November greetings to all who read these words from Ailis Garnet and Roana Cornelian! We recently published a few notes on the aethel-heralds list, and we repeat them here to make sure that everyone sees them.
Concerning Copies of Submissions Forms:
We've been recieving some submissions lately that don't have the right numbers of copies. Here’s a quick refresher of what we want to see:
Names - Form filled out in ink, 2 copies of the form and 2 copies of any documentation.
Armory - 1 line drawing/black and white copy; 3 colored copies (Crayola Classic Markers preferred). Please do not use colored pencils or crayons to color your armory submissions.
Concerning the Printed Size of Forms:
Unfortunately, the current Wreath King of Arms (he makes the armory decisions) is a real stickler for administrative details like the exact size of the escutcheon on armory forms. So, when you print the pdf from the webpage, please make sure that it prints FULL SIZE and does not shrink the pdf! As a rule of thumb, measure the escutcheon on your printouts; it needs to be at least 4.5” wide. If the escutcheon is less than 4.5” wide on the final, colored copies, one of us has to recopy and recolor the submission, and that's a pain.
No Staples, Please!
The current Laurel team does not want to receive anything with staples in it. So, please, do not staple together any of the pages of your submissions. Also, please do not staple checks to the submissions forms. Paper clips are fine.
Concerning the Current Forms:
Please make sure that you are using the current forms (revised February 2004/A.S. XXXVIII). We advise throwing away any copies of older forms that you might come across. As a caution, if you have any submissions that you've been working on for more than a few months, please double check; you may have to rewrite the submission on new forms.
Concerning Timeliness:
Please make sure that you are forwarding submissions in a timely fashion. This week, we received a submission form and check dated February 28! Not only does this give the submitter a poor opinion of the speed with which heraldic submissions are processed, but holding a submitter's uncashed check for months is a discourtesy.
Thank you for your attention to these matters. With no further ado we bring you the November Internal Letter of Intent. Commentary on these items is due no later than November 30. Please post your commentary to aethel-heralds@lists.andrew.cmu.edu of e-mail it to us privately at garnet@aethelmearc.org.
It is the intent of the Æthelmearc College of Heralds that the following items be considered for registration.
1. Bran Ó Labhradha -- New name, New device
Argent, semy of oak trees vert, on a pale sable three goblets argent. [color]
This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the sound, specifically, a byname sounding like "Lowry".
Bran is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire, which states it was "One of the most popular names in early Ireland and one favoured by the O Byrnes down to the end of the middle ages and later."
Ó Labhradha is a header form in Woulfe, who states it was "the name of an ancient family in Co. Down."
Herald of Record: Cadell Blaidd du
2. Gwenhwyvar verch Morwyn -- New name, New device
Purpure, a chevron ermine between in chief five escallops and in base a dragonfly tergiant argent. [color]
This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter is interested in but does not specifically request authenticity for 16th century Welsh, accepts any changes and cares most about the sound.
Gwenhwyvar is found in Tangwystyl's "Women's Names in the First Half of 16th Century Wales" s.n. Gwenhwyfar. The submitted spelling occurs twice.
verch is Welsh for daughter
Morwyn is found as an unmarked patronymic in a Yorkshire land grant dated to 1546 in Gairdner's "Grants in November, A.D. 1546," Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII, Vol. 21, part 2, with Stephen Morwyn, Hugh Morwyn, and Wm. Morwyn (page 239, section 85 -- copies attached).
Herald of Record: Alheydis von Körckhingen
3. Meraud d'Avignon -- Change of Device
Or, an oak tree blasted conjoined in pale with an oak tree blasted inverted purpure. [color]
If this device is registered, she would like her current device (Purpure, a dragonfly within an orle of fleurs-de-lis Or) to be released.
Herald of Record: Cadell Blaidd du
This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter is requests authenticity for 14th-16th century Scottish language/culture, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the language/culture. The form also states "Submitter originally wanted Nivah or Nevah a name used by her Scottish family -- I could find no evidence of its use -- she will accept whatever you can find that sounds closest."
Nia can be found at www.daire.org/names/celtirishfem.html; the entry says "Nia -- variant of Welsh name Niamh" and at www.daire.org/names/celtwfem.html where the entry says "Nia -- (NEE-ah) Welsh form of Irish name Niamh, from Old Irish niam 'luster, sheen, brilliance.'" However, the top level of this page disclaims that "This site should not be relied upon for information regarding SCA personas. I do not know where to find documentation of name usage you need."
Katherine: The form states "accepted use in 16th C. Scotland.
Rose: The form states "English fem. Given name after 1200."
Bannockburn: The form states "Village in Sterlingshire Scotland."
Herald of Record: Matilda Bosvyle
This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter accepts minor changes only and cares most about the sound.
Niamh is the name of a female character in numerous Irish stories, according to Ó Corráin & Maguire, s.n. Niam, Niamh. At least some of these women do not seem to have had any extraordinary powers. The form notes "Consulting herald will investigate further."
ban - Gaelic word for wife
Bran is a header form in Ó Corráin & Maguire, which states it was "One of the most popular names in early Ireland and one favoured by the O Byrnes down to the end of the middle ages and later."
Ó Labhradha is a header form in Woulfe, who states it was "the name of an ancient family in Co. Down."
The submitter would like the name to mean "Niamh, wife of Bran Ó Labhradha." (The submitter is the wife of Bran Ó Labhradha and will have a letter of permission to claim kinship if necessary.)
If the "wife" construction cannot be used, she would allow an appropriate form of "inghean ui Labhradha."
Herald of Record: Aurenca Mouly
6. Rafe Woulson -- New name, New device
Or, a wolf rampant sable within a bordure sable estoily Or. [color]
This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about the sound.
Rafe is found in Black, s.n. Ralph, with Rafe Pott in Kelso, dated to 1567.
Woulson is found in Black, s.n. Wilson, with Thomas Woulson dated to 1563.
Herald of Record: Piers Blackmonster
7. Rakel Hrafnsdottir -- New name, New device
Argent, on a bend azure between two ravens close sable, three oak trees argent. [color]
This name is intended to be feminine. The submitter accepts any changes and cares most about a Viking name meaning "Raven's daughter."
Rakel is a feminine given name of Christian origin found in Geirr Bassi on page 14.
Hrafn is a masculine given name found in Geirr Bassi on page 11.
The patronymic was formed using the rules listed on page 17.
Herald of Record: Cadell Blaidd du
8. Stanislav Hmurovic od Zeborov -- New name, New device
Azure, a reremouse and on a chief argent three card piques sable. [color]
This name is intended to be masculine. The submitter requests authenticity for 15th c Slovak or Southern Polish, accepts minor changes only and cares most about the language/culture.
Stanislav is a header form in Wickenden, which dates the name as a "Polish name" to 1555.
The consulting herald noted that they would look for further documentation. As none was provided, we ask the College for any assistance they can provide on Polish names.
Herald of Record: Aurenca Mouly
