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The Dragon's Tongue - December 2001

The Dragon's Tongue

December 2001

Calendar of Events:

   If you would like more information about any of the following events, please contact the Chatelaine. She will also help you arrange carpools if others are attending, feast gear, loaner garb, etc.

1/12 Æthelmearc 12th Night (Rhyderich Hael)

1/19 Baronial 12th Night (BMDL)

1/26 al-hafla (Nithgaard)

1/26 Snowball Fight (Beau Fleuve)

2/2 College of Three Ravens (Thescorre)

2/2 Winter Demo with Girl Scouts at Camp Amahami

2/9 Feast of the 7 Deadly Sins (Delftwood)

2/16 Fourth Baronial Birthday (Endless Hills)

2/22-24 Tournament of the White Hart (Port Oasis)

3/2 Ice Dragon (Rhydderich Hael)

3/16 Gulf Wars

3/23 Return of the Three Bears (Stormsport)

4/4 Spring Coronation (Endless Hills)

4/6-7 Demo at Maple Syrup Festival (Canton of Stelton Wald)

5/3-5 Will's Revenge (Abhain Ciach Glais)

5/11 Spring Crown Tourney (Coppertree)

5/17-19 Æthelmearc War Practice (Stelton Wald/BMDL)

5/4-27 Axes & Ales IV (Sterlynge Vayle)

5/31-6/2 Sylvan Crusade (kingdom level)

Seneschal's Ramblings and Business Meeting Report

   Thank you everyone who came to the business meeting! Keep in mind, the next business meeting should be the first Sunday in March, and ALL offices expire then except the Exchequer.

   The Chronicler has changed over entirely to me. Web Minister has been taken over with thanks by <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST>. Brocc has respectfully resigned his positions as fencing and thrown weapons marshals, due to mundane constraints. Angel has handed the Exchequer's office to Deirdre. Suisan has agreed to be Chancellor Minor. We thank everyone for their wonderful service as they step down, and wish everyone well as they shoulder their new duties. Special thanks in particular go to Deirdre, as the exchequer position has a history of being challenging. I apologize also if I am mangling her name.

   The Schola did make about $204 dollars according to the report I saw. While we still have some outstanding checks due, the paperwork is at least finished and wending its way to Cynthia. All people were accounted for on the troll sheets.

Approval was granted for the medical kit. Funds spent were near $115.

   Approval was granted for the shire sheet wall portable holes and stakes for a total of $104 for eight. <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> is responsible for acquiring this. When poles and holes are purchased, they will be given to Keran for construction. If further items are needed, she will update us by the March meeting.

   The loaner armor has not been received. I promised to inquire how we would proceed with legal matters, while Briant offered to hunt the armory gentles down. Robinson & Perrin have offered to drop off the armor sans two helms. However, they have not seen any of the money, although the check was cashed by Warren. Further discussions will be taking place.

   Axes and Ales IV will take place at Camp Sertoma on Memorial Day weekend. This will allow them time to finish construction before we invade, as they will need to have construction done before the kids arrive anyway. Unfortunately, the only weekend Amahami was available was the same weekend as Will's Revenge, and we could not conflict with them, as that is the same audience. Amahami has been reserved for the fourth weekend in April of next year for Axes & Ales V. Briant has been bludgeoned into agreeing to autocrat again. Thank you Briant- you know we appreciate you.

   The Winter Demo planned for Feb. 2, despite the horridness of the conflicting date, is to benefit the local Girl Scout Council. This year's theme is the Middle Ages, and we will be teaching calligraphy, illumination, heraldry, angel-wing t-tunics, and a few other activities. By helping out at the demo, the Girl Scouts will give us a major discount when we finally do use their camp. Normally they charge $600 for a hall rental. They will cut it in half if we do this demo. See below for more details.

Yours In service,

George

Winter Demo

   On February 2nd the Girl Scouts are having a Medieval Themed "Winter Weekend"'. We have been asked to assist in this by providing classes for the girls. We really need a good number of people to do this demo, and add color to the site. The anticipated number of girls is 100, but we could get a few more, or a few less. If you would be willing to help, please contact Lady Briant Donations of needed supplies is also appreciated. If you can think of any way we can get either a discount, or a donation of this stuff from area businesses, please let Briant know.

Calligraphy markers (at least 20)

calligraphic paper

fine brushes

assorted larger brushes

acrylics (or other paint depending upon medium)

white handkerchiefs or other medium (heraldry class)

distilled water

gouache (illumination)

pop caps

   There will be a test drive to the site on Sunday, December 9. We will meet at Briant's home in Windsor in order to prevent folks from getting completely lost. Again, contact Briant for more details.

This just in:

Some members of the list, who are up to receiving yet more e-mail, may wish to know of the existence of a new listserv for early modern Britain (c. l485-1702,) I believe at http://www.quelle.org/emes/emes.html . This should be considered supplementary to the excellent service provided by H-Alblon.

C&I the Really Easy Way

Can't draw? Can't do the fancy writing? Still want to do calligraphy or illumination? All you have to do is TRACE.

For illumination:

Either get a color photocopy, or scan in and print out a copy of the illumination with which you want to work. There are also several websites you may browse to find images to print out. They usually end up the most convenient size this way. Turn your good paper over, and tape the image to the back. This prevents it from sliding while you1work (or more importantly, when you walk away from it for "just a moment"). Trace with pencil or pen & ink (depending on your confidence level). Then just paint between the lines as best you can. Ink the lines, and add any other finishing touches.

Websites to enjoy browsing:

http://www.nb.no/baser/schoven

http://www.materadaran.am/english/vg  (Armenian)

http://164.109.24.46/special/gulberikian99/se_gulbenkian99_object_lw_4.htm

http://www.nga.gov/collection/collect.htm

http://wally.rit.edu/carv/manuscripts/index.html

http://www.christusrex.org/www2/berry 

For calligraphy:

Measure the room left for writing. Write with a good word processor whatever you wish to say, with the rulers turned on. Adjust the margin to be your desired width, and ensure that the text doesn't go longer than what you need. Don't forget the signature lines! Adjust the font size to whatever fits best.

But what font to use? This site:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/1557/fonts.htm  is the best site I have found as a source of fonts. He has an entire page devoted to historical fonts (page 2, although page 1 has runic fonts). I recommend Gaeildge1 for Celtic, Diploma or Linotext for classic Gothic hand, and Italian Cursive 16th Century for the obvious. There is also a Carolingian hand or two, but I am not as familiar with that font. You should study a few books on historical fonts so you may judge what looks proper. The foreign fonts like Armenian are the modern fonts.  If you have questions, please email me at thegeorg(at)stny(dot)rr(dot)com  (Lady George Anne)

T-Tunics for Dummies

Things needed: Fabric 2-3 yards of natural material, fabric tape or string, something to mark the fabric: chalk, pins, or other, scissors to cut the fabric, and a means of sewing: either needle and thread or a sewing machine with thread. Optional: a straight stick, and something to write the measurements down upon and with.

Determine how long you want your tunic by dropping the string or tape measure from the shoulder. Tunics usually fall between mid thigh and ground length, depending on gender, place and time. The "average" tunic is just above the knee.

Add an inch to that measurement. Now fold the fabric into quarters, and make sure the folded fabric is at least that length. Cut off the excess. Lay fabric flat

Measure the chest at its widest point. If you used string, fold it into fourths and add an inch. If you used a tape measure divide by 4 and add an inch. Lay on the fabric, perpendicular to the length fold, and mark this.

If you have a stick, put it under your arm. Use the string to measure from one side of where the stick pokes out to the other side. Fold that in half (or divide by two) and add two inches. This is your arm measurement if you don't have a stick, measure your arm at its widest point Fold that in half (or divide by two) and add two inches. This is your arm measurement.

Lay the arm measurement perpendicular to the width fold. Mark this. Look at your two marks, and figure out where they can meet This will be your armpit. You will also want to mark the chest measurement about a handspan (8" or so) down, and this will help define a waist for you. From the waist point you can mark a line to the four loose corners of the fabric.

From the armpit you can mark a line either straight out along the width, or angled down to the four loose corners-depending on if you want angel wings. Note: angel wings should have extra sleeves underneath.

Go ahead and cut along the line you marked.

For a neckline: measure down the length three inches, and across the width by four inches. Cut off this triangle. You may make it curved.

Unfold the fabric and try it on. If you can't get it on your head, cut a slit on one of the lengths. A partner should be able to reach under your arms and hold the fabric together where it will meet. Take it off.

Fold it so the sides that need to be Sewn together can be sewn - in half along the width. Sew 1/4 to 3/8" away from the edge on both sides. Then turn inside out Sew 1/2 to 5/8" away from the edge, tucking in all the loose ends. This is called a French Seam, and will prevent your tunic from unraveling.

The hem is next Pick a 6" or so section. Fold the fabric close to 1/2" and then fold it again, so it looks rolled. All raw fabric edge should be completely enclosed. Sew as close to the last fold as possible. Keep rolling the fabric as you sew, until the hem is completely sewn. The tricky bits are when you encounter another seam. These will need to be folded in to the hem to cover all raw edges.

For the neckline: when I am machine sewing, I pick a decorative stretch stitch and just fold over the top once and sew. Sometimes this decorative stitch is enough  decoration to where trim isn't needed. When I hand sew it,  I roll it like the hem, only very tiny-about 1/8" to 1/4" instead of the 1/2" of the hem. It is easier to whipstitch like a button hole.

It isn't necessary to finish the edges of the sleeves, but they look better with trim or matching decorative stretch stitch or even a smaller trolled hem.

To make a second t-tunic, fold the fabric in quarters and lay flat. Fold an already finished tunic in half lengthwise and lay on top of the folded fabric. Then mark the cutting line an inch in from the edge of the finished tunic.

Errors in this article should be blamed on George Anne.

Contributions wanted:

This is your newsletter. Therefore any blank space is your fault Have a research article you'd like to share? A poem, or story about a treasured SCA memory? Or anything vaguely related to our period of history or our shire? Now accepting artwork, as I have a scanner. Black and white only please, as it photocopies better. Send anything you'd like to see printed to thegeorg(at)stny(dot)rr(dot)com.

Otherwise, I'm just going to have to make stuff up. Nothing new there. Possibly ramble a little. What can I say but that I'm a firm believer in filling the void. Empty space annoys me. This space for rent. You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you shouldn't go around picking your friend's nose. Unless they happen to be a clown, in which case, it's perfectly respectable. This issue is brought to you by the font Book Antiqua, mostly size 10 font, and number 42. All references to folks not involved in the SCA are completely unintentional and should be ignored. We thank you for your patience.

Note: This is not an official publication of the SCA, Inc., and does not reflect its policies, etc. If you would like your submission to appear, please contact the Chronicler. Printed subscription rate is currently $1 per issue or you can just print this issue from here.

The Dragon's Tongue - November 2001

The Dragon's Tongue

November 2001

Upcoming Events:

If you would like more information about any of the following events, please contact the Chatelaine. She will also help you arrange carpools if others are attending, feast gear, loaner garb, etc.

11/24 Take 1 Sheep/Northern Shores EKU (Dartmouth, NS)

12/1 Toyz for Tots Tournament (Abhain Ciach Ghlais)

12/1 Feast of St. Nicholas (Debatable Lands)

12/1 Baronial Investiture/Winter Ball (Rhydderich Hael)

12/7-9 Celestial Revel in the Guildhall (Northpass, Peekskill, NY)

12/8 3O~ Anniversary Yule Revel (Bhakail, Philadelphia, PA)

12/8 Feast of St. Nicolas (Concordia, Schnectady, NY)

12/15 Mistletoe Revel (Barren Sands, Pomona, NJ)

12/15 Midwinter Revel (Settmour Swamp, Witehouse Sta,, NJ)

1/12 Æthelmearc Twelfth Night (Rhydderich Hael)

1/19 Baronial 12~ Night (Debatable Lands)

1/19 Scribal Symposium (Aschehyrst, Farmingham, MA)

1/26 Krakow Festivities IV (Eisental, Bethlehem, PA)

1/26 Al-halfla (Nithgaard)

2/2 Demo for Girl Scouts (Sterlynge Vayle)

2/2 Schola of Three Ravens (Thescorre)

2/22-24 Tournament of the White Hart (Port Oasis)

3/2 Ice Dragon

Seneschal's Ramblings:

   Thank you to all who helped make the schola the success it was. While the financial report isn't yet in, I'm certain we didn't lose our shirts over this. 

   Particular thanks go to Keran, who endured much aggravation while scheduling classes. She showed everyone why she has been blessed with her Cornelian. Thank you Malcolum for being a fantastic autocrat. Thank you Johanna for another wonderful feast. Please come cook again for us any time. Thank you to all the other wonderful folks who helped - those I remember seeing from our shire include: Cheri, Briant, <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST>, Natalie, William, Suisan, and Angel. If I forgot someone, forgive me.   

   Congratulations to <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> on his Keystone, and Suisan for her Award of Arms. I am sorry that Suisan missed Court- not only has she missed all of Malcolum's summoning's, she has missed her own. We shall do what we can to reverse this dreadful trend.  

   Preparations are beginning for Axes & Ales IV. Come and teach at a demo for the Girl Scouts-It's the first weekend of February. Contact Briant to teach. If we do this, we'll get a discount on renting the GS Camp for A&A. We may not be able to use Sertoma due to construction this year.

Yours in Service,

-George Anne

Making Simple Bag Cheese / Cheese in Period

By Jakys the Cheesemonger

[Turophile: A lover of cheese. Taken from the Greek word turos (cheese) and the root phil (love).]

Demonstration of Basic Lemom Bag Cheese (or camp cheese):

Equipment/ingredients:

One Gallon Pot

Stirring Spoon (steel or wooden)

Cooking Thermometer

Knife

Colander

Cheesecloth

Small Container (butter bowl, etc.)

Milk-2qt.

Heavy Cream - 1/2 Pt. (Optional)

Lemons - 2 to 3

Salt

Herbs to taste

   Sterilize all equipment to be used except the cheesecloth, by placing it all in the pot, filling up 1/2 with water, and bringing to a boil for at least ten minutes. Drain water and set equipment on sterile dry surface. (Clean paper towels work well.) Put the two quarts of milk into the pan and apply medium heat. (Optionally, at this point you may add the heavy cream for a higher yield of cheese and a creamier texture, however this is far from the weight watcher's option) Suspend the thermometer into the milk and keep on the heat until the milk reaches 180 degrees F.

   NOTE: When doing this in the field (camp conditions) and in a more period style, a thermometer need not be used. But you should get to know how warm 180 degrees F is. It's much hotter than you would care to stick your finger into, but still short of boiling. If your milk begins to boil, add some chocolate to it and drink it, but don't use it for cheese. Boiling milk changes its consistency such that it will not form a good curd.

