Lady Iselda de Narbonne

Coral Branch

18 January 2020 at 12th Nacht Weihnachtsmarkt

Calligraphy & Illumination

K ValravnRoxbury MillAtlantia

Text

Hwæt! We of the Sea-Thrones, with wondering ears,From one Occitan song-carver hear odesWhose great guidance true gentlemen heed.Admirable sister-of-Alais shall advise Us now:With what might We reward well-wrought skill?Madame de Narbonne, with each eager verseFair Atlantia flourishes, finding strength;Thou, who many lands’ meters masteredTo terrify ignobles, We today inductAt Our 12th Night feast, year Fifty-Four.Iselda harp-tamer, hie thou henceOn clear currents with our Coral Branch.Our true test? To earn thy earnest tribute:To grant Her Grace,“That was a good King!”
Lord Ishmael ReedRoxbury MillAtlantia
HǷÆT ǷE OF ÐEsea þrones ƿiþ ƿondering ears from one occitan songcarver hear odesƿhose great guidance true gentlemen heed •admirable sister-of-alais shall advise us noƿ ƿiþ ƿhat might ƿe reƿard ƿell ƿrought skill • madame de narbonne ƿiþ each eager versefair atlantia flourishes finding strengþ ðou ƿho many lands meters masteredto terrify ignobles • ƿe today inductat our tƿelfþ night feast year fifty four •iselda harptamer hie ðou henceon clear currents ƿiþ our coral branch •our true test to earn ðy earnest tribute to grant her grace • (that) ƿæs god cyning •
With help of Alias ElaLady Elenor de La Rochelle

Materials

Walnut Ink on Pergamenata

Paper Size

8.5" x 11"

Assignment Date

31 December 2019

Completion Date

12 January 2020

Script

Insular Minuscule

Source

Full title: The 'Southwick Codex' (including Old English adaptations of Augustine of Hippo, Soliloquia, the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Prose Dialogues of Saturn and Solomon, homily on St Quintin); 'the Nowell Codex' (including a homily on St Christopher, Marvels of the East; Beowulf and Judith)Created: c. 1000Format: ManuscriptLanguage: Old EnglishUsage terms: Public Domain in most countries, other than the UKHeld by: British LibraryShelfmark: Cotton MS Vitellius A XV

Progress

Obsessive pre-planning.

I tried three different inks. The first is Noodler's Walnut (second from left bottle and top test script), then Tom Norton Walnut (left-most bottle, fourth line of text), followed by Noodler's Kiowa made from Pecan (third bottle from left and second line from bottom).

I tried two Brause nibs: 3/4mm and 1/2mm. The 3/4 was the clear choice.

A few mess-ups. Scrapey scrape scrape.

Source