ÆTHELMEARC
COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #95 Heronter Heralds
Commenting Group
Unto Garnet Herald, Cornelian Herald, and the Aethelmearc College of
Arms;
Greetings from the Heronter Heralds, a division of the Heraldic Flying
Circus and Moving Company, Southwest.
Herewith, our commentary on AE95, dated May 1, 2006.
1.) AEthelmearc, Kingdom of -- New Badge
"Argent, on a chevron engrailed gules between three cauldrons sable,
five escarbuncles argent."
"The badge is intended to be associated with the The Most Worshipful
Company of AEthelmearc Cooks and Bakers"
No conflicts found.
Personal note from Dagonell:
I love the name, highly period style for a guild. On the other
hand, I wonder if the armory is capable of serving its purpose. A
badge should be used to show ownership of a possession, or affiliation
to a group. I would expect a cook's guild badge; to be worn as
favors by its members, mark guild property such as cook pots and pans,
and grace award ribbons when the guild holds a contest. How
many artisans are willing to paint or embroider an escarbuncle five
times for each favor or ribbon or pot? I know that when I paint
award medallions, it's the keystone I like painting the least because
the design is too fussy to get right easily. I think Master Huen
Damebrigge had the right idea with his 'Silver Spoon' cooking
contest. Each participant got a pewter badge in the shape of a
spoon, a design that could be knocked off endlessly. I think
something like "Fieldless, a cauldron per pale gules and argent" would
have been a far better design.
2.) Ai'bell ingen Diarmata -- New Name, New Device
"Or, a pair of flaunches gules, overall three snails in fess
counterchanged."
The name is well documented. The device caused endless
discussion. It could easily be re-blazoned as: "Or, a snail
between a pair of flaunches gules, each charged with a snail or."
What's the central charge here? One snail? three snails? the
flaunches? It's as if the flaunches were being used as a french
field division, "Or flaunchee/chaussee/chapee] gules, in fess three
snails counterchanged."
3.) Andreas Ja:ger -- New Name, New Device
"Argent, a bear sejant erect sable and on a chief rayonny enarched
gules a lightning bolt fesswise argent."
We suggest advising the client to draw the chief more deeply arched
starting right at the fess line on either side of the device.
Clear of:
Elizabeth the Unknown (Atenveldt, Jan.2004) "Argent a bear sejant
affronty sable between flaunches gules." (1 CVD for change of position,
2 CVD for flaunches vs. charged chief)
4.) Arden Scot -- New Name
The documentation is for "Ard_a_n", the name being submitted is
"Ard_e_n".
5.) Cerridwyn ingen Cera -- New Name, New Device
"Argent, a lion's head erased contourny vert."
We note that Aryanhwy has documentation for "Cerridwen" vs.
"Cerridwyn". No conflicts found.
6.) Grimo'lfr Ormulfsson -- New Name, New Device
"Argent, on a chevron azure between three wolf's heads erased gules
three annulets argent."
No problems with name, no conflicts found.
7.) Hrefna U'lfvarinsdo'ttir -- New Name, New Device
"Per pale azure and argent, in fess an increscent, a crescent and a
decrescent counterchanged."
The design strikes us as modern symmetry combined with modern
symbolism. We think an argument could be made for excessive
modernity. No conflicts found. No problems with the name.
"Argent, a rose purpure barbed vert seeded Or, in chief three crosses
flory azure."
Kiara -- Sorry, we looked at this website and don't consider it to be
acceptable documentation. :( The best we could find
is O'C&M. "CIAR (k'iar) f, 'dark, black'. The most importantant
bearer of this name is St. Ciar, virgin patroness of Kilkeary (Cell
Ce're) near Nenagh, whose feast-days are 5 January and 16 October" --
O'C&M, pg 51, sn CIAR
Since she accepts minor changes and cares most about the sound, this
should be an allowable change.
Kavanagh -- "Kavanagh (Caomha'nach). A famous branch of the Mac
Murroughs. The name is said to have been adopted from the first
Kavanagh having been fostered by a successor of St. Caomhan." --
MacLysaght, pg 170, sn KAVANAGH
No conflicts found.
9.) Sabina de Lyons -- Resubmitted Household Badge for House Laughing
Fox
"Fieldless, a fox passant inverted gules."
We note that Aryanhwy merch Catmael has found a Laurel ruling dating to
1993
"Additionally, the College has judged inverted creatures to be
unacceptable style, barring documentation of this practice in
period heraldry." [LoAR 09/1993]
which postdates our original citation of
"Alexander of Cumberlande. Name and device. Argent, semy of crescents
gules, an eagle inverted and displayed within a bordure embattled
azure."[LOAR 10/1986]
however, the book "The Complete Book of Heraldry" by Stephen Slater,
states on page 220 that the Royal Archives of Krakow contain a
manuscript painted in 1448 showing the armory of the Battle of Grunwald
(15 july 1410). The photo in the book shows a banner "Gules, a
lion rampant inverted tail queue-forche argent, crowned or."
Photocopies to Garnet and Cornelian via snail-mail.
10.) Siobhan Calla'nach -- New Name, New Device
"Azure, a griffin dormant between three barrels fesswise argent."
Possible conflict with:
Maureen ha-Ivriah (Atenveldt, Jan2001) "Azure, an Assyrian griffin
couchant gazing to chief, wings displayed, argent." (1 CVD for barrels,
we can't agree on couchant vs dormant for a second point)
In service,
Thorvald of Heckla, deputy to Heronter Herald
Cigfran Caer Gwalch, Pursuivant-at-Large
Dagonell Whitehorn
Harold, Dagonell's newest student