   While the milk is heating, cut the lemons in half and juice them into a small cup/glass. The juice of two lemons is sufficient to make this amount of cheese, but three will give it a more pronounced (but still light) lemony flavor. After the milk reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat and pour the lemon juice into it while gently stirring. Keep stirring for several minutes until the milk has begun separating into curds and whey. Let sit for up to 15 minutes until the curds are fully separated.

   Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth lined colander, and allow the greater portion of the whey to drain out. Grab the cheesecloth by its four corners, and tie it into a small bag. Hang this bag over a sink or draining pot (to catch the whey) until it stops dripping regularly. (Less draining time will make a moister, more spreadable cheese - longer draining will result in a drier cheese which will keep somewhat longer.) Cheesecloth has been known to man, albeit in a cruder form, since at least the 1400's. However, it was not the only method used. If you wish to follow a period method that was used in Italy from medieval times, right up to the twentieth century, get yourself a tightly woven wicker basket and dump your curds into that to drain and set. It will work, but you may lose a bit more curd, and you must be meticulous in sterilizing it when you clean it, as compared to cheesecloth, which you can either throw away, or wash in the laundry.   

   When the cheese is done draining, untie the bag and scrape the cheese into a sealable container (such as a margarine container) or onto some plastic wrap. At this point, a small sprinkling of salt can be applied. Optionally, herbs of your choice, such as sage, parsley, chives, etc. may be added and mixed in as well. Seal up the cheese and chill for several hours. (overnight is preferred to allow the flavor to set.)

   Two quarts of milk should yield 12 to 14 ounces of lemon cheese. This may be kept for up to one week if refrigerated. It is excellent to spread on bagels, toast, or bread for sandwiches, or on crackers.

Substitutions:

Curdling Agents: Since Lemons were not well known in Europe till very late in period, lime (African) may be substituted. For a non-citrus variation, add 'A cup of vinegar instead of the lemon juice. White or flavored vinegar may be used. Be aware that this will change the texture and flavor of the resulting cheese, more along the lines of a modern "Queso Blanco". Many other curdling agents were used in period. Two plants are referred to in one early English account, Butterwort and Lady's Straw. The butterwort, however, is obviously not the same as we know in the United States today, as it is described as a "thistle". What the Lady's Straw might have been is a mystery which I have not yet solved. There is also documentation for green fig tree bark being used. The ultimate, of course, is rennet from the 4th stomach of a suckling calf, but this will be covered more extensively in the section on hard cheeses.

   Milk: Cow's milk was used for this demonstration, bought from a store. Any other type of milk (goat, sheep, etc.) may be used. To get a firmer curd from St ore bought milk, while not a period technique, you may add a teaspoon of calcium chloride per gallon of milk. This serves to undue some of the homogenization process and allows the fat molecules to cling together more consistently. If using farm fresh milk, higher yields may be expected, but you must ensure the milk has been pasteurized. If it has not, before using, heat the milk to 165 degrees F for 20 minutes, then rapidly cool to refrigerator temperatures and store chilled until ready to use for cheese.

Hard cheese (and no...I don't mean "difficult")

   [Note. The following are not specific enough instructions to go home and make a hard cheese. This is a general overview. If you wish to make one, contact me and] will help you with the specifics and the equipment required, and information on where to get it and what to order.]

   As was alluded to above, the initial steps in making a hard cheese are very similar to that of making a soft one. You just have a few more things to add, and will need some extra equipment for the additional steps required. First of all, if you are going to use store bought cow's milk, you will need some calcium chloride to add to it, if you are to get a suitably firm curd. Any type of milk can be used, however. Cheese can be (and has been) made from the milk of any animal man was ever able to domesticate, up to

and including African Cape water buffalo.

   You will also need a starter culture. These come in two types which can be ordered from any cheesemaking supply company. (I use New England Cheesemaking Company. Their website may be found at http://www.cheesemaking.com . Another source is Lehman's Non-Electric Catalog at http://www.lehmans.com ) The two types of starter cultures are mesophilic and thermophilic. Which one you use will depend on the temperature you plan on curdling, and the type of cheese you are trying to make. This is added to the milk initially while you are first warming it. This process is known as "ripening the milk."

   Making bard cheese also requires rennet. The most common is animal rennet, which can be had in liquid or tablet form, and is taken from the lining of the fourth stomach of a young calf. For vegetarians, there are also concentrated vegetarian rennets available for order, which are often made from fungal sources. This coagulating agent will be used in place of the lemon juice in the soft cheese example to set the milk into a firm curd. 

   The initial process is the same as making the bag cheese, but when the curds are drained, you don't hang them in a bag. You will need to put them into a cheese press. The press simply consists of a cheese mold and some method of applying pressure to it to force the curd down into a much more solid mass, and forcing all of the whey out of it. You can order cheese molds commercially, or they can be made from a coffee can with some holes in it After the cheese has been suitably pressed and drained, it is removed from the press and lightly salted, and allowed to air dry for several days, being turned twice a day to ensure even drying. A rind forms on the cheese during this time. The rind on many great cheeses is often the best part, though Americans are not used to seeing it and may not find it palatable. Once the cheese is dry, it is usually aged, for anywhere from a month to

years, depending on the type. Some are left to form an ever harder rind of their own, but many are waxed. You can get cheese wax cheaply, and melt it, and brush it onto your cheese to keep it fresh and free of spoilage while it ages.

Some Notes on the History of Cheese in Period

   Many people will find it shocking if you tell them of advanced styles of hard cheesemaking in period. Lots of folks seem to think that in our period, only simple, soft cheese, cottage cheese, or curds and whey were eaten. Not true! The history of hard cheese is ancient, going back to well before 4000 BC. The story of Zoroaster (written in 100.0 BC by Pliny) tells us of a man who was said to have lived for 20 years on a single cheese. (Note. it is currently estimated that this cheese must have been a parmesan the size of the rock of Gibralter.)

   We have already covered a large list of period coagulating agents used in cheesemaking. More can be found in the references given at the end of this paper. As to equipment, for the draining of cheese, a very period method was the wicker type basket mentioned in the soft cheese section. This is referred to many literary examples, including Homer's tale The Odyssey. The wicker baskets used for draining curds by Polyphemus (the Cyclops) were known as "formos" to the Greeks, which became the word "forma" in Latin, and gave rise to the Italian word for cheese, "formaggio" as well as the Old French "formage" which became "fromage".

   Cheese was also pressed in molds during our period, and they came in a variety of styles. Digs in Great Britain have turned up iron rounds with many holes in them which were used for this purpose. Even older still were ceramic pottery molds of similar style. The "followers" (which are the pieces that fit into the mold on top of the cheese to press it down) were referred to as "flowers" in those times. Many of these have been recovered as well. Many types of presses were used to apply pressure to the cheese, but simple weights on the press were the most common. Bricks were an obvious choice, and while not in our period, "brick cheese" got it's name from just such a system, where brick molds were made to form and press the cheese, and the bricks themselves were used as weights to drive the follower down. 

   It may be of interest to note that several varieties of hard cheeses have ancient lineages. Here is a short list of some of the older ones, along with the earliest references to them which have been found thus far in primary resources.

Cheese Variety      Year (AD)

----------------     -----------

Gorgonzola               879

Roquefort               1070

Cheshire                 1086

Grana                     1200

Cheddar                 1500

Parmesan                1579

Gouda                    1697

Gloucester              1697

Stilton                     1785

Camembert             1791

Reference material used in this paper, along with other sources where you can find more information on the history of cheesemaking in our period:

The Complete Book of Cheese. 13ob Brown. Gramercy. Library of Congress #55-11956 

Summa Lacticiniorum, by Pant aleo de Confluentia, Turin, 1477.

Formaggi del Medjoevo, by Irma Naso, Torino Publishing, 1990

The Cheese and Buttermaker's Handbook: a practical treatise on the arts of cheese and butter making, by J.B. Harris, published 

Glasgow by Dunn & Wright, 1885.

The Story of Cheese-making in Britain, by Val Cheke, published London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1959.

The Cheese Book by Vivienne Marquis and Patricia Haskell. Published: Simon and Schuster. 1964.

"Cheesemaking in Scotland - a History" by John H Smith. ISBN 0-9525323-0-1

The History of Cheese. (online resource) British Dairy Council: http://www.milk.co.uk/cheesehistory.html 

The Cheese Companion, by Judy Ridgway, published 1999, Quintet Publishing Co. 

History of Cheese Making in the Moorlands, Alan Salt, London, 1991. 

"The Cheese Book," by Richard Widcome. Published: Chartwell Books (Seacaucus, NJ), 1978. 

Production of soft cheese, by J.H. Galloway, published in The Society of Dairy Technology. 48 (2); 36-43. 

The making of farmstead goat cheeses. By J.C. Le-Jaouen, published 1990. Cheesemaker's Journal. 206. 

   The Dragon's tongue is the monthly newsletter of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle and is published each month with the gracious help of Lady George Anne. Anyone wishing to submit an article can e-mail Lady Georg at thegeorg(at)stny(dot)rr(dot)com. She'll run anything that is vaguely related to the SCA and the shire. Poetry, research articles, and how to cope with Society's culture are strongly encouraged.

The Dragon's Tongue - October 2001

The Dragon's Tongue

October 2001

Seneschal's Ramblings:

   Congratulations to James & Elina for winning Crown Tourney in Abain Ciach Glais. May this reign be better than your last, as you have learned so much since then- and can relax more while wearing the Crown. As everyone knows, the schola is fast approaching! Since Her Highness is teaching at the schola, it means that we are indeed hosting a Royal Progress. I think that marks 6 royal progress events in a row for our small shire, which I think is wonderful. Do send in your reservations! Also, have you signed up to volunteer for any part of the day? We will need folks to show up for set up on Friday night, and to stay after Feast for clean up. We'd also like to work on cleaning parts of the hall in the short period between the last class and Court. Now is also the time to volunteer to teach something at an A&S meeting. Contact Briant to request a subject, or to offer your services. She has a full listing of who does what often. If she doesn't know what you are up to- please let her know. Someone may be interested in learning what you love to do. 

    Now accepting newsletter submissions. Are you an aspiring poet or writer of research articles, or creator of other SCA related writings? Please send them to me, Lady George at: thegeorg(a)stny(dot)rr(dot)com, and we can make this newsletter much thicker. <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> promises to post newsletter texts on our website- so you may point other people to read your articles. I will also publish your class handouts.

Yours in Service,

-George Anne

Sterlynge Schola

November 10, 2001

(Shire of Sterlynge Vayle/Binghamton, NY)

  Oyez! Oyez! The Harvest has been gathered in, and the barns are full. The Celtic New Year has come and gone. The long dark nights of the winter are upon us as the drums of war have fallen silent. What to do? Come and join the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle at Sterlynge Schola. Classes are being offered for all levels of experience from beginner to advanced. WE NEED TEACHERS!!! We especially welcome classes on Illumination, Heraldry, calligraphy, brewing, costuming, cooking, metalworking, stained glass, dancing (both Middle Eastern and European), history, martial arts and SCA life. Sewing machines will be available for hands-on costuming classes. You can sign up to teach by contacting Lady Keran Roslin (Keran(a)hancock(dot)net).

   This event will be held at Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, 44 Main Street, Binghamton, NY. The event runs from 8:30 A.M. through 9:00 P.M. and Classes start at 10:00 A.M. The site is discretely wet (no modern containers) and open flames are permitted during dinner. Your work can inspire others to greatness. please bring your lovely things for others to enjoy: we look forward to banners, tabards, stained glass, splendid costume, nifty needlework, research articles, nasty weapons, banners, pennants, illumination, anything you are proud of! There will be plenty of A&S display space. Nursery space will be available on the second floor; and special children’s activities under the direction of Chancellor Minor, Susanna of Thornton (Susan Thornton Hough,  thornton(at)pronetisp(dot)net  are planned for the day. Assistance is always welcome and appreciated by the Chancellor Minor. Limited Merchant Space will be available and we would especially encourage Book Merchants and limners specializing in inks, vellums, papers, leafs, pigments, etc. to come and do business with all attending.

   Prices for the Schola are $13.00 On Board (Lunch and Feast) and $7.00 Off Board (Lunch Only). Gentles, ages 5 to 12 are half price and under 5 are free. Checks or Money Orders (in U.S. Funds only) should be made payable to "SCA, Inc. ~ Shire of Sterlynge Vayle". On Board Reservations for this event are limited to the first 56 paid reservations - and please remember the only good reservation is a paid reservation. Reservations, including both SCA and mundane names, should be directed to your reservationist, the Lady George Anne.  Allergies and other Dietary Concerns should be directed to our head chef, Johanna the Blushing ( ). All other questions, concerns, etc. including requests for Hotel Lists and limited crash space should be directed to the Autocrat, Malcolum fizWillelm.

DIRECTIONS: 

Take your best Route to either I-81 or I-86 (NYS 17), from whatever direction you come you will take exit 4S (Rte.7) from the combined 81/86 where it passes through the City of Binghamton. This will put you on Rte. 7 South until the lights, where the Expressway becomes Rte 369. Follow 369 to its end at the Lighted intersection with Riverside Drive and Washington Street. Go straight across the bridge and through the Riverside Drive and Front Street light to the  second light at Riverside Drive and Oak Street. Turn right onto Oak Street and drive on Oak Street through the light at Leroy Street and the light at Main Street. Continue down Oak Street to the parking lots on your right; park and follow the signs into the Church Complex.

STERLYNGE SCHOLA - NOVEMBER 10 - CLASS LIST

TIME

10 – 10:55

11 – 11:55

12 – 12:30 Lunch

12 - 12:55    Order of the Fleur Meeting - Meet and Greet

12:30 – 12:55

1 – 1:55

2 – 2:55

3 – 3:55

4 - 4:55

5 – 5: 45   

                  6-?

Bookmarks:

Here are some of my basic bookmarks that I use often:

(Web Minister note: Press and hold "Shift + Left click" will open links in a new window.)

Heraldry:

http://www.s-gabriel.org  (Academy of St. Gabriel)

Costume:

http://moas.atlantia.sca.org/topics/clot.htm  (lots of links)

http://www.dnaco.net/~aleed/corsets  (a laurel's later period page)

http://www.virtue.to/articles/Index.html  (several articles including hats)

Scribal arts:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/1557/fonts.htm  (fonts)

http://www.johnnealbooks.com  (supplies)

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2963/scrolls.html  (virtual Scriptorium)

Embroidery

http://www.cu-online.com/~jscole/medembro.html 

Brewing:

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/brewing.html 

http://www.inetone.net/mshapiro 

Cheese:

http://www.cheesemaking.com/Pennsic 

http://www.pennsicwar.org 

http://www.pennsic.net 

http://www.best.com/~ddfr/Medieval/Articles/Camping%20without%20a%20cooler.html (camping without a cooler)

Search Engine:

http://www.raging.com 

Announcement from the Kingdom Seneschal:

   Recently there have been several reports from various areas of the Kingdom of thefts of money or personal belongings from changing rooms at events. In these cases, the victims chose not to file a police report, or the incident came to the attention of an autocrat or seneschal too long after the fact, making investigation difficult. Please remember that valuables should never be left in changing rooms or other unsecured areas at events or practices. We all believe that the SCA is filled with trustworthy and honest people, and for the most part, this is so. However, please use your common sense and do not leave your valuables in a vulnerable spot where they may create a temptation for a would be thief.

