ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1266 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1266 ************************************ 1 Oct 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether the name was used by women in Scotland between 700 and 1000, and about your design for your arms. Here is what we have found. We do not know if the name was used in your period. We have found only one example of the name used at any time in period, in 12th century Scotland [1]. This example may be a late instance in a tradition of use of the name that continued from some earlier period, or it may be an isolated use of a name taken from literature. Quite a few unusual women's names appear occasionally in 12th century Scotland, unrecorded either before or after; and the fact that we have no evidence of the name in Ireland suggests that it might not have been in normal use at any time in the Middle Ages. However, our resources on early medieval Scottish Gaelic names are pretty nearly non-existant, so we cannot say definitely one way or the other. If you are interested in other early Gaelic names, we can offer some suggestions. If you'll let us know what sorts of names interest you -- for example, what first letter you'd like -- we can probably put together a short list of possibilities. Heraldry was invented in the 12th century and carried to Scotland by Norman settlers. Obviously, a pre-millenial woman in Scotland would not have used heraldic arms. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't use arms: Many Societyfolk do so even though their personas wouldn't have. What you do depends on how you think about your persona and authenticity. You can find a few thoughts on this subject in an article on the web: What Do I Use for Arms if my Persona Wouldn't Have Used Arms? http://www.itd.umich.edu/~ximenez/s.gabriel/faq/nonheraldic.html You wrote that you'd like to use purple or green with silver and that you'd like to incorporate a star into your badge. "Badge" means something specific in Society heraldry, a secondary heraldic design separate from your arms. We're guessing that you didn't mean that, and that you want a silver star on a purple or green field. If we've guessed wrong, feel free to write us again; we'll be happy to continue helping you. Purple was extremely rare in period heraldry and should usually be avoided. Green was unusual, but not so rare as to be a problem. Stars (called "mullets" in herald-speak) were very common, so a star is a very good choice for your arms. Since your persona is quite early, a simple design would be most appropriate. Three green stars on a silver background would be a lovely choice. This design would be blazoned "Argent, three mullets vert". The stars are arranged two-and-one, i.e. two side-by-side in the upper half of the field, one centered in the lower half. As far as we can tell, you should be able to register this design with the SCA College of Arms. I hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Walraven van Nijmegen, Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Elsbeth Anne Roth, and Effrick neyn Kenneoch. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 1 Oct 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Arval Benicoeur, "Concerning the Name Deirdre" (WWW: The Problem Names Project, 1997). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/problemnames/deirdre.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -