Laurel scroll text for Wencenedl of Rokesburg

Early fall I learned that a good friend was going to be laureled for her 12th C research, and I was honored to be asked by her laurel to contribute to the ceremony. Knowing I couldn't make it to the event, I volunteered my assistance coming up with a 12th C text. I took my primary inspiration from the Gelnhausen charter of 1180, a favorite of mine, though the opening and closing were heavily informed by the huge amounts of 12th C charters from all over Europe I've been working through lately. It reads:

In the presence of all gathered here as witnesses. Quilliam and Domhnail, by favour of might and inspiration, noble rules of the Ealdormereans. Since human memory is short and does not suffice for a crowd of things, the authority of those who preceded our age, noble princes and kings, has decreed that those things were to be written down which the progress of fleeting time generally removes from the knowledge of men.

Wherefore let the generality of the present as well as the future subjects of our empire know, that We by the common counsel of upright men do in accordance with all ancient, honorable, and noble laws and customs and regulations of our realm as established by our progenitors, on account of the urgent entreaties and desires of the peers and of very many others nobles, hereby call into our presence Baroness Wencenedl of Rokesburg who has by many marks and deeds set herself apart from others in our lands by distinction of her learned skill and knowledge the reports of which we have received from many witnesses of worthy report. We, therefore, after deliberating with the peers and by their common counsel, and through consideration of the merits through which our beloved Baroness Wencenedl has deserved the privilege of admittance into the rank of the peers of the real by promoting and upholding the honour of the crown, fearing neither expense nor personal danger, have lawfully conferred on her the right and rank of membership in the ancient and honorable Order of the Laurel and with that every right and responsibility, that pertain to said status. Having asked an opinion from the peers as to whether this should be done, when an affirmative one was been given and approved by the common consent of the whole court, we did solemnly invest, through royal custom and standard, the aforesaid Baroness Wencendel with all appurtenances appropriate thereto.

We do confirm, therefore, this lawful act and investiture of our noble cousin to the Order of the Laurel before all present and to all their successors. And wishing this to remain valid unto all posterity, we forbid by royal edict that any one, with rash daring, infringe it or in any way attempt to violate the said Wencendel's new status and rank; and we validly corroborate this our decree by the present patent. Facta est ergo XIV Novembris anno quinquaginta Quillelmo et Douenalla regibus regnantibus in Ealdormere. Signum [] rege. Signum [] regina. Signum [] principe. Signum [] principissa. Signum [] barone. Signum [] barone. Signum [] baronissa. Signum [] cellaria.

I really hoped the king and queen would be willing to have other witnesses beyond themselves to sign, and provided a text that would allow for not only them but also the prince and princess, Wencenedl's husband, who is a baron, the baron and baroness of the group hosting the event, as well as the event steward. (I also planned to have Wencenedl's laurel sign it...except that she already would have been in her guise as princess!

The scroll was calligraphed and illuminated by Dame Asa Gormsdottir, and she has given me permission to share these images:

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© 2014, Sara L. Uckelman.

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.

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© 2012, Sara L. Uckelman.

Laurel writ for Lia de Thornegge

Writ to contemplate membership in the Order of the Laurel for Lia de Thornegge

The text reads:

Paul and Aryanhwy, king and queen of Drachenwald, to our own dear subject the Honorable Lady Lia de Thornegge, companion of Panache and Courtesy. Know that for the love we bear you and for your accomplishments in the diverse and courtly arts, it is our intent, will, and desire to create you a member of the ancient and honorable Order of the Laurel. If it be your intent, will, and desire to accept this honor and be numbered amongst the members of the aforesaid order, then we command and require you to present yourself before us in our University court three months hence. This writ signed by the hand of the queen and delivered by our regent Niamh Princess of Nordmark

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© 2012, Sara L. Uckelman.

Laurel for Ursula Georges

May 31 - June 9, 2008

This is a laurel scroll for Ursula Georges, from An Tir. Click on the image to get more pictures, and click here to see the scrolls with the signatures and seals added.

Texts

The text of the induction letter was prepared by Ursula, based on the statues of the Order of the Golden Fleece, a letter informing the recipient that he has been granted entry into the Company of the Star, and the statutes of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Cedric et Elizabeth, Roi et Reine d'An Tir, a notre amie et feale Ursula Georges. Salut. En essaucement de la Societe & accroissement d'onneur, on a ordene de faire une Compaignie, qui est appellee l'Ordre du Laurier. Et les compaignons portent la devise d'une couronne de laurier d'or.

Et tous les compaignons d'icellui seront tenus et jureront a leur entree que il donront le bon exemple de Courtoisie & de Chevalerie.

Et prometeront avoir bonne et vray amour aux Souverains et deffendre et maintenir les lois du roialme et les statuts de la Societe.

Et prometeront faire service aux Souverains a leur povoir.

Et prometeront enrichir le roialme par les honnourables faictz et bonnes oeuvres et sages conseils.

Et jureront que il donront loyal conseil au Souverains et adviseront a nommer des nouvel compaignons de l'ordre.

Et vous avons eslu a estre du nombre de ladite Compaignie, & pensons a faire a la Fayre de Juin. Si soyez audit jour & lieu, se vous povez bonnement, a tout votre habit.

Donne le xvi jour de mars l'an de la Societe xlii.

Translation:

Cedric and Elizabeth, King and Queen of An Tir, to our friend and faithful subject Ursula Georges. Greetings. In exaltation of the Society and increase of honour, it was ordained to create a Company, which is called the Order of the Laurel. And the companions wear the badge of a gold laurel wreath.

And all the companions of this order will be held and will swear at their entrance that they will give a good example of Courtesy and Chivalry.

And they will promise to have good and true love to the Sovereigns and to defend and maintain the laws of the kingdom and the statutes of the Society.

And they will promise to serve the Sovereigns to their power.

And they will promise to enrich the kingdom by honorable deeds and good works and wise counsels.

And they will promise that they will give loyal counsel to the Sovereigns and advise them in naming new companions of the order.

And we have chosen you to be of the number of said Company, and we intend to do so at June Faire. Be there at said day and place, if you are well able, in your habit.

Given the 16 day of March in the year of the Society 42.

The text of the confirmation of arms is based on the grant of arms to John Aleyn, 1454, at http://verysleepy.itgo.com/grants.htm. The translation into French was provided by Gausbert Barboiron.

A tous les gentilshommes qui verront ou oront cette humble recommandation faite par moi Lion Noir, Premier Heraut d'Armes du roiaume d'An Tir.

Il est attendu que les personnes de qualite et de haute naissance se conduisent vertueusement, condition par laquelle elles gagnent la noblesse d'un grand honneur.

Parmi ces personnes, une en particulier dont le nom est Ursula Georges du College de Saint Bunstable de la Baronie de Madrone, me priant de requerir aupres de Lion Noir, Premier Heraut d'Armes, la recherche des armes de la dite Ursula.

A cette requeste le dit Lion Noir, Premier Heraut d'Armes, fit les dites recherches et trouva les armes de la dite Ursula se blasonnant de gueule a une ourse passant de sable.

Moi Lion Noir, Premier Heraut d'Armes, confirme aupres de la dite Ursula et porte ici temoignage qu'aucune personne au sein de la Societe ne pourra pretendre porter ces armes outre les heritiers legaux issus de son sein.

En temoin de quoi je depose ici le sceau a mes armes ainsi que mon paraphe le XXXIe jour de mai du regne du Roi Cedric et de la Reine Elizabeth.

Lion Noir, Premier Heraut d'Armes

Translation:

To all good people this present text seeing or hearing humble recommendation by me Black Lion Principal Herald of Arms of An Tir.

It is so that many persons of noble and gentle birth to exercise virtuous conditions by which they shall come to the perfection of great honor. Of which persons one in especial whose name is Ursula Georges of the College of Saint Bunstable in the Barony of Madrone tenderly praying and requiring me the said Black Lion Principal Herald of Arms to search for the arms of the said Ursula.

Where upon I the said Black Lion Principal Herald of Arms at the instance and request of the said Ursula have made herein due search and found the right arms of the said Ursula that is to say gules a bear passant sable.

Which arms I the said Black Lion Principal Herald of Arms confirm unto the said Ursula and witness here that no person within the Society ought for to bear them but the said Ursula and the heirs of her body lawfully begaten.

In witness whereof to this I have set my seal of arms and my sign manual the xxxith day of May in the reign of king Cedric and queen Elizabeth.

Black Lion Principal Herald of Arms.

Layout

The narrow gold double border on both scrolls is taken from the 16th C Dutch Livre du toison d'or, specifically the digitized version available at http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00001351/images/. The layout of the achievement in the confirmation scroll is also based on the images in this book. See, e.g., page 18 and page 23.

Calligraphy

The calligraphy was based, to the best of my ability, on the script found in the Livre du toison d'or. Examples of the sweeping capitals and the use of red to set various text off can be seen in page 22, page 27, page 39, page 41, etc.

Coat of arms

As noted above, the layout of the achievement was taken from the Livre, but the elements themselves were taken from Scheibler'sches Wappenbuch, a southern German MS from between 1450 and 17th C; a digitized version is available at http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00007174/images/. The bear crest and the mantling is found on page 211, and the bear passant on page 280.

I am very good at tracing ready-made images but very bad at coming up with them on my own. I was unable to alter the mantling found above to go around a vertical, rather than a tilted, shield, and also could not adjust the helm properly. So I enlisted the help of my mom, Carolyn Friedemann, who took the above elements and gave me something to trace:

This I was able to trace onto the parchment, given the transparency of the skin.

Materials

The scrolls were both done on J. Herbin parchment measuring 19x24cm. (Unfortunately I do not know what type of parchment this is.)

The outline and detail work were done with a Rotring Isograph pen with 0.18mm nib. The lettering was done in Ecoline ink, sepia and carmine (I wanted vermillion, but when I went to the store they were out and only had carmine). The gold borders were done with Ecoline gold, first done with a calligraphy nib until I realized that a paintbrush worked much easier.

The gold details on the achievement were also done with Ecoline, and the paint used was Talens guache, vermillion and black intenso.

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© 2008, Sara L. Uckelman.