ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1801 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1801 ************************************ 24 Oct 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for an Englishwoman in our period. You also asked our opinion of your design for your badge, "On a flame argent a leopard dormant azure". Here is what we have found. first appeared in England in the 12th century. It was a common name in 13th and 14th century England, less so thereafter, but it was in use to the end of our period. It is recorded as from the 12th century to the 16th, as in 1379, and in the nickname in 1273 [1, 2]. Unfortunately, we don't think is a plausible surname. The word is first recorded in English in the 14th century in the form and in the 15th century as , meaning "lynx" [3]. The meaning "leopard" is even later. By this point, the English were rarely creating new descriptive bynames, so it is unlikely that a word introduced to the language so late could have been the source of a surname. Animal nicknames were used in medieval England. For example, we found 1296 or 1327 [4]. However, we haven't seen any examples of compounds like "fire leopard" used as surnames. We can't find any examples of flames used as independent charges in arms before the late 15th century, and we have found no example in period England. When flames appear in earlier heraldry, they are part of another charge: a flaming mountain, a flaming torch, a salamander surrounded by gouts of flame, etc. [5]. There is a charge called a "fireball" which appears reasonably early in English arms; it looks rather like an old-fashioned spherical bomb with a flame shooting out the top [6]. None of these charges is well-suited for placing a complex charge on top of it. The "leopard dormant" is an appropriate charge, though not one we've actually found in period arms. In heraldry, the leopard is simply another name for "a lion guardant". Lions dormant are found in English arms as early as the 14th century, though they were never common [7]. "A leopard dormant" is essentially a synonym for "a lion dormant guardant". We don't recommend squeezing the leopard onto a flame or similar charge. The leopard is a long, horizontal shape which would have to be unrecognizably small to fit on a round charge like a flame. You might want to consider another feline charge, the panther. The heraldic panther is a fanciful beast traditionally pictured with flames issuing from its mouth and ears. You can find a picture of a heraldic panther in Stephen Friar, _A Dictionary of Heraldry_ (New York: Harmony Books, 1987), p.121. We 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 Aelfwyn aet Gyrwum, Rouland Carre, and Talan Gwynek. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 24 Oct 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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. Cassandra. [3] _The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1973), s.n. ounce. [4] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.n. Leopard. [5] Parker, James, _A Glossary of Terms used in Heraldry_ (Charles E. Tuttle, 1982), under "Fire". [6] Foster, Joseph, _The Dictionary of Heraldry_ (New York: Arch Cape Press, 1989), arms of Walter Fursdon, p.92. [7] Chesshyre, Hubert & Woodcock, Thomas, _Dictionary of British Arms: Medieval Ordinary_, vol. I (London: The Society of Antiquaries of London, 1992), p.184.