Re Ansteopality

[Leslie Miller]

> Please don't settle on a name, or even start discussing names, before
> some basic research gets done.  Unfortunately, I'm not an onomastics
> expert, but if anyone wants help (personal or branch name -- um,
> "Gnomevale" might want to read his comments and suggested alternatives
> with much the same meaning), contact Prof. Brian Scott, Fauze Lozenge
> Herald, at scott at math.csuohio.edu.

Actually, just for the record, it's "Gnomon Vale," and my understanding 
is that the name has nothing to do with "gnomes," but rather with the 
name found on the Heavener runestone.  I think the story runs 
something to the effect of: soon after getting together a small group of 
people with a common interest in things medieval, they made 
a pilgrimage to see the Heavener Runestone.  Being inspired by the 
awesome rock, they desided to name their valley after the name inscribed 
on the runestone.  

I'm rather heraldically impaired, so I couldn't begin to discuss the 
appropriateness of said name, but I thought folk might be interested 
in the reasoning behind their choice.  I know the common mistake of 
assuming that they intended some connection to gnomes is a rather sore 
spot with some of them. :-)

Gunhilda