Alys Mackyntoich

6 January 2015

Unto the East Kingdom College of Heralds, upon the Feast of Epiphany, greetings and every good thing! Here is the Letter of Decisions for the Internal Letter of Intent issued on November 26, 2014.

Many thanks to the following commenters who provided assistance this month: Abdullah ibn Harun al-Qurtubi, Alexander Adelbrecht von Markelingen, Beatrice Domenici della Campana, Christian Jorgensen af Hilsonger, Cúán hua hÓcain, ffride wlffsdotter (Goutte d'Eau), Finnguala, Gawain of Miskbridge (Green Anchor), Grímólfr Skúlason, Jeanne de Robin, Juetta Copin, Maridonna Benvenuti, Matilda Wynter, Michael Gerard Curtememoire, Muirenn ingen Dúnadaig, Rosina von Schaffhausen, Ryan McWhyte (Brigantia), Seraphina Delfino (Golden Dolphin), Scolastica la souriete, Song Zidie, Tanczos Istvan (Non Scripta), Thorfinn Hrolfsson, Þórý Veðardóttir, Uasal ingen Eogain, Vettorio Antonello and Yehuda ben Moshe (Elmet). Your efforts and insight are greatly appreciated.

Always your servant,
Alys Mackyntoich
Blue Tyger Herald

1: Agape Kaloethina - New Name and New Device Forwarded

Sable, two bendlets between a phoenix and a pillar Or

This device would be in conflict with the device of Ábiorn Hallstenson (Dec. 2013, Outlands): Sable, two bendlets Or; however, Ábiorn has granted blanket permission to conflict with his device (201401O).

2: Agapios Cargos - Resub Device Forwarded

Gules, an eagle and on a base argent a sword and an axe in saltire sable

3: Agapios Cargos - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) On a tortoise argent a sword and axe in saltire sable

4: Alice Hanewell - New Name Forwarded

Submitted as Alice Hanwell, the submitter requested authenticity for "12-13th cen. any culture in geographic area of Great Britain" and permitted all changes. Commenters were unable to find evidence of the spelling Hanwell during the submitter's desired period. We did, however, find the spelling Hanewell in Watts dated to the 13th century. I have changed the spelling of the byname to the 13th century form to meet her authenticity request.

5: Arnora Ketilsdottir - New Name Forwarded

6: Boden Henebry - Resub Device Forwarded

Per pale azure and gules, a saltire triply parted and fretted Or and in base a stag trippant argent

7: Caoilfhionn inghean Uí Fhaoláin - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A rose gyronny sable and argent barbed and seeded azure

This badge appears clear of the armory of Rosalia of Raven's Fort (Oct. 2010, Ansteorra): Quarterly argent and sable, a rose counterchanged. One DC for the field vs. fieldlessness. SENA A.5.G.3.d states "Changing the number of pieces into which the charge is divided is a distinct change (DC). When considering the overall number of pieces, more than four pieces are considered the same, but smaller numbers are considered different." Thus, there is a second DC for the rose's between being divided into 4 pieces vs. 8 pieces.

8: Ciarán Ua Meic Thíre - Resub Name Forwarded and Resub Device Forwarded

Sable, a wolf rampant and on a base argent an arrow and a sword in saltire sable

9: Cúán hua hÓcain - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Per pale sable and azure, a calamarie inverted and on a chief Or three annulets sable

Submitted as Per pale sable and azure, a polypus and on a chief Or three annulets sable, commenters pointed out that the primary charge, with its pointed head and ten limbs, is correctly blazoned as a calamarie inverted. I have changed the blazon accordingly.

10: Dionisio da Desio - New Device Pended for Redrawing

Sable, on a pile inverted Or a rapier sable entwined with a grape vine vert, in chief two increscents argent

The rapier was originally blazoned as argent hilted sable, which would have required a return for lack of contrast. The submitter consented to changing the rapier to entirely sable, to match an error in coloring the device on Blue Tyger's part.

There was concern in commentary that the pile was too wide, closer to a per chevron throughout. Changing the blazon in this fashion would cause registerability problems. The crescents, ivy and rapier are all of equal visual weight. If they are all placed on the field (as they would be if this is a per chevron throughout), then this device violates the ban on "Slot Machine" Heraldry under SENA A.3.D.2.a. Some degree of redrawing is going to be necessary to make this device registerable. Blue Tyger will arrange for a redrawing.

11: East, Kingdom of the - New Transfer of Heraldic Title Forwarded

Treblerose Herald

12: Galefridus Peregrinus - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A palmer's staff argent and overall a palmer's scrip sable

13: Gunnar Alfson - New Name Forwarded

14: Hew of Albion - New Device Forwarded

Vert, three piles Or each charged with an acorn vert

15: Hope Baldwin - New Name Forwarded and New Device Returned

Purpure, three feathers argent

Unfortunately, this lovely device conflicts with the "Shield for Peace" of Edward the Black Prince (d. 1376): Sable, three ostrich feathers argent each with its quill transfixing a scroll argent bearing the words ICH DIEN sable. The Shield of Peace was protected as an important non-SCA badge in December of 1994 (via Laurel). All of the visual images of the Shield of Peace depict scrolls that are too small to count for conflicts purposes. Therefore, this device must be returned.

16: Jehannette Bouchart - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Per fess purpure and argent, a horse courant and a wyvern displayed counterchanged

I have adjusted the blazon to indicate that the wyvern is displayed.

Questions were raised in commentary about whether this device presents a Unity of Posture problem. SENA A.3.D.2.c requires charges within a Charge Group to be in identical postures/orientations. The horse and the wyvern are both primary charges, and thus in the same Charge Group. This device places them in different postures. However, precedent set on the May 2012 Cover Letter stated that "if the charges in a single charge group do not have comparable postures, they are not in violation of the 'identical postures/orientations' part of the rule." It is questionable whether horses and wyverns have comparable postures. Unlike horses, wyverns are not quadrupeds. A wyvern has two wings and two legs, not four legs. A horse statant is oriented horizontally with all four feet on the ground. A wyvern statant is far closer to statant erect, oriented vertically. As there has been no explicit precedent on this issue, I am forwarding this device for consideration by Wreath.

17: Leifr rella - New Badge Forwarded

Azure a sinister human footprint bendwise sinister and a chief invected argent

This badge appears to be clear of the armory of Mathghamhain Beag (Mar. 2010, Meridies): Azure, a bear's pawprint and a chief argent. Even if there is not a DC for the type of print, there is one DC for the complex line of the chief and a DC for orientation of the foot/paw print.

18: Llewellyn Walsh - New Alternate Name Forwarded

Hrossbjorn Hestamaðr

19: Lucan Sangwyn - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Per fess invected azure and sable, two compass roses and a ship Or

Appendix H states that "The primary standard for low-contrast complex lines of division is that they be readily identifiable." As Wreath has expressed a willingness to consider whether this low contrast combination of azure and sable is identifiable, Blue Tyger is forwarding the device for further consideration.

20: Marx Grob von Appenzell - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

The name was originally submitted as Marc Grob von Appenzell, but the submitter stated that he would prefer the spellings Mark or Marx if they can be documented. Marx is found as a given name in Aryanhwy merch Catmael's "German Names from Nürnberg, 1497" (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/german/nurnberg1497.html), so I have made that change. The submitter also requested authenticity for Germanic/Swiss 1380-1450. While we are able to date all elements to Germany in the 1490s, we have been unable to identify them earlier.

The primary charge in the device was blazoned as a hound, but was clearly drawn as a wolf. I have changed the blazon accordingly.

21: Martyn de Haliwell - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A tower Or issuant from the back of a hedgehog azure

22: Martyn de Haliwell - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A tower issuant from the back of a hedgehog Or

23: Oliver de Bainbrig - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Azure, an ear of wheat Or between three bees proper

24: Osc of the Harbours - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Argent, in chevron five geese migrant to chief sable and in base a torteau

In commentary, ffride Goutte d'Eau provided additional evidence suggesting that the variant spelling of the given name is plausible:

Lind column 822 sn. Ósk (attached image 1) has the genitive form Oscar. In the nominative this would be expected to become Osc.

Tilnavne i den islandske oldlitteratur by Finnur Jónsson (http://heimskringla.no/wiki/Tilnavne,_der_beror_p%C3%A5_hjemstavn_eller_territorial_oprindelse) gives us:

sn. Fjalla- "of falls"
nom. sing. fjall -> gen. sing. fjalls
nom. pl. fjoll -> gen. pl. fjalla

sn. Garða- "of farms"
nom. sing. garðr -> gen. sing. garðs
nom. pl. garðar -> gen. pl. garða

sn. Holta- "of copses"
nom. sing. holt -> gen. sing. holts
nom. pl. holt -> gen. pl. holta

Given that these are the sorts of things that we might tend to think of as being rather spread-out features (multiple valleys, multiple copses/woods, multiple farms), then someone being from multiple harbours is equally plausible.

I have accepted Yehuda Elmet's suggestion for an improved blazon that better describes the placement of all of the charges.

25: Peter de Bracebridge - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Vairy argent and sable, on a fess gules a cross potent Or

26: Peter de Bracebridge - New Household Name Forwarded and New Badge Forwarded

House of Kingsbury

Quarterly sable and gules, a lion salient and a chief Or

27: Remy Delemontagne de Gascogne - New Device Forwarded

Argent, a chevron between three fleurs-de-lys and on a chief azure a wolf passant argent

Some concern was expressed in commentary that the chevron was too low. I believe this device can be addressed with an artist's note and does not require a return.

28: Robert Dwe Makminne - New Name Change Forwarded

Old Item: Robert Dwe Makmyane, to be released.

The name was originally submitted as Robert Dwe Mac Minn. It was changed to match better documentation found in commentary. The submitter allows all changes.

29: Rys Waytheman - Resub Device Forwarded

Per fess azure and argent, a lion counterchanged charged on the shoulder with a fleur-de-lys gules

30: Stoldo Venturini - New Exchange of Device and Badge Forwarded

31: Taldo Venturini - New Exchange of Device and Badge Forwarded

32: Thomas de Castellan - New Acceptance of Heraldic Title

Treblerose Herald

33: Thome McGreghere - New Name Forwarded

The submitter should be aware that this name means "Thomas son of Gregory," not "Gregory's Twin" as requested.

34: Ulfgeirr Ragnarsson - New Household Name Forwarded

Ragnarshús