Official newsletter of the Principality of Insulae Draconis
AS LVIII, Volume 32, Issue 04, April 2024
Table of contents
Cover artwork: Armouring day in Eplaheimr. Photo by Etienne Fevre.
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Greetings to the most noble populace of Insulae Draconis! As ever, We hope that this short message finds you all happy and well.
We wish to thank the good folk of Eplaheimer and Mynydd Gwyn for their hospitality and dedication in providing us all the opportunity to gather together last month, and we hope that those who were unable to attend will take a few minutes to read the Court Report in the following pages and join in celebrating the deserving awardees. We wish also to highlight a special thanks to the scribes of this realm who volunteer their considerable talents and valuable time to make each award even more special by the beautiful scrolls that enrich the recipients and demonstrate each time that Insulae Draconis is the center of the finest arts in the Known World.
For those who have not yet heard, it is with the greatest joy that we can announce that Their Royal Majesties requested that we deliver to Master Alexandre d’Avignon a writ to sit vigil to contemplate membership in the Order of the Chivalry. We can think of no one more deserving of this recognition, and trust that our principality shall soon be able to rely on the service of another member of the Chilvary among our populace.
Before us lie three more opportunities to meet each other again in the coming month, for which we thank the generous people of Dun in Mara, Flintheath, and Glen Rathlin for their hard work in organizing these up coming events. We hope to share some time with as many of you as possible at these events, and We remain, as ever, yours in joyful service.
I trust this brief missive finds you well? There is not much to report back to yourselves this month, though a highlight has been that we are fast approaching 300 paid members, which means the Principality’s health remains strong and we continue to underpin and support this community of ours. It would be a great moment to see the Principality reach this milestone as a symbolic acknowledgement of the work each of our groups is putting into running so many activities and events.
Here at Les Tours de Dinan, work is continuing on the complaints process and safeguarding policies, unattractive yet necessary frameworks for the functioning of our group. We are a wide-ranging society, with individual ideas on how to run things, personalities that are not always harmonious, or actions that potentially or actually cause harm and thus we need clear rules in one place in order to obtain remedies and redress, and if need be, take action where the Kingdom Code of Conduct is breached. The SCA’s very foundation is courtesy and chivalry, yet sadly there are still examples where this is missing.
At present, the processes to make a complaint are vague and scattered across several SCA Inc documents, which is not helpful. Thus, I am working to compile a document that is aimed at those wishing to make a complaint, those volunteers in positions where they are likely to receive a complaint, and those who have had a complaint made about them. This is a careful and long process in order to achieve a fair, just and effective process of remediation. More details will be published as this work progresses.
Safeguarding is becoming more central to community volunteer organisations, and the SCA needs to update with the times. This is of course a complex situation of meeting legal obligations as an amateur volunteer society. We also have multiple legal authorities within our boundaries, and thus this too will be a long and careful process. This is not being conducted in isolation and a small team is already looking at what is needed to update our policies. This will likely also mean event stewards will need to brief their staff. Again, this will be a long process, and possibly something my successor will need to complete. More information as details emerge.
We are not doing these updates in isolation. The Principality has access to the UK National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), and has also started the process of joining the UK National Association of Re-enactment Societies (NAReS). This is an organisation of similarly-minded historical and display groups, including the big names like the Sealed Knot, Regia Anglorum, etc. This will open up access to their experiences on these and other issues such as weapons legislation and insurance. Their advice will also be very helpful on current and future policy development.
Finally, I would like to wrap up on a happy note that the much anticipated return to a Welsh castle is continuing to build momentum. We have passed the 50 bookings mark, and there is plenty of room for everyone and anyone to come and join us! So many activities are planned, with a lot more under-cover spots and a grand feast is booking out fast! See you there!
Ar vignoned ne roont ket.
Guy de Dinan
From the Chronicler
Greetings friends,
Thank you for your patience with the publication of this issue of the Baelfyr, due to a combination of preparations for Spring Crown and modern life travel. I expect to delay the next couple of issues also, to space them out before returning to the first of the month for a future issue.
If you were a herald or contestant at Spring Crown, do please send your boast to chronicler@insulaedraconis.org for publication in the May issue.
In service,
Chronicler.
Court Reports
This is a court report for Court of Love. Court of Love was organised
by Eplaheimr.
Eplaheimr court was held by Rogned Steingrimova and Adele de Chaddwyke.
This court report is for court on 10 Feb 2024, it’s identified as
Saturday Evening Court.
Their Excellencies announced the winner of the Largesse Competition:
Lady Marina de Grado.
Their Excellencies announced the winner of the Great Baronial Bakeoff:
Milady Bernie who was at her first event.
Their Excellencies called forward all newcomers and those for whom it
was their first Eplaheimr Court and gave them tokens.
In Their Excellencies Court, invitations were issued for all to come
to the Lough Devnaree University on the 3rd March, and Cluain Oir (SCA
Galway) activity days on the 17th February and the 23rd March which
last will be a special day of classes with a focus on illumination.
Their Excellencies gave thanks to all those who helped organise the
event and the activities held that weekend.
Their Excellencies presented Lord Robert and Lady Fianna with the
scrolls for the Feile d’Coire that they had been awarded previously.
Their Excellencies invited all to attend the Sos Cómhra, or the
Baronesses Cocktail hour, after Court, where the results of the
Baronial Bakeoff would be appreciated by all.
This is a court report for Mynydd Gwyn Eisteddfod III. Mynydd Gwyn
Eisteddfod III was organised by Mynydd Gwyn.
Insulae Draconis court was held by Princess Jahanara.
This court report is for court on 9 Mar 2024, it’s identified as
Saturday Afternoon Court.
Court report filed by: Court Herald, Maredudd ap Gwylim,
Her highness Jahanara sat in state and the Court was called to order.
Her Highness welcomed all to the event and thanked the event staff.
Her Highness then asked anyone for whom this was their first ID Court
to come forward and a visitor from Lochac did so, and was given a
token in remembrance of the occasion.
In consultation with the Gorsedd of bards, Her Highness decided which
bardic performance had best pleased Her, and Richard of Salesberie was
called forward to take his place on the silver bardic chair. A scroll
by Maredudd was also presented.
The works of Radulfus de Wiston, especially in heraldic design were
praised and Arms were Awarded to him (scroll by Maredudd).
As is traditional, the recipient of the next award had to be fetched
from the kitchen… Her Highness spoke of both formal classroom
teaching, and of the free sharing of knowledge at all times, and
Julian ferch Luned was made a member of the Order of St Hild (a
miniature scroll by John Yarrowe was presented along with a bracelet
from Her Highness).
The Lady Julian was asked to remain in Court. At this point, your
herald suspected shenanigans. HE Euphrosyne had business before the
Court and your herald (Maredudd) was called before Her Highness. The
tale of Lord Robin Bowman was told and Maredudd was inducted into the
Order of The Robin (scroll crafted and read in Japanese and then in
English translation by HE Euphrosyne.)
Once your herald had collected himself, there being no further
business, Court was closed.
SCA UK CIC, Annual Board Meeting
Minutes by Catherine Terrett, Board Secretary.
Saturday 24th March 2024 @7:30pm
Attendees
Nik Whitehead, Chair
Catherine Terrett, Board Secretary
Joel Ben Stuart, Financial director
Michelle, Board Director
Mary Frost, Membership Secretary
Members Present:
Jahanara Suren
Angharad
Jeff Berry
Eularia True
Katherine of Glastonbury
Orlaith Chaomhánach
Eadbald
Adam Edwards, Insulae Draconis Seneschal
Richard of Slaesberie
Lynette Nusbacher
Agenda
Last Meeting Follow-up
Minutes of the last AGM were read.
Michelle proposed minutes as read.
Joel seconded.
Minutes passed as read without any changes.
New Business
Welcome new members to the Board of directors.
Chairperson report.
Financial report.
Insurance update.
Any other business.
Chair’s report
Nik gave an Overview of SCA UK CIC,its purpose,membership and the Board.
Nik explained how this is the AGM of the business end of the game and that
it has nothing to do with what is happening in-game. We are the organisation
that runs Insulae Draconis’ insurance. This is our main task. We are a
community interest company that is registered with Companies House in the
United Kingdom. As a UK community interest company, we are also
recognised in Ireland.
We were formed in 2016 and we primarily exist to provide insurance for SCA
groups and events within Ireland and the United Kingdom.
We also have some paperwork and to send some money to SCA Inc. as we
are an affiliate.
We are not the same as SCA Inc. board. We cannot change Corpora. We are
supposed to make sure that we are in compliance with local law rather than
dealing with American law.
The College of Kingeslake.
Currently is still a member group but we have been notified that they are due
to go into abeyance for lack of members. It is being handled accordingly.
Board members.
Current board members were read out.
Nik as Chair.
Catherine has taken over from Genvieve as board secretary.
Michelle has been our former financial director and is finally being able to finish her term on the board.
Joel is currently doing finance.
Welcomed two new board members - Orlaith Chaomhanach and Ari Ibsen
Mary has been the membership secretary since the beginning of SCA UK CIC time.
Current membership.
Currently memberships for the CIC is 281 people which is split between the
UK and Ireland. Ireland has 2 big groups and one small group.
UK
Deepdene under Wychwood
20
Flintheath
49
Harpelstane
12
Mynydd Gwyn
8
Pont Alarch
19
Thamesreach
28
West Dragonshire
3
Unspecified
7
TOTAL
158
Ireland
Dun in Mara
48
Eplaheimr
70
Glen Rathlin
3
Unspecified
2
TOTAL
123
In UK we've got a variety of sized groups. Flintheath is the largest and
Mynydd Gwyn is the smallest. This means we are quite spread out and that
can cause problems in game.
In general, our membership numbers are looking quite good.
Finances have remained stable despite a large insurance increase.
Overall our financial performance is surprisingly quite good.
These are the figures for the last five years and currently running a
membership fee of £15 per annum for adults.
We currently have an issue that the insurance fee changes have significantly
impacted our outgoings. Fortunately we do have a surplus from previous
years that has allowed us to weather this. However we cannot allow these
reserves to drop too far.
Overall we are pleased that we have weathered the change reasonably well.
We are still within our financial comfort zone as far as legislation is
concerned. However we need to make sure we stay there.
Our future plans are to continue to work with the ID Seneschal to support
the updating of appropriate policies. The policies we are looking at are:
Risk assessment
child protection
Diversity,Equity and Inclusion
Conflict resolution.
We are also intending to provide funding for two members per Shire to
undertake online training for Food Hygiene certificates.
This is to support all those shires etc running events with feasts. We would
like some of our cooks who don't have this qualification to take it. We will
pay for it. This supports our insurance in that should anyone come down
with food poisoning accidently after an event we can also say our kitchen
staff are suitably qualified. These are certificates that are recognised
throughout the UK and Ireland.
We are also looking at Insurance options because the changes over the last
12 months mean that our process is insanely complicated nowadays and the
overall insurance burden is very high compared to what it used to be.
Thanks and acknowledgments to many volunteers who helped with gaining the new insurance in order to continue to be able to do what we do in the SCA.
Thanks to Michelle Parker who has done rather more than her expected time
as a member of the Board of Directors and in particular as Finance Director.
Orlaith and Ari Ibsen were welcomed and thanked for stepping up to these
posts.
I had wonderful help from Catherine (kytte) and Orlaith,Claudia , Cernaac
and John when we were looking for the insurance last year. We wouldn't have
been able to manage everything we did without their help and would like to
thank them.
Thanks to Adam (Seneschal) for spreading the word to the Shires about how
the new insurance works.
Thanks to Yannick for building the database we are using.
Thanks to Tara for identifying certain things that we needed to deal with.
Thanks to Lynette for being an advisor ,which has allowed me to look at
things from some interesting directions.
We have managed to transfer all of our data storage to the Insulae Draconis server.
Thanks to the help of the I. D. website team. They have enabled us to become far
more compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR.
Finance Director report
Previous years finances summarised. There is a small surplus as expected.
last year's accounts which are up until June 2023. 2022-2023 turnover of £2,689 (In
coming). The year before it was £2,540. We have gone up a bit in turnover.The
figures are in line with projections for the current year.
Outgoings for 2022-2023 was £1,706.
We ended up with a surplus before tax of £9830, because we are CIC we do not go
over any thresholds. We do not pay tax once we keep under the £10,000 threshold
so HMRC do not try to take money off us.
At the end of the 2022-2023 year Assets of £11,640 which is slightly higher.
We need to keep our surplus in the £9,000 to £10,000 range and will give us enough
of a contingency but not so much that HMRC will be worried.
All our income is from membership fees and our outgoings are mostly supported
things like the website and insurance. Insurance is the big one
Our insurance in the 2022-2023 was £792
For comparison, our insurance costs for this year for the UK was £1,480
For Ireland we are looking at £3152 plus £750 for events to cover while we were
searching for insurance last summer
This year's insurance costs rose steeply,especially for Ireland. A likely insurance bill
total of £4,160.
Income is up due to new membership. Reserves are declining but they remain
adequate for now. On the plus side ,our income has increased because we are
getting more members.
As of today, £8,817 in the account
Membership fees will likely need to increase to about £30 a year but not our final
figure. It will help us to keep covering our costs without just firing out and emptying
the account. It is still cheaper than SCA Inc.
Questions:
Adam asked how long it would take to clean out the account on current numbers?
We are looking at about four years.
Nik added that we also pay extra fees such as accountancy fees
Joel mentioned savings have dropped below £10,000
NIk added that it doesn't include Strawberry Raid figures yet and that it's
likely to be £300 or so.
Guy asked if there is a need for projected membership in order to maintain a
cushion as well as the minimum numbers.
Michelle:That is all worked out with basically increasing the membership fee.
The insurance is still costing us £2526 for members when the membership
fee is £15. Still running a deficit rather than a surplus.
Even with the projected increase in membership fees,particularly that was on
a steady state of our membership numbers,how is there a cushion needed in
terms of increasing membership numbers?
Nik: We are currently set up so that all of these are assuming we stay level
because we cannot guarantee we’ll suddenly get 10% extra members.
Michelle added: one thing to help out Joel with the difference with the assets
that the numbers that NIk talked about was that these are what is in the
account as of today, not as of the end of July. The total assets in the account
includes fees for those members who have bought the two, three or five year
membership. That's only one year’s worth of those memberships that get
taken into account into the turnover for any given financial year. That would
explain why if you were to look at these accounts in full, that the assets
would be different there.
Joel added that for anyone who wants to look into the accounts that they are
freely available on the Companies House website.
Michelle: We are originally registered with Companies House and are a
publicly viable company. You can see who is on the Board of Directors. We
are registered with HMRC so we submit a nil Corporation tax return as these
are the rules relevant to HMRC for CIC companies.
Insurance update
Current complex two- policy structure summarised.
The current state of play is that UK insurance covers UK members at UK events. If
UK members go to an event outside ID, they are covered by the group’s
insurance,this is normal for theSCA as a whole.
If UK members go to events in Ireland then we have to pay an extra amount for
them at £3 a day to the Irish insurance provider.
SCA members from outside the UK get complimentary membership in the UK, on
the UK insurance.
Meanwhile in Ireland, Irish insurance covers Irish members at Irish and UK events.
Last year we had a single insurance policy which cost about £4 per member. This
year as we have two policies insurance for UK members is about £7 per member but
insurance for Irish members is about £27 per member and to that we have to add
£3 per person per day for non-Irish members. Whether that member is a UK
member or a rest of world member doesn’t matter. If they go to an event in Ireland
then we have to pay this.
Costs rose over 600% this year. Raising the membership fee was discussed as an
option. We will be looking for other alternatives for insurance but we don’t hold out
much hope at the present.
There are several options:
Continue on as we are with a single membership . This is what we recommend.
We are one Principality and should act as one Principality
The other 2 options we don't recommend but we could look at the following options
We could consider changing the membership fee structure so that people pay
different fees depending upon whether they are in Ireland or in the UK. This is a
standard practice in Nordmark and some groups have larger fees because they
have properties to maintain etc. it would be possible to do this but we are not
convinced it’s the best way forward.
Look at the feasibility of SCA Ireland and SCA UK becoming independent affiliates
with their own BoDs and then being able to find their own insurance. However this
would require a lot of discussion and consultation and might it could be hard to get
enough people to fill both boards.
We are not suggesting the latter option.
We suggest maintaining the current situation as one membership fee but start
discussing it within our groups. It is not something we're going to decide right now.
Keeping one unified Insulae Draconis membership structure is preferred.
Membership numbers are as follows
Ireland:123
UK:158
Comments:
Jahanara commented to say that they agree with one membership rate.
Trying to run two boards is a bit too much.
Nik commented to say that there is also another issue . We do not want to
treat Northern Ireland differently to the UK.
Orlaith commented to say we are one Principality regardless we are Insulae
Draconis.
Eularia commented to say that it sounds like we should increase member
fees and non members fees and move forward.
Nik commented to say that membership fees cover insurance. We will be
looking more closely at the finance after this financial year. Even if we have
to raise it it will still be lower than an International Membership from SCA inc.
Any Other Business
Jahanara commented to say that if someone is interested in looking at other
insurance options in the future what is the best way?
Nik commented to say that we have a special insurance group which Ari
Ibsen is leading it this year.
Mary commented to say that the Irish insurance is a big administrative
burden. The paperwork has to be right. New members have to be registered
and paid for every month so managing the Irish insurance is a new and
significant ongoing administrative burden.
Nik commented to say that is why we are pushing everybody to be members.
Every time we get an event membership list, we have to contact the
insurance and have to pay them £3 per person per day for this. It’s very easy
to lose track of this.
Catherine commented to say it's also a nightmare as we’re getting every
single group nearly every week that has to put their who’s coming to the
event ,meeting or what the gathering is. It becomes a lot of email to filter
through and fills your email. You might miss an important one that needed
immediate response but it’s hard.
Nik also commented further to say that the important thing is that the Board
of Directors emails are saved on the I. D. servers which also makes us
GDPR/DPA(2018) compliant.
Adam commented to say that we will be moving forward with membership to
the National Association of Re-enactment Societies. membership has been
approved for this. This may provide useful insurance insights. This will help
with their past experiences,perspectives and help with searching for new
insurance. hopefully this will also improve our ability to search for new
insurance moving forward.
Nik commented to say that CIC will be paying the annual fee for this. It is
something that is going to be quite useful for us. It also puts us in with a lot
of other groups and should be useful for dealing with policies and so forth.
Catherine commented to say that upcoming legislation might affect the
sword legislation. Adam commented to say there is potential for sword
legislation after the next election. The National Association of Re-enactment
Societies have a sort of safeguarding experience as well which we hope will
count.
Recruiting new board members is a priority,especially for the finance role.
Jahanara commented to ask , when you were looking for insurance for the
first time,were you using an insurance broker?
Nik commented to say that we used several and eventually we only managed
to get insurance via a broker who is also a reenactor himself. This was for
the uk. We tried using brokers in Ireland and they didn't manage to find us
insurance plans that actually meet our needs. We were quoted 5,000 euros
for one and another for 8,000 euros. We are currently with a company in the
UK that insures country sports and reenactment but it does not insure
equestrian activities. This is why we don't have equestrian in Ireland. It is also
why we have to ask the question about shotgun licences.
Catherine commented to say that they were still getting questions from the
irish brokers to ask who we actually got insured with.
Nik commented to say that we are going to start work early on next year’s
insurance. We have a sub committee and if anyone wants to join that
subcommittee, they are very welcome. Companies House requires us to have
a general Board together with five Directors of that Board. We have to use
the pool of board members to bring people in to help with things like
insurance. We also cycle through the Directors. People will come from the
group and move into the directors and then they will come back again etc.
Joel commented to say if you are interested in joining the Board of Directors
and willing to work with the finance, that there are guides to help you as they
helped him and are easy to follow. His spot as finance director needs
replacing as his term is up. For legislative related reasons, it needs to be
someone who is in the United Kingdom. If anyone is interested in finance
director,put them in Joel’s direction.
Nik added that the finance director does not do our books. Joel added that
we have accountants that do our books and they are very good and helpful.
Michelle added that it is not them that does the book but it is the firm that
they work for. She does not do any of the accounts for it as it would be a
conflict of interest.
Catherine commented to say that they are willing to encourage people to not
be afraid to step up to be a member and look at the possibilities of Joining
the Board of Directors.
Lynette proposed a thanks for the Chair and our Directors for stepping up
and doing so much that is good for us all and enables us to play our
wonderful game and doing so, with so little expectation of reward and
recognition. Adam and Orlaith seconded this.
Next AGM scheduled for
22nd March 2025. It is intended that as many SCA events are linked to the historical
calendar that the SCA UK CIC AGM will in future take place on the Saturday of or following
the vernal equinox.
Zoom link and agenda will follow closer to the date.
Next Steps
Start membership fees increase discussions with local groups.
Recruit for board vacancies, especially finance.
Begin insurance search earlier this year.
Hold the next AGM around the vernal equinox.
Chaucer Here and Now
By Henric van den Casteele
Thoughts from an exhibition at The Bodleian Libraries, Oxford
Chaucer was inescapable where I grew up - I went to school in Canterbury, and lived for most of my life in Boughton, a village mentioned as one of the final stops for the weary pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales. Perhaps because of this, in some ongoing fit of teenage contrariness, I have never read or shown any interest in Chaucer’s work - Paul Bettany’s performance in A Knight’s Tale aside. So when I say that this exhibition actually got me more interested in and excited about Chaucer than I have ever been, that is no mean feat.
“Chaucer Here and Now” is a free exhibition on display at the Weston Library in Oxford until April 28th, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. You can just walk in, or there are also free gallery tours between 2pm and 2:45 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On the penultimate day of the exhibition (Saturday 27th April), there is also a “Creating Chaucer” event where talks about the exhibition will be held, and you can also create your own traveller’s tale or participate in other activities.
The exhibition opens with the earliest known manuscript of Chaucer’s work, the Hengwrt Chaucer, on loan from the National Library of Wales. Copied by one of Chaucer’s London-based associates, it was made around the time of his death. It has been fully digitised and is available online on the National Library of Wales’ website: https://www.library.wales/discover-learn/digital-exhibitions/manuscripts/the-middle-ages/the-hengwrt-chaucer.
The Hengwrt Chaucer
Also on display in this section are other gorgeous works, such as a fifteenth century miscellany of poetry (MS. Fairfax 16, digitised in full here: https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/ee2d3617-5696-4ec8-9e4d-a99d0c485019/), depicting a gorgeous illumination, in which Jupiter is suspended above Mars on the left and Venus on the right (see below); a manuscript of Troilus and Criseyde open to the frontispiece in which Chaucer is illustrated reading the poem to the court of King Richard II of England; and William Caxton’s first and second printed editions of the Tales.
The aforementioned poetry miscellany
Where this exhibition really shines, however, are the other objects on display. With dedicated sections to translations into other languages, rewritings by other authors, and visual adaptations, the majority of the gallery examines how Chaucer’s work has been interpreted and reinvented over the centuries, and his relevance today. Regrettably, I didn’t get any photos of The Kelmscott Chaucer, printed by William Morris’ Kelmscott Press in 1896, or any of the other eighteenth or nineteenth century printings (which often censored the ruder parts, as did the children’s editions on display). The exhibition dives into how Chaucer’s work was co-opted by the British Empire for cultural colonialism and moral education, and contrasts it with contemporary responses, particularly those by women and people of colour. My favourite of these was Paul Johnson’s Serenade to Chaucer, a reimagining of The Miller’s Tale as a colourful papercraft pop-up book, with three-dimensional renderings of the spaces and scenes within the tale.
Serenade to Chaucer, by Paul Johnson
I loved this exhibition so much, and would recommend it to anyone, partially because what it is doing and the story it is telling aligns so closely with the goals and mindset of the SCA. That is to say, it celebrates creative engagement with history and historic literature (including the ugly parts), from how medieval scribes and editors finished off tales or added their own commentary to the work, through to how it continues to inspire people today.
History with Flintheath
By Rebecca of Flintheath
Originally posted 14th March 2024
Childbirth in the middle ages was a dangerous business; pregnant women were advised to make their confessions before they went into labour just in case. However, this did not mean that women at the time were entirely helpless in the face of that danger. For a start, there were religious precautions: an Anglo-Saxon charm dating to the 1000s called on the names of the Virgin Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, notable mothers from the New Testament, and the Virgin Mary’s girdle was said to be helpful (though it was guarded in Westminster Abbey and only available to royalty). A woman in labour could also call on Saint Margaret, the patron saint of childbirth.
There were also medical texts such as Bald’s Leechbook, our primary surviving source for Anglo-Saxon medicine, which contained dietary and lifestyle recommendations that might still sound familiar today: among other things, a pregnant woman should not drink to intoxication or ride too much on horseback. After the Norman conquest, as medicine developed, more manuals appeared, including a work called The Sickness of Women which contained details of potential complications and advice to midwives on how to deal with them.
Childbirth was the province of women; a noblewoman would go into seclusion with only female attendants, including a wet nurse for the baby. This was likely to be impractical for a lower-class woman, but even so she would generally be surrounded only by female friends and relatives as well as the midwife. The fact that men were not generally present for the birth is underlined by the fact that the midwife could baptise the baby in an emergency: a role normally reserved for priests.
Originally posted 21st March 2024
It is widely believed that women of the middle ages were universally uneducated and illiterate, even more so than is assumed for men since women could not even be priests. However, throughout the middle ages education of women seems to have been commonplace among the middle and upper classes, as well as among women living religious lives, many of them also from wealthy and powerful backgrounds that gave them access to an education. Many early missionaries were women noted for their learning and the association between women and education was underlined by an association between literacy and the Virgin Mary, first appearing in the 1300s.
Even before this time, there was an association between royal women and reading: according to Asser’s Life of Alfred, Alfred the Great’s interest in literacy was awakened when his mother read a book to him and his brothers and promised the book to whichever of them could learn the poems in it, and Eleanor of Castile, the wife of Edward I, was highly educated and ensured the same could be said of her daughters. Princess Eleanora went on to learn to write as well as read: something even her father may not have managed.
Earlier still, in Anglo-saxon England, women appear to have taken to eduction with much more enthusiasm than men. Excavations at the double monastery of Anglo-saxon Whitby Abbey have found evidence of scriptoria where nuns would have copied manuscripts and it’s possible that England’s earliest native book telling the story of a saint’s life - in this case, Pope Gregory - was written by a nun at Whitby. However, Whitby and its highly-educated abbess Hilda were not unique; in the early 600s in Wessex a girl named Leoba was sent to become a nun at Wimborne and was noted for her voracious learning. She would go on to be sent to what is now Germany to join St Boniface in his mission work, where she became so well-known as a scholar of the Bible and church history that the local royalty, nobility, and bishops would go out of their way to discuss religious and church matters with her.
More prosaically, education was also important and encouraged for secular women because a wife might be called on to run her husband’s estates in his absence or after his death. Writing in the early 1400s, Christine de Pizan - notable as a female author writing for a female audience - said very little about the education of girls she wrote at length about women’s involvement in estate management, covering revenue and expenditure, appointment and dismissal of servants, and knowledge of the law and local customs as well as war and defence and all aspects of farming. Evidence suggests that medieval women showed significant ability in estate management and its attendant knowledge and skills, sometimes more so than their husbands.
Originally posted 28th March 2024
Today, one of the best-known parts of the Easter celebration is the Easter egg. There are many theories on how and when eggs became associated with Easter, some of which have more basis than others. It appears that decorated eggs may have been used in celebrations of spring in the ancient middle east (though contrary to internet rumour they were not a symbol of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar) and the early Christians of Mesopotamia in the rough area of modern Iraq may have been the first to connect decorated eggs with the Christian festival of Easter, drawing on common Indo-european symbolism that connects eggs with life and resurrection.
Another more prosaic explanation may lie in the fact that during the Lent fast Christians across medieval Europe were forbidden to eat a variety of foods including eggs, leading both to the development of recipes for mock eggs made out of materials such as almond paste and to a surplus of eggs at Easter, since hens did not stop laying during Lent. The eggs would be hard-boiled to preserve them and may have been decorated as part of the Easter feast; a cheap and easy decoration would be to boil them with onions, staining the shells gold. Tenants would also bring gifts of eggs to their lords and people would collect them to be brought to the church as Good Friday offerings, possibly to be distributed among the poor. In medieval Durham, fees due to the church were paid in eggs, known as “eggsilver”.
A definite early reference to decorated eggs comes from King Edward I’s household accounts for 1290, when he ordered 450 eggs at Easter to be dyed and covered in gold leaf at a cost of 18 pence, then distributed them around his household. Henry VIII also received an Easter egg: an egg in a silver case, sent by the Pope before Henry split the English church from Rome.
The origins of Easter egg hunts and the Easter bunny are also obscure. One theory is that the Protestant reformer Martin Luther organised egg hunts for his congregation in the late 1500s: men hid eggs for the women and children to find in a nod to the Biblical story of the resurrection, in which women were the first to find Jesus’ empty tomb. The first written reference to an Easter hare is later, in 1682, but rabbits have long been associated with fertility and spring, as well as with the Virgin Mary; they sometimes appeared in paintings of Mary with Baby Jesus.
Events
These are the upcoming events in Insulae Draconis.
To submit an event for inclusion, use the form on the Drachenwald website,
https://drachenwald.sca.org/events/calendar-add/.
You don't need to provide all information right away; a minimal entry is enough at first.
The day after you submit an event, you'll receive an email with a link to edit your entry.
Changes will be reflected on the Principality website within a few minutes, and in editions
of the Baelfyr that are published before the event takes place. (If you're unable to find that
link, contact webminister@drachenwald.sca.org
for help.)
To keep entries consistent between the calendars, The Baelfyr no longer accepts event submissions
by email.
SCA Melee Training Session II
Hosted by Flintheath
Takes place: Sunday, 21 April 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting
In preparation for the upcoming war season (Double Wars, Ormthing, Cudgel War, etc.), I will be once again be hosting a war maneuvers/melee-focused training session at my residence. I live on a farm that can accommodate training on most melee scenarios, to include open field, bridge, woods, and maze battles.
I ask that people bring their two-handed weapons and spears as well as swords and shields, and that everyone be prepared to share weapons as able, so that all fighters can build experience.
The date is: Sunday, 21 April Start time: 1000 End time: 1800
Location: Lunch is not provided, but I will provide some snack food and drinks to supplement whatever you bring for yourself. The post-training dinner will be at the local fish n’chips joint, about 10 minutes away. There is room for seating large groups.
There is a fee of £5, payable on the day, to cover the cost of boundary markers, drinks, and snacks.
Parking is free but not infinite, so I do recommend carpooling where possible.
Unless you want to listen to me ranting about OODA loops and maneuver warfare in front of a whiteboard for part of the day, which I am always happy to do, the event would benefit from extra people willing to teach.
Site address: Safefield Farm, Alconbury Hill, Huntingdon, PE28 4JW
Begins: Friday, 3 May 2024 Ends: Sunday, 5 May 2024
Activities: Archery, Feast or Potluck
The Princess will be present.
Another weekend of archery, good food and good company
Site address: Crawfordsburn Scout camp 20 Bridge Rd S, Helen's Bay, Bangor BT19 1JT
Event steward: Kytte of the Lake
Reservation: There is a Fienta link or booking on the website
Cost: Site fees Adults9) Full weekend with Bunk including meals £65 (Member) Full weekend with Bunk including meals £74 (Non Member) Full weekend with Camping including meals £35 (Member) Full weekend with Camping including meals £44 (Non Member) Staying off Site but including meals £25 (Member) Staying off Site but including meals £34 (Non Member) Day tripping Saturday only including meals £25 (Member) Day tripping Saturday only including meals £28 (Non Member) Children (Age 13-17) Full weekend with bunk and meals £45 (Age 6-12 ) Full weekend no bunk £15 (Age 6-12 ) Full weekend requiring a bunk £45 (Age 6-17) Full weekend with Camping including meals £20 (Age 6-17) Day tripping including meals £10 Children under 5 are free (unless requiring a bunk then £36)
Begins: Friday, 24 May 2024 Ends: Monday, 27 May 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting, Fencing, Archery, Dancing, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping, Royalty present, Equestrian
The Prince will be present.
Flintheath invites all good gentles to join us once again at Manor Farm in Bourn for a weekend of camping and pleasure in the green fields of Insulae Draconis!
Site: Manor Farm, 14 Alms Hill, Bourn, Cambridge, CB23 2SH
Further details to follow.
Site address: Manor Farm, 14 Alms Hill, Bourn, Cambridge, CB23 2SH
Event steward: Rebecca of Flintheath
Reservation: Registration link on the website!
Cost: £30 per person MEMBER DISCOUNT camping (Fri-Mon) adult £20 per person MEMBER DISCOUNT camping (Fri-Mon) concession
£10 per person MEMBER DISCOUNT per day trip (capped at £30) adult £5 per person MEMBER DISCOUNT per day trip (capped at £15) concession
£33 per person non-member camping (Fri-Mon) adult £23 per person non-member camping (Fri-Mon) concession
£13 per person non-member per day trip (capped at £33) adult £8 per person non-member per day trip (capped at £23) concession
Children 17 and under free
Site information: A farm with camping available in the fields and access to a tithe barn dating back to the 13th Century. There is step-free access to all parts of the site, but the fields can be tussocky.
Reservation: Book at https://fienta.com/duninmara-strawberryraid-79085
Cost: SCA member - Full event (Adult): 46.57 € SCA member - Full event (Youth, age 6-18): 22.77 € SCA member - Full event (Family: guardians and children): 108.67 € SCA member - Full event (Child, under 6): Free
Duke Brannos Armoured Fighting Classes: 10.40 €
SCA member - Day Trip (Adult): 20.70 € SCA member - Day Trip (Youth, age 6-18): 15.52 € SCA member - Day Trip (Child, under 6): Free
Non-member Day trip only (Adult - ADVANCE ONLY): 24.84 € Non-member Day trip only (Youth, age 6- 18 - - ADVANCE ONLY): 19.66 € Non-member Day trip only (Child, under 6 ADVANCE ONLY): 4.40 €
Payment: Payment information will be provided after registration
Site information: Sigginstown Castle is a restored 15th-16th century tower house owned by SCA members. We have access to fields, the tower house, and outbuildings. Onsite accommodation is camping only. Public transport available to Wexford town and Rosslare, from which attendees may take taxis or make arrangements for shared car rides.
Begins: Friday, 7 June 2024 Ends: Sunday, 9 June 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting, Fencing, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping, Royalty present
The Prince and Princess will be present.
The Winchester Pilgrimage has returned! Join us once again at the SCA-period Hospital of St. Cross in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Set up your camp (period or not) or crash space Friday night and tell tales from Chaucer in the Hundred Men’s Hall. On Saturday morning, after quickly breaking your fast, head out on the old Pilgrims’ Route to Winchester Cathedral, passing, among other places, Winchester College and the ruins of Wolvesey Palace. Return to St. Cross for a fighting and A&S demo/display that afternoon and then sit down to a sumptuous feast that evening in Brethens Hall. More details will be published on the soon-to-be-revived West Dragonshire website.
Site address: Hospital of St Cross, Winchester SO23 9SD England
Reservation: Reservation details will be available via the event website
Cost: Full event, staying on site, with feast £45
Full event, staying offsite, with feast, £40
Day Trip with feast £40
Day trip without feast £20
Family Cap including feast £140 (Family cap - 2 adults, 2 x under 18)
Additional insurance charge for non-members £3
Site information:
The site is the medieval/Tudor Hospital of St. Cross. There are cooking facilities with electricity inside buildings. There is a kitchen for the feast chefs. Buildings are SCA-period, so be prepared for stairs leading to Brethen Hall, uneven floors etc. Period camp will be in the centre green, with non-period tents behind buildings. There are toilets and sinks, and we are arranging a shower, especially for fighters. Crash space will be available.
Begins: Thursday, 20 June 2024 Ends: Sunday, 23 June 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting, Fencing, Archery, Dancing, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping, Tent spaces available to hire for sleeping for folks with out tents ( contact event stewards before booking to check availability) , innovative combat e.g. woodland battle, conquer a fort and fight at the palisades, Larp battle archery
Welcome to Templecombe ‘This is the right path?’
Nervously the wayfarers looked at each other and at their guide.
‘Yes, yes. This is the path. Don’t worry. It’s not far.’
‘But night is falling and…’
Lights flickered in the distance. Sounds carried on the mild summer breeze. Sounds of music, laughter. Glasses clinking.
‘Oh.’ ‘As I promised – the Midsummer Tavern – and the good folk of Thamesreach. The Midsummer festivities.’
The travellers pace increased as they came close to the Tavern. They could see camps of other traveling lords and ladies, knights and squires, and good people on the field at the Tavern.
A roaring fire in front of the Tavern called them to join in the dance and merriments.
All seemed peaceful and jolly – but why where there these fortifications?
‘Don’t mind the old fort. It’s been here for ages. It is rarely needed…’
Insular nobles and cousins from across the sea: The alehouse in Thamesreach will be open much past sunset on Midsummer’s night to refresh those who fight at the palisades, in the woods or at the barriers. Pavilions pitched on the green, a convenient spot for modern tents, and hostelries nearby in Wincanton. Steel fighting, baton fighting, field archery, playing at the ball, eating, drinking, singing, dancing and mumming, all within an easy stroll of the station in Templecombe village.
⚠️ Important information: Please do not attend if you are unwell or have tested positive for covid-19 in the past 5 days.
Site address: Medieval Pageant site at Templecombe, in the Pageant fields, East Street, Templecombe, BA8 0JX
Event steward: Beatrice Greenhill
Reservation: Booking and registration via ticket platform from 12th February 2024 , link also available on event website
Cost: You must have a valid ticket to enter the site and participate in the event. Due to the nature of the event we can't accommodate day trippers.
All tickets listed are for the duration of the whole event from Thursday 20th June 2024 until Sunday 3pm.
The ticket includes camping on site (unless otherwise stated) and the following catered meals: Friday evening (Supper), Saturday morning (Breakfast), Saturday evening (Buffet style) and Sunday morning (Breakfast).
Prices: SCA member £110.00 Non member £120.00 concession £90.00 Concession rates are available for student, senior, unwaged, hardship, or disabled. CHILD 8-17 years £80.00 Offsite Accommodation- Food only- whole event £50.00 Children under 8 years are free
Payment: Payment information will be provided after registration, Booking and Payment via Ticket platform only
Site information: The event is being hosted at the Medieval Pageant site at Templecombe. In the Pageant fields, East Street, Templecombe, BA8 0JX
This site has a wonderful purpose-built tavern, as well as a small fort. There is a modern kitchen and toilet block. There will be space for period and modern camping. At this event, we are aiming for the highest achievable level of immersion. Therefore, we ask that only medieval-style tents go in the period area, and plastic tents, bell tents and others in the modern area. This modern area is just over a hedge but not out off sight, and is no more than a moment's walk away from the game area.
CATERING This is a semi-catered event. Our wonderful kitchen team have produced a wonderful menu based on late-medieval recipes and sources. The catered meals are: Friday evening (Supper) Saturday morning (Breakfast) Saturday evening (Buffet) Sunday morning (Breakfast) Outside of these mealtimes, please arrange your own food. Although we will be providing some alcoholic beverages, please bring your own. For purposes of immersion and minimising waste, please try to minimise plastic and packaging, and please keep it out of sight.
More detailed information will be published on the event website.
Activities: Heavy Fighting, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping, Equestrian
This is a demonstration event held by West Dragonshire as part of a village fete called Ebblefest in Nunton, just outside Salisbury. Members of the Public are there and we are ‘on display’. It’s a great little Village Fete. We get our own corner where we set up a medieval encampment with displays of Arts and Sciences. There is demonstration Armoured Combat in the afternoon which gets a really good audience. We will also have the amazing Felix the Pony with Master Thomas doing Equestrian displays.
Ebblefest itself is Saturday 29th June in the afternoon. We normally make a social weekend of it and set up camp on Friday and take down Sunday.
Begins: Friday, 5 July 2024 Ends: Sunday, 7 July 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting, Fencing, Archery, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping
Good cousins, all those of the fair lands of Eplaheimr and those of our neighbours and friends all through Lough Devnaree, our great Dragon Isles and the Great Dragon Kingdom, pray heed! It pleases our Baronesses Rogned and Adele to invite you all to the Bruiden of Eiscir Airgead (Jim Kirwon Scout Hall, Clara, Co. Offaly) for a weekend of games, good food and excellent company.
There will be games and sports including the poc fada and throwing the spear, combat, archery and races. Can you sneak through the woods without being heard? Will your axe hit the target most true?
We invite the artisans of our lands to best depict an animal companion for the Baronesses, whether it be in representative form, as a banner, as needlework, by brush and pen, in metal or wood or any method that most pleases your artistic eye and heart.
This is a camping event with indoor crash space and we will make a special effort to organise nearby Guest house accommodation and transport between there and the site for those that need it. We can also strive to provide some additional guest camping space onsite. Traveller’s fare, Breakfasts, lunch and feast will be available.
Site address: Jim Kirwin Scout Hall, CLara, CO. Offaly, Ireland
Cost: Full adult weekend (camping/crashspace) Members 40, non members 45 Full unwaged/student (camping/crashspace) members 30, non members 35 Day trip Members 15, non members 20 (feast included) Children under 18 free
Payment: Payments can be made on site The bookings will be facilitated by Fienta but you MAY pay at the door as an option.
Site information: Jim Kirwin Scout Hall is a large Scout Hall with no indoor accomodation but comfortable crash space. We will also be providing extra tents as crash space for anyone travelling from abroad, and we will have a full list of local B&B and AIrB&B accomodation in the area posted shortly. It is extremely convenient to Clara Train station which is on the main Dublin to Galway and Dubli to Athlone train line and Kilbeggan is a short drive (pickups can be arranged) for the Dublin to Galways Bus service.
Reservation: Bookings will open via the event website on Friday 1st March 2024 at 20:00 UTC +0https://sites.google.com/insulaedraconis.org/ormping-lix/home
Cost: Please note that everyone MUST Pre-Register for this event in order to attend. Due to our Insurance policies, Any Un-booked attendance is not permitted.
Adults: Full event Ticket: Non Members £100.00 Full event Ticket: Members £90.00
Full event Ticket: Non Members with Concession £70.00 Full event Ticket: Members with Concession £60.00
Staying Off-Site: Non Members £60.00 Staying Off-Site: Members £50.00
Staying Off-Site: Non Members with Concession £50.00 Staying Off-Site: Members with Concession £40.00
Single Day/Overnight: Non Members £55.00 Single Day/Overnight: Members £50.00
Single Day/Overnight: Non Members with Concession £50.00 Single Day/Overnight: Members with Concession £45.00
Single Day: Non Members £35.00 Single Day: Members £30.00
Single Day: Non Members with Concession £30.00 Single Day: Members with Concession £25.00
Children: Anyone under the age of 18 at the time of booking. Free of Charge.
Concessions available for: OAPs, Disabled, Unwaged, Student
Payment: Payment information will be provided after registration, Foreign guests can pay at the doorDue to current UK and Ireland insurance policies, we must submit our entire entire guest list to our insurer one week before the event. There will therefore be no walk-ins, or bookings taken after the 7th August 2024.
Site information: https://sites.google.com/insulaedraconis.org/ormping-lix/information
Members bed, bardic, food = £95 Bardic and food = £45
The price for bed, bardic and food includes: a bed in a dorm of no more than 4 people (a single bed each) with bedding included, several very clean wc's, shower rooms and a bath (towels also provided) Five meals (travellers fayre, Saturday breakfast, feast, supper, Sunday breakfast) also tea, coffee, water/squash in the 'quiet room'/dining room.
Begins: Friday, 27 September 2024 Ends: Sunday, 29 September 2024
Activities: Heavy Fighting, Fencing, A&S, Camping
We have been invited to participate in the Hospital of St. Cross annual Michaelmas Fair; participating helps ensure we can obtain the site for future Pilgrimages. We can have fighting and A&S. We will be able to make it a weekend event and camp/crash, although the Fair (for the public) itself is ONLY Saturday, 28th September. At other times, the public will not be present.
Site address: Hospital of St. Cross St Cross Back St, Winchester SO23 9SD
Cost: This is a public demonstration as part of a St Cross event. There is no event fee.
Site information: The Hospital of St. Cross is a medieval/Tudor site, with various buildings and green space. More details regarding camping locations to come. Fighting will be in the centre green.
Medieval Dead
Hosted by Eplaheimr
Begins: Friday, 25 October 2024 Ends: Sunday, 27 October 2024
Activities: Archery, A&S, Feast or Potluck, Camping
Come join us as the moon orbits the skies, where the spirits dance and visit. Where they hide in the shadows as we sit around the midnight fire. Explore the foods of the new world but less we forget the lands that celebrate this festival. We will taste the food of Ireland. Come play games, and join us as we entertain around the fire.
