Katla Mjǫksiglandi - Order of the Maunche

What is to come? We’ve much to discuss

When contemplating feats before Our eyes,

Accomplishments of Our populace.

Ozurr and Hemma, Majesties wise,

Keep diligent watch so to apprise: 

Katla Mjǫksiglandi’s expertise

Her creative range! Artistic size! 

Intricate stitches dance through each piece. 

Craftered accessories that increase

Her repertoire’s impressive array. 

We've intensely observed these receipts 

At Our Fall Crown Tournament today

In Malgentia as per East’s way

We grant unto her the Order Maunche

And thus We are joyous to convey

Katla’s presence in said Order Maunche

With these Arms: Vert, a bend sinister sable fimbriated overall a stag passant argent 

Anno Societatis LXI

 

Word Count 105

Illumination and Calligraphy by Fiona the Volatile 

Photo by Fiona the Volatile 

KEY - Anna Bijns’ Refrein (Dutch mid to late 1500s)

9 Syllables lines 

Rhyme Scheme:

ABABBCBCCDCDDEDE

Heraldic Language

(notes)

A What is to come? We’ve much to discuss.

B When contemplating feats before Our eyes,

A Accomplishments of Our populace. (cheat the rhyme by saying pop-u-lus)

B Ozurr and Hemma, Majesties wise,

B Keep diligent watch so to apprise: 

C Katla Mjǫksiglandi’s expertise

B Her creative range! Artistic size! 

C Intricate stitches dance through each piece

C Craftered accessories that increase

D Her repertoire’s impressive array. 

C We've intensely observed these receipts 

D At Our Fall Crown Tournament today

D In Malgentia as per East’s way

E We grant unto her the Order Maunche

D And thus We are joyous to convey

E Katla’s presence in said Order Maunche

With Arms Vert, a bend sinister sable fimbriated overall a stag passant argent 

Anno Societatis LXI

You think you know...
what's to come...
what you are.
You haven't even begun.
-
Be back before BLOG.

BLOG Under Construction

In preparation for the scroll the first thing was to confirm the recipient’s arms. They had changed their name and the O&A confirmed that their previous arms carried over to the new name.

The scribe wanted to work on a later period than the recipient’s persona. Together we settled on Anna Bijns’ Refrein of the mid to late 1500s.

Before relying on the previous research for this form, I found Chapter three of:‘Please do not mind the crudeness of its weave’ Literature, Gender and the polemic authority of Anna Bijns, From: Literary Cultures and Public Opinion in the Low Countries, 1450-1650. 

There was a wealth of information about Anna Bijns and her politics. Which is not amuch, all told. There is very little that has lasted the years aside from her poetry. The piece did include her introduction to a piece she wrote:

Woman or man who knows about rhetoric

List the mistakes, for if there’s anything wrong in this book

In the art, show it bravely without fear.

But he who doesn’t know about these things, who isn’t clever enough

At any time to read or to write:

Let it be. If you think it is bad, just let it be

And another tantalizing quotes:

“A great amazement has disturbed my brain

because I saw many a male heart stumble for fear”

With nothing further, I returned to my precious research and Refereinen van Anna Bijns and a pdf version from a previous scroll. I chose and copied the Refereyn IV and put the end words into Google Translate , specifically the Translate by Voice option. All in an attempt to understand the rhyming last words of each line. This was less successful than I wanted it to be.

Refereyn IV.

Wat sals gewerden, wie mochts mij maken vroet ? (VOOT) A
Doverdencken therte in vreesen haken doet, (DOOT) A
Aensiende de dagen, die nu voor oogen sijn , (SANG) B
Waerinne een mensce seer neerstich wakenmoet Ephe. v. (EFF) C
5. Om te vliene tvenijn, dat scijnt int smaken soet, (SOOT) A
Dwelc men stroyt , waer duer veel menscen bedrogen sijn En vanden wege der waerheyt (VAR-HEIGHT)
getogen sijn Duer bedriegelijcke geesten, die tvolc verleyen. (VER-LAY-EN) D?
Men heetse heylich , mer tscijnt gelogen sijn , (SANG) A
10. Mits datse seer scaeylije na haer vermogen sijn Der heyliger kercken, elck macht wel be- schreyen; (BES-RY-AN) D
Haer subtijl netten sij al omme spreyen , (SPRY-AN) D
Waer duer veel sielen int helsce gepijn sincken. (SINKEH) E
Onnosel scaepkens , wacht u van deser weyen, (VEY-AN) D
15. Elc sie voor hem, want sule voor wijn venijn scincken. (SVINK-KEH) E

Then I put the poem into the program to at least get an idea of what was being said. Alas the mainstay of what I use, syllable count and rhyme does not carry over into the translation.

