ÆTHELMEARC
COLLEGE OF HERALDS - commentary archive
Letter of Intent #97 Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Feast of St. Germanus of Auxerre 31 July, AS XLI
Greeting from Myfanwy!
Enclosed pray find commentary on Æ #97. Everything was
conflict-checked through the April 2006 LoAR.
Hope to see folks at Pennsic -- I will, as usual, be hiding back in
the artists’ tent :-)
I remain your servant and the Society’s.
Lady Myfanwy ferch Rhiannon
Ruth Morrisson
myfanwy@nauticom.net
1. Ásta Vagensdóttir -- Azure, two bars Or, overall an
owl displayed
argent [.]
The docs for the given name are as cited.
The docs for <Vagn> are as cited [p. 15]. The information on the
formation of patronymics are on p. 17; while names that terminate in
<-n> (as opposed to <-nn> are not specifically described,
<Vagnsdóttir> seems to be a reasonable construction. Is
there any
documentation available for the <e> in the submitted form?
possibly clear of: Ayslynn MacGuraran (8/78 ??) -- Azure, a snowy owl
affronty proper grasping in its dexter talon three roses Or, slipped
and leaved vert, and in its sinister talon two of the same, within an
orle Or.
There is at least one CD for changing a single orle to two bars and
there may also be one for arrangement, with the overall charge; there
is probably nothing for the maintained charges.
clear of: Henri le Hibou du Bois (2/91 Ansteorra) -- Azure, an owl
affronty argent and two scarpes enhanced Or.
There is a CD for changing the scarpes to bars, and one for the
arrangement of the charges on the field.
possibly not clear of: Francesca of Bright Angel (1/73 ??) -- Azure a
dove displayed, head elevated argent.
possibly not clear of: Este, House of (12/94 Laurel) -- Azure, an
eagle displayed argent crowned Or. [important non-SCA arms; also the
arms of Modena]
In each of these, there is a CD for adding the bars; there may or may
not be one for the type of bird, given the posture; since head
position is generally considered negligible for beasts, it may not be
for birds either.
probably clear of: Lucia Ottavia da Siena (9/95 Middle) -- Azure, an
owl rising guardant wings displayed argent within a bordure quarterly
argent and or.
There is at least one CD for changing the bordure to two bars (type
and number of charges, as well as changing half the tincture). There
may or may not be one for the type of bird, however, given the wing
position.
2. Creature Tywne [sic] Dragon (resub) -- Per pale argent and
sable semy of fishhooks counterchanged [.]
The registered name is actually “Twyne Dragon”
no conflicts found
3. Desiderata Drake -- Per chevron azure and vert, two ducks naiant
argent and a goose close Or.
The name docs are as cited.
It isn’t clear why the birds are of different breeds. For that
matter, it isn’t clear from the emblazon that they even *are*
different breeds: comparing the depictions of ducks and geese in
Parker [c.f., p. 211, sn Ducks and p. 290, sn Goose] one can easily
see that geese have much longer necks (although of course not nearly
as long as that of swans [c.f., Parker, p. 563]. As depicted in the
mini-emblazon, I would have said that *all* of these were ducks
(although it appears that more than one artist may have been involved
in the submission process).
A François precedent gives the default posture for both ducks
and
geese as being close:
By examination of period armory, ducks and geese are close by
default -- this
is by far the most common posture for either of these birds. Ducks
and geese do
not share the same default posture as the larger and more aggressive
swan,
which is rousant by default. [Svana ormstunga
Vermundardottir [sic], 11/03, A-
Atenveldt]
Therefore, this might be conceivably reblazoned as: Per chevron azure
and vert, two ducks naiant argent and a goose Or (assuming of course,
that this were really a goose, which as drawn it isn’t); or as Per
chevron azure and vert, two ducks naiant argent and a duck Or.
Note that as per a precedent from François’ tenure, there is no
difference between the postures of the birds:
There is no posture difference between birds naiant and birds
close.
However, there is another CD for changing the type of bird from a
swan naiant
to a falcon close. [ Falco de Jablonec [sic], 06/02 ,
A-Drachenwald]
In Appendix A of the draft of the François Precedents, there is
a
table of postures for birds as found in examples of English heraldry
[URL: http://www.farreaches.org/~mranc/sca/wreath.html#AppendixA]. As
a result, any other piece of armory that has three birds close or
three birds naiant should be examined for potential conflicts.
possibly clear of: Lie de
Camurac (4/02 Middle) -- Per chevron vert and azure, three martlets
argent.
There is a CD for changing the field; there may be one for changing
the type of bird (note that in Appendix A, the default for martlets is
“close”, but they can also be found “rising”). Additionally, there
may be a CD for changing the tincture of one of the charges.
possibly clear of: Gaston Trévoux (10/00 Atenveldt) -- Per
chevron
vert and sable, three owls argent.
There is a CD for changing the field; there may be one for changing
the type of bird (note that in Appendix A, the default for owls is
“close guardant”). Additionally, there may be a CD for changing the
tincture of one of the charges.
probably clear of: Hreothbeorht the Fat (8/84 East) -- Vert, two
geese volant and a swan naiant bendwise pierced by an arrow fesswise
argent.
There is a CD for changing half the field; there is probably one for
changing the posture of two of the birds from “naiant” to “volant”,
and there may be one for changing the tincture of the bottom charge.
4. Máel-dúin O’Donn -- Per bend sinister gules and
argent, two foxes
sejant respectant counterchanged.
The docs for the given name are more or less as cited: note that in
ÓC&M, <Máol Dúin> is the post-1200
header form, while the submitted
form is cited in Jones as “roughly pre-12th century”. I also checked
for the name in the “Index of Names in Irish Annals” by Mairi Elspeth
nic Bryan (Kathleen M. O’Brien) [URL: http://www.s-gabriel.org/
names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/MaelDuin.shtml]: the latest dated
citation is from 1091, for <Maoldúin Ua Reabhacán>.
In looking at
the construction of similar names by date [URL:
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/index.html],
names before 1200 appear to have the <áe> spelling:
<Máel Brigde>,
<Máel Eoin>, <Máel Pátraic>; names
after 1201 generally seem to have
the <ao> spelling: <Maol Bhrighdhe>, <Maol Eoin>,
<Maol Phádraig>.
The docs for the byname are as cited.
This submission may have a temporal weirdness
between the name
elements, with a pre-1200 given name and a 14th c. byname: the
submitter has requested an authentic 14th century Irish name, but
there does not appear to be any evidence that the given name was used
after the late eleventh century.
These look more like wolves than foxes, due to the length of
the snout. I question the blazon -- “respectant” may suggest that
they are actually facing each other (i.e., in fess)even though they
are in the default arrangement for charges on a bend sinister field. A
more accurate blazon might be: Per bend sinister gules and argent, a
fox [wolf?] sejant contourny and a fox [wolf?] sejant, counterchanged.
clear of: Gytha Wulfbeald (3/92 Caid) -- Per bend sinister indented
sable and argent, two wolves sejant contourny ululant counterchanged.
There is a CD for changing half the field, and one for changing the
tincture of half the charges (there may also be one for changing the
orientation of one of the wolves.
probably clear of:Hawk Gunnulf (4/98 Meridies) -- Per bend sinister
gules and argent, a hawk striking to sinister and a wolf passant
counterchanged.
There is a CD for changing the type of one of
the charges, and
probably one for changing the posture of the other (these are both
simple armory. with only two types of charges directly on the field).
clear of: Roget fitz Roget (10/91 Calontir) -- Per bend
sinister sable and argent, a greyhound courant contourney [sic] and
another courant, counterchanged.
There are CDs for changing the tincture of half the field, and one for
changing the posture of the beasts (there is also one for changing the
tincture of half the charges).
conflict: Gavin MacKinlay (4/00 An Tir) -- Per pale gules and
argent, two wolves sejant respectant ululant counterchanged.
There is a CD for changing the field; however, according to a recent
precedent , there is not a CD for changing the position of the wolves:
[Per pale dovetailed sable and argent, two roses
counterchanged argent and gules,
both slipped and leaved vert ] [sic[ This conflicts with
Brianna of Wessex: Per bend
wavy argent and gules, two roses counterchanged [sic].
There is one CD for
changing the field. Brianna's field forces her roses into their
arrangement;
likewise Sadb's roses are forced into their arrangement since one of
her roses
shares a tincture with half the field. As the move is forced, and
slipping and
leaving are not worth difference, there is not a CD for either. [
Sadb Constance [sic], 04/04 , R-Calontir]
5. Morgan Holte -- Argent, a unicorn rampant and in chief three
mullets sable.
The docs for the given name are as cited. Additionally, Morgan and
Morgan [p. 168, sn Morgan] says:
The OW form was Morcant [sic], the
-nt [sic] becomes -nn- [sic] in
Morgannwg [sic],
‘Glamorgan’. The name became Morgan in the med period, just as
ariant [sic]
changed to arian [sic]....
The Reaney and Wilson docs are as cited.
no conflicts found
6. Tommasa Isolana (resub) -- Sable, a Russian firebird rising, wings
elevated and addorsed and a gore argent.
possibly clear of: Kathleen Treanor (5/83 West) -- Sable, a gore and
in chief three estoiles, two and one, argent.
possibly clear of: Carl of Pendleton (12/98 Artemisia) -- Sable, in
pale a spoon fesswise reversed and a cauldron, a gore argent.
In each case, there is at least one CD for changing the type and
number of one of the charge groups.
probably clear of: Mikial Aldrich (5/92 West) -- Sable,an owl
displayed and a point pointed argent.
probably clear of: Michele Aquilani da Napoli (8/02 An Tir) -- Sable,
an eagle Or and a dexter tierce argent.
probably clear of: Murakami Tsuruko (3/86 An Tir) -- Sable, a
Japanese crested crane displayed bendwise within a bordure of bamboo
argent.
In each case, there is a CD for changing the posture/wing position of
the bird (as well as substantial change of type), and one for changing
the secondary/peripheral charge.
Ichijo Honen (badge, 4/05 Atlantia) -- Sable, a crescent bendwise,
within its horns a Japanese crane displayed bendwise argent.
In each case, there is a CD for changing the posture/wing position of
the bird (as well as substantial change of type) and one for changing
the type of secondary or peripheral charge.
possibly not clear of: Domhnall Dubh Ó
Ruairc (3/05 Ansteorra) --
Sable, an eagle rising wings addorsed within an orle
argent.
There is a CD for changing the orle to a gore, but may or may not be
one for the type of bird, given that the posture is the same; there
may be one for its position on the field, but given the size of the
gore, it may be a forced position.
7. Yngrid Yngvarsdottir (name change from Elizabeth of Misty
Highlands)
The Geirr Bassi docs are as cited [c.f., p. 16 for <Yngvarr> and
<Yngvildr>.
Given the submitter’s request for authenticity,
the name should
probably be changed to either <Yngridr Yngvarsdottir> or
<Yngrídr
Yngvarsdóttir>.
Bibliography:
Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme [Bruce Miller] and Akagawa Yoshio
[Kevin Munday]. APictorialDictionaryofHeraldryAsUsedinTheSocietyforCreativeAnachronism,
2nd Ed., 1992.