Shadow Legion

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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;

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.

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
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>

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