Shire of Rosenfeld

The Thorny

Truth

Special “Yuletide Edition” December 2020 AS LV 1 able of Contents Regnum 3-4 Meetings & Practice Information 5 Officer Reports 6 Activities & Events Calendar 7 Kingdom Calendar 8 Announcements & Accolades 8 Historical Happenings 9 Lebkuchen (German ) 10-12 Santa Who? 13-14 Hearth and Hygge 15-16 Jessimond’s Herbal Elements 17-19 Our Creative Shire 20 Swon’s Song ~ First Snow 21 A Medley of Melodies 22-25 The True Meaning of 25-26 The King and the Bard 27-28 The Fretful Scribe ~ Pomander 29 Camp Kitchen ~ Hamburger Goulash 30-31 Colour-Me Page ~ Nativity 32 Wiesenfeuer – Event Ad 33 Known World Entertainment Guide 34 Ansteorra Wiki Submissions 35 Updated Statement of Core Values 36 Credits & Acknowledgements 37 Disclaimer and Copyright 37

2 egnum

Seneschal (Honourable) Lady Calena di Nero Rosa Chief administrative officer and legal representative of the Shire [email protected] Seneschal – Deputy Lady Meg Sterling

Herald (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe

Officer who helps manage the Shire’s heraldic needs. [email protected]

Rapier Marshal Mistress Rhiannon Ferch Cian Officer responsible for all rapier related activities in the Shire. [email protected]

Archery Marshal Lord Aidan McRay Officer responsible for all archery activities within the Shire.

Thrown Weapons Marshal Lady Meg Sterling Officer responsible for thrown weapons activities in the Shire.

3 egnum (continued)

Minister of Arts and Sciences (Interim) Lady Stormig av Sandkrok Officer who fosters the study of crafts and technologies to create historically accurate projects within the Shire. [email protected]

Exchequer Lord Aidan McRay Officer who administers the finances of the Shire. [email protected] Exchequer – Deputy m’lady Lani George

Chronicler (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe Officer who oversees publishing of the Shire’s newsletter. [email protected] Chronicler – Deputies Lady Stormig av Sandkrok & Lord Tobias of Emerickeskepe

Webminister – Centurion Frederick von Dresen Officer who oversees and maintains the Shire’s website. [email protected]

Webminister – Deputy Lord Tobias of Emerickeskepe

Historian Lady Stormig av Sandkrok Officer who records and maintains the history of the Shire.

4 eetings & Practices

1ST Sunday Joint Fighter Practice 2:00 p.m.* Bergfield Park – 1510 S College Ave. Tyler

3rd Sunday Arts and Sciences Gathering 1:00 p.m.* Populace Meeting 4:00 p.m.* Tyler Public Library – 201 S. College Ave. (3rd Floor Makerspace)

4th Sunday Ranged Weapons Practice (RWP) 1:00 p.m.* Rose Fields (Early College High School) – 2800 West Shaw Tyler

*PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 ALL regularly scheduled in-person meetings are on hold. Live weapons and ranged weapons practices are possible, but depend upon weekly safety status indicators. Please contact the Mashal in charge for details.

All activities & meetings are open to everyone wishing to participate. No meetings or practices are scheduled during Holiday weekends. Changes in meeting or practice dates will be posted to the Shire of Rosenfeld Facebook Group.

Shire Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/665546303554357/

For more information regarding meetings, please contact the Seneschal at [email protected]

For more information regarding fighter practices, please contact the Rapier Marshal [email protected]

Be sure to visit the Shire Website: http://rosenfeld.ansteorra.org

5 fficer Reports From the Seneschal: Unto my beloved Shire do come these Yuletide greetings,

It has been a rough year for so many of us, but as a group we have leaned upon one another and have thus remained strong. Our motto, Support and Flourish, has never seemed more appropriate than during these dark times. I have been honored to be your Seneschal, but my time in office will soon be coming to an end. I ask that whomever is chosen to transition into this office in March to be given the same level of support and encouragement as I have received during my tenure. I am exceedingly happy with the wide and varied accomplishments so many of our Shire members have been recognized for in recent months. Prithee all please continue with your creative endeavours.

With Yule upon us I would like to ask that each of you please try to reach out to members we might not have heard from in a while and to also welcome the many newcomers who have joined our group in recent months. It is difficult for them to feel a part of us when we have not yet been able to meet them in person. With 2021 soon upon us, I am filled with hope that better days are coming in the new year.

Thank you one and all for your continued participation and steadfastness. May your Yuletide be blessed with abundance and love.

Your humble Seneschal HL Calena di Nero Rosa From the Chronicler: I hope each of you reading this will enjoy our special Yuletide Edition of The Thorny Truth. THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to its talent-filled pages, and throughout this past year, - you made each issue special in its own, unique way.

As I mentioned last month, the coming year will mark the 30th anniversary of Rosenfeld becoming a shire. Thirty-year anniversaries have long been considered the Pearl anniversary and so I would like to include “Pearls of our Past” in the January or February issues of The Thorny Truth. These can simply be a few words reminiscing of when you first came to Rosenfeld, or a memory of one of your favorite local events hosted here over the decades. Contributions to this project are not limited to members of our Shire, but to all of you whom we call friends!

In Honoured Service, HL Jessimond of Emerickeskepe

6

Dies December Activities & Events

I Tuesday

II IIII NÕ Wednesday

III III NÕ Thursday

IIII II NÕ Friday

V NÕN Saturday Stargate Yule ~ Virtual

VI VIII ID Sunday Feast of St. Nicholas

VII VII ID Monday

VIII VI ID Tuesday

IX V ID Wednesday

X IIII ID Thursday Hanukkah (begins)

XI III ID Friday

XII II ID Saturday Wiesenfeuer Yule ~ Virtual

XIII IDES Sunday

XIIII XVIIII KL Monday

XV XVIII KL Tuesday

XVI XVII KL Wednesday

XVII XVI KL Thursday

XVIII XV KL Friday

XVIIII XIIII KL Saturday

XX XIII KL Sunday

XXI XII KL Monday

XXII XI KL Tuesday

XXIII X KL Wednesday

XXIIII VIIII KL Thursday

XXV VIII KL Friday Christmas Day

XXVI VII KL Saturday

XXVII VI KL Sunday Populace Meeting

XXVIII V KL Monday

XVVIIII IIII KL Tuesday

XXX III KL Wednesday

XXXI II KL Thursday New Year’s Eve

Calendar loosely based on the Psalter from Winchester (British Library, Arundel MS 60, f. 6r). Capricorn rendered from Liturgical calendar for Ravenna, Italy, 1386 The Morgan Library.

7 ingdom Calendar

*PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 ALL in-person events are CANCELLED until January 31, 20201! For more information please see the Official EVENTS page listed at: ansteorra.org

DECEMBER 05 STARGATE YULE – Virtual Event 12 WIESENFEUER YULE – Virtual Event

nnouncements & Accolades *PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19 ALL regularly scheduled in-person events and meetings are on hold until at least January 31, 2021 More information can be found on the Rosenfeld Facebook Group.

Congratulations to Lady Elizabetha de Picardia, newest holder of the Sable Fleur of Ansteorra awarded during Virtual Court on November 7, 2020!!! HUZZAH!

Officer Positions Available! Applications can be submitted -on line: https://ansteorra.org/seneschal/apply-for-an-office/ If you have questions about the duties or requirements for any officer positions, please contact the current officer, or the Seneschal. SENESCHAL – HL Calena is currently looking for a replacement. This office becomes open in January 2021. Applications need to be received no later than December 31, 2020.

EXCHEQUER – Lord Aidan McRay will also be leaving office in January. Applications need to be received no later than December 31, 2020.

WEBMINISTER – HL Frederick von Dresen will be leaving office in February. Applications need to be received no later than January 31, 2021. If you have never held an office before, but are interested doing so, please consider becoming a deputy. Deputies do not automatically take over an office. They, too, must apply when an office is opening. You can simply be a deputy to provide aid and support to the primary officer while learning the ropes.

8 DECEMBER

Zodiac signs: Sagittarius and Capricorn

A glimpse at a few In-Period (European) Holy Days this month: December 6 – Feast of St. Nicholas December 10 – 18 Hanukah December 21 – Winter Solstice/Yule December 25 – Christmas Day December 26 – Feast of St. Stephen December 31 – New Year’s Eve December is the first month of winter (Northern Hemisphere) and as such it often marks the beginning of rain, snow, and cold weather. It's name is derived from decem, meaning “ten” in Latin, because it was the tenth month of the year in the ancient Roman calendar. Today it is the 12th month of the year, the last month of the Gregorian Calendar, and now contains 31 days. The Winter Solstice falls on either December 21 or 22 and is the shortest day of the year and thus the longest night. Significant Happenings: December 4, 1154 – Nicholas Breakspear is elected Pope Adrian IV (aka Hadrian IV), the only Englishman to occupy the papal throne (1154–1159). December 7, 43 BCE – Cicero (Marcus Tullius) died. He was a writer, statesman, and was considered ancient Rome's greatest orator. December 11, 1282 –The last native prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, is killed by Edward I of England. December 12, 1189 – Richard I leaves England, where he spent less than six months of his reign, to join the Third Crusade. December 14, 1503 – French physician Nostradamus was born in St. Remy, France. December 25, 800 – Charlemagne, King of the Franks, is crowned the first holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome December 29, 1170 – Death of Thomas Becket, Chancellor of England (1155-62) and Archbishop of Canterbury (1162–70). He was murdered by four knights acting on orders from England's King Henry II. He was Canonized in 1173. December 31, 1600 – British East Company, which eventually ruled India, receives its charter from Elizabeth I. www.britannica.com and www.onthisday.com 9 Lebkuchen (German Gingerbread) By Jessimond of Emerickeskepe It is fascinating to explore history through food. Our diverse ancestral ties to historic foods have come to us through the centuries as surely as the genetic ties that we each carry within ourselves. Just like us, these traditional foods have evolved over the years, as they were influenced by changes in trade, politics, and geography, often intermingling with other cultures as they travelled the globe. One of the most complex examples of this is the rich history of what we collectively call “Gingerbread”. Although today gingerbread is considered by many to be a staple of Christmas celebrations, that has not always been the case. It is nearly impossible to discern exactly where the modern delights commonly called gingerbread originated but there are entire books written about this delectable sweet treat. One thing that most food historians will agree upon is that the honey-sweetened confection now commonly known as Gingerbread was originally just called "honey cake". Forms of spiced honey cakes can be traced back to the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. Many cultures believed that honey was a gift from their gods and as such had magical healing powers. Because of this, honey cakes were often worn as a talisman in battle or carried as protection against evil spirits. Like most gingerbread, German Lebkuchen (pronounced leyb-koo-kuh n) is a spiced cake/cookie that remains a popular Yuletide tradition. Different types of Lebkuchen range from the sweet, Honigkuchen (honey cake), to the spicy, Pfefferkuchen (pepper cake) or Pfeffernüsse (pepper nuts). While Lebkuchen comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, including being pressed into elaborately carved molds, the ingredients always include honey and a blend of spices known as Lebkuchengewürz (Lebkuchen spice blend). The exact ratio of spices and ingredients was a closely guarded guild secret across medieval Europe, which insured that each type of Lebkuchen had its own unique flavor and texture profile. The most predominate spice naturally would have been the ginger, but these blends frequently included anise, black pepper, cardamom, clove, coriander, nutmeg, and mace among others. Ground nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts are also present in many Lebkuchen recipes. Some types of Lebkuchen also include marzipan (almond paste), candied citrus fruit, dried citrus peel, or even an apri- cot fruit filling. The word Lebkuchen has been documented to Middle High German in the form of lebekuoche/lebkuoche since the 13th century. The etymology of Leb, the first part of the word Lebkuchen, remains elusive. Proposed origins include the Latin word libum (flat

10 bread), the Germanic word Laib (loaf), or the Germanic word lebbe (very sweet). It has also been suggested that the name is derived from the German words Leben (life), Leib (body), or Leibspeise (favorite food). Another likely possibility is that it comes from an old term Leb-Honig, crystallized honey taken from the hive that must first be ground in order to be used in baking. The second part of the word, kuchen, is much more straight forward as it simply means 'cake' in German. It is believed that Lebkuchen was invented by monks in Franconia around the 13th century. In 1293, the first gingerbread baking guild was documented in Silesia. Lebküchner (Lebkuchen bakers) were recorded as early as 1296 in Ulm, and by the 14th century, the making of Lebkuchen had become popular in Munich, Frankfurt, Basel, Vienna, and Nurnberg. The latter remains the most famous exporter today of the product known as Nürnberger Lebkuchen (Nurnberg Lebkuchen). Nürnberger Lebkuchen dough is usually placed on a thin, edible wafer called Oblate. This was the creation of the monks who purportedly used communion wafers to prevent the dough from sticking. In Nuremberg in 1487, Emperor Friedrich III held an event where about four thousand children were presented Lebkuchen that had been pressed into molds bearing his likeness. If you would like to try your hand at being a Lebküchner, two period versions of Nürnberger Lebkuchen, both from Das Kuchbuch der Sabina Welserin (Germany, 16th century - V. Armstrong, trans.), can be found at medievalcookery.com:

http://www.medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?kuchb:163 http://www.medievalcookery.com/search/display.html?kuchb:164

The originals for these can also be found David Friedman's website:

http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Cookbooks/Sabrina_Welserin.html

Many other recipes for different versions of Lebkuchen are easily found by doing a quick internet search. If you do not quite feel up to baking your own, you can also find many delicious varieties available for purchase. You can even buy original Nuremberg Lebkuchen, Gingerbread chests ,Gingerbread parcels and Gingerbread tins online at: https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/ Additional Sources: https://leckerlee.com/pages/lebkuchen-101 https://gingerbread-world.com/pages/what-is-lebkuchen https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/torun-gingerbread-museum https://www.confectionarychalet.com/history-of-gingerbread/

11 Circa 1520: A barefooted Lebküchner, Brother Hanns Buel, stands at a table holding a large gingerbread in his hands. A selection of lebkuchen molds are on the table before him while a brick oven glows in the background. https://hausbuecher.nuernberg.de/75-Amb-2-279-11-v/data {{PD-1996}} – public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lebkuechner_Landauer.jpg 12 Santa Who? By Aine Ingen Oitir

It’s that time again, folks. Curb your anger, watch your tongue, and be on your best behavior. He’s watching you already whether you realize it or not, and he’s going to bring you to your knees if you aren’t behaving as you ought to. has his eyes fixed harder on us at this moment than King Jason has at court, when we’ve gotten out of hand. Just like King Jason, who tends to pop up in random forms of memes galore, Santa shows up just about everywhere, in different origin stories. His history is wide and colorful, and he doesn’t always come bearing gifts for the good.

The man we now call Claus actually started life in 270 CE in Patara, Greece, as a boy named Nicholas, the son of a wealthy family. Good Nick eventually gave all his wealth to the needy and traveled the countryside to tend to the poor and sick. There’s even a story of his saving three poor sisters from being sold into slavery or prostitution by their father. Nicholas apparently offered funds for each of them to have a dowry and marry well instead. Another story tells of three boys, who were murdered, quartered, and pickled by an innkeeper, so he could sell them to travelers. Nicholas prayed and the boys were resurrected to their natural human forms. History says he was later persecuted by the Roman Emperor, Diocletian and made into a saint by the Catholic church pre- congregation. A 13th century painting of him created by an unknown artist shows him as thin faced and stern. He eventually became known as a protector of children and sailors.

Santa’s pagan origins are more widespread depending on your location. There are some Germanic mythologies that say that Odin, the Allfather, ruler of Asgard, was in fact the progenitor of Santa Claus. Depicted as a magical white-bearded man, usually with one eye, Odin rode his sleigh during the winter solstice, leading the Wild Hunt with his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. The horse could leap in great bounds over long distances, much like the in today’s stories. Odin would seek out stockings that were filled with hay that children had hung by the hearth to dry and give the hay to Sleipnir to nibble. In some areas, once took hold, children would instead leave their shoes by the windows for to fill with nuts, fruits, and other sweets on December 5th (the Eve of his Feast Day).

There was also the Germanic goddess of winter, Holda. However, she predates the Norse pantheon. Holda is thought to reside in the bottom of a well, rides in a wagon, and was the first to teach the craft of making linen from flax. Holda is a beautiful, blonde-haired figure in red, who would protect children’s souls. She is the goddess to whom the spirits of children go when they die. Her festival is held in the middle of winter, when people would retreat indoors from the cold, when she is thought to roam for twelve days and like Odin, she flew through the night and used chimneys to deliver gifts to children. In some of the traditions, food was left out for Holda, such as a bread-based sweet like a cookie along with milk, usually on December 24th, known as Mother Night.

From 13th century Italy comes the story of Le , an old soot-covered woman who’s believed to fly on a broomstick from each house that has a child. She comes through the chimneys to offer the children candy and presents. However, those children who had misbehaved only receive a lump of coal. Some of her history ties to the three wise men.

13 It’s said that she came across them as they were searching for the newborn Christ and asked her to show them the way. She refused, but later had a change of heart and followed them, bearing a bag full of toys for the new babe. Though she followed the star, she never found the manger, and so she now travels in search of him in each home, which is why she leaves presents behind for good children. Le Befana is said to travel on January 6th, the day of . The day is celebrated with traditional Italian food and children receive presents.

