Category: For Heralds

LoARs are published on the Laurel Archives page each month.

The Society College of Arms runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath King of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.

• An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society.
• A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work.
• A “pend” indicates that the item is being held for a month while additional research or work is done.

EAST Acceptances

• Aaron MacInstalker. Name and device. Vert, two beavers combattant Or and a ford proper.
  Submitted as Arone MacInstalker, the submitter requested the spelling Aaron for the given name if it could be documented. Commenters documented Aaron as a 16th century English given name. Therefore, we have changed the name to Aaron MacInstalker as requested.
• Aaron MacInstalker. Household name House of MacInstalker.
  Submitted as Clan MacInstalker, it was unclear whether this name was correctly constructed. Evidence shows Clan in Scots used with given names and simple patronymics. Questions were raised about whether Clan would be used with late-period inherited surnames like MacInstalker. Given the choice between a pend for additional research and registration as House of MacInstalker, using an attested pattern for household names based on inherited surnames, the submitter opted for the change.
• Aaron MacInstalker. Badge. Per fess wavy vert and barry wavy argent and azure, in chief a beaver statant Or.
• Æsa Sturludottir. Household name Company of Setting Sun and badge. Sable, a demi-sun issuant from base Or eclipsed gules, in chief a mullet of four points elongated to base argent.
  This household name follows the pattern of naming military companies after the full names of their founders or patrons. Examples of this pattern in 16th and early 17th century English include Blue Coats of Captain Roger Sydnam (1573) and Sir John Suckling’s Troop (1640s). Setting Sun was documented as an English given name and surname.
  There is a step from period practice for the mullet elongated to base.
• Aisha bint Allan. Name and device. Or, three trees blasted, a chief sable.
• Alexandre l’Espagnol d’Orlienz. Name change from Alexandre Bautista de la Mar and device change. Per fess sable and argent crescenty sable, in chief a lion couchant contourny Or.
  Submitted as Alexandre Li Espaignois d’Orlienz, the submitter preferred the byname l’Espagnol if it could be documented. Heralds at the Pelican decision meeting found l’Espagnol as a French descriptive term used for a person from Spain in Les après disnées du seigneur de Cholières by Nicolas de Cholières, published in 1587. Therefore, we have changed the name to Alexandre l’Espagnol d’Orlienz as requested by the submitter.
  The submitter’s previous name, Alexandre Bautista de la Mar, is released.
  The submitter’s previous device, Purpure, on a cross between four galleons Or, five roses sable, is released.
• Aliena of the High Reaches. Reblazon of device. Azure, a mountain of three peaks, in chief a compass star argent.
  Reblazoned in March 2001 as Azure, a compass star and a mountain of three peaks issuant from base argent, the mountain is a primary charge while the compass star is visually much smaller. The charges are thus reblazoned as such.
• Cailte Crobderg mac Scandal. Badge. Sable, a domestic cat’s head cabossed argent charged on the forehead with a triquetra vert.
• Cecilie Vogelgesangkin. Device change. Or, a martlet azure atop a trimount gules, in chief five musical notes sable.
  The submitter’s previous device, Per pale sable and purpure, two birds respectant argent and an oak leaf inverted Or is released.
• Christoffel d’Allaines-le-Comte. Household name Maison d’Allaines-le-Comte and badge. Per pale vert and azure, in saltire a ladle and a sword within an orle of ears of wheat Or.
  The element d’Allaines-le-Comte is already registered to the submitter as part of his personal name, and thus did not require new documentation under the Existing Registration Allowance.
  The submitter depicted the ladle in trian aspect, which has been disallowed in recent submissions. However, the depiction closely matches that of the submitter’s legal wife, Isabella d’Allaines-le-Comte, Vert, a cauldron with flames at its bottom and on a chief Or two ladles in saltire vert, and is therefore allowed under the Existing Registration Allowance.
• Duncan Kerr. Transfer of badge to Eleanor FitzPatrick. (Fieldless) A horse passant gules charged on the shoulder with a cross couped argent.
  With this action, the previously joint badge is now solely owned by Eleanor FitzPatrick.
  Note: This is the Duncan Kerr registered in the East, not the one registered in Caid.
• East, Kingdom of the. Acceptance of transfer of badge from Eldrich Gaiman. (Fieldless) A camail argent.
• Eldrich Gaiman. Transfer of badge to Kingdom of the East. (Fieldless) A camail argent.
