ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 848 http://www.s-gabriel.org/848 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* 2 Apr 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the masculine given name and whether it was used in Burgundy between 1150 and 1350. You also asked about your design for your arms. Here is what we have found. The name is perfect. Although we don't have references that cover Burgundy in your period, we do have data from other parts of medieval northern France. is recorded in Paris in 1292 [1], and in Picardy in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries in the forms , , , and [2]. The Normans carried the name to England, where it is recorded as and in 1086 and as and in the 12th century [3]. We think it virtually certain that the name was used in Burgundy as well. In choosing the rest of your name, you should be aware that there is another gentle in the Society who calls himself , i.e. "Garin of Burgundy". If you choose any byname other than or its translation, your name will be sufficiently different to satisfy the SCA College of Arms. If you'd like help choosing a byname, we'd be happy to offer some suggestions. The armorial design you described could be blazoned "Argent semy de lys azure, a seadog rampant contourny gules within a bordure bendy argent and gules." These arms could not have existed in your period. The heraldic seadog (a dog with webbed paws, a paddle-shaped tail, and scales, possibly representing an otter) was invented in England in the 16th or late 15th century, where it was used only a few times [4]. If you wanted a 16th century English persona, then it would be a reasonable charge; but for your Burgundian persona several centuries earlier, it is not possible. It is probably not a good idea to place "a bordure bendy" on a field of one of its tinctures. The bordure becomes hard to identify. The SCA College of Arms has previously refused to register "a bordure compony" in analogous designs; we are fairly certain it would not accept "a bordure bendy" either [8]. We noticed that you designed your arms to be reminiscent of the late-period arms of the dukes of Burgundy, "Azure semy-de-lys Or, a bordure compony argent and gules." We recommend against this approach. It was not unknown for a vassal's arms to reflect his lord's in some way, but such a close copy is unlikely in anyone but a fairly close relative. Furthermore, these arms were adopted by the dukes of Burgundy in the 15th century, after your period. In your period, they bore "Bendy Or and azure, a bordure gules" [5, 6]. If you want arms that are particularly Burgundian in design, you may want to use a "saltire" as your central charge. The saltire is also known as the cross of Saint Andrew, the patron of Burgundy, and the saltire is unusually common in Burgundy as a result [5]. For example, you might use: Or, a saltire between four fleurs-de-lys sable. Gules, a saltire engrailed between four annulets Or. Gules, a saltire engrailed between four fleurs-de-lys Or. As far as we can tell, these designs could be registered with the SCA College of Arms. I 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 Zenobia Naphtali, Talan Gwynek, Daniel de Lincoln, Lindorm Eriksson, Daniel of Tweed, Lothar von Katzenellenbogen, and Alison MacDermot. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Colm Dubh, "An Index to the Given Names in the 1292 Census of Paris", Proceedings of the Known World Heraldic Symposium 1996 (SCA: Montgomery, Alabama). [2] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens, Musee de Picardie, 1967). [3] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995). [4] Dennys, Rodney, _The Heraldic Imagination_ (New York: Clarkson and Potter Inc., 1975). [5] Woodward, John and George Burnett, _A Treatise on Heraldry British and Foreign_ (Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle, 1969). [6] Pinches, Rosemary and Anthony Wood, _A European Armorial: An Armorial of Knights of the Golden Fleece and 15th Century Europe_ (London: Heraldry Today, 1971). [7] Rothery, Guy Cadogan, _Concise Encyclopedia of Heraldry_ (London: Bracken Books, 1985). [8] Laurel Letter of Acceptances and Returns, 27 Sept 1987, Returns, Atenveldt, Magdalene Anne Catherine Ravenstein. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -