Robert d'Whitmont - Silver Crescent

In the East Realm! O, Our East Realm! 

For the East Lands We do Rule 

King Ioannes and Queen Honig 

Are so filled with gratitude 

For Our Fine Robert d'Whitmont 

They that call Harry the Squid 

Who's years of service he'll not flaunt 

Softly doing what needs bid 

A presence at all assembly  

Chainmail fixings by his side 

Willing to teach folk, if they're free 

Giving kith, kin, and gear a ride

At Barony of An Dubhaigeainn 

AS 56, at St Andrew's

The date of November 13 

Amongst praises most perfuse 

We do grant the Silver Crescent 

Unto Robert d'Whitmont 

Witnessed today by all present 

Accolades, now his to flaunt 

******SPACE FOR ARMS******

The East Kingdom! O, the East Realm!

For the East will always shine 

Robert's afore Us, full of whelm 

As we laud him, all in rhyme 

Word Count: 136

In a cavern, in a canyon

Da-da-da da-da-da-da ...

A BLOG with no recognizable merit whatsoever

(With thanks to Tom Lehrer for the BLOG title)

This turned out to be an absolute joy to write.  The recipient is someone that I know, though not terribly well, but is a great friend of the calligrapher/illuminator Fiona the Volatile. He had a wonderfully detailed write up to work with and I had numerous personal stories as well.  

One story I wanted to reference was a tale of woe. How they were "lost and dirty in NewJersey on the way to war.” At some point in the past the recipient’s friends immortalized the tail in a filk to the tune of Oh My Darling, Clementine - commonly credited to Percy Montrose (1884).  Clementine follows a Trochee metre, but I followed the syllable count and verse structure more than the metric feet.

I started with a direct filk of the chorus from these  lyrics:

Oh my darling, oh my darling

Oh my darling, Clementine

You were lost and gone forever

Dreadful sorrow, Clementine

This became:

In the East Realm! O, Our East Realm! 

For the East Lands We do Rule 

King Ioannes and Queen Honig 

Are so filled with gratitude 

Originally I had the line, “O, the East Realm” repeated 3 times. But since the scroll is shorter than the song and I did have to convey certain information, I chose to vary each line to make it more interesting.

I also had to abandon the rhyme scheme, though I did keep it to the required 8 syllables per line.

For Our Fine Robert d'Whitmont 

They that call Harry the Squid 

Who's years of service he'll not flaunt 

Softly doing what needs bid 

In this verse I introduced the recipient and summed up why he was getting the award. He was described as the sort of person who goes above and beyond, yet never thinks it was a big deal. I also wanted to emphasize that he does what needs doing without being told.

 A presence at all assembly  

Chainmail fixings by his side 

Willing to teach folk, if they're free 

Giving kith, kin, and gear a ride

The next verse filled out more details of his service: how he’s at every local demo and event, a dependable aide to the autocrat. How he brings chainmail projects to events and is always willing to teach anyone who shows interest.  And an oblique reference to his overloaded vehicle on the way to Pennsic.

At Barony of An Duhaigeainn 

AS 56, at St Andrew's

The date of November 13 

Amongst praises most perfuse

This verse gave me the most trouble.  The place, date and hosting event rarely fit into a rhyme scheme and this was no different.  In the end, the first two lines of this verse with the barony, event and Anno Socieatatus year both have 9 syllables.  Hopefully I made up for this by keeping up the rhyme scheme.

We do grant the Silver Crescent 

Unto Robert d'Whitmont 

Witnessed today by all present 

Accolades, now his to flaunt 

Here I name the award being given. Early in my wordsmithing career I mistakenly used the word "grant" in an AoA scroll, and unfortunately the scribe only noticed the mistake after the calligraphy was finished. Since then I've learned better, and this time as it’s a grant level award I got to use that word.

 

This is also where I chose to put in the Space for the recipient’s Arms.  As far as I could find he has none registered.  

The East Kingdom! O, the East Realm!! 

For the East will always shine 

Robert's afore Us, full of whelm 

As we laud him, all in rhyme 

In the concluding verse, as in the song, I repeated the "O, the East Realm" lines. I particularly liked the last two rhymes: realm/whelm and shine/rhyme. 

While I didn't get much of the anecdotes, and details I had, which was lovely, I hope that the choice of metre and the song will do it for me, and that the recipient enjoys it.

EK Court Report: Saint Andrews

Caccia Trice Stenone - Silver Tyger

Her first event lit fires under her 

proverbial gluteus maximus 

Then pledged to never sit and watch again 

Caccia Trice Stenone is before us now 

She sparks under tails, so folk can excel 

She Works her rear off in this time of plague 

She's moving ever forward, not behind

Caccia follows her household motto 

"Totus Kulas aut Nulus Kulas"  

"All Ass or No Ass” For half-assed she is not 

And today We: Ioannes, Emperor!

Honig, Empress! Give the Silver Tyger 

Unto Our Caccia with all that entails 

Done November 6th, AS LVI

At Crown Tournament in the

Barony of Bergental

Word count: 100 

THE TUSH REFERENCES REVEALED:

Her first event lit fires under her 

proverbial gluteus maximus 

Then pledged to never sit and watch again 

Caccia Trice Stenone is before us now 

She sparks under tails, so folk can excel 

She Works her rear off in this time of plague 

She's moving ever forward, not behind

Caccia follows her household motto 

"Totus Kulas aut Nulus Kulas"  

"All Ass or No Ass” For half-assed she is not 

And today We: Ioannes, Emperor!

Honig, Empress! Give the Silver Tyger 

Unto Our Caccia with all that entails 

Done November 6th, AS LVI

At Crown Tournament in the

Barony of Bergental

Butt Enough About Me, Onto the Blog!

Choosing the writing style for this scroll was easy. I had just done research on the Court Barony I wrote for Baroness Timbrien, who also had a Roman Gladiatrix persona. The recommendation specifically mentioned Timbrien as a mentor to the recipient. 

 

I started looking for information about female gladiators to try to find inspiration.  I did not find much. In the Essays on the History and Culture of Rome I found a piece on The Roman Gladiator and the writings of Gaius Cornelius Tacitus (c.56 AD - c.120 AD) Women were rarely mentioned other than a passing reference. I did find New evidence of female gladiators, which was particularly lovely for all the extant photos of statues and mosaics of female gladiators.

 

While this line of inquiry wasn’t as fruitful as I had hoped, it was certainly an interesting side trip through internet research. Looking elsewhere for inspiration, I turned to the recipient's write-up ... and quickly realized this scroll was going to contain a long string of "butt" jokes. (I checked with the knight listed as the recipient's contact and was assured she'd appreciate it, for reasons that will become apparent.)

Her first event lit fires under her 

proverbial gluteus maximus 

These first 2 sentences were taken directly from the recommendation and heavily influenced by the recipient's household motto (more on that later).  Using “gluteus maximus” was particularly amusing for me.  Not only was this actual Latin, but a reference to Gluteus Maximus – a legionary chosen to represent Rome at the Olympics -- in Asterix at the Olympic Games, a comic I associate with the 1984 Olympics. 

Then pledged to never sit and watch again 

This was a reference to the recipient's first time watching fighting in the East Kingdom and their desire to never sit on the sidelines. 

"Sit" is another reference to the posterior, and also an evocative reminder of, "as I sit, there I was" (a common replacement for the popular phrase, "no sh*t, there I was," often accompanied by a gesture toward the speaker’s arse).

I wrote the next few sentences about the subject. I  had distilled the qualities praised in the recommendation down to three basic elements:

• She inspires

• She has drive

• She practices in adverse conditions (as the majority of her SCAdian experience has been duing COVID)

Caccia Trice Stenone is before us now 

A standard introduction to the recipient.  I tried a few times, but couldn't manage a rump reference here.

She sparks under tails, so folk can excel 

The write up specifically mentions how she inspired a household member to enter Crown for the first time ... lit a fire under their ass, so to speak.  But I had to work within my 10 syllable limit, convey that it was her actions that were inspiring others, and not use the word, “ass.” (That came later.)

She Works her rear off in this time of plague

This was the “has drive” sentence.  The majority of her time in the SCA has been during COVID and she has still pushed herself and others in her group.

My process is to write the words in a fairly straightforward and traditional way. Then keep on altering individual words.
For the third of these descriptive sentences, my first version was:

Has the drive to move ever forward 

... based on the aforementioned distilled qualities. But I rump - er, ramped up the butt references, so I cheekily changed it to:

She's moving ever forward, not behind

Caccia follows her household motto 

"Totus Kulas aut Nulus Kulas"  

"All Ass or No Ass” For half-assed she is not 

And now we get to the real reason behind all these references: the recipient's household, La Familia Gladiatoria, had a very detailed wiki page that included this motto!

And today We: Ioannes, Emperor!

Honig, Empress! Give the Silver Tyger 

I rarely put punctuation into scrolls, as it's usually not period for a variety of eras and just adds another “letter” for the calligraphers to draw.  But in this case I included the exclamation point as a guide to the herald who would read the scroll in court.

Unto Our Caccia with all that entails

And alas, that's the "end" of the jokes for this scroll.  I feel a little guilty that it is essentially a repeat, but the word was perfect here. This is the recipient’s first award in the SCA and I wanted to indicate that she will have the Award of Arms that accompanies the armerigious awards.

Done November 6th, AS LVI

At Crown Tournament in the

Barony of Bergental

During the last year and a half of COVID Times, it was specifically requested that the date be left out of any scroll presented in an Ethereal Court. Now here I was including the information again.  I didn't even try to use unrhymed iambic pentameter.  It added an extra 13 words, bringing the total up to 100 - usually the limit of what I like to include in an AoA or armerigious scroll.

All told I used seven different references to butt in the scroll and nine more in the write up.  I had a load of fun writing this, and I hope that the recipient and the folk at court will enjoy it as well.  It's been a while since I could string together so many jokes in one scroll. It's nice to get, uh, back to that.

This was first slated to go out at the Crown Tournament of Ioannes II & Honig II

Instead it has gone out at Les Beltaines XXXIII (EK Rapier Championship)

Confirmed received at  Les Beltaines
Les Beltaines XXXIII (EK Rapier Championship)
EK Gazette: Court Report: Les Beltaines

Timbrien - Court Barony

The Most generous Eastern Counsels 

Tindal and Alberic in regards to

Those that rise up to their inspired paths

Have found, to Our eyes, one whose service shines

From the Skies to the Center of of the Earth

Accursed Gorgons of ancient poets

Born in cavernous depths, were siblings three

Euryale and Stheno stood with Medusa 

Both forever damned for that decision 

Stheno put up brass hands for what was right 

Timbrien, like the eldest Gorgon stands

For her sisters in arms. For their training

For support and for the role of leading

We do not bury low such a one as this

But set upon her brow, six pearls, like eyes

For all to see the Baroness Timbrien 

Done today at the Coronation of

Ioannes and Ro Honig the second

In the Barony of Concordia 

Word Count 136

PENNIES, NICKELS, QUARTERS, DIMES, BLOG TO US WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME

The opportunity to compose Timbrien's Court Barony pleased me enormously, as I had written the words of their Silver Wheel. For the Wheel I had been told they favored Norse and Old English. so I had chosen the language of Beowulf. For the court barony, I decided to break out the Dróttkvætt meter.  

The only line of description I had was: “continued fostering of the female fighter community.” That description alone had a marvelous amount of alliteration in it already, so I sat down to use the meter … and found myself struggling throughout the entire process.  The syllable count and the rhymes were fighting me every other metric foot.

I had gotten through:

Robust Rings of Rending  

Rule the staunch East kingdom

Tindal and Alberic

Together Consuls, fearsome

I had managed to work a kenning into the first sentence:

I found the kenning, “Ring-Damager - GENEROUS RULER,”  from my beloved source The Skaldic Project. I played with it a bit and changed "Damager" to "Renderer," to fit the meter.  "Robust" made the metre correct and the next line was Rule. I was pleased with it.

Then I was trying to work in Their Majesties names into the next section and I came to a crashing halt.  I just couldn’t seem to fit “Tindal and Alberic” in any combination into the metre.  I decided to continue writing and revisit that later.

I continued to work on the composition and I was tearing my hair out.  Nothing was coming easily and I was struggling. I turned back to the recommendation and re-read that again, hoping to discover more  inspiration. Then, to my horror, I noticed something that had not been included on their wiki or their previous write up.  The recipient had a Roman Gladiator persona.

My writing did not match her persona! 

Everything came to a screeching halt.

After waiting a full 24 hours, I began to do some research on Roman writing. From Wikipedia to several other sources I distilled their writing to Unrhymed Iambic Pentameter. And to misquote the 80s detective show, Moonlighting: “I hate Iambic Pentameter!” I have been thinking of taking some sort of online class on it because I don’t think I am truly understanding it through the written word.  Perhaps hearing a lesson would help?  It’s a project for another time.

My husband found a list on Wikipedia of a List of Roman Phases and I found a small essay on How would Caesar's contemporaries have addressed and referred to him? Armed with selections from these, I set about writing the first paragraph of the scroll.

