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Kingdom of Atenveldt Home Page

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Heraldic Submissions Page

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Atenveldt Submissions (excerpted from the S.C.A. College of Arms' Letters of Acceptance and Return)

The following submissions were registered by the SCA College of Arms, June 2009:


Angus of Atenveldt. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per pale sable and Or, a valknut between three mullets of eight points counterchanged.

The use of a valknut is a step from period practice. Submitted under the name Angus ulbh MacLeod.


Britha of the Unicorn's Forest. Reblazon of device. Argent, a unicorn couchant argent fimbriated and with details delineated azure.

Blazoned when registered, in August 1980, as Argent, a unicorn couchant chased azure, we are reblazoning it to clarify the fact that we consider this an argent unicorn, not an azure one, since the azure is used only for a thick outline and internal detailing.


Dubhchobhlaigh inghean Eoin uí Ealaighthe. Device. Vert, a fleece and in base two drop spindles argent.


Einarr atgørvimaðr. Device. Per chevron purpure and argent, three Thor's hammers argent and a bear rampant sable.


The following submissions were returned by the SCA College of Arms, June 2009, for further work:


Angus ulbh MacLeod. Name.

This is returned for lack of documentation of the byname ulbh. The LoI documented ulbh as a modern Scottish Gaelic word meaning 'wolf', derived from Old Norse ulfr. However, this information does not demonstrate either that ulbh is a period Gaelic word, or that it follows period patterns of Gaelic descriptive bynames, both of which are required before it can be registered as a byname. The commenters were able to demonstrate that Ulbh is a period borrowing of Old Norse given name Ulfr; it appears in the Annals of the Four Masters (B) as the translation of the name of a Norseman or Dane. However, none of the commenters were able to support the use of Ulbh as a descriptive byname, and it cannot be registered as a second given name per precedent:

The element Aonghus, which is a Gaelic form, is problematic in this position in the name. The August 2001 LoAR includes the explanation: “... in the name Aislinn Fiona of Rumm, Fiona can only be interpreted as a second given name or as an unmarked matronymic. Use of double given names and unmarked matronymics in Gaelic have both been cause for return in the past. [Aislinn Fiona of Rumm, 08/01, R-An Tir] Similarly, in this name, Aonghus can only be interpreted as a second given name or an unmarked patronymic, neither of which were used in Gaelic in period. In a patronymic byname in Gaelic, the form mac Aonghusa would be used rather than simply Aonghus... [Robert Aonghus of Loch Mohr, 12/2002, R-Atenveldt]'

Similarly, Ulbh in this name can be interpreted only as a second given name or as an unmarked patronymic, neither of which is registerable in Gaelic.

We cannot drop the problematic element for two reasons. First, it would be a major change, which the submitter does not allow. Second, it would bring the name into conflict with the registered name Aonghus MacLeoid. The submitter requested authenticity for Scotland; since the elements Angus MacLeod are both Scots, we recommend that he pick a wholly Scots byname in order to maintain authenticity. Since Angus MacLeod is a Scots form of the Gaelic name Aonghus mac Leoid, we recommend that to clear the conflict he pick a Scots form of a Gaelic descriptive byname, or a Scots form of a second generation patronymic. Examples of both of these types of bynames can be found in Black, The Surnames of Scotland:

Scots forms of Gaelic descriptive bynames:

  • Bwy from Gaelic Buidhe 'blonde, yellow' (John Bwy McComiche 1613 s.n. MacCombich)

  • Dow from Gaelic Dubh 'black' (John Dow M'Coldnich 1618 s.n. MacAldonich; John Dow McNeill VcHarther 1618 s.n. MacArthur; John Dow McAwla 1613 s.n. MacAulay; s.n. Donald Dow McDouil McConche 1518 s.n. MacConachie; John Dow Macquhondoquhy 1575 s.n. MacCondochie; Johnne Dow McQuorquordill 1612 s.n. MacCorquodale; Neil Dow McCraikane 1628 s.n. MacCrackan)

  • Geir or Ger from Gaelic Gearr 'short' (Duncan Ger McAves 1613 s.n. MacAvish; s.n. Gillespick Geir McChannaniche 1622 s.n. MacChananaich)

  • Moir or More from Gaelic Mor 'great, large' (John Moir McAgowne 1619 s.n. MacAgowne; Patrik More McCaslen 1613 s.n. MacAuslan)