Then, in Finland, there is the lesser known entity known as Joulupukki, who is the Yule or Christmas . Before Christianity, he was believed to be an ugly billy goat or a goat-man who frightened children during the Yuletide. Since Christmas took over, he’s been changed into a goat that’s used during Yule or and is an older man the rest of the year, one who has a beard, long and gray, who enjoys eating… well, just about anything. He’s thought to wear red robes with a broad blue band with fur at the waist, uses a walking stick to get about and to slap anyone who isn’t nice, and has a wife named Joulomuori, or Old Lady Christmas. At Yuletide, when he reverts to his goat form, he helps to lead the sleigh along with the reindeer. However, in the story of Joulupukki, they can’t fly without him, which is why he’s often at the head of the sleigh. To this day, Joulupukki receives over 500 thousand letters worldwide.

No matter where you believe Santa originated, nor whether Santa is male, female, or even an animal, there’s one trait that stands true through each one – being kind and good means you will reap positive results, which is the whole point of the story of Santa. Just remember that whoever Santa may be, you are being watched throughout the year, and not only during December.

A happy Winter Solstice to all and to all a great Christmas!

14 Merry GOAT-mass?

God jul! Original image by J. Nystrom, public domain. Alas! I was going to make a straw Julbocken and take pictures of it to go with this month’s article and I can’t make the goat. I think my straw is too dry even after soaking in hot water. My advice, if you want a straw Julbock, is to make it as soon as you have harvested the straw. Over the last couple of weeks I have been reading about historical Yule celebrations in Scandinavia, Finland, northern Germany, and the Danelaw. In the midst of this I remember that my friend Leila Nygren Elliff is first generation American. Her parents, Veli Aarto and Impi Nygren, moved here from Finland about 65 years ago. And they, naturally, brought their with them. I fired off a Private Message to Leila asking her if she’d talk to me about those traditions. I specifically asked, “Did your parents do Joulupukki with you when you were a child?” Her affirmative answer had me next asking if I could interview her. “Joulua is Christmas. Pukki is goat or Santa,” she told me. Leila had been kind enough to talk to her dad and found out what the Christmas celebration was like when he was a child in Finland. Pukki would come to the door and ask each child if she or he had been good or bad. No child was ever brave enough to say, “Bad”. On all the village children would go to the town square where they would be given a present by Pukki. I wondered just when this whole Julbocken thing started. Over the years I have read about the evolution of Santa Claus. I’ve read about Saule, a Lithuanian and Latvian goddess, who flew in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. I know about St. Nicholas the Bishop of . I know about Coca Cola, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all the other bits and bobs that have fed into the modern American Santa. But, what about the goat? Thor ran about the world in a cart pulled by two named Tanngnjostr and Tanngrisnir. In the proto-Slavic cosmology there is a god, Koliada, who

15 had a white goat. And in his paper Old Norse Text as Performance Lars Lönnroth tells us, “ a person disguised as an old he-goat who would appear at Christmas celebrations at least as early as the late Middle Ages to entertain the guests in various more or less outrageous ways”. So the real goats of the stories became people dressed as goats. The goat underwent another transformation in which it became representative of Satan and a trickster figure. Because people really seem to love any reason to dress up and play pranks, in the 17th century men (generally) would dress up in furs and horns and go about scaring people at Christmas time. However, by the 18th century the goat was the bringer of gifts! At this point the goat becomes a rather benevolent figure and about 100 years later people started making the goats of straw. Sadly therefore, Julbocken are not period. Thankfully, they are based upon centuries of tradition which continues to evolve as evidenced by the figure below. This giant goat has been built each year in the town square of Gävle, Sweden since 1966. Now that is a Julbock! This goat is also the subject of repeated arson attempts and has been burned to the ground 37 times. Further good news is if, like me, you have abandoned hope of a straw Julbock you can make one from felt. Or fabric. Or, pretty much anything your heart desires! I’m going to be pulling out my felt as well as the bits and bobs of rick-rack and ribbon and making me a goat soon. I might even crochet one! There are really no rules governing the creation of a Julbock. Julbock from Gävle in 2004, photo: Baltica, public domain. SOURCES: http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:436601/FULLTEXT01.pdf “ a person disguised as an old he-goat who would appear at Christmas celebrations at least as early as the late Middle Ages to entertain the guests in various more or less outrageous ways” pg 56 https://feminismandreligion.com/2016/12/18/the-reindeer-goddess-by-judith-shaw/ http://www.swedishpress.com/article/how-swedish-christmas-goat-julbocken-turned-santa-claus-jultomten https://www.cmu.edu/cmnews/extra/031215_nitebeforexmas.html#:~:text=As%20one%20of%20the% 20world's,over%20the%20past%20two%20centuries. Conversation with Leila Nygren Elliff, via Facebook Messenger, 11/23/2020 http://mytologiskplads.dk/english/tanngnjostr-and-tanngrisnir.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_goat https://www.ugglemor1.se/Jul/julbocken.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A4vle_goat#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20the%20subject,has% 20been%20damaged%2037%20times. 16 Let’s Deck the Hall!

Many Christmas traditions have been with us since Victorian times, the time of Charles Dickens and A . However, when one digs a little deeper, it’s not hard to see how the roots of those traditions reach back further still. When Christianity first came to England many of the pagan customs of the local people were retained and absorbed into and Christ’s Mass (Christmas). Advent being the period of four Sundays in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Christmastide consists of the twelve days between the Nativity (Birth) of (observed as December 25th) and the Eve of the Epiphany (January 6th), also known as , on which the arrival of the Magi Photo one from the east is celebrated. Additionally, there is also evidence that some of those early Anglo-Saxon traditions had their roots firmly planted in the traditions of the ancient Roman festival . Of these winter traditions, decorating (decking) one’s hearth and home with fresh greenery appears to be one of the oldest and most widely spread. To our ancestors plants were believed to be agents of blessings as well as providers of protection. Visual evidence for medieval holiday (holy day) decorations is quite rare, but references in carols and other sources indicate that evergreens such as fir, juniper, pine, and spruce as well as holly, ivy, and have all played significant roles in ancient winter festivities. Photo two 17 Many believe this is because they represented everlasting life through the short, dark days; their ever-green boughs retaining the hope of the return of the sun/son and brighter days of springtime. According to The Met Museum:

“Holly and ivy are the most significant plants associated with Christmastide, both of which also played important roles in pagan tradition and still appear in the Christmas carols sung today. In the Middle Ages, holly's bright-red berries were symbolic of the blood of Christ, while the black fruits of ivy were identified with the Virgin. In this 15th-century carol, holly and ivy were also imagined as part of a ritual contest: Photo three

Holy stond in the hall Faire to behold: Ivy stond without the dore— She is full sore acold.

Holy and his mery men They daunsen and they sing; Ivy and her maidens They wepen and they wring.

Holly was identified as male and symbolized light and warmth, while ivy was identified as female and symbolized darkness and cold. Since holly was apotropaic (or, seen as capable of warding off evil and bad luck), it was often placed over a doorway to bless and protect those who passed under it.”

Holiday greeneries have long been made into wreaths, garland, swags, kissing balls, and table decorations to adorn halls, homes, and altars this time of year. When hung at the entrance and/or windows, sprigs of greenery were intended as an invitation to the spirit of Christmas to enter the home and bring luck, perhaps suggesting as well that the Christmas spirit dwelled within. Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences website has an incredibly detailed write up titled: Holiday Decorating with Fresh Greenery that includes types of greenery, tips for gathering greenery, safety precautions, and ways for keeping greenery fresh. They even include instructions for assembling a Kissing Ball!

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/holiday-decorating-with-fresh-greenery/#:~:text=Evergreens% 20have%20been%20a%20part,United%20States%20until%20the%201800s

18 NOTE: It is extremely important to properly identify all forms of greenery and plant material that you intend to use for decking your hall. Be ever mindful of which plants have toxic properties! For instance, all parts of Mistletoe are poisonous and should be handled with the utmost care. Never place any plant material, especially with berries, near food. Rosemary, bay leaves, and other herbs are wonderful alternatives when decorating near foodstuffs.

Additional Sources: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/Mistletoe/ Photo four https://www.ancient.eu/article/1288/a-medieval-christmas/

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2017/christmastide-deck-the-halls Photos by Jessimond of Emerickeskepe: Photo one: Harvested greenery of Juniperus virginiana (Red Cedar) displayed with cones from Pinus echinata (Shortleaf pine) Photo two: Female sprig (note presence of berries) of Phoradendron leucarpum (American mistletoe) Photo three: Close-up of Ilex opaca (American holly) Photo four: Table decoration of applies and mixed greenery and berries Photo five: Garland of greenery that includes Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia)

Photo five Yuletide blessings to one and ALL!

19 ur Creative Shire

M’lady Lani may still be somewhat new to the SCA, but she is certainly not new to fiber arts! In addition to spinning and knitting, she has raised her own fiber goats and is an amazing designer and sempster. The stunning gown (below) was created for her daughter using three up-cycled saris. What a fabulous fashion fusion that flawlessly blends two distinct cultures and time periods!

20 Merry Christmas! At last this turbulent year has come to an end, and we are blessed and stronger for having come through it. Let us hope and pray for less turbulence and more magic to carry us through the next year! The alliterative form is, for all intents and purposes, an esoteric throwback to before the 13th century when English verse was revolutionized by such poets as Geoffrey Chaucer in his invention of iambic pentameter. Prior to this, the dominant form of English poetry was alliterative verse. Varying over time from the early 8th and 9th centuries to its near ultimate demise in the 15th century, the defining characteristic of alliterative poetry is the repetition of consonant sounds (alliteration obviously) in place of an occasional embellishment such as rhyme. While as a poet I am oft inclined to more structured forms of meter and rhyme appearing later in the evolution of literary poetry, I tried my humble hand at this nearly forgotten form to span the centuries in song and sentiment this holiday season. First Snow Coldest craft of spun cryos Creating quiet chaos Wherever world meets wild Wonder of those wintry wet flakes. Falling fast and fiercely calm, Filling up fen and field As all is arrested in silence, Attired, and in awe, white.

Brightest blanket, softly shining, below which Battle’s mar in blackest blight burns: Silvered scars severely inflicted, All scathing hurts sown deep and searing, Plague, pest, and politic all Poured in upon each pore like salt. Those wounds are now washed white by Winter's gift to a wearying World.

Grant they be gone, gone by God’s healing Grace. And pray by grace again return Green when winter bleeds back to spring. 21 A Medley of Christmas Melodies Delphina de Champeaux [email protected] Taking a break from the “Théorie de Musique” series this holiday season I would like to present some melodies from yore. This is a starting place for further research and a learning process for me with a new music notation app. The sheet music is a skeleton-like frame work and is meant to be highly interpreted by the musician. (Please ignore the tempo marking at the beginning. I couldn’t remove it. Tempos will vary from carol to carol.) “Boar's Head Carol”: The song was first published in English during the 1520's in a book entitled Christmase Carolles Newly Emprynted at London in the Flete street, which was written by Jan van Wynken de Worde. “Sing We Now of Christmas” / "Noël Nouvelet" is a traditional late 15th/early 16th century French Christmas and New Year's carol. The song was long ago translated into English as "Sing We Now of Christmas," though the lyrics are somewhat different. “Lo, How a Rose” has pretty much been the same since its inception in the early 17th century. The tune we now know first appears in a regional hymnal in 1599 as “Es Ist ein Ros Entsprungen.” Michael Praetorius, a court composer in central Germany, wrote the familiar harmonization 10 years later. “Ríu Ríu Chíu” is Spanish villancico that is first attested in the Cancionero de Upsala, a collection of mostly anonymous Spanish songs originally published in 1556 in Venice. “Coventry Carol” was a song from the Pageant of the Shearmen and Taylors 1591, one of only two plays to have survived from the cycle of late medieval mystery plays in Coventry (the other was the Weavers' Pageant). “In Dulci Jublio” / “Good Christian Men, Rejoice” first appeared in a manuscript in Leipzig University Library (Codex 1305) around 1400; some version of the song itself may have existed prior to 1328. “Gaudete” is originally composed in Latin in around the sixteenth century. The song first appears in print in the from 1581. “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” / “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” 9th-Century Latin hymn with the metrical form of the hymn being composed as early as the 12th century. “The Holly and the Ivy”: The tune of this ancient anonymous carol is said to be over a thousand years old. The traditional lyrics date to the 17th century when it became a popular English Christmas carol. “Ding Dong, Merrily on High”: The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune known under the title "Branle de l'Official" in Orchésographie, a dance book written by Jehan Tabourot (1519–1593).

22 A Medley of Christmas Melodies

23 24 The True Meaning of Xmas By Nicolaa de Bracton of Leicester As Twelfth Night approaches and another holiday season passes into memory, I once again think back about how many times I heard one person or another say in the past month that the term "Xmas" is some sort of plot to remove religion from the Christmas holiday season. By their reasoning, the name of Christ has conveniently been "x-ed" out of Christmas. While it is true that in the 20th century, we use the term "x-ed out" to mean "removed", the "X" in Xmas is not this sort of X, nor was the abbreviation invented by mercenary merchants of our century out to make a buck, nor does substituting the "X" for Christ expunge Jesus from Christmas. From as far back as the rise in production of Latin parchment manuscripts in Late Antiquity (n the 4th century AD), copyists have found it convenient to abbreviate

25 commonly used words and terms by "contraction"--that is, by dropping most of the letters out of a word and drawing a line above those which remain to indicate the abbreviation. In a rapidly Christianizing age, copyists of sacred text noted that certain names kept coming up: Iesus Christus, Deus (God), Dominus (Lord), Spiritus Sancti (Holy Spirit), and so forth. The abbreviations devised for these names are termed Nomina Sacra. All of the names listed a moment ago were in Latin, with the exception of Christ’s-- the Gospels were originally in Greek, and so the abbreviation for Iesus Christus uses Greek letters instead, looking like this: ______IHC XPC or IHS XPS

In the first abbreviation, the "I" is the Greek letter iota, the "H" is eta (or "e" in Latin), and the "C" is sigma (or "s" in Latin), thus yielding "IES" in Latin letters (some later translators into vernacular languages did not realize the “H” was really an eta, and thus mistakenly believed the proper spelling of Iesus or Jesus was Jhesus or Ihesus!) In the second part, the "X" is chi (or Ch in Latin letters), the "P" is rho (or R in Latin), and the "C" sigma, as above. The second pair of abbreviations were developed in the later Middle Ages as variants of the originals, and, in fact, may often be spotted on banners in modern churches, especially hanging from the pulpit or lectern--especially the abbreviation for Jesus. You can also spot this particular abbreviation hanging on the little tag above Christ on crucifixes. You may also spot the Chi-Rho, which was placed by the emperor Constantine on his war standards after his conversion and has since been another common Christian motif; it looks like a letter "P" with the letter "X" superimposed over it. Thus was born the use of the Greek chi (which looks like a Latin X) as shorthand for Christ. Medieval copyists found it rather convenient in other compound words using Christ, such as Xana for "Christiana" and, inevitably, Xmas for Christmas, an abbreviation which appears by 1100. The only thing which has altered over the years is the dropping of the dash over the "X" which signaled "abbreviation" to the medieval reader, and which differentiated this "X" from the Roman numeral X. Unfortunately, few modern folk know of the extensive use of abbreviations in medieval texts, and so are understandably confused by them when they encounter them today (I remember staring at the banners in churches before I took palaeography, trying to figure out what "IHS" stood for; I was once told (incorrectly) that it stood for "In Hoc Signo"). They also err in pronouncing Xmas as "Ex-mas"; a medieval liturgist encountering this abbreviation would have read it aloud as "Christmas". So, the next time you see Xmas on the sign at the local tree lot, I hope you will smile, and remember that this abbreviation is a living relic of the Middle Ages. ------Copyright 1996 by Susan Carroll-Clark, Permission granted for republication.

26 The King and the Bard By Petruccio Alfonso Maria Cuccieri de Cataluña

Once there was a great King who ruled across many lands. The number of his ships was so vast that a man could walk from one side of the bay to other and never touch the lapping waves. His army was without equal across the land--the spears of his warriors appeared as the forests of the South when his men stood arrayed for battle. The knights of the land were tall and fierce in countenance as they stood with tall helmets of silver and bronze that shone in the sun.

The King owned an ancient pottery bowl. It was said that it was originally owned by an ancient King of the land. Throughout the generations this ancient King had been renowned for his strength and wisdom in matter of State and War. His descendant told his knights and captains that as he drank from the bowl, he could feel the strength of generations flow into him and their wisdom would move his hand.

Great was his hall of many a rare wood, and its reputation for hospitality was known to all. As such, he always had a bard attend him to entertain his knights, freemen, guests and visitors. He would also always have the bard pass him his drink, since none but a freeman could touch the dais on which he sat. Master Bards would attend him on those days of the High Feasts, and apprentices would attend among those lesser days, so they could learn the ways of the Hall and speak of the events that happened there. As it was, a young apprentice bard was attending the King one afternoon. As was part of his duty, the bard took the mead brought by one of the servants for the King and in turning, spilled some of the mead on his hands. The bowl slipped from his grasp and fell upon the stone floor, shattering in hundreds of pieces--scattering like the stars across the sky.

The King rose, his face red as the flames of the watch-fires.

“My precious bowl! Lost! Due to your clumsiness, fool! You, and your Master had best find me another or I shall grind your bones to powder and fashion a new one from your educated carcasses!"

The King kicked at the broken pieces strewn about him on the dais, turned and stormed out of the hall. As he left he said, “In two week shall the full moon dance across the sky as my people dance before my Hall. Mark my words, you have until then to replace my bowl bard!”

The young man, hardly old enough to have hair upon his chin, hurriedly returned to his Master’s hall to tell of his great error, and the terrible fate he had brought down upon himself and the Master of his hall. The two of them, Master and apprentice, sat there in silence. A small crinkle of lines formed at the corners of the Master's eyes as his lips pulled into a small grin. The Master then rose from his bench and said,

“Find your greater self and the Bowl of the Stars shall appear for you as you will.”

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He then turned and casually walked away, taking in the small breeze as it turned the leaves of the trees in the garden. Their sound was as women that whisper amongst themselves be- hind the walls of a tent.

For days the apprentice repeated the words in his mind, attempting to understand their meaning. He would sit through the evening watching the moon rise in the sky until even the dimmest of stars appeared—shining daughters to the moon--echoing their light and dancing about among their sisters.

During the day he tended the gardens and swept the paths—always letting the words run through his mind until he could feel them touch his spirit. He raked the gardens of sand that surrounded carefully placed stones, deeply carved with runes. The tines of the rake making small, intricate patterns that danced around the stones. He stood there, watching the sun sparkle across the bits of mica and quartz embedded in the sand.

“Daytime stars” he thought.

That evening, as he sat through the night watching the stars wheel before the moon in their nightly dance, he thought back on the day and of the stone garden. The thought rose in him of how similar the sand and rocks were to the stars and moons above him, yet also how very different they were if only looked at of themselves. It was then that the answer to his riddle came to him.

The King appeared in his finest furs, bearing the mantle of his hall and his lands, welcoming his noble guests—both above and below the salt. He held his great bronze spear in his right hand and took his seat. Reaching out, he held out his large calloused left hand for his new bowl.

The apprentice stood before him, his hands clenched by his sides. Suddenly he flung open his fingers. Sand scattered about the floor of the dais. At that moment, the full moon appeared in the open rafters of the great hall, dancing her dance among blackness and her sister stars. The light of their face cast down upon dark floor. The sand glistening brightly as stars in the night sky upon the dark stone of the rounded dais.

“Receive the Bowl of the Stars, Know it as your very Self. Star, Sand, Moon, Stone, Bone, All taken refuge within. Will you not find their Strength and Wisdom within yourself? What greater cup may one possess?”

The apprentice stood there in the silence of the Hall, eyes closed, waiting to feel the great bronze spear of the King pierce his chest. He could hear the soft, measured rustling of a King’s step upon hard, dark, stone. He could feel his muscles tense against the thrust that he knew would come. It was then that he felt the weight of a great hand upon his shoulder. Opening his eyes he saw the King in front of him — one hand resting upon his shoulder, the other, offering him a bowl of mead.

28 Pomander

Pomander comes to us from the late 15th century word pomendambre which is from Old French pomme d'embre (13c.). It is a combination of the word pomme meaning "apple" and the word am- bre or "amber". Amber, in this case, referring to ambre grice or ambergris (grey amber) rather than the fossil resin of the same name. [1] Therefore pomander roughly translates to “apple of perfume,” or more simply as perfume ball. The word pomander frequently refers to a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag, box, or ball that is used to scent clothes or linens. In the Middle Ages, pomanders were also carried or worn on one’s person to guard against foul odors and thereby also pestilence, disease, and infection. The word can also be used in reference to the hollow fruit shaped box/ball that this aromatic substance was carried in. “By the sixteenth century, elaborately decorated containers with separate compartments for individual scents were worn hanging from a girdle or suspended from a long chain around the neck.” Lastly, the word pomander can also refer to a clove-studded apple, orange, or other fruit used for these same purposes. [2,3] The scent of a pomander is appealing and soothing. Once completely dry a pomander can last for quite some time which is why they make such wonderful gifts during the Yuletide season! Through the centuries, these clove-studded fruit have continued to be popular Christmas gifts and decorations. For more ideas on how to use a pomander, as well as complete directions on how to make your own, check out: https://www.almanac.com/content/how-make-pomander-balls

~ The Fretful Scribe

SOURCES: [1] https://www.etymonline.com/word/pomander [2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pomander [3] Yvonne J. Markowitz, “Pomander” in Artful Adornments: Jewelry from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by Yvonne J. Markowitz (Boston: MFA Publications, 2011), 130-131 https://collections.mfa.org/objects/59367 Photo by Jessimond of Emerickeskepe 29 Camp Kitchen By Atli Karlsson Hamburger Goulash

INGREDIENTS 2 pounds ground beef 1 bag frozen diced bell peppers and onions 1 teaspoon oregano 28 oz can of tomato sauce 1 teaspoon thyme 28 oz can diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups beef stock fresh ground pepper 1 box uncooked elbow macaroni 3 gloves garlic (minced) 8 oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese EQUIPMENT Charcoal briquets (about 48-50 pieces) Charcoal Chimney Starter (optional) 12-inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven Camp Maid Dutch Oven Stand (optional) DIRECTIONS Start off by prepping 30 pieces of charcoal in your chimney and place 10 under and 20 on top of a 12-inch Dutch oven. Once the Dutch oven is preheated, put in the ground beef, herbs, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Cook until the beef is browned. Adding the herbs and garlic at this point allows the meat to pick up more flavor than when added later. (Photo One) Photo One Once the meat has browned, add the bag of onion and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. (Photo Two)

Photo Two Photo Three 30

After the veggies have cooked, add in your tomato sauce, diced tomato, and beef stock. Cover and let it come to a simmer. (Photo Three) Once the liquid reaches a simmer add the uncooked macaroni. (Photo Four) Photo Four

Check the macaroni every 10 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked. During this process you may notice your charcoal is starting to get low. I added 8 pieces of charcoal to both the top and the bottom while cook- ing the pasta to keep the temperature up. At this point check and see if you need any additional seasoning. (Photo Five) Photo Five

Once the pasta is done, add the entire bag of cheese to the top and re-cover until the cheese fully melts. (Photo Six) Once melted, you are ready to enjoy! The ingredients only cost about $25. As you can see, this recipe almost filled most of a 12-inch Dutch oven. We had at least a Photo six dozen hungry people eat lunch from this single batch. (Photo Seven) Cooking surface: This month I used a Camp Maid Dutch Oven Stand. The stand folds up for storage and stows away in a bag that is smaller than the Dutch oven itself. It is a great cooking surface for a single Dutch oven and can double as a charcoal grill. It is a bit pricey at a little over $150 dollars for the stand you see, a lid lifter, a collapsible charcoal chimney, and heavy Photo seven leather gloves. So, if you get it, I recommend waiting until there is a holiday sale. I bought Photo eight mine at a Mother's Day sale when it was a 30% off. (Photo

Eight) Photos by Atli Karlsson 31 Used with artist’s permission

32 December 12, 2020 WIESENFEUER YULE And 30th Anniversary ~ Virtual Event Art by Isaac Bane

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Unto the most noble populace of the Known WORLD, greetings!

There is so much amazing content being developed and distributed by SCA members around the world that sometimes it’s hard to keep up! We thought there should be a way to track and find what you are searching for and now there is (and a team to go along with it)!

Welcome to the Known World Entertainment Guide! We are here to simplify your hunt for public online medieval content; whether you want to attend a class, watch a virtual court, or listen to a fun new show!

Want to Check Out the Entire line up?

Follow the Facebook page Known World Entertainment Guide for content updates, show schedules, and more links!

Please note we are growing and developing tools to help you find what you are looking for. If you have suggestions or recommendations, send a missive to: [email protected].

Do you have a show and want to get it on the posted schedule?

All you need to do is fill out this form: https://forms.gle/oaqdHAMFyW2qZCDG8

Submit an image for your show or event to [email protected]. Please keep your images small, no larger than 200px by 100px, simple, and eye- catching (and appropriate for all audiences). Do not worry about including time/date/location information, we’ll add that under your graphic!

Please note that this tool is being developed for open shows, classes, and events. We are not including content for restricted (pay to play, branch or lo- cation restrictions, household only) events at this time.

34 To the Shire of Rosenfeld, greetings!

• Did you know that Ansteorra has its very own Wiki with over 800 articles? (Have you ever visited Wikipedia? Well, it's like that, but just for Ansteorra!)

• Did you know that YOU can have your very own page on the Wiki? Nearly 300 Ansteorrans already do! (Visit http://historian.ansteorra.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:People to see just who has.)

• Did you know I would positively love the opportunity to assist you in either building a page on your own, or building one for you, complete with pictures, his- tory, accomplishments, photos... whatever you want to share?

So much of the SCA is a shared, communal experience, but so much of our history is lost, because it is not recorded. There are so many stories to tell - and the Ansteorran Wiki is a beautiful place to share them and preserve them. Rosenfeld has a page on the wiki -- but only a tiny smidge of information about its rich history.

(http://historian.ansteorra.org/wiki/index.php?title=Rosenfeld)

Won't you share YOUR stories of Rosenfeld's history and events - large and small - with the rest of the Kingdom?

Contributing content to the wiki is much, much easier than you think. If you can type an email, you can contribute to the wiki. Content you could share can be as varied as snippets of information about those living or passed who have inspired you, "No (bleep), there I was!" stories, photographs, songs, poems... nearly anything you can imagine! Having your own page built on the wiki is as easy as filling out an online form (http://historian.ansteorra.org/submission.php ) and attaching a few photos (though please take a moment to ensure they are less than 1 MG in size first, or they won’t attach properly).

I invite you to contact me at [email protected] with any questions you might have about submitting information to the wiki – or how to set up your own user account and perhaps even build your first wiki page.

Tell us your stories, Rosenfeld; we are waiting to hear them!!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Thanks to the thoughtful suggestions of Master Rene Damours, Ansteorra’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, and the labors of Ansteorra’s Webminister, Lord John Buchanan, the Persona Page Submission form now has a spot for individuals to provide Special Needs information -- mobility restrictions, allergies, In-Case-Of- Court instructions, etc. We also have a spot to provide information on your preferred pronouns. If you already have a wiki page and would like to add either pronouns or Special Needs information, please fill out the first three fields on the online form, and then only fill in the additional sections you'd like added.

35 Updated Statement of Core Values At the Board of Directors July 2018 meeting, the following policy was ap- proved and is to be considered effective immediately: SCA Statement of Core Values In pursuing its mission, the SCA is committed to excellence in its pro- grams, communications and activities and to ∙ act in accordance with the chivalric virtues of honor and service; ∙ value and respect the worth and dignity of all individuals; ∙ practice inclusiveness and respect pluralism and diversity; ∙ promote a safe and respectful environment for all SCA events; ∙ act with transparency, fairness, integrity and honesty; ∙ be a responsible steward of SCA resources; and, ∙ be committed to maintaining the trust of its members and partici- pants.

It is the expectation of the SCA that its members and participants, in all events and activities of the SCA, will conduct themselves in accordance with these tenets.

Comments are strongly encouraged and can be sent to: SCA Inc. Box 360789 Milpitas, CA 95036

You may also email [email protected].

This announcement is an official informational release by the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. Permission is granted to reproduce this announcement in its entirety in newsletters, websites and electronic mailing lists. Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion https://www.sca.org/dei-office/ https://www.sca.org/dei-office/dei-resources/ https://www.sca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/DEI-handbook.pdf https://www.sca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/DEIMissionVision.pdf

36 redits & Acknowledgements Cover Artists Original illumination by (Honourable) Lady Emma Farewyll with adaptation by (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe Calendar Art (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe Title Art and Officer Badges (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe Additional Illuminations (Honourable) Lady Emma Farewyll Additional Art (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe

This is the December 2020 issue of The Thorny Truth; a publication of the Shire of Rosenfeld of the SCA. The Thorny Truth is available from (Honourable) Lady Jessimond of Emerickeskepe at: [email protected] It is not a corporate publication of the SCA Inc and does not delineate SCA policies. Copyright 2020 SCA, Inc.

For information on reprinting articles and artwork from this publi- cation please contact the Chronicler, who will assist you in contacting the original creator of the piece. Please respect the legal rights of our contributors. Submissions must be sent to the Chronicler by the 25th of the month. An SCA Creative Work Copyright Assignment/Grant of Use Form must be on file or accompany all submissions.

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