December 2007 East Kingdom Internal Letter of Decisions

Unto the East Kingdom College of Heralds and all others who do receive this letter, greetings from Kolosvari Arpadne Julia, Eastern Crown Herald!

This is the Letter of Decisions for the Internal Letter of Intent dated Dec. 27, 2007. It contains submissions received before Dec. 22^nd, 2007 and has 13 numbered items.

Many thanks to the following commenters, without whom I could not do this job: the NE Calontir commenting group (Mairi Rose, Brigida von München, Rohese de Dinan, Jibra'il `Attar, and Gawain of Miskbridge), Lillia de Vaux, Alys Mackyntoich, the Moline Académie de Héraldique (Yosef Alaric and Aceline Barrett of Seven Oaks), Tanczos Istvan, and Aryanhwy merch Catmael.

1 Aurora of Dragonship Haven (f) - New Name forwarded & New Device forwarded

The submission form says: "Aurora was the Roman godess [sic] of the morning." Withycombe (3rd ed.) p. 37 s.n. Aurora says: "the Latin name for the goddess of the dawn. Since the Renaissance occasionally used in England, Germany, and France (Aurore)." This, along with a similarly vaguely-dated entry in de Felice, was apparently enough to give a submitter the benefit of the doubt as recently as 2002 (Aurora Aquila Danaielliz, Feb. 2002 Caid). The branch name "Barony of Dragonship Haven" was registered in March 1985 via the East.

Commenters found a genealogy website which mentions one Aurora Katharina di Formentini, born 1609, who married Count Ádám Batthyány in 1632: http://genealogy.euweb.cz/hung/batth2.html. This is just after period, so I asked Ragged Staff Herald for the documentation used with the two most recent registrations of Aurora (Aurora Komnene, Nov. 2006 West, and Aurora Nhutbyme, June 2005 Atlantia). The 2005 submission cited Withycombe. The 2006 submission cited the registration of Aurora Gillybary (Sep. 1992 Outlands), which in turn cited Dunkling and Gosling, p. 36: Aurora "occurs as a Christian name in inscriptions of the Roman Empire."

As submitted, the emblazon blurred the distinction between a chief and per fess, and was returnable for that reason. It has therefore been redrawn as clearly per fess, with the submitter's approval. This is clear of Lidia de Ragusa (Jul. 2006 Atlantia): Per bend sinister azure and argent, a sun in splendor Or and a fox passant azure, with one CD for the field, and one for the tincture of half of the primary charges. The blazon has been corrected from ... an Elghund sable courant. Several websites (such as http://www.breederretriever.com/dog-breed-history/180/norwegian-elkhound.php) repeat in some form the information that the Norwegian Elkhound dates back to the Stone Age in Scandinavia, according to archeological evidence. Most breed histories also mention Vikings.

Brian is a header in Withycombe (2nd ed. p. 50, 3rd ed. p. 53), dated to 1273 in this spelling. le Wolfhunt is dated to 1273 in Bardsley p. 822 s.n. Wolfhunt. Other spellings under the same heading include le Wulfhunt 1273, Wolfehunt 1273, and Wolfhunte Rich. II. In addition, R&W p. 498 s.n. Wolfhunt has le Wulfhunte 1271 and le Wolfhunte 1339.

This device is clear of Lucrezia di Francesca (Sep. 1996 Atlantia): Argent, a hound statant and on a chief azure three crosses swallowtail Or, with one CD for the field and another for the multiple changes to the tertiary charges. It's also clear of Constance of Whitebirch (Jul. 2006 East): Or, a greyhound statant azure collared sable within a bordure azure, with one CD for the type of peripheral charge, and another for the tertiaries.

Vert, a bend wavy sinister argent between two stick shuttles bendwise sinister argent, threaded purpure.

Her name was registered in Dec. 2006, via the East. Her previous device submission, Vert, a chevron argent between three stick shuttles bendwise argent, threaded purpure, was returned at the same time for multiple conflicts. This submission changes the primary charge to a bend, among other things.

With the submitter's approval, this device has been redrawn with a wavier and more symmetric bend, and with stick shuttles recognizable as such. This is clear of Catriona nic Thearlaigh (Oct. 1998 An Tir): Per bend sinister vert and azure, a bend sinister wavy argent, with one CD for the field, and another for the secondary charges. There are also multiple registered devices of the form [Tincture], a bend sinister wavy between an [A] and a [B] argent, but they're all two CDs away. The blazon has been tweaked slightly to conform to usual blazon format, by switching the words "wavy" and "bend", and the orientation of the shuttles has been corrected with the addition of the word "sinister."

