On February 16, Kaaren Valravn took part in the first Atlantian Iron Scribe competition. She needed some scroll text, so once she had her name, Ollam Lanea and I riffed on each other to write a text that would fit into the constrains of Kaaren’s design:
Text: Fires dwell in opals and light Our way! Such fire burns in Muriel MacArtur, so We, Michael & Seonaid, King and Queen of Atlantia, must induct her into our Order of the Opal. Given 3 March A.S.XLIX
Before Gideon ap Stephen was Laurelled at Ymir 2020, Mistress Rosalind asked me to translate the poem she had written to release Gideon from his apprenticeship into Old English. I happily did so — I love translations and find it a great challenge! Below is the text that I sent her; I also sent her a (very rough) recording for pronunciation. While I usually don’t use ċ (/ch/) or ġ (/j/) in my translations as they are entirely a modern conceit for transcription, I included them here to help indicate the pronunciation differences from c (/k/) and g (/g/) for performance.
| Original | Translation |
| Gideon ap Stephen great of heart | Gideon ap Stephen great in breostsefan |
| A word-warrior for the Knowne World | Cyneword-ċempa for þære cuþre worulde |
| Famed for ferocity in defense of humble folk | Rof for reþnesse in randġebeorh eadmede-folces |
| Awesome of hair a voice ocean-deep | Seldlic in feaxe stefn ġeofon-sidu |
| In prose and poetry you have shown your prowess | þurh wordcræft ond woþcræft þin ġewald þu ġeseþe |
| Our path together of time and travel | Ure gomenwaþu to-gædere on geongum ond byrum |
| Late night counsel creation and craft | Nihtlangum leoþurunum listum ond sceaftum |
| We, your mentors you, a man of our houses | Wit, þin rædboran, þu, reord-berend unċer inhireda |
| Now ends your oath of fealty to us | Nu endaþ þin aþ to us of heldan |
| We take back the belt once gladly bestowed | Wit oþfeorraþ þone fetel fore fuslice ġelacodon |
| But our heart-bond can never be broken | Ac ure breostsefa-bend ne abirsteþ næfre |
| Translation | Translator’s Notes Regarding Particular Choices |
| Gideon ap Stephen great in breostsefan | Breostsefa = mind or heart, literally “the mind in the breast” |
| Cyneword-cempa for þære cuþre worulde | Cyneword-cempa = champion of fitting words |
| Rof for reþnesse in randgebeorh eadmede-folces | Randgebeorh = protection such as that afforded by a shield |
| Seldlic in feaxe stefn geofon-sidu | Seldlic = rare, strange, wondrous, extraordinary, having unusual good qualities Sid = wide, broad, spacious, and is specifically usually applied to the ocean, world, and universe |
| þurh wordcræft ond woþcræft þin gewald þu geseþe | Syntax of second half-line is “your prowess you show” wordcræft = the art of speaking and writing woþcræft = the art of poetry or song gewald = power, mastery (I chose it for the latter meaning) |
| Ure gomenwaþu to-gædere on geongum ond byrum | Syntax of second half-line is “of travels and times”; I chose to make plural because there was presumably more than one Byre has many meanings, but I particularly like the translation of “an event, a favourable time, an opportunity” |
| Nihtlangum leoþurunum listum ond sceaftum | Syntax of second half-line is “craft and creation” nihtlang = night-long leoþurun = counsel conveyed in verse (I thought this meaning was appropriate!) list = art, skill, cunning, craft, artifice |
| Wit, þin rædboran, þu, reord-berend uncer inhireda | Wit = dual for Mistress Rosalind and Master Dunstan reord-berend = fig. person/man, lit. voice-bearer/one gifted with speech in-hired = family, household, house (I liked the triple meaning) |
| Nu endaþ þin aþ to us of heldan | |
| Wit oþfeorraþ þone fetel fore fuslice gelacodon | |
| Ac ure breostsefa-bend ne abirsteþ næfre | Repeating breostsefa from the beginning |
In early 2019, Master Eldred Ælfwald requested that Lady Kaaren Valravn create his court baron scroll (scroll information here). In turn, she asked Lord Ishmael Reed to write an original poem and me to translate the poem into Old English. Ishmael wrote the poem in the style of the 14th-century alliterative revival, which I then translated into Old English alliterative verse.
