An Tir Internal Letter for May, AS XXXX / 2005 CE

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9 May 2005

Unto Frederick Black Lion and all the other members of the An Tir College of Heralds does David of Moffat, Lions Blood Herald send these Greetings.

COMMENTARY ON NEW SUBMISSIONS IS DUE 14 JULY 2005.

The May 2005 Lions Blood Meeting will be held 15 May 2005 beginning at 1:00 PM at my house. Directions to my house are as follows:

Take your favorite route to I-5. Travel I-5 to exit 104 (highway 101) in Olympia, Washington. Take exit 104, and get into the rightmost lane as quickly as possible. Take the first exit off of Highway 101, which is Cooper Point, Auto Mall, Evergreen Parkway, and Crosby Blvd. At the top of the exit ramp, get into the center lane turning left over the freeway. Turn left. Staying in this lane, go through three lights. You are now on Crosby Blvd. Stay on this road until you reach Crosby Court, past the dead end sign. Turn right into Crosby Ct, and turn left into the first driveway.

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LAUREL ACTIONS

November 2004 Letter of Acceptances and Returns

In the Letter of Acceptances and Returns dated October 2004, Laurel took the following actions with respect to An Tir submissions:

Acceptances:

Amice de Châtillon. Name.

Angus Argyll of Clyde. Name and device.
Gules, an owl and on a chief embattled argent a cross flory gules between two thistles proper.

Annys Bradwardyn. Device.
Checky argent and azure, a cross bottony sable quarter-pierced argent.

Bébhinn Morgan. Device.
Vert, a horse passant contourny between three crosses flory Or.

Caitrina inghean Anndrais. Badge.
(Fieldless) In pale a mouse statant argent tail threading a needle fesswise sable.

Catherine Townson. Name and device.
Argent a bend engrailed sable cotised plain azure.

Cerridwen of Conwy. Name.

Cragmere, Shire of. Badge.
(Fieldless) A swan close gules.

Dragos cel Rau. Name.

Edelinne de Bayonne. Name and device.
Vert, a catamount rampant guardant contourny and a chief wavy ermine.

Elizabeth Dougall. Device.
Azure, a frog rampant to sinister, issuant from base a demi-sun Or.

Francesca Maria Volpelli. Name.

Giacinta da Venezia. Device change.
Argent goutty gules, four needles fretted in saltire purpure within a bordure gules.

Jehanne de Nimes. Name and device.
Per bend argent and vert, a brown bear passant proper and a cross fleury argent.

Maura Cethin. Name and device.
Argent, a bend cotised vert between two catamounts statant contourny sable.

Muirgheal inghean Labhrain. Device change.
Ermine, a chevron azure.

Nadezhda Volyn'skaia. Name and device.
Vert, a ram's head affronty erased, on a chief argent three increscents sable.

Sybil de Bossinney. Name and device.
Per chevron purpure and argent, a crescent pendant purpure and a chief argent.

Tadhg Fairbairn. Name and device.
Per pale sable and vert, a stag's head cabossed argent attired Or and in chief three hands argent.

Teffan Grenelefe. Name and device.
Argent goutty purpure, a leaf vert.

Thomas Sinclair. Badge
Sable, a stag trippant between a chief engrailed and a point pointed argent.

Þorlákr bjarki Eiríksson. Name and device.
Azure, two bears combattant and in chief a compass star argent.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Badge.
(Fieldless) On a saltire couped argent, four daggers points to center sable.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Badge.
Azure, an Ionic pillar between in fess two mullets of eight points argent.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Heraldic title Silver Yale Herald.

Valgard Forkbeard. Badge.
Per pale vert and azure, a stag's head cabossed and a chief argent.

Ysabeau Symon d'Anjou. Name.

RETURNS

Thomas Sinclair. Household name House of Hunter.

This name implies that the submitter is the head of the real-world Clan Hunter, and so violates RfS VI.1, "Names Claiming Rank", which states, "Names containing titles, territorial claims, or allusions to rank are considered presumptuous." (Designators, such as Keep and Clan, are transparent for conflict and presumption purposes.)

January 2005 Letter of Acceptances and Returns

Acceptances:

Adriana Barclye of Dunotir. Name and device.
Or, a mullet of eight points purpure within eight thistles in annulo proper.

