A Song of Love in Celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of Mistress Fia Kareman and Sir Matthew Moreaveous Avdenmork created by Baroness Aneleda Falconbridge.
Commissioned by Sir Matthew for performance near the Feast Day of St. Swithins in the Year of Our Lord MMXV.
My lemman* doth give me joy! My lemman doth give me joy! All like the spring in may anew doth maketh the girl and boy dance in the meadow merrily.
He bringth her to the field of play
wherein the tournament is held.
Her sleeve the gallant doth display,
no weapon better weld – I see
Cupid’s conscript, love’s devotee.
He bringth her flowers of the field
And all good things that gather joy
e’en those which cleverly concealed
hath made her lemman coy – it seems
as round us summer sunlight streams.
My lemman doth give me joy! My lemman doth give me joy! All like the spring in may anew doth maketh the girl and boy dance in the meadow merrily.
He walks her to the greeny glade,
upon his knee these words he said,
‘Ere we embark on our crusade,
O let us be wed – my heart
That I from you shall never part.
Agree, did she, that Swithins Day*
to stand with him in gale or sun,
in health and injury to stay.
And with the asking done – I see
her kin came forth at his decree.
My lemman doth give me joy! My lemman doth give me joy! All like the spring in may anew doth maketh the girl and boy dance in the meadow merrily.
Surprised the lady was to find
there stood a servant of Our Lord.
For hearts and souls and hands to bind,
and taketh down their word – my dear
while all around them friends appear’d.
Emboldened by their earnest vow
with love she chided his deceit.
Yet good intent can lies endow!
In spite of their conceit – be bless’d
When sweet with love they are confessed.
My lemman doth give me joy! |e e e b b e My lemman doth give me joy ! |e e e b b e All like the spring in may anew |d g a b b ag f e doth maketh the girl and boy |e e e e b e f g a b dance in the meadow merrily. | b a f g f e d e
*Notes
Leeman is a word meaning “lover” used in Middle English love poetry. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/leman
Swithin’s Day: The events discussed in this work took place during a weekend of the Great Northeastern War in Malagentia, traditionally the weekend after July 4th, making it always in the ‘teens of the month of July. St. Swithin’s Day is July 15th, which I judged close enough. There are songs from the middle ages which mention the day, and since this is a bit of a small dance-like piece, it seemed fitting to reference it.
Lucie’s Scroll by Master Ed MacGuyver, photo by Mistress Brita
All dere East kin, be what you may,
to Rex and Regina lean touward
as not to lack in this display –
of goodnesse above reward
to one whose labors never stored,
is yeve frely even yet
by Ramesgate’s lady, muchel adored.
One selden isei3e and not for3ete.
Here manner of joy alle can see,
A smile ever on hire lips doth dwell.
None but Our Lucie may this be.
How gretly Lovegood fits her well,
All unquiet doeth she cwellen,
with alle in ease as quire well sete,
work wol soun withe harmonie of a belle
A gift selden isei3e and not for3ete.
King Darius Aurelius Serpentius
and Queen Etheldreda Ivelchyld,
on the feaste day of St. Amabilis
at the Malagentiaes Greate War wild
wolde decre in newe ink styled
In the societies fiftith year We set
our honor on sheo which all beguiled
She who oft isei3e and not for3ete.
Thus we Grant Arms to seo who liht girt,
Who lessens burdens oft, without relent,
Per bend sinister azure and vert,
a stag springing within a bordure argent.
By Our full right and Our intent
We sete on heo head fyne coronet
& with this title we cement
Lucie Baroness, selden isei3e and never for3ete.
*3 = yogh which can be transcribed “gh” or “y,” and is printed ȝ / ȝ
Illumination and calligraphy were done by Master Ed MagGuyver.
About this piece:
NOTE: Bodleian MS. Vernon (about 1400), f. 4106
From A Middle English Reader and Vocabulary, Editors Kenneth Sisam and J.R.R. Tolkien
See also: A Concise Dictionary of Middle English- From A.D. 1150 to 1580
By A.L. (Anthony Lawson) Mayhew
This poem is based on the poem from 1377 “The Death of Edward III” which was somewhat period appropriate for Lucie’s persona period, the political situation in 14th century England, and her location of Ramsgate in Thanet. I have to thank Master Angus Pembridge (Ian Stewart) for directing me toward this work when I was in a fit about what to do, having been not as successful as I had hoped in identifying a poem with my desired time period and geolocation for Lucie’s piece. He suggested this as a good compromise and it was a good place to aim.
The rhyme scheme is ABABBCBC with a repeated end line with some variance in tense and structure but constant theme and word style (the C is the same rhyme throughout the poem.) The original does not have a particular cadence and that has followed in this poem. The original has many stanzas but this one only four.
Special challenges were working the heraldry in – which will not be included in the actual scroll as it has not yet passed – and finding appropriate rhyme for “Serpentius” which proved an odd challenge (I looked for appropriate Latin phrases and words to use but came up short). I always try to make “the necessary” information part of the whole work. The Great Northeastern War is merged with the location of the event, Malagentia, and the day is listed only as the Saint Day it references (July 11 is the feast day of St. Amabilis) which may give some herald fits, but it’s all in there.
(St. Amabilis died in 634 and is also known as St. Mabel. Traditionally identified as the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon king, she became a nun at Saint-Amand in Rouen, France. Selected for both her feast day and her connection to England, I also thought Lucie might just like her. A second saint, a male, from an earlier time, shares the name. He, like me, was a church cantor and I liked the connection. Worth noting – she’s listed in the 600+ page tome about saints that was published by the Monks of Ramsgate. There are no coincidences!)
I reached out to the King and Queen and got statements from each of them as to why they wished to give Lucie this award. I incorporated their sentiments, if not their direct quotes, into the piece.
The result is a custom poem in a persona-appropriate verse style in which all the information is woven in the form.
I used http://www.etymonline.com/index.php to help me check the words to see if they existed before 1500 and made alterations when I could use an earlier word.
A ! dere God, what may this be,
That alle thing weres and wasteth away?
Frendschyp is but a vanyte’
Unnethe hit dures al a day.
Thei beo so cliper at assay,
So Leof to hand, and loth to lete,
And so fikel in heore fay,
That selden isei3e is sone for3ete
I sei hit not withouten a cause
and therfore takes hiht god here
For 3if ye construwe wel this clause
I puit 3you holly out of drede
That puire schame 3or herd wold blede
and 3 this matere wysly trets
He that was ur most spede
is selden seye and sone for3ete
Sum tyme and Englis schip we had
Nobel hit was, and heih of tour ;
Throw al Christendam hit was drad,
And stif wold stonde in uch a stour,
And best dorst byde a scharp schour,
And other stormes smale and grete ‘
Nou is that schip , that bar the flour,
Selden sei3e and sone for3ete.
Into that schip there longeth a roothur,
That steered the schip, and governed hot ;
In al this world nis such another,
As me thenketh in my wit.
Whil schip and rothur togeder was knit,
Thei dredde nother tempest, druy3e nor wete ;
Nou be thei bothe in synder flit ;
That selden sei3e is sone for3ete.
These are the various end lines in the poem:
And non rigt sone hit is for3ete
And now riht clene hit is for3ete
That selden sei3e is sone for3ete.
That selden sei3e is sone for3ete.
And money gode dedes ben clene for3ete.
That selden sei3e is sone for3ete.
That selden sei3e be never for3ete.
Sources and relevant links:
3 = yogh which can be transcribed “gh” or “y,” and is printed ȝ / ȝ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribal_abbreviation
Using the 1377 “On the death of Edward III” as the rhyme and form basis of this piece. The original documents are from the British Museum collection. The version in print I used as a reference was http://lollardsociety.org/pdfs/Wright_PoliticalPoems_vol1.pdf
A summer picnic on a Light Middle Eastern Theme – mid-June 2015
I wanted to explore some items in Middle Eastern cooking. I also wanted food that would not be too far outside people’s comfort zone, and I wished to fulfill the suggestion of our Baron and Baroness that the dayboard ought to be, ideally, finger food.
