Men's SCA Garb for an Anglo-Saxon Persona.

Before I begin I want to make one thing clear. I rarely make garb. I know how, and have made period tunics, but it is not something readily in my skill set. That said, I have done a bit of research on what the clothing of my persona would look like. Perhaps the best source on how the Anglo-Saxons dressed is Gale Owen-Crocker's Dress in Anglo-Saxon England.  There is also Penelope Walton Rogers' Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England (best obtained through inter-library loan unless one has a spare $300 lying around).

Anglo-Saxon fashion changed over the period from 450 AD to 1066 AD. Tunics became longer, sleeves shorter, and accessories such as belts, clasps, and brooches changed. The period of my persona is the early 8th century not long after the Conversion. His clothes therefore are in that period when Anglo-Saxon clothing was changing from pagan to Christian. Furs were being used less, and soft fabrics like linen more. Pagan motifs like intertwined snakes and ravens used on jewelry and other objects was shifting over to more Christian imagery. Wool was still a mainstay. My persona is Christian, but his grandfather was pagan, and his father was raised pagan. I therefore use a mixture of pagan items appearing a few years earlier as well as Christian items appearing a little later than 720 AD.

The basic everyday wear of an Anglo-Saxon of this period was a tunic, a type of shirt common in the Middle Ages. A tunic of this period was generally long sleeved. and hip to knee length, and worn with a belt about the midriffs to a little above. The sleeves in some cases could be folded back to form a cuff, or pushed up to create folds. Among the residents of the kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria the sleeves sometimes had slits at the wrists that were then held together with clasps. The tunic was often pulled up and over the belt so it created a fold over the belt. The borders of the tunic was sometimes adorned with tablet woven trim. Those of higher social standing would wear an under tunic of a soft material such as cloth made from flax, hemp, or nettle under the tunic of heavier wool. The tunic was sometimes worn alone with the wearer going bare legged. Generally though trousers were worn.

Anglo-Saxon trousers or breeches of this period were worn with or without leggings or garters and held up with a belt. Trousers could be anywhere from a fairly tight fit to a loose fit. Some trousers had belt loops so that a belt could hold them up more easily. If the breeches did not have belt loops the upper cloth was pulled up and over the belt to hold them in place. If leggings were worn these consisted of strips of cloth wrapped and tied with another piece of cloth around the leg to form a tight fit. Leggings were generally only worn with tight fitting pants, and not the looser fits. The leggings could be made of cloth or leather strips of three to four inches in width.

In cooler weather a variety of over garments would be worn. Very common was a simple rectangular cloak or mentel (not unlike a blanket) held at the right shoulder with a pin or broach that was in the range of 60" by 90". Wealthier individuals had cloaks that were larger. The larger of these cloaks were folded in half worn, and could serve as a spare blanket. The border of this kind of cloak could be adorned with a tablet woven trim. The loose folds of the cloak could be thrown over the left shoulder to leave both hands free. Another kind of over garment was a hooded cloak, not unlike the hooded cloaks of later periods. There was also a jacket not unlike modern jackets that opened in the front. With some of these the right side was made to wrap over the left. The jacket was held in place with a belt.

As for headgear, skull caps were worn as were hoods. Skull caps were generally made of leather and only covered the very top of the head. Your basic Anglo-Saxon hood is not much different from the hood on a modern hoodie except that it only covered the upper part of the body, generally only the head and shoulders.

There were accessories worn with tunics, breeches, and over garments. Two belts were often worn. One about the midriffs or a little above over the tunic while another would be worn to hold the breeches up. Belts were most often held in place with a buckle and the more elaborate had belt tips. Such belts would have been worn over the tunic while the belt used to hold trousers up would have been plain. Belts were not as long as in the later Middle Ages as they were not held in place with a belt ring though those of higher status would tend to have longer belts. Pouches, scabbards, and other things were thought to be hung from the belt used to hold up the trousers. However, I generally hang these from the belt about the tunic as it seems more practical. Cloaks and other pieces of clothing were held in place by brooches. These came in a number of varieties differing in shape and style.

Footwear was very simple involving a kind of socks and a simple turnshoes. They also wore a sort of ankle boot similar to the variety worn later by the Vikings existed. Shoes tended to be made of pen piece of leather with perhaps a separate piece for the sole. They were fastened with toggles or leather straps.

I have found the following sites helpful with putting together garb. Some sites have patterns one can use:

Making Early Period Anglo-Saxon Garb
http://www.midrealm.org/starleafgate/pdf/Making_Anglo_Saxon_Garb.pdf

Angelcynn: Clothing and Appearance of the Pagan Anglo-Saxons
http://mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr/link/med/england/anglo-saxon/culture/dress.html

Cunnan: Anglo-Saxon Clothing
http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_clothing

How to Make a Late Period Anglo-Saxon Costume
http://www.rosieandglenn.co.uk/TheLibrary/Costume/CnTGuides/HowtoMake/LateASCostume.htm

Anglo-Saxon Cloaks
http://www.aeans.org/articles/ascloak.shtml

'T-tunic' - the period way
http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/articles/Tunics/TUNICS.HTML

A Beautifully Carved Horn: Horn Carving in the Dark Ages

Usually this blog is about heraldry, but I thought I would depart from that and post a paper I wrote many, many years ago for an Arts and Sciences competition when I went by Oswald of Mercia in Ansteorra. It is about horn carving, something I have done off and on for fourteen years.

A Beautifully Carved Horn: Horn Carving in the Dark Ages

By Oswald of Mercia

The Germanic peoples (the Danes, Franks, Anglo-Saxons, Swedes, and other tribes speaking Germanic languages) were amongst the last of Europe to give up the use of horns for drinking vessels. The use of drinking horns, are attested to from archaeological finds in Anglo-Saxon and Viking graves, and throughout the Eddas, and such Icelandic Sagas such as the Orkneyinga Saga:

After they had carried on drinking for some time they went out for Nones, then came back and drank toasts from horns. Next, Svein Breast-rope wanted to exchange horns with his namesake, believing that Svein Asleifarson's was smaller. Eyvind thrust a large horn into the hand of Svein Asleifarson who offered it to the other Svein. (Orkneyinga Saga, Palsson and Edwards translation)

Carved horns are mentioned in the Elder Edda (compiled about 1000 CE):

On the horn’s face were there All the kin of letters Cut aright and reddened, How should I rede them rightly? The ling-fish long Of the land of Hadding, Wheat-ears unshorn, And wild things inwards. (“The Second Lay of Gudrun”, Morris and Magnusson translation)

And the Prose Edda as well:

Next I see a finely inscribed serpent on the splendid yeast-flood tunic (a kenning for a drinking horn).

From this verse we know that motifs similar to those used in wood carving and metal working of the period were used on horns. Serpents were a favorite topic of metal and wood workers as witnessed by the artifacts that have survived such as those from Oseberg and Sutton Hoo. The use of serpents or dragons was part of what is known as animal ornamentation. From about 100 BCE onwards to 1200 CE, often highly abstract representations of birds, horses, dragons, dogs and other animals appeared on Germanic goods of all kinds. The Oseberg finds included a ship that contained a bed and cart both intricately carved with representations of faces, people, and various beasts. Similar carvings are found throughout Northern Europe on objects made of bone and antler. Combs, sword mounts, bracelets, knife handles, and weaving tools, found in archaeological digs, all made of bone or antler show carvings similar to those of the metal and wood work.

Unfortunately, few intact drinking or blowing horns from the Viking or Anglo-Saxon ages have survived. Horn (being softer than either bone or antler), decays rather rapidly in nearly any type of soil.

However, while few drinking horns have survived from the Dark Ages, two gold representations of drinking horns did. The Gallehus Horns found in Jutland, Denmark in 1639 were gold drinking vessels in the shape of aurochs horns. One bore a runic inscription and both had carvings of animals and people arranged in bands around them. Both horns were unfortunately stolen and melted down, but replicas were made from a study of the horns. Both were dated to around the 5th century. Glass horns from the 4th century onwards, on the other hand, do not seem to use animal and human forms, but geometric designs. While no Viking or Anglo-Saxon horns have survived for the most part their metal mounts have. The tips and rims of horns buried at Sutton Hoo are decorated with geometric designs. Unfortunately, the horns themselves did not survive. Six horn rims found at Taplow show similar designs. Many rims and tips found throughout Scandinavia and England are close to these in design.

The precise way horns were carved in the Viking and Anglo-Saxon ages is lost to us. Many of the wood working skills of the era however, would have translated into the polishing and carving of horns. They probably used chisels, files, awls, and saws similar to those they used for wood, only finer. The first step in making a drinking horn involves removing the core from the horn. One method of removing the core is by soaking the horn in water for several weeks, and then boiling for an hour or two. This method produces a clean, sterile horn. The drawback is that boiling can warp the walls of the horn if the heat is too intense, or if the horn is boiled too long. Another method of removing the core is to place the horn in a warm, dry area. The core gradually shrinks, and after a few weeks can be removed. This method leaves a lot of material in the horn that must be cleaned out, but will not warp the walls of the horn. Dark Age horners could have used either method or both to remove horn cores. Once the core is removed, the horn is polished. Dark Age horners did not have access to modern sand paper. Polishing of the horn is likely then to have been done by scraping the rough horn with a fine blade, and then polishing using any variety of methods. One that was most likely used was a leather strap soaked in water. This method can give as good a polish to a horn as modern steel wool, and was in use by horners up to one hundred years ago. Charcoal, ash, or powered pumice may also have been used with a wool cloth, and produces similar results. Wet sandstone could also have been used to smooth and polish horns, however, this method is likely to produce scratches.

The carving of the horn was likely done by an awl, probably specially made for the purpose. The horner would have scratched in the designs with a fine tipped awl and then deepened them with a larger awl. Knives and chisels may also have been used. Regardless of the tools, the carving is likely to have been a gradual process of scratching in the design and then deepening and widening the grooves until the desired affect was achieved. While I have tried using Dark Age methods in horn carving, I rely on the most part on a Dremel tool using a fine engraving bit to carve, and try to obtain horns that have already been cored. When I do get horns that still have the core, I rely on the second method described above (after several bad experiences with boiling). Once the core is removed, I judge what sandpaper grade to start the sanding process with. For very rough horns, I start sanding with a very rough grade sand paper (usually 60), and then proceed to a medium grade sandpaper. If the horn is already relatively smooth, I start with a medium grade sandpaper (usually 120) to remove any deep scratches. I then continue to step down to finer grade sandpapers, finishing the sanding process with medium or fine grade emery cloth, and very fine steel wool. One could alternately finish the sanding process by stepping down to a very fine grade sandpaper such as 360 and then 1000. By using a finer grade sand paper each sanding, one makes the polishing process much easier. When sanding, one must always go against the grain of the horn. If one sands with the grain of the horn, deep scratches can be the result. Once the horn had been sanded smooth, I begin the polishing process. In the past, I have used jeweller’s rogue or polishing compounds to achieve a nice shine. In recent years though, I have been using nylon stockings to shine the horn after buffing it with a cotton buffing pad and Dremel tool. This results in a beautiful shine, almost a mirror finish in some cases at a cheaper cost than using jeweler’s rogue or polishing compounds.

