Aryanhwy's Calligraphy and Illumination

Monday, February 11, 2013

Three scroll blanks for ID

After I completed my 30 day challenge, I had an idea for my next one, but there was something I wanted to do in between.

Over the last 2.5 years as signet and then as Queen, I have benefited tremendously from the generous and amazing scribes of this kingdom, particularly in the supply of blanks, since I have always been a better calligrapher than illuminator, with the result that I have used far more blanks than I have produced -- especially in the last 6 months when Paul and I were laggardly in arranging our court lists!

So in return and as thanks and some small recompense, I decided to produce a set of three blanks each for the signets of Drachenwald, ID, Nordmark, Aarnimetsä, and also for my new home, Knights Crossing. They won't be flashy, they won't be fancy, but I hope they will be pretty and I hope they will be useful. The plan is to do each set of three in a matching style, but hopefully pick very different styles for each of the five.

For ID, I picked borders from the Manesse Codex. Here are the three:


Based on 13r	Based on 158r	Based on 120v

I used a different shade of blue in each one in an attempt to match the one in the MS. The final choice I think was the best.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Sun and Chalice for Duncan Forbes

Done on a blank by Saraswati. The text is in an attempt at Scots, and reads:

Quhosoevir by reasoun and wit, by gud countenans and counsell, by deedis and werkes has set himselfe abofe his peeris is by these thyngis woorthie to be known throuchout the land for the ensaumple whilk he hast set. And so it is syc that we Richarde and Lena celestiaul princes wish and desyre to make the loird Duncan Forbes of owre most high esteme a member of the nobil, aunciant, and honorabil Companye of the Sunne and Challis, ande by the tokens sygnis and badges of whilk order he shall be knowin amongst alle deinseinis of this reaulme and in hothers as a member of the said compainie. Doun yhe Fredday the i day of thei mownth of Fabruarii in the year of the society xlvij. In witness quhereof we haue set owre oune handis and markis.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Dragon's Bowle for Robert of Canterbury and Genevieve la flechiere

Done on a blank by Lady Mærith af Weselax. The text reads:

 Reck ye the wordis wyse and wonder-full
of Paul and Aryanhwy, Drachenwaldish kings:
A preyse-woorthi lyfe values but vertu merritt-ful
and to a chast lyfe the wertws one clings;
commits no vyce, has grace and reddie witt,
ys meete and modest yn beryng and speche
bringys report to all of all wich be fit,
teches and succors all within reche
yn daunsynge and plaie; eke, to serue and leade.
Stond twoo here nowe, the moost bright and blest,
that kings deme moost hie of werdis and dede,
of curteys berying, with Goddes grace imprest.
Nowe from our hondis the dragonnes bowle take,
Genevieve Rouge Mauche and Caversham who Robert hight,
in token of owre esteeme and for owre own dere sake.
This do we both on this eue of twelft nyght
yn Dragonnes-schyre of auncient fayme
and sett to owre hondes to scele the sayme.

The poem was mostly written by my Evil Twin, on the basis of this poem that I hacked together, with the help of Joel, a bottle of Raspberry Tart, and Newy Year's Eeve:

Rede ye now the wyse and wonderful words
of Paul and Aryanhwy, Drachenwaldish kings
A praiseworthy life values virtue above swords,
And a life pure and clene .... sings
To commit no vice, to have good grace, redie wit
To be meet and seemly in garb and in speech
To stand as witness to others of all that is fit
And teaching and enriching all in their reach,
To dance and to play, to serve and to lead.
Before us stand the best and the brightest
Who have set themselves above the rest by deed
By word, by dress, by kenning of all things blest.
Now from our hands the bowle of the Dragon take
Genevieve la flechiere and Robert of Canterbury
As witness of our esteem and for our own sake
So done we this day, the fourth day of January
The eve of 12th Night, anno societatis forty-three
Signed by our hands in Lyndhurst, by Burley.

