Æthelmearc External Letter of Intent #61
October 2002

Unto François Laurel, Mari Pelican, Zenobia Wreath, and the commenting members of the College of Arms, do Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian send greetings!

First, some administrative items:

Corrections to the Æthelmearc XLoI dated July 17, 2002:

3. Briag ap Ithail ap Maelgwn – New name

Originally a name and device (Argent, a wolf's head erased contourny gules on a chief azure three arrows argent.), the submitter withdraws this device. He still wants his name to be considered for registration.

Furthermore, there is an error in the numbering of items in that letter. Specifically, the items are numbered 1-27, then skip to 33, 34, and 35. No items are missing from the letter! We merely failed to correctly renumber the last three items when creating the external letter from the internal letter.

Corrections to the Æthelmearc XLoI dated August 17, 2002:

1. Grettir hálfskegg – New name withdrawn

The submitter withdraws this device in order to find more documentation for an alternate spelling.

And now, on to the new external letter! It is the wish of the Æthelmearc College of Heralds that the following submissions be considered for registration. Unless otherwise noted, the submitters will accept minor changes only.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter wants a German name that means "Heidi late up."

Talan’s article, "German Given Names 1200-1250," cites 3 instances of Adelheidis.

Spätauf is intended to mean "late up" (as in, a late riser). It is found as an undated form in Bahlow s.n. Späth.

Brechenmacher dates Spätauf to 1725, but dates the element Spät to "1248 Hainr. miles dictus Späte." Concerning the element -auf, Jah Früaff (early up) is dated to 1442 in the same source, s.n. Frühauf.

Per chevron sable and azure, a dragon in annulo and in dexter chief an increscent argent.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Alan is a header form in Withycombe which describes it as "a Celtic name of doubtful etymology" and dates the Latinized Alanus to 1071-5.

Odin is a man’s name found once in Nicolaa de Bracton’s article, "A Statistical Survey of Given Names in Essex Co., England."

We feel that, as a non-Norse name, documented completely outside of any Norse references, this name is not presumptuous.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Alwin is found in Withycombe s.n. Aylwin "Gallicized Alwin or Aylwin," with Alwinus dated to 1189-1213.

the Silent is a descriptive byname. The OED dates silent (in the form silente) to 1565, with the form silent dated to 1580.

Argent, a willow tree vert and a ford proper.

This name is intended to be feminine and Irish.

Anlaith is dated to 901-950 in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan’s article, Index of Names in Irish Annals: Feminine Names.

Trena is found in Tangwystyl’s article, "100 Most Popular Men’s Names in Early Medieval Ireland," which gives Trena, Triain, and Treno as genitive forms of Trian.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Submitted as Anneliese, the spelling has been changed to match available documentation. Annalies has been ruled registerable by Laurel precedent. "Colm Dubh found a citation of Annalies in 1634 (Wilfred Seibicke, Historisches Deutsches Vornamenbuch), which is in our "gray area" of documentation. Therefore we will allow the compound given name. We will, however, only allow it in the listed spelling (barring documentation that another spelling is a valid period variant)."

Rosenhartes is dated to 1275 in Brechenmacher s.n. Rosenhart.

Per chevron sable and argent, two wolf's heads erased and a rose counterchanged.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter will accept any changes and desires a Mongolian name meaning "loyal wolf."

Batu is listed as a "common name element from primary sources" in Baras-aghur Naran’s article, "On the Documentation and Construction of Period Mongolian Names." It means "loyal."

Chinua is found in the same source, and means "wolf."

Or, a sun sable eclipsed Or, on a bordure embattled purpure the words "In Diece von Albrecht von Halstern" Or.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Beowulf is found in Searle on p. 104 which gives several citations for the name.

Malcolm is a header form in Withycombe, with the spelling Malcolum dated to 1086. The submitter desires the name fitzMalcolm, or will accept Malcolmson; his real father’s registered name is Malcolm Mac Angus of Finross.

The words on the device are intended to mean "in service to Albrecht von Halstern."

Per chevron Or and gules, a sun in its splendor counterchanged.

His name was registered in 09/96.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter will accept any changes. His previous submission, Bran MacNaughton, was returned by Laurel for conflict in 05/02 and his armory was registered under the holding name Bran of Æthelmearc.

Bran is a header form dated to 671 in Ó Corráin & Maguire, which also gives it as a saint’s name.