Google Translate: 

What is to come? Who could enlighten me?
Deep reflection fills the heart with dread
When contemplating the days now before our eyes,
In which a person must keep a most diligent watch (Eph. 5)
5. To flee the poison that tastes so sweet,
Which is scattered about, deceiving many people
And drawing them away from the path of truth
By means of deceitful spirits that lead the people astray.
They are called holy, yet this appears to be a lie,
10. For they do as much harm as lies within their power
To the holy church—a thing over which all might well weep;
They cast their subtle nets all around,
Causing many souls to sink into the torments of hell.
Innocent little sheep, beware of these pastures;
15. Let each look to himself, for they pour out poison instead of wine.
 and may not all spirits easily trust now,
Because he can keep him humble now, Johan. III.
Which is internally stretched full of haughtiness. Eccle. XIX.
Marc explains who you are, man or woman again, Mat
False prophets, who now brew miracles.
Under a lamb's fleece a wolf is indeed covered.
Every bird now sings, after it has been beaked,
Scorning the commandment of the holy churches.
To speak nonsense, almost every one is provoked,
10. However pitifully their soul is covered by this,
They remain stubborn, whether laymen or clerics,
Wanting to thereby strengthen their evil sect.
Their wicked works stink before God's face;
The master will show the disciples.
15. Let each one look before him, for shall they sink poison for wine.

From this translation I turned to the previous scroll research and used the meter and rhyme I had extrapolated from that and dug into the composition of the piece.

 

A What is to come? We’ve much to discuss.

This is taken almost directly from the inspiration piece. It is unusual to start an award document with a question. Legal documents were statements not questions. But poetry often ponders questions. This particular source material is a denouncement of the Reformation. With this comes the challenge of putting the source material into the praise poetry of a scroll.

B When contemplating feats before Our eyes,

While the final verse hardly resembles the line from the inspiration piece it was there in the process.

“Deep reflection fills the heart with dread”

Reflection ended up being contemplated and eyes were adapted from the next sentence from the inspiration piece.

Accomplishments of Our populace. 

Discuss/populace is not a true rhyme. As such included with the herald’s copy was the note: "Cheat the rhyme by saying pop-u-lus.”

These notes help the presentation in court be as accurate to the vision the artists create.

B Ozurr and Hemma, Majesties wise,

The inclusion of Their Majesties names and the first of the required information may fit the syllable count and rhyme scheme but it can take one further away from the source material. Such is the balance when creating scroll words.

B Keep diligent watch so to apprise: 

One of the ways to counter the required information not sounding in context wuiith the original is to follow with quotes.

“In which a person must keep a most diligent watch”

Gets worked into the sentence, which adds to the overall feel of the scroll.
Even keeping in mind that I am working from a google translate version of the piece,

C Katla Mjǫksiglandi’s expertise

B Her creative range! Artistic size! 

C Intricate stitches dance through each piece

C Craftered accessories that increase

D Her repertoire’s impressive array. 

C We've intensely observed these receipts 

D At Our Fall Crown Tournament today

D In Malgentia as per East’s way

E We grant unto her the Order Maunche

D And thus We are joyous to convey

E Katla’s presence in said Order Maunche

Refereyn IV, the inspiration piece, has two verses. Each verse ended with a variation of the same line:
Let each look to himself, for they pour out poison instead of wine.

Let each one look before him, for shall they sink poison for wine.

In an attempt to emulate that, but still keeping the scroll to one verse, I chose to use the repetition on the E rhyme lines at the end of the verse.

With Arms Vert, a bend sinister sable fimbriated overall a stag passant argent 

Anno Societatis LXI

As always the recipient’s arms are included verbatim and outside of the poetry.

Markus Farmað - Order of the Tygers Combattant

Here in the Swamps of Settemour, King Culann and Queen Honig, 

Abide beneath the harvest moon.

And think of the days that have been, and dreams of those coming. 

But in the now, call to the thrones one Markus Farmað. 

Mind the words We speak so must the matter be,

And call, Come forward all Combattants!

For his wise hands in battle We see  

Holding swords heartfelt

Gripping spear steadfast

Careful in fashion 

to finish foes on the field

As We pass the summer season, to this harvest time of the year, 

We now see Markus Farmað granted Tygers Combattant

At this Ducal Challenge, Anno Societatis LXI 

Long and lovely has been this day. 

Hours high-filled with wisdom, 

We’re glad for gentle take away, 

in this most pleasant outcome

Word Count 129

Illumination and Calligraphy by Fiona the Volatile

Photo by Fiona the Volatile

Key - Alliterative Text

Prose Style Text
Alliteration

Additional  Alliteration

Here in the Swamps of Settemour, King Culann and Queen Honig, 

Abide beneath the harvest moon.

And think of the days that have been, and dreams of those coming. 

But in the now, call to the thrones one Markus Farmað. 

Mind the words We speak so must the matter be,

And call, Come forward all Combattants!

For his wise hands in battle We see  

Holding swords heartfelt

Gripping spear steadfast

Careful in fashion 

to finish foes on the field

As We pass the summer season, to this harvest time of the year, 

We now see Markus Farmað granted Tygers Combattant

At this Ducal Challenge, Anno Societitas LXI 

Long and lovely has been this day. 

Hours high-filled with wisdom, 

We’re glad for gentle take away, 

in this most pleasant outcome

Word Count 129

I've no choice but to follow that call
The bright lights, the BLOG
And the moon and all
-Sting
(more or less)

When starting to work on this scroll, I started to gather kennings in an attempt to recreate the Dróttkvætt verse form. I made several kennings particularly created to represent weapons that the recommendation had mentioned.
I went to the Scaldic Project and started to create Kennings to the weapons forms that his recommendation listed and attempted to adapt them into the Dróttkvætt verse:
SWORD
smooth battle-serpent [SWORD >
Smooth battle serpent
Smooth war serpent
Wielding War’s smooth serpent worm-steel
Warrior faces the field 7
SHIELD
gleam of the tents of battle [(lit. ‘gleam-wielder of the tents of battle’) SHIELDS > SWORD > WARRIOR
Tents of tête-à-tête
Can one use a French phrase writing ancient Norse in modern day English?
Pavilion of Pitched canvas
Meh, come back to this
SPEAR
reeds of red wounds [SPEARS]
Reed of red wounds rained down
Rending a path through foes
Then I went to The Royal Nordic Society of Old Scripts to see if they had anything that would get my brain moving in the right direction.
I found this quoted piece:
"The elves of the mountains were ill
Greetings, please.
to Sweden then
seimir viking home;
That's their only life.
they had more troops
good luck here
The dog is gone."
Then attempted to create new versions steeped with the required information of the East Kingdom..
Gentles of this Great East
Greetings today to all
East!
Enter ensconced eye-caught
Entrances glorious
Swamps of Settemour set so
Successful a day, thus
Ducal disputes did run
Directly as was planned
The more I worked on the Dróttkvætt the more frustrated I got. So I turned to translations of sagas for a different perspective.
Eventually I found a piece to work on as my inspiration piece. 
I thought I had been working off of this: Völsunga Saga: the story of the Volsungs [and] Niblungs, with certain songs from the Elder Edda; by Eiríkr Magnússon, 1833-1913; Morris, William, 1834-1896
I was, however, using this as my resource: The story of Sigurd the Volsung and the fall of the Niblungs by Morris, William, 1834-1896
Also found here: The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the
Fall of the Niblungs, by William Morris
It's an original story by William Morris created based on their research of Ancient Norse works. So instead of working from a direct translation, this is more based on a created art form. Not my preferred source, but the end result was successful.

Here in the Swamps of Settemour, King Culann and Queen Honig, 

Abide beneath the harvest moon.

The opening sentence has the most alliteration. Essentially 3 alliterative word clusters in one sentence. This was not intentional. Their Majesties names and titles are naturally alliterative and the last B rhyme isn’t exact, as it depends on the second syllable in “abide.” However when read it court the alliteration will punch.

And think of the days that have been, and dreams of those coming, 

But in the now, call to the thrones one Markus Farmað. 

At this point the alliteration becomes more consistent, per one or twoi lines.

Mind the words We speak so must the matter be,

And call, Come forward all Combattants!

As in the Silver Tyger that went out in this same event, there is a description of what is actively happening in court. In this case the other members of the same Order of High Merit are invited to gather and pay respects at the thrones.

For his wise hands in battle We see 

Holding swords heartfelt

Gripping spear steadfast

Careful in fashion 

to finish foes on the field

Earlier in the process for the scroll I described searching for Kennings for certain weapons forms. Since the recipient's prowess was particularly lauded in the recommendation for these forms they were included. Here with alliteration instead of kennings.

As We pass the summer season, to this harvest time of the year, 

This sentence, used verbatim from the original text, was the inspiration. It so perfectly evoked an event held in September. 

We now see Markus Farmað granted Tygers Combattant

At this Ducal Challenge, Anno Societatis LXI 

The last bits of required information are added to the penultimate section of the scroll.

Long and lovely has been this day. 
Hours high-filled with wisdom, 
We’re glad for gentle take away, 
in this most pleasant outcome

The conclusion references the end of the event and the award as the most pleasant outcome of the day. Becoming a rather sweet way to end the scroll.

This scroll was a fight. The assignment came late and inspiration was difficult to find. In the end though, it came together and became something eminently worthy of the award and recipient.

Photo by Sofi of Eisental

Scribe’s Blog - The Volatile