Unto Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian, and the collective Heralds of
AEthelmearc, does Cadell Comet send greetings!  Enclosed, please find the
Comet Commenting Group's commentary on ILoI AE71.

The Comet Commenting Group for this month consisted of myself, Sexi
Lovechild, Pagan Daysterre, Kieran MacRae, Thomas Ouswood, Odriana vander
Brugghe, and Aurenca Mouly.

Unless otherwise noted, assume that all names are acceptable, all
documentation is as cited, and all pieces of armory are free of conflict
as well as other registration problems.

1. Alicia Hennenberg - New Name

Withycombe (s.n. Alice) states that by the 12th century, Alice "was being
Latinized as Alesia, Alicia, and was a very common name in England as well
as France."  According to Pelican's cover letter of 2/03, "If the name
element can be documented as being used in the submitted position in
period, there is no weirdness for use of this name element."

3. Eumathios Bempetziotes - New Name

Eumathios, in addition to the listed dates, was dated to 1070-1090 and
1118 (same header).

4. Henry Clarence - New Name, New Device

"English Names from Pre-1600 Brass Inscriptions" by Julian Goodwin dates
"Henry Raudell" to 1452 in the Middlesex citation found at
"http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/ash/departments/antiquities/brass/".

The device is clear of Cera in Luch (11/01), "Argent, in pale 3 horses
passant azure."  There is one CD for changing horses to unicorns and one
for changing the arrangement of the critters.

5. James Irvin - New Name, New Device

James is found as a header form in Withycombe, with that spelling dated to
1240.

Irvin is a header form in Reaney and Wilson (s.n. "Irvin, Irvine, Irvin,
Ervin, Ervine, Urvine"), with Simon de Irwyn dated to 1296.  Black (s.n.
Irvine) also lists the submitted spelling to 1641.

7. Wynterset, Stronghold of - New device

As drawn, this device is unacceptable for several reasons.  First, the
Laurel branches are not in the form of a wreath, and there is significant
tradition for returning devices with laurel wreaths drawn in this manner
for redrawing.  Second, this is not a stag's head; this is the bust of a
stag.  Third, the stag's head is in triune aspect.

The second and third problems bring another issue to the fore.  A winged
stag would have the wings conjoined to the shoulders, not the head.  A
"stag's head" should not include the shoulders, and therefore should not
include wings.  The question is then raised of whether or not a "winged
stag's head" is registerable.  The commenting group was not sure, although
it seemed to blur the line between a stag's head and a demi-stag.

At the very least, this device needs to be redrawn before it can be sent
to Laurel.  At the worst, this needs to be returned for a redesign, if
Garnet and Cornelian decide that the "winged stag's head" is
unregisterable.  The commenting group does not envy them this decision.

We disagree with Canute's appraisal of the complexity count of this
device.  According to RfS X.3, Required Charges Transparent, the Laurel
wreath does not count towards the complexity count; therefore, this device
has a complexity count of 8 (argent, azure, vert, sable, head, wings,
chief, mullets).

8. Wynterset, Stronghold of - New badge (the one with the mullet)

This design has the same problems as the winged stag's head in #7, above.

We agree with the conflict called by Aurenca and the conflict for Starhelm
Warlocke called by Canute.

9. Wynterset, Stronghold of - New badge (the one with the swords)

This design has the same problems as the winged stag's head in #7, above.

The swords need to be drawn larger, even for secondaries.

In Service, I remain,
THLord Cadell Blaidd du
Comet Pursuivant