Nataliia wrote the original version of the text, based on a Russian poem known in English as “The Lay of Igor” or “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, a poem about events that took place in 12C. The provenance of the poem is uncertain – many scholars believe it was written in the late twelfth century, and possibly recorded in the thirteenth. However, some scholars argue that the poem is an 18C forgery.
I take no position on this scholarly debate, but it is a fun bit of text, and feels authentic for period Russian. Original Russian text of the poem can be found here: http://drevne-rus-lit.niv.ru/drevne-rus-lit/text/slovo-o-polku-igoreve/slovo-o-polku-igoreve-original.htm. I tweaked the English version of the text, and wrote the Russian version to go with it.
No image available. Calligrapher/illuminator is Nataliia Anastasiia Evgenova Sviatoslavina vnuchka.
Russian scroll text:
Пел соловей старомγ Ѧрославγ, храбромγ Мстиславγ, кой перебил Редида пред войсками Касовскими, и красномγ Романγ Свѧтослава сын, и наконец честномγ и благородномγ Йоанγ Дженсенγ Миккенинγ, кого зовγт Дженсен, Боѧрγ нашемγ.
Слышав се ю песень, ѧзъ царь Иван и его царица Матлда, хотим γкрепить наше царство и пометить его кто храбр γма и чё сердце полно боевым дγхом в защите нашево Восточново царства. Так мы награждаем этого Йоана Дженсена Миккенина Орденом Серебрѧнново Тигра. А грамота дана на рынке в Бирке, лета 7526 ѧнваря в 27 день.
English translation:
Sang a song a nightingale. First, to old Iarsolav, to brave Mstislav, who bested Rededia before the Kasog regiments, and to handsome Roman, son of Sviatoslav, and finally to honest and noble Johanne Jensen Mikkenen, called Jensen, a boyar of our court.
Having heard the song, we, Tsar Ivan and Tsaritsa Matilda, wish to strengthen our kingdom and to recognize a brave mind and a heart imbued with martial spirit in defense of our Eastern lands. Thus do we induct said Johanne Jensen Mikkenen into the Order of the Silver Tyger. Done at the Marketplace at Birka on January 27, year 7526 since the creation of the world, or the 52nd year of the Society.
