Unto the An Tir College of Heralds does Dame Zenobia Naphtali, Lions Blood Herald, send greetings!

Lion's Blood Decision Meetings

Currently scheduled public decision meetings are:

September 22 1996: (Sunday) 11:00 a.m. at my house in the Portland area, address above. Please contact me for directions.

October 13 1996: (Sunday) 12:00 p.m. at my house, above. (Note that this is the day after the Arts Gathering and Bardic Party event also here in Dragon's Mist. Crash space can be arranged for those wishing to attend both.)

November TBD 1996: See next month's IL for details, or call or write me for more information. I am hoping to have the meeting in the Seattle area on November 2 or 3, anyone interested in volunteering their home please contact me.

Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings! If you wish to host a meeting at your home or at an indoor event, please contact me more than a month in advance (so notice can be put in the Internal Letter of Intent.)

Roster Changes and Impending Roster Changes

Lions Blood Upcoming Office Change: Don't forget, submissions mailed after October 30 1996 should be sent to Ciaran CluanaFerta (Brian Russell, 1908 NE Multnomah St. #10, Portland OR 97232 (503) 287-5165.) Commentary should continue to be sent to me for all Lions Blood meetings up to and including January 1997.

E-Mail and World Wide Web Information

People interested in getting the ILoI on email should contact HL Etienne d'Avignon at scoffman@on-ramp.ior.com. Please remember to check the An Tir Web Page under 'Libraries' for heraldic handouts and information if you have access to the World-Wide Web. Please contact me if you have an idea for a new topic that should be written up in a handout.

Old Submissions

Thanks to those who wrote letters of comment (boldface) on the June LoI, participated in commentary, or attended the August 10 meeting: Simon von der Eisenhandlung (Briaroak), David of Moffat (Electrum), Tanglwyst de Holloway, Kveldulf, Jenna, Sebastiano Malatesta (Lion's March), Antoinette Jarlshammer (Curragh Mor), Vladimir Dragonovich, Frederick the Badger, Moreach nic Mhaolain, Ciaran CluanaFerta (Black Stag), Conor o Draoi and Caradoc ap Robert MacConnachie. Thanks to the Barony of the Three Mountains and the Virgin Countess Inn for hosting the meeting.

The Following submissions were forwarded to Laurel in the August 1996 Letter of Intent:

�lfgifu verch Morgan (new/name, device)Plumetty vert and Or a rooster's head erased and on a chief purpure three bezants. The first name was submitted with the spelling Aelfgifu; we have normalized it to match the documentation. (The spelling Aelgifu in the LoI was a typo from the submitted form.) The Welsh/Old English combination seems culturally plausible to us, making the name acceptable by rule III2.

A question was raised concerning whether the device should be considered "color on color", since it uses a purpure charge on a vert and Or field. The plumetty vert and Or field is considered 'neutral' since it is evenly divided of a color and a metal. Rule VIII.2.a.ii indicates that good contrast exists between an element equally divided of a color and a metal, and any other element as long as identifiability is maintained. In this case, identifiability of the rooster's head seems to be maintained, it is drawn more overlapping the Or (good-contrast) bits than the vert (poor-contrast) bits. (Visually, it's easy to tell what is going on as well.)

Questions were also raised concerning the blazon of 'bezant' rather than 'roundel.' The S.C.A. generally allows the later English practice of blazoning roundels by specific color names. The commoner roundel color names were 'bezant' (Or), 'plate' (argent), and 'torteau' (gules.) However, one also finds (in period or post-period) the terms 'pomme' (vert), 'pellet' and 'ogress' (sable), 'hurt' (azure) and 'golpe' (purpure.) It should be noted that in very early blazon, 'bezant' was sometimes used interchangeably with 'roundel' and did not have a specific tincture. So, a gold roundel could either be blazoned as roundel Or in the S.C.A., or as a bezant, as suits the submitter and Laurel (the final arbiter of all blazons).

The name is indeed clear of Aelgifu Sweynsdottir per rule V4, since one phrase (the surname) is "significantly changed."

Delia the Rose of Thorncastel (new/name only) Curragh Mor was able to find Delia used as part of a sonnet sequence dated 1591 (by Samuel Daniel), mentioned in the New Century Cyclopedia of Names. While we cannot show the name in use outside of poetry in poetry, its use as a poetic name in 1591 allows the possibility that the name could have been used by people in period. The provided documentation implied that Delia was a 17th-18th c. poetic name only, which argued against registration.