The end result was much nicer than the beginning!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Queens Order of Courtesy for Joel

There is nothing more satisfying than being able to recognize the services of the one closest to you. It cannot be easy to be the husband of the queen, especially in addition to being the father of the petite-reine, who was 4 months old when Paul won Crown and 13 months when I stepped down.

The text was written on Dec. 30, and calligraphed Dec. 31. It reads:

To him whose life I hold dearer than my own, I recommend me to you. It is one thing to follow the pursuit of glory so that one might bring honor to the one he loves, but another thing entirely to bring praise to his beloved by stepping aside and letting glory pass. Such act of true virtue, humility, modesty, and generosity has gone not unnoticed, and equity demands that it go not unrewarded. Wherefore let these presents serve as notice to all that my privy clerk and confessor is hereby and henceforth entered into the rolls of the members of the Queen's Order of Courtesy. Written by the hand of her who is and always will be yours, on the morn before Epiphany,

Sunday, December 2, 2012

AoA for Lorcan Rochefford

The illumination was done by Amal binti Hamid. The text, written Dec 1. and calligraphed Dec. 1 and 2, reads:

Audite et aspicite verba Pauli et Arianue regum drachenwaldenses. [Hear and see the words of Paul and Aryanhwy Drachenwaldish kings.]

Be it known to all that we king and queen of drachenwald, suzeraines of Nordmark and Insula draconis, emperors of frankmark, and margraves of the southern towers, considering the noble estate of a gentleman from Griffins Tor by the name of Lorcan Rochford and for as much as we the said King and Queen having to us full authority to all things concerning rank, nobility, and status within these our lands, we according to our said office and authority witness, ratify and attest that the said Lorcan is lineally descended of noble blood and by his actions has confirmed and affirmed that he is of high rank and station whereby it is our wish to exalt and prefer him by naming him Lord Lorcan and assigning and awarding to him all rights to such arms as he shall register with the College of Arms which are to be depicted more plainly below and forthwith charge him to consult with our heralds so as to devise suitable and unique arms for him to have and hold without let or hindrance from any man for any reason from this day henceforth in sign and token of nobleness and virtue for evermore and in perpetuity. In witness whereof we have had these presents drawn up, signed and given by the queen at Adamestor the viiith day of Decembris in the year of the society xlvii.

Silver Guard for Rainer Wulfgar

The blank was done by Lady Kerttu. The text reads as follows:

Paul and Aryanhwy, servants to the subject of Drachenwald, to their venerable cousin, Rainer, baron of the court of Ulfr and Caoimhe, greetings. It has in times past been ordained that a company of soldiers skilled with sword, lance, and bow be formed so that every denison of this realm be prevented from and protected from ill and that suitable new members for the furtherance of the good of the realm be made by speciall commission signed by ourselves, and this certain company is known as the Order of the Silver Guard.

Item, membership in this Order is presented to those who have distinguished themselves by chivalry and prowess at arms.

Item, the badge of the Order is a silver wristguard engraved with a dragon passant coward, maintaining a sword erect.

Item, members of the Order shall rank equally with members of the Orden des Lindquistringes and the Order of the Panache.

And whereas we the king and queen abovenamed, being credibly informed by speeches and attestations that diverse and many are the skills at arms displayed by your noble self, confirm, ratify, and announce that from this day henceforth you are a member of the abovenamed Order.

Dated at Adamestor viii Decembris, a.s. xlvii.

It is sort of based on the text I wrote for Franck vom Berg's Silver Guard, along with the text from kingdom law about the order.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Lindquistringes for Baldric Sigismund

Done on a blank by Bridget Greywolf. The text reads:

By the king and queen right worshipful and most redoubted sovereign lords of Drachenwald to our well-beloved friend Baldric Sigismund. Forasmuch as we have many certain reliable testimonies that you have been a good and faithful steward and seneschal of our lands of Griffins Tor, wherefore we are minded to make you a companion of our Orden des Lindquistringes, and all that reason or law will upon the attainment of such status we will be right glad you to have. Written at Adamestor, the 8th day of December, anno societatis xlvii.