Greetings
from Garnet and Cornelian,
We would
very much like to thank those who commented on these items:
Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Brandubh O'Donnghaile, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Giudo
di
Niccolo Brunelleschi, The Heronter Heralds Commenting Group, Myfanwy
ferch Rhiannon
and Roana d'Evreux!
Your
research and insights have proven most valuable, as always, and we
pray that you might be moved to continue commenting on our current and
future
letters. (Or in less formal language, “Way to go! Keep it up!”)
The items accepted on this
letter have been forwarded to Laurel for further consideration, where
we expect
they will be decided on in July of 2006.
1. Clarice Roan – New Name Accepted, New
Device Accepted
Per fess azure and argent, a dove rising
wings
displayed and inverted argent sustaining in its claws a serpent embowed
counter-embowed gules.
Commenters expressed concern about the inability of the blazon to specify the careful placement of the charge group on the divided field, but some commenters felt the device was registerable. We are deferring to Wreath for a decision.
2. Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen – New Name
Accepted, New Device Accepted with Redraw
Vert,
two bars gemels and in chief a lion passant argent.
There was some disagreement about the correct
form of
the plural of bar gemel. We note that discussion included on the LoAR
of
October 1985, s.n. Gwynfor Lwyd,
gives the plural of “bar
gemel” as “bars gemels”:
Gemel
means 'coupled, paired, twin'; it is derived from Latin gemellus
'twin'. (Webster's Second) Two bars are thus "a bar gemel", four bars
are "two bars gemels", and so forth. [BoE, 20 Oct 85, p.11]
The question was raised as to whether the
bars gemels
were drawn correctly, with specific regard to the amount of space found
between
the two pairs. We note that the January 2004 LoAR, s.n. Alessandra da
Ferrara
(Meridies), includes a discussion of bars gemel [sic], and
states:
A good period example of this practice can be
seen in
the Herald's Roll circa 1280 on p. 8 of Bedingfield and Gwynn-Jones' Heraldry:
a coat using two bars is
found in the center coat of the bottom row, whereas
armory using two bars gemel
is found on the dexter coat of the top row, and on
the sinister coat of the middle row.
Albion was kind enough to forward to us a scan of the page cited. We felt that the bars gemels, as submitted, were too close together, and not sufficiently voided. We have redrawn the device, using the period examples as a template.
3.
Katerin Douglas alse Alexander – New Name Accepted with Change, New
Device Accepted with Redraw
Per chevron rayonny sable and gules, a
phoenix
and in
chief three flames Or.
The name was originally submitted as Katerin Douglas Als’
Alexander. Albion
noted that the College of Arms does not register written abbreviations.
We have
therefore substituted <alse> as the closest
unabbreviated form.
The majority of commenters expressed concern that the flames in chief, as originally drawn, were not clearly identifiable. We have redrawn the flames in the style of A Pictorial Dictionary of Heraldry.
4. Onóra inghean Chonaill – New Name Accepted
5.
Sabina de Lyons – New Household Name: House Laughing Fox Accepted, New
Badge Returned
The bage conflicts with William Keith FitzGaranhir: (Fieldless) A wolf's head erased contourny gules.
6.
Temair Ruadh – New Name Accepted, New Device Returned
The device conflicts with Kathleen MacChluarain the Pure: Per
chevron
embattled azure and vert, a lion sejant Or langued gules orbed sable. [July
1971]
Because the submitter had indicated a preference for 14th century Ireland, but had not requested authenticity, we contacted the submitter regarding her preferred form of the given name, noting that <Temair> is the earlier pre-1200 form, while <Teamhair> is the normalized post-1200 form. The submitter replied specifically that her preference is indeed <Temair>.
This concludes our Letter of Report Æ 92.