[MR] HERALDRY -- Kingdom Returns for February

[Robert J Welenc]

Unto the Crown and Populace of Atlantia, greetings from Lady Alanna
Volchevo Lesa, Golden Dolphin Herald! 

The following were RETURNED at the February Letter of Intent meeting:

Arthur MacLochlainn.  Household name and badge.
Clann Lochlann.  This unfortunately conflicts with the name for the
television political program "The MacLaughlin Group."
	The badge Per pale vert and sable, two axes in saltire argent
conflicts with Katrine Keathe -- August of 1999 (via Artemisia):
Sable, two double-bitted axes in saltire argent.
	There is only one Clear Difference for the change to the tincture of
the field.

Charles Fleming.	Device. 
Argent, a lion rampant sable, on a chief vert three Latin crosses in
arch argent. 
	The crosses on the chief are not 1 and 2, but 'in arch'; there is
not enough room on a chief for three basically palewise charges to be
one clearly above the other, as they must be to be blazoned '1 and
2.'.  Charges in arch have been banned since 1984.  Laurel King of
Arms Da'ud ibn Auda, in returning a similar Or, a castle and in chief
three mullets inverted purpure, said: "The mullets in chief are not
in fess; neither are they one and two or in chevron.  They do,
however, come far too close to the disallowed arch of charges to be
registered.  This is being returned for redrawing with the mullets
either in fess or in a clear one and two or in chevron." (LoAR
October 1995, p. 16) 
	If the crosses are put in a straight line (in fess), this will be
OK.  Alternatively, if you change this to 'Per fess vert and argent',
there would be enough room to have the crosses in a clear 1 and 2
pattern. 
	While not a returnable problem, both the lion and the crosses need
to be larger.  We find no conflicts at this time.

Davis de Rowell.  Device.
There are a number of problems with this device.  If this is looked
on as blazoned by the submitter Per pale sable and the sinister side
per pale gules and sable, a mullet of six points pierced argent, then
there are two problems: 
Rules for Submission VIII.2.b.Contrast Requirements
 	iii.   Elements evenly divided into two parts, per saltire, or
quarterly may use any two tinctures or furs.
	iv.   Elements evenly divided into multiple parts of two different
tinctures must have good contrast between their parts.
 	v.   Elements evenly divided in three tinctures must have good
contrast between two of their parts.
	This is not divided evenly, and so cannot (and does not) follow any
of these rules.  There are also 2 conflicts: 
Somalia —  Azure, a mullet argent.  (Important non-SCA flag.)
Rafael Diego de Burgos — Purpure, a mullet dismembered argent.
	Da'ud ibn Auda, Laurel King of Arms, ruled on mullets vs mullets
pierced: "Current research seems to indicate that mullets and mullets
pierced (or spur rowels) were used interchangeably in period.  As a
consequence, no difference is currently granted between them."
(LoAR, 5/96 p. 20) 
	Several heralds at the meeting also saw this as Per pale sable and
gules, a spur rowel argent and a sinister tierce sable.  As such it
is returnable for contrast problems.  A tierce is a charge, and
therefore must contrast with the field.  It may be argent, Or, or one
of the furs that use a metal as the base tincture, but not sable.

James Sparhawke.	Device. 
Sable, a chevron between two compass stars elongated to base and a
hawk striking Or.
	This has two problems, either one of which is reason for return.  
	First, there is a conflict with Bran Davison of Clan Chattan —
November of 1995 (via the Outlands): Sable, a chevron ployé between
two tabors and a boar's head couped Or.  There is only one Clear
Difference between the two, for the type changes to the secondary
charges.
	Second, all the secondary charges needed to be made bigger.  The
lesser points on the compass star were invisible at any distance;
they either need to be made bigger or eliminated altogether.  We
recommend  period mullets of 8 rather than the SCA invented compass
star.  

