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2:40 pm
May 17, 2011
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Hello everyone. Very soon (Friday if possible) I am hoping to get an Anne Boleyn-related tattoo (ainsi sera, groigne qui groigne). I'd love to use her own handwriting to form the words, or a font that is very similar to it.
The best image of her writing I have seen is in this letter. Other than finding an acceptable font, I may have to find the letters I need to make it up and photoshop it all together.
I was wondering if anyone had any other hi-res images of her handwriting (besides her signature), or if anyone knows of any fonts that look very similar?
Also, does Anne use the long “s” instead of the short “s,” or does she use both? The long seems to be in the letter I linked to, but I'm not too sure. It'd be easier for me to tell if it wasn't in French. 🙂 Would anyone know if the s's in “ainsi” and “sera” would take the long or short “s”?
I am prepared to obviously postpone the tattoo past Friday if I can't be completely happy with it yet, hehe. Thanks!
5:54 pm
October 31, 2010
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I can't help you with much, but I think she's using a combination of short and long s's throughout the letter which seems to have been fairly typical in all writing back then. I'm fairly certain that towards the middle of the letter she uses the word “les” and it is written with the short s. I agree it is difficult to tell the difference between her f's, l's, and s's at points. Even her lowercase b's…
According to Wikipedia, the long s was used at the beginning of a word or when an s appeared in the middle of a word whereas a short s was used at the end of a word…
So, I don't know if that helps and that Wikipedia is sometimes a questionable resource, but it might give you a jumping off point.
Good luck with your tattoo!
"We mustn't let our passions destroy our dreams…"
6:37 pm
May 17, 2011
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Thank you, MegC! I kind of figured that out after reading this letter of hers that I found. I think it was written in 1528, to Wolsey. Her handwriting is much better in it as she was about twice her age from the first one. I will research the long and short s's and see if that is correct, although it looks to be so. When she writes words like “as” or “this,” the s is always a short one.
Ooh, I've noticed something else. When I put the motto into Google Translate, it doesn't recognize “groigne” until I spell it as “grogne,” which it then translates as “grumbles.” I wonder if it had the “i” in it centuries ago and it was eventually dropped, or if it was originally spelled “grogne,” if anyone knows?? Thanks!
7:05 am
October 31, 2010
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Seems like her motto universally uses “groigne”. I would say “groigner” is just an older version of “grogner”. Think of how much English has changed since the 1500s!
Her handwriting certainly is better in the second letter!
"We mustn't let our passions destroy our dreams…"
5:26 pm
May 17, 2011
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So I went ahead and made this in photoshop. Too bad the letter with good handwriting wasn't as hi-res as her French one, but I think I can make due. At the very least I can take what I have to the artist and see if he can work with it.
5:52 pm
October 31, 2010
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I think that looks splendid! I think it at least gives an artist something to start with and, for the most part, I think that's all most of them really need. As long as they don't try to turn the long s's into f's by mistake!
"We mustn't let our passions destroy our dreams…"
6:48 pm
May 17, 2011
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MegC said:
I think that looks splendid! I think it at least gives an artist something to start with and, for the most part, I think that's all most of them really need. As long as they don't try to turn the long s's into f's by mistake!
Thanks! Yes, I will be very specific with the details, haha.
7:05 pm
November 18, 2010
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MegC said:
I think that looks splendid! I think it at least gives an artist something to start with and, for the most part, I think that's all most of them really need. As long as they don't try to turn the long s's into f's by mistake!
Some-one's been watching The Vicar of Dibley.
It's always bunnies.
1:20 am
April 11, 2011
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That's now a beer you owe me.