The dayboard was prepared to serve 100 people a light repast. About 70 attended the event and ate, I think, very well. The budget was $150. Chicken was purchased at $.79/lb. Eggs and cheese have increased in price a great deal recently. The meal was pretty close to budget – I donated some small things (some flour, sugar and butter and all the spices.) As the day was quite warm it turned out to be a really lovely meal of crisp veggies and the chicken, which I planned to heat on the grill, but the assembly (who had gathered to watch the laying of the table) thought cold would be just fine. Including His Excellency the Baron, so cold it was.I had help from Agatha Rachel Case in cutting and laying out things and help from Alys Karen Childs who chopped cheese and then grilled all the flatbreads. It was a merry work crew and I appreciated their help very much.
This is what you see on the table:
– Sekanjabin syrups with ginger and spices
– Chicken with lemon and olive oil, rubbed in salt and pepper and then baked (served cold)
– Plate of chopped herbs (cilantro, parsley, mint) for adding flavors
– Plate of two cheeses (feta and colby-jack, because I know my audience)
– Carrots cut into dinars
– Bowls of salt and black pepper
– Fresh cucumbers
– Roast garlic hummus
– More carrot dinars
– Lemon kale hummus
– Strawberries dressed with elderflower liquor
– Fresh strawberries
– Small dill pickles
– Olives stuffed with almonds
– Olives stuffed with pimentos
– ‘Adjari: The Virgins (“adult butter cookies” so named because you are to make the dough and then “form like the breasts of the virgins” and bake them.) Regular and flavored with rosewater.
– Whole cloves of roast garlic
– Badhinjan: Tangy Eggplant Stir Fry (eggplant, chopped walnuts, oil, vinegar, onion, caraway, garlic) This was the surprise favorite of the day, to my surprise. It was my “risky new thing” dish.
– Bread and whole boiled eggs
– Grilled flatbreads – flour tortillas cooked over a grill (until charred, puffed, firm, crisp, etc. They are much more delicious that way and they could be used for trenchers of a sort too.)
When actively following the directions for A Cordial Water of Sir Walter Raleigh (A Queens Delight in The Art of Preserving, Conserving and Candying, 1671 by a WM *****) one realizes that it is a LOT of strawberries.
“Take a gallon of Strawberries, and put them into a pint of Aqua vitæ, let them stand for four or five days, strain them gently out, and sweeten the water as you please with fine Sugar; or else with perfume.”
And now I’ve moved from being a small batch beverage recreator to a REALLY small batch beverage recreator.
This recipe doesn’t seem right. But Ima gunna follow it to the letter, bottle the result and then do a second infusion with the (massive) quantity of berries that it uses.
Because it wants a gallon of berries. A GALLON. To ONE PINT of aquavite. And even with imperial measurements (which I’m using, of course) it’s kind of insane.
I mean, I read that as an 8:1 ratio of berries to liquid. I’m doing 2.4 US cups of strawberries to 1/3 cup liquor.
But here we go anyway.
These are the strawberries. They came from my mother’s garden. They are small, very sweet, and smell amazing. Even these were somewhat of a sacrifice.Strawberries and the amount of brandy called for in this recipe – 1/8 the volume of the berries. (It looks like more in the image but it’s close.)There’s the 8:1 ratio of berries to liquid.
My berries are home-grown from my mother’s garden – they’re small and I’m not willing to sacrifice a whole gallon (like, the whole pick is less than a gallon!) of them, which is why I reduced the quantities so much — I went to the largest amount I could really spare of such precious and hard-won things.
Commercial berries would have a very different flavor I think – these smell like field berries even though they’re cultivated.
This was paneled at the Great Northeastern War July 2015 and had a score of 73.
Magnus the Stout, who is a great brewer and an amazing re-creator of period brewing, posted some great info about the milk of a red cow, a thing required in the Snail Water.
“So Aneleda’s got this snail water recipe that she wants to inflict on us. I applaud such efforts and eagerly await disgusting snail goop.
The recipe calls for “red cow’s milk,” and there’s some question as to what that means.
Well, here’s an interesting blog with a pamphlet from 1655 that includes a medicine with the same ingredient – the milk of a red cow.
This is for a smallpox treatment, so perhaps they thought red cows had some special healing properties.”
We’ll include this in our research as to why on earth this recipe is so.
