Greetings unto the An Tir College of Heralds from Maryn Lion's Blood!

This is a pretty kettle of fish, isn't it? A January Letter not appearing until February? There are a lot of reasons I'm running so late, but the pneumonia is pretty well gone, and I'm almost through my classes. So if I have ignored anyone or left anything critical undone, my sincere apologies - contact me and I'll try to fix it. I decided to go ahead and have both a January and a February letter instead of incorporating them, as it should be easier down the line if there are two separate letters. With luck (!) you will be getting a February Internal Letter in another week or so. Again, my apologies.

The February meeting will be at the Honorable Lady Natasha Orionova Zateeva's house in Glymm Mere, at 12:30 on the 14th, Valentine's Day, the Sunday after the Glymm Mere Court of Love.

To reach HL Natasha's house at 6820 4th Way SE: exit from I-5 at Martin Way, turn north toward the fairgrounds and go straight through the light at Carpenter Road. Take the next right (Kinwood); the second left off Kinwood is 4th Way. Take the first left from 4th Way into the cul-de-sac.

Sorry that I don't have March firmed up yet; I need a volunteer in the Madrone or Blatha area, please. I'll let you know in the next letter - that should be soon!! If no volunteers from nearby (sorry, no travelling to exciting places just now), it's my house again, you guys, and you know you don't like that!!

April's meeting will be in Portland on Sunday after the Symposium at 11:00 am. •elfri• will be hosting us; here are his directions to the site: FROM I-5 NORTHBOUND - From I-5, take the Portland Blvd. exit (#304) Take a left onto Portland Blvd. Follow Portland Blvd. to Willamette Blvd., where you will take a right. Stay on Willamette Blvd. for approximately one-and-a-half miles; the main entrance to the University will be on your left hand side. Follow the main University Road. Park in the lot just before the second forced left turn. Walk along the road towards Willamette Blvd. The first building you pass is Walshmit, the second is Christie Hall. Enter Christie Hall on the opposite side of the building from the road. Go in through the main doors, up to the first landing and then continue forward to the second set of stairs; continue down into the. basement. At the bottom of the stairs make a right and go on through the door.

If you were able to interpret these instructions correctly (and this is not in the April Fools letter) you should now be in the meeting area.

I hope to have signs (Vert, two trumpets in saltire) directing the way as I did last year. Failing all that you can ask some one to direct you to Christie Hall, and there will be a desk worker in the main lobby who will be able to direct you to the "Christie Hall Pub". Or call me at (503) 943-1015.

FROM I-5 SOUTHBOUND (ie coming from Vancouver) - From I-5, take the Portland Blvd. exit (#304). Take a right onto Portland Blvd. Same as above.

Also food wise there is a TB out on Lombard; the Cove, which opens at 10am on Sunday; is located in the pilot house which is the first building on the right as you come on campus (park behind it), or there are a few vending machines in the meeting area, providing a few small snakes (sic) and drinks.

And speaking of the Symposium: see the attached event copy! You will want to attend the Symposium, I'm sure, as we will be having some splendid classes and wonderful heraldic company.

Old Submissions

The following have been sent to Laurel:

1. Bridget Woulfe Name and Device Resub/Kingdom (Pendale)

Per chevron sable and gules a chevron embattled Or between two moons in her plenitude and a seal sejant argent

A little 'blazon fu', and the following tweakings: <Bridget> is found in Withycombe, 3rd edition, page 54, and in Irish Saints by Robert T. Reilly, pages 16-17 and 26. <Woulfe> is found in MacLysaght's Surnames of Ireland, in Grehan's Dictionary of Irish Family Names, sub 'Woulfe', and in Woulfe, sub 'Woulfe'. Both <Bridget> and <Woulfe> are Englished spellings, and so should be properly 'combine-able'.

2. Elisabeth Catesby Name and Device New (Dragon's Mist)

Or a cat sejant to sinister within an orle vert

No changes necessary.

