a little post-Raglan recap

Before Raglan, we were pleased to find out that two of the members of our household would be marrying during the event. They went offsite for the official ceremony, then had a handfasting onsite with all present. The household made them a dowry chest, which included honey from Richard's bees, home brewed wine labeled just for them, lengths of linen for veils,  a pair of apron dresses with all the accessories, and many other gifts. I made the apron dresses and obtained brooches from Raymond's Quiet Press. Cat Weaver made beautiful custom tablet-woven trim, and Caitriona made them bead strands. I didn't get a picture of the two of them together, but there was a shot of Princess Alana with a visiting knight, that I can share.

Before Raglan, I made new banners for Lady Kytte, Princess Alana, and Lady Cornelia. Like a doofus, I took no pictures of them. I'll have to try and get some in the future. ETA: Thanks to my darling daughter Cat, I have a picture of Cornelia's banner!

I also made myself a new dark green linen underdress (again, no photos.)

Except for the intermittent rain and cold, Raglan was lovely this year. Caitriona was placed on vigil for the Order of the Pelican, Duncan received a writ for a Pelican vigil at a future event of his selection, and Constanza became a premier member of the new GoA order for Arts & Sciences. Amphelise got a Ffraid for service and Patrice received a Lindquistringes. I know I'm missing other people, but it was a court-filled event! (Seven scheduled and at least three pop-ups!)

Spent a fair amount of time doing heraldic consultation work, which was very enjoyable. Our encampment, along with Honest Achmed's coffee house (just opposite us), seemed to be the places to hang out this year. Here's a picture of our home away from home.

It was a pleasure to see banners I had gifted people in past years popping up all over the site. Nine in this picture alone! Only 350 or so days until it's time for Raglan again!

Raglan preparation

June went by incredibly fast, with many, many projects at work. When not in the office, here's a small sample of what I've been doing.

 

 

Three simple chemises, one circular veil, and three new household badges. That means I have enough chemises for the whole event. Yay for not having to deal with rinsing things out and hoping they will dry while in Wales. Three badges means one for everyone in the household. Phew! And a new veil for dressier outfits.

 

This one is for Constanza...

 

 

This is an "in progress" picture. The patch is finished now.

 

 

There's more, but the rest are surprises and will have to wait for August to be seen. Three weeks and a bit until Ffair Raglan XIII!



Feast Days and Rituals, water and fire

Here in Bulgaria, rituals and feast days for saints are still important and celebrated widely. Today, in addition to being graduation day at the University I work at, is the Feast Day for Saints Constantine and Elena. Their day is May 21 (or June 3 by the old calendar),

Before graduation at our university each May, women from staff carry ritual copper pails of water to the entrance of the central building, where the procession of graduates to the ceremony will begin. Just as the procession steps out of the door, they splash the water across the threshold to ensure that the graduates will have success that flows like water. This tradition is also carried out at the start of each school year by mothers across the country, who want to be sure their children have a good start to the year.

Firewalking is strongly associated with the feast of Saints Constantine and Elena in Bulgaria.  For the ritual, a large bonfire is burned down to glowing coals and raked out to a level circle. The firewalkers make their prayers to Sts Constantine and Elena, then ritually dance barefoot through the coals, often carrying an icon of the saints. I've had the good fortune to see the Nestinari, as the firewalkers are known. It is an eerie sight, particularly with the music of the gaida (the local bagpipe) playing. The circle of coals is so hot that bystanders cannot get too close, and I can attest to that! You can see an older black and white film of the nestinari here  or a newer, color video here.

First banner for the year

I'm over half way to my personal goal of making and gifting 100 banners to friends for heraldic display at SCA events. It started a couple of years ago when I made banners for everyone in my household (plus several non-household  good friends) to display at Raglan Fair in Wales and it grew to the idea of the banner project, when people liked them so much.

I love heraldic display and these are good, solid camp banners that can stand up to wind and weather. They're partly machine stitched and partly hand sewn and are not strictly period, but they make a good display. I've got four left to make for household members whose devices are still in the process of registration (That's actually my one rule - register with the College of Heralds or no banner!), but hopefully they will be approved in time for this summer's Raglan. Until then, I have a list of 17 surprise banners  to work on. This one is for Thora to take to Double Wars in May. I'm planning to show it to her tomorrow on Skype and she's travelling today, so I think the surprise is safe. It may well be my favorite, because it's an awesome fishy and you would never mistake it for anyone else's device! (Azure, a cod's head couped Or)

First finished item of 2017

One of this year's goals is to improve my SCA clothing. I've spent a lot of time for the last several years making garb for other people and very little on my own. I never looked bad or inappropriate, but I have decided that I'd really like to focus on a better wardrobe for 14th Century Southern Bulgaria. I've got a new base dress cut out from a nice dark green linen and am currently embroidering a heavy ochre colored linen overdress with split sleeves. It's coming along well, albeit slowly. That said, I've has a wool cap with fox fur trim languishing  half finished for months. I sat down and just finished it yesterday. In the end, it looks right, but I just don't like the way it looks on me. It may be better with a veil, but I need to get a much lighter weight linen to make that. We'll see how it all works out in the end! In the meantime, here's the hat. Fox is very hairy, but at least it doesn't shed like rabbit fur!

Well, that was unexpected. (This was supposed to post in February - oops!)

So, the Coronet of Love, for the rulers of the Principality of Insulae Draconis  was a lovely event. That part was not at all unexpected. Northern Ireland was unsurprisingly charming. Adding two new members to our little household was also not a shock, as one is the little sister of a current member and the other is a fiancée of a Linden. And two lovely, charming ladies they are indeed!

The unexpected - a dark horse fighter won Coronet. And his inspiration was one of the new household members! So suddenly we are a support household for the Princess for the next nine months. Huzzah! But for me personally, the biggest surprise was being asked to become a protégé, to not one but two Pelicans. Oh my! I said yes, of course, and now am happily working with Mistress Ariel and Master Pol.

January plans - not resolutions!

Here's hoping 2017 is much, much better than its predecessor! I'm trying to be a little more methodical in my SCA life this year, so here's my hopeful event attendance plan for 2017 (all in Drachenwald)

February 17 -19       Coronet of Love (Eplaheimr)
April 7-9                  Bow and Blows III (Saint John of Rila)
April 28-30              Flaming Arrow X (Glen Rathlin)
August 4-14             Raglan Fair (Insulae Draconis)
November 10-12      Kingdom University (Polderslot)

2018 SCA plans are already afoot, as our local group (Gods help us!) won the bid for Midsummer Coronation 2018. We're going to be really busy for the next 18 months!

I've also made a crafting spreadsheet (with help from the lovely Constanza) to get my garb under control. I really need to update my own stuff and this is the year to do it. I've got some lovely terracotta-colored heavy linen that I've cut out and have started to make into a dress based on a fresco in the Zemen Monastery (dated to 1354).  Here's a picture of the fresco (Not my photo - from the Bulgarian Medieval Costumes website owned by Kalina Atanasova)

This will be fun to make and I hope to wear it at Coronet next month.