In the Eastern lands ruled great King called Brennan and also his wife Queen Caoilfhionn. Brynhildr Amsvarsdottir had come to serve their longhouse and was sent to guard the land’s most precious treasure, the Queen. It was the fiftieth year, on the seventh day of nóvember, after Gormánuður but before Ýlir, that Brynhildr was called to the Crown Tournament in the holdings of the Hersir of Bergental. Because she had served with joy and abundance, she was given the right to bear arms, ____________________________________ and take the title Hefdharkona. The King had his poet and scribe make for her a ring of word-gold to be read and seen that day.

The linden of the battle-wall  

lifted her slender hands

to join the Njords of swords.

Shield-bearer now arms-bearer

Silver-goddess of the raven-field

You are worthy to hear an ode

war-valiant one, wrought for you*
King Brennan and Queen Caiolfhionn made their names on it.

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Brynhildr is a fighter and man-at-arms to Sir Brennan, who has been a brother to me. I was thrilled to be able to write text for her. Norse sagas frequently used prose and then called out a poem of praise (or insult, on occasion too!). I used the same technique to do this. I had to edit mercilessly – the original wanted to be longer, but sometimes we just have to live by the word count. I pulled directly one line from the Sagas of the Warrior Poets, because I wanted her to have that direct connection to the past in this piece. (I try to do that with pretty much all my text.)

Below are my working notes to produce this piece.

(The longer piece)

In those days the ruler of the Eastern lands was a great Chieftain called Brennan. Beside him ruled his wife Caoilfhionn. Now Brynhildr Amsvarsdottir had come to serve the King and was sent to guard his most precious treasure, the Queen. Brynhildr wore a shirt of silver plates against which her dark hair shone like trees against the moon. After she had served for a full year and more, at the Crown Tournament in the holdings of the Hersir of Bergental. It was held on the seventh day of nóvember, after Gormánuður but before Ýlir. Brynhildr was called to court that day where she was given the right to bear arms

________________________________________ and be called Hefdharkona. The King had his poet make for her a ring of word-gold and it was read.

You are worthy to hear an ode

war-valiant one, wrought for you*   (31 in Sagas of the Warrior Poets)

The linden of the battle-wall  (the shield maiden)

has lifted her slender hands

to join the Njords of swords. (the gods of the swords)

Silver-goddess of the raven-field

from shield-bearer to arms-bearer

1. Gormánuður (mid October – mid November, “slaughter month” or “Gór’s month”)
2. Ýlir (mid November – mid December, “Yule month”)

 

http://oldeuropeanculture.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-riddle-of-odins-ravens.html

kennings:

Linden birch goddess

Holder of the king cup

Shield sister

Man at arms

And so the king bade a verse to be made for her

1,2,3, 1234 / Sagas of the warrior poets

A

Pearl of goodnesse, Ishoot of Admirinda,

That al hire bountee telle can

Heo so blithe, so bright, Admirinda

In world nis noon so witer,

semlokest of alle things, Merye sing,

Hire limb pullth true the string,

With lossum cheere heo mak the mark

And wunderliche heo mak the feaste,

that we mak merie with drinche and an meat

Sevant trewe, of wise virtue

Herkne to our roun, To Alle sweetness sae

That Lady Adminanda Howard be.

Ymende. þet þis boc is uolueld ine þe Hunt in þe Barony of Endewearde on þe day of Saint Comgan of Iona in ane Kenric Cyng and Avelina Quene of þe East, ine þe yeare of oure Society beringe 48.

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MODERN ENGLISH

A

Pearl of goodness,
I speak of Admiranda, Muse of Aranmor

That all her excellence can tell

She so blithe, so bright, Admiranda

In the world is none so witty

Seemliest of all things, we merry sing

Her arm pulleth true the string

With lovely cheer she makes the mark

And wonderfully she makes the feast

That we make merry with drink and meat

Servant true, of wise virtue

Hark to our song,

To all sweetness see

That Lady Admiranda Howard be

And give her arms for her alone
_____________

___________

_____________

 

Let it be known that this work was fulfilled in the Hunt in the Barony of Endewearde on the day of Saint Comgan* of Iona by Kenric King and Avelina Queen of the East, in the year of the society 48.

 

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Words based on the earliest English I could manage (a mix of 13^th/14^th c inspired by period lyric verses in praise of women, for example, “Alesone”) with a finishing phrase from the English translation by Michael of Northgate from 1340, from the French “Somme le Roi” to the English “Ayenbite of Inwyt” (or ‘the again-biting of inner wit’, Remorse (or Prick) of Conscience. 12^th Century English is actually Anglo-Saxon, and it’s beyond my ability without major reading and research. I tried to read some and …it looks like I should be able to read it but I can’t. It made me feel like I was going sort of insane.

*October 13th is the feast day

 

 

 

ANGLO SAXON

Wæs midsumor ða se casere sendede, be al his þeode læred and lawed on his kynerice wæron, æfter Ellen on Scrobbesbyrig þet heo æuestlice scolde to him cumon, heo swa dyde.

Ða cwæð se casere to hire: ‘Leof Ellen, ic haue geseond æfter þe for mine saule þurfe, ic hit wile þe wæl secgon forhwi.”

Ða cwæð se casere heo wæs god wifmann and sigewif. For twentig gearum, heo com fram begeondan beorge and heo geaf wæter to norðfrecan. Ealle folc lufede hire, for heo ahealp þam wearigum byrnwigum, þam unlytel and ungetel eorlwerode.

Þa stod se casere up toforen ealle his ðægna cwæd luddor stefne: “ic wille þet ge ealle getiðe mine worde.”

Ðas is se gife: To libbanne on þas landes, þas wateres, meres, fennes, weres, ealle þa landes þa þærabuton liggeð ða of mine kynerice sindon freolice Hlaefdigan Ellen.

Se casere cwæþ þa wærð he swiðe glæd; heot seonden geond al his þeode æfter alle his þægne, æfter ærcebiscop, æfter biscopes, æfter his eorles, æfter alle þa þone East luuedon, þet he sette þa dæi hwonne man scolde Ellen gehalegon. Ða man halgode heo, þa wæs se casere Brennan and his casern Caoilfhionn.

Þat was þone twelfta dæg of Liða, anno sociatis xlix æt þeode beadulace norðeaste on Malagentia.

Ðas sindon þa witnes þe þær wæron, þa þet gewriten mid here fingre, ietten mid here tunge.

BRENNAN IMPERATOR
IMPERATRIX CAILFHIONN

__________________________________________

 

MODERN ENGLISH

In midsummer sent the emperor, by the counsel of all his people learned and lewd in his kingdom, after Ellen of Shrewsbury, that she should immediately come to him. And she so did.

Then said the emperor to her: “Beloved Ellen, I have sent after thee for the good of my soul; and I will plainly tell thee for why.”

Then said the emperor that she was a good woman, and a wise woman.   For twenty years she had come from beyond the mountain and given water to northern heroes. All loved her for she assisted the weary soldiers clad in armor, the large and innumerable warrior band.

Then stood up the emperor before all his thanes, and said with a loud voice: “I will that you all confirm my words.

This is the gift: To live on these lands, and these waters, and meres, and fens, and weirs, and all the lands that thereabout lye, that are of my kingdom, freely, as Lady Ellen.”

When the king said that, he was very glad; and bade men send through all the nation, after all his thanes; after the archbishop, and after bishops: and after his earls; and after all those that loved the East, and he fixed the day when men should hallow Lady Ellen. And when they were hallowing her, there was the emperor Brennan, and his empress Caoilfhionn.

That was the 12th of July, Anno Societatis XLIX in the Great Northeastern War in Malagentia.

These are the witnesses that were there, and that subscribed it with their fingers and confirmed it with their tongues.

BRENNAN EMPEROR
EMPRESS CAOILFHIONN

______________________________________

Notes:

To do this scroll I read an online version of the Anglo Saxon Chronicles (http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/657/pg657.html) and an English translation of them (http://asc.jebbo.co.uk/e/e-L.html).

I had to look up sections which said what I wanted, and then sometimes search for a word that the original didn’t contain. I also looked for appropriate place names in the proper period for Shrewsbury, for example, as it would have been noted in the Chronicles.

When I was done, I sent the translation (What I Meant To Say) and the Anglo Saxon text to Lady Dreda who proofread it and then made changes to square up gender and some word orders, as well as polish it.

Duke Kenric of Essex read it in court in Anglo Saxon English as well as in Modern English at the Great Northeastern War.

These are my rough notes and facing page mess: ANGLO SAXON TEXT V2.pdf.