ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 968 http://www.s-gabriel.org/968 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* 20 May 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked help choosing a Welsh masculine name appropriate for the 9th to 12th centuries, using as your first name. You also asked for suggestions for arms using a wolf or dragon and incorporating the Foster family emblem and motto. Here is what we have found. is an Anglicized form of Welsh , which is a borrowing of the Latin (which is also the ultimate source of the English name ). The first example we've found of the spelling is the name , recorded around 1300; but did not become common until the 15th century [1, 2]. All of these examples post-date your period; if you want a pre-1200 Welsh name, we recommend as the best choice. That name is pronounced roughly \YOH-wahn\. On the other hand, if you want to use , then you'll need to move your persona a couple centuries later in history for the name to be appropriate. Before 1200 (and, indeed, for several more centuries), most Welshmen were known primarily as their father's sons. For example, if your father's name were , you would have been called "Ieuan son of Madog". This form is appropriate for the later part of your period; in the 10th century, the equivalent name would probably have been [3]. Some Welshmen were also known by a nickname based on their profession or on some physical characteristic. You mentioned that you are bowman; you might want to use the byname , which means "archer" [4]. It is pronounced roughly \SIGH-thidh\, where \th\ represents the sound in and \dh\ is the in . It would be quite appropriate for your period for you to be known as on some occasions and on others. You can find a very good introduction to medieval Welsh naming on the web: A Simple Guide to Constructing 13th Century Welsh Names http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/welsh13.html This article is based on data slightly later than your period, but the general principles are applicable. Heraldic arms first appeared in the late 12th century in northern France. They became fashionable throughout the Norman world quite quickly, so it is not impossible that they were used in Wales before 1200; but it isn't particularly likely. It is even less likely that a Welshman would have adopted arms so early in history. This doesn't mean you can't use arms: Many Societyfolk use arms even though their personas would not have done so. Whether you want to use arms is your choice; we've written a short article that you may find helpful in thinking about this question. What Do I Use for Arms if my Persona Wouldn't Have Used Arms? http://www.itd.umich.edu/~ximenez/s.gabriel/faq/nonheraldic.html If you do choose to use arms, we recommend that you design arms appropriate to your period. Heraldry was in its infancy at that time, and arms were still very simple. Wolves were used occasionally, but dragons were not found in British heraldry until the late 13th or 14th century [5]. Most heraldic designs contained only one or two types of charges (things placed on the shield); and if there were two, one of them tended to be a very simple geometric shape. Using a mailed fist as well as an animal of some kind would be too complicated for the heraldry of your period. The Foster emblem you described sounds like a crest rather than arms: The crest is a secondary insignia which was displayed above the shield, often resting on a knight's helmet. It originally represented a physical crest worn atop the helmet by a knight at tournament. Crests were used fairly early in the heraldic period, but they were always considered separate from the arms on the shield. You can certainly use a crest if you like -- crests are not generally regulated in the Society -- but we suggest that you start by designing arms. (We don't know when the Foster crest was first used. Since the name itself post-dates your period, it is not likely that the crest existed at that time either.) Mottos are also separate from arms. All these elements -- arms, crests, mottos, supporters, etc. -- are often displayed together in modern heraldry as a "heraldic achievement", but medieval heraldic usage was much simpler, usually just the arms alone and sometimes arms with a crest. You can certainly choose a motto if you like, but as with the crest, we suggest you treat it separately and design your arms first. Medieval heraldry very rarely used the color brown, and then only in very narrow circumstances. The most common colors were red, blue, black, white (or silver), and yellow (or gold). Green was less common and purple less common still. Most period arms were designed with strong visual symmetry and balance, and strong contrast between the charges and the field (the background). Light-colored charges (white or yellow) were placed on dark field (red, blue, black) and vice versa, but rarely any other combination. Charges were arranged in certain conventional ways, e.g. three identical charges placed on the field with two side-by-side in the upper half of the field and one in the bottom center. You may want to take the opportunity to look at a selection of medieval arms from England and Wales so that you can get an idea of the kinds of designs that they used. A very good book for this purpose is Joseph Foster, _The Dictionary of Heraldry_ (New York: Arch Cape Press, 1989). It contains several thousand color drawings of period British arms. This book is often available remaindered or used in bookstores and many Society heralds own copies. It's out of print, but you may also be able to get a copy from amazon.com. You might also want to read Compleat Anachronist #22 "Heraldry", which provides an introduction to medieval heraldic design. If you'd like to write us again with more detail about what you want for your arms, we'll be happy to suggest some specific designs. 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 Tangwystyl vz Morgant Glasvryn, Talan Gwynek, Evan Collaureo, Daniel de Lincolia, Aryanhwy merch Catmael Caermyrdin, and Zenobia Naphtali. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 20 May 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Reaney, P. H., & R. M. Wilson, _A Dictionary of English Surnames_ (London: Routledge, 1991; Oxford University Press, 1995), s.nn. Bevan, Foster. [2] Morgan, T.J. and Prys Morgan, _Welsh Surnames_ (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1985), s.n. Ieuan. [3] Evans, J. Gwenogvryn, _The Text of the Book of Llan Dav_ (Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 1979) (Facsimile of the 1893 Oxford edition). [4] Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, "A Welsh Miscellany", _Compleat Anachronist_ #66 (Milpitas, CA: SCA, Inc.). [5] The "wyvern", a two-legged winged dragon, first appears in English rolls of arms in an unattributed coat in Sir William le Neve's Roll temp. Edward I (1272-1307). The first certain native usage is in the Parliamentary Roll c.1312. The four-legged winged dragon does not appear until quite late in period. Sources: Brault, Gerald J., _The Rolls of Arms of Edward I_, Aspilogia III, 2 vols. (London: Boydell Press, 1997). Dennys, Rodney, Heraldic Imagination (New York: Clarkson and Potter Inc., 1975), p.119] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -