The Kingdom of Arts & Sciences will organize at 7pm this coming Tuesday, February 22, a virtual A&S Consultation Table. We will have several helping hands (and brains) available to help answer any questions in regards to documentation in general and entering in Ice Dragon in specific.
The discussion leader will be Elska, supported by THL Renata Rouge, THL Eleanor Godwin and Master Hrolfr á Fjárfelli.
If you know what you are being judged on, you know what you have to do to create a winning entry. Always ask for the judging criteria when you are thinking of entering a competition (or being asked to judge one).
To get the most out of this discussion, it would be beneficial to have a copy of the Kingdom evaluation Rubrics available to refer to.
The Kingdom Ministry of Arts & Sciences has added numerous resources to the KMOAS website to help those artisans new to A&S. Here you can read about what to expect when entering your first arts & sciences competition, as well as how to document an A&S entry effective and efficiently. We also offer the EZ-Doc documentation form if you are unsure how to start your project documentation.
Please bring questions that you have about any project you are working on – whether for the Online College of Three Ravens A&S competition or the Passing of the Ice Dragon Pentathlon!
We will post the Zoom Room as soon as we have it both on the event page as well as on the Æthelmearc Arts & Sciences group.
Yours in service,
Elska
Kingdom Ministry of Æthelmearc A&S deputy
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
It is with great pleasure that the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences can relay that Their Sylvan Majesties King Maynard von dem Steine and Queen Liadain ni Dheirdre Chaohamnaigh are pleased to announce the second installment of the Arts & Sciences Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney!
The Prize Tourney will be run similar to last year, see the website for details. After the resounding success of Kingdom’s Champ, the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences is happy to offer face to face discussions between the candidates and their advisors.
Three Early 15th c. Bourrelet Headdresses [Best Documentation] by Lady Ilaria of Delftwood.
The intent of the Queen’s Prize Tourney is to provide a platform for anybody to receive constructive feedback on their A&S work in a friendly and non-competitive environment and to stimulate enthusiasm and motivation within our A&S community by sharing our art. Therefore, the Tourney is not a traditional competition. Instead, you be meet with a panel of advisors to share and discuss your entry to help you in grow your skill and knowledge… and helps us teach something new about your passion.
La seconde estampie royal, from the Manuscrit du Roi, on a vielle by Tiffany of Myrkfaelinn
With travel restrictions easing and small meetings with the proper recommended precautions being a possibility, we strongly encourage any and all entries that need to be sniffed, tasted, or quaffed for proper feedback! The online nature of the Tourney also gives us a chance to share your bardic entries and gives us the unique opportunity to give research papers the attention they deserve.
As is traditional, Their Royal Majesties will pick Their favorite entries. Additionally, to show our appreciation to those artisans who go the extra mile to document their projects in such depth and detail that not having them in hand does not seem a handicap, the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences will again sponsor an extra prize for documentation that went above and beyond the usual.
White Scarf Scroll [His Majesty’s Choice] by Gesa von Wellenstein.
Prior entry in another competition or display also does not disqualify you from entering: we love to see continued progress on existing projects.
Their Sylvan Majesties and the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences are all looking forward to inspiring new and existing work from our A&S community!
Like last year, prospective participants are asked to fill out a web form with some basic info and (few) photographs of their work and their documentation. The main site has a link to the form or you can find it directly from here
Continuing the freshly-minted tradition of virtual sharing in these times of plague, the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences once again reached out to our fabulous Arts & Sciences Championship artisans to share their work with the populace at large on a more personal level. The virtual Kingdom Championship was also a juried competition, and included a week’s worth of face to face judging – with judges especially selected for their knowledge and background – as well as an online populace “meet and greet the artisans.” Master Hrólfr and I, your Kingdom Arts & Sciences officers, enjoy finding new ways to inspire and motivate our artisans in these trying times and we are happy to see the Championship ran so smoothly!
Could you tell me a little about you, your persona?
I am Caleb Reynolds. I joined the SCA in November 1984 after seeing an armored combat demonstration at the Texas Renaissance Festival. I tracked down my local chapter (Barony of the Stargate) by looking up Richard Lionheart’s number in the phone book. My persona is a late 11th century Norman in occupied Saxon England. My paper is about the diet of the Norse who occupied Greenland: I think it is possible my Norman alter-ego might have heard of Greenland, but would never have visited.
