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The Æthelmearc Gazette

~ Covering the Kingdom of Æthelmearc of the SCA

The Æthelmearc Gazette

Tag Archives: Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Display at the Ice Dragon Pent!

03 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by aethgazette in A&S Competition and Display, Arts & Sciences, Æthelmearc History, Ice Dragon

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Failure Display, Ice Dragon A&S, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Did you know there is more to the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon than the competitions? The Pent area hosts the competition entries and judges, of course, but it also makes room every year for general A&S displays. Not everyone is interested in judging feedback, and to accommodate those artisans the Pent organizers will reserve several tables, to display with pleasure, without pressure!

One display which had everyone a-buzz – and not only because one of the shoes had a honeycomb pattern – was set up by Master Robert of Ferness (then THLord Robert) at the 2019 Ice Dragon Pent. Master Robert brought a plethora of medieval shoes of all different styles; needing to use three tables to set them all out! His display drew the attention of all those visiting the Pent area, as well as some gentles who came especially to take a look at this famous Flight of Shoes.

The Flight of Shoes A&S display by Master Robert of Ferness at the 2019 Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Not everyone realizes the Pent has two types of Display. One is meant for our dearest works in progress and treasured works of art. The other is meant for A&S disasters we’d honestly rather quietly bury in the backyard…

Quite a few years ago, Master John Michael Thorpe started the Failure Display at the Ice Dragon Pent. As the then-Kingdom A&S Champion he had been asked by a Crown Tournament autocrat to enter something in their A&S tournament. He felt it would not be appropriate to enter his Champs project, but that he could bring his current project that had just been placed into the kiln for display: thinking if the experiment worked it would be a fun display, and if it failed he would display the failure. Master Thorpe, the then-Kingdom A&S Champion, ended up displaying a failure – which contrary to expectation was very well received! Many gentles talked about how important it was to make it acceptable to sometimes fail, and this sparked the idea to add a Failure Display section to Ice Dragon, and to encourage Fleurs and Laurels to display their failures as a source of inspiration – and fun! – to the Kingdom at large.

Failure: a necessary part of the research and learning process.
by Master John Michael Thorpe

One concept most often left out of the A&S display and competitions is the process of learning, especially re-creating lost techniques and arts, and the failures that are a necessary part of true physical research. Over the years as I have taught people crafts and arts, the one thing that seems to come up over and over is the implication that my ability to do things comes from a talent that mysteriously sprang fully formed out of the void. That couldn’t be farther from the truth! I find that people who are new to arts and sciences (especially those outside of the normal A&S genres) look at the work on display at Ice Dragon, and similar venues, and then try their hand at what they saw and become discouraged. The point of this display is to highlight the work that nobody ever sees, the learning and discovery process.

My goal in what became this failure was to try to recreate period casting techniques for high temperature metals (silver and bronze) using clay molds as described in Theophilus (lost wax, Theophilus chapter 30: Casting the Handles for the Chalice: Theophilus, On Divers Arts,Translated with introduction and notes by John G. Hawthorne and Cyryl Stanley Smith. New York: Dover Publications,1963) and Dress Accessories (ceramic mold for mass production of buckles pp122, illustration 80 – Egan, Geoff, and Frances Pritchard . Dress Accessories. London: The Boydell Press. 1991). My process for the lost wax mold was to follow the directions in Theophilus, carving a chalice handle in beeswax (darned impossible stuff to carve, I need to see if sun-bleaching it makes it less sticky). I figured that a clay with a low vitrification temperature would be susceptible to thermal shock when the metal was poured from the burnout process vitrifying it, so I chose a high firing clay to avoid vitrification. I followed the instructions in Theophilus, coated my wax and the vent and sprue, then as they dried built up more layers.

I kept getting shrinkage cracks, so I figured that I should support and encapsulate the mold in powdered clay so that any leaking would be contained. I made the mold for multiple castings shown in Dress Accessories from 2 slabs of the same high fire clay; carved sprues, vent risers, mold cavities etc. in the clay, and let it dry. As it dried I got shrinkage, and cracking, ultimately one side of the mold split in half right at the main feeder sprue. The next morning I put both molds in a bread pan of powdered clay and put them in a kiln for preheat (and burnout of the lost wax) When I went to check on them at lunch time the big mold had shattered spectacularly all over the inside of the kiln, and although the lost wax was not yet fully burned out, it was missing it’s top.

The exploded lost wax clay molds in the kiln.

My friend ABS Mastersmith Kevin Cashen once said that you can tell more about a knife maker by the pile of blades under his workbench than you can by his display pieces. The experiments that didn’t work are often more valuable to the craftsman than the easy successes.

The next step is going to be trying to figure out what I can do to the clay to minimize the shrinking and cracking as well as figuring out a way to keep the whole thing from blowing up when I heat it. I have bounced one idea off of a couple of potters and they think it might have possibilities: elsewhere in Theophilus (Bell casting I believe) he mentions including dung in the clay mix, and in a documentary I watched on church bell casting they mixed horse manure in their casting sand as a binder, and have been doing it that way since the early 1800s, so the next experiment will be mixing some strained horse manure into the clay. I am hoping it has the same effect as the chopped straw I mix into the clay I build my smelters out of. So far I have learned that my off-the-shelf high fire clay does not work. That failure means that I will have to explore other materials and techniques. Sooner or later I will hopefully find a mix that holds it’s shape and doesn’t crack in the drying process, then I will work on modifying that until I have a mold that survives the casting process. Typically, a process oriented project like this will take me 2-5 years to develop.

Would you like to display a work in progress, an unassuming, or even spectacular failure, or two? There is no sign up or pre-registration required for the Displays – although if your display will take up a table, or three, it might behoove you to let the Pent coordinators know beforehand!

For more information on the Pent, take a look here

Have questions? Need three tables?! Contact Cori or Elska by FB or email.

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Het Brugghetje cash prize for Research at the Ice Dragon Pent

01 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by aethgazette in A&S Competition and Display, Arts & Sciences, Competitions, Ice Dragon, Research

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A&S, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon, Research

Meesteres Odriana vander Brugghe is proud to announce that at this year’s Ice Dragon Pentathlon, she will be awarding Het Bruggetje prize for Research. The prize will be $100 in cash, which the winner will receive when the results are announced in Ice Dragon court.

To win the prize, you must have the best documentation in any category of the Pent.

  • The choice will be based on the documentation portion of the judging criteria that is included in each category.
  • You will be entered automatically when you submit your entry to the Ice Dragon Pentathlon unless you would prefer to opt out.
  • Pentathlon judges will be asked to bring any excellent documentation to the attention of the judges’ panel.
  • The award will be decided by a panel of five judges drawn from the pool of Ice Dragon judges.

This prize is meant to encourage entrants to submit high-quality documentation along with their entries. If you need more information about the prize, or about how to increase the quality of your documentation, please contact Meesteres Odriana vander Brugghe via email at and she will connect you with resources. While she can not help you directly with your documentation, she would be happy to provide you with direction.

Meesteres Odriana very much looks forward to reading your research, and would be elated to award one of you The Prize! Not sure if you know Meesteres Odriana? Read more in her Populace in Focus article.

 

Anyone entering the Ice Dragon Pentathlon is automatically entered, you can decide to opt out but no further action is needed by the entrant. For more information on the general Arts & Sciences Pentathlon competition, please visit the Ice Dragon Pent website here.

