Lillia de Vaux
eastern.crown@eastkingdom.org

June 2, 2011

Greetings to the East Kingdom College of Heralds! This is the Letter of Decisions for the April 16, 2011 Internal Letter of Intent. The original text from the iLoI is bolded, and is followed by my comments in unbolded text.

Thank you to the following commenters: Magnus von Lubeck, Gawain of Miskbridge, Alys Mackyntoich, Brunissende Dragonette, Jeanne Marie Lacroix, Rohese de Dinan, Aritê Gunê Akasa, and Eleazar ha-Levi.

Yours in Service,

Lillia de Vaux, Eastern Crown Herald

1: Aleksei Dmitriev - Resub Badge forwarded

Argent, within a triquetra a pheon gules

The submitter's name and device, Gules, on a bend sinister between two griffins salient argent an arrow purpure, were registered in 12/2006 (East). A badge, (Fieldless) A griffin salient argent, was returned at the same time:

Unfortunately, this must be returned for conflict with the device of Griffin Val Drummond, Per pale purpure and azure, a griffin segreant argent, maintaining in its dexter talon a morgenstern, and in its sinister talon a targe charged with a tower azure, which has been reblazoned elsewhere on this letter. As the targe and morgenstern are maintained charges, there is only a single CD for removing the field.

This is a complete redesign. Note that this device was originally submitted as a fieldless badge. As non-conjoined charges are not allowed in such badges, the consulting herald has informed me that an argent field is acceptable.

Commenters agreed that the triquetra was the primary charge, not the central, but very small pheon. This is in line with the following precedent:

[Argent, a heart purpure within a Bowen knot crosswise sable.] This conflicts with Darcy Graham, Argent, a Bowen knot in cross sable. Normally the charge in the center of the field is the primary charge; however, in this case each lobe of the Bowen knot is the same size as the heart. Given the nature of a Bowen knot (or Bowen cross), there is no way to make the central charge larger without shrinking those lobes, making the knot less identifiable. Thus in armory with a <charge> within a Bowen knot, the Bowen knot is the primary charge and the <charge> is secondary. [Emmeline Dernelove, 08/05, R-Caid]

2: Alesone Gray of Cranlegh - New Badge Change forwarded

(Fieldless) A turkey-cock displayed paly bendy sinister Or and vert

Old Item: Gules, three equal-armed Celtic crosses and on a chief argent three ravens sable, to be released.

Her name was registered 11/2009 (East). The badge being released was originally registered as a device in 12/2008, and was changed to a badge in 06/2010 when her current device, Quarterly gules and sable, on a bend sinister argent three fleurs-de-lys gules was registered. If this is registered, she will have five pieces of armory, still below the maximum of six. There is a SFPP for the use of a bird displayed that isn't an eagle. The turkey, although a New World animal, is a period heraldic charge, first granted to William Strickland in 1550. (It can be seen in Brooke-Little, under the heading "turkey".) As such, there is not a second SFPP for the use of New World fauna.

3: Anastasia da Monte - New Name forwarded

The submitter desires a female name. Language/culture (unspecified) most important. The documentation was not summarized as required; luckily for the submitter, copies were included so it could be reconstructed. Anastasia is a 14th or 15th century feminine given name from Florence found in Rhian Lyth of Blackmoor Vale, "Italian Renaissance Women's Names" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/rhian/italian.html). da Monte 'from the hill, mountain' is a locative surname found in Arval Benicoeur and Talan Gwynek, "Fourteenth Century Venetian Personal Names" (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/arval/venice14/venice14sur.html).

Anastasia is also found in "Names from Sixteenth Century Venice" by Juliana de Luna (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/juliana/16thcvenice.html). Commenters thought it was different from Alessandra da Monte (August 2002, Outlands) due to the changes in sound and appearance.

4: Conall an Doire - New Device returned

Per pale sable and azure, a tree couped and in chief three crescents argent

The device conflicts with that of Margaret blomakinn Samsdottir (02/2004, Atlantia), Per bend sinister vert and sable, a tree blasted and eradicated and in chief three crescents argent. There is a CD for the field, but that is the only one. There is no CD between a tree and a tree blasted [Beata Lyndon of Taylorwood, 11/2008] or for a tree couped vs. a tree eradicated [Gregor MacDonald and Petronel Harlakenden, 10/2008]. The device was pended on the last Letter of Decision in order to try to obtain a letter of permission to conflict. Unfortunately, there was no response, so this device is being returned.

5: Drífa Bjarnordóttir - New Name forwarded

The name was submitted as Drifa Björnsdóttir. The submitter desires a female name. The client requests authenticity for Viking. Language/culture (unspecified) most important. Meaning (unspecified) most important. The meaning box had a "1" in it, and the language/culture box had a "2". According to the consulting herald, this is an indicator of the priority. Both Drifa and Björn are found in Haukur Þorgeirsson, "Irmísul Ættír Nafnasafnið: Icelandic and Heathen Names" (http://www.irminsul.org/arc/012ht.html). According to Aryanhwy merch Catmael, "A Simple Guide to Creating Old Norse Names" (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/norse/sg-viking.html), the feminine patronymic for Viking names is formed by adding -dóttir to the genitive form of the father's name. Although neither source is on the no-photocopy list in Appendix H of the Admin Handbook, no copies were provided.

