AoA for Irmel von Lubeck at War of the Roses 2014

I was given the rare and amazing opportunity to create an AoA for someone I didn't think I knew! But, I knew the person who had recommended them and asked about the identity. I came to find out it was someone I have known for years! They just finally decided on a SCAdian name! I was so excited to work on something for someone I knew, so I had to make sure to work it well.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given much more than 'German' for the persona, so when I began my words, I decided to work with the fact that the current King and Queen consider themselves Emperor and Empress. That made it easier. These were the words I came up with (with help from Alys to clean them up) based on A letter from Cunegund of Swabia, Queen of Bohemia (1238, February 22):

"Brennan Imperator Orientalis, and Caoilfhionn Imperatrix Orientalis, to all those to whom this current letter will come, Our favor and all good will and the witness of truth to this writing.

Since the dignity of Our nobility and royal mercy demands this, to benign and favorable assent to the just requests of all, so that anyone may enjoy the presence of Our mercy for their necessity and need, among all whom We support with such consolation of our protection and fostering comfort, We embrace them to the utmost with very wide arms, from whom We hope merit to increase the tranquility and governance of Our temporal realm.  

So heeding these demands, We, in the custom of the Empire, bring Irmel von Lubeck into Our presence.   We have received word in Our court and in Our presence establishing her loyalty and dedication to the Empire.  Service for service, she teaches, advises, and guides those who wish to learn her crafts of dance or fiber, as well as imbibes in the teachings of others. In dedication, she has offered service to Our events. Considering the sincere devotion to her craft she has thus far shared and her loyalty to the Empire, and wishing that she herself should immediately hold and also recognize always from Us and from the Empire great favor for all of the aforesaid things, we do therefore award Irmel von Lubeck the right to bear arms.  We do further establish and decree the aforesaid award by imperial edict, in order that no person high or lowborn, ecclesiastic or secular, no duke, marquis, count or viscount, should presume to challenge with audacious attempt the rights herein granted.

That all of this may have the force of stability, we have had the present page fortified by the authority of Our signs manual.  Enacted at Concordia of the Snows, Anno Societatis XLIX, in the month of May, day 24."

 

The font for the calligraphy as well as the illumination was based on the manuscript of the Gospels of Henry the Lion. I actually stared at the manuscript and searched out each letter and made myself a cheat sheet of the styles of lettering used.