Below this introductory blog is the script of Aelfwyn’s knighting ceremony.
Aelfwyn provided a great deal of research to me as the foundation of this
ceremony, and an initial draft of what she wanted, and in turn I created some connective wording and helped to apply the
details to the default ceremony template. She did a lot of the heavy lifting. If you look at the script for this ceremony, it’s about 70% default
ceremony with themed wording or inserted phrases or steps.
SCAdians expect a certain flow to things, and in a peerage ceremony,
multiple people are participants with peers speaking, heralds, royalty, the
peerage Order and of course the candidate.
Typically, only the herald has a copy of the script during the ceremony,
so while it’s probably more authentic to write something whole-cloth, you may have
a lot of people wondering when to speak and what their lines are. So a lot of my contribution was flow and connective phrases.
Fancy wording does its’ best work in the herald’s lines, and
leave the short power phrases to the royalty, and set the other speakers as
much latitude to speak freely, so it’s from the heart and the most meaningful
to the candidate being elevated.
Also, to create an early period feel to the ceremony, there is far more
call and response and short phrasings than we would use in a high
medieval-themed ceremony.
Evan’s lines in the ceremony are the verse from the Wanderer, a 7th century poem.
One of my favourite pieces of this ceremony that I got to add are some of the early period
references to knighthood – the ‘cingulum militaris’ as the belt of knighthood
for example. While many folks in the SCA
might believe the white belt to be an SCA invention, it is most definitely not.
I have a source, Medieval Knighthood V: Papers from the Sixth Strawberry
Hill Conference 1994, that talks about the cingulum militaris (often a belt
girded with a sword) as a symbol of knighthood from sources cited in the 11th
to 13th century:
Orderic in the relevant passages usually calls the vestment in question
either the cingulum militae (‘belt of knighthood’) or the cingulum militaris (‘knlightly
belt’). The verbs employed to express
its transmission or acceptance in most of the chronicles composed before 1150
are either commonplace ones, with no suggestion of honour given or received
(donare, committere, accipere, suscipere, and the like), ir the more precise
but still neutral verbs cingere, accingere, and precingere ‘to gird or belt
(on)’. Unfortunately for our purposes,
Orderic used the duplicative phrase ‘cingulum militiae precinxit’ of the very
first dubbing he mentions (that of Robert de Montgommery in 1073), and the
synonymous phrase ‘militiae cingulum cinxit’ of the second (that of Henry I in
1086), so his usage can give us no sense of either the chronological
development of the girding ceremony (or given that former took place on the
field of battle and the latter in court) of the circumstances in which it was
normally employed.
It’s the use of these little phrases that bring the ceremony to life
without overpowering it. This also
reinforces the historical basis of our regalia and Society-based touchstones.
If anyone wants to chat about early period ceremonies (my friend Aelfwyn
refers to anything with four digits as ‘late period’) I am happy to chat.
Here's a link to the full text of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: https://archive.org/stream/Anglo-saxonChronicles/anglo_saxon_chronicle_djvu.txt
If you are interested in purchasing a hard copy of Medieval Knighthood V, here is a link to the book: https://boydellandbrewer.com/medieval-knighthood-v-hb.html
Cheerfully slaving for my feudal masters,
Brand, Barenwalde
Aelfwyn’s Knighting Ceremony
T
|
his ceremony is based on wording from the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle, and Aelfwyn’s own research into early period – her summary of the
anglo-saxon concepts of military service follow the ceremony itself.
Aelfwyn
has written a draft of the ceremony, to which I have added concepts we
discussed at Pennsic prior, and cleaned up the wording and stage prompts to
make the ceremony run smoother.
HERALD: The King and Queen have business with
their knights and masters, and would call
all Companions of the Order of Chivalry here present to bear witness to
acts done this day.
<The knights and masters come
forth and kneel around the thrones>
HERALD: Hlafdige
Aelfwyn Langanwuda has unfinished business with the King and Queen. At Trillium Wars, the Chivalry gathered and
asked that she be offered the opportunity to join their Noble Order, and give
fyrdfare, or military service to the Crown.
It is attested she holds land lawfully, and that she is able to offer
heriot to the King and Queen.
KING: Is
there one among you who can attest to her honour, and these facts?
BALDRIC/MORDAIN: I
take Lawful Oath and swear that Aelfyn Langanwuda will keep your laws and keep
them well and declare her Oathworthy to Your Majesties. All things said thus far are true.
KING: Does
my Gesitha, the Order here gathered, agree to this?
CHIVALRY: <AYE>
HERALD: Nigel
and Adrielle, by ring, sword, and rod, King and Queen of the Ealdormereans,
would call forth Aelfwyn’s Langanwuda’s symbols to be her new station and with
holy relics upon which she may take a solemn vow.
<EVAN reads a poetic passage
while the following come forward:
EVAN: Some people aspire in their words to wear the
glory of their status, yet do not carry out the actions. To them earthly wealth, more than life
eternal, is the highest of their hopes and they deride the courage of those who
make steadfast their thought upon heaven and by their works aspire to that
precious home. They pursue heavenly
glory; they give alms, they comfort the
poor, they are generous of heart with their lawful possessions, with gifts they
show love towards those who own less.
Kolbjorn and Berend carry two chests
containing symbols of hospitality, and set them in front of the thrones.
EVAN: Often, at daybreak, alone I must bewail my
cares. There is now no-one living to
whom I may plainly express my heart. So
I, separated from my home, have had to fasten my heart with fetters ever since,
years ago, the darkness of earth enfolded my generous and loving lady, and I,
despondent, travelled away.
Then the heart’s hurts,
sore in the wake of the loved one, are harder to bear. Sorrow is renewed. When the memory of kinfok passes through my
imagination, I greet my comrades with cheerful words, eagerly I watch them;
then they drift away again.
Where has
the horse gone?
Where is the
giver of treasure?
Where are
the seats at the feast?
Where are
the joys of the hall?
Alas the
bright goblet.
Alas the
pride of princes.
How the time has
passed, it grows dark beneath the night-helm, as if it never was.
Keja brings forth Etaoin’s laurel
cloak, which Xristinia and Adrielle step forward and drape it over the chests
EVAN: In a warrior belongs courage, the sword must
experience battle, blade opposing helmet.
The javelin belongs in the hand, the spear gaudy with gold. The shield is bound fast with light linden
boards, the boss fixed finger’s shelter.
An earl belongs on a
charger’s back, a mounted troop must ride in regular array, and the foot
soldier stands firm. The army must hold
together, a legion of men assured of glory.
The battle-board must
be at the ready, the javelin on its shaft, an edge on the sword and a point on
the spear. To the hardy man belongs
determination, to the bold a helmet, and to the coward’s mind the most meagre
store.
Gaerwen, Dafydd (I), and Dafydd (II)
bring forth Aelfwyn’s helm, shield, and sword, and lay them on the cloak
Dafydd (II) stays to one side with a
spear, all others withdraw>
QUEEN: Now
let Aelfwyn Langanwuda come forth.
<Music plays, and Aelfwyn is
escorted by Alana the Quiet carrying her banner, and whichever girls want to
come up as well. Aelfwyn kneels before
the altar, and Alana stands with Dafydd (II), everyone else withdraws>
HERALD: Let
all know that the King and Queen acknowledge that Aelfwyn holds bookland
assessed at ten hides; namely, five hides for her estate at Beremere, and the
remainder near Caldrithig. For the first,
she presents herself with heriot of horse, mail, sword, spear, shield, and
helm. And for the second, she presents a
fyrdman in her service, one Daffy dap Alun, a Welshman well skilled with blade
and axe.
NIGEL: Aelfwyn,
everything is prepared, and we would have you join the Companions of the Order
of Chivalry here gathered. Will you
accept this accolade, and duty?
AELFWYN: Aye
HERALD: Hlafdige
Aelfywn, before you commit your word to the King and Queen sworn upon these
relics, hear now the ancient seven-fold oath, of the Promisso Gesithas, used
since the days of King David the Greater, and before that in ancient times.
Let all witness to this moment know
the often repeated words of this Order, and let those who have been chosen by
the Crown come forth and give instruction on the words, and the weight they bear,
before the oath is made once again, to swear fealty and do homage to the Crown
of Ealdormere.
HERALD: To
ever be a good knight and true
<ADRIELLE comes forth and talks
on the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Reverent
and generous
<Speaker comes forth and talks on
the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Shield
of the weak
<XRISTINIA comes forth and talks
on the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Obedient
to my liege-lord
<MORDAIN comes forth and talks on
the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Foremost
in Battle
<ROAK comes forth and talks on
the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Courteous
at all times
<BALDRIC comes forth and talks on
the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Champion
of the right and the good
<NIGEL comes forth and talks on
the meaning of this line>
HERALD: Thus
you shall swear, should you accept the accolade today.
NIGEL: Aelfwyn,
you have heard these words, and do you swear to understand their meaning?
AELFWYN: Aye
ADRIELLE: Aelfwyn,
you understand the expectations of the people.
Will you swear to uphold them?
AELFWYN: Aye
HERALD: Before
the oath is given let the marks of knightly honour be brought forth and placed
upon the altar to be remembrances of this day
<Petra, Tiberius, and Brand come
forward together>
PETRA: Your
Majesties, I present the singulum
militaris, the white belt of knighthood, to represent purity
<Petra places the belt on the
altar>
TIBERIUS: Your
Majesties, I have carried the vinculum militaris, the chain of knighthood,
since the day of my accolade. It has
passed from one knight to the next, a symbol of our circle of companions, and
our unbroken bond to the Crown.
(Tiberius
recites the lineage of the Order of Chivalry)
<Tiberius places the chain on the
altar>
BRAND: Your
Majesties, I present the calcarum militaris, the spurs that represent mastery
of the horse and the bond between servant and master.
<Brand places the spurs on the
altar>
CROWN: Upon
these relics, of your person, your lineage, and of the realm, Aelfwyn
Langawuda, will you swear your oath?
AELFWYN: Aye
<The Crown draws the kingdom
sword of state, and places it upon the altar, Aelfwyn places her hand on the
sword>
AELFWYN: I
here swear fealty and do homage
To the Crown
of Ealdormere
To ever be a
good Knight and true
Reverent and
generous
Shield of the
weak
Obedient to
my liege-lord
Foremost in
battle
Courteous at
all times
Champion of
the right and the good
Thus swear
I, Aelfwyn Langanwuda
CROWN: We
hold you to your words
And return
these words to you
We shall
honour your deeds
Reward fealty
with love
And service
with honor
As long as
we hold Ealdormere’s throne
<The Crown keeps the kingdom
sword at hand, and Aelfwyn rises to stand before them>
KING: Gird
yourself now, and hear the chronicle committed by our scribe under the great
seal of Ealdormere
HERALD: (Reads
scroll)
<While the scroll is read,
Aelfwyn stands, belts herself, then kneels and two of the knights step forth to
put the spurs on. Aelfwyn presents the
chain to the King, who wraps it about the handle of the sword of state>
HERALD: Aelfwyn
Langanwuda shall now receive the armus militaris, the dubbing of the knightly
dignity
<NIGEL says each phrase as the
king dubs each of Aelfwyn’s shoulders, then her forehead>
(the king raises the sword point up) Singulum
militae precinxit
(the king dubs the first shoulder) Miles effectus est
(the king dubs second shoulder) Arma militaria dedit
(the king dubs the head) Armatus est
<The queen then takes the chain
from the sword, and places it around Aelfwyn’s neck>
KING: You
now number amongst Our Companions of the Order of Chivalry. Receive this blow in memory of today, and may
it remind you to keep aright in your oath.
<The king strikes Aelfwyn in the
chest>
KING: Now
greet your Order.
<Aelfwyn greets the order, to
much rejoicing>
HERALD: For
Aelfwyn Langanwuda, Cnicht of Ealdormere!
Wassail!
<Crowd rejoices>
<As this is the last item of
court, after the Crown disperses, the altar is disassembled>
C. Warren Hollister, “Anglo-Saxon Military
Institutions”
Nicholas Brooks, “Communities and Warfare
700-1400”
Max Lieberman. “A New Approach to the Knighting
Ritual”, Speculum, Apr 2015.
Gale R. Owen-Crocker and Brian W. Schneider,
“Kingship, Legislation, and Power in Anglo-Saxon England”.
Linda Tollerton, “Wills and Will-Making in
Anglo-Saxon England”.
I.P. Stephenson, “The Late Anglo-Saxon Army”.