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Monday, July 8, 2019

Scroll of Honour - Finnvarr de Taahe



In Ealdormere, we have the Scroll of Honour, which is a list of notable deeds proclaimed in the court of the King and Queen of Ealdormere, which often is a simple congratulatory phrase – however, when I was asked to write the scroll wording for Finnvarr de Taahe’s scroll to be received noting his singular accomplishment of fighting in every war point battle at Pennsic for 40 years, to be signed by the Crowns of Ealdormere, the Midrealm, and the East, I thought it would be important and memorable to him to use wording from the Chonricles of Froissart.

There are tons of Froissart references online, but most are French.  When I attended McMaster University, Mills Library had an unredacted copy of the Chronicles (some 12 voluimes), and I had the opportunity to  read through it – it’s truly remarkable because one folio might describe an epic battle, and another might describe daily life on the road or in a tavern.

If you dig through the original folios (in English or French) There are a number of passages that have excellent material for basing a scroll -- Froissart's writing style is definitely run on and filled with flowery praise or attestations of character, as you can see below.

To the intent that the honourable and noble adventures of feats of arms, done and achieved by the wars of France and England, should notably be enregistered and put in perpetual memory, whereby the prewe and hardy may have ensample to encourage them in their well-doing, I, sir John Froissart, will treat and record an history of great louage and praise. But, or I begin, I require the Saviour of all the world, who of nothing created all things, that he will give me such grace and understanding, that I may continue and persevere in such wise, that whoso this process readeth or heareth may take pastance, pleasure and ensample. It is said of truth that all buildings are masoned and wrought of divers stones, and all great rivers are gurged and assembled of divers surges and springs of water; in likewise all sciences are extraught and compiled of divers clerks; of that one writeth, another peradventure is ignorant; but by the famous writing of ancient authors all things ben known in one place or other. Then to attain to the matter that I have enterprised, I will begin first by the grace of God and of the blessed Virgin our Lady Saint Mary, from whom all comfort and consolation proceedeth, and will take my foundation out of the true chronicles sometime compiled by the right reverend, discreet and sage master John le Bel, sometime canon in Saint Lambert's of Liege, who with good heart and due diligence did his true devoir in writing this noble chronicle, and did continue it all his life's days, in following the truth as near as he might, to his great charge and cost in seeking to have the perfect knowledge thereof. He was also in his life's days well beloved and of the secret council with the lord sir John of Hainault, who is often remembered, as reason requireth, hereafter in this book, for of many fair and noble adventures he was chief causer, and by whose means the said sir John le Bel might well know and hear of many divers noble deeds, the which hereafter shall be declared. Truth it is that I, who have enterprised this book to ordain for pleasure and pastance, to the which always I have been inclined, and for that intent I have followed and frequented the company of divers noble and great lords, as well in France, England and Scotland, as in divers other countries, and have bad knowledge by them, and always to my power justly have enquired for the truth of the deeds of war and adventures that have fallen, and especially sith the great battle of Poitiers, whereas the noble king John of France was taken prisoner, as before that time I was but of a young age or understanding. 

This isn’t a ‘word by word’ copy of the original, but is built in a similar language style, here is the final product in Finnvarr’s Scroll of Honour scroll …

Dear Knight, Finnvarr de Taahe . . . The assembled Crowns greet you and certainly show you every mark of honour and friendship in Their power, and will come to such a reasonable understanding with this court that you shall always remain a legend among all other fighting men. 

You have good cause to be joyful, for the battles did not always go in your favour, but for forty years you have raised lance or sword in cause of your Kingdom for every point of War fought, and have won the highest renown of prowess, excelling the best of all knights. We do not say this to flatter you, for everyone gathered hearing these words, having seen how we have fought these Pennsic Wars, unanimously agrees with this and awards you this accolade and these words on the Scroll of Honour.

Let all those present shout their approval, East and Middle and Ealdormere remarking to each other that these who rule over three kingdoms have acted nobly and to the point. Their esteem for Finnvarr ever increases and it was agreed by these assembled Kings and Queens that in this knight they would have a most chivalrous exemplar of our time if he has such strength to persevere in such good fortune all these forty years.

Ealdormere     Middle     East

(based on Chroniques de Jean Froissart, Société de l´Histoire de France. Livre 1.Tome V)

There is an excellent source to learn on Froissart here:
The Online Froissart: https://www.dhi.ac.uk/onlinefroissart/index.jsp

The Chronicles of Froissart (translated during the time of Henry VIII): https://www.questia.com/library/1509772/the-chronicles-of-froissart

Cheerfully slaving for my feudal masters,
Brand, Barenwalde