Beauty above is of great value. Beauty below is of great work.
The embroidered cloth is made to be admired, of colors bright and stitches neat. Yet only beneath the brightness of the cloth the measure of the work is seen. There is a pattern to the back, the work-side of every lovely thing. Few know this as well as Isabelle de Montreuil sur Mer, who has embellished the kingdom with her work and dedication to the success and enjoyment of others.
Her life would make a tableaux finely staged – in the many panels one would see her beside the fire cooking for a hungry house. Laden with water for horses and riders. Gently holding the train of a Queen. Bearing baskets and umbrellas. Wearing the heavy gown of Chancellor serving those who would learn to better serve. Planning and serving, transporting, ensuring and securing the design all can see with sturdy knots below the scene.
What an embroider’d tale of Isabelle de Montreuil sur Mer! But now sew before her bow’ed head: appliquéd in silver bright the moon resplendent in the night, hanging over Eastern crown, to show the world her lovely worth. Surround her with that Order of esteem, each one a spangle on the cloth that glorifies the mighty East.
It is with our joy that we, Brennan Augustus and Caoilfhionn Augusta, do join Isabell Montreuil sur Mer with their Order of the Silver Crescent, at the Tournament of the Lady of the Rose in their Barony of Bergental on this glorious twentieth day of September, anno sociatatis XLIX.
calligraphy by Gwillim Kynith, illumination by Agatha Wanderer, words by Aneleda Falconbridge
Listen all here who gather
As we speak of a bold youth.
you may know Gold-haired Tryggve
Stefnisson ‘neath Austri’s skies.
Sapling-tall the ankle-biter
In his boyhood made great noise.
The lad lived by the whale road.
Northern kiss was good-night song.
There he learned tales of people,
sang the songs to keep the past
slept beneath winter’s blanket,
thawed his tongue beside the fire.
Boy was blessed with Bragi’s gift.
For his art singing stories
Grace him with Golden Kinder
Ring-red child of uncut thread
Sing your songs to chester’s folk.
May your years mount many tales.
Heed you now the ring-rich givers
Silver wolf howls his honor
Brennan bold Imperator,
Tale teller of his own right,
Blends with bright Caoilfhionn’s voice
Our tune-true Imperatrix.
Thanes and jarls do them homage.
Skalds and scops sing their sagas.
Tournament of Lady Roses
Marked the day in Haust-mánuðr*
Tuttugu numbered the day.
Bergantal bore this bounty
forty-nine years past the Founding.
by our hands signed eternal
Brennan Caoilfhionn
________________________________________
Notes: The Golden Kinder is an Eastern youth award recognizing efforts in the Arts and Sciences · Haust-mánuðr (Harvest/autumn month/September) “huast man-uther” * Tuttugu is “twenty” in old Norse Austri is the dwarf who holds up the Eastern sky
The Tyger of the East is an award given to those who most embody and personify the ideals of the East Kingdom. No more than one person may be so recognized during a reign; a person may receive this honor only once. Duke Gregor von Heisler was so honored by Emperor Brennan and Empress Caiolfihonn at Pennsic 43. I was asked by Dutchess Kiena Stewart to craft the text. It is one of the most touching comissions I have received.
C&I by Dutchess Katherine Stanhope, words by Aneleda Falconbridge
Die Menschen hier hören: Wir gelauben, so knecht dienet herre, diene herre auch knecht. Einem ieden solchen man ist auch lieb, nach narung z.u stellen vnd zu trachten. Im ist auch lieb, ere mit eren, trewe mit trewen, gute mit gute widergelten. One liebkosen mit kurzer rede: aller werlte aufhaltung, festung vnd merung sint die werden herren.
Ere, Zucht, Keusche, Milte, Trewe, Masse, Sorge vnd Bescheidenheit wonten stete in sînem hofe. Wirt, ingesinde vnd hausgenosse aller guten leute is Gregor Von Heisler. Wir nennen Sie den goldenen Löwen ein Tiger des Ostens.
Es steht geschrieben: Brennan Augustus Caiolfihonn Augusta
Angesichts 6. August anno sociatis XLIX am Pennsic Krieg XLIII, Königreich Æthelmearc
English Translation
People here, listen: We believe, as the servant serves the master, so the master shall serve the servant. It is a pleasure for such a man to strain for food and strive after honour. It is also a pleasure for him to meet honour with honour, fidelity with fidelity, and good with good. To summarize a long compliment in few words: noble men are the support, the fortification, and the increase of the whole world. Honour, propriety, chastity, generosity, fidelity, moderation, care, and modesty always inhabited his house; host, servant, and household member of all good people is Gregor von Heisler. We name the golden lion a Tiger of the East.
It is written: Brennan Augustus / Caiolfihonn Augusta
Given August 6, anno sociatis XLIX at the Pennsic War XLIII, Kingdom of Æthelmearc
About the text
Words based on “Der Ackermann aus Bohmen/The Husbandman and Death” by Johannes von Saaz written 1401, published 1460; translated into English by Dr. Michael Haldane; crafted to scroll text by Aneleda Falconbridge, with additional translation assistance from German language teacher Melanie Manzer Kyer.
