Category: Blog Post

VPC 2017: Lady Melissa and Lord Nathanael’s Horary Quadrant

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Lady Melissa and Lord Nathanael are doing a combined challenge: 10 items total, but they are working together on some. This entry is one of the combined projects, and is entered into the categories Show Us Your Arms, One Metre Material Project and For Science!

They will receive the spot prize for hitting the For Science! category first – some replica medieval glassware. 

Lady Melissa writes:
This pentathlon entry is an horary quadrant–a device used to tell time (in equal hours!) It is used to measure the height of the sun, and has a table (raven side) to determine the sun’s maximum height throughout the year. The quadrant is designed after one owned by King George II, made in 1396, which is pictured alongside the one we made. A historical aside: King George owned four brass quadrants, but we chose to replicate this one as it was mysteriously discovered in an old barn in Queensland, Australia in the 1970’s.
The original was made of brass, but we made ours out of marine plywood and linen, with a plumb made from kowhai. It is constructed for 45 degrees from the equator rather than 51 degrees (the original was made for London, England). Nathanael did the wood work and derived and constructed the arcs and adjusted the table. Melissa designed the decorative deer and raven images, did the pyrography, braided the plumb line, and added the linen border.

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VPC2017: The Honourable Lady Aveline’s Biere de Mars (Beer for March)

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THL Aveline submits this brewing entry – a beer in the style of a Biere de Garde, or, Beer for Keeping for the category With The Grain. 

She says: 
A Biere de Garde is a traditional northern French beer style, with a dry, malty, spicy flavour and high alcohol content to act as the preservative, so that the beer may be drunk during the warmer months of the year when the farm is busy with its regular chores. There are many different recipes for this beer, but the key factors tying them together are:
– A variety of grains might be used, in a relaxed, ‘What I have I got in the cupboard?’ fashion. This particular brew uses a combination of flaked, unmalted barley, ‘Special B’ dark malt barley, and liquid Pilsner malt (a light malt and I was cheating by using this).
–  A top fermenting, low temperature ferment yeast such as Wyeast ‘Farmhouse Ale’ which was used in the brew. A ‘saison’ style yeast would also be suitable.
This brew is not quite true to the traditional Biere de Garde brewing method, which should be using only the pale malt (not toasted much) and it should be boiled for a long time, 6-9 hours according to some of what I’ve been reading, in order to produce caramelisation of the sugars within the wort (pre-beer liquid) instead of by using extra-toasty malt as I have done. At present, I don’t have the facilities to keep a brew at boiling temperature for this long, which is a pity as I expect this would produce a softer malty/caramel flavour than this beer is likely to have.
The beer is now starting its ferment and will be bottled as soon as that is complete and then cold cellared under my house until September (early spring). Alternately, I could have siphoned it to a secondary container and stored the bulk brew under the house for that time before bottling it, which would be more traditional, unfortunately, I cannot spare the storage to do this at this time.

A large pot of beer simmering over a gas hobb with steam rising toward the camera.
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VPC2017: Master Bernard’s 14th C Hood

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Master Bernard from Darton submits this entry to the Challenge: a 14th century hood, with the pattern and colours coming from the Romance of Alexander. It is for the categories The Neck Best Thing, Cover Me, and One Metre Material Project.

As Master Bernard is the first entrant from outside the Barony, he will be receiving a spot prize of some Southron Gaard themed items. 🙂

A brown medieval hood with an approximately one metre long liripipe. The hood is laid out flat.
Master Bernard, a male, is wearing the brown hood with pink lining
Master Bernard wearing the brown hood in the lowered position
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VPC2017: Lady Melissa’s Painted Shield

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Lady Melissa’s first entry for the Pentathlon Challenge is this painted shield. It is entered in the category Embellish It – adding decoration to an existing item.

She says:

This entry falls under the category “Embellish it”. Nathanael had gone through two previous shields, and I avoided anything fancy on this third one in case it met a quick end like the others. However, as the improved construction and quality of material appeared to be holding up, I decided that the pentathalon entry was a good excuse to get it looking flash. The design is my own: a white stag done in an approximation of the Mammen style (with some deviations to ensure that it was obvious to the viewer that it is a stag and not a generic knotwork beast). Modern paints.

A plain shield
A glorious one

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VPC2017: Her Excellency Ginevra’s Pin Book

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Her Excellency Ginevra has completed this project for the Challenge: a pin book to hold veil and sleeve pins.

It is entered in the categories of One Metre Material Project (definitely less than one metre of fabric here!) and Containment System.

Categories 12 & 25- a book to contain veil and sleeve pins. Made from remnants of velvet, linen and felt.  I put pins on the felt to figure out what size it needed to be, then cut 2 pieces of felt- one that size, and one 1/2 an inch larger on both sides. I wrapped the velvet around the larger piece, cut away some excess fabric, and sewed it to stay put.  I then sewed a piece of linen to cover the edges of the velvet and the middle section of the felt.  This made the cover. I sewed the pages to the cover along the spine of the book, and made some cords to tie it closed out of silk embroidery thread.  It was a quick and easy project, and something I’d been wanting for a while.

Pin book closed
Pin book open
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VPC2017: First Entry! Mistress Taddea’s Knitted Bag

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Congratulations and thanks to Mistress Taddea, for the first entry to be received for the Challenge.

As a small thank you for kicking things off, she will receive a $20 gift certificate to Hands craft store.

The entry is this little knitted bag, featuring the Baronial heraldic colours and a bee, part of Taddea’s own heraldry.
It has been entered to meet the categories Out Of Your Comfort Zone (medieval knitting), String Theory and Show Us Your Arms. Cecily notes it is also appropriate for Fly The Colours.

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Southron Gaard Baronial Variety Pentathlon A&S Challenge

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As announced in court at Baronial Anniversary, this year we will be running a Baronial A&S Challenge. The terms of the challenge are set out below.

Each entrant must complete five projects that each meet the requirements of at least one distinct category of the thirty available. The projects must be begun after Baronial Anniversary 2017, and completed by Baronial Anniversary 2018. Projects must be submitted to the A&S Officer – summaries and photographs as appropriate, reviews of comestibles/potables by consumers and performances by those present etc. Submissions/progress submissions will be featured on this blog by the A&S officer throughout the Challenge, if approved by the submitter. Spot prizes/awards will occur throughout the challenge, and successful completion of the Challenge by Baronial Anniversary 2018 will earn a special token from their Excellencies’ hands at that event. There will be a special display of projects as they are at that point during the A&S Display at next Canterbury Faire, and a display of the available projects at Baronial Anniversary 2018.

For any who are not members of the populace of Southron Gaard, please note that her Excellency has decided this Challenge is also open to entry from those not resident in our fair Barony, as it is not your fault that you are so disadvantaged.

Projects may meet more than one category, but each one must meet at least one distinct category. Shared projects may count towards the Challenge for all participants.

Categories:

1. Child’s Play
Any item intended for a child – clothing, accessory, toy, game, wrap, cradle etc

2. Out of Your Comfort Zone
An item from a time or place or material or skill set you have not previously explored

3. Hitting Below The Knee
An item intended for use below the knee

4. The Neck Best Thing
An item intended for use on, around, or above the neck

5. Here Be Monsters
An item featuring or incorporating fantastical mediaeval beasts and creatures.

6. For Science!
Arts and Science often focuses a lot on the Arts side. Make a project that is more related to the Sciences.

7. Show Us Your Arms
A project of heraldic display.

8. Break A Leg
A performance based project – learn a new dance, sing a song, do a performance etc.

9. Tool Me Once
A project to make a tool to be used in other projects (not necessarily for the Challenge).

10. Cover Me
A project to make an item intended for protection: from the elements, from other people who want to hit or poke you etc. Suggestions include: wet weather gear, armour, tents and shelters

11. String Theory
A project significantly incorporating some form of string – weaving, knitting, ropes, nets, knots etc

12. One Metre Material Project
A project made of less than one linear metre of fabric, wood or other material that usually comes in larger quantities.

13. Century Time Traveller
A project from exactly 500, 600, 700, 800 years etc in the past. Make something from in period, from a year ending in 17.

14. Back To Basics
Ever wanted to undertake a sheep to clothing project? Mine your own clay for bricks and build an oven? This is your opportunity. This project will be made as much as possible from unprocessed elements, from the beginning to the end product.

15. Those Who Can, Also Teach
Pass on your knowledge! Present an A&S class or run an A&S activity outside of Canterbury Faire or activities you usually run, or write an informative article for an SCA publication or similar.

16. Give What You Get
A project to be given to the Barony or Kingdom (check they would like it first!), or to be given to Their Excellencies or Their Majesties to be given out as largesse, or as a gift for a relative newcomer.

17. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Out Of Period
A project that includes accurately documenting something often erroneously considered naff, out of period or otherwise wrong for the SCA.

18. Tis the Season
A project specifically related to a particular season or Saint’s day or holiday.

19. Embellish It
A project to add embellishment or decoration to an already existing item

20. With The Grain
A project featuring grains – of wheat, of rice, of paradise or any other grain

21. Fly The Colours
A project based on the primary Baronial colours – Red, White and Gold.

22. Oh Say, Can You Sea?
A project related to the high seas – something nautical, related to ships, made of shells or pearls etc

23. Togs, Togs, Undies
An item that could be considered an under thing. Or an item of clothing intended for a specific purpose: eg, swimming, cooking, hunting, hawking, sports.

24. Remake, Reuse, Refashion, Reconsider
A project to remake or complete an item you or someone else has previously made, or halfmade and abandoned.

25. Containment System
A project to make something designed to hold other things – boxes, bags etc.

26. Forget Me Not
A project related to death/mourning. Memento mori, mourning clothing or traditions etc.

27. Counting (on) Sheep
Ovines were significant to medieval life – providing meat, milk, wool and the imagery of lambs. Incorporate one into a project.

28. Fire Burns
A project using real fire. Cook on it, forge with it, make it in a period manner.

29. A Bird In The Hand
Of or relating to birds – feathered accessories, quills, roasted birds, raising chickens, falconry projects etc

30. An Essay Of A Thousand Words
Research and write an essay on an aspect of medieval life. Topic of your choice, minimum of a thousand words.

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PGC2019 Mistress katherine kerr’s small amulet

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I have a small amulet to bring me luck and protect me from evil. It holds some little charms I have collected – pilgrim tokens, an elf-arrow, a petal from the first rose my consort won for me – as well as prayers and my favourite saints names. The priests, neither of the Old Faith nor the new Kirk, do not like these, so it stays hidden in a coffer, rather than worn around my neck as of old.
Amulets, talismans and charms — yes they are different things — have a very long history, it seems back as far as we can recognise humankind. In 16th-century Europe religious reforms and fervour had not succeeded in stamping out such practices.
One form which remained popular (versions can be found to this day) is that of the breverl, breve, or brevu relating to the short text and reminders it contained (surviving in this useage in the legal term brief). They typically consist of a couple of pages of folded written or printed text accompanied by woodcuts of saints or the Holy Family and a selection of tiny charms such as crosses, pilgrim tokens, pebbles or gems and the like. These were carefully folded together and housed in small bags of leather, silk or metal; later pasteboard slipcovers became common and Cellini drew designs for jewelled versions.
The text contained prayers, written charms or magic words aimed at protecting the wearer, initially from plague, but just as much from temptation and sin, and also from more mundane concerns like cramp or lightning strikes. Sometimes a small roll of paper or parchment would contain a list of saints or intercessionary prayers.
St Thomas Aquinas approved of some types of amulets and the witch-hunting tome Malleus Maleficarum recommended that the inquisitor wear one to protect against the spells of witches (Skemer, pg 66). Perhaps not surprisingly, Martin Luther railed against the practice in the late 1530s, saying it was “a frightful misuse and a piece of witchery to write the words In principio erat verbum on a slip of paper..as a charm against thunder and storm” (Skemer, pg 67). 
Although the Church in all its forms came to frown upon these, they remained a staple of religious markets, predominantly popular in Garmany, Italy and Austria. I was pleased to find a Scottish reference to their use, with John Ruthven (he of the Gowrie Conspiracy) wearing one, though it clearly didn’t aid him in his attack on James VI (Skemer, pg 134, footnote).
There is mention of ensuring that the amulets were locked like letters to retain their ju-ju (Skemer, pg 145). Once opened, their divine powers were said to vanish; one rare extant version was opened to find the magic text page was blank!
Oddly enough, the text in these contain mnemonics for various prayers/devotions — it’s hard to see how useful they could be if the amulets weren’t actually consulted….
My textual amulet (to use the technical academic term) contains inspirational quotes I like, the Baronial Oath, a list of virtues as well as some Biblical verses and prayers. For the Scots touch there are conversion units for money, weights and measures, and an extract from a 1541 church dedication record for Andrew Ker of Fernihirst (12 pounds donated to St Catherine’s altar!).
The woodcut of the saints is a 1488 one by Domenec showing at top the 15 mysteries of the rosary and Christ’s life; in the bottom half is (left) St Dominic, St Thomas Aquinas, and St Catherine of Alexandria, surrounding the Madonna and Child. The extant versions were backed with printed art papers which looked a little modern to my eye so I backed mine with some parchmenty paper.
The list of saints starts with ones that katherine venerates: St Jerome, St Barbara, St Katherine, St Dominic and St Thomas, along with others of interest. It also includes a reminder of the Hours.
The charms include a collection of event tokens: a St Thomas clover leaf from the Coronation I co-stewarded; a St Katherine wheel from an Ildhafn event; an Alan Garner-inspired flower-owl from one of the first quests I ever ran; and a lion from a Canterbury Faire feast, for St Jerome and my lord-husband Bartholomew. Also a milagros cross, a broken Kingdom award (Prix Jongleur), a flint arrowhead, some amber chips and a set of my Kingdom triple gems, a gold wooden tower crafted by my son Pippin when he was a wee lad. All these are backed by dried rose petals from the May Crown Rose Tourney where Sir Radbot fought for me. As with the extant examples, they have been glued to a card with four saints’ names and scrap fabric in red and green across the corners.
The extant versions I have been able to track down thus far are from the 1650s-1720s. Period references mention silk or leather bags, rather than the pasteboard slip-cover of the later versions. I intend to make a small taffetta bag in “katherine green” to hold my amulet, but in the meantime I have tucked it together in a letter-locked style to hold things in place.
Let’s hope it brings me luck!
Skemer, Don C: Binding Words: Textual Amulets in the Middle Ages; Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006
Amulets – “Breverl.”, Entry 2, pg 3 https://ilab.org/sites/default/files/catalogs/files/1305_musinsky_20spring_20list_202013.pdf
Breverl 1690-1710http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display?id=4607
http://broughttolife.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hommedia.ashx?id=9747&size=Large
Breverl: folding paper amulet, 1650-1726:https://www.smu.edu/Bridwell/SpecialCollectionsandArchives/Exhibitions/ShapeofContent/ReadableObjects/Amulet
Video of folding:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8AWpmrrdo

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