Illumination by Marian Kirkpatrick
KEY
Anna Bijns’ Refrein
9 syllables long
Rhyme Scheme:
ABABBCBCCDCDDEDE
VERSE ONE
A Their Majesties of this East Kingdom 9
B Both joyus, Ardrí Brennan the King 9
A And Ardrígain Caoilfhionn Queen, therefrom 9
B Aim Their Royal sights toward the archers. 9
B Came together afore to confer 9
C With the members who are in accord. 9
B To Our Order’s voices, We defer 9
C This germane High Merit award. 9
C No longer overlooked or deferred, 9
D Within this Order, he will soon stand 9
C In company that he’s much adored 9
D Now in Malagentia,the great 9
D Anno Societatis Fifty Eight 9
E No need any longer to discuss! 9
D For We are all here to celebrate 9
E Sojourner’s own Sagittarius 9
Per pale argent and vert an arrow inverted azure and a lightning bolt Or in saltire and a base wavy azure.
VERSE TWO - The PRINCE VERSE
A Harken to Our cry, for there is more 9
B Of Sojourner van Haarlem‘s prowess 9
A Steady skill and passionate ardor 9
B his commitment awes, We must profess 9
B mettle in the field that does impress 9
C His construction skills are most robust 9
B Setting the field for other’s progress 9
C Solves challenges because he needs must 9
C Ine top tier of Champs and earned Our trust 9
D Archery’s his joy and vocation 9
C His clout on the range has been discussed 9
D Now he’s set to receive ovation
D Happily We do raise his station 9
E With a medallion presented thus 9
D At this Last Court of Coronation 9
E Sojourner’s own Sagittarius 9
Little Tom Twig bought a fine bow and arrow,
And what did he shoot? why, a poor little BLOG
The recipient has a Dutch persona, specifically from their wiki “Haarlem is a place you meet the world, although perhaps not as much so as Amsterdam (which is a couple of hours or so walk to the east).”
What follows is a deep dive search into how I found the verse form used and the changes that I made to it.
First stop was to wiki and Middle Dutch Literature which led to Anna Bijns (c. 1494–1575) with “Refreinen (refrains)” listed as her poetic style, and what the rest of the research would concentrate on.
“The most important characteristics of a refrain are that the poem has at least four verses and that the last line of each verse always returns as a refrain. This returning line is usually used as the title for the poem. The last verse is dedicated to a so-called 'prince', the leader of the local chamber of rhetoric.”
Since the Prince verse did not appear to have to be about the actual prince or ruler, but could be the leader of a group or a person of interest, I could make the Prince Verse about the recipient.
On the footnotes of the wiki article I found:
A book of Anna Bijns Found from the wiki page. This becomes important later in the process.
My next search rendered: Refreinen (I) (Refrains)Anna Bijns
“With its per strophe [used here as stanza] identical last line, which could express the poem’s theme concisely, the refrain worked perfectly as spoken word art to be read out in the chambers before a listening public.”
Which was another source confirming the repeated last line of the stanza. Particularly applicable is the note here about it being designed to be read out loud. Which of course is what the scroll is being written for: its presentation to the recipient in court.
I had gained quite a lot of information about this form, but I still needed more. I looked at Poetry Foundation and Poetry.org neither had any pertinent information. Refrein vs Refrain: Deciding Between Similar Terms This source had nothing new to add.
Next search found In: Controversial Poetry 1400–1625
In Chapter 7 Poetry Onstage: The refrein in Rederijker Drama
“refrein comprised more and longer lines (13, 15 or more of about 9 to 13 syllables) than those of the ballade (8 to 11 lines of 7 or 10 syllables).”
The main thrust of this article was a comparison of the Dutch refrein to the French ballade.Thankfully the comparison gave some of the exact information needed! And a place for future investigation into the French Ballad, should the need arrive.
“As far as their subject matter is concerned, refreins were subdivided into three main categories: didactic, moralizing or religious poems (in ’t vroed or wijs), amorous complaints and praises or general views on love (in ’t amoureus) and comic matter, spicy anecdotes or satire on human Folly (in ’t zot).”
That one of the chosen subjects of the poems was praise certainly aligns with the nature of the award scroll and how the recipient is honored by it.
After searching through the many pieces, I determined the poetry form was approximately
4 stanzas long, the end sentence the same in every verse and 13 - 15 syllables long.
The rhyme scheme was still missing.
Looking for the rhyme scheme and further information on my chosen poet of Anna Bijns,
Online Dictionary of Dutch Women was found.
Which said the same damn thing.
