Sunday, June 29, 2014

Lorenzo's Silver Rapier Scroll

In 16th cen. spelling, for the win.


Brennan, Emperor of the Easterners, and Caoilfhionn, Empress, to our faithfull and welbeloued seruant Lorenzo Gorla, greetings.  Forasmoche as we wish within our reaulme to have schouls and establissements for the teaching of the science of defence, a science in which we find greate merit; and forasmoche as you are known throughout our lands as a notable, worthie, honourable and trusted scholar of the saide science, the which knowledge has been affirmed by persons of repute; therefore, of our especial grace, certaine science and meere motion, we giue and graunt you by these presentes for us, our heires and successors, license and lawfull authoritie to continue your studie and instruction in matters touching upon the science of defence, and to promote the teaching of same at all places where our worde holds the colour and authoritie of law, the said license and lawfull authoritie to continue and remain in force for the terme of your lyfe.  We do further, as euidence of the said license and lawfull authoritie, induct you into the Ordre of the Silver Rapier, and invest and endow you with all rights, privyleges, appurtenances attaching thereunto, and order, ordaine and commaund that you shall bear upon your person at all times pertinent the ensigns and signacles of the said Ordre, that your prouess and license in matters of defence shall be knowen to all persons.  In witness whereof, we have caused these our lettres to be made and made public.  Witnessed by ourselues and our Imperial Court, upon 28 June, in the fortie-ninth year of the Societie.

Alesone's Maunche Scroll

My protogee Alesone Gray of Cranlegh was inducted into the Order of the Manche, the East Kingdom's A&S award, yesterday.  I was honored to do words for her scroll.

The scroll itself did not arrive for Court, but if the scribe heeded my request, it has a flamingo with a yo-yo on it.

Here are the words, based on a 16th cen. commercial company (I think it was the clothiers' company) charter from London:


Brennan, by right of arms Emperor of the Easterners, semper augustus, and Caoilfhionn, Empress, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greetings.  Wherefore, considering how much it will be for the general
and good advantage of our Empire that the arts of the apothecary and confectioner be practiced and promoted with skill, honor and diligence; and considering the reports of good and honest persons of singular repute concerning the excellence in the said arts practiced by our well-beloved Alesone Gray of Cranlegh; and finding her to be of honest, veracious, faithful and constant character, notwithstanding rumors of incendiary tendencies; Therefore, that our aforesaid intentions may have better effect, of our more ample grace we have given and granted, and by these presents do give and grant for us and our heirs, to our well-beloved Alesone Gray of Cranlegh full authority, leave and power to practice the said arts within our realm and, as evidence of same, do hereby induct her into the Order of the Manche and invest her with all rights, privileges and emoluments appertaining thereto, according to the most ancient usages, customs and traditions of the realm, for the term of her life, and do ordain that she shall possess the same as fully, freely and wholly and in as ample manner as all previous and future members of the Order aforenamed; and we do further by these presents endow the said Alesone with lawful authority to bear henceforward upon her person the emblem of the aforenamed Order: Per pale Or and purpure, a maunch counterchanged.  And that these our letters shall be firm, good, valid, sufficient, and effectual in law towards us, our heirs and successors, as well as within all our courts within the Empire of the East, we have caused them to be recorded and read in our Imperial Court at Carillion upon 28 June in the forty-ninth year of the Society and the first of our reign.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Period or Not: Hamish

The male name Hamish is one of those names that is generally believed
to be period, but for which we have no evidence. All of the research
to date shows that Hamish did not evolve until the 19th century, when
it began to be used either as an Anglicized form of the Gaelic male
name Seumas or as a variant of the name James.[1]

While it is possible that new information could support Hamish as a
medieval or Renaissance given name at some point in the future, right
now it is not registerable.

So what should a person who wants to be “Hamish” in the SCA do? Well,
names do not need to be registered. In the East Kingdom, a person can
obtain awards and receive scrolls even without a registered name.
Alternatively, one could register a different formal name, such as
James, and use “Hamish” as a nickname.

Finally, there are some period and documentable given names that are
close in sound and appearance to Hamish. For example, the Family
Search Historical Records show “Hammash Munkastle” as the name of a
boy christened in 1609 in Lincoln, England.[2] “Heymish” is an early
17th cen. English surname, which can be used as a given name based on
the documented pattern of using very late period English surnames in
this manner.[3] “Hemish” likewise is an early 17th cen. English
surname that can be used as a given name.[4] Any of these options
give the look and feel of the name “Hamish” while also being
documentable and registerable. All of them can be combined with an
English, Scots or Anglicized Irish surname.

[1] James MacDoual, 7/2000 LoAR, A-Meridies.

[2] Hammash Munkastle; Male; 27 Jul 1609; St Peter-at-Arches’,
Lincoln, Lincoln, England; Batch: C02569-3
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N216-VLK).

[3] Eleoner Heymish; Female; Marriage; 05 Nov 1604; West Hendred,
Berkshire, England; Batch: M13001-1
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NJ1H-8M4).

[4] Magaret Hemish; Female; Marriage; 04 Dec 1626; East Tisted,
Hampshire, England; Batch: M14663-1
(https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NK8Z-NYM).

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

KWHSS Article: 16th Century Names from Classical History and Mythology

The Family Search Historical Records have been a boon to name researchers, frequently providing documentation for names previously thought to be unregisterable in the SCA. This article focuses specifically on given names of figures from classical (Greek and Roman) history and mythology that were revived as given names in the 16th and early 17th centuries, with evidence of such names taken from the reliable batches of the Family Search Historical Records.

You can find the article here:  http://heralds.sca-caid.org/kwhss/proceedings/#HistoryAndMyth

Monday, June 9, 2014

Scots for Cormac

Cormac Mor, from Caid, asked for a Scottish patent of arms.  He is a Pelican, but he wanted a Patent of Arms document issued by the Laurel Sovereign of Arms to parallel the real-world practice of arms being granted by the Lyon King of Arms rather than the Crown.

So after making him wait far too long while I dug out from other stuff, today I finally finished his wording.  It's constructed from several 15th century (and one 16th century, to confirm a pattern) Scots documents, adapted to SCA practices in multiple places.

`Twill all and sindrie quhome it efferis quhais knawlege thir pntis salcum, Greting  and ewiry gud thing; We, Gabriel Kjovatson, Lawrell King of armes, being ordaynet and requirit by the Croun of Caid to assigne and gif unto the richt honorable Cormac Mor sic armes In mettaill and culloure as maist deulie suld appertene to him and his posteritie as become us of our office to do; and the seid Cormac being vpoun this datt imput into the Ordyr of the Pellycane be the same Croun be caus of his divers and syndry warkis;  
Quhairfore we, having respect to thais thingis that appertenit, hes assignit and assignis to the seid Cormac armes by lettiris patents:  Per fesshe with a richt step gould and argent, for supporters twa broun beres, as cresst a broun beres hede rassit wayring a cappe gulles and ermyn, as heirunder Is Depaintit quhilk he and his posteritie may lefullie beir without reproche, Quhilk We testifie be thir Pntis Subscrivit quhairunto oure sign manual and seile of office is appensit.  

Doune the sext Day of October in the yeir of the Societie forty-seuen.