Category: Arts and Sciences

Our Shire members are talented! Here are some of their projects and crafting in action.

Gilth’s Viking Era Mastermyr-style chest:

Birthday Bash Arts & Sciences Display, Sept. 25th, 2021:

Vindiorix Ordovix’s Brewing Adventures:

Corotica merkka Senebelenae’s Roman/Romano-Celtic cooking:

2021 Fall projects in the Shire:

A&S Championships at Aisles of Marche, March 5, 2022:

Spring 2022 A&S in action!

Sept. 2022 Dye Day (9/10) and “Bring Your Own Craft” meet-up (9/11):

Fall 2022 Projects in the Shire:

Freehold/Panthervale Yule Celebration 2022

There are many fabulous classes, channels, and collegia currently online! Here is a partial listing. If you have any to add, please let Guðrún (Rosie) know at moas@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org.

East Kingdom Ministry of Arts and Sciences has a page for online webinars,
and a YouTube channel of past classes. There is also a Facebook group for the EK College of Performers, and an EK Wiki page for A&S research institutions.

Royal University of the Mid-Realm (RUM) has a YouTube channel of past classes.

Royal Outlands Interkingdom University (ROIU) has classes (incl. recordings) and events posted on their website and Facebook page.

The Kingdom of Atenveldt has a YouTube channel that includes a playlist of classes from their Virtual A&S Collegium.

The Kingdom of Drachenwald has a YouTube channel with many classes.

The Kingdom of Artemisia has a YouTube playlist from their online University of Artemisia.

The Kingdom of Æthelmearc has a YouTube playlist for A&S classes.

The Kingdom of AnTir has a YouTube playlist for A&S classes.

The Kingdom of Lochac held an online Knowne Worlde Heraldic and Scribal Symposium, a Bardic Showcase, and more.

The Kingdom of Northshield has a YouTube playlist for Bardic performances, among others.

The Atlantia Royal Forestry Guild have a YouTube channel with classes.

The Pennsic University YouTube channel only hosts class videos during the time of Pennsic (last week of July & first week of August), but when it’s running, it has lots of classes!

SCA Virtual Classroom and Artisan Display is a world-wide Facebook group that posts upcoming classes and events, individual A&S projects, and more.

The Medievalists have a YouTube channel with many classes on a wide variety of medieval-era topics.

Disa i Birkilundi has a YouTube channel of classes on a variety of subjects as well as a website.

Morgan Donner has a YouTube channel with tutorials, and a website.

Hands on History AS has a YouTube channel with Viking-era tutorials, as does Marobud.

Nille Glaesel, an author and reconstructionist, has YouTube tutorials on a Viking coat and trousers.

Ylva the Red has a YouTube channel for Viking-era reenactment, which includes many costuming, dyeing, and nålbinding tutorials.

Jimmy, The Welsh Viking, has a YouTube channel about costuming, dyeing, and more.

Ingridr Raudkinn has a YouTube channel with tutorials on rectangular construction and Rus costuming.

Daisy Viktoria has a YouTube channel with many tutorials, including a playlist on medieval/renaissance costuming.

Elewys of Finchingefeld has a YouTube channel with tablet weaving tutorials, and a blog (which includes weaving patterns).

Harpy & Hag have a YouTube channel with tutorials on block printing, dyes, and more.

Susan Verberg’s YouTube channel, Far Mountain, has tutorials on soap-making, pottery, brewing, foods, and more.

Opus Elenae has a YouTube channel with tutorials on costuming, making lucet cord, fabric painting, weaving, and more.

Mr. Rogers Hobbyhood has a YouTube channel with tutorials on calligraphy, book-binding, leather-working, and wood-working.

Angela Costello has a YouTube channel with tutorials on Byzantine-era costuming, mead-making, and silk banner painting.

Agnes Berengarii de girona has a YouTube channel with tutorials on many types of embroidery.

Rachel Case has a YouTube channel with classes and tutorials on edging, needle-lace, and sprang weaving.

Nick Saint-Erne has a YouTube channel with tutorials on medieval recipes for cooking and brewing.

Elliot Burton has a YouTube channel that covers medieval bushcraft, and a tutorial on making a basic tunic.

Sally Pointer has a YouTube channel with many types of tutorials, including Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Early Medieval garb-making, shoe-making, dyeing, and fiber processing (with nettles, among other fibers).

Medieval Mayhem has a YouTube channel with many classes on various topics.

Guðrún has three of her previous classes on her YouTube channel: Basic Sewing Techniques for Reenactors and Anachronists, Intro to Medieval Middle Eastern Dance, and Early Period Clothing: Rectangular Construction.

Secrets of the Castle is a fantastic documentary series on the construction of the Château de Guédelon, a French 13th-century-style castle, which is currently being built only using tools and techniques known in the medieval time period. The series goes into all of the artistry of building and decorating the castle, as well as what daily life would have been like in the 13th century.

While Time Team is technically a video series of archaeological digs rather than making things, some of the things they cover are A&S-related, and it’s great for research purposes.

Likewise, the UK Portable Antiquities Scheme is a website run jointly by the British Museum and Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales to catalogue amateur archaeological finds, which can be great references for our SCAdian crafters.

Vashti Research Assistance is a website run by THL Vashti al-Ashsriyah of Calontir with the focus of connecting people with resources for research and documentation. There is also a Fb page here. There is a lot of information and organized lists for different subjects.

There are many upcoming opportunities for all to get creative and share their work! Here are but a few; if you know of more to add, please contact Guðrún Sveinsdóttir at moas@mountainfreehold.eastkingdom.org.

EK Crown’s A&S Competition and Display 2024
Their Majesties will be choosing their Champions at the annual Crown A&S Championships on March 2, 2024, at an in-person event in Quintavia. There are virtual/remote options for entrants who cannot display/compete in person. Check out the link above for more details!

EK Winter 2023 Online A&S Display
While the deadline for entries has passed, stay tuned: this display will go live on December 1st! The next EK Online Display will have a deadline for entries 0n June 15th, 2024, and will go live on July 1st.

Novice November Artisan Spotlights
Our East Kingdom Minister of Arts and Sciences has issued a challenge in November for artisans to share their projects in types of arts or sciences that are/were new to them. This is an exciting challenge: we all start somewhere, and this is a chance to show where you started! The Facebook group is called Novice November Artisan Support Group. There will eventually also be a video shared as a “highlights reel.” When that becomes available, it will be shared here.

Freehold Award-making Challenge
We have been making Kingdom-level awards and paraphernalia to send to Their Majesties. Details can be found here on Facebook. While the initial challenge period is over, we are still accepting contributions, which we can send as a group or you can send individually. If you have any questions, Guðrún is the person to contact.

100 Days of A&S is an ongoing challenge group on Facebook. The goal is to spend at least 10 minutes a day for 100 days in a row on any A&S-related activity. It could be anything from blacksmithing, to herbal gardening, to learning a new language for your persona, to research, to cleaning out your workshop to give yourself space to work. Anything A&S goes!

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During the time of plague, our talented artisans continued creating and sharing their work in a virtual format. While more recent events are in-person or hybrid, many continue to have an online presence. Here is a listing of past events, including creations by our Shire members.

Laurel’s Challenges at Bloodfeud in the Danelaw
There was a fantastic display of artistry and science at the Shire of Coldwood’s Viking-era immersion event in October 2023! A handful of Laurels set challenges, and many artisans answered the call, both in-person and in a virtual display. Our own Duchess Marieke was one of the Laurels to sponsor challenges, and several Freeholders and Friends of the Freehold were among the in-person challengees: THL Vindiorix Ordovix, THL Tómas Hamarsson, Rowan of Meikledale, and Ivar of Green Mountain Leathercraft. Check out the Freehold’s A&S Gallery page for photos! (If they’re not up yet, they will be soon!)

Freehold A&S Championships
We held our Championships at the Freehold Birthday Bash on Sept. 16th, 2023. The theme, set by our current Champion, Captain Lily Aubrey, was “Anachronism.” We used our new Shire A&S rubric as guidelines for this competition. (For those who have not used a rubric before, or who would like to learn more about this particular one, please feel free to email Guðrún with any questions.) We had a wonderful set of competition entrants as well as some terrific displays by artisans who chose to display their work without entering the competition. At the end of the day, our 2023 Champion was announced: Eseld An Goarnig, who hand-crafted a stunning late-period outfit! Photos of the displays and competition entries will be up soon on our Freehold’s A&S Gallery page!

EK Crown’s A&S Competition and Display 2023
Their Majesties chose their Champions at the annual Crown A&S Championships on March 4th, 2023. The online display is available at the link above!

Fourth East Kingdom Online A&S Display – July 2022
This display covers a wide variety of arts and sciences projects, including a Viking-era linen cap by Freeholder Guðrún Sveinsdóttir.

EK Crown’s Arts & Sciences Competition and Display 2022
The East Kingdom A&S Championships happened at Aisles of Marche in Stonemarche on March 5th. This year it was held in a hybrid format, with the initial rounds online, and the finals in person with online alternatives if necessary.
We had two Freehold finalists in the Championships this year, and one of them was chosen as Champion!
Our new King’s Champion, Corotica merkka Senebelena, made a fantastically complicated non-alcoholic medicinal beverage called “The Drink of Great Roots” from a 13th-century anonymous Andalusian cookbook;
And Guðrún made an interpretation of a Viking-era apron dress (or smokkr) based on the Køstrup find.

Freehold Foresters’ Challenge
While this was geared toward the Foresters’ Guild, anyone could participate! Our local Keeper of the Forest at the time (Corotica merkka Senebelena) headed up some fun monthly challenges. For May 2021, the challenge was to identify 3 plants and say how you identified them. For June 2021, it was to identify 2 types of animal tracks and analyze them. Over the winter in 2021/2022, Corotica challenged us to “Sit outside wearing your garb for at least a half hour at night, completely unplugged, and just feel into how that feels.”

The Third East Kingdom Online A&S Display went live on Nov. 6th, 2021. It contains some wonderful project examples from all over our Kingdom.

The First Bardic War (May 15-23, 2021) is over, and the East has triumphed! There are class handouts still available on the website, and the Bardic War also has two YouTube channels and a Facebook presence.

EK Laurels’ Challenges 2021
Corotica merkka Senebelenae answered a challenge with several fabulous non-alcoholic medieval beverage recipes and documentation on how to serve them for large feasts.
Eleanor Grey completed two challenges: beautiful poetry in honor of Sir Tearlach, and lovely blackwork embroidery on a hand-sewn partlet.
Guðrún Sveinsdóttir answered three challenges: making goldwork medallions, embellishing a Viking-era coat with Byzantine silk trim, and the beginnings of a research paper on Viking-era underwear and menstrual products.

EK Crown’s Arts & Sciences Competition and Display 2021
Our own Vindiorix Ordovix (Black Finn) entered his fantastic Sumerian ale, and was one of the finalists in the competition!
And Guðrún displayed her walnut-dyed tunic, which has kept our Seneschal warm this past winter.

The EK Ministry of Arts & Sciences also held several other displays in 2020, including one in which our Lisabetta Medaglia shared her beautiful gryphon scroll.

Some of our artisans have their own websites or blogs to display their work. Here is Lily Aubrey’s “Captain’s Blog,” where you can see her impressive scribal accomplishments.

We bring our various time periods to life with crafts and projects from our chosen time period. It all starts with natural curiosity. What did people eat back then? How did they dress? How did they spend their time? As part of our exploration, we might seek out and try a medieval recipe, or learn how to weave trim to embellish our new gown or tunic. How about brewing some ale or mead to put in your goblet? How about learning how to sharpen a quill pen and use it to write a few words with a medieval lettering style? Everything is possible!

We all start somewhere. Your first piece of garb will not be your last, and each iteration will improve, as you see what other people wear, and maybe get a few construction tips along the way. You will also see somebody doing something interesting with their hands – embroidery, spinning, weaving, making chain mail – and you will ask a few questions and then soon you’ll be doing it too. Most people in the Society are natural teachers and are eager to share what they know. Just ask!

Another way to pick up new medieval skills is to attend classes. Some events have instructional sessions with hands-on activities. (Mimir’s Well, Studium Generale, and Panteria are examples of events with classes, but there are plenty more.) These classes are free, or they might have only a small cost for the materials. Don’t be shy – these opportunities are a great way to learn or explore a new craft. There’s no commitment. Indulge your curiosity, and you might just find a new passion.

We currently have monthly Arts and Sciences meetings/classes dedicated to a particular topic. These are held on 2nd Sundays of the month in Jericho, at 1pm (before the fighter practice begins), unless otherwise noted. We also have occasional meetings at other times, both online and in person, which will be updated through our Facebook page and email list. Anytime there is a fighter practice, A&S folk are welcome to bring their projects and socialize while the practice is happening. Here is a gallery of projects our Shire members have worked on, either at home or during our gatherings.

Due to the recent plague, there are many classes, displays, and competitions being held online. Some of these are within our own East Kingdom, while others are throughout the Knowne Worlde. Many of our Shirefolk have participated in these opportunities. Here is a listing of available classes, and another for displays, competitions, and challenges. We also have in-person displays and competitions, which range from serious (our annual Shire Championship – using our Shire A&S rubric) to silly (our “Silly A&S Competition” for the Feast of Fools — here is an example of a winning entry). Both youth and adults are encouraged to enter.

Please check the Shire’s Facebook page or contact Lady Guðrún Sveinsdóttir, (aka Rosie), our Minister of Arts and Sciences, to learn more about what’s going on. Likewise, if you have a skill you wish to teach, or an idea for a class you’d like to take, just let Rosie know!

Previous A&S meetings include:

• Wine Making taught by the Duchess Marieke
• Rectangular Garb Construction with Lady Guðrún Sveinsdóttir
• Pattern Design with Elizabeth Snelling
• Making Chainmaille with Lord Thomas of Mtn Freehold
• Cup Covers with Lady Aurelia Colleoni a’Buccaforno
• Persona Building with Lord David Poirier De LeLoup
• How to Enter an A&S Competition with Duchess Marieke
• Fiber Processing from Sheep to Spinning with Augusta Rose
• Block Printing with Master Dafydd
• Winter/Yule music session with Lord Karl the Oblique
• Making Queen’s Favors
• How the SCA Works with Duchess Marieke
• SCA 102 with Master Tearlach
• Show and Tell/”BYOC” (Bring Your Own Craft)