Winter 2013 - The Shire of Angels Keep

h
2
Officers
2
Chronicler’s Corner
2
The Scriptorium:
My, What A Pretty
Scroll You’ve Got,
Part 2
3 Bodice Bitz
4
Upcoming Events
4
Credits
4
The Herald wants
YOU!
5
Meeting Notes
5
Upcoming Meeting
Schedule
6
Classifieds
6
Heraldry: It’s Not
Just for the Middle
Ages!
7
Weavings on the
Web
7
How I Found the
SCA…..
Ah Winter...a time to work on projects during the long cold evening
hours. A good time of the year to relive the adventures of summer
past through words and pictures. Tell your story today by submitting
an article or some photos for the Herald!
j
SENESCHALE
The Honorable Lady Moniczka
Elzbietka Poznanska
[email protected]
EXCHEQUER
Lady Fenris McGill
[email protected]
RAPIER MARSHALL
Pan Henryk Bogusz
[email protected]
MISTRESS OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Lady Fenris McGill
[email protected]
CHIURGEON
Lady Rena the Unpronounceable
[email protected]
CHRONICLER
Lady Juliana Stafford
[email protected]
WEB MINISTER
Lady Juliana Stafford
[email protected]
MISTRESS OF THE LISTS
Lady Gwenhwyvar Morwyn
[email protected]
CHILDREN’S OFFICER
Lady Rena the Unpronounceable
[email protected]
HOSPITALLER
Pan Henryk Bogusz
[email protected]
In this installment, we begin to understand why it’s so important to
include as much information as possible with your letter of recommendation.
For the scribe, their job begins with a message from the Kingdom Signet asking if they could accept an assignment. Upon accepting the assignment, the scribe is sent a note giving details about the recipient
and why they are getting an award. The amount of time the scribe has
to complete the scroll can vary greatly, but he Signet will usually try to
give the scribe a month or two lead time. There have been times in the
past, however, where I was contacted on Monday for a scroll to be delivered to an event the following weekend.
Minimally, the scroll assignment contains the name of the recipient,
their sex (sometimes it’s hard to tell with some medieval names), the
name of the award that’s being given, whether an Award of Arms are
being included, a brief description of why the award is being given, the
date and event it is being presented, and the names of the Royalty presenting it. However, if you’ve given a lot of detail in your letter of recommendation, the Royalty will often pass those details on to the
scribe. Scribes are expected to hold the assignment in strict confidence, so the more information you can provide in your recommendation letter about the recipient and his or her persona, the better.
While methods of work vary from scribe to scribe, the following is how
I usually proceed with a scroll assignment.
The first thing I do is to look up the name in the Online Armorial to see
if the recipient has a name and heraldic device registered. I copy the
blazon of their device and make sure their name is spelled correctly.
Many times you can determine the recipient’s country of origin by the
name. For example, Helga Thorsdottir is obviously of Scandinavian or
Norse origin, while Diego Ramon Montoya might be either Spanish or
Italian. I was taught to try to match the style of illumination and calligraphy to that of the recipient’s persona.
DISCLAIMER:
This is the Herald, Volume 2, Issue
1, Winter AS XLVI (2013) a publication of the Shire of Angels Keep
of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (SCA, Inc.). The Herald
is available from June Lathrop, 4
N Fulton Street #2, Auburn, NY
13021. It is not a corporate publication of SCA, Inc., and does not
delineate SCA, Inc. policies.
Copyright © 2013 Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. For information on reprinting photographs,
articles, or artwork from this publication, please contact the Chronicler, who will assist you in contacting the original creator of the
piece. Please respect the legal
right of our contributors.
PUBLICATION:
The Herald is published online
quarterly. (Four issues per year.)
It is available on the shire website
at www.angelskeep.net. Paper
copies are available for those
without internet access. Please
contact the chronicler with an address to have a paper copy mailed
to you.
