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Scroll text for Gnaea Celera – Silver Brooch & Award of Arms

Handmade calligraphy of words for Gnaea Celera.
Mari’s beautiful cadel and script elevate the words!

Scroll text for Gnaea Celera

Vīsiō ad orbam per gratia artis.*
Audite verbis Ivan et Matilde que regis regineque regnum orientalis.
Scite quotd his litteris agnoscimus virtutem dignitatemque subjecti nostrorum  Gnaea Celera.
Celear ultro meretur quam ob rem ametur; ita dapsiliter suos amicos alit.*
Vitriarius artificium  suum supremum optumum adpellat. Creare pulchras creterras, vitrum lepistas. Nulla dies sine artēs.*
Ergo Celera consocias cum consortium fibula argentum. Extollimus  et assignamus ei ordonis domina et beneficium armis [____blazon________]. Fit manibus nostris in IX die Decembris anno societatis LLI epulāribus baronia Bhakailia festum adventi.

Translation

She sees the world through love of art.*
Pay heed to the words of Ivan and Matilde, Tsar and Tsaritsa of the East Kingdom.
Know that by these letters we recognize the worth and dignity of our subject Gnaea Celera.
Celera earns of herself the merit of being loved; so abundantly does she nourish her friends.*
The glassmaker calls on her art, the all-highest and good. She creates  beautiful bowls and glass goblets. She has not a day without art.*
Therefore, we join Celera with the Order of the Silver Brooch.
We extole her and commit her to the rank of lady and grant to [him/her] all rights to the arms [______blazon________]. Done by our hands on the 9 day of December, in the year of the society 52 at the Yule Feast in the Barony of Bhakail.

*adapted from fragments of poems by Gnaeus Naevius

This was written to be presented in either long-paragraph or short paragraph style in the scroll. Calligraphy and Illumination was done by by Mari Clock.  It has 86 words in Latin and138 in the English translation.

This work includes Latin text from the Drachenwald AOA text contributed by contributed by Lady Aryanhwy merch Catmael. It also contains adapted fragments of poems by Gnaeus Naevius, Roman epic poet and dramatist. Any errors in the Latin are mine. (I had to do a lot of looking up in the conjugation dictionary!) If you want to see what it looks like when I try to write this stuff, here’s the link to the hairy, messy document where I take notes and figure out what I’m doing.

 

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When We Were Young

I wrote this song for myself and for other friends who have become parents, seeing our lives — and our adventures — change.

It’s not always easy. But there it is.

 

When we were young

our swords were steel

and we fought dragons

We’d oil the moat

and stand to watch it burn.

We climbed mountains

as the snow lay crisp around us.

We bragged of love

and mighty sacrifice.

When we were young

Our arms were strong

our heads were more so

We’d oil our faces

and cavort around the fire.

We’d stumble, falling

as the flowers bloomed around us.

We sang of love

and mighty sacrifice.

When we were young

Our hearts were light

And we were noble.

We’d oil the lamps

and laugh ‘till they were gone.

We left taverns

as the dawn would blush around us.

We dreamed of love

and mighty sacrifice.

When we were young

our cloaks were thick

and we would wander.

We’d oil the cart

and push ‘till she would go.

We picked apples

as the leaves fell all around us.

We talked of love

and mighty sacrifice.

Now we have young

our swords are wood

and we are dragons.

We oil the pans

And pray that nothing burns.

We watch in silence,

as the stars grow bright around us.

We learned of love

and mighty sacrifice.

We watch in silence,

as the stars grow bright around us.

We know of love

and mighty sacrifice.

By Aneleda for Jean, Sorcia, and Gui-Andre

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Icelandic Snail Cross

It’s typical for a consort to give their fighter a token with their arms on it to wear into battle. Often, this is done with a belt favor embroidered by the consort. I’m getting more and more into Viking garb and study, and Culann is a northern Celt, so a belt favor didn’t make sense to me. So I pondered, “what might a Norse woman give a northern Celt?”

I consulted with Master Freidrikr about what would be an appropriate gift and he suggested that an amulet, like a Thor’s Hammer, would have been a noble gift. My inspiration piece was an Icelandic 10th-century artifact known as the “Wolf Cross” or “vargkors”  found in Foss.*

This is the final result:

bronze-cast winged snail version of Icelandic wolf-head cross

 

Wolf cross from Foss, Iceland, 10th-century
Wolf cross from Foss, Iceland, 10th-century

Out of beeswax I created a Thor’s Hammer as a gift for Sir Culann MacCiannon, my favor, for him to wear when he fought for me in the East Kingdom Spring Crown Tournament AS52.  It was cast in bronze by Mark Frasier (Izzo) and let’s be clear that Izzo did the lion’s share of the work!

