ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2252
http://www.s-gabriel.org/2252
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19 Mar 2001
From:  (Josh Mittleman)


Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!

You asked whether <Robert> is an appropriate name for a 16th century German
man, and what sort of surname he might use.  You also asked our advice on
choosing arms to fit this period.  Here is what we have found.

<Robert> is an English or French name; it does not appear to have been
adopted into German until modern times.  It derives from a Germanic root
name whose German descendent is <Ruprecht>.  We've found that name recorded
in Silesian sources in the 1390s, also in the pet form <Ru"ppel> in 1480
[1].  (The symbol <u"> represents a u-umlaut.)  It appears to be suitable
at least for much of the southern and central part of the German-speaking
region of Europe.

In the 16th century, most Germans used inherited family names, much like we
do today.  As a consequence, a man's surname would not necessarily say
anything about him.  The simplest way to choose a surname appropriate to
16th century southern Germany is to pick a town in that region and use its
adjectival form as your surname, e.g. <Ruprecht Freiburger>.  Many other
modern surnames derived from occupations -- <Schmidt> "smith", <Schneider>
"tailor" -- or simple descriptive terms -- <Schwarz> "black", <Klein>
"small".  If you like, we can recommend some dictionaries of German
surnames that you could browse for ideas.


You described your initial idea for your arms: A blue field with a sleeping
bear under three columns, one broken.  This particular design is rather
more pictorial than is typical of period German heraldry; but we can
suggest some ways to use the elements in arms that would be excellent
re-creation of your culture.

Sleeping animals were rare in period arms, perhaps because a sleeping beast
is very hard to recognize without close inspection.  We can't recommend
this charge as the best re-creation.

Columns were not common in period heraldry, but they were used.  A 16th
century German roll of arms includes [2]:

  Gules, a column crowned argent
    (one quarter borne by the family Colona von Fels.  These were the arms
    of the Counts of Colonna, Italy; you can see them as a quarter in the
    arms on the web at http://www.bng.nl/ngw/int/ita/v/vols.htm.)

  Sable, three columns and in chief a crown Or. (Ezel)

  Argent, a column bendwise sable. (Ku"tzleben)

A row of three columns with one broken is the sort of pictorial detail we
would not expect to see in period armory, but the basic idea of a row of
three columns is marvelous.  "Azure, three columns in fess argent" would be
splendid arms, perfect for your period.  

There is a standard heraldic charge called a <zule> which represents a
stylized column.  The word <zule> is cognate with the German <Sa"ule>
"column".  There's a drawing of one version of the zule on the web at

   http://heraldica.org/topics/glossary/pics/387.jpg.  

The charge on the left is a zule.  This charge was used in Dutch heraldry
and is a reasonable choice for German heraldry [3].  A design like "Azure,
three zules argent" would be very elegant and very authentic [4].

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 Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn,
Blaise de Cormeilles, Talan Gwynek, Zenobia Naphtali, Margaret Makafee, 
Walraven van Nijmegen, and Adelaide de Beaumont.

For the Academy,


  Arval Benicoeur
  19 Mar 2001


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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] Siebmacher, Johann, _Johann Siebmachers Wappenbuch von 1605_, 2 vols.,
ed. Horst Appuhn (Dortmund: Harenberg, 1988, 1989), plates 23, 65, 148.

[3] Bibliothe\que royale Albert Ier, _Gelre_ (Leuven: Jan van Helmont,
1992, ISBN 90-74318-03-7).  Zuylen (Nr. 1173, fo.88v) bore "Gules, three
zules argent".  The same coat appears on fo.107v and is quartered into the
arms of Culembourg (f0.88v).  On fo.108r, Carsbergen bears "Argent, three
zules sable and overall a bendlet Or", and Nyevelt has "Argent, three zules
gules". 

[4] It is conceivable that the SCA College of Arms will hold this design to
be too similar to the registered arms of Ruadhan Bard "Azure, in fess two
chess rooks argent".  Zules have often been confused with chess rooks by
British heralds, and the SCA has at least partially followed their lead.
If you consider other designs to avoid this potential problem, then you
should also beware of conflict with Carlos Juan Ramiro "A zule argent".