Once the horn is polished I carve the horn. For my designs I use a paper template glued to the horn (using a non-toxic glue stick). Horn is difficult to draw on, and both pencil and ink will smear. I then use an engraving cutter bit (Dremel bit #107) and Dremel tool to carve through the paper and into the horn. Once the design is carved into the horn, I then deepen it, alternating between carving and engraving bits. The engraving cutter bit #108 manufactured by Dremel is excellent for fine work while bit #107 is best for general carving. I occasionally use the #7103 Diamond Ball Point by Dremel to get a smoother cut than the other bits. There are really no tricks to carving a horn. Every horn is different, and only experience can really tell anyone which bit to use at what time. The main concern when carving a horn, be it with a Dremel tool, awl, or knife is to keep the hand steady (with a Dremel using a pencil grip on the rotary tool) and with a rotary tool making sure the bits are locked tightly into the collet. When using a Dremel, higher speeds (10,000 RPM and above) seem to work best when carving a horn, but slower speeds are safer for detailed work. Once the carving is complete, all rough areas left from the carving, can be smoothed down by buffing and polishing. I have found one can smooth the grooves of a carving using a bit of steel wool or emery cloth on the tip of a matchstick or toothpick.

It is likely Dark Age horns were painted. Paint colors available to the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings were generally blacks, browns, greens, blues, yellows, and reds. All of these colors have been noted on both Anglo-Saxon and Viking artifacts. I generally use Testors enamel modeling paints as these do not seem to peel off or crack after long periods of use. It is not unlikely that horns may have been inlaid with gold or silver. Horns can also be dyed by soaking them in water with dyes or chemicals. A horn soaked with Black Walnut husks will yield a brown or blackish horn. A more modern method is to use Kool Aid as a dying agent, but this works with rather unpredictable results.

To make the horn fit for drinking from, one must first cure it. This can be done after the horn is cored and cleaned out, or after carving. In order to cure a horn, one must make sure that the horn is clean. This can be done by filling the horn with water, and then adding a teaspoon of bleach, and allowing the horn to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. One should then rinse the horn thoroughly. Alternately, denture cleaner can be used, a tablet or two in a horn filled with water. Once the horn is clean, one can then cure it by allowing ale, mead, beer, or wine to set in it overnight. This should get rid of the horn taste, although it may have to be done more than once to totally eliminate the taste. Some folks use beeswax to coat the inside of the horn or some form of chemical sealant. Neither method seems to work as well as curing in my opinion however. Beeswax will melt in the hot sun as well as attract dirt. Chemical sealants may leach into any drink placed into the horn.

If one wishes to make a blowing horn, the same steps can be taken to sand, polish, and clean the horn. However, before one begins carving designs in the horn, they will want to carve the mouth piece. The first step is to saw off the tip of the horn at the point where it becomes solid. Take a dowel, and place in the horn until it hits the solid tip. Mark the dowel at the horn’s mouth. Then use the dowel to measure on the outside of the horn, and make a pencil mark about 1/8 to 1/4 inch beyond end of the dowel towards the tip. This is where you will want to saw the tip off. A hacksaw or bone saw works best to saw horn. Once the tip is off you will need to drill a small hole through the solid end into the open section of the horn. A brace or a hand drill can be used to do this. The bit should be no larger than 1/8 inch. If one wishes to be authentic, they would use a gimlet (a miniature auger with a cross handle and bit) to drill the hole. Once the hole is drilled, you can begin carving the mouth piece. You do this by carving a "V" shaped mouth piece leading into the horn. This is easiest done by inserting the blade of a small but sturdy knife into the horn at an angle, blade tip pointing inward and slowly carving around the entire circumference of the horn tip in a circular pattern. Be careful not to widen the hole nearest the mouth of the horn too greatly. Once you have a slight "V" shape started, and after clearing away any splinters, stop and sound the horn. If the horn sounds as you wish, you can stop carving, and begin smoothing and rounding the edges around the mouthpiece.

Bibliography

Evison, V. I. ‘Germanic glass drinking horns,’ Journal of Glass Studies, 17 (1975), p. 87, no.51

MacGregor, Arthur M. “Bone, Antler, Ivory, and Horn, the technology of skeletal materials since the Roman Period.” Croom Helm, Totawa NJ: 1985

Morris, William and Magnusson, Eirikr (translators), “The Story of the Volsungs,” Walter Scott Press, London: 1988

Palsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul (translators), “Orkneyinga Saga,” Penguin Books, 1978 Ritchie, Carson, “Bone and Horn Carving A Pictorial History,” A..S. Barnes and Co., Inc., Cranbury, NJ: 1975

Salzman, L.F. “Building in England Down to 1540,” Oxford University Press, Oxford: 1952 Scurlock, William (editor), “The Book of Buckskinning,” Rebel Publishing Co., Texarkana, TX: 1981

Walton, Penelope, ‘Dyes of the Viking Age: A Summary of Recent Work,’ “Dyes in History and Archaeology” (1988), pp 14-19

Or, three water bougets gules.