Ælfflæd Ælfgaresdohtor. Exchange of primary and alternate name and device change.
Gules, a hare sejant contourny or.

Ása Starradóttir. Badge.
(Fieldless) A reindeer's head erased contourny sable gorged of a coronet argent.

Caitilín ingen ui Dálaig. Name and device.
Argent, a sun sable and on a chief azure three frets couped argent.

Chinua Temur. Name change from Khulan the Dark and badge.
(Fieldless) Two arrows crossed in saltire within and conjoined to an annulet gules.

Dagmær in hvassa. Name change from Damaris de Sheldon.

Edward Little. Name

False Isle, Shire of. Badge.
Per fess engrailed argent and vert.

Garan Darkwolf of Blackhelm. Device change.
Per bend Or and sable, a bend per bend azure and argent between two wolf's paw prints counterchanged.

Guerin Valletort de Harfleur. Name and device.
Azure, on a chevron argent three escallops inverted sable, a bordure invected argent.

Hallbera sneypir Vigbjarnardottir. Name.

Isabella Feliciano da Fiume. Device.
Per bend sable and argent, an increscent bendwise argent and an arrow bendwise sinister inverted proper headed sable fletched purpure.

Jak M'Kenye. Name and device.
Sable, on a bend between two swords in saltire and a dragon's head couped countourny argent two fish gules.

Karin Ollesdotter av Augvaldsnes. Name and device.
Or semy of birch leaves vert, a seahorse gules.

Katerine Martel. Name and badge.
Argent, a stag's head cabossed and in chief a crescent sable.

Lora Lin of Dinas Bran. Name and device.
Argent, on a laurel tree eradicated proper a recorder bendwise sinster argent, a bordure sable.

Meadhbha inghean Bhrain Mhuilleóir. Badge.
(Fieldless) A Celtic cross purpure.

Mevanwy verch Gwion. Name and device.
Per pale azure and argent, a tree blasted and eradicated, in chief three mullets of eight points counterchanged.

Muriel Buchanan. Name and device.
Per bend argent and azure, a cat sejant guardant sable and a rose argent barbed vert.

Myfanwy Glanmorfa. Name and device.
Per fess azure and vert, a fess wavy cotised wavy argent.

Ninian of Warwick. Name.

Paynel de la Linde. Name.

Raffe Ó Donnabháin. Device.
Per fess nebuly vert and sable, three fir trees eradicated and a wolf's head erased Or.

Ragnhildr of Dragon's Laire. Holding name and device.
Argent, three plumes conjoined in pile purpure between two ravens addorsed and a raven displayed head to sinister sable.

Ramón Marco de Sevilla. Name.

Sáerlaith ingen Rúadáin. Name and device.
Per chevron sable and Or, an increscent and a decrescent Or and a fox rampant gules.

Skapti Þorinsson. Device.
Sable, an eagle volant contourny Or and a bordure erminois.

Skapti Þorinsson. Badge.
(Fieldless) Three eagles jambes conjoined in pall Or, each claw sustaining a sword sable.

Stephen of Hunmanby. Name and device.
Gules, a cross fleury within an annulet Or.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Order name Order of the Hafoc

Tomas Alvarez. Device.
Per pale gules and sable, a catamount rampant guardant Or, sustaining above its head a rapier fesswise reversed argent, in chief two reremice Or.

Tristan Fiddler. Name and device.
Quarterly gules and argent, a fox sejant guardant sable and a bordure embattled counterchanged.

Wyll Hauk. Badge.
Per pale azure and vert, a jester's hood per pale argent and Or.

Ysoria de Brai. Device change.
Gules, a pair of barnacles argent.

Ysoria de Brai. Badge change.
(Fieldess) A pair of barnacles argent.

Returns

Ay{s,}e al-Zahra'. Name.

As submitted, this name is two steps from period practice. First, it combines Turkish and Arabic in the same name, this was declared a step from period practice in June 2001. Second, there is a more than 300 year gap between the early 16th C date of the given name and the, at latest, 1200 date for the byname. If the submitter is interested in a fully Arabic form of this name, we suggest ‘A`isha al-Zahra’. We would change the name to this form, but the submitter will not accept major changes such as changing the language of a name element.

