From: owner-scribes@castle.org (scribes digest) To: scribes-digest@castle.org Subject: scribes digest V2 #56 Reply-To: Sender: owner-scribes@castle.org Errors-To: owner-scribes@castle.org Precedence: bulk scribes digest Friday, June 5 1998 Volume 02 : Number 056 In this issue: [scribes]: my own historical art Re: [scribes]: my own scroll Re: [scribes]: Scribal: a real word! [scribes]: Re: doing your own scroll, Eastern Rite [scribes]: Another request for comment [scribes]: Addendum to my previous note Re: [scribes]: Scribal: a real word! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 11:20:04 EDT From: EowynA@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: my own historical art In a message dated 6/5/98 7:54:08 AM, e_e_maes@yahoo.com wrote: <> I understand. So instead of doing a scroll for me, I did some "original Insular pages" on vellum -- "Imago Draconis" in the style of the Lion of the Echternach Gospels (Gospels of St. Willibrord, for those with the Nordenfalk book), and "Imago Griffis" in the style of the Eagle of Echternach. And then there is an excerpt of Beowulf in Anglo-Saxon, glossed with my own translation into modern English, with a Lindworm at the base, also on vellum. Have other people done similar pieces for themselves? That is, artwork true to a particular historical milieu, specifically for themselves, that is not a scroll. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 05 Jun 1998 11:30:34 -0400 From: Heather Swann Subject: Re: [scribes]: my own scroll When you put it like that I realize what the other reason for my not doing my own scrolls is: I'm always making progress, and I don't enjoy looking at my past work because I can see all the flaws. Once I've done a scroll, I'd rather not see it again. Does anyone else have that same feeling? Not to say I don't learn from past mistakes, I'd just rather not have them under my nose all the time or I'd become unhappy with them and want to put them out of my misery. Miri Elizabeth Maes wrote: > > I had the great honor to receive two awards in one reign. For a > rather complicated reason, their majesties who gave me a Purple Fret > (Midrealm service award) for doing so much C&I stuff for them didn't > get to give me a scroll for it. > > I considered shopping around for someone to do it: e.g., I considered > asking my Laurel. I then looked around my living room and saw: > > my Willow done by a previous student > my (first) Purple Fret done in a manner 100% period (and period for > me) on parchment with period pigments, etc. > my lord's Purple Fret done by his squire brother > my lord's Willow done by my squire brother > > No where in my house is any original artword of MINE. > > So, I'm doing the scroll for my Purple Fret. I would really like to > have some of my own art in my house and I just never seem to get > around to doing anything just for me. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 12:07:25 -0700 From: "Thomas Brownwell" Subject: Re: [scribes]: Scribal: a real word! There are a plethora of words that we use in the SCA that are not in the Dictionary, but are perfectly appropriate because they are understood by everyone. Imagine if a medieval illiterate man was only allowed to use words that were in his personal copy of a non-existant dictionary... Wouldn't happen. Words are what we make of them. And for what it's worth, my 1938, 2-volume edition of Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary defines "scribal -- adj. 1. Of or pertaining to a copyist or scrivener; clerical. 2. Relating to the Jewish scribes." Your dictionary's mileage may vary... - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Douglas Brownell AKA Thomas Brownwell, Calligrapher, brownwell@home.com Dancer,Silversmith,Singer,Cobbler,... San Diego, CA Barony of Calafia, Caid The 4 elements = good physics stuff:: Or,a fountain, a chief rayonny gules. Goutte enough herald:: (Fieldless) A goutte barry wavy azure and argent. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 16:01:07 EDT From: Ariannawyn@aol.com Subject: [scribes]: Re: doing your own scroll, Eastern Rite << In Caid it is considered poor taste to do one's own scroll for an award. I'm pretty sure this is a Westernism that we inherited. What is the convention in your kingdom? >> I was also a bit startled at the idea of Mylisant doing her own AoA scroll, even as a backlog. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone in the East or AEthelmearc doing such a thing, and my initial reaction was quite negative, I'm afraid - sort of like the time Laurelen Darksbane autocratted his own Coronation in the Midrealm, when my thought was "Shouldn't somebody else have done that for you?" On the other hand, it does have the benefit of allowing you to actually *keep* one of your own works, a feat I've only accomplished by doing a scroll for my lord. Each Kingdom to its own traditions, I guess. Anyway, although Christofano and I often disagree on such things, I'm with him on the "use whatever colors you like" side. Most of the French bar and ivy stuff is red and blue because it was done for French royalty, whose Arms were red and blue. If their Arms had been purple and green... BTW, if you're going to look at a religious connection, Thomas, I believe blue was the official color of the Virgin Mary, for purity I guess. On the subject of "The Eastern Rite," I'm a little confused by your comment, Cystennin - helmets on shields for AOA's and people with AOA's wearing circlets are not anything I've seen in 21 years in the East. In fact, in the East and AEthelmearc, circlets are completely meaningless concerning rank, and full heraldic achievements are seldom used on scrolls except occasionally for peerages. When heraldic achievements *are* used, it's true that I've usually seen helmets rather than crowns (except on royal peerages). Anyway, I'm a little jealous of all the projects people are working on, since I haven't done too many scrolls lately - but I *am* making a new 12th c. Bliaut for our music Laurel, whose scroll Graidhne is doing, to wear at his elevation, if that counts... I know it's off topic, but I wanted to pass along a cute solution we came up with: in AEthelmearc it is traditional that new Laurels get a cloak with the badge of the order appliqued or embroidered on it, but this lord doesn't wear cloaks much. Instead, after some brainstorming with a costuming Laurel, I made him a hood with a scalloped edge to match his new garb, and placed a laurel wreath of gold beads and couched gold cord in each scallop. I also used some laurel wreath buttons which a friend gave me as a gift for doing a scroll for her household years ago, and attached a gold bell to the point of the hood. It looks waaay spiffy, if I do say so myself. Arianna of Wynthrope (Karen Kasper) Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands (Pittsburgh, PA) AEthelmearc ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 16:32:10 -0400 (EDT) From: hollis@slic.com Subject: [scribes]: Another request for comment Dear Scribes, I just finished a practice piece and would greatly appreciate any comments. We are (were?) reading Shakespeare's Hamlet in English, so I decided to illuminate the first few lines of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy. Also, I've heard a lot of talk on this list about something called a "Laurel"... I assume you aren't talking about the plant... Anyone care to enlighten me (via private email, I assume you're all tired of people sending personal replies to the list... A pet peeve of mine)? Thanks in advance, Hollis - ---------------------------- Hollis Easter hollis@slic.com "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead, anthropologist - ---------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 16:33:38 -0400 (EDT) From: hollis@slic.com Subject: [scribes]: Addendum to my previous note Dear Scribes, Evidently it's been a longer week than I thought... Asked you all to look at the illumination, and neglected to post the address... Here it is: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/2436/hamlet1.gif Thanks again, Hollis - ---------------------------- Hollis Easter hollis@slic.com "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead, anthropologist - ---------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 1998 14:30:02 -0700 From: guineth@juno.com (Emily SD Thompson) Subject: Re: [scribes]: Scribal: a real word! On Fri, 5 Jun 1998 12:07:25 -0700 "Thomas Brownwell" writes: >And for what it's worth, my 1938, 2-volume edition of Funk and >Wagnall's Dictionary defines "scribal -- adj. 1. Of or pertaining >to a copyist or scrivener; clerical. 2. Relating to the Jewish >scribes." Your dictionary's mileage may vary... For what it's worth, my Webster's Unabridged (1979 ed.) has "scribal, a. 1. pertaining to a scribe or copyist; clerical. 2. arising from the process of writing; as, a scribal error. 3. relating to the scribes of the Jews." I suspect that a lack of "scribal" in a dictionary probably indicates that the dictionary is abridged. You have to understand, though, that unabridged dictionaries are seriously spendy ($70 US and up 15 years ago). One can buy several less costly or one or two better books on heraldry or scribal arts for the cost of an Unabridged, while the usual "college" dictionary is quite inexpensive and will do for most purposes. My lord and I got our Unabridged as a wedding gift, so we never had to make the choice. If I had never owned one, I would probably choose to spend the money on books on book arts. (In fact, before we were married, I made just such a choice.) Now, however -- well, it certainly has been awfully handy. If it were destroyed or stolen, I'd want to replace it, and I have actually been considering buying an unabridged OED for a slightly different angle on definitions, "foreign words and phrases," famous names, notable documents, etc, etc. Sister Guineth the Wordloving Dragons Mist, An Tir guineth@juno.com Sister Guineth the White _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ End of scribes digest V2 #56 ****************************