Lewis
Tanzos
Eastern.crown@eastkingdom.org
9 July 2003
Unto the East Kingdom College of Heralds and all others who do receive this letter, greetings from Tanczos Istvan, Eastern Crown Herald!
This LoR contains decisions on the letter dated 15 April 2003. There were 20 numbered items.
Commentary was received from the following people or groups (listed under the name of the person who actually sent the commentary to me): Margaret Holmwood, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, canute, Sancha de Flores, Arval Benicoeur, Emme Attewater, Meradudd Cethin, Da'ud ibn Auda, Ulrich von der Insel, Pendar the Bard, Jan Janowitz Bogdanski, Yosef Alaric, Cateline la souriete de la mor, Arnulf Adler. Jaelle of Armida. Immense thanks to all those who commented!
In service,
Istvan Eastern Crown
1 Aldrich von Bremen - resub device forwarded
Or, between a saltire gules four bears rampant sable.
The name was registered by Laurel in 11/01.
2 Alessandra de Burgos - new name forwarded & new device returned
Azure, a chevron between two lilies and a castle argent.
Submitter desires authenticity for 'Spanish/Italian culture', and wishes to retain the sound as well. She would like a Spanish name that 'sounds like Alessandra' but is willing to take the Italian version if necessary. 'Alessandra' from Italian Renaissance Women's Names, at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/italian.html. 'de' means 'of' in Spanish. Burgos is presented as a town in Spain in period.
de Burgos' is found in Spanish Names from the Late 15th Century, at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/isabella/index.html.
Mixing Italian and Spanish is a weirdness. The client, when contacted, indicated a willingness to take the name "Alexandra de Burgos" based on commentary that indicated that this would be the feminine form of Alexandre, which masculine name is dated to 1128 and the 15th century in Academy of St. Gabriel report #1554. Since the name is registerable with a weirdness in the original, submitted form, we will send this to Laurel as submitted and let the CoA comment on the likelihood of the existence of the feminine form.
The device has two conflicts. Beorn Collenferth bears Azure, a chevron between a harp, an axe reversed and a sabre-toothed tiger statant argent. (October, 1982 via Meridies) and Rannveigr Haakonardottir bears Azure, a chevron between two falcons close respectant and a drakkar's prow reversed argent. (December, 1983 via the East). All the charges around the chevron in all three cases are considered a single secondary group, and therefore there is a single CD for the change in type of all the secondary charges in both cases.
3 Alida de Conti - resub name forwarded
Name was returned at Laurel in October of 2002 for lack of documentation of the given name. She is resubmitting, with a photocopy of her driver's license as proof that 'Alida' is her mundane first name. A 'Niccoló dé Conti' is found, dated to the 15th century, in a Funck & Wagnalls entry (PCA); There are also a variety of Popes whose original names were Conti or dé Conti: Rinaldo Conti in 1254, Lotario dé Conti in 1198, and Ugolino dé Conti in 1227. All these are from the online Catholic Encyclopedia, available at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/ (PCA).
4 Beyond the Mountain, Barony - new order name returned
& new device forwarded
Submitted Name: Defender of the
Oak
(Fieldless) On a chevron inverted couped azure an annulet argent
The name Barony Beyond the Mountain was registered via the East in 1973.
No substantiating documentation was provided that the submitted order name follows any period pattern acceptable for SCA order names, nor that the elements of the name are period. None of the commenters supplied corroborating evidence for the name, so it must be returned. Before resubmission, the group should probably peruse the excellent article on period order names by Meradudd Cethin, available at the Laurel education page at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/order/
Additionally, if "Defenders" is taken to be the group designator, as appears to be the intention, this submission conflicts with both the Barony of the Steppes' Order of the Oak (January 1981, via Ansteorra) and probably with the Middle Kingdom's Oaken Herald (December 1983, via the Middle).
The original device submitted, [(Fieldless), On a chevron inverted azure an annulet argent.] would be returned for violation of RfS VIII.5. Fieldless designs may not contain charges which terminate at the edge of the field. The chevron is such a charge. Since it is such a minor change, and the changed device appears clear, Eastern Crown will coup the chevron on the emblazon and forward it to Laurel.
5 Boal Mergen - new alternate name returned & new
device forwarded
Submitted Name: Basim al-Rami
Azure, eight arrows in annulo, points to center, argent.
The name construction is taken from Da'ud ibn Auda's "Arabic Naming Practices and Period Names List", at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/arabic-naming.html: It describes the use of an 'ism (a given name) and a lakab (an epithet). The given name Basim is taken from a site called "Masculine Arabic Names", available at http://www.sudairy.com/arabic/masc.html; Al-Rami is constructed to mean 'the marksman' or 'the archer', and 'Rami' can be found at the same site. The name 'Boal Mergen' was registered in January of 2003.
Da'ud ibn Auda offered the following commentary:
Basim shows up only in a couple of the modern books (e.g., Salahuddin Ahmed's "A Dictionary of Muslim Names", p. 36), without any dates at all. My best guess is that it is a modern name. Still, that may be sufficient for Wreath.
In the past, Laurel has been fairly lenient about Arabic names owing to the dearth of period sources for names.
Rami shows up in Ahmed, p. 169, as a given name with the meaning "the constellation Sagittarius." So the name, even as a byname, doesn't mean what the submitter thinks it means. Because of that meaning, it is totally inappropriate as a byname; basically, he would be claiming to be the constellation.
I didn't find "archer" in any of my English-Arabic dictionaries. However, Elias' "English-Arabic Dictionary Romanized", p. p. 124, gives "nasan'gi" for "marksman"; the word may or may not be period (for example, it could refer mainly to a rifleman) - I can't prove it either way - but its use as a word meaning marksman would make a construction of "al-Nasan'gi" or "al-Nasanji" reasonable, in that it would fit the general pattern of occupational bynames.
Since the submitter disallows major changes, the name must be returned.
6 Ding Li Ying - new device returned
Or, on a pile azure a lotus flower affronty argent.
Name was forwarded on the Eastern December 2002 Internal Letter of Intent, which has not yet been issued to Laurel.
As submitted, the emblazon is not blazonable; the ordinary is not a pile, it is not a chausse, it is not per chevron inverted, it is not a chief triangular.
The submitter should note that in this case, a redraw is not going to help, since properly drawn, Or, on a pile azure, a lotus flower affronty argent. would be considered to conflict with the mon of the emperor of Japan, (Tinctureless) A chrysanthemum.. There would be only one CD for the change from tinctured to tinctureless, due to this precedent:
[Gules chaussé Or, a seahorse sejant counterchanged] Conflict with ... Or, a pile gules. By long standing precedent, chaussé fields can alternatively be blazoned as having a pile, and both forms must be considered for conflict. Or, on a pile gules, a seahorse sejant counterchanged conflicts with Or, a pile gules, with only one CD for the addition of the tertiary charge. [Samhthann ni Giolla Mhuire, 10/99, R-Calontir]
Since the submitted blazon could be blazoned as Azure chausse Or, a lotus flower affronty argent., there is only the one CD for the tincture.
7 Edward the Staunch - new name forwarded
We find 'Edward' in Withycombe, p. 94-95, SN: Edward dated in that spelling to 901-924, 975-978, 1272-1377.
The OED's earliest example of "staunch" in the meaning "steadfast" is from 1623. The only meanings listed with pre-1600 citations are (1) water-tight (1412); and (3) Of strong or firm construction, in good or firm condition, substantial, applied to walls, towers, etc., but not to people (1455). The subitter may prefer "Stedy" 1327, meaning "immovable, steadfast, firm" (R&W s.n. Steady); or "Stedefast" 1296 (R&W s.n. Steadfast).
Descriptive bynames of the submitted type had disappeared by the 15th century, so there is no way to make this name authentic as the submitter requested.
8 Elizabeth Reed - resub device forwarded
Or, a tyger statant to sinister reguardant, tail knowy azure, between four leaves in cross stems to center vert.
Name registered 11/98 via the East.
9 Julian Ridley - new name forwarded & new device forwarded
Vert, a turtle tergiany plummetty argent and sable.
Julian of Norwich lived from 1342-1416, according to 'Revelations of Divine Love' (NPCA). Ridley is the submitter's mundane surname, as attested to by a photocopy of her driver's license.
Since no useful documentation for the personal name are provided, here are some sources: Julian is found in Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames, at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/reaneyHZ.html, under Juliana, the listed form reads "1185-87 Julian". Note that Julian appears to be the masculine form. The English feminine appears to be Juliana. Since the submitter desires no changes, we have left the form which is more likely masculine.
Many instances of "Ridley" are cited in Surnames in Durham and Northumberland, 1521-1615, http://www.yucs.org/~jules/names/parish/surnames.html. Ridley is also a header in Reaney & Wilson, with forms dated to 1227. Eckwall s.n. Ridley (the header appears more than once), shows Rydeley (1271)....Riddelee (1198).
Note that the documentation for two names is separated by over 300 years. This would be a weirdness, but for the mundane name allowance.
10 Lawrence Thornguard - new household name forwarded
& new badge returned for redraw
Submitted Name: House
Thornguard
Gules, a chevron Or semy of wolf prints sable and overall a sword inverted proper.
Since 'Thornguard' is the submitter's SCA surname, registered in May of 1987, we are passing this under the pattern for household names of ruling dynasties, as in House of Anjou.