• Eleanor FitzPatrick. Acceptance of transfer of badge from Duncan Kerr. (Fieldless) A horse passant gules charged on the shoulder with a cross couped argent.
  This badge was previously jointly owned with Duncan Kerr.
  Note: This is the Duncan Kerr registered in the East, not the one registered in Caid.
• Eleanor FitzPatrick. Release of badge. Argent, a horse passant and a bordure embattled gules.
• Eleanor FitzPatrick. Release of badge. (Fieldless) A horse passant gules charged on the shoulder with a cross couped argent.
• Eleanor FitzPatrick and Julian le Scot. Joint badge. (Fieldless) A horse passant gules charged on the shoulder with a cross crosslet argent.
• Elspeth Schmalczin von Meittingen. Name change from holding name Sorcha of Ar n-Eilean-ne.
  The submitter requested authenticity for late 15th century German. This name partially meets that request. Both the given name and the surname are from the late 15th century. However, we could not find Meittingen as early as the 15th century; it is attested only in the gray period. If the submitter wishes to drop the locative byname von Meittingen and have a completely authentic late 15th century German name, she may make a request for reconsideration.
• Emine bint Hamza ibn Habib ibn Hasan. Name change from Erin inghean Chonchobhair.
  This name combines Turkish and Arabic elements, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
  The submitter’s previous name, Erin inghean Chonchobhair, is retained as an alternate name.
• Esclarmonde al-Andalusiyya. Device. Sable estencelly argent, on a plate an owl displayed azure.
  There is a step from period practice for the use of the displayed posture by a bird other than an eagle.
• Harun al-Najm al-Shirazi. Name and device. Azure, a heron and on a point pointed argent a mullet of seven points azure.
• Hekja Hornabrjótr. Name.
• Markus farmaðr. Name.
  Nice 9th-10th century Icelandic name!
• Martha bean Ui Bhrádaigh. Name and device. Argent, on a chevron ployé sable between two bears statant and a stag’s head erased azure, three shamrocks palewise Or.
  This name combines an English given name with a Gaelic byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
• Maurita al-Andalusiyya. Device. Vert semy of serpents in annulo vorant of their own tails argent, a sun in its splendor per pale argent and Or.
• Maurita al-Andalusiyya. Badge. Vert, a sun in its splendor Or within a snake in annulo vorant of its tail argent.
• Muireadhach Ó Cuileannáin. Name and device. Per pale azure and vert, two horses combatant between in pale a badger passant and a crescent argent.
  Nice 16th century Gaelic name!
• Olivia Baker. Device. Per chevron fleury counter-fleury Or and gules, two musical notes and a lily counterchanged.
• Olivia Baker. Badge. Or, in fess three musical notes sable, in base a martlet azure, on a chief gules a lily Or.
• Pádraig Ó Brádaigh. Request for name reconsideration from Pádraig Ó Brádaig.
  The request for reconsideration is well-founded. The header form in Woulfe actually shows Ó Brádaigh and the name should have been registered in that form. We apologize for the inadvertent error and are happy to make the correction.
• Quintus Tullius Felix. Name.
  Nice Roman name for the last century of the Republic and the first century of the Empire!
• Rae mac Brádaigh. Name and device. Argent, a stag at gaze, on a chief sable three shamrocks Or.
  This name combines an English given name with a Gaelic byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
• Renata Schönnase. Name and device. Per saltire vert and sable, a bull’s head cabossed, in chief an arrow fesswise reversed Or.
  Schönnase is a constructed German byname with the intended meaning ‘beautiful nose’. Various ‘nose’ bynames in Bahlow (Gentry), s.n. Nase include Heseken (“with the nose”), Halfnase (“half nose”), Ruwenese (“crude nose”), dated 1386, 1376, and 1299, respectively. Descriptive bynames with the meaning “beautiful” + body part include Schönhaar (“beautiful hair”, c.900), found in Bahlow (Gentry), s.n. Schönle(in); Schönfu{ss} (“beautiful foot”, 1578), found in Brechenmacher, s.n. Schönfu{ss}; and Sconehals (“beautiful throat”, 1349), found in Brechenmacher, s.n. Schönhals. Therefore, this construction is reasonable and can be registered. We commend the consulting herald(s) who put together these examples, as they provided precisely the information needed to support a constructed byname.
• William Lockhart. Name and device. Azure, a lion Or charged on the shoulder with a heart gules, an orle Or.
  Nice 16th century Scottish name!
• Zariy Bandak. Name (see RETURNS for device).
  Submitted as Zari_ Bandak, the given name was not correctly constructed. Ursula Palimpsest documented Zariy as the correct construction for a Persian given name meaning “little yellow one,” based on multiple examples of the Zar- root and the -iy suffix used in attested Persian names. Accordingly, we have changed the name to Zariy Bandak for registration.

