kingdom for conflict against Sebastian of Ventburr "Gules, on a bend sinister or, three wings palewise each terminating in a hand brandishing a sword sable." The new submission clears this conflict. This pun isn't so obvious as the one above. Good luck.

Herald of Record : Dagonell the Juggler

8.) Daman Mac Saoirbhreathaich (M) - new name

Daman - O'Corrain and Maguire, pg. 69

Saoirbhreathaich - Ibid, pg. 160

The name is intended to be male 7th - 9th century Irish.

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

9.) Deirdre Gilbride - change of name and device

Richenda du Jardin (F) -- She wishes the name to be a fourteenth century French female name meaning "Richenda of the Garden".

"Per pale azure and argent, a crequier counterchanged."

If her new name and device are accepted, her old name Deirdre Gilbride and device "Per fess vert and sable, a mortar and pestle and a snake glissant argent." will be released.

Herald of Record : Deirdre Gilbride

10.) Duarcan O'Raghailligh (M) - new name

Duarcan - O'Corrain and Maguire, pg. 77 header form, says name occurs various times in the later Middle Ages.

O'Raghailligh - MacLysaught, pg. 257 (under Reilly) - Gaelic form

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

11.) Duncan MacAngus (M) - new name and device

Duncan - Black, pg. 228 This spelling documented on pg. 457 from 1539.

MacAngus - Ibid. pg. 453.

Black actually notes the existence of two men named Duncan MacAngus, of various spellings, however since neither of them is historically significant, their names are not protected. It should be noted that the submitter's father has the SCA name of Angus MacBain.

"Per chevron sable and gules ermined or, in chief two dragons combattant or."

Herald of Record : Rys Chwith ap Madog

12.) Eleanor Vaughan (F) - new name

Eleanor - Withycombe, pg. 96 - Eleanor is a header form This spelling was used beginning in the twelfth century.

Vaughan - Reaney & Wilson, pg. 465 - Vaughan is a header form. Variant spellings are dated from 1222 on.

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

13.) Graidhne ni Ruaidh - change of device, name registered June 85

"Azure mulletty or, a decrescent argent, and issuant from chief a demi-sun or."

If this is registered, her current device "Sable, mulletty, issuant from chief a demi-sun or, and in base a crescent argent." will be released.

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

14.) Hildarun Hugelmann - new device, name in process

"Sable, a crampon or."

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

Juliana de Luna (F) - new name and device

Juliana -Diez Melcon, pg. 51 - Juliana Pelagii 1151

de Luna -Ibid. pg. 234 - Lop de Luna 1221

"Gules, six crescents pendant arranged two, two and two, chequy argent and sable."

It's important to her that the checks follow the curve of the crescent. To my mind, that would make them counter-compony, rather than checky. Comments?

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

16.) Kaithren Rowand - new device, name in IloI #A39

"Azure, on a pile wavy or, a fleur-de-lys sable and a lion couchant or."

Herald of Record : Rys Chwith ap Madog

17.) Kyriell Hawkmoon - new badge, name registered July 1990

"On a plate, a hawk belled close azure."

One Dagonell point for any junior herald who can tell me what's wrong with this blazon.

Herald of Record : Margaret Makfee

18.) Orianna Fridrikskona - augmentation of arms, name registered Feb. 1992

"Argent, on a pile cotised azure, three escallops in pale argent, in sinister chief AEthelmearc."

This augmentation was granted to her by King Morguhn and Queen Meirwen at last year's Ice Dragon in Rhydderich Hael. The paperwork was submitted at Pennsic and lost. There is no drawing available at this time.

Herald of Record : Fridrikr Tomasson

19.) Roana d'Evreux (F) - new name, device

Roana - Reaney & Wilson, (under Roan) - Roana is a feminine name dated to 1212.

Evereux - Ibid, (under Deveraux) - derives from the placename Evreux, though this spelling is not documented in any dated form.

"Argent, a tree eradicated sable and a tierce purpure."

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

20. ) Roana d'Evreux - new badge

"[Fieldless] A tree eradicated per pale purpure and sable."

Herald of Record : Juliana de Luna

21.) Thomas Ouswood (M) - new name and device

Thomas - Withycombe, (under Thomas) - This spelling from 1086, 1199-1220 & 1273.

Ouswood - Ekwall, Fourth Edition (under Ousden) meaning "Owl Valley" dates the spelling "Uuesdana" to the Domesday Boke and "Uuesdene" to 1198. Reaney and Wilson (under Wood) dates "del Wode" to 1274.

"Vert, a lantern argent enflamed or."

Herald of Record : Fairfax