The scroll text is Middle High German “Der Ackermann aus Bohmen” which is a conversation between Death and a Husband, and is significant for the time period, noted as one of the first “humanistic” works.
Because Duke Gregor’s time is in sync with modern times, it would be 1414 to him, and this piece would not have been yet published, though it would have been written. I consulted with a non-SCAdian friend who teaches German and whose studies included a class in Middle High German, she made minor changes to the text at my request (some gender changes) and helped me to rework a line – but other than that the entire text is “as written” by the author in 1401.
The piece is a pretty good read, by any standard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ackermann_aus_B%C3%B6hmen
This Scroll is actually a book. The text is written as a series of poems in ryme royal – a form introduced by Chaucer in the 1380s which was considered one of the standards for narrative poetry during the Middle Ages. It is a seven-line iambic pentameter rhyming poem with the structure of ababbcc.
Mikel’s persona is 16c German, and so I used relevant German aphorisms for the headings for each poem. They are probably not period but they are appropriate and fun, and help tie this to her persona more tightly. (I’m ok with it.)
The scroll-poems each took two pages. The official text itself is followed by a set of poems about specific arts that Mikel enjoys: dance, dabbling, music, and ink. They are written by Baron Jean Corbeau de Montaigne, Baroness Sylvia du Vey, and me.
Some of the pages of the book by Lady Camille des Jardins.
PAGE ONE INSCRIPTION
Allwissend bin ich nicht; doch viel ist mir bewusst “I do not know everything; still many things I understand”
THE BEGINNING
Wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus.
“Just as one calls into the forest, so it echoes back.”
Join Eastern people and rejoice today
As Empire’s Crown doth call you gather here
Now harken all, listen well as you may.
So shall we strive to make our meaning clear
As we lay wreath upon our subject dear
We muse upon the sweet Anna Mikel –
And how the pow’r of Art doth her impel.
Anfangen ist leicht, beharren eine Kunst. “To begin is easy, to persist is art.”
Upon that holy road few can compete
with melodies that issue note by note,
with work of thread and cloth ever so neat,
from tiny works to luxuri’ous coat.
From letters on the page that she hath wrote,
to dancing merrily, to living well
within the glor’ious tent where she oft dwell.
Within the house which she hath built with love,
Her handiwork enlivens Wanderstamm,
that look’d like heav’n had brought it from above-
bright braziers, bocce, or softly sung psalm,
a place where work is seen as cheerful balm,
as joyful as a rousing roundelay
industri’ous devotion to this play.
Das beste is gut genug “The best is good enough”
To Anne Mikel von Salm, no art do daunt
so we bestow these arms that she may bear
Argent, on (a) pale sable a rose argent,
a bordure gules, by letters patent rare.
Lay on her curling corona of hair
or on her shoulder place the sacred wreath
that all may ken the artist underneath.
Bedenke das Ende. “In your every endeavor reflect the end.”
Acknowledged hereforth as a Laurel fine
from this the twelfth day of merry July
anno sociatis forty nine
Brennan, Augustus, declares it true and nigh
Cailfhionn Augusta joins with her reply
at the Malagent’s great northeastern war
Mistress Mikel be known forever more.
THE POEMS
On Dance
Je toller, desto besser. “The more the merrier.”
She glides with subtle grace across the floor.
Her cheerful word and ready laugh they hear.
She welcomes those who seek for Terpsichore,
and bids youth and experience draw near.
And should the fearsome enemy’s head rear,
her feet will flow from glade and ballroom hence,
to use her agile art in East’s defense!
– Baron Jean Corbeau de Montaigne
On Dabbling
Beispiele tun oft mehr als viel Wort’ und Lehr’ . “Examples often do much more than words and teachers.”
Here we hath praise for one of great talent
praise many things, for she loves to dabble
the pen, the bow, the sword, the dance gallant,
music for kings and for cheerful rabble,
kind in her words, indisposed to brabble,
teaching, dancing, or leading the choral,
lo, it is shown, she ought be a laurel.
– Mistress Sylvia du Vey
On Ink
Das Word verhallt, die Schrift bleibt. “The word dies away, the written remains.”
Language’s power each neat stroke contains,
beauty immortal pours forth from her pen.
The word dies away, the written remains,
Every inflection she makes live again.
Alighting on pages soft as the wren
lands in the forest, but with gall and gold,
she captures our words and stories we’ve told.
– Baroness Aneleda Falconbridge
On Music
Wie die Alten singen, so zwitschern auch die Jungen. “As the old ones sing, so do the young ones chirp.”
The fine lady gathered folk round the stems,
and pulled forth fine blossoms out of carved wood,
She transformed musicians into sweet friends
who lightened all hearts where-ever they stood.
Her music, so lovely, does nought but good.
Voices raised heavenward, feet made to dance,
Euphony infuses life with romance.
AoA for Ellen of Shrewsbury; Illumination Agatha Wanderer; Calligraphy Gwillim Kyinth; Words Aneleda Falconbridge; Text Polishing Aldreda de Tamwurthe
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.
