Llewellyn Walsh - Order of the Silver Brooch

We have heard there is one 
who makes fine knives, for fun.
With skill and artistry 
A cut above the rest
Who will, when so addressed,
make their best for all to see.
Ryou and Indrakshi
Joint in their sovereignty.
Find, with honors many,
Llewellyn Walsh afore
Our presence. We adore,
Furthermore, That any
Folk in this realm that raise
the arts high, We will praise.
Absolute, the top sum
total above, at least
The skills of Tyger Beasts
of the Eastern Kingdom 
Today We will approach
Llewellyn with Silver Brooch
On 17th, September 
Brennan & Caoilfhionn’s Ducal 
Challenge, with acts feudal
Our Royal whim conferred

Word count 104

KEY

Rhyme Scheme:

A 
A 
B
C 
C 
CB  - - - C - - - B

Syllable count - if it is other than 6 syllables

A We have heard there is one 

A who makes fine knives, for fun

B with skill and artistry 

C A cut above the rest

C who will, when so addressed

CB make their best for all to see

A Ryou and Indrakshi

A Joint in their sovereignty

B Find, with honors many,

C Llewellyn Walsh afore

C Our presence. We adore,

CB Furthermore, That any

A Folk in this realm that raise

A the arts high, We will praise

B Absolute the top sum

C total above, at least

C The skills of Tyger Beasts

CB Of the Eastern kingdom

A Today We will approach

A Llewellyn with Silver Brooch 7

B On 17th, September 7

C Brennan & Caoilfhionn’s Ducal 7

C Challenge, with acts feudal

CB  Our Royal whim conferred

Calligraphy and Illumination by Magdalena Lantfarerin

East Kingdom Gazette Court Report: Ducal Challenge

Photo by Magdalena Lantfarerin

New Steps! New Steps! New BLOG!

I was given this assignment and to my delight it was someone with a Welsh persona! I turned to the internet for my quest!  It turned out to be a long Wikipedia search:

Medieval Welsh literature found Cywydd (Pronounced Kew-vth) 

14th - 17th c cywydd meter: The first recorded examples of the cywydd date from the early 14th century, when it is believed to have been developed. This was the favorite meter of the Poets of the Nobility, the poets working from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries, and it is still used today.
The cywydd consists of a series of seven-syllable lines in rhyming couplets, with all lines written in cynghanedd. One of the lines must finish with a stressed syllable, while the other must finish with an unstressed syllable. The rhyme may vary from couplet to couplet, or may remain the same. There is no rule about how many couplets there must be in a cywydd
Which led me to Cywydd Llosgyrnog: Poetic Forms
6 syllables
A 
A 
B
C 
C

CB - - C - - B

While this is quite a bit of Wiki searching, I look at it as an opportunity for more research down the line.  I am forever learning in this wordsmithing adventure, and this was my first stop in Welsh Medieval Poetry.

In particular, I enjoyed the third syllable rhyme in the 6th line of the verse.  This was a rhyming challenge I had not encountered before.  It was a switch from the alliteration rules I encounter in the Norse Dróttkvætt meter. I enjoyed delving into the complexity of this verse form.

Verse One:

A We have heard there is one 

A who makes fine knives, for fun

Ninety percent of the recommendation was expanding on the recipient’s skills and love of knife making.  So I got the ball rolling with the first couplet of the scroll.

B with skill and artistry 

C A cut above the rest

The etymology of the phrase, “A cut above the rest” appears to be firmly planted in the 1700s.  However several phrases that can mean the same thing do appear in the 1600s.  I felt that the reference to knives through the word, “cut” was too perfect to omit.

C who will, when so addressed

CB make their best for all to see

This was the first midline rhyme pun of the scroll.  With addressed/best, like alliteration that has different spellings, I also appreciate it in rhymes!

Verse Two:

A Ryou and Indrakshi

A Joint in their sovereignty

I always appreciate it when the names of either of Their Majesties can be made to rhyme appropriately.  I am also grateful that while TRM may have a preferred manner of being addressed, that they are willing to concede those titles in favor of the poetry or other needs of the scroll.

B Find, with honors many,

C Llewellyn Walsh afore

The recipient is a very accomplished individual.  It was nice to add a phrase that acknowledged that in the scroll.

C Our presence. We adore,

CB Furthermore, That any

To make this and the next verse work, I had to use some creative punctuation.  I also bled the sentence into the next verse,  Which is not my preference, nor does it make for a correct verse.  However the needs of this scroll did dictate it. 

Verse Three:

A Folk in this realm that raise

A the arts high, We will praise

In the end I really liked how the long sentence of the previous verse is concluded in the first couplet of the third verse. It also emphasized the arts nature of the award the recipient is receiving.

