This report is for: Jan-March 2000
Region: Midlands
Group: Shire of Grey Gargoyles
Reporter: Mistress Amelie d’Anjou
Group events: The Beasts March Forth on March 4th. The event was themed on the Aberdeen Bestiary, and we tried to tie everything in to the animal theme. There were a series of challenges which integrated arts & sciences, heavy weapons and games (like period riddles and blind man’s bluff); we had a living history village where artisans displayed their crafts, an afternoon feast, court, then, in the evening (6-10), dancing, a fencing tournament, and a dessert revel.
Svein Sveinsson was the event steward, and did a fabulous job coordinating everything, including making a beautiful web site with lots of information. Please check it out at http://baphomet.uchicago.edu/event/ I would brag more, but he doesn’t tell me about all he does. He even found time to carve and paint a leather belt as a prize for one of the challenges.
Jonathon Osprey assisted Svein to produce a set of challenges that integrated A&S, martial activities and sports. He read most of the Aberdeen Bestiary, found appropriate quotations for the challenges, and edited it to produce a manuscript that was appropriate for a series of three minute readings for one of the challenges. He also worked with our Knight Marshal, Sawyer Gosnell, and the Marshal in charge, Sir Fern, to produce a tournament inspired by the German Fecthbuch's produced from 1300 through 1600.
As head cook, Constance researched and planned a fabulous very high feast for 50, plus a nice stew for below the salt. She even planned the table decorations and made tablecloths. This was a very impressive feast, with many items subltetized to the beast theme. For example, the rhys lombard, colored with saffron, was molded in a hen shape, and the meat pie with sour cream crust was made to look like a turtle. Check the web site for the whole menu.
The people participating in the living history village include: Avery demonstrating pewter casting, Isabel Moondaughter (White Waters) making felt, Magdelena von der Plesse and Peter the Goldsmith (of T-G-S) doing calligraphy & illumination, a group of musicians playing [Mistress Theodora, Masters Robbyan and Reginald, Chris (non-SCA friend of Theo’s), & others], Mary MacIntosh on harp and also spinning, members of the Silver Thimble Guild sewing and making lace [including Kathleen & Mistresses Elene and Julianna of T-G-S], and Master Hal Reaburn carving wood.
Ryan organized the dancing, including getting the music together for the musicians. Many Gargoyles and others made nifty deserts for the desert revel, quite a number of which were period recipes &/or beast themed. We had a lot of arts and sciences at our event!
Group Demos: None, but if you get WTTW (Chicago’s PBS station), watch for us on Wild Chicago on Friday April 14 at 10pm. This was our fall student demo.
Guilds &/or Special Interest Groups: My singing group Tres Trepei; Chretien is singing with the Pippins, and he and Seonaid play with Master Robbyan’s instrumental group The Baron’s Noyse ; & Kathleen and Ryan both participate in the Silver Thimble Guild. [I wouldn’t call any of these gargoyle groups.]
Personal Projects:
Bojegei played with Yuan dynasty recipes and made period wontons and pickled radishes. She also made a new dell & pants and then dyed them, and held 2 armor making sessions for people. She worked on gauntlets and swords, while Henry worked on shields, Sawyer made most of a shield and they modified his body armor to fit him a bit better.
Ryan did research investigating primary sources of blackwork and other
embroidery at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Seonaid Sinclair is making another strawberry cordial and researching period cordial recipes. Fiona McGregor made a cotehardie and Middle Eastern garb, is learning Middle Eastern dance and drum, and practicing calligraphy.
Singing with the Pippins, Christian Fournier performed Matona Mia Cara (by Orlando di Lasso, 1582) at the Constellation regional A&S, scoring a 1st. He takes credit for a considerable portion of the research and documentation of the piece. He has also begun working on c&i, and has learned the Lettre Betard hand (which fits his persona). He researched and modified a design for a period-style buckler, and intends to construct a prototype soon.
His wife, Marieke Klock, has also been working on calligraphy and illumination, cooked two tarts and two plates of shortbread (all from period recipes) for the desert revel and made her lord a doublet with tie-on sleeves.
Jivete has made some jewelry, and did some of the work on her scary, hairy belt pouch, but says all the credit goes to Ysenda for the sewing. She just added the band and the beads.
Feylcia is learning embroidery; she’s almost finished a nine-man-morris bag. Her husband, Luether, has been doing reading about fencing & fencing history.
Jonathon continues to teach games; some which we are playing are Barres, Tirce, Frog in the Middle, Pole Wrestling and Hoodman's Bluff. Jonathon says "people have been less enthusiastic about the coin toss, shin kicking and butt kicking games that I have also introduced."
Svein has been researching period pavillions, and hopes to start construction soon. He has made a web site about his research; see http://baphomet.uchicago.edu/
I have been researching 13c Andalusian recipes; I made stuffed eggs for an Aryeton (Chicago groups) St Patrick’s day practice and subjected my husband and friends to other recipes at home. I made a bunch of period sweets for the dessert revel at our event. I’ve also been reading about 12c polyphony, and learned a few new songs and poems.
Mary McIntosh continued playing harp, made soap and cordials, and offically became my apprentice at our event, but now she has moved to Atlantia. Boo hoo, we will miss her.
People to watch: Constance Grey was put on vigil for a Laurel at our event, and is being elevated at Coronation!
Again, if you get WTTW, watch for us on Wild Chicago, Sunday April 9 10:30pm & again on Friday April 14 at 10pm. This was our fall student demo, and includes many people from Tre-Girt-Sea also.
Praises/Problems:
Questions or new info about office:
MoAS Goals and progress:
Events I’ll be attending: TOC in Jaravellir, Kingdom A&S & Crown T.
This page maintained by Ted Reichardt,
tedr@uchicago.edu.
Last Updated: 2/7/01
