Eastern Results from the January 2018 LOAR

March 30, 2018 by East Kingdom Gazette

EASTERN RESULTS FROM THE JANUARY 2018 LoAR

The Society College of Arms runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath King of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.

An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society. A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work. Most items are registered without comments. Sometimes, the LoAR will address specific issues about the name or armory or will praise the submitter/herald on putting together a very nice historically accurate item.

The following results are from the January 2018 Wreath and Pelican meetings.

EAST acceptances

Albrecht Østergaard. Household name Company of the White Shield.

Alienor Hathaway. Name and device. Gules, three ducks naiant argent.

Nice device!

Altan Budang. Name and device. Argent, a roundel within the horns of a crescent and on a chief sable a flame argent.

Submitted as Budang Altajin, the name was not correctly constructed. In Mongol names, the adjective comes before the noun. In addition, the suffix -jin does not need to be added to Altan to achieve the desired meaning “of gold” — the correct construction is to use the descriptive adjective Altan standing alone. With the submitter’s consent, we have changed the name to Altan Budang.

Artist’s note: Please draw the flame with fewer, bolder tongues.

Angelica of Nova Lipa. Name and device. Gules, eight fleurs-de-lys in annulo Or.

Nova Lipa is the modern name of two towns in Slovenia and Croatia. As the submitter demonstrated that at least one of these towns existed in period, she can use the lingua Anglica allowance to register the byname of Nova Lipa.

This name combines an Italian given name with a Slovene or Croatian (South Slavic) byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.

Angharad verch Moridic. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Angharad verch Moriddig, the Letter of Intent documented the name elements from Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn’s A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names(http://heraldry.sca.org/names/welsh13.html). However, both Angharad and Moriddig are modernized header forms in that article, not attested period forms. Fortunately, Angharad is found as an attested form in Tangwystl’s Women’s Names in the First Half of 16th Century Wales (http://heraldry.sca.org/names/welshfem16/given.html). Unfortunately, Moriddig could not be found in period. The attested period spelling of this name element found in Tangwystl’s article and elsewhere is Moridic. We have made this change for registration.

The submitter may be interested to know that an entirely 13th-14th century Welsh form of this name is Angharat verch Moridic. If the submitter prefers this form, she may make a request for reconsideration.

Angharad verch Moridic does not conflict with the registered Angharad ferch Maredudd under PN3C1 because there are multiple changes in sound and appearance between verch Moridic and ferch Maredudd: verch vs. ferch, Mor- vs. Mar-, -dic vs. -dith.

Brunissende Dragonette. Release of badge. Argent estencelly azure, a chalice gules.

Camille des Jardins. Badge. (Fieldless) Three cinquefoils conjoined in pall inverted points to center azure.

Caterina Lombardi. Name.

Nice 15th-16th century Italian name!

Conri Mac Feargusa. Name and device. Per bend sinister sable and azure, a stag’s skull argent.

Submitted as Conri MacFeargus, the byname was not correctly formed for Gaelic. In Gaelic, the father’s name must be in the genitive (possessive) form to create a patronymic. The genitive form of Feargusis Feargusa. Further, Gaelic orthography consistently shows a space between Mac and the father’s name. Therefore, we have changed the name to the grammatically correct Conri Mac_Feargusa for registration.

The Letter of Intent questioned whether MacFeargus could be registerable as an Anglicized Irish form. In this name, it cannot. Anglicized Irish and Gaelic can be combined only if there is less than 300 years between the name elements. However, Conri is dated to 718 C.E., more than 300 years before the first English invasion of Ireland or the first recorded Anglicized Irish documents. Therefore, Conri cannot be combined with Anglicized Irish elements. Additionally, we do not currently have evidence supporting MacFeargus as an Anglicized Irish form.

As changed for registration, this is a nice 8th century Irish Gaelic name!

Cúán an Saigteóir mac Fintain Irruis. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Submitted as Cúán an Saigteóir Irruis mac Fintain, we were not able to find any evidence supporting double descriptive bynames in this pattern in Gaelic. However, we do have evidence of two descriptive bynames in a name where one applies to the father and the other applies to the son. Therefore, we have moved the descriptive byname Irruis to the end of the name, where it applies to Fintan. In this construction, Irruis must be in the genitive (possessive) form, but the genitive and the nominative forms of this byname are spelled the same way.

The submitter requested authenticity for “11th Century Irish.” He withdrew this request after the close of commentary. This name is not authentic for 11th century Gaelic.

Edgar refskegg. Name (see RETURNS for device).

The submitter requested authenticity for 10th century Norse language or culture. This name does not meet that request because Edgar is an Anglo-Saxon name, not an Old Norse name. The combination of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse is registerable as long as the elements are dated prior to 1100 C.E., which is the case here.

Galfredus of Newe Forest. Name and device. Azure, on a bend plain cotised dancetty argent three roses sable.

Giuseppe Sala di Paruta. Name and device. Per pale sable and vert, two sprigs of rue and a covered salt-cellar shedding salt Or.

Sala di Paruta is found as the name of a place in Sicily at p. 23 of Teatro Genologico Delle Famiglie Nobili di Sicilia, published in 1647 (https://books.google.com/books?id=PuhlAAAAcAAJ). As unmarked locative bynames are permitted in Italian per Appendix A, this name can be registered precisely as submitted.

Hassan abdul Raschid al-Turki. Heraldic will.

Upon his death, the submitter transfers to Violet Hughes the household name House of Three Skulls and the household badge Per pale vert and gules, on a pale sable fimbriated three death’s heads argent.

John Buchanan. Name and device. Or, an eagle sable and in base two arrows inverted in saltire gules, an orle sable.

Nice 16th century Scots name!

Artist’s note: Please draw the orle thicker and bolder.

Joshua Mustard. Name and device. Vert, a bear rampant contourny maintaining a chalice argent between three mustard flowers Or.

Nice 16th century English name!

Leana Doucet. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and azure, a bend sinister enarched argent cotised between a horseshoe inverted Or and a snowdrop slipped and leaved argent.

This name combines a Spanish given name with a French byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.

Artist’s note: Please draw the cotises much thicker.

Marta de Lyon. Name.

This name does not conflict with the registered Marie de Lyon under PN31C2 because there is a significant change in sound and appearance in the second syllable of the given name: -ie and -ta share no sounds or letters in common.

Mat Wyck. Name and device. Sable, in fess two candles argent enflamed Or.

Nice English name for circa 1600!

Nice device!

Østgarðr, Crown Province of. Reblazon of badge. (Fieldless) A brown natural seahorse proper.

Blazoned when registered in June 1975 as (Fieldless) A natural sea-horse proper, the exact tincture of the seahorse has long been a mystery, as the original form was not submitted in color. Fortunately the current Viceroy and Vicereine, in conjunction with their herald, after some research have declared that the original intent and current usage is of a brown seahorse. We thank them for their help in settling this long-standing conundrum.

Pétr á Vatnahverfi. Name and badge. Vert, three fish fretted in triangle argent spotted sable.

Reinhart Bazarab. Name and device. Per bend azure and gules, a bend embattled between three increscents and a wolf rampant argent.

Submitted as Reinhart Basarab, the submitted spelling of the surname could not be documented to period. Instead, the attested period form is Bazarab. We have changed the surname to the period form for registration.

This name combines a German given name with a Romanian/Wallachian byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.

Sara Sala di Paruta. Name change from Sara of Salaparuta (see RETURNS for device).

The submitter’s previous name, Sara of Salaparuta, is released.

Shimazu Yasukaze. Name.

This name was pended on the August 2017 Letter of Acceptances and Returns for discussion of whether we should continue to allow registration of Japanese names that do not include a yobina element. As there was no strong or consistent demand in commentary for departing from our current practice, we will continue to register names without a yobina, consistent with existing precedents. [Akiyama Kintsune, 8/2016 LoAR, A-East; Godai Katsunaga, 3/2008 LoAR, A-Atlantia] Accordingly, this name can be registered as submitted.

Sigvarðr Hálfdanarson. Name and device. Bendy gules and argent, on a pale between two ravens rising respectant wings displayed sable a sword argent.

The submitter requested authenticity for “9th to 11th century Viking” culture. This name meets that request.

Symon of Barnsdale. Name.

Barnsdale is the lingua Anglica form of an English place name recorded in the 13th century as Bernardeshull.

The submitter requested authenticity for 13th century English language/culture. However, he withdrew this authenticity request during commentary.

Umm Butrus A’isha al-Anida. Device. Azure ermined argent, on a plate a dragon displayed sable.

This device would normally have been returned for blurring the distinction between rampant and displayed postures. In the return of Irene MacKenny’s device on the July 2017 LoAR, it was ruled that “Absent documentation, we will cease to register any depictions of animate charges displayed with the torso twisted to dexter or sinister as of the January 2018 decision meeting. Note that even an acceptably drawn dragon displayed remains a step from period practice.” As this depiction of a dragon “displayed” has the torso turned to dexter, it would be returned under this precedent.

However, the device was submitted at Pennsic, before the decision was published. Through no fault of the submitter, the paperwork was not placed on an external letter of intent until October. As the submitter addressed the previous reasons for return, we give her the benefit of the doubt.

There is a step from period practice for use of a dragon displayed.

EAST returns

Angharad verch Moridic. Device. Per bend purpure and vert, a lamb passant and a chief embattled argent.

This device is returned for redraw. When a design has a peripheral ordinary, the field and any charges on it shift to give space to the ordinary. In this device, the presence of the chief shifts the rest of the charges down, and the per bend field division should issue from the corner of the field, or the dexter base corner of the chief, so that the field is evenly divided purpure and vert. Additionally, the position of the sheep should be adjusted vertically on the redrawn field so it lies more equally in both the purpure and the vert compartments.

Cúán an Saigteóir mac Fintain Irruis. Device. Per fess engrailed Or and azure, a wolf “courant” sable and a sheaf of arrows Or.

This device is returned for violation of SENA A2C2, which requires that charges must be depicted in a way that is identifiable. The posture of this wolf, blazoned in the submission as “courant,” is in reality a form of statant that is not documented, reminiscent of a wolf trotting with forelegs and hind legs splaying in opposite directions from one another, forming two chevrons. Courant is a posture where all four limbs are splayed out as the creature is running at full extension. While this might be a naturalistic depiction of a wolf running, it is not a heraldic depiction and must therefore be returned.

Upon resubmission, we advise the artist to depict both charges larger to fill the available space, and to make the engrailments of the field division wider and deeper.

Edgar refskegg. Device. Per chevron azure and vert, two bees argent and a garb Or.

This device is returned for a redraw, for violating the guidelines set forth on the May 2011 Cover Letter for a properly drawn per chevron field division; the field division here is too low. Please see that Cover Letter for further discussion and details of how to properly draw a per chevron lines of division.

Sara Sala di Paruta. Device change. Per pale sable and vert, a poodle salient contourny Or, collared gules, in sinister canton a bezant.

This device is returned for lack of documentation. In the September 2016 registration of Fiora Valori’s badge, it was ruled that “Although the ancestor of the breed can be documented to period, the modern ‘poodle cut’ is not and will not be registerable after the March 2017 decision meeting barring documentation.” No evidence was presented and none could be found of the modern poofy haircut and style of the modern poodle. The closest that commenters were able to find were late-period depictions of dogs with hair cut to resemble a lion’s mane, with long, shaggy fur about the head and shoulders.

There is a step from period practice for blazoning a specific breed of dog not found in period blazons.

EAST pends

Brunissende Dragonette. Badge change for Chrestienne la pescheresse. Azure, in cross four fleurs-de-lys Or.

The motifs protected by registration for France are Azure, semy-de-lys Or and Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or. By longstanding precedent, the use of three or more Or fleurs-de-lys on an azure background has been considered presumptuous:

There is no pretense problem with the use of two Or fleurs-de-lys on an azure field or charge. The strictures against the use of three or more Or fleurs-de-lys on an azure design element is due to the period practice of French augmentations that used the arms of France on an armorial element such as a charge or field. These augmentations were found using the ancient form of the French arms, Azure semy-de-lys Or, or the modern form, Azure, three fleurs-de-lys Or. An azure design element with only one or two Or fleurs de lys does not presume on these period augmentations. Per the LoAR of June 1995 p.13: “…It is thus the use of three or more fleurs-de-lys Or on azure which is restricted; not a single gold fleur on a blue field.” [David d’Orleans, A-Caid, March 2007 LoAR]

The submitter argued that under the current standards the change in number of fleurs-de-lys from the two forms of the French royal arms shown as protected in the Armorial whose blazons were specified in the precedent above meant that the submitted badge was clear of presumption with France and so was eligible for registration. And it’s true that under SENA A5E3, the submitted badge is clear of presumption from both France Ancient and France Modern by change of number of the primary charges.

However, presumption arises from other causes besides differencing and conflict. The very use of certain motifs can be presumptuous, regardless of differencing, and this is discussed in the remainder of SENA A6. One can get sufficient difference from the Tudor rose by number, or adding a field, or other charges, thus clearing presumption under SENA A5E3’s metric. But the use of the Tudor Rose is still considered presumptuous; no matter how much difference is added to (Fieldless) A rose argent charged with a rose gules, the submitted armory will be returned if it uses a red rose on a white rose. Differencing is irrelevant: the motif itself is presumptuous.

That said, the policy of the College of Arms for Tudor roses changed substantially after a thorough review of actual uses of the badge in period, with much stricter definitions of what constitutes a Tudor rose for purposes of presumption.

In the interest of resolving the dispute between the registered armory for France, the listing of restricted armory in the Glossary of Terms, and decades of precedent, this badge is pended for discussion on the following questions:

Are there examples in period of Azure, [four/five] fleurs-de-lys Or being used to presume a relationship with France?
What forms of display in armory do existing claims of presumption with France take?
Based on the available evidence, what forms of display of French armory should be protected in SCA registrations?

Presumptions include, but are not limited to, territorial claims (as with the arms of England), augmentations (as with the arms of Medici), and bastardy (as with the arms of Saint Remi de Valois).

This was item 5 on the East letter of October 31, 2017.