The Most generous Eastern Consuls 

This is directly from the article linked to above. “If you were grateful for a gift it might be liberalissime Caesar, “most generous Caesar.” I used the translation of the latin directly as this referenced something that was given, as the Consuls are giving the award.

Tindal and Alberic in regards to

Those that rise up to their inspired paths

This line was in direct reference to why the recipient was being given this award.  For their continued works in  their chosen area of focus in the East Kingdom.

Have found, to Our eyes, one whose service shines

From the Skies to the Center of of the Earth

Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos - "From the skies to the center of the earth" - is a term that has its origins in the 13th century dealing with property laws. While I was not using it in its lawyerly context,  I was particularly enamored of the images it invoked if the Roman Mythosand where the Gods lived.  Little did I realize how much this would fit in with the body of the scroll ...

I had put out a message to Sir Ryouko'jin, one of the contacts listed in the write up and the one that I was friends with on Facebook. We shared a fabulous conversation, and gave me a wonderful piece of information.  Timbrien identified with Stheno, one of the three Gorgon sisters. This information was GOLD! It led me to a fury of research.

My husband, computer wonder that he is, found a translation of Ovid, by Brooks More, who wrote the first iteration of Medusa.  This version of the story made no mention of Medusa’s sisters.  Then we found Medusa and the affair with Poseidon.  This and some other internet sources including: Gorgons and Medusa, Britannica Gorgons, Greek Mythology and Stheno. 

I HAD INSPIRATION NOW!!!

Accursed Gorgons of ancient poets

There are several versions of the stories of Medusa and her sisters.Not just by Ovid, though he does appear to be the first we have found.  I felt invoking the poets would be a good transition from the brief description of TRM and the recipient I had included in the first, “paragraph.”

Born in cavernous depths, were siblings three

This is where I solidified the earth/sky motif I had inadvertently begun with the earlier quote, “From the Skies to the Center of of the Earth.”  All of what I read seemed to agree that the Gorgon sisters were both born in caves and lived in them.

Euryale and Stheno stood with Medusa 

Both forever damned for that decision 

This is the first time I named the Gorgon sisters.  Unlike the way they are usually referenced, in age order, for the flow of the scroll I listed them as middle sister, eldest and youngest.  There is no other reason thanI started the second sentence after this with “Stheno.”

Stheno put up brass hands for what was right 

I thought that “Put up brass hands” was evocative of “throw up hands” or “throw up some hands,” current phrases that indicate a willingness to fight. Brass was used for 2 reasons: Stheno’s monstrous description often includes, besides snake hair and tusks, that she had brass hands. It also makes one think of brass knuckles, which ties in with the “throw hands” image I was trying to evoke.

Timbrien, like the eldest Gorgon stands

Here is where I directly mention that Stheno was the oldest sister, since I'd mentioned her out of order earlier. I felt it was important to emphasize her implied higher rank.

For her sisters in arms. For their training

For support and for the role of leading

In these sentences I am emphasizing all the  work that Timrien has done to earn the accolades she’s received.

We do not bury low such a one as this

This is the line that I felt brought the Earth and sky theme full circle in the scroll.

But set upon her brow, six pearls, like eyes

This line was in direct response to my discussion with Sir Ryou.  He told me about the design for Timbrien’s coronet, which would include snakes with eyes that would be the “pearls!"  I even passed this on to Magdalena, which inspired her to include snakes in her design.  I feel like with one conversation I gained an inspiration that will influence all aspects of the award.  This pleased me enormously.

For all to see the Baroness Timbrien 

I can only hope the herald says this with the same amount of power and triumph in their voice that I hear in my head when I read it!

Done today at the Coronation of

Ioannes and Ro Honig the Second

In the Barony of Concordia 

The concluding few sentences of the scroll don’t particularly feature any clever wordplay.  I simply made them adhere to the 10 syllable line and put in all the pertinent information.

All told I am very proud of how this scroll turned out.  It started in a completely different direction from where it started, to where it ended up.  I am very pleased at the coordination between the illumination/calligrapher and with the coronet that the new baroness will receive.

Honestly I went from struggling to inspired on this piece, and I hope it shows.

Photo by Magdalena Lantfarerin

Photo by Ryouko'jin Of-The Iron-Skies

Photo by Cateline la Broderesse

Final Court of Their Majesties Consul Tindal and Consul Alberic