The longest-delayed scroll ever!

 Within about an hour of discovering that she was to be Queen, (which must have been 19th October 2019), Martha Liljuros (SCA name Jacquelyna de Bellmont) asked me if I would do a scroll for her when she became Countess (a rank which would be bestowed on her at the end of her reign, which began in January 2020 and should have ended in June 2020).  In the event, because of the impossibility of organising a tourney for her successors, her reign lasted until today, (January 8th 2022) and only today was she made Countess and the scroll presented.

So I had a long time to work on it!  I was inspired by an illumination from a manuscript of "The Triumph of the Virtues" by Jean Thenaud, held in the National Library of France.  It featured a woman riding on a unicorn.  As Jacquelyna's SCA arms feature a unicorn's head, I decided to adapt the original picture for her.  As it is clearly an illustration to a story, I wrote a story about Jacquelyna's efforts to heal her realm of the plague (she had made some funny videos about this early in her reign).  I finalised the text when it looked as though things were freeing up and live SCA events could take place once again.  Sadly this was not the case, and the Title and Scroll had to be presented at an on-line court.

The scroll references Jaquelyna herself, her husband and SCA king Aerikr, courtiers, the alchemist from the videos, and former Queens of Drachenwald.

The text was written out in English, Icelandic and Swedish, as Jacquelyna is Icelandic but living in Sweden.

Icelandic: (Translation by Helena Vestfjrd) Jacquelyna de Bellmont, vísigreifynja af Norðurmörk, ferðaðist ásamt sínum ektamanni Æríkr inn Hárfagri, riddara og vísigreifa, á stórfenglengt mót er haldið var í in Insulae Draconis í Október mánuði á fimmtugasta og fjórða ári samfélags okkar. Þar komu yfirburðir vopnaburðar Æríkr yfir viðstöddum riddurum og öðrum vopnbærum mönnum bersýnilega í ljós og Drachenwald allur biðlaði til þeirra að stíga upp sem Konugur og Drottning.

Jaquelyna og Æríkr ferðuðust djúpt inn í vetraríki Aarnimetsa til að taka við kórónum sínum úr höndum þeirra hátigna Vitus and Isabel sem réttmætir og viðurkenndir erfingjar og eftirmenn þeirra. Og þannig hófst gleðileg og blessuð stjórnartíð.

Þegar þau höfðu ríkt aðeins í einn mánuð kom upp orðrómur að grimm og ógnvægileg plága væri að valda eyðileggingu í fjarlægu austri. Farsælt og fjölmennt land hins fagra kongusdæmi Drachenwald varð fljótt undirsetið er plágan breiddist út. Enginn þorði að yfirgefa bæi sína eða bústaði. Stolt Drachenwald, kastalar af öllum stærðum og gerðum, stóðu tómir og þar sem áður var fullt af lífi og hlátri var nú allt lokað og læst af ótta við pláguna skæðu.. 

Þessir myrku tímar kölluðu á mikla leiðtogahæfileika, og svar kom frá hennar hátign Jacquelyna sem lagði allt í sölurnar til að losa lönd sín undan plágunni miklu. Hún kallaði á töframenn og alkemista og biðlaði til þeirra að nota visku sína til að brugga lækningu sem myndi endurheimta heilsu og til lækninga allra þeirra sem í léni hennar búa, en því miður þá braust sú von. 

Það er aðeins eitt dýr hefur kraftinn til að gefa slíka lækningu og er það einhyrningurinn. Og því leitaði Jacquelyna af þessu yfirnátturulega dýri. Þegar leit hennar á endanum bar árangur, mælti hin göfuga vera “Sagt er og satt er, Drottning góð, einhyringar ekki bundnir eru valdi menskra höfðingja. Samt sem áður þar sem þú ein ímynd mina berð skal ég verða við bón þinni”. 

Og þannig kom það til að drottning vor, Jacquelyna, fór ástamt einhyrningnum um löndin öll og í hvert sinn er þau mættu íbúa Drachenwald gaf einhyrningur vernd sína, lítil stunga í upphandlegg, gegn plágunni skæðu. Löng hafði verið leitin af lækningu og Jaquelyna hafði þjónaði sem drottning lengur en allar hennar formæður. Eftir langa og erfiða tíð flutti einhyrningurinn Jaquelyna að einum af köstulum hennar. Ei lengur voru þeir læstir og tómir, heldur fullir af lífi og fólkið safnaðist saman enn á ný til að fagna og heiðra drottninguna. Og þar lagði Jacquelyna kórónu sína í öruggar hendur sinna erfingja, Morales og Eira, og var meðtekin inní félagskap Rósarinnar ásamt fyrrum drottningum Drachenwald og gefið titillinn Greifynja. 

English (My original composition) Jacquelyna de Bellmont, Viscountess of Nordmark, did in company with her mighty husband Æiríkr inn Hárfagri, knight and Viscount, travel unto the great Tourney held in Insulae Draconis in the month of October in the fifty-fourth year of our Society.  And there did Æiríkr so confound and slay the assembled Knights and men-at-arms of Drachenwald that all the ranks of the Kingdom did beseech Æiríkr and Jaquelyna that they would be their King and Queen. And thus did Jaquelyna and Æiríkr travel unto the deep and frozen lands of Aarnimetsä to receive their crowns at the hands of their majesties Vitus and Isabel, as their rightful and acknowledged heirs and successors.  And thus began a joyous and blessed reign.

Yet, ere they had reigned but one month, rumour arose of a dark and fearful pestilence that wrought havoc in the lands of the distant east.  Ere long, the prosperous and populated lands of the fair Kingdom of Drachenwald were overwhelmed by the miasma that brought a plague upon its lands. None did dare to leave their villages and homesteads. The castles in which the people of Drachenwald had been wont to assemble for the tourneys, revels and feasts that had marked them out above all other kingdoms closed their gates for fear of the plague.

 Great leadership was called for in these dark times, and Her Majesty Queen Jacquelyna set herself to find the cure that would redeem her populace from the plague.  She called upon her magicians and alchemists that they should use their wisdom to devise the cure-all to restore the health of her domains, yet their wisdom failed. 

One beast alone has the power to bring such healing, and that is the unicorn.  And so Queen Jacquelyna sought this mystic beast. And when at last she came upon the noble creature, it declared, “Know, O Queen, that unicorns are not subject to the authority of human rulers.  Yet, because you bear my image upon your arms, I shall do as you request”.

And so Queen Jacquelyna rode the unicorn, and whenever they chanced upon a noble, a knight or a commoner, the unicorn did jab its horn into their arm, to gave them protection from the dreaded plague.  Long was her quest to bring healing to her realm, and Jacquelyna ruled as Queen beyond the years of all others.  Yet, in the fullness of time, did the unicorn bear her unto a castle.  No more were the gates unlocked, but open in welcome, and the people of her realm were once more assembled together to greet her and do her honour. And there did Jacquelyna at last lay down her crown and was received into the honourable company of the Rose with those mighty Queens who had ruled Drachenwald in former years, and received the title of Countess at the hands of Morales and Eira 

Swedish (Tranlation by Magdalena Moren). Jacquelyna de Bellmont, Victomtessa av Nordmark, reste i sällskap med sin mäktiga make Æiríkr inn Hárfagri, riddare och Vicomte, till den stora Turneringen som hölls i Insulae Draconis i oktober månad under det femtiofjärde året enligt vår tideräkning. Och där dräpte och förbryllade Æiríkr alla de samlade riddare och vapenföra kämpar av Drachenwald så att alla invånare av kungadömet bönföll Æiríkr och Jaquelyna att de skulle bli deras Kung och Drottning. Sålunda reste Jaquelyna och Æiríkr till de dunkla och frusna land som kallas Aarnimetsä för att motta sina kronor från händerna av deras majestäter Vitus och Isabel, som deras rättmätiga och erkända arvingar och efterträdare. Och så började en glädjefylld och välsignad regeringstid. 

Ändock, bara i en månad in i deras regering-stid, uppstod rykten om en mörk och fruktansvärd farsot som orsakade förödelse i land lång bort i öst. Det dröjde inte länge förrän det välmående och välbefolkade Drachenwald blev överväldigat av det töcken som förde med sig en pest till dess sköna landområde. Ingen vågade lämna sina byar och hemman. De slott där folket av Drachenwald hade varit vana vid att samlas för turneringar, fester och banketter och som hade placerat dem högre än alla de andra kungadömena, stängde sina portar på grund av rädslan för pesten. 

Starkt ledarskap var nödvändigt i dessa mörka tider, och hennes majestät Drottning Jacquelyna bestämde sig för att hitta botemedlet som skulle rädda hennes undersåtar ifrån pesten. Hon kallade till sig sina magiker och alkemister så att de skola använda sin visdom för att uppfinna botemedlet för att återställa hälsan i hennes landområden, men deras vishet misslyckades.

Endast en best har kraften att medbringa sådant helande, och det är enhörningen. Och så sökte Drottning Jacquelyna efter denna mystiska best. Och när hon äntligen fann denna nobla varelse, så sa den, “Vet, o Drottning, att enhörningar lyder inte under de mänskliga härskarnas auktoritet. Men, för att du bär min avbild på din sköld, så gör jag som du begärt.” 

Och så red Drottning Jacquelyna på enhörningen, och närhelst de mötte en adlig, en riddare eller en ofrälse, så stack enhörningen sitt horn i deras arm, för att ge dem beskydd från den fruktade pesten. Långt var hennes sökande för att bringa helande till sitt folk, och Jacquelyna härskade som drottning långt bortom de år som andra gjort. Men, när tiden var kommen, så bar enhörningen henne till ett slott. Nu var inte längre porten låst, utan öppet välkomnande, och hennes folk samlades återigen för att hälsa och ära henne. Där la Jacquelyna till sist ned sin krona och blev upptagen i den hedervärda Ros-Orden, i sällskap med de mäktiga drottningar som hade regerat i Drachenwald under tidigare år, och hon mottog titeln Grevinna från Morales och Eira. 

The original illumination on which mine was based. (Acknowedgement: Biblioteque Nationale de France)