Chivalry Scroll for Sir Brennan

Calligraphy and Illumination by Sir Cullen MacKinnon
Calligraphy and Illumination by Sir Cullen MacKinnon

HWAET!
Hear hall-men                     of brave Brennan,
Bring him before                 bear-armed blade-brood.

To his Kyng,                         kneeled at calling.
Fearless fought,                   that MacFergus.
Born of sword                      the warrior traveled
All he met                             allowed great praise.
All respected                        regent, peasant
king, queen, kin,                  bard, and brothers.

Girded guardian                 great in actions
Family-fierce,                      esteem is earned
at the haudin,                      by the barmkin,
dirk is ready                         for the realm.

Boldly boast                        I of Brennan.

Solid stood                           valorous tyger
Honored for                         great courtesy
Keen combat                       keeps his kinship
Champion                            of strong chieftains
Weighty work                     bore his body,
Answered he                       when courage called.
From loyalty,                      swore his mentor,
Deft desire                          gave him promise,
Well-refined                       tenacity.

 

Rare treasure                    find in this man.
Of the hoards                    in the war-chest
Poets see                            none so golden,
Nor liege lords,                nor great ladies
None rich as                      ring-bright Brennan.

Heed the wolves’               silver howling
In the night                        calling kinsmen.
Chivalry                              now come, gather
For your pack                    needs this voice.
All ages shall                      bear in mem’ry
Regal day of                       elevation.
No blood spilled                yet red was shed
Bound by belt                    bled in whiteness
Noble gold                          inspired proudly,
Simple chain                     now marks man’s measure.
This is his                           arrhae splendor,
Raise the quaich               drink his honor.
All within                           say now Slàinte.

With his hand                    Kenric oath-signed
Blessed it too                      Avelina.
Promised arms                   patent lettered
Sable,                                    two wolf’s heads
couped close                        respectant argent,
a base checky                      sable, argent
augmented                           a sinister
canton
Or a tyger                             passant azure.

On the day                            of crown contest
Fighting day                         to name their Heirs.
Fitting day                            for such acclaim.
Brothers stood                     for Sir Brennan.

Samhain pass’d                   by one sun rise
We have mark’d                 ending summer,
Two-years ‘till                     half-century
In history                              of Society
In long-hall                         Carolingian.
Remember                           great ones gathered
Where you were                 as Brennan rose
Knelt a soldier                    and a squire-man
Stood a son                          of Chivalry.

To the stones                        may it be told.
Swear to truth                      all have seen it.

Swear do we                        Eastern chieftains.
Kenric  Kyng                       Avelina Cwene

 

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 This is the text of the Scroll of Chivalry for Sir Brennan MacFeargus, who I am proud to call friend. When I was King’s Bard, he bore the burden of protecting me from grievous harm on the field (“You may die, but you won’t die-die,” I remember him saying.) It was he who helped tape the purple and gold banner to my spear. It was he who helped arrange all manner of things. Since then he, and his lady, have become part of my SCA family.

I read this in the morning, and after Brennan was knighted, I hugged him and said, “Brother, I am so happy that this morning I am reading your words as you are knighted, and tonight I will see you become Prince of the East.” He laughed…..then.

We all laughed later through our cheering as Sir Brennan became Prince of the East that same day and made his beautiful wife, my friend Caoilfhionn, Princess of the East.

Reading back, the scroll does have this prophetic sound to it. Weren’t bards considered magical in some Celtic cultures? (grin!)

Rock. Star. Day.

(arrhae  – 13 silver coins given to the minister or priest by the groom as part of the wedding ceremony. In any situation something given to bind a bargain between parties. Haudin – home, house, holding. Quaich  ~ ancient drinking cup with two handles and used with both hands. Slàinte ~ (slawn-cha), health, salvation; barmkin  ~ a Medieval defensive enclosure found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland. As well as the residence, outbuildings were also included, plus a place to protect livestock during cattle raids. From the Roman barbican, meaning an outer fortification of a city or castle. Kirkhope and Smailholm are castles on the Scotttish borders that had a barmekin. )