Æthelmearc Letter of Intent Æ82
November 26, 2004 (AS 39)

Unto François Laurel pro tem, 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.

Azure, a cross raguly argent between a harp Or and three geese rising wings elevated and addorsed argent.

Her name was forwarded to Laurel on XLoI Æ76 (April 26).

Or, a pall gules between three dog's paw prints sable.

The Kingdom's name was registered in 09/89. This badge is intended to be associated with the office of Kingdom Houndmaster/mistress.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and has no other preferences concerning this name.

Morlet's Noms de personne sur le territoire de l'ancienne Gaule du VIe au XIIe siècle Vol. I, Les noms issus du germanique continental et les creations gallo-germaniques gives Alaricus as a header form; the name is masculine and is dated from c. 875 through the 12th century. Alaric is proposed as a vernacular form.

Parthenay is a header form in Dauzat & Rostaing's Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France; the entry dates the spelling Parteniacum to c.1020.

(Fieldless) A cog wheel per bend azure and argent.

The Barony's name was registered in 12/83. The submitters accept any changes and care most about the meaning "a mechanism used in windmills to adjust the cap into the wind; windlass; winch."

This follows the practice of naming awards after tangible objects, evidenced by the following in Maredudd Cethin's "Project Ordensnamen": Scarf (Spain 1330); Star (France/Sicily 1351); Thistle (France 1370); Sickle (Germany 1391); Stocking (Venice 1400); Horn (Bavaria 1444), and others.

Capstan is a header in the Oxford English Dictionary, dated in this spelling to 1325.

(Fieldless) A saltire moline gyronny argent and azure.

The Barony's name was registered in 12/83. The submitters accept any changes and cares most about the meaning "one charged with the keeping and protection of a mill."

This follows the practice of naming awards after groups of people, evidenced by the following in Maredudd Cethin's "Project Ordensnamen": Militia of Christ (Portugal 1318); Nobles of Tyrol (Austria 1361); Brothers of Jubilation (Italy 1233); Fools (France 1380); Seraphim (Sweden 1280) and others.

Millguard is a proposed as a plausible cognate of the word millward. The submitters have offered the following documentation:

Mill is a header in the Oxford English Dictionary, with mylen in 961, myll in 1020, melle in 1374, and others.

Guard is a header in the Oxford English Dictionary. In the sense of a keeper, protector, defender, it is dated to 1412 gaird, 1474 gardes (this is a plural), and 1483 garde.

Millward can be found in the Oxford English Dictionary. "Originally the keeper of a (manorial) mill" it is dated to c. 1000 mylenwyrd; 1050 myleweard; 1305 meleward; 1380 mulleward; 1387 milwardes (genitive); 1430 millewardes (plural); 1380 mulleward.

Concerning ward/guard as cognates, the Oxford English Dictionary s.n. ward states "Some of the senses below are derived from the Law French warde, which appeared to be in part an adoption of the English word and in part the north-eastern Old French form. In Law French, from the 13th c. onward, the word has regularly the form garde."

Although this pertains to Law French and not English, the following pairs of English words were concurrently used in period:

Guardian/Warden: gardeins 1417; gardyene 1477; gardeyns 1491 and wardeyne 1400; wardein 1412.

Garderobe/Wardrobe: garderob 1333-4; garderobe 1450; garderobe 1470-85 and warderobe 1387-8; warderope 1400; warderobe 1460. The entry for wardrobe says "OF warderobe, north-eastern variant of garderobe."

Given this evidence, Millguard seems like a plausible cognate of millward. The submitters write that if "millguard" is deemed unregisterable, they will accept "mill guard" or, if necessary, "millward."

(Fieldless) A mistral contourny argent.

The Barony's name was registered in 12/83. The submitters accept any changes and cares most about the meaning "a variant of the heraldic wind charge with a female head."

This follows the practice of naming awards after heraldic charges, evidenced by the following in Maredudd Cethin's "Project Ordensnamen": Lily (Aragon 1410); Horn (Bavaria 1444); Ship (Naples 1381); Thistle (France 1370); Star (France/Sicily 1351) and others.