B Absolute, the top sum

C total above, at least

“Top sum” is used here as an antonym for zero-sum.  So as to imply what the second line says, that they are totally above. 

C The skills of Tyger Beasts

CB Of the Eastern kingdom

Which is to say, that in the chosen skill of the recipient, they excel in the East Kingdom.

Verse Four:

A Today We will approach 

A Llewellyn with Silver Brooch 7

The couplet has a solid rhyme, but the syllable count is off.  As often happens when I hit some of the required information for the scroll.  The English language is not compatible with these ancient verse forms,

B On 17th, September 7

C Brennan & Caoilfhionn’s Ducal 7

A purely informational couplet, that I was unable to adhere to the syllable count for.  The requirements of the scroll can supersede aspects of the verse form.

C Challenge, with acts feudal 

CB  Our Royal whim conferred 

 The Ducal/Feudal/Royal set of rhymes is not the best, but not the worst set of rhymes I have ever used. September/Conferred is weak, I will admit. Numbers and months get difficult to find full hit rhymes for.  Still the final statement of the scroll is strong and delivered well by the herald it will certainly sound nice.

I absolutely loved delving into this rhyme scheme.  It was both similar to the other poetry forms found in the medieval Anglo-Celtic Isles, and incredibly different at the same time.  The challenge was fun and I look forward to delving into this form again in the future.

East Kingdom Gazette Court Report: Ducal Challenge

Photo by Magdalena Lantfarerin

Ryan Mac Whyte - Silver Brooch

 Ryou and Indrakshi, Rulers together 

Of Our beloved East, and We treasure 

The giving of awards; it’s Our pleasure 

We've heard of one who's very clever 

Ryan Mac Whyte meets this measure 

A single form will not be his tether 

Dabbles in the carving of leather 

Is read on diverse rites, yon and hither 

Performance acts that time won’t wither 

Wears many caps, but they’re missing a feather 

Now the Silver Brooch is his forever 

Done at Barleycorn, not in the aether 

Under the skies of capricious weather 

September 3rd, We've heard this Endeavor 

In As Fifty Seven, we gether  

With no regrets, whatsoever 

Wordcount 104

THAT'S OKAY. I BLOG YOU IN LEATHER ANYWAY

~Anna 

Our Scroll Trifecta jumped on this award. The recipient is near and dear to all of us. 

For a while, I have been toying with the idea of using the same rhyme word throughout an entire scroll. It's definitely not a period practice, but the aim is to not leave the recipient and the rest of the court laughing. 

As leatherwork is one of the artistic talents the recipient was written in for, I chose "leather" as my rhyme word. It has a decent list of rhymes and near rhymes. I'll give pronunciation notes on the write-up, and I'll be able to approach the herald myself at the event.

 

Ryou and Indrakshi, Rulers together 

Of Our beloved East, and We treasure 

The giving of awards; it’s Our pleasure 

The first 3 lines run together and end up making one long introductory sentence. This holds a lot of the required scroll information, and leads into the next section. 

We've heard of one who's very clever 

Ryan Mac Whyte meets this measure 

A single form will not be his tether 

For this introduction, it helped that the recipient's EK Wiki was lovely and detailed. The first note in the "in case of court" section is: "Ryan has enough Serious scrolls and wants more funny scrolls." 

Dabbles in the carving of leather 

Is read on diverse rites, yon and hither 

Performance acts that time won’t wither 

This section describes how the recipient was written in for leather carving, and also for research into ceremonies in many times and cultures, which has been used to create coronation ceremonies in the East Kingdom.  But the last reference is a personal favorite: the recipient once read a scroll as the Swedish Chef (for a gentle with a Swedish persona who was a chef). The YouTube clip is a thing of beauty, and sure to put a smile on the faces of those who were there. 

Wears many caps, but they’re missing a feather 

Now the Silver Brooch is his forever 

The recipient is beloved of this kingdom and has many awards and accolades. I was happy to work in "feather," one of the full hit rhymes for "leather." 

Done at Barleycorn, not in the aether 

Under the skies of capricious weather 

"Aether" is one of the least full hit rhymes on the scroll, and will require some coaching for the voice herald.

Most of the words rhyme well enough, so this near rhyme shouldn't detract from the whole.  

September 3rd, We've heard this Endeavor 

In As Fifty Seven, we gether  

With no regrets, whatsoever 

The concluding sentences of the scroll.  

"Gether" is a dialectic or regional form of "gather." I chose it for the full hit rhyme, even thought I can't document its usage before the late 1800s.LINK 

Its origins, however, are in old English and proto Germanic. Etymology is fascinating!

