East Kingdom Gazette
Covering the Eastern Realm of the SCA
On the 17th day of September AS LI Their Royal Majesties Kenric and Avelina held court at the Neddingham Country Faire in the noble Barony of the Bridge. The following business was set forth that day: Item. Clotilde von der Insel was recognized as a Seamstress to the Crown, scroll by Fiona O’Maille. Item. Lucinda de la Tambor …
Greetings to the Populace of the East Kingdom, I will be finishing my 4th and final year as the East Kingdom Minister of Lists this February 2017. Term limits dictate that I step down at that time. This makes me so sad, as I truly love serving the martial community of the East Kingdom. To …
Our fourteenth A&S Research Paper comes to us from Lady Angela Mori of the Barony of Bhakhail, who demonstrates and explains the process of making one of the splendid helm crests so familiar from manuscript illuminations of tournaments. (Prospective future contributors, please check out our original Call for Papers.)
Making a Leather Swan Helm Crest
How to Model Crests or Helmets: “Whenever you have occasion to make a crest or helmet for a tourney, or for rulers who have to march in state, you must first get some white leather which is not dressed except with myrtle or ciefalonia, stretch it, and draw your crest the way you want it made. And draw two of them, and sew them together; but leave it open enough on one side so that you can put sand into it; and press it with a little stick until it is all quite full. When you have done this, put it in the sun for several days. When it is quite dry, take the sand out of it . Then take some of the regular size for gessoing, and size it two or three times. Then take some gesso grosso ground with size, and mix in some beaten tow, and get it stiff, like a batter; and put on this gesso, and rough it in, giving it any shape of man, or beast, or bird, which you may have to make, getting it as like as you can. This done, take some gesso grosso ground with size, liquid and flowing, on a brush, and you lay it three or four times over this crest with a brush. Then, when it is quite dry, scrape it and smooth it down, just as you do when you work on panel. Then, in the same way, as I showed you how to gesso with gesso sotile on panel, in that same way gesso this crest. When it is dry, scrape it and smooth it down; and then if it is necessary to make the eyes of glass, put them in with the gesso for modeling; do modeling if it is called for. Then, if it is to be gold or silver, lay some bole, just as on panel; and follow the same method in every detail, and the same for the painting, varnishing it in the usual way”
– From Chapter CLXIX, Il Libro dell’Arte (The Craftsman’s Handbook), Cennino D’Andrea Cennini
The following is an official announcement sent out by the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The Wreath Sovereign of Arms is an educational deputy of the Laurel Principal Sovereign of Arms, responsible for the consideration of and decisions concerning armory submitted for registration by the College of Arms. Wreath is an unpaid position, currently requiring …
The deadline for ordering East Kingdom calendars or note cards is November 6, one week away. We’ve posted the final scans of all the artwork so you can see the unusual and beautiful contributions of the scribes of the East to the project. Orders will ship at the end of November, so they will be …
The Society College of Heralds runs on monthly cycles and letters. Each month, the College processes name and armory submissions from all of the Kingdoms. Final decisions on submissions are made at the monthly meetings of the Pelican Queen of Arms (names) and the Wreath Queen of Arms (armory). Pelican and Wreath then write up their decisions in a Letter of Acceptances and Return (LoAR). After review and proofreading, LoARs generally are released two months after the meeting where the decisions are made.
An “acceptance” indicates that the item(s) listed are now registered with the Society. A “return” indicates that the item is returned to the submitter for additional work. Most items are registered without comments. Sometimes, the LoAR will address specific issues about the name or armory or will praise the submitter/herald on putting together a very nice historically accurate item.
The following results are from the August 2016 Wreath and Pelican meetings.
One last time the people will hear from me.
I will stand for the last time as Brigantia at BBM/Bergental Yule. At that time Master Malcolm Bowman will be invested as the 18th Brigantia Principal Herald of the Kingdom of the East. I wish him as interesting of a term as the four years in which I have served.
Submitted by R.Wurm, Barony of Dragonship Haven Greetings Everyone St. Eligius is right around the corner and Dragonship Haven is so excited! Queen Anna is honoring us with Her Presence, plus we have some new challenges and special competitions. New this year are the Baron Adhemar Challenges: Misadventures and Collaboration. Sound intriguing? Go to the …
Their Royal Majesties, Brion III and Anna III, ventured forth to Their Barony of Iron Bog on the 22nd of October, Anno Societatis fifty-one, there to watch the competition to determine the new King’s and Queen’s Rapier Champions. After spending the day watching over 90 combatants compete for the honour of serving as Champion, Their …
Mistress Elsa de Lyon passed from this world on October 20, 2016, leaving behind two sons and their families, her mother and the remainder of her family – both chosen and blood relatives – and many, many friends. Elsa began her journey in the SCA in 1991, in the Shire of Montevale. Her wish to …