Writing a Fatras

By THLaird Colyne Stewart

Based on his post to the EaldorBards elist on Sunday, October 2002

At Bards and Cooks in October of 2002, Master Hector of the Black Height held a class on the ‘Bardic toolbox’. As part of that class we tried to write a fatras, which he had found the definition of in his Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Basically,
it is an 11 line poem, preceded by a couplet whose lines frame the rest of the poem. So, we have a couplet, then the first line of the couplet is repeated, followed by 9 more lines, and then the last line of the couplet is repeated. The book says that the couplet is a summation of the whole poem, and that the fatras was a nonsense form. However, no history was given (we assumed it was French because of sources sited) and no example of a fatras was given. The definition also did not say what the feet would be (stressed and unstressed syllables). Many of us left that event with a burning desire to know more of
the fatras, so THL Þhorfinna gráfeldr and I did some web searching and this is what we found out:

The fatras and fatrasie (a similar type of poem with a different structure) appears to indeed be a French form, as almost all webpages that mention it are French themselves.

According to one source there are only four surviving fatras poems, which could explain why its so dern hard to find any information on them.

According to a page at Columbia University (which is now defunct):

• fatras are not found in Machaut's works [1]
• only four examples are known to exist
• they were satirical, almost surrealistic poems
• they have a 2-line refrain & 11-line stanza; the first line of the stanza is the same as the first line of refrain; and the last line of the stanza is the same as the last line of the refrain. (The refrain is the opening couplet.)

In Encyclopædia Universalis (a French encyclopedia) there was an entry for fatras that included some examples of both fatras and fatrasie.. The original text of that entry has included at the end of this article as an appendix, along with a loose translation courtesy of Google

We were wondering whether the lines of a fatras should rhyme, and the examples in the encyclopedia did have a rhyming scheme. Including the opening couplet, the rhyming scheme was: “ab aabaabbabab”. This is illustrated in the following fatras by Jean Molinet [2]:

Fourbissez votre ferraille
Aiguisez vos grands couteaux
Fourbissez votre ferraille
Quotinaille, quetinailles,
Quoquardaille, friandeaux,
Garsonaille, ribaudaille,
Laronnaille, brigandaille,
Crapaudaille, leisardeaux,
Cavestrailie, goulardeaux,
Viilenaille, bonhommaille,
Fallourdaille, paillardeaux,
Truandaille et Lopinaille
Aiguisez vos grands couteaux.

Whether this rhyme scheme was used in all fatras seems unclear. Consider what the website Poetry Magnum Opus has to say of the fatras:

• The fatras is a poem in 11 lines.
• It is composed in a way that the 1st and last lines form a distich, a poem in 2 lines, that holds the entire theme of the larger poem. This is known as the fatras simple.
• It is unmetered.
• It is unrhymed.
• It is written with clever wordplay and disconnected nonsense which set the tone. The fatras possible allows for some coherent text, the fatras impossible make no sense at all.
• A fatras double is when 2 eleven line stanzas are formed, with the lines of the distich reversed in the 2nd stanza. The last line is a restatement of line one of the poem

While PMO says fatras did not have a rhyme scheme, the example quoted from Encyclopædia Universalis clearly has one.

So, it would seem that there is not a codified set of rules for writing a fatras, and it is unknown whether there ever was. When writing your own, you can therefore decide how you want to go about it. In the following fatras that I wrote, I wrote 13 lines using the “ab aabaabbabab” rhyming scheme like Molinet used.

The devil made me do it.
The heat will keep me drier.
The devil made me do it.
Dry hay ablaze is now lit,
My house of straw on fire,
My tongue in vexation bit.
Voice of angels from the pit
Assail me in the pyre,
Call me fool in a myre
As I in this wallow sit.
The voice it is a liar.

The torch sputters in my mit,
The heat will keep me drier.

Bibliography

Fatras, Columbia of University, http://www.columbia.edu/~jv287/coribant/resources/notes/notes4.html.

Fatras, Library of Congress, http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2012004133.html.

Fatras, Poetry Magnum Opus, http://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/index.php?/topic/679-fatras/.

Fatrasie et fatras, Adaptation d' après, Encyclopædia Universalis
1999, http://worldserver2.oleane.com/fatrazie/fatras_et_fatrasie.htm.

A Poet’s Glossary, Edward Hirsch, Houghton Mifflin Publishing, New York, 2014, p. 229. http://books.google.ca/books?id=1flJAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA229&lpg=PA229&dq=fatras+poem&source=bl&ots=sHpvVx63Rw&sig=9cGP5DvAukTf1AcGUrqO0oVdjIE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OTafU_2BOIq58gHY9IHwDw&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=fatras%20poem&f=false.

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 4^th ed., Stephen Cushman, ed., et al, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 2012, p. 479. http://books.google.ca/books?id=uKiC6IeFR2UC&pg=PA479&lpg=PA479&dq=fatras+poem&source=bl&ots=avN2Deefvo&sig=MY8GcF3y5KUzVp4BvxP6s6FGqYk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OTafU_2BOIq58gHY9IHwDw&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=fatras%20poem&f=false

Appendix

FATRASIE ET FATRAS Adaptation d' après Encyclopædia Universalis
1999Apparemment dérivé de fatras , le mot fatrasie  est pourtant attesté
dans l’usage vers 1250, soit plusieurs décennies avant lui. D’étymologie
obscure (on a voulu les faire remonter au latin farsura , «remplissage»), l’
un et l’autre appartiennent en ancien français au vocabulaire littéraire
(peut-être humoristique) et désignent deux variétés formelles d’un même type
de poésie. À première vue, celle-ci se réduit à des jeux incohérents de
non-sens; elle donne souvent au lecteur moderne une impression de platitude:
impression erronée, due à l’éloignement culturel. Fatrasie et fatras, genres
techniquement complexes, semblent avoir été pratiqués, à titre de
divertissement, dans des cercles de lettrés coutumiers de toute espèce d’
expérimentation joyeuse sur le langage. À l’époque, vers 1200, on pousse le
plus loin possible la recherche de l’artifice; certains s’amusent à fausser
les agencements syntaxiques; d’autres, à produire des décalages de
signification, des distorsions de vocabulaire; beaucoup accordent la
préférence aux «figures de mots» sur celles de pensée, à l’antithèse sur la
métaphore; on tend à généraliser l’emploi du saugrenu. Au sein des
traditions littéraires constituées, on voit ainsi s’instaurer, au milieu du
XIIIe siècle, des techniques nouvelles dont le propre est d’engendrer un
écart entre le déroulement verbal de la poésie et celui de l’idée. Elles
systématisent les effets d’accumulation et de contraste, brodent sur la
trame du discours des éléments qui y suscitent des discontinuités
imprévisibles, des accélérations soudaines, faisant éclater la texture
morpho-sémantique, tranchant le fil du sens ou promouvant un sens autre,
issu d’un vide apparent. Ces diverses techniques ou «jongleries» convergent
en fait: poussées à leur terme extrême, elles engendrent la fatrasie.
Celle-ci semble avoir été particulière à la Picardie de la seconde moitié du
siècle: l’inventeur en aurait été, selon certains, le juriste Philippe de
Beaumanoir, auteur de la célèbre Manékine et des Fatrasies de Philippe de
Rémi. Vers 1300, elle produisit le fatras, dont la vogue dura jusqu’au XVIe
siècle.Formellement très rigide, la fatrasie est constituée par une strophe
de six pentasyllabes suivis de cinq heptasyllabes sur deux rimes,
généralement selon le schéma [aabaabbabab]. Le fatras enchâsse, en vue d’un
effet supplémentaire de contraste, ces onze vers, réduits à l’isométrie,
entre les deux vers d’un distique emprunté à quelque poème connu,
généralement à thème amoureux. Passé 1430, seul le schéma formel se
maintint, et souvent le fatras cessa de jouer du non-sens. Fatrasie et
fatras utilisent les mêmes procédés de rupture sémantique, presque toujours
cumulés en séries parfois étourdissantes. Le but du discours fatrasique est
de briser, au sein de la phrase, les compatibilités normalement exigibles
entre verbe et nom, verbe et verbe, nom et nom ou adjectif: soit que l’on
pose entre les termes syntaxiquement unis un lien de contradiction (ex. un
muet me dit ), soit que l’on conjoigne des catégories sémiques que l’usage
courant disjoint (ex. la maison s’approcha ). Toutes les propositions du
discours sont ainsi affectées. L’effet produit est accusé par la
distribution du vocabulaire: forte prédominance numérique des noms sur les
verbes et les adjectifs, d’où un caractère général «substantif», qui donne
une impression de collection d’objets d’autant plus forte que ce vocabulaire
est entièrement concret; le choix des mots s’opère dans un très petit nombre
de champs sémantiques, toujours les mêmes: noms géographiques et toponymes;
noms de bêtes sauvages, terribles ou répugnantes; noms de parties du corps;
termes de cuisine; obscénités; scatologie; les verbes évoquent en majorité
le déplacement, créent par addition une impression de grouillement, de
mouvement perpétuel. D’où une suggestion globale de chute, de glissement
vers le bas, la trivialité, le digestif et son instrumentation, le dégoût.
Cet enchaînement verbal procède, d’une autre manière, de la rime; le poème a
souvent l’apparence de bouts-rimés absurdes. Sur ce point, la fatrasie
présente une très lointaine analogie avec l’écriture automatique moderne
mais une grande proximité avec les  Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Woody Allen,
Streamer, Dubillard, Ionesco  et nombre de pataphysiciens, oulipiens ou
assimilés.

FATRASIES (Anonyme de la deuxième  moitié du Xlllème siècle, souvent
attribuées à Jehan Bodel. L'ensemble est connu sous le nom de Fatrasies
d'Arras)

Le son d'un cornet
Mangeait au vinaigre
Le coeur d'un tonnerre
Quand un béquet mort
Prit au trébuchet
Le cours d'une étoile
En l'air il y eut un grain de seigle
Quand l'aboiement d'un brochet
Et le tronçon d'une toile
Ont trouvé foutu un petIls lui ont coupé l'oreille.
Un ours emplumé
Fit semer un blé
De Douvres à Oissent.
Un oignon peléS'était apprêté
A chanter devant

FATRAS (Guillaume Flamant, chanoine de Langres)

O poison pire que mortel,
Me ferez-vous crever le cœur ?
O poison pire que mortel,
Qui me tient en telle tutelle
Que n'ai ni force ni vigueur;
Envieuse et fausse querelle,
Plus pute que n'est maquerelle,
Trop me plains de votre rigueur.
Où est Satan, mon gouverneur,
Qui ne vient pas quand je l'appelle
?O folle, infernale fureur;
Diables pleins de toute cautelle,
Me ferez-vous crever le cœur ?

FATRAS (Jean Molinet (1435-1507). Rhétoriqueur d’une verve admirable, aussi
à l’aise dans des poèmes déclamatoires que dans les fatrasies et les jeux du
vocabulaire.

I
Fourbissez votre ferraille
Aiguisez vos grands couteaux
Fourbissez votre ferraille
Quotinaille, quetinailles,
Quoquardaille, friandeaux,
Garsonaille, ribaudaille,
Laronnaille, brigandaille,
Crapaudaille, leisardeaux,
Cavestrailie, goulardeaux,
Viilenaille, bonhommaille,
Fallourdaille, paillardeaux,
Truandaille et Lopinaille
Aiguisez vos grands couteaux.

II
Ma très douce nourriture,
Quel déplaisir me fais-tu !
Ma très douce nourriture
!Tu avais en ma clôture
Femme pleine de vertus
Et précieuse vêture ;
Mais tu as changé pâture
Et puis tu es revenu,
Et je t’ai entretenu
Comme on fait, à l’aventure,
Un pèlerin mal vêtu ;
Mon seul fils, ma géniture,
Quel déplaisir me fais-tu !
Que déplaisir me fais-tu,
Ma très douce nourriture !
Quel déplaisir me fais-tu !
Tu n’ajoutes un fétu
A ma grand déconfiture ;
Dix et sept ans inconnu,
Comme étranger pauvre et nu,
As été en notre cure,
Voyant le pleur, soin et cure
Que pour toi ai soutenu,
Mais de ma douleur obscure,
Ne t’es guère souvenu,
Ma très douce nourriture.

FATRAS (Watriquet Brassennel de Couvin, ménestrel du Comte Gui de Blois. Ses
écrits se situent entre 1320 et 1330.) Ses trente fatras sont les plus
anciens que nous connaissions.)

I
Doucement me réconforte
Celle qui mon cœur a pris.
Doucement me réconforte
Une chatte à moitié morte
Qui chante tous les jeudis
Une alléluia si forte
Que les clençhes de nos portes
Dirent que leur est lundi,
S’en fut un loup si hardi
Qu’il alla, malgré sa sorte,
Tuer Dieu en paradis,
Et dit : « Copain, je t’apporte
Celle qui mon cœur a pris. »

FATRASIES (Pascal Kaeser, qui a composé les fatrasies qui suivent et qui
selon la règle vont par onze, avec" l'ambition de jeter un pont par-dessus
les siècles.") Une grande réussite comme ce jeune chercheur suisse en est
coutumier.

I
Un lérot marin
Jouait du surin
Pour tailler un lemme,
Un rohart d'airainS
ignait au burin
L'armet d'une gemme ;
Si ne fût un vieil oedème
Qui dirimait le purin
Et s'entait à un poème,
Le rachis d'un mandarin
Les eût engeignés à Brême.

II
Un saumon fumeur
Siffle une tumeur
Sur le quai des brumes,
La torse rumeur
Dit qu'un las rimeur
Provigne des rhumes;
Il faut strapasser la grume
Pour qu'un parfait parfumeur
Passe sa jeunesse anthume
Sous le nez d'un embaumeur
Qui empaille des enclumes.

III
Un précis ivrogne
Dénombrait ses rognes
Sur un gant d'Espagne,
Un roi de Pologne
Découpait des pognes
Dans le gras du bagne;
Si ne fût jus de Champagne,
Qui eût bu un vin de trognes
?Ou calamistré des fagnes
Pour assécher la Dordogne
Et assiéger la Mortagne ?

IV
Un icosaèdre
Couvre un hexaèdre
De ses leucocytes,
Un dodécaèdre
Ouvre un tétraèdre
A ses phagocytes;
Si l'icône a ses trachytes,
Si l'otage a ses exèdres,
Par contre les troglodytes
N'ont jamais pu peler Phèdre
Ni son beau-fils Hippolyte.

V
L'éléphant prodigue
Est au fond bon zigue
Bien qu'il extravague,
L'acide Rodrigue
Parfois se fatigue
Quand il prend la dague;
Sapristi ! Non mais sans blague !
Le poète nous navigue
De Brisbane à Copenhague,
Il obscurcit ses intrigues,
Les raccourcit et zigzague.

VI
Une immense sphère
Margaritifère
A séduit Magritte,
Un vieux mammifère
Quant à lui préfère
Des perles proscrites;
Tous les fils de Démocrite
Rongent ses os mellifères,
N'en déplaise aux hypocrites
Broutant les choux mortifères
D'une table qui s'effrite.

VII
Par Quetzalcoatl,
Cihuatcoatl,
Et Tlazoltéotl,
Mictanchihuatl,
Chicomécoatl,
Et même Yaotl,
Qui a bottelé Xolotl ?
L'odieux Teccuciztécatl
A brettelé Tzintéotl
Tandis qu'Omécihuatl
Schtroumpfait un peu de peyotl.

VIII
La boisson de choix :
Un sirop d'anchois
A l'eau de Vichy,
Le parfum de choix :
De l'ail de Cauchois
Signé par Cauchy;
Ne fais pas tant de chichis,
Car c'est à moi qu'il échoit
De pondre un oeuf enrichi
Qui dans un lavabo choit
Et s'écrie : "Mamamouchi !"

IX
Le grincheux Priam
Offrit un sélam
A Mathusalem,
Au port d'Amsterdam
Le madapolam
Couvre le totem;
Quand un crémeux mokkadem
Rencontre un vibrant imam,
Qui tente le grand chelem ?
Peut-être un roi de Potsdam
Ou un gars de Béthléem.

X
Veni, vidi, zut !
Lulle à Lilliput
Se magna l'arçon -
Hocus, pocus, chut !
La biblique Ruth
Aime les garçons;
Son mari dort sans soupçon
Dans les vers de l'occiput
D'un poète à Besançon
Qui ne songe au préciput
Ni à la contrefaçon.

XI
Un chat quadrilingue
Dans une carlingue
Déclenche un esclandre
Et une meringue
Pointe sa seringue
Vers l'homme au scaphandre;
"Sandwich à la salamandre !"
Réclame un steward cradingue,
"Ou mélasse et palissandre !"
Ajoute-t-il d'un ton dingue,
Avec sa voix de calandre.

Translated (not very well) by Google:

FATRASIE AND FATRAS Adaptation according to Encyclopædia Universalis 1999
Apparently derived from will fatras the word fatrasy is however attested in
l?usage about 1250, that is to say several decades before him. D? obscure
etymology (one wanted to make them go up with Latin will farsura "filling"),
l?un and l?autre belong as former French to the literary vocabulary (perhaps
humorous) and indicate two formal varieties d?un even standard of poetry. At
first sight, this one is reduced to incoherent plays of nonsense ; it often
gives to the modern reader an impression of flatness: erroneous impression,
due to l?éloignement cultural. Will Fatrasy and fatras , technically complex
kinds, seem to be practised, by way of entertainment , in circles of usual
well-read men of any species D? merry experimentation on the language. With
l?époque, about 1200, one pushes further possible research from L? artifice
; some s?amusent to distort the syntactic fittings; d?autres, to produce
shifts of significance , distortions of vocabulary ; does many grant the
preference to the " figures of words " on those of thought, to L? antithesis
on the metaphor ; one tends to generalize l?emploi of the absurd one .
Within the literary traditions made up, one sees s?instaurer thus, in the
medium of the XIII E century, of the new techniques whose characteristic is
d?engendrer a difference between the verbal course of poetry and that of
l?idée. They systematize the effects D? accumulation and of contrast ,
embroider on the screen of the speech of the elements which cause there
unforeseeable discontinuities , sudden accelerations , making burst texture
morpho-semantics, slicing the wire of the direction or promoting a different
direction, resulting d?un apparent vacuum. These various techniques or "
jugglings " converge in fact: led to their latest date, they generate the
fatrasy . This one seems to have been particular in Picardy of second half
of the century: l?inventor would have been, according to certain, the lawyer
Philippe de Beaumanoir, author of famous Manékine and Fatrasies of Philippe
of Remi . About 1300, it produced will fatras it , whose vogue lasted
jusqu?au XVI E century. Formally very rigid, the fatrasy is consisted a
stanza of six pentasyllables followed of five heptasyllabes out of two
rhymes, generally according to the diagram [ aabaabbabab ]. Will fatras
enchases, for additional d?un effect of contrast, these eleven worms,
reduced to l?isometry, between the two worms d?un distich borrowed from some
known poem, generally with topic in love. Past 1430, only the formal diagram
was maintained, and often will fatras it ceased playing of the nonsense.
Fatrasy and will fatras use the same processes of semantic rupture, almost
always cumulated in series sometimes dazing. The goal of the speech fatrasic
is to break, within the sentence, normally exigible compatibilities between
verb and noun, verb and verb, noun and noun or adjective: maybe that l?on
poses between the syntactically plain terms a bond of contradiction (e.g. a
dumb man says to me that is to say that l?on conjoigne of the semic
categories that l?usage current disjoins (e.g. the house s?approcha All the
proposals of the speech are thus affected. Produced L?effet is shown by the
distribution of the vocabulary: strong numerical prevalence of the names on
the verbs and the adjectives, d?où a general character "substantive", which
gives an impression of collection d?objets d?autant stronger than this
vocabulary is entirely concrete; the choice of the words s?opère in a very
small number of semantic fields, always the same ones: geographical names
and toponyms; names of wild beasts, terrible or feeling reluctant; names of
parts of the body; terms of kitchen; obscenities; scatology; the verbs evoke
in majority displacement, create by addition an impression of grouillement ,
perpetual motion . D?où a total suggestion of fall, of slip to the bottom,
commonplace, the digestive one and its instrumentation, dislike. This verbal
sequence proceeds, d?une another manner, of the rhyme; the poem often has
l?apparence of absurd ends-rimés. On this point, the fatrasy has a very
remote analogy with modern automatic l?écriture but a great proximity with
Edward Lear, the Lewis Carroll, Woody Allen, Streamer, Dubillard, Ionesco
and a number of pataphysicians, oulipiens or comparable.

FATRASIES ( Anonymous of second half of Xlllème century, often allotted to
Jehan Bodel. The unit is known under the name of Fatrasies of Arras)

The sound of a horn
Ate with the vinegar
The heart of a thunder
When a dead spoiler
Took with the precision balance
The course of a star
In the air there was a rye grain
When the barking of a pike
And the section of a fabric
Found foutu a fart
They cut the ear to him.
A emplumé bear
The FIT to sow a corn
From Dover With Oissent.
A peeled onion
Was glossy
To sing in front

FATRAS ( Guillaume Flamingo , canon of Langres)

O poison worse than mortal,
Will you make me burst the c?ur?
O poison worse than mortal,
Who holds me in such supervision
That have neither force nor strength;
Envieuse and distorts quarrel,
More whore that is not a brothel-keeper,
Too much me lime pits of your rigour.
Where is Satan, my governor,
Who doesn't come when I call it?
O insane, infernal fury;
Devils full with very cautelle,
Will you make me burst the c?ur?

FATRAS (Jean Molinet (1435-1507). Admirable Rhetoriqueur d?une liveliness,
as with l?aise in poems déclamatoires as in the fatrasies and the plays of
the vocabulary.

I
Furbish your scrap
Sharpen your large knives
Furbish your scrap
Quotinaille, quetinailles,
Quoquardaille, friandeaux,
Garsonaille, ribaudaille,
Laronnaille, brigandaille,
Crapaudaille, leisardeaux,
Cavestrailie, goulardeaux,
Viilenaille, bonhommaille,
Fallourdaille, paillardeaux,
Truandaille and Lopinaille
Sharpen your large knives.

II
My very soft food,
What a displeasure you make me!
My very soft food!
You had in my fence
Woman full with virtues
And invaluable vêture;
But you changed grazing ground
And then you returned,
And I t?ai maintained
Like one makes, with l?aventure,
A pilgrim badly vêtu;
My only son, my géniture,
What a displeasure you make me!
That displeasure you make me,
My very soft food!
What a displeasure you make me!
You n?ajoutes a straw
With my large failure;
Ten and seven years unknown,
Like poor and naked foreigner,
Were in our cure,
Seeing the tear, care and cure
That for you supported,
But of my obscure pain,
T?es hardly remembered,
My very soft food.

FATRAS ( Watriquet Brassennel de Couv in , ménestrel of Count GUI of Blois.
Its writings range between 1320 and 1330.) Its thirty will fatras are oldest
that we know.)

I
Gently comforts me
That which my c?ur took.
Gently comforts me
A she-cat with dead half
Who sings every Thursday
An alleluia so strong
That clençhes of our doors
Said that their is Monday,
S?en was a so bold wolf
Qu?il went, in spite of its kind,
To kill God in paradise,
And known as: "Buddy, I t?apporte
That which my c?ur took "

FATRASIES ( Pascal Kaeser , which composed the fatrasies which follow and
which according to the rule go by eleven, with "the ambition to throw a
bridge over the centuries.") A great success as this young Swiss researcher
in is usual.

I
A marine lérot
Played of the surin
To cut a lemma,
A bronze rohart
Signed with the graver
The armet of a gem;
If were not an old oedema
Who nullified liquid manure
And entait itself with a poem,
The rachis of Mandarin
Had engeignés in Bremen.

II
A salmon smoker
Whistle a tumour
On the quay of the fogs,
The chest rumour
Known as that a mow rhymester
Provine colds;
Strapasser is needed the bark
So that a perfect perfumer
Pass its youth anthume
Under the nose of an embalmer
Who empaille of the anvils.

III
A precis addicted to drink
Counted its bad tempers
On a glove of Spain,
A king of Poland
Cut out pognes
In the fat of the bagne;
If were not Champagne juice,
Who had drunk a wine of bloated faces?
Or curled fagnes
To drain the Dordogne
And to besiege Mortagne?

IV
An icosahedron
Cover a hexahedron
Of its leucocytes,
A dodecahedron
Open a tetrahedron
With its phagocytes;
If the icon has its trachytes,
If the hostage has his exèdres,
On the other hand troglodytes
Never could peel Phèdre
Nor his/her Hippolyte son-in-law.

V
The prodigal elephant
At the bottom good guy is
Although it extravague,
The Rodrigue acid
Sometimes tires itself
When it takes the scraping-knife;
Sapristi! Not but without joke!
The poet sails us
De Brisbane In Copenhagen,
It darkens its intrigues,
Shortens and zigzags.

VI
An immense sphere
Margaritifère
A Allures Magritte,
An old mammal
As for him prefers
Proscribed pearls;
All wire of Démocrite
Its bones mellifères corrode,
With due respect to the hypocrites
Grazing the cabbages mortifères
Of a table which is exhausted.

VII
By Quetzalcoatl,
Cihuatcoatl,
And Tlazoltéotl,
Mictanchihuatl,
Chicomécoatl,
And Even Yaotl,
Who bundled Xolotl?
Odious Teccuciztécatl
With brettelé Tzintéotl
While Omécihuatl
Schtroumpfait a little peyotl.

VIII
The drink of choice:
An anchovy syrup
With Vichy water,
The perfume of choice:
Garlic of Cauchois
Signed by Cauchy;
Do not do so many fuss,
Because it is with me that it falls
To lay an enriched egg
Who in a wash-hand basin choit
And exclaims: "Mamamouchi!"

IX
Grumpy Priam
A sélam offered
In Mathusalem,
With the wearing of Amsterdam
The madapolam
Cover the totem;
When a crémeux mokkadem
Meet vibrating a imam,
Qui tente le grand chelem
?Peut-être un roi de Potsdam
Ou un gars de Béthléem.

X
Veni, vidi, zut !
Lulle à Lilliput
Se magna l'arçon
-Hocus, pocus, chut !
La biblique
RuthAime les garçons;
Son mari dort sans soupçon
Dans les vers de l'occiput
D'un poète à Besançon
Qui ne songe au préciput
Ni à la contrefaçon.

XI
Un chat quadrilingue
Dans une carlingue
Déclenche un esclandre
Et une meringue
Pointe sa seringue
Vers l'homme au scaphandre;
"Sandwich à la salamandre !"
Réclame un steward cradingue,
"Ou mélasse et palissandre !"
Ajoute-t-il d'un ton dingue,
Avec sa voix de calandre.

---

[1] Likely Guillaume de Machaut, who was a medieval French poet (c. 1300 to 1377).

[2] A French poet, composer and chronicler (1435 to Aug 23, 1507).

What is a Bard?

By THLaird Colyne Stewart

(mka Todd H. C. Fischer)

June 2014 (AS 49)

This article is to examine what it means to be a bard within the SCA. It will strongly be coloured by my own experiences and exposure within the Society, but I have tried to make it as broad as possible. If I have left something out, I apologize. No offense was meant to any field of bardic endeavour I may have missed.

A bard was a Celtic poet-singer who composed, sang and/or recited stories, poems and songs. Such entertainers were common in multiple cultures. In Wales the bard was called bardd, in Scandinavia skald, in Anglo-Saxon lands scop, and in Ireland fili (to name just a few examples).

However, bards and their kin were not just entertainers, but scholars, and keepers of oral tradition. They not only entertained but praised those worthy of praise (or those who could reward the bard) and condemned those who had transgressed the common good in some way. They were also repositories of such information as genealogies and the law. As the years progressed, the term was broadened to include composers of the written as well as the oral word. In fact, William Shakespeare is known as “the Bard”.

One of the things that set bards apart from other entertainers is that they did not only recite the work of others, but wrote their own material as well.

The Celtic Bard / Bardd / Fili

In the Celtic world, a bard underwent many years of study at a college, slowly progressing through various levels of aptitude until becoming a master. (Not unlike our modern education system, with undergrads, grad students, doctorate students, and so on.) These ranks and titles were achieved as the bardic students learned new responsibilities and new material. This material not only covered song and poetry, but medicine, law, history, genealogy and philosophy.

According to Master Garraed Galbraith, these ranks were bardagh (under three years of study), fildidh (who had completed between seven and nine years of study and would have been able to judge most crimes) and Ollagh (who had studied for nine years since becoming a fildidh and were held in very high esteem, and were allowed to speak before kings and were considered equal to princes when it came to blood prices).

According to the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, the ranks went as follows: Principle Beginner [Ollaire] to Poet's Attendant [Tamhan] to Apprentice Satirisist [Drisac] all within the first year, Pillar [Cli] (after six years), Noble Stream [Anruth] (between seven and nine years), and finally Ollamh (after about twelve years total).

The exact course of study varied from country to country (and, I would imagine, from college to college).

The Scandinavian Skald

The Norse skald was similar, though I have not found any evidence of such a structured training environment. Their duties though were the same as the Celtic bards: to preserve oral tradition, praise the worthy, heap scorn on the low of character, track family trees and record history. Unlike their Celtic counterparts though, skalds could not act as judges in matters of law (unless they were elected to the Thing or Althing).

Primarily, skalds were poets who recited poetry unaccompanied by music.

The Anglo-Saxon Scop

Scops seem to have been essentially a Germanic version of the Norse skald: a poet (usually attached to a court but sometimes itinerant) who performed poetry and preserved culture and history through an oral tradition, who were well known for chastising the ill behaved. Unlike the skald, the scop did recite poetry accompanied by a lyre.

Bards within the SCA

In the Society, the term bard is often used as a blanket term for entertainers and includes activities that might more accurately belong to the traditions of the minstrels [1], troubadours [2], trouvère [3], joglars [4], trobairitz [5], jesters [6] or cantabanks [7]. In fact, when someone in the SCA says they are a bard it could mean they are a singer (and most people who identify as bards do seem to be singers), but they may also be a poet, storyteller, actor, chronicler, historian, musician, chorister [8], mummer [9] or a combination of any or all of those things.

Patronage

Bards (and especially skalds and scops) were often attached to a specific court or patron, whose exploits they recorded and whose praises they sung. This arrangement is often mirrored in the SCA with kingdoms, baronies, cantons, households and even individuals having their own bard (or bards). These bards may have specific duties such as opening a feast hall through song or story, performing first at a bardic circle, preserving the history of their patron(s), writing SCA genealogies (such as tracking who was squired to who), introducing their patron(s) at tourneys or inspiring troops on the field.

Patronage will likely work different from group to group, so if you are interested in this subject, I suggest you speak to your local bardic college.

Mentorship

If you want a helping hand with your bardic pursuits there should be bards out there willing to help you. Some may even have grant-level or peerage-level awards for their own bardic work. You can talk with your fellow bards through Facebook groups, Yahoo groups, email lists, or even—horrors—approach them in person at an event. If that specific bard doesn’t know the answer to your questions, it’s a good bet they know someone who does.

And, who knows, maybe you get along really well with that bardic Laurel. You may become their apprentice. Apprentice or not, I have found that those inducted into the Order of the Laurel for the Bardic Arts are more than welcoming to anyone who wishes to speak to them on the subject. Don’t be shy; reach out. Send an email; approach them at an event or meeting when they don’t look busy. You may not just get that information or nudge you’ve been looking for; you may make a new friend.

Disciplines of an SCA Bard

From my personal experience, these seem to be the disciplines I most often see bards performing:

• Songs
• Poetry
• Stories
• Music
• Plays
• Histories

All of these disciplines are very broad categories. A poem from 10^th century Sweden will have been written differently from one written in 15^th century Spain. Some bards may specialize within a certain timeframe (such as pre-Christian Scandinavia) while others will perform and write forms from any medieval place and time. This choice is completely left up to the individual bards. You as a bard should feel free to study, learn and recite from any place or time you want. (That said, your local area may have customs that favour certain forms and you may want to tap into that.)

Authenticity

While some bards in the SCA will write in period fashion (such as writing Norse dróttkvætt [10] or Welsh cywydd deuair hirion [11]) many engage in what is known as filk (or contre-fait). Filking is a modern term for taking the tune from a song and writing new lyrics for it. Outside of the SCA, filks usually make references to science-fiction, fantasy, video games and other ‘geek’ culture. Usually with filk, the borrowed tune is from a modern song. If you’re using a tune from a period song, that is more accurately called contre-fait [12]. Like filk, contre-fait is the practice of taking the tune from an existing song and writing new lyrics for it. This often happened in period, with regional lyrics popping up for the same songs.

So, while if you write a song about your local baroness to the tune of an Abba song, you won’t be making a period piece, you will still be engaging in a period process. As Drottin Gunnar Hlidskijalfsson once remarked to me, “The singing we do is not necessarily to ‘entertain people in a period manner’, but to entertain people ‘as they would have done in period’.”

Both the filked song about your king’s prowess and the correctly smithed sonnet about the queen’s beauty have their place. It is often easier for a new bard to start out by filking and singing the popular patriotic songs of their kingdom, and then to learn authentic practices as they become more comfortable in their roles as bards. Do what seems natural to you.

Duties of an SCA Bard

Alright, so by now let’s say you have decided that, yes, you want to be a bard. You’ve learned what a bard was in period, and have chosen certain disciplines and forms to focus on. You may even have a patron. Now that you are a bard though, what is expected of you?

Well, really, nothing. This is a game after all. You do what you can when you can. That said, listed below are several opportunities for you to practice your bardic talents and try to emulate the behaviour of our poetic ancestors.

First, you can praise the worthy and spread word-fame. If you are at an event and you see something you think is really cool (a great and honourable fight on the lists, a person serving selfless for hours, someone making something awesome) then praise them! Write a poem, a story or a song about that person and spread it far and wide. Post it online in appropriate forums; perform it at feats or fires. One of the coolest aspects of being a bard is getting to praise the worthy acts of others.

A great time to write praise is to mark someone’s achievements, like Master Hector did here:

For Sir Pendaran Glamorgan,

Master of the Pelican, Lion of Ansteorra, Baron of Bryn Gwlad, poet vigilant for the Order of the Laurel, on the eve of his elevation to that Order

You are a Peer, you wear the belt of white,

You wear the splendid spurs and weighty chain;

You also grace the Pelican by right

Of service rendered, time and time again.

You are a Lion, conscience of a King

And keeper of the land you love so well.

Your merits glow in manner poets sing:

What is there left a distant voice may tell?

Beyond the lists, beyond your constant drive

To help, there is the need we two do share.

Without your art, how can a Knight’s heart thrive?

Your service? Poetry beyond compare.

You’ve learned your art brings out from you the best:

Now learn a Laurel is not made for rest.

 Of course, the opposite side of that coin is bards can vituperate the shameful. When someone does something wrong (such as blatantly cheat in a fight) we can, if we wish, write a piece that calls out that person for that behaviour. Be cautious if choosing to do this though. This is our hobby, and no one wants to make enemies in their hobby. If you do feel a need to write something chastising, you can be oblique. Many years ago, I felt that a local monarch had slighted someone who didn’t deserve it, and wrote a poem about it without mentioning any details. Whether the target ever even saw it, or knew it was about what they had done, I have no idea. It was cathartic for me though.

Forgotten

A yawning hole below his feet,

the bard is offered no retreat.

Within lay broken bloody bones

of his patron, amongst the stones.

A call from king to come attend,

his hearthguard to the call contend;

they fought with valour 'gainst the foe

but by the sword was lord laid low.

The king in victory now feasts,

his army to his health now eats,

while in a lonely churchyard stand

a lowly disenheartened band.

No praise from lips of Majesty,

no sign of thanks are given free,

no man of His in rain attends,

no act will this dark error mend.

Singing low the bard offers praise

by reciting proud the unheard lais

that show his master's former might--

his love, his pride, his skill in fight.

The lord's few men together cry,

confine him in the earth to lie,

forgotten by the high born crown

who left him in the mud to drown.

As mentioned earlier, bards in period kept track of genealogies, and SCA bards can do so too. In the Kingdom of Ealdormere, Master Hector of the Black Height maintains ‘The Line of the North’ which tracks the reigns of the kings and queens of the kingdom (and the princes and princesses of the Principality of Ealdormere before them). In a like vein, Baron Cynred Broccan keeps a similar list of the Barons and Baronesses of Septentria. This is a project you as a bard could do for your kingdom, barony, household or peer.

As an example of an SCA genealogy, here is Baron Cynred’s Line of Septentria (which is now slightly out of date):

Hearken Septentria and ne'er forget

For before the Wolf, Ram and Keep,

The Hare and Cup, There was the Bear.

Swift in battle, gifted in arts,

Guardian of hearth, Ealdormere's heart.

And many are the Names held high in our past,

But this, Your Excellencies, is your Lineage.

First came Gillian D'Uriel, Wise foundress of Love's Court

In days of misty past.

Then came Kaffa Murriath, second of that line,

Mother of tradition, true spirit of the land.

And Aeden o Kincora, First of the Patrimony,

Heart of the Bear, Lord Lieutenant of yore.

Then came Diane de Arnot, third of her line,

Hearth keeper, future foundress.

And Cordigan de Arnot, second of his line,

Bardic lord, founding father.

Then came Adrielle Kerrec, fourth of her line,

Flame haired, one true daughter.

And Ieuen MacKellmore, third of his line,

Hearth's shield, called to Crusade.

Then stood Adrielle alone,

Flame's guardian, 'til the next are chosen.

Then came Gaerwen of Trafford, fifth of her line,

People's servant, legend's weaver.

And Cynred Broccan, fourth of his line,

Sure spear, traditions remembered.

And then came Domhnail Galbraith, sixth of her line,

Art's Mistress, fierce sword.

And Corwyn Galbraith, fifth of his line,

Deadly axeman of quiet wisdom.

This then is your heritage, wrapped in legend made truth,

Burden and joy, the High seats of Septentria

Bards can also teach our culture and history to newcomers to our society. And to long time members too. There is always something new to learn. As a bard you can not only recite songs and stories of events that happened long ago, but you can document events as they happen so future generations of Ealdormereans will know of them. Perhaps the most famous piece of bardic work about Ealdormere’s history is Mistress Marian of Heatherdale’s song “The History of Ealdormere: Part 1”. In these opening lyrics she tells us how Sir Finnvarr de Taahe (whose arms feature a star) arrived in what would become Ealdormere, and the founding of the first group in the northlands (the Royal Citie of Eoforwic):

First was the wolf and the wilds and the will
And the rule of the mid-realm king
Long was the night when the wolf pack was still
in their wait for the gathering spring

Soft was the face of the deep-hidden flower
that bloomed in the whispering wood
Strong was the sight of the heaven's red eye
when the dawn was the scarlet of blood

Then came the ship to the ice-ridden shore
that carried the northern star
Proud indeed was the banner they bore
that flew from the uppermost spar

Many a back built the citadel wall
that grew on the banks of the mere
Loud was the sounding of destiny's call
for those with the wisdom to hear.

(The entirety of these lyrics are too long to reprint here, but they can be found online. Note that if you are unsure of the events described in this song, you can read Marian’s notes in the Call the Names Songbook, which you can purchase off her website. I have included a link in the bibliography.)

Whatever duties you may want to take on are between you and any patron(s) or mentor(s) you may have. You may have no delegated duties; you may have many. It all depends on your personal situation and what you are comfortable with doing.

Speaking of comfort, I will note that working in the bardic arts can be a great way to increase your comfort zone. When I was named Bard of Septentria (jointly, with THL Þorfinna gráfeldr), I had only been in the Society for a year. I had never performed publicly before. These were my thoughts on the matter at the time I was stepping down from the office, as related in my article “The Role of the Ursine Bard”:

However, as fairly introverted individuals for a time we dreaded attending Septentrian events. Neither of us wanted to get up and perform. But we did. We were honour bound to Cynred and Gaerwen, to the people of Septentria to fulfill our duties. So we sang at Snowed Inn (me very poorly). At Bad in Plaid I told my first story (‘The Tale of the Badger Broccan,’ which broke the Thegn and earned me my second ever token). As each event came we became more comfortable and now I am rarely nervous when I perform. (Outwardly anyway. My hands still shake, but I don’t dread the act anymore. In fact, I like it now.) Being made Ursine Bard forced me to participate, instead of just observing. It has been one of the greatest gifts I have been given.

I hope that your pursuits of the Bardic Arts are likewise as rewarding.

Bibliography

"Anglo Saxon Scops," 123HelpMe.com, 09 Jun 2014 

Anglo-Saxon Scops, http://www.comm.unt.edu/~ktaylor/scop/.

Bard, Merriam-Webster, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bard.

Bard, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bard.

The Bardic Sourcebook, John Matthews, ed., Blandford, London, 1998.

Cantabank, wordnik.com, https://www.wordnik.com/words/cantabank.

Entertainment in the Middle Ages, http://www.lordsandladies.org/entertainment-middle-ages.htm.

Gararred Glabraith, OL; personal correspondence.

The Call the Names Songbook, Mistress Marian of Heatherdale, https://heatherdale.com/product/the-call-the-names-book-songbook/.

“For Sir Pendaran Glamorgan”, Master Hector of the Black Height.

“Forgotten”, THLaird Colyne Stewart, http://sca-poetry.todd-fischer.com/2010/12/forgotten.html.

“The History of Ealdormere”, songlyrics.com, Mistress Marion of Heatherdale, http://www.songlyrics.com/heather-dale/the-history-of-ealdormere-part-1-lyrics/.

Itinerant Poet, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itinerant_poet.

“The Line of Septentria”, The Ursus May 2008, Baron Cynred Broccan, page 4, http://www.septentria.ca/UrsusDigital/Ursus%20history%20issue.pdf.

“The Line of the North”, Master Hector of the Black Height, http://www.ealdormere.ca/line-of-the-north.html.

Mummers Plays, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummer.

“The Role of the Ursine Bard”, THLaird Colyne Stewart, http://sca.todd-fischer.com/2010/11/role-of-ursine-bard.html.

Royal Genealogy of the Known World, http://www.calliglorify.com/scaroyalty/.

Scop, Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/529260/scop.

Scop, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scop.

Skald, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skald.

Welcome to the Skald’s Corner, The Vikings World, http://www.thevikingsworld.com/Skald/.

What is a Bard, The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, http://www.druidry.org/druid-way/what-druidry/what-druidism/what-bard.

Links

Athenaem Hectoris, http://athenaeumhectoris.blogspot.ca/

The Bardic College of Ealdormere, http://bards.ca/

The Bardic College of Ealdormere (Yahoo group), http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ealdorbards/?yguid=149782049

THLaird Colyne Stewart is a student of the written word. He is the Curator of the Atheneaum Hectoris, the Precentor of the Scriptorium, the Royal Historian of Ealdormere, the Baronial Historian of Septentria, a chronicler and a member of the Bardic College of Ealdormere. He is a past Bard of Septentria and one of the founders of the now defunct Septentrian Performing Arts Troupe. In the modern world he holds a degree in English and Creative Writing and has studied writing, storytelling and folklore.

---

[1] A minstrel was a European traveling entertainer, usually a singer and musician. They would create their own material, and perform that of others.

[2] A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry between 1100 and 1350. As opposed to the itinerant minstrels, troubadours were sponsored by aristocrats, or were aristocrats themselves.

[3] A trouvère was a troubadour from northern France who composed in their local French dialects.

[4] A joglar was an itinerant entertainer who sang songs, recited poems and engaged in acrobatics and juggling.

[5] A trobairitz was a female troubadour.

[6] Jesters were not only poets and story tellers, they were also acrobats, jugglers and musicians.

[7] Cantabanks were traveling poets and singers who were considered to be low class. They usually did not compose their own works. Sometimes also called gleemen or ciclers.

[8] A chorister is a member of a musical chorus.

[9] A mummer is a folk performer who took part in folk plays.

[10] Dróttkvætt is a Scandinavian poetic form used between 900 and 1400.

[11] Cywydd deuair hirion is an ancient Welsh poetic form.

[12] This is a term I read in an SCA paper many years ago, that I can no longer find.

Writing a Medieval Letter

Writing a Medieval Letter

By THLaird Colyne Stewart

(mka Todd H. C. Fischer)

June 2014 (AS 49)

One opportunity to engage in medieval pursuits that is often overlooked is that of personal correspondence. Whether sending an email or a traditional posted letter, these missives give you a chance to flex your writing skills and put yourself into the mindset of someone who lived hundreds of years ago. This article will serve as a basic introduction to the art of letter writing.

Letters have evolved over time, and the formal way we write letters now is not the way they were written during the medieval period. (Please note that obviously in different ages and different locations within what we call the medieval world letters would have been written differently. What I am presenting here is a model based on Medieval European letter writing around 800 to 1300 BCE.)

Like most medieval documents, letters were highly structured and included specific components.

Salutatio (Salutation)

The first past of the letter is the salutation, which contain the names of both parties. Among persons of equal social standing, and when the sender is inferior to the recipient, the recipient should be named first. It is entirely fitting to be flattering, listing the recipient’s titles and virtues.

Below are some examples of salutations:

• To her dearest lord and father, Louis, by grace of God king of the French, M[arie] countess of Troyes, his beloved daughter, greetings and deepest love. (A letter from an unnamed man to Marie of France, undated.)
• To the queen of the French, abbot William. (A letter from Abbot William of St. Thomas of the Paraclete to Ingeborgof Denmark, 1195.
• Adelaide [Aelis] who was the wife of lord John of Avennes, defender of Holland and of Zeeland, to the castellan of Ath and all his sergeants, greetings. (A letter from Aleid of Holland to the castellan of Ath.)

Captatio Venevolentiae (Securing of Goodwill)

In this section of the letter, the sender attempts to put the recipient in a good frame of mind by wishing them good health and good fortune. You could also quote a proverb that relates to the intent of the letter. (For instance, if you are hoping to receive some money, you would quote a proverb about how noble generosity is.)

Below are some examples of the Securing of Goodwill:

• With how much very sincere affection we love and especially intend to honor your person in God, so much the more willingly we give benign audience to your requests and open the door of our hearing liberally, particularly since they savor of justice and contain equity. (A letter from Alexander IV to Margeurite of Provence, January 23, 1258.)
• I shall speak to you as to a father and lord whose honor my lord king and I and our whole kingdom desire as our own; for your honor is ours and your confusion, God avert it, is ours, who have accepted you as father and lord, and have scorned the hostility of those seeking your soul in our circle of raging kings, for God's sake and yours. Hear therefore, if it please you, your daughter and in what I am about to say do not scorn/condemn the female sex, but attend to the affection of one who loves [you]. (A letter from Adela of Champagne to Alexander III, 1168 or 1169.)
• Ever since I became aware of the odor of your good reputation which has spread far and wide like a sweet perfume, I have longed to make myself known to you at some favorable opportunity, that I might deserve through this acquaintanceship to gain your friendship. But since I see myself totally lacking in merit perhaps I might somehow share yours by a communion of charity. So I thank God that, while I was harboring this wish and was eagerly looking for a way of executing it, Dom Hugh, the hermit of Caen,(2) our mutual brother and friend in Christ, informed me that your holiness, with sentiments not unlike my own,was looking for a similar opportunity in my regard. (A letter from Anselm of Bec to Frodelina, 1074 or 1075.)

Narratio (Narration)

This part of the letter explains the circumstances of the sender. They may write about their family, the local news, or other such matters.

Here is where you will state the actual purpose of the letter, be it a request, relaying information or whatever else.

Below are some examples of Narration:

• I must confess to you, dearest friend, that although my bodily eyes see you but seldom, I never cease to look upon you with the eyes of the spirit. These little gifts are tokens of affection, but are quite unworthy of Your Holiness. Please believe that so long as I live I shall always remember you in my prayers. I beg you by our trusted friendship to be loyal to my insignificance, as I have faith in you, and to aid me with your prayers so that Almighty God may order my life according to His will. (a letter from Cena to Boniface, 723-755.)
• Willingly and gratefully we received the little gifts of your greeting and with God's help we desire to repay them worthily and we consent to have her, whom you wrote about, in our prayers and communion with good spirit and pure faith towards you at the hours you suggested, incessantly. (A letter from Cuneberg to Abbots Coengils of Glastonbury and Ingeld, and priest Wigbert, 729-44.)
• My lady, about what you sent to us concerning your case, for which you have done hommage to the king of Germany and the king of Sicily is denying your right, since this case is not moving towards settlement as we desire,in which case you have asked for our help; know, lady, that we are determined to help you and that we will do it willingly. (A letter from Edward I to Margeurite of Provence, 1280.)

Petitio (Petition)

The Petition gives details on your request (and can be omitted if your letter does not include a request). This section can also contain threats, pleas, admonishments or anything else that is appropriate for the tone and matter of the message.

Below are some examples of Petitions:

• And I Cneuburg beg you, o faithful priest Wigbert to keep the names of our dead sisters in your memory, and transmit them to our friends all around. (A letter from Cuneberg to Abbots Coengils of Glastonbury and Ingeld, and priest Wigbert, 729-44.)

• Consider, I beseech thee, what thou owest me, pay heed to what I demand; and my long letter with a brief ending I conclude. (A letter from Heloise to Abelard, 12th century.)
• Just so, if perhaps one might have wished to marry a man, having left Christ in the power of the devil, not only the one who flees but also the one to whom she is joined, is a foul adulterer and a sacrilege rather than a husband; or whoever might do this has ministered poison rather than counsel, will be struck with similar vengeance, as was said above, by heavenly justice, with us confirming; until, when there has been a separation, with fitting penance to expiate the crime, she will have deserved to be received and [re]connected to the place which she left. We add, also, those priests who will be our successors shall be held by the condition of similar strict condemnation. And if, which we do not believe, they might wish to relax anything other than what our deliberation contains, they should know they will have to make their case with us before the eternal Judge, since it is common instruction of salvation that what has been promised to Christ must be inviolably observed. (A letter from unknown bishops to Radegund of Thuringia, circa 550.)

Conclusio (Conclusion)

This section ties the entire letter together, states your goodbyes and expresses more well wishes. You can also affirm your loyalty here or state the consequences of ignoring your request.

Below are some examples of Conclusions:

• No more to you at this time, but Almighty Jesu have you in his blessed keeping. Written at Norwich on Hallowmass Day at night. By your servant and bedwoman Margery Paston. Sir, I pray you if ye tarry long at London that it will please you to send for me, for I think long since I lay in your arms. (A letter from Margery Brews Paston to her husband John Paston III, 1481.)
• These which I write to you, are only a few things, dearest, of the many which we have done, and because I am not able to tell you, dearest, what is in my mind, I charge you to do right, to carefully watch over your land, to do your duty as you ought to your children and your vassals. You will certainly see me just as soon as I possibly return to you. Farewell. (a letter from Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres to his wife, Adele, 1098.)
• Fare thee as well as I fare. (A letter from Constance of Brittany to Louis VII of France, 1160.)

Signatures and Dates

For a letter to be considered authentic, it had to be signed. If it wasn’t, it would be assumed to be a forgery. The signatures went at the end of the letter, while the date was usually at the top of the page, as well as a notation as to where the writer was in residence when penning the missive (though sometimes the date and location would be included in the Conclusion).

Folding and Seals

If you really want your letter to look medieval, you can fold it and seal it with wax. If you want to go that extra step, see Mevanou Verch Reys Yriskynit’s article (listed in the Bibliography).

Example

Below is a letter from Adam Marsh to Eleanor of Provence, dated either 1242 or 1243.

[Salutation] To the most excellent lady, E[leanor], by the grace of God queen of England, lady of Ireland, duchess of Normandy, Aquitaine, countess of Anjou, Brother Adam [sends] peace on earth and glory in heaven.

[Securing of Goodwill] Behold before the most venerable highness of your serenity, grief makes the wounded heart uneasy and a blush covers the confused face, because despite the compelling efficacy of your command, with obstacles of difficult cases detaining me, I am not able to attend personally the honorable presence of magnificent sublimity this time. [Narration] There is however some remedy to my troubles in this, that at the suppliant prayers of my modesty which I put forth humbly in the present letter, what sad devotion can not fullfil, merciful worthiness wishes to pardon. On the eve of St. Andrew I received the letter of your ladyship with that reverence that was fitting. On which day I could scarcely prepare the presents swifty for the various interruptions.
I was with the lord count of Cornwall the first Sunday of Advent, whose anger, as I see it, which he expressed strongly in your presence, has abated after consideration. He added with very firm assertion his benevolence to everything that affects the safety and the honor, as it is most worthy, of both the lord king and his heirs.

[Conclusion] May the desirable prosperity of your generosity be preserved always in Christ and the very blessed Virgin.

Bibliography

Epistolae: Medieval Women’s Latin Letters, http://epistolae.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/letters.

How to Write a Letter, http://www.letterwritingguide.com/howtowritealetter.htm.

Medieval Letter-writing (Class notes), Aelflaed of the Weald (India Ollerenshaw), 2000, http://aelflaed.homemail.com.au/doco/letters.html.

Medieval Missives: Aids to Letter Writing, Caryl de Trecesson, http://www.dragonbear.com/letters.html.

Writing a Medieval Letter, Mevanou Verch Reys Yriskynit (AKA Tina M Comroe), 2013, http://mvry1sca.wordpress.com/pages-from-the-black-book/writing-a-medieval-letter/.

On Scroll Texts

On Scroll Texts

By Master Hector of the Black Height

When an award scroll is created, great care is taken in the layout of the text, the illumination for the text and the hand the text is written in. Often, less care is taken in the selection and creation of the text itself. To be sure, the various heralds ensure the text meets the legal standards of the Society as set forth in the Middle Kingdom Text Standards, Ealdormere Scribes' Handbook or other applicable authorities. Such inspection ensures heraldic compliance with bureaucratic standards and meets legal requirements, but what does it do about aesthetic requirements? A scroll is a work of art (who better to know this than the visual artist who created it?); why not let the whole product become a work of art? Careful creation of a suitable text can embellish, compliment and complete a scroll.

First, let's look at the legal requirements I referred to above. According to the Middle Kingdom Text Standards (which you should use as your authority when composing text for Midrealm awards. In the Kingdom of Ealdormere, you should check the Ealdormere Scribes' Handbook. When this essay and the appropriate reference differ, the reference should be taken as authoritative), each scroll must contain all of these elements:

a.     the address ("be it known that");

b.     the intitulation (identifying the donor, for example a member or members of the Midrealm Royalty);

c.     notification and exposition (a lead-in phrase, such as "having heard much good of NAME..." and a description of what the service or accomplishment being recognized is);

d.     the disposition (the phrase where the donor actually bestows the award in question); and

e.     corroboration and date (which authenticates the time, place and donor of the award).

This is all necessary and significant. If care is not taken, however, the obligatory text can read like a car rental agreement.

There are very few limits on what you can say on a scroll: the biggest caution is not to use the word "grant" (i.e. "We do grant unto her...") in the disposition unless the award is a Grant of Arms. Beyond that you can say almost anything you want, as long as you touch on all the points listed above.

This is the stage where the scroll can stop being only a piece of visual art and may also become a work of literature or poetry, if you want. Let's look at how you can do this.

First, let's examine the importance of the narrative voice in the text. Who is this person who proclaims the award? If you stick to the cut-and-dried texts in the Middle Kingdom Text Standards, the text is proclaimed by a herald, a bureaucratic functionary, acting as the voice of the Crown. In such a case the text is dry and the message is dry. The text will meet the legal requirements but it sits on the page. There is no passion to the text, nothing individualistic about it. It is nice (in that it says something nice has happened to someone), but not inherently special beyond the fact. The new Ealdormere texts are better (in my opinion) but there's only so much that can be done when creating a generic text.

Instead of being in the voice of the herald (individual or corporate), the text can be written in the voice of the King or Queen, or of someone from the time and background of the recipient. These latter examples are often exemplified by the elaborate texts in foreign languages that sound so splendid in court. There's nothing like hearing an award in Norse for a viking, or in Japanese for a Samurai. The sound of the words takes on a new beauty as the court herald (and eventually the scroll's reader) explores the rhythms of another language and the shapes and sounds of other characters and words.

Selecting an appropriate verse or prose form to compliment the persona of the recipient makes the award a very special gift. It customizes what could be a very generic text and adds artistic and emotional impact. There are other options, however, than merely suiting the text to the recipient.

The King, Queen, Prince, Princess or any other noble person who bestows an award is fulfilling two roles. First, the donor may be acting on behalf of the Society by creating a new member for an order, encouraging the efforts of others and thereby perpetuating the existence of the order in general and the Society as a whole. The donor also acts on his or her own behalf. Consider the heroic model of society so central to Germanic culture (and, to cut a long story short, I believe central to the SCA also). The King in such a culture sought a reputation as a generous patron, the "ring-giver" of the sagas. Awards in the SCA are the King's rings, his valuable (and valued) gifts. Each donor knows his or her signature (and thus his or her name) will hang on walls across the Kingdom for decades. Wise awards ensure the immortality of the King's name. Given the donor's role in the award process, it is entirely proper for a scroll to reflect the character, persona and cultural background of the donor instead of the recipient. This is especially true of awards that reflect a bond between individual donor and recipient (say a Queen' Favour from the Queen or a martial award from the King).

Another factor to be considered is the cultural climate of the recipient's home group. For example, in Ealdormere we have very strong Celtic and Scandinavian roots. If a Mongol is King of Ealdormere and is giving an award to a non-Mongol, you might want to create a text that reflects the abiding cultural milieu of the area and not the transient specifics of that particular Prince's culture. Such decisions may be best based on the nature of the award being bestowed. If the award is for long service to a particular group, it seems reasonable that the group's cultural character (if it has developed a specific culture) should be indicated in the text of the award.

Once you decide that you want to try to do something different with your text and determine what voice you're going to use, you have to select a style that reflects the narrative voice. If you decide you want your text to be poetry this is not as hard as you'd think. Various poetic forms are very period- or location-specific. For example, a Shakespearean sonnet sets the text in the last years of the sixteenth century in England, whereas alliterative poetry of the Germanic saga type places the text much earlier, and perhaps in a different place entirely. Different cultures developed different poetic forms, almost always based on the grammar and rhythms of the mother tongue. These forms can be imposed on modern English with varying degrees of success; the degree of success usually depends on the author's familiarity with the form in question, and the culture that created that form.

Let's say you've decided that you want your next award scroll's text to reflect the donor of the award, and the donor is King Comar II (i.e. Comar during his second reign as King of the Midrealm), who is an early-period Saxon. Where can you find out how to write a poem suitable for this scroll? There are a couple of good sources. The best of all is The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics (Enlarged Edition), which is the most complete single survey on poetic forms I have found. Most good libraries have a copy; if you really want to get serious about poetry it's available in paperback in good book shops for about thirty dollars. To understand the mechanics of alliterative verse, especially in early England, you could refer to The Earliest English Poems, which is a Penguin paperback. It has an excellent introduction which explains the importance of both alliteration and rhythm in this form of poetry.

Having sat down with the references and boned up on alliterative verse (in this case), you set out to write the poem and discover you don't know where to start. Take the Kingdom standards and use them as a framework; your text will have to include the five critical points, at the very least. The donor will have to identify himself, say who's getting what and why. The donor, in this case Comar, will have to bestow the award and then corroborate the award. Take an award of arms to the fictitious Ragnar the Unbathed of the Canton of Great Bog, awarded at the springtime Feast of Good Cheer, for example:

Comar the King am I, now Crowned Midrealm's monarch

Sword-hewn throne sit I, the second so named

Bench long shared with Lisa, our Queen true and well-loved

Past winter wind's whistle have I heard words of praise raised

Marked well I the many deeds, made note of glad service

Have given good thought to the Great Bog petition

Begging a boon of me, arms to bestow by me
On subject deserving such, sterling example

Know my will, northmen, and none ever hinder

The rights of Lord Ragnar, remarked as Unbathed

To always bear arms, as heralds would counsel

From now and forever, in lands far and near

Such lands as my holdfast to Imperium's ends

King's word I commend to you, ring-giver's counsel

Mark well mighty Comar, made true declaration

From long bench in Great Bog, beyond inland waters

At fine feast of good cheer, fourth day of fair April

Said scribes that date is year our folk cite XXVII

King's word once clear uttered will not be forgotten

This is one example of a form of alliterative verse; the whole poem doesn't flow too well because I tried to fit all five parts of the award text in. You can tack the corroboration on after the Royal signatures; it is truly a bureaucratic and archival requirement. It's hard to make an indexing feature into poetry, as the fourth stanza proves beyond question. Given the reference to Comar's second reign I wonder if a specific year reference is required; the award is set in the SCA's history (this decision would be best made by a senior herald well before you start calligraphy on this project). As for dates, it's possible to consult a good hagiography (mine is The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, available in paperback) and cite a Saint's feast day, eve of a feast day or octave of a feast day instead of a Julian calendar date. This religious citation is not always appropriate, of course; you have to know the desires of the donor and the inclination of the recipient, within the limitations of Corpora regarding religious observance and reference.

There's an easy way to avoid the problem of starting a poem; have the text appear to pick up in the middle of a longer text! You don't need to sit down and write seventeen pages of poetry and then grab a bit from the centre, however. Rather than creating a huge saga, you can create an excerpt from a non-existent longer work. I've been involved with a project like this; in this one case, the scroll looked like it was a page lifted from a complete period book. It was a very effective way to suggest continuity (in this case, recognizing recipients of an annual award). It was also a lot of fun, as this lay-out let the calligrapher and the illuminator play with marginalia. If this idea doesn't suit you, you can simply start in the middle (a technique called "in medias res" as I recall, and used very effectively by Homer in the various openings of sections of The Odyssey). These aren't the only answers to writer's block; any literary style or form can contribute to a project that will turn out as that little bit more than the run-of-the-mill scroll.

If you want to do a poetic text but just can't get a handle on the verse form appropriate to the donor, try a different form suitable to the recipient or the location. You can be flexible; you're the one creating the work of art, after all. Whatever you do, the recipient will be delighted you went that little bit farther and added interest and merit to the scroll, as will the donor.

When all else fails, ask your local musicians and poets for ideas for award scrolls or assistance with your composition. I've seen Awards of Arms which are knives, axes and drinking horns; why can't an AoA be a song, or a poem that gets published in a local group newsletter (or in Tournaments Illuminated, for that matter)? The text of an award is a collection of words of praise, after all. Use of an interesting prose or poetic form adds to the circulation of the text, and to the spread of the recipient's praises.

Words are like paint or ink; they sit, waiting for the artist to use them and give them value. Play with words like you play with inks and paints. Just like in a sketch pad, you'll tear up a lot of false starts and doodle a lot, but Da Vinci had lots of notebooks so why shouldn't you? Experiment with styles and forms on your own or, better yet, collaborate with another artist. You'll both learn something from the creative process, and your efforts will make a person or persons very happy. After all, the recipient won't just receive a scroll from their King, he or she will be given a work of visual and literary art.