Monday, August 30, 2010

Greetings unto the Populace of Nottinghill Coill,

War is fast approaching our northern neighbors!
War of the Wings is October 7-10 and the Populace needs to register by September 15th via ACCEPS for space in the Baronial Encampment.

Our Baronial Land Steward is Captain Brandon Caiside and he can reached at bcaiside@yahoo.com.

The following is from Captain Brandon:

"The easiest way is to register online via ACCEPS (it's basically credit card/debit card processing for SCA Events). You can go to this site http://warofthewings.com/reservations.htm

Once you register (if you use ACCEPS) you will get a confirmation e-mail. Then go to this site

http://www.warofthewings.com/land.htm and register with the land agent for the event. forward your ACCEPS confirmation e-mail to Captain Brandon he can make sure that everyone gets on the list. He just need the names of who is with you, the tent dimensions and if it is a period tent or modern."

I look forward to seeing you all on the Fields! As always, I remain....

in Service to the Dream,
Baron Takeda Yoshinaka
Seneschal, Barony of Nottinghill Coill

Pennsic 2010 Atlantian Royal Court Reports

August 9
Felix del Rey- Order of Chivalry
Angus of Bedford - Order of the Silver Osprey with Award of Arms
Innogen of Clonmel - King's Award of Excellence
Aedan Aylwyn - Award of the Shark's Tooth
Kenji Yoshimoto - Award of the Shark's Tooth

August 12
Glaukos the Athenian - Award of the Shark's Tooth
Thomas Schreiber - Award of the Shark's Tooth
Gardner's Company - Vexillum Atlantiae
The Company of Dragoon Guards - Vexillum Atlantiae
The Atlantian Rapier Army of Pennsic XXXIX - Augmentation of Arms with the suggested form of a unicornate natural seahorse (Spike) in either argent (White) or azure (Blue) to best compliment the arms of the recipient.
Iain mac Donnchaidh - Award of Arms
Tselmeg - Order of the King's Missiliers with Award of Arms
Kel of Ponte Alto - Award of Arms
Henry West - Court Baron
Emma West - Court Baroness
Audrey Brant - Award of Arms
Thomas Brant of Salem - Award of Arms
Caitlin Inghean Fheichin - Order of the Sea Dragon with Award of Arms
Dagmar - Award of Arms
Segehart Leutmericz - Order of the Coral Branch
Vortigern Faber - Order of the White Scarf
Aminah bint al-Megal'lid - Order of the Coral Branch
Elias Forsyth - Award of Arms
Talorgen nepos Wrguist - Order of the Golden Dolphin
Marcellus Capoziello da Napoli - Order of the Golden Dolphin
Alexandra Shipman - Queen's Order of Courtesy
Catalina Riquel de Luna - Queen's Order of Courtesy
Nikulas Akrapillar - Award of Arms
Briana Maclukas - Augmentation of Arms for Companion of the Gilded Portcullis*
Evan da Collaureo - Augmentation of Arms for Companion of the Gilded Portcullis*
Cassandra Arabella Giordani - Augmentation of Arms for Companion of the Gilded Portcullis*
Catalina dell'Acqua - Augmentation of Arms for Companion of the Gilded Portcullis*
Morwenna Trevethan - Order of the Pelican
Erin Lockheart - Award of Arms
Brukland of Anglesey - King's Award of Excellence

*Augmentation of Arms for Companion of the Gilded Porcullis has the suggested form of a Portcullis Or(Gold).

August 13
Lynet Semere - King's Award of Excellence
Brom Midguard - Award of the Shark's Tooth
Joscelin d'Outremer - Award of the Shark's Tooth
House Blackspear - Award of the Shark's Tooth (to the fighting unit as a group)
House Hedgehog - Vexillum Atlantiae
Arnbiorn Bassi Dansson - King's Award of Excellence
Hjoir Gudmundson - Award of Arms
Margharite Mandler - Award of Arms
Bojzena z Osturna - Order of the Golden Dolphin

Scribing - Where to start? by Rohesia Anven of Thessalonica

Greetings to the Populace,

 I hope to do a regular Arts & Science block within our lovely Baronial newsletter. My wish is to do a spotlight on a specific art or artist and need your help. Please contact me with someone who has done something A&S related that you feel deserves a little attention. This does not have to be peer level work, in fact I'm hoping to find the people that will be future peers or future leaders in their respective art forms. Any help in finding up and coming artists will be greatly appreciated! As for this Quill I have decided to do a scribal article or tutorial for your reading and scribling pleasure.

I was recently asked if I could give someone a "scribal assignment or homework" so they can start practicing and creating while learning more about scribing. It was a good question and quite frankly it was something I wanted when I started out three years in Trimaris. It is a bit of a tricky question and my start into the scribal world was a doozy (you should ask me about it some time!) but what I have learned is that my advice for starting is with illuminated capitals. They can be found in many manuscripts or texts in a wide range of time periods and cultures. It is also a good place to start for both want to be calligraphers and/or illuminators. It can practiced on a scrap piece of paper first for your initial start to learning how to use gouache, gold paint or leaf and how to set up your margins and spacing.

So how are illuminated capitals useful in the SCA scribal world? First, they can provide a simple and elegant one of a kind and original scroll design without dedicating thousands of hours to complete. The scroll blank can be used in a pinch because they are pretty versatile in their application of an award scroll. A combat scribe can calligraphy in the whole word text prior to or at an event if needed. If the scroll is partially blank where there is calligraphy minus the names and dates and are left with blank spaces then it is even easier to accommodate to the needs of the Coronet or Crown at the last minute. They are also relatively simple in nature to create from start to finish so that they are not be too intimidating to attempt for a beginner scribe.

The first step is deciding if you are going to do all the calligraphy for the text or just the illuminated capital. If you are just doing the illuminated capital then you are pretty much free to use what letter of the alphabet you want. Just bear in mind that some letters like X, Y and Z are extremely rare. If you are deciding to scribe the whole text or want to be accommodating in your illumination the next step is to find the award scroll text you are wanting to use and find the first letter.

 [Advanced method: You do not necessarily need to use the first letter of the first word in the award text. You can start a few lines and then incorporate the capital in a word later in the line of text.]

Once you figure out what letter you want to illuminate you will need to find a period example. I have provided a few samples with the source text it is located in within this article. Once you find an example you like you can start setting up your margins on the paper you want to use. Depending on the paper you are using you can trace the outline of the capital in pencil using a window for light or a light table. You can either print off the capital or if you practice ddrawing it you can use your sample. Starting out with practicing to free hand draw capitals is a good way to start and easily achievable over time and practice. Also the ability to paint over mistakes is what most people love about illuminating!

[Advanced method: Some period manuscripts show indentations from the styluses they used which is visible underneath the paint and ink. Youcan recreate this by using a hard lead pencil and erasing the markings before you paint or ink in lines.]

figure 1
Once you have marked the outline you can either begin to scribe the text wording if you choose to do so. If not then it is time use the gold paint or gold leaf to fill in the letter. Keep in mind that the letters in red or blue ink and sometimes other colors usually accompanied by flourishes are called historiated capitals. Here (figure 1) is the difference between the two; on the left is a historiated capital and the other is illuminated. Either one will suffice just bear in mind what style you are going with and stick to that method throughout the artwork. For example, a historiated capital is usually red and blue ink and the same colors used for the flourishes within the document with no additional artwork as it is seen with a manuscript with an illuminated capital.


figure 2
The next step is to color in the rest of the illuminated capital. Most of the time the letter was surrounded by a "box" of color and then highlighted markings were added on top. The common mistake I see people make when using gouache is that the paint is too transparent,so when they try to paint the highlighted florals they do not show up. Illuminated capital exercises are a good way to practice getting the right consistencies. If the color is too washed then it will resemble a lot like watercolor in a traditional sense. But if you take a good look at what period example you are using you can see if that technique was used or not. Most of time as is the case with illuminated capitals the paint was "thicker". See my example (figure 2) where I have used too much water and the gouache is too thin versus the right consistency needed for this style of illumination.



Try it out and see what works for you and what works for the materials you have. You will learn what you like or dislike about your paintbrushes, paints and even the type or brand of paper you use. Currently I use Reeves gouache but plan on ordering Windsor & Newton when money allows. I use either Canson or Bristol vellum papers but prefer Pergamenta and use that for special projects. For paint brushes I love Loew-Cornell or Painter's Touch. For calligraphy I am still experimenting and do not have a favorite. However I am currently using the Manuscript pens with the ink cartridges and also use plain nibswith the dip ink method. I hope that this short tutorial will help you but if you have any questions please feel free to email me arwynn16(at)gmail.com.

In Service, Rohesia Anven of Thessalonica
Nottinghill Coill MoAS (warrant is in the mail!)
Canton of Cyddlain Downs

Sources
:Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
MS. Don. b. 5, fol. 263r (Detail)
MS. Bywater adds. 2, fol. 64v (Detail)

Kings College, Cambridge
Illuminated Capital 'R' on a Royal Licence of Richard II, 1393 (WEL/19)

Paulus Swaen old Map auction and galleries
Anonymous, Manuscript leaf with 2-line illuminated capital

Bardic Arts: Songwriting by Vincent d'Orleans

To Not Be Here (Haigen's Song)

I can still remember before I was born
Angels sat beside me on a summer morn
Though it now is cloudy, somewhere I recall
They told me I could choose to be anyone at all.

I looked out from the heavens as far as I could see
At all the many wonders, so much I could be
Would I be the wisest, richest, or a knight
Or find a world of treasure of another kind.

I must have looked forever and could not make a choice
Until I heard the whisper of a single voice
Singing soft and sweetly beside a gentle stream
I took it for a calling, what else could it mean?

This is my decision, it is very clear
I will have the simple, take my comfort there
I'll not be a warrior, I'll not be a king
Give me words and music, I will gladly sing.

When I am uncertain, when I am unsure
I try to remember what I bargained for
I could have had it easy, life without a care,
But it would not have suited me to not be here.

YULE TOY TOURNEY V

As the leaves change color and fall from the trees, the weather gets colder and the Yuletide Season approaches. It is a time to curl up beside a warm fire on a chilly winter’s night and enjoy the peaceful joy of the season in the company of loved ones. But let us all also remember those who need our help the most at this festive time of year. The Barony of Nottinghill Coill would like all to join us for our annual Yule Toy Tourney and help bring the spirit of Yuletide to needy children in the upstate of South Carolina. Each new, unwrapped toy donated will be hand delivered on Christmas Eve to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience this magical time of the year!

The Country Santa has been working many years to give toys to needy children in the upstate. ALL toys will be donated to this most worthy organization! The website for The Country Santa is http://www.countrysanta.org/

Martial Activities:

Heavy and Rapier Tourneys will be “gift tourneys”. Each fighter will be given two “gifts”. If you are defeated on the field, your opponent will tell you whom to present the gift to on their behalf. There will be additional gifts at the MoL table so that eliminated fighters can buy back in to the tourney for a $5.00 donation to “Country Santa”. The winner of each tourney will be the last fighter with a gift remaining.

Archery Shoot will be a Holiday Themed test of skill and accuracy.


Arts & Sciences Activities:

1) Best Handmade Toy (does not have to be period)

2) Best Baked Item (breads, cookies, etc.)

3) Best Yuletide Ornament

While documentation is not required, extra points will be given if it is included!


Cost:

SITE ENTRY: One new UNwrapped toy per Gentle. For Fighters: one new UNwrapped toy per Fighter, per weapon form. All toy donations will go to “Country Santa” of Pickens County SC.

Lodging: $10.00 per person. This covers lodging for Friday and Saturday Nights in dormitory-style rooms that sleep from 6 to 12 persons. Each room has its own heating/cooling unit and bathroom. Lodging will be limited to the 1st 50 gentles who register, so register early!

Feast: $10.00 per person. As a special treat, Saturday evening, three of the foremost chefs in the Barony will participate in a “Medieval Iron Chef” challenge. Lady Jamila, Lady Milicent, and Captain Nichola will each prepare feast portions using a secret ingredient to be chosen by Their Excellencies and announced during Baronial Court at War of the Wings. Feast is limited to 80 gentles, so don’t miss out!

Site: Wesleyan Camp, Tabor Building. 125 Bethany Cove Drive, Pickens, SC 29671

Site Restrictions: Site is Dry. No Fire Pits or Open Fires. Smoking in designated areas only. No pets.

Autocrat: Brandon Caiside (Brandon Cassady). PO Box 543, Easley, SC 29641. Phone: (864) 404-6796. Email: bcaiside AT yahoo.com

Classifieds

Longbow for Sale.
Hawk Brand. 66" long, draws 25# at 26". Three years old. $90.
Contact: Mistress Aidan (Donna Conrad), dconrad(at)comporium.net, 803-327-0813

Dukkering, Chapter One: Consciousness by Baron Bardulf


Consciousness, when it arrived, simply hurt.

Maybe the damned priest was right.....I am bound for Hell...

That the rhythm of pain kept pace with a heartbeat and thus gave evidence of life blessed her with an odd sort of comfort.

The gray peace of oblivion enfolded once again......

"HOW'S THE DRUNK?"

A blast of cold air invaded the lungs and dragged her once more amongst the living. Dulcinaya rose upon one elbow and faced the open door. Squinting through a single blood-shot eye, she discerned Elphin's silhouette.

She gave him a terse description of how his ancestor's unfortunate mating choices had cursed this land with his existence. He smirked, shook his head and slammed the door with malicious effort.

"Damned gadjos - why do I keep taking in every stray dog?"

"Go easy on him. When you didn't come home on Sunday morn, Elphin went to fetch you. The rest of us thought nothing of it - after all, it wouldn't be the first time you and the serving wench got snockered after hours." Katherine spoke gently. "Elphin carried you all the way from the tavern by himself. He swears he didn't drop you on your head more than twice."

"Where am I?"

"You're in your own bed. You're safe - now shut up and lie down."

Katherine pressed a cold rag against Dulcy's forehead.

"By the way, Morwenna says you're not drunk and you don't have a hangover - you've been drugged."

"Mow....who?"

"Mor-Wen-Nah... remember her? She's another stray-dog gadjo you took in recently. That 'dog' has been with you ever since Elphin brought you in - she left only after I threatened to throw her out."

Dulcinaya took a deep breath and held her eyes shut.

"Whenever I can eat again, I'd like a large plate of crow."

"Save the humility. We all know you're not well."

"How did Morwenna know that I was drugged?"

Katherine remained silent and only raised an eyebrow - a prudent woman never revealed where such knowledge came from.

"Leave those things to the healers."

Dulcy rolled upright, sat on the edge of the bed and buried her face in her hands.

"Morwenna said to give this to you when you were strong enough. She said it would help clear your head."

Dulcy gave the potion a sniff and recoiled.

"Augggh! This stuff smells awful!"

"Drink it, it's good for you."

"Drink it? - I'd sooner kiss a pig's........."

"Aysha's sow just had a litter. I'll fetch one for you - got any preferences?"

When presented in that manner, the correct choice was obvious. Dulcinaya took a few deep breaths, steeled herself and downed the entire dose in a single gulp. Her eyes bulged as the cup shattered on the floor.

"Oh - My - Gawd." The words were forced out between croaking gasps.

"You were supposed to sip it, dammit."

"Yeah, thanks for telling me. I hope that was fun to watch."

Katherine placed a finger to her lips to compel silence and gave a quick glance about to make sure there were no others present.

"After Morwenna told me you had been drugged, I was pretty sure that you had been robbed." Katherine leaned close and spoke in a low voice. "As soon as she left, I looked to see if there was anything in your purse."

" - Bet it was kind of empty, eh? - At least I know the bastards didn't get much..."

"- Shut up and let me finish. When I emptied your purse onto the table there were three coppers.."

"- So what? That's just about all I ever have....."

"... and ten gold florins..."

Katherine waited until the shock began to fade from Dulcinaya's face.

"Close your mouth, you look like a fish."

"Y'know, sometimes your sense of humor really gets on my nerves....."

"I wasn't joking and you have some explaining to do. What happened at the tavern?"

"I'm having trouble remembering anything from last night. Hell, when I woke up, I didn't recognize my own vardo."

"It didn't happen last night. Today is Monday - you've been unconscious for a whole day."

Dulcinaya collapsed back onto the bed and wrapped the pillow around her head.

"Gimme some time, this may take a while to piece together."