Alys Mackyntoich

11 May 2015

Unto the East Kingdom College of Heralds, upon the Feast of Saint Mamertus, greetings and every good thing! Here is the Letter of Decisions for the Internal Letters of Intent issued on April 02, 2015 and April 09, 2015.

Many thanks to the following commenters who provided assistance this month: Alana O'Keeve, Aryanhwy merch Catmael (Schwarzdrachen), Brenna Lowri o Ruthin, Conchobhar mac Michil (Golden Pillar), ffride wlffsdotter, Gawain of Miskbridge (Green Anchor), Herveus d'Ormonde (Morsulus), Jeanne Marie Lacroix (Noir Licorne), Madog Hir of Aire Faucon (Kraken), Maridonna Benvenuti, Matilda Wynter, Michael FitzGeoffrey (Argent Scroll), Rohese de Dinan (Shadowdale), Ryan McWhyte (Brigantia), Seraphina Delfino (Golden Dolphin), Song Zidie (Skraeling Althing), Tanczos Istvan (Non Scripta), Vettorio Antonello, and Yehuda ben Moshe (Elmet). Your commentary and insights are always greatly appreciated.

Always your servant,
Alys Mackyntoich
Blue Tyger Herald

1: Aislinn Chiabach - New Device Change Forwarded

Per fess sable and purpure, a jester's cap lozengy bendwise sinister purpure and argent belled argent and a bat displayed argent

2: Anastasia da Monte - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A natural lizard tergiant purpure

3: Anastasia da Monte - Resub Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) Between and conjoined to two natural lizards tergiant vert a rapier inverted argent

The lizards appear to be the primary charges, and the sword secondary. We have reblazoned the badge accordingly. No conflicts were found under this blazon, or with a primary sword and secondary lizards, or with all three charges being co-primaries.

4: Andreas Lucernensis - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Per pale argent and sable, in pale three stag's attires reversed gules

During commentary, Green Anchor documented the given name to Germany 1358-1562 in "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia" by Talan Gwynek (http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/bahlowMasc.html), making this a wholly German name.

The default posture for stag's attires contained in the Glossary of Terms is fesswise, stump to dexter. These attires are reversed, and that term has been added to the blazon.

5: Beatrice de Warynton - New Device Forwarded

Azure, in pale two seeblätter argent

As of the January 2015 LoAR, there is a DC between a heart and a seeblatt: "Hearts and seeblätter have not been shown to be artistic variants in period. Both charges were used in period heraldry but, as far as we know, they were not used interchangeably. Therefore, following our current standards, there is Distinct Change (DC) between the two types of charge. At the same time, a seeblatt must be recognizably a seeblatt: identifiability must be preserved, and having too small a cut-out will be grounds for return for blurring the distinction between the charges." [Katerina atte Hagenes, 1/2015 LoAR, A-Trimaris].

6: Bergental, Barony of - Resub Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A bear's head erased contourny sable

The identical badge was returned on the January 2015 for visual conflict with the populace badge of An Tir (Fieldless) A lion's head erased contourny sable. The Crown and Seneschal of An Tir now have provided permission to conflict.

Commenters questioned whether a letter of Permission to Conflict can be issued for a visual conflict. SENA A5H states: "Any blazonable change is sufficient to allow the registration of armory with a letter of permission to conflict." As there is a blazonable difference between a bear's head and a lion's head, we are forwarding this device for further commentary.

7: Brochmail of Anglespur - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Per chevron inverted counter-ermine and vert, a lymphad and an acorn slipped and leaved Or

The name was originally submitted as Brochmail de Anglespur, with Anglespur documented as the name of an SCA group. However, SENA PN1.B.2.f states:

Name phrases may be created from the registered forms of SCA branches. Only the exact registered form of the branch name may be used, and they are registered in the lingua Anglica form, 'of Branchname'. Translated forms will not be registered under this allowance, even if it matches the intended origin of the submission or of the branch. For example, this would allow the bynames of the East or of Fontaine dans Sable, as these are the expected lingua Anglica forms. However, this would not allow von Osten as a German translation of "of the East", even if the given name was German. It would also not allow de la Fontaine dans Sable as a fully French version of "of Fontaine dans Sable" under this rule as it is not the lingua Anglica form of the branch name, even though the branch name is French. If Fontaine dans Sable can also documented as an attested or constructed French name, de Fontaine dans Sable could be used in forming a fully French name; however that would not be through the use of the branch name allowance.

The line of division in this device appears somewhat higher than required, and the ermine tails are smaller than we generally prefer. We believe that both problems can be addressed with an Artist's Note, and are therefore forwarding the device.

8: Brochmail of Anglespur - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) On a sun azure a lymphad Or

9: Brochmail of Anglespur - New Badge Returned

Per pall counter-ermine, vairy gules and Or and vair, in chief a lymphad Or and a base rayonny sable

Unfortunately, this badge has problems that require its return. The "per pall" division does not appear to divide the field into three equal parts. Rather, the top section appears to be the same shape as one section of a "per saltire" division, and is thus approximately one fourth of the total size of the field.

In addition, commenters found the rayonny base to be unidentifiable due to the very small rayons. Precedent states: "Rayonny, because of its design, needs smaller and more frequent repeats than most complex lines of partition. Fifteen repetitions of a complex line down the center of the shield (palewise, bendwise, or the side of a pile) would be marginal or unacceptable for engrailed, embattled, or wavy, but it is more acceptable for rayonny. [Augusto Giuseppe da San Donato, October 2003, A-Æthelmearc]". Here there are 17 repetitions in the same space.

On resubmission, we suggest that all three furs be drawn with fewer and larger repetitions of the motif.

10: Carmelina da Vicari - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Vert, a demi-lion Or

Maridonna Benvenuti was able to document Vicari as a place name dated to 1171, in Caracausi, Girolamo Dizionario Onomastico della Sicilia, 1994, vol. 2, pp. 1703/4, and was kind enough to provide photocopies of the source.

Commenters identified two possible conflicts with this device. First, it potentially conflicts with the armory of Wulfred Hansard of Richmond (Jan. 2001, Meridies): Counter-ermine, a demi-lion maintaining a battle axe Or. At this time, there is one DC for the field, but nothing else. However, a Laurel LoPaD issued May 10, 2015 is seeking commentary on a change to the rules addressing maintained charges. If the proposed rules are adopted the battle axe would generate a second DC. We are therefore forwarding this device in the hope that this conflict will be resolved by the ruling on this change.

There is also a possible conflict with Philipp Reimer von Wolfenbüttel (Dec. 2013, Middle): Per fess embattled azure and argent masoned sable, a demi-lion queue-forchy issuant from the line of division Or. There is one DC For the field. We believe that there is also a DC for the unforced move of Philipp's demi-lion to chief, and we are forwarding it on that basis.

11: Donovan Shinnock - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A fox's mask gules charged on the forehead with a lozenge argent

12: Donovan Shinnock - New Badge Forwarded

Sable, in pale a dragon's head cabossed and a lion's jambe bendwise inverted, a bordure argent

According to the Glossary of Terms, the default position for a jambe is "Palewise, claws to chief". It is unclear to us if this badge violates the Unity of Posture rule found in SENA A3D2c. The question of whether a dragon's head and a jambe have comparable postures is best resolved by Wreath.

13: East, Kingdom of the - New Order Name Forwarded

Order of the Golden Lance of the East

14:East, Kingdom of the - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A sheaf of arrows azure

15: Eiríkr Øxnaháls - New Name Forwarded

The byname was submitted as Øxnaháls, a constructed Old Norse descriptive intended to mean "ox-neck," based on the examples øxnabroddr, meaning "ox-goad, ox-spike" and øxnamegin, meaning "ox-might, ox-strength." However, ffride wlffsdotter pointed out in commentary that the vast number of descriptive bynames using an animal term put the animal term in the singular genitive form, and that the byname is more likely to be spelled Yxnháls or {O,}xnháls. Neither Blue Tyger nor Blue Tyger-Elect are expert in Old Norse, so we are forwarding the name unchanged for further discussion about the correct construction.

16: Eryn FitzPatrick - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Gules, on a cross couped Or a butterfly vert

17: Jamilia of Bhakail - New Alternate Name Forwarded

Jeannette of Bhakail

18: Lasair an Dúnaidh - New Name Forwarded New Device Returned

Sable, a frog tergiant argent and in chief a sun Or

Lasair initially was documented as the modern form of the medieval given name Lassar. In commentary, it was noted that Academy of St. Gabriel Report 1393 states, "Lasair, with only one 's', is a late-medieval spelling of the attested name Lassar. However, this is a very early St. Gabriel Report and it cites no support for this assertion. Although Blue Tyger is dubious about this spelling of the given name, we are forwarding it unchanged for the benefit of additional commentary. The only change made to the name is to to the byname: we have changed the submitted byname An Dúnaidh to an Dúnaidh to match the documentation. The submitter permits all changes.

Unfortunately, this device must be returned for conflict with the armory of Meredyth Alba McRegan (July 1998, Meridies): Sable, a frog tergiant argent a bordure Or. There is one DC for changing the type of secondary from a sun to a bordure, but nothing else.

19: Rose Grey - New Name Forwarded and New Device Forwarded

Argent, in pale three bunches of grapes purpure slipped and leaved vert between flaunches vert

This device does not conflict with the armory of Marta Bon (Oct. 2001, Meridies): Argent, three bunches of grapes purpure and a bordure vert. There is a Substantial Change between charges in pale and charges that are two-and-one. We also believe there is no conflict with the armory of Heleyne Scot of Motherwell (Aug. 2003, Atenveldt): Argent, in pale three thistles vert headed purpure between flaunches vert, as there should be a Significant Change in type between thistles and grapes.

20: Rose Grey - New Badge Forwarded

(Fieldless) A chalice vert

21: Saerlaith ingen Chennetig - Resub Device Forwarded

Per saltire azure and sable, a quatrefoil and a bordure ermine

22: Sáerlaith ingen Taithlig - Resub Device Pended for Redrawing

Sable semy of flames argent, a phoenix Or rising from flames gules

Commenters continue to have trouble identifying the flames. The device is pended to attempt another redraw.

23: Seosamh an Crúca Ó Máille - New Name Change Forwarded

Old Item: Seosamh Tadhg an Crúca O'Maille, to be released.

24: Sorcha inghean Duinn - New Device Forwarded

Azure, on a bend between two horses rampant argent three roses azure

25: Urr{a-}ka al-Tha`labiyya - Resub Device Forwarded

Per bend Or and sable all semy of oak leaves counterchanged, a magpie proper and a fox courant to sinister base argent

Commenters questioned whether this device violates the prohibition on inverted animate charges. We believe that the fox is not inverted but merely running towards base. We are therefore forwarding this device for further commentary.