I was asked to write a scroll for Sacchin Biyed, who had been known her whole life by her real name, ‘Autumn’ growing up in the Society, but recently had picked an SCA name and persona. Rather than write a standard scroll, I decided to base it on a Mongolian piece.
There is a relatively famous Mongolian “Story of Ogedei”, that tells of Ghengis Khan’s third son in the 13th century who eventually became Khan. The Story of Ogedei starts with the birth of Ogedei and details his upbringing. By adapting the chronicle-style of the original piece, it calls the date and sets the ‘story structure’ that translates well to what we are attempting to depict.
Below is the original story, which sets out a date of birth and upbringing, Ogedei’s training as a child, early life achievements, and then taking his place in his 19th year with the Khan’s army.
In the spring of the year 1222 a
child was born unto Bolor Uker and Tansung Cecelg and the shores of the River
Kerulem. Bolor Uker. His father was freshly returned from the battle against
the Chin after their general had died. In 1226 the Khan and his generals
returned victorious from his eastern campaigns. It is said that the Tanguts
failed to supply the Khan with troops and so needed to feel the justice of the
Khan and so in 1226 his father joined back with the great army and marched on
these infidels. During this campaign his father was wounded and died on the
field. It is of note that Ghengis Khan has also fallen in battle and died. The
soldiers learning of this razed the Tangut capital to the ground. The child was
named Ogedei in reverence to the Ghengis Khan’s third son who would later
become Khan over us and the lands we live on. The campaigns continued as Ogedei
grew up under his mothers instruction. He began to learn the arts of
horsemanship at an early age and at the age of eight received his first horse,
Cakilgan. He spent many afternoons riding Cakilgan across the open steppe with
the other boys of his camp, racing and playing as boys should knowing his
people were destined to conquer the world. He often played games with the other
boys with the ankle bones of animals. At these he proved most excellent showing
a sharp mind and a good grasp of strategy. Sometimes they would just try and
shoot the bones off a log with their bows and arrows. Their favorite pastime
was wrestling and when not on their horses you almost always found them
struggling to be the strongest . Our games were preparing us for the hard
military life ahead.
When Ogedei reached the age of
ten his mother gave to him his fathers saddle and he captured a wild steppe
pony. After many throws he finally managed to break this noble animal. Soon he
would come to know him as Bilig, because as mean tempered as he could be, he
could also show amazing intelligence and wisdom.
As winter approached on his tenth
year the boys of the camp began to go out and hunt small animals like foxes and
rabbits. Often after they had caught several of these they would light a fire
on the steppe and cook some of them in a celebratory feast before returning
home with their catch.
These games continued soon the
older boys of the village had become men and were going off to war to join the
army and our glorious cause in some far away land. Soon Ogedeis turn came and
in the year 1239, his 17th year an emissary from the Khan arrived
and Ogedei and several of his friends were ordered to the west to join a great
army that was about to attack a strange people.
In the year 1241 he arrived with
the army and was assigned to his place and went there without question eager to
further the Khans vision.
And here’s the final piece. It takes the above original 519 words and takes the salient points and condenses it to 173 words, laying out Sacchin’s birth to notable parents, alluding to her mundane name of Autumn, and subtly laid out the details of the Award of Arms, and then closing with an abbreviated standard scroll conclusion that refers to the opening line of the story. A nice touch that I enjoyed adding is referring to the Inland Seas, as it’s a powerful call to both Ealdormere’s bardic history, as well as Mongolian lore that also refers to the Inland Sea.
In the fall of
the 37th year of the society, a child was born unto Roak Storm-rider
and Arlette the Wise on the shore of the Inland Seas, and was yet to have a
name but was called Autumn for the season she was born to. She began to learn the arts of the bow and the
thrown axe at an early age, and as she grew, she served baronesses and queens,
and stood in courts and showed a sharp mind and a generous heart. And now she has come of age, has tamed
animals, dwelt in a yurt, served many camps on war campaign, and has chosen her
own name as Sachin Biyed. She now shall
take her place in the court of King Edward and Queen Rylyn, who have seen her
worth as she has grown into a noble woman.
She will take the title of Lady as is right. Done this 21st day of October, nearly
14 years after that fall day, on these same shores of the Inland Seas.
Bibliography:
McBride, Angus and S R Turnbull. The Mongols. Great Britain: Osprey books, 1980
Marshall, Robert. Storm from the East. London: Penguin and BBC books, 1994
Onon, Urgunge. My Childhood in Mongolia. Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1972
If anyone has any questions about this style of scroll wording, I have other examples and period pieces that can be borrowed from.
Cheerfully slaving for my feudal masters,
Brand, Barenwalde