Merry

Twelfth

Night!

Letter of Intent: Baron Takeda & The Honorable Lady Ariel Benne Douw

Greetings unto Their Majesties, Tsar Vladimir and Tsarina Kalisa from Baron Takeda Yoshinaka and The Honorable Lady Ariel Benne Douw,

We hope this missive finds you in good health and good spirits.

We offer ourselves as candidates for Baron and Baroness of Nottinghill Coill. We hope that Your Majesties, and the Gentles of our Barony, find us acceptable to serve in this position.

We both have enjoyed the Society for over twenty years and have a wide range of experiences. We hope to share that joy and experience with the populace of our Barony. We have held positions as Canton Seneschals (St. Georges and Ritterwald, respectively), are inductees in the Coill’s Champions (Heavy and Rapier, respectively), and are both members of the Gordian Knot, the highest service award in the Barony of Nottinghill Coill. Takeda has been Baronial Seneschal since September 2009 and has worked closely with Baron Geldamar and Baroness Etain.

Our goal is to continue the growth that has occurred in recent years. We would achieve this through encouraging more Events, Demos and public Fighter practices. Nottinghill Coill is a fun and active Barony. We will encourage our friends in the neighboring Kingdom to participate in Baronial activities (and attempt to start a border war with them!). We will continue to strive to make this Barony, and the Kingdom, grow.

We understand the duties and responsibilities that come with being Baron and Baroness and we have come to this decision after much reflection and consideration.

We have spoken with our respective families, friends, and Cantons, and have their full support in this endeavor. Since we come from two different Cantons we would have a larger support base and can cover more of the Baronial activities, such as Canton business meetings, A&S activities, and fighter practices which will show more Baronage support throughout the Barony. We hope you find our qualifications exemplary. We wish to build on the successful tenure of our current Baron and Baroness, Geldamar and Etain, and to continue to foster the camaraderie that we have experienced throughout our Barony in recent years. We submit this letter with all due respect and honor.

As always we remain,
In Service to the Dream,
Baron Takeda & The Honorable Lady Ariel

Baron Takeda Yoshinaka/Andrew M. Dutschke
(864) 430-5524
barontakeda {AT} yahoo.com

THL Ariel Benne Douw/Dawn Gillas
(803) 221-1427
gillasd {AT} bellsouth.net

Letter of Intent: THL Donal Oneal and Lady Milicent Shiveley

Unto the Their Royal Majesties Vladimir and Kalisa, Their Excellencies of Nottinghill Coill, Geldamar and Etain, SC/GA Regional Seneshal Baroness Bessenyei Rozsa, and the populous of our fair Barony, do we, THL Donal Oneal and Lady Milicent Shiveley send greetings.

Please know that it is our desire to be included in the polling for the next Baron and Baroness of Nottinghill Coill. In our years in this wonderful Barony, we have served as officers, event stewards, feast stewards, and have lead many workshops in the field of Arts and Sciences. We have formed many long lasting and valued friendships and learned more than we could have ever  imagined in the process.

Our goals are simple. We will act as an advocate for the populace by supporting and encouraging the growth of the martial arts, the A&S community and the guilds they have established including increasing the archery presence in our fair Barony. We would seek to increase teaching and learning activities at events and through workshops and collegiums throughout the Barony. We work well together, giving each other support and we believe the strength that we share will help Nottinghill Coill and it's Cantons continue on a positive path of growth.

Should we be chosen, we would happily put aside all personal pursuits in order to properly serve the Barony while promoting all activities and events and the great and varied skills of the populace in all areas. We would consider it a great honor and privilege to serve the populace of Nottinghill Coill, the fair Kingdom of Atlantia and the Society.