My original one was really huge and would have been totally inappropriate for the work, I discovered, even if it had been successful. (And way, way too heavy.) The original was very tiny, mine is much bigger but still reasonable.**

Here’s a shot of the wax which was cast. A mold was poured around it and then when dry the mold (plaster and/or sand) is put in a kiln to harden, and the wax melts, leaving the empty cavity. (The first such mold exploded in the kiln because it still had moisture in it, losing the mold and the first wax item.) Then hot metal is poured into the mold and when cooled the mold is broken. Every piece is as unique as the wax because of this process.

Winged snail sculpted in beeswax

 

Winged snail sculpted in beeswax, top view

 

Here’s a whole photo process document, if you’re interested: https://goo.gl/photos/xqCgddwX9axxaR5D9

Footnotes:

* (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Archaeological_record_of_Mjöllnir#/media/File:Vargkors_kopia.jpg)

**https://angloscandinavianchronicle.com/2011/09/20/the-size-of-artifacts/

 

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Gold All The Things!

Cloth is not a thing I’m comfortable working with. So when I volunteered to assist my friends by making an embellished border for a beloved friend’s Laurel cloak, well…. that was kind of foolish.

However, I decided to go big or go home.

First, gold leaf on cloth was totally done in the SCA period. Linseed oil was used as the sticky part and a sealant was painted over the gold. So I had proof that it was done. (And then Ollilia gave me this great text to help!)

http://www.noteaccess.com/Texts/Cennini/10M.htm

I documented this with lots of photos, so please feel free to look at the Google album, which has all the notes!!

https://goo.gl/photos/whnSJJfXgkeZdJTJ9

Other resources I found that were kind of helpful included:

http://www.joann.com/gold-leafing-sheets-25-pkg-gold/1100106.html?gclid=CJ6qiJXjsNICFUhXDQod-0wCeQ

https://www.brit.co/diy-gold-foil-tote/

https://books.google.com/books?id=LKFgAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA111&lpg=PA111&dq=gilded+textiles+middle+ages&source=bl&ots=69yePE4f_I&sig=AUc_FeV0LIThaZ5XTQ5Xuz3rVvg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirmN2r4bDSAhWBthQKHewYBUoQ6AEIQzAJ#v=onepage&q=gilded%20textiles%20middle%20ages&f=false

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My Summer Brothers

It had been a while since I was struck by song inspiration, which vexed me, but in the days leading up to the EK Spring Crown (in which Sir Culann was fighting for me) I found that my muse decided to come and visit.

This is a song about three men who have been influential to my SCA experience, Culann Mac Cianain, Ian Stewart, and Adam Brennan. I presented this to Angus before I left and to Culann and Brennan on Saturday night after Crown was done, dinner was had. (We made the semifinals! There was steak! There were people! Yay!)

Born of a Pembridge campfire at the War of the Roses, I give you the song, which you can hear by clicking the link.

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Asked for songs forged of an ancient fame
I sang to them, and to my kin,
as the stars drew closely down
Who that night would have seen the paths
That lead to our renown.

One summer brother came to me
A strong and comely knight.
That summer brother promised me
That beside me he would fight.
Never was I outside his view,
Nor lost in melee’s hold
Careful and watchful, was my shield,
His presence made me bold!

One summer brother came to me
With warriors at his side
That summer brother
Bade me sing, e’re they set out to ride.
Forty fierce and noble men
Brought wrath at his commands,
Yet would soothe my tears and place mulled wine
Within my hands.

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Asked for songs forged of an ancient fame
I sang to them, and to my kin,
as the stars drew closely down
Who that night would have seen the paths
That lead to our renown.

One summer brother came to me
So by his King assigned
That summer brother
Had given word he’d not leave me behind.
He brought me light to darkened hall
The concerns of all he’d quell,
His vigilant gaze on everything
Assuring all was well.

My summer brothers come to me
Now Duke, Master, and Knight
My summer brothers
Give me joy and stories fine to write.
Our lives have changed in many ways
Since that lazy summer fire
But like the sparks that fleck the night
They warm and they inspire.

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Asked for songs forged of an ancient fame
I sang to them, and to my kin,
as the stars drew closely down
Who that night would have seen the paths
That lead to our renown

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Asked for songs forged of an ancient fame
I sang to them, and to my kin,
as the stars drew closely down
Who that night would have seen the paths
That lead to our renown.

This summer sister loves you all,
You taught her to serve well.
This summer sister proudly sings
And your stories she will tell.
Seldom we stand as merry band
For we are rarely free
But I carry each one of you inside
With each joy and victory.

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Asked for songs forged of an ancient fame
I sang to them, and to my kin,
as the stars drew closely down
Who that night would have seen the paths
That lead to our renown.

My summer brothers
Spoke to me across the sparkling flame
My summer brothers
Will be songs forged of an ancient fame
Yes my summer brothers
Will be songs forged of an ancient fame.