Æthelmearc Letter of Intent Æ75
March 27, 2004

Unto Shauna Laurel, Margaret Pelican, Evan Wreath, and the commenting members of the College of Arms do Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian send greetings once again! It is the desire of the Æthelmearc College of Heralds that the following items be considered for registration. Unless otherwise noted, submitters will accept any changes.

Also, all reasonably standard online name articles (such as those archived at sca.org or panix.com) are fully cited in the bibliography at the end of this letter, in an attempt to keep the name documentation more visually compact.

Vert, a triquetra and on a chief Or three shamrocks vert.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter accepts minor changes only and specifically wants to retain accents; she cares most about having a surname which is "a form of the surname anglicized 'Lavin.'"

Originally submitted as "Áine inghean Lamháin", evidence of Lamháin as a given name could not be found. The name was changed after consultation with the submitter. (Copies are included of the e-mail from the submitter saying that this change was acceptable even though it involved more than the "minor changes" allowed on the forms.)

Áine is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire, who state, "As a male name ... it became obsolete at a very early period. However, it retained its popularity as a female name ... There was also an early Leinster St. Áine ..."

ingen is the early patronymic meaning "daughter of"

Under the header O Lavin, MacLysaght states that Ó Lamháin is "probably a modern contraction of Ó Flaithimhin." Woulfe lists "Mag Fhlaithimhín as "'son of Flaithimnín' (dim. of Flaitheamh)". We believe that Flaithimhin is the correct spelling of the patronymic pre-1200, as per Sharon Krossa's lenition article.

(Fieldless) A wine amphora vert.

His name was registered in 08/03.

Sable, three ravens displayed and on a chief argent a kris blade fesswise argent.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for Romania circa 1470 and cares most about the language / culture.

Cazimir is being submitted as a variant spelling of Kazimir, which is a header form in Wickenden with one Kazimir Oleksandrov cited in 1498. Given examples of k / c substitutions such as Kana / Cana, Kasper / Casper, and Khabrek / Chabrec, Kazimir / Cazimir seems reasonable.

Ryndin is dated to circa 1495 in Wickenden's article, "Occupational Bynames in Medieval Russia" (from the AS XXXVIII KWHS proceedings). Its meaning is given as 'bodyguard.'

Several of our internal commenters expressed concern that these 'ravens' were too generic in appearance and recommended that they be reblazoned as either generic birds or eagles (since they are displayed, and not distinctively raven-like. Aside: Ravens displayed were declared a "weirdness" in the November 2003 Cover Letter).

However, given Wreath's words in the October 2003 Cover Letter, we feel more comfortable leaving the decision to reblazon (or not) in our new Wreath's capable hands.

"From Wreath: Generic Birds

In the last months we have often received commentary suggesting that some charge should be reblazoned from a specific sort of bird to a generic bird (e.g., reblazoning a hawk as a bird). We remind the College that we should only reblazon a specific sort of bird as a generic bird when the specific bird truly cannot be identified as such. We also remind the College that the reblazon to a generic bird has unfortunate side effects for conflict. As noted on the LoAR of April 1998, "Blazoned on the LoI as [a specific type of bird], as drawn it is not clearly any species of bird, so we have reblazoned it as a generic bird. Unfortunately, generic birds conflict with all birds, so this conflicts with ..." When one proposes to reblazon an imperfectly-drawn "hawk" as a generic "bird", it would lose an often-critical type CD from past or future submissions using swans, herons, chickens, peacocks, ostriches, hummingbirds, penguins, and so forth. Never forget that the suggestion to reblazon a specific bird as a generic bird is also a proposal to reward a poor artist with an unwontedly huge slice of armorial space. When we reflect on the quality of much period heraldic artwork, which is rarely precise in its depiction of birds or other animals, I think we can all agree that birds should only be reblazoned as "generic" birds when there is no other alternative.

We have also continued to receive commentary indicating that ravens that are not drawn as "hairy" birds should be reblazoned as generic birds. This suggestion does not match period armorial style, which often depicts ravens as smooth-feathered birds. Please refer to the cover letter to the January 2002 LoAR, which discusses this matter in detail, including citations in commonly-available heraldry books showing specific examples of smooth-feathered/non-hairy corbies in period heraldic art."

Argent, on a saltire between in fess two decrescents sable a mullet argent.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for "10th c. Scots" and cares most about the meaning "Duncan of Maccus' Well."

Originally submitted as Donnachadh of Maccuswael, we wrote to the submitter trying to clarify what he'd really like (because Donnachadh of Maccuswael is just not possible as a "10th c. Scots name" for a variety of reasons!) and he expressed a preference for an all-English styled name, and chose the given name spelled Donecan.

Donecan is dated to 1086 (from the Domesday Book) in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Duncan. There is also a Ralf Donekan in 1280.

At electricscotland.com, a page about The Maxwells (http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/families/maxwells.htm) says:

"THE founder of the Maxwell family is said to have been a certain Maccus, the son of Undwin, a Saxon noble, who at the Norman Conquest took refuge in Scotland. He was a distinguished person in the reigns of Alexander I. and David I., and received from the latter a grant of fertile lands on the banks of the Tweed, near Kelso, which from him received the appellation of Maccuswell, and, abbreviated into Maxwell, became the designation of his descendants. He witnessed an inquest which David ordered to be made about the year 1116. A Herbert de Maccuswel, who died in 1143, made a grant of the Church of Maccuswel to the monastery of Kelso. A Sir John de Maccuswel was Sheriff of Roxburgh and Teviotdale in 1207, and held the office of Great Chamberlain from 1231 to 1233."
(Excerpted from The Great Historic Families of Scotland, James Taylor 1887)

Another page (http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/m/maxwell2.html)says:

"The Maxwells are a Border clan and were active during the turbulent Border wars. The first leader was Maccus, son of Undweyn who lived in the 12th Century who appears to have given his name to Maccuswell, a pool of the Tweed near Kelso Bridge; Wael is old English for pool."

In a publication by the Clan Maxwell Society of the USA:

"The name became Maxwell from a salmon pool on the Tweed (near Kelson Bridge) called Maccus' Wiel. A 'wael' or 'wiel' or 'well' (Saxon 'wylle') designated a pool or whirlpool, thus the transition from Maccusweil to Maccuswell to Maxwell can easily be rationalized."

Black, s.n. Maxwell, says, "... and from the fishery attached thereto, called Maccus' Wiel (OE. wael, a pool, whirlpool), the lands obtained their name."

Given all this data, the submitter is proposing Maccuswael as a variant of Maccuswel, and of instead of de (as in Herbert and John de Maccuswel above).

Argent, a saltire between in fess two decrescents sable, overall a sword gules.

The form gives Clann simply as "Gaelic." It has been registered a number of times, apparently as a Gaelic household designator.

For discussion of Maccuswael, please see above.

Concerning the construction of the household name:

The Rules for Submission, III.2.b.iv. Household Names:

Household names must follow the patterns of period names of organized groups of people. Possible models include Scottish clans ( Clan Stewart ), ruling dynasties ( House of Anjou ), professional guilds ( Bakers Guild of Augsburg , Worshipful Company of Coopers ), military units ( The White Company ), and inns ( House of the White Hart ).

Elsbeth's precedent:

[Clan Caer Lonn] The name mixes two languages, Welsh (Caer) and Gaelic (Lonn) in one phrase, violating rule III.1.a, "Linguistic Consistency." Brian should also be informed that Clans were named after personal names and nicknames, not places. Lastly we would prefer to see some evidence that "Strong" is a reasonable adjective to apply to keeps. [Brian Brock, 07/99, R-Atenveldt]

And Bruce's precedent:

Some house names were taken from the place of origin: House of York, House of Lorraine, House of Valois. Some were taken from a personal epithet of the founder, shared by neither his father nor siblings: House Capet. Some were taken from the founders' surnames -- which, in turn, might be derived originally from a patronymic (Clan MacGregor), a toponymic (Clan Kerr), or an occupation (Clan Stewart). Guild names were straightforward descriptions of their crafts. Mercenary units might be more fanciful, and inn names most fanciful of all; but these still referred to livery or signboards -- in short, to a badge, which was a tangible thing.

House names in period don't seem to have been overly fantastic. For the most part, they come from the same linguistic well as period bynames. In particular, since a period house name was so often simply the surname, byname, or epithet of its founder, any such epithet that is acceptable in a Society personal name should be acceptable as a Society household name. This is the rule of thumb I've formulated for determining the acceptability of household names henceforth. If we would register John X, we should register House X as well. We would not permit John Starwalker, so we should not permit House Starwalker. We would register John of the Red Sickles (wincing, perhaps, but we would), so we should register House of the Red Sickles. (2 July, 1992 Cover Letter (June, 1992 LoAR), pg. 3)

Although Maccus' Well originated as a placename, it seems to have been eventually adopted as an hereditary surname, and thus we are forwarding it as a plausible household name.

Gules, a gryphon segreant and on a chief embattled argent a laurel wreath between two pheons inverted sable.

There is a petition of support accompanying this submission.

Gryffyn can be found in Bardsley s.n. Griffin with Robertus Gryffyn and John Gryffyn cited in 1379.

The construction is based on the pattern of <name's structure>. Ekwall includes examples such as Winelecote (Winela's cot, 1310 s.n. Wilcott), Willemscote (Wilhelm's or William's cot, 1232 s.n. Williamscot), Willametorpe (Wilhelm's or William's thorp, 1226 s.n. Williamscot), and Wilinghale Doo (Hahl of Willa's people, 1291 s.n. Willingdale Doe).

Keep has been ruled SCA compatible in the following precedent from November 2001:

"The element crest falls into the same category as keep. In both cases, we do not have evidence of that element used in a formal place name in period, though we have evidence of each as a geographical element. Bardsley (p. 216 s.n. Crest) dates both Rogerus del Crest and Johannes del Crest to 1379. Bardsley (p. 441 s.n. Keep) dates William atte Kep to 18 Edw. I, Roger Kep to I Edw. III, and Richard atte Kippe to I Edw. III. Reaney & Wilson (p. 261 s.n. Keep) dates Thomas ate Kepe to 1327 and Roger de Kepe to 1332.

Keep has long been used as part of SCA branch names. The most recent registration is Crossrode Keep, Shire of (registered November 1999 via Ansteorra). This element is effectively regarded as SCA compatible as an element in an English place name. Given the forms in which it has been registered, spellings of the element Keep are registerable both as a separate element (such as Crossrode Keep), and as the final element in a compound place name (such as Northkeep). Registerable spellings include Keep and any alternate spellings which may be documented to period (including those listed above).

Similarly, there has been enough interest in the element crest, including as recently as 1999, to rule it SCA compatible in an English place name. Unlike keep, crest is not registerable as a separate element. So, Ravencrest is a registerable placename, though Ravenwood Crest, for example, is not."

Argent, in saltire a sword sable and a rose branch proper.

Her name was registered in 12/93.

(Fieldless) A saltire couped bretessed quarterly gules and azure.

His name was registered in 08/96.

(Fieldless) A crampon argent.

His name was registered in 01/03.

Per pale azure and sable, on a roundel per pale Or and argent a raven displayed wings inverted head to sinister sable.

Their name was registered in 10/99.

There is a letter accompanying the submission stating "Our populace has requested a new martial badge for the Barony. As subsequent [sic] badge will no doubt conflict with our original martial badge, which we will be retaining, we do hereby give consent and permission for such conflict." The preexisting badge that they mention is "Gules maily Or, on a roundel per pale Or and argent a raven displayed wings inverted head facing sinister sable."

Or, a bear rampant maintaining a mace and on a chief gules, three Edelweiss argent.

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

Originally submitted as Thorin bjornkarl, we have changed the spelling of the name because documentation seems to suggest that names compounded out of 'bjorn' as a prefix take the spelling 'bjarn-.'

Thorin, according to online sources about Norse mythology (we used http://www.ststp.com/Archives/Scandinavian/Mythology/), is the name of a dwarf. The name has been registered seven times (in this spelling and as Thorinsson), as recently as 1991. In his second tenure, Da'ud said:

Sinéidin Ban Thorin. Name. Sinéidin may be a (relatively slight) misspelling of Sinéidín. It is probably not period, and is at best a late-period spelling. Ban is definitely period; the modern form is bean. Thorin is a Norse name that may have been used by human beings but that certainly must have been rare; its use in an Irish name is therefore doubly improbable. The Irish appear to have modified borrowed names to match Irish spelling and pronunciation; though we may guess at how Thorin would have been treated, but we can't know. And since it would have undergone some changes, the name cannot be correct as submitted, even if we allow all of the other anomalies. A possible "fix" was a very speculative modern Sinéidín Bean Thoráin. Other alternatives include Ban Thoráin or Ban Thoirenn, but only with a given name demonstrably early enough to match this form. However, since the submitter allowed no corrections, we are having to return the name. (Laurel's thanks to Palimpsest for a very detailed discussion, of which this paragraph is the gleanings.) (8/94)

Furthermore, from Alisoun's precedents:

The original submission of the name change [to "Thorin [patronymic]"] was returned because the name Thorin was held by Laurel to be an exclusively dwarven name both in Tolkien and in Norse myth and therefore not eligible for use in the Society. The submittor has presented an impressive array of arguments in support of his position that the name is in fact compatible with the period ambience which we are trying to create and that the bulk of the populace would not (and in fact do not) feel that he was claiming dwarven descent by using the name. Taken by themselves, they add only plausibility to the argument that the name could have been used in period for a human. The existence of the Irish patronymic form "O Torain" cited by MacLysaght (Surnames of Ireland, p. 288), which would derive from a nominative form of "Torin" argues that it was actually used. Therefore, acceptance of this name should not be taken as a general precedent for non-human names in the Society. (LoAR 27 Sep 86, p. 2)

Thus, lacking strong evidence to the contrary, we believe that Thorin is probably registerable.

bjarnkarl is a constructed byname intended to mean "Bjorn's man / friend" or, possibly, "bear's man / friend."

Geirr Bassi states in the introduction that bj{o,}rn means "bear" and also gives Bj{o,}rn as a masculine given name on page 8. Related masculine given names in Geirr Bassi include Bjarnharðr, Bjarnheðinn, Bjarnvarðr, Bj{o,}rnólfr.

In the "Nicknames" section of Geirr Bassi we find barnakarl (friend to children), karlsefni (man's-equal, he-man), kotkarl (cottager, bumpkin), and laxakarl (salmon-man).

Extensive consultation of "An Icelandic-English Dictionary" available online at http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oi_cleasbyvigfusson_about.html ("An Icelandic-English Dictionary, by Richard Cleasby and Gudbrand Vigfusson, was published in 1874. It is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary on Old Icelandic.") has yielded the following data:

barn (child),' börn (children). barnabörn (grandchildren, child's children), barnakarl (child's friend), and barnagaman (child's play).

lax (salmon), laxafiski (salmon-fishing), laxakast and laxaverpi (a salmon casting-net).

björn (bear), genitive form bjarnar. "Björn and Bjarni are freq. pr. names; also in compound names [...] and as a prefix, Bjarngrímr, Bjarnhéðinn, etc."

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter accepts minor changes only and cares most about the meaning "of windy hill."

Tomasia is found in "Italian Renaissance Women's Names" by Rhian Lyth.

Pelican's return of her previously submitted name (Tomasia da Collina Ventoso, 11/02) included the following documentation by Kraken for a plausible period construction with her desired meaning:

The term collina "range of hills" doesn't seem to be used in Italian placenames. I did a lot of research on this when doing my own byname (originally Collinaureo), and the terms used are Coll(e)- "hill" and Mont(e)- "mountain." Ventoso is also a bit verbose, though we do have places such as Montefiascone and Montepulciano. For "hill of wind" I recommend Collevento (placenames like this seem to just stick the two nouns together).

Pelican went on to say that "Given this information, this name would be registerable as Tomasia da Collevento ..." The client is, therefore, submitting that form.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter cares most about the meaning "of raven castle or hall."

Wilhelmina is proposed as a feminine form of Wilhelm, which is a header form in Bahlow. Wilhelm was a common name throughout period. Wilhelmina is also a header form in Withycombe; the entry states "a f. form of Wilhelm (see WILLIAM), borrowed from Germany in the 19th C." While we could not find any more conclusive evidence in support of Wilhelmina, it seems like such an unexceptional name that we are forwarding it to Pelican in hopes that she will rule it acceptable.

Ravensburg(er) is a header form in Brechenmacher, with on Hainr. dictus de Ravenspurk in 1287.

(Fieldless) A winged stag's head affronty erased at the shoulder wings displayed azure collared of an escarbuncle pendant from a chain argent.

This name was registered in 06/02. This badge is intended to be associated with "the Stronghold's Champion."