Please check that submitters have ALL documentation. Remember, they have to present their submission in a way that makes registration easy. Name documentation should be as accurate as possible, and copies supplies unless the reference is standard such as Reaney and Withycombe. Even then, the page and edition should be quoted.
I know that some of you have few name resources. There is a lot of help available if you ask for it. I or someone overseas may well be able to help with that tricky name. If you cannot document a name well, you can still submit it, BUT submitters should be made aware that if they check the 'make no changes' box, their name will be returned even if ONE letter is incorrect.
Submissions to Laurel
1. Axel "Jager van die Reebok"
Mundane name: A.T. Roebuck
Group: Stormhold
Consulting herald: None
Resubmission of name and device returned by Vesper March 1996. Device pended at Vesper for lack of a name, as the submitter allowed no changes. Gules, on a pale argent between two lions' heads erased respectant Or, a maltese cross sable.
The submitter states the language of the name is Dutch, and translates it as "Axel Hunter of the Roebuck". Vesper cited Axel as appearing in Deutsches Namenlexikon by Hans Barlow (p27 under Absolon) as a Swedish form, dated c.1200.
The submitter included copies of what appears to be an English/Dutch dictionary. Each element of the name is in the dictionary. However, we believe that he has the wrong definite article, and possible an incorrect word order. The entry under "the" given, clearly shows that the article varies (declines?).
However, he permits minor changes to grammar or spelling, and asks for the grammar to be corrected, so I hope a Dutch expert in the College of Arms can assist.
2. Gwalchmai ap Llywellyn Llanfyllin
Mundane Name: Ralph Morgan
Group: Mordenvale?
Consulting herald: None
Name registered by Laurel November 1996. Device pended by Vesper, as the device had at that time been pended for four years, and he was unsure if the submitter still wanted the same device. This is a complete redesign. Argent, a bend sinister wreathed sable and gules.
A fess wreathed appears in Fox Davies pp92&93 as does sable, two bars wreathed argent and gules as the arms of Waye of Devon. There seems no reason why a bend should not also be wreathed. We also considered it could be blazoned Argent, a bend sinister invected, bendy sable and gules.
3. Leif Magnússon
Mundane name: Matthew Curran
Group: Stormhold
Consulting herald: Pedair
New name and device. Vert a goat rampant to sinister argent.
Both names appear in Geir Bassi Haroldson, The Old Norse Name, p13. Leif appears as Leifr, but we believe that Leif is a common given name. If we are wrong, the submitter will accept minor changes.
We believe the device free of conflict, on the basis that there is visual difference between a goat and a sheep.
3. Malachi von Riga
Mundane name: Adam John Dalton
Group: Rowany
Consulting herald: None
New name and device:Per bend sinister argent and gules, between a latin cross patonce gules and a standing balance argent, the two halves of a broken chain in bend sinister sable.
Malachi appears in Withicombe p204. von Riga is German for "from Riga". Riga is the modern capital of Latvia. It was founded in 1201 and was the capital of Livonia, a Teutonic state, from the 13th to 17th centuries. Britanica ,Vol.10 p.66. The submitter will not permit any changes to his name.
We fear the the device may fall foul of the rule of two weirdnesses, ie there may be two variations of period style, one being the unusual cross, the other the broken chain. Also, we were uncertain if the placement of the chain amounts to a contrast problem. However, we again throw ourselves on the mercy of the College of Arms to help us with this.
The submitter permits no changes to his device.
4. Canton of Schoental
Consulting herald: Jourdain de Marenais
Name registered February 1997.
Resubmission of device to Laurel. Per chevron azure and vert, a horse passant and in base, a laurel wreath Or.
This was returned by Laurel in February 1997 for a redraw of the emblazon to make it more like per chevron, and less like a pile inverted. Laurel already has all the paperwork. The seneschal of the group assures me the group still agrees as per the petition.
5. Ysabella de Montrose
Mundane name: Fiona Cook
Group: Hunters Isle
Consulting herald: Francis of Hexham
New Name.
Ysabella is dated to 1237 in Black, The Surnames of Scotland. Ysabella de Brus p605.Montrose dates to 1385 , Black, p609.
Returns
1. Aoibheall inghean Daghain
Mundane Name: Cerridwen Poole
Group: Innilgard
Consulting herald: Tanya of Shoreham
Resubmission of device. Her previous device of Vert, a dragon rampant within a bordure embattled Or was returned by Laurel for conflict in October 1997. This is a complete redesign: Purpure, a mullet of six points, between each point a roundel, on a bordure argent, another sable.
The meeting had two main concerns with this device. The first is that we could not substantiate the use of a bordure on a bordure.
The second is that the device could also be blazoned: Argent, on an inescutcheon purpure a mullet of six points, between each point a roundel argent, within a bordure sable. This reblazoning reveals the problem with the emblazon. It appears to fall foul of Section XI.4 of the RFS. The device gives the appearance of arms of pretense. This section is quoted below.
As this gives the appearance of an inescutcheon charged with more than one charge, I must return it as violating XI.4.
Laurel's February 1998 letter returns a device with the same problem:
Lothar le Coi. Device. Vert, on a lozenge within a mascle argent, a crab sable.
Unfortunately, you cannot blazon your way out of a conflict. While blazoned as above on the letter of intent, an equally valid blazon would be *Vert, on a lozenge argent, a crab sable within a mascle vert.* That conflicts with Amber Lang *Vert, on a lozenge argent, a domestic cat sejant sable.*, with only one CD, for the assorted changes to tertiaries. Additionally, if this blazon is used, the device now falls afoul of RfS XI.4. (Arms of Pretense. "Armory that uses charges which themselves are charged in such a way as to appear to be arms of pretense is considered presumptuous. Period and modern heraldic practice asserts a claim to land or property by surmounting an individual's usual armory with a display of armory associated with that claim. Such arms of pretense are most commonly placed on an inescutcheon or lozenge..... For this reason, such charges may not be charged in such a way as to suggest independent arms. Such charges may not contain an ordinary that terminates at the edge, or more than one charge."
References:
Hans Barlow, Deutsches Namenlexikon
Black G.F., The Surnames of Scotland
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition
Fox-Davies A.C., A Complete Guide to Heraldry, 1985 edition [the medium blue Fox-Davies]
Withycombe E.G., The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford University Press, UK, 1979
From Laurel's February Letter of Acceptances and Returns
Known World 1998
Let me remind everyone about this year's Known World Heralds and Scribes Symposium, June 19-21, 1997 in the Barony of Tir Ysgithr, in the Kingdom of Atenveldt. I urge everyone to attend.
Known World 1999 - Call for Bids
Anyone who is interested in putting on the 1999 Known World Symposium need to get their complete bids to Laurel and Pelican and at least a condensed version to the College by the end of May.
Swapping name/armory resubmissions
A question was raised with the badge submission of Gwyddno of Tempio, whose name was registered as a holding name; can a submitter apply a free resubmission for an name to the submission of a badge. Free resubmissions for names are available from two different actions. First, a name only submission is returned outright or when both the name and armory is returned. Second, a holding name has been assigned in order to register armory when the submitted name required return. In the first case, the free name resubmission cannot be applied to a badge since armory cannot be registered without a registered name. In the second case, the administrative handbook specifically states holding names may be changed for free. If a submitter chooses to accept a holding name instead of resubmitting, this has the same effect as the submitted name being registered, no return exists and no free resubmission exists. Therefore, the swapping of a free resubmission of a name for an armory submission is not possible.
Documentation and Saint Gabriel
One of this month's submissions contained name documentation obtained from the Academy of Saint Gabriel. I would like to remind the College, and ask the College to make it clear to their submitters than no one, including Laurel, can guarantee acceptance of a name or device, and that the standards of documentation are the same no matter who provides the documentation. The problem with the submission is summarized below:
Bernadou du Lac. Name.
In this case, the documentation for *Bernadou* as a given name consisted of a letter from the Academy of Saint Gabriel. The letter from the Academy states that
"Dauzat cites 'Bernadou' as a modern French surname. From his discussion here and elsewhere, we conclude that this surname derived from a southern-French nickname for 'Bernard'. While we cannot date this form as a given name, we think it is very likely that it was used in the 14th through 16th centuries, since that is the period when most modern French surnames were formed."They give some examples of similar nicknames giving rise to other surnames in the same region of France. They end by saying "All of these examples are modern surnames, rather than pre-1600 given names, but Dauzat's discussion implies that they derive from given name forms." Unfortunately, the belief of the Academy, especially without dates, is not sufficient documentation to register *Bernadou* as a given name. Especially since Morlet (which has early period names) has *Bernadou* as a surname.
While this is in no way to imply that people should not feel free to go to the Academy (or anyone else they choose) for help, no matter what the source, the documentation should be reviewed and weighed against our standards.
Trees
In the May 1993 LoAR Laurel said:
[A tree eradicated and in chief a <charge>] This is clear of [A tree blasted and eradicated]. There is a CD for the charge in chief, and a CD for the blasting of the tree (Sileas ni Chinaid, May, 1993).
Precedent has been mixed, but there was in period a distinction between a tree and tree blasted. Therefore, we are upholding the ruling of May 1993 and granting a CD between a tree and a tree blasted, giving this submission the necessary second CD.