Aryanhwy's Calligraphy and Illumination: August 2012

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Laurel for Lia de Thornegge

I composed a text for the Laurel scroll for a Laurel that Paul and I made at Kingdom University. It is based on the Grant of Arms to the London Company of Weavers (at the bottom of the page).

To all true and noble people thies presentes lettres Reading, Hearing or Seeing: Paul, kyng of Drachenwald and master of the Ordre of the Laurel, and Aryanhwy, quene and patroness of the arts and sciences, sende dew recomendacyon and gretyng as it apperteyneth to all. For so moche as we understond ffor certeyn that every person of crafte and skill within the kyngdomes lands who stody, devyse and Inmagyne with theyre besy curys and undelayd devoyres and delegencys and suche personys namely as be lynyally descendyd ffrom noble blode compellyd therunto by verry course of nature the most convenyent and most honowrable weyes and meanys to them possyble ffor to exalte and prefferre theyr Craftes and Fraternyteys to honeur and noble and to as excellent laude and Recomendacyon as by theyr mendys canne be thought or contryvyd to thentent that eny persone entryng or comyng into their Craftes and Fraternytes beryng of theyr sadde and laudable vertuoux and comendable disposiscyons and opynyons shuld Rather enforce and aplye themselfe effectuelly with all possyble delyngce towardes the maytenance and supportacyon and longe contenewaunce of the same to the laude and prersyng of God, thenour of the sovereynge lord of this Realme aforsaid and of the sayd Crafte and fraternyte. Amonge whom, we, the sayd kyng and queen note and Apoynte at this tyme specyally the good, sadde, worshypfull and well dessposyd persone, that is to say the Honorable Lady Lia de Thornegge, Clothier, Scribe, Broiderer, and mistress of many divers arts for the tyme beyng and henceforth to eternity a member of the auncient and honourable Order of the Laurel. We, the sayd kyng and quene, for the tendre zele and inward affeccyon that we bere toward her ladyship, for the presservyng and encresse therof to her honour have yeven and granted unto her by letters patent the Armeys hereaffter Folowyng as in the mergene depykt more pleynly apperyth: that is to saye she bere per pall inverted sable, vert and sylvere, thre seeblätter inverted silvere, silvere, and sable: the Crest upon the helme bearing a wrethe of lauriel leaues: which armys by thactoryte and poure of the College of Arms annexed and attrybutyed, we, the sayd kyng and quein have ordeyned to and for the said Lady to her that now and herafter shalbe in synge and token of vertu, ffor evermore to have and to hold, occupy and Reioyce withoute any Inpedyment, Interupcion, lette or enpechement by vertue of our sayd patent for evermore. In wytnesse wherof we, the sayd kyng and quein to thies presentes synged with our hands have putte our selle of auctoryte yovyn at Unikankare the x day of November in the vthe monthe of oure reigne.

The scroll itself was done by Melisande Fitzwalter, and was amazing.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

This was a battlefield scroll and a battlefield award; Paul and I watched this gentle on the fencing field over a couple of days at Raglan, and were continually impressed. When we heard from two or three people that they'd written recommendations of him to the Prince and Princess of ID, we knew what we had to do. And it turned out beautifully. Master Etienne had a blade which he wished to gift the young man, who had no blade of his own, and arranged to do so during a break in the fencing while Paul and I spectated. As he made to give over the sword, we had our herald call hold and inquire if the young man had yet been given the right to bear arms. When it turned out he hadn't, we remedied this.

The text, calligraphed on a blank done by Genevieve, reads:

All those these present letters seeing, hearing, or reading, bear witness to the will and desire of Paul and Aryanhwy, king and queen of Drachenwald, who have throughout this Raglan Fair have [sic] seen and heard much of the skill at arms of one Sean of Eplaheimr and are moved to advance him to the rank and status of lord, which we do on the xix day of August, a.s. xlvii, in Mynydd Gwyn.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Charter for Cernac's Combat Choir and Creche

The text was written August 5, and the calligraphy done August 7 (in one sitting! It took 2.5 hours). The cadels are based on http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-32681.htm. The two coats of arms (mine are in dexter, those of the Company's patroness are in sinister) were done the 14th. And then I screwed up the entire thing in the very last step by misspelling my name in my signature.