Expanding Your Horizons with Charges

I am on three Society for Creative Anachronism heraldry groups on Facebook, as well as my kingdom heralds mailing list, and I have access to OSCAR (the online system heralds use to discuss devices, badges, and names in the process of being registered in the SCA). One of the very few things that disappoints me with SCA heraldry is the fact you see the same charges (the images on a device) over and over again. I cannot tell you the number of rabbits, paw prints, birds, domestic cats, and trees I have seen. Even the fleur-de-lis is in my opinion overly used in the SCA. Now it is not that most of these charges were not used in period. Trees and different kinds of birds were very common, and rabbits and cats were not unheard of on period arms. I have yet though to see period arms that use paw prints. And the fleur-de-lis is very, very common on period arms (and no doubt appeals to those with French and Norman French personas). They are though, in my opinion along with many other charges over used. Of course, that is merely my opinion and I do not slight anyone if they want a domestic cat sejant with three sparrows on their device (no offence if I am describing your device here). It is an appealing design. I merely think people do not realize just how many different charges they can use that would make their device or badge very unique, and not just one of many with a fleur-de-lis on it.

Many of these charges could be just as meaningful to a person as say a cat or a paw print. There is a list of rarely used charges in the Society for Creative Anachronism at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0As1Y_2QwCSKBcC00RFBFUjA0OWNISkxWSy1hTTVzV2c#gid=0 Some of these charges are rarely seen in period heraldry which is probably why they are not common in the SCA, but others such as buckles were very common on period arms. Other common period charges on the list include spindles, padlocks, and various plants like garlic. If you want something unique, more easily registered, and something personal I seriously suggest looking over this list. Myself personally I was shocked at how rarely buckles were used in the SCA considering how common they were on period arms. Another charge that is not on the list, but that I have not commonly seen used in the SCA is the water bouget. Water bougets in the period arms rolls I have seen were as common as the fleur-de-lis, and to me a beautiful charge. In total there are only 56 devices and badges registered in the SCA that use water bougets.So if you are considering registering a device, or are considering releasing your registered device and registering a new one think things over and explore your options before you settle on yet another oak tree or cat statant. You may find something that is very unique and at the same time very "you."

Or, a strawberry gules, and on a chief sable three bells Or.

I have not seen strawberries used much in SCA heraldry so in my quest to use rarely used charges I came up with this design. I find it surprising strawberries are not more common as everyone likes strawberries don't they?

Gules, a maunche between three spindles Or.

Going along with charges rarely used on SCA devices this one uses a maunch and drop spindles. A maunch is a medieval detachable sleeve of a woman's gown. Strangely, it often appeared on medieval coats of arms. Spindles did not appear as often, but were used. Like the arms I designed with the buckles, you have a good chance at being able to register a device in the Society for Creative Anachronism if you use maunches or spindles as they are rare.

Or, a water bouget and on a chief azure, three round buckles Or

Water bougets and buckles rarely appear on armory in the Society for Creative Anachronism despite being fairly common on arms of the Middle Ages. So if you are an SCA member and looking to register a device or badge that probably won't conflict with someone else's look to using buckles or water bougets.

Azure, a bend costised argent between two crosses formy erminois.

Azure, on a chevron between three mullets of eight points Or, two wolves passant respectant gules.

Online Sites for Name Research for English and Anglo-Saxon Personas in the SCA

At one time in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) English and Anglo-Saxon personas were very common. They are becoming less common, but still many SCA members opt for an English or Anglo-Saxon persona. Finding a period English or Anglo-Saxon name may sound easy. After all we speak English so how hard should it be to come up with a name in English? The problem is naming conventions have changed over the past 1600 years. Names were not constructed in 800 CE the way they are now.  And many names have fallen out of use while some names in common usage now simply did not exist. Surnames did not become common until the 13th century in England. Prior to that folks generally went by their given name and a byname of some sort either a name telling where they were from (locative), a name describing them (descriptive), or a name based on what their occupation was (occupational). Too, the language itself has changed. One cannot simply name their early period Anglo-Saxon persona Edwin because the name would not have been spelled that way (in the early Anglo-Saxon period it would have been Eadwine). Even in later periods it would be difficult using Modern English for a name. Like Old English the spellings of the Middle English versions of given names, the names of locations, and words for occupations are most often different. With that in mind, here are some online resources to help in developing a name for your English or Anglo-Saxon persona in the SCA. Online resources are generally searchable making it easier to locate a name. You may still need to pick up a book to document an Anglo-Saxon or English name for the SCA, but these sites will generally point you to where you can find a name in print, and in some cases the sites themselves can be used for documentation.

SCA College of Arms - Name Articles
http://heraldry.sca.org/names.html

This is the site to go to to learn how to document a name. Even if you have a herald do all the work for you this will give you an idea of what it takes to register a name. It should be the first stop for anyone wanting to register a name.

Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
http://www.bosworthtoller.com/node/62883

This dictionary is helpful for those wanting an Anglo-Saxon name. Some villages and towns are listed and these would be useful for creating a locative byname. And while occupational and descriptive bynames were rare in the Anglo-Saxon period this dictionary can be used to create those as well.

Old English Translator
http://www.oldenglishtranslator.co.uk

This site is handy for translating Modern English words to Old English for Anglo-Saxon names. For example if one were to enter the word "weaver" in the search box and press on the button that says "Modern English > Old English" you would see Old English words meaning "weaver" like "webba." It can also be used for locations. For example entering "Evesham" into the search box will result in entries for the Old English spellings of  "Eofesham" and "Euesham."

Middle English Dictionary at the University of Michigan
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/med/

This dictionary can be used for creating a byname for an English persona in the period from 12th to late 15th centuries. By that time descriptive and occupational bynames had become common so this dictionary is very helpful. One can find the Middle English equivalents of Modern English words by using the search function which searches definitions as well as Middle English words.

Authentic Names: Anglo-Saxon, Viking
http://www.regia.org/members/names.htm

This is nothing more than a list of names, and one has to document the names elsewhere. Still, it is handy for those that just want to look at a list of names, and pick one out. There are a lot of Anglo-Saxon names listed here giving one plenty of choices.

The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England
http://www.pase.ac.uk/index.html

A database of Anglo-Saxon names drawn from sources of the period it can be used to document Anglo-Saxon names. Using the search engine on the site one can search for an Anglo-Saxon name and find period sources for the name that can then be used to document the name.

The Domesday Book Online
http://www.domesdaybook.co.uk

The Domesday Book Online is just that. It is the 11th century Domesday Book searchable online. It is good for finding period spellings of Old English names, Anglo-Norman names, as well as Old English place-names. It even has a map of England with the various shires of the 11th century. Click on a shire and you are given all the place names in the Domesday Book for that shire with a link to a list of all the locations in that shire. You can then click on the location and it will take you to the entry in the Domesday Book. This is handy if you want your persona to be from a particular part of England.

Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum; a List of Anglo-Saxon Proper Names from the Time of Beda to that of King John
https://archive.org/details/onomasticonangl00seargoog

This is not actually a website, but an ebook that can be read online. The Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum by William George Searle is the go to book for Anglo-Saxon names. Compiled from many, many Anglo-Saxon documents you will find many names here you will not find elsewhere. Not only that it gives name elements that allow you if you are so inclined to construct your own name.

Studies on Uncompounded Personal Names in Old English
https://archive.org/details/studiesonuncompo00rediuoft

Another ebook handy for finding Anglo-Saxon names it gives the names as well as the primary sources the names are taken from. It is compiled from many Anglo-Saxon documents. The book is also handy for learning how Anglo-Saxon names were constructed.

Old English Occupational Bynames at the Viking Answer Lady Site
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/Stars/OE_Occupational_Bynames.htm

Occupational bynames were rare in the Anglo-Saxon period, but not unheard of. This is a list of some of the occupational bynames that were used.

The Historical Gazetteer of England's Place-Names
http://placenames.org.uk/

This site has over four million place-names from England. These names range from names for villages to fields to streets. The search lets you search for a modern or historical name giving you all the places for a given name by type (settlement, parish, street, and so on), and the entries for a name gives you the names of the documents the name can be found in. It is then a simple matter of locating a document to document a place-name. This resource is invaluable for creating a locative byname. It is very useful for both Anglo-Saxon and English names.

SCA College of Arms - Name Articles (England)
http://heraldry.sca.org/names.html#england

Most of these articles are on names from what I consider the late period (15th to 17th centuries) that the SCA covers. Still there are articles that are helpful for anyone wanting an English name anywhere from the 13th to 17th century. Given names and surnames are covered by the numerous articles listed here.

The Medieval Names Archive: English, Old English, and Anglo-Norman Names
http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/english.shtml

This site has articles for every period the SCA covers for English names as well as links to other sites that cover English names. It is perhaps one of the best resources for finding an English name from any period.

Calendar of Patent Rolls
http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/patentrolls/

An excellent place to find and document medieval English names the patent rolls are documents that expressed the will of the various English kings of the era,

English Surnames: Their Sources and Significations
http://books.google.com/books?id=JckYAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

An ebook useful for finding English surnames.It lacks dates for many of the names, so you may have to document a name from elsewhere, but it is still great for getting leads.

English Given Names from 16th and Early 17th C Marriage Records
http://www.ellipsis.cx/~liana/names/english/parishes/parishes.html

Parish records from the 15th and 17th centuries a great source for finding names from those centuries.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames with Special American Instances
http://books.google.com/books?id=RbkEAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

An ebook that can be read online it is an excellent source of English surnames. Dates are given with the names so you should be able to use this book for documentation.

FamilySearch
https://familysearch.org/search

Some records on FamilySearch can be used to document names for the SCA. Many of the parish registries for England have been made available some as early as 1440 CE. If one is wanting a late period persona this site can be very helpful. You will have to see the SCA College of Arms section on documenting names as to how to use these records.

There are no doubt other online resources for Anglo-Saxon and English names and as I locate them I will add them to this list. Documenting English names for the SCA is actually fairly easy. If a name existed in the medieval period it is likely it was recorded somewhere. If you need any help in documenting an English name for use in the Society for Creative Anachronism feel free to contact me and I will see what I can do. However, with these resources it should not be a difficult task for one to do his or herself.