Note: At our last schola, someone walked away with at least $40. Please stay alert.

   The Dragon's tongue is the monthly newsletter of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle and is published each month with the gracious help of Lady George Anne. Anyone wishing to submit an article can e-mail Lady George at: thegeorg(at)stny(dot)rr(dot)com. She'll run anything that is vaguely related to the SCA and the shire. Poetry, research articles, and how to cope with Society's culture are strongly encouraged.

The Dragon's Tongue - September 2001

The Dragon's Tongue

September 2001

Business Meeting Notes:

Aug. 26, 2001 - Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Officers reporting:

George Anne- seneschal

<NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> - knight Marshal

Keran Roslin - Chatelain

Angel Haraldschilde - Exchequer and M.O.L.

Resignations were sent by Julia as Chancellor Minor, and Perin as Drop Dead Chancellor Minor. Chancellor Minor post is now vacant. Malcolum fitzWilliam - Herald, Suzanne the Pure - Chirurgeon, Briant Huntington - Chronicler & A&S Officer, and Brocc Huntington - Fencing & TW Marshals sent their regrets.

Old business:

<NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> was reimbursed and thanked for the new Shire tourney pavilions. Those present admired the stitching on the one completed favor. More favors were requested for the offices that did not have shire specific kits, even if they already have favors, so that all are consistent. Phred's Dead is cancelled. Brian Quick shall either be given a cancellation fee of $100 or bodies must show up to help close the camp for the year. Brian Quick had a letter mailed to him as of Sept. 8, as I could not get in touch via phone. The schola will be Sterlynge Schola, and has no chance of being AEthelmearc Academy, as the Academy has been dissolved. Johanna die Erruntund (horribly mangled spelling) will be honored to cook. Keran will arrange classes- please send her what you are willing to teach. Please volunteer your time to Malcolum. Please send reservations to George. The chirurgeon's box needs to be assembled soon. Suzanne, Angel and George should all converge to assemble this.

New business:

   Can the shire web page please be updated? Check all links, ditch old photos and put up new ones. Update upcoming events. Add Angel to email contacts and update <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> too. Also, if possible, have pictures of officers with their names, so they may be easily identified. Keran has requested a shire sheet wall be done. George volunteered the stencil, and Keran the fabric and sewing. <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> will look into budget for portable holes and lumber, and a budget will be presented via the mailing list, or at next business meeting. 

   Concerns were also raised about the lack of a newsletter. This has since been handed back to George. Anyone interested in becoming the Chronicler should speak to her. 

Yours in Service,

-George Anne

Sterlynge Schola

November 10, 2001

(Shire of Sterlynge Vayle/Binghamton, NY)

Oyez! Oyez! The Harvest has been gathered in, and the barns are full. The Celtic New Year has come and gone. The long dark nights of the winter are upon us as the drums of war have fallen silent. What to do? Come and join the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle at Sterlynge Schola. Classes are being offered for all levels of experience from beginner to advanced. WE NEED TEACHERS!!! We especially welcome classes on Illumination, Heraldry, calligraphy, brewing, costuming, cooking, metalworking, stained glass, dancing (both Middle Eastern and European), history, martial arts and SCA life. Sewing machines will be available for hands-on costuming classes. You can sign up to teach by contacting Lady Keran Roslin (Keran(at)hancock(dot)net).

   This event will be held at Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church, 44 Main Street, Binghamton, NY. The event runs from 8:30 A.M. through 9:00 P.M. and Classes start at 10:00 A.M. The site is discretely wet (no modern containers) and open flames are permitted during dinner. Your work can inspire others to greatness. please bring your lovely things for others to enjoy: we look forward to banners, tabards, stained glass, splendid costume, nifty needlework, research articles, nasty weapons, banners, pennants, illumination, anything you are proud of! There will be plenty of A&S display space. Nursery space will be available on the second floor; and special children’s activities under the direction of Chancellor Minor, Susanna of Thornton (Susan Thornton Hough,  thornton(at)pronetisp(dot)net ) are planned for the day. Assistance is always welcome and appreciated by the Chancellor Minor. Limited Merchant Space will be available and we would especially encourage Book Merchants and limners specializing in inks, vellums, papers, leafs, pigments, etc. to come and do business with all attending.

   Prices for the Schola are $13.00 On Board (Lunch and Feast) and $7.00 Off Board (Lunch Only). Gentles, ages 5 to 12 are half price and under 5 are free. Checks or Money Orders (in U.S. Funds only) should be made payable to "SCA, Inc. ~ Shire of Sterlynge Vayle". On Board Reservations for this event are limited to the first 56 paid reservations - and please remember the only good reservation is a paid reservation. Reservations, including both SCA and mundane names, should be directed to your reservationist, the Lady George Anne.. Allergies and other Dietary Concerns should be directed to our head chef, Johanna the Blushing (Joanne Cloughly, willjo(at)hancock(dot)net ). All other questions, concerns, etc. including requests for Hotel Lists and limited crash space should be directed to the Autocrat, Malcolum fizWillelm (Gerry Hough, 22 Vincent Street, Binghamton, NY 13905-4515, (607) 771-0534 - no calls after 9:00 PM, Please;  gerryhough(at)yahoo(dot)com ).

DIRECTIONS: 

Take your best Route to either I-81 or I-86 (NYS 17), from whatever direction you come you will take exit 4S (Rte.7) from the combined 81/86 where it passes through the City of Binghamton. This will put you on Rte. 7 South until the lights, where the Expressway becomes Rte 369. Follow 369 to its end at the Lighted intersection with Riverside Drive and Washington Street. Go straight across the bridge and through the Riverside Drive and Front Street light to the  second light at Riverside Drive and Oak Street. Turn right onto Oak Street and drive on Oak Street through the light at Leroy Street and the light at Main Street. Continue down Oak Street to the parking lots on your right; park and follow the signs into the Church Complex.

Dear Towanda:

Dear Towanda,

   Rumor has told me that you, Amazonian Jungle Princess, have succumbed at last to the binds of Matrimony. Alas, what are we mere mortals to do without Your divine presence driving us mad? 

-Suicidal in Seattle

Dear Seattle,

   Flattery will, alas, get you nowhere any more. Indeed, you may all pity my poor John who has transformed me from my determinedly single state. You will indeed have to look elsewhere for single women to lavish your charm and attention. If you pine away from lack of me, it will be your own fault! Take a bag of oranges and a bottle of cloves to your next event. Ask that other shy young thing in the corner, "Whatever am I to do with all this fruit and these cloves?" And I am sure she will blush prettily and come to your rescue. Live life to the fullest! Only an idiot would die of boredom. 

Note: Congratulations Karen and John on their nuptials this Summer. While they no longer play, and live in Syracuse, that doesn't mean that some of us don't think happy thoughts in their direction on a regular basis.

     The Dragon's tongue is the monthly newsletter of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle and is published each month with the gracious help of Lady George Anne. Anyone wishing to submit an article can e-mail Lady George at: thegeorg(at)stny(dot)rr(dot)com. She'll run anything that is vaguely related to the SCA and the shire. Poetry, research articles, and how to cope with Society's culture are strongly encouraged.

<damaged image removed 3-09>

Newsletter of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

In the Kingdom of Æthelmearc

June 2001

Your  article could be here.  Submit  yours now!

Newsletter of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

In the Kingdom of Æthelmearc

FROM THE SENESCHAL:

            As the war drums start thumping in the distance, the eventing season begins. Try to see who else from Sterlynge Vayle is wandering each weekend, and maybe you can carpool, or invIte one of the new folk along to give them a ride. Not everyone has a car, garb or feastgear- see if there is someone who can use your help.
                Pennsic planning has begun. If you would like to camp with many folks in Sterlynge Vayle, please write down the group name as "The Shires of Barren Sands and Sterlynge Vayle" on your pre-registration form. If you need a form, see the website at http://www.pennsicwar.org or ask me for one. For advice about what to bring, ask the lovely Lady Keran, as she most excellent at preparing the uninitiated for War. Fabric shopping can be planned as well as "How to make really easy clothes in bulk" - but only you if you ask for them.
                Fighting practices have begun in a couple of places in the shire, thanks to Daffyd and Rurik. Non-fighters are encouraged to come to these practices and encourage the fighters, and socialize. Fighters are also invited to come socialize at A&S meetings. Even if you don't want to know the finer points of bobbin lace or how to throw a wrap shot, you will be still met with a smiling face and intelligent conversation.
                We are planning a demo for the Carousel Festival again this year, as well as two events this fall. It's a lighter schedule than last year, so we know we can make this look easy to everyone else. And who knows, our next set of Royalty may be from the Vayle, as we have at least two contenders fighting this month.

Yours in service-
Lady George Anne


 

FROM THE CHRONICLER:              

                Ahh, here we are again, my second issue of the newsletter.  Don’t you just love the smell of ink in the morning? Once again I come begging you all for help.  This is the SHIRE newsletter, not Briant’s excuse to babble or use her degree for something besides a decoration.  That being said…..  

                I am currently looking for some individuals to write a few columns.   Now, I’m not asking for anything insane (I know, this is a first).  I’d like to have a column where we review books of interest—research, or fictional.  If you’ve read something about the medieval time period that you just thought was fabulous, write me a short review of it.  Have one book that you use a lot for reference? Write about it, and tell us why it’s a great book to have in our own libraries.   

                Something else that I would like to do is have a column where we review music.   Did you just get a new CD of Celtic Music???  What do you think of it? Did you just acquire a cassette of Gregorian Chants?  Do you have a vinal album of music for belly dancing?  (Don’t laugh, I have one somewhere).  Tell us about it.

                I would also like to have some reviews of events that people have gone to.  What was good, what when bad?  Did anything spectacular happen there?  Was there good shopping?

                How about a recipe corner?  We can include recipies for food, or for booze.  Got a recipe for a killer cordial??? How about a marvelous mead?  A boisterous beer?  Send them in!

                Do you have pictures I can put in??? Cartoons? A song? A poem? A story??  I’ll take it!  Have an opinion on something (besides that I don’t seem to shut up)?  Send me a letter to the editor.   Come on folks….send me stuff to print!   Come on, let’s make this the SHIRE NEWSLETTER, and make it the best one in the Kingdom!! 

Yours,

Briant

FROM THE MINISTER OF ARTS AND SCIENCES:

                Hello everyone!!!  Hope you are all well.  May is light in classes, but if you have something that you would like to teach, then let Anne know.  She is going to be scheduling classes for  the shire.   As always, let me know if you have been working on any projects that I need to report. 

                If anyone is interested in seeing the report for the last six months, please let me know.  I’ll be happy to send you a copy.     ~Briant

                FROM THE KNIGHT MARSHAL:
<Article Removed by Request of the Author>

A message from the Lyceum:

                “My dear Debby -

                Thank you so very much for organizing the Lyceum course: Recreating the Middle Ages.  It was most interesting, fun, and educational.  Please convey our thanks yous to other participants.

                                Most sincerely,

                                Barbara Johnson

                                Program Chair”

A Personal note of Thanks:

                I would like to thank everyone who helped out with all of the demos that have been done recently.  I know it was a rather whirlwind experience with all of them fairly well stacked atop each other. 

                My thanks go to the following people who graciously gave me things to play show and tell with:  Lady Keran, Lady George Anne, Audeska, Aiden, Anne, Lord Malocum and everyone else.

                Special thanks go to the following people for being “warm bodies” at the demos and making sure that people didn’t get sick of hearing my voice: Aiden, Eoghan, Anne, Lady Angelique, Baron Geoffrey, Viscount Sir Rurik, Cailean Diarmat, Lord Thorgrim Skullsplitter, Lord Malcolum, Lady Keran, Susanne the Pure, and Lord Brocc Huntington.

                A very special, heartfelt thanks goes to my lord, Lord Brocc Huntington, who was at every single demo I scheduled—even if he had been in Jamestown that morning.  He arrived, before me, at the demo site, and was already in garb at our last demo when I thought I would be going “solo”.    I thank him for his dedication, unending help with lugging books around for a month, and being there as I stressed about everything. 

                ~Briant 

Your Article, or Artwork, or Something could be here??? Why haven’t you sent your Chronicler something  yet?

The Dragon's Tongue - February 2001

(AS XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Malcom Fitz William

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burden 

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Deputy Exchequer

Contents                                        page 

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

From the Exchequer                                                                                                 1                          

From the A&S Officer                                                                                           1-2

From the Chronicler                                                                                                 2

Right from the Dragons Mouth                                                                                  3

From the Exchequer

 Hi everyone!!!!   I am still searching for someone willing to take over as Exchequer at the March election. If you would be interested in learning more about this particular job, then please let me know, I’m more than happy to let you know what this job entails.  

That aside… I’d like for everyone to start thinking of ideas for fundraising.  We rely rather heavily on our income from events to provide us the money we want to buy the things we would like the shire to have.  Doing some fund raising is an excellent way to supplement out income from events.   How about it folks, what do you all have for ideas????

From the A&S Officer

 Well, the polling is over!!!!  The following are the top results:  Dancing, Garb History, Research and Documentation, Beginning Illumination, Making Mead and Cordials, Time Period History, How to run Reservations and Troll, and how to make braided cords.  These are the areas of interest that I will be focusing on for the most part, I will also be scheduling classes in other areas as they are needed.

February 4, 2001 Lady George Anne will be teaching a basic class in knitting at her home.  Please bring yarn and size nine knitting needles.

February 11, 2001 Lady George Anne will be teaching a class on making mead at her home.  No materials are needed.

February 18, 2001  Lady Keran Roslin will be teaching a class on crochet.  Please bring a large sized crochet hook and yarn with you, if you are interested in learning to crochet.

February 25, 2001  Lady Briant Huntington will be teaching a class on Taking reservations for events, and running troll.  This is especially important for anyone wishing to help out in these areas at Shire events. There are new regulations from Kingdom on how this is to be done!

Don’t forget, if you have been working on anything please let me know about it so that I can include it in my report.

~Briant

From the Chronicler

 Well as you know it is almost time for the election of officers here in the shire. I am looking for someone to take over the post of Chronicler. I have enjoyed serving in the office for the past year, but now I wish to concentrate on other areas. If any one would be interested in the position, please let myself or Lady George know. 

Yours in Service,

Lord Brocc Huntington

Right Form The Dragon’s Mouth

Q: How the heck do I know who to bow to at an event?

A: Well I say this is a complex question. The first thing to look for is if the individual in question is wearing a coronet. If so it is a safe bet that they should be bowed to. Here is were it gets tricky, some will tell you that you need not bow to Barons or Baronesses - they would be wrong. Some will tell you that you need only bow to the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess. They would also be wrong.

Our society calls only for you to bow the symbols, regalia, of the kingdom, not the people. Now that I have said that, I will tell you what I believe you should do. If they have a coronet, bow. The people that wear the regalia have worked hard to achieve the position (title) they have, and deserve the recognition of, at the least, a bow. Some will tell you not to bow to them, just smile, and say,” i think you have earned at least that much.” I think they will accept that.

Yours in Service,

Sterling, Dragon of the Vayle

The Dragon's Tongue - January 2001 (AS

XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Malcom Fitz William

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burden 

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Deputy Exchequer

Contents                                                                            page 

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

Seneschal’s Ramblings                                                                                             1

From the Chatelaine                                                                                             2-3

From the Exchequer                                                                                                 3                           

From the A&S Officer                                                                                          3-4

Demos                                                                                                                     4

From the Autocrat of Axes and Ales                                                                         4

From the Chronicler                                                                                               4- 5

 Seneschal’s Ramblings

 Everyone take a deep breath of the cold winter air and enjoy a brief moment of peace. May you spend as much time with those you love as you can for this holiday season.

To that end, do come to the shire Twelfth Night, and share some Holiday cheer with your friends. Will and Jo are willing to host, and promise plenty of crash space if you dip too far into the egg nog, or if the weather worsens while we are gathered there.

For good news, Their Royal Highnesses have already promised to allow us to host the next Thrown Weapons Championship at Axes & Ales III.

YIS,
-Lady George Anne

From the Chatelaine

By Lady Keran Roslin

Looking for a project?  Here are the Plans for a bed "based upon an actual model removed from the 10th Century Gokstad ship."  You can be comfy and correctly period at the same time.  A 10th Century Norwegian Bed  by Charles Oakley http://www.dnaco.net/~arundel/bedplan.html

Want to find other useful projects?  Try the Medieval Pavilion Resources site, which hosts the newsletters from the Known World Architectural Guild. The Table of Contents--Sacred Spaces Newsletters is at. http://www.teleport.com/~tguptill/toc.htm

Want to make some other period furniture?  Consider Camp Furniture by Findlaech mac Alasdair  http://www.his.com/~tom/sca/campstuff.html
He recommends Roy Underhill's books "The Wood Wright’s Apprentice" and the "The Wood Wright’s Eclectic Workshop".

Stefan's Florilegium (a source of infinite info) contains a section of messages called Domestic Items with info on beds, boxes, chairs, furniture, etc. http://www.florilegium.org/files/HOME/idxhome.html

The Medieval & Renaissance Woodworking page is full of information on carpentry books and  period woodcraft http://www.medievalwoodworking.com/

Want to talk with other SCAdians about these things? Consider joining the Medieval Encampments list at: http://www.egroups.com/community/MedievalEncampments.

If it doesn't strike you as a little odd that your persona needs furniture, go to  "You Know You're in the SCA When" http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~amarth/sca/ykyitscaw.html

There you'll find out that you aren't alone in your obsession &can hopefully giggle when you're taking all this too seriously..

From the Exchequer

 This last year has been incredibly productive for the shire.  Our bank account currently contains $2,657.91!  Considering that we began Year 2000 with less than $1000, this is a great improvement.  There is still room for improvement.  Please think of things we can do for fundraising.  One idea is a bake sale held during an event. (Thanks Rurik!)  I don’t want to depend solely upon the income we gather from events.  This past year was incredible, but we also had 4 events! 

I would also like to take this opportunity to call for volunteers.  I am seriously considering stepping down as the Exchequer at the March Election.  If anyone would be interested in giving the job a shot, then please contact me so that I can give you an idea of what you would be doing. 

As always, if you would like to see the books for the shire (and see what we spend our money on), then please contact me.

From the A&S Officer

Well all, now that the Holiday rush is over….. it’s time to get back into classes again.  Coming up on Feb. 4^th Lady George Anne has agreed to teach a basic class in knitting.  This is going to be especially useful for all of us who want to curl up under a warm blanket while at war this coming year!!!!! Please bring a pair of knitting needles, and a skein of yarn with you, we will be making slippers to keep our feet toasty warm while in our tents at Pennsic!   On Feb. 11 Lady George Anne comes through with a lip-smacker of a class – How to make mead!!  On Feb. 18, Lady Keran Roslin will be teaching crochet to those interested.  Please bring a large crochet hook, and large sized yarn/crochet thread to work with.  On Feb. 25^th we will have a class on how to run troll/reservations for events.  No materials will be needed.

If you have not yet filled out the A&S poll on the Sterlynge Vayle e-groups page, please do so as soon as possible. 

 Demos

Demo Updates!

We have a lot of demo’s coming up.  I really need to know who will be able to attend the ones at the Lyceum, so that we can plan what we are going to be doing at them. Once again the dates are: Feb 26, March 5, March 12, and March 19 of 2001.  Please folks, help me out here.  I can’t fill 8 hours total on my own without your help.  I’ll bore these poor people to death.   Save them that fate!  Contact Briant for more info.

Also, for those that haven’t heard…. We have been asked to come back to set up at the Carousel Festival on July 14^th and 15^th.  Please mark these dates (yes, all of them) on your calendars.  Demo’s a great deal of fun, and they get our name out to the community.

From the Autocrat of Axes and Ales

Hello fellow Dragons!  Things are moving along really well for the event.  As the time gets closer I will be calling for volunteers to help out with set up on Friday, and clean up on Sunday, as well as various duties on Saturday during the event.  I can tell you right now that people will be needed for the following jobs: Troll, parking, and in the kitchen.  If any of these appeal to you, then please let me know.  Remember folks, the more people we have to help out, the easier it is for everyone.  So please, volunteer to help out!!!

From the Chronicler

Well has it been almost a year already? It seems that I have been doing this for such a short time, but alas my time as Chronicler is almost at an end. I am now looking for some one to take over the office, for although it has been fun, I have made plans to put more time into other aspects of the SCA.

I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to fill out your new subscription form. This months issue is late because I wanted to give people a chance to get them to me.

As always, articles are always accepted. I always hear,” What kind of articles do you want?” The answer, ANYTHING. Ok so lets try to at least have it deal with the SCA.

 In Service,

Lord Brocc Huntington

The Dragon's Tongue - December 2000

(AS XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Malcom Fitz William

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Deputy Exchequer

Contents                                                                            page 

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

From Her Royal Highness                                                                                        1

From the Chatelaine                                                                                              1-4

From the Exchequer                                                                                                 4                            

Demo                                                                                                                     4-5

From the Chronicler                                                                                                  5

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth                                                                                6-7

From Her Royal Highness 

My Lady George Anne and My Lord Malcolm, 

Thank you so much for your hard work. Truly every gentle I have spoken with has been gracious and unstinting in lauding this event.

I would particularly thank you, my Lady, for your service at high table. My Lord, thank you for your work for court.

I, Her Grace, and Lady Kate all had a truly lovely day.

Thank you,

Meirwen

From the Chatelaine 

Name and Persona Advice

From Lady Keran Roslin

This sounds like strange advice to give a new SCAdian, but I recommend that newcomers take some time to choose an SCA name if they don't already have one.  Usually, the right name finds you. When you do choose a name, you'll want a medieval name you can pronounce & will answer to. Nothing's worse than a court herald hoarsely calling and calling for Lord Whoosamajoggy, because Lord W... no longer answers to that spiffy SCA name he found during his first month in the SCA. Be smart. Choose a name which won't make
you cringe later. Ask other SCAdians, do some research and talk to Lord Malcolm.

I offer my naming experience as an example for good or ill.  Remember that everyone's journey toward the name goal follows its own path.

My persona came from a variety of sources. I went to Pennsic for
years for the classes and the shopping (I know you're surprised
by this. Yeah right!) I couldn't decide on a name because the ones I'd
heard were, English, Irish and German and I wasn't too interested in
those cultures.  They were already well researched by others in the
Society.

One day I saw a picture of a woman in Armenian garb and thought, "Hmmm. That's for me."  It was layered and included trousers, unlike the heavy Elizabethan outfits my friends were wearing.  After a few fits, starts and some sloth, I went to Binghamton University Library and discovered a wealth of information on Armenian history. For me, the deciding factors were the rights of Armenian women to travel, read and own property. Since then, the research and the creation of Lady Keran Roslin have been ongoing.

The right name found me when I discovered Queen Keran of Cilicia (Lesser Armenia).  Armenian women's names aren't often in the general histories so I was delighted when I found a short one that I could pronounce. I didn't see myself as answering to a personal name like: Akac, Gorandoukht, Hripsime, Oskihat, or Shahandukht.

The family names like: Biwzandaci, Daskhurantski, Hnazandents, Hrip'simetsi or Tsortsorets`I didn't appeal to me much either. 

Fortunately, there is a great portrait of King Levon III and Queen Keran with their children –

http://www.itgateway.com/unesco/fullpage.htm - in Queen Keran's Gospel Book. The book was illuminated by Toros Roslin
in about 1272 A.D. Roslin was an Armenian/French medieval illuminator whose paintings are gorgeous as you can see on the web site. To me, the names just went together when I found them. The initials are even the same as my mundane ones. I've become quite fond of the name.  Most people can even spell it.

The naming saga isn't over when you find the "right" one however.  Someone (generally a herald) must check to see that the name isn't registered to someone else. Then comes the tough part. This name you have hunted for and worried over must be submitted to the College of Heralds accompanied by a pile of paper and some money.  Here you also need Lord Malcolm's capable assistance.

My name has been submitted to the Heralds for approval with the appropriate documentation, forms and $.  Hopefully, the paperwork is adequate and the College of Heralds will let my name and device stand as they were submitted. It may or may not help that I seem to be the Society expert on Armenian names. We shall see. The name approval process should take about a year, but mine got lost the first time and had to be resubmitted.

 
If you find this process cumbersome, remember that, just like the rest of us, all the people who work with the Laurel Sovereign are volunteers. They study and work on the submissions in their spare time. Theirs is not an easy task as our chosen names come from hundreds of cultures and time periods. Be patient with these good people. Eventually, the name's approval or rejection will appear in a report. Then you'll be officially the SCAdian that you want to be or there will be more research to do. The suspense may be part of the fun.  After all, you can remain Lady Sinistra Mana or some such to your friends even if you can't register it. You can have as many names and personas as you want. No matter what, you will be in good company. Our Good and Noble Sovereign, King Cygnus' name is registered as something other than Cygnus the Blissful and that hasn't caused the world to end.

 As always, enjoy yourself in this quest and in all your SCA endeavors.

From the Exchequer

Hey everyone!!  You will all be happy to know that we made some money with our last two events of the year!!!  This means that we were able to make money on all 4 events this year!!!  YEAH!!!!     Now, I know that there are a lot of things that we can do with this money.  What I would like from those who want to spend some of this money is an email, or phone call about what you feel the shire should get.  If you can do this before the Shire meeting on the 7^th of December that would be great.   Also at the meeting I’m going to talk about the new reporting stuff that Kingdom needs from us for events, and everything else.  Things are going to get a bit more strict in that department.  Hope to see you all at the meeting!!

Lady Briant

Demo

We have demos!!!!! The dates are: Feb 26, March 5, March 12, and March 19 of 2001. The time slot for all 4 days is 1-3 pm.  These are being held by Trinity Church’s “Lyceum” program.  It’s a continuing education program for the aged members of the community.  We have access to a copier (notice of 2 weeks needed) as well as various audio/visual equipment.  I would like to make these interactive as much as possible.   I’d like to show heavy weapons fighting, and fencing, as well as needlework, cooking, and heraldry.  Ideally, I’d like to show these people what we do and why it’s so special.  If you would be willing to help out in some way then please let me know.  As the dates get closer I’ll send out more information on it.

From the Chronicler

Well it is almost the end of the year… Oh it is the end of the year, and as such time to renew your subscription to the newsletter. Although the price of postage went up, and the cost of copying the newsletter has gone up, I am not raising the price. Yes you heard right I am going to absorb the extra cost myself. There will be a subscription form in the center of this month’s issue. Please take the time to fill it out and get it back to me.

Also I have had a change of e-mail address, the new addy is talonkre(at)dreamscape(dot)com. I still welcome all articles, or suggestions. I would also like to start a recipe section, tentatively to be called Dinning in the Vayle. If you have any recipes you would like to share, please send them to me.

I stopped doing the electronic version of the newsletter; well I have heard threw the grape vine that some people cannot afford to subscribe to the newsletter… Well this I did not know, so I am going to start to post announcements to the Sterlynge Vayle list. Postings will include meetings, time and place, business meetings, time and place. Also will be included, demos and shire events. I will do this on the Monday fallowing each Sunday meeting.

Again please if you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact me.

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Lord Brocc Huntington

Gypsy and Privateer

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth

Well I have returned from my vacation, and now I am ready to let you know about Barons and Baronesses.

First of all there are two types of them. One type is Landed, and the other is Court. Let us start with Court Barons, shall we.

A Court Baron/Baroness is given the title by the Crown for extraordinary service to the crown. They wear a coronet with nine points; some have pearls on the points. They are referred to as your Excellency. The title remains with the person forever

A Landed Baron/Baroness is the voted head of a barony. Although they are voted into the position, the title may not carry over after they are replaced by the new Baron/Baroness, it is up to the crown if the title remains with the out going. Regalia are the same for both Landed and Court, as is the title.

I think that it is a good idea to point out that Æthelmearc has no sumptuary laws. Titles and regalia are more tradition then law.

Yours in Service,

Sterling Dragon of the Vayle

The Dragon's Tongue November 2000

(AS XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Malcom Fitz William

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Deputy Exchequer


 

Contents                                        page 

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

From Their Royal Majesties                                                                                  1-2

From the Seneschal                                                                                                     2

From the Chatelaine                                               2-3

From Their Royal Majesties

To the people of the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle do Cygnus and Dorinda, Rex ET Regina Æthelmearc, send fond greetings.

     On this day, we would send to you a most heartfelt thank you for all your efforts in hosting the Kingdom's recent Crown Tournament.  Your Shire has been most generous in hosting such events of late, and We know that it takes a great deal of work to do this, but none the less, you all did a fine job once again!  We appreciate all that went into preparing the tourney field and the hall, providing the sideboard and evening feasts, and making everyone as warm and comfortable as possible on a cold and windy day.  Lord Jakys, Dame Aoife and their staffs are to be congratulated for a wonderful event.

     We would also thank each of you who worked so hard to make Us comfortable by providing such a lovely sideboard, decorating the hall, serving high table, and contributing to the wonderful baskets given to Us both at Crown and Our Coronation.  You are a generous shire in many ways, and it is always a pleasure to visit.  Thank you for all that you have done for Us and all of the people of Æthelmearc.

