Summer University

In June, it was off to Brockore Abbey for Summer University. Milord and I braced for a day of study.

Baron Talorgen nepos Wrguist, Sea Dragon Herald, presented a two-hour session on Organizing and Heralding Court. 'Twas an excellent session, and my knowledge was greatly increased.

Lady Meadhbh the Handy provided an Introduction to Herbal Gardening, with illustrations from her work in the garden at Elchenburg Castle. A most entertaining session. I now know what wattle is!

Lord Etienne Le Mons d'Anjou, Poeta Atlantiae, instructed us in Performing Poetry. A born teacher: I was amazed to learn this was his first teaching experience.

Mistress Derbhiled ni Liadhnáin's session on Bardic Circles included judging score sheets, participation, sponsoring, and more. It was a most thorough lesson. The second hour was a practice Bardic Circle. We numbered more participants (including yours truly), but we were regaled with stories by Mistress Derbhiled, and songs by Baron Talorgen and another lady gentle, whose name I have not learned. It was a wonderful conclusion to the day.

Next, milord and I journey to the Canton of Middlegate of the Barony of the Sacred Stone (aka High Point, NC) for the Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium.

In service to the Dream...

Feast of St. Anthony

Milord and I journeyed to Clinton, SC, for the Feast of St. Anthony in May. Rumours of stormy weather proved true, as we were treated to a heavy cloudburst in the afternoon. The Autocrat, with great foresight, arranged fighting under a porch, and the day proceeded.

Indoors, a silent auction for Project Linus was available, with some grand items up for bid. Another table held blankets, and fabric to make blankets. I learned how easy it really is to produce a blanket for such a wonderful cause.

It was a lovely day.

Adventures in Cloisonne

On March 26, the Canton of Tear-Sea's Shore hosted a Glassworking Symposium. Quite a few workshops were available: enameling, lampworking, wire-wrapping, stained glass, mosaic, and beading.

Talan and I took advantage of the enameling workshop. Mariana Francisco of the Barony of Tir-y-Don lectured on the history of enameling, and provided a fine illustrated handout. She also shared some of her library on enameling and medieval crafts. Lady Mariana prefers to work in Champleve enamel, where the design is etched either by hand or using a chemical solution onto the metal, and then filled with enamel (ground glass) and fired. The design is recessed. It was a most enjoyable and educational lesson.

Mistress Megara di Alessandra provided the hands-on section of the workshop. Her handout included an extensive annotated list of supplies and suppliers. After a thorough review of supplies and equipment, we proceeded to create a design for a medallion. Mistress Megara works in Cloisonne, in which metal strips are used to create raised channels on metal, and then filled with enamel and fired.

Talan created a triskelion design. Megara suggested he use a clear for the background; this allowed her to demonstrate what a clear enamel does on copper. After firing the clear, she placed the wire design on the copper, and then fired again. The wire sank somewhat into the initial coating. Talan applied the blue enamel within the cloisonne channels. As you can see, Talan's medallion turned out beautifully.

My medallion did not fare as well as Talan's. It was an example of "if it can go wrong, it will go wrong". This provided Mistress Megara the opportunity to demonstrate the more delicate side of enameling. The background coat burned on one side, but Megara showed how to reapply enamel for refiring. The spiral design first refused to lie down; then when it was fired, it sank too deeply into the base enamel, so that the cloisonne channels were lost. After filing around the wire, she applied the white enamel; however, the channels were still too uneven to take the enamel properly. As a result, the spiral is blotchy.

Nevertheless, the afternoon was well-spent. Any errors in the description of what occurred during the workshop are mine alone. Our deepest thanks to Lady Mariana and to Mistress Megara for their time and effort. This was an intense workshop, and I know I speak for all when I say we learned from a master.

Talan and I did some more research after returning home. We want to pursue this craft further. We hope to purchase a kiln that will work with both enameling and PMC clay.

Vivat to autocrat Tegan de Moreton and all gentles who provided this wonderful A&S opportunity. It was a most fulfilling day.

Award of Arms

It was a great and unexpected honour to receive my Award of Arms on 26 February at Nottinghill Coill's Baronial Birthday. I was very much taken by surprise, and was quite concerned that the award was in error. I'm very grateful for the nomination, however.

As we live and learn... I was called into Her Majesty Brianna's presence by my "holding name", Catherine of Cydllan Downs, instead of my registered personna name, which was the root of my confusion. Eventually, the Gordian Knot Herald pointed at me, and waved me up. I neglected to kneel to Her Majesty (note to self... practice kneeling and rising). I was nominated for my activities with Atlantia's College of Heralds.

The scroll was drawn by Shizumi Kaijo, and illuminated by Ceilidh of Farflung. It was taken from pg. 66 of the Book of Hours, Utrecht, circa 1405-1410.

I just need now to find a scribe to correct the name and complete the scroll with my registered arms, Purpure, a gurges and a bordure argent. (Oh, yeah... and to do all those things for which I was awarded arms...)

New Monthly Fighter Practice

Talan and I attended the first of what we hope will be many Sunday fighter practices, hosted by Lady Marie Hélène of the New Forest and Lord Wilhelm Leopard der Schwarze at their new demesne.

I baked some Irish soda bread as a housewarming gift, learning a number of interesting things along the way. I came across a wonderful YouTube vid, Great grans soda bread, where a 94 year old lady demonstrates how she makes her bread. She also refers to her soda bread as "scones" at one point. What a great way to capture family receipts! The bread wasn't bad either.

Lord John Emeris came up from Tear's Sea Shore, guitar in tow, as well as Mistress Megara di Alessandra.

I hope to provide some heraldry consulting at this monthly meeting in the future, especially as we'll have access to Lady Marie Hélène's library and expertise (and Internet connection).

A delightful time was had by all. (3/20/2011)

Unto All Good Gentles, Greetings

With all goodly grace, I welcome you to share in my adventures in the Known World of the Current Middle Ages. My lord husband, Talan Gof, and our son, Rónán mac Aodha, join me in these adventures.

Although I've been aware of the SCA -- Society for Creative Anachronism -- for decades, I've only been actively playing since 19 November 2007. My first event was The Pilgrimage, hosted by the Canton of Cyddlan Downs. I went at the instigation of my good and longtime friend, John Emeris of Ellenor.

Next, I convinced my son to come with me. This was not a difficult undertaking at all. About a year later, I convinced my husband to join me, under the guise of seeing some of the jewelry. He has found a niche, and is an active player as well.

My family and I had tried to become part of the SCA in the early 1990's. I thought it would be marvelous for the children, who were then young enough not to mind that this might be an unusual undertaking. (But I really wanted to play... so the benefits to the children were, shall we say, secondary...) We attended several fighter practices, but were most disappointed. The primary problem was the unwillingness of the other people to share. We had no information about the other local or regional events, and so were very turned off by our reception.

It was during a conversation with John Emeris several years later that I mentioned my continuing interest. He met me at my canton's local fighter practice (traveling up from Tear-Sea's Shore) and introduced me to several people there. A few months later, I made the "pilgrimage" to the site at Camp Barstow for my first event. I'm very glad I persisted.

In this age of the Internet, it is so much easier to learn about local and regional events-- and therefore easier to overcome "less than perfect" initial experiences. If you have any interest at all in learning more about the middle ages, I encourage you to explore the official website at http://www.sca.org. From there, you can find local groups and people willing to answer your questions.

In Service to the Dream,
Catguistl