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The Æthelmearc Gazette

~ Covering the Kingdom of Æthelmearc of the SCA

The Æthelmearc Gazette

Tag Archives: archery

From Split Log to Bow Stave: Day Two

14 Monday Nov 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery, Arts & Sciences

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A&S, archery, Bow making

– my adventures at the two and a half day Bow Making Workshop at Primitive Pursuits in upstate Arnot Forest during prime fall colors…
By Elska á Fjárfella of the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn

The first cut made: the log is cut down to eye level.

The first cut made: the log is cut down to eye level.

Fast forward a year, and the log is peeled, dried and ready to be worked. If you know what you’re doing, it is possible to start with a live log and end with a dry bow in a couple of weeks. Luckily, at the workshop the logs were harvested the year before and dried to perfection. Now it is time to measure. We cut our log to the length of each person from floor to eye; this biometric length seems to work out for most people, and is one reason why a self bow is so personal. Then we established the back of the bow as reference. Do we include that knothole, or go around? We looked for the grain of the wood and marked the center length of our log and with pencil, dot the center width from top to bottom, while following the grain. With a straight grained log this will look like a mostly straight line from top to bottom. With knot holes (from a branch) and curves, this line will curve around & with them, and for optimal strength our bow would have to as well! With the types of trees available a flat belly bow, which is wide & thin, is a good design: the shape helps spread out compression as it is much stronger in depth than in width. The density of the wood and the poundage required give an indication as to how wide the bow should be. Twice as wide is twice as strong, twice as thick is eight times as strong!

The log’s length is measured and the exact center marked in pencil. From the center point, measure and mark a line 2” & 4” above and below. The middle 4 inches makes up the handle, and the 2” above and below will flare towards the outer edge of the bow limbs, and flare down from the handle to the belly of the limbs. Then on either side of the center line we add another line to mark the outside of our bow, about ¾ inch for a 30-40# and 1” for a 40-50# draw weight. Halfway up the bow limb we make another mark, and draw a line from there to the edge of the tip or knock point (which is about a half inch wide). This will make for a tapering shape to the top part of the bow limb, which helps reduce air drag and results in a faster, quieter and/or stronger release.

dia1

dia2

Then it’s time for some refined whacking of log with a hatchet! Day two started with this quote from the instructor: “all you have to do is cut away the wood that is not part of the bow inside”. Right! To help with coordination, the hatchet is held right below the axe head and only short quick chops are made. To help remove the excess in short chips and not long strips (which could run off right into your bow measurements by mistake) small nicks are chopped first along the path of where you intend to remove wood to cut up the wood fibers and then, layer by layer, wood chips are removed to about 1/8th to 1/4th of an inch around your pencil drawing and about three quarters of an inch for the bow limb depth. The bow is only as big as the deepest tool mark, so the first day of chopping was rather tentative with lots of checking and rechecking of pencil marks. By the end of the day I had the backs of the limbs, the handle and the edges roughly chopped out and was surprised at the level of precision possible with a sharp hatchet and some practice!

dia3

Using a hatchet to rough out the bow shape.

Using a hatchet to rough out the bow shape.

A few things to keep in mind:

– Always chop away from the center or mass. As the bow is widest at the beginning of a limb, a chop towards the ends which has a split that runs too far, will most likely miss anything important as the outer limbs taper into the nock.
– Stop regularly to check your marks.
– Keep all planes square: chop a flat belly (the part facing you when shooting) and square off the edges.
– Work on both limbs alternatively, don’t finish one and then start the other, it’s easier to keep them similar if worked on parallel.

And whatever you do, do not touch the back (the part facing away when shooting: visualize a bending person and you’ll “see” where the terminology came from) – once the surface of the back is established either by peeling or scraping the bark it is off limits!

Lots of wood chips are made...

Lots of wood chips are made…

Wood grain is like fiber rope within a tree: just as a large cable made up of lots of small wires is strong enough to moor a ship, the same is true for plant fiber; enough of them together can withstand thunderstorms! But if there is fraying or some sort of damage, then one wind gust can fell a mature tree… and one scrape, nick or dent can do enough damage to make a bow unstable and set a precedence for a fatal crack!

We finished the second day with lunch around the campfire – it was hard to put down the stave and take a break!

To be continued tomorrow….

 

lunch

 

 

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From Split Log to Bow Stave: Day One

13 Sunday Nov 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery, Arts & Sciences

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A&S, archery, Bowmaking

– my adventures at the two and a half day Bow Making Workshop at Primitive Pursuits in upstate Arnot Forest during prime fall colors…
By Elska á Fjárfella of the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn.

When my hubbie decided he needed a better bow, he teamed up with Edward of Delftwood to make a longbow from a premade bowstave. It took him about six trips to Syracuse to get her done, and the bow he made is an absolutely gorgeous contrasting color triple layer laminate with a narrow “D” profile, made with plausible period materials and techniques. And while laminating is a period technique (one only has to think of the short, curved horse bow of the Mongol hordes) it’s not what came to my mind when he talked about making a longbow. I’d thought of stone age bows… Norse longbows… the incredible English longbows…

Reading up on the subject I quickly realized that what I like are self bows made from one piece of wood, especially ones with character (also called flaws). I could not find anyone to help learn about making self bows, but fortunately, we live in an area with an active primitive skills group of people (or Ithaca hippies, and do they look the part…). As part of the Primitive Pursuits outdoor classroom, which specializes in kid’s summer camps and after school programs but also has occasional adult weekend workshops, once a year a Bow Making Workshop is offered right here in town! And this year I decided to take the plunge…

Our son Simon checking out the different self bows on display.

Our son Simon checking out the different self bows on display.

With just a couple of common tools like a rasp, a knife and an axe, and the abundance of his surroundings any person could, and can, make a bow strong enough to take a deer. Actually, a metal rasp, knife and axe is not even necessary, as one of our teachers demonstrated: he’d made a bow with a stone axe and a flint scraper he’d made himself, as well as creek sand as both file and sanding paper and it was completely indistinguishable from the bows made using modern tools! Like Europe, the American northeast has abundant hardwood forests with many suitable trees, and making a bow suitable to hunt from locally harvested materials is not out of our reach at all, even for us modern people!

First things first. We started the workshop with a sing-along to honor the trees and say thanks. Not something I am used to, but nice in a graceful kind of way. Then our two instructors introduced themselves: Justin, barefooted and wearing an inside out sheepskin vest and Sean, also barefooted and pledged to eat and work from and with local materials only (he had a smoked squirrel for lunch). And while normally feeling a bit out of norm as homesteaders etc, here I was likely one of the more normal ones of the dozen and a half students! I felt right at home…

Talking about wood.

Talking about wood.

Then we got right into bow making. As the bones of a bow is the wood, good care needs to be taken to find a suitable log. As a general rule, dense hardwoods like hickory, maple, oak, ash, and elm make good bows. Conifers like pine do not, and softwoods like willow and basswood do not either. Of course, the exception to this rule is yew, which is a low density conifer and makes awesome bows. But it also needs fairly specific strategies to work well with and is therefore not recommended for the beginner.

Next up is the quality of the wood. Of course, ideal would be a perfectly straight 6 to 7 foot, knot free trunk to be split into log staves. But who’s got one of those… Making a bow is much more forgiving that I expected and if reasonable care is taken in having a mostly straight, mostly knot free log, apparently it will be fine. What is to be avoided are twist and bends, especially for the beginner. A little twist could be worked around, and a reflex or deflex bend could be removed with heat, but these are more advanced techniques. Know your limitations and keep looking to find a log to go with your comfort level.

Demonstrating how to safely remove bark.

Demonstrating how to safely remove bark.

Our logs were cut between 6-7 feet (to fit the instructor’s truck bed). A 4-6” diameter log could be split in half for two staves, using a wedge, a mallet and some splitting wedges to keep the split going. When it is split wood glue is put on the ends. Paint and beeswax works as well, the advantage of wood glue being that it also works under tension (it’s stretchy) and can sometimes prevent cracks that might otherwise have happened anyway. The logs are dried in a cool dry place, like a garage or basement. Whatever you do, stay away from the hot woodstove!

