Gentles of Æthelmearc! Fellow lovers of performance and performing! Greetings!
The days of strangeness and plague continue in new and varied ways, but time moves on and so must we.
We – Bran and Gavin – have had the honor and delight of serving as your Sylvan Bard (dipartite) this year, and with Their Majesties Gareth and Juliana’s ascension to the Sylvan Throne, the time has come to determine who will take up the mantle next.
While Kingdom Tradition holds that the successor to the role is chosen by competition at the Kingdom 12th night celebration, the continued pestilence means we will be without that opportunity.
SO, we will create a new opportunity in its place!
**Beginning October 7th, and proceeding through the last day of December, we will be accepting shortish (say 3-7 minutes, hard limit of 10min) performance VIDEO RECORDINGS via the Sylvan Bard email – email here. (Please send us a link to a location we can download from, like dropbox or google drive)
Song! Story! Poem! Bring us your best delightful performance in celebration of the new year, rebirth and renewal, and an eventual return to our desired ways of doing things.
We will send you a receipt email, and will curate the performances together into a 12th night concert/competition, with performances by ourselves, and your wonderful personages, from which Their Majesties will select their new Bardic Champion.
Any questions may be directed to the sylvan bard email above. Thank you, break a leg, and be well and joyful!
Welcome to the Ninth Known World Bardic Congress and Cooks Collegium, to be held online on September 10th, 11th, and 12th. We are hosted this year by the Mid-Realm’s Barony of Ayreton.
Join us for a weekend filled with classes, concerts, and bardic circles. In addition to cooking and bardic, we will also have brewing & vinting, along with instrumental & choral music classes –and more!
We encourage attendees to register on the website. Much like Pennsic, you can use your account to offer classes, suggest others, request stage time, or create your personal schedule.
As the Æthelbard General, Lord Éadaoin Ruadh is the coordinator for our war points at the upcoming First Bardic War. The First Bardic War will be held virtually on May 15 – 23, A.S. LVI, and will showcase the many talents of our populace with a week-long performing arts war! Lord Éadaoin organized the Æthelmearcian responses from whoever filled out the form shared by Nezhka of Atlantia to use for participation interest, and matched folks with events; balancing which they wanted most versus where our alliance needed entries. Any entrant could only participate in two solo points, and only one of those could be live, with no limit on group participation events like Improv or any of the relays.
Unfortunately, a couple of big mundane problems have hit me since taking on the role, but fortunately, our populace has been great at keeping me updated, asking where they can help, and thanking me for my efforts. The other Generals have stepped in where they can, and have been incredible examples, too–herding bardic (and bardic adjacent!) cats is its own rewarding chaos.
Greni from Blasted Rock and Elska á Fjárfelli entered in the Equestrian Dressage category with ” A Viking Raid.”
Some performances will be publicly accessible, but the staff has to edit entries in order to take out those who didn’t consent to have their content posted. The Bardic War channel on YouTube is here
This was a huge project for the staff to bite off in one chunk in the initial year, but they’re an amazingly dedicated group of folks. We cannot wait to see what we’re able to do in person in the coming years for the Bardic War. Likely, because of our learning curve during this pandemic, virtual entries will still be allowed, or at least have a foothold in years to come. Undoubtedly the biggest thing mentioned at all our bardic circles is that we miss the atmosphere around a fire, at night, with people on either side sharing in live art. Granted the bardic community I think has flourished in lots of ways during the pandemic, but we miss contact with our cousins just as much as anyone else.
So… who does what, where?!
The following is a list of our participating artisans:
Baroness Amalie Reinhardt
Arts & Sciences, Wordsmith/Scribe/Herald relay
An ode in honor of the SCA College of Arms, for their labors on the Virtual Herald’s Point endeavor of AS LV/
by Lord Gavin Kent (mka Greg Tremblay), February 2021, for presentation as candidate for the office of Sylvan Bard of Æthelmearc. Note: Lord Gavin was chosen as King’s Bardic Champion on March 20, A.S. LV. A video of his performance may be viewed here.
O there were days, some years ago
When folk did rightly tremble
To brave the Laurel, Pelican
And Wreath when they’d assemble
“AH NO” they’d cry with wrung-ed hands
“They’ll tell you you can’t have that”
“The Heralds are a prickly lot,
“Your dreams are sure to fall flat!”
Perhaps, alas, there were betimes
Decisions not so noble
In teens and twenties there was snark
Positions quite immobile
But nowadays my friends, take heed
Accept the hand they proffer
Pray, strike “Rejected” from your lips
You really are no bother!
In baronies and shires vast
They work in good will, earnest.
Guides in lands quite labyrinthine
That is their sacred purpose
Then came nigh the year of plague
Events to the wayside fell
Feast halls silent, no battle raged
Heralds were idle as well.
And so, it came in Fifty Five
As Pennsic was in question
That in the space Ethereal
There was a bold suggestion:
“Let us create a Herald’s point”
They said, their eyes a-shining
“Virtual! For, without wars
There are desires pining”
They set to work and called upon
Heralds wide and far
From Æthelmearc to Western Lands
All the kingdoms that are
A grand estate they built inside
These our ethereal lands
The college lent their time and skills
The work of many hands
A grand pavilion, digital
Did welcome all who sought
For names, devices, badges too
They gathered at that spot
As partners to a dance they paired
With heralds eager and keen
To take up inspiration
And see what was to be seen
Clerks there were who lent their toil
To craft submissions, ready
For coin to transfer swift and true
The flow of packets steady
And for the artists of renown,
What words could ‘ere be spoken?
A thousand each for labors good
Would merely be a token
Tomes pored over, entries found
For names and deeds and places
So all could speak the praise of kin
And we would know their faces
While many hands did lend their toil
To bring forth such a feat
Lacking names of the tireless few
No ode could be called complete
Non Scripta, Istvan brought to life
Ethereal manor’s stones
Crampette Lillia led the Van
That none should toil alone
Marie de Blois she lent her gaze
To the order of the day
Thorkel son of Pal assured
That all who came could pay
Owen Tegg of the Artistry
Siren Julianna too
Iago and Ollivier
And Joscelin labored true.
Four score and a few did toil
Through the day and through the night
Until the fortnight and a half
Was done, deeds brought to light
Although that great phantasmic field
Lies quiet in its slumber
The submissions who crossed its glades
Were thrice two hundred numbered
Eighteen score of our populace
Did realize their dreams
For names and arms to hold and have
By which to know our esteem
SO, tho that labor is ended
Know you my friends one and all
The College of Arms stands ready
To rise and answer our call
AND SO, lift up your voices high
Heralds are not as you thought
For their knowledge, skill and artistry
Let us cry them… VIVAT!
Notes on the Composition:
The SCA College of heralds brought about an astonishing feat in 2021, holding a never-before-attempted, wholly online version of a War Herald’s Point. In her preface to the January 2021 Letter of Acceptance and Returns, Laurel Soverign of Arms Emma Featherstan had this to say, which provided the entirety of the factual content of this ode:
“As I write this, we are finalizing the last consulations(sic) from the Virtual Heralds Point. Signups ran for three weeks, and by the end we’re looking at 616 items from 359 different individuals, from all twenty kingdoms! This is an amazing result, far better than we’d hoped for…—
…In total, I believe we had something over eighty heralds working in various capacities. I cannot express how floored I am by the amount of work done in a relatively short amount of time, and wish to commend each and every one of you for truly participating in this thing we call the Society College of Arms. Well done!“
With Ice Dragon looming and Arts & Sciences on our collective minds, the following poem seems to beautifully capture what many of us have gone through, are going through, and will go through, in our never-ending quest to make the thing. Enjoy!
Weaving your dreams
for Maestra Elisif Gydasdottir
The first time you saw it, You knew from the start That thing they were making It captured your heart Igniting your dreams, you had found your key “One day -I just know it- the maker will be me!”
Weaving your dreams with threads spun of gold, Until those dreams blossom, and a wreath then unfolds So heart all afire You set on your path, Materials were needed But God, what was what?You tried all the wrong things and some right ones too But all of a sudden, it was a thing you could do
Sewing your dreams, with fabric by the bolt Until those dreams blossom and a wreath then unfolds
Not perfect, not pretty That very first try But proud as a mother Until time passes by Then all of a sudden, flaws were all you could see And you started thinking, it may NOT be for me. Singing your dreams, with verses so old until those dreams blossom and a wreath then unfolds
But then someone saw you and all that you tried A hand on your shoulder always there when you cried They traveled along you, they shared their own art They gave you their time and a piece of their heart. Beading your dreams with glass bright and bold Until those dreams blossom and a wreath then unfolds
And all of a sudden Or after long years Your skills started flying More joy now than tears Some projects you bled on, or cursed, sometimes both But people were talking, they noticed your growth
Giving voice to your dreams with stories you told Until those dreams blossom and a wreath then unfolds
The project of doom Cost you nights without rest doubts, tears, and yet trust now Because it would be your best You knew the way forward, right from the start Because that thing you were making had captured your heart.
Weaving your dreams with threads spun of gold, Until those dreams blossom, and a wreath then unfolds
Your name is well known now your guidance they seek From student to teacher for the bold and the meek Who say as they sit and and they look at your art “That thing you are making has captured my heart.”
The poem was written by Baroness Machteld Cleine in 2020, for her friend Ellisif Gydasdottir who was given her writ to sit vigil at Gulf Wars to contemplate joining the order of the Laurel. Her friend had mentioned that while there were many songs in one way or another of the journey from squire to knighthood, there were none that came to mind about an apprentice’s journey to the becoming a master or mistress of their craft.
Baroness Machteld said “As a friend.. I had to try and fix that.” She wrote this poem, which has the wonderful potential to be put to music, to make the event special for her. It was intended to be performed on site, but due to the Plague has been shared on paper, for now. Baroness Machteld wants it to be also available for others, as well as honoring her mentor Mistress Marion Leoncina di Susa and all the other people who ‘guide’ along the road.
Just a reminder of the upcoming deadline for registration for entries in the Virtual Pentathlon is April 1st, 2021.
For those who are interested in entering please visit the website here
Any questions regarding the Pentathlon please contact the Pent coordinator at email
Additionally, The Ice Dragon Bardic Circle is set to happen on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The format will be a pick / pass / play free form format.
Hope to see many people there to join in the fun!!
For additional details and zoom information, please visit the Virtual Ice Dragon Facebook event page here.
For questions or concerns regarding the Virtual Ice Dragon event, please contact the Autocrat, Lady Thalia Papillon, at emailor Vanessa Hayes on on Facebook here.
This winter, join the Barony of Thescorre at our annual schola as we move our festivities to a virtual space for the year’s C3R…. The COVID Corvid College of Three Ravens!
We are gathering together on Saturday, February 27, 2021 and using Zoom, Facebook, and our Barony Website to organize and run the event! While we are still physically distanced from one another, this is an opportunity to join in classes, A&S, workshops, bardic activties, feasting, and court from the safety of our homes.
This year, we are celebrating all that we love about the SCA and we have the unique opportunity to share that love with any and all who want to participate. We hope that this virtual format will allow gentles from Æthelmearc and the Knowne World entire to join in our fun as we work to learn together and come together in the safest ways possible.
If gentles have any questions, please reach out to the Event Autocrats, Lady Gwen Cooke (Jenn Bigelow-Carlson) or Lord Torbjorn Sigurdson (Jon Carlson).
REGISTERING FOR THE EVENT
You must complete the Google forms appropriate (listed below) to get the Zoom log-in information.
To register to attend the event and access the ZOOM Rooms, please fill out this form.
To register to teach a class for C3R, please fill out this form.
To submit an entry for A&S or Largess, please full out this form.
(Entries can be traditional SCA projects OR can be projects you have worked on during the pandemic to help your neighbors using your SCA skills, such as mask making, cooking for neighbors, etc.)
To perform during our feast (singing, playing instruments, or storytelling to name a few things), please contact Torbjorn.
We look forward to seeing everyone in this digital platform this winter when we come together for this year’s COVID Corvid College of Three Ravens!
Come one and all! The time for deciding our next kingdom bard is upon us. Anyone listed as going will receive the Zoom room password the morning of the event. Audience is invited to attend and celebrate the talents of our Æthelbards!
Friday, March 19, 2021 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 AT 8 PM EST – 11 PM EST
Come, one and all (but not you), to your local neighborhood virtual performance circle! Whether you’d just like to listen, perform once, or any chance you get, please tune in.
We’ll do the Pick/Pass/Play format for a little more organization. The queue will consist of the attendees in how they appear in the list. On your turn, your options are to Pick someone else to go or request another piece/theme/etc., pass to the next person in line, or play meaning perform a piece of your choice.
Time slot: 11:00 pm EDT may be a soft boundary for ending the circle, depends on what the energy is like at the end.
Material/theme: There are no limits either to fantasy or historical, as we’ll have attendees from a variety of games. For Earth history, try to keep it pre 1800s, though modern folks with fantasy and historical material are fine. Game specific songs (about units, weapon building, fighting rules humor, etc.) are welcome, too. If you’re uncertain, feel free to ask the host. Stories, songs, poems, instrumental pieces–all are welcome!
Come, one and all (but not you), to your local neighborhood virtual performance circle! Whether you’d just like to listen, perform once, or any chance you get, please tune in. CHANGE UP! We’ll do the Pick/Pass/Play format for a little more organization. The queue will consist of the attendees in how they appear in the list. When it gets to you, your options are to Pick someone else to go or request another piece/theme/etc., Pass to the next person in line, or Play meaning perform a piece of your choice.
Time slot: the host doesn’t have work the next day, so 11:00 pm EDT may be a soft boundary for ending the circle.
Material/theme: no limits either to fantasy or historical, as we’ll have attendees from a variety of games. For Earth history, try to keep it pre 1800s, though modern filks with fantasy/historical material are fine. Game specific songs (about units, weapon building, fighting rules humor, etc.) are welcome, too. If you’re uncertain, feel free to ask the host. Stories, songs, poems, instrumental pieces–all are welcome!
Gentles of Æthelmearc! Fellow lovers of performance and performing! Greetings!