Hammer is a header form in Reaney & Wilson, which dates John le Hammer to 1332.

MacNaughton is a header form in Reaney & Wilson with Mac Nachtan dated to 1247.

Per bend vert and purpure, on a bend cotised between two fleurs-de-lys argent three thistle heads palewise proper.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter will accept any changes.

Brangwayna is found in Tangwystyl’s "problem names" article, "Concerning the Names Branwen, Bronwen and the Like," which dates Brangwayna to 1250.

MacKinnon is a header form in Black, which mentions the original given name in 728 and dates Lachlann Makfingane to 1409.

Vert, on a pale sable fimbriated argent a tree eradicated Or, a chief argent.

Her name was registered in 11/01.

Per pale sable and Or, two griffins segreant addorsed counterchanged.

His name was registered in 04/01. This alternate name is intended to be masculine.

Thomas is a header form in Withycombe, which states "with the advent of the Norman conquest [Thomas] came into general use."

Baird is found in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Bayard; Ralph Baird is cited in 1086.

Azure, on a pale between two roses argent another azure all barbed and seeded proper.

Her name was registered in 10/99.

This is clear of Klement St. Christoph, Azure, a pale argent, in fess three trefoils slipped counterchanged. There is one CD for change of type of secondaries and a second CD, by RfS X.4.j.ii, for the substantial changes to tertiaries.

Per fess wavy sable and Or, in pale a plate and a hurt.

His name was registered in 08/96.

Or, four oak leaves conjoined in saltire at the stems vert.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Catherine is found in Mari’s article, "Feminine Given Names Found in the 1332 Lay Subsidy Rolls for Lincolnshire, England."

Oakden is a header form in Reaney & Wilson, which gives Elias de Akeden 1246, Richard de Okeden 1332.

This name is intended to be feminine and Irish. The submitter will accept any changes.

Caitríona is found in Ó Corráin & Maguire s.n. Caiterína, which was "well established among the Irish aristocracy by the 15^th century."

M'Gilledoroughe is an undated late period form in Woulfe s.n. Mac Giolla Dorcha.

[Fieldless] A fleur-de-lys within and conjoined to an annulet of chain Or.

His name was registered in 02/91. He was knighted in Æthelmearc in 08/99.

Azure, a bend invected Or, in sinister chief a cross bottony argent.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter requests authenticity for 15^th century Italy.

Cicilia is found in Rhian Lyth’s article, "Italian Renaissance Women’s Names."

Corsini is a family name found in the Florentine Renaissance Resources articles.

Argent, a palm tree bendwise sinister sable within a bordure wavy azure.

Her name was registered in 05/02.

Or, a rooster sable standing atop a trimount checky argent and vert maintaining in its claw a fleur-de-lys azure.

His name was submitted on the June 2002 Æthelmearc letter.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Eleanor is dated to 1391 in "English Names from Pre-1600 Brass Inscriptions."

Elizabeth is also a header form in Withycombe, which dates both Ysabell and Elisabeth to 1483.

Burgar is a header from in Black dated to 1503. Although this particular spelling is documented in a Scots source, Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Burger, list a Robert Burger in 1327. We feel this proves that the name Burger/Burgar was used in England (where double given names are rare but known to exist) as well as Scotland (where double given names do not exist).

Argent, a chevron and in base a crescent sable.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 12^th-14^th century Ireland and will accept any changes.

Eoin is dated to 1446 in the "Index of Names in Irish Annals."

Mac Cionnaoith is found in Mac Lysaght s.n. Mac Kenna, and says "Gaelic MacCionaodha [sic] 'Son of Cionaodh [sic]'" and cites William M'Kinnay [sic], dated to 1544, from Black.

Reannachain is found in Woulfe s.n. O Reannacain.

Per chevron azure and argent, three Phrygian caps one and two argent and a joscelyn wreathed azure and Or with three bells gules.

Her name was submitted on the June 2002 Æthelmearc letter.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter requests authenticity for Germany.

Eva is found in Aryanhwy’s article, "15^th Century Dutch Names." which cites Eva in 1481.

Rosenberg is a header form in Brechenmacher, which dates it to 1276.

Argent, a boar statant within a bordure gules.

His name was submitted to Laurel on Æthelmearc’s April 2002 letter.