THL Donal Oneal
MKA: Donny O'Neal DRO322 {AT} aol.com
843-917-4511

Lady Milicent Shiveley
MKA: Robin O'Neal Hagatha819 {AT} aol.com
843-917-4511

Events, Demos, and Gatherings

2-4	Fall Coronation (R,H)	Marinus	Spring Grove, VA
10	Chalice of the Sun God	Ponte Alto	Leesburg, VA
14-18	War of the Wings X (R)	Sacred Stone	Boonville, NC
24	Dun Carraig Baronial Birthday	Dun Carraig	Waldorf, MD
24	Marinus Baronial Birthday and Investiture (R)	Marinus	Portsmouth, VA
31	All Hallows XXXV	Berley Cort	Courtland, VA
31	Harvest Border Wars	Bright Hills	Westminster, MD

For more event information, please visit the Kingdom of Atlantia Calendar of Events Page

Luminaries Illuminated: The History of Jonathen Hawke

I was born on Dec 2, 1159 to a Lady-in-Waiting to Eleanor of Aquitaine. My father was a Knight who refused to acknowledge my birth. Upon hearing the news of the betrayal, my young mother immediately then threw herself from a parapet. 

My maternal grandfather, who himself was a Baron in Brittany, agreed to take me, then hours-old, home to raise as his own. I was taught to read and write as well as the art of the sword and the lance. My grandfather loved me well from the first, creating a strong bond between the old warrior and myself. I learned all I knew from the knee of the Baron, and we would often spar until late into the evening.

By the age of 13, I was well-accomplished at sword and lance and knew much of the outer world. One day out hunting boar with my grandfather, I caught the notice of a young Prince Richard. Invited to join the Royal Hunt, Prince Richard and I spent several days together and eventually became life-long friends. We two often spent hours hunting and sparring together, each matched equally well.  

In 1175, I helped my friend and Prince put down a formidable revolt, exacting homage from the court of Toulouse.

I was yet again with the young Prince when Young Henry invaded Aquitaine, staying at Richard’s side - unlike those whose names I will not mention.

In June of 1191, I left with my King for the Crusades for the Holy Land. At Acre, we joined with the other Crusaders and we reduced it to rubble. Sometime later the same year, we met the Devil himself in the form of Saladin. At Arsurf, twice we fiercely fought and won, but in that second battle I was severely wounded, an arrow to the shoulder and two more – one in each leg. Dragged from the field, I regretted my wounds that prevented me from continuing the fight. As I lay bleeding, the King Himself came into the tent of the hospitaller tent to comfort me and to tell me of the outcome to the battle. He told me they were going to have to take their leave, but before going, He had a few gifts for me as a sign of our friendship and my loyalty over the years preceding. One, he granted me my Award of Arms. Two, upon the death of my beloved grandfather, I was to be granted his familial lands and property. Only then did my friend and companion bid me farewell.

I spent the next four months recuperating with the Knights Hospitallers, and at last was then sent homeward.

Upon my arrival home in August of 1193, my grandfather had a lavish banquet prepared for me in my honor. Later that evening, I was introduced to a couple and their young daughter from the Black Forest. Grandfather had arranged a marriage between the young Katyn and me. Three years later, we at last were wed on a clear and bright morning in June.

Over the next twelve years we were gifted with five children, three of whom were boys and two girls, but the last birth was especially difficult. Two days later, my beloved was gone. The babe, however, lived and thrived.

Life was not the same after 1208. My friend and benefactor, King Richard died merely a year later. Things just kept getting worse for me. We had a terrible blight that year, and a drought the year that followed. Finally, in 1211, my neighbors came raiding. My oldest saw them first, riding over the fences. He took to horse and rode in sounding the alarm. We had no time to gather in crops or livestock. It was close quarter combat. I saw my middle son go down with an arrow in his neck. The next thing I remember is having two of the enemy upon me. Daniel, my eldest, yelled for me to hold on for he was coming toward us. I keep on fighting for dear life, my arms getting sorer, my legs tired. I feel a slice burning into my right arm and the ground rising to meet me. I sense a second, cutting deep into my stomach. My blood spills out, pooling around me as my guts spew forth. As the light leaves my eyes and the very life force seeps from my body, I hear a hawk screaming high above as he circles the field below. Alas, the Hawke will fight no more.

War Stories

I was walking past Beggars Row one afternoon, doing some shopping, and saw a little Mime trying to earn a six-pence.  There were also two girls attempting to bellydance, but they kept bumping into the Mime. Having had enough, the Mime turns to the two girls -- here I expected a strong gesture, but instead heard, “Do you two freaking mind! I’m trying to mime here!” a man walked up and gave the Mime a dollar, and I walked away laughing!

