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On Feb. 19 I picked the initial and pencilled in the layout; on Feb. 20, I painted the initial and calligraphed the incipit; on Feb. 22 I finished it. I absolutely love how the initial turn out. I absolutely hate the K in Klakavirki.
© 2011, Sara L. Uckelman.
The blank was done by Nicole d'Anjou, based on Codex Claustroneoburgensis 104, fol. 1r; I added the initial, from fol. 173v of the same MS.
The text reads:
To all good true and noble people these present letters seeing hearing or reading greetings and good will from Vitus and Eleanora, king and queen of Drachenwald. It is so that many persons have been moved of noble and gentle courage to exercise virtuous marks and conditions by the which they shall come to the perfection of great honour. Of which persons one in especial whose name is Anita von Baden of the shire of Klakavirki who has served our realm greatly and who in all her affairs has borne herself valiantly and conducted herself honourably so that she has deserved well and is well worthy that henceforth and forevermore she may be in all places admitted counted numbered and received among the company of other ancient and gentle nobles. Whereupon we the said king and queen have made herein an award of arms to the said Anita so that she and no other person but her may bear such arms as she shall register with the College of Arms. In witness whereof to these letters we have set our marks below on the 12th day of March, a.s. xlv.
© 2011, Sara L. Uckelman.
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The exemplar is BL MS Harley 2253, fol. 131, a late 13th/early 14th C manuscript. I still find this type of secretary hand perplexing.
This manuscript contains a number of secular and religious lyrics, and I adapted the lyrics from one, the song of "Annot and John", appearing at fol. 63 of the MS. The text reads:
Þese are the wordes of Caoimhe drachenwaldish quene
Ase saphyr in seluer semly on syht,
Ase iaspe þe gentil þat lemeþ wiþ the lyht,
Ase gernet in golde ant ruby wel rhyt
Ase onycle she ys on yholden on hyht,
Ase diamaund þe dere in day when she is dyht;
Ase all þese ys þe ladie lyonet of covenham,
pearle of grace and goodenesse and þus we
Caoimhe make her a member of oure Order of
Courteisie, on augst seventh, a.s. xlv, at raglan.
Lines two through six are copied from the song.
© 2011, Sara L. Uckelman.
