First, I'll say that we were not chosen to be the next Baron and Baroness. Though it's never fun to lose, it's a relief to know I won't have to find out what it's like to be a first-time mom and a landed Baroness at the same time. Our friends who won will do a great job. Since I wasn't going to have to step up, I decided to renew my warrant as Baronial Chronicler for another two years. It's a fun and relatively painless job that I'm good at, so why not?
The site was a park in nearby Mountain Home, ID, and in true Mountain Home fashion the wind blew all day long. I had fun helping out with the heavy fighting championship. The combatants held a large mug full of water in their off hands, and gained points both for winning the bout and for having the most water in their cup at the end. I was head refiller of cups, which was great entertainment.
I also competed in our Baronial Arts and Sciences championship. My three entries were a loaf of my ale barm bread with spent grains (with more info and updated documentation), a tablet woven belt based on the Snartemo II find, and a demonstration of period spinning techniques based on my research and practice shared on this blog. Rather than rehash details of the projects themselves, I'll just share my documentation (see below). If you look through it, use it, have questions or feedback, etc. please drop me a comment or email and let me know!
The Baroness held a competition for her personal champion, asking people to create and model a belt, garters, or a codpiece for the competition, so I was able to enter my belt for that as well. The fashion show was pretty hilarious to behold, and nobody was surprised when Lady (soon to be Baroness) Merin won with a gleaming brass-plated brayette (think late-period groin protection worn on the outside) with a beautiful epousse weasel from her device on it.
The competition for A&S champion was stiff. There were three of us, and my friends Lord Ambrose and Lady Britta had some wonderful entries. I really didn't feel like my work was going to win, but amazingly, it did, and I was named Arn Hold A&S Champion for the coming year. I look forward to enabling other people's projects and sharing my work with the group! Note to self: get a picture of the lovely scroll to share here.
My husband and I were also honored to be awarded with a relatively unknown baronial award, the Order of the Unicorn Meadow, created in memorial to a former populace member. The award is given for research and skill in a particular aspect of the Arts and Sciences. It was a real honor to receive this recognition, and to learn more about Lady Teckla of Unicorn Meadow herself. The scrolls, created by our friend Lady Britta, were so beautiful and thoughtfully made that I have to share them here. Recognize us? She captured me perfectly, right down to the infamous teal and orange bliaut I love to wear. The picture of my husband, Lord Aonghus, is based on one he's always liked from the Silos Beatus Codex, and she even managed to incorporate parts of our devices and symbols of our arts.
All in all a lovely blustery day, despite the abrupt tear-down in the storm that struck right as we were in closing court.
spinningdemonstration.pdf |
alebarmbreadwithspentgrains.pdf |
earlyperiodtablet-wovenbelt.pdf |