Scribes` Handbook - Kingdom of Calontir

The
Scribes’
Handbook
This handbook is made possible
by a generous grant from
The Barony of Three Rivers.
Edited by
Conna ingen Úi Chearbhaill
Falcon Signet
A.S. XXXIX (May 2004)
The Calontir Scribes’ Handbook is a publication of the Scribes’ Guild of Calontir of the Society for
Creative Anachronism, Inc. It is not a corporate publication of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.,
and does not delineate SCA policies.
Contents
PART I
Making a Beginning
Welcome
3
The “Calontir Way” 4
Preprints 101 5
Glossary
8
Badges of the Orders of Calontir
10
PART II
Taking Things a Step Further
How to Make a GOA Scroll 15
Scribe Equipment List
18
Calligraphy Basics 20
Gouache G-What? A Modern Substitute for Period Paints 23
Medieval Manuscript Production: Scribes, Illuminators and Their Methods
of Work
27
Whitework in Medieval Manuscript Illumination: A Brief Overview 33
Heraldry for the Scribe
35
Helpful Hints
43
PART III
Advanced Techniques
Vellum Preparation 51
Gold Leafing
52
Making Your Own Quill
59
Walnut Ink 64
Going Back in Line 66
To Be a Royal Scribe
97
PART IV
Miscellaneous
The SCA Calendar 107
Royal Lineage
108
Practice Sheet
112
Calontir A&S Criteria
113
PART I
MAKING A BEGINNING
1.1
Welcome
3
1.2
The “Calontir Way” 4
1.3
Preprints 101
1.4
Glossary
1.5
Badges of the Orders of Calontir
5
8
10
WELCOME
First, thank you for your interest in the scribal arts. Volunteering as a scribe is a great
way to serve your Kingdom. In these pages, you’ll find what you need to get started
down the scribal path. This volume is not intended to be a stand-alone source, but a
beginning.
Scrolls are a way for the Crown to recognize an individual’s elevation to an order.
A scroll is not required to receive an award. A scroll functions as a remembrance gift
from the Crown. It’s a nice way to commemorate an elevation, but it’s not required to
make an elevation official.
Even though scrolls are not necessary, they’re awfully nice to have. They add
magic to our courts and make the recipients feel special. The scribes of Calontir endeavor
to create scrolls that bring honor to our Kingdom. All of our Grant of Arms (GOA) and
Patent of Arms (POA) scrolls are original works of art, and our Award of Arms (AOA)
scrolls are originally painted.
Many of our Kingdom’s scribes got their start from painting AOA scrolls for the
Kingdom. I suggest that you also begin with AOA scrolls as a beginning venture into
your scribal career. The next page covers the information needed to get you started on
AOA scrolls.
The following pages in Part I cover some of the basics of being a scribe. Part II
takes things a step farther. The articles in Part III cover some advanced techniques. In
addition to this handbook, please gather information from other sources, especially from
the Kingdom’s scribes themselves. Ask to see copies of their scrolls or ask about their
personal favorite styles or sources of suppliers. These scribes are among our Kingdom’s
most valuable resources.
This handbook is designed to be kept in a three-ring binder with the idea that
future class notes and handouts can be added along the way. In addition to RUSH classes,
which are held several times a year, Calontir typically has a Scribes Symposium once a
year. Calontir is also lucky enough to be the location of several non-SCA workshops and
academic gatherings on the topics of calligraphy and illumination. Many towns have a
calligraphy guild. And I encourage you to attend the St. Louis University Conference on
Manuscript Studies (http://www.slu.edu/libraries/vfl/events.htm), typically held annually
in October.
Happy Scribing!
Conna ingen Úi Chearbhaill
Falcon Signet
3
THE “CALONTIR WAY”
The Kingdom of Calontir has an award system that consists of three levels. The first of
these levels is the Award of Arms (AOA), and it will be our focus in this section. The
others are covered in Part II of this handbook.
In Calontir, each reign creates an original set of AOA scrolls. Often, the scroll
style matches the monarch’s time period and country. This means that approximately
every six month, the scribes of the Kingdom have a new set of AOA scrolls to work on
and a new style to learn. This has been a wonderful way to become acquainted with many
different styles within a few years. (Many Kingdoms use the same scroll texts over and
over again.)
Each Crown chooses a Royal Scribe, who, among other duties, creates the
original set of AOA scrolls. These scrolls have blank spaces for names, dates, and places,
but otherwise the calligraphy is complete. They also have the outline of a design. These
scrolls are copied onto high-quality cover stock paper. For most reigns, we use Skytone
white cover, manufactured by Georgia Pacific.
These copies of the AOA scrolls (often called preprints) are distributed among the
scribes of the Kingdom, who volunteer to paint (illuminate) them. Some of the larger
groups in the Kingdom sponsor scriptoriums—gatherings for people to get together and
work on scrolls in a group setting. Some scribes are lone wolves and paint alone. Either
way achieves the goal of painted scrolls for the Kingdom. Occasionally, scribal tables are
set up at Kingdom events. These tables are always open to newcomers, and I highly
recommend joining in the fun at these tables. It’s also a great opportunity to try out the
materials and gather advice from more experienced scribes, too.
After the scrolls are painted, they are returned to the Royal Scribe, who fills in the
names and information of the intended scroll recipients, as supplied by the Crown. The
Crown then hands out these completed scrolls in Their courts around the Kingdom.
A note about other Kingdoms. Some Kingdoms do not use copied AOA scrolls;
they attempt to use only completely original work for all of their scrolls. This goal is
much to be admired. Calontir uses copies in order to avoid “promissory notes,” which are
often handed out in court if the scrolls are not completed in time. Our preprints allow us
to give every AOA recipient a hand-painted work of art, without the burden of a
“backlog” of uncompleted scrolls.
Conna ingen Úi Chearbhaill
Falcon Signet
4
Preprints 101
by H.L. Conna ingen Úí Chearbhaill
Painting AOA scrolls is a great service for the Kingdom. Their Majesties have a need for
scores of AOA scrolls during Their reign. No one scribe should carry the burden of
painting that many scrolls. To that end, many hands make light work.
Here’s what you need to get started:
AOA scrolls (distributed by the Falcon Signet or Royal Scribe)
Brushes
Paint
Sounds simple, right? It’s intended to be very easy to get started. Some people have
begun painting scrolls with leftover paints and brushes that they’ve had laying around the
house for years. There’s nothing wrong with that, as a beginning. But there is a better
way. Here are my suggestions for putting together your scribal supplies.
PAINT
Begin with good paint. I suggest using Windsor & Newton gouache. Gouache is a type of
water-based paint. It is more opaque that watercolors. It comes in a tube and is ready to
use with the addition of just a little water. When it dries on your palette, you can
reconstitute it by adding water. No waste!
Watercolors are serviceable, and if you already have them, please use them. But
remember to add much less water than normal; this will help to simulate the more period
look that we achieve with gouache. Oil paints are not recommended because they can
soak into the paper and leave an undesired “halo” effect. Acrylics are also not
recommended; they tend to have a plastice look once dried.
If you look at the local art supply store or online catalogs, you’ll find brands of
gouache that are much cheaper than Windsor & Newton. In this regard, you get what you
pay for. These are often inferior products. Some may cause you to wonder why your
painting skills are so poor. In this instance, I would suggest that better equipment helps
make better artists. It might not be your skills that are lacking, but rather the form of your
paint itself. The better paint is worth the money. And keep in mind that the small tube of
paint will likely last for years.
So now that you’re ready to buy some paint, what colors should you look for?
Some of it depends on the current reign’s style. If the scroll style is Celtic, it will call for
a quite different set of colors than a French style. However, most scribes can get by quite
nicely with a small set of basic colors. I suggest the following Windsor & Newton
gouache paints to get you started.
Ultramarine blue
Spectrum red
Spectrum yellow
Zinc white
Gold (Holbein-brand rich gold)
5
The rest of the colors you need can be mixed from these colors. If you can afford
a few more tubes of paint, I suggest these:
Windsor green
Spectrum violet
Ivory black
Burnt umber (brown)
Note that I’ve actually suggested a gouache that’s not of the W&N brand. I’ve
had lots of good luck with Holbein-brand gold. It’s shiny without being brassy, and can
be burnished (polished to a high-shine finish).
I use an eyedropper to add water one or two drops at a time to the paint. Try to
achieve the consistency of a heavy cream. Add water to one paint at a time. Many people
suggest using distilled water, to avoid impurities. I have to admit that I freely use tap
water.
BRUSHES
Everyone has a favorite size and brand of brush. Please use whatever feels comfortable to
you. Brushes come in numbered sizes; the larger then number, the smaller the brush
point. I rarely use anything larger than size 000 brush, and most of my brushes are much
smaller than that. (The more zeros, the smaller the brush. 0 is small, but 20×0 is
extremely small.)
Brushes are available in a variety of animal hairs, from domestic to exotic, which
are wonderful to work with, but there are synthetic and student models that also work
quite well. Don’t feel that you have to start out with the best; find something serviceable
and work up from there. In brushes, the more expensive is not always better.
SCROLLS
Contact the Royal Scribe or the Falcon Signet office to obtain AOA scrolls to illuminate.
The Royal Scribe changes with each reign. Any member of the current Crown’s retinue
should be able to point you in the right direction. We also have an active Yahoo Group to
stay in contact. Information is available at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalontirScribes.
Now you have everything you need to paint scrolls for the kingdom. Now comes the hard
part—begin painting. If you’re concerned that you’re not yet good enough to paint
scrolls, keep in mind that every journey begins with the first step. There’s no better way
to get practice and become a better scribe than by simply painting lots and lots of scrolls.
Begin by painting your first scroll, and keep on going!
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
You are a volunteer. If you don’t want to paint a scroll, don’t do it. However, if you’ve
made the promise to supply a scroll, please honor that promise. And do the best job
you’re capable of doing. No one would ask more than that, but the Kingdom expects no
less. Use the best supplies and talent that you’re able, for the sake of the recipient, for
whom this might be the only scroll ever granted.
6
Some scrolls have the badge or totem of the order within the design. Please paint
these in the colors called for by the badges’ heraldry. These are explained in the next
section. Some beautifully painted scrolls have, unfortunately, gone unused because the
badges were painted in inappropriate colors.
If you take scrolls, do what you can to complete them in a timely manner, or pass
them along to others to paint. The expensive paper used for scrolls is paid for out of the
Kingdom budget. Try not to waste. And because each reign has individual scrolls, it is
best to complete them within the first three months of a reign. The most pressing need for
scrolls is during the first month. Typically, the Royal Scribe has enough completed
scrolls to coast out the last month or two of a reign.
Please, please, please sign the back of your work. Let people know that you’ve
volunteered your time and talent to make that special scroll. Write your name lightly in
pencil on the back of the scroll. The best place to put your name is at the top or middle of
a scrollp; write it lightly in pencil. Some reigns choose to fold up the bottom of scrolls as
part of the sealing process (a very period practice). This means that a signature on the
bottom would show when the back is folded to the front.
EXTRA SUPPLIES
Now that you’re hooked, you might be ready for more supplies. Here are some
suggestions for extra goodies.
• Extras:
• Books (see a separate section on book suggestions)
• Easel or clipboard
• Light table
• Eye dropper
• Gold leaf
• More paints
• Better brushes
RESOURCES
• Web sites. Start at www.sca.org and visit the A&S page. Be sure to check out the home
pages for other Kingdoms’ C&I groups.
• Catalogs for materials
dickblick.com
aswexpress.com
johnnealbooks.com
paperinkarts.com
• Calontir scribes list (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalontirScribes)
• Falcon Signet office (contact information is available on the Calontir home page)
7
Glossary
by Conna ingen Úi Chearbhaill
This is a brief (and very incomplete) list of common terms that you may encounter.
Acanthus Stylized rendering of acanthus plant foliage.
Anglo-Saxon Period from c. 500 to 1066.
Bas-de-page Literally, “bottom of page.” Unframed images, common to Gothic
illumination from 13th century on.
Book of Hours A book used for private devotion. A medieval “best seller.”
Border An illuminated border that can be donated to the Crown; calligraphy can be
filled in at a later date by the Royal Scribe to complete the scroll.
Burgundian Style that flourished under the Duke of Burgundy, primarily in Flanders
from late 14th to mid-16th century.
Burnishing Polishing gold to a shiny and smooth finish with a smooth, hard stone (e.g.,
agate), bone, or dog’s tooth.
Byzantine Early style characterized by iconography of Biblical scenes and used of flat
gold backgrounds.
Calligraphy From Greek for “beautiful writing.”
Carolingian Dynasty established under Charlemagne (emperor 800–814), which lasted
until late 10th century.
Carpet page Ornamental page (no text) seen in insular manuscripts.
Decorated initial An enlarged capital letter with decorative elements that add interest
to the page and acts as a way for the reader to find the beginning of a section (very
important in the days before indexes).
Diaper pattern From French diapré (“variegated”), a repeated pattern, often geometric,
used as a background, especially in Gothic illumination.
Drollery Humorous grotesque figures. Used throughout period.
Exempler An original book from which other books are copied.
Gilding The application of thin leaves of gold or silver to the surface of a page.
Girdle book Tiny book that can be attached to a girdle or belt. Most often books of
hours or books of devotions, especially popular in 15th and 16th centuries.
Gloss Commentary on or translation of a text, often written in the margins or between
the lines.
Gothic Period beginning around 1300, used decorative initials, borders, and
backgrounds. Secular (rather than monastic) book production began during this time.
Grisaille Monochronistic illustration (French gris, “gray”). Especially popular from
1350 through 15th century.
Grotesque Humorous or imaginative figure, often in the margins. Popular from 13th
century on.
Headpiece A heading or ornament used at the beginning of a text.
Historiated initial A capital letter that contains a scene from the text. Borders can also
be historiated.
8
Humanistic Style of script and design begun in Italy in late 14th century and was
important during the Renaissance.
Icon Greek for “image.” Religious illustration that was venerated.
Illumination From the Latin illuminare “to enlighten or illuminate.” To embellish a
manuscript with color, usually including gold or silver.
Insular c. 550 to 900. Style reflected by regions of Ireland and British Islands; isolated
from the continent.
Marginalia Latin for “things in the margin.”
Model book A book used by artists to catalog original designs and those from other
sources, too; a place to store ideas.
Paper Manufactured in Italy as early as 13th century from cotton or linen rags. Used in
low-grade books from c. 1400.
Parchment Animal skin prepared for writing. Some people use parchment for sheep
and goat skin and vellum for calf skin. The flesh side is smoother than the hair side. In
books, the layout was planned so that flesh side pages were set together make a
spread, and the same with hair sides. Pounce is used to decrease the greasiness and
help ink and paint stick better.
Pen-flourished initial Capital letter decorated with colored ink flourishes made with a
thin pen; also called littera florissa. Typically red or blue; green was used in AngloNorman manuscripts and purple was found in 14th and 15th centuries. Rarely used
after 1200.
Pigment The material that provides color in paint, often ground minerals or extracts.
Pounce A pumice or mildly abrasive material used on parchment to remove some of
the greasiness to help ink and paint stick.
Preprint AoA-level scrolls that are drawn and calliged (except for names, dates, and
locations) by the Royal Scribe, copied onto good cardstock, and distributed to the
kingdom’s scribes for illuminating.
Rubric A heading written in red ink.
Scriptorium A place where scribes and illuminiators work; typically used to describe a
monastic setting.
Whitework Fine white decorative linework painted on top of bars, borders, or initials
(typically red or blue). Common from 13th to 15th centuries, but found much earlier.
9
PART II
TAKING THINGS
A STEP FARTHER
2.1
How to Make a GOA Scroll 15
2.2
Scribe Equipment List
18
2.3
Calligraphy Basics
20
2.4
Gouache G-What? A Modern Substitute for Period Paints 23
2.5
Medieval Manuscript Production: Scribes, Illuminators and Their Methods
of Work
27
2.6
Whitework in Medieval Manuscript Illumination: A Brief Overview
2.7
Heraldry for the Scribe
2.8
Helpful Hints 43
35
33
HOW TO MAKE A GOA SCROLL
by H.L. Conna ingen Úi Chearbhaill
If you ask a dozen scribes to describe the process of making an original scroll, you’d
receive a dozen answers. I encourage you to ask around to discover other methods. There
are lots of good ideas and tricks of the trade running around out there. In the meantime,
the following is my process.
1. Receive the assignment. (Talk to the current Royal Scribe, Falcon Signet, other
scribes. Bug the text writer until you receive the text.)
2. Do your homework. What period and style are the text and the current reign? Dig
through books for ideas (see the book list for reference suggestions). Talk to the
text writer about the research that went into the text. Look the recipient up in the
Calontir Armorial, if you want to include the device.