4 Caitriona inghean Sheamuis (f) - New Name forwarded & New Device forwarded

Per chevron gules and argent, a Rottweiler statant argent and three thistles one and two vert, headed purpure.

No major changes. She cares most about '16th century Gaelic' language and/or culture. Caitriona is a feminine given name dated between 1360 and 1525 in Mari Elspeth nic Bryan's "Index of Names in Irish Annals" (http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/). It is also found in OCM p. 45 s.n. Caiterína. inghean means 'daughter of' according to [the submission's interpretation of] "Quick and Easy Gaelic Names" by Sharon Krossa (http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/). Seamus is a masculine given name dated between 1298 and 1581 in the Annals Index (op. cit.).

The word inghean actually just means "daughter"; to get the "of", you need to make the father's name possessive, by putting it in the genitive case. According to the Annals Index, the genitive of Séamus is Séamuis. There is also a sound change called 'lenition' which occurs in certain grammatical contexts, among them feminine names; this causes Séamuis to become Shéamuis after inghean: Caitriona inghean Shéamuis. The submitted inghean Seamus has been corrected accordingly (minus the accent mark, which may be dropped in Gaelic names as long as it's done consistently).

According to the guidelines on the April 2002 Cover Letter, this name is clear of Caiterina nic Shéamuis (Mar. 1990 West): 'nic' expresses a different relationship than 'inghean', the particles look and sound different, and they're in different languages. (For another discussion of 'nic' vs. 'inghean', see the July 2007 ILoI, item 17.)

The submitter has provided a letter of permission to conflict from Eoin Dubh, whose submission appears below. The blazon has been corrected somewhat (from Per chevron gules and argent, three thistles purpure and vert, a Rottweiler statant argent). According to a breed history on the American Kennel Club's website (http://www.akc.org/breeds/rottweiler/history.cfm), Rottweilers originate from dogs used by the Roman legions; this puts the breed (or something like it) in period. However, commenters were unable to turn up any information on the period name of the breed. The flowers can't be blazoned as simply 'proper', because the head of a natural thistle has a green, spiny bulbous part below the purple or red brushy 'hair'.

Per chevron azure and argent, a bow fesswise argent and three thistles one and two vert, headed purpure.

No major changes. He cares most about '16th century Gaelic' language and/or culture. Eoin is a masculine name dated between 1246 and 1600 in Mari's Annals Index. It is also a header on p. 88 of OCM. Dubh is a descriptive byname meaning 'black' dated between 288 and 1590 in the Annals Index.

This device has been redrawn, with the submitter's approval, to make the bow visible. The submitter has provided a letter of permission to conflict from Caitriona inghean Sheamuis, whose submission appears above. This is clear of David Lennox Hamilton (Feb. 1991 Caid): Per chevron azure and argent, two fleurs-de-lys argent and a thistle proper, with one CD for the number of primary charges, and another for the type change of half the primary charge group. The blazon has been somewhat revised (from Per chevron azure and argent, three thistles purpure and vert, a bow argent). The flowers can't be blazoned as simply "proper": the head of a natural thistle has a green, spiny bulbous part below the purple or red brushy 'hair'.

No major changes. He cares most about (an unspecified) language and/or culture. All docs from Academy of S. Gabriel Report 3173 (http://www.s-gabriel.org/3173). Joris is identified as a 13th c. southern French form of George, citing Dauzat and "French/Occitan Names from the XII and XIII Century" by Ramons lo Montalbes (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/ramon/occitan/). Tolosa is identified as a Catalan spelling of Toulouse, dated to the 10th century and to the late 12th/early 13th century, citing Ramons (op. cit.), Dauzat & Rostaing, and Catalunya Carolingia: Volum IV: Els Comtats d'Osona i Manresa by Ramon Ordeig i Mata (Institut d'Estudis Catalans, Barcelona, 1999).

Additional documentation, from a later time period: Aryanhwy's "Catalan Names from the 1510 Census of Valencia" (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/spanish/valencia1510.html) has one instance of the surname de Tolosa. The given name appears in this list (seven times) as Jordi.

