The Pen is Mightier

  Cedric Campbell, in his youth, wanted to learn fencing and the art of combat.  Also he wanted to know of the temper of iron, and the qualities of each weapon, as much for defense as for offense, and most of all matters of mortal combat.  And the aforesaid Cedric did learn the aforesaid things from many Society masters, namely Westerners and An Tiri, and in Drachenwald in many cities, with great fatigue and with great expense from so many masters and scholars. And in so many courts of great lords, princes, dukes, countesses and counts, knights and squires did he undertake this art, so that the aforesaid Cedric was more and more retained by many lords and ladies and armigers for learning the art of fencing and of combat. Thus Tyndal and Emerson, Kings to the Eastern Throne, seeing that the aforesaid Cedric had studied the sword for 30 years, while asserting that he is not a perfect master in this art, did decide to induct him into the Order of Defense, and declare to all ...

This post is a continuation of the work I started in 2020 on the subject of demonstrating the value of Membership in the SCA.  If you have read all my work before, or if you are also a Business Architect, read on.  If you are coming to this discussion for the first time, start with Part 1 or you will be hopelessly lost. If you choose not to start at the beginning, at least watch this video I made about the first Value Map to explain how to read it.  Part 1: A Value Map for SCA Membership  Part 2: But Meggie, what does this all mean? Part 3: Updated Value Map for SCA Membership: 2023 This is Part 4. As an SCA we are notoriously bad at defining terms, and since we often use the term "member" to mean "person who shows up at SCA events" and also "Someone who has paid a membership fee". It will become important to this discussion to be clear what kind of "member" we are talking about.  I have already defined both these types of "members' in t...

All models are wrong, some are useful  -George E.P. Box It's been a hot minute (ok, not really a minute, more like a long and agonizing 3 year Pandemic) since I offered an SCA Value Map.  I have a couple of updates coming in light of the most recent Board of Directors meeting (April 2023).  Additionally, I wish to support of Master Aeron Harper/ David Biggs' work on improper sanctions handed down by the Board:  A Tale of 6 Sanctions    And Mistress Iselda de Narbonne/ Alexandra Evans'  petition to the BoD to restructure the organization. First: Context for this article In September of 2020 I offered some professional insight on the value of a paid SCA membership during the time period when the SCA was struggling with not being able to attend events in person.  At the same time the Board of Directors asked it's participants to buy paid memberships.  I did an analysis of what the "Pre-pandemic" and "Current Pandemic" value of an SCA member...

Three acts of courtesy a good man should strive for: Holding a hearth seat for the cold and weary stranger,  Word fame given wildly for another man’s deeds, Bountiful bread broken with all who come to his table. This is the courtesy of Valerian of Somerset. He offers the gift of abundance. Cordials of cordiality,  provisions of partnership; the communion of community.    He serves the whole Society with his hospitality.  Three animal senses are soothed in Valerian’s mead hall: Our tongues know the sweetness of milk and honey, Our noses breathe the perfume of fire and wood smoke Our ears hear the sizzle-song of meat dripping onto coals. While I with my voice, make a feast with my words, Valerian, with his flame, has made a feast for us all.  Your majesties, one more triad to end this poem: He is my peer, he is my peer, he is my peer. ------- This poem was spoken by me for Baron Valerian of Somerset as a part of his peerage ceremony during his elevation to th...

Since I have been made a Laurel I have been looking for a period Indian depiction of a laurel wreath.  Almost everything depicted in SCA regalia looks more Greek or Roman to my eyes.  I didn’t know if there was a depiction of anything more Mughal I could find. Spoiler: I did not find such an image.  The Persian and Mughal artists were very enchanted with flora of their regions, depicting them on the borders of miniatures and in their garden scenes. But their images were naturalistic, and I could not find a depiction of either bay leaves, laurel leaves, or any leaves twisted into the shape of a chaplet. I was getting ready to chuck the idea out the window when I stumbled upon an interesting note while I was doing research for another project.  The Purananuru, an anthology of 400 poems written between the 1st and 3rd century CE, describes the wars, cattle raids, Kings, bards and battles of the Tamil people during the Sangam era . (1)  Rather like the Victorian lan...

For the TLDR focused among you: I was elevated to the Order of the Laurel on Saturday at Rapier Champs.  Thank you to the people who worked behind the scenes to schedule, organize, plot against me, and provide some truly beautiful regalia.  During Royal court on Saturday after the Rapier Champs tournament had ended, I was startled to hear my Mughal persona name called back into court.  The Order of the Rose had given courtesy tokens at the start of court, so I had already been up once, and I had settled in to wait until the end of court when I was supposed to speak at both of the Pelican elevations.  I was so startled that I said "Oh shit" out loud. So I scurried up to the dais, totally forgetting to let my husband Robert Earlson escort me, as is right and proper.   I bowed to the crowns, full kneeling obeisance, cause I'm Mughal and that's what you do before your emperor. The King spoke about the wonderful fights he'd had with me at Birka, and th...

Since our current King of the East has an Arabic Muslim persona, I got to thinking about how my Hindi or Tribal persona might have interacted with a Mughal Muslim emperor.  Oaths of fealty, which are widely used in the SCA, is a European centric concept, and don't have the same meaning in the parts of the world that interest me.  As an intellectual exercise, I started researching it. I needed to know: Could a Muslim ruler accept an oath from a non Muslim?  And what would an Indian oath look like? Long story short: Yes, Muslim Rulers had to do some mental gymnastics to get it to work, but they did, and they did it in India specifically (Moin).    And then I found a reference to an oath in the Mahabharata which was used to assert the innocence of the person making it.  As I said, an "oath of fealty" was not a concept that applied in ancient India, but certainly swearing that something was true did apply, (Hara).  So I took the Sanskrit which had been tra...

Occasionally I write stuff for the SCA that is left turn from my usual.  This one was one of those.  I have known Maika for an appallingly long time.  She has always had a thing about dinosaurs. When I officiated at her wedding, plastic dinosaur toys were scattered all over the centerpieces. During the reception guests redistributed the toys, and they ended up in my hair, in my purse and slipped into my pockets, like a case of reverse pickpocketing. When she was given a writ for the Pelican I figured I owed her at least this much.   Her regalia included dinosaurs embroidered on the sides of her Pelican cloak, and there were dinosaur toothpicks included as part of the vigil food.  ++++++++++++++ I am Countess Chatrikam Meghanta and I will speak for the Order of the Rose for this candidate:   For the Roses speak when they’re inspired,  Or when a candidate’s admired By an Order, and is required, To answer questions, kneel before us.  Maika is th...

It is obvious that in the elemental world there is nothing more magnificent and noble than the precious existence of monarchs, on whose high mindedness the external order of the world depends.  It is certain that to entrust a world to one person and to place the affairs of the world in the hands of one individual is to put the world of meaning to her , or rather to create the soul of the world of meaning - particularly a monarch who can detect whiffs of breezes of spiritual spring and grace the throne of success, who has attained a higher rank and has become a painter in the studio of meaning, a host of the banquet of reality, an intimate in the private apartments of the visible world, and a confidant in the pavilion of unity, and who graces the throne of felicity with good fortune. Be it known by these letters patent, read into the court of Sultan Mohammad Al Wajdi Al Abderrafi Al Manil Ibn Horrah Ibn Gowan and Brenhines Corotica merkka Senebelnae, on October 1, AS 57,that the p...

 Lorenzo,  Shall I compare thee to a chatelaine?  Thou art more stalwart and more clement.  Rough demos used to teach and entertain Stirs the soul with sword and flying pennant.  Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, Sometimes too wet, too dark, with sun bedimmed, But every faire thy gen’rous teaching signs new Eastern fencers who can kill… or limb. Despite thy fearsome skill with pen and blade, Thy secret heart protects a gentle spirit  As all the Roses in this court arrayed Attest thy courtesy that each may hear it.  For what is clear for any eye to see This man’s a more than worthy peer to me. ------------- I could not attend my friend's elevation this past weekend.  Lorenzo was awarded his Pelican for his service in running SCA demos and recruiting new people. He had asked his Pelican, Alys Mackyntoich if I could speak for him for the Rose. As I was reviewing his body of work, and while thinking of the fact he had a 16th Century persona,...

 Whenever you earnestly want to fight with Matthias Grunwald then observe how you arrange a duel with him and at which hour. Afterward, equip yourself with everything according to need, and do this yourself in secret. And tell no one what you have in mind, because your courage might fail you. And equip your gloves according to your advantage with everything, sword and gambeson, hose, and whatever you then want to use. And consider, possibly, canceling this duel, as he is a master of defense and you can still legally withdraw from fighting him if you want. R’you and Indrakshi, the good crowns, affirm the truth of that, and make Matthias a member of the Order of Defense on the year of the Society 57, at the Pennsic War.    (129 words) Process Notes:  We had 3 weeks to get this peerage scroll done. I was teamed up with Baroness Keziah who needed to do both the calligraphy and illumination.  Because Matthias’ persona is German, I wanted to do something from the Germ...

Harun's glass gaze reflects the beloved East, Shows the Rose the beauty of her face, Folding and unfolding, without surcease. Such a jewel of service deserves Our Royal grace, Crown awards in court; a Silver Wheel, released.  Such a jewel of service deserves Our Royal grace, folding and unfolding, without surcease. Show the Rose the beauty of her face; Harun's glass gaze reflects the beloved East.   Ryouko'jin, Demon King of the Three Heavens,  and Rani Indrakshi, award a Silver Wheel to Harun al-Najm al-Shirazi at Pennsic War in the year of the Blue Tyger, AS 57   - - - - - - - - - - Harun al-Najm al-Shirazi for a Silver Wheel  https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Harun_al-Najm_al-Shirazi  Harun is a photographer.  He is receiving his Silver wheel for service to the East in documenting our events, and in particular taking stunning portrait photography, especially of our current king and queen. Writing a period style poem for a photographer is tricky, as ...