The epithetical form of rose can be found in French surnames, as per Larose, found in Dauzat's ...Noms et Prenoms... p.369, where "sobriquet" is one of the possible etymologies. The use of the theme rose in English surnames can be found in Reaney's DES p.383 where the forms de la Rose, Rose and atte Rose are dated in the 13th-14th c. It seems plausible that la Rose, and hence the Rose, could have been formed in English given the use of Rose in English as both a name element and a literary simile (as mentioned in the documentation in the IL), and the use of Rose as an epithet in French.

The very late period given name seems somewhat odd combined with the earlier epithetical formation the Rose, but if necessary, the the could be dropped, rendering the not unreasonable late-period name of Delia Rose of Thorncastel.

Duncan Douglas (new/name, device)Ermine on a pile vert a dragon's head couped affronty Or. People should be careful with documentation taken solely from Scottish Clan books; it is not always good documentation for period spellings or period armory. However, both name parts are well documented in Reaney and Wilson's Dictionary of English Surnames. The name is indeed clear of the registered name of Duncan Douglas MacPherson by rule V2, which says that "names of three or fewer phraes that differ by at least the addition or elimination of one phrase do not conflict."

On the device, a question was asked as to whether the "ear wings" were standard depiction for a heraldic dragon. Heraldic dragons are generally drawn with some sort of ears (often like dog ears) but the exact details of a dragon's or wyvern's head are subject to a lot of artistic license. The blazon did need to specify that the head is couped affronty (cut off and showing the neck), and we have so done.

Isabeau du Lis Noir (resub. K/badge) [Fieldless] A fleur-de-lis per pale sable and Or. Vs. vivienne Marie de Beauvais (Fieldless) A fleur-de-lys per pale sable and azure and a protected Royal badge (Fieldless) A fleur-de-lys Or, there is one CD by rule X4ai for fieldless vs. any other field, including fieldless, and a tincture change by X4d. X4d says "changing the tincture of at least half of the charges in a group is one clear difference." This has traditionally been interpreted to include changing the tincture of half of each charge in a group (as here, each group only has one charge, but half of the charge's tincture has changed.)

June of Morgans Hall (new/name, device) Azure a day lily plant with three blossoms Or. The name was originally submitted with an apostrophe to mark the possessive (Morgan's) but this does not seem to be period orthography, so we deleted it.

The illustration of the plant on the device is taken from one of the late-period herbals. The small details are just line details from the original engraving and are not necessary for depicting any sort of naturalistic detail of the plant _ they may be removed if needed.

There are some possible conflicts on the device. We have asked Laurel to visually and technically compare Mara Teodora Kolarova: Azure a sprig of three morning glories palewise Or, leaved of flames proper. Morning glories grow sequentially on a vine, and we have interpreted this armory as effectively "a branch of morning glories" which would generally be given posture/arrangement difference from a plant in June's conformation, if not considered a completely different type of charge. There is probably additional type and/or tincture difference due to the leaving of flame proper.

In the mundane arena, there is one of the attributed coats of the Virgin Mary, cited in Dennys' Heraldic Imagination p.103 as Azure a vase Or with a bunch of lilies argent. There should be one CD for changing the tincture of half (or more) of the charge group, and possibly another CD for adding the pot to the plant. These arms are not currently protected and it is my opinion that they should not be, since there are many different widely disparate coats attributed to the Virgin Mary. As a consequence, the coat cited by Dennys is unlikely to be particularly associated with the Virgin. For example, Fabulous Heraldry cites three attributed arms for the Virgin Mary. One shows a madonna and child, one shows a heart-based design, and the third does show a pot of lilies, but in different colors from the Dennys citation.

Another possible conflict is with the city of Dundee, cited in one of the Lyon ordinaries as Azure a pot of three growing lilies argent. Again, there is one CD for the tincture and perhaps another for the pot. Again, the device is not currently protected, and I doubt it should be. Given the number of capital cities in Europe whose armory is not protected (recall the Bruce Draconarius Letter of Intent to Protect a few years ago), the city of Dundee does not seem important enough for the S.C.A. to protect.

Mary Lesslyn of Kailzie (new/name, device)Vert, a pall sable fimbriated between three crescents argent. The device is close to Alarba Bronwen Caradoc: Vert a pall azure fimbriated between three crosses couped argent. We count one CD for change of the type of secondary charges and another for change of half or more of the tincture of the primary pall. However, we also note that precedent on this matter is mixed. In the LoAR of 6/91 p.17 the internal color of a fimbriated fess was considered to be the tincture of that fess, with the fimbriation as insignificant. However, in the same LoAR p.20 a cross pomelly fimbriated vs. a cross pometty voided (of a different tincture) were held to conflict due to no difference for tincture only of effectively tertiary charge.

In the case of a throughout Ordinary, as here, we feel that the logical interpretation is to consider the main tincture of the charge to be the inside tincture, since it is visually predominant and (due to its throughout nature) not likely to be visually perceived as a tertiary charge. On the other hand, the College of Arms has long held that one cannot "blazon oneself out of a conflict" and any pall fimbriated could as easily be blaazoned as "On a pall <tincture>another pall <other tincture." The submitter has asked us to send this up for an explicit ruling on the matter (and we would certainly appreciate a clear precedent.)

A question was raised as to whether fimbriating and cotising were the same thing. They aren't: fimbriating is outlining a charge, while cotising is adding a seperate group of smaller charge around the first charge. Thus, a bend cotised is like a bend surrounded by two thinner bendlets. In the arms "Azure a bend argent cotised Or", the middle bend is argent, there is a little azure field space on each side of the bend, and then each cotise is a thin bendlet Or." However, in the arms "Azure a bend gules fimbriated Or", the field is azure, the bend is gules and the Or fimbriation outlines the bend. There is no blue showing between the Or and the gules. Strictly, some modern English usage would use the word cotised only for bends (using other words for other ordinaries, like endorsed for pales and between couplecloses for chevrons) but the S.C.A. will use cotised for this treatment of all Ordinaries.

Morgan Comyn (resub. L/name, device)Sable estencely three flames Or. Estencely is considered a semy of charges in the S.C.A. There is no problem with having a primary charge drawn in the same tincture as the semy charges surrounding it (and partially underlying it) as long as identifiability is maintained. Strewn charges (like groups of charges semy) are not considered field treatments.

Peter Byron Fletcher (resub. K/name, device) Gyronny azure and argent scaly sable.

Wilhelm von Pfeffers (new/name, device)Sable a bend Or overall a tower between two arrows inverted argent. A period device using this general design would seem to be more likely with the bend as an overall charge than an "underall" charge. However, we know of no rules disallowing an overall charge group consisting of two types of charge in this arrangement, and the charges seem to be quite identifiable (the Lions Blood meeting was held at an event and many non-heralds had no problem identifying the charges at a distance.)

This doesn't have complexity problems (a.k.a. "slot machine heraldry.") The "slot machine" term is used when there is a single group of charges using three or more types of charge. In this case the underlying bend is the primary group (one type) and the tower and arrows are a seperate overall charge group (two types.)

The following submissions were returned for further work:

Delia the Rose of Thorncastel (new/device) Per pale gules and purpure on a heart sable fimbriated a rose leaved Or. It was generally felt by the heralds at the meeting, and the non-heralds in the vicinity of the meeting (the meeting was held at Ducal War, and there were may non-heralds available) that the roses as drawn here are not identifiable from any distance as roses. This is due to a combination of factors. The largest factor is the leaves, which are drawn coming out of the rose itself. As a result, they obscure the outline of the flower significantly. (Non-heralds a couple of tables away were unable to guess that the charge was a rose. The guesses tended to center around "a cabbage" or "some kind of flower", but not a rose.) A rose is not a flower that grows in a 'cup' of leaves; it tends to grow on a stalk and the leaves branch out somewhat lower, and don't obscure the outline of the flower. The standard heraldic term for a rose on a stem, slipped and leaved, refers to this; it has leaves and a "slip" (stem.) If the rose were drawn on a distinct stem, with the leaves not overlapping the outline of the rose, the identifiability problem would be much lessened, and perhaps not a problem at all. Note that we have removed slipped from the blazon as a consequence.