The source cited for the given name gives the spelling Drífa, and glosses the meaning as 'snow'. Björn is glossed as 'bear'. Geirr Bassi includes the given name Drífa (p. 9), and the spelling Bj{o,}rn (with an o-ogonek) for the patronym (p. 8). As accents must be used or removed consistently, the accent has been added to the given name. In addition, it is stated that names ending in -bj{o,}rn take the genitive form -bjarnor (p. 18). The spelling has been corrected to match in order to meet her authenticity request.

6: Drogo Bryce of Middlefordshire - New Device returned

Quarterly azure and vert, a calygreyhound rampant guardant argent

The device conflicts with that of Tristram O'Shee (08/2006, An Tir), Per saltire gules and sable, a calygreyhound rampant argent. There is one CD for the field, but nothing for the head position [Ulfr Raude, 01/1998]. This device was pended on the prior Letter of Decision in order to try to obtain a letter of permission to conflict. As there was no response, the device is being returned.

Azure, a wolf rampant between two hand axes palewise heads facing center, all within a bordure argent

The submitter's name was registered 01/2001 (East). A nearly identical device was returned at the same time:

This is a redraw to make the axes secondary charges in order to clear the conflict.

8: Joscelin le esqurel - Resub Device forwarded

Quarterly purpure and sable, three squirrels courant in annulo Or

His name and a badge, (Fieldless) On an acorn sable a squirrel Or, were registered 04/2010 (East). The original device submission, Per bend sinister purpure and sable, a squirrel within an orle of acorns Or, was returned at the same time:

This is a redesign.

9: Laurena Mouchot - New Device forwarded

Per fess gules and argent, three bees Or and a rose proper

Her name was registered 07/1990 (East).

The device is clear of Illore of Westlea (February 2006, Caid), Per bend argent and sable, three roses proper and three bees Or. There is one CD for the field, and another for the change in number of the primary charges. It is also clear of Katla in mikla (March 2001, West), Per fess gules and azure, three bees and a cup Or, with a CD for the change in tincture of half of the field and another for the change(s) to the bottommost charge [Aibhilín inghean Uí Phaidín, Nov. 2010, A-East].

10: Mael Eoin mac Echuid - New Badge forwarded

(Fieldless) On a Maltese cross sable four Maltese crosses in cross argent

His name and device, Gyronny argent and sable, a Maltese cross within an orle gules, were registered 09/2009 (East).

The badge has been redrawn with the submitter's permission in order to correct the depiction of the crosses.

11: Martha ingen huí Chleirigh - New Name forwarded

The submitter desires a female name. Language/culture (Early-Middle Irish) most important. Martha is found in Mari ingen Briain meic Donnchada, "Dated Names found in Ó Corráin & Maquire's Irish Names (http://www.medievalscotland.org/kmo/ocm/). The name is found under the heading "Martha", and is dated 758. ingen huí is the Middle Irish particle used for a clan affiliation byname, found in Sharon Krossa, "Quick and Easy Gaelic Names", 3rd edn (http://www.medievalscotland.org/scotnames/quickgaelicbynames/#clanaffiliationbyname). Chleirigh is the lenited, Middle Irish genitive form of Cleirigh. Cleirigh is found in Woulfe. The header form was not provided. ingen huí Chleirigh is the registered byname of the submitter's mother, Tuathflaith ingen huí Chleirigh (October 2006, East). Documentation attesting the relationship so that the submitter could use the grandfather clause was not provided. Although neither online article is on the no-photocopy list in Appendix H of the Admin Handbook, no copies were provided.

A letter attesting the legal relationship has been obtained to enable the submitter to use the grandfather clause if needed. As submitted, there were potentially two SFPP's for the name: one for combining Old Irish Gaelic and Early Modern Irish Gaelic, and another for the temporal disparity. However, Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary Magdalene, was a Roman Catholic saint. She is mentioned in the late 14th C, "The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac" (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/G206000/). There are references to "Maire & Martha" and "Muire & Martha". Although this is from a Victorian edition of the MS, it shows that Martha was venerated in Ireland at the later time. The notes on the MS state that it was mostly in Middle Irish. Secondly, from the acceptance of her mother's name (October 2006, East):

Submitted as Tuathflaith inghean uí Cleirigh, the submitter requested an authentic Irish name. The given name Tuathflaith is Old or Middle Irish (pre-1200), and the spelling Chleirigh is appropriate for both Middle Irish and Early Modern Irish (1200-1700). For an authentic Irish name, therefore, we would expect the entire name, including the patronymic markers to be Old or Middle Irish; however, inghean uí are Early Modern Irish forms. The appropriate Middle Irish markers are ingen huí. In addition, Irish grammar requires that the C in Cleirigh be lenited. We have changed the name to Tuathflaith ingen huí Chleirigh, a fully Middle Irish form, to correct the grammar and to fulfill her request for authenticity.

As such, the name appears to be wholly Middle Irish Gaelic and is temporally compatible.

If the saint's name allowance cannot be invoked, Martha is found in English dated to 1599 in "Feminine Given Names in A Dictionary of English Surnames" by Talan Gwynek (http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/reaneyHZ.html). That gives us only one SFPP for combining English and Gaelic.

12: Tuathflaith ingen huí Chleirigh - New Device forwarded

Argent, a cross per fess azure and vert and in dexter chief a Lacy knot vert

The submitter's name was registered 11/2006 (East).

Standard bibliography:

[Brooke-Little] Brooke-Little, J.P. An Heraldic Alphabet.

[Geirr Bassi] Geirr Bassi Haraldsson. The Old Norse Name.

[Woulfe] Woulfe, Patrick. Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames.