SENA, Non-Personal Names Part 4, Presumption
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NPN.4. Non-Personal Names Presumption http:heraldry.sca.org/sena.html#NPN4 #NPN4AA. Definitions: Presumption is a false claim. This includes claims of rank or powers that the submitter does not possess within the Society or that we do not allow anyone to claim. It also includes claims of identity with, ownership by, or affiliation with a person or entity outside the SCA that is considered quite important by many people within and outside the Society. Presumption is not dependent on intent; even if such a claim was not intended, the appearance of such a claim is not allowed. Items which presume will not be registered, even if a letter of permission could be obtained. #NPN4BB. Claim to Rank: Names may not contain a claim to a protected and/or restricted rank that the submitter does not have within the Society. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to: > #NPN4B11. Use of Elements that Appear to Be Titles: Names may not contain an element or combination of elements that create the appearance of a claim to have a specific rank or title that the submitter does not possess. Submitters may register names that create a claim to rank that they do possess. Only permanent ranks may be used in names. No submitter may register a name using an element that claims to be king// or //princess. Landed barons who are not court barons may not register an element which creates a claim to be a baron. Titles may be used as elements where they are not a claim to rank. > For example, no submitter may register a name like Kynges House//, as that appears to be the household belonging to the king. However, in the //Barony of Kingestenton, even though the first element refers to the fact that the town once belonged to the king, it was used for normal towns and so is not a claim to rank. > #NPN4B22. Names of the Peerage Orders: Order and award names may not include the names of the peerage orders or overt references to famous knightly orders such as the Garter. Other types of non-personal names may only use such elements in contexts where no reference to the order is likely to be perceived by members of the order and the general populace. > For example, while the name Order of the Garter and Laurel// is clear of conflict with the //Order of the Laurel//, it is presumptuous and we would not register it. Likewise, we would not register //Order of the Rose of the West//, even though the addition of the element //of the West// clears the conflict with the //Order of the Rose//. For example, //House of the Blue Garter// could be seen as a reference to the blue garter badge of the //Order of the Garter// and would not be registered, but //House of the White Garter would be allowed. > #NPN4B33. Elements that are Presumptuous in Personal Names: Names may not contain a name element or group of elements we would consider presumptuous in a personal name (see [[2]]). Examples include a byname uniquely used by a single dynasty, the combination of a surname and the title or seat of the family, or names granted as an honor. #NPN4CC. Names that Claim Powers: Non-personal names may not contain an unmistakable claim of superhuman abilities, magical powers, or divine origin. In general, a name phrase used by historical people is not considered to be a claim to superhuman abilities or divine origin. In general, a non-personal name using an element that would be considered such a claim in a personal name will not be registered. For example, Odins House// would be registerable, because //Odin// was used as a human given name in Middle English. Similarly, a name like //Gods House// would be registerable, as it is the attested name of an English college. On the other hand, //Lokasson House// or //Lokison House//, formed from the name //Loki//, would not be allowed. Because the only known use of //Loki is as the name of an Old Norse god, such a name would be a claim to a divine origin or relationship. #NPN4DD. Claim of Identity, Ownership, or Affiliation with an Important Non-SCA Entity or Person: Non-personal names may not be too close to the name of a protected entity. Non-personal names also may not make an unmistakable claim of ownership by or affiliation with any name we protect. A non-personal name submission is said to presume on a protected name if the substantive element of the submission is not substantially different in sound and appearance from the substantive element of the protected name, or if it makes an unmistakable claim of ownership by or affiliation with the protected name. The standards for substantial difference and unmistakable claims are set in [[3]] above as "identity conflict" and "affiliation conflict" respectively, except that such items are not registerable, even with permission. For non-SCA entities and people considered important enough to protect, we protect all forms in which their name was known, including in other languages. We do not go out of our way to find obscure or hypothetical forms of names that might be too similar to a submission. We protect only the names by which entities were actually known and can easily be found by a modern person. For example, we protect London//, //Londres//, and //Londinium, as all are forms by which London has been known. > #NPN4D11. Non-SCA Entities Protected from Presumption: A non-personal name submissions is only considered to presume on protected non-personal names. Names of important non-SCA entities are protected from presumption. Entities that we protect include places (countries, regions, and cities), chivalric orders and heraldic titles, and the names of organizations (colleges, businesses, and other such entities). > Places and organizations that are not important enough to have an entry in a standard print encyclopedia, such as the Encyclopedia Britannica, are not important enough to protect. Entities that do have an entry must be further considered to determine if they merit protection. In general, entities recognized (without having to look in a reference) by a significant number of people in the Society as the name of a single unique place or entity are likely to be important enough to protect. Historical places or entities that are still influential today or significantly shaped the course of world history, science, or the arts are generally important enough to protect. > In rare cases, places and entities from fiction may be considered important enough to protect, when both a significant number of people in the Society recognize the name of the entity without prompting and the use of the name of the entity would generally be considered by those people a clear reference to that entity.