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