ÆTHELMEARC COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #42
Myrkfaelinn Commenting Group

Greetings unto the Garnet Herald from Bertran de Mellegwenn, Myrkfaelinn Pursuivant. Following are the comments of the Myrkfaelinn heraldry group.

1-5. All appear fine. No conflicts found.

6. Possible conflict with the following:

Robyn McLaren|9711W|d|Azure, a sheaf of arrows inverted Or and in chief three mullets argent.||ARRANGEMENT-IN ESTOILE:3:gpna:or|ARROW:3:gpna:or|AZ| STAR:3:argent:of 5:second:t1:unc

The chief is clearly different from the three mullets. But can these elements account for more than one difference?

7. No conflicts found.

8. There was some question about whether the lack of contrast between the owl and the key was a problem. By our reading of the submission guidelines, this should be ok.

9. We don't have sources to document the name. Triangle is listed as a charge in the PicDic under the polygons.

10. One of our commenters writes about the name: I cannot find "Edana" in any of my sources. It is not in O'C&M, and as far as being a derivative of Aidan is concerned, I don't think Aidan is period in the anglicized spelling (Aedan, with an accent over the "e", is the common period spelling, and is the name of several saints, making it a popular name in the later Middle Ages). Edana is not listed in the translation index either. How reliable is her source? The device appears fine; no conflicts found.

11. No problems found.

12. Clear of:

Deirdre Ui Mhaille|8701E|b|Vert, an open book Or and on a chief argent three escallops inverted azure.||BOOK AND SCROLL:1:or:spna|CHIEF:above 1 or only:argent:charged:pl|VT

(One for color of chief, one for color/type change of tertiaries.)

13. We presume that a violet proper is purpure? This is a difficult badge to check, for two reasons. First, we cannot identify the flower as a violet from the emblazon provided. Second, there are already several fieldless flowers purpure registered, but we don't know enough about their appearance to judge conflict. To wit:

Fionna Goodburne|9308M|b|(Fieldless) A thistle purpure. ||FLOWER-THISTLE:1:purpure:spa|NO Keinwen Ragnarsdottir|9511N|b|(Fieldless) A columbine purpure slipped and leaved vert.||FLOWER-TRUMPET SHAPE:1:spa|NO

If the violet falls into the FLOWER-MULTI-PETALED category, then perhaps it is clear of these two. Other flowers proper that we think are not purpure but aren't certain:

Custance nic Raibert Macconnachie|9012X|b|(Fieldless) A lily-of-the-valley [Muset de Bois] slipped and leaved proper.||FLOWER-MULTI-FLORETED|NO Elspeth of Harilow|8504S|b|(Fieldless) A heartsease proper. [Viola tricolor] ||FLOWER-FEW PETALS:1|NO

Scotland|9412L|b|(Fieldless) A thistle proper.|(Important non-SCA badge) |FLOWER-THISTLE:1:proper:spa|NO

15. We'd also like to see the source for Hroswith.

16. Troyes is cited as being founded in the fourth century. Is Troyes the modern or period spelling?

17. One commenter writes: Meadhbh, is listed in O'Corrain and Maguire on page 135 as an alternate spelling for Medb (Maeve). However, I have never seen the spelling Sheamuis anywhere, although I need to do a little more checking on this because when used as a patronym the form of the name sometimes changes. The "sh" form, though, is not as far as I can tell period for the name Seamus ("sh" is a common anglicization that I don't believe saw much use in period, or is seen much today in Ireland proper). She could definitely spell it differently (several variations are listed in O'Corrain and Maguire) and it would be just ducky.

On the device, we note that a tressure is the diminutive of the orle according to the PicDic. Since there is just one, it should probably be blazoned as an orle. No conflict found.

18. On the black and white copy, we cannot see the crusily background.

19-22. No problems/conflicts found.

23. The blazon is confusing. It should be rewritten "Chape argent and azure, two ravens passant to sinister, a sun in its splendor argent eclipsed sable." This leaves the locations of the charges unspecified, but they should be evident due to the contrast rules. The PicDic notes that in period only the central portion of a field chape would be charged (although there is precedent for breaking this rule in the SCA). Furthermore, the chape is a Continental field division, and the submitter's name is Irish. For these reasons we would like to reblazon as "Argent, on a pile inverted throughout azure between two ravens sable passant to sinister, a sun in its splendor argent eclipsed sable." However, this introduces a problem of too many layers on the face of the sun. In summary, while this device stretches many limits, we can find none that it breaks.

24. Go, Willow!

Set down this 18th day of May by Bertran de Mellegwenn, Lord Lyev Davidovitch, and Ruaidhri MacRaith O'Griobtha