The Bavarian Herald Jörg Rügen around 1510. Public Domain in the US

The December Letter of Acceptances and Returns was published yesterday. Here are the results for

Calontir.

CALONTIR acceptances

Aelesia de Mortaine. Badge. (Fieldless) A hen argent mulletty azure.

Amma H{o,}ldr. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Artair de Bruis of Bristol. Device. Per fess gules and sable, on a bezant a dragon gules.

This device was pended on the September 2024 LoAR to redraw the dragon in an identifiable segreant posture.

Asgeirr Hrafnhauss. Reblazon of device. Argent, in pale a double-bitted axe bendwise sinister sustained by a sinister clenched gauntlet aversant bendwise azure, on a chief sable a skull argent.

Blazoned when registered in July of 2016 as Argent, a sinister clenched gauntlet bendwise aversant sustaining a double-bitted axe bendwise sinister azure, on a chief sable a skull argent, we are clarifying that the gauntlet and axe are co-primary charges.

Astriðr Birnudóttir. Badge. Vert, a mole statant argent between in pale two shovels fesswise Or.

As our last registration of a mole was over 30 years ago, we take this opportunity to redocument the charge. Moles are a not infrequent charge in period armory, with examples found in English, Scottish, French, and German sources.

Shovels, and spades, default to palewise, blade to base. When fesswise the blade is to sinister.

Azalais des Montagnes. Name (see PENDS for device).

The submitter requested authenticity for Occitan or 14th century Old French. Submitted as Azalaïs des Montagnes, no documentation was provided for the period usage of a diaeresis above the i. We have thus removed the diaeresis for registration, registering Azalais des Montagnes. As corrected, this name fulfils the submitter’s authenticity request.

Beal Serich. Name and device. Quarterly sable and azure, a mascle ployé Or.

Berakha bat Mira v’Shlomo. Device. Azure, on a pomegranate gules irradiated Or a crescent pendant, a bordure argent.

Calvius Atrox. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Nice Imperial Roman name!

Deanna of Cúm an Iolair. Holding name and device (see RETURNS for name). Per pale gules and Or, three cherry blossoms counterchanged.

Nice device!

Submitted under the name Amawari Mitsumi.

Helias Basilou. Name and device. Gules, a bend sinister argent between a sun in his splendor and a bunch of grapes slipped and leaved Or.

Submitted as Helias Basiliou, this name is not constructed correctly. The patronymic byname was intended to be constructed using the Classical Greek rules found in “A Simple Guide to Classical Greek Names” by Ursula George; however, the name Basilius is Latin and not Greek. When provided options, the submitter chose the patronymic byname Basilou, based on the given name Basilas. Accordingly, we have made this change for registration. See the Cover Letter for further information.

Additionally, the given name Helias is a feminine given name. The Lexicon of Greek Personal Names lists two “twin” given names Elias and Helias, where the only difference is whether the initial vowel, in this case, eta, has a rough breathing or a smooth breathing attached to it, leading to two different transliterations. The rough breathing version is transliterated as the feminine name Helias, while the smooth breathing version is transliterated as the masculine name Elias. This distinction however, was not noted in the no-photocopy article used by the submitter (“Common Names of the Aristocracy in the Roman Empire During the 6th and 7th Centuries” by Bardas Xiphias), thus we are giving the submitter the benefit of the doubt, and registering this as if it were a masculine name.

Hilde Immler. Name.

Jarmarr gullbra. Name and device. Per pale gules and argent, two chevronels counterchanged.

Appearing on the Letter of Intent as Jarmarr gullbrá, the name must use or omit accents consistently. The submitter elected to drop the accent in the byname and we have therefore change the name to Jarmarr gullbra for registration.

Nice device!

Johan Sachs. Device. Vert chaussé paly azure and Or, a tortoise rampant and in chief a seax fesswise reversed Or.

Markolf Volkhart von Thüringen. Device change. Quarterly argent and gules, four crosses formy counterchanged, overall a lizard rampant vert.

The submitter’s prior device, Quarterly argent and Or, a bend gules, overall a cross formy sable, is retained as a badge.

Nordman Myshkovich. Name reconsideration from Nordman Mischkovich.

Appearing on the Letter of Intent as Mischkovich, this spelling was in error, the result of typos. The submitter intended the byname to be Myshkovich. As the submitter’s desired spelling is found in Wickenden, we are happy to grant this timely request for reconsideration and restore the name to the intended form.

Óttarr Surtsson. Badge. Per pale embattled Or and purpure, an eye vert irised purpure.