An additional factor contributing to the identifiability problem is that the rose was drawn in a naturalistic style for a multipetalled rose, of a type that was only found late in period. The standard heraldic rose is a five-petalled flat flower with a clear central 'seeding' area and five sepals showing between the petals (a standard "War of the Roses" type rose, just like a wild rose.) If the rose were drawn in this fashion, the heraldic identifiability would be further enhanced.

Comments were made suggesting that the rose be blazoned as a garden rose. The distinction between garden roses and standard heraldic roses has not been made in S.C.A. blazon since the tenure of Bruce Draconarius of Mistholme. The two types of flower were apparently not considered distinct in period (a rose is a rose is a rose) and the only time that 'garden' roses appear in period armory is in very late period armory, where roses had been bred to look like the modern garden rose.

A question was raised concerning the contrast here, and the appropriateness of the fimbriation. Simple charges may be fimbriated. By Laurel precedent, a charge is simple enough to be fimbriated if it can be blazoned as "on a <charge> another." A heart fimbriated can be blazoned as "on a heart another heart", so it is simple enough to fimbriate. A complex charge like a fimbriated lion cannot be so blazoned; the outside of the lion fimbriated becomes too 'blobby' to be considered the actual outline of a lion. Therefore a lion is too complex to fimbriate.

When fimbriation is appropriate (as here), it can be used to 'break' the rules of contrast. So the sable heart on the gules and purpure field is saved from contrast problems by the Or fimbriation (which metal has good contrast with both the field and the primary charge being fimbriated. The tincture of the fimbriation was specified in the blazon. A tincture will apply to all design elements mentioned before that tincture until another tincture is mentioned. So in the blazon ... on a heart sable fimbriated a rose slipped and leaved Or, the "fimbriated", the "rose" and the "slips and leaves" are all Or.

Delia the Rose of Thorncastel (new/badge) Sable a rose leaved and an orle Or. Returned for the same reasons as the device. On the blazon, all items mentioned between two tinctures have the color of the second tincture. So in this case the field is sable, and the rose and orle are both Or.

Vs. Suzanna Jewell: Or on a heart sable a lozenge Or there is one CD for the field and another for type of charge on charge by rule X4jii. Since the heart is "simple enough in outline to be voided" and the charges upon it are large enough to be "easily recognizable" (well, if drawn correctly), and the armory is a simple case (a group of identical charges on a suitable charge), X4jiia applies and allows a CD for type only of charge on charges.

New Submissions

The blazons noted herein are those of the submitter unless a reblazon is noted in {curly brackets.} Similarly, documentation will be a summary of that provided by the submitter unless noted in {curly brackets.} Please comment on blazon style and content, and add any documentation that seems necessary.

1) Aleemah al-Shammariyyah (Madrona) resub. K/device

Open book upon a field azure rhaonny border Or. {Potential reblazon: Azure an open book argent bound in leather proper a bordure rayonny Or.}

Her name was registered in August 1995. Her previous device had a closed book, drawn in a perspective view (as if it were laying parallel to the 'floor' with the top part of the spine poking out of the shield towards the viewer) and was returned for the unacceptably heraldic perspective (charges in heraldry are generally drawn 'flat' towards the viewer, with only a few well-defined exceptions.)

2) Alessandra da Pavia (Valley Wold) resub. K/device

Per pale azure and or an owl affronty counterchanged grasping a broach gules and in chief a roundel between a decresant and an incresant counterchanged argent. {Potential reblazon: Per pale azure and Or an owl affronty perched on a broach fesswise gules in chief a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent counterchanged argent and azure.}

Her name was registered in May 1996. This is a substantial modification of her previous device.

3) Alienor Beatrice Lucrezia (Lions Gate) new/name, device

Azure, four fleur de lys in cross argent.

(F) The name is meant to be "French/Italian." Alienor is documented in Withycombe's Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names p.97, dated 1199 in the Curia Regis Roll. Beatrice is in Sergio Bertelli's Italian Renaissance Courts p.262, as a female given name of a woman who died in 1497. Lucrezia is a given name documented in the source above, for a woman who died in 1598. It is here to function as a byname. The submitter documents Lucretius (the Latin male name from whence derives female Lucrezia) as a Roman surname in Giulia Bologna's Illuminated Manuscript: the Book before Gutenberg. Lucrezia is also found as a byname in the already registered names of Eduardo Francesco Maria Lucrezia and Isabella Lucrezia Veneziano Martini. She is in the same household as they _ but is not related by blood.

