While setting up my own website might be vain enough already, this section is even more debatable.

Playing around with names and heraldry has made me invent my pseudonyms and assumed coat of arms; trying to stretch my sorry existence backwards in time had me hit on the seemingly cunning idea of embellishing myself a bit more with decorative titles and ribbons.

In a way this might be a game of inventing ties into history and associating myself with places and ideas I feel drawn to. Being interested in history is clearly not enough for me, I had to create some fictional history for myself.

Luckily, I found some private initiatives which not only were prepared to share their names with me but also stand for commendable causes worthy of support in their own right.

Here´s my collection of lofty would-be fealties:

Knight in the Sovereign Military Order of Sealand & Baron of Sealand

"Sealand" is a self-proclaimed sovereign principality in the Northern Sea. Its heart is a sea fort that served as a defense against German air raids during World War II. In 1966 Roy Bates moved his "pirate" radio station to the platform in order to have it operate without constraints. However, the idea of forming an independent micronation soon eclipsed the aim of running a radio station. Today, his family still continues to operate the fortress as a symbol for freedom and micronation independence. Its motto is thus: "E Mare Libertas"

http://www.sealandgov.org/

Citizen of the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis, Knight Grand Cross in the Order of The Melting Mountain & Baron Ranvik

This is a micronation-project established by Niels Vermeersch. Its aim is not only to further explore the possibilities of micronations as alternative organisations but also to bring public awareness to the environmental questions provoked by the prospective use of the Antarctic region. I am honoured to have been appointed Flandrensian Ambassador to Germany and held this office until January 2021. In September 2019 His Royal Highness Niels I. graciously vested me with the title of Baron Ranvik.

http://www.flandrensis.com/

Citoyen du Royaume de la Navasse & Duc de Grelin

The „Royaume de la Navasse“ is a micronation established and governed by Her Majesty Queen Marie-Adélina I. Having a personal family tree with ties to 19^th century rulers of Haiti, she transformed ideas from this heritage into a micronation project aimed at creating, advocating and supporting projects that foster positive relationships in communities. A central concern within this mission statement is to protect, support and develop the transgender community. The activities center mainly on Marie-Adélina´s residential nation of the U.S. of America, but, in principle, are projected to reach beyond these borders and also harbour a special relationship with the Caribbean Nations. I feel very fortunate and proud to be a part of this noble endeavour, and am most grateful to have been honoured with the title of Duc de Grelin by Her Majesty in June 2019. https://lanavasse.org/

Laird of Dunans Castle & Chaol Gleann, Laird Guardian of Dunans Bridge

Charles and Sadie Dixon-Spain bought the ruins of Dunans Castle in 2002. They set out to create a business venture that would generate money to fully restore the castle and Dunans Bridge. The castle is situated on the peninsula of Cowal, which is a region of Scotland that wrestles with economic problems. With their restoration project Charles and Sadie work to put the place back on the maps, at least for their community of customers, the Lairds and Ladies, who visit Cowal. Besides being strongly involved in Cowal Community initiatives, the Dixon-Spains plan to use the castle not as a feudal residence for themselves but as a centre for both their communities, the Cowal as well as the international Lairds and Ladies Community. http://scottishlaird.com/

Laird of Glencoe & Lochaber

Highland Titles aims at establishing private nature reserves. Through their sale of small "souvenir plots" of land they create a legal structure of tiny land holdings on a larger plot of land that will make it virtually impossible for land developers to buy up the respective area. Also, they reforest their land with native tree species and create space for the return of animals.

http://www.highlandtitles.com/

Lord of Wildernesse

Wildcat Haven is a project to support the endangered Scottish wildcat. One component of their strategy is to save the natural habitat of the animals, thereby helping cats and saving a patch of Scottish nature, both clearly very favoured topics of mine. Wildcat Haven is supported by Highland Titles and uses the proven means of selling souvenir plots in their effort to raise the necessary money. People who know me and also my house and "garden" might note a slightly ironic twist, which I fondly embrace.

https://www.wildcathaven.com/

Lord of Wolfin

In Britain, the law regarding name changes is far less strict than in Germany. Apparently, there is a comparatively lenient approach to changing one´s name. Lordships of the Manor, not being peerage lordships, originally were tied to the land belonging to a certain „manor“. Nowadays, it appears, the use of this „title“ is severed from the land ownership and constitutes a legal unit in itself that can be sold independently from the land (deemed "incorporeal"). These lordship titles can be sold, when there is satisfactory documentation to support the entitlement over time. It gets more difficult, when there is no claim to the title and no continuous documentation can be proven. This means that that particular right has lain "dormant" with no known claim to it. A so-called "reconstructed" lordship purports the right to use that "title" when the original claim seems to have been lost in the folds of time. Although, I have to admit, the legal situation here seems rather debatable and to be quite a grey-area affair. Basically, something that has been lost and is no longer existant, can not be conveyed. However, considering the liberal approach to name rights in Britain, there is a slight possibility that this "lost" title could be claimed as a name (or part thereof) and thus be reborn as a name instead of a "title". This makes this project more subject to name law than to property law.

The Manor of Wolfin in Devon was mentioned as early as 1066 / 1086 AD in the Domesday Book, of which you will find the respective excerpt below. It is interesting to note that this holding also appears under the name Nimet or Wolvys Nymet in later registers. Being interested in the Celts and Druidry, I instantly thought of the word Nemeton, which denotes a sacred space or sacred grove in Celtic religion. And indeed, Wolfin seems to be on the site of such an ancient Celtic grove, with a number of other traces of Celtic settlements in the neighbouring area. A prominent owner was Walter de Claville, although the Manor of Wolfin seems to have been merged with other manor properties in the 13th century and thus vanished from records as a legally defined entity.

Whereas my legal claim to have become the present „Lord of the Manor of Wolfin“ remains on shifting ground, I managed to introduce my pseudonym into the legal process. Consequently, my public statement in the Gazette as of March 2016 constitutes my claim to style myself, using my pseudonym, as "Lord of the Manor of Wolfin" or "Lord Wolfin" or "of Wolfin". With respect to name regulations, it strengthens my position of being a first mover. In my case, by making public the use of Morgan Jocelyn Osmélian Peregrine, raised to "of Wolfin". The use of pseudonyms is not looked upon favourably by German authorities. They created a kind of Catch-22-situation, where you have to prove use of your pseudonym on as many occasions as possible before a certain ground for future legality is laid.

This I did. Ex dormientem excitaverat.

Recorded in The London Gazette, 14th March 2016: www.thegazette.co.uk

I would like to point out that all these "titles" are for private enjoyment only. Most of them have little or no legal significance. Anyone interested in the various activities is advised to do a little research on the internet so as to avoid disappointments. A good starting point might be the wikipedia entry on "Laird", which you can find here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laird