Edward Little. Device.
Azure, seven square buckles three three and one Or.

This lovely device is returned for conflict with Mebd Liath, Azure, six round buckles Or, registered November 2004. RfS X.4.f gives no difference between the numbers six and higher and there are no CDs for the field nor for the tincture or arrangement of the charges. The only possible CD might come from a distinction between square and round buckles, an issue on which we decline to rule at this time.

Magnus Olafsson. Name.

Conflict with Magnus Olafsson, also known as Magnus Den Gode, King of Norway in 1024. Medieval and renaissance kings are always considered important enough to protect their names.

Ragnhildr in Sieðkona. Name.

The byname is disallowed under RFS VI.2, Names Claiming Powers. You may not style yourself ‘the sorceress’ in the Society. Precedent set March 2001 says:

The byname means Wizard and thus violates RfS VI.2: Names containing elements that allude to powers that the submitter does not possess are considered presumptuous. Barring evidence that he is a wizard, or that this byname was used by normal humans in period, we have to return this.

This name is directly analogous.
While not cause for return, there are grammatical, spelling, and transcription problems with the name. First, the spelling of the byname in the documentation is Seiðkona, not Sieðkona. Second, in Old Norse, bynames using in or inn are always weak adjectival forms, but Sieðkona is a noun meaning witch. Finally, by precedent, descriptive bynames in Old Norse are always transcribed in all lowercase.
His armory has been registered under the holding name Ragnhildr of Dragon's Laire.

Tir Rígh, Principality of. Badge.
(Fieldless) A hawk striking to sinister erminois.

Unfortunately, this badge must be returned because no miniature emblazon for it appeared on the Letter of Intent, and no timely Letter of Correction was received. The Administrative Handbook, section V.B.2.e, states that “[a]n accurate representation of each piece of submitted armory shall be included on the letter of intent.”

LIONS BLOOD ACTIONS

Thank you to the following persons who provided commentary considered at the April 2005 Lions Blood Meeting: Juliana Siren, Elisabeth Pomegranate, Ursula Georges, St. Bunstable; Eglentyne Merryweather, Rivers Bend; Lí ban ingen Eachthiarna MacNessa, Cáe Mór; Francesca Aestel; Gwenlian Sinister Gauntlet; Cnute; Zenobia Black Stag, Elsa Hakonsdotter, Wenyeva Blue Anchor; Esclarmonde, Wyewood. If I have mistakenly omitted someone, please accept my abject apologies.

The following rulings were made at the Lions Blood meeting held 17 April 2005, and included on the An Tir Letter of Intent dated 25 April 2005:

1. Alessandra da Montefeltro Badge — New
   (Fieldless) a triquetra and a heart voided and interlaced Or
2. An Tir, Kingdom of, Ordo Equi Order Name, New
3. Armatus Kamateros Name and Badge, New
   Azure, a cross potent argent between six mullets of eight points in annulo Or
4. Ashley Little Name and Device, New
   Per pale Or and argent, in pale a crow displayed head to sinister sable sustaining an annulet gules
5. Baltasar Cordero Name and Device, New
   Or a pheon bendwise sinister point to chief and on a bordure gules five boat shuttles Or
6. Beatriz Tejedora Name and Device, New
   Gules, a boat shuttle palewise Or and a bordure Or seme of pheons bendwise sinister points to chief gules
7. Branwen Miles Name, New
8. Crickstow-on-Sea, Port of Device, New
   Or, on a pale between two laurel wreaths azure a beacon Or enflamed proper
9. Ekarius von Magdeburg Name, New
10. Fionnuala of Anglesey Name and Device, New
    Per chevron sable and gules, two mullets of eight points and a swan naiant wings addorsed argent
11. Giovanni Orseolo Name and Device, New
    Argent, a thistle proper between in pale two crocodiles statant in annulo vert.
12. Gwenlian Catharne Badge, New
    (Fieldless) An awl inverted argent
13. Isolda Throkmorton of Foxley Name - new, Change from Isrid in glađa
14. Lucrezia da Carrara Name, Resubmission
15. Marina la Pica Device, New
    Purpure semy of quatrefoils Or, a sea pithon displayed argent
16. Patrekr Kórason Device, Resubmission
    Per pale sable and gules, a plate between in fess two snakes erect glissant argent
17. Robert Gunn Name, New
18. Tausius Valgas Device, New
    Per chevron purpure and argent, in base a ragged staff sable
19. Tausius Valgas Badge, New
    (Fieldless) A ragged staff sable
20. Tristan de Ver Name and Device, New
    Per chevron sable and vert, a coney sejant guardant maintaining a spear argent and in chief two fleurs-de-lys Or
21. Vanya Betzina Name and Device, New
    Sable, on a bend sinister gules fimbriated Or between two crosses barby three crosses barby palewise argent
22. Wenyeva atte grene Badge, New
    (Fieldless) A ladder bendwise vert

