T H E S H a R D S I N S I D E Master William T H I S Blackfox Award ISSUE: Winner, Best Special Edition, Fioled Letters 2 A.S

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S h a r d NEWSLETTER OF THE BA RONY s OF SHATTERED CRYSTAL Volume 31, Issue 4 AUGUST 2019/ AS LIV P a g e 1 T h e S h a r d s I N S I D E Master William T H I S Blackfox Award ISSUE: Winner, Best Special Edition, Fioled Letters 2 A.S. LI (51)

Missives 5 Acknowledgements Onyx Oven 6 Cover art: picture by Malina an Eich Gil with rework by Tiarna Cináed Ulric Wood block print of “Orange Tree & Pantheon pg 1, Coronet Magical SCA Logo for Their Excellencies’ missive, “Toasting Gift Givers” wood block 9 Moment print page 5, “Pies” wood block print page 8, Haematite Hospice logo page 9, “Cat Sidhe” wood block print page 10, and “Celtic Cats” page 15 are from Cináed Ulric. Haematite 9 Photos of Largess in the Baroness’ Missive are by Petrona de Hospice Manciano. King & Queen wood print, page 5 , is from Caxton's Game and Book of Playe of Chesse, 1470s and is in the public domain. 10 Bards Horizontal and Vertical dividers, and woodcuts on pages 4 and 15 are from the web page Goode Cookery, and their page on Medieval Woodcuts Clip Art collection from the 15-16th centuries. Their permis- Calendar 18 sion-use statement is: “Those who wish to reduce or alter these im- ages for their own use are welcome to do so.” All articles, except “The Letters of Fioled Wathen”, are written by the folks underneath the article’s title or end. “The Letters of Fioled Wathen” is written anonymously and the author(s) wishe(s) to remain anonymous. All Creative Work, Photography, and Model release forms for every article, photo, or artistic graphic are on file with the Chronicler. Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 2

The Letters of Fioled Wathen

To Lady Yarwood, val at this time is won- fullest. The beginning derful with the coming of the harvest season My goode friend, of Gŵyl Awst, the was always mam's fa- Aeronwyn, I cannot feast of August, vorite time of the year tell you how grateful known as Lammas day and to celebrate this and my mind and heart is locally, or as Lughna- her arrival our cook, that you had one of sadh by my new found Guiscard, is set out to your marshals accom- Irish friends. She de- make a feast overflow- pany my mam on her scribed her journey into ing with a bread for journey here to mine town as beautiful as each course: a wastel and Rhion's manor in from the outlying farms loaf, a rose petal loaf, Briar Hollow. Her she saw shocks of and lammas plait all decision to travel right sheaves standing tall served with herbed but- when Pennsic War and drying golden in ter and bilberry jam. was happening, had the sun. Along the Needless to say mam both Rhion and myself roadsides in the bram- cannot wait for this constantly at church bles and bushes, many a feast day and has set- giving intercessory young maid were busy tled in nicely in our lit- prayers to St. Chris- picking bilberries and tle guest quarters which topher. Still, her arri- filling baskets to their opens up to the back P a g e 3 T h e S h a r d s part of the courtyard folklore. He has many though, much of the garden. stories to tell about the Barony is going off to In the second full benevolent or vengeful the lands of Swordcliff week of August, the lo- Cat Sith, cat fairies, to participate in some cal bard, Cináed Ul- large black cats with a good revelry known as ric, is planning to be in spot of white on their Baroness Wars, this the town square telling chest that roam around time redubbed Duchess stories while decked out at night guarding Wars. Baronial mem- in a jester's outfit that things, taunting people, bers are of course going resembles something or even blessing homes. to support our Baron- like a house cat. He is In particular however, ess, Petrona, in the ac- practicing some stories he will warn of Cat's tivities she patrons and he hopes to tell and Night, in which a witch supports, but there will trade at the Known who had transformed be so much going on World Bardic Con- herself into a cat eight from Arts & Sciences gress and Cooks Col- times, would become a classes and competi- legium that is being cat permanently, if she tions to coursing of held in the Barony at transformed herself for hounds, discussions the end of August. a ninth time on August and advice from her- He iss warning people seventeenth. Perhaps alds, as well as armored, to beware the Cat's this is why folks say rapier, archery, and Night on August 17th, cats have nine lives? thrown weapons compe- a legend out of Irish Before that event titions, so much to do. Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 4

Of course there will is still towards dolls also be merchants and and play. craftsmen there, among I do so hope you which I hope to find a can come and stay for a steyner for a project visit sometime soon. next month. My days right now are I must close as tied to the manor as we mam is calling me, and continue to get it set up today we begin to teach and Rhion further sets Anest what she needs up his textile shop with to know to run a house- Gareth in tow. Hop- hold: herb garden, medi- ing to hear from you cine chest, linens and soon. clothes, as well as other tasks should her future Your friend, husband be gone for an extended time and she Lady Fioled Wathen needs to be in charge. Mabyn & Glynnis will follow behind for some of these things, but they are still young enough their attention P a g e 5 T h e S h a r d s

M i s s i v e s quested drawstring bags I would like to thank all of these (Banbharun Briana Morgan of folks for participating in Lady the Valley, Azzah bint al-Badawi Malina an Eich Gil’s largesse al-Murabbiyah al-Rualliyyah, Deb competition and for giving me Speer, Margaret MacLeod, & the opportunity to share the From the Mwynwen "Strawberrie" Ysig- bounty and talent of Shattered Baroness nidd ), 13 beaded veil pins Crystal with our Royal Family. (“Vienne la Main”), 13 lavender Watch for an announcement of sachets (Banbharun Briana), 13 the competition winner soon.

On Saturday, July sixth, wood burned spoons and dish- Pietro and Heather helped me washer magnets (Shannon present the baskets of largesse Mullis), and 13 assorted pater- Baronessa Petrona to the Royal Family at Simple noster, earrings, and prayer Day. We were able to give the beads (Lina Duman). The Royal . Crown; close to 250 of the re- Family sends their gratitude. de Manciano Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 6

The Onyx Oven E m i l i a n Ț e a p ă f i

Bilberry Tart Mixed with Cinnamon & Sugar

Before I get to the recipe, I suppose I may need to tell a few people what a bilberry is. Obviously it is a berry, and it is one I've come across mentioned in a number of Medieval texts and discussed on Me- dieval or Renaissance re-creation t.v. shows. Bilberries, Modernly referred to as European blueberries, bilberries are primarily an Eurasian species of low-growing shrubs, bearing edible, dark blue berries. They are originally native to Europe, heavily listed throughout the British Isles, although many a report claims that the Scandinavian countries have them growing so much over their countryside it's almost like kudzu here in the American south - except of course people like this plant. In fact it is thought that's where they name came from. The name appears to have a Scandinavian origin, possibly from as early as 1577 C.E. (A.D.), being similar to the Danish word bølle for whortleberry with the addition of "berry". It is also known by a number of other names including blaeberry in the Scots language, whortleberry in southern England, (which pleased me to find out as whortleberries are a prize mentioned in a Facebook game I play and I had no idea what they were...) and wimberry, whimberry, winberry or whinberry in south Wales. They differ from North American blueberries in the fact that they are non-climacteric fruits with a smooth, circular outline at the end opposite the stalk, whereas blueberries retain persistent sepals there, leaving a rough, star-shaped pattern of five flaps. Also bilberries grow singly or in pairs rather than in clusters, as blueberries do, and bilberries are darker in color usually appearing near black with a slight shade of purple. A curious part of their cooking descriptions is that they have an intense flavor of concen- trated blueberries, which given the fact we would know about bilberries before blueberries one would think that the blueberries’ description would be "a similar fruit that is less intense taste of bilberries."

For all the mention that bilberries receive in the texts and programs, one would think that there would be a decent amount of recipes to find containing them, but alas that is not so. As it was such a common fruit, and one that was frequently described as just served with cream and sugar or made to flavor a wine or mead, the recipes were perhaps too simple to be considered for writing down and just passed on orally, or they were thought of being more of a peasant dish, so it didn't make the royal or no- bility's cook books, that much of our Medieval recipes come from. There is one mention of them in Ein new Kochbuch or A New Cookbook from 1581 C.E. Unfortunately the only thing listed is, " Turten 15. Schwarze Heidelbeer Turten mit Zimmet vnd Zucker angemacht" or in English, "Tart 15. Black bilberry (European blueberry) tart mixed with cinnamon and sugar" and that's it. There is hope though, if we jump a couple of years beyond our period and look at a recipe from Countrey Contentments, or the English Huswife: containing the Inward and Outward Vertues which ought to be in a Compleate Woman by Gervase Markham in 1623, who lists a similar recipe with a small statement at the end:

"Take the fairest Cherries you can get, and picke them cleane from leaues and stalkes; then spread out you cof∣fin as for your Pippin-tart, and couer the bottome with Suger; then couer the Suger all ouer with Cherries, then couer those Cherries with Sugar, some sticks of Cinamon, and here and there a Cloue; then lay in more cherries, and so more Suger, Cinamon and P a g e 7 T h e S h a r d s

cloues, till the coffin be filled vp; then couer it, and bake it in all points as the codling and pipping tart, and so serue it; and in the same manner you may make Tarts of Gooseberries, Strawberries, Rasberries, Bilberries, or any other Berrie whatsoeuer."

Basically what it states is to make a pie crust and then cover in layers of sugar, then cherries, then sugar, then cinnamon sticks with a clove here and there, then cherries, followed by sugar, cinnamon, and cloves again until one has filled the pastry to the top. Of course we would be using bilberries, if one can get them, if not, obviously substitute with blueberries.

And of course, there are quite a few modern recipes that are quite similar for bilberry tart out of the British Isles and the Scandinavian lands. I've pieced together one, but added some things stated in the Medieval recipe, but not in the modern ones I've seen.

INGREDIENTS Pastry 1 1/3 Cups plain (all-purpose) flour 3 1/3 Tbsp cold butter cut into cubes 2 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar 2 Tbsp cold water Pinch of salt

Filling 2¼ Cups bilberries (or blueberries), fresh preferred but can use frozen ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ⅔ Cup caster/superfine sugar

One could make the tart with the whole pieces of cinnamon and cloves, but as most people prefer to not surprisingly bite into either of those spices whole, I've substituted using ground form. Bilberries are extremely juicy, which is why it is frequently suggested that one makes a bilberry and apple tart as the apple slices help absorb some of the juice, but for making a straight bilberry tart I would recommend adding 2 tbsp potato flour or cornstarch, even though they wouldn't be period.

DIRECTIONS 1. One could make the crust by hand, but easier modern methods help out so, put the flour and salt in a food processor and run the machine for a few seconds to sift them, then add the caster sugar and the butter and process for 10-15 seconds until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 2. Add the water and continue processing for 20-30 seconds or until the pastry clings together and forms a ball. Knead it lightly to form a smooth ball, wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, forming a circle about 30 cm (12”) in diameter and use it to line a 23 cm (9”) diameter pie dish. Trim the overhanging pastry and reserve. 5. One could decide to layer the filling ingredients as listed in the Medieval cherry tart recipe, but if one wants an easier way to do it then combine the bilberries, potato flour/cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and sugar in a large bowl then tip them into the pie dish. 6. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 8

7. Remove and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Bibliography

 Bacon, Josephine. "Bilberry." Exotic Fruits and Vegetables A-Z. UPSO Ltd.; East Sussex, UK. © 2004  "Bilberry". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Webpage. https://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/bilberry 2016. Accessed July 16, 2019.  Blamey, Marjorie, Alastair Fritter, Richard Fritter. Wildflowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. A & C Black Publishers Ltd; London, UK © 2001  Blue, Myrtle. "Scandinavian Wild Blueberry Pie." Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberries. Website: https://peiwildblueberries.com/scandinavian-wild-blueberry-pie/ Copyright © 2019 Accessed July 20, 2019.  "BlueberryPirakka." "Finnish Blueberry Pie." Allrecipes. Website: https://www.allrecipes.com/ recipe/203567/finnish-blueberry-pie/ © 2019 Accessed July 19, 2019.  Clay, Xanthe. "Readers' Recipes: Bilberries; Xanthe Clay puts together your recipes for a tasty native berry. The Telegraph. Website: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/3291385/ Readers-recipes-bilberries.html August 18, 2001. Accessed July 19, 2019.  "Episode 6." Tudor Monastery Farm, directed by Stuart Elliott, All3Media, December 18, 2013.  Henley, Jon. "Bilberries: the True Taste of Northern England." The Guardian. Website: https:// www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/jun/09/foodanddrink.food June 9, 2008. Accessed July 16, 2019  Markham, Gervase. Countrey Contentments, or the English Huswife: containing the Inward and Out- ward Vertues which ought to be in a Compleate Woman. I.B.; London, UK 1623 Viewed on Website: LSE (London School of Economics and Political Science) Digital Library, https:// digital.library.lse.ac.uk/objects/lse:heh898zor Accessed July 18, 2019.  Palmer, Sharon SKA Ranvaig Weaver. Translating and Redacting Rumpolt's Ein Neu Kochbuch (Or how I was foolish enough to try to translate a 400+ page, 16th-c, German cookbook using rusty high school German. Class Note Document. downloaded from: www.geocities.ws/ranvaig/rumpolt/ RumpoltClassNotes.doc P a g e 9 T h e S h a r d s

One of Those Magical SCA Moments Mistress Caroline de Mercier

Although I've been telling stories for many, many years, occasionally something happens during a storytelling session that is truly heart-warming, and memorable. Such a special happening occurred at the Middle Kingdom's 50th. On Saturday I was doing my second session of storytelling for youth in the bardic stage area. It had rained and more was predicted, so I knew I would not have a big audience, and I didn't. In fact, because there was not a large group, I told them that I was going to sit with them and not use the stage. I didn't want to put distance between us. The kids who were there were really attentive and enthusiastic. I told them several stories, mostly interactive ones. After a little time, I was ready for action. So I picked one of my stories that is an old favorite, combining two tales, "The Magic Fish" and "The Muffin Man", or my version of them. When I ended the story, I suggested we all go up on stage and I'd teach them a medieval game to go along with the story. Parents, the other adults in the audience, and the kids and I trooped up on the stage. Once there, I taught them a circular game for which we sang the "Muffin Man" song. One person is in the middle and chooses someone from the outside circle during each repetition of the brief song to join the inner circle. Of, course it doesn't take long to have more in the center crowded together as a few stretch their hands trying to encircle those in the center, causing laughter and closeness. The kids wanted to do it again and again. We were laughing and having a great time while the world outside the bardic arts area was grey, muddy, and damp. It was such fun to see the adults and the youngsters relating and having a good time together. It was the camaraderie of the SCA that we often strive to achieve. It was so much fun that I taught them another medieval game, and we enjoyed it, too. I was actually sorry when it was time to end. Haematite Hospice

Baron Colin Campbell’s father moved on to the Golden Kingdom on Saturday, July 20th. He had been in the hospital for four weeks due to respiratory issues. Tiarna Cináed Ulric, upon his last cardiologist check up has discovered that the pump rate of his heart has gone down to %35. It is hoped that with some exer- cise and new prescription regime he might be able to bring that back up. If not, he is scheduled for a defibrilla- tor at the end of October. He was also back in the hospital again from July 27th—31st due to fluid retention again— 6.1 liters removed this time. Please keep Baron Colin & his family, and Cináed in your thoughts, and be sure to call and politely ask if there is anything one can do for them. Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 1 0

The Book of Bards Tiarna Cináed Ulric

Cat Night & Cat Sidhe

Despite the poor reputation the stories of the past has brought upon the feline species, I am here to warn you of Cat's Night on August 17th and to tell you to carry sachets filled to the brim with catswort (catnip), which you will throw as far away from one as one can if one comes across a cat on this day's evening. Especially a black cat with a white spot on its chest.

I am talking about the Cat Sìth (Scottish), Cat Sidhe (Irish), or Cath Palug (Wales), which is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. The legend of this fairy cat, which has more of its roots in Scotland and then a few in Ireland, probably arose from the imaginations of Medieval men and women who were seeing real cats of Scotland: the Scottish Wildcat or the Kellas Cats. Their image certainly might have been influenced by the Kellas Cats, however they didn't achieve notoriety until the early to mid 1980's. Still, named after the village of Kellas, these cats came into knowledge with speculation being placed as to whether a new species or an 'emerging' new species of cat had been discovered in mainland Scotland. They are certainly very striking in their ap- pearance, being long-legged and slender in build, with the overall look being black, with prominent white-colored guard hairs over the flanks and a white area of fur typically seen at the base of the throat, or on the chest region. See what I mean about the vis- ual description? Which is why the inspiration for these noctur- nal specters probably came from the Scottish Wild- cats that have been roaming the Scottish Highlands well before the Medieval period. Wildcats are much larger with a more pronounced skull, are solitary, and their fur is distinctly solid-striped, tabby patterning except for its bushy, ringed tail that is black at the tip, blunt, and without stripes. More importantly, for story purposes, they also doesn't have any white markings. However wildcats are arboreal, which means they could pounce and surprise travelers from "the sky," whereas Kellas Cats hang and hunt in pairs, and usually remain on the ground. Alas, the Scottish wildcat is listed as Endangered in the United Kingdom and is primarily threat- ened by hybridization with domestic cats. Once widely distributed across Britain, due to habitat loss and P a g e 1 1 T h e S h a r d s persecution, it is now limited to north and east Scotland.

So, how do we get from Scottish Wildcats to them being sidhe, that is fairy folk or demons? As the boar, raven, and bear were used by ancient warriors to invoke the avenging and protective power of the gods, so too did they use cats, but considered an animal associated with the Goddess and the feminine, both positive and negative attributes of the cat can be seen in folklore and tradition. In Ireland and throughout much of the Celtic world, the skin of a wild cat was used by warriors. One Irish bard spoke of Talc son of Trone, who was called the cat-headed chief since his battle-dress in- cluded the skin of a wild cat, with its head attached to his helmet. (Hey, Middle Kingdom! Remind you of a knight we know?) In the Irish Yellow Book of Lecan it describes warriors wearing cats' heads, one of whom was noted as a Gaelic champion and one of the Irish kings was called Cairbar cinn chait - Carbar of the cat's head. In Welsh tradition the goddess Ceridwen in her manifestation as the great sow, Henwen the Pig of Cornwall, gives birth to a wolf cub, an eagle, a bee and a kitten, Cath Palug,. Unfortunately that kitten grows into a monstrous cat that becomes one of the Three Plagues of Anglesey, which needs to be killed by King Arthur and Sir Cai. After a lengthy struggle, Cath Palug was defeated but the cat was later to haunt the Isle of Anglesey, and said to have killed 180 warriors when Sir Kay went to hunt it on the island. Chapalu is the French name of that Welsh beast, but the French poems were vicious and claimed it killed King Arthur. A cat analogous to Chapalu is eradicated by Arthur in the Vulgate cycle's prose Estoire de Merlin. However, it is in Scotland that the Cat Sidhe found a particularly powerful connection, and for no wonder. A number of Scottish clans held the cat as their totem animal: the domestic cat for clans MacIn- tosh, MacNeishe and MacNicol, the wild cats for Clan MacBain. So prevalent are cats in Scottish Celtic society there are groups and places named after them: a Pictish tribe known as the Kati -cat people, lived in Caithness, the ness or promontory of the cats, while in Sutherland is the Cataobh, Gaelic for "cat coun- try." Celtic people stated that the goddess Brighid, who is known in Irish tradition as 'the daughter of the bear,' had a cat as a companion, and tt was traditional to believe that it was unlucky to see a cat as the first animal of the year unless you were a member of Clan MacIntosh or of the Clan Cattan (whose chief- tain is called The Great Cat). On the demon side, well....as per usual in Medieval times. As an animal clearly of the Goddess Brighid and in close contact with the spirit-world, cats became the victim of extraordinary persecution and cruelty. Due to their supposed ability to see and work in the spirit-world made the cat an ideal ally for any shaman and thus, due to the Church's fear of such powers, many thousands of cats were tortured and put to death by burning in baskets in both Britain and France.