Sable, on a lozenge argent a seahorse vert, and in chief two escallops argent.

Lillian is a feminine name dated to the 16th century in Withycombe s.n. Lil(l)ian (2nd ed. p. 187, 3rd ed. p. 196). In addition, Talan Gwynek's "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/reaneyAG.html) dates Lilion to 1279 as a diminutive of Elizabeth. Stanhope is a header dated in this spelling to 1427 in R&W p. 424.

This device is clear of Meryk the Rogue (Apr. 1997 East): Sable, on a lozenge argent a sea griffin contourny purpure, with one CD for the secondary charges, and another for the multiple changes to the tertiary.

His name was forwarded to Laurel on the East's LoI dated Oct. 31, 2007. This device was returned on the August LoD because of a precedent disallowing the use of a fimbriated ordinary surmounted by an overall charge. The submitter and his herald believe that the cited precedent (Bjǫrn blundr Tómasson, 12/2006 A-East) is in error. It quotes the Aug. 1986 LoAR, but "the decision from August 1986 does not seem to be relevant to the return. It cites only 'past rulings barring ... ermine fimbriation' in a submission that has neither an ordinary nor a charge overall." Rowen quotes the return of Krysta of Starfall's badge, Purpure, a scourge of three lashes ermine from the Aug. 86 LoAR, and writes: "Additionally, the Tómasson submission was returned for violating an alleged precedent that a fimbriated ordinary cannot be surmounted by an overall charge set in the March 1986 LoAR and reaffirmed in the return of Edward Senestre on the Feb. 2003 LoAR. Both the Tómasson return and the Senestre return cite the March 1986 LoAR. That letter contains three submissions with fimbriation." The first, Dak Ulfredsson: Pean, a bend sinister azure fimbriated Or and overall a goat's head erased Or, was registered with the note "It's a scarpegoat!". This is exactly parallel to the current submission: Field, an ordinary fimbriated and overall a complex charge. The other two fimbriated submissions on the March 86 LoAR were returned, but for other reasons: Ilaria Veltri's Azure, a greyhound rampant argent above a mount of three hillocks vert fimbriated, a bordure argent was returned for fimbriating a mount, and Torgul Steingrimsson's Sable, a tyger sejant erect affronty Or, pendant from each forepaw a metal cuff and broken chain sable, fimbriated Or, on a chief argent, a crown inverted between two crowns gules was returned for demeaning a crown by turning it upside down. Rowen also lists a dozen devices following the pattern Field, an ordinary fimbriated and overall a charge which were registered between March 1986 and Feb. 2003. In the interest of space, I'll list just the names: Aubrey Rainald, Benjamin Hardcastle, Dedric of Gower, Gabriel of Talon, Gwyneth Fayrfax, James le Hauke of Stirling, Markus Bjolanarson, Theodoric Tobin, Thomas de Carisbourg, Tristan Keck, Walter Kempe of Falconhold, Wilhelm of Falconhold. Rowen concludes, "Therefore, it is our position that the submission for Edward Senestre was ruled incorrectly by Laurel on the Feb. 2003 LoAR due to incorrect reference to precedent, and the submission for Fáelán was ruled incorrectly by Eastern Crown on the Aug. 2007 LoD for the same reason."

Aryanhwy notes another precedent which makes the same interpretation of the 1986 ones: Sophie Davenport (02/2003 R-Æthelmearc), returning Sable, a bend sinister gules fimbriated Or and overall a scorpion argent:

The return in kingdom was therefore technically correct, since it was based on current precedent, but the submitter is right that there is some confusion in the matter: the oft-quoted 1986 precedents do not appear to say what the later quotes say they say. I am therefore happy to pass this up the food chain.

9 Mariota Fitzgerald of Kildare (f) - Resub Name forwarded & Resub Device forwarded

She cares most about 'Anglo-Irish, 14th century' language and/or culture. Her previous name submission of Moriath of Kildare was returned on the July LoD for using a legendary name. Her previous device, Or vetu, a duck purpure, was returned on the same LoD for conflict with Caterina Nadalini (Nov. 2001 Ansteorra), Purpure, on a lozenge ployé Or a bunch of grapes proper, with just one CD for the type of the tertiary charge. This submission adds two other tertiary charges. Mariota is a feminine name found in Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn's "Names and Naming Practices in the Red Book of Ormond (Ireland 14th Century)" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/lateirish/ormond-given.html#Given). Fitzgerald is listed as a surname of English origin in Tangwystyl's "Names and Naming Practices in the Fitzwilliam Accounts from 16th Century Ireland" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/lateirish/fitzwilliam.html). The submission also quotes from the Wikipedia entry for Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond. According to Wikipedia, County Kildare was first defined as a diocese in 1111, shired in 1297, and assumed its present borders in 1832.