3. Block out your paper. Use a heavy, acid-free paper (unless you can afford
vellum). I use Strathmore Bristol (available in two different finishes: vellum and
plate; for the smoothest finish, use plate) because it comes in standard sizes and is
often on sale. I also like Pergamenta heavy paper; it feels a lot like vellum.
a. If possible, I try to supply a mat to go with the scroll, to give a little protection
(and out of fear that the recipient won’t think to get a mat, which holds the
painted surface away from the glass). Be considerate: I try to stick to standard
frame sizes, so that it won’t cost a fortune to have it framed. Sturdy, nice
frames can be found inexpensively in these sizes: 8 x 10, 11 x 14, 16 x 20, 18
x 24.
b. Block out the general areas for calligraphy and illumination. You might want
to practice the lettering on scrap paper to determine your spacing; this will
help you determine how many lines you need. Be sure to remember to leave a
minimum of a 1-inch border, for framing.
c. Find out if Their Majesties are using some sort of seal and be sure to leave
enough space for it and Their signatures.
4. Line the calligraphy area lightly in pencil. I use an Ames Lettering Guide and a
drafting table or T-square.
5. Do the calligraphy. (I’m still shaky with a dip pen, so I use a Rotring cartridge
pen with nib size 1.1. I think it’s the best pen on the market.) When I do this part,
it helps me to create a mood. I usually listen to period music, but only
instrumentals. Anything with words will usually lead me down the path of
repeated letters or skipped words. If the cat jumps on your working desk, repeat
steps 3–5 as needed.
15
6. Sketch in your illumination design lightly in pencil.
7. Outline the design in black ink, as necessary. I use Micron 0.05 or Zig
Millennium 05 pens. They’re waterproof, lightfast, and acid-free. They come in
different thicknesses, too. I prefer the tiny tips, but sometimes a thicker line gives
a more pleasing look. Look for these pens in the scrapbooking section of craft
stores.
8. Erase all the pencil. Be very gentle. And wait at least overnight before erasing the
lines from your calligraphy area; depending on the type of ink used, it will smear.
I use Staedtler Mars, but any white artist eraser should work just fine. If you’re
prone to accidents, you might want to tape (with magic tape—the type that lifts
off without ripping the paper) a piece of plastic or heavy paper over your
calligraphy. This will help protect it from the smears your hand on the paper will
produce.
9. Now’s the time to apply gold leaf, if you’re using it.
10. Paint. Yay!
11. Re-outline any areas that need refreshing (see Step 7). This will help give it a
crisp, clean look, and will help to cover any rough edges to the painted areas.
12. Sign your masterpiece and deliver it to Their Majesties’s chamberlain or other
trusted retinue.
a. Be sure to deliver it in a timely fashion; it will still need to be sealed and
signed.
b. Be sure to transport it safely protected in cardboard or some other method;
don’t rely on the Crown to safeguard it. They’ve got a lot on Their minds.
Make sure the cardboard carrier finds its way to the recipient, so the scroll
can make it safely home.
c. Provide a typed version of the text taped to the back of the scroll, so the
herald can read the text easily in court.
d. Provide a short report of your research for the recipient.
16
Suggested Basic Books for Research
GENERAL ART
A History of Illuminated Manuscripts by Christopher de Hamel (Phaidon Press,
1997). Great overview of our time period. Covers just about everything you’ll
need. Terrific photos and interesting text.
Codices Illustres: The World’s Most Famous Illuminated Manuscripts 400 to 1600 by
Ingo F. Walther and Norbert Wolf (Taschen, 2001). Absolutely gorgeous.
Another really great overview book, but larger and more expensive than de
Hamel.
SPECIFIC ART
Painted Prayers: The Book of Hours in Medieval and Renaissance Art by Roger S.
Wieck (Pierpont Morgan Library, 1997). Goes into great detail about the form of
Books of Hours. Also by this author, Time Sanctified.
The Lindisfarne Gospels by Janet Backhouse (Phaidon Press, 1999). This is an author
you can trust. She’s written a lot on the subject of illumination.
CALLIGRAPHY
Medieval Calligraphy: Its History and Technique by Marc Drogin (Dover). This book
has everything you need to get started, and the price is right.
The Art of Calligraphy: A Practical Guide to the Skills and Techniques by David
Harris (DK Publishing, 1995). This is my personal favorite. The color illustrations
make each stroke clear. But it’s pricy, compared with Drogin.
SCA PUBLICATIONS
Compleat Anachronist # 47: Primer in Calligraphy and Illumination.
Compleat Anachronist # 43: Palette of Period Pigments.
Compleat Anachronist #61: Education of a Scribe. (Note: This is particularly good for
layout information.)
Crossed Quills, published by Folump Enterprise. Available at Pennsic. Great
examples of SCA scrolls.
SUPPLIERS
Art Supply Warehouse (www.aswexpress.com). Cheapest prices, but they don’t carry
everything needed.
John Neal, Bookseller (www.johnnealbooks.com). Order a catalog. Great for
calligraphy supplies.
Paper & Ink Arts (www.paperinkarts.com). Order a catalog. Amazing stuff!
Dick Blick (www.dickblick.com).
17
SCRIBE EQUIPMENT LIST
by Duchess Alethea Charle, O.L.
PENS AND INKS
1. Speedball dip pens. The handles fit most nibs and are cheap. The nibs are cheap and
tend to work very well for new and experienced calligraphers. I recommend C-5 and
C-4 nibs. Avoid slanted or rounded nibs. The nibs should be straight across at the tip.
The only thing less than optimal about these nibs is that they are one piece (they cannot
be taken apart to be cleaned). Therefore, if you intend to use colored inks in your
calligraphy you will need to designate a different nib for each color.
2. Mitchell dip pens. These pens can be dismantled for ease of cleaning, however the
nibs are small and special care needs to be taken not to lose the reservoir portion of the
nib.
3. Cartridge pens. I am fond of the Osmoroid cartridge pen. It has a nice flow of ink and
a sharp edge. I don’t recommend its use for the more intricate calligraphic hands (or
any other cartridge pen for that matter). It is difficult to do the necessary flourishes
with a cartridge pen because it doesn’t have the same flow as a dip pen. But it is easier
to tote around for emergency or “at event” usage.
4. Inks. I recommend a non waterproof brand. Waterproof ink may be nice for not
bleeding when rained, sneezed or perspired on, but it is terrible for a fine delicate hand
and murder on your pen nibs. It is difficult to clean out of nibs, even with the
appropriate solvents, especially those that don’t break down into smaller parts for
cleaning (like the speedball), and it will ruin your cartridge pen. The colored inks are
most often waterproof, and difficult to use for fine work, however, if you want to have
a different color of ink in your manuscript, and don’t want to hand paint each
individual letter, you’re stuck with them. The inks I do recommend are: Higgins
Permanent Ink (it comes in a square plastic bottle which has a tendency to leak after
it’s opened—I recommend transferring some of it to a glass bottle for traveling, or
putting it in a ziplock bag); and Quink Ink (which is made to use in cartridge pens). I
don’t recommend Osmoroid Ink because, although it flows nicely and is not
waterproof, it has a tendency not to dry completely and will smear easily.
PAPER
1. Watercolor Paper. (not the kind on a pad) Watercolor paper is heavy enough, and has
a tight enough bond, to take both ink and paint well. I recommend using the back side
of the paper because it is smoother/has less texture. Texture is not a good thing when
you are trying to do calligraphy. If you can, aim for a paper with a slight buff tint to
it—it looks more natural. It is a little more difficult to do gold leafing with this kind of
paper because the size (glue) soaks into the paper, and the gold takes on the texture of
the paper instead of remaining smooth.
2. Bristol Board. (this comes in a pad) Bristol board is an extremely tight paper, with
practically no texture. It is wonderful for ink, paint and gold leafing. It behaves the
most like vellum, which is what was used in the Middle Ages. Be careful, though, it
does pick up every little smudge. When using this paper it is best to cover any part of it
18
you are not working with directly, to avoid smudges, drips and perspiration from
messing up your work.
5. Card Stock. This is what most scrolls for AOA’s are done on these days. Many colors
are available, but parchment colored is recommended. It takes ink and paint relatively
well, and if doing a smaller GOA or above scroll would be suitable to use and cheap to
acquire.
6. Vellum. While this is not paper, it is technically the best surface to write, and paint on,
if you are going to be recreating the middle ages. It needs to be prepared for usage
before you can do anything to it (but that’s another class). Once you have actually used
vellum it is difficult to go back to using paper, except for a couple of things: First, it’s
expensive and does need to be prepped to use; and Second, it warps like crazy in the
Midwest humidity. In the Middle Ages vellum was not used for pictures to be framed
on the wall. It was in a book, with solid covers and a latch. This was to minimize
warping and protect the document. I highly recommend each scribe use it at least once,
it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss out on. And, if you plan to do a book someday,
definitely use vellum and do it right.
PAINTS AND BRUSHES
1. Paints. I recommend gouache paints. They have the same opacity as period pigments,
are water-soluble and can be mixed and blended much easier than latex or egg tempera
paints. There are vast ranges of potential colors, all of which can be mixed by the
scribe at the time of need and saved for another time. Once dried they can be
reconstituted as needed by simply adding water. And, they won’t poison you if you
say, accidentally, licked your brush to bring it to a nice point. The best colors to start
with are White, Black, Spectrum Yellow, Spectrum Red, and Indigo Blue. With
these colors you can mix almost any color you like. I don’t recommend getting carried
away when buying paints, as these paints are not particularly cheap. They will,
however, last a long, long time. You will also need several plastic palates to keep your
mixed paints on. Be sure to store them in an enclosed space when you are not using
them, because they are great dust magnates.
2. Brushes. You should use whatever you feel comfortable with. I prefer natural fibers.
For scrolls, the smaller brushes are what you need. I rarely use anything larger than a 1
or 00 round, for use in covering larger spaces. My favorite brushes for fine detailing
are 10/0 spotters. A special mention should be made that if you start doing Gold
leafing on your scrolls (which, like vellum preparation, is an entire class of it’s own)
make sure that you NEVER use your painting brush to put the size (glue) on your
paper or vellum. It will be totally ruined for anything other than applying size. I always
set aside a special brush just for applying size.
This list and commentary are for the new scribe to use as a reference. It is not the be all
and end all, only that which I would recommend to a new scribe, for starters. If you talk to
other, experienced, scribes you may find that they have discovered some tools and
techniques of their own, which work very well. My advice is to just get started and find out
what works best for you. Remember, there are very few people who were exceptionally
good at this craft when they first started doing it. It will take a lot of time and practice
before you will perform at the level of an experienced scribe. When you do reach that
level, however, the feeling is wonderful. Good luck and above all, have fun.
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GOUACHE G-WHAT? A MODERN
SUBSTITUTE FOR PERIOD PAINTS
by H.L. Slaine ni Chiarain
I put this information together because there seemed to be no one good place to learn
about gouache. Even when I took a college illustration course we were told very little
about how gouache works. This is based on things I've read in books, on lists, and from
my own experience.
What Is Gouache?
Gouache is like watercolor paint in that gum arabic is used as the binder and pigments
provide the color. Whereas the white of the paper provides the light for watercolors, the
brilliance of gouache comes from the pigment. Some brands of gouache use chalk to
make the paint opaque; the better brands use more pigment.
Gouache is often used by illustrators because it has such a velvety smooth surface
that it reproduces well. Because many commercial works only have to last until they are
photographed, the artists are not concerned about permanence of the paint. Some unique
colors were created that have a very low permanence. On Windsor & Newton paints, AA
means very permanent, B a little less permanent, etc. Always check the permanence of
the tubes of paint you buy.
Kinds of Gouache
There are many different brands of gouache. The ones that I have been able to find most
often are Windsor & Newton and Daler-Rowney, both of which I like to use. Other
highly rated brands mentioned in Rob Howard's Gouache for Illustration are Holbein,
Schmincke, Da Vinci, and Turner. (He didn't like Daler-Rowney, oh well.) Different
brands of gouache can be safely mixed together.
There are several brands of "student-grade" gouache. Remember, you get what
you pay for. I started with what my college bookstore had—Pebeo gouache from France.
It was okay. The colors seemed to be somewhat muted by the addition of white, and the
texture was a lot rougher. Savoir Faire and Reeves are two other student-grade brands.
Acrylic gouache uses acrylic as a binder instead of gum arabic. Because of this it
dries quickly and cannot be rewetted. It has been observed that because of this, acrylic
gouache is in this more like egg tempera. To my eye, the colors of acrylic gouache are
more plasticy looking. However, the finished surface of acrylic is much more durable. It
is a good substitute when painting something that will be handled, like a box or a wax
tablet. I have used Jo Sonja acrylic gouache. I've seen it at Art Mart and Michaels. Gold
acrylic gouache cannot be burnished.
According to Windsor & Newton's Web site, you can make their regular gouache
water resistant by adding small amounts of their Acrylic Matte Medium.
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Where to Find It
Gouache is easier to find than it was just 10 years ago. I've found it at art supplies stores
like Art Mart, Dick Blick, and at university bookstores. I even bought some in an auction
on e-Bay.
How to Use It
When fresh out of the tube, gouache is much thicker than you need it. Add water a drop
at a time until you like the consistency. (Like heavy cream.) Dispensing water with a bulb
syringe (one of those bulb things moms use to clean baby noses) is useful.
When you open a new tube, a little clear liquid comes out. That is not necessarily
the binder settling out. Glycerin is used to fill the last space in a tube and keep the paint
from drying out. Discard the clear liquid.
I've read that one should use distilled water rather than tap water. I guess it
depends on the minerals in your water supply. I also read that it's a good idea to use one
jar of water for cleaning brushes and one for wetting your paint.
Special Qualities
• Rehydrates—dried up gouache in a palette can be rewetted and used again. If the
surface of repeatedly dried gouache becomes chalky, the surface of the finished
painting will be chalky and more likely to smudge. Adding a drop of gum arabic will
extend its life. Too much will make it shiny and more sticky.
• Putting wet gouache in an airtight container to keep it moist can lead to smelly biology
experiments.
• If applied too thickly, gouache can crack and flake off.
• If applied thinly, it can be used like ink. In other words, you can use red gouache
instead of red ink.
• The color can shift dramatically as the paint dries. Usually it gets lighter.
• Don't tip your brush with your mouth. Modern commercial gouache is not supposed to
be toxic. But if you ever plan on working with ground pigments, it would be wise to
start practicing safe habits now.
• Permanent white and titanium white are more opaque and are good for doing whitework
and highlights.
• Zinc white is more transparent and better for mixing colors. Also it does not diminish
the colorfastness of the colors it’s mixed with.
Like Medieval Tempera
Over the past couple years, I have had an opportunity to see several period manuscripts.
The rich matte colors of gouache are very similar to the appearance of many of them.
That being said, there is no hard and fast rule that says every paint used was opaque. In
early period manuscripts the paint looks thinner, more transparent. Is this wear, chemical
changes, or what the artist intended?
Ways to Make Gouache More Medieval
Ultramarine—put a little metallic gouache in it to simulate the sparkle of lapis. Too much
gold can change the color of ultramarine and make it head toward green. A drop of gold
in yellow gouache might make it look more like orpiment, but I haven't tried this.
24
With period pigments, lead white did not react well with the copper commonly
used for green. “Whitework” on green is often done with yellow paint
Since egg tempera dries so fast and is not re-wettable, medieval artists had to
paint in small hatch strokes. Each stroke is a slightly different color that adds up to the
intended color and shading
Gold gouache can be burnished to smooth out its appearance. Like gold leaf, gold
gouache should be done before any other colors are applied (but after calligraphy). Mix it
to a consistency like heavy cream and apply it to the paper so that it looks like mercury
sitting on the surface. I find it useful to put a fat drop of gold in an area and pull it with
the brush into nooks and crannies. When the gold is completely dry, carefully rub it with
a smooth stone or glass piece. A piece of glassine paper between the gold and the
burnisher will protect both surfaces. (The transparent envelopes that postage stamps come
in are made from glassine paper.) Sometimes you have to do a second layer of gold to get
good coverage. Acrylic gold gouache is too flexible to be burnished.
What Colors to Buy
This is a highly individual. If money is an issue, buy a cheap student set and add a tube or
two of a high-quality brand as you can. If you plan on working on scrolls from several
periods and regions, I recommend buying a spectrum red, blue, and yellow, and black and
white so you can mix the shades you need for each project.
For late-period scrolls, I used an awful lot of ultramarine, madder carmine,
Windsor green, titanium white, and yellow ochre. I hardly ever use black paint
For early-period scrolls, especially Celtic: aquamarine, indigo blue, rose, bright
yellow.
