ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3196 http://www.s-gabriel.org/3196 ************************************ 6 Jan 2007 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You asked if we could suggest authentic medieval German place names which incorporate the element 'cow', as well as canting arms for these place names. Here is what we found have. We found a number of modern German place names incorporating either the element or the element 'cattle', including: [2] Kuhbach 'cow-brook' (in Baden-Wu"rttemberg; the represents a u-umlaut) Ku"hbach 'cow-brook' (in Bavaria) Kuhbru"cke 'cow-bridge' (in Brandenburg) Kuhweg 'cow-way' (in Lower Saxony) Kuhweide 'cow-meadow' (in Lower Saxony) Viehbach 'cattle-brook' (in Bavaria). We don't know when any of these names first came into use, but we would be surprised if they were all modern coinages. In particular, we found the place name in 1497; this is a form of the modern name 'cow-hill'. [3] We also found other examples of medieval German place names using <-bach>, including the following (in this list, {sz} represents the ess-zet ligature) all of which are from 1497: [1,3] Biberpach 'beaver brook' Eber{sz}pach 'boar's brook' [4] Farrnpach 'bull's brook' Affalterpach 'appletree brook' Erlenpach 'alder brook' Obernerlbach 'upper alder brook' Eschenpach 'ash(tree) brook' Erespach 'Erich's brook' Herger{sz}pach 'Herger's brook' Based on this, we believe that any of 'cow-brook' or , , or 'cow-hill' is a fine choice for a medieval German place name. We found a number of examples of bulls and bull's heads in Germany armory, so using one of these in your arms would be a good choice. We also found examples of animals maintaining charges. [5,6,7] You said you'd originally chosen the name because you wanted to reflect the local practice of cow-tipping. We therefore thought you might be interested in including a subtle allusion to this in your arms. While there's no way to heraldically depict actual cow-tipping, you could put a cow which is in a "tipped" orientation, for example a cow salient (leaping along the diagonal), or lying on a bend, for example. [10] Another option would be to have the bull walking along the top of the bend. [11] So, here are various ideas that you might consider: Argent, three bulls rampant each maintaining a laurel wreath sable Sable, on a bend argent, a bull salient (or passant or statant) sable Argent, atop a bend between two laurel wreaths a bull passant sable Or, on a bend azure three bull's heads cabossed argent and in sinister chief a larelwreath vert. Or, on a bend azure cotised sable three bull's heads cabossed argent and in sinister chief a larelwreath vert. Or, on a bend azure cotised sable between two laurel wreaths vert three bull's heads cabossed argent. We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur, Sabine Berard, Talan Gwynek, Rian mag Uidir, Maridonna Benvenuti, Aelfwynn Leoflaede dohtor, Ursula Georges, and Eleyne de Comnocke. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 06 January 2007 -- References: [1] We have given the most straightforward etymologies of the names; we could very well be wrong in our identifications of the meanings of the terms, but we're fairly confident that we are not. [2] "Select Country" (WWW: Heavens Above.com, no date). http://www.heavens-above.com/countries.asp [3] Uckelman, Sara L., "German Names from Nu"rnberg, 1497" (WWW: privately published, 2005) http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/german/nurnberg1497.html [4] This may be 'Eber's brook', with being a pet form of a name such as ; However, this place-name is common, which suggests that in many cases it could refer to the animal. Moreover, there is at least one , which must be 'boar brook'. [9] [5] Gunnvor silfraharr, "The Zurich Roll of Arms" (WWW: Self-published, no date) http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ZurichRoll/ Or, a bull's head couped sable (1340) Argent, a bull's head couped sable (1340) [6] Siebmacher, Johann, _Johann Siebmachers Wappenbuch von 1605_, 2 vols., ed. Horst Appuhn (Dortmund: Harenberg, 1988, 1989). Or, a bull's head couped close affronty sable. Or, a bull's head couped close contourny sable. Azure, a bull's head affronty per pale argent and gules. Azure, a bull's head affronty argent. Argent, a bull's head affronty sable. Argent, on a base vert (grassy), a cow passant gules gorged argent. Vert, a demi-bull rampant countourney Or. Or, a bull's head couped close afrronty sable. Argent, a demi-cow rampant sable. Argent, a bull's head affronty sable with a gold nosering. Argent, a bull's head couped countourny sable. Per pale argent and gules, a bull's head affronty counterchanged. Argent, a demi-bull countourny gules. Argent, a demi-bull rampant gules. Azure, a cow passant sable. Gules, a bull's head with a nosering affronty Or. Gules, a bull's head affronty Or armed sable. [7] Lothar von Katzenellenbogen & Johannes von Narrenstein, "Banners from the Battle of Tannenberg (1410)" (WWW: Academy of S. Gabriel, 2002) Argent, a bull's head couped affronty sable, ringed and armed argent. [8] Siebmacher, op. cit. [9] Brechenmacher, Josef Karlmann, _Etymologisches Woerterbuch der deutschen Familiennamen_ (Limburg a. d. Lahn, C. A. Starke-Verlag, 1957-1960), s.nn. Eberbach, Ebersbach(er) [10] The Zurich Roll (op. cit.), has stags walking up bends, a lion passant on a bend, and a few animals salient that are effectively in bend. [11] This follows the example in Siebmacher of Kieb on this page: http://www.wappenbuch.de/images/wappen_126_Siebmacher.jpg