There is a 14th century Anglo-Irish poem called the Song of Michael of Kildare which can be found (in its original spelling) in the CELT archive (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/E300000-001/index.html); line 144 is "Frere Michel Kyldare." Mariota can also be found (s.n. Mary) in Talan Gwynek's "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/laurel/reaneyintro.html), dated to 1195, 1200, 1219, 1259, 1274, 1277, 1296, 1297, 1327, and 1332. Joseph Foster's The Dictionary of Heraldry: Feudal Coats of Arms and Pedigrees p. 87 lists Maurice Fitz Gerald 1345-48, Sire Thomas Fitzgerald Edw. I, and Warine le Fitz Gerald Hen. III.

One of her bynames may need to be dropped because of presumption: according to an article on Library Ireland (http://www.libraryireland.com/LewisA/Adare.php), the first Earl of Kildare was John Fitzgerald. If both his surname and the earldom were inherited in his family, then "Fitzgerald of Kildare" is a presumptuous claim. I have no information whether this is the case, so I'm forwarding the name unchanged.

Every commenter's gut reaction was that this device still conflicts with Caterina Nadalini, with just one CD for multiple changes to the tertiary charge(s): you can't blazon your way out of conflict, so the fact that this is blazoned as "vetu" instead of "a lozenge throughout" is (or should be) immaterial. However, Aryanhwy pointed out that the redesign also introduces a new problem: per precedent, it is not period style to have two different tertiary charge groups on the same underlying charge (Esperanza Razzolini d'Asolo, 10/1995 R-An Tir, reaffirmed Uma, Shire of, 10/2001 R-Drachenwald). Now it gets interesting: you CAN blazon your way out of style problems. If this is "vetu", then it's not tertiaries, but a primary between secondaries, plus peripheral frou-frou, and the precedent doesn't apply. The June 2004 Cover Letter discusses "Alternate Blazons and Conflicts"; it says that if a conflict only exists under a blazon which is invalid for the new submission, then it's not a conflict. So is "stylistically invalid" the same as "invalid"? I have no idea, so I'm forwarding this for Wreath's delectation. The arrangement of the duck and gouttes ("between in pale") has been added to the blazon.

This is actually a kingdom resub. His badge Gules, a decrescent Or was returned on the July 2005 LoD for conflict with Lourana Moonwind (Oct. 1985 Atenveldt): Gules, a decrescent moon within an orle of mullets Or (one CD for removing the mullets) and Christopher Edward Hawkins (Apr. 1997 An Tir): Sable, a decrescent Or (one CD for the field). The addition of the bordure clears both of these conflicts. This badge is also clear of Ikishima Katsutoshi (Mar. 2005 Ansteorra): Gules, in fess a decrescent and a bat Or, with one CD for the number of primary charges, and another for the bordure.

Per chevron azure and argent, two swords crossed in saltire argent and a popinjay azure.

No major changes. Rúadhán is identified as an Irish name sometimes written in English as Rowan in "Concerning the Names Rowena, Rowan, and Rhonwen" by Aryanhwy merch Catmael and Arval Benicoeur (http://medievalscotland.org/problem/names/rowan.shtml). The article says the Gaelic name "is recorded in early medieval Ireland, though it was not common, and may also have been used by Scottish Gaels", citing OCM and Black. OCM s.n. Rúadán says "the most famous bearer of the name is St. Rúadán." As a saint's name, it should be registerable in both its Old/Middle Irish form Rúadán (or Ruadan) and its Early Modern Irish form Rúadhán (or Ruadhan). Muir is a header spelling in Black, p. 617. Dated spellings include Muyr 1469-70 and 1539, and Mwir and Mwyr 1525. The submitted spelling seems a reasonable variant based on these.

This name may conflict with Rúadhagán Mór (Dec. 1993 Ansteorra). It looks like the given names may have a different number of syllables, and I believe the vowel is different in the bynames, but I don't know if that's enough of a difference or not. I'm forwarding this to let Pelican and the College figure it out.

