ATENVELDT COLLEGE OF HERALDS

17 March 2004, A.S. XXXVIII
Kingdom of Atenveldt

Unto Francois la Flamme, Laurel King of Arms; Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, Pelican Queen of Arms; Zenobia Naphtali, Wreath Queen of Arms; Laurel Designate and Her Heraldic Staff; and the commenting Members of the College of Arms,

Greetings from Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy, Brickbat Herald!

Please note the following request by submitter for withdrawal from consideration on the 30 October 2003 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

                5. Guilla Ironhair: NEW NAME

The submitter asks consideration of a new name in this Letter of Intent; her device submission, in the 30 October 2003 LoI, remains unaffected.

Please note the following correction on the 25 February 2004 Atenveldt Letter of Intent:

79. Sylvester the Black: NEW DEVICE

                Erminois, a fox’s mask between two spears in fess, all within a bordure sable.

The emblazon is correct. The blazon should read Erminois, a fox’s mask between two spears in fess, all within a bordure embattled sable.

The Atenveldt College of Heralds requests the consideration and registration of the following names and armory with the College of Arms. Unless specifically stated, the submitter will accept spelling and grammar corrections; assistance in these areas is appreciated.

1. Aelfwyn Ironhair: NAME RESUBMISSION from 30 October 2003 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

The original name submission Guilla Ironhair has been withdrawn from consideration at the lady’s request.

Ælfwyn in an undated form of an Anglo-Saxon feminine name found in “Anglo-Saxon Women's Names from Royal Charters,” Marieke van de Dal ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/marieke/anglosaxonfem/ ). The most recent registry of the name is in the form Aelfwyn, to Aelfwyn Huntington, in March 1995.

Ironhair is a constructed byname, following patterns of English nicknames such as Irnefoot (Ironfoot) 1332, Irenbard (Ironbeard) 1316, and Irenherde (Ironhard) 1379 (examples found in “A Study of Middle English Nicknames I. Compounds, Jan Jonsjo). These names could refer to the bearer’s black, coarse hair, or to their strength. The submitter prefers the byname to be spelled in modern English, so people more easily grasp the meaning–here it refers to a woman who uses a curling iron upon her hair. Curling, or “crisping” irons were used in the 13^th C. by the men of England to produce tight curls on the forehead and at the nape of the neck (p. 103, Fashions in Hair: The First Five Thousand Years, Richard Corson, Hastings House Publishers, NY, 1965).

2. Atenveldt, Kingdom of: TRANSFER OF ORDER NAME, “Order of the Madonnas of Ansteorra” to the Kingdom of Ansteorra

The Kingdom of Ansteorra has requested this transfer of this Order name; it was registered to the Kingdom of Atenveldt in April 1982. TRM Jonathon and Deille provide a Letter of Transfer, agreeing to this.

3. Bertrand de Lacy: NEW HOUSEHOLD NAME “House de Lacy”

The personal name was registered November 2001.

The byname has been registered to Bertrand de Lacy, in addition to his two legal (and S.C.A.) sons, Charles de Lacy (registered May 2003) and Thomas de Lacy (registered February 2002). Does the submitter’s household name conflict with the real-world Lacy family–are they (the real-world Lacys) important enough to protect? Lacy appears in the online Ordinary in association with the important non-SCA badge, (fieldless) A Lacy knot.

4. Dobin Tir-y-Cwningen: NEW NAME

Dobin is a diminutive of the masculine given name Robert; it is found as a name within its own right as Dobin de Hatton (1203) and Dobin Cusin (122) in Reaney and Wilson, 2^nd ed., p. 103, s.n. Dobbin. “A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names,” Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn ( http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/welsh13.html ) demonstrates Robert as a masculine Welsh given name, so the diminutive use should be acceptable with the Welsh locative byname.

Tir-y-Cwningen, “the coney land,” is 41 acres in Cardiff region of Wales, in the control of the lordship of Whitchurch, 1492; this is found in Cardiff Records, Volume V, Chapter VII, Schedule of Place-Names (http://www.btinernet.com/~pat.sewell/cr/placenames/places-t.html ). Tangwystl’s article also notes that a byname based on location simply uses the proper name of a place after the given name. The submission wishes a Welsh name and will accept no major changes to the name.

5. Elizabet Alfinnsdottir von Rhine: NEW NAME

Elizabet is a feminine given name dated 1400-1449 in “Swedish Feminine Given Names from SMP,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael, ( http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/smp/ ).

The patronymic byname is created from elements found in “Nafnasafnið: Icelandic and Heathen names,” Haukur Þorgeirsson (http://www.irminsul.org/arc/012ht.html#a ). Alf- is a protheme, as is Finn-; however, Finnr (“Finn(s)”) also seems to serve as a deuterotheme. It would seem that a coined masculine name Alfinn would more likely be spelled as Alfinsdottir when made into a patronymic, although Alfinnr would become Alfinnsdottir, according to “A Simple Guide to Creating Old Norse Names,” Aryanhwy merch Catmael (http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/sg-viking.html ). Alfwin/Ôlfun is shown as a masculine given name in Nordiskt runnamnslexikon (The Dictionary of Norse Runic Names), Lena Peterson (http://www.dal.lu.se/runlex/pdf/lexikon.pdf ); this is the closest I’ve found to Alfinn as a documented name, and Alffwin is a medieval masculine Swedish given name(1501, under Alwin) in “Sveriges Medeltida Personnamn (Swedish Medieval Names)” ( http://www.dal.lu.se/sofi/smp/smp.htm ).

von Rhine “of the Rhine,” would be more accurate either rendered completely into English (of the Rhine) or into German (likely von der Rhein) or as a Sweden construction to match the rest of the name. The submitter is least concerned about having a locative in the name; if it is included, the most accurate translation of it would be appreciated.

6. Gerardus Christopherus de Burgondia: DEVICE RESUBMISSION from Laurel, November 2003

Sable, two swords inverted in saltire surmounted by a bear's head cabossed between two fleurs-de-lys in fess and another in base, all argent and in chief a label dovetailed Or.

The name was registered November 2003.

The original submission, identical in blazon to this was returned for redrawing. “This emblazon is drawn with a very small overall bear's head. As a result, there is a very high degree of overlap between the swords and the bear's head. Because the swords and the small overall bear's head are the same tincture, the high degree of overlap causes the small overall charge to be insufficiently identifiable per RfS VIII.3, which states in pertinent part, "Identifiable elements may be rendered unidentifiable by significant reduction in size, marginal contrast, ... or by being obscured by other elements of the design." In general, it is acceptable to have a (round) bear's head cabossed surmounting (long thin) swords in saltire of the same tincture, as long as the bear's head is drawn large enough to maintain its identifiability. We note that in Bryon's device, the bear's head is drawn at least twice as wide in proportion to the swords as the bear's head found in this emblazon, so it does not suffer from this design problem.” The submission has been redrawn in accordance with the College’s guidelines.

7. Mary Kate O’Malley: NEW DEVICE

Per saltire arrondy vert and sable arrondy, a lozenge argent charged with a wolf’s head cabossed sable.

The name appears in the 25 February 2004 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

Referring to a recent ruling as to whether arrondy would garner a CD from a straight line of division: “[Quarterly Or and vert] This device does not conflict with ... Quarterly arrondi sable and Or. There is one CD for changing the tincture of the field. Recent precedent has been mixed about whether there is a CD for making a field division arrondy. The weight of the recent precedent and the commentary is in favor of giving a CD between these two lines. This is an SCA choice (rather than one which can be based on period evidence). The weight of precedent, and the fact that there is a visual distinction between a straight and an arrondy line, indicates that we should give a CD for this change. [Br{o,}ndólfr the Stout, 03/03, A-Middle]” If that is the case, then an arrondy line of division is being treated as a complex line of division. As such, there might be a problem with overlying a complex line of division that is used on a field of two low-contrast tinctures, such as vert and sable, with a charge, like the lozenge. Because the low contrast between the tinctures reduces the identifiability of the complex line, as much of the line has to show, and obscuring it with a charge prevents this. This is noted in the discussion which accompanies RfS VIII.3. Armorial Identifiability. To the credit of this particular design, the complex per saltire division makes good use of “open space” of the field, not obscured by the horizontal and vertical orientation of the lozenge.

We ask for the College’s opinions of this matter.

8. Tearlach mac Conchobair: NEW DEVICE

Azure, four claymores inverted interlaced as a fret interlaced by a claymore inverted and a chief Or.

The name resubmission appears in the 25 February 2004 Atenveldt Letter of Intent.

The submitter provides a Letter of Permission to conflict with the registered armory of Finbarr Mathgamain mac Conchobair, registered in July 2001, Azure, four claymores inverted interlaced as a fret interlaced by a claymore inverted Or.

This letter contains 2 new names, 1 new household name, 2 new devices, 1 name resubmission, 1 device resubmission and 1 transfer. This is a total of 8 items, 5 of them new. A check to cover fees will be sent separately.

Thank you again for your indulgence and patience, your expertise and your willingness to share it.

I remain,

Marta as tu Mika-Mysliwy

c/o Linda Miku

2527 East 3rd Street; Tucson AZ 85716

brickbat@nexiliscom.com; atensubmissions.nexiliscom.com

Commonly-Cited References

Black, George F. The Surnames of Scotland.

MacLysaght, E. The Surnames of Ireland. Dublin, Irish Academic Press, 1991.

Ó Corráin, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire. Irish Names.

Reaney, P.H. and R. M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames, 2^nd Edition, 1976, reprinted 1979.

Withycombe, E.G., The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 3rd Edition. London, Oxford University Press, 1977.