In June 2019, I wrote the scroll text for Lady Tóth Éva’s Coral Branch, which was calligraphed and illuminated by Lady Kaaren Valravn. See her site for the full scroll.
Scroll text:
Hear, Atlantia, the words of Christoph and Adelhait,
your König and Königin by right of arms.
We delight in the Arts and the Sciences,
but cooking is an alchemy that blends both,
nourishing and strengthening the populace.
Tóth Éva is one who has distinguished herself in the arts and sciences.
So do We choose to induct Tóth Éva into Our Order for the Coral Branch.
Moreover do We raise Tóth Éva to the ranks of nobility and Award Arms
that shall be devised by Tóth Éva and Our heralds to be her own forevermore.
Done this thirteenth day of July Anno Societatis LIV, at Our King’s Assessment
in Our Barony of Black Diamond.
In June of 2019, I had the honor of writing the scroll text for my friend Sarah la Malade’s Coral Branch, their first award in the SCA. The art was done by my friend Kaaren Valravn. For more on the scroll, see Lady Kaaren’s site.
Scroll Text: Let all know that We, Christoph and Adelheit, King and Queen of Atlantia, love the beauty of Coral. Coral takes many forms and colors, a rainbow that enriches the populace. Like the Coral, Sarah la Malade has enriched their Shire in diverse ways, through music, poetry, and research. Their work is known and admired; the hands that perform the work are beloved. Thus do we see fit to induct Sarah into Our Order of the Coral Branch. So too do We raise them to the ranks of nobility and Award Arms, directing Noble Sarah to consult with Our heralds in the creation of arms that befit them alone. Done by Our hand this day, June 29, A.S. LIV, being 2019 in modern reckoning, at Storvik Novice in the Barony of Storvik.
The prompt for Poeta Atlantiae in 2019 was too good to pass up: choose two poetic forms that are from locations at least 500 miles from each other. I chose the ghazal, from Persian and Arabic traditions, and alliterative verse, from Old English tradition. Kaaren Valravn kindly did last-minute calligraphy of both poems for my entry’s display, for which I am eternally grateful.
Presented at Ruby Joust, Barony of Caer Mear, 2019, for the Poeta Atlantiae competition.
Presented at Ruby Joust, Barony of Caer Mear, 2019, for the Poeta Atlantiae competition.
In May 2019, I collaborated with Lady Kaaren Valravn to write scroll text for an AoA. For the scroll, see Lady Kaaren’s site.
Scroll text:
Listen, Atlantia, to the words of Christoph, King by right of arms, and Adelheit, Our radiant Queen.
It delights Us when one commits to learning both the arts of heavy combat and thrown weapons, for Our Kingdom shall be protected on many fields. It is a boon to the Kingdom when those skills are demonstrated to others, so that Atlantia’s populace may increase, and someday, too, Her armies. Yet one of the greatest delights is when such dedication and service is done by one raised amongst Us.
It is with joy that We have watched one such person grow and serve. Thus do We Award Arms to **********************, and charge him to consult with Our Heralds to develop appropriate arms, should he see fit.
Done by Our hands this 8th day of June, AS LIV, at Journey Through the Nine Realms in Our Barony of Raven’s Cove.
In 2019, I had the honor to write the scroll text for my friend Ishmael Reed in a fantastic collaboration with Lady Adelaide Half Pint (illumination) and Lady Kaaren Valravn (calligraphy). Of course, I had to write a Shakespearean sonnet for Lord Ishmael:
From Ragnarr King and gracious Queen Lynette:
Hail and heed our words, Atlantia fair!
For poetry written and many a doublet
A Coral Branch for Ishmael Reed declare.
He toils with sharp and pointy things each night:
A quill, a pen, a needle, sometimes wit.
His laborious toil makes Atlantian arts shine bright
and keeps the lantern of arts well-tended and lit.
He calls forth words from both the brave and afraid
By easing others’ fears of meter and rhyme.
And oh! diverse doublets he helped be made,
Manifold shirefolk dressing now sublime.
Thus have we with royal power decreed:
Present this Coral Branch to Ishmael Reed.”
To see the scroll, visit Lady Kaaren’s site.