About half of the split logs the students could choose from had the bark already removed as they were harvested in the summer, which was very convenient. Removing the bark facilitates drying and also prevents bark beetles from taking up home and destroying the potential stave. Some people advise getting winter wood as the wood is driest that time of year, others advise getting summer wood as the bark peels off easily. The grain of the wood gives a bow its strength and flexibility, but only if the back is one continuous growth ring from top to bottom. With the types of trees mentioned, the wood right below the bark is the wood used for making a bow, and baring the growth ring is easy if the bark is loose and can be peeled right off. The exceptions are locust and osage orange, where the outer sapwood needs to be removed and only the inner core is used. If the bark is not loose, it can also be carefully peeled first with a drawknife and finished with a scraping knife. Using a drawknife is an acquired skill, so practice first on some scrap wood until you get a feel for what’s happening. Whichever way you choose, always make sure to peel away from knots so as not to violate the grain curving around imperfections. Grain does not tend to go straight, so keep a close eye on what’s going on and always, always follow the ‘yellow brick’ grain.

dayone

End of day one, each with our own split log. I choose a piece of shagbark hickory.

To be continued tomorrow…..

 

 

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Event Report: Agincourt

03 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Event Reports

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Tags

A&S, Agincourt, archery, Debatable Lands, Heavy Weapons, Queen's Rapier Champion, rapier, thrown weapons, Youth combat

On October 29th, A. S. LI, the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands held its annual Agincourt event on a gloriously warm and sunny day. Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope reports on the activities held there.

Morning Court

The day began with a brief court. Queen Margerite called forth THLord Kieran MacRae, who received a Writ for the Laurel at Pennsic to present himself at Agincourt. Her Majesty asked if he was ready to sit vigil, to which he responded in the affirmative. However, Queen Margerite noted that Kieran was in fealty to another and must be free before contemplating elevation to the peerage. His Laurel, Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope, was called forward to receive back his green belt and release him from his fealty, after which the Order of the Laurel escorted THLord Kieran to his vigil.

kieran-returns-belt-2

THLord Kieran returns his apprentice belt to Mistress Arianna before going on vigil for the Laurel. Photo by Lady Àine ny Allane.

Heavy Weapons Combat

Agincourt has always featured heavy fighting, with combatants choosing to portray either the French or the English as they honor the famous battle of 1415 at which Henry V of England annihilated a much larger and better armed French force.

This year, 38 fighters took the field, including eight combat archers. The fighting began with a Warlord Tourney, from which THLord Tegrinus de Rhina and THLord Rouland of Willowbrooke emerged as the winners, becoming the captains of the French and English Sides, respectively. The French took all of the day’s victory points:  Field Battle, Woods Battle, Combat Soccer, and Hold the Barricade, and as commander of the French side, THL Tegrinus was the overall Warlord Tourney Winner for the day.

The day ended with a series of intense Tavern Brawls, in which Lord Ulrich von Baden, who had previously distinguished himself with a dive-in-and-slide goal that scored the final point for his side in Combat Soccer, was named Last Man Standing.

taven-brawl

A Tavern Brawl. Photo by Baron Torvald Torgarson.

Videos below are by Baroness Constance Glyn Dŵr.

Rapier

po-rose-to-queen

Don Po Silvertop receives a rose from the Queen during the QRC procession. The outgoing champion, Lord Jacob Martinson, looks on in the background. Photo by Lady Àine ny Allane.

This year Agincourt was honored to host the Queen’s Rapier Champion Tournament. It began with the traditional presentation of fencers to the Queen, each one receiving a rose from Her hand. A huge list of 53 fencers competed, with the tournament fought as round robins in four lists with the top two in each list advancing to the quarter-finals. A noble gesture was made by Lord Magnus bastiano di Vigo, who ceded his spot in the quarter-finals to Countess Ariella of Thornbury that she might have the opportunity to do more fencing and increase her enjoyment of the day. In recognition of this act of kindness, Her Majesty, Queen Margerite, named Lord Magnus her inspiration of the day and bestowed upon him a Golden Escarbuncle at the evening’s court.

The final four fencers were Lord Durante de Caravaggio, Master Clewin Kupferheleblinc, Baron Eric Grenier de Labarre, and Don Po Silvertop. The finals came down to Master Clewin vs. Lord Durante, with Lord Durante winning the coveted title of Queen’s Champion, succeeding the outgoing Champion, Lord Jacob Martinson.

There was also a Free Scholars of the AEthelmearc Rapier Academy tourney run by THLord Jorundr hinn Rotinn, and an “Out of the Box” tourney run by Lord Markus Skalpr Grimsson, in which kills could only be made by shots to the head, arms, hands, legs, and feet. Both tourneys were won by Lord Ru Cavorst.

Video below of the quarter-finals through the finals of the QRC is by Brehan Lapidario.

Youth Combat

Agincourt likewise saw the Kingdom Youth Combat Champions’ tournament. Two enthusiastic young gentles fought three rounds with each of three weapons forms. In the end, Queen Margerite could not choose between them, and so she named Timothy of Arindale the Younger her Division 2 Champion, and Karl her Division 1 Champion. After the youth tourney, several adult sparring partners came forward to cross swords with the new champions, including THLord Rouland of Willowbrooke, Master Jussie Laplein, Prince Timothy of Arindale, and Lord Robert Pour Maintenant.

timmy-and-karl-snsh-2

Karl and Timothy in the Youth Combat Champion’s Tourney. Photo by Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope.

 Archery

Archery was, of course, at the heart of the original battle of Agincourt, and it was only right that the English did prevail in the shoot run by Master Alaric MacConall, though by a margin of only 2 points. Ronan O’Conall and Duncan MacCoulagh each made 10 point shots that gave the day to the English. Lord Takamatsu Gentarou Yoshitaka also ran a shoot by the victorious English to loot French cheeses, which was won by THLord Alrekr Bergsson with Baron Tofi Kerthjalfadsson coming in second.

Thrown Weapons

The Debatable Lands Baronial Champion tournament was the highlight of thrown weapons at Agincourt. The outgoing Baronial Champion, Master Clewin Kupferhelbelinc, ran the competition, which was hard contested. In the end, Lord Sanada Masamoto Kenshin O’no Kuma proved victorious and was named Champion, with Earl Thomas Byron of Haverford as his second.

kuma-and-byron

Lord Kuma is recognized as Baronial Thrown Weapons Champion with Earl Byron as his second. Photo by Lady Àine ny Allane.

Arts and Sciences

For a second year, the event included an A&S competition run by THLady Sumayya al Ghaziya. Entries ranged from scrolls and cooking to research and ceramics. The winner of the single category entry was Lord Ian Campbell of Glen Mor for his ceramic tiles, while Lady Luceta di Cosimo won the multiple entry category for items including cookies and research into medieval burial practices. Lord Ian was inducted into the Fleur d’Æthelmearc at court later that evening. A slideshow of some of the entries is shown below

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Evening Court

After a Baronial Court where the winners of each competition were announced and rewarded, and various baronial awards were bestowed, Queen Margerite held court attended by Prince Timothy and Princess Gabrielle, as well as the Crown Prince and Princess of the Middle, William and Isolde. In addition to the accolades noted above, highlights from the evening court included the induction of Lady Cionaodh Gunn into the Order of the Millrind; the elevation of THLord Kieran MacRae to the Order of the Laurel, and Writs of Summons for the Pelican to Doña Gabrielle de Winter and Baron Robert O’Connor.

Master Kieran MacRae swearing fealty as a Laurel. Photo by Lady Àine ny Allane.
Master Kieran MacRae swearing fealty as a Laurel. Photo by Lady Àine ny Allane.
Doña Gabrielle de Winter and Baron Robert O'Connor receive Writs for the Pelican. Photo by Mistress Arianna.
Doña Gabrielle de Winter and Baron Robert O’Connor receive Writs for the Pelican. Photo by Mistress Arianna.

Food and Entertainment

soteltie-margerite

The soteltie made by Lady Zianna. Photo by Mistress Arianna.

