ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1354 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1354 ************************************ From: "S Friedemann" 24 Nov 1998 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know if the Irish masculine name would have been used in the 13th or early 14th century. You also asked about the arms "Sable, a griffin segreant," or some variation of the O Griffy arms. Here is the information we have found. is a fine medieval Irish name. [1] (The slash represents an accent over the previous letter). It is pronounced \ROO-@dh-ree\, where the \@\ represents the initial vowel sound in the word "about" and the \dh\ represents the "th" sound in . The surname is pronounced \oh GREEF-@\. [2] , "Ruaidhri/, male descendant of [a man called] Gri/obhtha," is authentic name for your period. You also asked if you shouldn't use somewhere in your name. is an Irish term meaning "son." In your name, is your family name. While it would be common to be known as , in a more formal situation you would have been known as your father's son. For example, a man named whose father was would be known as or , pronounced pronounced \ROO-@dh-ree mahk SHAWN\ and \ROO-@dh-ree mahk SHAWN ee GREEF-@\. [4] The arms of the O Griffy family are "Sable, a griffin segreant Or." [3] By Society custom, you shouldn't copy historical arms. If you want to use arms that say you are a member of this family, then it is both authentic and within Society custom to use a variant of their arms. Here are a few possibilities: "Sable, a griffin segreant Or, overall a bendlet argent" This has a silver stripe running diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, partially covering the griffin "Sable, a griffin passant Or, overall a bendlet argent." In this, the griffin is in a horizontal walking position, with one foreleg raised. "Sable billety, a griffin passant Or." Pattern the black field regularly with gold rectangles (taller than they are wide). "Sable, three griffins segreant Or." These would be arranged with two on the top and one underneath. These designs are all typical of the heraldic style of your period. As far as we can tell, you could register any of these designs with the SCA College of Arms. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali, Arval Benicoeur, Margaret Makafee, Blaise de Cormeilles, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael November 24, 1998 --------------------------------------- References: [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990). [2] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames_ (Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation) [3] MacLysaght, Edward. Irish Families (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1972). [4] This is the medieval Irish pronunciation of the name; the modern pronunciation of is quite different.