Per pale gules and sable, a Celtic cross argent, on a chief argent three Maltese crosses vert. This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 13^th - 14^th century Ireland.

Fiachrae is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire, which states it is "a common early Irish name."

the Bonesetter is intended as an occupational byname. The Oxford English Dictionary gives c.1470 "He ys allso a boone setter" and c. 1510 "A bonesetter he hyreth."

Per pale sable and argent, on a sun a Celtic cross and a bordure counterchanged.

His name was registered in 08/99. His previous submission was mistakenly submitted in the reversed tinctures and was returned for conflict in 06/01.

Per saltire argent and gules, a hammer reversed within a bordure embattled sable.

His name was registered in 08/99. His previous submission (Per saltire argent and gules, a hammer reversed sable) was returned by Laurel for conflict in 06/01.

Azure, a pegasus passant contourny reguardant argent, on a chief dovetailed argent three fleurs-de-lis azure.

Her name is on Æthelmearc’s July 2002 letter.

Per fess azure and per pale gules and sable, in pale a demi-sun throughout issuant from the line of division Or and a griffin segreant argent.

This name is intended to be masculine and Norman.

Colm Dubh’s Index to the 1292 Paris Census cites Grifon le lombart, Genevote (un) fuiz, and Guillaume le maingnen.

While the RfS, VIII.2.b.v. specifically states that "Elements evenly divided in three tinctures must have good contrast between two of their parts," it does nothing to address the issue of a field unevenly divided into three sections with low contrast between all the sections. We ask Wreath and Laurel for clarification.

Per fess argent and gules, a saltire and a swan’s head and neck couped counterchanged.

His name was registered in 06/02.

Gules, an hourglass argent between three suns Or.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter cares most about the sound of the name.

Isabella is dated to 1199 in Withycombe, s.n. Isabel(la).

There is a pattern of period surnames of the form adjective+stone. Reaney & Wilson yields several examples:

• Richard de Aluredeston [sic](s. n. Allston, Alston, Alstone) dated to 1194 [from Alstone in Hill Chorlton, Staffordshire]
• Henry Coplestone [sic] (s. n. Copleston, Coplestone, Coppleston, Copplestone) dated to 1642 [toponymic]
• Robert Goldstone [sic] (s. n. Goldston, Goldstone, [etc.]), dated to 1312 [from the OE Goldsta{-}n 'gold stone']
• John atte Whitestone [sic] (s. n. Whitestone, Whitston) dated to 1332 [toponymic]

Furthermore, Ironstone can be found in the OED, with period citations from 1522, "As much yren stone to be deliveride in one word callid Freretail," and 1523, "yrenston."

This name is desired based on the client’s work with basalt stones, which are volcanic stones with high iron content that have been used to build castle walls.

Chevronelly inverted argent and azure, an eagle displayed head to sinister sable within a bordure compony gules and argent.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Ivak Borovik is dated to 1593, s.n. Ioann, in the Dictionary of Period Russian Names.

Martsch is found s.n. Martsch(ke), Martschick in Bahlow as a Bohemian nickname for Martin. The form Marzik is dated to 1376 in Prague.

Sable mullety argent, a lion rampant contourny Or maintaining a goblet argent.

The name is intended to be feminine and to mean "at the spring." She will accept all changes and wishes the name to be authentic for 16th century England.

Jane is dated to 1473 in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Hassett. Withycombe gives Jane as a header form and says that "it comes from the Old French Jehane, and is not found much before the 16th century."

Attwell is a header form in Reaney & Wilson with Gilbert Attewelle in 1274 and Richard atte Wille in 1333.

Sable, a pale argent, on a chief Or a lightning bolt fesswise sable.

His name was registered in 03/99.

[Fieldless] A horse's head couped erminois.

His name is on Æthelmearc’s April 2002 letter.

The submitter’s original name, Katherine Kiersey, was returned by Laurel in 06/02, for lack of documentation of the spelling Kiersey. The submitter would permit no changes to the byname at that time.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Katherine is found in Withycombe s.n. Katharine, where it is written that "the spelling Katerine was found in Middle English, with the spelling using "th" coming about in the 16th century."

Woulfe (s.n. de Cearsaigh) dates de Kersey to temp. Elizabeth I - James I and says that this name "refers to Kersey in Suffolk...." Reaney & Wilson supports this by listing an Adam de Kersey in 1325 (s.n. Kersey).

Argent, a fox rampant and on a chief azure two rapiers crossed in saltire argent.

This name is intended to be feminine and French. She will accept all changes.

Katherine is a feminine given name which occurs twice in the Parisian tax rolls used in Aryanhwy’s article, "French Names from Paris, 1423 & 1438."

Vivans is a header form in Dauzat & Rostaing, Dictionnaire etymologique des noms de lieux, with the form Vivent dated to 1038 and 1385.

Gules, a saltire bretessed Or and in chief a laurel wreath argent.

This is a constructed placename name, intended to be plausible for 16^th century England. The submitters will accept any changes. There is a petition included with the submission.

Mills lists such place names as King’s Heath, with the spelling Kyngesheath dated to 1511, and King’s Lynn (s.n. Lynn) with the particle Lena dated to 1086 and the affix King’s dated to the 16^th century.

Mills also lists Vine’s Cross, dated to the 16^th century, and St. Cross South Elmham (s.n. Elmham), dated to 1254.

The OED gives crossing meaning a "place at which a street, river etc. is crossed," citing "I crossed the crossing Siera de Morana" from 1632. While this is an admittedly grey-period citation, the acceptance of Charlesbury Crossing as a branch-name in 08/00 (as well as Great Crossing in 10/82 and Knight’s Crossing in 02/82) would seem to indicate that it has been historically acceptable to the College.

Or, an open book gules, a chief embattled azure.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Leah is a Biblical name and is first found in Genesis 29:16.

Janette is a proposed spelling variant of the French Janet/Jehannette. The 1292 Paris Census includes Janequin, Jean, Jehane, and Jehannette, suggesting that the forms Jan, Jean, and Jehan are related and possibly interchangeable. Withycombe says that "Janeta is not uncommon in medieval records," and we propose that Janette is a plausible variant name form.

Sable, a lion’s head couped contourny and on a bordure argent three decrescents sable.

Her name was registered in 02/02.

Argent, a gryphon segreant gules winged sable haloed and maintaining a staff Or bearing a flag per fess gules and sable all within a bordure sable.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter is interested in a name from Alsatia, Germany, in the 16^th century.

Magdalena is a German feminine given name dated to 1346 in Talan’s article, "Medieval German Given Names in Silesia."

Drucker is intended to be an occupational byname meaning "printer." Drucker is the modern German word for printer, but we were unable to find a period form of this word. We ask the College for assistance.

While we had some concerns (in reference to the banner) about the appearance of pretense, Wreath registered Lozengy sable and Or, a bear rampant argent sustaining a banner per fess azure and gules (Richard Ó Conchobhair) in 10/01 without comment. We feel that these cases are analogous and that, therefore, this does not fall afoul of the rules for arms of pretense.

This device is clear of Pomerania (import real-world arms), Argent, a griffin segreant gules crowned Or, with one CD for adding the bordure and another for changing the tincture of the wings, which by Laurel precedent is worth a CD.

Per bend argent and sable, in bend sinister a hound rampant and a hound rampant contourny counterchanged.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter will accept any changes and requests a name meaning "keeper of the hounds" authentic for 9^th-11^th century Norse.

Matheus is a masculine given name found on p. 13 of Geirr Bassi.

Hunda-Maðr is found in Bertil Thuresson’s Middle English Occupational Terms s.n. Hundeman. Thuresson says the name is Old Norse.

The submitter is female but indicates that she does not care about the gender of her name. She will accept any changes.

Reaney and Wilson (s.n. May) cites Elena filia May, dated to 1301, and May de Hindley, dated to 1379.

Wynn is an alternate header form in Reaney & Wilson (s.n. Winn) with Walter Win dated to 1198.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter is interested in a name authentic to 16^th century Spain.

Miguel is found as a masculine given name in Elsbeth’s article, "16^th Century Spanish Men’s Names."

The Catalogo de Pasajeros a Indias Vol II # 2091 lists a Francisco Flores in 1535. Juliana de Luna’s article on late 15th century Spanish names gives de Flores as a locative surname.

Vert, on a pale indented argent five cinquefoils purpure.

Her name was registered in 04/96. This is technically an appeal of the 03/97 decision in which Laurel returned this same motif for a redraw, stating "A properly drawn pale indented would have the indents opposed instead of parallel. This cannot be reblazoned as lozenges conjoined, as the area of conjoining is too wide."

