House Malepardus
House Malepardus (officially registered as Housse Malpertus) is the personal household of Maister Colyne Stewart, OP and Þorfinna kennari gráfeldr, OP, as well as their dependents and students. It was founded at Feast of the Bear AS 53 (2018) when Colyne took Baroness Anneke the Furious as a protege. The household's name is taken from the Reynard the Fox cycle of stories dating from at least the 12th century (Malepardus being the name of Reynard's home).
Members
Baron Colyne Stewart, OP, and Baroness Þorfinna kennari gráfeldr head the household.
Proteges
- Baroness Anneke the Furious
- Lord Nicola Canis\
- Noble Rhys of Anglesey
Students (Service)
- Baron Jǫfurr Rauðsson
Students (A&S)
- Lady Aeschine Yates
Malepardus Kennels and Mews
- O'ber, beagle/lab cross (of beloved memory)
- Ham, Moggy
- Sith, American Shorthaired Black
- Sable, American Shorthaired Black (of beloved memory)
- Yoshi, Bombay
- Puma, American Shorthaired Tabby
- Sammy, American Shorthaired Tuxedo
- Mulder (German Shepherd)
- Argo, Persian Calico (of beloved memory)
Badge
All members of House Malepardus may wear or display this badge: (Fieldless), a fox mask gules within and conjoined to an arch argent.
Motto
The household motto in “Illud Ministerium Redolent” (“THAT smells like service!”).
Origin of the Name
As mentioned above, the name Malepardus is taken from the Reynard cycle of stories. In her book Spenserian Satire: A tradition of indirection, Rachel E. Hile tells us
The most unusual word in the work, Malepardus (“Maleperduys” in Caxton’s 1481 edition), the name of Reynard’s fox-hole/castle, turns out to be a corrupted version of the French word for St. John’s wort: “This plant is called Millepertuis (or thousand holes) because the leaues of it are all full of so small holes, that one can scarce see them, but onely betwixt their sight and the sun” (de la Primaudaye, French Academie, 335). Obviously a name that means “thousand holes” serves as a fitting moniker for Reynard’s confusing den with many paths and exits, not an allusion to signal a real-world satirical target.
Another possible origin for the name of Reynard's home is the word “malapert”:
Malapert debuted in English in the 14th century, was a favorite of Shakespeare, and is still used sporadically today. The prefix mal-, meaning “bad” or “badly” and deriving from the Latin malus, is found in many English words, including “malevolent” and “malefactor.” The second half of “malapert” comes from the Middle English apert, meaning “open” or “frank.” “Apert” further derives from the Latin word“apertus” (“open”), which gave us our noun “aperture” (meaning “an opening”). Putting the two halves together gives us a word that describes someone or something that is open or honest in a bad way-that is, a way that is bold or rude. The noun “malapert” also exists, and means “a bold or impudent person.” Merriam Webster
