Nice quote about leaving the SCA

"I miss all the good parts. I tend to view the SCA like the Princess Bride or Moby Dick. With just the good parts it’s really wonderful but with the whole unabridged version it can get to you. (Chapter two --- the Whale.) Still, even though I don’t do much with it. I’m grateful for all it did for me… I would be missing such a large part of my life without it."

Clare RosMuir St. John, Ansteorra

We were chatting by e-mail, and she said she's not angry about anything, she just outgrew the need and interest and some other things, like cleaning her house, are more interesting now.

I think that's true of many people. For various reasons another interest or focus takes more of one's life until the SCA is smaller.

Comments, ideas, theories and disputations are welcome. :-)javascript:void(0)

Art, contrast and anachronism for sure!

Gather Ye Olde Suburban Knights
September 15, 2010
by CLAIRE O'NEILL



That is from an NPR blog article by Claire o'Neill, interviewing E. F. Kitchen, the photographer and author of Suburban Knights.

The web page and the project are fascinating. Click on the other shields at those links for other details, images and information. the book isn't ordered directly from the author, but sources are listed in North America, Germany and the UK.

My favorite detail is the 19th century technology for photographing 21st century medieval knights. It reminds me of the images of the Eglinton Tournament of 1839. Photography was starting to happen, but not of such things as that yet.

Thanks to Christine Sanders for send me the initial link!

Chronicle of Aten Coronation, Outlands Investiture 1977

A few days ago I scanned a couple of photos of when I got my Award of Arms on December 17, 1977 (A.S. XII).

This morning in an entirely unrelated situation, someone asked me to check whether Einrich Armpittsbane was knighted by Ton or Koris. "Probably Koris," I said, but said I would check. I called Gunwaldt. "Probably Koris," he said. I said I would check.

From the January issue of Southwind, which was published in Caerthe in those days, and please note that Meridies was still part of Atenveldt. Atenveldt was the fourth of four kingdoms. Meridies was soon to become the fifth. I left that part of the page to place it more clearly on the timeline.

Here's my during and after award of arms photos. "Lady AElflaed" sounds much prettier than any title I've ever had.

The Stag and Chalice

Awarded to Gunwaldt in March 13, 2010 by Bela and Anna.



The scroll was made by Rosslin Katrin Von Hohenzollern. The notes from the back are here:

The passing of Leif Ivarson

Being old, my memories of Leif Ivarson are most vivid from when he was a young man, not yet a squire, not a knight. I knew him through those stages. I knew him as he served as king, and grew older, but he moved and I took refuge within walls.

On Tuesday, July 13, he died in an accident at work. One memorial page is here, and if anyone who reads this knows of others, please leave a note below.

http://sandradodd.com/people/leifivarson

This photo was taken just over a week before his death, at Battlemore, by Gabrielle Angel Dee Lilly:

Trivia or history or biography?

I was invited to do a list of things about me on facebook today, and when I went to see whether I had already done it, I found this. It's probably more likely to be of interest to people who come by here than on facebook.

SCA MemeShare
Friday, May 15, 2009 at 5:52pm | Edit Note | Delete



GENERAL SCA
- Been an officer? (Local, Regional, Kingdom, Society?) – All those levels, shire, barony, principality, kingdom and Society
- Do you have an SCA name? – AElflaed of Duckford
- Do you have an SCA persona? – Saxon, father's a stonemason and wood carver... some stuff like that.
- Changed persona because of different garb? – There used to be "Come as you aren't" revels...
- Been adopted by a person, household or clan? – Founded households and adopted others, I suppose.
- Had a name and/or device accepted by the SCA College of Arms? – Yes
- Had a name and/or device rejected by the SCA College of Arms? – No.
- Been taken or taken as an apprentice, protege or squire? – It wasn't the thing in those days.
- Have rank higher than an Award of Arms? – yes

EVENTS
- Been an Event Steward/Autocrat? – Yes.
- Kingdom level or local level? – shire, baronial, principality, kingdom
- Cooked an Event? – Dishes for a feast but not whole feast; smaller period meals for formal camping and household, sure.
- Taught a class at an event? - yes
- Run an activity at an event? - yes

FIGHTING/MARTIAL ARTS
- Ever fought at an event? - nope

ARTS & SCIENCES
- Have you ever entered an A&S contest? -Yes
- Have you ever won an A&S contest? - Yes (categories and bardics, but not championships)
- Ever run an A&S contest? - Bardics, speed calligraphy, never a whole event
- Ever judge/critique items in an A&S contest? - Yes
- Ever Wordsmithed a scroll? - Often
- Illuminated a scroll? – Yes
- Done the Calligraphy for a scroll? – Yes
- Made your own paper? - No.
- Made a book? - Yes
- Make someone's order medallion? - No.
- Write someone in for an award? – Yes
- Have you ever sewn your own garb? - Yes.
- Sewn Garb for others? - Yes.
- Ever been sewing on the way to an event? - Yes
- Ever finished an outfit before an event? - Yes
- Researched and completed an outfit from said research? – I guess a "have you ever researched an outfit?" question is missing. Yes. And made one. Yes.
- Ever taught a class on sewing? - T-tunics and faced facings
- Finished a hat? – yes
- Do you know how to spin? – Have tried for learning purposes but not produced.
- Ever woven your own fabric? - No.
- Do you know how to knit? - No.
- Do you know how to do njalbinding or fingerloop braiding? – No.
- Have you ever dyed your own yarn or fabric? - Yes
- Embroidered a garment? - Yes
- Beaded a garment? – No.
- Ever entertained at a feast? - Yes
- Ever ran a bardic circle? - Yes
- Ever performed in a bardic circle? - Yes.
- Had songs requested from you at such? - Yes
- Ever competed in a formal bardic? - Yes
- Know any period songs? - Yes
- Been banned from a bardic circle for a song/performance, or have a piece you perform banned/controlled? – No.

COURT IN THE SCA
- Ran a court as Royalty (King/Queen or Baron/Baroness)? – Yes
- Ran a court as Herald? - No.
- Heralded at Court? - No.
- Been an Attendant, Guard or Champion at court? - Yes (in coronations)
- Been called to court to receive an award, if so which one/s?- Yes http://sandradodd.com/duckford/awards">0 comments  

Duchess Carol of Bellatrix has passed away

Today have I learned of the passing of a gentle lady, Duchess Carol of Bellatrix.

More details are available here:

http://sandradodd.com/people/obituaries/sca

If any have other details, photos, comments or links for this or any other of those souls who are remembered there, or details of those who are not but should be, please write to me at AElflaed at Sandra Dodd.com, or leave a note below and I will contact you.

First Outlands Coronation

Michael Schneider's Photos - SCA - Outlands First Coronation


That's a link to page two of 29 photos of the first Outlands Coronation, put up on facebook by Michael Schneider (Grimkirk ap Greymoor), in the Atenveldt group area.

For those who aren't on Facebook, you can look here: http://s26.photobucket.com..., thanks to the photographer's generosity in sending me the photos! If you're in there or you want to save photos of friends or of moments, please do, but save the credit with the photo somehow. And Photobucket will say it was me, but I tried to credit Michael/Grimkirk in each comment field.


He has photos of the first Crown Tournament up here: Michael Schneider's Photos - SCA - Outlands 1st Crown (1986)

A twenty-five-year-old love poem

A 25-year-old love poem in the style of a 450-year-old-love poem:

For a love letter contest at a Love Revel in al-Barran in the mid 1980's, I wrote and calligraphed a poem. I might have an image made of it someday, but the text was:

                 GUNWALDT

Like warmth of sun on rocky wall
      When summer's still was here,
As fire makes safe the darkened hall
      And melts all chill of fear,
Your nearness doth my soul enthrall—
      I long to hold you near.

Like morn's first rays o'er vine-clad sills
      As nighttime goes below,
As candle's gaze the darkness fills
      When winter storms may blow,
The gaze of your blue eyes instills
      A bright and lasting glow.

When birds flit down around my bower
      And merry songs all sing,
When dew and breeze make quick each flower
      Which glorious spring did bring,
My heart recalls your gentle power;
      To memories fond I cling.

Your love gives heat to warm my night
      And light to make bright day;
The joy you give is yours by right—
      I give it back straightway.
From deep inside, with all my might,
      I hope you'll always stay.

                 ÆLFLÆD

(It won, and Gunwaldt stayed too; probably unrelated. As I put the text on this page, we've been together for 31 years, and married 25 of those.)

No news is not news

I helped Gunwaldt with a song he was learning, and found a source and text for another one.

A couple of days ago I spoke with Dermod at length, by phone.

I've spent some time lately with Ashlee (Bella) who is Bardolf's love interest of late.

Today I went to a book signing. Three Laurels were there (though we were out of character)—the author, me, and Mirhaxa.