St. Gabriel report 2223 (http://www.s-gabriel.org/2223) lists Ruadhán as the normalized late-period Gaelic form of a name from a 1541 Scottish document written in Latin, citing Ewen, C. L'Estrange, A History of Surnames of the British Isles. A combination of Gaelic and Scots is registerable, but is a step from period practice (Elspeth O'Shea, 02/00 A-Middle).

This device is clear of Kazimir Petrovich Pomeshanov (Jun. 1991 East): Per chevron throughout azure and argent, two rapiers inverted and a slow match counterchanged, with one CD for arrangement, and another for the type of half the primary charge group. (Per the Glossary of Terms under 'half', the bottom charge of a two-and-one arrangement counts as half the group.) All of the charges could stand to be larger, especially the rapiers, but hopefully they'll be acceptable with just an artist's note. The blazon has been revised (from Per chevron azure and argent, a popinjay azure, two swords crossed argent).

I forgot to include the information about her previous badge submission. It was blazoned identically to this one, and was returned by Laurel (10/2003 R-East) because the mini-emblazon was missing the ermine spots.

This badge is clear of Freydis ór Thelamörk (Feb. 1992 East): Purpure, a fox sejant within a bordure argent, with one CD for the orientation of the fox, and another for the tincture of the bordure. It's similarly clear of Arthur Lacey (May 1992 West): Purpure, an Irish wolfhound courant contourny reguardant gorged of a lace ruff within a bordure argent, with one CD for the posture of the beast, and another for the tincture of the bordure. It's also clear of Anastasia Daysshe (Aug. 2004 An Tir): Purpure, a poodle passant within a bordure ermine, with CDs for the posture and tincture of the primary charge. Oh, and it's clear of Aryanhwy's badge Purpure, a bordure ermine by addition of the primary charge (RfS X.1.).

13 Temair ingen Muiredaich and Oskar of the Wood - New Joint Household Name forwarded
Submitted Name: House of the White Stag and Fox

She wishes to register this household name jointly with Oskar of the Wood. [The Admin Handbook II.B.3. says names of households may be registered "by two individuals jointly".] Her name and device were registered in Oct. 2003, via the East, and his name and device were registered in Sep. 1990, also via the East. Their (individual) badge submissions appear above. No documentation provided; the submitters appeal to the College for assistance.

Istvan points out that a joint submission should be listed under both names; I have made this correction.

The pattern "House [X]" is only appropriate when X is a family name. "White Stag and Fox" is hardly such, so I've added "of the", using the pattern of inn or sign names. Mari Elspeth nic Bryan's "English Sign Names" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/inn/) has one temp. James I example of an inn named "X and Y" (Bull and Harrow). Both "Stag" and "Fox" appear only in her list of undated names, but many other animals are found among the dated period examples: bear, boar, bull, lamb, lion, ram, and roebuck. She also has (various spellings of) Whitehorse (4 cites, 13th-14th c.) and Whitelamb (1379, 1428). The examples are all written as one word, but they each have just one animal being modified. This points out that "White X and Y" is a bit of a stretch, but I'm not sure how best to resolve the problem, so I'm leaving the decision to Pelican. The spelling White is found in R&W s.n. White: Berwaldus le White Hy 2. Ibid s.n. Fox has Toue fox Hy 2 and Hugo le Fox 1297. For Stag, Ekwall s.n. Stagenhoe offers Stagho 1253, derived from elements meaning "stags' heel or spur of land".

Bardsley, Charles Wareing. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames. Oxford University Press, London, 1901.

Black, George F. The Surnames of Scotland. New York Public Library, 1989.

Dauzat, Albert and Marie-Thérèse Morlet. Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France. Librairie Larousse, Paris, 1989.

Dauzat, Albert et Charles Rostaing. Dictionnaire Étymologique des Noms de Lieux de la France. Paris, 1963.

De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei cognomi Italiani. Mondadori, Milan, 1992.

De Felice, Emidio. Dizionario dei nomi Italiani. Mondadori, Milan, 1986.

Mari Elspeth nic Bryan: "Index of Names in Irish Annals" (http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/AnnalsIndex/).

Ó Corraín, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire. Irish Names. Lilliput Press, Dublin, 1990.

Reaney, P.H. and R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Third edition, Oxford University Press, 1995.

Withycombe, E.G. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names. Third edition. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1979.