ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2114 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2114 ************************************ 13 Oct 2000 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether is an appropriate name for a mid-14th century German from Saxony, and whether your design for your arms fits that culture as well. Here is what we have found. Your name is fine for your period, though it may not be the most likely form. is recorded in Silesia in 1379 and very likely was also used in northern Germany; but is the most common spelling in our samples of late medieval German names [1, 2]. In your period and region, this name was probably pronounced \MEE-khel\. \kh\ represents the raspy sound in the Scottish word or the German . A surname that meant "from the Harz" is certainly correct, but we don't think that is a likely form. As a prepositional phrase, the standard Middle High German spelling would have been [5, 9]. The words sometimes contracted to , so is an alternative form [6]. Other possible surnames with the same meaning are or [3, 4]. Your arms could be blazoned "Per pale and per chevron throughout sable and argent". This is an excellent design for your period. We find the same design in red and white in the 14th century Zurich Roll of Arms [7]. We can't say for sure whether you'll be able to register this design with the SCA College of Arms [8]. 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 Juliana de Luna, Talan Gwynek, Blaise de Cormeilles, Antonio Miguel Santos de Borja, Dietmar von Straubing, Rouland Carre, Gotfrid von Schwaben, Elsbeth Anne Roth, Walraven van Nijmegen, Margaret Makafee, Amant le Marinier, Adelaide de Beaumont, and Isfael ap Briafael. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 13 Oct 2000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Talan Gwynek, "Medieval German Given Names from Silesia", revised edition (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1999). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/bahlow/ [2] Talan Gwynek, "Late Period German Masculine Given Names" (WWW: J. Mittleman, 1997). URL:http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/talan/germmasc/ [3] Bahlow, Hans, _Dictionary of German Names_, tr. Edda Gentry (German-American Cultural Society, 1994 ISBN: 0924119357), s.n. Hartz. [4] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960), s.n. Harz. [5] Walshe, M. O'C., _A Middle High German Reader_ (New York: Oxford University Press, 1984), pp. 13, 21. [6] Bahlow, s.n. has 1336. [7] Popoff, Michel, _Le Ro^le d'Armes de Zurich_, Documents d'He/raldique Me/die/vale 9 (Paris: E/ditions du Le/opard d'Or, 1986). [8] Under SCA rules, a design like this one will be checked for conflict two ways: as if it were a plain field, "Per pale and per chevron throughout sable and argent", and as if it were a charged field, "Per pale sable and argent, a pile inverted throughout counterchanged". The closest possible conflict we found is the SCA arms of Goswin Sterrenkijker van Sint Gillis Waas, "Quarterly sable and argent, a pile inverted throughout counterchanged". The addition of counterchanging across the per fess line may or may not be considered a "substantial change of partition", as required in rule X.4.a.ii.(a). The CoA members among the Academy were divided, but they did think that your submission would stand a good chance of passing. [9] Schwarz, Ernst, _Deutsche Namenforschung. II: Orts- und Flurnamen_ (Goettingen: Vandenhoek & Ruprecht, 1950), p.179. He seems to imply that is an old spelling of the place name. That yields , with the correct grammatical ending.