From Windsor & Newton’s site: three designated primary colors: primary yellow,
primary blue, and primary red. If using a six-color mixing system we would recommend
lemon yellow, permanent yellow deep, Winsor blue, ultramarine, scarlet lake, and
alizarin crimson.
Here's another list: ultramarine, cadmium yellow pale, alizarin crimson, zinc
white, olive green, jet black, vandyke brown, and gold.
And another: cadmium red pale, cadmium yellow deep, ultramarine blue, zinc
white, lamp black, purple lake, and middle green.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Howard, Rob. Gouache for Illustration: Materials, Techniques, and Studio Secrets for
Today’s Fine Artist and Illustrator. Watson-Guptill: New York, 1993. ISBN 0-8230-2165-3. A wonderful book. All the basics of gouache plus a great deal of color theory.
Unfortunately, it is out of print. Amazon.com found one for me but it took a while.
Another book by Rob Howard, called The Illustrator's Bible, has only a few pages about
gouache.
Mayer, Ralph. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques. Viking: 1991 (5th
edition). The bible for all visual artists. However, only a few pages are dedicated to
gouache.
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Metzger, Phil. The North Light Artist’s Guide to Materials and Techniques. North Light
Books: Cincinnati, Ohio, 1996. ISBN 0-89134-675-9&-9. This is a great book. Chapter
seven gives a good basic description of gouache as well as egg tempera. It has lots of
pictures and references and, best of all, it is in print and widely available.
A good basic description of gouache
http://www.theblueprinter.com/artcolony/gouache.htm
Daniel Smith Artist Materials technical leaflet about gouache.
http://www.danielsmith.com/leaflet-gouache.html
Windsor Newton's Q & A about gouache.
http://www.winsornewton.com/Main/Sitesections/EncycloSctn/CommonQuestions/comm
qstnsetgouache.html
This site has a good comparison between student and professional grade gouache.
http://www.artpaper.com/TrueBlue/teckwc2.html
Cyber-Scriptorium: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2963/
A Scribes Bibliography: http://www.thibault.org/sca/scribe/biblio.html
Dscriptorium: http://www.byu.edu/~hurlbut/dscriptorium/dscriptorium.html
Medieval Manuscript Leaves: http://wally2.rit.edu/cary/manuscripts/index.html
Texts, Manuscripts, & Paleography: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/hot/mss.html
This is my mnemonic for how to spell gouache
"All the vowels except 'i' and no 's' "
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Medieval Manuscript Production:
Scribes, Illuminators and
Their Methods of Work
by Duchess Alethea Charle, O.L.
Medieval manuscripts were made during a period of about 1500 years between the late
Roman Empire and the high Renaissance all over Europe and in many varied places
ranging from hermits’ cells in the mountains to commercial production lines in the cities.
• As Christianity advanced across Europe in the Dark Ages, it brought with it the
Mediterranean skills of reading and writing. The rule of Saint Benedict, around the 9th
century, encouraged monks and nuns in the use of books, and the monasteries and
religious communities needed libraries. Teaching children to read was one of the
parochial duties of the church.
• Until the 11th or 12th century, most manuscripts were probably made in monasteries.
Monks sat in cloisters copying and studying texts, but monks had other duties as well.
Attending chapel up to eight times a day and taking turns with other tasks around the
monasteries, schools, kitchen, guest house, and garden. Some monastic manuscriptmaking projects could extend over years. An 11th-century scribe might achieve three or
four moderate-sized books a year.
• There wasn’t much private ownership of books at that time, and religious communities
simply produced manuscripts for use by themselves and their dependants. They could
hope to have a fairly comprehensive collection with only a few hundred books.
• By 1100 the number of texts were increasing, and the monks were having some trouble
keeping up. They began to employ secular scribes and illuminators to collaborate in
manuscript production in order to keep their libraries up to date.
• In the 12th century early universities in Paris, Bologna, and Geneva introduced
education, which was more or less independent of the monasteries, causing an increase
in the number of authors writing books. It became impossible for the monastic libraries
to keep up, and it became more and more common for people to want to own books of
their own—from students seeking textbooks to ladies wanting to own beautiful Books
of Hours.
• By 1200 there is evidence of secular workshops writing and decorating books for sale to
the laity, making new books as well as trading in second-hand books.
•By 1300 it was exceptional for monasteries to make their own manuscripts. They bought
from the booksellers like everyone else, with the exception of the Carthusians and some
of the religious communities in the Netherlands.
• By the 15th century if a layman wanted a Book of Hours he went to the booksellers and
commissioned one. He then subcontracted with scribes, illuminators, parchment
makers, and binders—all of whom were paid by the work, not by the hour, and were
often members of guilds. A 15th-century scribe could write one book in a matter of
days. (Giovanni Marco Cinico, often referred to as “Velox,” or speedy, boaster that he
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could complete a manuscript in 52–53 hours.) An illuminator could complete 2 to 3
miniatures a day. Remember, a professional artisan who knows his job and repeats it
throughout a lifetime can often work extremely fast.
THE ILLUMINATED BOOK
Strictly speaking, an “illuminated” manuscript contains gold or silver, which reflects the
light, as opposed to a “decorated” manuscript, which only has painted designs. The scale
or lavishness of decoration was usually determined by the importance of the text. Major
divisions were generally more elaborate and lesser ones less so. Types of books that were
often decorated or illuminated:
• Bibles
Gospel Book (the first four books of the New Testament)
Psalters (Book of Psalms)
Apocalypse—more in demand around 1000, 1260, and 1500.
• Breviary—this book included all the services of divine office.
• Missal—a liturgical manuscript to be read at the altar.
• Choir books
• Pocket Bibles—became more popular in Paris in the 13th century.
• Book(s) of Hours—books of Psalms of penitence
- became more popular in the second quarter of the 14th century.
- production increased in the 15th century for the use of the middle class.
• Secular and vernacular texts—these were histories, stories of travel, poems, etc.; seen
from the 12th century on.
• Romances—e.g., Arthurian legend, romance of Alexander, etc.
• Beastiaries, herbals
• Advice to women
• Geneology
• Student texts
MATERIALS USED
• Techniques and materials used in the production of medieval manuscripts did not
change much throughout the centuries.
• We can determine the kinds of materials used by physical examination and
spectrometry as well as from period instruction manuals (master manuals). Three such
manuals are:
- Theophillis—12th century
- Cennino Cennini—late 14th century
- Gottingen manuscript—mid-15th century
These had instructions on everything from preparing the parchment for use to how to
make quills, inks, pigments, gesso, and apply gold leaf.
PARCHMENT
Papyrus was used in the production of scrolls prior to the use of parchment or “vellum.”
Parchment, which is made of animal hides, was discovered around the end of the 1st
century A.D. and was made popular by the Christians. It was found to be preferable to
papyrus in the production of books because it could be folded and bound into the more
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compact and durable “Codex” (book form we use today). Papyrus was used to make
scrolls because it was too brittle to make a proper codex. Whereas the use of papyrus
scrolls lingered until the 7th and 8th centuries, parchment was used almost exclusively by
the 4th century on.
As stated before, parchment is made from the skin of an animal. The process of
transforming the animal skin into a clean, white material suitable for writing medieval
manuscripts was the task of the “parchment-maker” or parchmenter. These professionals
existed throughout the Gothic period and probably back into the Romanesque and
Carolingian ages.
The earliest documentary evidence of book production in Oxford is a land charter
dating from not long after 1200, witnessed by a scribe, three illuminators, and two
parchmenters. In the late middle ages, parchment makers were among the artisans and
tradesmen of every town.
In normal usage, the terms parchment and vellum are interchangeable. “That
stouffe that we wrytte upon: and is made of beesties skynnes: is somtyme called
parchment somtyme velum” (William Horman, early 16th century).
The word parchment is derived from the city of Pergamum, where it is said to
have been invented in the second century B.C. during a trade blockade on papyrus. The
word vellum has the same origin as veal. In other words, calf; and it is strictly the writing
material made from cow skin. It is practically impossible to tell the prepared skin of one
animal from another. I doubt that medieval scribe and readers of manuscripts either knew
or cared what the animal had been when it was alive (though different animals and
different hair types could produce different colors of skins).
Parchment is more durable than leather and, properly prepared, is soft and velvety
and easy to fold. Within moderation, a bit of handling is said to be good for parchment
because, like leather, it responds well to movement and can lose suppleness if untouched
for centuries.
A brief description as how to prepare parchment is as follows:
• Wash it for a day and a night in clear running water.
• Soak it in lime water for 3–10 days for the hair to rot and fall out.
• Scrape the sides clean of hair and flesh.
• Soak in lime water again.
• Scrape it again.
• Rinse in clear running water for 2 days.
• Stretch it and scrape and scrape and scrape.
• After it’s dried, sand it, pumice it, then it can be written on.
• The flesh side of the parchment is whiter than the grain side. The pages in each
book were arranged so that flesh side faced flesh side and grain side faced grain
side.
PAPER
Paper was invented in the orient around the 2nd century B.C. The knowledge of its
manufacture and use came through the Arab world to the West. The term paper was
derived from the word papyrus, although it is not made from the same material. Medieval
paper was made from linen rags and was much stronger and more durable than modern
wood pulp paper. After it was made, sizing was added by dipping it into a pot of animal
29
glue, which was made by boiling down scraps of vellum. Sizing made the paper act much
like vellum, preventing ink from running or bleeding into the paper.
There were established paper mills in Spain and Italy by the 13th century, in
France by 1340, and in Germany by 1390. Paper was primarily used for the production of
small, cheap books, because it was considered inferior to parchment. It was the invention
of printing in the 1450s that transformed the need for paper. By the 15th century, it was so
much cheaper than parchment that it was used for all but the most luxurious of books.
PENS
Quills were made from five or so outer wing pinions of a goose or swan. If a scribe was
right-handed, he would use feathers from the left wing—they made a better curve.
A brief description of how to make a pen:
• Pluck feathers fresh from the bird.
• Trim the barbs.
• Harden them by soaking them in water and plunging them into heated sand.
• Scrape away the outer leather.
• Pare away the tip.
• Slit the tip.
A good scribe needed several pens available. He would sharpen a pen up to sixty
times a day. Scribes wrote with the pen in the right hand and a pen knife in the left. The
knife served the purpose of not only sharpening the pen, but correcting minor errors and
holding the parchment down, because it tends to warp with humidity.
MEDIUMS
A medium was used to thicken, suspend, and help both pigments and inks adhere to the
parchment surface. There were several kinds, but the two most commonly used were egg
glair and gum arabic. Egg glair is made from rotten egg whites and is waterproof. When
glair is dried, it is impervious to air and water; therefore, it was used to seal toxic or
tarnishable pigments (e.g., a lead was often applied before and after the paint was applied
to prevent interactions). Gum arabic is sap obtained from the acacia arabica tree and
refined by boiling it like our modern maple syrup. Gum is not waterproof. Gum water was
probably the most used for illumination up to the 15th century, and it could be made from
resins of the cherry, plum, or almond trees as well as the acacia tree.
GESSO
Gesso was used as a glue for the application of gold leaf. The making of gesso was
described at some length by both Cennino and the Gottingen model. Gesso, by these
descriptions, was made of a mixture of slaked plaster of paris, white lead, a little
Armenian bole (for pink color), sugar or honey (which attracts moisture), gum, egg glair,
and water. It was applied with a quill or brush and allowed to dry for a day. It was then
reactivated with a hot breath before applying the gold leaf. It was considered best to apply
the gold leaf on damp days.
30
GOLD LEAF
Gold leaf was made by beating gold nuggets into gossamer thin leaves. It was said that a
good “gold beater” could make 145 leaves from one ducat. Gold leaf was rarely used prior
to 1200, with the exception of lavish, princely documents. One reason could have been the
fact that monastic cloisters were open to the wind. A proper sheet of gold leaf is so light
that one little puff of air can send it floating across a room. Gold leaf was applied before
any painting was done because it would also stick to the medium used to suspend the
paints. “Shell gold” was also used to illuminate manuscripts. Shell gold is made of
powdered gold suspended with gum. It was cheaper and could be applied with a pen or
brush. Shell gold allowed for finer detail and could also be applied after paint had been.
Both were burnished with a burnishing tool, which was traditionally made from a dog’s
tooth. Burnishing brought the gold to shine.
PIGMENTS
Medieval pigments, like many other modern pigments, were made of organic materials,
minerals metals, and bricks. Many were poisonous, and their preparation was also
poisonous. I could go on and on describing the many different pigments that were used in
the middle ages as well as the process used to produce them, but in interest of time and
space, I will only cover the most popular/favorite ones of the time.
Purple was an extremely valued pigment (in the early middle ages, it was considered a
royal color) and it was extremely difficult to obtain and process. It was made from the
bodies of shellfish obtained from the shores of Phoenicia. The process was long, arduous,
and odorous, and it took several pounds of material to make just a few ounces of dye.
There were other methods of obtaining purple dye, like mixing a blue with a red, but they
were not as brilliant and were not well suited for use as pigments.
Blue or ultramarine was the next most popular pigment, or color of choice for the
medieval illuminator. Ultramarine was made by grinding lapis into a fine powder,
separating the different colors from the stone by hand and mixing it with various binders.
One could obtain different shades of blue by doing this. There were basically two distinct
hues used by medieval painters: a light (warm) shade and an intense (cool) shade. The
warmer shade was used for clothing, sky, etc. The cooler, more rare, shade (almost
tending toward purple) was used for royal or divine robes or for decorative backgrounds
that were embellished with gold.
Red There were several sources for red pigments, but the two most popular were orange
tetroxide and red mercuric sulfide. Both were chemically manufactured and both were
called by the name “minium” (after which the term miniatures was obtained). Orange lead
is made by roasting powdered white lead in an uncovered iron pan until it turns yellow
and then orange-red. It tends to tarnish. Orange-red was used most frequently in early
period illumination. Red minium, or mercuric oxide, was much preferred and was more
commonly known as vermillion. It was made by cooking mercury and white or yellow
sulfur in a clay flask surrounded by a charcoal fire. The smoke coming from the flask is
watched until it progresses from a yellow to a red color—then it is done.
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Yellow There were many sources for medieval artists to obtain yellow pigments. The term
ochre is usually used to refer to a golden color and was usually obtained from natural
deposits, such as hydrated iron oxides and clay minerals. The favorite yellow of medieval
illuminators was “orpiment,” which is a sulfide of arsenic. It is a clear, lemon yellow in
color. It occurs naturally and can be made by alchemists. Orpiment can react unfavorably
with other pigments and can turn black from exposure to air. It was recommended to
temper it with size (rabbit-skin glue) to prevent these things from happening.
White The most common form of white was “lead white.” It was made by exposing lead
sheets to vinegar or urine for several weeks in a warm, dark casket, preferably
underground. The white produced in this manner was extremely opaque and mixed easily
with other media, but it was highly reactive when exposed to air and other pigments,
especially orpiment. It is also very poisonous, especially when grinding. Gypsum (plaster
of paris) and lime were also popular sources of white, but the process of “slaking” them is
long and tedious, taking up to three months before they are usable.
Ink and Black Pigments Ink is a liquid pigment that is thinner than paint. Inks are
basically composed of a dark pigment mixed in a liquid medium, and they are organic
rather than mineral. Carbon inks can be made from a variety of burnt substances (charcoal,
bones, rags, wood) or from lamp soot that is produced by burning an oil-lamp flame
against a piece of glass (linseed oil seems to work best). Carbon inks are opaque and
dense, but need to be tempered to make them stick to the page. Otherwise they flake off
like dust when the water dries. Oak galls, when prepared appropriately, make an excellent
ink. They make a fine, dark permanent black. Walnut hulls produce a warm, dark brown to
black ink, which can be made darker by adding carbon black. Both of these are produced
by crushing and grinding them, boiling them in water, and allowing them to ferment for
several months. The most popular colored inks were red and blue and some green. They
were used to highlight the beginning of important phrases.
IN CONCLUSION
I have tried to give an overview of manuscript production in the middle ages. I have
covered a little about its history, the people, and the materials involved in producing them.
I want to stress, however, that this is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a wealth of
information that I did not even being to cover. I would take much more time than we have
here. If you are interested in pursuing this field of research, I have listed a few books in
my bibliography, which I am sure that you will find very helpful. Thank you, and enjoy!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
“A Palette of Period Pigments.” The Complete Anachronist #43.
Medieval Craftsmen–Scribe and Illuminators. Christopher de Hamel, 1993.
Scribes, Script, and Books—The Book Arts from Antiquity to the Renaissance. Leila Arvin,
1991.
Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts—A Guide to Technical Terms. Michelle P.
Brown, 1994.
The Medieval Book. Barbera A. Shailor, 1991.
Bibles and Bestiaries—A Guide to Illuminated Manuscripts. Elizabeth B. Wilson, 1994.
32
WHITEWORK IN MEDIEVAL
MANUSCRIPT ILLUMINATION: A BRIEF
OVERVIEW
by H.L. Cassandra Peverell
What is whitework?
Whitework is a decorative technique employed in medieval manuscript illumination to
fill blank spaces of color.
In what time periods was whitework found?
Generally, whitework is found in manuscripts dating from the 13th through the 15th
centuries, although examples of its use can be found as early as the 9th century in
Carolingian manuscripts. It was used sporadically in early period as a border filler, but
did not come into frequent practice until sometime in the later 13th century. With art and
manuscripts progressing toward realism in the late 15th century, the practice of using
whitework as a filler started to die out.
Where in manuscripts can whitework be found?
Because whitework was used primarily as a filler, it can typically, though not exclusively,
be found in borders and in capitals. It is also sometimes found in the fillers or spacers
within the body of a text.
What are the typical characteristics of whitework?
In the 13th through 15th centuries, the period wherein whitework was typically utilized, it
could be found in many styles. Usually simple lines and shapes were employed to fill
space, although in some instances the lines became more elaborate and were even shaded.
The background for whitework was almost exclusively a true red or blue, though in
earlier periods more muted colors were used. It is also most often employed in
association with gold leafing of some sort, especially during the Gothic era.
What materials do you need to do whitework?
Different artists, as I’m sure was the case in period, employ different methods for
painting. I use gouache paint as a substitute for period pigments due to its accessibility,
ease of use, opacity, and texture. Windsor & Newton is my preferred brand, as I have
found other brands grainy, and a grainy base paint makes whitework all the more
difficult. The colors I have found to most closely simulate those of medieval manuscripts
are ultramarine, spectrum red, and zinc white. As far as brushes are concerned, for
especially fine lines, I use an 18/0 or 20/0 natural hair “liner” brush. For shading and
blending, I use a harder synthetic 10/0 “spotter” brush. When starting out in whitework or
illumination, I would recommend experimenting with your brushes to determine which
ones work best for you.
33
How thin or thick should I make my paint?
Again, this is subjective to each individual artist, but consistency of paint is the most
important and one of the most difficult aspects of good whitework. If the white paint is
too thick, it is difficult to create a line of any length and it will often come out “smudgy”
and inconsistent. If the paint is too thin, the line will not be dark enough and will be
thicker than it should be. It is best to play with the consistency of your paint to find that
perfect balance of paint and water. Experiment with your lines on both blues and reds.
The white pigment will interact differently with each color. For example, the white will
not be as vibrant on the red as it is on the blue, so a thinner paint, while it may be visible
on the blue, will be completely lost on the red.
How much pressure should be applied to the brush when painting whitework?
Practically none. If you find that you are having to use a bit of pressure, then your paint is
too thick. When I do whitework, I can’t even feel the paper under my brush. The paint
should flow easily enough so that the merest touch of the brush will make an impression.
What should the lines look like when they are painted?
Ideally, the lines should be thin, consistent, and as delicate as a strand of hair—Ideally!
Don’t fret if yours doesn’t look perfect at first. Whitework is very much a learned skill
from much practice. Once you get the hang of your paint and the amount of pressure to
use, all will fall into place. But don’t expect it overnight! And practice, practice, practice.
What styles or what type of lines should be used in whitework?
Here, I recommend doing some personal research. There are tons of different styles out
there that you can employ. Doing your own research is invaluable in any type of
illumination that you may want to do. In every culture and time period there can be found
something unique with regard to illumination, and whitework is no exception. The good
news, though, is that with whitework, you can generally apply any design you find into
Gothic illumination. So once you pick up a style, you can use it again and again.
Some tips:
1. Generally, if you see something you like in a border, you can modify it to work in a
capital.
2. Circles, dots, and simple lines make great space fillers when you can’t figure out what
to do or when nothing else will fit.
3. Squiggles are perfectly acceptable.
4. If you screw up, gouache is forgiving and can easily be painted over. Try new things
without fear of failure!
34
Helpful Hints
The following are the collections of “Helpful Hints” and “FYIs,” given in the Falcon
Signet letters to the Kingdom during the term of Duchess Alethea Charle. These writings
were supplied by Alethea, Countess Margarette de St. Martin Sur Mer (Maggie) and
Mistress Tatiana Dieugarde.
A.S. XXXIV—April’s Helpful Hint
When writing with a dip or cartridge pen, it is preferable not to use waterproof ink.
Waterproof ink will clog your pen and it is difficult to clean off of the pen. It is glossy
and does not flow nearly as well as a non-waterproof ink will. This is especially notable
when you are attempting to reproduce a hand with a lot of flourishes. In short, it can ruin
your pen and make it hard to use.
A.S. XXXV—May’s Helpful Hint
One of the secrets to a beautiful, medieval, calligraphic hand is the even size, spacing,
and vertical lines of the script. This is a very difficult thing for our modern hands to
master. I suggest purchasing graph paper on which to practice writing. Depending on the
size of your nib, you may want paper that has 8 squares to the inch (using one square for
the body of your letters) or 10 squares per inch (using 2 squares for the body of your
letters). Allow the vertical lines to guide you in making all of your letters straight up and
down. When writing on an actual scroll, I draw a graph on my paper/vellum (which I
erase later) to help make sure my letters are as nice as I can make them.
A.S. XXXV—June’s Helpful Hint
Medieval manuscripts were primarily done on parchment (vellum) or, in later period, and
for lesser-valued manuscripts, paper. These days, vellum is often cost prohibitive for our
scribes to use in the production of scrolls. Therefore, we tend to use paper. I recommend,
when choosing your paper, to look for one of a heavier weight. This will keep the paper
from buckling when paint is applied. Watercolor paper works well, but often has a rough
texture that makes calligraphy difficult. Avoid using watercolor paper that comes in a
pad, and if using watercolor paper, use the backside, as it is often much smoother. My
favorite paper to use is “Bristol Board” (this does come in a pad, and you want to use the
one labeled “smooth”) because it is heavily sized and very smooth. It is the best paper I
have found to most closely approximate the feel of vellum. It causes the colors of your
paint, the ink, and the gold leafing you apply to leap off the page at you. A parchmentcolored “card stock” can also work very nicely and is most often the paper used for AOA
level scrolls.
A.S. XXXV—August’s Helpful Hint
Many of the pigments used for paint in the Middle ages were toxic as well as difficult to
make/obtain. To be honest, many of us are not able or interested in going to the trouble of
43
making them in order to paint a scroll. Therefore, we look for modern equivalents that
look like the ones used in period, are affordable, and non-toxic. I recommend gouache
paints. They have the same opacity as period pigments, are water-soluble, and can be
mixed and blended much easier than latex or egg tempera paints. There are vast ranges of
potential colors, all of which can be mixed by the scribe at the time of need and saved for
another time. Once dried they can be reconstituted as needed by simply adding water.
And, they won’t poison you if you, say, accidentally licked your brush to bring it to a
nice point. The best colors to start with are White, Black, Spectrum Yellow, Spectrum
Red, and Indigo Blue. With these colors you can mix almost any color you like. I don’t
recommend getting carried away when buying paints, as these paints are not particularly
cheap. They will, however, last a long, long time. You will also need several plastic
palates to keep your mixed paints on. Be sure to store them in an enclosed space when
you are not using them, because they are great dust magnets.
A.S. XXXV—October’s Thought for the Month
The following was a note from an 8th-century scribe:
“O lucky reader, wash your hands and thus touch the book, turn the pages gently, hold
the fingers far away from the letters. He, who does not know how to write, cannot
imagine the work involved. O how hard is this writing: It clouds the eyes, squashes the
kidneys, and at the same time brings pain to all the limbs. Three fingers write, the whole
body suffers . . . .”
A.S. XXXV—November’s Helpful Hint
[From Maggie.] When doing a piece that includes both calligraphy and illumination, it is
wise to complete the calligraphy first. It is much easier to correct painting errors, such as
stray paint that has dripped off of your brush or a paint stroke gone awry than it is to have
to start a piece all over again because you left the recipient's name out of the text or your
pen decided to start spewing ink all over the page. In the next two issues, I will discuss
how to correct or hide some common calligraphy and painting/illuminating mistakes.
A.S. XXXV—December’s Helpful Hint
Correcting Calligraphy Mistakes
[From Maggie.] If you make mistakes while doing calligraphy, you may be able to
correct it without starting over. If you spill a drop of ink, there are a few techniques you
can try:
1. If it's a small drop and in a relatively translucent shade, you can try taking a wet
paintbrush and brushing out the spot by using water to thin it out. Don't use too much
water though, or you'll end up with a warped page. This is only safely done on a part
of the page that isn't too close to other text, or else you run the risk of causing
additional ink bleeding. You may try several thin coats of water, as well, allowing the
page to dry completely between each coat.
2. For thicker, more opaque inks, you may try very delicately chipping the ink off with
the tip of an exacto-knife or straight razor blade (exercise caution!). The scraping
44
should be done very gingerly, as to avoid scraping completely through the paper. Once
done, run a soft eraser over the area to remove any paper lint and create a smooth
surface. If you are only able to remove some of the ink without causing further
damage, you may also opt to try removing the rest of the ink using the first technique
above.
3. Cover the mistake up with paint that you've carefully mixed to match the color of the
paper. Combinations of white, browns or yellows will usually yield colors similar to
vellum or parchment. You will have to experiment using a scrap of the same paper or a
small area on the back of the page to match the color. Remember that most colors
change a shade or two as they dry.
4. Ignore it! Mistakes such as misspelling a word or leaving a word out are period. You
will have to use your best judgment to determine whether the mistake, even if it's a
drop of ink, warrants tossing a piece out the window and starting over or whether it
adds character.
A.S. XXXV—January’s Helpful Hint
Correcting Painting Mistakes
[From Maggie.] Stray paint does not have to mean doom to a piece of artwork you've
been working on. Here are some suggestions for correcting or hiding such mistakes:
1. Cover it up. As with calligraphy mistakes, you can mix paint to match the color of
your paper, if the mistake was made with a relatively light color. Apply the paint
you've mixed over the mistake in thin layers (probably 2 or 3). Be sure to let the paint
dry completely between layers.
2. As with ink mistakes, you may try gently scraping the paint off, using an exacto
blade or straight razor (very carefully!) once it has dried completely. The
effectiveness of this technique will depend on the type of paint you use and its
tendency to "soak into" the page.
3. Hide it! Incorporate the mistake into the existing artwork/design. Nobody but you
will ever know that it wasn't intentional. For instance, you could turn a drop of paint
into a flower or a beast.
Be creative!
A.S. XXXV—March’s Helpful Hint
There has been some discussion on the scribe’s list regarding the lines on bible pages
seen in period and how to duplicate them on the scrolls we make. My answer to the list
was as follows:
In the Middle Ages "ruling" was placed on each page of a book being calliged and
illuminated. These are the lines placed prior to painting and calligraphy and are used to
make the text more uniform. They are pretty much the same on every page. The scribes
then used the ruling to not only guide the calligraphy but to help block out the artwork (If
you look closely you can see where the artist painted directly over the previously placed
ruling). The calligrapher became very adept at writing exactly between the ruling. If you
will notice the calligraphy rarely touches the lines. And, if it does, only the ascenders and
descenders do. In the SCA these lines are sometimes placed in the scrolls we do, usually
45
on the more specialized scrolls and scrolls done by more experienced artists. It takes a lot
of practice to write in the exact center of these lines, so if you are wanting the effect but
aren’t up to doing it from scratch, try this approach: Rule/line your page and do the
calligraphy as you usually would. When you have completed it, erase the pencil lines you
used and then, with a red, blue or gray colored pencil, lightly redraw the lines in the exact
center between each line of text. Remember to include rules/lines to each side of your
text and to extend the rules/lines on the side a little above and below your text. Look at a
Medieval manuscript closely and you will see what I mean.
A.S. XXXV—April’s Helpful Hint
Are you having difficulty getting your calligraphy to look the way you want it to? Are
you missing words and letters and, sometimes, entire sentences? Are the words “practice,
practice, practice” getting very annoying? Well, here are a few more pointers that might
help you out.
First, never drink caffeine or alcohol before sitting down to work on your scrolls.
They will either make your hands shake or make you lose some fine motor control, which
is necessary for the constancy of your lettering. Also, try not to exercise, especially with
the upper extremities, before doing your calligraphy. Muscle fatigue will make your
hands shake.
Second, try not to listen to music (with lyrics) or the TV while doing your
calligraphy. It is too easy to lose your place or substitute words or letters where you do
not want them. Someone talking with you will do the same thing.
Third, try typing the text in large type and copy from that. Place a piece of paper over
the typed version. This will cover the words of the lines you are not working on. Then,
cross out the words (on the typed version) you have already written. It helps keep you
from losing your place or writing something over again. Often times we are concentrating
so hard on getting the letter shapes correct that we lose track of what we are actually
writing.
A.S. XXXVI—May’s Helpful Hint
This is taken from the information HE Tatiana gave to the Calontir Scribe’s list:
In designing the preprints AoA scrolls for the upcoming reign I drew from the Book of
Kells, the Lindesfarne Gospels, the Book of Durrow, the Book of Durham, and the
Psalter of Ricemarchus. There is also one that is based on Viking stone carvings.
Take heart budding illuminators! The generic 'Celtic' style is one of the easiest to
paint as a preprint because it's all flat washes. No shading involved. If you can color
within the lines, you can paint these preprints. Adding red dots around the illuminated
letters like in the Book of Kells is also an easy way to dress up these scrolls.
The biggest trap when people are first starting out is choosing the wrong colors.
When I'm teaching, I tend to limit people to a few colors. For Celtic, I stick with primary
(red, blue, yellow) and secondary (green, orange, purple) colors. Sure you can find
examples of peach and turquoise in the Lindesfarne Gospel, but I would save it until you
are more sure of what you are doing.
46
A.S. XXXVI—June’ Helpful Hint—actually it’s more of a FYI 
Did you know that gold leaf was made by beating gold nuggets into extremely thin
sheets? It was said that a good “gold beater” could make up to 145 leaves from one ducat.
Gold leaf was rarely used prior to the 13th century, with the exception of the most lavish
documents. One possible reason is that the monastic cloisters were open to the wind. A
proper sheet of gold leaf is so light that one little puff of air can send it floating across a
room.
A.S. XXXVI—August’s Helpful Hint (FYI)
Ever wondered what your favorite manuscript colors were made of in the Middle Ages?
Or why we prefer not to use them in their period form? In the next few installments I plan
to illuminate you. (Clever play on words wouldn’t you say?) 
Let’s start with purple. Very Calontir, but not a particularly common color to be seen
used in the Middle Ages. Ever wonder why? Well, it was considered a Royal color in the
early Middle Ages, to be used in only the most expensive and important manuscripts, and
it was very difficult to obtain and process. The most valued color of purple was made
from the bodies of shellfish obtained from the waters surrounding Phoenicia. It was a
very long, difficult and smelly process to get the purple dye. In fact, it took several
pounds of material to obtain just a few ounces of the dye. There were several other
methods of obtaining purple dye, like mixing a blue with a red, but they were not as
brilliant and were not well suited for use as pigments.
A.S. XXXVI—September’s Helpful Hint (FYI)
Last month we discussed the color purple. This month I want to talk about the medieval
scribe’s next most popular pigment. As you may have noted the color blue, or
ultramarine, is used a lot in the most valuable of manuscripts. It is an intense, beautiful
color, and like purple, not so easy to obtain. Ultramarine was made by grinding the stone
lapis lazuli into a fine powder. The different colors were then separated by hand and
mixed with various binders. One could obtain different shades of blue by doing this.
There were basically two distinct hues used by medieval painters: a light (warm) shade
and an intense (cool) shade. The warmer shade was used for clothing, sky, etc. The
cooler shade was more rare, and almost tended toward purple. Not surprisingly, this color
was used for royal or divine robes, or for the more decorative backgrounds which were
then often embellished with gold.
A.S. XXXVI—October’s Helpful Hint (FYI)
I believe we have been discussing colored pigments in this latest series. We have covered
Purple (every Calontiri’s favorite) and Blue. This month we will be discussing my
favorite color, RED.
There were several sources for red pigments, but the two most popular were orange
tetroxide and red mercuric sulfide. Both were chemically manufactured and both were
called by the name “minium” (after which the term miniature was obtained). To make the
color orange-red, powdered white lead is roasted in an uncovered iron pan until it turns
47
yellow and then orange-red. This particular color tends to tarnish. Orange-red was used
most frequently in early period illumination. Red minium, or mercuric oxide, was much
preferred and was more commonly known as “vermilion.” It was made by cooking
mercury and white or yellow sulfur in a clay flask surrounded by a charcoal fire. The
smoke coming from the flask was watched until it progressed from a yellow to a red
color. That is how you knew it was done. Sounds fun doesn’t it?
I hope that these writings have been helpful and informative, and that in some way they
have inspired people to want to learn more, and perhaps give being a scribe a try. 
48
SCROLL LAYOUT
By Duchess Alethea Charle, O.L.
First let us talk about AOA level scrolls. Usually this means you have agreed to be the
Royal Scribe, or are assisting the Royal Scribe with design of the masters.
Before starting anything you will need to talk with the Coronet/Crown or Their
representative:
1 What are they envisioning?
2 What time period do They want the scrolls for Their reign to be done in? Do they
have a preference for the type of artwork (country(s), specific badges/animals to
be included, etc.), or calligraphy styles?
3 Do They want bible pages, writs with illumination or just writs?
4 What size do they want? There are definite benefits to having the scrolls being 8.5
X 11 inches (printing and framing being a couple) but half sheets are also nice.
You should also think to yourself whether you are up for all that They want. For example,
is the calligraphy style something you are comfortable with, or are willing to learn, or will
you need to get someone to be your partner in designing the scrolls. Hey, this is period,
you know, so you don’t need to feel bad about it. (This will also apply to doing GAO and
POA scrolls.)
Here I will be referencing a previous paper already published in your Scribe’s Handbook;
“To Be a Royal Scribe”. (Don’t worry, I wrote it, so I can do that. ☺)
“Make the Masters – By this I mean design what the scroll will look like. The original
copy of any preprint is called a “Master”. One to two will be made for each AOA level
award given out during the next Reign. There are a few ways of going about making a
master, but I am going to tell you the way I prefer to do it.
a.
Decide on a graph paper that fits your pen’s nib size. This paper is already
ruled and makes the alignment of your text and artwork much easier.
b.
The calligraphy and the artwork can be done separately and then cut and
pasted together or done all at the same time. The cut and paste method
will allow you to make more mistakes, or change your mind, in the initial
drawing stage without having to redo everything. This also allows you to
have someone help you with the artwork or calligraphy. (I advise that you
remember… a preprint will seem more like an original if the person who
did the calligraphy on the “master” is also the one who fills in the names as
the Reign progresses). If a cut and paste method is chosen, remember to
leave the appropriate space on your paper, when doing your calligraphy,
for the artwork to be added in later. For example: I’ve been asked to do
Celtic knot work on the scrolls this reign. I can do the hand just fine but
designing knot work makes me crazy. I give a rough size estimate to my
buddy Tatiana and ask her to draw up some designs for me, which she
agrees to do. After I have received the drawings, I then block out the
necessary space on my graph paper and proceed to do my calligraphy
around it. Ok, so maybe I had to do it a couple of times to get it right, but
that is no problem, I haven’t actually added the drawing yet. When I have
the calligraphy to my satisfaction, I then cut out the drawing (or a copy of
the drawing if I want to use it in another scroll) and tape it onto my graph
paper in the appropriate place. I make another copy of that and now I have
a “master” from which to make the preprint.
c.
When doing the calligraphy on your master you may want to spend some
time before hand writing down some of the more common reasons for
awards and some long and short names that you know. Measure how
much space these names take up and leave that much space on your
“master”. For example: do one “master” for the Torse scroll with enough
space for a short name and a short reason, and another with enough space
for a long name and reason. It is also helpful if you can arrange for one or
the other to be at the end of a line. If you do that you can use a “filler”, if
the name/reason is not long enough, to complete the line and flesh out the
scroll.
Your preprint will not have graph lines on it after the copies are made. At
d.
least it shouldn’t if you have been using the correct graph paper and your
copy center knows what it is doing. You will need to pencil in some lines in
the open areas to serve as guides when adding in the names, reasons, dates
and places (BTW, I like to leave the date and place area completely blank if
they come at the end of the text. It is easier for me to callig in a complete
sentence than to fill the awkward spaces left for days, months and groups.
In case you haven’t noticed none of these things need the same exact
amount of room and the scroll starts to look sloppy when you try to make
the words fit in the wrong sized spaces.). Here’s a hint on how to get your
penciled-in lines straight and even: leave a small mark (more like a dot) on
your “master” at the end of each graphed line (You know, the ones you will
be adding the pencil line to after the copies are made.). These marks will
show on your preprints, but that is all right. They will act as a guide to line
up your ruler. After you have no further need for them, scrape them lightly
with an exacto knife, to loosen them, and then simply erase them away.
e.
You can actually make a “master” of artwork only for some of the GOA level
scrolls if you like. These pictures can be painted by anyone and then you
can callig in the text later. This is a technique best used when you have
willing painters who can’t draw, or when you want to have a larger picture
available to add a last minute text to, for the last minute award. If colored
ink is used for part of the text no one will know that the entire thing was
not an original scroll, made just for them.”
GOA and POA.
Again, talk with the Crown or Their Royal Scribe. You need to know the following things
before starting:
1 Who is the recipient and what persona is the scroll to be done in? Is this a Crown
preference or the persona of the recipient? For example: some Crowns have
decreed that the AOA and GOA scrolls be done in the persona of the Crown, while
the POAs were to be styled after the persona of the recipient. Also, some people
haven’t developed a persona yet, in which case you may be given leave to just do
what makes you happy.
2 Is the scroll to be done on paper, vellum or some other substance? If it is to be on
vellum, who is supplying the vellum/providing the money for it? I can’t emphasize
enough that you not take this upon yourself unless the recipient is a really good
friend and you are giving it as a personal gift. Vellum gets very expensive. As for
other substances, you might be surprised. (I have done scrolls on bunny fur and
real sheepskin, with the fur still attached – I don’t advise it)
3 When is the scroll due?
4 Do they have a text ready for you? If not, how long will it be until one is available?
This is important to know because sometimes the amount of time left until the scroll
is given out is not enough to actually do a scroll, or at least to do it as nicely as you
might wish. This is a good time to split your efforts and do a separate picture with
a writ as the main document. Which, as you may have discerned, is a more period
way of doing it, but not always the easiest? You can get an earlier start on the
picture and do the writ when the text is available.
5 Finally, how are They planning to seal and sign the scroll, and how/when do They
want it delivered? This is important to know because it will influence how you lay
out the scroll, how much room you leave for the signatures and seal(s) and how
quickly you need to get it done. For example: Lead seals will mark the paper,
beeswax will melt on the paper, no one wants to finish a beautiful piece of artwork
only to have the seal covering a good part of it, and some writs will have multiple
seals used along with the signing.
Now, for the layout/design: First you do the research. You can do this online or use the
old fashioned book. I like to find multiple examples of the style/time period/country of
origin you are planning to use. This is the best way to help decide how much detail you
will need to include, what color scheme you need to use and how the scroll should be laid
out.
Remember, we are trying to do medieval recreation. For several reasons it is very
tempting to put a lot of modern elements into the scrolls you make. First, several of us
have had modern training in the arts, which is hard to get past. Second, we really want to
put people in the artwork; People who look like the recipient; People with pink skin (you
won’t find much of this in the medieval manuscripts, by the way). And, third, it is often
difficult to find examples of period works that fit what it is we want to create.
This is where the research comes in very handy. Finding several examples of what we
are trying to recreate helps us find ways to include those personal touches without
deviating too far from the period feel we are trying to recreate. If you can make copies of
all the pieces you have found and keep them handy while you are working, you can also
refer back to them frequently to remind yourself of the colors, shapes and designs used in
the middle ages. It keeps you from veering off when you least expect it, if you know what
I mean.
You may want to consider the final size of your piece and whether it is going to be easy or
difficult to frame. There are a number of standard frames out there, which can be matted
for effect or allow for the scroll to be floated. If your scroll is of an odd size a custom frame
may be needed. If the piece needs to be matted, say because it is on vellum and will warp
if not secured, keep in mind how much space will be needed around the actual
document/picture. But, hey this is a once in a lifetime event for the recipient. They may
want a special, custom frame anyway.
Finally, before I start with the actual layout information, think about what it is you are good
at doing and how long it usually takes you to do it. If you are good at ivies and acanthus
leaves, but not so good at faces, perhaps you should concentrate more on the ivy or
leaves. If you have only two weeks to complete a scroll, perhaps you shouldn’t try for a
full page from the Grande Houres of Duc du Berry. I am not saying you should not try
something you haven’t done before or that you have some problems with. The only way
to get good at something is to give it a try and practice. What I am saying is, it is always
more fulfilling to give someone a scroll you wish you could keep. A scroll that is beautiful
and still keeping with your abilities.
LAYOUT
WRIT
This type of document is really handy when you have a long (by this I mean really long)
text. It can be done with or without a decorated first letter. Many also have the first line of
the document fancified with more elaborate flourishes on the ascenders of the letters
(especially in the later period examples). It is a pretty simple layout with four important
things to take into consideration:
1) Writs in period were not done in the more formal book hands we are used to seeing in
the manuscripts we reproduce. They were completed in more of a secretarial hand,
sometimes even in the cursive form of the day. Do a little more research on the type of
calligraphy done on writs of the time period you are working in and you will see what I
mean. You do not want to use the more formal quatrata, or textura,or even uncial hands
when penning the writ. This even applies for the more important documents in history.
For example, look at the Magna Carta. It is a simple (if very long) document, in a fairly
common hand and with no decoration.
2) You will need to leave enough room around the top and sides of the document for the
piece to be matted and framed. Depending on the size of the document, I recommend an
inch and a half to two inches at the top of the document, and 1 ¼ to - 1 ½ inches on each
side. The bottom needs to be big enough to allow the page to be turned up and then have
signatures and a seal added. I recommend 2 ½ - 3 inches. If your text is so long that
turning up the bottom, and still having room for the text and signatures, is not possible,
you can do it with 2 inches, but make sure you are using a heavier paper which is able to
support the weight/strain of the seal(s). I know this is a lot of wasted space, especially
when using vellum, but it is also less than was often used in period and still allows the
piece to look right.
3) Decorated letters are a lot less common, in period, than we would like to think. When
they are used on writs they are usually pretty simple. Now, don’t get me wrong more
complicated letters can be found, but if you intend to also paint a lovely picture, or have
some other piece of artwork made to accompany the writ, keep it simple and spend more
of your time on the accompanying picture/item. Remember, just like when you make a
master, you need to block out the area for the decorated letter and then do the
calligraphy. Come back later to complete the painting/gold leafing of the first initial.
4) Signing the writ. It is our tradition in the SCA for the Crown to sign all of the legal
documents in addition to placing Their Seal. In period this was not done. The Seal is the
Crown’s (or their representative’s) signature. The scribe, however, did at times sign the
writ. The writs I have found with examples of this all have the signature of the scribe
placed along the bottom of the turned up portion of the parchment, usually in the lower
right corner.
BIBLE PAGE
It has become the norm for most of our scrolls to be given in this format. It gives the scribe
the opportunity to do both illumination and calligraphy. It also encourages us to expand
our skills, learning not only the calligraphic book hands of the different time periods, but
also the different styles of drawing and painting throughout the middle ages. And lets
face it, when done well, they are darn pretty and a thing of beauty to display in the
recipient's home.
Many medieval manuscripts have painted and/or rubricated letters or fillers that are
interspersed amongst the text, as well as at least one historiated or decorated initial.
There may also be ivies or knot work you want to work around your text. Also, most bible
pages have evenly spaced lines, columns, and pages, which end with columns that
match in length.
Our texts do not always lend themselves to accomplishing this look, and we often make
do by placing the text in a box in the center of our page. We end the text with uneven
lines. We don't put a lot of the nicer elements into the text that are needed to really make
the work look like the bible page we are trying to reproduce, and we encourage the Crown
to sign directly in the center of the page. Also, we tend to use a lot more capital letters
than were used in the bible, and we break things up into paragraphs, which they did not
do. To avoid these problems there are several things we can do:
If you can, talk to the person writing the text. We in the SCA tend to like starting texts with
"Know all", or "This day", or "Let it be known"... If you notice, there is not a round letter in
the bunch. For a really nice historiated initial, you really need a round letter, like a "P" or
an "O". Encourage the writer to start the text with a letter of your choosing. One you
frequently see in the manuscript you are reproducing. It makes planning your first
decorated or historiated initial much easier. I have, at times, changed the wording myself
(with the Crown's permission, of course) to allow for a more optimal first letter.
I encourage you to remember that the hand used really needs to match the style of
artwork you are reproducing. For example: If I am attempting to reproduce a bible page
from the Grande Houres and I have perfected the actual painting and illumination, I really
need to use a quadrata hand (the same as was used in the original and other manuscripts
of that time). I would not be doing the piece justice by using an uncial or carolingian hand,
or one of the later period italics or bastardas.
Also, I avoid most of the capitals in the original text and never do separate paragraphs.
After determining which elements you plan to use, from the various manuscripts you have
researched (preferably from the same region and time period), you will need to block out
your page. Do this on a separate piece of paper. I like to use the same graph paper I use
when designing masters. I know it is a lot more work, but you will be much happier if you
do.
First, go though the text and circle all the letters you would like to highlight (decorate, color
in, historiate, rubricate, etc). Decide which ones would allow themselves to be made into
something a little more special (beginning of a paragraph, name of the recipient, name of
the Crown, name of the Order... you get the idea), and then decide on how big you would
like that letter to be.
Note whether the manuscript you are reproducing has the majority of it's decoration on
the left, right or middle of the page and what the approximate size of your manuscript is. It
is possible that you will need to do more than one page in order to keep the scale of your
work appropriate. We love long texts, but they don't always work well when doing this sort
of work. Trying to put too much text on one page can destroy the look you are going for by
making the page too big, the text too small, or by limiting the amount of artwork you can
include and still fit onto the medium you are working with.
In order to determine how much space you need, outline the basic area the first letter will
take, and any other decoration the page will have (ivies, etc.) and block out how wide you
want your columns to be. The drawing can be added and perfected after the calligraphy
has been blocked out, so don't dwell on making it pretty. Now start writing the text,
stopping to block out where you want the decorated letters to go. Some manuscripts use
a lot of fillers, and this can be wonderful thing for you. You will need to keep most of your
columns even, which may mean that you are abbreviating, or cutting off your words on
one line to start the next line with what is left of the word. Fillers can end a sentence
before the letter you are wanting to use, allowing you to place it at the beginning of a line,
and they can even out a line when you are reluctant to break up a word (say like the name
of the Crown, or the recipient -- that would be poor form). Fillers are also ideal for
paragraph breaks.
After doing most, if not all of the text, you will get a good idea of how much space/length
you will need to allow for your page. You can decide where to break in order to start the
next column and still end up as close to even as possible. Now writing out all of the text
can be a very good thing. Not only does it allow you to determine where to put the
decoration, break up words and end columns, and decide how big a piece of paper or
vellum you will need, it allows you to get really good at the hand you have chosen.
OK. I think that is most of what you need to know about the layout portion of making a
bible page style scroll. Now, all you need to do is do it. Easy. That part is up to you. ☺
Finally, the Crown needs to sign the page. I can tell you from experience that most
Crown's really do not want to sign in the middle of a beautiful piece of artwork. It can
destroy the look of the page and our writing is nowhere near as nice as the calligraphy you
do. Leave a place at the bottom of the page, spaced slightly down from the artwork.
Leave room for the seal (as per the Crown's preference) and draw a fine line on which
they can sign. You may want to include the words "King" and "Queen" at the end, or
under, each line but that is not always necessary. Talk with the Crown and see what they
would prefer.
PICTURE
This part is pretty easy (the layout that is). Look at your research, determine your size
and what elements you want to include, and start gilding and painting. It can be anything
you want it to be, and as simple, or complicated, as you want it to be.
Your picture doesn’t even have to be a picture. It can be an item of significance, done by
yourself or someone else. Remember, when done this way, the writ is the actual
document and the accompanying picture, or item, is a gift to show the recipient the
Crowns’ appreciation of all their efforts.
PART III
ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
3.1
Vellum Preparation
49
3.2
Gold Leafing
52
3.3
Making Your Own Quill
3.4
Walnut Ink
3.5
Going Back in Line
3.6
A Collection of Diaper and Bar Patterns
3.7
To Be a Royal Scribe
59
64
66
97
77
Vellum Preparation
by Duchess Alethea Charle, O.L.
Hello, and congratulations on your new acquisition. Let me give you a little advice
regarding the care and upkeep of the vellum you have just purchased.
Before you attempt to use your vellum you will need to prepare the surface you work
on. Vellum has a hair side and a flesh side. The flesh side is rougher. The hair follicles
can be seen on the hair side, which is much smoother, and the side I prefer to work with.
Of course, medieval calligraphers worked with both so you may choose to practice with
both. If the surface is not prepared properly, paint and ink will tend to bead up and be
very difficult to make stick.
To prepare the vellum you will need to take a piece of 400 or 600 grit, wet/dry
sandpaper (or pounce if you prefer to do it the period way) and sand the surface to bring
up a nap. Sand side to side and then top to bottom. Avoid sanding in a circle. The vellum
will feel soft and velvety when you are finished. You will need to be careful not to sand it
too much (you’ll see why), and be very diligent to remove the dust left behind, as it will
clog up your pen if you don’t.
Once you have practiced using vellum it will never again be that scary surface you’ve
always been afraid to touch. In actuality it is much more forgiving than paper and a lot
tougher. Its one drawback is that, like all other leather products, it is not happy when in
the presence of moisture. Be sure to keep it flat and pressed between heavy books when
not in use or it tends to warp.
Enjoy!
51
Gold Leafing
by Mistress Enid nicEoin
MATERIALS
Cotton-tipped swabs or makeup applicators
Scissors dedicated to cutting gold
Tweezers
Gesso (for raised effect only) (see recipe below)
Glare or gloss (for flat or raised) (see recipe below)
Size
Gold
Paint brushes
Burnisher
Glassine paper
Paper of parchment
Pen and ink
PROCESS STEPS
0.1. Prepare design—pencil or ink exactly where gold is to go
1. Prepare materials and work area
2. Apply each under-layers as desired, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next
layer
a. Gesso (Optional)—to raise gold
b. Glare or gloss as a smooth surface for gold and in some cases as a size
c. Size or other source of adherence for leaf
3. (Optional) Shape raised surface by burnishing or layering
4. Repeat as necessary for complete coverage
5. Apply gold
• cut leaf pieces roughly size and shape of areas to be covered
• breathe lightly on dry size; humidity from breath will enhance tackiness
• set gold in place and press lightly for adherence
6. Burnish
7. Brush away access leaf
8. Repeat steps 5–7 as needed
9. Outline gold in ink or dark paint
Gesso Recipe
4–6 t. Slaked plaster—see below for recipe
1–1.5 t. Fish (Mucilaginous) glue
0.5–1 t. Sugar or honey
pinch Armenian bole or red ochre gouache
Water (distilled)
Dab of ear wax if needed to eliminate bubbles
52
Proportions may need adjustment depending on environmental conditions such as
humidity.
Some recipes call for white lead. This is used to whiten the gesso and also enhances
malleability. For most purposes, the lead can be left out without noticeably effecting the
results.
The glue in many gesso recipes is not generally sufficient to use the gesso as a source
of size except under the most ideal weather conditions. Mostly it binds the gesso itself, so
that it does not brush away when dried on the scroll. Mucilaginous school glue (not
rubber cement, although it looks similar) is essentially fish glue and can be used, as can
some forms of hide glue.
Slaked Plaster
Take plaster of paris, mix several tablespoons in a large quantity of water (two or more
cups) and stir for 15 minutes to prevent clumping. Stir for a few minutes per day for at
least two weeks. Drain and pile or mold to dry in small blocks. Grind on glass cutting
board with glass mortar into fine powder. Some recipes call for merely mixing the
plaster in water. The powder thus generated is usually less fine and slightly chemically
reactive, which may lead to deterioration over time.
Glare Recipe
Whip one egg white until stiff peaks form.
Sprinkle approximately 1/3 egg of water over peaks (“1/3 egg of water” means eggshell
of water, that is, the volume of water that would fill, in this case, the smaller half of the
eggshell).
Let stand over night.
Egg whites will become frothy and liquid will separate out; pour this liquid out from
under the froth into a jar. This is the glare. Discard frothy stuff.
Stored in the refrigerator, the glare will last for months. It may discolor and get a little
more yellow or brown. It will also get smelly. So long as the liquid remains clear, it is
fine; the older the better for good consistency. If the liquid gets cloudy or milky, the glare
has spoiled and is breaking down chemically—discard and prepare a new batch.
USE OF GOLD
A little gold can greatly enhance illumination. Many small spiky leaves can give the
appearance of vast amounts of gold, even though it may require no more than a single
leaf or page of gold to cover the area. Expense, therefore, need not be a limiting factor.
Still, a book of 25 real gold leaves can cost $40 or more and may be a large investment
for some. Fortunately, there are many alternatives, several of which are discussed below.
Gold was not used in the Book of Kells; however, it was used even earlier on the
continent and is appropriate for use with most types of illumination. For a period look,
study carefully where and how the gold was used with each style of calligraphy and
illumination. Depending on the style and period, gold maybe appropriate for use in
calligraphy, on capitols, borders, or as frames for miniatures. It may be raised or flat,
textured or smooth, gold leaf or shell gold (ground shell used in a paint). The same page
may include more than one form of gold.
53
To determine where and how the gold was used, and whether the gold came from
leaf, powdered gold in a paint suspension, or shell gold, and even whether the gold was
raised or flat, it may be necessary to dig through the text accompanying sample pages and
facsimiles. Sometimes it is possible to tell by looking at a picture; however, some
printing methods may be misleading. “Full color with gold” usually means that gold has
been added in the appropriate places; however, a flat printing method is used, even when
the original gold would have been raised and textured. The use of shading within the gold
generally indicates that shell gold was used and paint mixed in to provide the shading. In
some cases, black and white photos may be more revealing, as highlights and shadows
indicate where the gold was raised.
MATERIAL OPTIONS AND HANDLING, ORGANIZED BY PROCESS STEP
0.1. Prepare design. Plan and draw exactly where the gold is to go. Calligraphy can be
applied to the scroll if allowed to dry thoroughly prior to applying gold, but if leaf is to be
used, do not paint until afterwards. Gold will stick to paint or damp ink.
• On parchment or vellum, pencil adheres poorly, and inking the design is highly
recommended.
• On paper, some people prefer to just use pencil, because it is usually necessary to re-ink
after the gold has been laid. Ink, however, has the advantage that it helps hold liquid
layers in place, and does not rub off.
1. Prepare materials
• Gold sticks to just about everything so a clear, clean area is important.
• Metal and other washable tools should be cleaned with alcohol, and dedicated for use
with the gold.
• Gesso, gloss, and size are hard on brushes so don’t use your good paint brushes. For the
size, a small paint brush whose hairs have begun to spread works, because the size pulls
the hairs back into a point.
•Gold sticks to fingers, too, and floats on the slightest breeze, so have cotton swabs,
tweezers, and other handling tools ready at hand before you pull the gold out of its
packaging.
2. The under layers
a. For raised gold, or to raise gold paint for a leafed look, the first layer is some form of
gesso. Acrylic gesso works, but dries very hard and cannot be burnished or otherwise
shaped; therefore, it is not recommended. Recently, some stores have begun to carry nonacrylic, period-style gesso. These or a homemade gesso are preferred, because they can
be shaped and burnished. (See recipe above.) Mix in a little yellow or red ochre paint.
This enhances the color of the gold and makes it more obvious where you have put the
gesso.
Regardless of the type used, gesso is thick and cannot be treated like paint. To avoid
ridges and valleys, do not let the brush contact the paper or vellum. Rather, puddle the
gesso and drag the brush over it to spread the gesso to the appropriate areas. This
technique can also be used to spread into new areas or blend into sections of gesso that
54
are already dry. The gold will take on whatever shape the gesso has when it is finished,
so getting a smooth surface is very important.
b. Glare or gloss is used to make the surface paper or parchment for flat gilding (or gesso
for raised gilding) shiny; this will result in a shinier gold when completed. It can also be
used to provide a nonabsorbant surface under gold paints, such as enamel, to prevent
bleeding and enhance shine.
Acrylic gloss, like acrylic gesso, dries quite hard and cannot be reshaped after it has
dried. It is also somewhat thick and should be applied without the addition of water in the
same drag-the-puddle method as the gesso. Two layers may be needed, because it will
shrink when it dries, pulling away from small spots and edges.
The period version of gloss is glare. Unlike, gesso, it is very thin and can be spread
like paint. The shininess will show you where you have painted. Usually two or three
layers are needed for thorough coverage; more if the glare is freshly made.
c. Size comes in many forms. Essentially, they are specialized glues to which the gold
adheres. Period sizes include garlic juice and some forms of hide glue. Most modern
sizes are oil based and designed for use on wood; therefore, they are not appropriate for
scrolls. Look for water-based sizes. Most of these are closely related to white glue; the
primary difference is that the tackiness can be reacquired by the addition of a slight
amount of moisture, such as from a puff of breath.
Size can be used directly on paper and vellum; however, the gold will show the grain
of the paper or artificial parchment and a layer of gloss or glare under the size is
recommended.
Sizes are typically very thin, with a consistency similar to glare. Add a small amount
of red ochre paint to see where you have placed it. Usually two or three layers are needed
for thorough coverage. Thin coverage will result in tiny spots where the gold does not
adhere. Most sizes can sit on a scroll for weeks and still be used. Some sizes, such as
garlic size, are very sensitive to moisture, and gold may come off easily in humid
weather.
3. Gold and gold leaf comes in many forms. Here are a few of the most common. A
detailed description of the application process for patent gold and composite leaf follows
the discussion of the various types. (Please note that this expands somewhat on the
“process steps” noted at the beginning of this paper.)
Gold leaf Loose-leaf gold is the most common form in period. Modern gold leaf tends to
be thinner and can be quite finicky to use. A special leather pad known as a gilder’s pad,
and a dedicated gilder's or exacto knife are needed for safe cutting. Gold leaf should be
handled only through the use of metal implements or cotton swabs (a cotton-tipped
makeup applicator works well) because gold will adhere to fingers.
Patent leaf is also real gold leaf, but it is very lightly stuck to a piece of paper, and this
can be a great aide in handling the leaf. Scissors (clean scissors dedicated to the job of
cutting gold leaf only) can be used to cut both gold and paper, and with a little care, a
small paper ‘handle’ can be made available to help control the leaf. Touch only the paper,
55
and only as much as necessary. Mostly tweezers and cotton swabs are used for handling
the patent gold, just as with the loose leaf. See below for detailed instructions on laying
the gold.
Composite leaf is not real gold but rather a blend of metals used to simulate gold leaf. It
is thicker and can be handled more easily than gold since it does not stick to skin;
however, skin oils can increase tarnishing, so handling should be minimized. Light
polishing may be needed to reduce tarnishing. The instructions for laying composite are
much like those for patent, as described below.
Shell gold Contrary to some reporting, period shell gold is not powdered gold, but rather
a powdered sea shell. Powdered gold, however, has been used in a similar way, causing
some confusion. Both shell gold and gold powder are mixed in a medium and used as
paint. Like other paints, other colors can be added to create shading and shadows. This
effect is most common in the 15th-century style known by several names including
‘squashed bugs and flowers’. The intent is to display realistic flowers and bugs as if they
are hanging in front of a gold or other border, casting shadows on the background as if
they were 3-D. Shell gold is virtually always flat rather than on a raised surface.
Pearl gold gouache is a modern substitute for leaf or shell gold. It is somewhat more
finicky than other gouache paints and must be stirred frequently to keep metals in
suspension. Glitter gold has larger metal fragments and will give a more sparkly, less
leaf-like effect. Some brands may use other terms to differentiate ‘pearl’ and ‘glitter’
forms.
Gold enamel Until recently, most scribes hesitated to use enamel, because it was all oilbased and could bleed into paper. However, gesso and/or gloss under the enamel will
protect the paper, and recently water-based enamels have become available. Enamel is
generally more shiny than gouache but also harder to control. Some polishing or a
protective coating may be desirable to prevent eventual tarnishing.
Gold foil for fabric is another modern alternative to gold leaf. It generally comes on rolls,
and special glue and protective coating are available for purchase. It is applied much the
same way as gold leaf, but can be stubborn about sticking if the glue is too dry or too
damp. The result is an impressive (though not very period) mirror-like finish.
Yellow ochre paint (sometimes mixed with brown or white or possibly small amounts of
other pigments) was a common period substitute for gold, especially for the technique
called trompe l'oiel, where highlighting and shading on yellow ochre were used to give
the illusion of shiny gold leaf. If there are very fine lines of gold, or golden objects that
have fine degrees of shading to indicate depth, there is a very good chance that yellow
ochre was used. Depending on the color and print quality of the book you may have as a
reference, yellow ochre and real gold leaf can be very difficult to differentiate.
56
To lay patent leaf or composite leaf:
For most steps, these two are the same. Though the composite leaf can be handled with
the fingers, it is better to handle both with a tweezers whenever feasible. All metal tools
should be cleaned with alcohol to prevent sticking. Though gold is known as a heavy
metal, leaf is light and is picked up by even the slightest breeze. Good air circulation is
not desirable at this stage!
a. Cut a piece or strip of leaf just wide enough to cover the area to be leafed. For
example, the width of a bar or the size of one leaf in a leaf-and-vine border.
b. After the size has dried to the barely tacky stage, lightly puff on the area to be covered
with gold. Some people suggest a paper straw, to control the direction of the moisture
and limit bending; don’t use plastic because moisture droplets may condense and drop on
the scroll, causing water spots.
c. Lay the leaf, paper side up for patent, shiny side up for composite, on the area of
moistened size and gently press into place with a cotton-tipped swab/applicator. Press all
over the area to be sure that gold adheres. Gently pull away the paper or trailing ends of
leaf. Some bits around edges or on corners may cling—this can be brushed away later, or
larger pieces can be maneuvered to another area with the aide of a tweezers.
d. Burnish on a padded surface, not a hard board. Burnishing on a hard surface may
cause fine cracks in the gold, resulting in a matte rather than a shiny finish. Gilder’s pads,
some lap pads, or a fat leg covered in a blanket make good surfaces; be careful not to
crease the scroll.
Several kinds of burnishers are available on the market, but cheaper alternatives also
work. Store-bought burnishers are generally gem-quality agate and hematite on a handle.
These gem-quality stones can usually be used directly on the gold.
For those with a limited budget, agate and hematite rocks are often available at
nature and science stores for $1–$2. These are not gem-quality, even though they are
polished, and can scratch the gold surface. Also skin oils will cling to the surface when
handled. Therefore, burnish by first laying a piece of glassine paper over the gold, then
gently rubbing with the stone. Dogs teeth (in period, dogs, in modern times, coyote teeth
can be purchased) is another alternative to burnishing stones. They should also be used
with glassine paper. Glassine paper is not “trace glace” (a tracing paper), which is
thinner and courser, but rather a very smooth, glossy paper used for protective envelopes
as well as for burnishing. If your local craft store does not carry it, try the post office,
which uses glassine envelopes for stamps.
e. Brush away excess gold with a soft brush dedicated to this purpose. Large makeup
brushes, such as those for blush, work well. Hand vacuums can also be used on the
composite leaf—be careful not to press so hard as to scratch the surface.
f. If there are small spots where the leaf does not adhere, lightly blowing and laying more
leaf may be sufficient to cover. More often, however, this indicates a spot where there is
57
insufficient size, possibly due to shrinkage, and more size will need to be added prior to
laying additional leaf.
g. For a thicker layer of gold (at least two are recommended for patent; one is usually
sufficient for composite), lightly puff on the gold already on the scroll and lay another
piece of patent leaf on top. Gold will stick to itself if sufficiently pure. For a second
layer of composite, additional size must first cover the composite already present,
because it does not stick to itself.
4. Outlining Outlining gold brings it out visually and makes it stand out from the
background. It also helps smooth any rough edges that may have developed. If gold dots
and leaves are standing alone on a bare background, the outline is usually in black ink.
This is a good time to add ink flourishes such as curlicues off of the design points, and
wiggles or spirals off of dots and vines. If the gold is immediately next to a painted color,
for example, part of a bar or capitol or the center of a flower, the outline may be done in a
dark shade of that color.
58
Making Your Own Quill
by Countess Margarette de Saint Martin-sur-Mer
Materials Needed
Feathers
Pen knife or scalpel
Cutting board
Glass of water
Crochet hook
Ovenproof dish
Fine sand
Large spoon
Clean, soft, woolen or linen cloth
HISTORY
The quill pen came into gradual use around 200 B.C. There are many speculations as to why
the quill began to replace its successor, the reed pen. It is possible that the appearance of the
quill was closely related to the development of formal Roman capitals that required
graduated strokes from thick to thin. The reed pen was far too stiff to accomplish these
strokes. Another theory suggests that the advent and popularity of vellum as a writing
surface created a need for a more flexible pen that released more ink. Flight feathers from
geese, swans and turkeys were well suited for this new application. Their hardness and
density allowed the craftsman to create a finer nib, allowing more ink to flow freely onto the
vellum surface and providing the flexibility demanded by the new Roman capitals.
FEATHERS
The feather has three main parts: the barbs, the shaft and the
barrel. The barbs are on each side of the solid part of the quill,
known as the shaft. The barrel is the hollow portion of the
shaft. The quill also has a top and a bottom. The top side is
smooth, while the bottom of the shaft has a slight indentation
running the length of it. The shaft is made of a substance
called albumen, which is similar to fingernails.
As with most crafts, the quality of the raw material can affect
the finished product. When possible, try to select a molted
flight feather—one of the first five feathers from the tip of
each wing—from a mature goose, swan or turkey. The flight
feathers can be recognized by the fact that they have much narrower barbs on one side of the
shaft than the other. Use the left wing feathers for right-handed calligraphy and the right
wing feathers for lefties.
59
Goose and swan feathers were most common in medieval Western Europe, as turkeys were
only found in North America. In general, the goose and swan feathers only differ in size,
with swan feathers being the larger of the two. Turkey feathers have a stockier, thicker barrel
than goose or swan feathers, meaning that it is often too rigid for small writing. Rigidity also
hampers the smooth flow of ink. Goose feathers are ideal for small to medium writing, as the
proportionate thickness of the barrel to its circumference creates a strong yet flexible quill.
PART I—TEMPERING
In their natural state, quills are covered with a greasy membrane on the outside and soft pith
on the inside. Before you can cut the quill, you must first alter these two states in a process
known as “tempering” or “clarifying.” The purpose of tempering with heat is to fuse and
harden the albumen, so that it will be strong and durable.
Step 1
Cut 1/8 to 1/4 inch off the sealed end of the quill
barrel at a slant. Note: There is a slight
indentation running the length of the feather on
the bottom of the quill.
Step 2
Soak in water for at least 12 hours. Remove only what you will be tempering
immediately or the feathers will dry out and need re-soaking. Shake out excess
water.
Step 3
Clean out the membrane with a crochet hook or any long implement with a hook
at the end (a coat hanger can be modified). Avoid scratching the inside of the quill.
Note: The quill should be soft, pliable, free of excess water, and clear of internal
obstructions at this point.
Step 4
Heat sand in an ovenproof dish at approximately 400°F. The sand should be at
least 2 inches deep. Tip: The finer the sand, the better. Fine sand will distribute the
heat more evenly and will polish the barrel more gently. It may take some
experimenting to find the right temperature, depending on the individual oven
being used. You may also use a hotplate or a frying pan and stovetop, but an oven
seems to be most efficient.
Step 5 Prime the feather by using a large spoon to
poor hot sand into the barrel until it overflows, as
this helps conduct heat evenly throughout the
inside of the shaft. Be sure to hold the quills at an
angle that will prevent the hot sand from pouring
onto your hand. Very important: If water is left
trapped inside of the feather’s shaft, it could react
with the heat and cause it to create steam or even
explode.
60
Step 6
Thrust the quill into the hot sand at a shallow angle, completely covering the
barrel up to the barbs. Try not to spill any sand you’ve already poured into the
barrel, so that it is evenly heated inside and out.
Step 7
Remove the quill after a couple
of seconds. If the quill is
blistered or distorted, either the
sand is too hot, or the quill was
held in the sand too long.
However, if the quill is
“rubbery” after cooling, even
though it looks clear, either the
sand is not hot enough, or the quill wasn’t held in the sand long enough. Repeat
until desired temper is reached. Note: Ideally, you will know that you have reached
the ideal temper when the barrel is clear, rather than opaque, and it feels hard
when pressed between your fingers.
Step 8
Shake the barrel clear of sand. While
the quill is still soft from the heat,
use the back edge of a knife to
scrape off the membrane on the
outside.
Step 9 Finally, dip the barrel in cold water to hasten the cooling and hardening process. Rub
the quill dry with a clean, soft cloth. Only when the knife is tested on the quill
will you know if you are using the appropriate combination of time and heat.
Part II -- Cutting the Quill
You may want to spend some time practicing the cutting techniques used by first taking thin
slivers off the barrel. It is important to establish control over the knife before starting to
make a pen.
Step 1
Trim the barb to a comfortable length.
Gingerly cut the barb, so as not to damage
the shaft. Note: Barbs should not be
interfering with your hand when holding the
quill.
61
Step 2 Make a clean slit in the top of the barrel, as close
to the center as possible. If you are dissatisfied with the
cut, you can cut off the tip above the slit and repeat this
step. Note: If the quill was not tempered enough and is
too brittle, this cut will be jagged or the barrel will split
when cut.
Step 3
Turn the quill over to the bottom side,
and make the first long scooping cut,
starting about 1-1/4 inch from the top
of the slit. You may have to start with a
sawing motion to get the knife through
the barrel. Pare the scoop down
carefully until you have cut about
halfway through the barrel. Note: Use
short, small cuts until you get the hang
of it. You can always cut pieces off, but
you can’t cut them back on!
Safety tip: The knife blade is very sharp and should be treated with great
care. When making cuts, hold the quill with one hand and make the cuts
with your other hand, being sure to keep the thumb of your cutting hand
under the shaft for support. Place your thumb far enough back that it will
not be in the path of the blade. It would be a good idea to keep a first aid kit
handy in case of accidents. Be sure to wrap used blades in a wad of tape or
place in another container, such as a candy tin, before discarding.
Step 4
62
Eventually the slit you cut on the top of the
quill in Step 2 should be approximately 11/2 times the width of the nib. With this in
mind, pare out two side-scoops along either
side of the slit, forming the nib of the pen to
the desired width and allowing for wastage
at the tip. Note: You can make the nib as wide or
as narrow as you wish, according to your
preference. Keep in mind that if the nib is too
narrow, it will become flexible and will not hold
ink well. Once you have completed this step, the barrel should look as though it
has two “stair step” scoops, when viewed from the side.
Step 5
Cut off the tip to create the desired nib length.
Hold the knife at a 90° angle to the barrel. This
cut may require
some force.
Step 6
Carefully shave
off
approximately 1/16 inch from the bottom part of
the tip, cutting at a 45° degree angle toward the
tip. Tip: This step should be done in one swift stroke to prevent splitting or
creating a jagged or rounded edge.
Step 7
Inspect the quill for any imperfections.
Step 8
Repeat any cuts from Steps 3-7 as needed.
Remove any rough edges with a very fine sanding
pad if desired. Polish the barrel and nib with a clean, soft cloth.
Step 10
Take your new quill for a test run!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Art of Calligraphy, David Harris, Dorling Kindersley, New York, 1995, pp. 14–115.
Medieval Craftsmen: Scribes and Illuminators, Christopher de Hamel, University of
Toronto Press, Buffalo, New York, 1992, pp. 27–29.
Calligraphy & Illumination: A Historical and Practical Guide, Patricia Lovett, Harry N.
Abrams, Inc., New York, 2000, pp. 13–26.
The Complete Calligrapher, Frederick Wong, Watson-Guptill Publications, 1980, pp. 19–25.
The Calligrapher's Handbook, Edited by Heather Child, The Society of Scribes and
Illuminators, Taplinger Publishing Co., New York, 1986, pp. 15–33.
63
Walnut Ink
by H.L. Slaine ni Chiarain
I came across a lot of different recipes for producing a tannin-based ink. They basically
all include:
Tannins
oak galls or walnuts
Galls create a darker ink
Liquid
water, vinegar, or wine
Any liquid for extracting the tannins
Iron
copperas, vitriol
Rusty nails or an iron pot also works
Gum arabic crystals or liquid
Adds body and sticking power to the ink
Heat is used to get the walnuts to release the tannins into the liquid but letting them rot
in a bucket for a few months will work, too.
This is what I used:
20 Walnuts
Enough water to cover them
1 1⁄2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1⁄2 tablespoons gum arabic
Crack the walnuts with a hammer or nut cracker and place them in a iron pot. Simmer at
low heat for 2 hours or longer if necessary. Stir often. If the water gets low through
evaporation add more.
Strain the liquid into another container. Dump the walnut pieces and clean out the
iron pot. Place the liquid back in the iron pot and simmer some more. Add the vinegar
and gum arabic. Stir. Allow the liquid to reduce by about half. Strain it through a coffee
filter into a bottle. You should now have ink!
This process wasn’t as messy as I expected. Spilled walnut juice wiped off the counters
and pans easily, even after 2 days.
Web Sites for Making Walnut Ink
http://vantassle.freetcp.com/walnut.htm. An SCA member’s ink experience. Basis of my
recipe.
http://www.geocities.com:0080/CollegePark/Library/2036/ink.html
Web Sites for Oak Gall Ink or Ink in General
http://www.know.nl/ecpa/ink/. An excellent site. More than you ever needed to know!
Since they are concerned about how ink corrosion affects historic manuscripts, there is a
lot of the background science at this site.
http://vantassle.freetcp.com/gallink.htm
http://www.meridies.org/as/dmir/ScribalArts/period_inks.html
64
Bibliography
Agricola, G., De Re Metallica, first Latin edition 1556, Translated by Herbert Clark
Hoover and Lou-Henry, Dover Publications Inc., New York (1912). A primary source.
Bayard, Tania, A Medieval Home Companion, Housekeeping in the 14th Century. Harper
Perennial, adivision of Harper Collins Publishers; New York: 1992. The last page has an
ink recipe.
Thompson, Daniel V., The Materials and Techniques of Medieval Painting, Dover
Publications, New York, 1956. This is based on Cennini’s 15th century artist’s handbook.
Thompson, J.C., Manuscript Inks, The Caber Press, Portland, Oregon, 1996. I haven’t
seen this book, but I’ve heard that it’s very good.
65
To Be a Royal Scribe
by Duchess Alethea Charle, O.L.
As you mature in your efforts of being a scribe for this Kingdom, it is probable that you
will eventually be noticed and asked to serve as a Royal Scribe. The Royal Scribe serves
for the length of one Reign (including the preparatory time prior to Coronation), working
closely with the Crown to produce the scrolls that are to be given out.
Before agreeing to be a Royal Scribe there are several things you need to ask
yourself.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What exactly does a Royal Scribe do?
How much time do I have to devote to being the Royal Scribe?
Do I have the resources available that will allow me to do the job?
Am I able/willing to set some limits on myself, and if need be, the Crown?
I will attempt to address these questions here.
First off, let me tell you that, depending on the experience of the couple who just won
Crown Tourney, the job of Royal Scribe can be a rocky/very difficult one, or can just be
busy but run very smoothly. You can pretty much count on it always being busy, and you
can count on very few people actually knowing just how much work you will be doing.
Each new Prince and Princess (Coronet) is given a packet the day They win Crown
Tourney. In this packet is, among other things, a letter from the Falcon Signet entitled
“About Scribes and Seals.” It was written primarily for those new to the experience of
being Royalty in the hopes of making both Their Reign and Their relationship with the
scribes of the Kingdom go smoothly. They are encouraged to choose a Royal Scribe early
in Their time as Prince and Princess and are given a lot of the same information/advice I
will be giving you here. Hopefully, this will keep both the Crown and the Royal Scribe
on the same sheet of music, and allow for a smoother working relationship.
Ok, let’s get on to question number one . . . “What exactly does a Royal Scribe
do?”
Every Crown has different ideas of what it is They wish to accomplish during Their
Reign, as well as how much They want to take upon themselves to do. As such the Royal
Scribe can be responsible for all or any portion, of the following:
1. Designing preprint masters of all AOA, and sometimes GOA, level scrolls.
2. Painting, and/or coordinating the painting, of the scrolls mentioned above.
3. Adding in the names of the award recipients, reasons for awards, and dates and places
the awards are given on the preprint.
4. Creating, and/or coordinating the painting and calligraphy of, all GOA and POA level
scrolls. This includes any specialty scrolls the Crown wishes to give out (Baronages,
QED’s, King’s Favor, etc.).
5. Getting the scrolls to the Crown in plenty of time for Them to sign and seal them
before court. This is something to be worked out between the Crown and Scribe.
Decisions need to be made whether the Crown or the Scribe does the actual sealing of
97
the scrolls. Depending on the seal being used this may be a process that should be
done before the event.
6. Maintaining the confidentiality of the information that has been entrusted to them.
Number two . . . “How much time do I have to devote to being the Royal Scribe?”
As you can see from the description of what the Royal Scribe (RS) actually does, it takes
a lot of time to do this job. Depending on how eager the other scribes of the Kingdom are
to help out, and how generous the Crown wishes to be in bestowing awards upon Their
populace, the RS could be devoting a considerable amount of their time to scribing each
week, for up to 9 months (including preparation time). There have been some Reigns
where the scribe literally spent every spare minute of time they had outside of their
mundane work (and some sick days from their mundane work) preparing scrolls.
Number three . . . “Do I have the resources available which will allow me to do the
job?”
By this I mean:
1. Do I have enough reliable people I can call on to help with the production of scrolls?
2. Do I have access to printing and materials needed for making the scrolls (ink, paper,
paint, etc.)?
3. Do I have an efficient, confidential way of communicating with the Crown so that
names and texts can be received in a timely manner (a secure e-mail account is
wonderful for this)?
4. Can I get the scrolls to the Crown easily and in an adequate amount of time before
events (this is easier if you happen to live in the same area as the Crown)?
5. Do I have an area of my home that I can devote to the job of RS (privacy from
curious passersby, adequate lighting, table, file cabinet, etc.)?
You do not need to worry whether you have enough money. There is a budget set aside
for the Crown to use in reimbursing Their scribe(s) for material and postage costs (if
needed). All the RS needs to do is hand these receipts to the Kingdom Exchequer for
reimbursement.
And finally, number four . . . “Am I able/willing to set some limits on myself, and if
need be, the Crown?”
Obviously, by this I don’t mean the RS should tell the Crown what to do. What I mean is,
the RS can only do so much. Only you can know how much that is for yourself. It is very
easy for the Crown to see something that They want to do at the last minute and ask the
RS to take care of it. It is also very easy for the overburdened RS to say “No problem”
and then be unable to make it happen. This can be embarrassing and disappointing not
only for the people who were to be the recipient of the honor, but also the Crown and the
RS.
98
What I advise is that the Royal Scribe and the Coronet sit down and discuss exactly
what they expect of one another. It is not just the issue of confidentiality, or style and
substance of the scrolls, but also, how much time will be needed for the scribe to
complete the scrolls. How much lead-time will you, as RS, need from the Crown in order
to complete scrolls for specific events and get them signed and sealed. How much leadtime would you need to make sure that GOA and POA scrolls get done for the occasions
they are needed. Once the Coronet and RS have agreed on these things, can you stick to
it? Will you be able to say, “I’m sorry Your Majesty, but I really can’t get that done by
next week.” Or, “Your Majesty, there are only two more weeks before ***** event, and I
don’t have any names yet. I can’t wait any longer.” Finally, can you keep a secret?
The giving out of awards and scrolls is one of the most important and difficult things
the Crown has to do during Their Reign. It is very important that the Royal Scribe has a
good, honest and trustworthy working relationship with the Crown they serve.
SO, YOU’VE AGREED TO BE THE ROYAL SCRIBE . . .
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?
1.
Schedule a meeting with the Prince and Princess, also known as the Coronet
(you might want to include the Falcon Signet, but that is not a requirement). There
are several things you will want to discuss and decide upon:
a.
Time period. What time period are the Coronet planning to use during
Their Reign. Do they want the scrolls done in that period exclusively, or
do they want a mixture of styles?
b.
Calligraphic hand. Is there a preference? Are you able to do the hand they
request? You may want to offer suggestions of hands you feel most
comfortable with, keeping within the requested time period, of course.
c.
Type of paper. I recommend a white, parchment-style card stock. [The
Kingdom has been using Skytone white cover stock (manufactured by
Georgia-Pacific); it’s a special-order paper, but well worth it.]
d.
Size of the scrolls. What size do the Coronet envision the scrolls being? I
recommend that AOA level scrolls be no larger than 8-1/2 by 11 inches.
This allows for ease of copying, obtaining paper and eventual framing.
e.
Type of seal. Which kind of seal does the Coronet wish to use? There are
several options available. Decisions will need to be made as to whether
you, They or Their Chamberlain will be sealing the scrolls.
f.
Signatures. How much space they will want left at the bottom of the
scrolls for seals and signatures, or do they have an idea of a different
method of signing and sealing the scrolls? Will they need assistance
learning to sign Their names?
g.
When will texts be available? What is the last possible minute that you
will need the texts in your hand? Remember that you will need all of the
preprints drawn and printed by one month prior to Coronation. This will
allow you time to get a beginning stock painted, and leave you enough
time not to feel rushed.
99
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
100
Duty expectations. What expectations do the Coronet have of you/how
much are you willing or able to do/organize? For this there are several
options:
1.
RS is responsible for designing and production of AOA level
scrolls only. This leaves the Crown to arrange for (or find someone
else to arrange for) the GOA and above scrolls to be done.
2.
RS is responsible for designing, implementing and/or delegating
production of AOA and GOA scrolls. This leaves the Crown or
Peer sponsors to arrange for the POA scrolls.
3.
RS is responsible for designing, implementing and/or delegating
production of all scrolls for the Reign. For this (and #2) you will
need to obtain a list of the Scribes of Calontir from the Falcon
Signet. I also strongly suggest you subscribe to the Calontir
Scribe’s list. It is a great way to get in touch with other scribes.
Original vs. Preprint vs. pre-made. Which scrolls will the Crown expect to
be original and persona specific? Are They willing to have a scroll done in
the time period of the Crown when recipient’s persona is unknown? Are
They willing to use borders or pre-painted designs, which allow the texts
to be added later by the RS, or designee? Are They going to want original
texts for each GOA, POA and/or specialty award? If so, are They prepared
to obtain them?
Time tables. How much time do you need to prepare the scrolls for
upcoming events? I recommend that names be sent to you at least 2 weeks
ahead of time for AOA level preprints and 1 to 2 months ahead of time for
GOA and above. Remember, if you are delegating the scrolls you may
need a bit more leeway.
Lists of names. How do you want to go about exchanging names for the
awards to be given out? Remember, this has to be a secure/private way of
doing so. It is very important the Royal Scribe be able to keep these things
a secret, even from your family.
Scroll exchange. How are the scrolls to be delivered to the Crown? At
events? (This makes signing and sealing the scrolls more difficult, but it
can be done if the Crown is willing.) By hand? (Either the week before
each event when traveling, or when you live in the same town.) By mail?
(This is the most frequent method, but it can get expensive, esp. if you
tend to send them priority mail—be sure to save receipts for
reimbursement.)
Last-minute scrolls. An agreement should be reached as to whether it will
be expected for the RS to do last minute scrolls at events or at least have
them available should such a need arrive. If you agree to this you will
need to keep a certain number of scrolls with you at all times, pre-painted
and ready to add names to. This also means you will need to do a fair bit
of traveling. If you don’t agree to this you will need to stick by it. It’s not
much fun spending your whole week preparing scrolls and then your
whole weekend in the privy chamber making more.
2.
Research. Find examples of the styles of artwork/calligraphy that the Coronet has
requested. Develop your ideas as to layout and which pictures you would like to
use. You may want to run your ideas by the Coronet before doing the actual
layout and design of the preprint masters. You will find, however, that most of the
time the decisions will be left entirely up to you. Remember to design pretty, yet
simple, AOA-level scrolls. The more complicated the design (shading,
whitework, multiple levels of painting, etc.) the longer they take to paint.
3.
Make the Masters. By this I mean design what the scroll will look like. The
original copy of any preprint is called a “Master.” One to two will be made for
each AOA-level award given out during the next Reign. There are a few ways of
going about making a master, but I am going to tell you the way I prefer to do it.
a.
Decide on a graph paper that fits your pen’s nib size. This paper is already
ruled and makes the alignment of your text and artwork much easier.
b.
The calligraphy and the artwork can be done separately and then cut and
pasted together or done all at the same time. The cut-and-paste method
will allow you to make more mistakes, or change your mind, in the initial
drawing stage without having to redo everything. This also allows you to
have someone help you with the artwork or calligraphy. (I advise that you
remember—a preprint will seem more like an original if the person who
did the calligraphy on the “master” is also the one who fills in the names
as the Reign progresses). If a cut-and-paste method is chosen, remember
to leave the appropriate space on your paper, when doing your calligraphy,
for the artwork to be added in later. For example: I’ve been asked to do
Celtic Knotwork on the scrolls this reign. I can do the hand just fine but
designing knotwork makes me crazy. I give a rough size estimate to my
buddy Tatiana and ask her to draw up some designs for me, which she
agrees to do. After I have received the drawings, I then block out the
necessary space on my graph paper and proceed to do my calligraphy
around it. Ok, so maybe I had to do it a couple of times to get it right, but
that is no problem; I haven’t actually added the drawing yet. When I have
the calligraphy to my satisfaction, I then cut out the drawing (or a copy of
the drawing if I want to use it in another scroll) and tape it onto my graph
paper in the appropriate place. I make another copy of that and now I have
a “master” from which to make the preprint.
c.
When doing the calligraphy on your master you may want to spend some
time before hand writing down some of the more common reasons for
awards and some long and short names that you know. Measure how
much space these names take up and leave that much space on your
“master.” For example: do one “master” for the Torse scroll with enough
space for a short name and a short reason, and another with enough space
for a long name and reason. It is also helpful if you can arrange for one or
the other to be at the end of a line. If you do that you can use a “filler,” if
the name/reason is not long enough, to complete the line and flesh out the
scroll.
101
d.
e.
4.
102
Your preprint will not have graph lines on it after the copies are made. At
least it shouldn’t if you have been using the correct graph paper and your
copy center knows what it is doing. You will need to pencil in some lines
in the open areas to serve as guides when adding in the names, reasons,
dates and places. (BTW, I like to leave the date and place area completely
blank if they come at the end of the text. It is easier for me to callig in a
complete sentence than to fill the awkward spaces left for days, months
and groups. In case you haven’t noticed, none of these things need the
same exact amount of room and the scroll starts to look sloppy when you
try to make the words fit in the wrong sized spaces.) Here’s a hint on how
to get your penciled-in lines straight and even: leave a small mark (more
like a dot) on your “master” at the end of each graphed line. (You know,
the ones you will be adding the pencil line to after the copies are made.)
These marks will show on your preprints, but that is all right. They will act
as a guide to line up your ruler. After you have no further need for them,
scrape them lightly with an exacto knife, to loosen them, and then simply
erase them away.
You can actually make a “master” of artwork only for some of the GOA
level scrolls if you like. These pictures can be painted by anyone and then
you can callig in the text later. This is a technique best used when you
have willing painters who can’t draw, or when you want to have a larger
picture available to add a last minute text to, for the last minute award. If
colored ink is used for part of the text no one will know that the entire
thing was not an original scroll, made just for them.
Get yourself organized.
a.
Get the paper you will be using to copy the preprints. You will most likely
have to buy your own ream of paper and supply it to the copy center. As
stated earlier I recommend a card stock (the paint doesn’t cause it to warp
and it doesn’t get destroyed easily in transport home from the event). My
favorite is the white parchment style. Check with the Royal Scribe who
preceded you; they may have some left over paper they can give you.
b.
Make sure you have a private work area set aside, complete with adequate
lighting, and the appropriate paints, pens, inks, pencils and rulers.
c.
Get a file box or cabinet to keep the painted preprints/scrolls and the lists
of names given to you by the Crown. I strongly discourage leaving these
things lying out on your desk. It is much too easy for the casual passerby
to see, and let’s face it, most people love knowing what is going to happen
before it actually does. I like to arrange my file box with separate folders
for each award. I place a brightly colored piece of paper between each
different style of preprint to differentiate them but leave them in the same
folder. You should find a system that works for you.
d.
Contact the Falcon Signet for a list of the scribes of the Kingdom.
e.
Join the Calontir Scribe’s list, if you haven’t already. This is an invaluable
way to get to know which scribes are active and willing to help out.
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalontirScribes)
f.
g.
Assemble a group in your local area to help paint preprints. You may even
want to make an example sheet with the colors that should be used for the
style of artwork you’ve chosen, as well as some pictures from period
pieces to use as reference.
Think about taking your show on the road. You will find that there are a
lot of people who would love to help out but don’t know how to start.
These people will flock to your table at events if only you set one up. You
may want to work with the Falcon Signet or the Scribe’s Guilds in other
groups to help facilitate this at events. You will need to pack up some
supplies to share with those wishing to help out at events as well as some
extra preprints to hand out. Remember that all of this does not need to
come out of your pocket. There is money budgeted each reign for
reimbursement of the scribes. Consult with your Crown and They may be
able to help defray some of your expenses using this fund. The Falcon
Signet may be able to help out with this as well.
Being the Royal Scribe is a lot of work. On that I am sure we can all agree. The
Royal Scribe works behind the scenes, and is, at times, unrecognized (although
that is changing). Being the Royal Scribe is also, however, a wonderful chance to
give to your Kingdom, to hone your skills as an artist and calligrapher and a way
to make an awful lot of people very happy. It can also be very rewarding. I can’t
adequately describe the feeling I get when I travel to the homes of many of the
people of this Kingdom and there I see scrolls, that I did, proudly displayed on
their walls. It’s wonderful!
103
PART IV
MISCELLANEOUS
4.1
The SCA Calendar
107
4.2
Royal Lineage
108
4.3
Practice Sheet
112
4.4
Calontir A&S Criteria
113
THE SCA CALENDAR
On scrolls, dates are used according to the SCA's calendar. This calendar reckons time from the first
tournament, held on the first of May, 1966, of the Gregorian calendar.
In SCA reckoning, years are traditionally read as Anno Societatis (Latin for "year of the Society") followed
by a number. In writing, the year usually appears as the initials A.S. followed by a roman numeral. For
example, the day Calontir was made a Kingdom (February 18, 1984) is reckoned as the 18th day of
February, A.S. XVIII.
1 May through
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
30 April
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
A.S.
I (1)
II (2)
III (3)
IV (4)
V (5)
VI (6)
VII (7)
VIII (8)
IX (9)
X (10)
XI (11)
XII (12)
XIII (13)
XIV (14)
XV (15)
XVI (16)
XVII (17)
XVIII (18)
XIX (19)
XX (20)
XXI (21)
XXII (22)
XXIII (23)
XXIV (24)
XXV (25)
XXVI (26)
XXVII (27)
XXVIII (28)
XXIX (29)
XXX (30)
XXXI (31)
XXXII (32)
XXXIII (33)
XXXIV (34)
XXXV (35)
XXXVI (36)
XXXVII (37)
XXXVIII (38)
XXXIX (39)
XL (40)
XLI (41)
XLII (42)
XLIII (43)
Lilies War (June)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
107
Royal Lineage
WARLORDS
The warlords were (unofficial) rulers of Calontir while Calontir was a region of the
Middle Kingdom. Each winner of the Calon Tourney served as champion of Calontir
until becoming warlord at the next CalonTourney. Some of the warlords had consorts.
1. Brummbär von Schwarzberg (i)
21 April 1979–2 September 1979
Brummbär was champion 3 September 1978–21 April 1979.
2. Ternon de Caer Liant (Ternon de Caerleon)
2 September 1979–26 April 1980
3. Brummbär von Schwarzberg (ii)
26 April 1980–27 September 1980
4. Chepe l'Oragere (Chepe l'Orageux)
27 September 1980–25 April 1981
5. Humpk d'Bohunk (William Vatavia)
25 April 1981–26 September 1981
Cristofre Cynwyd was champion during this last period, but declined becoming warlord
to allow Calontir to more quickly become a principality.
THE PRINCES AND PRINCESSES OF CALONTIR
The first prince and princess were invested at the first coronet tourney in Forgotten Sea
by King Hugo and Queen Caitlin of the Middle Kingdom. Subsequent rulers were heir
and heiress for a few months from each coronet tourney until a separate investiture event.
1. Ternon de Caer Liant (Ternon de Caerleon) and Ghleanna Meghan of Kirkcaldy
26 September 1981–27 March 1982
2. Humpk de Bohun (William Vatavia) (i) and Mammara Leona of Egypt (i)
27 March 1982–2 October 1982
3. Brummbär von Schwarzberg and Valmai Arcalien
2 October 1982–21 May 1983
4. Humpk de Bohun (William Vatavia) (ii) and Mammara Leona of Egypt (ii)
21 May 1983–5 November 1983
5. Cire Greymoor Al-Akrab (Edward Cire of Greymoor) and Elisabeth de Rossignol
5 November 1983–18 February 1984
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THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF CALONTIR
The first king and queen were crowned at the first crown tourney in Mag Mor by King
Alen and Queen Genevieve of the Middle Kingdom.
1. Chepe l'Oragere (Chepe l'Orageux) and Arwyn Antarae (Arwyn Antaradi)
18 February 1984–15 September 1984
2. Thoman Shadan Secarius (i) and Erzebet von Schachendorf
15 September 1984–30 March 1985
3. William Vatavia (i) and Mammara Leona of Egypt (i)
30 March 1985–31 August 1985
4. Edward Cire of Greymoor and Elisabeth de Rossignol
31 August 1985–15 March 1986
5. Asgeirr Gunnarsson and Miriam bat Yehudah
15 March 1986–30 August 1986
6. Gabriel ap Morgan ap Hywel (i) and Hywela Frech ferch Wyddel (i)
30 August 1986–14 March 1987
7. William Vatavia (ii)and Mammara Leona of Egypt (ii)
14 March 1987–19 September 1987
8. Valens of Flatrock (i) and Susannah Griffon (i)
19 September 1987–12 March 1988
9. Thorvald Anlafsson the Golden and Branwyn Whiteraven
12 March 1988–17 September 1988
10. Llewellyn Lorell of Shrewsbury (i) and Zenobia of Rebelswood
17 September 1988–11 March 1989
11. Thoman Shadan Secarius (ii) and Alix Coeurbois
11 March 1989–23 September 1989
12. Volkmar Katzbalger and Isadora of Orangewood
23 September 1989–10 March 1990
13. Tomiki Mahood Washi Yamiran Ta'if and Fionna nic Alisdair
10 March 1990–15 September 1990
14. Gabriel ap Morgan ap Hywel (ii) and Hywela Frech ferch Wyddel (ii)
15 September 1990–16 March 1991
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15. Roderick of Mandrake Hill and Brayden Avenel Durrant (i)
16 March 1991–7 September 1991
16. Conn MacNeill (i) and Cadfael the Mordacious
7 September 1991–7 March 1992
17. Rorik Galbraith and Morgana of Raglan
7 March 1992–19 September 1992
18. Steffen Albert Rheinbauer and Lile ni Mhordha
19 September 1992–6 March 1993
19. Chrystofer Kensor (i) and Brayden Avenel Durrant (ii)
6 March 1993–25 September 1993
20. Llewellyn Lorell of Shrewsbury (ii) and Iliya Sergevna Raskochnikova
25 September 1993–5 March 1994
21. Conn MacNeill (ii) and Sile O'Kyan
5 March 1994–17 September 1994
22. Eringlin Aldhelm (i) and Eleanor Isabeau D'Autun
17 September 1994–4 March 1995
23. Valens of Flatrock (ii) and Elspeth of Stonehaven
4 March 1995–30 September 1995
24. Gilligan of Eire and Adelith of Horton Cum Studley
30 September 1995–2 March 1996
25. Chrystofer Kensor (ii) and Salamandra the Whitesmith
2 March 1996–21 September 1996
26. Eringlin Aldhelm (ii) and Alethea Charle (i)
21 September 1996–5 April 1997
27. Cuthbert Aldhelm (Cathyn FitzGerald) and Branwen ferch Rhael
5 April 1997–13 September 1997
28. Dongal Ericksson (i) and Aislinn MacInnes (i)
13 September 1997–4 April 1998
29. Valens of Flatrock (iii) and Susannah Griffon (ii)
4 April 1998–12 September 1998
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30. Luther Ambossfaust and Lenore de Troyes
12 September 1998–3 April 1999
31. Eringlin Aldhelm (iii) and Alethea Charle (ii)
3 April 1999–11 September 1999
32. Joseph Angus Wilson of Clan Gunn (i) and Phaedra of Grimfells (i)
11 September 1999–1 April 2000
33. Thjothrekr Eiriksson and Yrsa Guthbrandsdottir
1 April 2000–9 September 2000
34. Fernando Rodriguez de Falcon and Lyriel de la Forêt
9 September 2000–7 April 2001
35. Valens of Flatrock (iv) and Comyn Hrothwyn af Guilden Acumen
7 April 2001–13 October 2001
36. Dongal Ericksson (ii) and Aislinn MacInnes (ii)
13 October 2001–6 April 2002
37. Martino Michel Venneri and Ariel of Glastonbury Tor
6 April 2002–12 October 2002
38. Chrystofer Kensor (iii) and Margarette de St. Martin Sur Mer
12 October 2002–5 April 2003
39. Valens of Flatrock (v) and Susannah Griffon (iii)
5 April 2003–6 September 2003
40. Joseph Angus Wilson of Clan Gunn (ii) and Phaedra of Grimfells (ii)
6 September 2003–7 March 2004
41. Siridean MacLachlan and Sile O’Kyan
7 March 2004–[scheduled 11 September 2004]
42. Garick Von Kopke and Yasamin Al-Hadiyya
[scheduled 11 September 2004]–
43.
44.
45.
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