ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1280 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1280 ************************************ 10 Oct 1998 From: Joshua Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about , which you'd like to use as a 12th or 13th century Norman woman's name, and for our opinion of your designs for your arms. Here is what we have found. is a Norman English name, recorded in England in 1201 and 1204 [1]. We don't know whether this form is likely to have been used in France in your period, so we recommend that you use the name in an English context. The ultimate origin of this name is not certain [2], and in any case, by your period its root meaning would not have been relevent to its use as a name. If anything, it probably would have been associated with the romance of Tristram and Isolde. (note the spelling; it was incorrect on the web page) is recorded in Normandy in the 16th century [3]. It would have been spelled differently in the 12th or 13th century. Based on related names, we suggest , , or [4]. would be a fine Anglo-Norman name for your period. You asked about two heraldic designs, which could be blazoned: Argent, a chevron inverted azure and in chief a sun gules. The chevron inverted is a very rare charge in period armory. It occurs very occasionally throughout our period, and we found one English family who used it in the early 13th century [5]. We can't recommend it enthusiastically as good re-creation, but it is within the range of designs used in your period. As far as we can tell, this design could be registered with the SCA College of Arms [6]. Quarterly gules and Or, a sun counterchanged. This is a fine design. A single charge counterchanged on a quartered field is fairly unusual in heraldry of your period, but not so much so that it is a problem. Unfortunately, if you want to register your arms, this design would conflict with already-registered designs [7]. You could avoid this problem (and make your design more typical of heraldry of your period) by placing one sun in each quarter of the field, "Quarterly gules and Or, four suns counterchanged", or just in the upper two quarters, "Quarterly gules and Or, in chief two suns counterchanged." Both these designs appear to be available for registration. 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 Rouland Carre, Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, and Aryanhwy merch Catmael. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 10 Oct 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Talan Gwynek, "Feminine Given Names in _A Dictionary of English Surnames_" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997) http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/talan/reaney/ [2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Isolde. [3] Cateline de la Mor, "Sixteenth Century Norman Names" (SCA: KWHS Proceedings, 1994; WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997). http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/cateline/norman16.html [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn., Pace, Codlin. [5] Woodcock, Thomas, Janet Grant, & Ian Graham, _Dictionary of British Arms_, vol II. (The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1996). In the early 13th c. Serlo de Grendone sealed with either "two chevrons inverted" or "a chevron inverted voided". Another Serlo de Grendon also sealed with "a chevron inverted and in chief a crescent", possibly a son or grandson. [6] The design is similar to the registered arms of Barbara Giomaria di Roberto "Argent, a chevron inverted azure, in chief a brown hen rising wings elevated and addored. proper." However, the difference between "a brown hen proper" and "a sun gules" is sufficient to avoid conflict. [7] It conflicts with the tinctureless badges of the Chronicler of Ansteoora "A mullet of five greater and five less points distilling gouttes" and Eleanor Leonard "A mullet of four points distilling a goutte."