I didn’t conflict check all of the items on the letter. However, I checked many of them, and have noted which ones I checked. Conflict checking was solely of the online O&A, which has been updated through March 2005, and not any subsequent LoARs.

1. Aleksander Regulanka - New name, New device
Per bend sable and argent, a decrescent and a hound dormant counterchanged.

Regulanka - E-mail Istvan and remind him. ;) However, this page indicates that the Regulanka is a river in Poland.

PolishRoots.org states that “often surnames did come from names of little streams”. This site also lists Dunajski, which means “of the Danube,” on this page. (However, apparently most of this author’s work is with names from the 18th C. and later.)

No device conflicts found in the online O&A.

Name checked in the online O&A against names starting with Ale-, All-, Ali-, Ala-, Alo-, Alu-, and Ol-; also against names containing “regu” and “anka”. No conflicts found.

2. Alide van Spaarnwoude - New name, New device
Azure, a castle and on a chief rayonny argent three elm trees couped vert.

The Wikipedia article Rivers of the Netherlands lists the rivers of the Netherlands alphabetically at the end of the page. The only byname in the Toddekyn article that I feel certain is based on a river name is vander Aa. I have listed some other bynames from this article which I think may be based on rivers with the modern river name in parentheses.

van Amere (Amer), Dies (Dieze), Harync, Harinc (maybe from Haringvliet), van Marcke, van der Marct (kind of ambiguous), van der Mase, vander Mase (perhaps from the river names including Maas?), Schee (Schie), van de Steene, van den Steene, vande Steene (Steenbergse Vliet), de Vact (Vecht), de Wale (Waal), de Zwarte (Zwarte Water)

"15th Century Dutch Names" by Aryanhwy merch Catmael also includes van der Maes, Maes, van der Mase, van Rijn (Rhine?), van der Schuer and van der Schueren (Scheur) in the list of surnames.

This language is not one of my major strengths, and I don’t feel 100% confident in saying that these names definitely came from these rivers and not some other source. (Also, the modern names for the rivers may or may not be what they were called in our period.)

One river on the list is the Spaarne, at least modernly. Sparnwoude seems to have existed as a village during our period, at least according to this page. It includes a sketch of Sparnwoude made around 1615, and notes that the village church was destroyed in 1572. Presently Sparnwoude appears to be the name for a deliberately undeveloped recreation area (source).

So, if the submitter actually wants a byname based on the river, van der Spaarne would probably be appropriate. Other aanlopen might be appropriate too. If she wants the byname as submitted, it should be fine, although I am uncertain what an authentic spelling might be.

Armory: A June 2000 return states that in Constance le Royer de la Tour’s device (Azure, a tower argent issuant from a heart Or.) the heart and tower are co-primary, so the submitted device is clear by changing the number of primary charges and adding a secondary charge. (There is no significant difference between a castle and a tower; see the ruling on Michael Gillean of Blackwater Keep’s device in August 1999.)

The device is most likely clear of Esmeralda of Kimaden’s device (Azure, a tower argent surmounted in base by a timber wolf couchant to sinister and in chief atop the tower a round natural rose bush proper. [Canis lupus] [Rosa canina]) by addition of the wolf and change/addition of type of charge in chief. Because the device was registered in 1982, though, there is a small chance that neither charge was drawn sufficiently large enough to count for difference.

If the emblazon on the West Kingdom Roll of Arms is representative of the one in the Laurel files, I would say that Karlyn of the Flaming Castle’s device (Azure, a triple-towered castle, the sinister tower fracted and lying fesswise to sinister argent, enflamed in chief proper, issuant from chief and base flames proper.) does not conflict. If the flames are small, though, they may not count for difference.

This is probably clear of the Barony of Borealis’ badge (Azure, two wolf's heads erased addorsed and conjoined at the neck issuant from the battlements of a demi-tower argent.). There is one difference for the removal of the chief, and most likely the wolves’ heads and demi-tower are co-primary. If the wolves’ heads are only small maintained charges, though, the devices would conflict.

No other potential conflicts found in the online O&A.

3. Ambrose Kyrielle - New name, New device
Per chevron purpure and Or, a chevron rompu counterchanged.

This armory is stylistically problematic. I think the counterchanging is excessive and renders the design unidentifiable as it is presently blazoned. (This is a problem under RfS VIII.3.) It actually looks (to me) more like “Purpure, a pale pointed couped issuant from a point pointed and overall a chevronel Or.” Even under this interpretation, however, the College of Arms does not register single diminutives of ordinaries. (See Diminutive in the SCA Heraldic Glossary.)

I am a bit skeptical about the surname. Data points more than 300 years apart (and who knows what geographical distance) are not the best thing to use for an interpolation. However, this list of wills lists Kiriel as an attested surname from 1376 and Kyrrell from 1472. (Kent is not very far from London.) This list also includes Kryel from 1408.

The London Assize of Nuisance 1301-1431 lists William Kyriel as a defendant in a lawsuit during the 1370s in London.

The Calendar of the Plea and Memoranda Rolls of the City of London: Volume 2: 1364-1381 mentions the widow of one John Kiryel in a document dated 1379 or 1380.

It appears that the later in time the name is found, the more likely it is to be spelled with a K, have an I or Y between the K and the R(s), to have lost the I/Y sound after the R(s), and to be spelled with two Ls. The E seems to have been optional even in the 13th C.; or perhaps that represents the idiosyncrasy of one scribe’s handwriting.

In the 16th C. and late 15th C. I would expect the attested Kyrrell. In the late 14th C. Kiriel, Kyriel, and Kiryel are attested. Kryel is attested in the early 15th C. and a double L spelling is probably plausible as a transitional spelling between the late 14th C and late 15th C. forms.

To really rigorously justify the E on the end, you would need to find at least one surname that variously ended in -elle, -el, -ell, etc., preferably one not ending in French -ville (town). With some of the data above, Pelican might think that Kyrielle was close enough for jazz to register. Or she might not. :)

Finally, Ambros appears once in “Masculine Given Names in the Registers of the Church of St. Mary's, Dymock” by Mari Elspeth ni Bryan.

4. Antonius Hasebroek - New name, New device
Per pale purpure and Or, a pair of jointed trews vairy potent azure and argent.

No device conflicts found under Clothing - Footgear in the online O&A.

Hasebroek - Actually, it’s Hasebroeck. However, in the same article Houcke and vanden Houke are dated to 1592 and 1400-1550 respectively. de Baertmaecker and de Baertmaeker are dated to between 1400-1550. van den Broucke and vanden Brouke are both dated to 1400-1550. There are other examples, but the idea is that c/ck variation is plausible. No name conflicts found in the online O&A.

5. Arianwen verch Rhys ap Gwalter - New name, New device
Azure, a pine tree and on a chief argent three arrows point to chief azure.

According to Academy of Saint Gabriel Report #1942 other forms of Arianwen would be more authentic; however, Arianwen has been registered as recently as 2004.

Aranwen and Arganwen are only dated to the 5th C; this is 1000 years earlier than Gwalter, and these two elements are not compatible. (See Sáerlaith an Einigh, 11/2002 LoAR.)

There are a number of names from the Book of Llandav (6th-10th centuries) which are more compatible with Arianwen and sound vaguely like Gwalter: for example, Guallonir. Ris also appears in the Llandav charters, so Rhys, while a later spelling, is plausible.

This data is from Tangwystyl’s “The First 1000 Years of British Names”.

I’m not going to attempt to construct an exact early form of this name; I leave that to someone more knowledgeable about Welsh and Latin and how they interact. I note, though, that there doesn’t seem to be a conflict with Arianwen verch Rhys.

These arrows are not on a chief, they are in chief, unless the line was either not drawn or scanning removed it. (And if they are in chief, they can’t be azure on an azure field.)

No device conflicts found when the blazon was checked as is. Is that an acceptable way to depict arrows? The fletching looks odd. (Most heraldic arrows, at least in SCA devices, seem to have clearly drawn fletching that has a rounded shape.)

6. Bj{o,}rn Einarsson - New name, New device
Gules, a squirrel per fess Or and azure.

Aryanhwy merch Catmael's "Viking Names from the Landnámabók" confirms the Geirr Bassi citations.

Some similar names in the online O&A: Bjorn Arnaldsson, Bjorn Egilsson, and Bjorn Eiriksson. The latter is the only one I really think is questionable. The difference is only one unstressed syllable in the middle of the name.

7. Celine Violier - New name

The name is intended to be female. The submitter will accept minor changes only and cares most about meaning. The submitter is not requesting authenticity.

I did not find a southern (langue d’oc) form of the given name to go with the byname. I don’t have the cited sources and so could not check the documentation.

I checked the online O&A for names starting with Cel and Sel and names including Viol and found no conflicts.

8. Corbinus of Æthelmearc - New name, New device
Per saltire vert and argent, in fess two ravens close respectant sable.

I don’t have Morlet, but Corbinus also appears in Juliana de Luna’s "Masculine Names from Thirteenth Century Pisa" article.

No conflicts found when I checked the online O&A for names starting with Cor and Kor and names including of Æthelmearc.

Thorvald Thorlyfsson's device (Argent, a battleaxe gules between and supported by two ravens passant respectant sable.) may conflict with this one. It depends on the size of the battleaxe. If the battleaxe is a small maintained charge, there is no difference for orientation, tincture, or type between the birds. I wouldn't expect a posture different between passant and close, either. There is only one definite CD for changes to the field.

Thorfinnr inn vegsvinni Ingason's device (Argent, two falcons rising wings addorsed respectant, maintaining between them a stone sable.) should be clear of conflict. Rising is a period posture for falcons, and close is a period posture for ravens.

Blazoning of Creatures notes that rising and volant are identical except for the visibility (or lack thereof) of the feet. In 9/2001, concerning the device of Robert of Gresewode, it was ruled that there was a CD between volant and close.

Peregrine Payne’s device (Per saltire Or and vert, in pale two peregrine falcons rising, wings inverted and addorsed, sable.) should be clear by the same logic. (No CD for arrangement, because it’s a forced move.)

Edward de Maccuswell's device (Per saltire argent and sable, in pale two double-headed eagles displayed sable.) should be clear with CDs for field difference and another for posture, since displayed is a period posture for eagles.

The Shire of Vakkerfjell's device (West, 1983, Per pale argent and Or, two swans statant close respectant sable, maintaining in their beaks a laurel wreath vert.) should be clear with CDs for type and changes to the field, unless the swans are drawn in an overwhelmingly raven-like way.

9. Deianeira Carmen Rodriguez y Aragonés - New name, New device
Purpure, on a chevron argent between two bull’s heads erased contourny and a straight-rayed demi-sun issuant from base Or three crosses flory sable.

There are a number of problems with this name. The first is that Carmen was ruled to be unregisterable in October 2002, as there is no evidence of its usage in period.

Deianeira was a figure from mythology who appeared in the Epistles of Ovid. A copy of this MS from 15th or 16th century France survives. Deianira may be the name as it appears in the MS; I am not certain. I would expect the Epistles of Ovid to be available in Spain at least in Latin, but don’t know for certain. This name might therefore be a plausible literary name based on Ovid or on a number of medieval romances, most notably The Romance of the Rose.

Flutre, in Table des Noms Propres avec Toutes Leurs Variantes Figurant dans les Romans du Moyen Age Écrits en Français ou en Provençal et Actuellement Publiés ou Analysés (Centre d’Etudes Superieures de Civilisation Medieval, Poitiers, 1962), s.n. Deianira, lists Déjanire, Déja(n)nireit, and Doyianirra. They are respectively from The Romance of the Rose, Le roman de Dolopathos, and Yderroman.

The essay "The Three Most Read Books of the Century" indicates that The Romance of the Rose was “probably the most read book during the Thirteenth and Fourteenth and most of the Fifteenth centuries in all the countries of Europe. Its popularity can be well appreciated from the fact that, though Chaucer was much read, there are more than three times as many manuscript copies of The Romance of the Rose in existence as of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and it was one of the earliest books to see the light in print.”

Someone more learned than myself might be able to comment on whether period Spanish language MSS of this work survive, or how the name might have been modified for use in a Spanish context.

Even if compound names are common in “Grecian and Iberian” cultures (which the submitter’s documentation does not seem to establish), this does not mean that a Latin word and a Welsh name could be plausibly combined in either culture to form a given name.

I was not able to access the two following links:

http://www.cedarseed.com/air/celticnames.html Names of Celtic, Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish origins
http://pup.princeton.edu/books/lyons/chapter_2.html

House of Names articles not found (404).

A 10/1997 precedent (Constanzia Maria Morales Enzina d'Zamora) indicates that what Jaelle calls “the modern y formation” was known by 1580 in Spain.

Juliana de Luna’s article "Spanish Names from the Late 15th Century" indicates that de Aragon appeared in the late 15th C. She could conceivably be Rodriguez de Aragon. However, someone with better Spanish sources may be able to document Aragonés.

No device conflicts found in the online O&A.

10. Drogomir Von Litwin - New name

None of the documentation for the given name, at least as summarized, supports it. (If Drogomir is in Searle s.n. Drogo, the summary does not make that clear.) This page and this page both state that “In 1233 Drogomir, son of Piotr, signed his name as z Sl~upów [from Sl~upy] ...” They give the source as Slownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego

So, apparently some form of the name was being used in the 13th C., but I have no idea if this source normalized spellings or not. Walraven van Nijmegen's article "Polish Given Names in Nazwiska Polaków" indicates that Slavic names were dithematic, and that -mir was still a popular deuterotheme in the 16th C. However, Paul Wickenden of Thanet's Dictionary of Russian Names (second edition) cites Dragomir and other names which use Drago- as a protheme with dates that indicate its use (at least in Russian contexts) spanned several centuries, including the 13th.

Von Litwin is a Germanic formation. There doesn’t seem to have been a ruling, but I would expect there to be a weirdness for this combination. My understanding is that Polish locatives take the form {z’} location, but I have no idea if it would be appropriate to use a country rather than a town. Polish is not one of my strengths.

11. Eoin of Argyll - New name, New device
Per pall Or, sable and purpure, a chief vert.

Eoin - The OCM info is correct, but the entry does not discuss its use in Scotland. However, Sharon L. Krossa's "Scottish Gaelic Given Names" (3rd edition) indicates that this spelling was used in 1408 in a Gaelic context. (Note: this is from a draft article which the author suggests using with extreme caution.)

I assume Argyll is a Scots spelling, rather than a Gaelic one? There is a weirdness for mixing Scots and Gaelic, and a weirdness for a post-1600 element. (Typo: former, not fromer.) The byname should be changed to the 1425 spelling unless pre-1600 documentation for it is found.

This device conflicts with Rivka Vladimirovna Rivkina’s device: Per pall Or, vert, and sable.

RfS X.4.a states that “There is a clear difference for reversing the tinctures of a field evenly divided into two parts, per saltire, or quarterly, but not for reversing the tinctures of a field divided in any other way ...” (See also the return of Giotto di Giovanni’s device in March 2002.) A chief is a peripheral ordinary, and does not count as a primary charge, so RfS X.2 (Difference of Primary Charges) does not apply. See the return of Charles le Grey’s device in 9/2001. Charles the Grey of Mooneschadowe (the same person?) also ran afoul of a similar problem in 6/2003.

Therefore, there is no field difference between this device and Rivka’s device, particularly since only a third of the field has been changed.

There is basically one CD for removal of a charge directly on the field. Since a chief is not a primary charge, neither X.1 (Addition of Primary Charges) nor X.2 can apply.

Rivka’s device was registered in September 2000 via the Outlands; it may be possible to secure a letter of permission to conflict.

Crispus Alexander’s device (Gyronny of three arrondi, gules, Or, and purpure.) may or may not conflict. There is no CD between gyronny of three and per pall, and no CD for tincture change. There may or may not be a CD for straight lines vs. arrondy lines. Concerning John Paul Devereaux’s device in 3/2001, it was ruled that there was, and this was reaffirmed concerning the device of Giotto di Giovanni in March 2002, previously cited; however, in 3/2000 it was ruled that there was no difference between a pall and a pall arrondy concerning the device of Beatrice Domenici della Campana.

I would tend to say that the device was clear, but I have no idea what Wreath might rule.

Crispus’ device was registered in September 1971, so he could be difficult to contact if this is ruled to be a conflict. (He is not listed on the West’s OP, so if he continued to be active, it probably wasn’t there.)

12. Eudoxia Antonina - New name, New device
Or, an apple tree gules fructed Or, on a chief gules a crescent between two roundels all Or.

Documentation for the given name is as cited. Seems like a reasonable extrapolation to me.

If I have interpreted section on structures of feminine names correctly, Bardas Xiphias indicates in his article "Personal Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the Later Byzantine Era" that women had their fathers’ family name as a byname, not his first name. There is a list of family names which are temporally compatible with the submitted given name here . This article doesn’t suggest that two given names and no bynames are plausible in Greek during the submitter’s time period, but for all I know it might be.

14. Finn Folhare - New badge
(fieldless) A brown onager rampant proper within and conjoined to a joscelyn wreathed gules and ermine belled Or.

An onager’s head has been registered in the SCA before, but not the whole beastie. How is this onager drawn? Most onager pictures seem to have a sort of pale undercoat with large red-brown splotches over that. (An onager is also a siege engine that was known in period, but I think “rampant” eliminates the possibility of confusion if the tincture designation does not.)

I wouldn’t give difference between this onager and a horse. (This could probably even be reblazoned horse.)

This Wikipedia article indicates that the onager was native to Syria, Iran, Iraq, and India, which would probably be sufficient for registration. Western Europeans had contact with at least some of those areas before the end of our period.

Visually the joscelyn seems like the primary charge to me; I don’t think the onager even qualifies for co-primary status. If the surrounding charge were an annulet, which has more internal space and no bells, it would probably be a different story.

I would reblazon this as “Within and conjoined to a joscelyn wreathed gules and ermine belled Or a brown onager rampant proper” to emphasize the size difference, but I appreciate that I may be in the minority here.

15. Gabrán Glas - New name

Gabran appears in the Annals of Ulster around the year 590 and Gabran liaig, Gabran the physician, appears in a poem written first written down in the middle of the 15th C. (Source for the latter via Mari neyn Brian's "Index of Names in Irish Annals" article.)

Glas appears as a byname in the 15th and 16th centuries. (Source: the aforementioned annals article.)

16. Gabriela Von Litwin - New name

I assume the Aleksander is left over from the first item? IMO, none of this justifies Gabriela in either a Polish or Russian context as a feminine name. It’s not possible to determine from the cited article if there is a tradition of making names feminine by adding -a to masculine names, but I didn’t see any instances in the listed names to support that.

Same comments about von Litwin as for item 10.

18. Grania filia Briani - New name, New device
Per fess vert and sable, a winged boar statant argent and a lymphad Or.

No name conflicts found in the online O&A.

19. Isabella FitzRandolph - New device
Per pale vert and ermine argent with sable, a trefoil per pale argent and sable.

“Argent with sable” can be omitted from the blazon; white with sable ermine tails is the default for ermine.

This trefoil is pierced; that should be noted in the blazon.

