Chapter 6
Thoughts on The Boke of St Albans – The Social Rank & Appropriate Bird for Rank
By Dame Juliana Berners
Emperor: Golden eagle, vulture and merlin
What wonders do I imagine at the thought of a vulture landing on my arm, docile and pliant, awaiting orders to search for prey?
A bird of such vast proportions it would surely topple me with its weight.
Also, I venture, a carrion bird, known for feasting on the carcasses left by others rather than as a sleek hunter.
These words do entertain me and I wonder at the veracity of the lady who delineated the birds to the chosen ranks.
She was a nun, who perhaps had been the wife, now widow, or daughter of a nobleman.
What little I have discovered about her was that she entered the convent later in life and was already an exemplary hunter.
Her skills were no doubt appreciated by her sister nuns.
To choose a vulture, though, it is peculiar.
Perhaps if I were an emperor, the idea of hunting with such a bird would appeal, but being in trade – although, Mother would be shocked at such a description – makes me lean towards a merlin.
Even the golden eagle feels too stately for a man of my low, mean soul.
My life, once perfect, is destroyed by the curse. The treasure meaningless since its recipient is lost to me. Therefore, I shall leave its future to fate.
For the one who reads this tale, the person who solves the clues is my heir, the true inheritor of our family treasure.
Whoever you are, know this, I have written some doggerel, a clue, a beginning for you who has been summoned.
The one who is chosen: whether emperor or pauper, this path and your companions on your travail are your destiny and your hope.
Under the branch where the wizard waits
The Aquila chrysaetos guards our words
With blood on his beak, the vulture is the key
For eagles of a lesser kind
On which scholars choose to bate.