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The Æthelmearc Gazette

~ Covering the Kingdom of Æthelmearc of the SCA

The Æthelmearc Gazette

Category Archives: Arts & Sciences

A&S Competitions at the Iris Festival in the Debatable Lands

16 Monday May 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Announcements, Arts & Sciences, Event Announcements & Updates

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Arts and Sciences, Debatable Lands, Japanese Event

From Master Ishiyama Gen’tarou Yori’ie

There are two Arts and Sciences activities being run at next month’s Japanese Iris Festival event (June 4, 2022 – 121 Brady’s Run Rd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010).

The first is the Iron Comet A&S Competition. The competition has no theme, and accepts all types of projects. The competition is mandatory for anyone in the Iron Comet Challenge, but it is open to everyone. Anyone can win, but only those participating in the martial competitions
will receive tournament points.

The second is the Festival A&S Display. The display is also open to any type of project, but projects displaying arts of Eastern Asia are encouraged. There are no points awarded, no judging, and no winner. Please bring all your most interesting, most useful, most attractive, and most intense projects to show. Research and instruction are not required, but we would love to see any supporting documentation if you have it, and enjoy having you answer questions about your work if you’re not busy elsewhere. You can display as many items as you wish, but if you need a lot of room please consider bringing your own tables and possibly your own shelter.

Both activities will be under shelter, but this event is primarily outdoors so please be prepared to protect your entries from stray raindrops and errant breezes. By site policy, no glass bottles are allowed.

You do not need to register your entries or display items ahead of time,
but if you want to send email to let event staff know what you are
bringing or if you have any questions, please contact “ansminister (at)
debatablelands.org”.

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Classes at Æthelmearc War Practice

14 Saturday May 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Event Announcements & Updates, Teaching

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AEthelmearc War Practice, War Practice Classes

Who is ready for some learning? Many amazing teachers have heeded my call for classes at this years War Practice! We have decided to go paperless so no class handouts will be available. However, if you need a printed copy, please email me to request one. Did you know that there is an App for War Practice this year? Here is the link: https://eventee.co/event/16244 The event schedule is listed there as well.

Yours in service,
Lady Vika Vyborskaia

 

Friday Classes

9:00 AM

Tent 1 – How to Write Poetry Like a Well-Mannered Brute – A poetry workshop for the aspiring heart! An introduction to various period-specific forms, devices, figurative language, the mysteries of enjambment, and the acrostic! Come with longing, leave with poems of your own devising! (2 Hours) – Morien MacBain – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – How to Open Up a Can of Worms Without Making Too Much of a Mess: Starting an SCA Research Project – Does research and documentation seem overwhelming? Are you interested in doing an A&S project but don’t know where to start? This class will teach you how to find, evaluate, and document the sources you need to research and complete an A&S project in any category. (1 Hour) – Rosie Dubroc – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

10:00 AM

Tent 2 – Introduction to Fingerloop Braiding – Learn some basic fingerloop braiding patterns you can use to create necklaces, bracelets, lacing, medallion cords, etc. (1 Hour) – Forveleth Dunde – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Cofia y Tranzado: The Omnipresent Spanish Headwear – In 1500s Spain, the cofia y tranzado (cap and braid case) was all the rage. Worn by women of virtually every rank, it could dress up, dress down, and be styled in a wide variety of ways. This class will survey the many different examples we have of the garment in use, and will include a pattern and all details needed to make and wear your own (it’s easy!) (1 Hour) – Baroness Elena de la Palma – (Adults)

11:00 AM

Tent 2 – Castle Knitting for Children – Children will use a very basic knitting-style skill to create a rope/snake/cord to be used as imagination dictates! Best for ages 7 and up, though many 6-year-olds can manage fine with parental assistance. – Limit 10 kids per class. No materials fee. (1 Hour) – Elsa Taliard – (Kids 6 and up with Adult)

Tent 3 – Voice Heralding 101 – From SCA.org: “Voice heralds” are used for “crying out announcements, announcing the fighters entering the list field, as well as acting as the voice of the nobility in court, reading the scrolls that accompany the awards being given out.” “Book heralds”: helping members of the SCA to research period names and design devices (armory), as well as registering them with the SCA College of Heralds. “Protocol heralds”: recording the awards and honors that are given in court, drafting period-style ceremonies for use in court, determining the precedence of award holders, as well as other legal niceties in all sorts of situations. This class deals with Voice Heralds. Learn how to project your voice, how to present yourself, what to say, and how to say it! (1 Hour) – Baron Snorri skyti Bjarnarsson – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

12:00 PM

Tent 1 – The Song of Breath: Troubadour Poetry and Lore – A survey of the history and stories of the troubadour poets, rich in anecdote, and with reference to particular motifs and forms of their art. Special attention will be paid to the sestina form! (2 Hours) – Morien MacBain – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 2 – MOL What’s that? – Learning how to run all types of tournaments. (1 Hour) – Lady Vika Vyborskaia – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – How to be an SCA Assassin – An Introduction to having a persona that is nefarious and not getting into trouble; includes accoutrements, A&S ideas, and other suggestions. (1 Hour) – THL Maggie Rue – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

1:00 PM

Tent 2 – En Espanol: Defining Characteristics of Women’s Fashion in Spain from 1500 – 1600 – What makes Spanish fashion distinct from, well, anywhere else? That’s a big question, but we’ll try to answer it for one particular segment: women’s fashion from 1500-1600. We’ll look at everything from materials, cut, and construction to embellishments, undergarments, and accessories, reviewing commonalities from image and inventory sources of the time. – Baroness Elena de la Palma – (Adult)

Tent 3 – Mushroom Foraging Safety 101 – Wild Mushrooms are sexy. Gastrointestinal distress is not. Let’s get you out there foraging safely! Wild mushroom petting zoo last 1/2 hour of class, appx. Class Limit 15  (2 Hours) – Elsa Taliard – (Adults Only, NO ONE UNDER 18)

2:00 PM

Tent 1 – Night’s Black Agents: Elizabethan Espionage – A survey of Elizabeth’s intelligence service, spymasters, codes, and night’s black agents, as well as the litany of conspiracies and plots they faced! (1.5 Hours) – Morien MacBain – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

3:00 PM

Tent 2 – Risqué Pompeii: Art Under the Volcano – Upon the discovery of Pompeii, and its neighbor Herculaneum, Victorian explorers were both surprised and horrified by what they found. The sexually explicit artwork they uncovered would forever change their view of Ancient Rome and eventually lead to our modern concept of pornography. Come have a look at the artwork that caused such an uproar that it was hidden away for nearly two centuries. Ages 18+ (1 Hour) – Rosie Dubroc – (Adults)

Tent 3 – The Guzheng, The Chinese Zither – This is a basic informational class on the guzheng, a Chinese stringed instrument. I will give an overview of the history and evolution of the instrument in the relevant time frame of the SCA and weather permitting, will bring the instrument out to demonstrate basic techniques of how it was played. (1 Hour) – Brigette de Sainte Mere-Eglise – (Adults)

4:00 PM

Tent 2 – Introduction to Combat Archery – Have you ever wanted to be a part of the action on the battlefield, but didn’t want to swing a sword? Have you ever wanted to shoot back at that pesky archer who keeps killing you? Give combat archery a try. The class will cover the basics of combat archery: what equipment you need, the rules, and basic tactics. (1 Hour) – Freiherr Friderich Swartzwalder – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Cooking the Books – a Review of Period Cookbooks – The class will look at almost 60 period cookbooks. The teacher will give her opinion on the usability of each book. A handout will be provided listing all the books and a table will be included listing the features of each book.  (2 Hours) – Baroness Oddkatla Jonsdottir – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

5:00 PM

Tent 2 – Jakob Fugger, The Richest Person Who Ever Lived – A look at the life of Augsburg banker Jakob Fugger. He financed Popes, Kings, and Emperors. Learn about the person who redefined banking and established modern capitalism. A person who was despised by many, including those who needed his services. (1 Hour) – Freiherr Friderich Swartzwalder – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

 

Saturday Classes

9:00 AM

Tent 1 – Roman Wire and Bead Jewelry – Examine Roman jewelry artifacts that can be recreated using simple materials and tools. Kits and handouts available. Students encouraged to bring round needle nose pliers, wire cutters, and bead mats. Students must be able to safely use wire cutters. Limit 15 Cost $10 for supplies for a full necklace and earrings (2 Hours) – Dame Elizabethe Alles – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 2 – Medallion making – This make and take class will teach you how to make a painted medallion with a glass cabochon. These are ideal for largesse, heraldic display, or award medallions. All supplies provided, including real lambskin vellum. Limit 12   Cost $5    (1.5 Hour) – Nichola Beese – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Pasamanos: A Survey of Spanish Needlework – Spain has a rich tradition of needlework dating back hundreds of years into period. This class will trace the development of this tradition, starting with some of the earliest examples and extending to lacemaking, drawnwork, and the other highly complex styles found decorating ruffs, camisas, and more during the Spanish Golden Age. Focus is on exposure to styles, not on learning the techniques involved. (1 Hour) – Baroness Elena de la Palma – (Adult)

10:00 AM

Tent 2 – Bayeux Stitch Embroidery – Cone learn Bayeux stitch! This historically accurate technique combines outline or stem stitch and couching and laid work techniques, allowing you to cover large areas with ease and stitch non-geometric and pectoral designs. Limit 12   Cost $5    (1.5 Hours) – Renata Rouge & Nichola Beese – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Fabric and Embellishment in Late Period Spanish Clothing: Evidence from the Inventories – What fabrics would a Spanish queen wear? How would her garments be decorated? This class explores some answers to these questions by surveying recorded inventories of Isabel of Portugal, Juana of Castile, and other contemporary Spanish royal women from 1530 – 1600. (1 Hour) – Baroness Elena de la Palma – (Adult)

A&S Pavilion – Tent 1 – Weedwalk – Walk through the campground to appreciate and identify wild plants and learn some of their uses and dangers. Please wear sturdy shoes. Rain or shine. Limit 20 – Baroness Sadira bint Wassouf – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

11:00 AM

Tent 1 – So, you want to be an Apothecary in the SCA – This class is an introduction to Apothecaries throughout different eras and cultures and how best to portray one in reenactment, LARP-ing, or any fictional setting. In addition, discussion will be provided on how to create research papers and projects, as well as gifts and largesse that are persona oriented. (1 Hour) – THL Maggie Rue – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Mushroom Foraging Safety 101 – Wild Mushrooms are sexy. Gastrointestinal distress is not. Let’s get you out there foraging safely! Wild mushroom petting zoo last 1/2 hour of class, appx. Class Limit 15  (2 Hours) – Elsa Taliard –  (Adults Only, NO ONE UNDER 18)

12:00 PM

Tent 2 – Tips for Teaching a Better A&S Class – Whether you are planning your first class or have been teaching for a while, A&S classes can be a lot of work to develop and present. This class aims to provide some helpful tips to make it simpler and more efficient to turn your ideas into classes that are both easy for you to teach and easy for your students to understand. (1 Hour) – Rosie Dubroc – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Campsite – Forester Flint and Steel Firemaking – The House Sable Maul Camp – This class will involve a variety of skills involved in creating a fire quickly and reliably with flint and steel. A variety of char materials, tinder, and kindling will be considered, as well as the ability to locate ort make such materials in the wilderness. All class materials will be provided, enough for ten students will be on hand. (2 Hours) – Rikardr Vid-Bjorn – Limit 10 – (Any, Youth with Adult supervision)

1:00 PM

Tent 1 – Art Analysis For Living History – As more and more Medieval and Renaissance art becomes accessible, there are more and more exciting opportunities to create and appreciate art across cultures and time periods. Join us for a fun, interactive workshop to explore a way to analyze extant scroll illumination or paintings to identify specific details for creating realistically period art, to assess your own illuminations, or just for an additional level of enjoyment.  This class is appropriate for any age or level of ability and interest, especially beginners in illumination. (1 Hour) – Baroness Sadira bint Wassouf – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 3 – Newcomers Meet & Greet – (1 hour)

2:00 PM

Tent 2 – Castle Knitting for Children – Children will use a very basic knitting-style skill to create a rope/snake/cord to be used as imagination dictates! Best for ages 7 and up, though many 6-year-olds can manage fine with parental assistance. – Limit 10 kids per class. No materials fee. (1 Hour) – Elsa Taliard – (Kids 6 and up with Adult)

Tent 3 – Turkish Hat Making – Make and take class where you get to make an Ottoman Tarpus hat. Some knowledge of hand sewing required, materials provided – though if you have a specific fabric you’d like to use, please bring it. – Limit 10 hat makers (2 Hours) – THL Sumayya Ghaziyya – (Adult)

3:00 PM

Tent 1 – The Way of Saint James: Pilgrims to Santiago – We will examine the legends, history, and lore of the *Camino de Santiago*, with special emphasis on the nature of medieval pilgrimage, sites of special historic, religious, and cultural importance along the route, plus advice for planning and completing the pilgrimage today. Taught by former pilgrims. *¡Buen camino!* (2 Hours) – Morien MacBain – (Any, Youth with Adult Supervision)

Tent 2 – “Kingdom MOL Meet & Greet” – As I’ve recently taken office, I would like to be able to meet personally with as many MOLs from around the kingdom as possible. If you are an MOL, interested in becoming an MOL, or just are curious about what it is that a Minster of the List does, please come and visit. (2 Hours) – Odriana – (Adult)

4:00 PM

Tent 2 – “Authorization Clerk Demo and Q&A” – Join Odriana, Deputy Authorization Clerk for the Kingdom, for a demonstration of the new online authorization form. This is also an opportunity for any Marshals that have not had the opportunity to give permission to be included on the online form so that your local fighters can use the form. There will also be time for Q&A in case you have any questions about the authorization process. (2 Hours) – Odriana – (Adult)

 

 

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The Return of Artisan and Scribal Playtime at Æthelmearc War Practice

11 Wednesday May 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Bardic, Brewing, Uncategorized

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AEthelmearc War Practice, Bardic, Brewing, scribal

One more weekend, and it is time to pack the camping gear, head out of town and enjoy the copious A&S activities at the Æthelmearc War Practice! With the Return of the Great Hall, boy, do we have a line up… There will be Artisan Playtime, there will be Scribal Playtime, there will be Brewing, there will be Bardic – as well as a woodworking demo and whatever other projects the populace brings for show and tell. Reserve some time out of your busy schedule of martial activities and classes for the many Cool Things happening in the Great Hall yet once again!

Brews and Bards in the Barn Social from 4-8pm in the Great Hall

Master Morien MacBain performs on the field.

To start the weekend off with a bang, the Brews and Bards in the Barn social will happen Friday from 4-8 PM in the Great Hall. Sylvan Bards THLady Maggie Rue and Master Morien MacBain plan a bardic circle together with the pouring of libations by the Brewers Guild. Master Morien would invite prospective Bards to partake of his Eleanor of Aquitaine Challenge! He offers a pair of prizes, one for Joglars or Best Performance and one for Trobars or Best Poem or song Composed on-site, during the evening! He will announce the topic at 5PM and composers may either present their work themselves, or designate another to do so. Eleanor of Aquitaine was the great patroness of the troubadours; the trobars were the writers, the joglars were the singers and a person could be both.

 

The Æthelmearc Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Meadhers is working hard on restoring the Pennsic Bar and intends to have it up and running to be able to serve cold brews and fruity meads during the Brews and Bards in the Barn revelry. The first part of the evening the Brewers Guild plans a social get-together or round table for all our brewers old and new to meet and greet the many familiar and perhaps not so familiar faces we have not seen since far too long. Have you kept on brewing? Bring something to share. Are you looking for feedback? Definitely bring something to share! We welcome all, and will also have non-alcoholic beverages available.

Artisan Playtime from 1-5 PM in the Great Hall

A plow plane used for cutting the groove for a panel in a frame.

My personal favorite, woodworking virtuoso Master Robert of Sugargrove will bring his collection of hand tools to demonstrate commonly used period techniques. He shared with me: “I usually do a little stock prep – rough scrub plane & finish smooth plane – how we make a flat, true board; then either some dovetail work or mortise & tenon joinery.”

Master Robert likes to get random folks to try plane work; to give them a sense of what is involved in just getting out a board for a project. He hopes woodworkers will stop by with questions, like what type of wood to use, which joint where, how do I lay out for joinery and such, which Master Robert does not think “really anything unusual or cool,” but I beg to differ!

Teaching the populace the proper way to handle a plane.

Scribal Playtime from 1-5 PM in the Great Hall

Is woodworking not really your thing? THLady Eleanore Godwin is coordinating Scribal Playtime during the same time slot of 1 – 5 PM. She recently secured supplies from her locals the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael (thank you, Mistress Cori!) and looks forward to sharing her tables with the populace. Would you like to get feedback on an existing project? Bring it and share! Are you new to the art but curious to try your hand? Choose a bookmark or perhaps a scroll blank and give it a swing! You never know until you try, right?

At Artisan Playtime, everyone is welcome set up a table and chair and share what they are working on, or to stop by and be inspired by what others are working on. Artisan Playtime is a most wonderful way to see artisans in action, to socialize and network – and to get out of the rain / sun / whatever Pennsylvania Spring has in store for us!

KMoAS Consultation Table from 1 – 5 PM in the Great Hall

A reminder, the Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences will arrange for an A&S Consultation Table during Artisan Playtime for those new, and not so new, to the arts & sciences to chat about projects, progress and inspirations. Come hang out with us, ask questions about research, documentation and entering for future events, or just plain enjoy the view of art happening in real time!

Hope to see you there.
Elska

Please Contact Me if you would like to know more.
It is probably not a bad idea to bring a comfy chair.

 

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Change of Office at the Æ Brewers Guild

30 Saturday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Brewing

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AEthelmearc Brewers Guild, Arts and Sciences, Brewers Guild, Brewing

Greetings Populace and Brewers of Æthelmearc!

As of Thursday April 28 at 7PM, Master Madoc Arundel stepped down as Head of the Royal Æthelmearc Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Meadhers, and we, Mistress Elska á Fjárfelli, assisted by Guild Deputy Lady Violeta de Valencia, are taking over leadership of the Brewers Guild.

Lady Violeta and I would like to thank Master Madoc for the awesome job he did with the Guild, growing its presence in person as well as online. I can’t think of saying our thanks any better than old-time brewer Master Artemius of Delftwood: “You fostered and advanced guild and mentored many of the members. You encouraged many of us to try new recipes and gave honest feedback that helped us all grow as brewers. The kingdom has benefited from your efforts on many levels. Thank you very much for your service and guidance over the years.” Thank you from the bottom of our heart!

Naturally, we jumped right into the job and are busily coordinating Guild participation both at Æthelmearc War Practice and of course at Pennsic Royal. Our new Guild Chamberlain Lord Jean Phillipe from St. Swithin’s Bog started inventory of the Guild equipment right away to make sure everything is spic and span come Pennsic Bar time, with a hopeful early appearance of the bar at War Practice. And don’t worry, we will track down you active brewers and see what we can coordinate for Pennsic bar donations soon (please PM or email us).

For those who are not as familiar with the two of us – or just itching to get out and share a good home brew – the Brewers Guild, in collaboration with Bardic Champion Master Morien MacBain, will host a Brews & Bardic in the Barn Social Friday evening from 4 to 8PM in the Great Hall during War Practice (stay tuned for more on this event). Come say hi, share a brew, admire the Guild bar & taps, and hang out to enjoy the song & stories! After two years of Plague, I am betting there are some stories…!

Again, thank you, Master Madoc, for your service to the Æthelmearc Brewing community, and for your offer to stay on as Guild Webminister. We hope to do you proud. Understandably, the Guild is not quite the same now as when we the Plague first manifested and we figure it best to start back up with a clean slate. If you consider yourself an active brewer and/or active Guild Officer, please reach out (sooner rather than later) so we can update the Guild Roster, etc.

Lady Violeta and I look very much forward to help the Guild back on its feet, and welcome back our brewers, vintners and meadhers. Now go forth, and ferment All The Things!

Mistress Elska and Lady Violeta
Head of the Brewers Guild, and Deputy

Learn more about the Æthelmearc Brewers Guild here

 

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Last Call! The Arts & Sciences at Æthelmearc War Practice XXXI

27 Wednesday Apr 2022

Posted by Susan Verberg in Arts & Sciences, KMOAS, Teaching

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AEthelmearc Brewers Guild, AEthelmearc War Practice, Brewing, woodworking

Rumblings of War have reached our borders and to help prepare, the Shire of Steltonwald invites all to gather at Cooper’s Lake Campground May 19-22, 2022 for the Æthelmearc War Practice XXXI.

Class coordinator Lady Vika Vyborskaia would like to remind the populace that this week is THE LAST CALL to schedule your class or order meeting for War Practice!

The deadline being this coming Friday, April 27th. Get your classes and workshops on the schedule to make sure you have room inside the wonderful water proof and sun shading class tents. This is a perfect opportunity to dust off those in-person make & take classes we’ve missed so much during our Plague-induced shift to virtual class offerings. Please email Lady Vika asap as there are still a few time slots available for Friday and Saturday!

Merriment in the Brewers Tent – the brewers competition and social of War Practice 2019.

The Royal Æthelmearc Guild of Brewers, Vintners, and Meadhers plans a well deserved Round Table and Social of copious libations, lively discussions and stories of unusual plague brewings… We invite anyone to come hang out with us – and brewers, please bring a sample of whatever you concocted to share! Tentatively scheduled for Friday early evening. Contact Elska with any questions.

Master Robert of Sugar Grove teaching the Youth of Æthelmearc how to safely operate a hand plane, War Practice 2019.

The much anticipated Wood Workshop and Hand Tool Tastings will happen once again under the expert tutelage of Master Robert of Sugar Grove. He loves sharing his knowledge with those gentles interested in learning more about hand tool woodworking as well offer the opportunity to experience hand tools and equipment often unfamiliar to the modern woodworker.

But wait, there is more! Once again War Practice will have access to the Great Hall! Bring your projects in progress! Bring your curiosity! Bring your displays! Saturday from 1 to 5pm we will have A&S PLAY TIME! Stay tuned for more detail…

And during A&S Playtime, The Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences will arrange for an A&S Consultation Table for those new, and not so new, to the arts & sciences to chat about projects, progress and inspirations as well as ask questions about research, documentation and entering for future events. The KMoAS is here to enable serve your A&S endeavors to the best of our combined abilities!

Come join us as we endeavor to explore all of the martial and arts & sciences activities the society offers. This will include Rattan, Fencing, Archery, Thrown Weapons, Combat Archery, and Siege with several Kingdom Championships on the schedule. The peaceful pursuits include an extensive A&S class track and meetings, as well as shopping, dancing, and more.

Shenanigans by Master Robert of Ferness and THLady Lasairfhiona inghean Aindriasa in the Brewers tent involving big and tasty balls… Chocolate Beer Bacon Brownie Balls – really what else could we mean?!

For updates as they become available, please visit the Steltonwalt website and keep an eye out for the Class Schedule next week.

-elska

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Making A Fine Linen Coif (Rutland Psalter 1260)

18 Monday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Costuming

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hand sewing, Sewing, stitching

by Lady Isolda de Leycestre

All throughout the Middle Ages, men wore coifs to keep their hair clean and out of their face. In many illuminations, coifs are depicted in white or a natural color. Depending on one’s status during the Middle Ages would determine on how fine the cloth was for the coif. Finer white linens for the wealthy and peasants had rougher linens in natural colors.

I have been learning how to hand sew medieval clothing items using period-correct sewing tools lately. I recently got inspired by these images from the Rutland Psalter of 1260, men’s coifs with the stitches depicted.

The coifs appear to be a two-piece construction with a band across the back of the coif to cover the raw edges and a longer band across the front of the coif to cover the raw edges and act as the ties for under the chin.

I used The Medieval Tailors Assistant book for reference on cutting out the coif pattern and for stitches to use for construction of the coif. I used reproduction sewing needles and pins that were based off archeological digs in London. (I purchased them from The Fairytale Chest shop in Etsy.)

I chose a fine white linen and used white linen thread for sewing. Construction of the coif for me was pretty straightforward: sew the two pieces together down the center of the coif, finish the seams to hide the raw edges, and sew on the bands.

I found the linen easy to work with; it was easy for me to crease the seams and it held the creasing very well for me to sew. I used a backstitch to sew down the center of the coif seam. Next, using my fingers and natural body heat, I pressed open the seam, folded over the raw edges and used a simple whip stitch to tact them down.

Next was creating the bands for the back and front of the coif. I measured both front and back for the length needed, adding 12 inches on each side of the front band for the ties. I cut my bands a little over an inch wide. Again, using my fingers, I folded the bands in half, making a good crease in the linen as I went along the length of the band. Next, I opened the band and carefully pressed in the outer edges of the band to the center, making a good crease in the linen. Then I folded the band in half again, making it in the fashion of modern-day double-folded bias tape. I did not cut the bands on the bias as I felt this would make them too stretchy and the coif would not fit right. For the front band, I double folded in very small edges to hide the raw edges.

Coif_2
Coif_3
Coif_4
Coif_5
Coif_6
Coif_7
Coif_8
Coif_9
Coif_10

Opening the bands, I put them on the raw edges of the coif and sewed then on using a whip stitch that is shown in The Medieval Tailors Assistant book. For the front band, I closed the tie ends using the same whip stitch.

I found sewing with the reproduction needle mostly easy; however, as my body heat warmed up the brass, it bent the needle. I had to stop quite a lot to straighten out my needle. I also found that the needle and pins left bigger holes in the fabric compared to their modern counterparts. But I felt in the end of it all, the holes went away as I continued to work with the linen and felt that it didn’t change the outcome of the coif.

I still need to work on making my stitch work much better, but that will come with practice, practice and more practice! Hope you enjoyed reading about this project, I really did enjoy making the coif.

(Lady Isolda is apprenticed to Master Hrólfr Á Fjárfelli)

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Fake research: real writing recap

02 Saturday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Humor

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April Fools, humor

Aunt Æthel and I would like to thank the Ærtisans who devoted their time and creativity to the Fake Research – Real Writing challenge. If you have not read the entries, please head over to the Æthelmearc Gazette and take a gander. In fact take two ganders. We have too many ganders; take as many as you want.

So, our entries were:

  • “Were Medieval Nobility Hunting with Birds – or Spying on Their Subjects?” by Elska á Fjárfelli.
  • “The Sutton Hoo Textile”, by Mord Hrutsson
  • “The Fair Youth of William Shakespeare’s Sonnets” by Maggie Rue
  • “Roman Dodecahedrones: To Hear or Not to Hear” by Éadaoin Ruadh
  • and “London Destroyed by Kaiju” by myself, which I entered just for fun.

There was a submission that was entered but rejected: “It’s Gooshy Food O’Clock and My Horrible Hooman Is Nowhere to Be Found.” by Deckster. The requirements of the challenge was to limit the paper to around 1000 words and keep it family friendly, and Deckster did neither.

My paper was, of course, not judged. Elska’s high flying paper about falconry used to spy on peasants was fun. Mord’s paper about an unexpected historical find really cleaned up. Maggie’s paper on the secret friend of Shakespeare was a delight. (Although, the requirements of the challenge stipulated that you could not use Leonardo da Vinci, you did through the Kevin Bacon principle. I would remind you that in “The City of Death”, we are told that The Doctor was a good friend of Leonardo.)

But, Aunt Æthel and I agreed that Éadaoin’s paper on the true purpose of Roman Dodecahedrones is the winner of the AS56 April Fool’s writing challenge. Your paper made us laugh out loud more than once. Aunt Æthel enjoyed the puns and I hit your reference to “What Does the Vox Say?” like a bag of soup hitting a wall. I can never watch a gladiator movie again without thinking of what does the Vox actually says. “Citizens of Rome, what say you?” “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!”

Lord Éadaoin. You stand… Well, you’re probably sitting as you read this. Lord Éadaoin, you sit before the Virtual Kingdom as our winner. Your prize is bragging rights for the next year. And I owe each and every one of the entrants a token.

Thank yous go out to Elska and the entire Æthelmearc Gazette for collecting, formatting, and posting these papers. And I would like to remind the populace that the Gazette is always looking for content.

Yours in service,
Baron Caleb

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Were Medieval Nobility Hunting with Birds – or Spying on Their Subjects?

01 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Humor, Research

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April Fools

By Elska á Fjárfelli

One of the more romantic sights of the Middle Ages is that of nobles riding horses, sporting birds of prey on their wrists to hunt small prey (anyone who has seen Ladyhawke knows exactly what I mean). The sport of falconry, or hawking, could be found throughout Europe but was reserved for those in power. Depending on their rank, different nobles were allowed to sport different species of birds:

An Eagle for an Emperor, a Gyrfalcon for a King; a Peregrine for a Prince, a Saker for a Knight, a Merlin for a Lady; a Goshawk for a Yeoman, a Sparrowhawk for a Priest, a Musket for a Holy water Clerk, a Kestrel for a Knave.” Selected from the Boke of St. Albans, 1486, and a Harleian manuscript – (1)

Falconry was a popular sport and status symbol among the nobles of medieval Europe, the Middle East, and Mongolian Empire. In this sport, the nobility would – supposedly – hunt small wild animals in their natural habitat with the use of a trained bird of prey. It is the common conception that falconry was largely restricted to the noble classes because of the commitment of time, money, and space. (2)(3) But what if there is another, more ominous, reason?

Fig 1: Detail of two falconers from De arte venandi cum avibus, 1240s (4)

While at first this might be a bit far-fetched, the recent discovery that birds are not real sheds a different light on this nobility-only restricted “hobby.” Instead of hunting for small game – a suspicious activity for those in power with access to the best of the best foodstuffs anyway – what if instead the nobility were using their falcon-drones to keep a close eye on their subjects? We now know birds are not real; they are, in fact, drone replicas installed by the government to spy on their citizens, and thus this would be a viable conclusion.

The Birds Aren’t Real movement, started by Peter McIndoe from Memphis, US, posits that “birds don’t exist and are really drone replicas installed by the U.S. government to spy on Americans.” Hundreds of thousands of young people have joined the movement, wearing Birds Aren’t Real T-shirts, swarming rallies and spreading the slogan. (5)

Technology has come a long way for modern people to not realize this at once – modern bird-drones are so well done they are nearly indistinguishable from real animals. Really, it makes much more sense that homing pigeons are computer guided; of course, they do not find their way home by themselves, flying rats that they are! But back in medieval times, bird-drones were still in development – often, hoods or caps were used to hide any glitches in the software otherwise visible in their optical lenses.

Fig. 2 – falcon-drone prototype as captured in stone dating back to the Viking age (7).

Fortunately for this paper, even though the medieval government, like it’s modern counterpart, did its best to hide any and all evidence of fake birds and falcon-drones (falcrones? faldrones?), one Viking age warrior saw through the ruse and went medieval to bring down an early prototype with his spear. (6) Thanks to him, we now have proof, literally written in stone (7) as was the custom of recording history at the time (8), that falcon-drones are real! And birds are not. Or are they?!

Happy April Fool’s day!
Elska

 

References:

  1. A Kestrel for a Knave (2015) by Medieval manuscripts blog of the British Library
  2. An approued treatise of hawkes and hawking (1619) by Edmund Bert
  3. Lathams Falconry: Or, The Faulcons Lure, and Cure (1633) by Simon Latham
  4. Fig 1 – Wikimedia Commons
  5. Birds Aren’t Real, or Are They? Inside a Gen Z Conspiracy Theory (2021) by Taylor Lorenz for The New York Times
  6. Middle Ages Reenactor Spears Drone Out Of The Sky – Unmanned Anachronistic Vehicle (2016) by Kelsey D. Atherton in Popular Science
  7. Fig 2 – Image Gallery
  8. The Viking-Age Rune-Stones: Custom and Commemoration in Early Medieval Scandinavia (2003) by Birgit Sawyer, published by Oxford University Press

 

Many “thank yous” go out to everyone who submitted something for the April Fool’s “Fake Research – Real Writing” challenge. Thank you for taking the time to read, and enjoy, each and every one of these articles. Aunt Æthel and I were most amused to read the creative thoughts of our artisans. We will judge all of the articles after they have been all posted on the Æthelmearc Gazette, and then announce the winner who will have the rights to brag about their win for the next year to anyone who would listen. – Caleb

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The Sutton Hoo Textile

01 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Humor, Research

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April Fools

by Mord Hrutsson

Keeping track of all the objects stored in an institution like the immense British Museum is a daunting task. The store-rooms of this museum are brimming with stuff that evan a hoarder trepidation.  It is perfectly natural that some objects have been, sadly, misplaced.

Such was the case when intern Agnes Hald (1) was exploring one of these storage rooms instead of having lunch at the pub.  Upon opening a cabinet whose pad-lock was so corroded some thought it an artifact, this intern found an whole series of objects that hadn’t seen light since they were put in there.

On the second shelf was a dust cover shoe box. Hald carefully took the box off the shelf. On the top cover faded writing in pencil said:

C W P; S. Piggot: Sutton Hoo: June 7, ‘39

Hald has said she could not believe her eyes. Still, the intern just as carefully put the box back in its place, closed the cabinet, and went to see her supervisor, Angela Carver.

Curator Carver understood that interns were allowed to “putter” about the museum storage rooms, so long as they were careful. For this reason, Hald’s report to Carver did not excite her. Conversely, taking a look would be a welcome respite from writing expense reports, which the Philistine Administrators demanded. Carver followed Hald to the box in question, read the writing, and made Hald promise to tell no one. After this, Carver opened the box.

How to pleat a shirt in the 15th century - Medievalists.net

Covered in tissue paper was a “scrunched-up” (2) object with a muddy reddish-brown color. The object was thin and torn. Carver concluded that whatever it was, the object was incomplete and very delicate. She also informed Hald that the artifact was either genuine or someone’s idea of a joke, and that she was going to look at C.W. Phillips and Stuart Piggot’s notes concern Sutton Hoo, which were kept in the archive. Hald began doing this the next day.

Meanwhile the object, box, tissue paper, and all were (literally) carted off to the Museum’s Conservation Department.  Head of the Department, Mr. H. Maryon Jr. correctly identified the shoe box as being from the late 1930s or early 1940s (3) and was impressed by the writing on the top. As for the contents of the box, he said nothing, but made noises that he was intrigued. Finding a better storage area, Maryon promised “to get to it” as soon as he was done writing a long expense report for the Museum Administrators. He mentioned that figuring how to take the reddish-brown object out of the box was “going to be tricky.”

One month later Maryon Jr. reported that the object was not leather, as first thought, but textile. This was determined after technician’s x-rayed the object, and plainly saw the weave. Further preliminary tests determined the textile was cotton, not linen (which is what the lab-techs originally thought.).

Meanwhile, Hald (4) had been reading through the notes of both C.W. Phillips and Stuart Piggot, who had originally found the item and extracted it. After some time, Hald found the following entry in Phillips’ notes for June 7th.

—Item # 42: found near iron complex. FRAGILE.  Leather?  Left in situ.—

And on June 8th.

—Item # 42, Leather, extracted into shoe box from Miss Pretty. S. Piggot did excellent job.

Hald made a copy of these entries, and reported her findings to Carver.

The eventual publication of the find (5) caused discussion among the archaeological community in general. Among the textile archaeologists, the find was cause for great deal of argument. A few scholars (dubbed “The Localists”) argued that, despite the burial’s connection with Byzantium, the object had to be made of flax. This debate was summarized by Hald (6), which included what the textile should be called—the “tea towel,” or the “bar rag.” It should be noted that the “surfer theory of migration” was completely rejected (6).

As it stands now, the textile is thought by most to be made of Egyptian cotton, and was a conversion gift along with the spoons found in the burial. The purpose of the textile cannot be discerned, since most believe it is a fragment of the original object. Still, more study is required concerning the trade connections within Europe in the 7th Century.

Notes

  1. Hald, Agnes. “The Rusty Lock and the Cabinet.” Z-Drehen.Zietschrift fur Nerdigtextilvolk. Band 23, #87. (2024) ISSN: 0042-003X.
  2. Carver, Angela, and A. Hald, H. Maryon Jr. “A Rediscovered Item from Sutton Hoo.” Bulletin for Early Medieval Antiquities. Vol. 6, No. 1 (2023). ISSN: 0476-1066.
  3. Maryon Jr. H. et al. “Technical Aspects of Fragility, or How Do I Get This Out of the Box?” Newsletter for Museum Technical Stuff. (2025).
  4. Hald. Ibid.
  5. Carver, et al. Ibid.
  6. The Surfer Theory of Migration states that the cause migration is the continuous search for beach-front property. By the way, this work is a hoax, brought on by the need to buy a 2nd towel, lo these many years ago, when Martin Carver was kind enough to allow volunteers to help at Sutton Hoo. The author is thankful to Professor Carver for the opportunity, and hopes he gets a laugh if he reads it.