Roderick Aikyn. Name (see PENDS for device).

Roderick de Graham. Reblazon of device. Or, a bend counter-ermine between a bow with an arrow nocked and a lion gules.

Blazoned when registered in January of 2003 as Or, a bend counter-ermine between a bow nocked with an arrow and a lion rampant gules, we are correcting the blazon of the bow and arrow. As noted on the June 2024 Cover Letter, arrows are nocked, not bows. As lions are rampant by default, we have dropped the posture from the blazon.

Saito Takauji. Alternate name Matsudaira Takauji.

CALONTIR returns

Amawari Mitsumi. Name.

This name is returned as the combination of an Okinawan byname with a Japanese jitsumei cannot be documented. Commenters mentioned that during our time period, while Okinawa and Japan had contact, the Okinawan language was (and still is) a separate entity, not mutually intelligible with Japanese. If the lingual mix of Okinawan and Japanese in a single name could be documented, then this name would be registerable. However, no such documentation was provided. Thus, there are three possibilities that would aid in registering this name — document the name entirely in Okinawan, document the name entirely in Japanese, or provide documentation to support the Japanese and Okinawan lingual mix.

We thank Yamanouchi Eidou for their detailed discussion about the difference between Japanese and Okinawan.

The submitter’s device is registered under the holding name Deanna of Cúm an Iolair.

Amma H{o,}ldr. Device. Sable, a phoenix facing sinister between in fess a sword and an open book Or.

This device is returned for conflict with the device of Sean Michael MacIntyre, Sable, a phoenix Or issuant from flames proper between a pair of flaunches rayonny Or. There is a DC for changing the type of the secondary charge group. There is not a DC for changing half the tincture of the flames, which are themselves half the charge, nor for changing the direction the head of the phoenix is facing.

Calvius Atrox. Device. Vert, a dog rampant contourny Or.

This device is returned for conflict with the device of Wahriia of Saint Christina the Astonishing, Vert, a thylacine rampant to sinister Or marked sable. When registering Wahriia’s device in June of 2024 we noted: “Though not canines, [thylacines] are considered as such for the purposes of conflict”, so there is no heraldic difference between the two devices.

CALONTIR pends

Azalais des Montagnes. Device. Per chevron sable and vert, a chevron argent between a sun in splendor and a harp Or.

This device is pended to redraw it with a higher line of division and a thicker chevron. As submitted it more resembles a point pointed fimbriated than a divided field with a chevron.

This was item 5 on the Calontir letter of September 3, 2024.

Roderick Aikyn. Device. Per bend Or and azure, an eagle rising gules and an F-clef Or.

This device is pended to redraw the stems of the F-clef. As submitted they are nearly invisible, rendering the charge unidentifiable.

The F-clef used in this armory is a period form, used most prominently in works printed by Ottaviano Petrucci in the early 16th century such as “Frottole libro secondo”, 1504, https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Frottole_Libro/SuYfLROpe6MC.

This was item 16 on the Calontir letter of September 3, 2024.

The Bavarian Herald Jörg Rügen around 1510. Public Domain in the US

The November Letter of Acceptances and Returns was published yesterday. Here are the results for Calontir.

CALONTIR acceptances

Ægileif Gunnólfsdóttir. Name and device. Per pale vert and Or, two hens statant counter-statant azure.

Nice 9th-11th century Old Norse name from Iceland!

Ailbhe ingen Dalláin. Name.

Nice 11th century Irish Gaelic name!

Bróðir Bragason. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and azure, a lyre Or.

The question was raised during commentary regarding whether this name was a claim to powers with the byname being a reference to the semi-divine figure Bragi skald hinn gamli Boddason. We uphold the precedent of June 2018 which states that at least three human historical figures have used the given name Bragi, and thus this name is not a claim to powers under SENA PN4C.

Cúanu mac Tairdelbaig. Name and device. Argent, a bat-winged frog sejant vert, on a chief azure three mushrooms argent.

Estrella del Valle. Name and device. Per chevron inverted purpure and vert, in chief a mullet Or.

This device does not conflict with the badge of Thorvald Rodericksson, (Fieldless) A mullet of eight points concave voided and interlaced Or. There is a DC for adding a field, and a DC for removing the voiding and interlacing.

We direct Palimpsest to update SENA Appendix M1g to note that there is a DC between a mullet (of any number of points) and a mullet (of any number of points) voided and interlaced.

Foteine Yfantissa. Device. Per bend enarched Or and paly sable and Or, a bend enarched and in sinister chief a lowercase letter lambda sable.

Artist’s note: please draw fewer and wider traits in the paly section of the field.

Gaston de Rohan. Name.

Nice 15th century French name!

Iacob Geck. Name.

Judith Armstrong. Name change from Judith Warrenne.

Nice 16th century English name!

The submitter’s prior name, Judith Warrenne, is retained as an alternate.

Liriel Correll of Tuatha Keep. Reblazon of badge. (Fieldless) On a step-cut gemstone vert, a ginkgo leaf Or.

Blazoned when registered in December of 1990 as (Fieldless) On a step-cut gemstone vert, a ginko leaf Or, we are reblazoning to use the more common spelling of ginkgo.

Lukas Brierley. Alternate name Lukas the Tailor.

Nice name for English from the late 12th through late 14th centuries!

Milka Barabanshchikova. Name.

Submitted as Milka Barabanshchikov_, we have changed this to Milka Barabanshchikova per the submitter’s wish for a feminine name. Additionally, the Slavic languages tend to be gendered, and require gender agreement across a name. See the Cover Letter for further details.

Orlando Dangerus. Name.

Reese Bacon. Name.

Nice English name from the 1580s!

Sven Fálkason. Name (see RETURNS for device).

Takeda Kiyoteru. Name and device. Purpure, four dice bendwise in cross within an annulet Or.

Thorin of Kvalsund. Reblazon of device. Sable, two narwhals counter-naiant naiant embowed in annulo and on a chief argent three ravens sable.

Blazoned when registered in December of 1994 as Sable, two narwhals naiant in annulo and on a chief argent three ravens sable, we are clarifying the orientation and arrangement of the narwhals.

Þorkatla in skygna. Device. Argent, in pale three bluebell flowers one and two azure and a mountain of three peaks sable.

CALONTIR returns

Jacquette DeBrackeleire. Device change. Argent chaussé azure, a human breast gules distilling three gouttes argent.

This device is returned due to the lack of identifiability of the breast. In the defining registration of the human breast, it was ruled:

A human breast is an allowed charge that has one clear difference (CD) from a roundel. It must have gouttes, and the gouttes must be visible. This means that they need some contrast with the breast but need not have good contrast. [Tetchubah of Greenlake, 01/2008, R-Caid]

This precedent was partially overturned in the April 2021 acceptance of the device of Helayne Sesardo da Venezia, removing the requirement that the gouttes have some contrast with the breast. However, the requirement that the gouttes be visible still stands. As the gouttes in this depiction are argent, and lie nearly entirely on an argent section of the field, they are not visible.

We would pend this to redraw the gouttes entirely on the breast, but examination of the two known period examples of this charge show that in both cases the gouttes are drawn to lie on the background, not the breast, and we will not redraw an element deliberately in a non-period style.

To summarize: the gouttes distilled from human breasts should lie mainly on the background, and require some contrast with that background but not with the breast itself.

Rolanda de Lyndhurst. Device change. Vert, a goose volant contourny maintaining a quill of yarn argent threaded purpure.

This device is returned for violation of SENA A3B4a: “Charges must have good contrast with the background on which they are placed”. Full quills of yarn take their tincture from the thread, so the quill in this submission is considered purpure, which has poor contrast against the vert field.

On resubmission the quill should be drawn larger to improve identifiability.

Sven Fálkason. Device. Per chevron throughout vert and argent, a four-panel Norse cap vert.

This device is returned for conflict with the badge of the West Kingdom’s Falconer’s Guild, (Fieldless) A falcon’s hood vert. An examination of the emblazons shows the only obvious difference between the hat in the submitted armory and the hood in the West’s badge is a plume atop the falcon’s hood. As the plume is not a requirement for a falcon’s hood, and doesn’t appear in many falcon’s hoods found in period armory, this is not enough of a difference to be worth a DC, leaving only a single DC for adding a field.

This device is also returned for lack of documentation for the four-panel Norse cap. Submitters and consulting heralds are reminded that charges that have not been registered before (and charges that have not been registered in a decade or more) should be documented as part of the submission.

The Bavarian Herald Jörg Rügen around 1510. Public Domain in the US

The October Letter of Acceptances and Returns was published yesterday. Here are the results for Calontir.

CALONTIR acceptances

Anne Renarde. Device. Azure, a sun in splendor per pale Or and argent between three mullets Or.

Antonio Arias de Valencia. Name and device. Or, on a pile indented sable between in base two lions sejant respectant gules an estoile argent.

Nice late 15th century Spanish name!

There is a step from core practice for piles which extend between 75% and 85% the length of the shield. We direct Palimpsest to add this to SENA Appendix G2.

Cecilia Lovelace. Name.

Nice 14th century English name!

Debora de ffrogenhole. Name (see PENDS for device).

Submitted as Debora de Ffrogenhole, we have changed this to Debora de ffrogenhole, with the submitter’s permission, for registration. Per https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/2020/01/two-fs-a-capital-idea/ certain medieval English legal hands (i.e., semi-standard forms of writing) did not use the capital ‘F’ as part of their script. In these hands, the initial ‘f’ was doubled to represent the capital ‘F’. Thus, the byname here can be written as either de Frogenhole or as de ffrogenhole, as a simple matter of orthography. The submitter expressed a preference for the double-f form which is what we have registered here.

Going forward, we will register either the double lowercase-f version of such names or the single, uppercase-f version of those same names, as these are functionally the same name. We will not, however, register versions with the Ff form, as functionally that would translate to fff using those scripts.

Decimus Hostilius Agathon. Name and device. Per bend sinister vert and Or, a sun Or and a crocodile rampant vert maintaining a spear proper steeled argent.

The submitter requested authenticity for 3rd century Roman. Unfortunately, as the Ancient Western Roman civilization spanned from 753 BCE to 476 CE, we do not know which 3rd century this authenticity request refers to. As naming practices changed significantly between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, we cannot say whether this name meets the submitter’s authenticity request.

Elizabeth Daundelyon. Device. Per chevron gules and azure, in base a dandelion in profile slipped and leaved Or.

This device does not presume upon the mon of the Emperor of Japan: (Tinctureless) A sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum. There is a DC for adding the field, and a DC between a multi-petaled flower affronty and one in profile.

Nice cant!

Helenos ben Simon. Device. Sable, on a sun Or an eye azure irised argent, a bordure Or.

Ignatius Rufus. Name and device. Or, a cockatrice wings displayed and an orle embattled grady on the outer edge sable.

Commenters questioned whether we allow orles with complex lines, particularly with the complex line on only one edge. There are precedents disallowing certain complex lines on orles – bottony/trefly in the case of Katerina Saunfayle in January 2015 and issuing acorns leaved in the case of Margaret Hepburn of Ardrossan – but in both of those decisions the issue appears to be the lack of documentation for the complex line itself, rather than its use specifically on an orle. John Guillim, in his 1611 A Display of Heraldrie, cites examples of both an orle engrailed and an orle engrailed on its inner edge. We see no reason a complex line could not be applied to the outer edge instead, so will allow orles with complex line on either or both edges, provided identifiability is maintained.

Iuliana Brewhous. Name and device. Vert, a barrel palewise and on a chief enarched Or a bearded axe fesswise reversed blade to base purpure.

Jehanne Bening. Name change from Siobhán le Blake.

This name combines a French given name and an English byname, an acceptable lingual mix per SENA Appendix C.

The submitter’s prior name, Siobhán le Blake, is retained as an alternate.

Johan Sachs. Name.

Johanne of Fisher Gate. Badge. Gules, in bend three Bourchier knots bendwise sinister Or.

Nice badge!

Kjaran Hr{oe}reksson. Name change from Cearan Mac Brendan (see RETURNS for badge).

The submitter’s prior name, Cearan Mac Brendan, is retained as an alternate.

Solveig Briansdottir. Name.

This name is clear both visually and aurally of the registered name Sólveig Brúnsdóttir, registered in August 2018. The change of Brúnsdóttir to Briansdóttir introduces a change in two letters and the addition of a syllable in the byname, thus clearing this name of conflict under PN3C2 and 4.

CALONTIR returns

Kjaran Hr{oe}reksson. Badge. (Fieldless) A tricorporate wolf argent, each body maintaining an ax proper, within and conjoined to three lightning bolts in annulo azure.

This badge is returned for using three charges in an in annulo arrangement. Per the August 2019 Cover Letter:
Likewise, three charges cannot be arranged “in annulo” as their placement can be more accurately described as “one and two” or the default for three charges, “two and one.”

Though these lightning bolts are arranged two and one, there is no way to blazon their orientations, or the fact that they are bent into circular arcs, without blazoning them as in annulo.

There is a step from core practice for the use of lightning bolts outside of a thunderbolt.

CALONTIR pends

Debora de ffrogenhole. Device. Per bend sinister wavy azure and Or, a sun Or and a frog sejant vert.

This device is pended to redraw the frog. As submitted, the frog appears to be missing its front legs.

This was item 4 on the Calontir letter of July 5, 2024.