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Friday, June 24, 2022

Order of Chivalry - Maneke of the Rozakii


 
So … events are starting again, which means there are courts, and scrolls, and wording!

M
aneke was knighted at Murder Melee, and for his scroll to be given, the scribe Augusta wanted to do it in a Mongolian style to match his ceremony – she reached out to me for wording, and I collaborated with her by basing the text off of William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols, from the 13th century.  Specifically in the Account, there is a detailed letter from the Khan to the King of France … I took elements from that letter, especially the warnings about losing your hands and feet, the authority of the Khan, and some flavour text.

If you are interested, a
n online copy of the William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols can be found here: https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html
 

The commandment of the Khan and Khan Begam is the word of the Line of the North.  Whosoever hears this, be they common or noble, present today or wherever ears can hear or wherever horses can travel, let it be heard and known that Maneke of the Rozakii has heard the call to the Order of Chivalry and understood the burden he undertakes this day, therefore all know this order and proclamation, and celebrate this day and the glory of Ealdormere.

M
aneke is known in many lands as a glaivesman without few peers, let him take up the belt given to him by the Crown so all will know his prowess.  Maneke is a noble man in heart and deed, so he shall take up the spurs of the horseman so he can bring good to all corners of the land.  Maneke is loyal to the kingdom and serves it well, so he shall take up the chain that binds him to the thrones with the touch of iron, and Maneke cares for all people of the land of the Inland Seas, so he shall take up the blade that protects all the people of the north.

I
f any hears this order and makes claim against it, they shall hear not even though they have ears and see not even though they have eyes, they shall want to hold anything they shall be without hands, and when they shall want to walk they shall be without feet.  This is the word of Roak and Hyrrokin of Ealdormere.

S
et down by our scribes and given the great seal of authority and presented at the occasion of Murder Melee in the Meadow, the 18th day of June in the 57th year since the first tournament in the Westernmost lands.

(Taken from the passage detailing a letter from the Khan to the King of France in William of Rubreck’s Account of the Mongols, c.1270, as shown below)
 

Finally, the letter he sends you being finished, they called me and interpreted it to me. I wrote down its tenor, as well as I could understand through an interpreter, and it is as follows: "The commandment of the eternal God is, in Heaven there is only one eternal God, and on Earth there is only one lord, Chingis Chan. This is word of the Son of God, Demugin, (or) Chingis 'sound of iron.' " (For they call him Chingis, 'sound of iron,' because he was a blacksmith; and puffed up in their pride they even say that he is the son of God). "This is what is told you. Wherever there be a Mo'al, or a Naiman [J: Whosoever we are, whether a Mo'al or a Naiman], or a Merkit or a Musteleman, wherever ears can hear, wherever horses can travel, there let it be heard and known; those who shall have heard my commandments and understood them, and who shall not believe and shall make war against us, shall hear and see that they have eyes and see not [J: For the moment they hear my order and understand it but place no credence in it and wish to make war against us, you shall see that though they have eyes they shall be without sight]; and when they shall want to hold anything they shall be without hands, and when they shall want to walk they shall be without feet: this is the eternal command of God.

 

"This, through the virtue of the eternal God, through the great world of the Mo'al, is the word of Mangu Chan to the lord of the French, King Louis, and to all the other lords and priests and to all the great realm of the French, that they may understand our words. For the word of the eternal God to Chingis Chan has not reached unto you, either through Chingis Chan or others who have come after him.

 

"A certain man by the name of David came to you as the ambassador of the Mo'al, but he was an impostor ; and you sent back with him your envoys to Keu Chan. After the death of Keu Chan your ambassadors reached this court. And Camus his wife sent you nasic stuffs and a letter. But as to affairs of war and of peace and the welfare and happiness of a great realm [J: (and) subduing the wide world and discerning how to act for the best], what could this woman, who was viler than a dog, know about them?" (For Mangu told me with his own lips that Camus was the worst kind of a witch, and that she had destroyed her whole family by her witchcraft.)

 

"These two monks, who have come from you to Sartach, Sartach sent to Baatu; but Baatu sent them to us, for Mangu Chan is the greatest lord of the Mo'al realm. Now then, to the end that the whole world and the priests and monks may be in peace and rejoice, and that the word of God be heard among you, we wanted to appoint Mo'al envoys (to go back) with these your priests. But they replied that between us and you there is a hostile country, and many wicked people, and bad roads; so they were afraid that they could not take our envoys in safety to you; but that if we would give them our letter containing our commandments, they would carry them to King Louis himself. So we do not send our envoys with them; but we send you in writing the commandments of the eternal God by these your priests: the commandments of the eternal God are what we impart to you. And when you shall have heard and believed, if you will obey us, send your ambassadors to us; and so we shall have proof whether you want peace or war with us. When, by the virtue of the eternal God, from the rising of the Sun to the setting, all the world shall be in universal joy and peace, then shall be manifested what we are to be. But if you hear the commandment of the eternal God, and understand it, and shall not give heed to it, nor believe it, saying to yourselves: 'Our country is far off, our mountains are strong, our sea is wide,' and in this belief you make war against us, you shall find out what we can do. He who makes easy what is difficult, and brings close what is far off, the eternal God He knows."