East Returns

• Yehoshua ben Haim haLevi. Device. Azure, a bend engouled of two wolf’s heads, in sinister chief a star of David argent.
  This submission has been withdrawn by the kingdom.
• Zariy Bandak. Device. Per fess Or and azure, in chief two roundels argent fimbriated each charged with a roundel sable.
  This device is returned for obtrusive modernity. When discussed at the KWHSS Roadshow, the response from the audience was immediate and universal. Especially when combined with the submitted name, which the submitter intended to mean “little yellow one,” the choice of charges, arrangement, and tinctures gave an unmistakable impression of the Minions creatures from the Dreamworks film series Despicable Me who are yellow humanoids who wear goggles that frame their large, round eyes, and dress in blue overalls. To paraphrase the oft-quoted standard for obtrusive modernity, the viewer is grabbed by the scruff of the neck and hauled, willingly or unwillingly, into the modern century (Portia Audi, 8/1992).

LoARs are published on the Laurel Archives page each month.

The Society College of Arms runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath King of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.

• An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society.
• A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work.
• A “pend” indicates that the item is being held for a month while additional research or work is done.

East Acceptances

Accio Tempo di Firenze. Name.

Agatha Wanderer. Badge. Purpure, a pair of breeches fesswise argent.

Alke von Ossenheim. Device. Per pale argent and sable, two dragons combatant counterchanged, in chief a sheaf of arrows fesswise reversed Or.

Asher de Kent. Name and device. Argent, a hemp leaf vert, a bordure denticulada azure.

Nice late 13th century English name!

This device does not conflict with the device of David FitzMartin, Argent, an oak leaf vert and a bordure azure. There is a DC for changing the bordure, and another DC between an oak leaf and a hemp leaf.

Continue reading East Kingdom Results from the June 2019 LoAR

LoARs are published on the Laurel Archives page each month.

The Society College of Arms runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath King of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.

An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society. A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work. Most items are registered without comments. Sometimes, the LoAR will address specific issues about the name or armory or will praise the submitter/herald on putting together a very nice historically accurate item.

EAST Acceptances

Jacqueline des Champs Verts. Reblazon of device. Vert, on an open book argent bound and edged Or a tower vert and on a chief Or a domestic cat couchant guardant sable.

Blazoned when registered in August 1979 as Vert, upon an open book argent, bound and edged Or, a watchtower vert; on a chief Or, a cat couchant guardant sable, orbed vert, this is simply a tower.

EAST Returns

None.

LoARs are published on the Laurel Archives page each month.

The Society College of Arms runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath King of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.

An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society. A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work. Most items are registered without comments. Sometimes, the LoAR will address specific issues about the name or armory or will praise the submitter/herald on putting together a very nice historically accurate item.

East Acceptances

Admiranda Gower. Name change from Iulia Alba and device change. Azure, a gower sejant erect contourny argent, on a chief Or an arrow sable.

Submitted as Miranda Gower, we were unable to find documentation for Miranda as a given name in a language compatible with English. The French citation in the Letter of Intent, unfortunately, was not for a given name but refers to a Spanish place name. Although documentation exists for Miranda as a Spanish given name, Spanish and English cannot be combined under Appendix C of SENA.

With the submitter’s permission, we have changed the name to Admiranda Gower, an entirely English name.

The submitter’s previous name, Iulia Alba, is retained as an alternate name.

Nice cant! According to Bruce Batonvert, “In case anyone’s confused by the blazon, gower is in fact a period blazon alternative for the greyhound — as found in the canting arms of Gower, c.1460.”

The submitter’s previous device, Or, on a sun gules three mullets one and two Or, is retained as a badge.

Aloysius Sartore. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Nice 14th century Venetian name!

al-Y{a-}sam{i-}n al-Sard{a-}niyya. Name and device. Per bend sinister gules and sable, on a sun Or an anchor sable.

Arnaut Dupont. Name and device. Gules, in pale three bridges of two spans argent.

Nice cant!

Aurelia Teodosia del Sete. Name.

The documentation in the Letter of Intent did not support the submitted spelling of Teodosia for the second given name. The cited article instead showed Teodesia. Fortunately, in commentary, Maridonna Benvenuti supplied documentation for Teodosia, allowing the name to be registered as submitted.

Bella Tessitore. Name and device. Per pale gules and sable, two rams rampant addorsed argent.

Nice Italian name from Pisa in the 15th and 16th centuries!

Bianca di Alessandro. Device change. Per bend argent and azure, a bend Or between a rose and a goblet counterchanged.

The submitter’s previous device, Azure, a chalice and on a chief engrailed argent three roses azure barbed and seeded proper, is retained as a badge.

Bjargey Geirr Hrafnsdottir. Name and device. Per chevron argent and gules, a feather and in chief two spears in chevron sable.

Submitted as Bjargey Geirkona Hrafnsdottir, the submitter desires a name meaning “spearwoman.” However, the constructed byname Geirkona does not have that meaning; it appears to be a misspelling of Geirskona, meaning “wife of a man named Geirr.”

The Old Norse word Geirr means “spear.” A woman named Bjargey Geirr would be understood as a woman who uses or is associated with a spear. Accordingly, with the submitter’s permission, we have changed the name to Bjargey Geirr Hrafnsdottir to best reflect the desired meaning.

Brit Taillyell. Name change from Mary of the Stuwes.

The submitter’s previous name, Mary of the Stuwes, is released.

Cáirthenn Ruadh. Name and device. Per pale sable and argent, a chevron between two trefoils and a crescent counterchanged.

This name can be registered as a combination of pre-1200 and post-1200 Irish Gaelic orthography, as the elements are attested within 500 years of each other. For an internally consistent name, Cáirthenn Ruad_ is an entirely pre-1200 (Middle Irish) spelling. If the submitter prefers this form, they may make a request for reconsideration.

Catalina Beatriz de las Torres. Name and device. Vert, on a fess argent a brown bear statant proper, a chief raguly argent.

Submitted as Catalina Beatriz de la Torres, the locative byname is not correctly constructed because Torres is a feminine plural noun. Therefore, the correct construction is de las Torres. With the submitter’s permission, we have made this change for registration.

As modified, nice Spanish name from the 15th century onwards!

Cillene O Caollaidhe. Device. Per pale purpure and argent, a butterfly counterchanged, on a chief Or five trefoils vert.

Elizabeth Ivette. Name change from Elizabeth of Rivenstar and badge. Or, a weaver’s shuttle bendwise, in base two clews of yarn azure.

The submitter requested authenticity for 14th century English. This name is authentic for 13th century England through the very beginning of the 14th century.

The submitter’s previous name, Elizabeth of Rivenstar, is released.

Hedewigis Ockenfüßin. Badge. (Fieldless) On a decrescent argent an owl sable.

Hof-Úlfr hórr. Name.

Submitted as Úlfr hofhórr, the byname was not correctly constructed. Hof- is a prepended byname, which means it is properly placed before the given name. In addition, no evidence was found of compound descriptive bynames using either the elements Hof- or hórr. With the submitter’s permission, we have changed the name to Hof-Úlfr hórr, using the attested Old Norse pattern of two descriptive bynames where one is a prepended byname appearing before the given name.

The submitter requested authenticity for meaning (“Temple Whore”) and Norse culture. This request was not summarized on the Letter of Intent. Fortunately, Seraphina Ragged Staff identified the authenticity request during commentary, allowing sufficient time for research. This name is not authentic for the submitter’s requested meaning and cannot be made authentic for it as we could not find any evidence of the concept of a “temple whore” or “sacred prostitute” in Norse culture.

The name as requested by the submitter does not mean “temple whore.” The byname Hof- refers to an enclosed space for public functions, such as a temple or a court. The byname hórr means “adulterer.” Accordingly, this name means something like “Úlfr, the adulterer, who is associated with a temple or king’s court.”

Mægwynn filia Brun. Name.

Mairi Crawford. Name and device. Azure, in pale three clouds Or.

This name combines a Gaelic given name with an English or Scots byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.

Nice device!

Margery Winthrop. Name and device. Azure, on an open book proper a domestic cat sejant azure.

Nice 16th century English name!

Matteo Genovese. Household name House of Sharp Edge (see RETURNS for badge).

Submitted as House _ Sharp Edge, this name was not correctly constructed. Sharp Edge is a compound English place name, referring to the crest of a hill or ridge owned by a family with the surname Sharp, using a pattern attested in “Compound Placenames in English” by Juliana de Luna (http://medievalscotland.org/jes/EnglishCompoundPlacenames/). However, the pattern House X is not found in English; this construction was ruled unregisterable in December 2007, [Sythe Blackwolfe, R-Calontir], and we have yet to see any new evidence that might support a change to precedent.

With the submitter’s permission, we have changed the name to House of Sharp Edge, using an attested pattern for household names based on English or Scots place names. [Edward Grey of Lochleven. Household name House of Lochleven, 7/2009 LoAR, A-East]

Micha{l/} Bia{l/}y. Name and device. Gules, a Latin cross bottony Or winged, a chief embattled argent.

Nice 16th century Polish name!

Muirgel Bera. Name.

This name combines a Gaelic given name with an Old English byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.

Oscar Goerijs Goriszoon. Name change from Goerijs Goriszoon.

The elements Goerijis and Goriszoon are already registered to the submitter and thus are treated as neutral in time and language under the Existing Registration Clause, PN1B2g, and can be combined with the late period English given name Oscar.

The submitter’s previous name, Goerijs Goriszoon, is retained as an alternate name.

Oskar of the Wood. Household name Company of Crescent Keep and badge association. Gules, a decrescent Or within a bordure ermine.

Questions were raised in commentary about whether Crescent was a plausible surname given that it appears in England as a given name considerably after the era when literal patronymics were common. Fortunately, after the close of commentary, Jeanne Marie Noir Licorne found Crescent as a surname in a collection of London marriage licenses from 1562-63. Crescent Keep, therefore, is a plausible constructed 16th century English place name and this household name follows the attested English pattern naming groups of people after places.

Sveinn Ívarsson. Name.

Nice 9th-10th century Icelandic name!

Tashiro Kojirou Kageharu. Device. Per bend argent and sable, a mitsutomoe sable.

Please see this month’s cover letter for a discussion on mitsutomoe.

There is a step from period practice for the use of mitsutomoe.

Volmar Sollons. Device. Azure, in pale three domestic sea-cats naiant guardant between flaunches Or.

Xavier de Paulo. Name and device. Azure semy of estoiles, on a cross formy Or a cross couped azure.

East Returns

Aloysius Sartore. Device. Argent, a brown stick hobbyhorse issuant from base proper bridled argent, a bordure sable semy of increscents argent.

This device is returned for lack of contrast between the argent reins of the hobbyhorse and the underlying field. While such details may have low contrast, they cannot have zero contrast.

Upon resubmission, the submitter is advised to make the reins a tincture other than argent, and strongly encouraged to choose a color rather than a metal.

Matteo Genovese. Badge for House of Sharp Edge. (Fieldless) Two axes in saltire and overall a dagger argent.

This badge is returned for conflict with the device of Absolon of Hereford, Per pale gules and sable, a sheaf of halberds argent. There’s one DC for fielded vs fieldless armory. There’s no difference for the type of axe. We’ve changed 1/3 of the charges in the sheaf, which is less than is needed for the second DC.