Guðrún’s Interview with Leo, our Chatelain (Feb. 2021)
SCA name: Lady Guðrún Sveinsdóttir (aka Rosie of Mountain Freehold)
Pronouns: She / Her
Chatelain: “What is your persona’s background?”
Guðrún: I have a long and complicated backstory written out on my Wiki page, if you want to check it out. The condensed version is that I am a mid-10th century woman from Birka, Sweden, but I spent most of my childhood in Abbasid Persia, so I have aspects of both cultures in my persona. For example, I do Middle Eastern dance, but I also have learned many Viking-era Scandinavian fiber arts including period dyeing, tablet weaving, and nålbinding.
Chatelain: “How did you get involved in the SCA?”
G: Oh, that’s a long story. When I was in middle school, I saw my first SCA demo at my local library. I really wanted to join, but my parents weren’t interested, so it didn’t happen. In college, I was on the (modern) fencing team and I started learning German longsword from one of my friends – Lichtenauer style. After college, I moved to the kingdom of Atlantia and went to a few SCA fencing practices with the person who was then Champion. He started teaching me single rapier and rapier/main gauche (i.e. rapier/dagger), but it was hard for me to commit timewise. When Tom and I moved up to Vermont, we found out about the Freehold demo in St. Albans. They encouraged Tom to bring his blacksmithing set-up, so the first time we went to any SCA event together, we were part of the demo! And the rest is history.
Chatelain: “How long have you been playing?”
G: We joined Mountain Freehold in 2012, so 10 years now.
Chatelain: “What are your passions/foci in the SCA?”
G: I have a lot of them! Ironically enough, even though I started out with fencing, my focus has shifted heavily toward the Arts & Sciences end of things. While I’d like to get back to doing rapier and longsword at some point, I’m very much enjoying learning about thousand-year-old (and older) crafts, especially the textiles and costuming side of things. I do a lot of garb-making and research into the archaeological evidence, and I geek out over tiny scraps of wool and silk that have been found at various sites. I enjoy Bardic pursuits as well: singing and playing violin, and dancing. I’m also an Underforester in the EK Foresters’ Guild, where I learn and use more outdoor/wilderness skills like medicinal herbalism, wildcrafting foods, period hiking/camping, tracking, hide-tanning, fire-starting, and firepit/campfire cooking. I have very varied interests, but I love them all.
Chatelain: “Are you part of a household?”
G: We have a local household loosely called the “House of D.E.R.P.” It consists of our little pandemic pod, and we do fun things together like firepit dinners, mead-tastings, crafting hang-outs, and hiking in garb. We’re a weird and wacky bunch, and proud of it.
Chatelain: “What keeps you involved?”
G: The people, the learning, and the food. No, seriously, I love hanging out with folks who will geek out with me over various things, and I’ve found many warm and welcoming people who are just plain awesome — I’ve really missed everyone during the pandemic. Learning about history is also a huge passion of mine, and there is a lot of knowledge among SCA folks. And the food…well, if you have never been to an SCA feast, I highly recommend going to one when it’s safe again. No matter if it’s potluck or planned by a team of cooks, it’s well worth the experience. Your taste buds will thank you.
Chatelain: “Do you have any goals in the SCA? What are they?”
G: I am a sponge for knowledge, so I would like to keep learning as much as I can about things my persona would have known or experienced. Most of my goals are A&S-related. The biggest one is that I would love to make a period garment from start to finish: processing the raw wool, spinning, weaving, dyeing, and sewing it by hand. Ideally, I would also like to also figure out how the Viking-era Scandinavians processed their woad — there’s a fermentation process that I believe is still being researched to figure out exactly how they did it, and I would like to try it at some point. I’m not sure yet if those will be connected projects or separate ones. All of that is a long way off, since it involves learning several new skills, like spinning and using a warp-weighted loom. I would also love to get back into fencing and longsword when it’s safe again.
Chatelain: “What kinds of things would you like to see happen in the Shire?”
G: As the local Minister of Arts & Sciences, of course I would like to see folks sharing their work and learning from each other — that is something we already do, but I believe we can always do more of it. That’s why I started some of the webpages for online learning opportunities, and recording classes whenever possible for later viewing. Personally, I would also love for our Shire to be held up as an example for being welcoming and inclusive: I would like to see if we can make our gatherings and online presence even more equitable/accessible to all, through closed captioning options for meetings, making sure all event sites are wheelchair accessible, and clearly stating and posting our commitment to equity for people of all races, genders, orientations, abilities, etc…at every practice, event, or online gathering. I know these are all things we try to do in the Freehold already, but visibly standing up in support and continually thinking about how to improve access and comfort are critical steps for equity.
Chatelain: “Are there any things you would like people to know about you? Mundanely or otherwise.”
G: Being in the SCA has been relevant in my mundane life as well, in the knowledge and friendships I have gained. I am always happy to talk with folks about the SCA, A&S-related or otherwise. I have a lot of fun here, and I hope you all will, too!
Contact info: 239146@members.eastkingdom.org