“The stanzas, with identical but complicated rhyme schemes, provided the framework for a discussion of various topics and emotions, which invariably ended on the same note, resounding in the stokregel.”
Incidentally, google translates stokregel as, stock rule. Which is an interesting way to phrase the repeated line at the end of the verse. Especially if we reference a definition of stock “banal; commonplace: a stock remark.” This line would be repeated throughout the poem. As if you get it out from the back of the wordsmith’s shop’s stock of phrases.
The search for the rhyme scheme continued, and found Poetry Forms.
“The Onzain (French) or Onzijn (Dutch onze means eleven)”
This gives me a new name, but no time or if it had any relation to the Refrein I had been looking for. Even more frustrating was the page essentially cites itself as its source.
With this essentially useless bit of research I turned to the internet skills of my husband. And he finally found the information I needed:
The Refrein and the Chambers of Rhetoric In the Early Modern Low Countries
This actually gave the WHY for the oft repeated or rephrase of, They had a complicated rhyme scheme and then not listing the rhyme scheme.
Basically, the rhymes were all dependent to the poet. They were all different.
Would have been nice for one of the freaking sources to say that.
How hard would it have been to say, “The rhyme scheme was unique to the poet.”
Frustration aside, there was an interesting tidbit from the work above, about the poets. Apparently some of them would use acrostics and would use their own name.
“although the name of the author is sometimes integrated into the poem in the form of an *acrostic.” Greene, Roland, editor. “REFREIN.” The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 4th ed., Princeton UP, 2012.
Not really applicable to the SCA Award Document, but possibly, if someone I was personally close to, like my partner or peer were getting an award, and I know they’d appreciate it.
Next step, sit down with someone familiar enough with Dutch to identify the rhyme scheme of one of the Anna Bijns poems. I chose her because she’s a female author. And I like to support them even hundreds of years later.
With both Refereinen van Anna Bijns (found of the wiki page) and By Anna Bijns, Willem Lodewijk van Helten · 1875 we set out to identifying rhymes line by line.
The second book is from 1875 and has some slightly different spellings but it looks like the slashes are mostly where commas were in the original.
As far as we could tell this is the rhyme scheme Anna Bijns used.
ABABBCBCCDCDDEDE
O Christe Jesu ons eenich versoendere
Door wiens genade wy sijn behouwen
Ghy sijt ons middelaer en ons voldoendere+
Ons glorie ons salicheyt / al ons betrouwen+
Wy waren al te samen door den ouwen+
Adam ghevallen in svaders toren+
Brekende Gods ghebot door svyants toe stouwen+
Waer door wy in hem waren verloren+
Maer ghy nieuwen Adam onsondich gheboren+
Ghy hebt de doot / ende de helle verwonnen+
Door u stramen geheelt ons wonden versworen+
En hebt tegen den vyant den strijt begonnen+
Dragende op u cruys / met bloede beronnen+
Ons boosheyt die boven alle ponden // woch
Wy segghen / die u niet voldancken en connen
Lof soetste lam Gods / dat der werelt sonde / droech.+
Lof steen daer de Israelsche af droncken // mede
Drie werf met Moyses roede ghesmeten // claer+
Metalen serpent wiens aensien ontvoncken // dede+
Stervende menschen van serpenten gebeten // daer+
Lof Samaritaen wiens liefde ongemeten swaer
Den crancken gewonden niet en heeft gefaelt+
Van Priester en Levijt troosteloos vergeten // naer
Hierico zijnde uut Hierusalem ghedaelt
Hem siende half doot onder moordenaers verdwaelt
Wert ghy op hem met bermherticheyt beruert
Sijn wonden verbonden / op u beestken gehaelt
Hebt ghy hem in die herberge gheviert
Och ghy hebt onse salicheyt so wel besuert
Want u dierbaer bloet ons dootlicke wonden dwoech+
Terechte20 seggen wy / want u liefde noch duert+
Lof soetste lam Gods dat der werelt sonden // droech.+
Lof eeuwich woort dat vermoeyt verslaeft //seere+
Hongerich / dorstich liep / van lande te lande+
Opperste prister / die u selven gaeft // heere+
God vader / in een levende offerhande+
Lof roy koey diemen voor die sonde verbrande+
Met wiens bloet zijn wy alte samen bespringt+
Lof goede herder / wijs van verstande+
Die u schaepkens ter soeter weyen bringt
Lof Bisschop die in sancta sanctorum ghingt+
Niet met vreemden maer mit u eygen bloet crachtich
Lof soetste druyve die zijpende hingt+
Aen thout / ons maeckende uus wijns deelachtich
Levende fonteyne / die van dorst viel clachtich+
Lof hertoge / die de Moabsche honden // sloech+
Noch segge ich zijnde uus lijdens gedachtich+
Lof soetste lam Gods / dat der wereldt sonden // droech.+
Lof hemelsche blijschap / die menigen traen // heet+
Voor ons liet loopen over u soete wangen+
En int hoofken / soomen door Lucas vermaen // weet
Bloedich sweet sweete met anxste bevanghen
Als u minnende herte / niet om verbanghen
Tegen die bitter doot began te strijene
Hebbende naer onse salicheyt groot verlangen
Gaeft ghy u overe / den doot te lijene
Om ons vander eeuwiger doot te vrijene
Laet ghy u onrechtelijck ter doot verwijsen
Ghy wout bedroeft sijn / om ons te verblijdene
Ghy hebt honger gheleden om ons te spijsen
Met uwer glorien ghy sijt te prijsen
Want alle Propheten claerlijck oorconden / vroech
Dat ghy sout lijden / sterven ende verrijsen
Lof soetste lam Gods dat der werelt sonden // droech.
