Officers – Page 3 – Stórfréttir

Iris Festival Arts and Sciences

There are two Arts and Sciences activities being run at next month’s Japanese Iris Festival event (June 4, 2022 – 121 Brady’s Run Rd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010).

The first is the Iron Comet A&S Competition. The competition has no theme, and accepts all types of projects. The competition is mandatory for anyone in the Iron Comet Challenge, but it is open to everyone. Anyone can win, but only those participating in the martial competitions will receive tournament points.

The second is the Festival A&S Display. The display is also open to any type of project, but projects displaying arts of Eastern Asia are encouraged. There are no points awarded, no judging, and no winner. Please bring all your most interesting, most useful, most attractive, and most intense projects to show. Research and instruction are not required, but we would love to see any supporting documentation if you have it, and enjoy having you answer questions about your work if you’re not busy elsewhere. You can display as many items as you wish, but if you need a lot of room please consider bringing your own tables and possibly your own shelter.

Both activities will be under shelter, but this event is primarily outdoors so please be prepared to protect your entries from stray raindrops and errant breezes. By site policy, no glass bottles are allowed.

You do not need to register your entries or display items ahead of time, but if you want to send email to let event staff know what you are bringing or if you have any questions, please contact “ansminister (at) debatablelands.org”.

Scribal (East) (Online) tonight!

Tonight! Thursday February 24! BMDL’s Virtual Scribal East is happening once again! Join us as we come together online to make art, share stories and socialize from the comfort of our own homes! We start at 7:00 EDT and run until about 9:00. All are welcome!!

Contact Rachel Dalicieux (the Signet) via email or Facebook for Zoom information, or check the Scriptorium channel in the Baronial Discord.

Missive from the Ice Dragon A&S Pentathlon Coordinator

The folks who are planning on entering special instruction categories need to contact me by midnight tonight [February 15th]:
Several categories have special preparation needs, especially this year Entrants are required to contact the Pent Coordinator before registering
These categories are:
– Beverages
– Culinary Arts
– Curiosa
– Performance Arts
They have until the regular registration deadline of March 1st to upload their documentation, etc. – today is only pre-registration to indicate intent of entering.
Everybody’s documentation and photos, etc in all categories except written word and the written part of Applied Research needs to be uploaded by March 1st.
You cannot keep finetuning your documentation and turn the final version in at the event. The judges will start looking at stuff on March 2.
Mistress Cori

Let me help you

One of the few actual requirements of being Baronial Minister of Arts and Sciences is my quarterly report to the Kingdom. Local reports are incorporated in into the Kingdom’s report up to the Society. So, if I want to promote the arts and research being done in this Barony to the larger Society, one of the most valuable things I can do is include your work in my report.

However, with the lack of events and complications around practices and meetings, there are fewer opportunities for you to let me know about your work. I know that some of you post often to your social media accounts, but I am not on most social media, and few people are on all of the media that are available.

You have probably seen my posts here on the blog where I have tried to promote some of the projects that I know about. I have not been able to do that for every project I have seen in the last three months, and I know there are many more projects I have not even seen.

Please let me know through email or Discord about your recent projects. I only need a sentence or two for my report, but more is always welcome. Maybe I can also post about your work here for the whole Barony to see.

November Stellar Tourneys!

Hello Debatable Lands!

The next Stellar Tournaments will be:

Sky List – Archery – Sunday, November 14th at practice
Sun List – Heavy Fighting – Sunday, November 21st, at practice
Moon List – Rapier Fighting – Sunday, November 21st, at practice

(Weather, permitting of course. If our marshals cancel practice, the tourneys will be likewise canceled.)

Read more about this month’s Sky List (Archery) here.

We have a special treat for November’s Sun and Moon List, in that both the heavy and rapier fighters will be competing in side-by-side lists!

This special cross-over is a great opportunity for fighters to observe similarities and differences in fighting styles, and enjoy each others’ camaraderie. This is likewise an opportunity for MoLs, Heralds, and Listrunners to gain experience in running multiple lists at once.

We will be breaking from Stellar Tournaments in December, but will resume (if safe) in the new year!

Sad Tidings – Lady Rowan ni Naradhaigh

Friends and Neighbors,

We are heartbroken to tell you that Lady Rowan ni Naradhaigh (Dawn Swidal) passed away suddenly early this morning, of pneumonia.

Lady Rowan was a valued member of our Barony for two decades. Though a little less active in recent years, you may remember her as the site liaison (along with her husband Lord Ffynthcor) for one of our favorite event sites, the Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills. The site was last used for our Baronial Investiture, where Lady Rowan was recognized for her service to the Barony and the Pennsic Barony camp with a Keystone.

We will best remember her as an active and valued member of the Baronial encampment at Pennsic, where she and her family camped every year in recent years. We will remember her sweet smile and her gentle-yet-strong demeanor, her cooking and her friendly laughter, her eye for aesthetic decor, and her willingness to help out the camp, any campmate and neighbor. She was a joy to camp with and talk to. Our friend Rowan will be sorely missed.

Please join us in offering condolences, strength, and peace to Rowan’s husband, Ffynthcor, their family, and their friends and loved ones in the coming days. Should final arrangement details be made available, we will share them.

In Caritate,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda

Royal News from Agincourt – VIVANT!

Hello Debatable Lands! Salve Accolens! From Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda!

Agincourt on Saturday was a great success indeed! We witnessed smiling faces, camaraderie, laughter, cooperation, and most of all, friendship. We have missed you all so much! Thank you to Meesteres Odriana and her staff for a splendid time, and particularly the amazing feast!

Thank you, too, to all the newcomers we were able to chat with, and everyone who made them all feel so welcome! And a special to Mistress Zoe Akropolotina for mentoring and encouraging in the area of combat archery, and to those that provided a fast and clear check-in experience in these odd times.

We’d also like to send a hearty and warm THANK YOU to Their Majesties (and Their staff) for attending, holding two Kingdom Championships, and gracing us with an amazing Royal Court. We bring news of these matter that involved Debatable Landers, from the official rolls:

-The new Kingdom Archery Champion is Yakub al-Musafir
-The new Kingdom Thrown Weapons Champion is Lady Tristan

-Well wishes to those with changing positions:
-Baron Brandubh as he steps down from Sigil Herald (Deputy Kingdom Herald)
-THL Nicola Beese as she became apprenticed to Mistress Graidhne ni Ruaidh

-Congratulations to those Barony members who received their Awards of Arms, and thus may call themselves Lord, Lady, Noble, or Armiger:
-Lord Thorinn of the Debatable Lands (Keith)
-Lord Niall Mac Raedwulf
-Lord Reinhard Regenbogen
-Lady Lartia Cerva
-Lady Scheiny of Dahlraidia
-Lady Fine Failain
-Lord Turlough Feolain

-Congratulations to those Barony members receiving Orders of Merit and similar:
–Lord Li Chang, Order of the Golden Alce (martial)
–Lady Rose O’Tierrany, Order of the Sycamore (A&S)
–Katrina Beese, Order of the Silver Alce (youth martial)
–Lemony of the Debatable Lands, Order of the Silve Alce (youth martial)
–Lady Vika Vyborgskaia, Order of the Cornelian (courtesy)
–Master Jussi Laplain, Order of the Keystone (service)
–Lord Patrokles Athenaios, Order of the Golden Alce (martial)

-Congratulations to those Barony members receiving these Accolades:
–The Honorable Lady Catherine O’Herlihy for her induction into the Order of the Millrind, the Order of High Merit for service
–Baroness Muirgheal ingean Dubhghaill, our Seneschal, who was awarded a Court Barony

VIVANT to ALL!

In Levitate et Caritate, and Cheers,
Baron Brandubh and Baroness Hilda

Finé’s Bycocket Hat Project

The bycocket (or chapel à bec) needs no introduction—a fashionable hat from the 14^th to 16^th century worn by men, women, and sometimes animals in period art. Bycockets come in many shapes, sizes, and colors with adornments such as feathers, brocade, colored liners, and beads. Finé ingen Fáeláin made her own bycocket using a wool felt hat blank using this tutorial on YouTube and a cloche hat blank from Amazon.

The basic construction steps (as elaborated on in the video) involve:

Wetting and heating the wool with an iron
Stretching the hat blank to fit your skull
Creasing the folded brim of the hat with an iron
Trimming the brim of the hat to your desired shape and height with chalk and some sharp scissors

One aspect of construction that is not explained in detail in the video is the forming of the skull-hugging portion of the hat. When pulling the hat blank over your skull, it’s important to pull from the sides of your head as well as the front and back. This ensures even stretching of the wool, and a head-shaped hat with a brim that doesn’t stick out awkwardly or sag away from the rest of the hat. Thankfully, if a hat is overstretched in one direction, more stretch can be added in the opposite direction to correct the shape.

Finé chose to leave herhat unlined and add a couple plague-edition pilgrim pins. Eventually, she would like to add at least a linen liner in case the felt dye decides to wander onto her veil or wimple, and perhaps also a contrasting brocade on the turned brim of the hat.

As fall approaches our Debatable Lands, fresh layers of warm garb are a welcome sight. This is Finé’s first felt project as well as her first non-sewn hat. It was a straightforward project that any beginner can make with household tools. Happy crafting!

Mellon Park Herb Garden

I recently received a flyer from the Point Breeze Organization about the Mellon Park Herb Garden:

The Elizabethan Herb Garden beds include culinary and medicinal herbs, a fragrance garden, a dye garden, a knot garden, a tea herb garden, a Shakespeare garden, and a rose garden. The Pittsburgh 250 Garden celebrates the 250th birthday of the city of Pittsburgh, and includes vegetables, fruits, and herbs that were grown at Fort Pitt (now Point State Park) at that time. This summer, a section with edible herbs and herbs native to Africa has been added.
Wikipedia lists the Mellon Park Shakespeare Garden/Elizabethan Herb Garden as one of only 34 such gardens in the world!

This garden is definitely worth a visit if you have the chance. Mellon Park is right along 5th Avenue, and quite near the practice site. On Sundays, you can park right on 5th Avenue!

Turlough’s Pouch Project

If you were able to attend the recent coronation event, or if you are an avid reader of Court Reports, you probably saw this item:

Her Majesty was very pleased by the Arts and Sciences display and wanted to recognize her choices for the day, Turlough Feolain and Douceline de la Hay, with rings from her hand.
Final Court of Maynard and Liadain Coronation, 25 September a.s. 56

Turlough is local to the Barony, but he and his spouse Finé (fee-nyuh) joined just before lockdown, so not everybody knows them well. Together they built the vardo camping trailer that you may have seen at the Barony meeting. So what was Turlough displaying at Coronation? I reached out to Turlough regarding this project and he sends:

This is a fancy kidney pouch with brass mounts and buckle. The body has “accordion” side panels that allow it to hold more than one would guess, a modern contrivance for cell phone accommodations. The fine black leather is layered with a second thicker leather for sturdiness. The pouch is decorated with red stitching and the closure strap has a simple tooling pattern for added visual interest.