Is this a valid depiction of a trefoil?

20. Isabella FitzRandolph - New badge
(Fieldless) a trefoil per pale vert and ermine argent with sable.

Same comments as for the device above.

21. Juliana de Duglas - New name

There seems to be no evidence for use of Juliana in Scottish contexts. (Most names in Black are Lowland Scots.) However, R&W, s.n. Douglas, list de Duglasse in Northumberland in 1256, so de Duglas is probably not unlikely. (In any case, there is no penalty for mixing Scots and English.)

No conflicts found in the online O&A.

22. Katerine Chamberlyne - New name

O’Brien, “Name Distribution in King’s Stanley Marriages: 1573-1600”

The web address of this article is http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/kingsstanley/ .

Documentation for both elements is as cited.

No conflicts found in the online O&A. Nice name.

23. Katrina of York - New name, New device
Per fess wavy Or and purpure, two dragons sejant counterchanged.

Katrina is a Lowland Scots form dated to 1548, in Talan Gwynek’s article "A List of Feminine Personal Names Found in Scottish Records".

There was a Princess Katherine of York; she was the sister of Elizabeth of York, who married Henry VII and became queen of England. I knew she existed but had forgotten; as far as I know she had no particularly significant role in history. Katherine of York is an extremely generic name, though, so my advice would be to send it up as is with the note that the submitter will accept the addition of the second byname to clear the conflict.

The conflict tables from the compiled name precedents indicate that Catriona conflicts with Katharine; I can't think of any reason why Katrina and Katherine wouldn't also conflict.

No name or device conflicts found in the online O&A.

24. Kieran Ursel - New name, New device
Vert, a bear rampant argent collared sable between three bezants.

Kieran - Documentation is as cited.

Ursel - It’s actually Vrsel, but U and V were often interchangeable in period. (Ursellus was recorded in 1200.)

One weirdness for mixing Anglicized Irish and English.

No device conflicts found on the online O&A.

25. Lodowick of Greys Inn - New badge
(fieldless) A spider’s web purpure.

The registered form of the name is actually Lodowick of Grays Inn.

No conflicts found in the online O&A. Fieldless should be capitalized.

26. Luceta di Cosimo - New name, New device
Sable, a raremouse between three fleurs-de-lys one and two Or.

Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek's article "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names" lists Luca as well as Colleta and Colette in the feminine section. (The latter two are pet names for Nicola.) -et- is a reasonable diminutive infix in Italian, and Luceta is reasonable for 14th C. Venice.

The article "Fifteenth Century Italian Men's Names" by Talan Gwynek lists one instance of Cosma.

There are 196 occurrences of Cosimo in the article "Italian Given Names from the Online Tratte of Office Holders 1282-1532" by Aryanhwy merch Catmael.

The article "Italian Names from Florance, 1427" by Ferrante LaVolpe notes three instances of Cosimo. "Feminine Given Names from the Online Catasto of Florence of 1427", an analysis by Arval Benicoeur of feminine names based on the same source as the previous article, includes Luca and -ett- as an infix, so it is plausible in that context too. Because the names have been normalized, it is impossible to say whether -et- might have been used, but I would think it was plausible.

Armory: It’s a reremouse, not a raremouse, though reremice are comparatively rare in SCA heraldry. (Yeah, I went there.) No conflicts found in the online O&A.

27. Mendel Wisebegere - New name, New device
Per chevron vert semy of cogwheels Or and argent, two open books argent and a right triangle voided vert.

This name cannot be forwarded to Laurel without a name form; Her Ladyship Ailis would probably know how to try to track it down. If it were to be sent to Laurel without the form, it would have to be returned.

I do not have any German sources and cannot assess the authenticity of this name or verify the documentation.

I checked for names beginning with m.n and names including w{i|y}s(e)b and found no conflicts in the online O&A.

28. Mendel Wisebegere - Household name: Schmiedekamp Haus

This name cannot be forwarded to Laurel without a name form; Her Ladyship Ailis would probably know how to try to track it down. If it were to be sent to Laurel without the form, it would have to be returned.

Most SCA registrations of Haus have been in the form of Haus Name. The submitter would need to provide documentation for this form. This internal letter from the East indicates that there are names in Brechenmacher which end in -haus, but I don’t have this source and can’t determine if this name is appropriate to end in -haus. (Note that the name which these examples were listed in support of was returned for improper construction in November 2002.)

29. Míchéal Dúin Gharbhaín Ó Murchadha - New name

Míchéal - Documentation is as cited.

Dúin Gharbhaín - I do not have this source and cannot check the documentation for this element.

Ó Murchadha - Documentation is as given.

Surprisingly, Mari’s Irish Annals article does give evidence for this name pattern - unmarked locative followed by ancestral byname. (These may be documentary forms only, rather than what the person would have been called in everyday speech.)

Examples: Toirdhealbhach Chnuic an Madhma Ua Domhnaill

Uilleag Chnuic Tuagh Mac Uilliam Cloinne Riocaird

Donnchadh Cúile Mag Craith

Domhnall Irruis mac Magnusa mhic Muircheartaigh Mumhnigh Uí Chonchobhair

Seaan Luirg Ua Domhnaill

Mathghamhain Maonmaighi ua Briain

I checked the online O&A for names starting with Mi.h, M.ch, Mih, My.h, Myh, Ma.h, and Mah, and found no conflicts.

30. Minamoto no Taikawa Saiaiko - New name

The article by Edward of Effingham, which the submitter provides as documentation, contradicts a number of assertions that are written in this submission. For example: “Women with ~ko would in fact often use their names without the ~ko in Period, recognizing it as an honorable suffix”; I believe the cited table may refer to modern name suffix usage.

Also note this: “An interesting note is that names of more than two syllables were never finished off with a ~ko suffix; it was deemed simply too much name. Women were usually given two syllable names as well, without the suffix, although in the court three syllable names (no suffix) were not uncommon.” Even today Japanese women’s names do not have more than three syllables, including the -ko suffix. (Note that words like shonagon are not given names; they are titles and/or court positions.)

This rule is somewhat contradicted by attested four or more syllable names which have been discovered by the Academy of Saint Gabriel, as listed in their report 3001. One attested name is Ai, which is identical to the word for love. This report also notes that family name + given name is a possible pattern for the names of female minor nobility.

According to WWWJDIC, none of the kanji which read Saiai mean beloved; most of them have a meaning of “lucky” and a few mean “to scold or torment.” (!) Saiaiko (sa-i-a-i-ko) has five syllables, or four without the -ko suffix; this simply sounds like, as the author of the cited article wrote, “too much name.”

WWWJDIC does list Saia (sa-i-a) as a feminine name; this may be as close to Saiaiko as it is possible to come, though I have no idea if the name is a period one. (I do know I’ve never encountered it in a modern context.) The submitter might be interested to know that one way to write this name uses the kanji for love as the second kanji. (Though, again, this may or may not be a period way to write the name.)

None of the information provided indicates why two surnames (Minamoto and Taikawa) conform to period practice. (Browsing precedent suggests that a clan name and clan branch name might explain this in a masculine name. Most articles suggest that this is only attested for masculine names, though.)

There are numerous precedents which indicate that no was used in spoken names, but not in written name forms.

Daikawa is a modern Japanese surname with the same meaning as Taikawa. (This has the advantage of not mixing Japanese and Chinese readings of the characters for big and river; Taikawa may or may not be acceptable to Pelican.)

Minamoto has been registered without comment as recently as 2004, though it does appear to have been unregisterable due to perceived presumption in the past.

Spelling notes: Shikibu not Shikihu, Monogatari not Monogalari. (Though the notes about Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu don’t really do anything to support this name.)

Her Ladyship Solveig should, in my opinion, be asked for her opinion on this name before it leaves kingdom. I don’t think the given name is feasible, but I am by no means an expert. (BTW: What is this name’s submission history? It was on ILoI 85 - was it returned, or did the submitter withdraw it?)

31. Pádraig an Fhasaigh - New name, New device
Quarterly Or and gules, on a chief sable three harps Or.

Name documentation is as cited. No conflicts found in the online O&A with name as submitted.

This device is clear of Jacquemette de Chaponay's (Lozengy Or and azure, on a chief sable three crosses fleury Or.), with one CD for changes to the field, and another for substantially changing the type of all the charges on the chief, per RfS X.4.j.ii.

The same is true of Marc Beaucoeur's device (Lozengy bendwise gules and Or, on a chief sable three oak slips fructed Or.) and the device of the Graham family, Dukes of Montrose, which is protected as important non-SCA arms: Or, on a chief sable three escallops Or.

33. Paul Spyke - New badge
Gules, a dexter tierce Or.

No conflicts found in the online O&A.

34. Poe Silvertop - New name, New device
Per chevron azure and sable, a rapier inverted argent and overall an apple Or.

Poe - I’m a bit skeptical about this spelling as a first name, given that it doesn’t even appear as a patronymic byname.

Checked O&A for names with “silver” and “sylver” and found no conflicts.

It would be better style if the apple didn’t occlude the line of division. The sword and the field division would both be more identifiable that way. I am uncertain if this is sufficiently egregious for a return under RfS VIII.3 (Armorial Identifiability) but think a redraw might be prudent.

35. Rayne le Fey - New name, New device
Purpure, a cat couchant gardant contourney, a chief indented argent.

I wonder if this name isn’t overly suggestive of Morgan le Fey, who was married to King Uriens and thus a queen. Documentation is as cited. No armory conflicts found in the online O&A.

Blazon: Contourny, not contourney.

36. Reinhardt Holtgreve - New name, New device
Argent, a chevron inverted vert and in chief a pine tree eradicated proper.

Does the submitter indicate which element he believes means “forest ranger”? I do not have Bahlow and cannot check this documentation.

No device conflicts found in the online O&A.

37. Sabrina Godolphin - New name, New device
Azure a unicorn rampant, in chief five pointed crosses Or.

Sabrina has typically been returned for non-period usage unless it is the submitter’s legal name. (See this precedent.) Sabina is attested in the 13th C. in England and probably as close as it is possible to come. (Source: the article "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames" by Talan Gwynek.)

Godolphin is attested in the 16th C. in that form. (Source: the Ashmolean Museum. This is the same source used for the article "English Names found in Brass Enscriptions" by Julian Goodwyn.) Earlier, it appears in such forms as de Woldholgan (1201), Godolghan (1359, 1508), and Wulgholgan (1194). Source: Reaney and Wilson, s.n. Godolphin.

38. Safiye bint Kara Sun’üllah - New name

Documentation is as cited. However, most of the father’s names (2 of 3) that have two elements have hajji (pilgrim) as the first. Another has Dana as the first element. Google tells me (Several websites agree!) that this means pearl, but I have no idea if this is what this meant in this context. I don’t know if these support “daughter of Black Sun’üllah” as a byname, particularly since the submitter has requested authenticity.

39. Shea Rose O’Donnell - New name, New device
Purpure a rose argent with leaves vert.

This name has the same problem as Aislinn Fiona of Rumm, which was returned in 8/2001 with these comments: “Additionally, in the name Aislinn Fiona of Rumm, Fiona can only be interpreted as a second given name or as an unmarked matronymic. Use of double given names and unmarked matronymics in Gaelic have both been cause for return in the past. As the submitter does not allow changes, this submission must be returned.”

In addition, Shea does not seem to be attested as a given name in either Anglicized or Gaelic forms.

The name should be re-worked, keeping in mind the return of Rós O'Donnell in 10/2002 for conflict with Rosie O’Donnell. (This might be overruled, given the somewhat different guidelines for mundane conflict which are presently in use, but I wouldn’t count on it.)

The armory conflicts with Robin Rosewood (Purple, a rose argent barbed and seed proper and on a chief invected argent three hearts gules.), Sara Sophia von Kolmar (Purpure, a rose argent barbed and seeded proper between two flaunches ermine.), Bera skytja (Purpure, a rose argent slipped and leaved vert and on a chief argent three mullets pierced sable.), Adrienne du Val des Roses (Purpure, a rose argent, barbed vert, within a bordure nebuly argent.), Sven Gunther Alcan (Purpure, a rose slipped argent, overall two double-bitted axes in saltire Or.), An Tir’s Order of the Silver Rose ((Fieldless) A rose argent, barbed and seeded, slipped and leaved, proper.), a badge of the House of York ((Fieldless) A rose argent.), Titus of Wormwood (Purpure, a cinquefoil slipped and singly leaved argent.), and possibly others.

At a quick glance, it looks like armory with a purple field and multiple white roses might be conflict-free. Since there are so many conflicts, and the conflict with the Tudor badge is unclearable, a redesign is necessary.

42. Skjaldv{o,}r Vikarsdöttir - New name, New device
Per saltire sable and vert, an opicus segreant contourney within a bordure argent.

Blazon: Opinicus, not opicus; contourny, not contourney. When I looked at this without reading the blazon, I thought the field was per bend sinister. The bordure and the primary charge occlude most of the per bend line. When the device is colored in, it’s somewhat more obvious. No conflicts found in the online O&A under Monster - Griffin.

43. Sorcha inghean Airt - New name, New device
Vert, on a lozenge argent, a butterfly displayed azure.

Sorcha - The OCM citation is correct. Additionally, Mari’s Annals article lists Sorcha in the 15th and 16th centuries. This complies with the submitter’s request for authenticity.

Airt - This is from a pre-1100 article, which is not correct for the submitter’s requested time period. However, Mari’s Annals article indicates that this is the correct form for later period as well as early period.

“Displayed” can be omitted from the blazon, as this butterfly is in the default posture.

45. Þorfinna hrogn Jósepsdottir - New name

Aryanhwy merch Catmael's articles "Viking Names found in the Landnámabók" and "Viking Bynames found in the Landnámabók" confirm the citations for Þorfinna and hrogn. No conflicts found in the online O&A with names containing “orfin”.

46. Tommasa Isolana - New name, New device
Purpure, a bird of paradise displayed Or, on a chief argent a broadsword fesswise sable.

The URL for the cited Catasto article is http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/catasto/ . There are actually 19 instances of Tommasa, not Tomassa.

This page seems to note the will of a Vinante da Isola from 1435. (It's in Italian.) "A sample of Jewish names in Milan 1540-1570" by Yehoshua ben Haim haYerushalmi lists a Ruben da Isola Dovaria. (Isola Dovaria = Dovaria Island.)