Victorieus David die met vijf steenen // root
Goliaths verwont zijnde uut liefden verweckt
Dat aen u vanden hoofde tot die teenen // bloot
Gheen lidt en bleef ten was mit bloede bedeckt
Lof wijngaert wiens rancken uut waren ghereckt
So datmen alle u beenen tellen // mochte
Lof onnoosel lammeken puer onbevleckt
Wiens dierbaer bloet ons uuter hellen // cochte
Lof die ons salicheyt sonder uutstellen // wrochte
Inden tijt vanden vader gheordineert
Over den helschen Leeu / die ons te quellen / sochte
O Leeu van Juda / hebdij ghetriumpheert
En den stercken ghewapenden ghespolieert
Diet al in zijnen roofnest tot dien stonden // joech
Elck mach wel seggen die dit contempleert
Lof soetste lam Gods / dat der werelt sonden // droech.
PRINCE
Lof triumphant Prince / lof leytsman / lof wech goet
Lof priester die geoffert tonser baten // hebt
Naer dordinantie van Melchisedech // vroet
Wijn en broodt / dwelck ghy ons tot voetsel gelaten hebt
Lof Capiteyn trou / die uut caritaten heel ← rhyme error
In een knechts habijt / u willen vercleen
Om te verlossen u ondersaten // hebt
U gheenen arbeyt ofte pijn laten verleen
Lof schepper van Israel lof uutvercoren steen
Vanden menschen veracht / maer by God verheven
Die de twee mueren des tempels voechde in een
Lof licht der werelt / lof waerheyt / lof leven
Die vry hebt gemaeckt / ons ballingen verdreven
Dit merckende mijn herte int doorgronden // laech
Lof die totter doot ons trouwe zijt bleven
Lof soetste lam Gods / dat der werelt sonden // droech
Changes made to the form the verse form
The Refreinen used thirteen syllables
I chose to shorten it to nine syllables, for the lower word count.
The original also had a minimum of four verses (Anne Bijns had 6)
There are two verses in the scroll
The final Key used for the scroll:
KEY
9 syllables long
Rhyme Scheme:
ABABBCBCCDCDDEDE
VERSE ONE
A Their Majesties of this East Kingdom 9
B Both joyus, Ardrí Brennan the King 9
A And Ardrígain Caoilfhionn Queen, therefrom 9
Whenever I start something long and complex, I choose part of the required information. The kingdom and Their Majesties' names have to be in every scroll. With the nature of this rhyme scheme, there were a few lines to expound about them. In an effort for their Majesties names to be next to each other as the scroll is read, they went into the BA lines of the first verse. Unfortunately, just as with the original refrein, there is a word not matching the rhyme scheme in one of the lines, “King”.
B Aim Their Royal sights toward the archers. 9
B Came together afore to confer 9
C With the members who are in accord. 9
As with any rhyming scheme I tend to write one line, and then search for applicable rhymes for the connecting ones. I could not do what I do without Rhymezone.com and other such websites.
With the next 3 lines, I chose to describe TRM going to this particular Order of High Merit.
Archers/confer is indeed incorrect. The rhyme is dependent on the herald to make it rhyme as well as coupling plural with the singular.
B To Our Order’s voices, We defer 9
C This germane High Merit award. 9
C No longer overlooked or deferred, 9
Germane in the context used here is period. Shakespeare is credited with using it in the context of appropriate or fitting. Earlier definitions would be someone with close relatives from Germany. Since this is a late period verse, I am calling it close enough.