SUBMISSIONS:
Any gentle wishing to submit articles, artwork, poetry, etc., to the
Herald are invited to do so. The
Chronicler reserves the right to
edit, refuse, or reprint any submissions. The submission deadline for
the Full Tilt is the last Tuesday of
the month prior to the month of
publication.
CORRECTIONS:
If there are any corrections or
changes on articles that need to be
made, please contact the Chronicler via our website at
www.angelskeep.net.
Once I have the blazon, I begin to work on the wording for the scroll.
Some scribes compose the wording themselves, others may work
with a wordsmith, a person gifted with the art of prose. Scroll wordings vary from Kingdom to Kingdom. Some Kingdoms have standard
wording the cannot be changed for each award. Others, like AEthelmearc, give their scribes artistic license to compose the wording
as they wish, so long as certain information is contained within. This
information includes the recipient’s name, the award being given, the
reason for the award, the name of the Royalty presenting the award,
the date and event at which it is being presented, the name of the
group hosting the event, and the blazon of the recipients device, if the
award comes with an award of arms.
Once I have the wording done and I have an idea as to how much
room the calligraphy will take, I hit the books to look for inspiration
for the illumination. Sometimes this is the hardest part of the assignment. While examples of Dutch, French, English and Celtic illumination are fairly easy to find, some, such as Polish, Russian, German and
Norse aren’t so readily available and can require long hours of research.
Once inspiration is found, work on the actual scroll can begin. At this
point, a scribe has invested approximately four hours or more of their
time on the assignment, depending on the amount of research that
was done.
Next time: The Scroll—the artistry behind your award scroll.
Cover and interior clip art
courtesy of Dover Books
January - 2013
Articles pgs 2,6 & 7 by Lady
Juliana Stafford
19 St. Swithin's Bog 12th Night
Barony of St. Swithin's Bog (Jennerstown, PA)
Artwork and Classifieds, pgs
3 & 6 by Lady Fenris McGill
25 – 26 Market Day at Birka (EAST KINGDOM)
Barony of Stonemarche (Manchester, NH)
Article pg 7 by Lady Gillian
McGill de Verona
26 Steltonwald 12th Night
Canton of Steltonwald (Moon Township, PA)
d
February - 2013
2 The Feast of the Seven Deadly Sins
Barony of Delftwood (Syracuse, NY)
Please keep in mind that
this is –YOUR– newsletter
and can only exist if –YOU–
contribute to it.
All members are encouraged to write articles and
submit artwork for publication.
Some ideas for articles:
Share your research on a
particular topic
Write a review of a book
you’ve recently read
16 College of Three Ravens
Barony of Thescorre (Rochester, NY)
23 Winter War 16
Kingdom of the East (Potsdam)
March - 2013
1 – 3 Tournament of the White Hart XVI
Shire of Port Oasis (Barboursville, WV)
23 The Golden Donnan Party: A Beating Jubilee
Shire of Ballachlagan (Wheeling, WV)
30 Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon
Barony of Rhydderich Hael (Buffalo NY)
April - 2013
Write an article about an
13 Is the Pen Mightier than the Sword?
Shire of Angel's Keep (Auburn, NY)
Submit pictures taken at
13 Iron Comet 2013
Barony-Marche of Debatable Lands (North Versailles. PA)
event you recently attended
recent events (don’t forget
to get signed model releases
if necessary).
20 AEthelmearc Spring Coronation Placeholder
Use your imagination...just
about anything goes!
c
Business Meeting, January 6, 2013
Meetings are held on the 1st,
3rd and 5th Sunday of every
month at the Auburn Unitarian Church, 607 N Seward Ave,
Auburn, NY from 3-6pm.
j
Rapier Practice is held every
Monday from 630-9pm at
Auburn High School, 250 Lake
Ave, Auburn, NY in the Student
Activity Center located just
inside the doors on the left as
you face the front of the
school.
j
See our website
www.angelskeep.net or contact any officer for details or
directions.
j
Upcoming A&S Classes
Ideas and teachers are needed
for upcoming Arts and Sciences Meetings. Please contact
Lady Fenris with your ideas or
to volunteer.
j
January 20—Banner Making
The banner for the church will
be worked on and people are
encouraged to bring fabric to
use to make personal banners
for their own use and to use as
hall decorations for our upcoming event.
j
Seneschale: There is still a group. The final event announcement
was approved. We have not heard from more teachers. We can get
the keys for Friday set up. Niczka stated she’s been in contact with
Nest from the Vayle about a demo they have set up in Deposit for the
18-20 of January that they need help for. If you’re willing to help, it
would be appreciated. The demo is in Deposit, NY at the Girl Scout
Camp.
Rapier Marshal: We have fencing. The new list stakes are in. Henryk was repairing the loaner gorget and looking into new furniture for
the loaner blade.
Hospitaller: We had a new person at the last meeting. Henryk asked
for help in posting recruiting info around town and the possibility of
sponsoring a set of flyers was talked about.
Exchequer: The Keep has a balance of $405.04, but the site for April
has been completely paid for. The list stakes cost $56.56 and the domain name has been renewed.
MOAS: Need teachers for upcoming A&S classes.
Web Minister: Web pages have been brought up to date with 2013
copyright info. Henryk mentioned that links on some SCA webpages
were out of date, Juliana said she would check on our to make sure
they were current.
Chronicler: Reported there was no newsletter as there were no submissions. It was decided that at minimum, the newsletter would be
published quarterly with the possibility of an A&S issue. Juliana set a
goal for publishing it at least every other month and encouraged people to send things. Everyone was given the assignment of writing a
few paragraphs detailing how they came across the SCA.
Herald: Heraldry has been quiet except for working on a badge for
Allen. It was decided to go forward with a populace badge of wings
vol for the Keep.
Chiurgeon: It was discussed that as our Chiurgeon moved out of
Shire that she could remain in the position, but that the Chiurgeon Kit
would stay with the rest of the Shire property so we had better access
to it. Henryk offered to look inot seeing what certifications he would
need to serve as deputy.
Children’s Officer: Absent. It was decided that the box of Kid’s Stuff
would come back to live in the Shire.
Help Wanted:
Wanted: Crew for midnight overseas raid. See the world! Gather
plunder! Wine, women, song!
Experience exotic locales and enjoy new and interesting ways to
itch! Pier 2, ask for Guidred
_______________________________________
Personals:
ISO: Damsel in distress to be your
White Knight. Likes: impossible
deeds, lovesongs in the rain, and
sending longing glances in your
direction. Ask for Sir Tristan.
_______________________________________
For Sale:
Going Out Of Business! Tinkers
Damn is selling every button, needle and pan, right down to the
wagon and even the wagon is going too! Wife's tired of wandering
around. Asking $, or trade for
cottage in the woods (thatched
roof preferred)
_______________________________________
Employment Wanted:
Knight Errant: Will slay dragons,
save your parents, and rescue
small kittens from a tall tree. Can
provide references from last Kingdom saved. Ask for Sir Gawain
Dragon: Will slay knights errant,
safeguard your gold, and scare
your kitten up a tall tree. Look for
the scary cave on the mountain.
_______________________________________
Automotive:
Horse Fair! Trade in your old nag
and get something new and easy
to ride! All makes and models
from sweet palfreys for your Lady
-fair, to the hot-blooded Destriers. Financing available! Ask for
Honest Pierre
When one thinks of heraldry, the mind conjures up pictures of the medieval knight riding into battle in a brightly colored tabard, his coat of
arms painted on his shield, but did you know that heraldry is alive and
well today in the United States?
Imagine a medieval historian’s delight when I came across an article
celebrating the US Army’s Institute of Heraldry’s 50th anniversary in
Soldiers Magazine, a publication of the United States Army,
The Institute was created on September 15, 1960, after the passage of
Public Law 85-263, which allowed the Secretary of the Army to provide heraldic services to all agencies of the Federal government. Today it provides services, such as the design of flags, coats of arms,
badges, insignia and seals for government offices. It also has calligraphers on staff to cerate such things as hand lettered certificates for
general officers.
The article can be found at the following website: http://
www.army.mil/article/47234/the-institute-of-heraldrycelebrates-50th-anniversary/ and the Institute’s website is located
at http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/
A perusal of their website led to a link to a newsletter for the American
College of Heraldry, containing an article on presidential coats of arms,
and an article about the Institute. Another link led to an article detailing the crafting of the Presidential Seal. All in all some interesting
reading!
An exploration of the American College of Heraldry’s page led to some
interesting information as well. Their website at http://
www.americancollegeofheraldry.org/ led to the discovery that you,
too, can register a coat of arms for a one time fee of $325. Their newsletter, The Armiger’s News is available for $39.95 for a one year (four
issue) subscription. They also sell a CD version of American Heraldry
in Color for $10.
So for those of you who thought that heraldry was an antiquated thing
of the past, guess again. It’s alive and well in the 21st century.
By Lady Gillian McGill de Verona
http://
nationalarchives.gov.uk/
palaeography/
The British National Archives paleography course.
Want to learn how to read
some of those medieval
manuscripts? This interactive website will give you
samples to try to translate.
An interesting website!
b
http://www.ibiblio.org/
expo/vatican.exhibit/
exhibit/Main_Hall.html
Explore some of the Vatican’s many medieval treasures!
b
It was a dark and stormy night…actually, no; it was a sunny October afternoon at a little tiny craft show at the firehouse in my home town. Verona, NJ is a bedroom community for people who work in New York City
and where I grew up and spent most of my life. This is not to say that I
was not well-traveled, but that this was my home base.
By the time I ran head first in to the SCA in 1999, I had been a Revolutionary War re-enactor for 24 years (traveling 48-50 weekends every
year) and spent an extended period driving 18 wheelers all over the lower
48. I was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Verona Fire Dept.,
where my Dad was a 52 year veteran firefighter and former Chief…and,
as crazy as it sounds, I was bored.
Another member of the fire department knew about my historical hobbies,
and with a bit of arm-twisting (it really didn’t take much) he convinced
me to come out and meet his SCA Shire and move a few hundred more
years into the past. I should have known that Peter Lee, known to most
everybody in the SCA as Perote Gormal Campbell (aka The Burley Badger and the Mad Scotsman), would know exactly what I needed as my
“new addiction”. So, we headed off into the wilds of Bergen County to
visit the Shire of the Rusted Woodlands.
http://
www.craftsmanspace.com
/free-projects/medievalchair-plan.html
Pete picked just the perfect night to make the introductions, as the first
person I met was a strange short guy telling what Pete called “No S@#$,
there I was” stories to a rapt audience. He said his name was Tanaka Reiko and that he was a knight. Okay, my inner voice is going “he’s a
what??” and just as quickly reminding me that *I* used to be a “captain”
so I shouldn’t nit-pick. As Pete made the circuit with his new friend (me
aka “victim”), I met the two ladies who would become my best friends
over the shaky and confusing first years of persona and garb creation and
the overwhelming numbers of new/old things to try…Lady Jenna McGill
(affectionately known as “The”) and Lady Juliana McGill Stafford (who is
now the Chronicler of this newsletter). Needless to say, I eventually found
myself with seven “sisters” tossed across at least 3 kingdoms (at any given
time) and a whole new group of people to have fun with.
A website full of free woodworking patterns, including
a medieval chair and a spinning wheel.
My first event was a month after that auspicious evening, at the Hundred
Minutes War, where I got the full experience in a few short hours…and
fell in love. Thus you now see me, nearly 13 years later, as a founding
member of the Shire of Angels Keep, and a Lady by award of arms.
http://
www.nationalarchives.go
v.uk/latin/beginners/
Another from the British
National Archives...this time
a Beginner’s Latin Course!
b
b
i
From: