Saturday was the Midrealm Kingdom’s Spring Coronation, for which I served in several capacities, both on the big day and through months of preparations leading up to it.
All the hard work was worth it. ❤
The weather cooperated gloriously. Camp Christian, near Marysville, Ohio USA, was the site for the event. It provided a beautiful natural background, as well as interesting indoor spaces, for all the activities associated with the event.
Elevation of Ivan Shishov at the last Royal Court of TRMs King Cellach and Queen Vukasin.
L to R: Sor Ustad of Ev Korku; Maleachi shortly before he became Court Baron at the later Royal Court; Mary Beth Hobson, whose lovely voice graced our Bardic Circle held later that day.
On the right, Duke Edmund, who was King when I first started playing in the SCA not quite two years ago.Janet VanMeter looking cool and foxy.Jessica Shurgin, one of Vorlin’s lovely daughters.Her Highness (soon to be Her Majesty) wears a necklace I made her, with green aventurine fan stones and a Viking globe focal bead.
Masahiro holds Her helmet.The Royal War Helmet of Katherine.Turtle brooches are always such a hassle. But look at the Royal bling! I think that HRM Katherine’s Viking bling is the best I have ever seen!
Paulus readies himself to pull Her Royal Chariot, with Masahiro’s help. Paulus made all his garb himself, as well as some complementary garb for his lovely wife and daughter, whose photo I did not manage to get, sadly. 😦
Is this what they were laughing about in the last photo? On the right is His Royal Majesty King Alric in earlier days, with a lot longer hair! 😛Mistress Gwyneth Banfhidhleir (mka Ginny Beatty), one of HRH’s guard of shieldmaidens. She hails from my home shire, the Marche of Tirnewydd.
One of my heroes, from my very first SCA event (Red Dragon 2016), the former Baroness Constanza de Mendoza of Cleftlands. She is NOT a person to be trifled with on the battle field or tournament list. And a real sweetheart. Chivalry oozes from her lovely pores. ❤Shield maidens hang out while waiting to process into the Presence for the Coronation of Her Royal Highness, Princess Katherine, who will then become Her Royal Majesty, Queen Katherine.
Ah! To be a shieldmaiden in Queen Katherine’s service! ❤
One of the shieldmaidens is Duchess Katryn, who was Queen of the Midrealm when I joined the SCA in September 2016. I most likely have mangled the spelling of her name.
L to R: Katherine, the Queen to be, and Katryn, a Queen who was.
A few more photos, then tomorrow I will write a separate piece about Bardic Outside The Box!
HRH Katherine’s chariot, in which she will process into the Presence and become Queen.Masahiro, chariot-puller and all-round great guy, newly made squire to HRH (now HRM) Alric.Andreas, mka Drew Nicholson. I know him for being a member of the band Bardic Storm, though I am sure he wears many other hats.A very chivalrous and hard-working guard outside the Royalty Room whose name I forgot to get!The people in the very center are TRMs King Cellach and Queen Vukasin.The beauteous photographer Jessica Van Hattem! ❤
My photos are from events leading up to the actual coronation of Alric and Katherine during the last Royal Court of TRMs King Cellach and Queen Vukasin. I had to take off before the coronation took place in order to set up my class on Women in the Viking Age.
Here I am dashing away from the coronation site beside the pond where Morning Court was held, phone cam in hand. Talk about goofy-looking! 😛 Photo by Tina Smith:
It was, indeed, Larry! 🙂 My next post will cover the Bardic Circle I organized, where various folks performed songs, readings, and dance, as well as Evening Court, the new King and Queen’s first Royal Court. At it I recited from a medieval poem attributed to Odin himself! 😛
It would be good to know if the Vikings practiced social mobility in the way it is in play today. Do “commonfolks” have the opportunity to work their way up? What does the histories say?
To even start to answer that one, Mel (because I suspect that the question comes from Mel and not Suan! lol) would require me to write about a ten-page essay. Let me say in a very very over-generalized way that you could indeed change classes (chieftain/free farmer/slave), but not always in the direction you wanted and often not under your own steam. But there were ways to rise, as well. Let me percolate this topic a bit, and I’ll do a whole post on it for you later, OK?
I’m glad you managed not to collapse, and had a fun time. Our local SCA group meets five miles up the road from me, but on a day that I have no ride, and they have no one able/willing to come get me, so it’s been a year and I still have not met them. Oh well–I enjoy seeing the photos of people having fun.
Thanks Donnalee. But it still troubles me, your transportation problems. Could you Uber it, or would that be too expensive? I would so much like to know, even vicariously, that you are joining in the fun in your own area! ❤
Nah, this is more boonieville, and I just don’t trust uber or lyft or any of those. I just found out today that there is some quirky group nearby that fights with live steel, much as I did in the UK (we were Romano-British/Saxon 6th century), and they meet on weekends when I can get a ride, so I may meet them. They are in NY and NC only, apparently, and historically-based, so they may be fun. I just want to meet fun people! Oh well–it’ll happen. We keep trying to find folks willing to drive now and again, but the responsible ones have jobs and we meet them being waitstaff etc., and the stoners/non-responsible ones just sort of wander around town. Decent transportation is a really good thing, and it is too bad there is not enough of it reliable-like, you know? Even the very nice accessibility officer of the SCA in our area can’t get to the friggin meetings, due to not driving and to having health issues…
…
…
That to me indicates a nice idea, but not enough follow-through on someone’s part.
Let Us Live Like We Mean It! 
Looks like a fun time.
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It was, indeed, Larry! 🙂 My next post will cover the Bardic Circle I organized, where various folks performed songs, readings, and dance, as well as Evening Court, the new King and Queen’s first Royal Court. At it I recited from a medieval poem attributed to Odin himself! 😛
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It would be good to know if the Vikings practiced social mobility in the way it is in play today. Do “commonfolks” have the opportunity to work their way up? What does the histories say?
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To even start to answer that one, Mel (because I suspect that the question comes from Mel and not Suan! lol) would require me to write about a ten-page essay. Let me say in a very very over-generalized way that you could indeed change classes (chieftain/free farmer/slave), but not always in the direction you wanted and often not under your own steam. But there were ways to rise, as well. Let me percolate this topic a bit, and I’ll do a whole post on it for you later, OK?
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Oh yes that would be really helpful (Mel)!
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Hehehe–my only advice at this point is PLEASE don’t hold your breath waiting for my post. Or else BUG ME so that I remember to do it!!! 😛
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Oh we will.
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Oh, good. I would actually very much like to do such a post! 🙂
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I’m glad the weather was good. Some of the costumes are wonderful and I did enjoy the queen-to-be’s bling.
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Thanks, April! Yes, it was a glorious day and a cliffhanger at that, because the day before we had a HUGE storm! 😛
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Gorgeous photos — letting us all join in the fun
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Thank you, Rachel. I have many more, but at some point I simply had to stop adding them into the post! 😛
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I’m glad you managed not to collapse, and had a fun time. Our local SCA group meets five miles up the road from me, but on a day that I have no ride, and they have no one able/willing to come get me, so it’s been a year and I still have not met them. Oh well–I enjoy seeing the photos of people having fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Donnalee. But it still troubles me, your transportation problems. Could you Uber it, or would that be too expensive? I would so much like to know, even vicariously, that you are joining in the fun in your own area! ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nah, this is more boonieville, and I just don’t trust uber or lyft or any of those. I just found out today that there is some quirky group nearby that fights with live steel, much as I did in the UK (we were Romano-British/Saxon 6th century), and they meet on weekends when I can get a ride, so I may meet them. They are in NY and NC only, apparently, and historically-based, so they may be fun. I just want to meet fun people! Oh well–it’ll happen. We keep trying to find folks willing to drive now and again, but the responsible ones have jobs and we meet them being waitstaff etc., and the stoners/non-responsible ones just sort of wander around town. Decent transportation is a really good thing, and it is too bad there is not enough of it reliable-like, you know? Even the very nice accessibility officer of the SCA in our area can’t get to the friggin meetings, due to not driving and to having health issues…
…
…
That to me indicates a nice idea, but not enough follow-through on someone’s part.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, well the live steel group sounds pretty exciting, so I hope you do check them out! 🙂
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