Now, on to the reason to be cautious, the Cat Sidhe's good and bad powers. On the good side it was said that on the Celtic holy night of Samhain, a Cat Sìth would bless any house that left a saucer of milk out for it to drink, but those houses that did not let out a saucer of milk would be cursed into having all of their cows' milk dry. The there is the Irish Voyage of Maelduin, one of four spiritual tales called immrama, that shows the fierceness of the cat and its role as a guardian. In this tale, the Druid Nuca teaches Maelduin how to build a magical boat in which he plans to avenge the murder of his father. He and his companions almost reach the murderers' island but winds blow them out to sea and they are lost for three days and nights. They then come to a series of islands, many of which are presided over by animals: giant ants, birds, ten islands in all the last being the Island of the Cat. There they discover a 'noble hall, a king's fit dwelling.' Food and drink is in copious supply and there are soft beds and golden benches for them to rest upon. In this great hall lies treasure: silver brooches, gold-hilted swords and wide torcs. But no one is present except a 'quick, hungry cat poised on a pillar.' Against Maelduin's wishes, his foster- brother attempts to steal a gold necklace but in a moment his body is turned to a pile of ash by the cat's fiery paw. The cat is seen here in her role as guardian of otherworldly treasure, and other stories have Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 1 2 them listed as guards to the entrance of fairy hills, leprechaun's hidden treasure, and even the coffers of humans, which is probably one of the reasons why so many clans adopted them as their totem animal. In the in between, gray area, there was the practice called "Taghaim" where folks believed that the demonic Cat Sith called "Big Ears" would appear and grant any wish to those who took part in the ceremony. The ceremony, however, required practitioners to burn the bodies of cats over the course of four days and nights. The people of the Scottish Highlands did not trust the Cat Sìth for, on the bad side, they believed that it could steal a person's soul, before it was claimed by the gods, if passing over a corpse before burial. Watches called the Feill Fadalach (Late Wake) were performed night and day to keep the Cat Sìdhe away from a corpse before burial with methods of distraction such as games of leaping and wrestling, catnip, riddles, and music would be employed to keep the Cat Sìdhe away from the room in which the corpse lay. In addition, there were no fires where the body lay, as it was legend that the Cat Sìth was attracted to the warmth, and the filled all the other rooms of the house with catswort to attract the Cat Sidhe into those rooms, where the mourners could shut the door and trap the cat. There is also the Scottish tale, "The Story of Conall Cròg Buidhe to the King of Lochlann." In the story Conall has a passing Cat Sidhe per- from a dirge for a deceased friend or relative of Conall's, but then expects payment. Conall says he has nothing and refuses to pay and the chase it on! Eventually poor Conall climbs up to the highest branches of a tree. The Cat Sidhe begins to climb the tree to come extract his payment, but Conall seeing a branch with a sharp end breaks it off and begins to jab and poke at the Cat Sidhe. The Cat Sidhe climbing down swears and tell Conall, "I sang you a dirge and I will have payment! If I can't climb up the tree...." He then calls out to other Cat Sidhe who, once gathered, begin to claw at the ground until they have uncovered most of the roots of the tree and then begin gnawing through them. The tree begins to sway and then to fall down, causing Conall to fall and scream. A passing Druid, upon hearing the cries and observing the situation, soon calls many other druids, who all pull out hazel wands to which the Cat Sidhe unable to combat such a force, scatter to the winds. On and on the stories flow where the Cat Sidhe would either bless or curse someone, let them be or attack them, make their crops, orchards, and livestock grow and do well, or cause them to wither and die. Then they may come to warn one to spare their life. One legend has it that an elderly lady, Jamilyn, had stayed up very late at night to finish so weaving. Around the midnight hour there was a knock upon her door and Jamilyn called out, "Who is it?" She didn't hear anything other than the sound of the winter wind, or was it a low mew? She continued her work and again there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?", she again asked. All she heard was a soft voice calling, "Jamilyn...." Still unsure if she heard something or not, her work she continued on until there was a third and much louder knock on the door. This time she got up and walked to the door boldly asking in slight irritation, "Who is it? Who is there at this hour?" The reply came, "Please let me in, for I am a lone cat and it is so cold and I will surely perish this evening." Jamilyn opened the door stating that of course the poor kitty can come in, when in strode a large Cat Sidhe followed by her two daughter kittens. The cats soon curled up on the rug next to the fire, Jamilyn brought out a bowl of cream and sat it next to them then returned to her weaving while the adult cat attended to her children until they were fast asleep. Another hour or so passed and suddenly the adult cat spoke staring at Jamilyn with clear and stern eyes. "You should not stay up as late as this, or even earlier, ever again, Jamilyn. The Royal Sidhe Court was set to hold the meeting tonight here, in your house, but could not do so as you stayed up so late. They were furious with great talk from many of the Sidhe that you should be punished or perhaps even killed. It not for me and my two daughters coming to you and in your house, it would have occurred. As you have been so kind and courteous to my daughters and I this evening, I shall tell the court and mark as one to be untouched." In the morning, Jamilyn, woke up fixed herself and the Cat Sidhe some breakfast, then opened the door to let them leave. She never saw them again. P a g e 1 3 T h e S h a r d s

