This tower falls into the categories of collaboration, luxuriation, and transformation
Constructed from a base of popcorn pottles, plant pot-trays, and paper bowls, the basic shape was transformed by overlayed with plaster wraps by Julia Fortunata and Christian Baier. This not only concealed the popcorn motif, but added a textured layer that could be painted.
For its first outing, the tower was lit internally and rigged with two furry rats that scurried up the walls towards the Pied Piper when a cord was pulled. This was to complement the “Pied Piper of Hamlin” theme. (I am reliably informed that His Majesty and Their Excellencies tested this mechanism thoroughly during the feast.)
For its second outing, the tower was de-ratted and lushly decorated with pomegranates, red carnations, red roses, and gold leaves to enhance the “Evening in Granada” theme.
EEEEC: Astrid Sudreying’s Courier Satchel Collaboration
Entered under Inspiration, Collaboration, Preparation
At Canterbury Faire ’23 there was a discussion about the couriers needing proper sashes so that people could easily see who was actively being a courier. In consultation with the post master Lord Zoltan, we hatched a plan for satchels. They needed to be green with yellow trim, and adjustable so that many different sized children could wear them.
We started out making a pattern for the bags. This was a little different, as the straps were to be unattached at the top. The fabric we found was a bit floppy. We couldn’t get a decent canvas in the right green, but we made the bags more structurally sound by having double layers. In all we managed to make 8 bags total. Bennet being a speed weaver of kumihimo cords, managed to get one bag completely decorated by Canterbury Faire this year, but finished the rest after.
Outcome: The original idea was to fit the bag straps to each child and stitch them down, but the children quickly nixed this idea by tying the ends in a knot. A practical and speedy solution. We also received feedback that we were thinking about the decoration too much like adults, and they would like more ribbons and tassels for next year please. The sashes, being made out of too floppy a material, tended to fold over rather than sit flat. If more are made in future, it might be better if they are made in a sturdy canvas.
Ailith Ward, Astrid Sudreying, Bennet Vernon, Zoltan di Magnifico
Now that Crown is over, I can reveal that Master Richard and I collaborated to make a pair of Heraldic standards. We discussed design ideas, but mostly each designed our own, and devised our own mottos (though Richard helped with the final wording in English of mine), I then translated the mottos into Latin and determined an appropriate font, size and line breaks while Richard made a stretching frame for the fabric and full scale mock ups, then traced, outlined and painted everything for both banners before giving them to me to cut out, whip stitch around the edges to prevent fraying, and arrange a way of attaching them to the banner poles (bought from Baroness katherine, and taped in blue and white – our shared heraldic colours by me.)
EEEEC: Joana de Bairros’ Capon with Oranges and Lemons
An entry for collaboration and degustation, with just a hint of particpation
“This recipe is from Thomas Dawson’s The Gudwife’s Jewel from 1597 and was made by Isabel Maria and Joana for Monday night dinner at Canterbury Faire. It is a particular favourite as it is fairly straightforward, cooks well as a one pot dish when camping and is delicious.
“Redaction to serve 6 adults
“Ingredients
1.2kg boned chicken thighs
4 oranges
2 lemons
3 whole cloves
1 cube chicken stock
¼ c prunes
¼ c currants
¼ c dates
1 t pepper
1 t salt
1 c white wine
1 t rose water
1 t sugar
“Method
Dice the chicken and cut your oranges and lemons into wedges
Put chicken in a pot with 1t oil and brown
Add in oranges, lemons, dried fruit and cloves and start to cook with chicken
If using Massels stock make up 2 cups of stock using one cube and add to the pot.
Reduce down stock and cook the chicken and fruit down
When it starts to reduce in liquid add in the wine and remaining spices and salt with rose water and sugar and cook down further
“When it is ready, serve on top of slices of bread. We chose to serve it with a green salad with slices of orange. “
EDITED TO ADD: “To quote the old Amberherthe website: “We do not eat to live. As far as we are concerned, eating and food is an important part of the whole medieval experience. Therefore time and attention is given to eating and food preparation.” In this way, working together to prepare communal food for the household is to participate in an age old (and oft repeated) ritual that helps maintain the bonds of friendship and family.
EEEEC: Astrid Sudeying’s Scuola and Mariegola for the Gildenwick Society of Infusers, Distillers, Brewers, Quaffers, and Other Professional Drinking Persons.
Entered in Imitation, Preparation, Participation, Exploration, Collaboration and Inspiration, this multi-faceted entry is ably described by Astrid:
“The Gildenwick Mead Society came about from the need for a group salutation after a tipsy missive was sent to one of our lovely Baronesses. A year later (at Canterbury Faire 2023) and we had started making up silly rules for our society. After a delicate nudge/inspiration from Her Excellency katherine kerr, I began exploring the possibility of using our ragtag bunch to create an informal, yet cohesive group based on the guild scuolas of Italy, around the mid 1500’s. The idea being that we would, like the various guilds that made up each scuola in period, include the mead makers, tea infusers, distillers, poisoners, alchemists or any other liquid arte that the members of Gildenwick were experimenting with. The long-suffering members of Gildenwick participated in and put up with many votes and discussions on what we did and didn’t want to be and how we would govern ourselves as a functioning scuola.
“By this time our Mistress had become Quene katherine, and so I used choice phrases from a letter to Queen Elizabeth on the subject to write her a letter of request for permission to start a scuola. My goal had originally been to have our scuola prepared for next Canterbury Faire, but the timeframe moved up so that we might be given permission for existence from “Our Quene”. She responded with a parchment decree, handwritten and sealed by both their Majesties.
“One of the key artifacts of any good Scuola is it’s Mariegola. A book within which is held all the rules, regulations, punishments, patrons, and participants of the Scuola. I decided that the book itself would be made to Imitate one from the mid 1500’s Italy, and so I consulted “The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding” to make sure I was constructing it correctly. I found rather quickly that the rag paper I could get was not useful for handwriting, only printing, so I had to compromise and use a good quality paper instead. I half sewed the book, with the extra pages that would be used in future, and then tacit collated (with cord, not parchment) the front pages, so that the book could be brought to Faire ’24 and presented for ratifying to the new Queen, while still being able to be deconstructed so I can illuminate it in future.
“I chose Rotunda style hand to learn for the writing as this was the style I could find being used within Mariegola from the time period and place especially the Mariegola della Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista. As I am new at the scribal arts, and I had what felt like a very short amount of time to get comfortable with writing and the specific hand, I am aware of many mistakes within the Mariegola, (and the original letters to the Quene) but am glad the bulk of the writing was done in time. It will have to suffice – warts and all. Eventually I will finish the formal part of the writing and illumination of the book and leave the rest of it to be filled with recipes, new members, mead tastings and miscellanea of the scuola.
“In collaboration with: Mistress Katherine Kerr, Master Bartholomew Baskin, Lady Ailith Ward, Lady Eryl the Beehyrde, Lord Emrys Grenelef, Lord Baldwin the Wanderer, Lord Zoltan di Magnifico, Lord Kevin Ost, Benet Vernon, Harold Brewster, Oberon, Louise, Rosemary, Levi and Helena of Gildenwick.”
At Golden Flight (last November) the ladies of Hous Amberherthe (Christian, Isabel Maria, and Joana) collaborated as the “Frock Doctors” to teach a class on how to go about selecting clothing and accessories for your persona and interests.
Meistern Christian directed the enthusiastic discussion to cover everything from headwear to footwear, how to stay warm, how to carry things, layers to consider and more.
On top of sharing their experiences and showing a range of garments and accessories they had made for various periods and locations, they each brought along a selection of their favourite books relevant to the subject.
Entered under degustation (and possibly also collaboration), Ginevra describes her entries:
“I made lunch at Goldenflight (with others, but so maybe this is Collaboration as well- though I did the testing myself) We had – Norse handpies (Recipie from: http://www.godecookery.com/friends/frec129.html) bread rolls and butter, Castlevero’s green salad (-onions, because of allergies), carrot sticks, and oranges sprinkled with rosewater. Sadly, I did not take photos at the event, so this entry looks very boring.
“For Day of Dance I made 3 dishes 2 of which can be found in La Singolare dottrina di M. Domenico Romoli.(though I personally found the recipes in ‘A Spring Feast’ by Shannon Wanty). The dishes were Pollastri al Catelana (below) and Zuccarini (above). I had made neither of these before, and was mostly happy with how they turned out, but more practice was required to make the zuccarini regularly shaped.
Ailith shares this entry where they, Eryl, Astrid Sudeying, and Emrys Grenelef undertook Wassailing an Orchard under the categories of Participation and Collaboration
On the 19th of July the four of us went wassailing in Eryl’s orchard to encourage a better crop for next year.
Traditionally wassailing in the country was often done on the 5th or the 19th of January just after dinner, near dusk. Pots were banged to scare off malicious spirits or fairies, trees were yelled at and threated into producing even better, and the same trees were wheedled and complimented for the same reason. Food and drink was shared with them. Every village had a different way of wassailing their orchards. In the towns and cities wassailing was a lot like carolling, where groups of poorer folks would go wassailing at peoples doors to bless the home and those within it, and in return the groups would receive food and drink.
We chose the 19th of July for our antics, though for various health reasons we went wassailing after lunch, instead of dinner. We made two wassails, one of cider and one of apple juice, since most of us had to drive home afterwards. The basic recipe for both was to heat the liquid through, adding sugar, chopped apple, orange, and ginger, crushed nutmeg and cinnamon, and whole cloves, all to taste.
We trekked out into the orchid with tankards full of wassail, and blessed every tree, sharing a sip of our drinks with each. Some of the larger trees we sang to, and some we even capered around, ringing bells to attract friendly spirits while driving off any mischievous ones.
