Arwyn of Leicester, Order of the Laurel, 2019

THE GRYPHON IS MOST HIGH     HE IS TO BE PRAYSED

Let Greatness of Glory be his Principality, and Splendor, and Greatness of Retinue, and Valour and Boldness, and Courage, and Favour with the Gryphon, the bestower of Victory, to the people of Avacal. So long as flowers spread their perfume and daylight shines, with Sincere Love and Ancient Friendship, do We, Ivar the Black and Asney Grimolfrsdottir, who lean upon the Couch of Command in Our Kingdom of the Gryphon, highly advanced in Dominion, Noble in Courage and Justice, send praise.

As the maxim says “An equitable Ruler is the personification of Good in the World[1]”, and so do We find Our Princely minds wishing to make known what cannot remain hidden, being the esteem in which we hold Our loyal subject Arwyn of Leicester also known as Amira al- 'Aliyya. This Arwyn is a woman of Great Worth, beloved by her family and by our cousin the Shah, who considers her to be a fidalgo[2] of high rank. As she has great knowledge of saffron, golpar, shevid[3] and all the spices, and has been governing the accounts of her household, and made her knowledge available to all, do We elevate her in rank, advance her in prestige, and make her a member of Our most noble Order of the Laurel. With her do We then make the following contract:

1st We make her a woman of the pen[4] and grant her the right and title to sit in the royal palace[5] and name her moqarrab ab-hazrat sharbat-khana[6], over-seer of spices and desserts to Our court.

2nd It is granted that she shall pay no manner of Customes or tolles any kind of waye when buying or selling the commodity of spice.

3rd Free libertie, safe conduct and licence to come or sende her factors in trade throughout Our countrey, and to act as our Embassador and agent in the buying and selling of spice with Our cousins in other countreys.

4th That her Camel men, Carauans and Shipps will have safe harbour on Our roads, coasts and rivers, and that any who infringe upon them shall be brought to Us for judgement.

We expect all to fulfill these obligations[7] and be bound by Our stipulations, except a stipulation that makes unlawful what is lawful[8]. Fulfil this, Our agreement, for an agreement is obligatory.[9]

This is the intention granted by Ivar and Asney, who reside on the Couch of Justice and Splendidness , may Their dynasty last till the end of the world, and Their reign be prolonged till the consummation of ages! Done at the celebration of Yule, in the Barony of Borealis, on the 16^th day of Azar[10] in the yeare 1398, reckoned in the Society as the 7th Day of December in the yeare 54.

Wording by Maister Colyne Stewart of Ealdormere, based upon contracts between: ‘Abd al-‘Ali Khan, ruler of Gilan and England (14 April 1563); Shah Tahmasp and England (29 June 1566);  Shah ‘Abbas I and King James I of England (1615; modified in July 1697); the Treaty of Peace and the Frontiers (17 May 1639); and a letter from Shah Sulayman to Charles II (1677-78).

Sources

Dandamayev, Muhammad A. et al. “Contracts”. Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/contracts-legally-enforceable-undertakings-between-two-or-more-consenting-parties accessed September 29, 2019

Ferrer, José Cutillas, “SPAIN: RELATIONS WITH PERSIA IN THE 16TH AND 17TH CENTURIES,” Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition, 2018, available at http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/spain-relations-persia-16-17-century September 29, 2019

Ferrier, R. W. “The Terms and Conditions under which English Trade Was Transacted with Ṣafavid Persia”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

Vol. 49, No. 1, In Honour of Ann K. S. Lambton (1986), pp. 48-66 (23 pages)

Published by: Cambridge University Press on behalf of School of Oriental and African Studies

https://www.jstor.org/stable/617668 accessed  September 30 2019

Hanway, Jonas. An Historical Account of the British Trade Over the Caspian Sea: With a Journal of Travels from London Through Russia Into Persia; and Back Through Russia, Germany and Holland. To which are Added, the Revolutions of Persia During the Present Century, with the Particular History of the Great Usurper Nadir Kouli in four volumes. Volume one. London: 1753.

  https://books.google.ca/books?id=etApAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y Accessed September 29, 2019

 “Iran, 1400–1600 A.D.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=08&region=wai (October 2002)  accessed September 29, 2019

Marcinkowski, M. Ismail. “Dastural-Moluk”, Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dastur-al-moluk Accessed October 1, 2019

ibid. “Tadherat al-Moluk”, Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/tadkerat-al-moluk Accessed September 30, 2019

Matthee,  Rudolph P. The Politics of Trade in Safavid Iran: Silk for Silver, 1600-1730.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. https://books.google.ca/books?id=5U0yECMV--wC accessed September 29, 2019

Minorsky, V. Tadhkirat Al-Muluk: A Manual of  Safavid Administration  (circa 1137/1725). Cambridge: W. Heffer & Sons LTD. 1943. Online at https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.227105/2015.227105.Tadhkirt-Al-muluk_djvu.txt Accessed September 30, 2019

Mustafa, Grand Vizier.  “Treaty of Peace and Frontiers: The Ottoman Empire and Persia (17 May 1639)”. Pars Times: Greater Iran and Beyond, http://www.parstimes.com/history/iran_ottoman.html  Accessed October 1, 2019

Ranjbar, M.A. and Sehhat Manesh, R., 2016. “New Routes to Iran’s International Trade in the Safavid Era”. Ancient Asia, 7, p.8. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aa.124 accessed September 30, 2019

Savory, Roger M. “COURTS AND COURTIERS vi. In the Safavid period”

Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/courts-and-courtiers-vi

accessed September 29, 2019

Shafaat, Ahmad, Dr. “Islamic Rules Governing Financial Dealings, “1988.  Islamic Perspectives, http://www.islamicperspectives.com/FinancialDealings.htm Accessed October 1, 2019

With Thanks To

Carroll-Clark, Susan. Private correspondence, Facebook Messenger, September 24 through October 1, 2019.

Leo-Roca, Carlos. SOAS Library, University of London.

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[1] The original maxim is “An equitable Sultan is the shadow of God on earth”. (Mustafa.)

[2] Someone who was of a high rank could be known as a fidalgo. (Savory.)

[3] Spices native to Persia.

[4] The Safavid administration was split between the “men of the sword” and the “men of the pen”. (Savory.)

[5] It was a great honour to be allowed to sit in the Shah’s court. (Savory.)

[6] A moqarrab ab-hazrat was a manager in charge of a royal workshop responsible for expenditures. Moqarrab meant “confidant” and “hazrat” is an honorific. The sharbat-khana was the workshop that included spices, sugar and tobacco. (Savery. Minorsky. Marcinkowski.)

[7] The koranic verse 5:1 stipulates that agreements must be adhered to. (Dandemayay.)

[8] This is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. (Dandemayay.)

[9] Several koranic verses teach that contracts must be honoured, including "O Believers: Honor your contracts" (5:1,) as well as "And fulfill every commitment. Surely every commitment will be asked about (on the day of judgment)" (17:34). (Mustafa. Shafaat.)

[10] Azar is the ninth month of the official calendar of Iran. It begins in November, ending in December, and lasts thirty days.

Aurelia Gabriana, Order of the Pelican, 2018

It was with honour when I, a humble poet, wrote to you once before on behalf of the crown. As you know, when I write I insert poetic quotes in my work, and try to create elegance in my words so that they would charm the ear. Now I move my pen to write to you again, Aurelia Gabriana, a woman of nobility whose righteousness is respected by all, at the bequest of our esteemed monarchs, Basiléus Evander and Basilissa Marioun, while we mark the anniversary of the passing of Emperor Leto II in the fifty-third year of our koino̱nía. Therefore, my friend, I need another kind of writing, another kind of urbanity in my words to speak on their behalf. I need a tongue—to tell the truth—that is filled with esprit. This then is the truth of things, in direct words. St. John Damascene once wrote of passions which could be overcome by virtues. They, our sovereigns, hold that you are an exemplar and paragon of those said merits. The first of these is the desire to serve, as you have done in so many ways. The second, compassion, which you show to all. Furthermore, your goodwill and love for all people; your joy; your patience and perseverance. Lastly is your way of doing good in secret; of despising boastfulness; and your humbleness. Therefore, due to these decent and noble traits, Evander and Marioun wish it known that they would raise you up so that henceforth you shall be known as a member of the Order of the Pelican. Your service shall stand a testament and will shine in glory through all eternity. This they told to me while the artisans of the kingdom gathered for the Queen’s Prize Tournament, in the Canton of Skeldergate.