What inspired you to make your entry?
I am fascinated by the minutiae of medieval life. Most book concentrate on battles and who became King or Queen. I am interested in the little things: table forks, pretzels, weathercocks, bowling, fried fish, horseshoes, law suits, water mills. I was reading a book about the Norse expansion and the book devoted three or four paragraphs to Greenland. The Norse occupied Greenland for around 450 years and this book could only mention that Eric the Red discovered it; his son discovered America, and that the Greenlanders couldn’t grow anything because Greenland wasn’t green (ha ha, wasn’t that a scam to get people to Greenland), so they only ate seal meat and cheese. I was surprised since the details on Iceland, Shetland, and Dublin were very well written. My research took me to Jerald Diamond’s “Collapse”, which has a sizable section about the start and end of the colony. Some of his statements didn’t sit well with me and inspired me to do an more in depth search. The majority of the popular press only mention a diet of protein and dairy, but humans can’t live on a 100% protein diet: they must have eaten something other than meat and I wanted to know what they could have eaten.
Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?
This was a straight up research project. Since I don’t have access to primary sources, and I don’t read Latin, Danish or other languages, my sources were primarily English ones. There is most likely a wealth of information that could have helped me but has never been translated. With the pandemic, JSTOR and Academic.edu opened up their libraries to everyone. This gave me access to a lot of information that I would not have known existed a year ago. The major hurdle I encountered was all of the rabbit holes this topic opened up. The paper was primarily a discussion on what food was available to eat on the island. But I had to reign myself in from running off on extended tangents.
Funny enough, two days after I was judged, I was recommended a paper titled: “Palynology supports ‘Old Norse’ introductions to the flora of Greenland” which details the plants the Norse brought to their new home.
The subject is rife with future papers, either for myself or for others:
Danish flour and iron subsidies to Greenland, Iceland and the Shetland Islands.
Norse donations of wine for Greenland church services.
What was the method of making wine from crowberries that King Sverrir taught to his son?
Were Cogs used to transport cargo to and from Greenland, or only knarrs and other longships?
What was the cost of trade goods on Greenland?
What was the markup of Walrus Ivory on the Continent?
Was salt produced in bulk on Greenland? If so, how?
Cooking over manure: pros and cons.
Were there people who to traveled to Greenland for a year or two just to make a fortune hunting walrus? Like wildcats in ’49 Gold Rush.
How long does a lamp fueled by blubber last compared to olive oil?
Why were the Norse such jerks to the Dorset, Thule, and the first nation people of modern day Canada?
How the Black Death and attacks by the Victual Brothers destroyed Bergen’s ability to send ships to the far colonies and how that impacted the survivability of the Greenlanders.
Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?
One of the things I have discovered over the years is that pretty much every time you hear or read an absolute statement about the past, it is usually wrong, and the truth is far more interesting and a great topic of research.
“No one in the middle ages ever bathed.” What about all of the bath houses throughout Europe? Most of which were closed down during the Renaissance. The city of Bath was named for it’s hot springs and bath houses. (Or, baths were named after Bath. Someone should research that.)
“There were no pain killers.” What about all of the medieval manuscripts that talk about the pain relief properties of various plants and mushrooms?
“Everyone ate rotten meat, that’s why they used spices.” Really? Spices were expensive. If you could afford spices from the literal other side of the planet, you could afford fresh meat.
“Few people traveled more than 5 miles from where they were born.” What about traveling merchants? What about pilgrims? What about soldiers and crusaders? How did salt travel from the Mediterranean to the north seas to salt cod which was then moved throughout Europe? It didn’t fly.
Absolute statements are generally a jumping off point for a fun bit of research. For people new to research papers, I would recommend picking a topic and writing a few pages about it. A research project does not have to be book length. Nor does it have to be unique: you can write on a topic that others have also used; just present your own experience and interpretation. Are you interested in a strange image in a manuscript: write about it. A recipe you want to try: write about it. Did you come across an interesting duel: write about it. Every SCA newsletter would be happy with two or three pages of something interesting about the middle ages.
Here is my suggestion: if you have access to old newsletters or old editions of the TI, like 20 or 30 years old, look through them for anything interesting: Medieval wrapping paper. Cosplay during the Middle Ages. Obscure recipes for food or beverages. Modern veggies vs period ones. Soap or “tooth paste”. Use that as a starting point for your own journey: what new information has been uncovered since the old paper was published? How would you present that thing, today. Our A&S community is not just about one person writes something and then it’s fixed in stone; the SCA is living history. That article about a recipe for ale; the author said to use malt extract and whatever hops you can get. How would you make it using whole barley? What hops would have been used at that time and place? That recipe says to use a non-stick pan over a stove top; how would you make it over a fire? Period sources call for an egg to determine how salty a brine is, or how much sugar is an a wort: Tell me how that would have been done. You do not have to be the first person to research something; just tell us your experience and your methods.
What did you think of the virtual face to face judging concept?
I like the face-to-face judging. I’ve been on both sides of the table in previous Arts & Sciences Faires and Championships. As a judge, it’s really nice to ask the author a question about some point not covered in the documentation. As a victim…. I mean competitor, it is an opportunity to explain a point that you either didn’t cover in the documentation or expound on a different tact. The Zoom method was good: not perfect but it was good opportunity to talk to old friends. There also were no interruptions from passer bys or noise from adjacent tables. Perhaps next time, I will be one of the judges.
What motivated you to enter the Kingdom Championship?
I had no expectation other than to present a paper on a topic that I found fascinating. I hope that I can inspire others to not only do a deep dive on an unusual topic but to share their passion with others. I was not expecting to win (although I had a 50/50 chance for the first two or three weeks: at least until a third person threw in their hat). Those of you who know me, know that I love obscure topics and know that I love asking stupid questions that have complicated and interesting answers. I was also drawn to the chance to talk about my paper and be spun around and pointed towards new topics that I had not thought of. This was a far better process than just having a score assigned to a judging sheet.
Are you interested in reading more about the entry after this appetizing interview? You can! All entries including documentation and images are available at the Kingdom Office of Arts and Sciences website.
Continuing the freshly-minted tradition of virtual sharing in these times of plague, the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences once again reached out to our fabulous Arts & Sciences Championship artisans. Through interviews for the Æthelmearc Gazette our artisans can share their work with the populace at large on a more personal level. Unlike the Virtual Queen’s Prize Tourney, which was run completely virtual, the Kingdom Championship is a juried competition, and included a week’s worth of face to face judging – with judges especially selected for their knowledge and background – as well as an online populace “meet and greet the artisans” before Kingdom court. Master Hrólfr and I, your Kingdom Arts & Sciences officers, enjoy these challenges of finding ways to inspire and motivate our artisans in these trying times and we are happy to see the Championship ran so smoothly! The Kingdom Championship would not have been nearly as successful without the extra-ordinary organizational skills of Master Hrólfr, the web development magic of Master Robert of Ferness and the zoom room wizardry of Lady Magdalena Txoperena and Baroness Amalie. Thank you for helping our artisans shine!
Could you tell me a little about you, your persona?
Lord Éadaoin Ruadh, our current Kingdom of Æthelmearc Bardic Champion
My persona is a turn of the 14th century Irishwoman who got to Scotland right around the time of Robert the Bruce. I’ve not determined whether or not she would actually write songs and stories, but she would certainly memorize and perform songs like these around a fire. Given the violence and backstabbing she has experienced, the pacifist feelings in Towton’s Creek could be right up her alley, though perhaps she wouldn’t have voiced them until after the war was finished. The love of the land and its offerings in Drink For a Scot’s Land would sit incredibly well with her character, too.
What inspired you to make your entry?
For Towton’s Creek, I’ve loved the message of Green Fields of France as well as its melody, and always wanted a period adjacent version to sing at campfires. Last Pennsic, after a late night/early morning performance that earned me a gift for my passion and talent, I was pushed even harder to complete it. Because I needed a brush tipper for it, I was also inspired to source local AEthelmearc oak and horse hair to make one for performing it (as any bard in that day would’ve done). For Drink For a Scot’s Land, I wanted to highlight the conservation efforts of Alan Watson-Featherstone and the Trees For Life charity that has been restoring Scotland’s Caledonian Forest for 40 years now. You find evidence of the flora and fauna in its verses as the land heals, as well as the timeless, world famous imagery their land evokes. Just like TFL, I believe there’s a lot to learn from nature, whether the scientific patterns or the symbolism. Additionally, so many people stereotype Scottish songs, as the opening tells us, into violence, drinking, or tragedy, so I wanted to highlight what wasn’t any of those.
Did the entry throw up any unexpected issues?
The write up took a lot longer than I expected, trying to cram in where I applied the research. I realized I need to leave more composition time, and better organize my sources for citing within my documentation. The variance in how well / poorly my voice can reach my range of notes is generally always an expected road bump, so I did my best to avoid it by singing after my voice had rested (right after waking up). Our adventure cat Mohinder decided to stay in our room while I recorded. Thankfully his movement didn’t distract the performance, and I’m glad for the practice in handling the mild chaos of a campfire.
Did you learn something specific, something you would do differently, or would recommend others to do again?
I learned a lot about how historical accounts are essentially a survey of what happened–no one group is going to have it exactly right. Somewhere in the midst of all of their words combined is the truth. As mentioned before, I would give myself much more time to prep the writing portion of the entry. I’d put more practice into breath control, as well, to help keep the audience from getting lost in choppy phrasing.
What did you think of the virtual face to face judging concept?
I’m in favor of the virtual judging when in-person isn’t possible, and this worked fine for me. This is the first competition I’ve been in with feedback on performance, so I don’t have much to compare it to.
What motivated you to enter the Kingdom Championship?
In all honesty, it was because Elska suggested it, that she would like a performance entry. Later I found it to be good practice for performing under pressure and examining how intimate I am with my pieces. I’m always happy to provide inspiration to others, to make our populace more aware of the bardic arts, and overall help where I can. The feedback helped immensely, in having experienced eyes and ears on my pieces, and my performances. I’m not truly here to win, but to compare my skill with how I’ve been in the past.
Anything else you would like to share?
I highly recommend any artisan to enter their works for a contest, even if you’re not looking for awards or renown. Sharing your knowledge and art is really what our Great Dream is about. The judging will help push you to improve and hone your skills. You never know what eyes are watching, and who next you’ll push to be their best.
Are you interested in reading more about the entry after this appetizing interview? You can! All entries including documentation and images are available at the Kingdom Office of Arts and Sciences website.
Amor Vincit Omnia: 12th-Century Embroidered Shoes
by Robert of Ferness, OL
I hope this article inspires other artisans to publish what they would have entered at Ice Dragon as well, that all may enjoy learning about what could have been seen there, if not for the current sickness in our land.
During the Viking Age and early Middle Ages, people in Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Northern Europe used runes to send messages to each other, and to posterity. In Bergen, a city on Norway’s west coast, a particularly large number of artifacts with runes on them has been excavated. They carry reports of business, statements of love, condemning curses, and sometimes gibberish. Most of these appear as carvings on sticks, but one particularly interesting example conveys a Latin quotation via embroidery on a shoe.
For Ice Dragon this year, I decided to make a reproduction of that shoe and its missing mate, a project summarized here. For details and citations for assertions made herein, please see my full documentation referenced at the end.
This project involved three main aspects: 1) understanding the runes of the surviving shoe and coming up with something appropriate for its missing mate; 2) devising a pattern from the original and making wearable footwear; 3) learning about suitable material and colors for the embroidery.
Fig. 1
As apparent in Fig. 1, we can see that the shoe has survived remarkably well after 800 years in the ground. Its surface sports numerous incisions, which are punctured by small holes through the thickness of the leather between them. This is the usual manner of applying embroidery thread to shoes, of which hundreds of examples are known (though only five with runes). In addition to the runes, decorative elements manifest in bounding lines for the letters and arcs on the ankle.
Fig. 2
The Runes
Fig. 2 clarifies the runes on this shoe, which, when transcribed to our Western alphabet, read mulil amor vincit omnia et, starting to the right of the ankle seam and running around the ankle, then jumping to the instep and running down to the toe. There are no word separators.
