SCA

Apprenticing Eva Hundsdotter

On the 24th day of March Anno Societatis LII, 2018 in the common reckoning, on the Sitientes which is the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, the feast day of St. Hildelith, abbess of Barking Hereford, at the March Crown of the West Kingdom, Hans and Helga as the undoubted King and Queen of the West, I took to indenture Eva Hundsdotter as my apprentice. It is my undoubted pleasure to guide and mentor her.

As part of the ceremony we had a chirograph drawn up. This is a medieval document, which has been written in duplicate, (or triplicate or very occasionally quadruplicate) on a single piece of parchment and then cut through to separate the parts. Unfortunately because of last minute changes the document was not present at the indenturing ceremony. Once we have signed that document I will add pictures of it and the text from the document here.

My undying thanks to Duchess Patricia who took this photograph of the ceremony with Eva’s soon-to-be-apprentice-sister Treásach looking on proudly from the background.

Text of Eva’s Chirograph:
Þ is a thorne. Pronounced “th”
ʃ is a sometimes called sigma.  Pronounced “s”

Þis indenture made þe twenty-fourth day of March, yn þe raene of our Soverand lorde King Hans iij and his fair Queen Helga, wyttneʃs þat Eva Hundsdotter, a Lady of the West Kingdom, doʃʃe in goode feyth and free will bynd hyr ʃelf apprentice to Sylvie la chardonnière, Mistress of the Laurel, for a terme of no leʃs þan i complete and continuous yaere from þis date or until the rightful Soverand may call to Eva to serve as Mistress in her own right.
Þe ʃeid Sylvie þe ʃeid Eva hys indentured yn hyr art which she uʃes by þe beʃt and moʃt excellent means þat she knows ʃchall diligently teach and nʃtruch or cauʃe to be inʃtructed by oþers, puniʃhing in due manner, with noþyng to be hyd frome hyr þerof in such matters aʃ þe ʃeid Sylvie deems fit.
During which þe ʃeid Eva þe ʃeid Sylvie as hyr miʃtress yn all þynges well and faiþfully ʃhall ʃerue, hyr conʃyll kepe, and hyr lawfull and honest commaundements euerywhere gladly do. She ʃchall not do damage to hyr ʃeid miʃtress wyþin þe ʃeid terme to þe value of xii pence or more per annum. She ʃchall not waste þe godes of hyr ʃeid miʃtress nor lend þem wyþout hyr order or ʃpecial commaundement. She ʃchall not play any unlawful or unʃeemly gamys whereby hyr ʃeid miʃtress may have any loʃs. She ʃchall not seek out the company of unʃavory fellows nor linger in unʃeemingly circumstances ʃave to do þe buʃneʃs of and at the bidding of hyr ʃeid miʃtress. She ʃchall not wyþdraw unlawfully from þe ʃeruice of hyr ʃeid miʃtress during þe ʃeid terme nor flee nor depart for any reaʃon, until ʃhe haʃ completed hyr indenture or she ʃchall releaʃe hyr. And yf ʃhe ʃchall wyʃh to purchaʃe hyr freedom during þe ʃeid terme ʃhe may do ʃo for xxxiij ʃolidi.
In wyttines whereof þe aforeʃaid parties to þeʃe indentures interchangeably have put þeir ʃeals. Done at þe March Crown of the West Kingdom on þe Sitientes which is the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, the feaʃt day of St. Hildelith, abbess of Barking Hereford yn þe liiʃt yaere socitatus.


Mistress Sylvie la chardonnière

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