Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 056

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/056

This is one of the Academy's earliest reports. We are not confident that these early reports are accurate. Please use it with caution.

Greetings,

Here is the information we have on your name and arms.

Your name was easy to document. There are many references for "Daniel" from 11th-century France and the areas around it, including

England: Eudo filius Daniel, 1125 (1)
France: Daniel, Danihel, Danihal, at various times from 800-1000. (2)
Scotland: Daniel, 1121 (3)

You were on the right track in considering "of Normandy" as your byname. Locative bynames (which name the place where you live or were born) were very common in your period. The nobility tended to use bynames that identified their estates; commoners often used bynames that named their homes. A traveller from 11th century Normandy, living in a distant of France, might well have been known as "Daniel de Normandie". But he probably wouldn't have been called that at home; it wouldn't have distinguished him from any other "Daniel" in the area, unless he happened to be Duke of Normandy. Even a traveller might find it more useful to name himself after the small town or estate where he lives, rather than calling himself "Normandy".

We suggest, therefore, that you consider choosing a byname based on some period town or city in Normandy. A history of medieval France or of the Normans will provide a list of places that existed in the 11th century.

Although your arms are well-designed from the viewpoint of a modern artist, they don't re-create medieval heraldry. Medieval heraldry had a specific artistic style, and the goal of SCA heraldry is to design arms that fit into that style.

Towards that goal, you may find it useful to learn more about medieval armorial design. If you like, we can suggest some good reading on medieval heraldic style, or we can suggest books which have lots of pictures of arms from your period. We think that either approach will help you. If you can tell us why you chose your design, we may be able to suggest some alternatives which capture your ideas, and which are more similar to medieval arms.

Arval D'Espas Nord, Tangwstyl ferch Morgant Glasvryn, and Loveday assisted in researching your name and arms.

I hope we have been of assistance, and that we can continue to work with you.

In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of St. Gabriel

(1) Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland, The New York Public Library, 1986.

(2) Morlet, Marie-Therese. Les Noms de Personne sur le Territoire de L'Ancienne Gaule du VI au XII Siecle. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique: Paris, 1972.

(3) Withycombe, E. G. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names.