The badge is on a device form and will need to be resubmitted on a badge form. Additionally, the submitted emblazon has the (yellow) hilt of the sword overlying the (yellow) chevron. This is a violation of the rules of tincture. It is suggested that either the sword be moved up some so that the yellow hilt does not overly the chevron or that the sword be changed to all white.
Additionally, the submitter should be aware that there may be a visual problem with the armory of Murdoc McDuncan (April 2001, via Ansteorra): "Gules, a sword inverted proper, overall on a chevron Or three mullets of five greater and five lesser points sable." These two devices are clear by the rules, since each has a different primary, but the only actual difference is the overlapping area of the chevron/sword and the difference of the pawprints/mullets. They may be considered to be in X.5. visual conflict.
11 Madelena Palmieri - new name forwarded & new device forwarded
Or, on a bend nebuly azure a feather bendwise argent.
'Madelena' from 'Italian Renaissance Women's Names' by Rhian Lyth of Black, found at http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html 'Palmiere' from 'Le Famiglie Di Firenze', vol. 2, p. 478 (PCA). This is in Italian but appears to date the name to 1387 and 1405.
Rhian's article also appears at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/italian.html which does not require photocopies.
Palmieri appears in Masculine Names from Thirteenth Century Pisa: Men's Names By Frequency by Juliana de Luna (Julia Smith), listed 6 times. Palmieri is presented as a theoretical equivalent to the documented form Palmerius. This source is at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/pisa/pisa-given-freq.html . Also, the online Catasto of 1427 ( http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/catasto/overview.html ) lists Palmieri twice: Francesco Antonio Palmieri and Marco Antonio Palmieri.
Since the submitted form, 'Palmiere', was not documented at all, even in the photocopies submitted, we have changed the spelling to the documented form. We have not bothered to translate the submitter's supplied documentation, since sources more amenable to our use (e.g. in English, by authors we trust) are available.
The nebuly lines of the bend are in a form called 'nebuly bretessed', which may be forbidden in SCA armory by this precedent:
This sort of wavy ordinary, with the waves opposed instead of parallel (``wavy bretessed'' instead of ``wavy-counter-wavy''), was returned on the LoAR of Dec 91 as a non-period depiction., and a number of times since then. [The submission was returned.] (Cecily of Whitehaven, 3/98 p. 15)
However, the ban appears to be only on 'wavy betressed'. Indeed, the term 'bretressed' by itself appears to appear to a variant of embattling
There is no heraldic difference between embattled and bretessed on a pale... [Kenewi ap Owain, 08/00, R-Ansteorra]
As such, we are sending this to Laurel for a ruling. In any case, the 'nebules' should be larger so as to be more easily recognized, and the bend should be wider.
12 Medb ingen Muiredaich - new name forwarded
'Medb' is from O'Corrain & Maguire, p. 135, "one of the twenty most popular names in later medieval Ireland. Medb, the headstrong queen of Connacht in the Ta'in Bo' Cuailgne. In the Christian tradition, one Medb of the Ciarraige was the mother of St Lugaid mac Luchta." 'ingen' is 'daughter of'. 'Muiredaich'is found in '100 Most Popular Men's Names in Early Medieval Ireland' at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/irish100.html.
Muiredaich is apparently the proper genitive form of Muiredach
13 Morgan Farraday - new device forwarded
Argent, a lymphad sails furled on a chief dovetailed sable a cutlass argent and a base nebuly azure.
Name registered as 'Morgan Faraday' in November of 1997.
We can find no prohibition on using multiple complex lines of division on different ordinaries. The only prohibition covers the use of more than one complex line of division on a single ordinary. Note that the nebuly line represented, to the medieval mind, clouds and not water.
14 Mylisant Grey - resub device forwarded
Per pale azure and Or, a thistle counterchangted.
Name registered in March 2003, via the East.
15 Richard le Hauke - new name forwarded & new device forwarded
Per pale azure and sable, a sword inverted palewise between two hawks close addorsed argent.
Richard is documented from Richard I of England, 1157-1199 (NDP). 'Hauke' is mentioned in a letter from the Academy of S. Gabriel (#953, PCA) but it appears to possibly be a typo for 'Hawke', which is dated to 1379. 'Hauke' is also mentioned as a Middle English word meaning 'nook or corner' in another S. Gabriel letter (#1633, PCA) but the letter does not speak to its suitability as a name.
Richard is found in Late Sixteenth Century English Given Names , at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/names/eng16/eng16alpha.html. While the Academy of St. Gabriel has said that the submitted form of the surname is likely a typo in the report used as documentation, the spelling is fine: Reaney & Wilson, s.n. Hawk dates an Adam Hauke to 1327. Richard is found in Reaney & Wilson, s.n. Kippax, which dates one "Richard Kippax" to 1347 and s.n. Kipping, which shows one "Richard Kipping", 1208.
