Hear Ye, Lords, Ladies, Knights and Squires! We make known to you very great deeds of arms and a very noble joust that shall be performed on the day of the feast of St. Cyril, the 27th day of the month of June: In the name of the newly married Asbjørn Pedersen Marsvin and his lady wife, Marienna, and for the sake of Honour and Love. It shall be a Tournament of Roses, and it shall take place at the rotunda of the Park of St Albert in the Noble City called Ildhafn, otherwise known as Auckland. There, at one hour past the noon, shall all those assemble who wish to take the field, fully armoured and equipped. And they shall be finely arrayed, displaying their arms and the arms of their families in whatever manner they wish. And they shall bring that person who inspires them, and roses, as many as may be needed. And that person who inspires them shall lead them to the field by way of a chain or lead. And the Combatant and the Inspiration shall together form a team.
Item: Whosoever is judged to be arrayed the finest shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to be the noblest shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to perform the greatest feat of the list shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to lead the most joyous life that day shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to be arrayed the finest shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to be the noblest shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to dance the best shall have earned a prize
Item: Whosoever is judged to lead the most joyous life that day shall have earned a prize
And further, for the sake of Love and Honour, in each bout the loser shall award the victor’s Inspiration a rose.
The first round shall be a great melee.
The second round shall be fought at the barrier, with spears and lances, in single combat.
The third round shall be a great melee.
The fourth round shall be fought with great weapons, in single combat.
The fifth round shall be a great melee.
The sixth round shall be fought with sword and shield, or two swords, in single combat.
The seventh round shall be a great melee.
The eight round shall be fought with short swords or daggers, one or two, in single combat.
Item: If during the courses, any Combatant shall touch the ground with his hands or knees, he shall have lost the round.
Item: Each Combatant shall be armed with the accustomed armour for combating in lists.
Should any person be unprovided with a required weapon, he shall be furnished with the same. And all weapons are not to have anything extraordinary in their make, but such as are usual in these kinds of combats.
Item: Whosoever strikes a Combatant while his back is turned shall have lost the round.
Item: Who loses his helmet, or breaks his armour, shall have lost the round.
Item: Whosoever is pushed, or unfooted by his opponent, and falls, shall have won the round.
Item: Whosoever strikes the barrier, or his opponent under the barrier, shall have lost the round.
When the combatants arrive at the field, they shall gather as the herald speaks to them. And the herald shall say as follows:
"Noble and honourable lords and gentlemen, ladies and gentlewomen; pray attend!"
"We ask that you and your [lady] do take your place in a line, and that upon the herald’s command you walk in solemn procession onto the field. An that, when you reach the barrier, the combatants do step close to it and raise your weapons high as if striking, and that you make a great cry of your battle cry. That you shall then wait quietly as each of you, led by your [lady], steps forward to introduce yourself and that lady who inspires you upon the day. Thereupon the herald will inform you of the rules of the list and the lord and lady of this tourney will further speak to you. That you then make another cry, before retiring from the field to make ready."
The herald shall lead them onto the field, and they shall do as he has explained before.
"Hear ye, noble and honourable lords and gentlemen, ladies and gentle women; pray attend Asbjørn Pedersen Marsvin!"
And he shall say as is written below, or words to such effect.
"Welcome to this tourney! Today we celebrate my marriage with noble deeds of arms and chivalry. The tourney will be fought in alternating rounds of melees and single combat. The rounds of single combat will be fought as round robins."
"The herald will now read to you the rules of the list and require of you to swear to follow them."
And the herald shall then read this that follows.
"Noble and honourable lords and gentlemen, each and every one of you, please raise your right hand on high, and all together as you will in the future, promise and swear on your honour that you will strike none of your company at this tourney below the belt, that you will not push or unfoot your opponent, and that no one will attack or draw on anyone unless it is permitted, and also that if by chance someone’s helm falls off, no one will touch him until he has put it back on; that you shall not strike your opponent under the barrier, and you agree that if you knowingly do otherwise, you will be banished from the tourney; also to observe the orders of the judges in everything and everywhere as they order delinquents to be punished without argument; and also you swear and promise this by the faith and promise of your body and on your honour."
To which they
will answer. "Yes. Yes."
And then the herald shall say this.
"Now pray attend the lady Marienna, wife of Asbjørn Pedersen Marsvin!"
And she will speak as follows, or words of that effect.
"When you take the field, you will bring with you a rose. If you lose your bout, you will escort the victor to his own lady, and you will present her with your rose, for her honour. For today we celebrate the joy and honour of love and marriage, and so it is fit that the lady who inspires you on the field shall truly be rewarded."
"Now, as you know, there will be prizes awarded for both the combatants and those who inspire them. We ask that the ladies here present select the combatants who will win the prizes for being arrayed the finest, being the noblest, performing the greatest feat of the list, and leading the most joyous life this day. We also ask that the lords here present select the ladies who will win the prizes for being arrayed the finest, being the noblest, and leading the most joyous life this day."
"I look forward to the joyous displays of chivalry we will be treated to upon this day. You honour us greatly by joining us in this celebration."
Whereupon the combatants and their ladies shall leave the field in an orderly manner, and retire to their places to make ready for the combat. And when they are ready, the herald shall cry the first bout.
"Noble and honourable lords and gentlemen, please stand ready for the first bout! Would lord L. and the lord L. take the field/arm and stand ready!"
And when the combatants take the field, the herald shall cry the following words:
"Honourable lords, please salute our noble crown of Caid!"
"Please salute [she] who inspires you upon this day!"
"Now salute your most noble opponent!"
"For the glory of love, and for honour, the marshals have the field!"
And when the tourney is finished, let the herald take the field, and there he will say as follows:
"Honourable lords and gentlemen, ladies and gentlewomen; pray attend!"
"Let the combatants leave the field, for you lords, gentlemen, knights and squires who have tourneyed in this place before the ladies have so done your duty and henceforth you may retire in peace. And you ladies and gentlewomen who have attended here today, have done so with great joy and grace and may henceforth retire in peace. For the prizes shall now be awarded, which will be given to those who deserved them."
The herald shall then confer with the lords and the ladies respectively, who the rightful winners of the prizes are.
And the lords and ladies shall gather once more, as before, and the lord Asbjørn and the lady Marienna shall step forward, and they shall walk to the lords and the ladies alternately who have won the prizes (and Asbjørn shall award the prizes to the ladies, and Marienna to the lords), and the herald shall walk with them, and he shall say to the lord or lady to whom the prize shall be given:
"Noble and honourable lord/lady, behold here this noble [lady Marienna, wife of this noble lord Asbjørn/lord Asbjørn, husband of this noble lady Marienna], who has come to give you this prize, because you have been judged [to be arrayed the finest, to be the noblest, to have performed the greatest feat of the list, danced the best, to have lead the most joyous life this day], and my lady/lord prays that you will take it with good will!"
Then there shall be great cries of joy, and thus the tourney will end.
