When +Anne Washburne finally relented and let us recommend her for a Maunche, she stated that she wanted an "Alys special" scroll. Since Anastasia was the person inspired me to start researching and writing period texts, I was more than happy to oblige.
This text is written in c. 1400 English, and the lovely scroll was done in the same style by +Thyra Eiriksdottir . The fun new Middle English terms I learned in preparing this text are defined in the footnotes. Definitions are taken from the Middle English Dictionary.
The character ȝ found in knyiȝt is a yogh. In this context, it's pronounced like a long i.
Brennan, by þe ryght of armez Kyng, and Caoilfhionn, bi þe same ryght, Queene. It is fittynge þat our power graunt iust requestes in alle þyngs and enlarge owre feythful with honoures, prevelages and allowaunces. Þerfore let owre sugetts boþe future and present knowe hou owre Ordre of þe Maunche bisoght owre procuracioun[1] on bihalve of þat good and gracious noble lady, Anastasia Guta, axinge þat þe sayd Anastasia be pronownsed a Compaynoun of þe sayd Ordre; and affermyng þys requeste bi cause of þe said Anastasia’s memoriable[2] skil, excellence, approbacion[3] and avisinesse[4], most especially her workemanshipp in cokerie and eloquensye in alle mattres of langage, we do descide and confyrme þat þe sayd Anastasia be and here by is endouwed wyth þe Ordre of þe Maunch, to haue and halde heer after alle ryghts, prevelages, substaunce and indowments as apperteneth þerto, and do forthermar instruct and comaund þat þe sayd Anastasia schall heer after bere vppon her personage þe sygnance[5] of þe afore named Ordre, to wit: Per pale Or and purpure, a maunch counterchanged. If any counte, viscounte, maistir, knyiȝt, prouost, esquyere or any large or smale persoun of any oþer condicion should presume to do iniurie to þys owre Roiale comaund whenne þe contentis of þys owre comaund are knowen, let hym paie a hundred coygnes of gold to owre tresorye. And so þat þys owre presente charter will be biknowen wiþe certytude, we haue merked it with owre synes manuell vppon 30 Ianyuerie in þe fiftythe ȝere of þe Societie in Stonemarche.
[1] The process of bringing something about on behalf of another.
[2] Memorable, noteworthy.
[3] Proven effectiveness, excellence.
[4] Wisdom, judgment, consideration.
[5] A sign or signal.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Alesone's Fealty Oath
In keeping with +Wendy Marques 's desire for her Laurel elevation to be as close as we could make it (within SCAdian traditions) to the creation of a 16th cen. Master Grocer in London, I went searching through the records of the Worshipful Company of Master Grocers to build her a fealty oath.
The Worshipful Company swore a lengthy oath to Queen Elizabeth I in 1584. It can be found in its entirety at pp. 83-85 of Some Account of the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London. The oath in its entirety would have taken a very long time to recite in an SCA court, and much of it has to do with refusing to recognize pretenders to the Crown (a problem we really don't have in the East Kingdom in A.S. 50). So I extracted some of the best language, then massaged it a little to make it SCA-appropriate and Alesone-appropriate. The words below are what Alesone loudly and firmly declared today upon attaining her Mastery, echoing the words signed and agreed to by other Master Grocers 432 years ago.
I, Alesone Gray of Cranlegh, being a subject of this realm of the East and acclaimed as a Peer of the Society, hereby acknowledge myself most justly bound with my life, land and goods for the defense and safety of the Kingdom; and so acknowledging, I do swear and avow that I shall withstand, pursue, and suppress all such enemies of the Realm and other mischievous persons, of whatever nation, condition or degree whatsoever they may be, that intend harm to the Kingdom. And I do further vow and promise that, I shall serve and humbly obey you my Sovereign Lord and Lady, with my powers, body, life, lands and goods; and that I shall resist by force of arms all estates, dignities and earthly powers whatsoever that intend the harm of your Royal Persons. So say I, Alesone, Master of the Laurel.
The Worshipful Company swore a lengthy oath to Queen Elizabeth I in 1584. It can be found in its entirety at pp. 83-85 of Some Account of the Worshipful Company of Grocers of the City of London. The oath in its entirety would have taken a very long time to recite in an SCA court, and much of it has to do with refusing to recognize pretenders to the Crown (a problem we really don't have in the East Kingdom in A.S. 50). So I extracted some of the best language, then massaged it a little to make it SCA-appropriate and Alesone-appropriate. The words below are what Alesone loudly and firmly declared today upon attaining her Mastery, echoing the words signed and agreed to by other Master Grocers 432 years ago.
I, Alesone Gray of Cranlegh, being a subject of this realm of the East and acclaimed as a Peer of the Society, hereby acknowledge myself most justly bound with my life, land and goods for the defense and safety of the Kingdom; and so acknowledging, I do swear and avow that I shall withstand, pursue, and suppress all such enemies of the Realm and other mischievous persons, of whatever nation, condition or degree whatsoever they may be, that intend harm to the Kingdom. And I do further vow and promise that, I shall serve and humbly obey you my Sovereign Lord and Lady, with my powers, body, life, lands and goods; and that I shall resist by force of arms all estates, dignities and earthly powers whatsoever that intend the harm of your Royal Persons. So say I, Alesone, Master of the Laurel.
Devillin's Apollos Arrow Scroll: the text
+Raymond Edwards was created one of the Premiers of the Order of Apollos Arrow, the East's new AoA-level archery award today. It's a fairly standard Scots charter text. If I had realized sooner that I was going to be the scribe, I'd have put it in Scots or at least 16th cen. English spelling if nothing else. Unfortunately, between the holidays and the head cold of death, that just didn't happen. But it's a nice text all the same. 133 words, for those who complain about such things :-)
Upon this day, in presence of the King’s majesty and the Queen’s grace, their nobility and populace presently convened, with advice of the lords of their council, session and exchequer, it is hereby declared and ordained as follows:
In witness of the great prowess at archery shown by our servant Devillin MacPherson, we, Brennan Rex and Caoilfhionn Regina, do hereby invest the said Devillin as Principal of our Order of Apollo’s Arrow, with all rights, privileges, donations, endowments and immunities appertaining thereto. And we do further instruct and command the said Devillin to bear on his person hereafter the badge of the aforenamed Order. And so declaring, instructing and commanding, we do set below our ensigns manual in perpetual memorial, upon the 16th day of January in the fiftieth year of the Society.
Upon this day, in presence of the King’s majesty and the Queen’s grace, their nobility and populace presently convened, with advice of the lords of their council, session and exchequer, it is hereby declared and ordained as follows:
In witness of the great prowess at archery shown by our servant Devillin MacPherson, we, Brennan Rex and Caoilfhionn Regina, do hereby invest the said Devillin as Principal of our Order of Apollo’s Arrow, with all rights, privileges, donations, endowments and immunities appertaining thereto. And we do further instruct and command the said Devillin to bear on his person hereafter the badge of the aforenamed Order. And so declaring, instructing and commanding, we do set below our ensigns manual in perpetual memorial, upon the 16th day of January in the fiftieth year of the Society.
There was going to be a notary attestation at the end of this, but I just plain ran out of room on the paper. If I'm going to be scribing my own texts, I need to learn to write much smaller. :-)
Alesone's Laurel Scroll
Today, my protogee +Wendy Marques became a member of the Order of the Laurel after much hard work and dedication. She wanted her elevation ceremony to resemble as much as possible the creation of a Master Grocer in the Worshipful Company of Grocers in 16th cen. London.
So, her scroll text is based on the Grocers charter, with spelling appropriate to the 1570s. I would have liked to have gone a little longer, listing some of the specific privileges of 16th cen. London guildmasters, but the C&I person had never worked with me before and had never done a Peerage scroll before, and was way too nervous for me to get too lengthy.
Unto our good and honoured servaunt Alesone Gray of Cranlegh, greetings and every good thynge. On discoursing with divers worshipfull persons concerning the syngular excellense achieved by you in the garbelling[1] of spices, the workynges of sugar, and the other notabell practises of the companie of Grocers, and havyng ourselues observed your excellense in the sayde mattres, We, Brennan and Caoilfhionn, Kynge and Queene, herebye declare and ordeyn that you shall be knowen her-after as a Master Grocer and shall hence-foreward beare in the Societie the stacioun, ryghts, privyleges and honors of a Master of the Lawrell.[2] And for the love we beare you, you shall further bear hence-foreward and in perpetuitie Armes by Lettres Patentes in the form following: Quarterly gules and sable, on a bend sinister argent three fleurs-de-lys gules. As confirmacioun whereoff, we have caused this publick instrument to be madde and sygned by us upon 16 Januarie in the fiftieth year of the Society.
[1] To pick, cleanse and sort into different qualities. Multiple period books refer to the garbelling of spices as the business of grocers.
[2] Based on Alesone's research, there were female Master Grocers in the 16th century. They were referred to as "Masters." Therefore, Alesone has chosen to style herself as a Master of the Laurel.
So, her scroll text is based on the Grocers charter, with spelling appropriate to the 1570s. I would have liked to have gone a little longer, listing some of the specific privileges of 16th cen. London guildmasters, but the C&I person had never worked with me before and had never done a Peerage scroll before, and was way too nervous for me to get too lengthy.
Unto our good and honoured servaunt Alesone Gray of Cranlegh, greetings and every good thynge. On discoursing with divers worshipfull persons concerning the syngular excellense achieved by you in the garbelling[1] of spices, the workynges of sugar, and the other notabell practises of the companie of Grocers, and havyng ourselues observed your excellense in the sayde mattres, We, Brennan and Caoilfhionn, Kynge and Queene, herebye declare and ordeyn that you shall be knowen her-after as a Master Grocer and shall hence-foreward beare in the Societie the stacioun, ryghts, privyleges and honors of a Master of the Lawrell.[2] And for the love we beare you, you shall further bear hence-foreward and in perpetuitie Armes by Lettres Patentes in the form following: Quarterly gules and sable, on a bend sinister argent three fleurs-de-lys gules. As confirmacioun whereoff, we have caused this publick instrument to be madde and sygned by us upon 16 Januarie in the fiftieth year of the Society.
[1] To pick, cleanse and sort into different qualities. Multiple period books refer to the garbelling of spices as the business of grocers.
[2] Based on Alesone's research, there were female Master Grocers in the 16th century. They were referred to as "Masters." Therefore, Alesone has chosen to style herself as a Master of the Laurel.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)