Heraldic Boast for Aethelwulf of Dover

Boast for Aethelwulf of Dover's elevation to The Order of the Mark, written by Olwen of Tree-Girt-Sea.

A bow-wielder of many allegiances

Began as a Saxon

Rode with a hoard of Monguls,

But in Tree-Girt-Sea

We know him as Marksman

In an Airy town, his name means fierce kindness

His door opens to many kinsmen

In a domicile guarded by fanged furred companions

One of white and orange stripes

Overseeing from a stairwell

He fills our quivers with true arrows

Our bellies with fine food

Our throats with amber ale

Oh! What a joy to feast with him beside

A field lined with targets

Behold! The man of Dover’s labor

Feathered fowl rendered

As handprinted fingers held wide

Scrawled with colorful sketches

And skewered with arrows

A true archer walks the lines

Ensuring those new and old

Can string a bow

And hone their gaze

On concentric circles

A miraculous man, whose ear grew back

After his household paid his ransom

With red resin he coats wooden shafts

In memory of the bloody exchange

Bards sing of his steadfastness

A bow that bends

But shall not break

He lends aid in times of need

Expecting no boasts

In his name, so now comes the time

To declare his title mightily

Æthelwulf! Forge a new legacy

May your aim be true

As you hit your mark

Bring pride to the Midlands

As you have done

Many a day before