The submitter is requesting that this be registered under section VIII.6 Documented Exceptions and includes a letter from the Academy of St. Gabriel describing this motif of opposed indents used in period. According to this letter, pales indented, fusilly, and engrailed are of similar origins and were not clearly distinguished in early heraldry. Examples of pales indented and charged, indented stripe ordinaries can be found in British arms in 1577 and from 1360 on, respectively. The 16^th century arms of Pacanha in Portugal contain a charged, indented, bend that very specifically has 8 indentations. They suggest that she should appeal based on this example.

Per bend sinister argent and vert, in bend two fleurs-de-lys counterchanged.

This name is intended to be feminine.

Nicole is found in the 1292 Paris Census. A pattern of –ette as a diminuitive is well documented; consider Ansel/Anselet, Aubin/Aubinet, and Jehane/Jehannette in the same source. "Nicolette" is also an alternate header form (undated) in Withycombe (s.n. Nicola).

Lugdun is a constructed placename. Lugga is an Old English given name found in Reaney & Wilson (s.n. Lugg) with William Lugis dated to 1219. –d{u-}n is an Old English element meaning ‘down, hill, mountain’ according to Ekwall; the spelling –dun can be found in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Longdeal, with de Longedun dated to 1207.

Quarterly sable and gules, in bend sinister two drakkars argent.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Ottó is a given name found on p. 13 of Geirr Bassi.

rauðskeggr is a nickname found on p. 26 of the same source.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter will accept any changes.

Robert is found in Black, with Alexander Robert dated to 1402.

Rose is a header form in Black; William Rose in Inverness is dated c. 1360.

Inverness is a header form in Black; the spelling Inyernys is dated to 1361.

Per pale purpure and gules, two gorillas statant respectant argent.

His name was submitted on Æthelmearc’s April 2002 letter. This submission was returned in Kingdom from the same letter, as the submitter had at that time provided no evidence to prove that gorillas were known to Europeans in period (in fact, all evidence we could find at the time indicated that gorillas did not become known until well after our period).

The submitter has provided evidence stating that "the Roman author Pliny the Elder knows that gorilla furs were exhibited in the temple of the goddess Tanit until Carthage was destroyed by the Romans." The skins and account in question date from the 6^th century B.C. This B.C.-600 citation is the sole basis of the submitter’s claim that gorillas are period beasts.

The OED says that gorilla is "An alleged African name for a wild or hairy man" used in the Greek account of the voyage undertaken by the Carthaginian Hanno in the 5th or 6th century BC. Because of this historical citation, the word was adopted in 1847 as the specific name of the ape Troglodytes gorilla. The earliest English language citation is from 1799 and refers to savage hairy people.

Our impression is that the term ‘gorilla’ may have been known to some medieval scholars from their readings of ancient texts, but that this word was not applied to the ape until much later. In fact, we suspect that if a period herald had encountered the word "gorilla" in a blazon he would have drawn, at best, a wild hairy man, not an African ape. Nevertheless, the final decision rests with Wreath.

Vert, a bend sinister between six fleurs-de-lis Or.

Her name was registered in 11/98. Her previous submission from Atlantia (Vert, a saltire Or fretted with a serpent in mascle argent.) was returned by Laurel in 01/00 and a resubmission attempt (Vert, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lys Or) submitted in Atlantia at Pennsic XXX was returned to the submitter in 11/01.

Sable, a bend sinister gules fimbriated Or, overall a scorpion argent.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter would like the name Sophie but will accept the name Sophia if necessary.

Sophie is an alternate header form in Withycombe (s.n. Sophia, Sophie). A daughter of James I was christened Sophia in 1607. Sophie is also listed in Bahlow as a saint’s name, and is listed in "Given Names from Silesia" dated to 1375 and 1383.

Davenport is a header form in Reaney & Wilson, with Richard de Daveneport dated to 1203.

Vert, a natural salamander rampant within a bordure nebuly argent.

This name is intended to be masculine.

Tigernach is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire, which names a St. Tigernach of Clonmacnoise & Roscommon who died in 1088.

Ó Fuathaigh is found in Mac Lysaght s.n. (O) Fuohy as "an east Cork name."

Quarterly azure and argent, in pale a raven close to sinister, perched upon an increscent sable.

His name was registered in 11/01.