There is a Thomas of the Isles (holding name, March 1994) registered, but in my opinion both the name as submitted and Tom(m)as(s)a da Isola are sufficiently different in sound and appearance to allow for registration. No other possible conflicts found in the online O&A.

Re: the armory, most species of the bird of paradise are from Papua New Guinea, so there should be a weirdness for use of New World fauna. (Source: Wikipedia article.) Since this bird is displayed, and not an eagle, there is a second weirdness for its posture. (Source: November 2003 cover letter.) Therefore, this device must be returned for being two steps from period practice.

47. Ulric Wulfricson - New name, New device
Sable, a drakkar Or sailed argent within a snake involved in annulo Or.

It’s actually Adam Steveneson, but the other R&W docs are as cited.

It’s really kind of weird to have two disparate spellings of the same name as the given and as part of a patronymic byname, but it’s probably acceptable for registration.

48. Una of Rabenwald - New name, New device
Per bend gules and sable, a dragon passant and an anvil argent.

No intended gender is given. The submitter will accept any changes, according to the check boxes. However, while the submitter specifically allows for changes in spelling of , she allows no changes to . The submitter is not requesting authenticity.

Rabenwald - This byname was submitted and registered based on the documentation in Æthelmearc ILoI #69.

Una seems to be specifically Irish; it’s found in Mari’s Annals article. I’m embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read The Faerie Queen (one more thing to add to the list), but Una seems to be used as the name of a normal human, which would make it a plausible literary name with only one weirdness for combining English and German. Gaelic and German is an unregisterable combination. (The closest name in German is probably Anna.)

49. Vladimir Mechnik - New name, New device
Sable, two natural panthers combatant and on a point pointed argent a rose sable slipped and leaved vert.

Technically this name has two weirdnesses as documented: one for a grey area element, one for temporal disparity between the elements. However, since Vladimir is a header spelling and could be justified for later years as an extrapolation based on all the other attested spellings, I don’t see it as a serious problem.

51. Yorimasa Yamahara - New name, New device
Gules, a kanji argent

I am unsure about the device. Precedent has long been against the registration of single abstract symbols; I am not certain what the ruling would be concerning multiple abstract symbols. All the armory with kanji which is currently registered seems to have a single kanji and at least one more typically heraldic symbol.

Killian M’Cahall’s badge (Gules, in fess two quavers Or.) was registered in April 2001 without comment. While those were Western symbols, if one kanji is allowable, and two Western abstract symbols without more typical heraldic charges are acceptable, then I think there are grounds to argue for this device.

More germanely, William of the Osprey's device (Per fess argent and azure, in chief the Arabic phrase "al-batal yejama kithir suhum" sable.) was registerd in August 2001 without comment on the use of only words in a non-Western alphabet.

On the use of foreign alphabets in general Bruce Draconarius, then Laurel, had this to say in April 1993 (concerning the device of al-Haadi abd-al-Malik Husam ibn Khalid):

The problems of blazonability and reproducibility are thornier. I agree that, upon seeing the emblazon, one without knowledge of Arabic could not blazon it. The same is true, however, of runes and kanji, both of which we register regularly. As for reproducibility, if one doesn't care exactly which style of Arabic script is used (Husam's submission uses Thufic script), the device could be reproduced from the sounds expressed in the blazon: many collegiate-level dictionaries give alphabet tables, transliterating the Roman alphabet to others (usually Arabic, Hebrew, Greek and Russian). While a different Arabic script might yield a different emblazon, that counts for as little difference as the style of lettering in a Latin inscription. In this case, "words is words": for the purposes of counting conflict, any block of text is considered identical to any other block of text. (Difference might be granted between single Roman letters, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.)

In short, the device uses a documented period style, which we've registered before; it is as blazonable as any other design that uses non-Roman script; and it is, in some form or other, reproducible from the blazon. It seems acceptable for SCA use.

It would be better if these kanji took up more space on the field. A better blazon would be “Gules, in pale the kanji ‘san’ and ‘ken’ argent.” (Those are Chinese readings for the kanji. This seems to be the typical style for blazoning kanji in the SCA; but I am uncertain if using a Chinese or Japanese reading, or simply the most familiar one, is preferred.) In this case, “Gules, in pale the kanji for Yamahara argent” or “Gules, in pale the kanji for ‘mountain’ and ‘field’ argent” might make sense, as these are in a way canting arms. However, there are multiple kanji for mountain and multiple kanji for field, so the latter blazon is rather ambiguous and probably not optimal.

Yamahara, according to WWWJDIC, is exclusively a last name, and can be written with kanji that have the submitter’s desired meaning of “mountain field.” (These are the kanji on this device.) Yorimasa is a nanori that dates to before 1601, according to "Japanese Formal Masculine Given Names" by Her Ladyship Solveig and the Academy of St. Gabriel. Yamahara Yorimasa conforms to the typical Japanese pattern of family name + given name.

No name or device conflicts found in the online O&A. There should be a period at the end of the blazon.