3. Elisabeth von Katzenheim Name Change (Aquaterra)

<Elisabeth> can be found in this spelling in Bahlow's Deutsches Namenlexikon on page 122, dated to 1289; also, I believe, in Mittelhochdeutsches Namenbuch, page 89, for the 11-12th century. The submitter prefers the appropriate spelling for Germany in the 11-12th century; we believe that to be 'Elisabeth' with an '-s'.

4. Gorandookht Mamigonian Device Change Resub/Kingdom (Glymm Mere)

Gules two peacocks pavonated to base respectant and a pomegranate Or

We considered her clear of Lucrezia Maria de Vallombrosa, Per pale azure and vert two peacocks in their pride heads respectant in base a pomegranate Or, with one for the field and one for the posture of the birds.

5. Isa Estreys Name and Device New (Glymm Mere)

Azure ermined argent a four bird-winged wyvern, head to sinister, displayed argent

The College was unsure whether or not the extra pair of wings will give us a second CD. However, her potential conflict is with Artus Falconieri, and the very clever Lady Teceangl has found his address. We will request a letter of permission to conflict.

6. Lorn Stark Device Resubmission/Kingdom (Glymm Mere)

Ermine, in pale three wolves courant to sinister sable

His name was registered on the November 1998 LoAR. We added 'in pale' lest the wolves default to two and one.

7. Michael Grey Name and Device New (Glymm Mere)

Per pale vert and sable six wheat stalks fretted Or, a label argent

There was some discussion about the label as drawn; however, so many different types of label existed in period that we sent it up as drawn for Laurel to remark upon or ignore.

8. Michael Grey Badge New (Glymm Mere)

Azure ermined, a chevron between three horses' heads couped argent

His name is submitted on this same letter, above.

9. Oriana of Myrtlewood Badge New (Dragon's Mist)

(Fieldless) Three plates conjoined one and two

•elfri• Hluda withdrew his very similar badge submission.

10. Tj–rvi Fasthaldi Name and Device New (Montengarde)

Quarterly gules and sable, in chief two cat's eyes Or pupilled sable, a bordure argent

<Tj–rvi> comes from page 15 of Geirr Bassi, <Fasthaldi> from page 21 of the same source. The original submission was <Tj–rvi the Stone Thrower>, and she asked that we help her to put the epithet into Old Norse; however, we were unable to locate such a name in Old Norse in Kingdom. The phrase that she wanted is meant for an epithet for a fighter, basically indicating refusal to back down from a challenge. Since we couldn't find just that in Kingdom, 'the Stone Thrower' has been replaced (with her verbal permission) by the epithet <Fasthaldi>, meaning, essentially, tenacious. We will be happy if the College of Arms can offer her a better solution.

11. Volodar Ivanovic Device New (Fire Mountain Keep)

Per fess gules fretty argent and sable

We considered this to be clear of Meredudd Brangwyn, Per saltire gules and pean a fret argent, with one CD for the field and another for the unforced move of the fret/fretty to chief.

The following was withdrawn:

•elfri• Hluda Badge New (Three Mountains)

(Fieldless) Three plates conjoined

This design was very near Oriana of Myrtlewood's badge submission, and •elfri• graciously decided to withdraw his submission.

New Submissions:

1. An Tir, Kingdom of, for the Western Region Badge New (Western Region)

(Fieldless) A cross of four ermine spots conjoined gules

This new badge is intended for the use and identification of the Western Region of An Tir.

2. Khadijah al Rakkasah bint Tayyib Name and Device Resubmission to Kingdom (Three Mountains)

Purpure, on a pale dancetty orange (tennČ?) fimbriated three crescents argent

This submitter declines to accept major changes; she will accept minor changes, with language and culture her primary concerns. The name is intended to be female in gender. <Khadijah> is found on pages 23 and 50 of Islamic Names by Annemarie Schimmel. She includes the complete transcription of an email conversation with Master Da'ud, which cites Jaschke's English-Arabic Conversational Dictionary, page 184, and Elias's English-Arabic Dictionary Romanized, page 47 as sources for <Rakkasah>. <Tayyib> is found in the Arabic Names List on page 41 of the Compleat Anachronish #51, The Islamic World; also in the proceedings of 1993 Known World Heraldic Symposium, Vol. II, p. 29. He also advises concerning the construction of the name.

