It becomes us, brothers and sisters, to begin the tale of the campaign of Antonii Machinevik, so let us begin.
Antonii, the joyful boaster, had traveled down many roads, but the path he chose, the narrow path of kinghtliness, began with his first dusty steps in the shadow of Mt Eislin. He proved that he could live well, fight well, and die well. He shared many cups with those he took arms against and praised them and their inspiration.
Antonii girded his mind with fortitude, sharpened his heart with manliness, and thus imbued with the spirit of arms, glaive shining, he led brave tygers onto the steppes. Out along the edge of the steppe is always where he burned to be, inspired by his clear view of sky.
Virtue is the gift of inspiration and so moved by his deeds and knightliness, We join him to the Order of the Chivalry.
The sun shines in the sky and Sir Antonii is on Eastern soil. Maidens sing on the rivers, their voices weave across the steppes to the Mists. Countries rejoice, cities are merry.
We, Tsar Ivan and Tsaritsa Matilde, confirm this tale on the 27th day of January, Anno societatis LLI in Our lands called Stonemarche while holding Court at the Birka Marketplace.
213 words
Text inspiration from “Tale of Igor’s Campaign” (Слово о пълку Игоревѣ.) c. 1200, from the Pskov manuscript, fifteenth cent. Translations referenced were by J. A. V. Haney and Eric Dahl and Vladimir Nabokov. The structure of the text is loosely styled on the concept of the “bylina” – a traditional East Slavic oral epic narrative poem loosely based on historical fact, greatly embellished with fantasy or hyperbole to create their songs.
Calligraphy and Illumination by Vettorio Antonello; Words by Aneleda Falconbridge