The text is based on a text from Sidney Young, The annals of the barber-surgeons of London (London; Blades, East & Blades, 1900), p. 55, and reads:

Aryanhwy by the hand of Paul Queen of Drachenwald, Suzeraine of Nordmark and Insulae Draconis, Empress of Frankmark, and Marchioness of the Southern Towers, to all whom these present letters shall come, health. Know that we considering how our beloved, noble, and honest cousin Viscount Cernac the Inspired of the Shire of Dun in Mara, exercising the Mysteries or Arts of Combat Training, Child Minding, and Choir Leading as well as respecting swords, bucklers, infants, and other associated items of that ilk, and the teaching and guiding of the same, as in short-sword, long-sword, and singing, has since the beginning of our reign undergone and supported, and continually undergoes and supports, great and manifold applications and labors; and also, that the ignorant, negligent, and stupid not sufficiently skilled in the said Combat may spread many and almost infinite evils happening to many of our liegemen, unless proper remedy is by us speedily provided for the same. We therefore, heartily weighing and considering that such evils do happen for want of proper examinations, corrections, and punishments by a due supervision of a master wrangler who is sufficiently skilled and instructed in the mysteries or arts as aforesaid; have at the humble request of our aforesaid beloved, noble, and honest cousin Viscount Cernac granted to him that the said Mystery, and any man of the said Mystery aforesaid as he so desires, may be in deed and name the principal proctor and foremost founder of the most noble company which hight Cernaces Combat Creche and Choir, and that as Master of the Creche he may have a perpetual succession to serve with respect to the affairs of the infants, sucklings, and striplings, both peasant and kinebarn, within the kingdom, and most specifically with respect to her blitheness Gwen la petite-reine, who by virtue of her worth and dignity shall preside as patroness over the said Creche, and that he, by the name of Master or Governor of the Combat Creche and Choir may be able to plead and be pleaded for before whatsoever justices in courts, and actions whatever. And that the said Master of the Creche may lawfully and honestly assemble himself and whatever subordinates he should desire, and make statues and ordinances for the wholesome government, superintendence, and correction of younglings, in accordance with the exigency of necessity, as often and whenever it may be requisite, lawfully and unpunishably, without leave or hindrance from us, our justices, escheators, Sheriffs, Coroners, or any other Bailiffs, or servants of us, so long as we shall sit this throne; provided that such statues or ordinances are not in any ways contrary to the laws and customs of our Kingdom of Drachenwald. And further we allow that the said Master of the Creche may style himself such by appointment to her Majesty the Queen and to the benefit and progress of his patroness her blitheness Gwen la petite-reine. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be drawn up. Witness myself at Raglan Castle the xvii day of August in the first year of our reign.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Panache for Kiriel du Papillon

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a very good photo of it, and I didn't finish it in time to take it out to the office and scan it. The blank was done by Lovisa af Talkotten. The text was written on August 4, based slightly on the confirmation of lands and arms to Walter Haywode. The calligraphy was done August 5; the panache badge was painted August 13.

The text reads:

To all those who shall see or hear these present letters, Paul and Aryanhwy, King and Queen of Drachenwald, greeting in God. Know ye that for her accomplishments in the kitchen, for her ceaseless purveying of comestibles, and for her tutelage and teaching of novitiate cooks, we have granted and by this charter confirm and affirm to Kiriel du Papillon, Dame of the Pelican, all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges appertaining to membership in the ancient and honorable Order of the Panache, that is to say, the following: The right to be admitted, numbered, accounted, and renowned amongst the members of the Order, the responsibility to bear the badge of the Order, that is to say, on a torteau a bezant pierced sable, issuant therefrom three feathers gules, or, and sable, the privilege of styling herself in all places before all men and at all times a member of the aforementioned Order, and further we make over to the same Dame Kiriel the sole and unique right to style herself throughout the kingdom as royal pie-baker by appointment to Her Royal Majesty the Queen, this right to be held unto herself for as long as we the abovenamed king and queen shall sit our thrones. And further the aforenamed Dame Kiriel is enjoined in her capacity as mistress of the pies to travel as she will and to teach others in the art of tarts, to stir up the commons of the people to do well and to have perseverance in well doing. In testimony of all this and in witness whereof We, the aforesaid King and Queen, to these letters have put our hands below, and inscribed the badge of the abovenamed order more clearly in the margin. Given and confirmed within the octave of the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady, in the second month of our reign.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

AoA for William of Crow Moat

The illumination was done by Susannah of York. The text reads:

Nunc incipit verbi Clancii et Ursule, Principes Insulenses et Draconenses. [Now begin the words of Clancy and Ursula, Insular and Draconic Princes.] Ancient proverb says that virtue lies in not withholding good to him it is due, when it is in thine power to give. It being in our power, we do not any longer withold that which is due our subject William of Crow Moat and make him a lord. Witness ourselves at Raglan Castle in our final court.