Below are the results of the March 2004 Letter of Acceptance and Return from the Laurel King of Arms. This website is not authoritative, but is an accurate reproduction of the text of the March LoAR. On the March 2004 LOAR, Laurel considered items from the November 2003 Outlands Letters of Intent.
November 2003 Letter of Intent
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(summaries of Cover Letter items provided by Sorcha Weel)
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Submitted as Elias Treviranus, the submitter requested authenticity for German and allowed any changes. The LoI noted that he "cares most about the meaning ('A person from Trier') and the language/culture ('German')".
The documentation provided for Treviranus on the LoI was:
Treviranus is found in the Dictionary of German Names (Edda Gentry transl.) by Bahlow on page 513, which lists "Treviranus: a person from Trier (name from the Celtic tribe, Treveri)".
It is important to note that this entry does not show use of Treviranus in period. The focus of Bahlow is to present information about German surnames over time. As a result, not all information in it is appropriate for our period.
Clarion provided information about German locatives referring to Trier:
Bahlow, s.n. Treviranus, does list the name as meaning "a person from Trier." Under Trier, it lists a Heinrick Trier in 1345. Brechenmacher, s.n Teviranus, dates it to 1662 and, under Trier(er), dates Tryerer in 1344. For authenticity, Trier or Tryerer would be the best, especially as Treviranus has not been documented in period.
As no evidence was found of Treviranus used as a personal byname in period, we have changed this byname to the documented form Trier in order to meet the submitter's request for authenticity.
His previous device, Per fess azure and gules, mullety of eight [sic] Or, a bordure argent, is released.
The submitter requested authenticity for 13th to 14th C Spain and allowed minor changes only. As submitted, it is an unusual but plausible 16th C name. No evidence has been found for double given names or for the combination of two patronymic surnames used in Spanish before the 15th C. As the submitter does not allow major changes, we could not alter the name to the form Maria Sanchez, which would be authentic for her desired time period.
This is not considered "slot-machine" heraldry in violation of RfS VIII.1.a under current precedent. The drawn bow nocked of an arrow Or are in a "standard, expected position" and are thus considered one charge for purposes of that rule:
[considering a strung bow and arrow along with another charge] The question was raised as to whether or not this is considered slot machine since it has three dissimilar charges in one group. While it is true that it has three charges, when a bow and arrow are in their standard, expected position they are considered one charge, just like a sword in a scabbard is considered one charge. It is only when they are separated, or put into non standard positions for their normal use, such as being crossed in saltire, that they become two separate charges. (LoAR April 1999 p. 6)
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No forms were received for this submission.
Siren summarized the main concerns with this submission well:
Previous rulings have suggested that excessive inversion may be grounds for return:
[Gules, on a chalice inverted between two roundels Or a wooden spiked mace inverted proper] As far as we know, maces were not made entirely of wood; therefore, there is no support for the head being brown. Furthermore, both cups and maces were rarely inverted in period, so inverting both may be excessive. (LoAR November 2000)
The helmet is particularly difficult to identify, between the inverted posture and the issuant rabbit. As I looked, I thought at first it was a pot.
The issues with identifiability and period style combine to be sufficient reasons for return.
In addition, the College expressed significant concerns that the combination of allusions to modern sleight-of-hand may cause this armory to be obtrusively modern. This issue should be addressed on resubmission.
No documentation was presented, and none was found, for the cross pattée concave in period armory. This cross has ends that are straight throughout most of their length, and flare out only at the very ends of the arm. As far as we are aware, period crosses formy flare out along the entirety of their length.
The term concave, as found in a few previous SCA registrations, appears to apply to a cross that is somewhat nowy lozengy (or nowy of a lozenge). This cross is only slightly nowy of a lozenge. Because the blazon term concave is not well-defined in real-world or SCA armory, it should be avoided in the future.
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And in a lovely metaphor for the continuity of the Laurel office (and such subsidiary offices as it may have), the last item ruled on during this Wreath's tenure (and listed last in the LoAR) is pended for further research. The blazon on the Letter of Intent had the vert and sable tinctures on the field inadvertently switched, and the College could not detect this error.
(This submission was item 14 on the Outlands LoI of November 27, 2003.)
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November 2003 Letter of Intent
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