Capitulum Cygni: A Capitular Decree and Menu of the Swans of the Moat

Be it known to all fowl and friendly folk who gaze upon the moat at The Bishop’s Palace, and to any curious human of the market square: We, the swans (Grace and Gabriel, and those soon to be cygnets), by beak and by bell, do here proclaim our ordering of repast and rule.

Preamble — The Rhythm of the Bell (Ally McBeal Cadence)

We ring — ding — we wait — nod — we expect — whoosh — the rope replies. Gabriel tutors the young: "Pull, pull, then food!" Grace nods, serene as a portrait. This is our cadence; this is our courtroom and our kitchen rolled into one swan-straight line.

1. Capitulum I — Of Bell-Ringing and Right to Request

   Whereas the bell at the Gatehouse hangs with rope descending, and whereas our ancestors learned the craft of summoning, let it be ordained that any swan born upon this moat may, in the season of hunger, draw the rope and claim victuals (food).

   [Annotation: "Whereas" = "Because"; "ordained" = "officially decided"; "victuals" = "food".]

2. Capitulum II — Of the Menu (By Swans, For Swans)

   Be it resolved that the following items are lawful to utter in order (our Menu of the Moat):

   • Pelleted Swanfare (approved swan food) — crunchy, buoyant, and meant for beak and bill;
   • Pondweed & Water Lettuce — seasonal, green, to be plucked tenderly;
   • Small Fish of the Shallow — at discretion and not to exceed one per cygnet when taught by parent;
   • Occasional Treats of Fudge Curiosity — shall be noted as "novelty" and given rarely and under human supervision (we prefer not to overindulge);
   • Loam Mud for Nesting — not for eating, but for the building of cradles where future cygnets shall rest.

   [Annotation: "Resolved" = "decided"; "discretion" = "careful choice"; "novelty" = "something unusual".]

3. Capitulum III — Of Portions and Parental Instruction

   Let it be declared that parents shall portion food to ensure growth: Grace, keeper of eggs, shall maintain incubation and teach brood; Gabriel, tutor of bell and path, shall instruct cygnets in the pulling of rope and in public manners (no stealing from the fudge shop, despite temptation).

   [Annotation: "Incubation" = "keeping eggs warm until they hatch"; "brood" = "group of young birds".]

4. Capitulum IV — Of Nesting Season and Timing

   By custom and memory, nests are prepared in the months when frost softens (February/March). Eggs shall be laid in March, and after the counting of about forty suns (days) the hatchlings shall break forth in early May, to the delight of watchers and to the careful guidance by parents.

   [Annotation: "Counting of about forty suns" = "about 40 days"; "hatchlings" = "baby birds (cygnets)".]

5. Capitulum V — Of Travails and Triumphs (A Swansong of Memory)

   Remembered are Bryn and Wynn, former keepers who walked our water and taught many. Grief shall be acknowledged, and joyous return of family groups to the Somerset Levels be permitted without hindrance. Let migration and wandering be treated as lawful motion, and let the Gatehouse bell wait until our return.

   [Annotation: "Migration" = "movement from one place to another"; "lawful motion" = "allowed travel".]

6. Capitulum VI — Of the Swan Cam and Public Watching

   To those who watch with eyes bright and cameras ready: know that the Swan Cam gives you glimpses of nest and nestling, but that privacy of the nest shall be observed by kindly watchers. The Cam shall sleep when the family wanders; it shall return in the year of nesting (2026) for those who wish comfort and company in watching life begin anew.

   [Annotation: "Privacy" = "giving space, not bothering"; "glimpses" = "brief looks".]

7. Capitulum VII — Of Disputes and Gentle Remedies

   Shall a disagreement arise (over food, over path, over bell), let the matter be settled gently: the elder swan shall call the young aside; if needed, a human keeper may intervene — but only to restore peace or protect the nest. Formal combat is forbidden; hissing is allowed as polite protest.

   [Annotation: "Intervene" = "step in to help"; "formal combat" = "serious fighting"; "hissing" = "a swan's warning sound".]

8. Capitulum VIII — Final Clause of Comfort

   Let it be forever known that we are more than feathers and courtly posture: we are family, teachers, and neighbours. Teach the cygnets the bell; teach the bell to listen. May the moat remain a place of safety and snacks, song and statue-like dignity.

   [Annotation: "Statue-like dignity" = "standing very still and looking noble".]

Glossary of Medieval and Legal Terms (Plain English for a 13-year-old)

• Capitulum / Capitulary: a short formal rule or chapter — think of it as a numbered rule in an old law book.
• Whereas: "because" — starts explanations in legal writing.
• Ordained: officially decided or ordered.
• Victuals: old word for food.
• Resolved: decided or agreed upon.
• Incubation: keeping eggs warm until they hatch.
• Brood: a group of young birds born at the same time.
• Migration: moving from one place to another, often seasonally.
• Intervene: step in to help or stop a problem.
• Discretion: careful judgment about what to do.

Thus we conclude, with a soft preen and a courteous head-swing. Signed: Grace (Pen) and Gabriel (Cob), sworn to nest, bell, and meadow. Witnessed by the gate-rope and the market’s curious gaze.

(Inspired by the historical swan traditions at The Bishop’s Palace in Wells — where swans ring bells and live by a moat, and where Swan Cam watches nests in spring.)