My Heraldric Achievement

In  the Kingdom of Calontir the populace is allowed the use of "a Helm, Torse, Crest, Mantling and Motto" according to kingdom law (see AIII-322 Heraldric Acheivements in "The Sumptuary Laws of Calontir" http://seneschal.calontir.org/calontir-law-14th-ed.php#appendix-3). With that in mind I decided to design my own and share it on SCA Heraldry Chat on Facebook. And to my great surprise, Conal Mac Nachtan (Bill Knight) designed an even better one for me! It is absolutely beautiful and I am very much in his debt. Conal plays in the Kingdom of the Outlands and serves as the Kingdom Chirurgeon there. He also runs a website that sells heraldric wear (everything from mugs to T-shirts to badges). You can visit it at: http://www.conalscorner.com/ Like me Conal also designs devices for people for free, and his work is wonderful. He has examples on his site. Here is the heraldric achievement he did for me:

Missouri and Things: Beware of Companies Selling you Family Coats of Ar...

Missouri and Things: Beware of Companies Selling you Family Coats of Ar...: One of my interests over the years has been heraldry. Heraldry is defined by the Oxford Dictionaries as "the system by which coats of a...

Sable, an eagle displayed Or, on a chief embattled gules, three acorns Or.

Why Register a Name in The SCA?

One is not required to register a name in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and many do not. I know I went for ten years (combining my first and second stints in the SCA) without registering a name. For years and years folks have went their entire SCA lives without registering a name. Some kingdoms now require one have a registered name or device to receive a scroll for an award though (to register a device one must register a name) or to register a name and device to fight in their respective crown tourneys. Even if one is not required to register a name to receive an scroll for an award in his or her kingdom there are some advantages to registering a name.

First and foremost by registering your name and device you avoid confusion. Lets say there are two people going by Henry of Faversham. One resides in An Tir, the other in the East Kingdom. As long as the two never cross paths, and no one that knows them crosses paths, there may not be a problem. Not being in the same kingdom there is unlikely to be any confusion over who received what award. But lets say Henry of Faversham moves from An Tir to the East Kingdom. Suddenly, folks talking about "Henry of Faversham" have to ask, "Do you mean the one from Glenn Linn or the one from Stonemarche?" More confusion is encountered when awards are granted. Henry of Faversham from Glenn Linn may be recorded in the East Kingdom Order of Precedence as having gotten an award given to Henry of Faversham from Stonemarche. There are safeguards against this, but mistakes can be made. Even if both stay in their respective kingdoms there can be confusion. Lets say one or both are admitted to the Order of the Pelican. Suddenly folks are confused when people are talking about "Henry of Faversham." Granted these are worst case scenarios, but even then there can even be confusion when folks are referring someone to one of them for answers about some area of expertise. Lets say Henry of Faversham from An Tir is a master armorer, while Henry of Faversham from East Kingdom cannot even tell you what a mail coif is. Henry of Faversham of East Kingdom may be perplexed as to why he is getting questions on how to make a pair of gauntlets.

There can be similar confusion over devices. Lets say John of Amlesmore adopts a gold cross with a red background (gules, a cross Or)  as the design of his device. Jack of Brokenbridge quite unaware John of Amlesmore is using that device decides he wants that design too. Then comes a day when the Kingdoms of Calontir and the East face each other on the field of battle. For whatever reason both armies are wearing purple surcoats (with their respective kingdom emblems on them of course). In the heat of battle all one may see is a flash of purple and the shield. Suddenly, John and Jack are wondering why they are not getting hit, or worse yet why members of both armies are attacking them. In battle shields play an important role in identifying whose who. The same is true of tournaments to a lesser degree. It is therefore important that each device be unique.

By registering names and devices one avoids such needless confusion. The College of Arms ensures that each name and each device registered is unique, and is not too similar to another. Thus there cannot be two Henrys of Favershams, or two devices that are a gold cross on a red background. Such a practice may not be authentic to period, but then folks did not travel in the Middle Ages as they do now. Folks that knew John of Ashford from Surrey may never meet people that knew John of Ashford from Kent. A knight in England with a shield with a gold cross on it may never meet a knight from Sweden with a shield with the same emblem. Today, that is not a case. It is entirely possible Henry of Faversham of An Tir may move to East Kingdom where he will be confused with the Henry of Faversham that has always lived in East Kingdom. And it is entirely possible John of Amlesmore and Jack of Brokenbridge both bearing shields with a gold cross on them will both be at Pennsic.

There are other reasons to register a name and a device. When your name and device passes submission it is added to the records the College of Arms keeps. These for the most part are now online for all to see. This makes it easy for the respective Crowns, heralds, and scribes to know who you are and what name to put on scrolls for awards, and what name to put in the Order of Precedence. It is makes it easy for a herald who has never seen a name spelled, who has only heard it, to check the spelling to make sure the scribe doing the scroll spells it right. It saves the time of inquiring of group members how a member's name is spelled and possibly ruining what is to be a surprise award.

