Æthelmearc Letter of Intent AE80
September 26, 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. 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.

(Fieldless) A bear couchant sable crowned of a baronial coronet Or pearled argent.

Her name was registered in July 1981. She was made a Baroness of the Court in Æthelmearc in May 2000.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the sound.

Brian is a header form in Withycombe, with this spelling dated to 1273.

Hedon is a header form in Mills, dated in this spelling to the 12th century.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the sound.

Ciarán is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire; the entry says that there were 26 saints by this name. Ciarán is also Mari's Index of Names in Irish Annals, which cites it in 512, 517, 784, 921, 928, 938, and 1061.

mac Gaoithín is a header form in Woulfe; the entry says that "in the 16th century, it was almost peculiar to the counties of Down & Donegal." MacLysaght s.n. Mac Geehan gives "Mac Gaoithín (the basic word here is gaoth, wind.)"

Gyronny vert and argent, three reremice gules a bordure sable.

Her name was registered in August 2002. A previous device (Gyronny vert and argent, three reremice gules) was returned in-Kingdom in 2002 for conflict.

Argent, a gryphon segreant gules winged sable haloed Or a bordure sable.

A previous name (Magdalena Drucker) and device (Argent, a gryphon segreant gules winged sable haloed Or and maintaining a flag per fess gules and sable flying from a staff Or all within a bordure sable) were returned by Laurel in 01/03 for lack of documentation of the name "Drucker" and because the device "uses a flag that appears to be a display of Per fess gules and sable. According to precedent, '[... sustaining a banner quarterly sable and gules, seme of fraises Or] ... we do not allow a depiction of heraldic display which conflicts with registered armory...' (LoAR September 2000)." (The flag conflicted with two pieces of real-world armory.)

All that being said, this name is intended to be feminine. The submitter requests authenticity for 1500's Germany, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the language / culture of 1500's Alsatia / Germany.

Magdalena is a header form in Heintze-Cascorbi's "Die Deutschen Familiennamen." The entry says, in its entirety: "Magdalena II. (maria) aus Magdala. Kal. 22 Juli. W. dictus vron Lenun 1272; Friedrich Lena 1232 (Socin). FN. Lehna; Lehn(e); Gen. Lehnen. Dagegen Magdalener, Mad-, Matt- zum ON. Magdalena (häufig in Österr.), Madlein (Tirol)."

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

Binder is a header form in Brechenmacher, with one "Heinr. der B." (presumably, Heinrich der Binder) in 1267.

Socin's "Mittlehochdeutsches Namenbuch" also lists Heinricus Binder circa 1300.

Azure, a fess embattled Or and overall a sword proper enflamed gules.

His name was registered in 07/95. We believe that the low-contrast portions of the enflaming are allowable, according to François' precedent of 12/03:

[Purpure, a heart Or enflamed gules] The enflaming of the heart, as is often the case, is drawn as small gouttes of flame, and is a blazonable detail that is not worth difference. Because the enflaming is considered an artistic detail, it is acceptable to have gules enflaming on a purpure field.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter is interested in but does not specifically request authenticity for "14th century Eastern Europe," accepts minor changes only and cares most about the meaning "Nicholas the Smith."

Nikolai is a header form in Wickenden with this form dated to 1291.

Kowal is found in Wickenden s.n. Koval with one Piotr Kowal cited in 1558.

(Fieldless) A mouse couchant azure.

Her name was registered in 11/98.

Submitted at kingdom as Snæbj{o,}rn Haakonsson inn snjalliøx, we have changed the name to conform better to the documentation available.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the language / culture.

The introduction to Geirr Bassi indicates that Norse names follow the pattern of <given name> <optional nickname> <patronym>.

Snæbj{o,}rn is listed as a male given name on p. 14 of Geirr Bassi.

Hákonsson is a patronym based on the male given name Hákon listed on p. 11 of Geirr Bassi. Originally submitted as Haakonsson, we found no evidence that the double-a spelling is anything other than modern. snjalløx is a constructed descriptive nickname intended to mean "swift axe."

inn snjalli is an adjective meaning 'the swift'; it is found on p. 28 of Geirr Bassi as a nickname. We believe that in a compound the final i would be dropped, based on the adjective inn illi 'evil, bad' and the related compound nouns illingr 'evil man,' illskælda 'bad poet, plagiarizer,' illugi 'bad thought' and illviti 'boder of evil, bad-news' (Geirr Bassi p. 23, Nicknames) and the adjective inn harði 'hard, stern, severe' and the related compound nouns harðfari 'fast-traveller,' harðmagi 'strong stomach,' and harðráði 'stern, severe' (Geirr Bassi p. 22, Nicknames).

øx is found in the nicknames blóðøx 'blood-ax' and øxarstafr 'ax-handle' (from Geirr Bassi, Nicknames).

Other nicknames with similar sorts of meanings include langaspjót 'long-spear,' (Geirr Bassi p. 25, Nicknames) and a Middle English nickname, Snellesward.

Snellesward is a header form in Jonjo's Studies on Middle English Nicknames I. Compounds, with one Walter Snellesward in 1332. The entry reads "OE snel(l) 'quick' + sweord 'sword.' 'One who is fast with his sword, prob. skillful swordsman or wild, fighting man.'"

Argent, a saltire sable between in fess two torteaux.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 14th-15th century German language/culture, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the sound.

Valentin is header form in Bahlow, with one Valerius Diependale in 1590. In addition, Talan's "Late Period German Masculine Given Names" lists Valentin as being used in the 15th c. in Arnsburg.

Lieme is an undated header form in Bahlow described as a "pl.n." (place name) "in Lippe area."

Standard Bibliography of Sources