The first word, mulil, has proved to be untranslatable. It may be a personal name, some kind of magic charm word, or have some other meaning that may remain forever unknown. It does not appear in any corpus of Latin or Old Norse, either as-is or in any alternative that might have come from a misspelling or other sort of mistake. We can hope that someday it will turn up in a context that sheds lights on its use here.
The rest of the phrase, however, comes from the poet Virgil’s Bucolica Eclogue X, and is Latin for “love conquers all and,” with the rest of his phrase presumably continuing on the other shoe as nos cedamus amori “so let us surrender to love.”
Numerous aspects of runes can make interpreting them difficult. Their individual usage and form morphed through time based on changing pronunciation of their letters. Further, they varied from place to place, they were produced by people with different levels of literacy, and they could represent different languages. Additionally, different forms might be used on different media, and sometimes archaic runes were even written on parchment well after more modern forms were carved into other materials.
Fig. 3 depicts the shoe’s runes and their Latin alphabet equivalents.
Notes: the same rune is used for “u” and “v”; the “o” and “r” of amor have been joined in a ligature, or bind-rune, a common practice to save effort or space by using the same stroke. The “t” used in this context is the thorn character ᚦ and an “o” is used in et, either by mistake or because of sound changes.
Making the Shoe
This general type of shoe, known as a turnshoe, consists of a sole and an upper. To make such a shoe, cut out a thick piece of leather for the sole, and a thinner, more flexible one for the upper. The upper will have a side seam, almost always found on the inside of the ankle, which is stitched before being attached to the sole. After the side seam is closed, the upper is stitched to the sole inside-out. Once stitched all the way around, the shoe is soaked in water until soft enough to be turned right side-out. I worked out a pattern for this shoe based on my previous work, essentially making the ankle opening a bit higher on the front and adding the skewed toes. Vegetable-tanned leather was used, dyed black with vinegaroon.
Embroidery on Leather
Unlike embroidery on cloth, leather-based work does not pass up and down through the material from one side to the other. Rather, it passes through the thickness of the leather, from one surface incision to another, leaving an area to be looped over. This technique means that the leather is not pierced from outside to inside and water will not then soak through holes when the top of the shoe becomes wet. Further, there is no thread on the inside of the shoe to abrade or catch on the wearer’s foot.
Fig. 4 shows the turned shoe with incised leather ready to be embroidered.
The incisions must be made before turning because cutting them into a three-dimensional form of flexible material does not appear to be feasible. I used a very sharp knife to incise the leather totally freehand, except for the long strips down the vamp where I used a straight edge for a consistent line. As for when to apply the embroidery thread, some excavated shoes clearly reveal it was added before turning. As an experiment, and because I was afraid of damaging the work, however, I first turned the shoes. This likely made it take longer to apply the thread because the formed shoe limited the freedom of manipulating the leather to best advantage.
Fig. 5 illustrates details of embroidering leather (from a previous project with three strips on the vamp from toe to instep, and reveals the inside of the shoe after application of thread).
The Embroidery Thread
At Bergen, 38 shoe uppers have retained traces of embroidery thread, although this shoe was not one of them. Unspun silk was used in all of those cases, and the thread was colored red or gold and has kept its bright and glossy characteristics during its time in the ground. My version of the shoes required about 785 ft. / 240m of red 2-ply filament silk applied two strands per pass by looping it through a tiny #12 glover’s needle eye and then applying via satin stitch. The gold elements required about the same amount. It took me 30 hours to embroider each shoe for some 7,500 total needle passes.
Fig. 6 shows various stages during the embroidery of the right shoe.
Final Thoughts
By no means is it clear who made the original shoe and added the embroidery. The shoemaker may have been itinerant or established; full-time or part-time; native or foreign; working alone or in a shop with others. Nor do we know who wore it originally, i.e., an extraordinarily rich person, someone moderately wealthy, or a person of more limited means. It could have been worn by a local, or by a visitor. However, some have claimed that a simple shoemaker could not or would not have added the embroidery and further that it would require an enormous cash outlay for such shoes. I do not agree with either of those assessments.