  • Reoche or Riauche from Gaelic Riabhach 'swarthy' (Allester McEan Riauche VcAgowne 1613 s.n. MacAgowne; Archibald Reoche McBea 1629 s.n. MacBay)

  • roy from Gaelic Ruadh 'red' (Alexander roy McAllane McReynald s.n. MacAllan)

Examples of second-generation Gaelic bynames rendered in Scots:

  • Allester McEan Riauche VcAgowne 1613 (s.n. MacAgowne)

  • Alexander roy McAllane McReynald and Innes McAllane McRenald 1541 (s.n. MacAllan)

  • Thomas McAndrew vic William Guy 1618 (s.n. MacAndrew)

  • John Dow McNeill VcHarther 1618 (s.n. MacArthur)

  • John Mcphadrick VcAlves 1613 (s.n. MacAvish)

  • Tarlocht M'Ene V'Carlycht = Charles M'Ane V'Tarlych = Therlycht M'Ain W'Therlycht 1573 (s.n. MacCarlich)

  • Ewin McIllecreist VcCartna or VcCartney 1629 (s.n. MacCartney)

  • John Makthomy Makgillewie 1586 (s.n. MacCombie)

  • Donald Dow McDouil McConche 1518 (s.n. MacConachie)

  • William M'Ane Makconquhye 1543 (s.n. MacConachie)

  • Donald McConeill VcCoull 1613 (s.n. MacCoul)

  • William McAge McRethe 1537 (s.n. Maccraith)

For example, Angus Dow MacLeod or Angus MacLeod MacAngus would be an authentic late-period Scots name.

His device was registered under the holding name Angus of Atenveldt.


Raffaelle de Mallorca. Badge. (Fieldless) A belt in annulo purpure.

This badge is returned for conflict with the badge of Magherita Alessia, (Fieldless) An annulet purpure. While there is a CD for fieldlessness, a belt and an annulet are too similar in shape for us to grant a CD between them.


Raffaelle de Mallorca. Badge. (Fieldless) A belt in annulo vert.

This badge is returned for visual conflict, under section X.5 of the Rules for Submission, with the joint badge of Katherine Throckmorton and Ivan Kosinski, (Fieldless) A slow match vert, enflamed proper. From any distance, both appear to be green annulets.

On resubmission, the submitter should consider the badge of Tonwen ferch Gruffudd Aur, (Fieldless) A garter buckled in annulo vert, garnished, inscribed with the words cyfiawnder, callineb, gwroldeb, dirwest Or. There is a CD for fieldlessness. Whether or not there is a CD for the removal of the words depends on whether or not they are considered tertiary charges. Precedent, set for letters on books, says: “This submission generated much discussion on the nature of words on books. The letters on Yale University's arms, Azure, an open book argent charged with Hebrew letters sable, have previously been ruled to act as tertiary charges. Laurel has also ruled "In general, open books may be drawn with numerous small writing marks as artistic license, the writing so small that it could not be read from any distance, but such writing would not be blazoned. [Branwen filia Iohannis de Monmouth, 04/02, A-East]".

“'The question becomes, when does the writing become so small that it cannot be read? In general, more that 10 or 11 letters on a single primary charge will be considered unreadable and will not count for difference; for a secondary charge (or multiple primary charges) this number will be reduced due to the smaller size of the books. More than two or three letters on a tertiary charge will be too small to read. In SCA arms, such small writing will not be blazoned. In the case of important non-SCA arms this writing may be blazoned even if it does not count for difference. Thus, the letters on Yale University's arms constitute a tertiary charge group while those on Oxford University's arms (DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO MEO) do not. [Eibhlín inghean uí Chiaráin, January 2007, R-Atlantia]'”

However, that precedent mentions only words on books. If we follow this precedent, the writing on Tonwen's badge would not count for difference, and the two badges would conflict. If the writing on Tonwen's badge is considered a tertiary charge group, the two would be clear, with a CD for fieldlessness and a CD for the removal of the tertiary group.


Thomas Cyriak Bonaventure. Device. Gules, two chevronels between a mullet of eight points and a cannon mounted in a ship's carriage, a bordure Or.
This device is in conflict with the device of Gilbert the Short, Gules, two chevronels and a bordure Or. There is a single CD for adding the secondary charges.
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