Lady Elewys's Ram's Horn, Baronial award for Concordia of the Snows

The words were based off of Sun Tzu's The Art of War:

"In the valor of our warriors, we hear the echo of the wisdom of Sun Tzu.

Defense is a matter of vital importance to the Barony of Concordia of the Snows, for it is the forum of our life or death - the road to our survival or ruin. The resources of those skilled in extraordinary defense are as infinite as the heavens and earth, as inexhaustible as the flow of the great rivers, for their mighty battle motions are cyclical, recommencing as they end, as the movements of the sun and moon.

The musical notes are only five in number but their melodies are so numerous that one cannot hear them all. The primary colors are only five in number but their admixtures are so infinite that one cannot see them all. In defense there are only the normal and the extraordinary forces, but their combinations are limitless, that none can comprehend them all. Lady Elewys of Anglespur sees that these two forces are mutually reinforcing. She knows that their interaction is as endless as the binding of interlocked rings.

When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing. Thus the momentum of Lady Elewys, as one skilled in the art of defense, is overwhelming, and her attack is precisely regulated. Wise commanders pursue victory through thoughtful selection of their warriors. Thus do We, Jean Paul and Lylie, Baron and Baroness, call this warrior to Our Order of the Ram's Horn, so that one so valiant shall not strive alone, but march in brave company."

I was super stoked about this scroll because, hurray! I could finally use my craft of paper cutting! China had been doing paper cutting since 5 BC at the very least and this woman has a Ming Dynasty persona! So I did my research of paper cutting during the Ming Dynasty. They used everything from brands to pottery designs. So I made a design using paintings and pottery designs and am quite pleased with how it came out. For the calligraphy, I studied a bunch of Chinese symbols and eventually created a flowed hand with brush that were similar to Chinese stylings, but were all our typical ABC alphabet.

Lady Anne's Ram's Horn, Baronial scroll for Concordia of the Snows

The words are based on George Silver's Paradoxes of Defence, from 1598.

"To the noble, victorious, valiant, and most brave Barony of Concordia do We, Jean Paul and Lylie, Baron and Baroness, send greetings.

The noble science of fencing defends the body from wounds and slaughter.
And moreover,the exercising of weapons puts away aches, griefs, and diseases, it increases strength, and sharpens the wits.
It gives a perfect judgement, it expels melancholy, choleric and evil conceits, it keeps a woman in breath, perfect health, and long life.
It puts her out of fear, & in the wars and places of most danger, it makes her bold, hardy and valiant.

Anne De Basillion embodies this knowledge.
Her passions for the art of defence knows no bounds.

We saw her put to trial in proof:
Three bouts apiece with three of the best fencers & three bouts apiece with three unskillful valiant men, and three bouts apiece with three resolute men half drunk.
She did defend herself against these men, and hurt, and won the iron ring of the East.
She is to be honored, cherished, and awarded Our Ram's Horn.

Done this day by Our hand in May of ASLI at Our Wars of the Roses."

The illumination is based on the Ovid, translated by Octavien de St-Gelais in France in the last part of the 15th Century.

Skarphedinn's AoA

Words by Magnus hvmalgi:

"At the Flower-Clash, Skarphedinn inn havi was called before Kenric the king and Avelina the queen. A skald was called to speak on the man's deeds. This is what was said.

Iron-tower

of terrible power

crushes our foes,

his fearsome blows

breaking their ranks,

reddening the banks

of Gjöll - the raven

glutton-haven.

Thunder roars
rankle the boars

to run - a dog

drives through the fog

and the corpse-mud -

cowering from flood,

their hides bear brunt

of Har of the hunt.

Stalwart skilled Skarphedin
stands proud, and skull-laden

This beast of might,

bearing the light

touch of service,

settles the nervous

with gilded voice,

grasping the choice

of peace when force

the plainer recourse.

The wisdom of old -

the ancient gold

breaker's advice -

to bear as ice

the weight of the world

with words furled -

feeds the rowan

a feast to grow in.

Stalwart skilled Skarphedin

stands humble, grace-laden

These things opposed -

proud-strong battle-oak

by fire disposed

to fulsome smoke -

speak of a man

of spear-knowledge

and knowledge-span

like spear-hall edge.

Praise-fit the ash

of ancient roots

that stands in boots

of Bragi and clash

of wounding-poles,

with winding trunk

that battled and sunk

the bravest of souls.

Stalwart skilled Skarphedin

stands - worthy of honor laden

Then all were called to remember the deeds of Skarphedinn and give him his due honor. It was the Time of Remembrance, fifty-one years after the Settling."

The illumination was inspired by the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne documents. The calligraphy was inspired by the Norse runes, created specifically for this scroll.

I worked the entire thing on a piece of goat skin ... parchment? Vellum? Whatever it is, I was worried I couldn't tame it. The thing was frustrating. Trying to flatten it produced weird wrinkles. Writing on it caused it sometimes to work beautiful and sometimes to bubble as if oil was on the skin. But I didn't give up! Why? Because Skarphedinn is an inspiration and he would be proud and overjoyed to know I wouldn't let this scroll best me! And honestly, I'm quite pleased with the result.

AoA for Léana Doucet

I admit, I don't know everyone. I just don't. So it is no wonder when this scroll assignment came across my desk that I said 'yes, but I don't know who that is!' Thankfully, the description of -why- she was getting the word was so brilliantly inspirational (as they all are, gosh darn it!) and so I knew this was a scroll I wanted to do.

...but I didn't think I had all the time I wanted for the wordsmithing. So I contacted the person who put in the request and words were eventually given to me. In French. Eep! So, then I had to start working on a translation because I don't know French but wanted to make sure the whole scroll had a proper feel to it.

Here are the words that were given to me by Sir Pellandres dit le Frère with a few little tweaks by Dame Bruinissende and Alys Mackyntoich to add in the names of the royalty where they best fit as well as the event place and date:

"Il en est une dont les actes, quoique toujours silencieux, ne laissent aucun indifférent. Du chaos naissent l'ordre puis l'action. D'aucun ne savait ce qu'il devait faire, du coup il accompli de grandes choses. Un sourire en coin, elle sait son travail accompli. Certains voudraient la saisir et définir son influence. Nul ne peut ainsi la réduire. Revestant le haume, elle affronte sans doutes les ennemis du Roiaume et assiste à l'entrainement de ses troupes. Hors de la lice elle s'assure que non seulement sa propre personne, mais aussi sa suite, soient couverts de vestiments honorables. Ce sans oublier son amour pour la gens équine, les activités desquelles elle songe établir en ceste principauté et qu'elle introduit à qui veut l'entendre!  N'osant laisser un tel murmure s'élever trop haut et cherchant  plutôt a le transformer en clameurs de joie de la part de leur sujets, Nous, Kenric, Roi du Royaume d'Orient par le droit des armes, et Avelina, de par le même droit notre Reine, de par les ci-présentes lettres accordons à notre sujet Leana Dosquet le droit de porter les armes suivantes:

 Ainsi ordonné en ce 30 avril de la cinquantième année de notre Société dans notre baronnie du Havre des Glaces."

A space was saved where  arms could be placed when the time came that there were registered.

Here is the translation, to the best of my ability, from French into English:

"There is one whose acts, though still silent, leave no one indifferent. Born into the chaos, she creates order in action. Where no one else may know what to do, she can accomplish a great many thing. Always with a smile, she goes to her work. Some would try to define its influence, but none may invalidate her labors. Wearing a great helm, she faces without doubt the enemies of the Kingdom and attends the training of its troops. From the lists she ensures that not only her own person, but also those around her, are clothed with honorable vestiments. Without forgetting love for equestrians, whose activities she feels important to the Kingdom, she teaches anyone who will listen! Not daring to leave such a murmur to grow too loud and instead seeking to turn it into joyful clamor from Their subjects, We, Kenric, King of the Kingdom of the East by right of arms, and Avelina, by the same right, Queen, by the following present letters grant Leana Dosquet the right to bear the following arms:

Dated April 30 in the fiftieth year of our Company in our Barony of Havre des Glaces."

The illumination of choice in inspiration comes from the Bible of Borso d'Este, circa 1455.