The Baronesses Tale: Sun and Chalice Scroll for Baroness Arianhwy Wen

This piece is based on the conceit that a folio was lost from the Ellesmere Chaucer (Huntingdon Library MSS EL26 C 9), with a missing Canterbury Tale.  The tale of the Baronesse of Oxenford is based on the scroll commission which detailed Arianhwy’s assistance to Yannick and Alana, particularly in their first weeks in post.  The Tale is written in Middle English, imitating Chaucer's southern English dialect.  

The Ellesmere Chaucer is a significant secular illuminated codex of the early 15th Century.  It includes the full text of the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.  It is written in a Gothic littera bastarda hand, painted largely in lapis and crimson, with gilt illumination.  The folios are about 284mm wide by 400mm high, and of 232 originally inscribed pages (of 240 folio pages), of which 71 have foliated borders, of which 23 have equestrian portraits of Chaucer’s pilgrims painted apparently by at least two artists.

Ellesmere Chaucer f 72r

Ellesmere Chaucer f72 v

This piece represents a verso page and the following recto page, inspired by one of the 23 pages which include a foliated border and an equestrian portrait (cf f 72r, f 47r), and by one of the comparatively undecorated following pages (eg f 24r or f 61r).  In this piece the Baroness of Oxenford is dressed very much like the Wife of Bath, with a similar horse, tack and clothing.  Notably she is wearing a pair of loose riding boots which cover much of her skirts, and she is wearing an SCA baroness’s coronet on her broad-brimmed hat.  Her horse is at the charge, and as her weapon she bears a quill.  

Detail from Ellesmere Chaucer f 72r

The pages are about 80%  larger (at 500mm wide and 700mm high) than the original (284mm wide by 400mm high) to provide enough room for 80 lines of the 84-line tale), and the foliated border is proportionately larger.  The hand is a version of my usual bâtarde which pays homage to the original.  The pages are folded at the binding line and pricked for stitching.  The deleted lines (struck out in the text below) are written on the verso of the second page along with a colophon.  

Materials

The piece is made on Pedroni white Pergamenata 230gsm laminated pulp paper in place of parchment, with minium in place of crimson.  The gesso is made of rabbit skin glue, whiting and a very little bit of titanium white (in place of white lead).  The blue pigments are ground lapis, the violet is ultramarine with alizarin lake, and the illustrations are drawn in walnut ink.  The gilding is 23.5ct gold transfer leaf, laid down over Roberson’s size (gum arabic and Armenian bole).  I made up the blue and red (lapis and minium respectively) pigments from dry using (Roberson’s) gum arabic water.  The original was written with quills using iron gall ink.  For convenience this piece is written with a steel pen using Rotring calligraphy ink.  

The Text

The Prologue of the Baronesses tale of Oxenford 

In the daies of Yannick the mightious archier-prince 

And Alana, the wise-handed ladie of same province, 

Thei didde bet fos soe manie

wilen taken the Dragouniles destine

thei didde looken eche atte thother

for what thei next must do conned never-nother

So long had thei made red and wagen war 

shenden theiren fos when they had more

than cumpassen the ruine of the former 

archier-princes Pol and Caitriona 

thei had not a thoughte for hou governen 

this land or manie iles, bothe wiled and roten, 

bountevous and verray poverisht

(for not everie principate florisht).  

So didde princes counseul wiseli wot

to swch onother of that folk of shot, 

wizsnid Arianhwy, Baronesse, 

learned ladi wise with anrednesse.  

Here endeth the Baroness hire prologue and beginneth hire tale

Now Arianhwy Wen, which signifien 

Arianhwy Whit for pal her skin. 

She lerned was in gramarie and logiqe, 

a pratie honde she wrote hire rethoriqe.

With a eu-boue, she was right well sharp

thei say that in hire youth she pleied the scarp 

with a sworde and bucclere as wel righte  

when in armour she was samendighte.

Fro Outremer had she ones cume awai, 

bitimen hire voix were harsk they sei

and certes rhotiqe even with the wide

of the land biyonde se-occeans tide.  

Biforen yore she held armes aword 

ful yore agone thei did their will accord,

Dragounwold princes. By graunt in fee 

later souveraigns maked her their feffe; 

They maked her of the Pinnash a felaue,

her lindquist ring recorded in escrowe

her Silverenward made up the bigge thre 

‘the dragoun’s hat-tric’ clept in this contre.

Felau she was of Holi Ffraid’s covent

and of the vox’s order did provent.

She wore the silveren martlet robe and bagge

swch honour she had geten with quilles egge.  

Heraulds of armes named hende eke

for ontime she couthe tweie sitte and speke.  

Lo on holi daies and semidoubles,

sheren shep of excellents and nobles 

by curiouste use of trumpes and of pleies.  

She were a potentat known alweies 

For potaciouns potent whiche roum-honded doled,

When her licour’s botel was forgoled

But whiche nevere touched herouen lippes.  

Somme seie that this had ought to do 

with hire at Baronetti winnen so.  

Wher sitte she at the loue table shouest

able of maken hir the very louest  

Wher above the salt sat she was ever 

sad and seur and semeli hoasever.

She vulgar was amonges the vulgar, but 

alwaies grete amonges the grete, goddut.  

All who meten hire were liften up, 

and non hath evermor ben shamed therup.

A baronesse is called excellence 

bi force of hire estat, a recompense.

but the princes of thiles had founden 

that Arianhwy excellence abounden

in all she did, and that she was an exaumple 

to queinte princes’ nobles ever ample.

Bitimes ther were five-and-twenti noblesse 

of thiles joigned togederes by the princess

and princes of the Dragouniles

for excellence and for exaumple otherwiles.

So at Raglanfeire in the country of Monmouth  

the feste of halwe Ust, ad diem four nere

thides of aoust, in twoscore and twelfth yere

didde Yannick and Alana, Prince and Princesse

sumoun close this Arianhwy, Baronesse,

bifor theim and didde commaunde hire 

to accompaignie theires noble ensaumplere

and beren ther bagge of the sunne and chalice 

so that all might know hire for the wise  

and craftful womman she was.  And so 

it was preched to theires court, lo,

all wist Arianhwy Wen participat 

of the heighest menske in the principat. 

The Baroness’s Tale in Modern English

Prologue

In the days of Yannick the mighty archer-prince, 

And Alana, the wise-handed lady of the same province, 

They did beat foes so many

while taking the Dragouniles dynasty

they did look each at the other

for what they next must do neither knew

So long had they made plans and waged war,

destroying their foes when they had more

than achieved the downfall of the former 

archer-princes Pol and Caitriona 

they had not a thought for how to govern 

this land of many isles, both wild and settled,

bountiful and truly impoverished

(for not every principality flourishes).  

So did princes’ counsel wisely know

to turn to another who could shoot a bow, 

wizened Arianhwy, Baroness, 

learned lady well-advised.  

Here ends the Baroness’s prologue and begins her tale

Now Arianhwy Wen, which signifies

Arianhwy the White for pale was her skin. 

She was learned in grammar and rhetoric.

With a yew bow she was right well sharp

they say that in her youth she played the sharp 

with a sword and bcukler and was not afraid  

when in her armour she was arrayed.

From Outremer had she once come away, 

long ago her voice was harsh they say

and certainly rhotic even with the accent

of the land beyond the ocean’s tide.  

Years ago she held arms by award 

long ago they agreed their will, 

Dragounwold’s princes. By grant in fee 

later sovereigns made her their foeffee; 

They made her of the Panache a fellow,

her Lindquist ring recorded in escrow,

her Silver Guard made up the big three 

‘the dragon’s hat-trick’ called in this country.

Fellow she was of Holy Ffraid’s convent

and of the Fox’s order she did profit.

She wore the silver martlet robe and badge;

This honour she had got with her quill’s edge.  

Heralds of arms named her very handy

for she could at once both sit and speak.  

Lo, on holy days and church festivals,

she sheared sheep of their excellents and nobles* 

by curious use of trumps and of plays.  

She was a potentate known always 

For potent potations which she generously doled,

When her liquor bottle was uncorked,

But which never touched her own lips.  

Some say that this had something to do 

with her winning so at Baronetti.  

Where she sat at the low table she showed

she could make herself the very lowest.

When she was sat above the salt however, 

She was ever sober and sure and seemly.  

She was vulgar among the vulgar, but 

Always great among the great, God knows.  

All who met her were lifted up, 

and none has evermore been ashamed of it.

A baronesse is called ‘excellence’ 

by force of her estate, a recompense;

but the princes of the Isles had found 

that in Arianhwy excellence abounds

in all she did, and that she was an example 

to the quaint princes’ nobles, ever ample.

Betimes there were five-and-twenty nobles 

of the Isles joined together by the princesses

and princes of the Dragouniles

for excellence and otherwise for example.

So at Raglan Fair in the county of Monmouth  

the feast of St Just, four days before

the Ides of August, in the twoscore and twelfth year

did Yannick and Alana, Prince and Princess,

summon close this Arianhwy, Baroness,

before them and did command her 

to join the company of their noble examples

and bear their badge of the sun and chalice 

so that all might know her for the wise  

and craftful woman she was.  And so 

it was preached to their court, lo,

all knew Arianhwy Wen was a participant 

in the principality’s highest honour. 

*Excellents and nobles were types of mediaeval coin.  Here there is a double meaning, ‘shearing sheep of their coins’ and ‘shearing sheep who were excellencies and nobles’.