Míche{a'}l u{a'} Aindri{u'}..	Device.
 Gules, a horse passant argent, a bordure sable.   Instaboing.  Color
on color.
VIII.2.b.   Contrast Requirements
	i.   The field must have good contrast with every charge placed
directly on it and with charges placed overall.
Black and red, since they are both classified as colors, do not have
sufficient contrast.  

Pierre Xavier de Lyon.	Device.
Sable, a wolf sejant ululant and on a chief argent three anvils
sable. 
This conflicts with Fionnghuala nic an tSionnaigh — September of 1992
(via the West): Sable, a fox sejant, dexter forepaw raised, on a
chief argent two thistles slipped and leaved proper.
	There is only one Clear Difference, for the cumulative changes to
the charges on the chief. 
	If you would reverse the tinctures to the original submission, this
would be clear of conflict.

Sarah Hussey.		Device.
Purpure, on a schneke issuant from sinister chief argent a thistle
purpure, in canton an arrow argent.  
	This is being returned for a redraw.  Both the arrow and the thistle
need to be Big, Bold, and Butch; at any distance the arrow
disappears.  In addition, the point and the fletching of the arrow
need to be larger in proportion to the shaft. 

Sarum Henge, Canton of.	Branch Name.
	This name has a nuimber of problems, any one of which is reason for
return.  
	In the return of Ailith of Sarum, Laurel Queen of Arms wrote:
"Unfortunately, Sarum is not the OE name for Salisbury, but rather is
a ghost name. In manuscripts the Latin Saresberia was abbreviated to
something that looks rather like Sa4. This was 'merely an early
manifestation of the medieval scribe's habit of abbreviating such
letters as ended in a horizontal stroke by means of a vertical stroke
through this', but because the resulting symbol (represented here by
4) 'frequently stands for  rum', the abbreviation has been improperly
extended to Sarum (Johnson & Jenkinson, 67). The contemporary form of
the name can be seen in William de Salesberie (1115) and Robert de
Salisbyr' (1273). Clearly Old Sarum must then have been called
something like Old Salisbury; Old Sarum seems to be an antiquary's
name for the older ruins, based on a misreading of the medieval
records." (Jaelle of Armida, LoAR November 1997, p. 12)
	The element 'Henge' is also cause for return.  It appears to be
unique in period placenames to Stonehenge.  None of the many other
stone circles or other stone formations in Britain use the term.  The
modern archeological term 'henge' meaning a prehistoric ritual circle
appears to be a mid-20th century backformation from Stonehenge
itself, as the OED does not list the word with this meaning. ('Henge'
is defined in the OED as a period word meaning the innards of a
sheep!)
	Lastly, a number of people, when queried, said that either 'Sarum
Henge' or 'Salisbury Henge' was an unmistakable reference to
Stonehenge.  Since the site has its own entry in general reference
works such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is important enough to
protect.
	If the group wishes to reference both the parent group Sacred Stone
and the mundane locality Salisbury, we suggest they consider the
documentable ‘Stanbury' or adding a modifier such as 'North' or
'Upper' or 'Nether' to the name Salisbury.

Sorcha Lochlan.	Device.
Sable, an estoile argent surmounted by a mullet of six points Or, on
a chief Or three crescents purpure.   
	Although you blazoned the primary charge as a sun, its appearance
was closer to the blazon above.  Da'ud ibn Auda, Laurel King of Arms,
ruled on a similar charge thusly: "No one has submitted any
documentation for rays of alternating colors on similar charges in
period."  (LoAR January 1995, p. 12)
	Since the 'sun' is mostly Or, there is also a conflict with Otto the
Obscure — June of 1988 (via Atlantia): Sable, a mullet of four
greater and four lesser points, on a chief Or, a spear fesswise
sable.
	There is only one Clear Difference, for the cumulative changes to
the tertiary charges on the chief.

Alanna
***********
Saying of the day:  No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its
turn. -- Hal Borland