 

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Aside

Cool and unusual Ice Dragon Pent entries of the Past

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Ice Dragon, Research

≈ 1 Comment

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Arts and Sciences, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Over the years, the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon has seen some cool and unusual entries. I’ve mentioned a few in previous articles about the Pent and Pent group projects earlier this year, like the fantastical entry of three generations of ferret breeding by John the Artificer. Current Pent coordinator Cori remembers the hubbub that one created: “He can’t enter ferrets!” “Why CAN’T he enter ferrets?” and told me “if I recall correctly the next year the rules said No Live Animals.” Oh, to be the one a rule is named for – our word fame would last forever!

I must admit I had so much fun tracking down rumored entries through the grapevine I figured I’d write yet another Pent story. It’s not a chore at all as these pretty much write themselves! Did you hear about the year someone entered a full size Viking bed, which had to be stood up on its hind legs against a wall? Which, I now realize, explains the comments Hrólfr and I overheard when walking his tree log warp-weighted loom, in pieces, down the hallway towards the Pent room… “is that a bed? or a loom? no… I think a bed!” One time there was a painted-on-canvas tapestry of a whopping 25 feet long – recreating part of the Bayeux embroidery – and even a juggler that did tricks requiring 20 feet of clearance – he worked with five clubs and needed to throw high to have time to juggle all five – so he performed outside while the judges watched through a window.

One particular entry I personally would have liked to see up close was one of the first ceramic entries: a puzzle jug. This practical joke jug had holes at in the bottom and another one on the handle, for the thumb. If the thumb did not cover that hole on top, the water in the jug would sprinkle out the bottom. I do not know if the documentation mentioned this bit of information at the beginning, or at the end… and in my mind I see surprised and slightly damp judges! I was not able to track down this particular artisan to ask for clarification, but I found plenty of others more than happy to chat about their cool and unusual Pent entries.

A soapstone lamp entered by (then) Honorable Lord Cynwyl

A more recent entry that caught the eye of the audience was a beautiful teardrop shaped soapstone oil lamp by Master Cynwyl (then Lord). He remembers everyone loved it and said “I still use it at feasts sometimes. Since my persona is 11th cent. Irish, there would have been contacts with the Vikings in Ireland, so I thought it would work.” To shape the soapstone he used a coping saw, files and a sharp spoon-like tool called a scorp, and has used both linen and hemp twine for the wick. He uses vegetable oil for the fuel and lights it by dipping the wick in the oil, putting it in the grove and lighting it. He found that it will burn for about 9 hours and that the soapstone will heat up while it’s burning. The biggest challenge? “The hard part was tracking down the soapstone locally. Luckily there is a [local] geology/fossil store that had some.”

A much less impressive entry – perhaps, at first glance – could be the candied ginger by Mistress Honnoria of Thescorre (Order of the Sycamore at the time of entering). But while she is a Society renowned potter, she is not an SCAdian cook! She explained she had entered the candied ginger two years in a row: “The first year the scores were good, and I took the comments from that year to help my entry the next year. The second year I entered my scores on candy ginger were the best I had for the entire pent. I want to say I scored over 55 points on a scale of 60. It is absolutely worth taking feedback and improving once entry for the following year. That’s part of what good feedback does. I would say as long as someone is actually making the object again, I have no issues with them using the same type of item the year after. It was my best of the five scores that year and I believe ever.”

Like most artisans, she found it is often the hardest to find the fifth entry in the pent, and goes on to say (I love this part!): “At least personally it really challenges an individual into doing something they may not normally do. I would also say that one of my most interesting entries in terms of feedback was a weaving entry that I used based on a museum of London find. It was a card woven d-shaped cord. I tried to replicate it using cotton and the number of threads in the original. It was supposed to be round. I absolutely could not get it round and it wound up being the same D shape as the one in the book. By actually making it I figured out that the reason it was d-shaped and not round is you couldn’t pull it tight enough and there wasn’t enough warp threads to actually make it round. I broke a lot of thread in the weft making that cord. I wrote all of that up in my entry. It took a higher score than some beautifully done belts. The belts were beautiful, but they didn’t explain anything on why they chose to use acrylic versus wool or silk. They also didn’t explain any problems or issues they had. It is so important to put in to documentation if you had issues, what they were, why they were issues, and what you did to resolve them if you were able.”

The malt house miniature entered by (then) Honorable Lord Madoc Arundel

My personal favorite was a malt house miniature entered by fellow brewer Master Madoc Arundel (then THL). The 5 foot miniature was fully functional although not very efficient, mostly due to scaling. He remembers he “did have some challenges with the heat sink between the kiln and the drying rack… again, because of scale. Since I could not get a very large fire in the small kiln, getting it hot enough to actually draw heat through the sink was a challenge. I was using actual burnt-wood charcoal and had to soak the base layer liberally in lighter fluid to get them to set a good enough coal bed to keep the temperature up. Unlike a full-size kiln which I would have been able to fire-and-forget, I had to constantly tend the fire to keep it hot enough.”

Madoc’s malting kiln spouting nearly a foot of flame.

Madoc shared he learned a number of new skills for this project, including how to do mortise and tenon construction for the half-timber framing. And he harvested grapevines to use in the wattle and daub walls, and wove them before applying the plaster. He wrote: “The coolest thing, though, was the first time I fired up the kiln to see if it would draw through the vents… at its hottest, I had flame shooting nearly a foot out the top of the chimney.” Or course, it being a malting kiln, the real test was running a batch of grain through the process. He did two dried batches – one that was left just dry enough not to start growing again before the event and the other dried, left sit overnight, then ran through another kiln cycle to ‘roast’ slightly. “Honestly, I am as surprised as anyone that it actually functioned correctly.”

Another, fiery, project was entered by Master Creador (then Lord). In true artisan frantic, he wrote his documentation the night before the event as he almost did not enter! One of his pent entries had literally blown up: “The poor kitchen ceiling was covered in lead. Actually the modern, less toxic version of lead.” Creador recouped and did enter his fishing research in 4 categories instead. He did so well he now wonders if he would have won the full Pent if he had had that one last entry! The project came about when he finally located his primary source the month before the Pent, after researching fishing for many years.

His entry consisted of fishing line and wool for the flies and using dye recipes from the elusive Treatise (dyeing and weaving), as well as cork bobbers (wood working). He also entered fish bait made from rabbit (cooking), and entered the whole project in the mixed / specialty art category (the current categories are slightly different). His fail was with the lead weights (metal working). He used a handmade mold of tempered clay and wrote: “Unfortunately there was some moisture in the mold so it blew. Luckily I have quick reflexes.” Sadly for us, there are no pictures of the fail nor of the project as this all happened back in 1995 before project photography was a thing. Creador remembers, back then “I did most of my research through interlibrary loan.”

Openwork honeycomb turnshoes, part of (then) Honorable Lord Robert’s Roving Shoe Show in the Pent Display

Not all cool and unusual entries to enjoy during the Ice Dragon Pent end up in the competition: the Pent also hosts a vibrant display. In the last pre-COVID Pent, Master Robert (then THL) made good use of this non-competitive opportunity. In his own words: “The genesis of the shoe show project came over a year before – it was not a last-minute idea. It seemed like a good way to display a corpus of work in order to draw attention – as [my Laurel] so often encouraged me to do – in a highly visible space. With that display in mind, I set about making a number of pairs of shoes designed to represent some broadly topical footwear-related items across time and space covered by our period.” Anyone entering the Pent room halted in awe and just had to come take a closer look at Robert’s amazing, and amazingly colorful, Roving Shoe Show!