Mistral is a header in the Oxford English Dictionary, with mestrall dated to 1604.

Quarterly sable and argent, two double-bitted axes in saltire counterchanged.

Originally submitted as Eldjarn Sveinnbildr, no documentation could be found supporting the construction of Sveinnbildr. Upon consultation with the submitter, we have dropped Sveinn- from the byname.

This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 9th century Swedish Viking time period, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the meaning 'fire-iron axe.'

Eldjárn is listed as a male given name on p. 9 of Geirr Bassi. Lindorm Eriksson's article "The Bynames of the Viking Age Runic Inscriptions" gives this name as meaning 'fire-iron.'

bíldr is listed as a nickname meaning 'ax, ax-blade' on p. 20 ibid.

Argent, a dragon segreant vert and on a chief embattled gules a needle palewise argent conjoined by the thread to a full yarn quill Or.

This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the meaning 'tailor.' Originally submitted as Elena Tailleur, tailleur was given as an Old French word in the Reaney & Wilson entry for Taylor, but was not actually dated as a byname. Upon consultation with the submitter, we have changed Tailleur to the dated form Le Taillure.

Elena is found in Reaney & Wilson s.n. Ellen, with one Elena ... ipson Helenam in 1219.

Le Taillure is dated to 1255 in Aryanhwy's "12th & 13th Century English Textile Surnames."

Purpure, three chalices within a laurel wreath Or.

The shire's name was registered in 09/91. This is an unusual case, but to sum up the history of it: In 08/2002, Hunter's Home changed their group arms, registering "Vert, a deer passant within a laurel wreath and a chief embattled Or." At that time they released their old arms, "Purpure, three chalices within a laurel wreath Or."

At the time that they decided to change their group arms, no one made them aware of the fact that their old arms could be retained as Ancient Arms. However, as of 01/2002 the Admin Handbook section II.D.2 has included the clause "If a branch changes its arms, it may retain the old arms under the designation 'Ancient Arms.'"

The people of Hunter's Home have recently discovered the Ancient Arms clause, and wish that they had known about it at the time of their device change, because if they had known this was possible they would have retained their ancient arms in 2002.

The populace has, to this end, written a letter and petition. Their letter states that they spoke with Shauna Laurel and Margaret Pelican at Heralds' Point at Pennsic, and that Laurel and Pelican supported their intent. Their petition indicates their desire to have "Purpure, three chalices within a laurel wreath Or" restored to them as Ancient Arms and bears many signatures.

Per pale sable and argent, two axes adorsed in saltire between two wolf's heads erased respectant all counterchanged.

His name was forwarded to Laurel on XLoI Æ77 (May 25, 2004).

Per chevron inverted sable and gules, in chief a hunting horn reversed argent.

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

Originally submitted as Roland of Foxes Glen, we have changed the byname to match similar documented placenames (Foxeslea and Foxestone).

Roland is a header form in Withycombe, with Rolland in 1086 and Rolandus in 1186-1220, 1316, 1428.

Foxesglen is a constructed placename intended to mean "glen or valley frequented by foxes."

Ekwall includes a variety of place-names relating to foxes. In support of the plural foxes we find s.n. Foxley (Foxeslea 1086) "OE fox-l{e-}ah fox wood," s.n. Foxton (1202, Foxestone 1086) "t{u-}n where foxes abounded." Other fox-places include Foxcote (1146, 1316, 1370) probably meaning "foxes' burrow," Foxearth (Foxherthe 1198, Foxerde 1249) meaning "plowed land where foxes were common," Foxhall (Foxhole 1254) "foxes' burrow," Foxham (1065) "hamm where foxes were frequent," and Foxedene (1170) "fox valley."

Ekwall s.n. Glencoyne says "The elements here are glen from Brit glenno- valley" and s.n. Glendue "'Dark valley,' from Welsh glyn 'valley' and du 'dark, black.'"

Reaney & Wilson give Glen as a header form and cite "Adam, William de glen" in 1327.