When an opportunity drops in your lap to write a text for a fellow herald, sometimes, you drop everything and do it. Zaneta (our current Eyas herald) has been doing some fantastic glasswork, and her ability and patience to teach people how to do things with a rather finicky artform has not gone unnoticed.
So, when the opportunity came, I started researching guild texts and laws from Northern Italy. Zaneta’s persona is late 15th century Venetian, a region well known for glassmakers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any laws (that weren’t behind a paywall!) that I could crib from in writing the text, so, I went a little earlier and a little further west, and stumbled onto the statutes from the town of Biella, in the Piedmont region, dating back to the 1400s.
Italian city-states do mean some differing cultures in ways such as clothing and food, and in some extreme cases polity and other political structures, but law-wise, many of the guild frameworks appear to be similar, so I felt a bit more justified in using the translated (from Latin) text (found here and here).
Zaneta’s text is below. Congrats, lady! I’m so proud of you!
Among the first things, it is decreed and ordained that, at this feast of All Souls the Credentia of the Silver Hammer, or a major portion thereof, or a portion thereof specially selected for this purpose shall be called to the Shire of Axed Root. These artisans will welcome to their Order one Zaneta Baseggio, who is charged with the following to the extent possible, to create, learn, and maintain her standing within said order and all of its principles, rights, and honors.
In the same way, it has been decreed that the selfsame Zaneta is obliged to, should be, and can be compelled to be a member of the Credentia of the Silver Hammer for the sciences which she practices and to pay attention to the by-laws, which have been made for her by the Credentia in a rational manner. Saving that the honor and advantage of the Order and saving that the statute placed under the rubric of the Credentia are not compromised.
Done by our hands on this 2nd day of November.
Of note: Credentia refers to a Cabinet of people, or in this case, the Order. The original text refers to a Credentia of Consuls frequently, and referring to the Order of the Silver Hammer as such really helped with the general feel of the region. I also wanted to make sure we could have a good solid date, and as many documents from this period use the Church calendar of feasts and fasts to render dates, I did so here, too.
konstantia kaloethina 