The following items were returned at the Lions Blood meeting for further work:

• Armatus Kamateros — Device
  Azure, a cross potent of Calvary argent and in chief three mullets of eight points Or.
  The problem with the device is the artistic depiction of the cross potent of Calvary. As submitted, this cross could be more accurately blazoned as “three billets fesswise of increasing size in pale and in chief a cross potent.” This is not what his submission form indicates that he really wants. A Cross of Calvary properly drawn is a cross issuant from a set of three conjoined steps. In addition, the cross itself should be the predominant element.
• Brianna Wulfbeald — Device change
  Per pale purpure and vert.
  Unfortunately, it conflicts with the previously registered device of Aedric the Grene, Per pale sable and vert. The Rules for Submission allow one CD for the change of half the field from black to purple, but since that is the only change found between the two, there is only the one CD.
• Ekarius von Magdeburg — Device
  Per pall inverted gules, azure and sable, a pall inverted between two wolves rampant addorsed and an escallop Or.
  The problem is the tinctures used for the field. The SCA permits the use of solely colours in a field only when the field is 1) a single tincture, or 2) evenly divided into two parts (e.g. per pale or per chevron), or 3) divided quarterly or per saltire. As his field is divided into three sections, this rule requires that at least one of the sections have good contrast with the other sections. This deficiency may be corrected by changing any one of the sections to argent, and the charge in that section to a color of some sort.
• Lucrezia da Carrara — Device
  Argent three dragonflies in pall heads to chief within an orle vert.
  The problem is the method used to provide the full color emblazon of her arms. It appears that a black and white photocopy of her arms was made, and then and only then was the vert tincture inserted. As a result, the charges are neither clearly vert nor clearly sable. Until this ambiguity can be resolved, I could not in good conscience forward her device to Laurel for her consideration.
  A secondary issue identified by the commenters was that the dragonflies as submitted are not clearly in a “in pall” position, because the two dragonflies in chief are neither in a vertical position, nor a slanted position, but somewhere in between the two.
• Robert Gunn — Device
  Argent vetu ployé vert, a roundel gules.
  His device conflicts with the following pieces of protected armory: Japan,(flag of): Argent, a torteau, Japan (naval ensign): Gyronny of thirty-two gules and argent, a torteau, Bangladesh (flag of): Vert, a torteau, and Kathleen Allen: Checky sable and Or, a torteau. In each of these cases, there is a single red circle in the middle of the field. He is entitled to one difference for the changes to the field from each of these, but because that is the only difference, he lacks the second difference required to permit his device to be registered.
  In addition, because his device can be alternatively blazoned as Vert, on a lozenge ployé throughout argent a roundel gules, it was necessary to check this submission against charged lozenges as well. As a result, a fifth conflict was found here, with Amber Lang: Vert, on a lozenge argent a cat sejant guardant sable. Here there are no differences between his field and her field, and no differences between a lozenge and a lozenge ployé throughout. This means the only difference is for the cumulative differences to the charge on the lozenge. As there is only one difference for this change, this is a conflict.
• Uilliam mac Ailééne mhic Seamuis — Badge
  Argent, a ferry boat with passenger statant contourny sable within a bordure rayonny azure
  Withdrawn by the submitter.

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NEW SUBMISSIONS

These submissions will be considered at the July 2005 Lions Blood Meeting. Commentary on these items is due 14 July 2005