4) Blatha an Oir (Blatha an Oir) new/badge

(Fieldless) In saltire two daffoddills Or slipped and leaved vert.

The Barony's name was registered in October 1981 or earlier. The forms provided did not have any signatures at all, nor a return address. Forms from a branch with a ruling noble are required to have the support of at least one of the ruling noble(s). I have sent correspondence to the Baronial Herald requesting a follow-up letter showing Baronial support. This submission does not need a petition of support from the populace, however; that is only required for official Branch names and devices (not badges.)

5) Christiana Rowena Yonge (Aquaterra) resub. K/device

Argent three piles vert, as many suns in glory in chief Or.

Her name was registered in December 1994. Her previous device was entirely different.

6) Christiana Rowena Yonge (Aquaterra) resub. L/badge

Fieldless a demi lion gules maintaining in both paws a sun in glory Or.

Her name was registered in December 1994. Her previous badge consisted of a single red sun and was returned for conflict with a tinctureless mullet of five greater and five lesser points distilling gouttes in the LoAR of 1/96.

7) Conor o'Draoi (Three Mountains) new/name only

(M) the name is meant to be "Gaelic" and to mean "will of the Druids." If changes are necessary he wishes to preserve the general sound. He quotes from Patrick Woulfe's Irish Names and Surnames p.177 which lists Conor as a (possibly anglicized?) spelling under Conchobhar as an ancient and very common Irish name, meaning 'high will' or 'desire.' ² Draoi is found on p.507 meaning "of the druid." The (possibly anglicized) forms given are O Dree, Drea and Drew.

8) DÈsirÈe Aurelia Chiarastella (Eisenmarche) new/device

Per chevron inverted argent and vair in pale a seahorse erect and two scimitars inverted conjoined at point in base countercharged. {Potential reblazon: Per chevron inverted issuant from the chief corners argent and vert, in chief a seahorse and in base two scimitars respectant in chevron inverted counterchanged.}

Her name was registered in October 1994.

9) Eoin Mac Cainnigh (Aquaterra) resub. L/device

Per chevron dancety azure and Or, a stag's head cabboshed counterchanged.

His name was registered in April 1996. His previous device was returned at the same time for identifiability issues. This is a significant redesign.

10) Esperanza Razzolini d'Asolo and Seumas Camshronach an Lochabair for D˜n Drýgon Dubh (Valley Wold) new/household name

Her name was registered in April 1994. His name was registered in July 1994. The name is suppsosed to be Scottish Gaelic for "Castle/house(fortified) of the Black Dragon." The submitter cites from MacLennan's A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language showing d˜n as a masculine noun meaning "fort, a fortress, a castle, a fortification, a heap" on p.139, drýgon as a masculine noun meaning "a dragon" on p.133, and dubh as an adjective meaning "black, dark, lamentable, disastrous" on p.137. If changes are necessary they wish to preserve the meaning of the name.

11) Esperanza Razzolini d'Asolo, for Honorine Maria Steenhouwer (Valley Wold) new/alt persona name

The name is intended to be Walloon (a French dialect from Hainault). She cites Withycombe's Oxford Dictionary of English Christaian Names (3rd ed.), p. 154, sub Honor(i)(a) to show a St. Honoria who was a companion of St. Ursula, and in an entry from "Lives of the Saints" (Omer Englebert, Barnes & Noble , New York [undated]) for February 27, St Honorina ( a virgin martyr from Normandy in the 4th cent.). A copy of her birth certificate is provided to support Maria. For the surname, from C. L. Ewen's "History of Surnames of the British Isles (Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1931), p.262shows the use of Stonehewer as a compound occupational surname in English. Refering to Fernand G. Renier's "Dutch" , an English-Dutch dictionary (Routledge, London & New York, [undated]) p. 265 sub "steen" is steenhouwer, n. , a stone-mason. As additional support she submits from Gustv Fransson's "Middle English Surnames of Occupation 1100-1350 (Lund, ed. E. Ekwall, 1935), no page shown, shows a Joh. le Stonhewere dated to 1292 & a Rog. le Stonhewer , c. 1346.

12) Folker Elfin Kee Birre McCrorey (Blatha an Oir) new/name, device

Per bend sable and argent a tree argent a rondel ermines. {Proposed reblazon: Per bend argent and sable a roundel counter-ermine and a tree argent.)

(M) The name is said to be German, Keltic, Welsh, given". He quotes from the glossary to Yonge's History of Christian Names p.lx showing Folker as a masculine German given name. Elphin is cited on p.liii as a masculine Welsh name. P.32 spells the given name as Elfin; the name is said to be in the Triads as "one of the four men despatched by Llewfyr Mawr to bring home the Gospel to Britain." An Elphin also figures as the person who fished the bard Taliessin out of the drink in that legend.

Kee is in the glossary p.lxxxvii as a female Dutch name. Birre is in the glossary p.xxxvi as a female name. Mc Crorey is his mundane surname and he has provided a photocopy of his driver's license in support.He will accept corrections to maintain the name's general sound.

13) Gareth of Eastbrook (Blatha an Oir) resub. L/device

Per chevron Azure and Vert a Phoenix rising from flames displayed Or, within its beak a sword argent.

His name was registered some time before March 1988. His previous device was Quarterly azure and argent, a compass star elongated to base within and surmounting an annulet, all counterchanged and was returned by Laurel some time before March 1988 for a conflict which was applied correctly given the rules at that time.

14) Giacinta da Venezia (Aquaterra) new/badge

A lozenge Or a rose barbed and seeded proper.

Her name was registered in August 1994.

15) Godric ap Rhys (Glymm Mere) new/name, device

Sable a dragon sejant contourny Or in chief an arrow fesswise argent a bordure embattled Or.

(M) The name is "English/Welsh" and means "Godric son of Rhys." He will accept changes to preserve the meaning of the name. He cites from the Illustrated History of Britain which gives a copy of a page from the Domesday Book which mentions a Godric. He also cites from A Welsh Miscellany by Heather Rose Jones (CA #66) p.31 which gives the male name rhys. The use of ap to show "son of" is mentioned on p.30.

16) James Spyke Saunter (Dragon's Laire) new/name, device

Azure, a nail between two peacocks close respectant tails sufflexed all within a bordure Or.

(M) The name is marked as a change of registered name from "Spyk the last Dragon" submitted in the West Kingdom in 10/71. However, there is no sign that it was registered.

The name in submission gives James as his given name (he provides identification to support this), Spyke as a surname in Reaney's Dictionary of English Surnames dated 1422 under Spike, and saunter as a word dated 1538 in the Oxford English Dictionary. Originally, he would not accept changes to the name. However, he has sent a letter emending this. He wants to keep (as a main priority) the name Spyke in the final selection. He said his favorite alternative is Y Spyke Saunters followed by Y Knot Spyke, but he would also take Juan Spyke and Y Spyke as back-up choices. He notes that Y was registered as a given name in the name of Y Blackhand in May 1986. He would prefer all these alternatives to James Spyke.

The original submission also blazoned the birds as popinjays. He would prefer to have them blazoned as peacocks. Since they look a lot more like peacocks than popinjays, I have changed the blazon as above.

17) Krakenfjord, Shire of (Vernon BC) new/name

The language is inteded to be "Norse" and to mean "Sea Monster Bay." They will allow changes to preserve the general sound of the name.

The submission is accompanied by a petition bearing the signatures of the branch Seneschal and Chatelaine. The Administrative Handbook requires that a petition be provided which shows either a majority of the populace and officers, or a petition of the seneschal and at least three-quarters of the other local officers. A two-signature petition seems somewhat abbreviated for either of these criteria, unless there are only three people in the incipient Shire. Information on the topic would be appreciated.

18) Kyrra Baraksd–ttir (Aquaterra) new/name, device

Per fess argent and gules a reindeer lodged sable, attired sable and unguled argent.

(F) The name is meant to be Norse and to mean "Kyrra, the daughter of Barak." If changes are required she wishes to preserve the general sound. The submitter cites from Keimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson which gives chapter 664 as "The Saga of ²laf the Gentle, translated as ²lafs saga Kyrra. Cleasby's An Icelandic-English Dictionary gives dÛttir as meaning daughter in a patronymic or matronymic form. The submitter provides a note to explain why no documentation was provided for Barak in the packet: "I chose this patronymic because Jarl Sir Barak Ravensfury (Barak de Noirville) is my SCA father and told me to. Therefore, in accordance with his wishes and upon the advice of my heralds, I asked him for documentation. he informed me that his name was passed based on Berek von Langental's name. A member of the shire knows Count Berek and asked him for his documentation. She was informed that when he submitted his name it was considered a common Germanic name, and therefore didn't need documentation.