But the one entry that brings home the cheese, pun totally intended? That was “that amazing kid’s cooking entry from the last in person pent.” Indeed, Cornelia won our hearts by appealing to our stomachs with her wonderful medieval mac & cheese. She says that she was excited to win, and nervous during the judging. But then, aren’t we all!

Cordelia with her mouth watering medieval Mac & Cheese entry

Want to learn more about entering the Passing of the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon? Check the website here. Anyone can enter, and if you are not sure you can enter your cool and unusual project, just shoot Pent Coordinator Cori an email – she’d love to hear from you!

Yours in service,
elska

 

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Group Entry can now count towards your individual Ice Dragon A&S Pent!

28 Friday Jan 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Ice Dragon

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Group Projects, Ice Dragon, Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Hot off the Press: your Group Entry contribution can now also be entered to count towards your individual Pent! But what say you? The Passing of the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon has a Group Entry category? Yes, indeed, and if you have ever wondered about tackling a large project but could not imagine doing it all by yourself, then perhaps a group project is something for you!

Then and current Majesties King Gareth Kincaid and Queen Juliana Delamere modeling their Norse wardrobe, made through collaboration as part of the first Royal Wardrobe.

Æthelmearc has seen a number of arts and sciences group projects over the years, some as part of kingdom largesse and some as part of arts and sciences competitions, notably Ice Dragon. My first exposure to group projects was when I was asked to join the first Royal Wardrobe Project, organized by Baroness Elisabeth von Hahn. I loved the format, meeting with fellow artisans, the sharing of ideas and techniques, working as a cohesive group to create an outfit fit for Kings and Queens – something I could never do on my own. Of course, we learned some valuable lessons, like, take your own measurements, and it really is OK to ask for help. Another aspect that quickly came to the foreground is our modern assumption to have to do everything from scratch ourselves.

Another artisan involved in the Royal Wardrobe Project, Mistress Abigail Kelhoge, explains eloquently: “It was rare for people in the middle ages to create an item “sheep-to-shawl.” This was, of course, done in many households just like it is today, especially in isolated areas with plenty of natural resources. But even that had limits. Someone might be perfectly capable of cutting a tree and making a table and benches, but they might not be able to forge the nails. They would go see a blacksmith for that. One can certainly raise chickens for eggs and meat, but salt and spices must be traded for. As people move up the social hierarchy, less and less is made sheep-to-shawl, and more division of labor happens. The spinners are not the weavers, and they are not the dyers, nor are they the tailors, and they are not the clients who buy the clothes. This is not to say that people didn’t sew their own clothing, they did. But beginning to end of the process was rare once we get to the merchant class and tradesfolk.”

Not only is a collaboration of artisans to create a finished product together a great way to experience medieval artisan Guild practices, it also helps modern artisans to learn to work with others. This helps us play to our own strengths, and you will undoubtedly learn about stuff you might not have thought of otherwise! These are wonderful opportunities for our community at large to build better material culture and expand on our knowledge base.

Inspired by the Viking wardrobe we created for Their Royal Majesties King Gareth Kincaid and Queen Juliana Delamere through the Royal Wardrobe Project, something I could never have done alone, I wanted more! But how to do a similar cooperative project, on a smaller scale but still as part of a (motivating) challenge? Then I learned about Group Entries at the Ice Dragon Arts and Sciences Pentathlon. Now that looked intriguing. I researched something I’d had my eyes on for years and found two other artisans (victims…).

Master Robert, Baroness Aranwen and Mistress Elska happily in court at the Group Entry at the 2019 Passing of the Ice Dragon.

Master Robert of Ferness (then THL) and The Honorable Lady Aranwen verch Rhys ap Gwalter joined in the fun; Master Robert in charge of researching and recreating footwear, Baroness Aranwen in charge of the recreating the decorative “belt,” and I did research and assembly – as well as making a butt-load of large amber beads – to recreate the fascinating Wardrobe of the Princess of Zweeloo (2019). Baroness Aranwen exclaimed enthusiastically: “I truly enjoyed working as a team!!! My part was the creation of a lampwork and soapstone belt. It was quite a challenge as I had to learn new techniques to complete my part of the project. Working with Robert and Elska was fun. I also learned about their art in watching them create their part of the project. What a delight to see it all come together. I would recommend working on a joint project to everyone: expand your horizons and meet new friends!”

The Ice Dragon Pent has had the option of Group Entries for a long time, but I’d not seen any entries before and at first had no idea of its existence. Perhaps our awareness of medieval artisanal specialization “Guild Edition” is fairly recent, or perhaps our need to do all the things to be taken seriously as an artisan runs deep. Or more practically, perhaps doing a group project is an awful lot of work, if none of it can be applied to one’s individual Pent scores? Well… have I good news for you! Group Entries were completely separate from the Individual Pent, but starting this year individual components of a group entry can now also be entered separately by their individual artisans, which will then count towards their personal Pent scores! The Pent identifies multiple artisans collaborating on a single project as a group entry, which can include projects made with separate elements but always part of a cohesive objective.

The Viking Ship group entry by Silva Vulcani.

To find out more about Ice Dragon Group Entries in the past, I asked Cori, [idpentguy@wnysca.org] the current Ice Dragon Pent coordinator, for memorable entries. She remembered that the College of Silva Vulcani (associated with the California University in Pennsylvania) did several group entries, including a dance performance. Gabrielle de Winter of Silva Vulcani shared that they used it as an opportunity to allow people to try new things: college students are generally poor and often just starting out in the arts and doing group projects was a good way to encourage them. She found it allowed them to try a competition without feeling like the whole weight of it was on themselves alone. “To gain some confidence, to feel part of the group: and to feel a little pride in Silva Vulcani, as we worked together as a group to accomplish something. I think we have won twice. It was always nice to bring that award home, to say, hey, look at what we can do together!” She reminisces “one year we got together in one of the  buildings and made a marzipan Viking ship together. It was all done by hand, on a stove in a dorm common room. We took turns stirring while some of us formed the main body of the ship and others formed the shields. We even made extra shields for people to eat. Lady Sorcha and Lady Ragna headed that up, but several of us helped. It was… interesting. Most of us will never look at marzipan quite the same again!”

Project Karl, by Maisterin Fredeburg and Master Clewin

Then there was the entry I had even heard rumors about, not realizing it would, obviously, have to have been a Group Entry! In 2010, Maisterin Fredeburg von Katzenellenbogen (then THL) and Master Clewin Kupferhelbelinc entered “Project Karl.” Yes, their son does indeed go by that name! The Group Entry consisted of their from scratch-built baby (Karl), his from scratch-made food (breast milk), his clothing (block printed tunic), a toy (Viking carved wooden horse), and an article about nursing clothing. At the time, Karl was 10 months old and, Maisterin Fredeburg shared laughingly, “One judge gave me a 7 out of 10 for workmanship. Which has become a running joke!”

Whether you are inspired to create a Royal Wardrobe, an Ice Dragon Pent entry, or just want to have some fun, the successful outcome of a group project generally benefits from setting expectations beforehand. Mistress Abigail has some practical thoughts to share on the matter:

1: Have a clear division of labor. This way everyone knows what is expected of them and when, and nobody is waiting, and unnecessarily delayed.
2: Have a clear timeline with micro-goals so that projects progress in a sane and reasonable manner WITH group check-ins AND a contingency plan in case something gets mucked up.
3: Outline administration and budget project expectations. Things like “save receipts” or “keep a list of materials used” and who that needs to go to and when.
4: Don’t hesitate to poke people or ask for updates. Balance this with not harassing them, especially if it’s volunteer work and people have jobs & family responsibilities. That should be accounted for in the timeline.
5: Do not hesitate to ask for help if your contribution turns out more than you can handle; either due to an overestimate of skill, of equipment, or just plain life.
6: Choose your team mates wisely. Make sure you can all work together, and if someone has agreed to do something (keep track), don’t hand it to someone else without asking first (which is how feelings get hurt).
7: And know where the finished items are going before you begin!

For more on group projects at the Passing of the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon, please visit the website here.

Mistress Elska wearing the Princess of Zweeloo wardrobe at the 2019 Fiber, Fabric & Fighting.

Now go have fun, and make all the things!

Elska

 

 

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What is the Pent in the Ice Dragon A&S Pentathlon?

11 Tuesday Jan 2022

Posted by aethgazette in Arts & Sciences, Competitions, Research

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Arts and Sciences, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon

The Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon, often shortened to the Pent, is an arts and sciences competition dating back to the second Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon, held in 1978. But what exactly is this Pent? We’ve all seen arts & sciences displays at events, perhaps even entered a competition or two ourselves, but apparently the Pent different? While it has had many forms over the years, the most recognizable and often used is the current format of multiple categories anyone can enter and win individually. But what is unusual is that the Pent also has an overall competition among those who have chosen to enter a minimum of five different categories. And true to its name – a pentathlon is a sport that includes five different athletics events – entering the arts & sciences Pent can be quite the endeavor!

A wealth of judges and Her Majesty Margerite Eisenwald admiring a Scribal entry, at the 2017 Ice Dragon Pent.

The challenge here is more one of creative time management than of pure skill. Most artisans can’t plan a whole year, or more, to work on five separate high-level entries. What makes the Pent fun is to find those one, two or three entries that are complex enough on their own that their research and creation can be spread around several categories. The real challenge is to figure out how! Researched a unique beverage? Enter a Research Paper as well as a drinkable brew. Created a garment from scratch? Enter your garment in Fabric Construction, but enter the process of making the yarn, with nicely presented samples, in Fiber Arts. If you are especially nifty, you could even take a swing at an Applied Research Paper by documenting the dye used to color the yarn!

The pinch is that only entries from completely separate categories count towards the Pent (see the website for a list of the official categories). Anyone can enter up to five entries in any category, but only your highest scoring entry in that category will score towards your overall Pent score. Thankfully, entrants are allowed to cross enter one entry into one additional category, phew! Made a bag with wood handles? Enter the bag as a whole in Fabric Construction (formerly Accessories) and cross-enter the handles in Woodworking – voila, two entries!

Applied Research “Vinegaroon” entry by Lord Snorri skyti Bjarnarson at the 2018 Ice Dragon Pent

A category close to my heart, and quite useful in teasing out five separate Pent categories I find, is Applied Research. Extremely well researched items too simple or modest to compete fairly in a more traditional category fall under this. A fun category – experimental archaeology on a small scale – it is also one that does not seem to be utilized very often and why I wanted to spotlight it here. Some of the examples that come to mind are my entry of six simple soap ball recipes, accompanied by a veritable compendium of medieval soap research and recipes, as well as the unique Vinegaroon experiment, accompanied by ‘please try it!’ samples for the judges and general populace.

Be aware that due to the anticipated length of research papers (nothing to do with the soap compendium, I am sure), the paper/research portion of the Applied Research entry must be submitted in advance (received electronically or postmarked by February 15, 2022).

From a small local arts & sciences competition, the Pent outgrew its locale quickly to become a competition with Kingdom impact. Although, initially, not the kingdom you might think. Back then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, our Sylvan Kingdom was only in the early planning stages and Ice Dragon was the premiere A&S event of the East Kingdom. It drew people from up and down the East Coast and could get in excess of 200 entries (so many judges…)!

Some of the more memorable entries, according to Pent autocrat Cori: the tiny dead people by (now Mistress) Luceta and the real poison (by THL Rue). And then there was the time John the Artificer entered his ferrets (I wonder if the populace could pet them?) and the agricultural entry that was a miniature of a rabbit warren (did the ferrets have anything to do with that?!). And then there was (now Mistress) Alizaunde de Bregeuf from the East who entered her upper torso covered with real woad… probably did not have trouble finding judges for that one. And what do you think (now Master) Clewin and (now Mistress) Fredeburg entered, “made with all authentic materials and processes”? They entered their newborn baby! With documentation. I can not confirm first hand how detailed, though, that you’d have to ask them.

Table of beautiful Fabric Construction entries at the 2019 Ice Dragon Pent.

Ice Dragon Pentathlon is for young (very young…) and old, for the beginner and the accomplished; even for the competing as well as the artisan more interested in display. The Pent organizers always arrange for a dedicated Display area. They also gladly make room for the infamous Misfit Table, brain child of Master Thorpe, for those projects that didn’t quite do what they were supposed to do. Now, if only we could enter a Misfit Experiment as a 5th Pent project… wouldn’t that make for an intriguing entry!

elska

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Thinking about a research paper for Ice Dragon 2022?

24 Friday Dec 2021

Posted by aethgazette in A&S Competition and Display, Arts & Sciences, Ice Dragon, Research

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arts & sciences, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon, Research

Are you thinking about entering in the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon this year? Great! It is fantastic to see our Sylvan Æthelmearc artisans get back in the swing of things – although some did not seem at all slowed down with the transition to virtual competitions in the past few years! We have faith next year’s Arts & Sciences Pentathlon will happen in some shape or form – preferably in-person, of course – which means we need to get our act together soon. The entry deadlines are starting to creep up… with the first one being:

Research Paper deadline (category Literary Arts): February 15th

The category Literary Arts includes, but is not limited to: Poetry & prose, Research paper, Musical arrangement & composition. Entries are not to exceed 10,000 words (approximately 40 pages double spaced exclusive of images) and should be sent electronically or via hard copy in the mail.

But what exactly makes a written work a research paper? Ideally, a research paper should do more than simply summarize known information. It should ask a question, make an argument, prove a point or present a conclusion about a topic of interest to those in the SCA. The subject might draw from history, or it might relate to the way in which we attempt to accurately recreate the past in the SCA. The end of the introductory paragraph of the paper usually includes a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved (called a thesis) and would offer a neat summary of the main point or claim of the paper. And like the literary arts, research papers come in different types, too.

Research papers can come in different flavors – which one is yours?

A research paper can be Argumentative: this would be a good one for writers presenting a debated topic. First clearly explain and present two opposite opinions on the issue at hand. Then take a position in the paper with your view for one side of the topic. Present facts, data and authoritative opinions in support of your position to persuade and convince the audience and argue against any contradictions. Argumentative papers can be quite fun to read!

Any paper by Baron Caleb is a fun read, and his example of an argumentative paper What the Norse Greenlanders Ate (2017/2020) is once again memorable. It was entered into the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Championship, 2020.

A research paper can Compare & Contrast: this type of paper is used to compare two different subjects, or concepts, and how they relate to one another in both similarities and differences. The paper’s statement provides clarity on the contrasts and comparisons throughout the paper. The goal is not to persuade the reader, but to neutrally inform the reader about distinctions between varying viewpoints of related topics or genres.

An example of this would be my comparison of medieval gruit beer with modern gruit ale, using oft contrasting viewpoints to figure out why and how gruit ale changed so much from its historic origins. It was entered in the 2018 Ice Dragon Pentathlon.

A research paper can be Analytical: here, you would focus on facts instead of opinions. It is informational in nature and uses a large variety of viewpoints and sources on a subject without a specific opinion. It provides the reader with as much information as possible, but allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. However, instead of merely presenting the information, you should be able to present a factual analysis of the data you are working from.

A concise example of an analytical paper (research does not need to be many paged to be effective) would be A Brief Survey of SCA Bardic Music by Gwendolyn the Graceful. Another, yummy, example would be Krupnik and the Plausability of Landrace Honey Cordials by Lord Cassiano da Castello, entered into the Kingdom Arts & Sciences Championship, 2021, and smartly accompanied by a practical, sip-able, example.

A research paper can be a Report: Report papers are merely an organized and detailed list of facts about a topic. In many cases the report works to outline details related to a case study or process. The statement of the paper would describe the subject being explored and define the scope of the report, and can include your personal experience related to the topic under consideration. Authors of reports choose a subject, research it, and convey the evidence to the reader using quotes, graphs, tables, interviews, experiments, a summary and appendix

Period zombies? Why, yes! Draugarnir: Revenants in Old Icelandic Sagas by Baron Fridrikr Tomasson would be a (somewhat creepy) example of a report paper, as would Luceta di Cosimo’s paper Dead Men Walking – an Overview of Apotropaic Burials, entered in the 2017 Ice Dragon Pentathlon.

A research paper can show Cause & Effect: These papers guide the reader through a series of “chain of event” scenarios. Such papers work to study results; considered, expected, probable or, perhaps, unexpected. Cause-and-effect papers are not written based on opinion, but on quantifiable evidence with supporting documentation. With supporting evidence, this format can be both informational and quite intriguing for the reader (especially when accompanied by YouTube videos!).

Experimental archaeology, finally! An practical example of a cause & effect paper (I did this, and that happened) would be Experiments with Bone Ice Skates and Their Associated Poles by Master Robert of Ferness, entered as an Applied Research paper in the Ice Dragon Pentathlon 2019.

I hope you enjoyed my TED talk on research papers; for sure a topic close to my heart.  Of course, don’t expect all papers to neatly fit into these five broad categories. SCAdian artisans are known for their out-of-the-box thinking and category mash-ups happen just as much in writing as elsewhere, of course. I do admit it took me more days to track down (mostly) appropriate research paper examples, than I did writing this post – so if you know of a better example, let me know. I can’t wait to see – and read – what will be entered in this year’s Pent – you’ve got winter break to start thinking if you have not already… nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

Yours in service,
elska

Want to know more about the Passing the Ice Dragon Arts & Sciences Pentathlon? Look no further, the website is updated with the latest information, including updated deadlines.

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IceDragon preview: An Icelandic Saddle for my Icelandic Horse

28 Sunday Mar 2021

Posted by aethgazette in A&S Competition and Display, Arts & Sciences, Equestrian

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Ice Dragon Pentathlon

Work in Progress Report: a preview of my virtual IceDragon entry.
Interested in entering yourself? Visit the IceDragon website for more information or contact the Pent coordinator at (idpentguy@wnysca.org).

Elska and Greni

As all I did last summer was work the weekends and entertain the kid during the week, I had to come up with ways to keep us all entertained. We gardened (sooo many tomatoes and marigolds…), we fermented (home-made soda rocks!), we played with clay (baked crusty bread, fired mugs to drink our soda…). Normally, we’d be kept busy going to events. But not so in the Year of the Plague. Instead, I decided to focus on something I never had, or made, time for that would entertain us all, and introduced mounted equestrian games. Whacking dummy heads with foam swords and catching rings with a converted pool-table lance sure did interest the kid, and had the ponies thinking too. At the end of summer we were all adapting to virtual get-togethers, and both my kid and I participated in a video-submission-only Equestrian Games challenge.

Which made me realize, we humans had great outfits, but our ponies were sorely lacking in appropriate attire. My persona is Viking, a time when heraldry and colorful horse barding were not yet quite a thing (like, at all). I could somewhat envision a style of bridle I could make for him to give him a more historic look, but making a saddle? For the sake of both of us I decided not to meddle with that (saddles do have to fit, hence the mundane existence of the job of saddle fitter). Then my interest in felt and my Icelandic Horse’s heritage joined. Low and behold, the old Icelanders had a padded-seat riding contraption with stirrups which was completely made from felt – no saddle fitting required. And even better, for ‘carpet’-like felted sheets like this pad the wool did not even need to be roving!

Traditional Icelandic felt saddles; possible for Viking era, plausible for SCA period, proven for 17th century and in active use until the 19th century.

I’ve always been fascinated with felting fabric, like the thick sheet felt used in shoes. A good friend of mine makes beautiful leather turn shoes and has poked me a few times already to make some sheet felt to use as insoles. But I did not feel confident in being able to do a good job. And I especially could not quite wrap my head around the amount of roving needed.

Finding enough affordable roving proved challenging. Then I realized I did not have to use roving, as long as the wool was clean and fluffy it worked fine. Luckily, I had watched fellow Dominionite Eadgytha clean wool many times over the years, and last summer I attempted my first suinting experiments. And guided by a several videos showcasing Mongolian felting techniques used to make felt carpets and felt yurt walls, my son and I set out to experiment with the different suggestions. I will share with you the highlights of what worked, what did not, and what I intend to try differently next time.

What did we do:

Collecting the wool.
With a project like this in mind I had collected not-so-good quality fleeces over a couple of years. I started with about 5 fleeces of various colors, making one large tub of variegated fluffed wool, but worried this would not be enough for this specific project. Luckily, Eadgytha has a Stash and she gave me two more large garbage bags of fleeces to play with!

Simon hard at work whacking the wool. According to him, this needs to happen several times, at least!

Processing the wool.
The Mongolian videos instructed to use fluffed wool for the outsides, with the nicest first to create the face of the fabric. The raw fleece is fluffed by laying it out on a tarp and beating it with sticks. This opens the fibers as well as helping it release dirt and hay etc. It was surprising how effective this beating method is, and how much dirt was beaten out of the wool! We were also picking up bits of hay and fluffs of wool for days afterwards.

The wetted pre-felt, ready to be rolled up.

Construction.
Traditionally, Mongolian felt is made on top of an already made ‘mother’ felt, which is then rolled up as a whole. Since I was doing this indoors, I chose to use plastic shower curtains. The fluffed wool was grabbed by the handful in one hand, pushed in place and pulled out of the handful to create a somewhat scale-like overlapping collection of wool tufts. The center of the felt ‘sandwich’ could be clean but untreated raw wool, fluffed, topped with another layer of fluffed wool. The better the tufts are interlaced top to bottom, the better the layers of wool will be felted together. The wool would be wetted with hot water while the different layers were constructed, enough to make it damp but not so much it was dropping wet.

Felt shrinks. I was going for a felted pad of about 30 inches wide by 80 inches long and eyeballed a starting dimension of 40 inches by 115 inches, as the Mongolian videos seemed to suggest more shrinkage lengthwise than in width. This seems to be plausible for their method, but not when using a machine, we learned later.

Agitating the wool.
Historically, the baby sheet felt is tightly rolled up with its mother felt around a large wooden post. The outside is protected with hides, duck cloth or tarp, and tightly wound with rope. Two collars are slid around the wooden beam ends, attached to another long rope, and hitched to horses or camels to be dragged around over the grasslands for about two hours, often at high speed!

This obviously was not going to happen with us, as there was still a foot of snow on the ground, and a lack of camels, so we used our own feet. While watching TV, the kid and I would move the felt-roll back and forth and at one point figured out we could use the binding rope to pull it back after rolling it away. We kicked it, kneaded it, sat on it, walked all over it, anything to simulate rolling over the plains at speed while being dragged by galloping ponies. Although this might still happen in the future 🙂

What we parents have to come up with to keep the kids entertained…

Repack, and agitate.
Each time the wrapping loosened, we’d repack. Followed by more rolling, lots of YouTube, another re-pack, and even more rolling. We rolled it on and off for about 3-4 hours over I think 4 days: my legs felt as if we’d hiked a mountain! We added hot soapy water as needed: the soap is not essential, but the alkaline environment will speed up the felting process. As we worked in our living room, in front of the stove, the felt was nice and toasty much of the time, and the wet wool felted as well as suinted.

Agitation and rinsing.
Because the wool had suinted, indicated by earthy beige liquid leaking out, it could be rinsed indoors without dumping too much oil into our septic. In the process of suinting, minerals from sheep sweat and the oily lanolin in the wool dissolve in the hot water and bacterially ferment to make a crude soap, which then suspends remainder oils and dirt without leaving an oily residue. At this point I moved the felt roll into our bathtub, removed the shower curtains, sprayed it with hot water and with my bare feet walked all over it. When flattened sufficiently, I’d reposition the roll. When the roll became warm through and through, I changed the water to cold, trampled it, etcetera. I did this until the rinse water was mostly clear (and my feet very, very clean).

Drying.
I squished as much liquid out as I could and move it in front of the hot stove. Evaporation while lying flat was not going very fast, even in front of the stove, so I draped the felt over a chair for gravity to offer a helping hand. At the end of the day, the felt was mostly damp, not wet.

And then I second-guessed myself…
I felt (pun intended) the sheet felt (left) could use a bit more tightening after trimming off the thinned edges, so I ran it through the dryer on hot (see right). While this is generally very effective, and part of my dryer balls felting process, in this case it was too much. I need to remember, when using the dryer on a new project, to check every 10 minutes or so to make sure the effect is what is wanted. While before, the sheet felt mostly shrank in length and not so much in width (as expected from scrutinizing the Mongolian videos), in the dryer the felt shrank mostly in width, and quite significantly too. It made an amazing fuzzy, springy pillow-type felt which while awesome to sit on, but as a saddle I worried might be a bit tight for my knees.

Turning the felt into a felt-saddle
I sewed leather patches to the felt, two at each corner, so it can be folded and securely tied into the pad-saddle shape (see the illustrations in the beginning: the sheet is folded twice, unlike a modern Western saddle pad). Unlike most saddles, the pad-saddle girth is a one-piece which wraps around the ponies belly like a belt and includes attachments for stirrups.

Greni making faces for cookies, while showing off his new felt-saddle.

Thoughts?
I’ve ridden on the felt-saddle a handful of times by now and found it to feel quite different from my modern felted pad. The barepack pad rides close-contact and I should not need stirrups to balance. The quite comfortable but thicker felt-saddle is not close-contact at all and actually feels a bit perilous to balance on: here, stirrups are not at all a luxury!

What is next?
I commissioned the rectangular ring and the stirrups from fellow Dominionite John Michael Thorpe to recreate my recreation of the combination girth & stirrup “belt.” For now, I’ve used a modern girth to try out the seat of this pillow-y pad-saddle. And I have to admit, it sure feels comfortable!

Simon and Elska á Fjárfelli, of the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn

Sources for the felted pad-saddle:

  • Reiðtygi á Íslandi í aldaraðir (2002) by Þórður Tómasson í Skógum, [Reykjavík] Mál og Mynd.
  • Gömul reiðver website

Sources for the felting process:

  • Felt: New Directions for an Ancient Craft (1996) by Gunilla Paetau Sjoberg (Author), Patricia Spark (Translator), Interweave
  • Youtube: Felt Makers-Terelj, Mongolia
  • Youtube: Felt Making Mongolia

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2020 Ice Dragon Pentathlon Changes and Rules

08 Friday Nov 2019

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

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Ice Dragon, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon, Pent, Pent Rules, Pentathlon

Pent room with judges

Photo by Master Fridrikr Tomasson.

Each year, the Barony of the Rhydderich Hael hosts the Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. One of the largest features of the event is our Kingdom’s premiere Arts & Sciences competition, commonly known as the Pentathlon, or “Pent”. The Ice Dragon Pent Coordinator details the rules and changes to the rules for 2020 here:

 

Rules Changes

The modifications to the Ice Dragon Pentathlon are continuing this year.

  1. The list of categories HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY.
    **There Are No Sub-Categories**
  2. The rules HAVE CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY or been expanded upon.
  3. The scoring system and judging criteria are being updated.

Most notably, as stated above, we are removing the sub-category level. Instead, we will be working with the Major Categories only. This in turn changes the rules about how many items you may enter in each. Previously, you could enter two items into each sub-category. The highest scoring item in all the sub-categories won the Major category. There was no “win” for sub-categories. Only your top scoring item in the Major category counted toward your overall Pent score.

The individual arts will still be listed as examples of what you may enter into each Category (Used to be Major Category).

You will now be able to enter up to five items in any Category. The best scoring item will win the Category. Only your top scoring item in the Category will count toward your overall Pent score.

Please read this article completely and address any questions to cori at IDPentGuy@wnysca.org

Judging is also changing this year. There is a summary below and there will be separate articles regarding these changes.

As we did last year, there will be additional competitions, including the 5-in-1 Competition. More information on these will be forthcoming.

PENTATHLON RULES

1. No Kits.
If, historically, an artist would have used tools and material from other sources, this is NOT considered a kit. An example of something that is not a kit is needlework patterns. Another example of something that is not a kit is a paint set or pigments for painting. It is strongly suggested that entrants thoroughly document their resources and work.

2. Proxy Entries will be allowed.
This means that you may send your entry with another person. You will need to download, fill out, and sign the registration sheet (See rule 5).

People may not enter other artists’ work without their express permission in the form of a signed registration sheet.

3. Entrants are limited to ONE cross entry of ONE item only into ONE additional Category.
When cross entering you must supply a set of appropriate documentation to be present on the tables for each Category entered.

If you do not have enough sets of documentation for each Category you are entering an item into, this may affect your score if the judges have trouble tracking down your paperwork.

Additionally, appropriate documentation for an item for one Category may not be as good for a second category. The judges are not responsible for tracking down documentation that is not included on the Category table the item is entered in. Be sure to mark the Category on the documentation to lessen the chance that the judge will read the wrong version for that Category.

4. Entrants are allowed up to FIVE entries in each Category.
Example of arts appropriate to each Category are listed for inspiration for our artisans. Except where specifically noted, the final decision to enter any item in a specific Category is the entrant’s. However, the Pentathlon staff is happy to assist in getting items into appropriate Categories. If the judges determine that an entry in a Category is inappropriate, the Pent Coordinator will discuss it with the entrant. Please bear in mind that items in an inappropriate Category will not be judged as effectively and this may be reflected in the scoring and commentary.

Any Category may be deleted, expanded or combined to meet the needs of the entrants and/or judges.

5. All scores will be published after the event.
As we have had people object to this in the past, written permission to publish scores is now a requirement for entry and is part of the registration process. For those sending in proxy entries, you MUST print and sign a copy to go with your entry. For those sending in advanced registration, you will need to sign the form when you check in.

6. We will be using advanced electronic registration again this year.
It is to your benefit to register early as it gives us more opportunity to tailor our judging recruitment.

We are also investigating providing an opportunity to send documentation in advance so judges can read it before the event. More on this to follow.

THE DEADLINE FOR SENDING ADVANCED REGISTRATION IS
***MARCH 14, 2020***

If You Do Not Receive Confirmation That We Have Your Electronic Registration, WE DON’T HAVE IT.

Proxy entrants MUST send a signed form with their entries.

7. Group entries are allowed in both individual categories and in the Grand Pentathlon.
Group entries are defined as entries in which each item entered has been worked on by all members of the group with generally equal contributions. For group entries into the Grand Pentathlon, all members must provide generally equal contributions to all items the group enters.

E.G. – Jack, Jill, and Joan work together on a loaf of bread, a piece of clothing, and a song. This is an acceptable group entry.

Jack makes a loaf of bread, Jill makes a piece of clothing, Joan sings a song. This is NOT an acceptable group entry.

An individual’s participation in a group entry may NOT be used as part of the individual’s entry in the Grand Pentathlon.

8. You may not enter an item which has previously WON a CRITERIA-BASED COMPETITION.
This is any competition in the SCA that has an advanced published criteria set or rubric.

Examples:
– If you won the Grand Pentathlon, those five items used to calculate your score should not be entered again.

– If you won the Woodwork Category at Ice Dragon 2019 with chair, do not enter the same chair.
If you won the Culinary Category with your loaf of bread, do not bring the same loaf of bread. (Please do not bring the same loaf of bread!)

However, you may use the same bread recipe and you may use the same set of construction plans for your chair.

Entrants are encouraged to enter and display items in both competitions and in non-competitive venues. Use these opportunities to increase your knowledge and make your entry better. But please leave any items that won previously at home or bring them for the display-only space we will be providing.

9. There are no requirements as to time frames items were created in.

10. The items in the Special Prize 5-in-1 Competition may not be used to enter the Grand Pentathlon.

11. Entries may be handled only by the person entering the item, the judges for that specific Category, and Pentathlon staff as determined by the Pentathlon Coordinator.
Anyone else touching entries will removed from the Pent room. All judges are asked to wash their hands before handling entries and to be gentle when doing so. Gloves will be available for those judges who wish to use them.

12. Absolutely no food or drink in the Pent room other than the entries at the Culinary and Beverage category table.
If you need to eat or drink, you also need a break – step outside and relax for a bit. Wash your hands before you come back.

CATEGORIES

ACCESSORIES
This Category is for mixed media items that you would have on or about your person as part of your ensemble. It is limited to items that, due to a
combination of materials, are difficult to place. Entry in this category is by discretion of the Pent Coordinator.

AGRICULTURE
Farming arts including growing plants or crops, forestry topics, and land management.

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Tools of the trade or accessories made for the use of animals

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Equestrian, Beekeeping, Hunting, Farming, Fishing

ANIMAL ARTS
Items crafted from materials harvested from animals EXCEPT fiber arts (FIBER ARTS) and edible items (CULINARY and BEVERAGES)

This Category may include, but is not limited to: Leatherwork, Bone, Items made from
Parchment, Tanning, Parchment making

APPLIED RESEARCH
Extremely well researched items too simple or modest to compete fairly in a more traditional category. The score would be split between the research paper and the item, with the paper being worth more than half of the points.

The paper/research portion of the entry must be submitted in advance. Entries in Applied Research must be received electronically or postmarked by
*** February 1, 2020 ***

BEVERAGES
A liquid prepared for human consumption.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Beer & Ale, Wine & Mead, Cordials, Non-alcoholic beverages

CERAMICS AND GLASS
Items made of ceramics or glass.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Pottery, Glasswork, Beadmaking, Stained glass

CHEMISTRY, ALCHEMY, AND POTIONS
Formula or recipe-based items that are not food/beverage.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Dyeing, Pigments, Paints, Stains, Cosmetics,
Glazes, Perfumery

CULINARY
Items prepared for human consumption (beverages excluded).

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Main dish, Side dish, Sweets, Subtleties, Breads, Food preservation, Sauces, Flavorings

CURIOSA
Unique or unusual entries that don’t fit in any of the traditional categories. Entries in this category must be approved by Pent Coordinator in advance.

Deadline for registration in this category is
***March 14, 2020.***

FABRIC CONSTRUCTION
Any items made of fabric

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Clothing, Accessories, Household items

FABRIC DECORATION
Application of surface decoration on fabric

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Embroidery, Applique, Fabric printing and painting

FIBER ARTS
The arts associated with making yarn/string or the creation of fabric

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Spinning, Weaving, Narrow-work, Sprang, Knitting, Netting, Nalbinding, Lacemaking, Felting

LITERARY ARTS
Entries in Literary Arts must be received electronically or postmarked by
*** February 1, 2020 ***

Entries may be sent electronically or via hardcopy in the mail. If you do not receive a confirmation email that an electronically submitted entry has been received within 24 hours of sending it, contact me. Please contact cori in advance if you are sending hard copy.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Musical arrangement & composition, Poetry & prose, Research paper [A research paper may be written in any style which the entrant chooses (EG Chicago, ALA, etc.) The judging of the paper is to be focused on the research presented, and any theories or conclusions presented. The entrant is strongly encouraged to be consistent in the use of the style they choose.]

METAL WORKING
Items made of metal or use of metal as a decorative element.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Armor, Domestic, Jewelry

PERFORMANCE ARTS
Entries should not exceed 15 minutes unless you have made prior arrangements with the Performing Arts Category Coordinator. As there are time and space limits, the number of longer performance entries may be limited and are at the discretion of the Coordinator.
All entries must be performed in the area where the judging is taking place.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Instrumental, Vocal, Physical (dance, juggling etc.), Storytelling, Drama/Comedy/Improv, Oratory, Historic Combat( Entries of artistic endeavor showcasing a martial art of SCA period and/or used currently within the Society. The format is limited only by the entrant’s creativity and safety considerations.)

SPECIAL NOTE: No entry will be accepted if the presentation requires a Marshall or safety equipment to be present. No active combat (by Society definition) of any type will be allowed.

SCRIBAL ARTS
Items that would be made by a scribe. Handwritten and/or painted pages based on documents or manuscripts.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Calligraphy, Illumination

STUDIO ARTS
Various visual arts that require a specialized set of tools or space to create.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Drawing, Printmaking, Painting, Bookmaking

WOODWORKING
Items made of wood or use of wood as a decorative element.

This Category may include, but is not limited to:
Construction, Embellishment, Turning

 

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New and Favorite Categories in 2017 Ice Dragon Pent

20 Sunday Nov 2016

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

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A&S competition, A&S Display, Ice Dragon, Ice Dragon Pent, Ice Dragon Pentathlon

rhydderichhaeltheWelcome to the 2017 Ice Dragon Pentathlon!

My name is Jenna MacPherson of Lions Tower and I’m the coordinator for this year’s Ice Dragon A&S Pentathlon. Their Excellencies Rhydderich Hael invite artisans of all levels to bring your works for a day of friendly yet fierce competition on April 8, 2017.

This year we have some new additions to the Pent (outlined below) such as the 5-in-1 category and the special theme prize category. We have added one or two new subcategories and one new main category. We also have returning favorites:  the projects display-only area and the magnificent “failures” display, both hosted by Master Thorpe as in previous years. There is something for everyone.

The following is the list of categories and some general rules for the competition. Over the next few months, information will be forthcoming on the Æthelmearc Group/List, as well as in the Æstel and on the Facebook Page. Questions can be emailed to me.

I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful works of all the artisans!

2017 PENTATHLON CATEGORIES:

The list of categories this year is similar to previous years with a couple of additions that I hope will inspire new levels of creativity as well as new avenues of expression for the artisans.

Please note the following requirements:

  1. Virgin Entries – works may not have been entered in any previous
    A&S competitions. ****NOTE RULE CHANGE**** items MAY be placed in
    Non-Judged displays and showcases. (Rule updated Nov. 19, 2016)
  2. No kits.
  3. Proxy entries will be allowed.
  4. Entrants are limited to ONE cross entry of ONE item only into ONE additional category. When cross entering you must supply a set of appropriate documentation to be present on the tables for each category entered.
  5. The Special Prize 5-in-1 category item is not in itself sufficient to enter the Grand Pentathlon. (See further detail posted on this page.)

ACCESSORIES

  • Acc1: Textile
  • Acc2: Non-textile

Decorative items that enhance a person’s appearance (belts, hats, veils, jewelry, gloves, etc.)

ANIMAL ARTS Tools of the trade or accessories made for the use of animals (equestrian, beekeeping, hunting, farming, fishing, etc.)

APPLIED RESEARCH Extremely well researched items too simple or modest to compete fairly in a more traditional category. The score would be split between the research paper and the item, with the paper being worth more than half of the points.

BEVERAGES

  • Bev1: Beer & Ale
  • Bev2: Wine & Mead
  • Bev3: Cordials
  • Bev4: Other (including non-alcoholic)

A liquid prepared for human consumption.

The one-year stipulation on completion of entries starts at the time the beverage has completed fermentation and sufficiently aged to allow the flavors to meld, as per the recipe. When the entry becomes drinkable, the clock begins.

The documentation should include the details of your process.

Once a beverage has been entered it may not be entered in subsequent years.

CERAMICS AND GLASS

  • C-G1: Pottery
  • C-G2: Glasswork
  • C-G3: Stained glass

Items made of ceramics or glass

CLOTHING

  • Clo1: Pre-14th century
  • Clo2: Post-14th century

Garments that cover a person’s body.

Since the cut and fit of clothing changed during the 14th century, it is up to the entrant to choose which category they enter items based on 14th century garments.

CULINARY

  • Cul1: Main dish
  • Cul2: Side dish
  • Cul3: Sweets/ subtleties
  • Cul4: Breads

Items prepared for human consumption (beverages excluded)

CURIOSA Unique or unusual entries that don’t fit in any of the traditional categories.

Entries in this category must be approved by pent coordinator.

FIBER ARTS

  • Fib1: Spinning
  • Fib2: Weaving
  • Fib3: Narrow work
  • Fib4: Dyeing
  • Fib5: Knitting, netting, nalbinding, etc.
  • Fib6: Other (felting, fabric printing, etc.)

The arts associated with making yarn/ string or items made from this type of material

HERALDIC DISPLAY Any item embellished or enhanced through the addition of heraldry

HISTORIC COMBAT ***New Category** entries of artistic endeavor showcasing a martial art of SCA period and/or used currently within the Society. The format is limited only by the entrant’s creativity and safety considerations.

SPECIAL NOTE:  No entry will be accepted if the presentation requires a marshal or safety equipment to be present. No active combat (by Society definition) of any type will be allowed.

HOUSEHOLD ARTS Items produced for everyday use in the home. (Toiletries, cosmetics, candles, needles, decor, etc.)

LEATHERWORKING Items made of leather or use of leather as a decorative element

LITERARY ARTS

  • Lit1: Research paper
  • Lit2: Musical arrange.& composition
  • Lit3: Poetry & prose

Written entries

Entries in Literary Arts must be received by me ***no later than March 11, 2017***

(See more information on Literary Arts Entries below)

METAL WORKING

  • Met1: Armor
  • Met2: Domestic
  • Met3: Jewelry

Items made of metal or use of metal as a decorative element

NEEDLEWORK Decorative sewing, embroidery and lace making

PERFORMANCE ARTS – MUSICAL

  • Perm1: Instrumental
  • Perm2: Vocal

Entries should not exceed 15 minutes and must be performed in the area where the judging is taking place.

PERFORMANCE ARTS – NON-MUSICAL

  • Perf1: Physical (dance, juggling, etc.)
  • Perf2: Storytelling and Theatrical

SCRIBAL ARTS

  • Scr1: Calligraphy
  • Scr2: Illumination

Items that would be made by a scribe.

Handwritten and/or painted pages based on documents or manuscripts

STUDIO ARTS

  • Stu1: Drawing & Printmaking
  • Stu2: Painting
  • Stu3: Bookmaking

Various visual arts that require a specialized set of tools or space to create.

TOYS Items whose primary function is to be played with.

Articles that provide amusement or a way to pass time.

WOODWORKING

  • Wod1: Construction
  • Wod2: Embellishment
  • Wod3: Turning

Items made of wood or use of wood as a decorative element

YOUTH ENTRIES

  • You1: Ages 3-11
  • You2: Ages 12-17

Youth are not required to enter in these categories. They may choose to have their work judged as an equal to any adult entry in the category appropriate to the materials and/or construction.

SPECIAL PRIZE CATEGORY (new this year and as yet to be named)

The pent coordinator in consultation with Their Excellencies will announce a theme/item/topic do this category. Entries are limited only to the artists interpretation of that theme/topic/item. THE THEME CHOSEN  BY THEIR EXCELLENCIES IS “All Things Welsh.”

SPECIAL CATEGORY 5-in-1 Project. Any ONE item that can qualify for entry in a minimum of 5 of the above listed main categories. This item may also be cross entered into ONE main category to count toward the grand Pentathlon Prize.

***Any category or sub-category may be expanded or combined to meet the needs of the entrants and/or judges.***

Entries in Literary Arts must be received electronically or postmarked by *** March 11, 2017 ***

Entries may be sent electronically or via hardcopy in the mail.

If you do not receive a confirmation email that an electronically submitted entry has been received within 24 hours of sending it, contact me.

Please contact me in advance if you are sending hard copy.

My mailing address or answers to any other questions you have about the Pent are available by emailing me.

please watch the Pent website and the Æthelmearc Kingdom calendar for more announcements.

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Save Time on Pent Registration!

26 Saturday Mar 2016

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

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ice Dragon Pentathlon, Pent

pentoneWant to save time at the Pent registration table?

Download the registration forms, fill them out and bring them with you. It’s easy this year!

Individual Entry Form

Group Entry Form

Make sure to check out all the sections of the Pent website, including the schedule.

We are looking forward to seeing all the wonderful entries!

~Tiercelin & Julianna

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