Of course Agincourt would not be complete without food. THLady Ottilige Rappoltsweiler and Edelvrowe Lijsbet du Keukere organized a lunch buffet of chicken, blancmanger, vegetables and fruit, while Meesteress Odriana vander Brugghe and her crew provided the evening feast. Supper began with a toast to the late Lady Adriana Ramstar, after which there were readings from the Canterbury Tales. Then dish after dish arrived including various meats, pies, rice, Brussels sprouts, and a large marzipan and cake soteltie of the Shield of Chivalry made by Lady Zianna beguy urdina de Zabaleta.

The evening was capped off with a performance by the ever-bawdy commedia troupe, i Genisii, whose show included a seasonally appropriate undead Pantalone attempting to control his daughter Octavia by means both foul and humorous.


Thanks to all of the photographers listed above, as well as Lord Markus Skalpr Grimsson, Lord Takamatsu Gentarou Yoshitaka, Master Morien MacBain, Lord Sanada Masamoto Kenshin O’no Kuma  and Baroness Aemilia Soteria for providing information about various activities for this event report.

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On Target: Archery for Kids

22 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery, Youth Activities, Youth combat

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archery, On Target

bows

When it comes to children’s archery, make sure “The Size is Right.” Many a well-meaning parent has handed their equipment to their son or daughter not realizing how oversized it is for a 10-year-old. Tiny fingers, inexperience, and nerves already make that first shot very difficult. Added to that, many adults shoot 35-pound bows and higher. Most children should be shooting 25-pound bows and lower.

In the picture at right you can see the difference between a 6-foot longbow and a 3-foot youth bow. Also, you can see the difference in the length of the arrows, I have a slight overdrawn so I used 29-1/2 inch arrow. For a youth, the length can be much shorter.

In addition, youth arrows might have factory tips which don’t always have the appropriate weight, throwing off the balance of the arrow.

arrows

Remember archery is for the whole family, but the equipment has to match the size of the shooter.

This month’s safety tip: be sure to go to your local fletcher and he’ll help you make the right decision.

In service,

THLord Deryk Archer

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On Target: The Marshal’s Field Box

23 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery

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archery, On Target, Safety

Many archers carry a field box, but the marshal’s box has a few more things in it. Looking at the picture below, let’s cover its contents from left to right.

photo-1

We begin with a jar full of hardware. When you’re out setting up a walk-through range, you may need screws or nails, so have some handy, as well as a drill.

Some spare targets: above the jar of hardware is a styrofoam apple from the dollar store as well as some balloons. No matter how old you get, breaking balloons is fun.

Next we see a bottle of mosquito repellent. In front of that is super glue, spare arrow points, and some spare fletching .

Center top, we see some spare rope and note cards with a pen – you may forget to bring scorecards or you may have something happen that you will need to report while it’s still fresh in your mind.

Next: sunblock. If you’re going to be in the sun all day, reapply every hour.

The last item on the top is a four pound sledge hammer. You may have to drive spikes or hammer something together. Once, I was out on a range that was so windy it blew over a target and hundreds of dollars of arrows got broken. Remember, if it’s a windy day, lock it down.

Bottom row left to right, we start with a range marker. If you’re new to a range, you don’t want anybody losing their way. Next to the field marker is a first aid kit for yourself. When you’re out in the woods, it’s easy to get a small scratch or cut, so it never hurts to have a spare Band-Aid.

Next to the first aid kit is a multi-tool. This serves two purposes: it’s great to have spare tools in the field, or you can give it away as a prize.

Speaking of prizes, next to the multi-tool is a drinking mug, another great prize. Inside the mug is a spare bow string, yet another great prize. Next to the bowstring is a tent stake – remember what I said about locking things down.

Next we see a 100-foot measuring tape. Even if it’s walk-through range, keep the targets between 20 and 100 yards distance.

Last, spare arm guards and shooting gloves, and some fluorescent orange tape. Remember, when you’re a marshal, you have to help out the beginner. It’s always wise to have spare equipment and to mark your trails.

This month’s safety tip: go back and double-check that first aid kit.

I’ll be at Archers to the Wald, and I’d be happy to field questions or take any comments.

Till next month, in service….

Deryk Archer

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On Target: Quick and Easy Targets

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery

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archery, archery targets

We have all been there. Pennsic is over, we have another shoot to do, we’re tired and just fresh out of ideas, or we get that dreaded phone call: Lord so-and-so has a family emergency, can you step in? Here are some quick and easy ideas for targets.

Plague ratFirst, who would not enjoy shooting at a plague rat? All you have to do is make four circles. I like to add my googly eyes. The whiskers are 4 wire ties. A smile, a little backing and you’re ready to go. ( You can see how well he stands up.)

Next, I get so many comments on this target – it’s a candelabra shoot that takes all of 5 minutes to make. All you need is a piece a black foam board from the nearest dollar store and some white and gold duct tape. Archers get six shots to shoot the five candles. It doesn’t matter if they hit the candelabra, and there’s plenty of room to miss, so they cannot hit two candles in one shot.

easy candelabra 1

Third, let’s go for a little bit of hunting. You have to protect His Majesty’s rabbit for His dinner, and shoot the four foxes. Now, I’m not making any political statement here, but in the commercial word Fox, the “O” makes a perfect bulls eye. Believe me when I say people will get a good laugh out of this. If you’re a good artist you can do this all freehand, or go to your local store and buy stencils.

Fox and Hare

Last we have a small twist on a wand shoot. Get a cylindrical piece of cardboard like an oatmeal box. Hang about two and a half feet of pool noodle covered in cookie dough-colored duct tape from the box. You now have Captain Ahab’s peg leg. Hang it just off the ground, and you will get the feel of shooting his leg out from under him.

Ahab 2

These targets are all easy to make and fun to shoot.

This month’s safety tip: now that Pennsic it is over, don’t let your guard down when you’re on the range. I’ve had as few as one shooter and as many as 50. Stay alert, offer to help the Marshal in charge if you can, and if you are marshalling, don’t be afraid to ask for a break.

In service,

Deryk Archer

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On Target: Hot Weather Bow Safety

15 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery

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archery, On Target

This month’s edition of On Target: Why we protect our bow from the heat and why we inspect bows at events.

Two things you should never leave in a car with the windows up are a small child and your bow. When the windows are up the inside temperature of the car can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more. This could cause the bow to delaminate and warp. Make it the last thing you pack and the first thing you take out when you reach the event.

When you reach the event, whether you are a once-a-week shooter or once-a-year shooter, make sure the first thing you do is have the bow inspected by Marshall. Notice in the first picture, this bow looks perfectly fine.

July Archery 1

In the next picture, after the bow is strung, you can see the crack (see the note card that fit in the crack easily).

July Archery 2

Notice in the next picture, by putting a line on the note card, how deep the crack is. The bow is no longer usable.

July Archery 3Tie a fluorescent orange ribbon around the bow so you do not accidentally use it again. WARNING: do not try to fix it, dispose of it, or make it a wall hanger.

July Archery 4

This month’s safety tip:remember when you’re at the archery range at Pennsic, you’re a long way from the store. Take water, snacks and sunblock with you, especially if you have small children.

Till next time be safe and enjoy the War.

THL Deryk Archer

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Æthelmearc-Sponsored Archery Tourney at SCA 50 Year

05 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by aethgazette in 50 Year, Archery

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#SCA50Year, archery

urho1

Master Urho teaching a young archer.

Thanks to Master Urho Waltterinen for this account of the archery tourney he ran at the SCA 50 Year Celebration.

On Tuesday, June 21st, despite the heat, the Kingdom of Æthelmearc sponsored an archery tournament created by Master Urho Waltterinen. Their Majesties of Æthelmearc, Byron and Ariella, attended and oversaw the entire tournament. Twenty-five archers, including Their Majesties’ son, Ian, participated.

In the first of three rounds, archers shot at a quartered section of the usual 60 cm target at twenty yards. They had to make a decision whether to aim at the center of this new target and risk not scoring enough points to advance or go for the gold and risk missing the target completely. In the end twelve scored high enough to advance to the next round. The high scorer was presented with a gift certificate for his achievement.

In the second, twelve archers were challenged to shoot at an unspecified target in the distance. THL Luceta di Cosimo painted a fantastical beast for them to aim at. The task to advance was to hit this target twice and the first eight to do so would advance to the final round. Archers began at about seventy yards away, fired two arrows in a coordinated mass launch and then advanced five paces forward for the next flight. The first seven archers were easily found, but three archers tied for the eighth position. His Majesty heard a suggestion from one of the archers that these three would fire two more arrows and the closest to a small escarbuncle on the target would advance and ruled that this would be the tiebreaker. The last archer advanced.

In the third and last, these elite archers returned to twenty yards and competed in a double-elimination round skillfully managed by Baroness Elizabeth Arrowsmyth as Mistress of the List. The target for this was a yin-yang in black and white merely eight inches across where each archer was assigned their color. After the pairings were determined by random draw, the rounds were shot. His Majesty was so caught up in the excitement shown by the skills of these archers that he personally assisted in the scoring of each match. At the level of prowess reached by these final competitors, mere millimeters determined success or failure.

In the last and final round, Cullen of the East and Treutvin of Calontir were matched. Cullen hit his color five of six times while Treutvin hit his color on six of six and so was declared the winner. Both finalists were awarded gift certificates and Treutvin was further presented with a scroll created by Mistress Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen and read to the populace by Baroness Gwendolyn the Graceful.

All archers were then invited to join us again on the archery range at Pennsic.

The archers thank Their Majesties for Their attendance and for Their attention to our sport.

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On Target: Range Safety

29 Sunday May 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery

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archery

In this month’s column, THLord Deryk Archer discusses the basics of archery range safety.

After the marshal has called “bows down, you may retrieve,” you place your bow on the ground and walk, don’t run, towards the target. Not running is very important with small children – they’re very eager to run down range and see what they hit. Shots that land in the ground are a tripping hazard. A running child could trip on the arrow, or “dead wood” as we call it. The arrow could break and impale the running child.

When you come across a dead arrow, you don’t lift it straight up out of the ground, you pull it backwards the way it went in so you do not break the arrow. If the arrow is not yours, take it by the point and stick it back in the ground straight up so the owner can find it.

Photo 3
Photo 4

When you get to the target butt, only one person removes their arrows at a time. This person is said to be in the” batter’s box.” The batter must look over his shoulder to see if anyone is too close before he worries out his arrows. Note in the left-hand picture, you see the back of the archer’s head. The archer must look back over her shoulder and look at the other “players in the field” as shown in the right-hand picture.

Photo 1
Photo 2

As you can see in the next picture, if the archer pulls the arrow out of the butt too soon, this could cause an eye injury if the people “in the field” are too close.

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Always remember, you could still get hurt on an archery range even if the arrows are not flying.

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This month’s safety tip: establish eye to eye contact with other archers when you’re walking on an open range.

Yours in Service,

THL Deryk

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Scarlet Guard Announces Annual Challenge

03 Tuesday May 2016

Posted by aethgazette in Archery

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archery, Scarlet Guard

Unto all the groups of Æthelmearc does the Order of the Scarlet Guard wish to issue a challenge.

This year on Saturday, June 11, in the Shire of Hornwood at the Scarlet Guard Inn IV, we are inviting every Barony, Shire, Canton, and College to send an individual to compete in an archery competition.

To enter, each group can pick one representative who is a member of that group, and send along a signed letter from the seneschal of the group as proof of entry. Only persons with a signed letter from the group’s seneschal will be allowed to compete. We would also ask that each group send a small item or token from their group that would then be put in the prize basket for the winner. There is also a banner for the winner to keep during the year. It is our plan to have the name of the winner and group he/she is from added to this banner each year.

Members of the Scarlet Guard are not eligible to shoot in this competition. Also, the archer who won the previous year is not eligible, but that group may send another archer instead.

The winner of last year’s challenge was the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands, which sent Takamatsu Gentarou Yoshitaka as its representative.

It is our hope to continue this challenge every year.

If you have any questions, please contact us at scarletguard_clerk@aethelmearc.org.

Archery Semis Katherine and Rendell

Archers competing at the Scarlet Guard Inn last June. Photo by Arianna.

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