Maiwen

For Maiwen Skrautibroka upon being placed on vigil for the Order of the Laurel

By Maister Colyne Stewart, March AS 53 (2018)

Lo, praise we power / of people-kings

Of spear-armed Danes / in days long sped

Yet power shows / in strength of word

And bone-led cord / and battened cloth

Oft Maiwen worked / as Welanduz

Her anvil lace / her ‘ammer thread

Each stitch a blow / each bolt an ingot

Her smithy adorned / with swords of horn

With rippers of cloth / and coveted

Pins, spools and bob/bins, scissors, shears

Of Frijjō fond / her fashion fierce

As Skrautibrok/a she’s known

 Her trews a treas/ure telling much

Now Kyng and Cwene / she comes before

So hailed as Hlaef/dige her now call

Of famed Maiwen / far flies her boast

A scion of Val / in Scadian lands

This poem is written in the Old English style to match Maiwen’s original 7^th century Anglo-Saxon persona. Anglo-Saxon versification were written in what are known as Siever’s Types, with different types of lines based on where the stressed and unstressed syllables lied. For this poem I used what is called the B-line, which contains four syllables, with the stress on the second and fourth syllables. Each line in the poem is divided by a caesura (a pause, denoted by a slash). The poems were alliterative, with the third stress alliterating with the first and/or second stresses. (All vowels and dipthongs alliterated.) These poems made common use of synonyms, compound words, variation (referring to the same thing by different names) and, to a lesser degree, kennings. Sometimes Anglo-Saxon poets would “borrow” word patterns or even whole lines from other poets, so I have quoted and paraphrased Beowulf in the opening and closing lines.

A foot-noted version of the poem is below with the alliteration marked in bold.

Lo, praise we power / of people-kings

Of spear-armed Danes / in days long sped[1]

Yet power shows / in strength of word

And bone-led[2] cord / and battened cloth

Oft Maiwen worked / as Welanduz[3]

Her anvil lace / her ‘ammer thread

Each stitch a blow / each bolt an ingot

Her smithy adorned / with swords of horn[4]

With rippers of cloth / and coveted

Pins, spools and bob/bins, scissors, shears

Of Frijjō[5] fond / her fashion fierce

As Skrautibrok/a she’s known

 Her trews a treas/ure[6] telling much

Now Kyng and Cwene / she comes before[7]

So hailed as Hlaef/dige[8] her now call

Of famed Maiwen / far flies her boast

A scion of Val[9] / in Scadian lands[10]

---

[1] These two lines are translations of lines 1 and 2 of Beowolf.

[2] A needle.

[3] A mythical smith.

[4] More needles.

[5] Goddess of love who was also associated with weaving.

[6] Maiwen’s byname of Skrautibroka literally means “fancy pants”

[7] Maiwen is to elevated to the Order of the Laurel at Kingdom A&S AS 53 (March 2018).

[8] An Anglo-Saxon title used in the SCA to refer to (among other things) a Mistress of the Order of the Laurel.

[9] Maiwen is a protégé of Master Valizan.

[10] The last two lines are edited translations of lines 18 and 19 of Beowolf: “Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him / son of Scyld, in the Scandian lands.”

Gazel for Shahid al-Hasan

By Maister Colyne Stewart, March AS 53 (2018)

Forth came the proud hare from a desert of snow

In fame and good fortune his legend to grow

Bound to a wolf-prince by cords woven bright red

Fierce as the badger and as fleet as the doe

With pole he commanded in far off An Tir

As vassal to baron he forded war’s flow

Now pearl-rich himself he holds land of the north

Stood peik for the queen for her honour to show

Adorned with the crescent called forward to kneel

His boots tread the flagstones, he dropped to his toe

As Sultan proclaimed him his might and his worth

And told all assembled what honour he’d owe

A faris, he called him, a lord of the horse

And girt him with leather, the white of the snow.

Background Information

According to Bachvarova, a gazel was an improvised song based on earlier works with a singer using an existing quatrain as a basis for their improvisation. Though other cultures (such as the Greeks) used the term interchangeably for lament poetry (the amané or amanés sometimes also being called gazel), to the Ottomans the form was used to explore love (both romantic and spiritual). Gazels were sometimes improvised during long, highly structured songs that would display the singer’s knowledge of the makamlar (or modes of Ottoman music).

According to Bradley, gazels (or qazels) in Iran featured a rhyming couplet, followed by couplets whose first line was unrhymed, and whose second line rhymed with those of the first couplet. There were at least seven couplets. Each couplet usually put forth separate images that were unified by the idea expressed in the first couplet.

The gazels I looked at from the sixteenth century (though translated into English) seemed to follow the rhyme scheme laid out by Bradley, though they claimed to be from the Ottoman Empire and not Iran. It is possible that the quatrains the poets used in my examples just happened to rhyme AABA though I cannot corroborate that at this time.

Three examples of gazel are below (all from Horne):

My pain for thee balm in my sight resembles
Thy face's beam the clear moonlight resembles.
Thy black hair spread across they cheeks, the roses
O Liege, the garden's basil quite resembles.
Beside thy lip oped wide its mouth, the rosebud;
For shame it blushed, it blood outright resembles.
Thy mouth, a casket fair of pearls and rubies,
Thy teeth, pearls, thy lip coral bright resembles.
Their diver I, each morning and each even;
My weeping, Liege, the ocean's might resembles.
Lest he seduce thee, this my dread and terror,
That rival who Iblis in spite resembles.
Around the taper bright, thy cheek, Muhibbi
Turns and the moth in his sad plight resembles.
 ---Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520-1566)

If 'tis state thou seekest like the world-adorning sun's array,
Lowly e'en as water rub thy face in earth's dust every day.
Fair to see, but short enduring is this picture bright, the world;
'Tis a proverb: Fleeting like the realm of dreams is earth's display.
Through the needle of its eyelash never hath the heart's thread past;
Like unto the Lord Messiah bide I half-road on the way.
Athlete of the Universe through self-reliance grows the Heart,
With the ball, the Sphere---Time, Fortune---like an apple doth it play.
Mukhlisi, thy frame was formed from but one drop, yet, wonder great!
When thou verses sing'st, thy spirit like the ocean swells, they say.
 ---Prince Mustafa (1515-1553)

Ta'en my sense and soul have those thy Leyli locks, thy glance's spell,
Me, their Mejnun, 'midst of love's wild dreary desert they impel,
Since mine eyes have seen the beauty of the Joseph of thy grace,
Sense and heart have fall'n and lingered in thy chin's sweet dimple-well.
Heart and soul of mine are broken through my passion for thy lips;
From the hand of patience struck they honor's glass, to earth
The mirage, thy lips, O sweetheart, that doth like to water show;
For, through longing, making thirsty, vainly they my life dispel.
Since Selimi hath the pearls, thy teeth, been praising, sense and heart
Have his head and soul abandoned, plunging 'neath love's ocean-swell.
---Sultan Selim II (r. 1566-1574).

As you can see, some of these gazels have less than seven couplets, which would seem to contradict Bradley. The first gazel has lines of 11 beats, while the following two both have lines of 15. You will notice that in the first example each A line ends with the same word, not just a rhyme.

I have, so far, not been able to find much information on the form, and it would appear that what little information exists is not consistent. I therefore decided to base my poem off of Bradley’s description (since it seemed to fit my exemplars best) and use lines of 11 beats.

Below is a footnoted version of the poem:

Forth came the proud hare[1] from a desert of snow[2]

In fame and good fortune his legend to grow

Bound to wolf-prince[3] by blood-cords woven bright red[4]

Fierce as the badger and as fleet as the doe

With pole he commanded in far off An Tir[5]

As vassal to baron[6] he forded war’s flow

Now pearl-rich[7] himself he holds land of the north

Stood peik[8] for the queen for her honour to show

Adorned with the crescent[9] called forward to kneel

His boots tread the flagstones, he dropped to his toe

As Sultan proclaimed him his might and his worth

And told all assembled what honour he’d owe

A faris[10], he called him, a lord of the horse

And girt him with leather, the white of the snow[11].

Sources

Anon. “Ottoman Turks Poetry.” Ottoman Souvenir. http://www.ottomansouvenir.com/General/Turkish_Poetry.htm Accessed online on March 6, 2018.

Bachvarova, Mary R., Dorota Dutsch and Ann Suter, eds. The Fall of Cities in the Mediterranean: Commemoration in Literature, Folk-song and Liturgy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. pp. 258-259.

Bradley, D. L. Farsi for English Speakers. United States: Lulu.com, 2014. pp. 242-243.

Horne, Charles F. ed., The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Vol. VI: Medieval Arabia. New York: Parke, Austin, & Lipscomb, 1917.  pp. 259-325. Available online at https://archive.org/details/sacredbooksearly06hornuoft

Parfatt, David. Turkish Makamlar. http://oudipedia.info/makamlar.html Accessed online on March 6, 2018.

---

[1] Shahid is from the Barony of Skraeling Althing, which is symbolized by the hare.

[2] I tried to call up images of where Shahid’s persona would have dwelled by comparing the snow of Ontario to a desert.

[3] His Highness Baldric Leeman of NewCastle Emlyn

[4] Shahid’s squire’s belt.

[5] Shahid was once polearm commander for the Tree House Armoured Combat unit in An Tir.

[6] Shahid was once man-at-arms to HE Ming Lum Pee of An Tir.

[7] Shahid is now a baron himself (Baron of Skraeling Althing). This is a reference to the pearls on his coronet.

[8] A member of Suleiman the Magnificent’ halberdier bodyguards, referencing the fact that Shahid once stood as huscarl to Queen Rylan.

[9] Shahid’s heraldry contains three crescents.

[10] Meaning horseman in Arabic, a title used in the SCA to refer to knights with Arabic personas.

[11] At Winter War AS 53, Shahid was put on vigil for the Order of the Chivalry.

Elegy for Gilchrist, Lord of Dogs

Maister Colyne Stewart, October AS 52 (2017)

Oh, lean of leg, the gallant canine stands

His hazel eyes regard ducal estate

The grand demesne of sky, and lake, and land,

Belov’d by all, and yet life cannot wait,

A call to pass beyond mere mortal gate,

He gentle licks soft hands with kindly sigh,

Lo, unafraid he goes to meet his fate,

And now the stars fair twinkle, like his eye.

Blóðhrafn: For Duchess Dagmar halvdan on her Elevation to the Order of the Pelican

By Maister Colyne Stewart, August AS 52 (2017)

Dagmar halvdan | Daughter of ravens

Walker of valleys | Vildar’s favoured

Yggdrasil trav’ler | dew treading wolf

Giver of rings | golden of name

Hertogakona | kin of high fame

Skalds sing her name | Sif, Sól, both love her

Garðhús chron’cler | Chosen of dyrgja

Lover of lanterns | Layer of lines

A sea of wounds | has stained Fjörgyn

Hrafn-fed ulfvins | elevate towns

Verǫld-folk heed me | Her name exalt

Raven-wine giver | Pelican víf

Written in fornyrðislag (pronounced fort-near-this-lagh; “meter of ancient words”), an Eddic verse form consisting of a 4-line stanza, each line divided by a caesura into two half-lines, which in turn have two accented syllables and two or three unaccented ones. There are six variations of half-lines that could be used. The two half-lines are linked together by alliteration, which in case of the first line could fall on one or the other of the stressed syllables, but in the second half-line had to fall on the first stressed syllables. The alliteration of the first half-line was called stuðlar (props), the one in the second half-line höfuðstafr (head-stave). The alliteration is actually an initial rhyme consisting of consonants alliterating with the same consonants, except sk, sp and st, which could be alliterated with themselves, and of a vowel alliterating with any other vowel, as well as with j.

A footnoted version of the poem follows, with alliteration bolded and stressed syllables shown in italics.

Dagmar halvdan | Daughter of ravens[1]

Walker of valleys[2] | Vildar’s favoured[3]

Yggdrasil trav’ler[4] | dew treading[5] wolf[6]

Giver of rings[7] | golden of name

Hertogakona[8] | kin of high fame[9]

Skalds sing her name | Sif[10], Sól[11], both love her

Garðhús[12] chron’cler[13] | Chosen of dyrgja[14]

Lover of lanterns[15] | Layer of lines[16]

A sea of wounds[17] | has stained Fjörgyn[18]

Hrafn-fed[19] ulfvins[20] | elevate towns[21]

Verǫld[22]-folk heed me | Her name exalt

Raven-wine giver | Pelican víf[23]

---

[1] Dagmar is a member of House Galbraith, whose charge is the raven.

[2] She is well known for her love of hiking.

[3] Vildar is the Norse god of the forst.

[4] Yggdrasil was the world-tree, and her symbolizes how Dagmr travels all over the knowne world.

[5] Hike start early, you know. She also rises early when working at Pennsic.

[6] Dagmar is Ealdormerean and therefore a wolf.

[7] Dagmar is known for her generosity.

[8] A Norwegian equivalent for the title Duchess.

[9] Many members of House Galbraith are Peers of one sort or another.

[10] Goddess of the harvest.

[11] Goddess of the sun.

[12] Old Norse for ‘yard house’ or an outhouse. https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/06/unexpected-viking-toilet-discovery-leads-to-controversy/

[13] Leading up to Pennsic 2017, Dagmar posted photos as port-a-potties appeared on sire as if they were part of a nature documentaring.

[14] A female dwarf. Dwarves were known for their skill at building. Dagmar helps build up not just Pennsic but the Society as a whole.

[15] Dagmar is up early and goes to bed late. Lanterns are a necessity. In fact, her Pelican scroll was incorporated into a stained glass lantern.

[16] One of the tasks Dagmar takes on at Pennsic is marking out camp sites.

[17] A kenning for blood.

[18] Another name for Jörð, goddess of the earth. Dagmar has blistered her hands and feet while working at Pennsic, feeding the soil with her blood.

[19] Hrafn is Old Norse for raven. Dagmar is the raven feeding the earth. On her Peerage coat the Pelicans have been fused with ravens.

[20] “wolf-wine”, a keening for blood.

[21] It is partly through her work that Pennsic War occurs.

[22] Old Norse for “world”.

[23] Old Norse for “woman”.

Freiherr: For Tannon the Barbarian upon Becoming a Baron of the Court

Maister Colyne Stewart, July AS 52 (2017)

PART ONE

Call-bound Vendel chief | Cousin to Gunderic

Fearful of no flame | fell-handed hunter

He who laughs loudly | Hero of northlands

Ring-son of Teiwaz | Render of shields

Soil-rich Hochadel | Slayer of halgeist

Giant of wolf-runs | Keeper of kings

PART TWO

Wild, the wolf is now silver headed,

A coronet resting on barbarous brow,

Noble its bearing now all must avow,

The tril’um grows where its paw has treaded.

The foes of its king its claws have shredded,

The red of its blood has stained snow and bough,

Wild, the wolf is now silver headed,

A coronet resting on barbarous brow.

Its howl is loved or else it’s dreaded,

The wolf ‘gainst foemen cuts through like a plow,

The king, ancient wisdom, calls for it now,

It comes through fields so recently redded,

Wild, the wolf is now silver headed.

NOTES

At War of the Trillium 2017, Tannon was made a Baron of the Court of Quillium and Tangwystl. As Tannon is a barbarian, and Quilliam and Tangwystl are having a Tudor reign, I wanted to tell this tale from both viewpoints. For the barbarian point of view I used old German versification (of so similar to Old English and Old Norse versification) which made use of lines divided into hemistichs by a caesura. Alliteration had to occur between the first stressed syllable in each half-line. A footnoted version of the verse is below:

Call-bound[1] Vendel chief[2] | Cousin to Gunderic[3]

Fearful of no flame[4] | fell-handed hunter[5]

He who laughs loudly[6] | Hero of northlands

Ring-son of Teiwaz[7] | Render of shields

Soil-rich[8] Hochadel[9] | Slayer of halgeist[10]

Giant[11] of wolf-runs[12] | Keeper of kings[13]

For the Tudor point of view I settled on a roundel, which was introduced in France in the 13^th century but would have been in use in England in the 16^th.  The rondel is a fixed poetic form, a variant of the rondeau, that runs on two rhymes. It usually consisted of thirteen lines with a free meter (though often eight or ten syllables) divided into three stanzas (two quatrains and a quintet), with the first two lines of the first stanza serving as a refrain of the second and third stanzas. The rhyme scheme is therefore ABba abAB abbaB with no rhyme words being repeated. Sometimes the term rondel and rondeau were used interchangeably.

---

[1] Stating that Tannon will always answer his king’s summons.

[2] Tannon is a “barbarian” which is not a term anyone in period would have applied to themselves. I selected to write from the point of view of the Vandals (an old German tribe considered to be barbarians by the Romans).

[3] Gunderic was a king of the Vandal Kingdom. I am implying that Tannon has at least noble blood, which is now recognized as he is a baron.

[4] The Vandals tended to practice cremation, so I am here saying that Tannon does not fear death.

[5] Tannon is a skilled fighter.

[6] Anyone familiar with Tannon is also familiar with his almost ever present smile and laughter.

[7] Teiwaz was a Germanic god of war. I am implying that Tannon is bound to battle.

[8] The king gave Tannon a jar of dirt. Wherever Tannon spreads that soil is to be his domain.

[9] The Hochadel were noble German houses who ruled sovereign states in the Holy Roman Empire, again alluding to Tannon’s nobility.

[10] A halgeist was a mountain spirit (a salt ghost). Implying that Tannon is brave.

[11] Tannon is a tall man.

[12] Ealdormere.

[13] As a bonded noble, Tannon is now a protector of the Crown.