The fact that the pale is distinctly orange may be due to some confusion caused when I cautioned her previously that a red pale could not lie on a purple field. I may have been so unclear that she thought I meant that she could not use red and purple together at all. I will contact her to see if she would like to make the pale gules.

3. Melyssande Dunn Device Resubmission to Kingdom (Glyn Dwfn)

Argent, a wyvern erect sable, winged and bellied azure within a bordure per saltire counterermine and azure

Her name was registered in April 1992. Her previous device submission, Per pale azure and gules, a wyvern erect within a bordure argent, was returned in Kingdom in January 1998 for the use of grey coloring media to render Argent. Her consulting herald has included a really splendid letter of explanation and discussion - thank you, Sveyn! He cites recent registration of a wyvern argent, winged and bellied Or, and from Boutell's - with remarks concerning Boutell's suitability for our purposes - the wyvern's "proper" form as being vert, winged and bellied gules. He includes these remarks to indicate use of tinctures of the same type, metal or colour, on the same monster. He also includes evidence of registration of bordures divided per saltire registered since the Precedent (which the An Tir College quoted in the recent return of David Visdelou le Wrothe's device) dated 1992 which disallowed them. Therefore, that Precedent appears to have been overturned by the registrations in 1997 of two different devices using per saltire divisions in their bordures: Heth McKay, Argent, three Latin crosses crosslet sable a bordure per saltire gules and counter-ermine, May 1997, and Rioghnach nic Thomaidh, Per saltire Or and argent, an iris purpure, slipped and leaved vert, a bordure per saltire vert and sable, February 1997.

4. Muirgen Ingen Ui Guinness Name New (False Isle)

She has submitted quite a lot of documentation, which appears to be primarily from internet sources. While these particular sources look perfectly good, I should remind people that we need the internet addresses, as well. She would like the name to be authentic for eighth century Ireland. First we have a source called Old Irish-Gaelic Surnames, A Supplement to Ireland, History in Maps; the page header reads "Ireland History - Old Irish Gaelic Surnames". It gives us "Mac Aonghasa or Oengussa - (Mac) Guinness or Magennis - Co Down - the Dal Araidhe" Then we have the Dal nAraida shown on a map of "Ireland, circa 700 A.D.", also from "Ireland History in Maps". We have another dated reference to the Dal nAraida from Old Irish Kingdoms and Clans, also from "Ireland History - Early Irish Tribes". Then on more familiar ground we have Choosing an Irish Name by Dame Cateline de la Mor la souriete, which gives us the remark "…male names will be followed by mac and female names by ingen". Also, from the same source is "The daughter of an Ua Maelain was ingen Ui Maelain…" Finally, we have several marked passages from Concerning the Names Morgan, Morgana, Morgaine, Murghein, Morrigan and the Like by Heather Rose Jones. These passages date the form <Muirgen> to Old Irish, 500-1000 CE.

5. Natasha Orionova Zateeva Badge New (Glymm Mere)

(Fieldless) An amphora azure

Her name was registered in 1995. We find this to be a particularly nice amphora.

6. Natasha Orionova Zateeva Badge New (Glymm Mere)

(Fieldless) An amphora Or

Equally nice amphora!

7. Walter of Minstead Badge New (Glymm Mere)

(Fieldless) A boar's head couped close argent

His name was registered in February 1995. The colour version of this has some nice artistic details, but they do not detract from its 'argentness'.

8. William Geoffrey the Rogue Device Resubmission to Laurel (Glyn Dwfn)

(Ermine, a wingless gryphon rampant contourny within a bordure sable.

His name was registered in May 1998. His previous device was returned from Laurel in the LoAR dated 5/98 for conflict with Quarterly gules and Or, a lion rampant contourny within a bordure sable registered to Helmut zu J¸lich. The return letter stated, "As drawn there is no visual difference between the wingless gryphon and the lion".

The consulting herald (again, thank you, Sveyn!) points out that this implies that a redraw may suffice to clear the device. However, just in case, the submitter and his herald are attempting to contact Baron Helmut for a letter of permission to conflict.

An Tir College of Heralds - Internal Letter - January 1999