Lady Frida

The Orange by Rani Dulcinaya the 'Gypcian

This was written many years ago for a tribemate who wanted a creative way to ask Atlantian Royal if they were willing to indenture him for Pennsic.  It was sent to Queen Niobe, and I just found it in a forgotten drawer, long after I’d given it up for lost. Anyways, it gave me a nostalgic chuckle and I thought I’d share, so hope you enjoy it.

Your Majesty,

Please forgive the length of this missive. I have a bit of explaining to do, I’m afraid.

My name is Lord Edmund of Canterbury, and I believe I have something that may belong to You, and with the Great War approaching, I feel You may be in need of Your property in Your camp.

I must needs confess, my Sovereign, that my great vice is gambling. I was involved in a riddle contest one evening with some of my fellows, in which we made bets on who could come up with the best riddle based on some object that could be found on one’s person.  I am afraid, my dear Queen, and for this I beg Your forgiveness, that for this purpose I borrowed an orange-fruit from Your table without Your leave.

When it came my turn I came up with a riddle so funny, so clever, and so inappropriate that I could not help but win. I will forego repeating it here for the obvious reasons.

The next day, while enjoying the fruits of my wit in a local public-house, I attracted the ire of a young bravo of the sort that gives Your own good Rapier scholars a bad name. I became involved in a duel with this villain. Majesty, I had no quarrel with this boy, and the whole thing had unsettled me. I was not at my best, and ale had made my opponent bold. He thrust at my chest.I sloppily parried the thrust down into my own side. I felt it connect, then penetrate, but oddly felt no pain. My opponent fled, fearful the constables would find him over my corpse. I looked down at myself. Orange juice dribbled out of my doublet. Your orange-fruit had saved my life!

A few days later I found myself indulging in my vice once again in a game of Whist.  My fellow and I were evenly matched in our wager, until I upped him the orange-fruit.  He looked at me as if I had gone mad and declined to accept it. I said to him, “Wait! This orange-fruit is charmed. It saved my life!” Then I told him how my luck had changed since gaining the fruit.

He thought about this and agreed that indeed, it must be a special thing indeed, but he wished to match my bet and call my hand. “How about I put up my indentured man, a jongleur and musician of some skill?” says he. I did not like that idea. My orange was charmed by the Gods of Luck, after all. I did not wish to bet against lesser value.

“But no,” says my fellow, “my jongleur once stole my dinner from the kitchen. It was revealed the food was tainted, and he grew grievous sick from it. He almost died. Had he not stolen my dinner, it would have been me that almost died. So he almost saved my life. He’s very nearly as good as your orange!”

So, true to my luck, I did indeed win the game of Whist, and with it this Jongleur, who is named Alwyn Fether the Foolish. But alas, my guilt at robbing You of so valuable a prize as that orange-fruit gnawed at me like a worm. I set about plans to return Your property to You at once and beg Your mercy and forgiveness.

Majesty, I am horrified and in much anguish to have to report to You that this Fool, which I have won in this game of Whist, has eaten Your orange-fruit. May pestilence rain down on me all the days of my life for this to have happened  in my house, especially when it may have served You so well during the War.

So I humbly ask if Your Most Gracious Majesty will accept this Fool Alwyn Fether the Foolish as an indentured servant to lieu of Your irretrievably lost property. He is in fact very talented. He is an unequaled dancing-master and can teach and lead court and country dances of all variety. He is a skilled musician. he is a fine juggler, drawing gasps of wonder from one and all as knives and flames whirl around his head. He can do miraculous feats with burning flame, lighting torches with his bare hands and with his mouth as would a very dragon! All this, and he is terribly useful in a kitchen or encampment, making himself valuable to your own servants. He is a skilled cook! He is of agreeable temperament and fair of face and form. In all, my friend spoke true- he is indeed nearly as good as Your orange.

Do beware, however, that he wears about his neck on a cord a small red wagon wheel painted round with the yellow gilly-flowers. If I am not mistaken, I believe that is the mark of the local tribe of ‘Gypcians around here in Cyddlain Downs, although I am convinced the man is not of the black blood himself. Perhaps under Your guidance he could be salvaged from the vile life of a vagabond before he ends up in prison or at the end of a rope.

I realize that it is a bit of an expense to carry such indentured servants in one’s entourage, but it would be a small price to pay to gain a bit of entertainment and personal help in one’s kitchen or encampment.  I understand that he has some experience being indentured at past Wars, so your Steward would hardly have to train him at all.

If you are interested, I would be honored if Your Steward would contact my Steward. And I again thank You for Your mercy regarding my most dishonorable theft.


Your Humble and Devoted Servant,
Lord Edmund of Canterbury

Letter from the Baronage

Greetings to the wonderful people of Nottinghill Coill, from your humble Baron and Baroness.  I'd like to apologize for our lack of letters in recent newsletters, but we've had a very busy summer.  The Canton Ritterwald held a fantastic demo in the park, which drew attention of many in their area and hopefully will see a growth in their ranks.  Our summer Collegium was very well attended, and I'm sure many new skills were acquired.   Now we prepare for Pennsic War and although there will not be many from our Barony we will make sure that Nottinghill Coill is well represented.  Our new war banners will see their first flight in the Opening Ceremonies, and let the other baronies of this fine kingdom see a glimpse of the glory that we will be bringing to War of the Wings.  We will rest soundly knowing that this southern border will be held strong while the might of Atlantia is occupied with Pennsic.

We will be preparing for our own war as soon as we return. 

Our Southern War Practice in Ritterwald this September will give us a chance to hone our fighting skills and plan our encampment.  Please remember to send your confirmation and tent information to Baroness Delia, as we will begin planning the camp layout when we have sufficient reservations.  

Lastly, we have many Baronial officer positions open at this time.  If you have not served as a Baronial officer, please take a moment to consider if this might enrich your experience in the SCA.  None of the offices are taxing, yet they do provide opportunities to give back to the hobby that gives us so much.

Yours in Service,

Geldamar and Etain, Baron and Baroness


Photo: Baron Bardulf

Geoffrey Chaucer: Literary Genius? Of course, AND he used ciphers in his work.

by Baron Lucien de La Rochelle

“A secret between two people is only safe if one of them is dead”. I have no idea who should be credited with this statement, but it holds true for much of history. Since the beginning of the written language, there are those who strive to keep secrets written down and those who strive to learn those secrets. Cryptography, from the Greek words kryptos (hidden) and graphia (writing), is the study of both encryption and decryption of ciphers and codes. Concentrating on ciphers for this work, I will give a brief explanation of how ciphers work and a little history leading up to the Vigenere Cipher used in this work.

Ciphers have been in use since an unnamed scribe in ancient Egypt enciphered the hieroglyphs on a pharaoh's tomb to add dignity to the writing. Julius Caesar, one of the world's greatest generals, knew of the importance of keeping plans from his enemies and used what is now known as the Caesar Cipher. Encryption of letters is one of the arts that are discussed in the Kama Sutra. Even the Bible has two known and three suspected ciphers in it.

Secret formulae, diplomatic dispatches, love letters, even some diaries have known the touch of encryptions. The English monk, Roger Bacon, once stated in his “Secret Works of Art and the Nullity of Magic” (written about mid-thirteenth century) “A man is crazy who writes a secret in any other way than one which will conceal it from the vulgar”. He then lists seven ways of using ciphers. Even Geoffrey Chaucer, father of English literature seems to have used encipherment.

Born in 1343, Geoffrey Chaucer played many roles in his time. Some of them the usual for someone of his station: page, courtier, diplomat, civil servant, and even prisoner of war! But it is his writings they make him famous in these modern times. Known especially for his unfinished “Canterbury Tales”, he was the first to prove that the English language could be used, effectively, for stories, poems, and fables.

Chaucer was also quick to pursue other studies that took his fancy. In the field of Astronomy, he created a work (for his son) called “Treatise on the Astrolabe”; and is (so far) credited for the work “The Equatorie of the Planetis”. Though there is still some dissent in the literary community as to whether or not Chaucer actually wrote “The Equatorie of the Planetis”, most of the leading researchers believes that it is written in his hand and seems to be a continuation of the treatise.

In the Equatorie, there appear several passages that are enciphered. While most of the volume is filled with formulae, the enciphered sections seem to be cheats for not having to use the “long form” of the mathematics involved. As an example, I have reproduced an enciphered section which when deciphered reads:

“This table servith for to entre in to the table of equacion of the mone on either side”.

In modern terms, forget all of the formula that I have just previously given you, place the values you have into this table and it will give you the answer.

More enciphered passages are written throughout the text, usually following formulae for different equations. No explanation can be found in the writings, but one could conclude that it was given as some form of test, since it is a follow up to the first work.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this and observe my work. I hope you have enjoyed perusing this as much as I enjoyed creating it.  I have a longer “short” history of codes and ciphers with me at this event. If you wish more information, please feel free to ask. I am always happy to spread the knowledge of historical encryption whenever given the chance (okay, I am just really enamored with the sound of my own voice).

Care was taken to reproduce the letters as close as possible to the look of the original.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have in writing.

Baron Lucien de La Rochelle

www.freewebs.com/crypticallymedieval/  

Sources:

Kahn, David The Codebreakers: The Story of Secret Writing. Macmillan Company, New York, Copyright 1967 (No ISBN) Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 63-16109.

Singh, Simon The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography. Anchor Publishing, 2000 ISBN: 0385495323

The Geoffrey Chaucer Website, maintained by Harvard University. http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/index.html

Chaucer Meta-page, maintained by the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) http://www.unc.edu/depts/chaucer/

Luminaries Illuminated: Rohesia Anvyn

Rohesia Anven was born in the year 1090, the youngest of four siblings, in France. Her siblings were born in both France & Italy... Richard, her father, is a prominent merchant. A much different profession than her uncles, soldiers in the Norman army, but it provided her father the opportunity to capitalize the family wealth in the wake of her uncle's conquests. Because he had one good strength and where her father lacked in martial combat he made up for it in diplomacy and charisma. Her fondest memories of her father are the trinkets he would bring home from his travels for her and her siblings even from such far away places like Egypt!

Her younger years she moved a lot but it did not take long for her father to build a very successful trade businesses in Venice, Italy where she lived the longest as a child. Eventually her father's business led to ties within the Komnenoi ruled Byzantine courts. It was then that her older sister, Ysabel, would not only have the dowry but also the opportunity to meet and marry a rich and well to-do Greek, Nikolaos. Rohesia, then 13, and her eldest brother Aimery, moved with her sister to her new household in Thessloniki. There they helped with the expansion of her family's business. Aimery along with Nikolaos ran the daily operation of the trade business in Thessaloníki moving goods between the family's business in Italy and France. At this point time takes us to the year 1103 and Thessaloniki is where she currently remains helping her sister with domestic duties and which also afforded her such opportunities to learn to read, write and learn from a variety of scholastic topics.  She spends her spare time copying letters and illuminated works as gifts for friends.

Rohesia's Family (who may appear in future stories):

Father: Richard (b. 1063, France)
Mother: Aveline (b.1066, France)
Brothers: Aimery (b. 1084 in Italy),  Guymar (b. 1087 in France)
Sister: Ysabel (b. 1083 in France)
Brother-in-law: Nikolaos ( Thessaloníki b. 1078, m. 1103)

Uncles: Gunthar (b. 1050, France), Lothar (b. 1052, France)
Aunts: Genevieve (b. 1054, m. 1079 to Gunthar), Jeanne (b. 1068, Aveline's sister)

---------------

Photo: Baron Bardulf

Nottinghill Coill A&S Exchange Round #2

Time for our next Nottinghill Coill A&S Exchange to begin! This round we are going to do things a bit differently, but still keep it fun and exciting. The first change is that in this round documentation will be HIGHLY encouraged. The reason behind this is the delivery date. The delivery date for this round will at Yule Toy Tourney (Saturday, December 8, 2012). We have been granted a table or two to allow us to show off our works for the populace and for our visiting King and Queen. It will be a great way to showcase the artisans of Nottinghill Coill.

Sign up for this round is now open and will end on Wednesday, August 1, 2012. You will then receive your recipients info by Sunday, August 5, 2012. Please read the brief rules and description below and if you would like to participate, then please send me (Milicent aka Robin O’Neal – Hagatha819 AT aol DOT com) the following information:

SCA Name

LegalName

Address

Email

Tell us about what colors, animals, or about things you like?

Do you have registered arms? If so what are they? (Please give the wording)

What do you do within the SCA?

What arts/crafts, marshaled activities or interests do you participate in?

What are your sizes? (shirt, dress, etc)

Any other information you’d like to share with your artisan?


Rules for Round #1:

1. HAVE FUN!

2. This is a documentation ENCOURAGED exchange. No more than $25 should be spent on materials for the item you are making.

3. There will be 2 MANDITORY check ins so a valid email address will be needed.

4. This is a secret exchange so don’t let on who you are making your item for.

5. Once you have received your item please share pics with us!

6. Deadlines:

a. Sign up for this round will close at Midnight on Wednesday, August 1, 2012.

b. Name of your recipient will be sent to you by Sunday, August 5, 2012.

c. Deadline to withdraw from this round is Saturday, September 1, 2012.

d. Item should be delivered to Yule Toy Tourney on Saturday, December 8, 2012 (please include any documentation, your name, AND the name of your recipient.) If you are not attending Yule Toy Tourney, please have someone else deliver it for you.

7. Remember since we are not telling who has who, if you have any questions or need information from your recipient, please let me know and I will email/ask the participant and send that information to you.

In Service
Lady Milicent Shiveley

Pennsic Fracking Issues

I just talked to several people at Butler county water quality division.  Fracking is not new and has been going on since the 1960’s in the area.  The contaminations comes from old coal mining in the area not Fracking.  One man lives in Butler and knows about Pennsic and said there is no record of contaminated

water so far in the area.  He has been involved is water sample collection in the area.  He said the only violations on water quality have been after heavy rain where the runoff from the Fracking well platform was contaminated with chemicals, but no more than if it were a housing project.   

Suggested Sites to use: www.BCCDonline.org or google "efacts oil and gas"

Scott Lux at DPT oil and gas (814-332-6865) says he thinks it is safe for “this summer”, but we would need to keep Check on this for the future (after actual drilling begins).  He has had no actual problems with water quality in the area.  He said people complained about the fracking in the area east of Coopers lake, and the company involved thought that to make the people feel better they would give them water buffaloes for their drinking water.  (This bottled water turned out to be better quality than their safe well water The wells were tested and found to have no contamination) so they started fighting to keep the free bottled water. He also states since it is a large public gathering, at a public campground, the Coopers are supposed to have the water tested before each Pennsic anyway.  The results of the testing are supposed to be public – If these are, I have never seen them –where would/should they be posted at Pennsic? (If not posted they need to be, especially this year )

We will pass this on to our area here – may make some people feel better (me included), at least for this year. 

Hope this helps,

Lady Katherine d'Orleans

Konnichiwa & Greetings to the Populace of Nottinghill Coill

We are now accepting bids for Baronial Birthday & Investiture for the weekend of February 22-24, 2013. Send bids to me at:

barontakeda (AT) yahoo.com

As Their Excellencies, Geldamar & Etain, will be stepping down, there will be a Baronial Polling later in the year. More details will be posted as we get closer to the date. As always I remain....

In Service to the Dream,

Baron Takeda Yoshinaka

Seneschal, Barony of Nottinghill Coill

Opinion: What’s The Fracking Problem?

Apparently after this Pennsic, Fracking operations are planned on Cooper’s Lake campground property. They are already occurring in the surrounding area.  What is Fracking you ask? This is what I have found.

Natural gas is trapped underground in a huge deposit called Marcellus Shale, a geologic formation that stretches from Tennessee to New York.  A drilling technique bores horizontally through the bedrock. Millions of gallons of chemically treated water are pumped in under high pressure to break up the shale and release the gas. This is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Millions of gallons of toxic water are created in the process. Some of that fluid remains underground. Some will comes back out as waste water, bringing with it benzene, brine, radioactivity, and heavy metals. The risks and environmental impacts are sensitive, controversial subjects, while the political/financial pressure to support these operations is firmly established. There have been several thousand wells drilled in Pennsylvania over the past few years for this purpose, apparently with minimal oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

There are reports surfacing online giving reason for concern. One article describes a woman who lives by a fracking operation in Butler County, Pennsylvania—whose pond bubbles with methane and whose kids have nosebleeds at night. Others describe contamination issues close to Pennsic where water for bathing, not to mention drinking, had to be provided in “Water Buffaloes” because of well contamination.

What does this mean for Pennsic? We don't know if the water is affected yet, or if it will be in the future. We don't know if Cooper's will be an environmentally safe location in years to come. We hope so. We do know enough to know we need to pay diligent attention to this and plan accordingly

I’m not telling people what to do. Learn about fracking yourself, read --- a LOT, and decide.

Lady Katherine d’Orleans
Kumpania Painted Wheel

And The Number Of The Counting Shall Be Three

Sarishan, friends! It’s the time of year when we’re spending a lot of time outdoors in this gorgeous weather, at events, during mundane activities, and even in our own backyards. There’s a lot of things out there in the bushes we need to watch out for, and I hear a lot of misinformation circulating around. 

Even about the bushes themselves. 

I’m talking about the bane of my existence, the one thing I fear more than ticks, mosquitoes, fire ants, bears, or storms. Yes, folks, I’m talking about Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, and Poison Sumac.  It’s a cliché, but it’s true: “Leaflets three, let it be.”

We’ll start out by talking about a few common common lines of thought about the subject, some true and some not. 

False...provided you’ve showered since exposure:  Don’t scratch the rash, you’ll spread it. 

Truth: Usually, the rash comes up on your skin a few days to a week after you’ve been exposed. If you’ve showered since then, the urushiol (the oil that causes the rash) will have washed away. The “spreading” effect that has spawned this idea is due to the fact that the rash comes up on skin at different rates. The liquid inside the blisters does not cause a reaction. However, don’t scratch hard or break the blisters, as doing so leaves you open to infection. 

False...provided you’ve showered since exposure: Don’t touch the rash, you'll catch it. 

Truth: Again, the rashes are not contagious. They don’t spread the rash on you, and they won’t spread it onto other people. Now, what you can do is get exposed to the plant, get the urushiol on you, and then go up and shake hands with someone or hug them. If the urushiol gets on them, they can get a rash, even if they were indoors all day. At that point, it’s like the flu in that you can get it from a doorknob. I’m talking directly to you, people who love to say “Oh, it’s cool, I’m immune to the stuff.” Please be aware that many people are not so lucky and wash up if you’ve been exposed, unless you like the idea of being a misery vector.

False: Sometimes Poison Ivy has five leaves instead of three. Sometimes it has thorns.

Truth: Sometimes Poison Ivy grows mixed in with Virginia Creeper, which looks very, very similar to it except for the five leaves instead of three.  It is possible to get a rash from Virginia Creeper, but for a different reason entirely. Virginia Creeper contains oxalate crystals, which can irritate some people’s skin. The plants are not the same species, and for most folks, Creeper is harmless.

Blackberry is another look alike, only it has thorns. Poison ivy never has thorns. But often it does grow where wild blackberry grows. It’s sneaky like that. Still, it’s like identifying snakes....if you aren’t sure what you’re dealing with, assume it could potentially hurt you and avoid it. 

As for Box Elder...to my eye, it just looks so much like Poison Ivy I can't tell where the tree stops and the Poison Ivy vine that's frequently growing on it starts. It happens, and it's a cruel prank as far as I'm concerned. 

Usually False: I got exposed once, and I didn’t get a rash, so I must be immune.

Truth: You probably won’t the first time get exposed. It’s that next time that you have to worry about. The rash is an immune response. And it’s an unusual one in that it tends to be delayed in most people (hence the long lag in time between exposure and the manifestation of the rash). You might think you’re immune, but every time you get exposed, you risk that being the time you end up finding out how much fun steroid shots aren’t.

False. And possibly criminally negligent: I’ll just burn it out.

Truth: Smoke from this sort of plant could literally kill you or someone else. It can go straight into the lungs, cause a respiratory reaction, and cause you or someone else to asphyxiate. Best way I’ve found to get rid of it is to spray it with Roundup Heavy Brush Killer and wait a week or two. Chopping it out just encourages it and fills it with spite. So poison it, wait till it dies, then very carefully remove the dead plant and bury it. Be aware it can still get revenge even when dead. Which brings us to....

False: It’s winter. I don’t have to worry about it now.

Truth: Oh, yes, my friends. Yes, you do. And it’s even worse in the winter because it’s harder to identify it. Look for vines with reddish, hairy looking bark and little woody shoots that stick straight up and have a little bends near the top. Maybe there will be the remnants of tiny white berries on the stems. Sometimes you can find the dead leaves in the surrounding leaf litter. It can still get you even dead. It’s like the mummy or Nosferatu. Only nastier.

Poison Ivy and Oak prefer disturbed areas, but they can and do grow just about anywhere. I’ve seen them in all sorts of environments, particularly the types of places we like to have events. I’ve seen them in parks and even at Riverbanks Zoo hiding in a planted bed. 

Poison Ivy: This plant matures into a vine and covers trees, fences, anything it can get around. The sets of three leaves are pointed, satiny to shiny, with a jagged margin. The stem on the middle leaf of the trio is often a little longer than the other two. It grows into a vine that when mature, is covered with reddish, hairy fibers that look like they might be fun to touch. They aren’t.

Poison Oak: Same three leaf rule, but the leaves are rounder and the lobes irregular and random. Again, satiny leaves. This plant matures into a gawky-looking shrub that can reach about ten feet, but usually it stays in the two to four foot tall stage in my experience. It gets small green berries that turn white.

Both plants are beautiful in the fall, turning bright shades of yellow and red.

Poison Sumac: Thankfully, fairly rare. It grows in wetlands and is far less common. Which is good, because it’s brutal. The one time I got tangled up with sumac, it sent me to the ER. It can grow into a good sized tree, and has long, compound leaves of seven to thirteen leaves. It looks nothing like Oak or Ivy. I haven’t seen one since (I was at an SCA event in Georgia, actually.), so I haven’t taken any pics of sumac. It would probably behoove you to at least have a passing familiarity with it. You aren’t likely to encounter 

one, but if you do, you could really get messed up.

Learn to identify these. I would almost say avoid Google Images, because I have seen all kinds of crazy things identified as Poison Ivy that isn’t. However, if you do use Google Images, just make sure your sources are reputable. Cross reference heavily. In any case, I’d rather you be wrongly afraid of Virginia Creeper or Sassafras or Box Elder and be safe than not be aware of anything and end up in misery. So if you err, err on the side of caution.

If you are exposed to it, or think you may have been, simply rinse your skin off in cold water (this is important. Use cold water first to avoid opening up your pores.). A splash in a creek or stream will do fine, even a careful rinse-off out of a canteen will help. I carry bottled water in my van at all times for this very reason. You have a very short grace period once you’ve been exposed (I'd call an hour seriously pushing it. Anything less, your mileage may vary.), but it’s not that hard to get it off your skin. 

If you know you’re going to be exposed beforehand, applying Ivy Block to your skin creates a barrier to keep the urushiol off, buying you a little time to clean up before your immune system kicks in and goes crazy. There is also a product called Technu which can be used to help get the urushiol off after exposure. I’ve used both, and I recommend both, but in all honesty, plain cold water will work if that’s all you have. Be aware of urushiol contaminating your clothing, too, and act accordingly. I recommend undressing right there in front of your washing machine and not contaminating your living areas. Rinse off with cold water, and then...and ONLY then, take a hot shower. Under no circumstances should you take a bath. A bath will redistribute any urushiol left on your skin and coat you in something you really don’t want to be coated in.

These things might sound extreme. However, I’m the most allergic person I know to this stuff, I spend a lot of time in the woods, and I rarely get into this kind of trouble. That’s because I am paranoid and I treat urushiol as if it were radioactive kryptonite. Because for me, it is. It is possible to have an anaphylactic response to this stuff. Not only that, but wallowing obliviously in the stuff during your first week of Pennsic can really ruin your will to live the second week. You don’t want ivy rash at War. You don’t want it ever. Pay attention, learn a little woodlore, play safe!

Lacho drom!

Rani Dulcinaya the ‘Gypcian

Kumpania Painted Wheel