Words by Maister Colyne Stewart, in the manner of a 12^th century Byzantine epistle, as described by Margaret Mullett in the Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies. Letters of this period would have been around 400 words long, to fit on one page. They lacked formulaic openings and closings, and often were undated. They were written in elaborate prose, with an emphasis placed on the relationship between the sender and the recipient. Letters would have been sent by couriers and were often accompanied by poems, perfumes, gifts or food (the symbolism of the accompaniment sometimes connected thematically to the letter’s contents). Letters at this time letters would have been written in Greek

I based this wording in part on a letter by Niketas Magistros (a high ranking official in 10^th and 11^th century Byzantium (as quoted in Floris Bernard’s “Humor in Byzantine Letters of the Tenth to Twelfth Centuries: Some Preliminary Remarks”) and St. John Damascene’s “On the Virtues and the Vices” as collected in the Philokalia (a collection of spiritualist writings written between the 4^th and 15^th centuries).

Koino̱nía, is Greek for communion and community.

Aurelia Gabriana, Order of the Laurel, backlog scroll (written in 2015; updated in 2017)

I was asked to write the wording for a backlog scroll for Mistress Aurelia Gabriana (of beloved memory) for her induction into the Order of the Laurel.

Lo, Roak and his queen did bring Their word

From Trino land; that Laurel was conferred

Unto Aurelia known for lovely art

For twas she that with needle showed her heart

So thence to teach was this new Laurel tasked

To well regard decree the Royals asked.

This was written in the chronicles as being during the winter war on the second of March in the year 42 after the foundation of the empire

Wording by THLaird Colyne Stewart, based on a verse attributed to Tyrtaeus, as found in “The Life of Lycurgus” in “Parallel Lives” by Plutarch.

Ronin, Award of the Wolf’s Cub, 2019

Who praises young Ronin?

I, said the knight,

Due to his might,

I praise young Ronin.

Who saw him shoot?

I, said the archer,

Saw arrow’s departure,

I saw him shoot.

Who saw him fight?

I, said the soldier,

I saw no one bolder,

I saw him fight.

Who saw him work?

I, said the Pelican,

He made me believe again,

I saw him work.

Who saw him try?

I, said the Laurel,

This son so auroral,

I saw him try.

Who saw him worthy?

We, said the Queen,

With King convene,

We saw him worthy.

Thus was it recorded in the musical tomes of the lupine kingdom, that Kaylah, Queen by Right of Arms, and Trumbrand, King of Grace and Patience, did look upon the many acts of Ronin, and found him to be a most excellent exemplar of Their lands. Therefore did They bestow upon him an Award of the Wolf’s Cub, given at the Harvest of the Huntsmen, in the Barony of Ben Dunsfirth, on the fifth day of October in the fifty-fourth year of the Society.

Wording by Maister Colyne Stewart, based on the children’s rhyme “Cock Robin”, originally published in ‘Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book’, c. 1744 (though its origins likely date back to the 15th century). This version only contained four verses, with an extended version appearing around 1770.  

Thorsteinn Bjarnylyr Sveinnson, Order of the Crucible, 2019

Deft creations, crafted
From Kraki's seeds; words fail
But works remain. When have
Wonders such been seen hence?

Before the thrones, Thorsteinn!
Thou art called by Roak
And Hyrrokin. Here ye
Are hail'd; your skill, honour'd.

Jewelry you've tool'd; tales of
Temper'd metal's beauty.
Creator; the crown speaks:
Crucible ye shall be!

Thus it was as the Khan and Khan Begam sat their thrones upon the fields of Baron's Howe, upon the final day of the eight month of the fifty-fourth year.

Wording by TH Lord Dietrich von Sachsen, using Norse dróttkvætt poetics. Note that "Kraki's Seeds" is a kenning for Gold.