April 2020 Heraldic Letter of Acceptance and Returns (LoAR)
EASTERN RESULTS FROM THE APRIL 2020 LoAR
(FINAL HERALDIC DECISIONS)
(These are the FINAL Society-level decisions on submissions from the East, reflecting what has actually been registered or returned. – Mistress Alys Mackyntoich, Heraldry Editor)
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 April 2020 Wreath and Pelican meetings.
EAST acceptances
Alida dei Conti. Badge. (Fieldless) A thistle within and conjoined to a mascle argent.
Alison Wodehalle. Badge. (Fieldless) A quatrefoil sable barbed vert.
Nice badge!
Andruta Jezofyna. Name and device. Per bend sinister Or and azure, a hedgehog rampant contourny gules and three hawk’s bells bendwise sinister Or.
Andruta Jezofyna. Badge. (Fieldless) A hedgehog rampant contourny gules sustaining in sinister base a hawk’s bell bendwise sinister Or.
Conchobar O Mulvoge. Device. Vert, a dog courant contourny and on a chief embattled argent three trefoils vert.
East, Kingdom of the. Transfer of Heraldic Title Golden Stag Pursuivant to Hirsch von Henford.
The acceptance of this transfer was pended on the January 2020 Letter of Acceptances and Returns, until this transfer appeared. With both the transfer and the acceptance now officially reviewed and decided, the title is now transferred to Hirsch von Henford.
Elena the Blue. Name and device. Azure, two arrows in saltire Or and overall an owl volant face to dexter argent.
Enrique de Acosta. Name and device. Per bend sable and gules, a goat’s head couped contourny and a raven argent.
Nice Spanish name from the late 15th century onwards!
Gonzalo Corneille. Name.
This name combines a Spanish given name with a French byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
Hartshorn-dale, Shire of. Badge. (Fieldless) A cornucopia effluent azure fructed Or.
Hartshorn-dale, Shire of. Badge. (Fieldless) A hart salient contourny azure.
Nice badge!
Hartshorn-dale, Shire of. Badge. (Fieldless) An unstrung bugle horn bendwise sinister azure.
Ido Planchet. Name (see PENDS for device).
This name combines an English given name with a French byname, an acceptable lingual mix under Appendix C.
John fitz Thomas. Badge. (Fieldless) A sword Or and overall an open book argent bound Or.
Katla of Viborg. Name change from Katla of Stóra Borg and device change. Azure, an owl and on a chief argent two ravens sable.
Viborg is the lingua Societatis form of a town in Denmark that existed in period.
The submitter’s previous name, Katla of Stóra Borg, is released.
Commenters at the decision meeting asked whether this device runs afoul of the “sword and dagger” rule for having two similar birds. In May 2010, it was ruled that “Owls and ravens do not appear to have been used interchangeably in period, so there is significant difference between them.” This decision was upheld in November 2016. As there is at least a DC between ravens and owls, they may appear on the same armory together.
The submitter’s previous device, Azure estencely, an owl maintaining in its feet a sheaf of arrows fesswise reversed argent, is released.
Lilie Dubh inghean uí Mórdha and Friderich Grimme. Joint badge. (Fieldless) An owl per bend sinister argent and vert.
Malcolm MacClerie. Name change from Briag ap Ithail ap Maelgwn.
Nice late 15th century Scots name!
The submitter’s previous name, Briag ap Ithail ap Maelgwn, is released.
Mari Clock van Hoorne. Alternate name Godric Gameday.
Matthew de Arden. Name and device. Azure, a chevron inverted and overall a comet Or.
Nice English name for circa 1300!
Artist’s note: Please draw the chevron thinner to allow more of the comet’s beard to appear on the field.
Njall Godreksson. Name change from Njall Randvesson.
The Letter of Intent did not document Godrek. Instead, it documented Goðrek with an edh, not a d. Fortunately, Lillia Crampette found the place name Godreksstadr in the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas written circa 1230 C.E. This place name supports the existence of a given name spelled Godrek or Godrekr, allowing the byname to be registered as submitted.
The submitter’s previous name, Njall Randvesson, is released.
EAST pends
Ido Planchet. Device. Gules, a cockatrice argent maintaining a pen Or, a chief rayonny argent.
This device is pended for redraw due to commenters having a difficult time identifying the maintained charge. Wreath staff has redrawn the artwork and sent it to the submitter for approval.
This was item 14 on the East letter of January 31, 2020.
John fitz Thomas. Device. Per pale gules and azure, three swords Or each surmounted by an open book argent bound Or.
This device is pended to discuss whether this pattern of multiple charges each surmounting three identical primary charges is found in period. Current precedent, set in May 2013 and reinforced August 2017, states: “Taran mac Tarl’a. Device. Vert, a tree blasted Or within and conjoined to a decrescent, overall five lozenges ployé in bend sinister argent. This device is returned for not being reliably blazonable, a violation of SENA A1C and A3F5, both of which require an emblazon to be describable in heraldic terms. As we have no evidence of multiple overall charges in period armory, this design is difficult to describe. Three of the lozenges are entirely on the field, one partially overlaps the tree, and one partially overlaps the crescent. This is non-period style in general.” The August 2017 return of the device of Alrikr Ivarsson, Vert, four barrulets and overall three musical notes Or, quoted the text above, stating “This device is returned for having multiple overall charges.”
This was item 15 on the East letter of January 31, 2020.