Finally, registering a name is a polite thing to do. It shows one is serious about the SCA, that he or she is dedicated to it. It shows that one wants to make it easier for the Crown and officers when they make awards, and ensures people know who is being spoken of when referrals are made. There is no requirement to register a name. One can use a name his or her entire time in the SCA without ever registering it. There are many sustaining members who are group officers that do not have a registered name. At the same time it is a good idea. One thing that must be emphasized if you are a new member though, do not just rush out and register a name. Take your time, use your own legal birth name for a while if need be (I could have went by Berry of Amlesmore for a while before attempting to register my name if I wanted). There is no rush. It is more important one choose a name to register they like than to just register a name to have a name registered. To register a name it is suggested you talk to your local herald. You can also read my post Picking Out a Period Name in the Society for Creative Anachronism and Modar University's Why Register Your SCA Name and Armory?.

Picking Out A Period Name in the Society for Creative Anachronism

One issue that often comes up in the Society for Creative Anachronism is that a member picks out a name for his or her persona, brings it to a herald, tries to get it registered only to find out it cannot be registered as it cannot be found in period sources. And ofttimes this is upsetting to the member as he or she may have become attached to the name, and may even have been using it since he or she picked it out. A lot of this heartache is simply because SCA members do not realize that any name they register for a persona must be authentic. It must be the sort of name that someone from the era of the persona would have had. This is specific to culture and language as much as it is time period. Thus Offa of Tamworth might do well for an Anglo-Saxon persona of the tenth century, but not for a 16th century Austrian persona. Offa of Wien would not be likely to be able to be registered as the name Offa is an 8th century Anglo-Saxon name and would not do for a 16th century Austrian persona. Of course there is always the question of why must a name be from the period? Why can't someone just make up a name? The answer is that name creation is like anything else in the SCA. A woven tablet using Mickey Mouse as a pattern would not get very far in an Arts and Sciences competition nor would a fighter be allowed to fight in SWAT armor. Of course while not being able to use the modern name one wants is frustrating nearly all of the frustration in picking out a name that can be registered can be avoided if one realizes from the start that he or she must use a name that may have been used in period. It may mean some changes in how a SCA member approaches choosing a name though, and this is where heralds can be a great deal of help. The first step one should take before ever choosing an SCA name is consult a herald.

When choosing a name there are three simple questions that must be answered when one creates a persona for the SCA. They are who, where, and when. Who is the persona, what culture is he or she a part of, what language does he or she speak? Where does the persona live? Has he or she always lived there? And finally, when did the persona live? Until a SCA member can answer those questions there is no use in picking out a name. To pick out a name a member needs to know what people the persona is a part of, what language would the name be in, and when the persona lived. Once a SCA member knows those things he or she are ready to choose a name for his or her persona.

Whether the member is doing it his or herself or having a herald do it for them the first step is to look at period sources for when and where the persona lived. Some heralds maintain name lists a SCA member can look at, and there are some databases online, but one may have to look through period manuscripts and records. By looking at period sources one can get an idea of the names available. For some times and places there may be a great number of names. For others there may not be many. In general the later the time period the greater number of names that will be available.That is not to say a person should limit themselves to later sources. In some cases in earlier periods it is possible to construct a name on known naming patterns. For example someone might attempt to register the name Wulfræd if he is doing an Anglo-Saxon persona on the basis that it may follow known Anglo-Saxon practices of name construction. Not all sources of names are created equal. Anything with the word "baby" in the title should be avoided as the point of such sites and books is to provide modern names for modern babies, not document the origins and meanings of names. A good source of names should provide the date the names were used as well as list the period documents the names were mentioned in or better yet the period documents themselves. Period literature like Icelandic sagas and records like parish registries are both good examples of sources for period names.A herald can help in this search and point one in the direction of period sources of names.

There are two reasons people generally pick out a name. One is based on how the name sounds. One wants a name that sounds a certain way. The second reason is based on meaning. One wants a name that has a certain meaning. Neither reason is more important than the other. This is something one should keep in mind when picking out a name. If one is looking at how a name sounds it is a simple matter of looking at names that sound like or are close to what one wants. I have seen some people even willing to allow this to determine the time and place of their persona. They are willing for their persona to be of any time and place within the period just to have a name that sounds a certain way. Folks wanting a name with a certain meaning often need not be so flexible. In many cases it is just a simple matter of finding a name that has the meaning they want. There are other reasons one might want a certain name or type of name. For me I simply wanted a name used in the time period I chose as well as one used in the culture my persona existed so I looked for names used in 8th century Anglo-Saxon England. I chose Wulfhere as I admired a king of that period with that name. Others may want to use early versions of a family name. Say if Henry is a common name in his or her family he or she may choose to use it or an early version of it. No doubt there are other reasons a person may want a certain name ranging from naming themselves for a famous personage (choosing the name Richard because he or she admires Richard the Lion Hearted) to wanting a name similar to their own modern name.