Sometimes though it has nothing to do with them being good or bad to us human folk, but has to do with their hierarchy. In the British folk tale about a king of the cats, a man comes home to tell his wife and cat, Old Tom, that he saw nine black cats with white spots on their chests carrying a coffin with a crown on it, and one of the cats tells the man as they process by, "Tell Tom Tildrum that Tim Tildrum is dead." The cat, whom the couple thought was asleep by the fire, suddenly leaps up and exclaims, "What?! Old Tim dead! Then I'm the King o' the Cats!" Old Tom then climbs up the chimney and is never seen again. Interesting folk tale, but did it inspire life imitating art, or did modern day locals know about the Cat Sidhe monarchy? Tom Anderson, a correspondent for "Animals and Men" wrote to Jonathan Downes of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, regarding a sighting of an alleged huge Kellas cat type specimen. The specimen was sighted around Aberdeenshire, Scotland and was reported to be 5 feet from nose to tail, seen at close distance. Maximum length for Kellas male specimens, 43 inches, but witnesses, Mr and Mrs Jeffrey, were adamant it was a Kellas cat but much larger. Similar cats have been seen near Slaines Castle, North of Aberdeen, where witnesses dubbed the beast a ''King Kellas''.

What does this all have to do with coming across cats on August seventeenth? Supposedly, according to an Irish legend, some people believed that the Cat Sìth wasn't a fairy or a demon, but a witch that could transform voluntarily back and forth into a cat form. It is believed they could do this only nine times in their life. However, if a witch chooses to go back into their cat form for the ninth time on the evening of August 17th, then they would remain a cat for the rest of their lives. According to the legend, cat- erwauling is particularly prominent on this day and the yowling of the cat was the witch lamenting her fate. It is speculated by some that this is how the idea of a cat having nine lives originated. A similar story tells of witch named Anne, who married a man named Evian. When the Norsemen arrived, the two of them fought off the invaders, but when Anne noticed her partner in mortal danger, she transformed into a cat to frighten the attackers away. However, this was her ninth transformation, and she was condemned to that form forevermore, but, the Auld Ones, touched by her sacrifice, allowed her to return to human form for the seven nights of the full moon. In either case, let us hope Professor McGo- nagall, who is Scottish and an animagus witch that can transform into a cat, never does so on August seventeenth. Unfortunately, through all my research of books, mythological and mystical encyclopedias I've not come across the old Irish legend that provides this tradition, the oldest reference to the term "cat nights" that I could find in print was an Old Farmer's Almanac dating back to 1792, referring to the time after the "Dog Days of Summer." Alas, only two-hundred years or so off.

There are two interesting modern points this tradition, ancient or otherwise, might have influenced. The first smaller one is that in the United States August 17th is celebrated as "Black Cat Apprecia- tion Day." After hundreds of years of poor reputation and mistreatment they definitely need a day to uplift their spirits. The second is the American legend of D.C. the Demonic Cat, a ghost cat, that resides in and haunts Washington, D.C. The legend of the Demon Cat dates back a few hundred years when cats were brought into the basement tunnels of the United States Capitol Building to kill rats and mice. However, one of these cats apparently never left the building, even after its death! Thus this specter's ghostly home is supposedly the basement crypt of the Capitol Building, that originally was intended as a burial chamber for President George Washington. According to various eye witnesses, the cat is seen before presidential elections and tragedies in Washington, D.C., allegedly being spotted by White House security guards on the night before the assassi- nations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. D.C. is described as fully black and the size of an aver- age house cat; but witnesses report that the cat swells to "the size of a giant tiger", when alerted and cor- Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 1 4 nered by humans. The cat would then either explode or pounce at the witness, disappearing before it managed to catch its 'victim'. In the 1890s, the cat is said to have inexplicably vanished when some Capitol Hill guards fired their guns at it, with one guard supposedly dying of a heart attack after seeing the apparition. The last "official" sighting of the alleged ghost was during the final days or aftermath of World War II in the 1940s. As an explanation, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society stated that around the time of World War II, the Capitol Police force was notorious for hiring unqualified relatives and friends of Congressmen as fa- vors, and that these men would frequently be drunk while on patrol. Apparently a security guard was once licked by a cat when he was lying down. Being drunk, the man thought he was still standing at the time and was frightened by the apparently giant cat, thus spawning the 'Demon Cat' legend. As for the rest of the sightings, Steve Livengood, a member of the society said that other guards found out that they could get a day off if they saw the demon cat. I, however, have a more interesting theory. Although the United States Capitol building was com- pleted in 1811, the war of 1812 brought some serious damage and repairs had to be made that weren't finished until 1819. Then there was the addition of the central part of the building and the rotunda, making the completion of construction 1826. There have been further improvements and expansions that bring a "completion date" all the way up to the 1960's, but I want one to focus on those dates between 1811 and 1826. Remember how U.S. Capitol Historical Society stated that around the time of World War II, the Capitol Police force was notorious for hiring unqualified relatives and friends of Congressmen, well what if that happened earlier with a little Irish influence? From 1820 to 1860, approximately 1,956,557 Irish arrived in America, about 75% of them after the Great Irish Famine. However, what are one of the things the Irish are noted for? Drinking. I know for the most part that is a horrible stereotype, but seri- ously a lot of Irish or Irish descent folks really do enjoy "knocking back a few." Now the only listing I found for the Cat Sidhe or Cat Night was in the Old Famers' Almanac of 1792, so what if the legend had at least started in Ireland some decades or even just a few years before then? People love a good yarn, especially scary ones, so what if some Irish folk may have been hired to work as guards for the Capitol Building with disturbing construction going on until 1826? Add a few stray cats from the area that may have snuck in, a little nip of whiskey here or a pint before shift begins there, the legend of the Cat Sidhe in the minds of these Irish folks, but were now living in America, and it's not that far of a leap to think that that could be what created or helped start the legend of D.C. the Demon Cat of Washington, D.C. Still supposition, but what can one do?

At any rate, it's fun to think and hope that the legend of the Cat Sidhe/Sith goes back to a Medie- val or Renaissance time and to add it to our stories we tell around the camp fires at night. So I, for one, am going to put this small legend to memory, look at some other Irish or Celtic folk lore and expand upon it. Until then remember to carry your sachets on August 17th, and try not to piss off any black cats with white spotted chests.

Bibliography  Bowers, Aaron, "Kellas Cats, Scotching the Myth." The Scottish Big Cat Trust. Website: http:// scotcats.online.fr/abc/identification/kellascataron.html archived from the original on 14 September 2015, Accessed July 19, 2019.  Campsie, Alison. "The Highland Myth of the Soul-Stealing Black Cat." The Scotsman: Scotland's Na- tional Newspaper. Website: https://www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/the-highland-myth-of-the-soul -stealing-black-cat-1-4337308 January 11, 2017. ©2019 JPIMedia Ltd. Accessed July 17, 2019.  Ellis, Peter Berresford. The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends. Constable & Robinson, Ltd.; London, UK © 2002.  Francis, D. My Highland Kellas Cats. Jonathan Cape; London, UK © 1993. P a g e 1 5 T h e S h a r d s

 Lacy, Norris J. (Gen. Ed.); Rupert T. Pickens (tr.), "Ch. 55: The Devil Cat of Lausanne; King Claudas's Men Routed", Lancelot-Grail: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate and Post-Vulgate in Translation, 2 The Story of Merlin. Garland Publishing, Inc.; New York, NY. pp. 410 © 1993  MacKillop, James. The Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press; Oxford, UK. © 2004.  Matheson, Lister M., "The Arthurian Stories of Lambeth Palace Library MS 84", Arthurian Literature, 5: pg 70–91, Boydel & Brewer; Suffolk, UK © 1985.  Matthews, John; Caitlín Matthews. The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic. HarperElement; London, UK. © 2005. p. 91  Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group. "Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan." Scottish Natural Heritage. PDF: https://www.nature.scot/sites/default/files/2017-06/Publication%202013% 20-%20Scottish%20Wildcat%20Conservation%20Action%20Plan.pdf Scottish National Heritage; Edin- burgh, Scotland. © 2017. Accessed July 18, 2019.  Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Group. "Scottish Wildcat Conservation Action Plan." Scottish Natural Heritage. Website: https://www.nature.scot/scottish-wildcat-conservation-action-plan © 2017. Accessed July 18, 2019.  Shuker, Karl. "The Kellas Cat: Reviewing an Enigma". Cryptozoology Interdisciplinary Journal of the In- ternational Society of Cryptozoology, vol. 9. Allen Press; Lawrence, KS. pp. 26–40 © 1990  Shuker, Karl P.N. Mystery Cats of the World. Robert Hale Ltd.; London, UK © 1989.  Wheatley, Henry Benjamin. The Story of Merlin, EETS o.s. 10, 21, 36, 112 - in 4 volumes, II, New York: NY. Early English Text Society. 1899,  Wilde, Lady Francesca Elgee. Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past To Which is Appended A Chapter On "The Ancient Race of Ireland. Creative Media Partners, LLC; London, UK © 2018 original from 1888  Yager, Jordy. "Haunted House - and Senate". The Hill. Website: https://thehill.com/capital- living/24150-haunted-house--and-senate March 3, 2009. Accessed July 20, 2019. Volume 31, Issue 4 P a g e 1 6