 

Many “thank yous” go out to everyone who submitted something for the April Fool’s “Fake Research – Real Writing” challenge. Thank you for taking the time to read, and enjoy, each and every one of these articles. Aunt Æthel and I were most amused to read the creative thoughts of our artisans. We will judge all of the articles after they have been all posted on the Æthelmearc Gazette, and then announce the winner who will have the rights to brag about their win for the next year to anyone who would listen. – Caleb

 

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The Fair Youth of William Shakespeare’s Sonnets

01 Friday Apr 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Humor, Research

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Fake Research: Real Writing
By Maggie Rue

Much has been researched regarding the identity of the “Fair Youth” of whom William Shakespeare spent a large portion of time extolling the virtues, one that seemed to be an Adonis in physical beauty and amazing in every aspect. Yet this person remains unnamed and unknown, despite the devotion from the great poet and it becomes clear that Shakespeare acknowledged the special aspect of the sonnet subject while keeping that person at arm’s length. Some say this was a platonic love of Shakespeare’s while others insist that this was an actual physical lover. Some believe this was a young man for whom Shakespeare developed a father-son dichotomy or perhaps wanted to mentor.

Given the diversity of suggestive comments in Shakespeare’s sonnets, it becomes clear that the subject is none other than the Doctor, the alias assumed by a millennia-old humanoid alien called a Time Lord who travels through space and time in the TARDIS, and who continued to visit the burgeoning poet, and even perhaps took Shakespeare as a Companion for some time. By the time the Doctor left William Shakespeare back in his own time, the poet had a number of new ideas from which to create his library of works, but continued to eulogize the amazing entity that he had come to know and love.

One example of the Doctor’s influence in these sonnets is seen in Sonnet 3 when the poet states: “Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest, / Now is the time that face should form another”. By this point in their relationship, The Doctor had clearly visited this period of time repeatedly, and William Shakespeare understood that the visage of the Doctor transformed over time. Another example of this acknowledgement of the amazing reincarnating ability of the Doctor comes from Sonnet 6: “If ten of thine ten times refigured thee: / Then what could death do if thou shouldst depart, / Leaving thee living in posterity?” Whilst most people assume Shakespeare was overly obsessed with another man’s reproductivity, it is clear the poet was far more fascinated—and rightly so—with the Doctor’s ever-changing faces.

The Tardis itself received some recognition from Elizabethan wordsmith, notable in Sonnet 7 with the words “But when from highmost pitch with weary car, /  Like feeble age he reeleth from the day.” Indeed, it is with Sonnet Seven with its talk of weariness, “burning head” and “new-appearing sight,” one suspects that this was an occasion when Shakespeare went with the Doctor on one of his many adventures resulting in either a transformation or the witnessing of the Doctor’s good works saving the Earth from peril. Regardless of the event, the Sonnet reveals clearly the sound of the Tardis and the results of a wearisome battle. Shakespeare also lauds the journey in which he participated, as seen in Sonnet 15: “When I consider every thing that grows / Holds in perfection but a little moment. / That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows / Whereon the stars in secret influence comment.”

Thus, we also see certain personalities come forward. Indeed, the poet as Companion sees how one face may be kind or encouraging, but another be wrathful or fretful. The amazement with which Shakespeare notes his Doctor’s self-doubt and loathing: “But that thou none lov’st is most evident: / For thou art so possessed with murd’rous hate,” in Sonnet 10. This diverse personality change also is noted in Sonnet 117, where the poet states: “And on just proof surmise, accumulate, / Bring me within the level of your frown, / But shoot not at me in your wakened hate.” It is only natural that Shakespeare ask in Sonnet 53, “What is your substance, whereof are you made, / That millions of strange shadows on you tend?”

Lastly, a strong argument for Shakespeare and the Doctor traveling together is seen with the frequent discussion of “time” and how it controls—not the fair youth’s countenance so much as the subject’s very existence. An example is seen in Sonnet 126, the very last of the Fair Youth sonnets: “She keeps the to this purpose, that her skill / May time disgrace, and wretched minutes kill. / Yet fear her O thou minion of her pleasure, / She may detain, but not still keep her treasure!” Another example is seen in Sonnet 16: “But wherefore do not you a mightier way / Make war upon this bloody tyrant Time?” Such comments seem more about the Doctor’s attempts to change certain situations in time rather than a silly moment of self-vanity.

And so it appears that Shakespeare comments on his many adventures with the Doctor as a Companion on the Tardis. Certainly, it can be scoffed at that Shakespeare was instead talking of some lover or romantic interest at home living somewhere in England. It is important to add the final piece of evidence as seen in Sonnet 31: “Thy bosom is endeared with all hearts, / Which I by lacking have supposed dead.” Talking of the Doctor’s unique anatomy, it can only be concluded that the unnamed Fair Youth in fact needed no name, having only been called The Doctor during their time together. Eventually the Companion and Doctor must depart, and Shakespeare acknowledges this separation in Sonnet 87: “Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing, / And like enough thou know’st thy estimate.”

It is clear that William Shakespeare met someone that seemed to encompass the universe for the young poet, resulting in a fascination and obsession for someone who astounded, impressed, and amazed him. From the broad hints and references to time and space, it becomes all too obvious that the Time Lord was a friend of Shakespeare, and saw in him that special something that compelled the Doctor to return on a number of occasions to see him in the 1600s. In that sense, the Doctor helped Shakespeare become something of an immortal himself.

 

Many “thank yous” go out to everyone who submitted something for the April Fool’s “Fake Research – Real Writing” challenge. Thank you for taking the time to read, and enjoy, each and every one of these articles. Aunt Æthel and I were most amused to read the creative thoughts of our artisans. We will judge all of the articles after they have been all posted on the Æthelmearc Gazette, and then announce the winner who will have the rights to brag about their win for the next year to anyone who would listen – Caleb

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