16 Sichelgaita von Halsstern - resub name forwarded & resub device forwarded
Per bend purpure and Or, a harp counterchanged and in sinister chief a mullet Or.
'Sichelgaita' from numerous sources: Sichelgaita was a princess of Lombardy, dated to 1090, the wife of Robert Guiscard (from "Medieval Europe, A Short History", PCA). 'Halstern' is mentioned on what appears to be a printout of a web page in some Scandinavian language which I cannot read (PCA, but no URL provided). It's also mentioned as a place of birth for someone born in 1690 on yet another genealogical web site (PCA).
Halstern appears to be a suburb of Löhn. A web page mentiones the Municipality of Mennighüffen as existing in a Church register in 1347, and one of the included towns in this municipality is Halstern ( http://www.mennighueffen.de/gesch1024.htm) A translation of the relevant paragraph is:
One suspects that Mennighüffer existed long before it was mentioned in an official record. The construction of the first church of the settlement was done in the 9th century. However, a Mennighüffer priest is only mentioned in church writings in 1300. In 1347 according to church reports, the dedication of the new Monichufler Church occurred. The congregation of the Mennighüffer formed rapidly and thus it happened that Mennighüffer was mentioned in the Synodal register as "Kirchspiel Mennekhusen" which included the land grants for Beck Ober and Niederbeck (Upper and Lower Beck), West and Ostschied (West and East), Grimminghausen and Halstern are included.
We are leaving the name in the submitted form, 'Halsstern', in the hopes that somebody at Laurel with better sources may be able to document the doubled s. Note that according to the registration of Siegfried von Halsstern, (81/07) Halsstern means "Throat star". According to a german-english dictionary, it can also mean "neck star".
17 Silvia Wilkinson - resub device forwarded
Azure, a fess wreathed Or and gules between six roses Or.
Clear of Michal MacAveely (May 1984, Middle) "Azure, a fess wreathed Or and gules between two bars gemel dancetty argent." with a CD each for type and number of secondary group.
18 Stonemarche, Barony of - new order name forwarded
& new badge forwarded
Submitted Name: Company of
Gesters
Argent, a double lion's tail queue-forchee erect couped azure.
'Company' from the Condensed OED p. 487 (708) defined as 'a body of persons combined or incorporated for some common object...esp. A medieval trade guild' (NPCA). 'Gesters' from the same source p. 1135 (136) 'a professional reciter or singer of romances' (NPCA).
The OED dates the cited sense of 'company' to 1389 in the spelling 'compayne'. The OED also had 'gesters' in 1380.
It still remains to show that this is a plausible name for a group of people in period. The Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London by John Bromley has plates of original charters that show:
Several commenters asked if this emblazon was recognizable. All the heralds Eastern Crown asked were able to correctly identify it after a short amount of time.
Given that both of these submissions are acceptable, Eastern Crown will be contacting the Baronial Herald for a properly filled out petition, as required by Brigantia policy.
19 Udalrich Schermer - new name forwarded & new device forwarded
Azure, a unicorn rampant barry wavy gules and Or.
'Udalrich' dated to 1065 in 'The Salian Century' p. 72: 'in 1065 King Henry IV deposed Abbot Udalrich of Lorsch' (PCA). Also dated to 1112 in 'The Origins of Modern Germany' p. 159: 'Henry V endeavoured to secure...the estates of Count Udalrich of Weimar in 1112' (PCA).'Schermer' dated to 1332 in Bahlow's 'Dictionary of German Names' 2nd. Ed. Gentry tr. P. 441.
20 Ysemay Sterlyng - new name forwarded & new device returned
Quarterly argent and gules, a cross counterchanged, on a chief argent fibriated sable a book gules, in base a pair of quills counterchanged.
'Ysemay' from 'Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of British Surnames' by Talan Gwynek ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/reaney/reaney.cgi?Ismay, PCA), which dates the submitted form to 1275. 'Sterlyng' from 'Family Chronicle - The Agincourt Honor Roll', linked from the S. Gabriel page ( http://www.familychronicle.com/agin_sz.htm, PCA)
Talan's article is also on the Laurel website at http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/reaneyintro.html, which needs no photocopies. Also, Reaney & Wilson, s.n. Starling, gives a 'Willelmus filius Sterling' in 1133-60 and 'Richard Sterling' in 1230. The i/y replacement is commonplace in English (e.g. in Withycombe 3rd ed p 270, s.n. Simon, we find Simon/Symon - Simond 1273, Symond 1394).
Fimbriation is not allowed on peripheral ordinaries according to the Rules for Submission, section VIII.3 which says, in part: "Voiding and fimbriation may only be used with simple geometric charges placed in the center of the design." In addition, the fimbriation in the submission is way too thin for proper fimbriation. If we count it as a line of division, the device violates the rules of tincture, having an argent chief overlying a partially argent field.