Autumn Is Here This Is the Greywinds Newsletter, a Publication of the Incipient Shire of Graywood of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc

Home , Fjalar (rooster), Gullinbursti, Sindri (mythology), Wild Hunt

VOLUME VI, ISSUE XvI asliI OctoBER 5th, 2017 GREYWINDS

Autumn is here This is the greywinds newsletter, a publication of the incipient shire of Graywood of the society for creative anachronism, inc. the greywinds newsletter is available from iona nic oitir (heather Miller) at 1414 sue drive, Lufkin, tx 75901. it is not a corporate publication of the society for creative anachronism, inc, and does not delineate sca policies. Copyright 2017 society for creative anachronism, inc. for information on reprinting articles and artwork from this publication, please contact the editor iona nic oitir, who will assist you in contacting the original creator of the piece. Please respect the legal rights of our con- tributors. A) the text must be printed in its entirety, without additions or changes. B) The auThor’s name and an original puBlicaTion crediT musT Be printed with the text. C) You must send a letter to the editor of this newsletter, stating which articles you have used and in which publication the materials have been reprinted. Credits: cover art by IONA Nic Oitir Fritatta recipe belongs to Daniel myers of medievalcookery.com Norse Mythology by iona nic oitir

WE WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THESE PEOPLE:

October 12th—Lady Melia OCTOBER 16TH—ADAM BURKETT

MEDIEVAL RECIPES CORNER sure that the eggs are Method : cooked enough if you choose FRITATTA (Egg Omelet) not to flip it). Sprinkle moz- Ingredients : Mix the eggs, milk, basil and zarella over the top. When  3 large eggs, beaten pepper together. Heat grill the cheese begins to melt, or pan and grease with but- fold the omelet over and re-  1 oz shredded mozzarella ter over low heat. Pour egg move from heat to serve.  1 oz milk mixture onto hot surface.  Chopped basil 15th Century Italian Recipe  Pepper You may choose to flip your medievalcookery.com Butter omelet over or not (just be

OFFICERS OF THE INCIPIENT SHIRE OF GRAYWOOD

SENESCHAL CRY HERALD RAPIER MARSHALL LORD WALTER THOMAS LONGSTRIDE AUBREY ERICSDATTER TAKING APPLICATIONS /THOM BELMONT (KINGDOM@CHRONICLER. MINISTER OF ARTS & SCIENCE (LONGSTRIDEOFGRAYWOOD ANSTEORRA.ORG) ROSE HAWTHORNE/AMANDA HERON @GMAIL.COM) RESEARCH HERALD ([email protected]) DEPUTY SENESCHALS ELIZABETHE CADWYN/MARIAH LAMBARGE PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR and RONJA MACRAITH / MELANIE SCOTT ([email protected]) DEPUTY ARTS AND SCIENCE MINISTER ([email protected]) SCRIBE CHERISE/SHELBY WRIGHT LADY EMMA WIGHT / JANET BELMONT ELIZABETHE CADWYN/MARIAH LAMBARGE ([email protected]) ([email protected]) ([email protected]) RAPIER MARSHALL KNIGHT MARSHALL DEPUTY SCRIBE TAKING APPLICATIONS GORICK MACRAITH/MIKE MCNELLIS TBD (TBD) ([email protected]) HOSPITALER WEBMINISTER DEPUTY KNIGHT MARSHALL MILES GREGORY CADWYN/ADAM BURKETT WIWAZ/CHARLES MILLER KILIAN MACRAITH/J.D. SCOTT ([email protected]) ([email protected]) ([email protected]) AMARIS MARINARO/RUTH CANTU DEPUTY HOSPITALER DEPUTY WEBMINISTER ([email protected]) LISETTE D’AMOUR/ALYSSA MINSHEW FEARGHUS HAWTHORNE/JIM HERON ([email protected]) ([email protected]) EXCHEQUER FEARGHUS HAWTHORNE/JIM HERON YOUTH MINISTER CHRONICLER OF GRAYWOOD ([email protected]) GEMMA LONGSTRIDE CADWYN/ IONA NIC OITIR/HEATHER MILLER JORDAN BRUNNER ([email protected]) DEPUTY EXCHEQUER ([email protected]) LISETTE D’AMOUR/ALYSSA MINSHEW DEPUTY CHRONICLER ([email protected] DEPUTY YOUTH MINISTER KILIAN MACRAITH/J.D. SCOTT LYNN PARISH ([email protected])

([email protected]) NORSE MYTHOLOGY—Tales of the Norse

The Norse were deep story-tellers, ones ons while the Vanir used subtle means of mag- who reveled in sharing a night around the fire, ic. telling of their daring escapades and of the bat- In time, weary of fighting, the two sides tles they’d entered. Skalds were a constant called a truce. As was customary in the time, welcome into any village, at the chance they hostages were traded. Freya was sent along might have another intriguing story to share. Of with two others to the Aesir, and the Aesir gave course, the Norse would also accept the tales of two of their kind to the Vanir in return - Mimir the gods, as the stories were full of chaos, one and Hoenir. Hoenir at first had a somewhat of the greater elements that often showed in comfortable life among the Vair, able to give the day-to-day of the Viking life. The supernat- incomparably wise advice on any problem. ural qualities of the Aesir and Vanir, along with However, they failed to realize he was only their ongoing battles and strife, painted such in able to do so when Mimir was near. Otherwise, -depth stories that were enhanced with every he was a slow-witted simpleton who was at a retelling that the skalds were known to add loss for words without Mimir’s council. His their own twist to the tales. As long as the main tendency to say, “Let others decide” concluded element remained - chaos - then the storyteller in the Vanir thinking they had been cheated in had a crowd welcoming him or her to their the hostage exchange and ended with their fires. sending Mimir’s severed head to Odin. Dis- traught, Odin chanted magic poems and em- The Tale of Kvasir the Wise balmed the head in herbs. In its preserved One of the favorite centers for stories is state, Mimir’s head was able to give Odin indis- the constant struggle between the Aesir and the pensable advice in times of need. With Mimir’s Vanir. Through most of the Norse tales, the two advice in his heart, Odin went to the Aesir and tribes got along well enough. In fact, there’s Vanir and they agreed that renewed hostilities great difficulty in finding distinction between was something that neither side wanted. In- the two, due to the intermarriage between stead, both sides came together to spit into a them. At one time, however, this wasn’t so. The cauldron to create Kvasir, the wisest of all be- goddess Freya, a Vanir who practiced the art of ings, as a way to pledge their sustained har- seidr (known for discerning or altering the mony. course of destiny), would move from town to Kvasir became famous and traveled town to sell her magic skills. She used the throughout Midgard to dispense his counsel. He name Heior, which means Bright, and eventu- was invited into the home of two dwarves, ally came to the home of the Aesir, Asgard. The Fjalar the Deceiver and Galar the Screamer. Aesir were taken with her. They began to seek Upon his arrival, the two dwarves slaughtered her out zealously until they began to recognize him and brewed mead with his blood. This that their values of honor, loyalty to kin, and mead contained Kvasir’s ability to dispense obedience, was being marred by their own wisdom, and was named Stirrer of Inspiration. greedy desires. They blamed Freya for their Any who drank of it would become a poet or own shortcomings and titled her Gullveig, or scholar. In time, the gods questioned the two Gold-greed, and attempted to murder her. They dwarves about Ksavir’s disappearance, and the did this three times, because each time she was dwarves answered that Ksavir had choked on reborn from the ashes. This frightened the Ae- his own wisdom. Their celebration with lying to sir and they began to distrust the Vanir, who in the gods was next to take the giant Gilling out to turn began to distrust the Aesir for their reac- sea to drown him, then to kill Gilling’s wife tion to Freya. Hostilities erupted into war, and when her wailing irritated them. They dropped there more differences made the two hate each a millstone on top of her head when she passed other due to their differences in combat tech- under the doorway of their house. Gilling’s son niques: the Aeisir used brute force and weap- Suttung, however, learned of what happened and took the two dwarves out in low tide, tied into a young man to charm Gunnlod. He se- them to a reef, so they’d be covered by the cured a promise from her allowing him three waves. The dwarves screamed for mercy, sips of mead if he laid with her for three which Suttung granted only when they agreed nights. After the third night, he consumed the to give him the mead they’d brewed with contents of each vat in a single gulp and flew Ksavir’s blood. He hid the mead in a chamber off to Asgard in the shape of an eagle, his prize beneath the mountains and had his daughter in his throat. Suttung soon learned of the trick- Gunnlod watch over them. ery and chased after Odin, also in the shape of This displeased Odin. He bent his will to an eagle. acquire the mead for himself and those he When the other gods spied their leader deemed worthy of its power. Odin disguised approaching with Suttung on his tail, they set himself as a wandering farmhand and visited several vessels at the rim of their fortress. Suttung’s brother Baugi. There, he offered to Odin reached protection before Suttung could sharpen the scythes of the nine servants he capture him, forcing the giant to retreat. The found mowing hay. They marveled at how well mead was regurgitated into the containers, the scythes cut the hay and asked to buy the save for a few drops that fell down to Midgard. whetstone Odin used. He warned them, “You Those drops are thought to be the source of the must pay a high price to buy it.” They agreed to abilities of all bad to mediocre poets and schol- whatever his price was. In answer, he threw ars. The true poets and scholars, however, are the whetstone into the air and the nine scram- those whom Odin personally dispensed his bled for it, killing each other with their scythes mead to with great care. as they did. Odin then went to Baugi’s door to Loki the Trickster and the Dwarves introduce himself as Bolverkr, which means “Worker of Misfortune,” and offered to do the Perhaps one of the more flourished gods work of the nine servants whom he claimed that most tales thrive on is Loki, the trickster. killed each other in a dispute earlier in the day. Most people see him as an evil, deceitful deity, As a reward, he asked for a sip of Suttung’s when he is more the epitome in chaos in how mead. Baugi said he had no control of the he flickers between doing good and mischief. mead, which Suttung guarded jealously, but if He was not truly a hated god, but he tended to Bulverkr could do the work of nine men, that stir trouble up throughout Heimdal and Midgard he, Baugi, would see about helping the farm- alike. There is a tale of his stealing the golden hand get what he desired. hair of Thor’s wife, Sif. Thor was, of course, Odin did the work and, at the end of the enraged and grabbed hold of Loki, threatening season, Baugi took him to Suttung. Suttung was to break every bone in his body. Loki responded furious and refused the request. Odin’s re- with pleas to let him fashion new hair for Sif sponse was to remind Baugi of their bargain by speaking to the dwarves in Svartalfheim, and convinced the giant to aid him in getting home of the dwarvenkind. The dwarves not on- access to the mountain, where the mead was ly fashioned new hair for Sif, but also the protected. The two went to a part of the moun- greatest of ships, Skidbladnir, known to al- tain that Baugi knew to be nearest to the under- ways have favorable wind and could be folded ground chamber. Odin removed an auger from up into one’s pocket. They also fashioned the his cloak for Baugi to use and drill a hole deadliest of spears, Gungnir. through the rock. Baugi claimed to drill the hole Loki was enthralled by the dwarves and through, but when Odin blew into the hole and longed to stay among them, reveling in may- it came back with dust, he knew that Baugi had hem and recklessness. He approached two lied. When Baugi drilled the second time and dwarven brothers, Brokkr and Sindri, and be- Odin blew into the hole, the dust blew through gain to taunt them that they could never fashion instead of into Odin’s face. Thanking Baudi, three new creations that were equal to what Odin then changed into a snake and slid down Ivaldi the dwarf had fashioned for him. “In the hole with Baugi stabbing at him with the fact, I will even bet my head on the lack of your augur and missing. Once inside, Odin turned ability.” The two dwarves accepted the wager and began to work. Loki turned himself into a could make it there, and presented the marvels fly as Sindri worked, stinging the dwarf, and that he had acquired. To Thor he gave Sif’s out came a living boar with golden hair. Named new hair and the hammer Mjollnir. To Odin, he Gullinbursti for his golden bristle, the beast gave the ring Draupnir and the spear Gungnir. gave off light in the dark and could outrun any To Freyr, he gave Skidbladnir and Gullinbursti. horse through water or air. The gods were grateful for these marvelous Sindri set another piece of gold on the gifts, especially Mjollnir, which they saw as forge while Brokkr worked the bellows. Loki, being of inestimable help in the battle against still playing at mischief, bit Brokkr on his neck the giants. However, they also concluded that this time. This resulted in Sindri shaping and Loki still owed the dwarves his head. When the withdrawing the magnificent ring Draupnir dwarves approached Loki with knives, he from the flames. From this ring would drop pointed out that he’d promised his head, but not eight new golden rings of equal weight every his neck. The two dwarves were forced to con- ninth night. This time, Sindri put iron on the tent themselves with sewing the god’s mouth hearth, telling Brokkr that they must be metic- shut before returning to their forge. ulous this time, for a mistake would be more costly on this project than the other two. Loki There are countless more tales about the responded by stinging Brokkr’s eyelid, and the gods and the giants, such as how and why blood blocked the dwarf’s eye, preventing him Baldur died, and why Odin is one-eyed. The from properly seeing his work. This resulted in expansion of these tales gave the gods a hu- the handle of the weapon Sindri was forming manized touch that the Norse could connect to. being too short. He lamented about this nearly After all, the gods weren’t truly immortal, but ruining what he had dubbed Mjollnir the ham- beings who could bleed and die as easily as mer. However, the hammer was of unsur- their subjects on Midgard, and relied on the ap- passed quality, never missing its mark and ples of Idun to stay young and healthy. The could boomerang back to its owner after being chaotic existence of the Norse was one that fil- thrown. tered from their tales of the gods, and helped The two dwarves took their three treas- to set ground rules for their civilization that, in ures to Asgard, eager to claim the wages that some ways, made the Norse more practical in were due them. Loki, however, made a point to their time than we humans are in modern be at the hall of the gods before the dwarves times.

NOTES AND CHALLENGES

Congratulations to Ronja MacRaith for winning Folks—please get with Wiwaz to get portrait shots of you in the bardic competition at Defender of Ravensfort, garment, if possible. I would like to post them in December’s and to Rose Hawthorne for winning second, both with amazing songs of their own creation. A chal- Newsletter. lenge is now set forth to you both to enter the Don’t forget to save up your firewood competition at War of the Rams with your songs, or new ones, and test your skill again. for War of the Rams! A note to those who have been unable to attend meetings lately—please know you are missed greatly every time. FOR SALE—ADS AND ENDS

Miss those days of being a knight in shining armor? As a merchant, I travel through dense forest popu- Is your helm not carrying a brilliant gleam? lation constantly. I used to dread the trips. I never TRY SHEEPSKIN SHINE knew when big, bad bandit and his band of thieves would be in hiding, ready to take my goods. Now I don’t have to worry thanks to PRINCE JOHN’S MACE! Stops muggers in their tracks!

-For all your dull armor needs-

Tried and true virgin wool will buff you up! Buy a lamb today and get ready to scrub-a-dub away Brush the lamb in circles on your metal pieces to get the brilliant shine you desire By the almighty grace of the gods, I beseech everyone to prepare against the unseelie court BRAND NEW SHIELD FOR SALE BUYING FRESH tonight. The wild hunt will be coming and ONLY USED ONCE COW DUNG TO claiming victims. The fae are not to be trust- THROW AT THE ed. We have already lost dozens to the fairy LORD’S HEAD. lights that play in the swamp lands. Keep THE FRESHER, watch over hearth and home. Place bowls of THE BETTER. PAYING TWO drink and food out so that the fae will show SHILLINGS FOR A you kindness. Place carved turnips out to WHOLE BAG, frighten away the unkind. Do not follow the FIVE SHILLINGS lusty calls of their beautiful women and men. FOR TWO. May the gods keep us safe tonight.

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Made with bonafide otter whiskers for the Discreet services—only 5p per dove or raven best bendy cleaning this side of Europe. 10p for crow or hawk YOU OTTER THINK ABOUT USING Send secret messages to the enemy or to your mistress THE OTTER BEST! Birds are NOT for eating! MONTHLY CALENDAR ANSTEORRAN CALENDAR OF EVENTS October 5th— POPULACE MEETING @ OCTOBER 2017 JANUARY 2018 7:00 P.M. at THE COTTON PATCH CAFÉ in 6-8 Namron Protectorate 5-7 Steppes Twelfth Night in LUFKIN, TX Namron (Norman, OK) Steppes (Dallas, TX) 6-8 Gates Edge Fall Event 12-14 Crown Tournament in Namron October 7th, 8th— Gate’s Edge (Houston, TX) (Norman, OK) 13-15 Coronation in Elfsea 20 Winter Round Table CATFISH FESTIVAL in (Forth Worth, TX) Steppes (Dallas, TX) HUNTINGTON, TX 20-22 Bottles and Bards 27 Winterkingdom (We will set up for festival on Namron (Norman, OK) (Kellyville, OK) the 7th.) 20-22 Diamond Wars Event FEBRUARY 2018 October 12TH— (Out of Kingdom—AK) DO SOMETHING NIGHT / 20-22 Chaos in Constantinople 2-4 Candlemas in Bryn Gwlad Bjornsborg (San Antonio, TX) MOVIES IN THE PARK @ (Austin, Tx) 27-29 Samhain 9-11 Kingdom A&S - TBD 7:oo P.M. at Ellen Trout Park Eldern Hills (Lawton, OK) 16-18 War College in Raven’s Fort in LUFKIN, TX 27-29 Seawinds Defender (Huntsville, TX) October 15th— Seawinds (Corpus Christi, TX) FIGHTER PRACTICE @ NOVEMBER 2017 2:00 P.M. at Ellen Trout Park MARCH 2018 in LUFKIN, TX 3-5 Axeman XIII in Skorragardr (Oklahoma City, OK) 10-18 Gulf Wars—Out of Kingdom October 19th— 3-5 Loch Bardic & A&S Champion BARDIC PRACTICE @ Loch Soilleir (Clear Lake, TX) 30-1 Commanders Crucible—TBD 30-1 Eldern Baronial—TBD 7:00 P.M. at TBD 10-12 Queen’s Champion in Hellsgate (Groesbeck, TX) APRIL 2018 October 26TH— 17-19 War of the Rams DO SOMETHING NIGHT @ Bordermarch (Beaumont, TX) 6-8 Elfsea Defender in Elfsea 6:00 PM at AMARIS’ HOME (Fort Worth, TX) in BURKE, TX DECEMBER 2017 13-15 Coronation—TBD 20-22 Stargate Baronial in Stargate October 29TH— 1-3 Yule Revel in Dragonsfire Tor (Stephenville, TX) (Houston, TX) FIGHTER PRACTICE @ 1-3 Rosenfeld Champions and 20-22 Wisenfeuer Baronial 2:00 P.M. at Pecan Park Three Centurions: Rivalry of t (Oklahoma City, OK) in NACOGDOCHES, TX he Regions in Rosenfeld 27-29 Defender of the Flame (Tyler, TX) Glaslyn (Denton, TX) 1-3 Stargate Yule in Stargate MAY 2018 Have an article, a picture, a story, or (Houston, TX) an idea you’d like to see published? 2 Yule Celebration in 4-6 Loch Baronial Event Contact us at Wiesenfeuer Loch Soillier (Clear Lake, TX) [email protected] (Oklahoma City, OK) 4-6 Namron Beltane in Namron or on facebook— 8-10 Tournament of Champions (Norman, OK) The Shire of Graywood. Dragonsfire Tor 11-13 Queen’s Champion—TBD (Stephenville, TX) 18-20 Castellan— TBD Be sure to also visit our website at: