Descendants of King Richard III have launched a legal challenge to the burial of the king's remains in Leicester Cathedral, near the site where his skeleton was discovered. Sian Lloyd of the BBC reports in a short video.

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The iconic minaret of the Umayyad Mosque complex in the Syrian city of Aleppo has collapsed during fighting between rebels and government troops. The minaret dates to the 11th century.

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Graduate students at Durham University in England were in for a real medieval treat when they participated in a cookery workshop using recipes from a recently discovered 12th century Durham Priory manuscript, considered to predate the earliest known examples by 150 years. The Latin manuscript was created in the 12th century at Durham Cathedral’s priory.

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Lady Marion inghean ui Ruanadha, Disaster Relief Coordinator for the Kingdom of Ansteorra, offers detailed information on how other SCA members can help those affected by this week's massive tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma.

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Reporting Herald Rory reports that Count Sir Hiromoto was the winner of the May 18, 2013 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann. His Highness was inspired in His endeavor by Countess Kimiko.

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Olive-Curing-art (19K) 5/19/13 "Curing Olives: Six Methods"
by Dom. Galefridus Peregrinus.

fresh-cheeses-msg (75K) 4/28/13 Fresh cheeses such as cream cheese and cottage cheese. Non-aged cheeses.

hummus-msg (21K) 4/28/13 Modern "hummus" dip is not the same as period hummus.

Children-SCA-art (10K) 5/ 5/13 "Children in the SCA: An Introduction for Newcomers" by Lady Genoveva von Lübeck.

teach-Pennsic-msg (8K) 4/22/13 Comments on teaching at Pennsic.

Turning to medieval violence, we have two items to share:
Medieval Hermit Pope Not Murdered, as Believed Discovery.com reports that Italian researchers have debunked the theory that Pope Celestine V was killed by a nail to the head. They explain that a half-inch hole that can be seen in the remains of his skull was made long after he died, probably during one of his reburials.

Pope Celestine was a hermit monk who accepted the papacy in 1294 at age 85, but then months later resigned. It was believed that his successor, Pope Boniface VIII, had him murdered.

Tor Vergata of the University of Rome explained, “We can’t establish the real cause of death. A previous research carried test for heavy metal poisoning with negative results.”

The researchers have also reconstruct Celestine’s face in the form of a silver mask. Click here to read the article from Discovery.com

See also The Five Worst Popes of the Middle Ages
Husband Castrates Wife's Lover, Then Sues (Medieval Style!) Katherine O'Meara, writing in The Prodigal Ex Pat, tells us about a court case from Ireland in the year 1307. She came across the court case while her writing her thesis - it involves John Don (Dunne) of Youghal, Cork, his wife Basilia, and her lover Stephen le Clerk. I won't give it away, for it is a good read, but now I know what 'abciderunt ejus testiculos' means and that I should never trust a taverner!

You can read the post here.

In the An Tir Crown list processional on Saturday, May 18 XLVII (2013), seven fighters proudly presented their same sex inspirations to the court and fought for them that day upon the fields of honor.

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Baroness Leonete D’Angely has once again turned out a “Betting Man’s Guide” for the Laurels vs. Pelicans boffer melees along with her father and partner in crime, Master Liam St. Liam.  Guides cost $1.  You can buy them online or in person at the Laurels vs. Pelicans melee at Panteria.

To buy a copy online, go to www.laurelsvspelicans.com and contribute $1 using the PayPal button.  A pdf of the Guide will be sent to your email address.  Your donation will go to the Pennsic war chest and help fund Pennsic activities such as the Knowne World Party which is going to be held after opening ceremonies.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Laurels vs. Pelicans, Panteria

Several articles have recently appeared online that talk about the Vikings:
Unearthing Viking jewellery Jane Kershaw from University College London has recently published her book on Viking Identities: Scandinavian Jewellery in England. In a post on the Oxford University Press blog, she writes about how over 500 examples of Viking jewellery have been discovered in England. These brooches and pendants worn by women are contributing much to our understanding of the Norse presence in Anglo-Saxon England.

Kershaw writes, "Although Anglo-Saxon women also wore brooches, they were of a very different style to those favoured by Scandinavian women, so it’s clear that the new jewellery finds represent a distinctly ‘foreign’ dress element. The jewellery being unearthed in England is strikingly similar to that found in Scandinavia, particularly its southern regions: there are disc, trefoil, lozenge, oval, and bird shaped brooches decorated with animals and plants from the Scandinavian art styles of Borre, Jellinge, Mammen and Urnes. Encountering women on a walk around tenth-century Norfolk, you could be forgiven for thinking that you were in Denmark."

Click here to read her blog post

Viking hoard discovered in Denmark Karen Schousboe details in Medieval Histories how 162 coins dating from the late tenth century have been discovered in northern Denmark. One of the most interesting finds in this hoard is over fifty coins minted by King Harold Bluetooth (958 – 987).

Schousboe writes, "The coins are believed to reflect the conversion of the king in 963 as it is witnessed on the Great Jelling Stone, according to which the king claims to have “ordered this monument made in memory of Gormr, his father, and in memory of Thyrvé, his mother; that Haraldr who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian.” Obviously the coins were meant as part of the king’s effort to market his new religion."

Click here to read the full article from Medieval Histories

The Vengeance of Ivarr the Boneless The Smithsonian blog Past Imperfect reminds us that besides being traders and settlers, the Vikings also enjoyed "gory ritual killings". They detail the several recorded instances of the blood eagle ritual, which is described this way:

First the intended victim would be restrained, face down; next, the shape of an eagle with outstretched wings would be cut into his back. After that, his ribs would be hacked from his spine with an ax, one by one, and the bones and skin on both sides pulled outward to create a pair of “wings” from the man’s back. The victim, it is said, would still be alive at this point to experience the agony of what Turner terms “saline stimulant” — having salt rubbed, quite literally, into his vast wound. After that, his exposed lungs would be pulled out of his body and spread over his “wings,” offering witnesses the sight of a final bird-like “fluttering” as he died.

Click here to read the full article from the Smithsonian

Meanwhile, author Marcus Sedgwick believes that school children don't get to learn enough about the Vikings and Norse mythology. He tells The Big Issue, "“As alluring at the Greek Myths are, I’ve always argued that we ought to pay as much if not more attention to another set of myths, those of the Vikings, since they are much more directly our heritage. Yes, we take the names of our days from the Norse Gods, and most people can tell you a little about Thor, but that’s probably about it.”

Click here to read the full article from The Big Issue

Finally, check out Searching for the Vikings on the Isle of Man on Medievalists.net

Marion reports that Sir Nigel MacFarlane was victorious in the May 18, 2013 Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Ealdormere. Sir Nigel was inspired in his endeavor by Countess Adrielle Kerrec.

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Her Majesty Ysabella reports that Duke Ragnarr Blackhammer, inspired by Baroness Lynette Semere, was the winner of the May 4, 2013 Crown Tourney in the Kingdom of Atlantia.

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Unto the East Kingdom does Osgkar of the wood send greetings,
After much long drawn out discussion the Society Earl Marshal has made a decision about  the Airsoft Mod we did at Pennsic.  He has decided to disallow their use at Pennsic. So if you have mandrake tips that have been modified you must remove the pellets and put foam in to pass inspection at the point. I know this is hard to take but it is the call the man in charge made.  Now for the good news.  Ice Falcons spear tips are good to go and … 2″ homemade tips are legal as well. so we have a bunch of options for good tips that will pass muster. Sadly not the clever functional Airsoft mod so many of us like.
 

Here is the exact wording from society

D. Fiberglass Spears
4. All fiberglass spears must have a thrusting tip that is a minimum of 2 inches (50.8 mm) in diameter/cross-section and have 2 inches (50.8 mm) of resilient material in front of the PVC end cap, thereby providing progressively resistant give without allowing contact with the PVC end cap.

We will continue to be able to use the mod in kingdom but they need to be marked with green and red denoting an experimental weapon.

In service to the greatest Kingdom in the know world I remain
Osgkar Earl Marshal
- – -
Sir Osgkar, East
Consolamini oppressos, Opprimite commodos

Choose well whom you teach to war …

Filed under: Heavy List, Official Notices

The East Kingdom has put the call out for a new Kingdom Seneschal.  At the East Kingdom Gazette, an editor and prior Kingdom Seneschale published her thoughts on what possible applicants should consider.

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Recently, the call went out that the position of East Kingdom Seneschal will be open at the end of 2013. http://seneschal.eastkingdom.org/positions.html. The deadline to respond is July 18, 2013.

This got me thinking about conversations I have had in the past with potential applicants who were interested in the position.

The first thing to consider is why you would want to do this. The position of Kingdom Seneschal is not for glory. Your voice, your opinion, is the law within the Kingdom. When the crisis hits, when you think all is calm, and something comes up, it is up to you to deal with it. You are the leader of the team. At all times, you must rely on others, and remember that they are volunteers also.

You are responsible for advising the royalty on laws and policies. This means that you need to have an extensive knowledge of Kingdom and Society governing documents. You will need to remember that the royalty have stress of their own, and their jobs are as hard, if not harder than yours. Advising them means that you will need to properly instruct them on whether or not they can take desired actions, and, you will need to be able to tell them when they can’t, and why. Your job is to make sure that they are protected, and that their reign goes as smoothly as possible.
There are other things to consider as well. At times, the position can take a lot of your time. So, do you have the time available to do the job properly. Be it responding to emails, dealing with situations, or traveling to events, you need to make sure that you are available. Are you able to travel; do you have the transportation available to go to events? Do you have the financial means to travel to events, inter-kingdom events, society meetings, and to take time off from work? These are only some of the areas you must consider.

An important consideration is what the position can do to your relationships. How does your spouse, significant other, and/or children feel about you taking on this type of responsibility? Will they be able to handle the change in your time and attention being shifted to the demands of the Kingdom? This is a very important thought to consider very carefully.

Why did I do it? I did it to challenge myself, no other reason. I had seen the inner workings of what the job entailed; it had been in my house for two prior terms. I had no excuse of ignorance. For me, I wanted to help, and take on one of the hardest jobs in the Kingdom. And, let me tell you, it did challenge me!

Be warned, this position will change you. You will see things that you didn’t think possible. There will be surprises along the way. Be it an unexpected blow-up in a group that you didn’t see coming, to something that you wish with all your might never happened, you will need to deal with it. You will be placed in positions where you have to make a decision that leaves no one happy in the end. There are times that you will wonder if you have any idea what you are doing, and other times when you wonder why in the world you ever took it on.

However, with all the pressure, and difficult situations, there was a bright side that I would never trade in. I got to meet wonderful people. The position can take away the wonder of this hobby at times, but I got to see a different bright spot: the hard work that really great people do within this Kingdom and Society to make it work.

To borrow lyrics, because of having been Kingdom Seneschal, I don’t know if I’ve been changed for the better, but I have been changed for good.

Mistress Hedewigis Ockenfüssin, the current East Kingdom Seneschal, has encouraged anyone considering this position to contact her with any questions. If you are interested in the position, I would encourage you to speak with her. I am also available, and would encourage you to also speak to other past Kingdom Seneschals as well.

Mistress Katherine Barr

Click here to email questions/comments to Katherine Barr.

Filed under: Interviews