Once one has chosen a given name the second step to choose a byname. Again one can rely on a herald to help him or her. In later periods bynames can be surnames.  Surnames of the period can be found in period documents. I have a friend that uses the 16th century version of his maternal grandfather's surname. He used a parish registry of the 16th century to document his surname. Since surnames did not often exist in earlier periods bynames were simply something that described the person so as to differentiate he or she from others with the same given name. These may be locative, describing where the persona is from; descriptive, a byname that notes something different about the persona; patronymic,a byname that tells who the persona's parents are; or occupational, a name that gives the occupation of the persona. Since surnames were not used in 8th century England I had to choose a locative, a descriptive, a patronymic, or an occupational byname. I wanted my persona to be from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia so I chose a town that existed at that time in what is now that part of England. I really did not care where in the kingdom of Mercia my persona was from so I simply looked for a place whose name could be found in documents of the period. I found Evesham, England which was in Mercia mentioned in a very early charter for a monastery so I could document it easily and therefore chose it. I could have just as easily decided I wanted my persona to have a certain profession and chose a byname based on that. Say if I wanted my persona to be a farmer I might have looked for Anglo-Saxon words for farmer. While rare in the period of my persona I could have used a descriptive name. If say I wanted my persona to be known for being handsome I may have chosen  Wulfhere se Alor. Or while also rare in my period I could have used a patronymic byname say Wulfhere Wuffessunu. Like given names bynames must be documented in some way. A herald can be a great deal of help here. A SCA member may know he or she wants something like a byname meaning "the weaver," but not know how to say it in the language of the persona. Here a herald can help by suggesting words he or she knows, or get help from another herald that is familiar with the language.

Finally one must figure out how a name is constructed specific to the language the persona's name is in. For most this will simply mean going to a herald and having him or her do it for them. However if one wants to do it his or herself this is how it can be done. How a byname is constructed varies from language to language and sometimes from century to century.  For example, with an early period Anglo-Saxon byname if a locative the place name must take the dative case (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dative_case for an explanation of the dative case). In some languages it is possible to construct a name following known patterns and using words commonly used in parts of names. This must be documented differently than simply finding a given name or byname in a period document. One must show that each part of the name would have been used in a language's methods of name construction. Using the example of Wulfræd earlier one would have to show that Wulf- was used as part of an Anglo-Saxon name, and that -ræd was also. This also applies to bynames. With Anglo-Saxon locative bynames one can make up place names. Thus Wulfræd could be Wulfræd of Wulfeshamme as places were often named for people. Wulf was a common Anglo-Saxon given name while -ham was a common ending for the names of villages and towns. Some other languages do this as well. The page Naming Construction and Patterns gives many ways names were constructed in the various time periods of many of the cultures personas can be from in the SCA. In my case the form of Evesham in my period was Eofesham and the dative of that was Eofeshamme. I also had to use something denoting that I was from there. Since "of" is a good Anglo-Saxon preposition meaning "from," and can be found in the Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, and is accepted by the SCA College of Arms as a legitimate form of Anglo-Saxon name construction I used it. Note my name is still going through the registration process so it could become Wulfhere æt Eofeshamme if the heralds so choose, æt being a less commonly used Anglo-Saxon word meaning "from."

Choosing a name one wants in the SCA need not be a heartbreaking experience. One must simply realize that names like everything else in the SCA must be in period. Choosing a name is no different from a scribe only using known motifs and fonts from the period the SCA covers. One would not expect a scribe to do a scroll in Times New Roman simply because he or she likes the look of the font. Similarly one would not expect a fighter to fight in modern bomb armor simply because it is lighter than wearing period plate or chain armor. Choosing a name is no different. And to use the comparison of the fighter again, fighters often rely on armorers to make their armor. In the same way an SCA member can rely on a herald to help create their persona's name.

Once one has chosen a name, and documented it, or had a herald document it, one is ready to register the name. Registration varies from kingdom to kingdom and one is encouraged to find a herald in his or her kingdom to help or go to his or her kingdom's heraldry website to see how to register a name. It usually consists of giving one's contact information, a birth date for identification, and listing the sources one used to document the name. In some cases one may have to provide photocopies of the sources. Even well documented names may not be able to be registered. Sometimes someone is already using a name or something similar, and each SCA member's name must be unique to her or him. However, generally if one has done his or her homework or has a good herald doing all the groundwork for him or her registration is a painless if long process. A piece of advice though, it is possible to over document. When I started the registration process for my name I sent 19 pages of documentation overwhelming our poor submissions herald. The truth is only one or two pieces of documentation is needed for the given name and byname. One could perhaps easily provide only one piece of documentation for the given name and one for the byname and if from reliable sources get his or her name registered. The point is though if one chooses a name from period sources, or constructs a name using period practices there will be a lot less heartache than simply picking out a name, and then hoping it will pass. If one wants to know more about choosing a period name it is suggested he or she go to SCA College of Arms - Name Articles

Purpure, three cherry blossoms argent and a bordure Or

This is a badge I designed for a new member from whole cloth. A friend of hers and I were discussing possible designs and I thought of three cherry blossoms on a roundel. The client chose the color purpure although there were versions with gules, vert, and azure fields. It is being registered now.

Per chevron Or and gules, two lions rampant gules, and an anvil Or.

Sable, a fess erminois between two cherry blossoms argent.

Per chevron gules and azure, two musical notes, and a lute Or.

"Per pale gules and azure, two horseshoes and on a chief Or a horse passant gules.

Per pale vert and gules, a drinking horn, and on chief Or three bees gules.

This device is taken and is now in the process of being submitted to be registered.

Lozengy vert and argent, a cross flory, on a chief Or three ivy leaves vert.

Per pale and per chervron ermine and sable, two cinquefoils in bend sinister Or.

Gules, a stag couchant argent attired and armed, on a chief Or three crosses bottony gules

Per pale vert and gules, a triple tower Or, between in bend two pheons.