I try not to use words from modern centuries if I can help it, but I do enjoy the journey of researching them. Even when I choose to use them
Defer and deferred are essentially the same word and used two sentences apart. Sometimes these things slip through the cracks. Especially when one is juggling multiple rhymes in complex patterns. It will get lost when the scroll is read in court, but becomes something noteworthy in this blog.
D Archery’s his joy and vocation 9
C His clout on the range has been discussed 9
Adored is a solid rhyme with award/accord which hopefully makes up for the weak rhyme of stand/great/eight. The middle section of this first verse ended up being fairly difficult. The second verse came out much stronger than the first. Still, I am proud of this piece, errors included.
D Now in Malagentia,the great
D Anno Societatis Fifty Eight 9
Here I put in more of the required information. The host group and the year. The D couplet has rock solid rhymes, which helps with the flow of the scroll.
E No need any longer to discuss! 9
D For We are all here to celebrate 9
E Sojourner’s own Sagittarius 9
These last 5 lines were written before the middle. Having very solid rhymes not only keeps the flow of the scroll, but can help gloss over any earlier mistakes that might have slipped through.
At last I name the award! With the final line of the verse.
I choose the name of the recipient and the award to be the subject of the repeated line, the stokregel. In this scroll the recipient is the, "prince," and subject of the final stanza.
Per pale argent and vert an arrow inverted azure and a lightning bolt Or in saltire and a base wavy azure.
The recipient’s Arms. This is their first Order of High Merit and as such, their Arms are to be included. As they are not incorporated into the verse form, they are set to be read in between the verses. It makes the most sense for the rhythm. “Sojourner’s own Sagittarius” flows in conjunction with the heraldic Latin of his arms. The heraldry also serves as a nice break between the two verses.
VERSE TWO - The PRINCE VERSE
A Harken to Our cry, for there is more 9
B Of Sojourner van Haarlem‘s prowess 9
A Steady skill and passionate ardor 9
The second verse began by saying, “But wait, there’s more!” That phrase, however, was much too modern sounding, and got re-worded. Had this been an Armigerous award, I probably would have stopped at the end of the first verse. It’s 90 words, plus 21 words for the arms. In general, AoA and Armigerous awards tend to be about 100 odd words each. There is, of course, no set rules as to that and it entirely depends on the artists involved with the project.
Here, as my “Prince” verse, I get to spend practically an entire verse listing the recipient’s attributes. Which is a lot of fun!
B his commitment awes, We must profess 9
B mettle in the field that does impress 9
In listing said attributes, I am not mentioning what the archers' royal round score was or what events they ran the range or details like that. He has a very detailed wiki page. Being so specific can sometimes lead to error.
When someone writes in awards they may not know that the individual details they are reporting are completely accurate. This is no slight on anyone in the process. Information can easily get lost or changed. As a way of avoiding that, it behooves the wordsmith to speak in generalities and references. It also gives us more leeway in creating the poetic art that a straight recitation of facts does not give.
C His construction skills are most robust 9
B Setting the field for other’s progress 9
The recommendation and several of the Sagittarius bearing archers contacted about this scroll mentioned how the recipient has created targets and set up ranges for multiple events. Some with extremely short notice!
C Solves challenges because he needs must 9
C In top tier of Champs and earned Our trust 9
The recipient has been called upon at the last minute to run archery at Royal events. He’s been archery champion of two baronies and has made it to the sweet 16 of the Royal Archery Champions several times. The words are a reflection of his skills and dedication to archery in the East Kingdom.
D Archery’s his joy and vocation 9
C His clout on the range has been discussed 9
I do not think it is possible for me to write an archery scroll without slipping in an archery pun/reference.This is the second in the scroll. I used “aim” in the first verse and “clout” in this one.
D Now he’s set to receive ovation 9
D Happily We do raise his station 9
The last five lines of the piece are veering away from descriptions of the recipient to bring us to the end.
E With a medallion presented thus 9
D At this Last Court of Coronation 9
E Sojourner’s own Sagittarius 9
What actually happens at the ceremony is not often described in the scroll. Award medallions are traditionally presented to the recipient of this award, so it was with a certain amount of confidence, it was added to the words.
In regards to the specific mention of Last Court: Coronation is a unique event that holds two sets of royalty presenting awards at the same event. Ironically enough, Last Court is the first court of the event. As such this information was triple checked before the scroll was sent to the calligrapher and illuminator. There were also multiple notes written all over the process!
This scroll represents a whole lot of research, a lot of frustration and it was So. Much. Fun!
I look forward to the opportunity to work on it again and possibly give it more verses!
No comments:
Post a Comment