Shadow Legion
Shadow Legion Registration Ideas
Previously returned May 1992 for lack of evidence of period naming pattern in light of "modern fantasy" sound
Shadewes Company was registered in April 1996 using the pattern "possessive surname + unit type" to Olaf Blodhox of Northshield who is still active in the Shire of Borderdowns in Northshield.
http://houseoffoust.com/shadewescompany
http://www.northshield.org/borderdowns/officers.html
So will need a Letter of Permission to Conflict if registering a version of the name that is spelled or pronounced like Shadewes.
Or register something like "Shadewes Legion of Gleann Abhean" or add some other descriptor "Dark Shadewes Legion"? (is Dark a possible English first name? there are some weird ones out there...).
The terms Legion/Legio have been deemed appropriate for household names (but not award orders anymore) per the March 2010 Cover Letter.
Per St. Gabriel Letter 2442 patterns of naming of military units in late period English include <color of livery + unit> and <unit of placename> and <commander's name + unit>.
http://www.panix.com/~gabriel/public-bin/showfinal.cgi/2442.txt
From Sharon Krossa's A Brief, Incomplete, and Rather Stopgap Article about European Household and Other Group Names Before 1600: England - Households
Showing that name pattern <name + unit> doesn't necessarily have to have the possessive "es" or " 's"
Another pattern was:
- <specific reference to the individual who was head of household> hous
- (The general pattern)
- Including the specific form: [Sir] <given name> <surname> hous
- Historical examples include:
- c1475(1464): "I, the maker of this boke, wase brought up fro twelve yere of age in sir Henry Percy house." (MED, s.v. hous (n.))
http://medievalscotland.org/names/eurohouseholds/englandhouseholds.shtml
From "Secular Orders, 1604" by Ursula Georges
This article collects the names and mottoes of the secular orders from "Ordines Militum Ecclesiastorum, et Secularium" or "Orders of Religious and Secular Knights", a Latin broadsheet published in 1604 by John Clapham.
Latin Name | Modern Translation | Motto | Motto Translation |
Milites Periscelidis | Knights of the Garter | Honi soit qui mal y pense | Shame to him who thinks ill |
Milites Stellae | Knights of the Star | Monstrant regibus astra viam | The stars show the way to kings |
Milites Fasciae sive Della Banda | Knights of the Band or "Della Banda" | ||
Milites Annunciationis | Knights of the Annunciation | F.E.R.T. (fortitudo eius Rhodam tenuit) | His strength holds Rhodes |
Milites Aurei Velleris | Knights of the Golden Fleece | Ante ferit, quam flamma micet | He bears before, what strikes flame |
Milites D: Michaelis | Knights of St. Michael | Immensi tremor Oceani | Quaking of immense Ocean |
Milites D: Stephani | Knights of St. Stephen | ||
Milites Sancti Spiritus | Knights of the Holy Spirit |
http://www.doomchicken.net/~ursula/sca/onomastics/1604orders.html
From the Middle English Dictionary - http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/med
Legioun (n.) Also legio(u), ligoun. [OF legi[:]on & L legio.]
2. An organized band of armed men. c1330 - 633: He presentede him the spere That Charlemayne wes wonet to bere To-fore the holy legioun. c1400 (?c1380) - 1293: Thenne wyth legiounes of ledes [subjects] over londes he [Nabuzardan] rydes. a1425 - 26b: Falanx: a legion or a companie or a felawshype. a 1450 - 4777: The king of Fraunce oute of the town is ryden, and wyth hym a legyoun [vr. legyowne] Of his knyghtes.
3. (a) a host of angels; (b) a large number or company of fiends;
- (a) a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344) 1164: My ffader..me wolde sende Twelf þousand legiouns of aungeles. (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.26.53: Wher gessist thou that I may nat preie my fadir, and he shal 3eue to me more than twelue legions [WB(2): legiouns] of angelis? c1390 Chart.Abbey HG(Vrn) 358: I mi3te preye my ffader and he scholde sende me mo þen twelue legiouns of angeles..A legioun is six þousend six hundred sixti and sixe. ... c1400(?c1380)Pearl (Nero A.10) 1121: Legyounes of aungelez togeder uoched. c1400(c1382) Wycl.PRSchism.(Dub 244) 264: Crist hadde many lygiouns of aungels at his biddinge. ... c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388) 4408: God fourmet hym [Lucifer] so faire..Þat mony legions his light launchet aboue. ...
- (b) ... a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3) 18197: Þus said all þaa legiuns O feindes..Þat þai sua brathli dun war cast. c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)1.109: Lucifer wiþ legionis leride it in heuene. ... a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498) 22/1: Þe fendes..seiden þat hij weren a legioun. Þat amounted sex þousande and sex hundreþ and sexti and sex. c1425(a1420) Lydg. TB (Aug A.4) 2.5849: He [Lucifer] was cast doun with alle his legiouns From þe faire hevenly mansiouns.
shadwe (n.) Also shadu(e, shado(we, shadou(gh, shadeu, shadewe, szad-, shedou, shedewe, (N) scaudu, (early) scadewe, sceadu, sceadewe, sheadewe & sadwe,sadou, (early SEM) sadue & (error) shodow. [From OE scead(u)we, scadu(w)e, etc., infl. forms of sceadu.]
1. (a) The dark image cast by someone or something ;... (f) in place name: ~ of god, translating French or Latin.
(f) ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16) 39/18: Behynde the awtier of þat chirche is the place where Moyses saugh oure lord god in a brennynge bussch..And the monkes clepen þat place Dozoleel, þat is to seyne, the schadew of god [F Dozeleel, cest a dire, Vmbre de Dieu]. a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116) 41/16: Whanne the monkys come to the place, they don of hosyn and shon for that Moyses seyde, 'Tak of thyn shon..for the place that thow stondist on, it is holy erthe'; That place is callyd the Schadewe of God [L Deseleel, id est, vmbra dei].
2. (a) A darkened area created by shadows (usu. the indistinct shadow of a large object), shade;...
3. (a) A reflection in water or a mirror; (b) an image; a silhouette, an outline; (c) a ghost; also, ?a condemned soul [last quot.]; (d) a faint trace, pale reflection; a symbol, representation.
...
5. A covering, shelter; protection; also, authority [quot.: Chartier Quad.(2)]; also, a sunshade, an umbrella [quot.: *Cath.Angl.].
6. As surname. (1203) CRR(2) 2 207: Lucas Shadue. (1314) Let.Bk.Lond.D (Gldh LetBk D) 309: Andrew Shadewe.
shadw
i macron |
(adj.) Also shadew
e macron dot below |
& (in surname) shadiwai. [From shadwe n.; also cp. OE sceadwig.]
(a) Shaded, shadowy; ~ place(s; (b) insubstantial; ?also, fictitious, pretended; (c) ?as surname.
- (a) (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959) Is.1.8: Þe do3ter of syon shal ben forsaken as a shadewi place in a vyne3erde. (a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944)126b/a: Beestis drawiþ to schadewe place for strong hete of þe sonne. (a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944) 239b/a: In schadowy places..palme may nou3t growe. (a1398) * Trev. Barth.(Add 27944) 288a/b: His moder huydeþ hym in caues and dennes and in schadewy place. c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)75/12: Be þe bledder blowne..and hyng it in ane schadowye [glossing: vmbrose] place. c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464) 1918: Wyn of the grape..Is moore drye..Than othir which growith..In placys pleyn, moyst, and shadwy. a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501) 78/30: Som flesch engendres malancoly, as boef, kyen..but some of hem hauyn softe fflesch, þat er born and norsshyd yn moyst stedys, and wateri, and shadwy.
- (b) a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10) 58b/a: Scenicus: shadewe or lyþy. ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson) 3.pr.4.65: Thilke verray reverence ne mai nat comen by thise schadwy [vrr. shadwye, shadewy; L umbratiles] transitorie dignytes.
- (c) (a1253) Reg.Lin.in Lin.RS 34 196: Ranulfus Schadiway.
From Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames:
Shade, Schade: Lucas Shadue 1203, Hugo Scade (Schade) 1221, Andrew Shadewe 1314, Ralph Shade 1296. OE sceadu, ME schade, shadwe 'shadow', perhaps a nickname for a very thin man. Also 'dweller by the boundary' (OE scead) - Richard de la Schade 1230.
So possible English variations include:
Shadue Legioun/Shadewes Legyoun <surname + unit>, Legion de la Schade <unit + of placename/surname>,
Shadewy/Schadiway Legioun <adjective/surname + unit, like "holy legioun" from Legioun def. 2>,
Legion of the Schadewe of God <unit + holy name, like Milites Sancti Spiritus>
Petty much all would require "Letters of Permission to conflict."
German: there is a place called Schadow in the Spree Forest (Spreewald) in the Brandenburg March. I couldn't figure out if it existed in period. The German word for shadow is apparently schatten. The name Schade/Schaade is found in Bahlow (German names book) and means "one who does damage", a common surname for robber knights... found in compound names such as Schadewulf, Schadewald, Nachtschade...
The French word for shadow is ombre.
Legion comes from the Latin, Legio.
From Wikipedia's article "Imperial Roman Army":
Unit names and numbers
The numbering of the legions is confusing, due to duplicated and inconsistent numeration by various emperors. Several legions shared the same serial number with others. Augustus numbered the legions he founded himself from I, but at the same retained the serial numbers of those legions he inherited from his predecessors. This policy was generally followed by those of his successors who also founded new legions (there were thus many legions numbered I). However, even this practice was not consistently followed... As a result of this somewhat chaotic numeration, it became necessary to accord a title, as well as a serial number, to each legion in order to distinguish between legions with the same number. The geographical titles indicate (a) the country where a legion was originally recruited e.g. Italica = from Italy or (b) peoples the legion vanquished e.g. Parthica = victorious over the Parthians. Legions bearing the personal name of an emperor, or of his gens (clan) (e.g. Augusta, Flavia) were either founded by that Emperor or accorded the name as a mark of special favour.
Titles
Legions often carried several titles, awarded after successive campaigns, normally by the ruling emperor e.g. XII Fulminata also boasted: paterna ("senior"),victrix ("victorious"), antiqua ("venerable"), certa constans ("reliable, steadfast") and Galliena ("(the emperor) Gallienus's favourite"). Pia fidelis ("dutiful, loyal"),fidelis constans and others were titles awarded to several legions, sometimes several times to the same legion.
List of Roman Legions on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_legions
Selected Roman legions
Legion no. and title | Main legionary base | Emblem | Date founded/founder | Date disband | Notes | > | I Italica | Svishtov, Bulgaria | Boar | 66 Nero | post 400 | prima Italica:raised for aborted Caucasus war |
- || I Macriana || || || 68 Macer || 69 DD || (Raised for mutiny against Nero by Macer, gov of AFR) || liberatrix: "Liberator 1st". Disbanded by Galba ||
- || I Minervia || Bonn, Germany || Minerva || 82 Domitian || post 300 || "Minerva-revering 1st" ||
- || I Parthica || Sinjar, Iraq || Centaur || 197 S. Severus || post 400 || 197-early 5th C Nisibis* (SYR) || Raised for Parthian campaign 197 ||
- || II Augusta || Caerleon, Wales || Capricorn || pre 9 Augustus || Failed to engage Boudicca 60. c395 at Rutupiae (BRIT) ||
- || II Traiana || Alexandria, Egypt || Hercules || 105 Trajan || post 400 || secunda fortis "Trajan's valliant 2nd" ||
- || III Gallica || Abila, Jordan || Two Bulls || 49 BC Caesar || post 300 || tertia Gallica: "3rd from Gaul" ||
Legionno and title | Mainlegionary base | Emblem | Date founded/founder | Datedisband | Notes |
IV Flavia Felix | Belgrade,Serbia | Lion | 70 Vespasian | pre 400 | Vespasian's lucky 4th. Reformed IV Macedon |
IV Scythica | Gaziantep, Turkey | Capricorn | 42 BC M Antony | post 400 | quarta scythica: "Scythian-conquering 4th" |
V Alaudae | Xanten, Germany | Elephant | 52 BC Caesar | 87 XX | "Larks 5th" Feathers in helmet? XX by Dacians |
VI Ferrata | Galilee, Israel | She-Wolf | 58BC Caesar | 250+ UF | "Ironclad 6th". XX at Battle of Edessa 260? |
VI Victrix | York, England | Bull | 41 BC Augustus | post 400 | "Victorious 6th" built Hadrian's Wall 122-32 |
VII Claudia | Kostolac,Serbia | Bull | 58 BC Caesar | c.400 | septima Claudia: title for crushing mutiny 42 |
IX Hispana | York, England | Bull | 41 BC Augustus | 161? | nona Hispana: Dio records that the Parthians destroyed a legion in 161, possibly this one. |
X Fretensis | Jerusalem | Boar | 40 BC Augustus | post 400 | fretum = Strait of Otranto, Naulochus 36 BC |
XII Fulminata | Malatya, Turkey | Thdrbolt | 43 BC Lepidus | post 400 | Thunderbolt 12th lost aquila in 1st Jewish War |
Legionno and title | Mainlegion base | Emblem | Date founded/founder | Datedisband | Notes |
XIII Gemina | Alba Iulia, Romania | Lion | 57 BC Caesar | post 400 | "Twinned 13th". Crossed Rubicon with Caesar49 BC |
XV Apollinaris | Saddagh, Turkey | Apollo | 41 BC Augustus | post 400 | "Apollo-revering 15th". Fought in First Jewish War |
XV Primigenia | Xanten, Germany | Fortuna | 39 Caligula | 70 XX | Primigenia goddess of Fate. XX in Batavi revolt |
XVI Flavia Firma | Samsat, Turkey | Lion | 70 Vespasian | post 300 | "Vespasian's steadfast 16th". Reformed XVI Gallica |
XX Valeria Vict. | Chester, England | Boar | 31 BC Augustus | 250+ UF | vigesima named for Messalla? XX in Allectus' fall 296? |
XXI Rapax | Windisch, Switzerland | Capricorn | 31 BC Augustus | 92 XX | "Devourer 21st". XX by Roxolani Sarmatiantribe PAN |
XXII Deiotariana | Alexandria, Egypt | 48 BC | 132 XX | GAL king "Deiotarus's 22nd". XX in 2nd Jewish War | |
XXX Ulpia Victrix | Xanten, Germany | Jupiter | 105 Trajan | post 400 | "Trajan's victorious 30th" (M Ulpius Traianus) |
So patterns of naming Roman legions are Legio + numeral with addition of:
geographical/ethnic origin (Italica, Gallica, Hispana) or
conquered people/place (Parthia, Fretensis, Scythia) or
god/goddess (Apollo, Primigenia, Minerva) or
founder/other notable person (Macer, Augustus, Claudius, Trajan) or
descriptive name (lark, steadfast, ironclad, victorius, devourer, lightning bolt, liberator).
Latin for shadow is umbra (also means a shady place, protection, idleness, pleasant rest, phantom, ghost, shade, an uninvited guest that comes in with an invited guest, a poor imitation. Umbra also refers to a type of fish, all according to Cassell's Latin Dictionary.
Umbro is a river in Italy mentioned in A History of Rome to the Battle of Actium, p 153 regarding a 302 campaign by M. Valerius Maximus. Umbria was a region/tribe of Roman Italy. Umbrianus was the locative cognomen of a soldier according to Dean (see below).
Roman gods/goddesses include: Nox (night), Summanus (nocturnal thunder, a cross between Jupitor and Pluto)
Greek gods/goddesses include: Nyx (night), Erebus (darkness), Hecate (magic, moon, darkness)
A Study of the Cognomina of Soldiers in the Roman Legions By Lindley Richard Dean available as a free ebook at Google Books discusses many types of "nicknames" of Roman soldiers including:
Dark/light cognomina like Umbra: Fuscus (dark), Niger (black), Lucidus (clear/bright), Sterceius (filthy) - p 63.
Fish/animal cognomina like Umbra fish: Piscinus (fishy), Aquila (eagle), Aper (wild boar), Lupus (wolf or pike-fish) - pp 63, 76. See also Legio Alaudae (larks) above.
Geographical cognomen: Umbrianus (from Umbria).
So possible Latin variations include (grammar probably needs correction):
Legio I Umbra <unit + animal name (like Alaudae) or personal cognomen (like Piscinus, Fuscus)>
Legio X Umbrianus <unit + location of origin>
Legio VII Summanus <unit + god of nocturnal thunder>