Fig. 7 offers a view of the completed shoes.
Acknowledgements
The surviving shoe is held by the University Museum in Bergen, cataloged as Acc. No. BRM 0/52927. Photos illustrating this conserved shoe, and others, are available on the web from the Bergen Universitetsmuseet site which are licensed CC BY-NC-ND 3.0.
Further Reading
Many details of this project have been omitted from this summary. Please see my publication on Academia.edu for further information, illustrations, citations, and references. I go into each aspect in more depth, including runes, making shoes, leather embroidery, medieval illustrations, and modern studies of all these aspects.
-Robert of Ferness, OL
The Æthelmearc Gazette welcomes all Arts & Sciences submissions! If you are not sure if your documentation would work as an Æthelmearc Gazette article, please feel free to ask Elska – she’s always happy to help format and edit as necessary.
To help our artisans navigate the medieval and renaissance arts & sciences while living through our current time of making history, the Kingdom Office of Arts & Sciences has added a chapter of Virtual Resources to our website. On this page you will find links to interesting and informative YouTube videos, websites and Facebook group pages devoted to various topics, as well as other useful A&S information.
The information is divided into two parts: first we list all our Kingdom and populace resources, and second we list virtual resources from all over the Knowne Worlde. Included are Æthelmearc Book of Faces arts & sciences groups, as well as Society-wide arts & sciences groups; Kingdom & populace YouTube channels and playlists; populace websites; populace publications (hosted on Academia). As well as society-wide Virtual Learning, of which the Book of Faces group SCA Virtual Classroom and Artisan Display has gained the most traction, and society-wide general arts & sciences Facebook groups (of which there are so many!).
I even included a list of my favorite free YouTube channels and playlists of documentaries and shows detailing medieval and renaissance life for those days we’d rather see someone else go through the effort of… fulling woolen cloth with human urine (Tony Robinson in The Worst Jobs in History)… cooking indoor dinner over open fire without a chimney (Lucy Worsley in If Walls Could Talk)… building a castle from scratch (I kid you not, and that would be Guedelon Castle in France)… or kitting out and training a medieval war horse (Modern History TV) – there is something funny, intriguing, educational, for anyone.
Our list will be updated as information becomes available –and we hope this will be soon, too! Are you an Æthelmearc citizen and do you have a blog, a website, a YouTube channel, or an Academia profile that we did not as of yet list? Please share! The more, the merrier!
Of course, it is our full intention to keep our Kingdom collection of Virtual Resources available and updated for now, as well as for the future.
By Baroness Machteld Cleine of Atlantia, as posted on the SCA Bardic Arts Facebook group, reprinted with permission.
At Atlantian Twelfth Night, my dear friend Ellisif Gyðasdottir was given her writ to sit vigil at Gulf Wars to contemplate joining the order of the Laurel.
I was super happy for her (and super disappointed I could not attend even before pandemic had reared its head). She mentioned to me 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 becoming a Master or Mistress of their craft.
As a friend… I had to try and fix that. Originally three wonderful bards: Lady Keris Silber, Mistress Lanea Verch Kerrigan, and THL Silence de Cherbourg would be my emissaries to at least read the words to her. With Gulf Wars cancelled, I sent it to her as a comfort for the vigil that is only postponed! I tried to make it special to her, but also available for others, and I wanted to honor her mentor Mistress Marion Leoncina di Susa, as well as all the other people who ‘guide’ along the road. I will probably still tinker a tiny bit, but here it is:
Weaving your dreams for Maestra Elisif Gyðasdottir
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.”
NOTE: DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS AT THE COLLEGE WHERE THE EVENT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD, AND DECISIONS BY THE GOVERNOR OF NY, ICE DRAGON HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR THIS YEAR.
Are you contemplating entering the largest Arts & Science competition of our Sylvan Kingdom, the Passing of the Ice Dragon Pentathlon? And perhaps you are intimidated by it’s size, it’s reputation, and even a bit overwhelmed…? So, why do artisans enter competitions? Most of our artisans enter for feedback and/or for exposure. Which one you value most can help you to figure participation, and have the most Fun!
If you already know what you would like to do, the preregistration forms for both judges and entrants are NOW LIVE! Please consider preregister, this allows the organizers to match skills as much as possible, resulting in more constructive feedback. Thank you!
Category Pottery, ID 2018 – Richard and Saladin floor section by Ian Campbell
Factors to consider before jumping into the challenge of Arts & Sciences competitions:
Critiques must be consensual
Judges are volunteers
Know what the entrant wants out of the competition
Use the judging criteria, it is there to help
Documentation is not meant to be homework
This is supposed to be fun and helpful!
1. Critiques must be consensual.
Unless an artisan specifically invites someone to critique their project, feedback should be kept to compliments. Once an artisan enters into a judged competition, that will be considered consent to critique. Unfortunately, not all commentary from judges will be helpful, and the artisan may not like or agree with what a judge has to say about their project. That’s part of the deal though – take what you need, disregard the rest.
For entrants, don’t let the judging sheet be the end of the dialogue, especially if you don’t like something or feel like you can gain more from a longer conversation. Follow up and – hey look! You made a new friend.
For judges, keep your commentary focused on the project and serve the compliment sandwich (constructive critique sandwiched between two feel-good compliments); make sure every part “tastes good”.
Category Cooking – leavening / yeast cakes; and another Category Cooking – Pompei Bread Both by Cristnna MacTavish
2. Judges are volunteers.
Sometimes judges are the perfect person to judge your project, sometimes they step in at the last moment to help fill spots and they know little about your project. You never know who you are going to get. Your job as an entrant is to present your project in a way that someone who has no clue about what the object is can come in, see the object presented in a pleasing way, learn about it in a few minutes via documentation & presentation (project plus visual aids, clearly labeled), and have enough context to have a semi-intelligent conversation about it, with references and sources so they can follow up if they want to.
3. What do you want to get out of the competition?
If you are in it to win it, make a show piece, use the judging criteria, have several people proofread your documentation journal, practice your presentation, test run your display and ask for critiques before the competition. Will you win then? Maybe. That’s always the answer – you have no way of knowing all the factors ahead of time, just make it the best you can each time. Take the critique and make the next display/project/documentation/presentation better. Up your game any way you can.
For entrants, see above. If you are just there to share your cool project and get feedback, tell the judges that “tangents,” also known as “rabbit holes,” are welcome and encouraged.
For judges, if someone is clearly there to win, offer the next better step suggestion, score them honestly, and tell them why you scored them that way – don’t leave them guessing.
Category Youth: Made from scratch list-legal wood arrows with silk wrapping, by Mary of Harford (Myrkfaelinn); three (pest) animal illustrations by Hannah. So you realize, these are YOUTH entries! Really!
4. Use the criteria, they are there to help
The judging criteria, a grid of scoring criteria, is not only intended to guide judges to score less subjectively. Judging criteria are also intended to give entrants – or even just those wishing to improve – guidance on how to improve their art. Keep in mind that the highest score of the judging criteria reflects expert work. Reaching this level should be the goal of every entrant, but don’t expect it to happen overnight. Then when you do reach this milestone, it will be an achievement to be rightfully proud of – a true masterpiece!
For entrants, by reading the judging criteria and self-scoring your entry beforehand you can discover any shortcomings while you still have the opportunity to do something about it.
For judges, the judging criteria can help facilitate feedback to reach the entrant, even when under time constraints, by marking each topic on the form that applies to the entered project. Keep in mind that the highest score should be for entries so good that the most authentic recreator would consider it perfect.
5. Documentation is not meant to be homework
Unless you intend to write a research paper, a graduation thesis is not what the judges are looking for. Your documentation should be a combination of historical context combined with a project journal. It should tell the judges what you made, how it was made, and why it is historically authentic. And ask yourself: could a stranger to the topic understand and recreate your project using only your documentation journal?
For entrants, how much time will the judge have on average per entry? At an average reading speed 1500 words per 15 minutes, this limits the length of your journal. If judges need to speed-read supply keywords and highlights, and move side-quests to the appendices. Use a cover sheet summary, step-by-step instructions and photo journals to help organize the information and simplify navigation.
A few things to keep in mind about judges and judging:
– it is LOUD in A&S competitions, and not everyone reads well in noisy rooms with lots of distractions.
– stupid questions and assumptions are going to happen, and sometimes have to happen for clarity. Note them and recheck your documentation. It could be that the judge missed that due to distractions, or you could have mentally filled in with your own prior knowledge and your audience has no way of knowing.
Category Illumination; Second scroll ever by our very talented Crystal Bradley.
6. A&S competitions are supposed to be fun!
While most judges are careful about serving edible compliment sandwiches, sometimes you are going to get anchovies & pineapple on the same pizza. It is unfortunate when that happens, but it does happen. It’s a risk of competition, which is why #1 is so important. Take the feedback as it applies, disregard the rest.
A&S competitions are supposed to be educational. They are supposed to be fun. If it’s not fun for you, don’t do it. If you aren’t looking for feedback, don’t do it. But if you are, we are very happy you found us! Together, we can challenge and inspire each other to reach the stars!
To help find us, below is a map listing Troll (William Stuart Forum), the Pent rooms (T119A+B) and the Performance Arts (Stuart Steiner Theater).
For more information on the Ice Dragon Arts and Sciences competition: Kingdom Event page on the AS 54 Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. Home page of the Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. Home page of the Passing of the Ice Dragon Pentathlon.
The Barony of Rhydderich Hael will host the Æthelmearc Arts & Sciences Faire on April 11th, 2020. This will be a day to celebrate the artisans of our Sylvan Kingdom! Come and enter your work! Help us as an advisor or sponsor. Or join us to admire the beautiful entries on display. We will have room for all who choose to do so to display their works.
What makes The Arts & Sciences Faire and Queen’s Prize Tourney unique? It is not a competition: advisors provide feedback and critique, but there is no score; feedback is designed to be qualitative, not quantitative. The Arts & Sciences Faire is an opportunity for up and coming artisans to show their work and be interviewed by more experienced artisans, and is also an opportunity for more experienced artisans to gain meaningful feedback about their projects. To show her appreciation to the artisans entering the Arts & Sciences Faire, Her Royal Majesty will honor her favorite entry with the Queen’s Prize.
To encourage mentorship, each entrant must be sponsored by a Laurel or Fleur (or the equivalent to the Fleur from another kingdom). This can take many forms, and is dependent on the entrant and their sponsor. If an artisan wishes to enter but does not know of a sponsor to approach, we are glad to help match them up; likewise, if anyone would like to be a sponsor and is seeking an artisan(s), we will work to pair folks together. Each sponsor is asked to bring a gift for each entrant they sponsor, so that each entrant receives a prize.
The format of the Faire is similar to that for the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Championship; entrants are allowed up to three items which should show a cohesive body of work. Entrants will have two groups of advisors, scheduled for one hour each, who will ask questions about the item(s), documentation, the research process, etc. After each review session, the entrant will receive feedback forms from each advisor. Entrants will be given their review schedule in the morning, but should be prepared to sit with their display throughout the day. Written documentation is encouraged, but not required.
Youth artisans are highly encouraged to enter the Faire! The comment sheets for youth entrants will be different from those for adult entrants, designed with their age group in mind. We understand that there is usually parental help and guidance through the art process, which is a great way to help mentor a budding artisan! Ideally, a youth entrant should be able to express how much of the project they did alone and how much they had help with, what the project is, how it works, and what they believe they learned throughout the process.
Would you like to be an advisor to our entrants? We are looking for advisors for a successful Faire. Advisors must be Fleurs or Laurels and are expected to spend the better part of the day in face-to-face advising of the entrants.
Feel free to approach us with any questions you may have by checking our FAQ online, by email, or by finding us at your favorite event. We will be hosting A&S consultation tables at many future events throughout the Kingdom and look forward to seeing you there.
We hope to see many of you at the Arts & Sciences Faire!
In service,
Hrólfr and Elska, Kingdom Ministers of Arts & Sciences
The Kingdom of Arts & Sciences will organize at 7pm this coming Tuesday, February 22, a virtual A&S Consultation Table. We will have several helping hands (and brains) available to help answer any questions in regards to documentation in general and entering in Ice Dragon in specific.
Yours in service,
