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This is the Middle Kingdom Letter of Acceptances and Returns for Escutcheon's December 2000 letter. Comments in braces {} were removed from the Letter of Intent sent to Laurel and the College of Arms. Names, devices, or badges in braces have been returned or pended; general comments or replies to commentary are also placed in braces.
Many thanks to Jaida al-zarqa' bint Salim, Adeliza de Saviniaco, John ap Wynne, Paul Wickenden of Thanet, Richard Morgan of Cumberland, Moraig Drummond, Friedrich Eric Helmut von Rheinhausen, Leolin Gofar, Wilhelm Schatzgeyer, Etienne de Claremont, Gunther Friedrich von Bodenheim, Rhieinwylydd verch Einion, Aine ingen MaolPatraic, Etienne le Couteau des Roches, Kevin Ambozjewski, Phebe Bonadeci, Mikhail of Lubelska, and Ælfreda æt Æthelwealda for their commentary this month.
1) Agnes Van Kouwenhoven. Name resubmission {and device resubmission.
Per pale azure and vert, on a cross formy throughout argent, a rose gules, leaved vert}
The client's previous name submission (Agnes van Kouwenhoven) was returned by Laurel on 7/00 for using Dutch elements to document a Saxon German name and for use of OOP documentation. The client no longer cares about having an authentic German name.
<Agnes> is dated to 1478-81 in Friedemann, "15th Century Dutch Names," (http://www.sit.wisc.edu/ ~sfriedemann/names/dutch15.htm).
<Van Kouwenhoven> is found in 1579 according to "New Family Information" (http://conovergenealogy.com/Pages/ my01001.htm). Submitted as <VanKouwenhoven>, we have put the space back between the two elements. <Van Couwenhoven> seems to be the more standard form, and I would also expect the <van> to not be capitalized, but the submitter's desired spelling and capitalization is found on the page.
{The device does not conflict with Marcello li Donnici (reg. 2/99 via Artemisia) "Vert, on a cross formy quadrate argent, a compass star gules," with one CD for the field and one for the type of cross. However, a properly drawn cross formy would not have any room for a charge in the center; the arms should connect at a point, not an arch. Also, the rose more resembles a Kendal flower than a proper heraldic rose. We are therefore returning this for redrawing.}
{*) Alexander de Seton of Altavia. Badge resubmission.
Argent semy of maiden's heads couped proper crined gules, a beaver displayed proper, maintaining two swords in saltire argent.
This is being returned for violating RfS IX.1 Vulgar Armory: "Pornographic or scatological items or designs will not be registered. Obscene images, sexually explicit material, bathroom or toilet humor, etc. are considered inherently offensive by a large segment of the Society and general population." This badge contains many highly offensive references, and the majority of the commenters felt it was too offensive to register.
This is also being returned for violating the rule of contrast. Swords argent on an argent field have no contrast. Additionally, this violates Laurel precedent of 6/98 regarding "Argent, a melusine proper…": "This is being returned for breaking the rule of contrast. A melusine proper cannot be placed on argent as human flesh was sometimes depicted as argent in period." The maiden's heads on this badge are also depicted as argent.}
{*) Alexander de Seton of Altavia. Badge resubmission.
Gules, a dragon in annulo to sinister, flames issuant from mouth, Or.
The client's identical original submission was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 4/00 for conflict with the Shire of Hinterland (Gules, a dragon dormant in annulo and a bordure rayonny Or). The client has enclosed a letter of permission to conflict from Lady Francesca Faliero, the seneschal of the branch, who, as seneschal, is authorized to give permission to conflict.
Unfortunately, this also conflicts with Drachenwald's badge for the Orden des Lindquistringes, (reg 6/82 via the East): "[Fieldless] A ring formed of a wingless dragon in annulo widdershins Or, maintaining in chief with all four legs and mouth a gem gules." There is one CD for fieldlessness, but none for the maintained gem. The absence or presence of the wings is negligible here, as they are folded and can hardly be seen on Alexander's badge.}
2) Anabella Makmyllane. New name {and device.
Per fess purpure and vert, a fess between three mullets, and enhanced in chief a decrescent argent.}
Submitted as <Anabella Mac'ille-Mhaoil-lain of Rivenstar>, the name had many problems, including mixing Gaelic and anglicized elements and masculine and feminine elements. While the submitter did not state that she wanted an authentic name, I contacted her anyway and offered options of a fully anglicized or fully Gaelic form of her name. She has decided to go with the fully anglicized <Anabella Makmyllane>, and has dropped the locative completely. <Anabella> is found in Scott, "List of Feminine Personal Names Found in Scottish Records," ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/scottishfem/scottishfemearly.html). <Macmyllane> is dated to 1559 in Black s.n. MacMillan, with an alternate form <Makmyllen> dated to 1555.
{The device is being returned for redrawing. All of the mullets should be the same size. In the 6/98 return of "Quarterly argent and sable, a Maltese cross between four others, all counterchanged," Laurel said "This is being returned for using two different sizes of the same charge on the field." This device suffers from the same problem. In addition, the fess needs to be drawn much larger.}
3) Ariadne la Noire. Device resubmission.
Sable, three swans displayed within a bordure Or.
Name reg'd 4/99
The client's most recent previous submission, identical to this, was returned by Rouge Scarpe on 8/00 for conflict with Leofric Ealdricson (Per chevron vert and azure, three eagles displayed within a bordure Or). The client has enclosed a letter of permission to conflict from Lord Leofric.
{*) Bearaich Ó Harald-ó. Device resubmission.
Barry azure and argent, a goutte d'Or.
This conflicts with the badge of Iulstan Sigewealding (reg'd 7/91 via the West) "[Fieldless] A goutte d'Or," with only one CD for the field. However, "Barry azure and argent, three gouttes d'Or" appears to be free from conflict, if the submitter is interested.}
{*) Erik the Lost. New name.
No documentation was presented and none could be found for <the Lost> being an appropriate Norse byname at any period. Additionally, Laurel returned <Corwynn the Lost> in 7/99 for lack of evidence that "the Lost" was an appropriate byname.
Correspondence with Talan Gwynek suggested a few alternatives the submitter may be interested in, depending on the meaning intended:
<hinn Víðf{o,}rli>, 'the wide-faring,' found in Lind's Binamm in the 10th century
<Fífl->, 'fool, idiot,' or <hinn fílski> 'the foolish, the moronic,' also found in the early Icelandic period.
Additionally, if the client is interested in an authentic name, the correct form the given name for his period and culture is <Eiríkr>.}
4) Gabriella Tagliaferro. New name and device resubmission.
Argent, on a bend sable between two cinquefoils purpure, a sword inverted bendwise argent.
{This name was pended on the 01/00 ILoAR}
<Gabriella> is a feminine form of <Gabriele>, noted by De Felice, Nomi, as a late-period, probably 15th or 16th century, innovation.
According to De Felice, Cognomi, s.n. Tagliaferri, the Italian surnames <Tagliaferro> and <Tagliaferri> derive either from a nickname <taglia ferro> "cut iron," probably given to a prodigious swordsman, or from the French given name <Taillefer>, which was popularized in chivalric romances.
Submitted as <Gabrielle Taliaferro>, the client asked for an authentic 15th-16th century French-Italian name and will NOT accept MAJOR changes. No documentation was provided for the surname, so we have substituted the closest Italian surname we could find, and also corrected the given name to an Italian form. <Gabrielle Taillefer> is a reasonable French form of the name.
5) Hrólfr gylðr Sveinnson af Hrólfsey. New name and device.
Per saltire argent and azure, two bees volant erect Or, marked sable.
<Hrólfr> and <Sveinn> are both found in Friedemann, "Viking Names Found in the Landnamabok" (http://www.sit.wisc.edu/ ~sfriedemann/names/landnamabok.htm).
<gylðr> means "howler, wolf," according to Friedemann, "Viking Bynames Found in the Landnamabok" (http://www.sit.wisc.edu/ ~sfriedemann/names/vikbynames.htm).
<Rousay> is one of the islands in the Orkneys according to a map in Glossary of Personal Names to the Orkneyinga Saga and is sometimes spelled as <Hrólfsey> in ibid.
The client cares most about having an 11th century Orcadian Norse name and wants the name to be authentic. He adds: "either one or two of the elements 'the wolf' or 'of Rousay' may be removed if needed to pass."
The name was submitted as <Hrolf Sveinnson inn Varg af Hrolfsey>; we corrected the given name to an authentic form, added the accent to <Hrólfsey>, and as no evidence that <inn Varg> 'the wolf,' was used in period was given, we have substituted a documentable byname with the same meaning, and moved it to a position where it would modify the person himself, and not his father.
6) Ingileif Kettilsdóttir. New name and device.
Vert, a reindeer statant, a chief engrailed argent.
<Ingileif> is found in Geirr Bassi (12) and <Ketilsdottir> is in ibid (17). The client will NOT accept MAJOR changes. She desires an authentic 8th-10th century Norse name.
7) James Cunningham. New device
Vert scaly argent, a shakefork Or between three escarbuncles argent.
Name reg'd 1/99
{This was on the 01/01 ILoAR, as 'three cross crosslets' instead of 'three escarbuncles.' This was not what the client wanted, so he supplied redrawn forms and we are sending the corrected forms to Laurel.}
{*) Niamh inghean Cathail ó Floinn. New name and device.
Argent, a chalice, on a bordure gules, semy of trefoils argent.
Unfortunately, there is no evidence in O'Corrain & Maguire or any other source that <Niamh> or <Niam> was used by real people in period. The client may be interested in documentable names <Nárbhfhlaith> and <Neacht>, both of which are found in OC&M and would be appropriate for her period.
The device is being returned because the name is being returned; there are no problems with it. Kudos to AE & M for citing the RfS stating that 8 of a charge on a bordure is perfectly acceptably blazoned as "semy of."}
9) Vladimir Orendorff. New name and device.
Sable, on a triangle inverted Or, a bull's head caboshed gules.
<Vladimir> is dated to 1053 in Paul Wickenden's "Dictionary of Russian Names" (http://www.sca.org/heraldry/paul). <Orendorff> is the client's modern surname. The client will NOT accept MAJOR changes. He cares most about having a Russian/Prussian name and would like it to be authentic.
Submitted as <Vladymyr>, the client provided a letter from Paul, who was unable to find any dated evidence for this spelling. We are therefore changing the given name to a documentable form.
Done by my hand this 11th day of February, being the feast of King Salomon.
Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Rouge Scarpe
Sara L. Friedemann
213 N. Paterson
Madison, WI 53703
sfriedemann@students.wisc.edu