ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1862 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1862 ************************************ 11 Feb 2000 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help creating an authentic 13th century name for a person of Danish descent living in Germany, and wanted to know if the given name , a surname meaning "son of or ," or the surname would be appropriate. You also asked about arms using a black cross potent. Here is the information we have found. The Danish name , a variant of , is found as early as 1320. This is a fine choice for your given name, if you wish to be Danish. [1] In German, it would probably be recorded as . , or , was originally a Norse name, spelled . (The slash represents an accent over the previous letter.) [3] It was the name of various Swedish and Danish kings, specifically a Swedish king in the 9th century. While the standard Danish spelling is , the spelling also occurs in medieval Danish sources. [1,5] For the 13th century, we believe that the correct Danish form of a surname meaning "son of Erik (or Erich)" would be or . We have not seen this surname in Germany in period, so we cannot suggest what the correct German form might be. or , meaning "Arkell, son of Erik," would be a fine name for a Danish person living in Germany in the 13th century. We find the German surname spelled as in 1315; the byname is for someone living at a place where goods are bought and sold. [2] It is certainly possible that a Danish person named could have had the German surname . We can recommend various heraldic designs that use black crosses potent. [4] The two that most interested you were: Quarterly argent and sable, a cross potent in canton sable. Sable, three crosses potent bendwise in bend argent. Others that we mentioned are: Argent, a cross between four crosses potent sable. Argent, three crosses potent sable. Per fess argent and lozengy azure and Or, in chief a cross potent sable. Lozengy gules and argent, a cross potent sable. Azure, upon a triple mount vert, three crosses potent fitchy Or. As far as we can tell, you can register any of these with the SCA College of Arms. The last design might be problematic, but it is excellent re-creation and we believe the College will accept it [6]. 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 Walraven van Nijmegen, Giles Leabrook, Zenobia Naphtali, Blaise de Cormeilles, Rouland Carre, Talan Gwynek, Richard Hall, Barak Raz, Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, Hartmann Rogge, Juliana de Luna, Amant le Marinier, Elsbeth Anne Roth, and Daniel de Lincolia. For the Academy, Aryanhwy merch Catmael & Arval Benicoeur 11 Feb 2000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References: [1] Knudsen Gunnar, Marius Kristiansen, & Rikard Hornby, _Danmarks Gamle Personnavne_, Vol. I: Fornavne (Copenhagen: 1936-48). s.nn. Arnketil, Erik [2] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Worterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960). s.n. Kaufhaus [3] Fleck, G. (aka Geirr Bassi Haraldsson), _The Old Norse Name_, Studia Marklandica (series) (Olney, Maryland: Yggsalr Press, 1977). [4] Die Wappenrolle von Zu:rich http://people.delphi.com/ivanor/zroaen0.htm [5] Bahlow, Hans, _Deutsches Namenlexikon : Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklaert_ (Frankfurt am Main : Suhrkamp Taschenbuch Verlag, 1985, 1990). s.n. Erich [6] The green mount on the blue field is technically color-on-color. However, this particular combination -- a green mount on a blue field -- is moderately common throughout medieval European heraldry, and Laurel has previously accepted it as a legitimate exception to the rule of contrast. See the discussion under "Vert Trimounts on Azure Fields" in the cover letter to the November 1993 LoAR. http://www.sca.org/heraldry/loar/1993/11/cvr.html