Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Year of 2009

The year of growth and change.


In the year of 2009 Phasiani lacus Manerium underwent a number of changes brought down both by the head of the household and by its members. This was a year that Christiana would become more involved that ever before, and would result in both Kasper and Christiana in achieving under SCA rules the title of Lord and Lady. Please do not confuse these titles with Adria, as these do not have any meaning for title, unless it is the head of a household, that has been approved by the estate. Therefore these titles are for the SCA only when referring to Lord or Lady within this post for 2009 and 2010.



With a new seneshal at the post for the Shire of Danescombe, growth was about to happen, and with some respect as well. In November of 2008, it was decided that I Christiana would attend the fall Tir Righ Investiture in Maple Ridge where two members of the Shire of Danescombe would step up to become their highnesses. This would set the stage for respect to the household as preparations would soon be underway to host the August Tir Righ 2009 Investiture. It would also be the time to have the household along with others involved in creating this event, but there is also a sour grape in this as well. See Investiture 2009.



Because of mundane items that happen in Christiana's life it was a difficult time for her, as she was in fiance stress, and would not be out of its grips till the following year. With construction been so show, this allow time to work on many different [projects, of which the household would be activity involved. Beside the usual tourneys like tournament of roses, and Danescombe Academy the main concern was Investiture and later Tournament of Rose 2010 of which Christiana Autocrated.



Appledore's 12th night was on a cold Jan 2009 weekend in Kalden and was attended by Kasper and Christiana. Christiana decided to bring her needlework and golden swan research in short along with the candidate application form which was handed over to be given to the Golden Swan committee. The feast was a pot luck feast. Tournament of Roses 2009 would both see the King and Queen and their highness (Tir Righ) attend at the Lion's Hall in Westbank B.C. Christiana attended the event along, as Kasper's dragon broke down on route to the event. It was also the event that Christiana needed an inspiration to fight in rapier, of which she won one bout but lost the other. For rules see Tournament of Roses 2011. Her inspiration was Erick and at this time he was not a member of the household but rather the son of Meredith the hahn who was visiting as a non member to the SCA. After Rapier Christiana would retire to during some needlework, (cross stitch). Christiana also for the first time enter an Arts and Science project known as Any thing a Rose, of which she did not take a reward. The evening was served a cater Medieval feast of where Christiana would meet Meredith the hahn for the first time. It was also a time that a pague was going around that cause Christiana to become sick for a month and thus cause her to miss one shire meeting.



It was the March meet that would set the ball in motion as a call was brought forth by the Shire of Danescombe to have an autocrat to host the August Investiture for there highnesses to step down. At the time no one put up their hand to accept the position so Christiana decided, after all the political B.S that happen to her over the pass years, decided to get recognition for her services. She volunteer to be the autocrat for the event. Now began the journey of finding a site to host the event, and to make arrangements for other items for the event from biffies to direction signs to gate tokens, and to format an event program. But first was to fill the bidding sheet for the August Investiture. In early May of 2009 the cat was out of the bag, and most knew that I was planning on been the autocrat for the event, but it was at the June meeting that the wind in Christiana sail was set up for a down fall. Although Christina have done most of the work in the arrangements, the honor would go to another one of the member of the Shire of Danescombe to become the official autocrat of the event. Christian would become the camp master, but was the un official autocrat of the event and she so choose to call herself the site autocrat. She was one that was responsible in finding and securing the site, in putting a team together to look after the details and to make sure that the event ran smoothly on her part that had to do with the site, from site setup to site prep. Kasper was also appointed by Christiana to be head gatekeeper, after spending an evening a few months earlier to learn the gate keeping duties and its responsibility of the position. The event made money, and was a success. Although Christiana was removed as autocrat for the royal event, she most likely had done a large percentage of the work. In June of 2009 Christiana was accepted to be the autocrat for Tournament of Roses 2010.



It should be noted that Sunday of the August Investiture that Kasper and Christiana given gifts to their royals of wood carvings and little boxes of hardwoods. Christiana assumed that Kasper would receive his award of arms at Investiture, for he was the one that did all the carving work on the bread board tokens, and Christiana did the making of the blanks and mineral oil the boards. Kasper was called apon court, and Christiana knew that this would happen so a few weeks prior to Investiture she would instruct the protocal for court to Kasper who had never before except for receiving a token the year before had any idea. After presenting his carvings, he was prepared to get up, but their highnesses kept him on his knees till he received his AOA (award of arms). Christiana assumed that she would be called up after Kasper but this were not to happen and the usual rule of thumb is the royals start off with the lesser awards and work up to the major awards than the special awards, but this was not the case. After a few more calls, Christiana waited to be call to present her gifts, and to retreat from the royals, but she did not receive the permission to leave until she was given her AOA award. Later on that day a gift from their graces was bestowed apon Christiana without ceremony.



It was also Sunday that the proposal for two guilds for the Principality of Tir Righ was suggest to the Deputy of Guilds of which she was of great help. Lord Kasper and Lady Christiana came up with ideas some years earlier but were not familiar with the creation the guilds. These guilds today are know as the TRMWG Medieval Woodcraft Guild and the Tudor Elizabethan Persona Guild.


These two guilds purposed were founded by Christiana and by Kasper while in the SCA

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Year of 2008

The year of formation of the un official household in Tir Righ

In the year of 2008 it was of year of learning new skills, the first been that of a feast autocrat for a local shire event held by the Shire of Appledore. It is known as 12th night, that took place in Jan of 2008 at a church hall in Oliver. It was a simple local event, as members of the new household along with friends were invited to attend said event. The event started with a tourney of which I at the time known as Guinievere did not have time to view as I was busy in the kitchen preparing the feast. The feast basically been a pot luck feast where as members that are attending would bring a dish to serve the populace in attendance of the event. Table were set, games and some crafts were been made, while the fighters fought in the tournament outdoors. It was fortunate that there was no snow, and the sun god simile down on the fighters.

I Christiana known as Guinievere at the time was to begin the long road that would await me in services to the shire and principality.

2008 Tournament of Roses held in Feb. was that of a tourney of inspiration that is held by the Shire of Danescombe, and have taken place in the town of Peachland, and I Christiana attended the event alone. Did have a few pickup fights with the rapier among other rapier fighters, but at the time was not carded to fight rapier in touraments. After which was follow by a pot luck feast, bard, and games.

It was the end of Feb 2008 that I Christiana decided it was time to change to a different shire, as I was prior to Feb 2008 was associated to the Shire of Appledore. Because of mundane reasons of which I choose not to mention, it was time to join a shire that was closer to home. In order to be an officier of a shire it is recommended that one should live in the geographical area that the shire's boundaries are set forth. Of where I lived mundanely I was in the Shire of Danescombe boundaries. At the time, the shires weekly activities have taken place at a small hall located in Peachland where I Christiana would attend the first meeting of the Shire of Danescombe, and eventually would take the officer's post of Shire's Herald. Offically have taken the post in June of 2008, but unofficially had taken the post as early as April 2008.

When in the Shire of Appledore, in 2007, I Christiana begun working on my heraldic device and this was also the time that I Christiana begun thinking of changing my persona's name and lock in the persona image. Guinievere would no longer be used. In May of 2008 the heraldic device was submitted for registration, but because the name at the time was not register with the Society of Creative Anachronism the heraldic device was rejected. A registration of the name would occur later in 2009, and would be reserve in 2010.

The next event, also which I Christiana along with Kasper was Danescombe Academy which at the time takes place in May over a two day period, with both marshal arts, craft and historical classes, of which I Christiana would take a few of these classes. It was also the time that I Christiana would take up classes in the art of glass bead making, along with a few rapier technique classes. Kasper would play his lute and be accompany by his side kick a pug dog known as Shadow at the enterance to the event which took place in Summerland. Kasper would receive a token from their highnesses for his entertainment when court was held on Saturday night.

The third event, of which Kasper would attend would be Spring Tir Righ Investiture which took place at Chase, British Columbia. This event was consider a royal event, but unfortunately, I Christiana can down with foot problems and had to get meds to cure the problem, and was unable to enjoy the event to it fullness, but it was a time to test out Kasper's pavilion of which we worked on in April of 2008 along with the household cooking pavilion. He would also play the lute at this event while at the campsite. Other than I Christiana having sore feet, and that the dragon I was driving decided to have brake problems, which was fixed after the event, it gave both of us an insite into a royal event, but neither of us expected that some day we will be hosting a principality event (See 2010 events).





Chase, British Columbia - 2008 Tir Righ Spring Investiture
Camp site of kasper and Christiana. Pavilion to left is Kasper's, including the red top pop up where Kasper would sit and play the lute, and also play an occassional chess game with Christiana or who ever would walk past the campsite. The brown pravilion if Christiana's with the far back one in the right of photo been the cook pavilion.


Spring Investiture - Their highnesses royal court meeting area - Court in session

June would see Kasper, Karla, Emmy and Christiana attend an event that Appledore have made and created known as Mid Summer the year previously, which involved three previous events into one. This was a time that was so hot that I Christiana, could not take the heat, and wound up with heat stroke problems on the last day of the event. Other than this problem other problems occured at this event that involved some polictics, and the location where we were allowed to camp, away from the main group the event was not successful to our household, but it was the deciding point that would cause Kasper and Karla along with Emmy to join the household.
Clinton Wars 2008 (last year the SCA would sponsor the event). Clinton Wars is an event that involves several shires and barnonies to come out and do arts and war senarios at Clinton, British Columbia which take place on the B.C. August long weekend. Prior to the event, the Clinton Work Week takes place in preparing the grounds for camping, archery, and war senarios. We of the household did not partake in Clinton Work Week, but we did take in activities of learning skills and crafts, along with meeting other households that camp along side of us. I Christiana was also invited to partake in a drum circle, as I had room on the truck to bring my congas. Monday during the teardown, I Christiana would take the SCA rapier test, and was carded that day, which allowed me to partake in future SCA rapier tourneys.

September 2008 was quiet for creative anachronism events, but would be an event that was an unofficial household event, but did allow for us of the household to re-unite and have a bit of fun on our birthdays (Kasper and Christiana). It was not a medieval event. but the pavilions that Kasper and Christiana would be used at this event. Here I Christiana had the advantage of learning the art of forging a knife.

October 2008 - Golden Swan. This would be the final Golden Swan tournament that would take place at Skunk Hollow, of which I have day view the persona of Christiana with an Elizabethan persona. It was unfortunate that I was position away from the main activities that would happen at Swan. No feast, and would have to walk around the back side of the feast hall when the rapier practice field was in operation, but at least, had an chance to improve thy rapier skills. Kasper, Karka, and Emmy would attend the event day tripping for Friday thru to Sunday. Monday I Christiana was left to myself to packup and leave, but would meet again for a few days at Kasper's residence, where I Christiana begun my research and refinement of Christiana's persona before entering the Swan for 2010. This was also the time that in mundane life, as I Christiana was in renovations and construction would suffer a hard blow in the 2008 and 2009 ecomonics. Events would be restricted to the Okanagan Valley for the most part during the end of 2008 and 2009.

This photo of Christiana with Christiana's camera was taken by a professor of Shakespeare English from UBC showing her in her Eliazbethan garb. It was the same professor that sent her information of old english that enable her to write and translate old english documents in creating her persona for the 2009 and 2010 entrance into the Golden Swan persona challenge.


While at Golden Swan 2008, she used the cook pavilion and the her own pavilion to entertain her household members, Kasper, Karla and Emmy along with a few close friends. Although the household members did not have feast tickets, we of the household did have a feast prepared by Christiana and bard by its household members along with wine to wash down the removes.

The recession or should I Christiana say depression would no longer have the funds to expand the props or garb required for Christiana's persona, and would involve some creative thinking to make these items. It was fortunate that I Christiana had access via Kasper's computer for research, and by the aspects that construction and renovations have left me with a number of scrap pieces of hardwood to make the props, which would be introduce the following year. This was also the time that Kasper begun teaching Christiana the skills of wood carving.  Karla have already learned how to do carving.

In late November an event known as Freeze Off would take place in Kamloops, of which both Kasper and Christiana would take in a class on Viking Boat making, and I Christiana would enter the inspiration tourney for my inspiration Kasper. Unfortunately I Christiana died in the second round robin.

December would see two events, of which the first would take place in Vernon as a practice and pot luck feast, and the second a household event, and the prelude to swan challenge in cookery. The first event is known a Krakijord  Yule Feast, and the second know as at the time Manor of Pheasant Hollow Yule Feast which was an  Elizabethan Feast.