Saturday, October 31, 2020

A Silver Tyger text for the late 14th century

Sorry for the delay on posting this one.  I needed confirmation it had actually gone out.  The original text source is a Scots charter from 1370.  All of the spelling is accurate for 1370-1400 in English.

In þe fifti-fifþe yeer, a-cordynge to þe custome & calculacion of þe Societie, in þe þrettenþe Indictioun[1], in þe court of þe most merueylous & honourable princes Tindal & Alberic, þe sovereyns of þe Estland, þe duks, erls, barouns, kniʒts & oþur persones of þaire roialme attendaunt upon þem; desiren, by þe custome et exsaumple of þaire prodessessours of celebrable memorie, to ʒif laude & heigh renoun to þose men of þe Estland who exhibitt craftynes[2] in þe excercitacioun[3] of armes; and upon þe fulsum & undevyded witnessinge of þe duks, erls, barouns, kniʒts & oþur persones assemblyng þat Damian MacWard explies swiche pruaunce[4] as to ofserueþ[5] reward; þer fore, þe most honourable princes adewed et dewid þe seid Damian wiþ þe Ordre of þe Sylver Tygre, wiþ alle riʒtz, prevelages, lyveresouns[6], vauntages, waynes[7] and benefises þereupon appendauntez[8], so muche as is dewid to anie and alle oþur confrerys[9] of þe fornamned Ordre.  Whiche þings beyng þus ful wrouʒt, þe forsayde merueylous & honourable princes made subscripcion off þeyre owne handes upoun þis wryting of decree for perpetewel & futur memorie, in testymonye of all þe biforesayd. 


[1] Because of COVID, the actual date when the award was going out was uncertain.  Therefore, at the Crown's request, I didn't give the scroll a precise date, but simply used the vaguer dating of the "13th Indiction"

[2]  craftynes = skillfulness

[3]  exercitacioun = practice or drill (in warfare)

[4] pruaunce = prowess

[5]  ofserueþ = deserve

[6]  lyveresouns = allowances of food or drink, stipends

[7]  waynes = profits, advantages, benefits

[8]  appendauntez = appurtenances; things that belong to one as a subsidiary right or possession

[9]  confrerys = fellow members of a brotherhood (or in this case, of an Order)





1 comment:

  1. NICE, you actually used a couple words in there I couldn't figure out!

    ReplyDelete