My consulting heralds and I then spent five hours looking in over 20 books for the name 'Barak' and couldn't find it at the Seattle Public Library nor the Suzzalo Library. If you could please help me document this name I would be most grateful.

I am also unsure of the appropriate spelling for 'dottir' as it should follow the Language rules for 'Barak' so please fix this once the name is documented. Thank you."

19) Owain ap Einar (Ramsgaard) new/name, device

Or upon a torteaux a bezant between two swans closed and counter addorsed Or.

(M) The name is supposed to be "Welsh, Norse" and mean "Owain son of Einar." He will not accept changes to the name. He cites from Gwyn Jones' A History of the Vikings p.90 which shows Einar as the second earl of Orkney, another Einar on p.288 who wa a friend of Egill's (Einar Skalaglamm) and a third Einar who was an important man in Greenland on p.295. He cites from Nora Chadwick's The Celts which shows Owain as the name of of the son of Urien, a hero of north Britain in the Arthurian legends. It also shows ap used as a patronymic particle in the romances of Peredur ap Efrawe and Geraint ap Erbin. Cited from Westviking by Farley Mowat is another suport for one of the Einar s mentioned above. Celtic Warriors by Tim Newark cites the Welsh warlord Owain Glyndwr on p.108. Warriors of Arthur by John Matthews and Bob Stewart puts Owain in Urian' family and states that ap means 'son of.'

20) Randal the Redowtable (Coeur du Val) resub. L/device

Checky argent and Gules a tower and in chief a hawk's bell sable.

His name was registered in November 1992. His previous device at Laurel was returned in June 1993 for unacceptable complexity. This is a complete redesign. He has had an interim submission at Kingdom which was returned for conflict; it had the same outline as this but the tinctures were completely different (white on red.)

21) Rhiannon MacRuari of Rannoch Moor (Ambergard) new/name only

(F) The language is meant to be "English." She will not accept changes to the name. She quotes from Gruffudd's Welsh Names for Children p.81 which notes that Rhiannon was the wife of Pwyll and mother of Pryderi in the Mabinogi, and a horse goddess. She quotes from Michael Pollard's A Traveller's Guide to Walking the Scottish Highlands p.7 which alludes to "the wilds of Rannoch Moor", and makes multiple allusions to the town of Rannoch on p.131. There are also pictures provided and a description on p.137: "As you rise across Black Mount, you begin to realize, on your left, the true awfulness of Rannoch Moor, with its evil-looking pools, and it is easy to imagine how travellers on the Glasgow to Fort William coach, which plied this route for some sixty years, must have looked upon it and shuddered." (As my real estate agent says, "location, location, location.") More discussion of this place from this book is also attached, said discussion being from a modern perspective.

She quotes from John A. Lister's The Scottish Highlands which also mentions "the Moor of Rannoch" in various places. On p.41 the book indicates that Castle Tioram was built in 1353 by Lady Anne MacRuari {emphasis mine}.

22) Richard Tallon (Valley Wold) new/name, device

Quarterly sable and gules a phoenix argent issuant from flames within a bordure Or.

(M) The language of the name is "Englsih" and if changes are necessary he wishes to preserve the general sound. Richard is found in Withycombe pps. 253-254 as a given name which was imported into England from Frace during the Norman Conquest and has been used there since. Tallon is a header spelling in Reaney's Dictionary of British Surnames (2nd ed.) p.342, with the spelling Talon dated c.110, Talun dated at various times in the 12th c. and Taloun in 1327.

23) Thorvald the Gentle (Krakenfjord) new/name, device

Argent two piles inverted in point purpure, overall two bear paws in bend sinister sable.

(M) The name is meant to be English. He will not accept changes to it. The submitter cites from The Vikings and their Origins (author unknown) which gives a Thorvald brother of Leif who is believed by the author to have lived in America. The same story is found in Johannes Br¯ndsted's the Vikings.

In service to An Tir,

Zenobia Lions Blood