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.
© 2008, Sara L. Uckelman.
