[tirrigh-heralds] My Name, Device and Badge: My thoughts and findings so far - PART 1 - NAME

[Judy Harcus]

My original attempt to post this got bounced by the list as being too 
big, so I'm reposting it with separate messages for name, device and badge.

PART 1 - Name

Wulfstan Hrafnsson wrote:

> Hi all!
>
> I decided that a good way to learn this stuff would be to do a 
> (relatively) full conflict check on my own name, device and badge.  
> I've included my thought process and sources for such findings as I've 
> come up with, so any double-checking that anyone is willing to do 
> would be remarkably appreciated.  I'm good at second-guessing, but 
> seldom in a useful way.

This is an excellent way to learn and I encourage other people to do 
this as well.  It helps to show what you do understand well as well as 
what you might have missed.  A large portion of my learning was done 
this way.

>
> Here's what I am looking at submitting for myself:
>
> Name: Wulfstan Hrafnsson
>
> * This fits the [given] + [patronymic] pattern for Norse names given 
> by the Kingdom of the West College of Heralds in their article at: 
> http://heralds.westkingdom.org/ClassHandouts/CommonNamingPatterns.htm#ByCulture.  
> I'm not registering a byname until I've done something sufficiently 
> remarkable or silly to earn one in common usage.
>
> * Neither part of the name has another form listed as a conflict issue 
> by Laurel:
> http://heraldry.sca.org/laurel/precedents/CompiledNamePrecedents/ConflictTables.html
>
> * "Wulfstan" appears to be supported by Bardsley, 331 (1996 ed; 
> reference in entry on "Gouldstone") and by Searle (1969 ed; entries on 
> 188, 506 and 519).  All appear to be 10th century, as is my persona.  
> There were also two 11th century Northumbrian bishops of the name, one 
> who died in 1023 and was Bishop of London and Worcester and Archbishop 
> of York, and a St Wulfstan (1008-95). 
>
> * If someone could check out Geirr Bassi re: "Hrafn" and/or 
> "Hrafnsson" I would be most appreciative!  I might even make cookies!  
> I don't have access to a hard copy at the moment (though I haven't 
> been to the library as yet) and Google Books doesn't have it, though 
> it does have a couple of other topic books that use it as a source.
>
> * I have found a College of St Gabriel report supporting 
> "Hrafnsdottir" as a patronymic; would this then also support the 
> similar use of "Hrafnsson"?  There is also one supporting "Hrafn" 
> alone as a male given name.
>
>ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3143
>http://www.s-gabriel.org/3143
>
>ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 3198
>http://www.s-gabriel.org/3198
>
>
>  
>
> * I realise that "Wulfstan" is an English name and "Hrafn", used as a 
> name, is Norse (it mainly seems to be Icelandic; though "hrafn" is 
> also the Old English for "raven" it may not have been used as a name 
> in England in my period).  This would be my weirdness.  Some would say 
> that's not my only weirdness, but it's the only one pertaining to my name.

A check on the lingual weirdness table 
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/sca/weirdness_table.html confirms that 
Norse combined with either English or Old English is registerable but a 
weirdness (step from period practice).  Considering the dates, it looks 
to me like Wulfstan is Old English.

I don't have the books to confirm Wulfstan and without seeing the exact 
quotes from those books (hint, hint) I can't comment other than to say 
it sounds like it's supported.

Here's another article (from the Medieval Names Archive) regarding the 
construction of Norse names:  
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/norse/sg-viking.html.  This looks 
like it supports the construction Hrafnsson based on Hrafnsdottir (names 
are not my strong point, so perhaps someone else will comment here too).
There are some websites listed at the bottom of the St Gabriel reports - 
it's worth checking those too.
Here's additional support for Hrafn: 
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/norse/landnamabok.html
Hrafn is listed in Geirr Bassi on page 11 with a count of 17.

Did you do a conflict check on the name?  This is where the name pattern 
search form http://oanda.sca.org/oanda_np.cgi is useful.  You should 
check partial names and variations (such as Hrafn, rafn, Raven, Wolf, 
etc.).  Post a message showing how you searched, and what you found that 
was close.

Alicia

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