Cygnus and Dorinda

Seneschal’s Ramblings 

Before the winter snows make travel difficult, our Shire has one more event to put on. If you aren't planning to do something for Heralds and Scribes Collegium, please consider doing so. We would like some fighting in the parking lot, volunteers to sit troll, dishwashers to help with the feast and help for setting up and cleaning the hall. Come Friday night for set-up, and stay late Saturday night for clean up, for all the cleaning must be done that evening so that we don't interfere with the church's normal Sunday. This is the easiest event we've done this year, but that doesn't mean we don't need any help.

Coming up on December 7th at 6 pm is another Shire business meeting at Mad Lord Vlat's home. Items on the agenda include discussion of Fall event plans (Revel without a Cause and/or another Sterlynge Schola), approval of funds for items such as chirurgeon's box, filing systems for officers, or other Sertoma improvements, and any Policy changes. We'll also discuss any other topic that seems pertinent to the Shire's future. Please come and voice your opinion.

Yours in Service to the Vayle,

Lady George Anne

From the Chatelaine

Going on Crusade?

By Lady Keran Roslin

Those of you with an interest in the Crusader era may find these useful:

Print Experts:

Ibn Batuta

Anna Comnena

Fulcher of Chartres

Hamilton, Bernard

Riley-Smith, Jonathan

Runciman, Steven

Smail, R.C.

Websites:

Bibliothèque l'commanderie d'Antioche - This Library has links to many medieval Military Order Sites, Crusaders Sites, Living History, Medieval Research & Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc Sites.

http://www.provide.net/~templar/Links.html [<------   No Longer a Valid Link - Webminister's Note 3/03]

Coins of the Crusades 12th and 13th century  European and Islamic silver coins (these are for sale but the pics are good)

http://www.7cs.com/midage/cruscoin.htm

The Crusades & Medieval Information Links

http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/church/chivalry/crusades.htm

Encyclopedia Britannica article - Crusade

http://www.britannica.com/bcom/eb/article/3/0,5716,118963+1,00.html [<------   No Longer a Valid Link - Webminister's Note 3/03]

A History & Mythos of the Knights Templar

http://www.templarhistory.com/

Holy Land of the Crusaders

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/crus/CRU004.html [<------   No Longer a Valid Link - Webminister's Note 3/03]

Internet Medieval Sourcebook:  The Crusades

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html

Taking Jerusalem:  Climax of the First Crusade

http://www.thehistorynet.com/MilitaryHistory/articles/1999/0699_text.htm

The Dragon's Tongue - October 2000 (AS XXXV)

Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Kingdom of Æthelmearc

October 2000, as XXXV

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Malcom Fitz William

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Cover: Arms of Lord Brocc Huntington:

Per pale sable and argent, on a bend sinister counterchanged Or and gules between two eagles each maintaining a sword counterchanged argent and sable three fleurs-de-lis pale wise counterchanged gules and Or

Contents                                                                                                              page 

Officers                                                                                                               Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

Seneschal’s Ramblings                                                                                         1-2

From the Exchequer                                                                                              2

From the Chatelaine                                                                                              2-3

From A&S                                                                                                           3-4

From the Chronicler                                                                                              4-5

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth                                                                             5-7

SCA Humor                                                                                                         7-11

Shire Policies                                                                                                        11-14

Seneschal’s Ramblings

Have you made reservations for Crown Tourney yet? Have you spoken with Jakys for what you would like to do to help out?

Have you made reservations for Heralds & Scribes yet? Have you spoken with Malcolm for what you would like to do to help out?

Yes, we are hosting two Royal Progresses again this fall, but fortunately, we get 5 weeks between events, instead of three that we had last spring. It's still an awful lot of work for everybody, and we need everyone's help.

Briant has stepped up to be our new Exchequer. She will hold this office until our March business meeting, unless circumstances force her to resign. Good luck to Lady Briant in this added role. Good luck also to Lord Eisdrache as he journeys into the lands of the East.

Briant, as A&S officer, has arranged real classes. Please see her article further in this issue. She is also already prepping for Axes & Ales III as our autocrat. The date has been set- Camp Sertoma will welcome us once again the last full weekend in April. We've already spoken with the folks in Abhain Ciach Glais to make sure this will not conflict with Will's Revenge.

Our shire is growing by leaps and bounds, and it is a wonder to behold. Keep up the good work- it benefits us all.

In service to the Shire,

-Lady George Anne

From the Exchequer

Ahhh, the smell of money in the morning.  I just love it.  For those who aren’t aware of it, we have approximately $2,500.00 in the Shire account now.  This is a really good thing, but it’s also no time for us to quit being concerned about the shire’s finances.  At the business meeting I brought up (with Lady George’s help as my memory was the pits that night) ideas for fundraising.  One of them is to work with Barnes and Noble’s and do a promotion/demo/fundraiser.   I am working on the details of this right now. This is a great start, but it is only that, a start.

I would like to see the shire’s account grow to much more than it is.  With this in mind, I’d like for everyone to think of things we can do to raise money.  I’d prefer, of course, things that are legal to do.  Please let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for fundraisers.  I’m willing to consider any suggestions.

In Service,

Lady Briant

From the Chatelaine

Sumptuary Laws in the SCA

By Lady Keran Roslin

Do you know what items of clothing or jewelry the SCA's rules say you must earn before you may wear them?  Can you tell Regalia from Badges?  Do some rules differ from kingdom to kingdom? In what kingdoms are metal circlets to hold on your veil reserved? How do "tin hats" know which "tin hat" to wear? What about our own Sylvan Kingdom of AEthelmearc?

Check out this site - http://sca-garb.freeservers.com/articles/sumptuary.htm  - and all will be explained

Also for you new comers – Timeline of Costume History

http://www.costumes.org/pages/timelinepages/timeline.htm

Wardrobes of  the Known World Unlocked

http://sca-garb.freeservers.com

Marc Carlson's website on shoes

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/shoe/SHOEHOME.HTM

Academy of St. Gabriel.

http://www.s-gabriel.org

Stefan's Florilegium

http://www.florilegium.org

From A&S 

Well, the fall season is upon us.  The halflings are back in school (as are several of our members) and it’s time to think of different Arts and Sciences that we can pursue over the dark months of the winter.  I’m going to keep on scheduling classes throughout the fall and winter months, but I’m also open to suggestions from everyone as to what they would like to do at the meetings.   I’ve heard many suggestions from people about projects that they would like to work on as a shire, and the winter months are a good time to work on many of them. 

In Service,

Lady Briant

From the Chronicler

Well it seems as if it were just a few weeks ago that I sat here and put together September’s issue of “The Dragon’s Tongue”… Oh it was, any way, I would just like to thank those good gentles who have so graciously sent me articles; Lady Keran, Lady Briant, Lady George, Lord Malcom, Lord Eisdrache, Lord Jakys, <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST>, and last but not least, Sterling, the dragon of the Vayle.

I happen to know that there are more members to this fine shire than the ones listed above, (Sterling told me) and I would love to hear from you… I want articles.

Also I am trying to put together a shire Doomsday, a list of all the members of the shire, their addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. I have a few of our members already on this great list, but I am missing many more. I will attempt to have Lady Keran get this info from people at shire A&S meetings, and I will try to have someone at fighter practice to gather it there. If you just happen to think about it, you could always just e-mail it to me directly, saves me the hassle of sending people to collect it.  The following is what I am looking for:

                    SCA Name & Title, Mundane Name, Address, E-Mail, Phone #

I am hoping to have all of this put together for the December issue; if you could please help me in this task I would greatly appreciate it.

New this month I am doing the arms of our members as cover art. If you have arms passed, send me a color copy, and I will use it as the cover for an upcoming issue. I will need with the picture the heraldic description and your SCAdian name & title if any. If you already have it some place as a JPEG, or BITMAP file that would be great, if not I will get it scanned and make it a cover.

Yours in Service,

Lord Brocc Huntington

Right Form The Dragon’s Mouth

Well I was going to discuss Barons and Baronesses this month, but I received a letter, actually Lord Brocc did. He showed it to me and I was impressed, I told Brocc that because my column was devoted to advice he should print that letter in place of my article. So here it is, some things we should think about. My thanks to Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger, for making us take a look at what we think about the dream we try to live. Thank you.

How to Succeed in the SCA Without Really Trying

1.  If you want to achieve great things in an area of martial endeavor, pick something you know that you will enjoy doing, not what you think will bring the most glory.  You can't excel at something you hate.

2.  If you want to achieve great things in the arts and sciences, study under those whose work you respect the most. And again, pick an area of study that you are truly interested in and take delight in learning/teaching about.  A subject, which is of no interest to you, will not hold your attention long enough for you to succeed.

3.  If you want to achieve great things in service, simply put, you must serve.  Do not pick and choose where you shall serve, or with/for whom you shall serve.  Simply open your eyes see what needs to be done, and go do it.  If you do not see what needs to be done... ask.  There are needs to be filled everywhere.

4.  If you aspire to achieve some recognition or award in the society, the best way to get it is to forget about it.  Actively working for your own aggrandizement will look more selfish than chivalrous.  Just be yourself and pursue your interests in whichever area with great vigor.  People will notice.  And never forget, these things take time.

5. If you find yourself wondering why you haven't gotten this award or that one.... stop.  Instead ask yourself why other members whom you know have not gotten this award or that.  Then write letters of recommendation for them.  This is all about service, and that applies to all the orders.

6.  Ask yourself at each event, meeting, activity, etc. "Am I having a good time?".   If you can't answer that question "yes", then you're doing it wrong.  This is a hobby.  It was supposed to be fun, remember?

Jakys

SCA Humor

Are You A Fop?

Are you STYLISH enough, are you CHARMING enough to be a Fop? Find out now by taking this quick multiple-choice test!

1.) Your hair is:

a. You mean the stuff on my back?

b. “wash and go”.

c. pampered worse than an in-bred lap dog.

d. Women plot my demise out of abject envy.

2.) When you first heard about this test, you:

a. started humming “I’m too sexy”.

b. thought “Hey, I know the sharp end of a rapier and can match an outfit.”

c. composed a new suggestive sonnet to a passing maiden and added three more feet of lace to your ensemble while blinding passers-by with the   sparkle of your new gem worked rapier hilt.

d. turned up your nose at the King’s new regalia…. God’s teeth, those seed pearls are SO fourteenth century.

3.) You are spending an evening with Ladies of distinction. How do you pass the time?

a. Challenging the women to a wine chugging contest followed by limericks.

b. poetry followed by a rousing game of “strip badminton”.

c. stylish hors d’oeuvres, rare vintages, rarer wit.

d. character assassination of that foolish courtier who dared to let his unworthy personage contact your new small cape hand-woven by blind, virgin nuns from Madagascar.

e. character assassination of the foolish courtier who dared to let his unworthy personage abandon the young woman who is now seeking comfort in your hand-woven cape while you escort her back to her tent so she can examine your hand made buttons more closely.

4.) Someone calls you out. How do you react?

            a. leave town

b. knee him in the codpiece and kick him in the head until senseless.

c. kill him.

d. you mock him until he is a sodden wisp of a man, too ashamed at his effrontery to do more than mewl like a newborn.

5.) What is your hardest chore?

a. Finding a good rhyme for “Glasgow”.

b. Fighting off droves of people who keep mistaking you for a handkerchief.

c. Looking comfortable and at ease under twenty-odd layers of silks, velvets, satins, and lace with the noonday sun bearing down.

d. Getting your blood to the proper point of freezing so you ARE comfortable and at ease under twenty-odd layers of silks, velvets, satins, and lace with the noon-day sun bearing down--mustn’t perspire even a drop…you _know_ how raw silk is…

6.) How do you like to bathe?

a. ARG!!! WATER!  IT BURNS!… IT BURNS!

b. swimming in a handy lake or pond.

c. a good hot tub liberally treated with rose or violet water.

d. imported spring water heated in a copper kettle to three degrees above body temperature, poured into an oaken tub sanded to petal-smoothness, an assortment of the very best fragrances, and a winsome maiden to scrub the hard-to-reach areas.

7.) What is your favorite hobby?

a. drinking.

b. reading books, playing an instrument.

c. court intrigue.

d. collecting things: courtesans from Venice, silks from Constantinople, Ladies from England, fine art from Amsterdam, contessa’s from Spain, wine from Portugal, lace from France...

e. all of the above, she can play any instrument she chooses

8.) You view a documentary on "Fashion in the early Renaissance". You:

a. go to the library or search the Web for more information on that era.

b. daydream nostalgically about "the good old days".

c. immediately begin planning a new, stunning wardrobe to show those upstart puppies the real meaning of “Fashion”.

d. mentally mark that you already have every outfit the narrator mentions, but on you, they are works of art.

9.) How big is your wardrobe?

a. can you consider a couple shirts a wardrobe?

b. a small chest’s worth

c. only 2 or 3 small closets

d. “I asked my valet to retrieve my sapphire tags a month ago, he hasn’t emerged since.”

10.) You go slumming in a tavern and drink some ale. When do you think you have drunk enough?

a. when my companion is out of money.

b. after the brawl, before the guard arrives.

c. after the fifth duel over which of the peasants is most revolting.

d. when you started the evening in Lisbon only to wake up in Calais.

11.) You are invited to the palace to attend a ball. How do you arrive?

a. on foot with an open bottle in your fist as the servants are setting           up so you can stake out the good booze.

b. upon a stallion with a flawless parade prance.

c. fashionably late in a carriage, escorting the chaste, eldest daughter of the wealthiest family in the area, whom you have been tutoring in etiquette.

d. regaling Her Majesty with a humorous anecdote from your latest trip abroad.

12.) What is the best thing about women?

a. they kick less than sheep.

            b. they smell good

c. they are the finest work of creation, temperate, graceful, lovely.

d. they are the _ultimate_ fashion accessory.

13.) What would you bring to a duel?

a. all my friends, a case of swords, a breast plate and a priest.

b. my second, a sword, and a buckler.

c. my valet, my second, my weapons, and a surgeon for my opponent.

d. my rapier, my second, a case of champagne and my tailor.

14.) What is the finest fragrance?

a.  sweat and yesterday's wine.

b. rose or violet water.

c.  the scent of a woman’s skin.

d. class.

15.) How important is style?

a.  quite.

b.  very.

c.  and how important is air?

SCORING -- Total your answers, giving yourself 1 point for each "a", 2 points for each "b", 3 points for each "c" and 4 points for each "d". If you answer “e” get +5 rake points.

If your score is:

53 to 60 = People squint as they approach lest your beauty strikes them blind!

47 to 52 = Louie XIV feels chummy with you.

41 to 46 = You could petition for a place with the Royal Guard.

23 to 40 = Maybe the army will have you, hard to bollix up a uniform too much.

15 to 22 = Fop?!  YOU?!!  Go wrap yourself in a plaid and head for the hills or board a long ship before they think the maidens have risen in revolt!

The Policy for Sterlynge Vayle

This is the policy for the Shire of Sterlynge Vayle, in the Kingdom of AEthelmearc, a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. It is subordinate to Kingdom Law & Policy, Corpora, and civil law.

I.                    Publication of and revisions to policy. 

A. Sterlynge Vayle's policies must be published in the "The Dragon's Tongue" in full at least once every two years. It should be on the web page, and available by request from the Seneschal. When published, they supercede all former policies.

B. Changes or additions to these policies become official upon their publication in the newsletter, and must be approved by a majority of the card-holding members at an official business meeting.

II.                  Business Meetings

A. Business meetings shall be held the first week of March, June, September and December, and shall be announced in the newsletter the month before. All officers should attend or send a proxy. The September meeting may also be held the last week of August.

III.                Shire Officers

A. Terms of Office and Election of Officers Officers shall hold one-year terms, except Exchequer and Seneschal, which shall have two-year terms. All elections shall be held at the March business meeting, with the Exchequer election occurring in odd numbered years, and Seneschal election in even-numbered years.

B. If an Officer resigns unexpectedly, the Deputy will take over the duties of the office, and solicit letters of intent for a successor. In the event of there being no Deputy, the Seneschal shall appoint an interim officer. If no candidates step forward, the first person to leave for the bathroom during the business meeting shall be nominated for that office, if they do not hold an office already. The person so nominated is not forced to accept the interim post. 

C. The Shire officer may pick a deputy from those who volunteer. If the shire officer exits office, the deputy becomes the interim officer until the next Shire Business meeting. Then the Interim officer must be ratified. If the Interim officer is not ratified, a new election must be held at that meeting.

D. The election shall be by a show of hands at the meeting, with all Shire members eligible to vote. Any member of the Shire wishing to vote but unable to attend the meeting may send in their vote "by proxy" up to one week prior to the election, either in writing, on the phone to the Seneschal or via e-mail, and the Seneschal shall read those votes into the voting record. The term of office for the newly elected officer shall begin at that meeting, with the outgoing officer transferring all files, records, and shire property associated with that office to the new officer in a timely fashion.

E. All officers are required to fulfill their duties as per kingdom law. This includes being warranted, possessing a blue card, and filing timely reports. Officers are required to contact their kingdom officer within 30 days of taking office. If an officer does not do this, they shall receive a verbal warning from the Seneschal and a 10-day grace period to remedy matters. If the officer is still unable to begin their duties, they shall receive a written warning from the Seneschal and a further 10 days. If no attempt is made to remedy matters, a new officer will be elected at the next business meeting.

IV.                Removal of warranted officers

A.  A petition of 5 signatures of blue cardholders is required to call for a vote to remove an officer. At the next business meeting, a 2/3 majority may vote to eject an officer. Proxy votes are allowed. Once the signed petition is given to the seneschal, the officer petitioned against shall be shown the petition. This should constitute a fair warning to improve the situation. As per kingdom law, the Exchequer may only be removed by the Kingdom Exchequer, but this vote of no confidence shall be immediately given to the Kingdom Exchequer for their judgment.

B. Exclusions to Office Eligibility

The Seneschal and Exchequer cannot be Royalty and retain their office. Before entering a Crown or Coronet Tourney, they must prepare their deputy to be their successor. At the moment they win, their office transfers to their deputy

IV.                Financial Expenditures

Expenditures greater than $50 must be approved by a majority of the officers. The Seneschal and Exchequer must authorize expenditures of $50 or less.

V.                  Event Hosting

A. Autocrats are required to have blue cards and be at least 18. While they are autocrat, they become ad hoc deputy seneschals. The autocrat or the seneschal must remain onsite while the event gates are open. If the autocrat is a martial officer, they must arrange for a deputy to marshal that activity for the event.

B. The autocrat of an event may require any person behaving disruptively to leave the event. If a minor is behaving disruptively at an event, the autocrat may require the adult(s) responsible for that minor to leave the event as well.

C. Sterlynge Vayle shall require proof of age at the door for any events where alcoholic beverages may be consumed.

The Dragon's Tongue - September 2000

(AS XXXV)

Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Kingdom of AEthelmearc

September 2000, (AS XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Brocc Huntington

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lord Eisdrache

Deputy Exchequer: Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Deputy Senechal

Contents                                                                                                            page 

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events/Calendar                                                                                  Center

From the Seneschal                                                                                               1-2

From the Exchequer                                                                                               2-3

From the Upcoming Exchequer                                                                               3-4

From the Chatelaine                                                                                               4-5

From A&S                                                                                                            6-7

From the Chronicler                                                                                               7-8

From the Herald                                                                                                    8-9

Reflections of War                                                                                                 9-10

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth                                                                             11-12

SCA Humor                                                                                                         12-13

Seneschal’s Ramblings 

At last the drums of war have stopped pounding, and peace settles in Æthelmearc once more. But we in the Vayle aren't content to merely tend to our harvest as fall approaches.

We have a business meeting on Aug. 31 at 6pm at Mad Lord Vlat Kohout's home. Come and voice what you feel about Shire business. Topics will include our two fall events, spring event, and possibly next fall event, as well as Shire purchases. Any other topics you wish to present should be mentioned to me first.

We are amid preparations for Fall Crown Tourney. If you have not volunteered to help, please do so. We are definitely in need of a parking marshal and kitchen help. Please talk to Lord Jakys if you wish to help.

We are also preparing for Heralds and Scribes. This schola is already being promoted throughout the eastern half of the Known World, and I expect attendance to be close to 150, with half those at feast. We may even convince the St. Gabriel Guild to come- these are folk who are professional calligraphers and illuminators mundanely. Lord Malcolm is the autocrat, so please volunteer your services to him.

Yours in service to the Shire, Kingdom, and the Dream,

-Lady George Anne

From the Exchequer

Greetings to all the Soggy Dragons,

            As this dragon leaves you all to go into another Kingdom (ok, spy really), I wish to bid you all adue.  All I can say is thank you for allowing me to be your Exchequer.  While the job was a tough one and I hope that I have left the coffers of the Vayle in better shape then I got it, I'm sure that others after me will do a better job. But please, never let the records fall to levels below what I got them in or all will be for not.  I leave the books in the charge of Lady Briant and I'm sure that should you all choose to leave her in that position, she and the Vayle will fair well

            But I hope I am not only remembered for my contributions with the coffers of the shire but also for other things like autocratting a good second annual event and one kick ass party.  I think we all will agree that Axes and Ales II was a lot of fun and a great stepping-stone to jump off of.  Just let's not jump into an abyss.  I'll be planning on attending that event for sure.  Briant, if you think you might need some help, let me know and I'll see what I can do. 

            I also hope that my having been a fighter of the shire helped to make the fighters a little bit better then everyone else in the Known World.  Its one of the reasons Æthelmearc walked all over everyone in the town battle at Pennsic (can we say Mid 12, East 26, Æthelmearc 43?).   

            Also I want to take this time to thank everyone who wrote in letters to get the crown to award me arms.  I must say the shire here has some of the highest standards out of anyone.  The next time you see me I might be a gage just doing the same amount of work elsewhere.  But really thank you all again.

            I leave you all to go to a new canton that is just starting up.  I will take many of the ideas we used here and many of the things I have learned from my very first shire to a new group to help them grow.  The Soggy Dragons will always be home but this wanderer will travel on to make another group industrious and a party.  I will still be on the Sterlynge Vayle group mailing list so I will still know what is going on here and many of you do have my e-mail address so fell free to write if your going to be coming to the Philly or Trenton area and need crash space. 

 I leave you all now and thank you for all the memories.

Yours in Service to the Dream,

Lord Eisdrache

(Still can't get used to that Lord stuff)

From the up coming Exchequer

Hello!!!!  Just wanted to say a few things as Lord Eisdrache leaves our fair Shire to spy on EK. : Grin:

Eisdrache, Thank you.  Those two words do not seem nearly enough for all that you have done for the shire.  I will endeavor to do my best to keep the coffers of the Vayle full (and hopefully overflowing).  Don’t be surprised if I call upon you with questions (“What the heck did we buy with $xxx.xx?”), or just to annoy you.  

I am hoping that the coffers of the shire are going to continue to grow, and to that end I would like to get people’s opinions on doing fund raising activities.  It’s great that we are getting so much income from events, but I don’t want us to rely solely on that as our income.  It’s time to look at our other options – especially since there are a few items that have slightly larger price tags than the things we have been purchasing.  Please let me know if you would be interested in helping set up a fundraiser for the Shire.

In Service,

Lady Briant

From the Chatelaine

A Thank You From Your Chatelaine and Land Agent -

Thank you. It was a pleasure to serve as your Land Agent again this year.  Our Land Grab was very quick compared some of them. There were groups who had not resolved their problems by Saturday afternoon. We are lucky to have such honest and non-contentious neighbors in E13.

Thank you, Lord Jakys, for all your help with the Land Grab.  It would have been much tougher without you.  Thank you also for the gate and the water in camp. This is the first time I have had the luxury of water in camp in years of Pennsic attendance.

I am very proud of all of you who came to Pennsic for the first time. You paid heed to good advice and avoided disasters. Your preparation and behavior were a credit to Sterlynge Vayle. The members of Barren Sands were surprised that this was your first Pennsic, as you knew what to do. 

We saw the results of poor preparation in the trials of the new couple from Barren Sands, who paid no attention to their shire's Pennsic suggestions & were lucky to have a place to camp.  Their problems were proof that it pays to pre register and if you can't prereg, you must let someone know your plans or you can't expect a place to camp. Please remember that all of us have the responsibility to prepare our new members for the Pennsic experience. 

Thank you for taking good care of E13.  Barren Sands has always had an excellent relationship with its neighbors and we have carried on that tradition.

Considerations for next year - Rumor has it that Preferred Parking will be a new camping area next year.  We may want to consider a place for Sterlynge Vayle there. It would mean no competition with other groups which have a history there.  On the other hand, Barren Sands is happy to have us with them and we know the section.  Next year we could add to our gate and water with other conveniences.  Barren Sands wanted to put up a shire pavilion this year but had problems.  We could make arrangements for next year.

Problems with the new area - No water & a longer way to the flushies. A slow Land Grab as everything will be new & groups will be vying for position.  A position near the road.  (Baron Tigranes & his good lady had problems because they were positioned along Currie Road.) A long way from friends.  No shade.

Advantages to the new site - Close to the shopping areas, battlefield & about the same distance from the bathhouse.  No traffic jams, as there will be fewer campers.  Maybe a chance to open a new area & start a new tradition. A chance to meet new friends.

We have many things to consider.  Do we want to create a Pennsic fund? Do we want to move?  What could we do better?  What did we do well?

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve.

Yours in Service,

Lady Keran Roslin

From the Herald

Pomp and Circumstances - September ASXXXV

Greetings to all the Soggy Dragons, Silver Buckle assures me that my warrants are in the mail, so any day we can begin burying Dagonell with new name and device forms.

On a Pennsic note, if you didn't get to see the Pas d'Armes of the Companies of St. Michael's, St. Marks; St. Gabriel's and St. Adrian's at Pennsic XXIX, make a note to see it at Pennsic XXX. Heraldically it was one of the best shows of War and the fighting was exceptional!!! Everyone looked spectacular and they all hit as hard and as well as they looked. I think at least three kings fought in the lists (AEthelmearc, Ealdormere and Atlantia) and more Dukes and Earls than you could count. Great Show.

You've all seen the Announcement of the AEthelmearc Heralds and Scribes Collegium on November 11th. Think about what you want to do that day, Hmmm. We have some slots already filled we need more help, don't run and hide when you see me coming - I'll keep looking until I find you and ask you to help any way.

An added feature at the Collegium will be an Heraldic A+S Competition with a prize!!! So if you've a new banner, an embroidered purse with your arms couched in silk and metallic embroidery; if you've got a surcote or cloak with arms, bring it enter it and be judged. Seriously it'll be fun and Laurel Queen of Arms will be asked to judge the entries.

YIS

+ Malcolm

From the Minister of A&S

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy war.  Now that the war crush is over it is time once again to think of classes.  I will be starting to schedule special classes soon!!  Keep your eyes open for dates and times.

At war I had the chance to talk to our regional Arts and Sciences Officer, Mistress Alison.  She gave me a lot of ideas on information for the A&S officer to have.  To that end I need your help.    The following is a list of some of the things it would be nice to have.  All of this stuff will be passed on to any other A&S officers that the shire has, and a great deal of it will be able to be ‘loaned’ out to members of the shire.  If you have any of this stuff, or would like to help acquire it – then please let me know.

Cookbooks put together for past events.  (i.e. Axes and Ales recipes, etc.)

Dover books – any sort…. Especially those that could be used as coloring books... or photocopies of those pages.

Workbook style books on calligraphy – or photocopies of like books.

Copies of handouts from classes that you have taught

Copies or subscriptions for Tournaments Illuminated, Creative Anachronist, SCUM, etc.

Anything medieval that could be used for a child’s coloring page

A list of useful books – arranged by SUBJECT

Articles on how to enter A&S competitions

Articles on how to make garb and/or accessories.

A list of mail order catalogues that would be useful

Websites that would be useful – by subject

Information on guilds (local, kingdom, and society wide)

This is just a start of the things we could have as resources for A&S.  If you have other ideas then let me know

In Service,

Lady Briant

From the Chronicler

Greetings to all good Gentles of this fine Shire,

Let me start by saying that I am Sorry that the newsletter has not been exactly on time. There are so many things I could blame this on, (no submissions, illness, ect.) but in the end it comes down to I just did not allot myself the time needed to do it. Well no more.

Some changes are going to be coming about with the newsletter, all for the better I hope. First the dead line for submissions to the newsletter will be due the second Saturday of the month before the issue you want it published in. Second, those of you who receive the

hard copy of the newsletter will find a pull out center that will be a calendar page. It will have events, and holidays listed on it, and space to write in notes of your own. I have made it clear that I dislike the electronic version of the newsletter, so I am attempting to make it more appealing to subscribe to the paper format. I have heard the arguments from both sides on this issue, but for those of you who don’t get the hard copy, you don’t see the artwork, graphics, or just the general feel of the work that goes into producing a newsletter that you want people to be proud of. I think that Lord Jakys will agree that when you finally get the last copy stapled, folded, and mailed, you hope that every one will see the work that went into making something that people will enjoy looking at.

I am also looking for articles, not just from officers, but also from the populace. Short stories, poetry, art work, your favorite recipes- Yes even your no S***T there I was stories. As long as they have some thing to do with the SCA. Remember this is your newsletter; let’s make it the best it can be.

On a side note, for those of you interested in fencing, call me I will be more than happy to teach, but I am afraid that due to some on going health problems I will not be suiting up for anything real soon. I would still be more than happy to work with people, even teaching weapons and armour inspection.

Again sorry for the lateness of the past few issues, I will endeavor to allot more of my time to get it to you on time.

Yours in service.

Lord Brocc Huntington

Right Form The Dragon’s Mouth

This month I am going to go into more detail on the Royal peerages. Ok tin hats or “ Canned food “ if you are a dragon, some of the nicest (tastiest) SCAdians I know are royal peers. They come in three varieties, Viscount/Viscountess, Count/Countess, and Duke/Duchess. Now just so I have the disclaimer in here, these are the most common tittles used; they are not the only ones that can be used. (Happy now Earl Sir Yngvar?)

Viscount/Viscountess: The Gentles who bear this title have been Prince/Princess of a Principality. As most Kingdoms started as Principalities, you will usually find some of these peers in every kingdom.

Count/Countess:  Now the gentles with this title have sat the throne as King/Queen, of a kingdom once.

Duke/Duchess: This Title is given to those who have sat the throne of a kingdom more than once.

Now this is just the briefest of over views, I could go into the fact that they wear different coronets, or that they may be inducted into different orders, or how to tell them apart (Taste works for me). But if I did that then you would know as much as I, and you would have no need of me to answer your questions. We all know there is only one thing worse than a cranky dragon, and that is a useless one.

Next month: Baron/Baroness – to land or not to land. Until then.

Yours in Service,

Sterling, The Dragon of the Vayle

SCA Humor

Colorful Bruise

By Sir Steven MacEanruig and Sir William the Lucky

(Tune; Battle Hymn of the Republic)

My legs have felt the pounding of a hundred thousand blows

The times my sword has broken only God in heaven knows.

Each blow upon my helmet jolts me clear down to my toes

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

Chorus;

Glory glory what a colorful bruise I’ve got

Glory glory what a colorful bruise I’ve got

Glory glory what a colorful bruise I’ve got

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

On the morning of the tourney I stepped bravely on the field,

And then I saw my foeman and my senses they did reel.

He was six foot six, three hundred pounds and forged out of steel

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

Chorus;

He cracked my shield and broke my helm and beat me to the ground.

My armour lay in tatters all the tourney field around.

They gathered it together though one boot they never found

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

Chorus;

And when the melee teams were picked my heart was filled with fear,

They put me in the foremost line, although I craved the rear,

The blows I took disabled me for almost half a year,

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

Chorus;

So now the tourneys come around I watch them from the side.

The blood and gore upon the field my body can't abide.

And with the lovely ladies on the sidelines I reside,

And I ain’t a gonna fight no more.

CLOSED DUE TO WAR

THE DRAGON’S TONGUE

TO ALL THE GOOD GENTLES OF

STERLYNGE VAYLE,

HAVE A GREAT WAR!

Due to the upcoming war, your Chronicler has been drafted into the service of Her Highnesses armed forces. He hopes to return in one piece, and continue to perform his duties. Until then this office is CLOSED.

The Dragon's Tongue - July 2000 (AS XXXV)

Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Kingdom of AEthelmearc

July 2000, (AS XXXV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Upcoming Events

Note:  Not all SCA events are listed here.  Events from AEthelmearc are listed with preference given to those within the most reasonable driving distance of Sterlynge Vayle.  For full event announcements and listings, please refer to the Aestel or the. If you do not currently receive the Aestel, you may have to look into getting your membership in the SCA Inc. up to date.

 July, AS XXXV

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Brocc Huntington

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lord Eisdrache

Deputy Exchequer: Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

 Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Contents                                                                                                          page

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events                                                                                             Back Cover

From the Seneschal                                                                                             1-2

From A&S                                                                                                           3

From the Herald                                                                                                 3-4

Crown Tourney                                                                                                  5-7

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth                                                                           7-9

Demo                                                                                                                 9-10

Pennsic Packing List                                                                                          10-13

SCA Humor                                                                                                      13-14

Seneschal’s Ramblings 

In the midst of the scramble to get ready for Pennsic, do try to take a breather to enjoy the wonderful weather when you encounter it. I realize it's rare to see the sun in the land of the soggy dragon, but... when you do, hie thee out of doors!

Specifically, come on July 8th to Endicott's Carousel Festival, where Lord Malcolm has arranged space for us at the area's second largest

mundane summer event. Sadly, the largest event - the Spedie Festival - happens while we are off to the Great War. We would like to have an A&S display, and perhaps fencing or heavy fighting. But we can't do any of it without bodies in garb helping out. It promises to be fun- even if you only attend the festival itself in garb.

In case you haven't heard, yes, we did get the bid for Fall Crown. Please see Lord Jakys if you want to help. It will be Oct. 6-8 at Camp Sertoma. Brian is trying to get dirt to level the upper field and create a real parking lot, which should alleviate the serious parking problem. We are looking for volunteers for: Parking marshal, Hall Steward (perhaps Svea?), Royal Sideboard, Dishwashers.

We also got the bid for Heralds & Scribes Collegiums on Nov. 11 at Trinity Memorial Church. Malcolm is the main autocrat for this event, and please see him to volunteer your services. The odds are pretty good that this too will be a royal progress since TRH Cygnus and Dorinda are known for their love of the scribal arts. We're looking for a Head Troll and Kitchen help for this one too.

We're looking into archery targets- Mad Lord Vlat has volunteered space at his place. We'll keep y'all posted. Jakys has volunteered to find a way to become our first archery marshal.

The next business meeting will be: August 31, Thursday, 6:30 pm at Vlat's. The Shire Policy was amended to include the last week of August as possible business meeting time- so as not to conflict with the Labor Day weekend.

YIS to the Crown, Kingdom, and Shire of Sterlynge Vayle,

-George Anne

Change in wording of Policy:

From:

Business meetings shall be held the first week of March, June, September and December, and shall be announced in the newsletter the month before. All officers should attend or send a proxy.

To:

Business meetings shall be held the first week of March, June, September and December, and shall be announced in the newsletter the month before. All officers should attend or send a proxy. The September meeting may also be held the last week of August.

From the Minister of A&S

Greetings again!!!!

Just a reminder for everyone to let me know what sort of projects they are working on so that I won't have to pester you in late October about what you've been doing since April.

In July we will be having a cookout here at my house, I'll let you all know more about that when I have the date finalized.  It will most likely be similar to the fencing practice/Throwing Practice/A&S cookout we recently had.

For any who didn't know, the Shire now has a cook’s guild!!!  We don't have a name yet, but are working on finding one.

For once, I don't have a lot to say; impressive isn't it?

YIS,

Briant

From the Herald

POMP and CIRCUMSTANCE:

Greetings from your Pomposity,

Heralds are by their base nature pompous, after all we announce Monarchs, tell you to stand up, sit down turn around... stop that. A job for control freaks if ever there is one.

Seriously, I have come into possession of the latest Pictorial Armorial published by Trumpet West Press. The Pictorial contains within its pages all of the currently Laurel Sovereign’s; long May she prosper; acceptable Heraldic symbols, and patterns. So if you have a question or want to look at an acceptable Pantheon [a Heraldic Monster with estoiles (6 pointed stars) for spots] this is the recognized source.

Secondly, if you haven’t heard Margaret Makafee has retired as Silver Buckle, and ascended to the Lofty Ranks of Senior Herald of AEthelmearc. This means nothing to you, except for the problem that me Warrant expired, so until the new Silver Buckle, Lord Edmund Tregelles returns my Warrant -- expected momentarily, I can't handle money or make submissions. A minor inconvenience for a few days.

Third and Finally -- I can hear you cheering -- On Saturday, November 11th, we will Host the Autumn Collegiums of AEthelmearc's Heralds and Scribes -- and maybe some Marshallate Classes if the Sylvan Signet and Silver Buckle concurs.

The event will be at Trinity Memorial Church 44 Main Street, Binghamton. You know it from Spring Coronation, last years Sterlynge Schola. We need to staff up for this event -- so when I call -- cheerfully volunteer...

And, Finally -- Gotcha!!!

The Shire will host the Crown Tourney of AEthelmearc's next Ruling Monarchs on 7 October A.S. XXXV -- The Winner will be the PENNSIC XXX Crowns!!! Expected to be a Biggie as far as Crowns go. As the Garb Frenzy goes for Pennsic XXIX run up some banners, do a heraldic surcote or two, lets do some magic and do a Heraldic Show.

We'll do an A&S for personal banners sometime soon, and then one for Emblazoning shields, plates, etc....

Yours In Service to the Crown, AEthelmearc and the Vayle

+Malcolm

Fall Crown Update

By Jakys

Greetings from your Autocrat for Fall Crown Tourney!  I thought I would take this time and space to give you a quick update on where we stand for the staffing and planning for Fall Crown. Things are moving along well, in terms of getting most of the people in place that we need to pull this off, and the planning for any materials and work required.  Here are some of the primary Categories to be taken care have, and where we stand on them. (I will doubtless leave a couple out, so please drop me a line and/or hit me over the head to remind me where I've left things off.)

Site Coordinator - Again, Lady George Ann, since Brian has stated he prefers to deal with only one person. Royalty Liaison - Lady Keran Roslin.  I've already had a couple of letters back and forth with TRH about initial questions, but I'm assuming that Lady Keran will be contacting Dorinda soon to step in.  They are old hands at events at this site, and we've hosted them before, so I'm not anticipating a lot of surprises or problems there. Accommodations - Lord Malcolm Fitz William.  This year, we will be needing three cabins:  One for TRM, one for Dame Aoife, and one for a day cabin for the new TRH.  The event will be in Oct. and likely cold, so we should be ready with space heaters again for two of them, particularly if Lord Eisdrache can volunteer his again? Perhaps the Shire should break down and look into buying one or two for these needs? Food for thought. Head Troll - My apologies in advance for the confusion on this one. Adeska the Burdened volunteered for this at the last business meeting, and it was only afterwards that I was reminded that Lord Brocc Huntington had volunteered and been given permission as soon as our bid went in and Lady Briant indicated that she wished to pass on this duty for this event. I would still ask that Lord Brocc make good use of Adeska's services to assist him, and get some nice first hand experience at the running of Troll so that she can take this duty over at a future event if she is inclined in that direction.  Other volunteers for troll shifts will be needed as always.  Please contact Lord Brocc about your availability. Chef - (since we're not allowed to use "Feastocrat" Dame Aoife Finn.  Prices have already been agreed upon, and the menu selections are totally in Dame Aoife's capable hands.  I'm hoping she will post here as to how much, if any, staffing needs she will have for the kitchen aside from her own crew.  At a minimum, I know that we'll want some dishwashers, etc. again.  This will be a *LARGE* feast, so some good teamwork will be needed. M.O.L and list field Liason - Mad Lord Vlat Kohut.  The tourney *should* pretty much run itself, but I know that we will need list stakes up for them to put the list ropes on.  We will also need the normal compliment of pavillions for the MOL, TRM, and probably sideboard.  I'm hoping that Mad Lord Vlat will be able to sweet talk Lord <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> into generously letting us make use of his again. Royalty Sideboard - My ancient brain is failing me again.  I know I had a discussion with Johanna the Blushing about her interest in doing another Royalty Sideboard, but there were questions as to her availability owing to mundane concerns.  Could we finalize that? I'll try to write it down this time. Tokens - His Excellency Baron Tigranes met with me this weekend and finalized plans for the site tokens.  The price is going to be 60 cents each (still less than the 75 we budgeted for) and he's trying something new! Instead of round tokens, these will be a bit larger, and in the shape of a leaf. (Falling leaves, symbolizing Fall Crown) and still have the escarbuncle in the center. We should have them well in advance of the tourney, and I'll try to coordinate with Lady Briant to have an A&S meeting for stringing them, and the leather off-board tokens, some time in the early fall. Site Sniper -  We'll appoint Svart de Plague Rat to be up in the trees with a high powered crossbow with night vision scope to pick off any opponents who look like they might defeat <Name removed by Request>.

Caution:  Shire funds may NOT be used for ammunition, as per Kingdom rules.

Areas that we still need to have covered: Hall Steward - It would be good to have someone to make general annoncements and to announce each remove of the feast. Parking Marshal - I'm begging for somebody to help out with this. It's an important job for an event of this size, particularly if we have new parking arrangements.

A couple of signs will have to be made after we find out if the North Field is going to be ready for parking in time for the event.  (If Lady George could periodically check in with Brian on that it would be a big help.) Either way, there will be a lot of cars to get in and some serious organizing to do for this. That's about it for now! Please jump on me with any ideas for changes, additions, things we do/don't need, etc.

Yours in Service,

Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Right Form The Dragon’s Mouth

            This month I am going to go into more detail on the peerages. The peerage orders are: Pelican, Laural and, Chivalry. I will cover Royal peerages next month.

                Pelican: This order is dedicated to service in the Society, when wearing their regalia they are easily identifiable. Most will have a cloak with the symbol of the order on it. A pelican bleeding from its chest to feed its young identifies the Order. Pelicans are addressed as Master or Mistress.

            Pelicans often will take on students to teach and train, these students are called Protégées. Protégées can be identified by a green belt. They help the Master or Mistress in service activities, and if they do a good job, they will some day join the Order.

             Laurel: this order is dedicated to the arts and sciences. The symbol of this order is gold Laurel leaves usually on a cloak, but also as a headpiece. Laurels should be addressed as Master or Mistress.

 Laurels take on students called apprentices; their yellow belts note them. After much time and hard work they might become Laurels themselves.

Chivalry: It is important to note that there are two branches of this order, Knights, and Masters at arms. I will speak of the knights first.

Knights are dedicated to honor and marshal prowess, their white belt, gold chain, and their spurs can identify them. The Knight is addressed as Sir.

Knights take on students called… Yep you guessed it, Squires. A squire will often wear a red belt, and a silver chain. They have to work very hard in hopes of one day being a Knight.

Masters at Arms, humm, if you have not been in the society for awhile you may have never heard of them. I assure you that they are out there. The main difference is that they don’t swear feality to the crown. Called Master/Mistress, they wear white sashes.

When they take on students, known as squires, they wear red sashes.

Even with my vast knowledge, and resources Masters at arms are sort of a mystery to me.

 Yours in Service,

Sterling, Dragon of the Vayle

Demo

It's a DEMO, A DEMO...

 Well my friends, we've got a Demo coming up at the Endicott Carousel Festival on Saturday and Sunday, July 8th and 9th A.S. XXXV (I know it is also CE 2000) from Noon until you absolutely can't stand being in Garb another minute.

The site is the west side of the George Johnson Library on Lincoln Avenue in the Village of Endicott. Take your best route to 17C – I know they've torn up practically every road that leads to Endicott and are busily building new potholes for our appreciation.

This is Main Street in Endicott. Drive west through the downtown; you'll pass a Wendy's on your right and then in a couple of blocks the Village Hall / Police Station, etc. turn right at the Lincoln Avenue Church, we'll be on the right hand side of the street next to the Library Parking Lot. There are trees and <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> has offered to provide Period Shelters, but it will be July -- bring sunscreen, parasols, water and hats – heat stroke is not fun.

Scribes and Illuminators, bring projects sit under the Pavilion and do our thing -- mundanes will be properly awestruck; fencers bring your foils, rapiers, schlagers, etc. The crowds will cheer as you slash and parry.

Heavies bring your shields, glaives, swords, etc. and fight pick-ups against each other. The mundanes will be truly impressed that you're not fainting in the July heat.

Garbmeister come and sew -- by hand please electricity is a question. Cooks bring tasties to sample. Musicians bring your instruments and play for us all. Sing songs, dance, juggle, etc.

The choice is yours. Lets do a good show; entice new members, and have some--no, a lot of fun!!!

Questions -- Call Me at 754-5990 during the day and ask for Gerry (the receptionist and office manager don't know me as Malcolm!!!). I'll usually answer the phone in the evening that number is 771-0534. I never answer it after 9:00 PM and the service will take the message.

Pennsic Packing List (Example)

As I have been threatening to do, here is the packing list for Jakys & myself. I have taped to the office door four pieces of paper- two are must pack this lists, one is must acquire before War, and one is "Gosh, I'd really like to have this some day!" I'm combining the first three sheets here, and you can determine for yourself how necessary these things are.

 Pack these on top for troll:

Photo ID	Pre-reg packet
SCA membership card	Directions

In the truck:

SOS pads	Baldrics or other regalia
Dish soap	Scroll case
Olive oil (small jar)	Extra cloth for covers
Ziploc bags	Short-wave radio (for weather reports)
Garbage bags	Wine
Pepto-Bismol tabs	Needlepoint
Band-aids	Bath towels
Tylenol	Notebook, pens
Decongestant	Good lighter
Phone card	Fire extinguisher
Camera	First aid kit
Film	Duct tape
Shields	Armor
Pointy bits for lobbing	Ace bandages
Tiger balm	Ben gay
Fighting boots	Comfy shoes
Court garb	Hats
Waterproof &/or warm cloaks	Spare outfit and blanket (leave in truck- just in case *everything* gets soaked)
Vegetable peeler	Eating dishes
Carrying baskets	Gift baskets
Rivets for armor repair	Duct tape
Extra ciggies	Pillows (what I forgot last year)
Belts	Authorization cards
Wine racks	Something to store stuff on (shelves or the plastic totes in which everything is packed)
Toolkit (power screwdriver, bits, screwdrivers, pliers, cutters, fil	Extra mantles for lantern
Platform bed and hardware	Propane in little things for lantern
Big tank of propane for stove	Buckets
Small battery powered fans	Garb hanging pole
Shire banner	Way to hang banners
Personal devices	Tent (poles, extra stakes)
Chairs (bring an extra for company)	Cooler
Coleman lantern (or other source of light for larger area- do not useBurning lanterns in tents)	Coleman stove
Hammer for stakes
Floor cloth

Hope this helps someone,

-George Anne

SCA Humor

Why Fencing is Better than Sex..............................

1) Even ugly fencers score regularly.

2) In fencing you have a coach to tell you what you're doing wrong, and you get to practice first before trying it out for real.

3) You can fence with strangers without getting a bad reputation and you don't have to spend $30 in the bar getting to know them first.

4) You are not being insulting if you insist that your partner wear a mask.

5) No one expects a fencing bout to last much longer than two minutes and you don't have to worry afterwards if the other fencer enjoyed it or not.

6) In fencing, you don't have to get your own equipment until you decide you like it.

5) You usually fence in a big, brightly lit room with lots of people in it.

6) The person you're fencing with won't mind if your buddies stand around and Cheer for you.

7) It doesn't hurt if someone steps on your foil.

8)  It is almost impossible to catch a disease from a fencing foil.

9) You can play with your foil in public and no one will laugh.

10) If your foil gets a funny bend in it, all you have to do is run it under your foot.

11) No one cares how long your foil is, and if it breaks you just go get a new one.

12) It is easy to get pretty girls to hold on to your foil.

13) Finally, and perhaps most significantly, in fencing, if your opponent doesn't come, you win.

The Dragon's Tongue - June 2000 (AS XXXV)

Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Kingdom of AEthelmearc

June 2000, (AS XXXIV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Upcoming Events

Note:  Not all SCA events are listed here.  Events from AEthelmearc are listed with preference given to those within the most reasonable driving distance of Sterlynge Vayle.  For full event announcements and listings, please refer to the Aestel or the. If you do not currently receive the Aestel, you may have to look into getting your membership in the SCA Inc. up to date.

 May,AS XXXV

Upcoming Events

    Note:  Not all SCA events are listed here.  Events from AEthelmearc are listed with preference given to those within the most reasonable driving distance of Sterlynge Vayle.  For full event announcements and listings, please refer to the Aestel or the. If you do not currently receive the Aestel, you may have to look into getting your membership in the SCA Inc. up to date.

Melee Madness…………2-4

 Æthelmearc Heralds & Scribes Collegium ……10

 Myrkfaelinn War Practice………….9-11

 Horses Brawl…………….17

 Riverouge……………..23-25

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Brocc Huntington

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lord Eisdrache

Deputy Exchequer: Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List

Captain of Archers

Chirurgeon

Contents                                                                                                              page

Officers                                                                                                           Inside Cover

Upcoming Events                                                                                             Back Cover

From the Seneschal                                                                                               1-2

From A&S                                                                                                             2

From the Chatelaine                                                                                              2-3

Ask Towanda                                                                                                       3-5

Right from the Dragon’s Mouth                                                                             5-6

Membership form                                                                                                Center

Seneschal’s Ramblings

    Let me start by apologizing for my lack of coherence. I could write this off to sheer exhaustion of producing two events in one month, but most of you already know about my abdominal problems. Yes, I'm still sick. So if I forget to say anything, please forgive my guts.

    I would like to say congratulations to Cygnus and Dorinda, new heirs to the Sylvan Kingdom. I look forward to serving them in their second reign as I served them in their first.

    I would like to commend Eisdrache, Jakys, Angie, Briant, Brocc, <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST>, Vlat, Malcolm, Susan, Will, Joanna, Antoinette, and everyone else involved for making Axes & Ales II the smashing success that it was.

    I'm glad that we are expanding our A&S meetings to more real things, instead of just social hour at our place. Y'all are still welcome to socialize at our place, and we may yet have an informal coffee night at our place once a month. If you want to teach, or take a class, contact Briant.

Yours in service, even when befuddled,

Lady George

From the Minister of A&S

    Tentatively on June 4^th we will be meeting at Scranton Fabrics for a shopping trip and to learn more about fabric.  For those of you attending Melee Madness this is a perfect chance for you to join us, see examples of period fabrics, and purchase fabric for that new garb you wanted for Pennsic!!!!!!!

    On June 11^th there will be a Recipe Redaction Party/class at Jo and Will’s house.  Dame Aoife has generously volunteered to come to our shire and teach!  Please RSVP to Lady Briant or Johanna so that we can find out how much food needs to be purchased.  If you are coming please bring a few dollars to assist in paying for the materials for this yummy class.

    As always, if you have any questions, or suggestions, then please let me know.

YIS,

Lady Briant Huntington

From your Chatelaine -

    As you know it's the Chatelaine's job and pleasure to meet new members and help them to feel comfortable within "the Dream".  I'm really enjoying all the additions to the shire.  It's fun meeting new people, learning about new eras, and helping people with garb. 

    The fabraholic in me loves to go shopping.  Please think about who and when you want to be and ask your questions.  I'll do my best to help.

    Enjoy a Scandia’s view of life as a garbaholic at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/rialto/Garboholic-art.html

    The other part of your Chatelaine's job is to keep an inventory of the "stuff" the shire owns.  If you have a sign, pole, textile, or other stuff, which belongs to the shire, please let me know what  you have, how many there are and where they are.

Yours in service,

Lady Keran

From the Chronicler

Greetings fair gentles,

            Well I must say that this whole Chronicler thing is not all that bad. ( He says looking down at his hands that have no nails.) I am still in need of articles from the populace, poetry, art, or research. Remember I also have a section for SCA humor. I have heard some funny stories from the people in this shire… Type them up and send them to me.

            Also as promised I have sought out the famous (his words not mine) Sterlynge Vayle dragon, Sterling. He has told me that if any of the great people of the Vayle have any questions, he would be more than happy to draw upon his infinite wisdom (his words not mine) to answer our questions. Please make your questions SCA based. Sterling also said that personal problem solving will cost you a bottle of Mead. 

Until next time, I remain yours in service.

Lord Brocc Huntington

Ask Towanda

Dear Towanda,

   Well that little vixen Katriana has gone and done it this time, and I can tell you she hath broken the last straw upon the camel's back. First there was Seven Deadlies:  I showed up in my *finally* finished, stunning Italian Ren gown, and people are all "Ooooh" and "Ahhhhh" for a few minutes, and then she strolls in with a fully embroidered Elizabethan number that somehow still manages to reveal a lot of the "crown jewels", if you take my meaning. I am promptly forgotten and ignored.

    Then, at Ice Dragon, I somehow manage to land a date with the hunky Squire that all the girls in the Barony have been drooling over. And trust me, they all looked pretty jealous until Katriana came walking in on the arm of ... HIS KNIGHT!  I was crestfallen, to say the least.

    But now... our annual Baronial demo is coming up, and as usual I'm preparing my humble acceptance speech for winning the A&S competition, since I always do. But what do I find out today??!!??   Katriana has entered the competition and will be submitting a project!!!

    Towanda, I can't stand the humiliation of another defeat at the hands of this little female hellhound. I need to come up with a killer project that will guarantee me a victory over her! But there's so little time, and I just don't think that a beaded snood is going to bring home the scroll this time. What ever shall I do?

Embattled in the Barony

Dear Batty,

    Oh, I can't STAND her!  She is constantly vying for the attention of the lords and fancies herself a lovely thing, doesn't she?  She is flaky, scatterbrained, totally self-absorbed and thinks that she is the sun and you all are her satellites.  Speaking of satellites, they're FAKE!  And might I add, while she may look lovely on the outside with her lovely $39.99 a yard brocade, she wears cheap underwear.  Which, I may add, is totally beyond forgiveness. I feel we all could learn a little lesson from a lovely fairy tale the Ugly Duckling, penned by the none other than the esteemed Ms. Tallulah Bankead.  The Ugly Duckling may have looked great on the outside. But nothing can hide the fact that he was raised in a barn.  Watch Ms. Thang next time she opens her piehole to eat at the feast.  Not only does she eat like she's wallowing through a trough, but I've seen better teeth on a broken chainsaw.  Ugh!  Was she raised in England with the leprechauns?

    As for the knight, everybody knows he's gay.  In fact, he designed and sewed the dress for her so she would return his prized collection of recordings from that pompous troubadour who wears those incredibly tight pantaloons.  I was told this in the strictest of confidence by his sweetheart and he told me not to tell a soul (I know you have no souls so it's ok).  She totally weaseled her way into his heart and now she is bitter because he doesn't date outside his species.  Do you think someone of this nature is deserving of a scroll, let alone those pernicious jugs that pop out of her bodice like circus clowns? I think not!

    So, dear, simply reveal the insidious nature of this little serpent. The baronial event isn't that far off, but you know that a vicious attack on someone's Moral Being will stick like toilet paper to the bottom of one's shoe and spread faster than the Plague.  The scroll is yours.

    Oh, and before I close, I will remind everybody that I embody perfection and you all need to emulate me some more.  And I want some chocolate, so make it snappy!

Wizened lunatic,

Towanda

Right Form The Dragon’s Mouth

Last month I told you of the awards of Ætelmearc. This month I was going to tell you of titles, and what to do when you see a coronet… But I received a letter that I felt that I should answer, so I will give you this month’s article, next month. (The chronicler is being stingy with space, so I can’t give you both… I will not mention any names… you can all see it on the inside cover.)

Unto Sterling Dragon, does Catherine the confused send greetings.

            Good Dragon, I recently found out that Countess Mistress Dorinda is now the Crown Princess, and that Count Sir Cygnus the Blissful is now Crown Prince.  How do I address them now that they have "new" titles???  I have enough trouble getting the "Count Sir" and the "Countess Mistress" right!!!   I really have NO idea on how to address the royals, or past royals, especially when they will be taking the thrones again.  Please, good Dragon, share your knowledge with one so humble.

Yours in Service,

Catherine the confused

    Well dear Lady, this could be a problem, especially if you are the Herald who has to announce them, let me see if I get this right.

      When one wins crown tourney the titles that go with that supersede the titles one had before. So it will go His Royal Highness Cygnus the Blissful, Knight of the Society, and Her Highness Dorinda Courteny, Mistress of the Laurel. Remember Your Highness will work.

      Now when they take the throne, it becomes Royal Majesties, when they step down it becomes Duke and Duchess, or your Grace.

       I certainly hope that this will help you, but remember, if in doubt ask a Herald… He will be the loud person, usually shouting bad puns.

Yours in Service,

Sterling, Dragon of the Vayle

P.S. It will soon be Master and Mistress of the Laurel.

The Dragon's Tongue - May 2000 (AS XXXV)

<Damaged image removed 3-09>

Shire of Sterlynge Vayle

Kingdom of AEthelmearc

May 2000, (AS XXXIV)

Calendar of Events: 

Fencing practice - Contact Lord Brocc for days and times.

Thrown weapons practice  - Contact Lord Jakys, Lord Vlat, or Lord Brocc any time.

Upcoming Events

Note:  Not all SCA events are listed here.  Events from AEthelmearc are listed with preference given to those within the most reasonable driving distance of Sterlynge Vayle.  For full event announcements and listings, please refer to the Aestel or the. If you do not currently receive the Aestel, you may have to look into getting your membership in the SCA Inc. up to date.

 May,AS XXXV

Upcoming Events

    Note:  Not all SCA events are listed here.  Events from AEthelmearc are listed with preference given to those within the most reasonable driving distance of Sterlynge Vayle.  For full event announcements and listings, please refer to the Aestel or the. If you do not currently receive the Aestel, you may have to look into getting your membership in the SCA Inc. up to date.

5-7 Will's Revenge (Abhain Ciach Ghlais)

13 Æthelmearc Spring Crown Tourney (Thescorre)

13 Spring Thing (St. Swithin's Bog)

19-21 Æthelmearc War Practice (Steltonwald)

26-28 Mountain Confederation Ladies Event (Abhainn                 Ciach Ghlais)      

24-29 Defenders of Amaral (Kingdom of Æthelmearc)
 

Officers:

Seneschal: Lady George Anne  

Deputy Seneschal : Lord Brocc Huntington

Herald: Lord Malcom Fitz William

Deputy Herald: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger 

Chatelaine: Lady Keran Roslin

Deputy Chatelaine: Adeska the Burdened

Minister of Arts & Sciences: Lady Briant

Exchequer:  Lord Eisdrache

Deputy Exchequer: Lady Briant

Chronicler: Lord Brocc Huntington 

Deputy Chronicler <NAME REMOVED BY REQUEST> 

Web Minister: Lord Jakys the Cheesemonger

Marshal Officers

Knight Marshal: Lord Mad Vlat

Thrown Weapons Marshal  Lord Mad Vlat

Deputy Thrown Weapons Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Fencing Marshal: Lord Brocc Huntington

Vacant Offices:

Minister of the List