The final line, "With no regrets whatsoever." is a bit of a whimsical addition to drive home the silliness of the scroll and to put a smile on the face of its recipient!

East Kingdom Gazette: Court Report for John Barleycorn – Ostgardr Investiture & Fight for a Cause Tournament

Photo by Bróccín MacIvyr

Photo by Kay Leigh Mac Whyte
This is the moment where Baron Ryan realized that I authored the words

Bróccín MacIvyr - Silver Wheel

 What skills make up the COMPOSITE of an ARCHER?
DRAWING on experiences RANGE-ing from competitions, creation, and coaching. 

TARGET-ing his goals to become a marshal. 

NOCK-ing down challenges to host practices. 

We Ryouko'jin Demon King of the Three Heavens and Rani Indrakshi FLETCHING Rulers of the East Kingdom

Will not OVERDRAW this tale any longer. BUTT, We trust, there will not be any QUARREL with this decision:

Bróccín MacIvyr,  a MARKSMEN with CLOUT, now, member of the Order of Apollo's Arrow. 

SHOT on September 3rd As 57. 

In the Year of the Blue Tyger 

In the Crown Province of Ostgardr at John Barleycorn Welcomes the New Heirs

107 words 

Illumination by Eleanore MacCarthaigh

Calligraphy was by Aleksei Dimitriev

Science the BLOG out of this scroll

 
In mid-July, less than three days after I had written a scroll for an Apollo's Arrow LINK, I received notification about another one - for Bróccín MacIvyr, my husband. 
I immediately put in a request through the signet to write his scroll ... and after putting it on the back burner for a month, sat down and was completely stumped. It needed to be good!
I started by looking into Henry VIII's flagship, The Mary Rose. Years ago, Broch had begun a research project on the arrows found on the ship, which were pivotal for archery research of this time period.
As it turned out, the Mary Rose was a fruitless place to begin. I couldn't find the charter or its manifest. (I also had to resist filking Stan Rogers' "The Mary Ellen Carter" - which, while amusing, wouldn't have been what Broch wanted.) 
Switching tactics, I looked into Norse writing styles - something Broch would appreciate even though it's not his persona. I gathered several kennings for arrows, including "the powerful pole of the thin linen cord," "wound-reeds," and "battle-blizzard" ... but this just didn't feel right for a scroll for Broch. 
In the end, I decided - as I so often do - that you can't go wrong with archery puns. With my trusty Glossary of Archery Terms thus in my quiver, I took careful aim and let fly: 

 
What skills make up the COMPOSITE of an ARCHER?
Pun Number One: a composite bow is a laminated bow used probably for thousands of years BCE. 
DRAWING on experiences RANGE-ing from competitions, creation, and coaching.
In this one line I wanted to sum up the work Broch has been doing for the past several years:
In the past year and a half he won two out of the three competitions he entered
He became a member of the Pennsic archery champions team, which swept all categories this year
He has made arrows from feathers and sticks and is exceedingly knowledgeable in the upkeep and repair of equipment
He has learned all aspects of marshaling
TARGET-ing his goals to become a marshal.
Broch has wanted to be an archery marshal for ages, but has had to put that goal aside for a few years for mundane reasons ... until recently when he achieved it!  
NOCK-ing down challenges to host practices. 
Broch has overcome many challenges in getting a regular shire archery practice running again. Now that he's a marshal, it will be that much easier.
We Ryouko'jin Demon King of the Three Heavens and Rani Indrakshi FLETCHING Rulers of the East Kingdom. 
This is meant to be a pun on "fetching" - something I would discuss with the voice herald before this scroll is read.
(Speaking after the event here, the doubletake His Majesty gave the herald when this was read out made it 100% worth it!)
Will not OVERDRAW this tale any longer. BUTT, We trust, there will not be any QUARREL with this decision:
I almost sent this to the C&I artist with a repeat pun! It sounds dramatic when I write it down, but there is a lot of craft that goes into one of these punny scrolls. 
Bróccín MacIvyr,  a MARKSMEN with CLOUT, now, member of the Order of Apollo's Arrow. 
This is true as of August, according to the Royal Round Rankings.
SHOT on September 3rd As 57. 
In the Year of the Blue Tyger 
In the Crown Province of Ostgardr at John Barleycorn Welcomes the New Heirs
I even managed a parting shot in the last sentences of the scroll - a love letter to my husband. I'm so proud of how much he's accomplished.

East Kingdom Gazette: Court Report for John Barleycorn – Ostgardr Investiture & Fight for a Cause Tournament

Photo by Aislinn Chiabach

Photo by Kay Leigh Mac Whyte