Category: Award of Arms

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

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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

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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.

AoA for Laird Sweyn Mac Awliffe
Words: Aneleda Falconridge
Calligraphy & Illumination:Robert of Stonemarche

All hail and harken to our words,
lad who the northern reaches know,
as the swarthy one who wears the kilt
in weather fair or as winds blow.

He’s nae a man of many words,
there’s oft a stir when he goes past
for in his wake there usually is
some deed he’s done sae fleet and fast.

Who is he working all the day?
Who is this man who hauls the hay?
Who takes a chore so one can play?
The one called Sweyn Mac Awliffe!

He cuts a figure on the range
where he will help, and he will show
and teach the wielder of the axe
or the knife how best tae throw.

He is a kind and gentle man
Providing for the others’ needs –
From cool clear water o’ the spring
To tarts beloved of those he feeds.

Who in deeds e’er does his part?
Who unloads the burdened cart?
Who is this man so good of heart?
The one called Sweyn Mac Awliffe!

So we give him title now of Laird
And make him one of Eastern Court
And he shall bear himself the arms
that he alone shall wear and sport

(These are not yet registered but this verse is what will be used when they are. =)***
On Gyronny of gules and ermine,
a brown bear proper rampant
and on a chief argent a dagger
fesswise gules – none may recant! ****

Who makes the rounds with bonny care?
Who does a thistle and a dagger wear?
Who’s ever just, and always fair?
The Laird called Sweyn Mac Awliffe!

The Emperor Brennan did declare,
Empress Caoilfhionn also swore
this to be signed as solemn truth
at Malagentia’s Great Northeastern War

Therefore on the twelfth day of July
in the 49th year of the Society,
this deed is done now in full
with great and noble piety.

Breannan August Caoilfhionn Augusta