ÆTHELMEARC COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #54
Comet Commenting Group


Unto Juliana de Luna, Garnet Herald, does Cadell Blaidd du, Comet Pursuivant, send greetings! I apologize for the lateness of these words; I took advantage of the fact that I knew you were going to be on pilgrimage for the past few days. ;) Congratulations on your appointment as Garnet Herald.

Herein, please find commentary on AEthelmearc Internal Letter of Intent #AE54. This commentary was made by myself, Lady Ailis Linne, and Lord Thomas Ouswood, and will be posted to the AEthelmearc Heralds website under the name "Comet Commenting Group." As always, any questions or comments may be directed to me or any member of the group.


1. Aelfra Long

Name registered 01/1993.


2. Ailis Linne (Device)

Name registered 01/2000.

Device change from "Azure, a pale offset argent estencelly azure between two Hungerford knots argent" registered 01/2000.

The Pic-Dic spells the term for the secondaries as "estencelé." It has been registered by the College several times in several spellings; Ailis, being anal-retentive as usual, suggests the CoA choose a spelling and stick with it. As this is her submission, we felt it best not to argue with her.


3. Ailis Linne (Badge)

See #2.


4. Alaxandair O Conchobhair

Name in process on XLoI AE49.


5. Alicia Marie d'Avignon

Name registered 07/1999.

Alicia and Marie are both found in Names from Fourteenth Century Foix by Catelin de la Mor, listed under "Feminine Names."

d'Avignon is found in Dauzat & Rostaing (s.n. Avignon).as an undated diminutive. Dated citations include "de Avinione" from the 12th c.

We are uncertain whether double given names were used in France, but given that we see no problem.


6. Anlon Find mac Robartaigh

The construction [Given Name] [Descriptive] [Particle] [Patronymic] is documented in "Dated Names Found in O Caorrain & Maguire's Irish Names" by K. O'Brien, in section 2.5.

The descriptive byname is lenited as <F.ind> in the cited article. Whether it should still be lenited as a masculine byname is left as an exercise to those better versed in Gaelic name construction than us.

Woulfe gives Mac Robhartaigh as a surname header form ("son of Robhartach"); therefore, following similar construction, we agree with Elsbeth's guess at the genitive form.


7. Anmchaid O Mordha

Where did the accents on the surname go? We feel this should be Ó Mórdha.


8. Brocc of Huntingdon

Name registered as "Brocc Huntington" 02/1999.


9. Cadogan Blaydes

"Cadwgon" is found in "Welsh Names and Naming Practices" (CA #66). "Cadwgan" is found in "A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names" (H.R. Jones), but neither lists the submitted spelling. We don't have access to M&M, but we assume this to be a reasonable spelling.

Device: Clear of "Per chevron throughout sable and Or, a sword inverted sable between in chief two drinking horns addorsed Or." (Colin Mac Chlurain, 08/1990)


10. Caradawc Mendwr

"Caradog" is found in "Welsh Names and Naming Practices" (CA #66). Again, we don't have access to M&M.

We found no evidence of "Mendwr," but we trust Bruce's ability to find accurate sources.


11. Cecily of Whitehaven

Name registered 03/1998.

Device change from "Per fess wavy argent and barry wavy azure and argent, in chief three wyverns sejant gules" registered 08/1999.

I can't remember the rule on voided charges. Would this be in conflict with "Quarterly sable and argent, a lozenge fesswise throughout Or voided gules." (Artur of Daeyrnmoore, 04/1981)?


12. Cynthia Love of the Tower

Withycombe states "English writers in the later Middle Ages, struggling to spelling Sanchia (q.v.), sometimes turned it into Cynthia, but the name was not really used until the Renaissance." The entirety of the citation lends slightly more credence to the name than the shortened citation supplied on the LoI.


13. Daniel O Rian the Fletcher

Name registered 06/2001.


14. Duarcán Makcraken

We feel this name is clear of Duncan Mac Cracken (Nov 95 Cal).


16. Fiona Harpar

Name in process on XLoI AE49 as "Fionn Harpar".

Previous device ("Per pale vert and argent, an open book between three Celtic crosses counterchanged") in process on XLoI AE49.


17. Fiona Harpar (Badge)

Name in process on XLoI AE49 as "Fionn Harpar".


18. Ihon Edmiston

We could find no evidence of "Ihon."

"Edmiston" is not as cited. Black (s.n. Edmondston) cites "Edmiston" as a sub-header form, and does list variants such as "Edmundiston" to 1248, and "Edmideston" to 1322. Variants listed under "Edmeston" (which also lsits "Edmiston" as a sub-header) are dated no earlier than 1550.


19. Ivo Thorne

Name in process on ILoI AE50.


21. Jonathan D'Abernon

No documentation was provided on the LoI. Therefore:

Jonathan is a header form in Withycombe, with "Jonathas" cited to the 13th c., and "Jonathus" cited to 1213.

d'Abernon is found as a header form in R&W, with "Roger de Abernon" cited to 1086, and "Jordan Dabernun" to 1197.

Device:

  1. The chief is too small.
  2. The tail (which is red) should not be touching the red portion of the field.


22. Katerina Affodil

Name registered 01/1994.

We tossed around several ways to blazon this, including "Two daffodils crossed at the stems in saltire Or and gules," "Two daffodils crossed at the stems in saltire quarterly Or and gules," and "A daffodil bendwise Or crossed at the stems with another bendwise sinister gules." In reality, any blazon that accurately identifies the colors of the flowers is fine with us.


23. Kieran MacRae

Name registered 03/1997.


24. Rachel Armstrong

Name registered 05/1998.

The orientation of the pawprints should be blazoned as palewise.


25. Remus Fletcher

Name registered 08/1990.


27. Sabina of Borthwick

Black (s.n. Borthwick) cites William de Borthwick in 1378. "William de Borthwick had a charter of the lands of Borthwic and Thoftcotys in the Sheriffdom of Selkirc in 1410."


29. Winterset

Wintersete is cited as an actual town name in Mills (s.n. Wintersett, dated to 1125, located in W. Yorkshire). As we could find nothing in the RfS prohibiting groups from taking actual town names, we see no reason for this to be returned.