ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1861 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1861 ************************************ 22 Dec 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a Scottish man living between 900 and 1500, and whether your design for your arms is appropriate for that culture. Here is what we have found. In the 600 year period you chose, there were many different languages and cultures of Scotland. Each had its own naming customs, so the culture you choose to re-create will determine what sort of name is appropriate. The name you chose is Gaelic, so we'll assume that's what you have in mind. The Gaels were found throughout much of modern-day Scotland in the 9th to 13th centuries, but were mostly restricted to the Highlands after the 14th. The Gaelic spoken in Scotland in this period was the same language spoken in Ireland, and although the two countries had slightly different naming customs, they shared many names. You can find more detail about the languages and cultures of Scotland on the web: Scottish Names 101 http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/scotnames101.html is an excellent 12th century name and is probably just as appropriate for the 9th to 11th centuries. If you want a later-period name, you'll want a different spelling, . Either way, the name was pronounced \KAR-@l mahk DON-il\. \KAR\ has the same vowel sound as , and \@\ represents the sound of the in . is recorded in 12th century Scottish Gaelic and as in early medieval Irish records. After about 1200, it was spelled [1, 2]. is the early-medieval spelling of a common Gaelic name, used in Scotland throughout your period. After about 1200, it was spelled [1, 3]. Note that surnames like were used literally in period Gaelic. A man would have been identified by that surname only if his father's given name were . The modern practice of using surnames to identify clan membership did not develop until well after our period. The Gaels of Scotland had clans throughout your period, but they didn't indicate clan membership in their names. Heraldic arms were invented in northwestern France in the mid-12th century. The custom was carried to Scotland by Norman settlers and thrived among the Scoto-Normans and later among the Lowlanders. The Gaels did not adopt heraldry in our period. Some Highland chieftains and their immediate families used arms by the end of our period, but this was a rare exception [4]. Although your persona would not have used arms, that doesn't mean you shouldn't use arms in the Society: Many Societyfolk use arms even though their personas would not have done so. Whether you use arms or not depends on how you think about authenticity and your persona. You can find a few thoughts on this issue in an article we've posted on the web: What Do I Use for Arms if my Persona Wouldn't Have Used Arms? http://www.s-gabriel.org/faq/nonheraldic.html The arms you described can be blazoned "Per bend sinister wavy sable and barry wavy vert and azure, in dexter chief a sun Or." The field is one that we have never seen in period arms, and that we do not believe would have been used. The SCA College of Arms will not register "barry vert and azure". If you make that part of the field gold, you'd have a lovely, very elegant design; but one which could not be registered in the SCA because of conflict [5]. In considering other designs, we recommend you avoid dividing the field "per bend sinister". This was quite rare in period armory, especially in the British Isles. We can suggest a couple designs that use some of the elements of your original one, both of which we think are registerable: Per pale sable and or, in chief two suns counterchanged. The sun in the upper part of the black side of the field is gold, and vice versa. Barry wavy or and sable, three suns gules. The suns are arranged two and one, i.e. two side-by-side in the upper half of the field and one centered in the lower half. 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 Teceangl Bach, Rouland Carre, Walraven van Nijmegen, Talan Gwynek, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Salvador Paolo de Barcelona, Blaise de Cormeilles, and Zenobia Naphtali. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 22 Dec 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Krossa, Sharon L. (Effric neyn Kenyeoch vc Ralte), "A Simple Guide to Constructing 12th Century Scottish Gaelic Names", (WWW: Privately published, 18 June 1997). http://www.stanford.edu/~skrossa/medievalscotland/scotnames/simplescotgaelicnames12.html [2] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.n. Cairell. [3] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. MacDonald. [4] Campbell of Airds, Alastair, Unicorn Pursuivant of Arms, "A Closer Look at West Highland Heraldry", _The Double Tressure_ (#19). [5] Your design conflicts with the ensign of the kingdom of Atenveldt "Per fess azure and argent, in canton a sun Or." Any design charged only with a single sun will conflict with the tinctureless badge of the Chronicler of the kingdom of Ansteorra "A mullet of five greater and five lesser points distilling gouttes." The variant "Per bend sinister sable and Or, in chief a sun Or"", conflicts with the Society arms of Wendryn Townsend "Azure, a sun in glory Or".