Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 077

Academy of Saint Gabriel Report 077

This report is available at http://www.s-gabriel.org/077

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 information on the name "Hrolf" and the device "Quarterly azure and argent, in dexter chief three annulets argent and in sinister chief a winged wolf statant sable." "Hrolfr" is a reasonably common Old Norse given name. In addition to the references in sagas, we found an additional citation dated around 1025. (1)

This would normally be transliterated "Hrulfr." Because there are only 16 letters in the Runic alphabet, the same letter is used to represent "o" and "u" sounds. Later in the Viking era, a letter which originally represented an "a" sound came to be used for "o." In the two hands shown above, the o-rune would be:

This name would be tranliterated into the Roman alphabet as "Hrolfr." Around 1000, the initial "h" was dropped in Sweden. The same process happened earlier in Danish, and later in Norwegian and Icelandic. Lindorm Eriksson, one of our members, has offered to send copies of runic inscriptions with the name "Hrolfr" to you if you can send us your postal mail address.

In the Society, it is customary to add a second element (or "byname") to your given name. In order to register your name with the College of Arms, you will have to add some sort of second element. It was quite common in period -- especially in early period -- for someone to be known by several different bynames in different circumstances. For example: Hrulfr, the son of Hrothgar, a skald who has a ruddy complexion, is known for his persuasive speech, and has travelled to England, might be known in different circumstances as:

Hrolfr Hrothgarsson
Hrolfr skald
Rauð-Hrolfr (Red Hrolf)
Hrolfr hinn Malspaka (Hrolf the Well-Spoken)
Hrolfr Aenglandsfari (Hrolf English-traveller)

(the "d~" stands for an Icelandic character that sounds much like the English "th" in "that."

In the Society, you would register only one of these names, but you could still use all of them on appropriate occasions. Many people think of the registered name as the formal name, the one you might use on legal documents. In Norse culture, in legal documents, a man would be known as his father's son, because family connections were very important. Thus, you might register "Hrolfr Hrothgarsson" and use one or more other bynames as it suits your fancy. Of course, you don't have to register anything; but we are assuming from your letter that you wish to do so. If you're interested in a name with a particular type or meaning, we can research it for you and provide suggestions for period surnames.

Your device isn't very similar to examples we're seen of either medieval heraldry or Norse art. If you're interested in medieval heraldry, we would suggest the following designs (which have been checked for conflict in the SCA):

Quarterly azure and argent, four annulets counterchanged.

Argent, a wolf rampant sable between three annulets azure.

The information on "Hrolf," and the examples of last names, are found in "Svenska Personnamn" by Ivar Modeer and "Runinskrifter i Sverige" by SBF Jansson. Your name and arms were researched by Lindorm Eriksson, Hartmann Rogge, Arval D'Espas Nord, and Elsbeth Anne Roth.

In service,
Alan Fairfax
Academy of S. Gabriel