C u r i a C a l l

Their Crystalline Excellencies Seneschal Vacant Baronessa Petrona De Manciano Mistress Berengaria Mordant [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] (314)-226-0102

Pursuivant (a.k.a. Herald) Exchequer Kallinikos Rhodi Lady Cellah niTighearnaigh [email protected] [email protected]

Chatelain Quartermaster Master Avery Austringer Lady Ástríðr Árnarðóttír [email protected]

Demo Coordinator Knight’s Marshal Mistress Alphia Biraz-Pars Master Avery Austringer (see Equestrian Marshal) [email protected]

Deputy Knight Marshal Archery Marshal Master Avery Austringer Master Bubba Godgodson [email protected]

Equestrian Marshal Rapier Marshal Mistress Alphia Biras-Parz Lord Bartelmeu le Wis [email protected] [email protected]

Thrown Weapons Marshal Youth Marshal Vacant Lady Brigid MacCauley [email protected]

Minister of Arts & Sciences Chronicler Banbharun Briana Morgan of the Valley Tiarna Cináed Ulric, Amhranai tan Briongloid [email protected] [email protected] (618)-401-6583

Web Minister Minister of Youth Lord Fintan Mac Aldin Baroness Caroline de Mercier [email protected] [email protected] Verba Legis

This is the August 2019 issue of The Shards, a publication of the Barony of Shattered Crystal of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (SCA, Inc.). The Shards is edited by and available from Jona- than Thorn, 6120 Leo Dr. Belleville, Il. 62223. It is not a corporate publication of SCA, Inc., and does not delineate SCA, Inc. policies. Copyright © 2019 Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. For information on reprinting photographs, articles, or artwork from this publication, please contact the Chronicler, who will assist you in contacting the original creator of the piece. Please respect the legal rights of our contribu- tors. P a g e 1 7 T h e S h a r d s

Guild Halls

BUSINESS MEETINGS Held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Schnucks in Collinsville, IL at 501 Beltline Rd, Collinsville, IL 62234

ARTS & SCIENCES (classes, free nights, & projects) Held on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tuesdays of the month starting around 6-6:30 as folks arrive. At the Marine UCC Church 111 N. Center Street, Marine, IL. 62061

ARGENT SCRIPTORIUM (scribal & Illumination) TBA

ARMORER’S GUILD/FIGHTER PRACTICE Held on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tuesdays of the month starting around 6-6:30 as folks arrive. At the Marine UCC Church 111 N. Center Street, Marine, IL. 62061

CRYSTAL ACADEMY—FENCING/RAPIER Held on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tuesdays of the month starting around 6-6:30 as folks arrive. At the Marine UCC Church 111 N. Center Street, Marine, IL. 62061

CRYSTAL COOKS TBA

CRYSTAL DANCE TROUPE Dance practices are held during the 3rd A&S Tuesday Meeting at the Marine UCC Church.

SEWING CIRCLE Held at the home of Lady Orianna. Check email, website, and calendar as the time and date for meeting are variable.

THREAD THURSDAYS Held most Thursdays at the home of Carrys of Caer Rhudd 6 - 9 p.m. Any textile interest is welcome. Please contact her regarding directions. (314) 651-3459

Always check Baronial email, website, or Facebook page for additions and changes to the schedules. August 1 Thread 2 3 Thursdays 6:00 p.m. 4 5 6 A&S, Ar- 7 8 Thread 9 10 mored & Rapier Thursdays 6:00 Pennsic War Practice 7 p.m. p.m.

11 12 13 A&S, Ar- 14 15 Thread 16 17 mored & Rapier Thursdays 6:00 Practice 6 p.m. p.m.

18 19 20 A&S, Ar- 21 22 Thread 23 24 Taylorvle, IL mored & Rapier Thursdays 6:00 Practice 6 p.m. p.m. Baroness Wars VII

25 Sunday in 26 27Business Mtg 28 29 Thread 30 31 KW Bard & Park 3:00 p.m. Collinsville, IL Thursdays 6:00 Cooks Sympo- O’Fallon Park 7:00 p.m. p.m. sium O’Fallon, IL HERE! September

1 2 3A&S, Armored 4 5 Thread 6 7 Missile Weap- & Rapier Prac- Thursdays 6:00 ons Rivenstar tice 7 p.m. p.m. Lafayette, IN 8 9 10 A&S, Ar- 11 12 Thread 13 14 Artisans Day mored & Rapier Thursdays 6:00 Ravenslake Practice 7 p.m. p.m. Lake Villa, IL

15 16 17 A&S, Ar- 18 19 Thread 20 21 Foxhunt mored & Rapier Thursdays 6:00 Foxvale Practice 6 p.m. p.m. Big Rock, IL

22 Sunday in 23 24 Business Mtg 25 26 Thread 27 28 Fall Crontion Park 3:00 p.m. Collinsville, IL Thursdays 6:00 Barony Illiton North End Park 7:00 p.m. p.m. Pekin, IL Belleville, IL. 29 30

Baronial and Kingdom events are listed before others, followed by the closest to our Barony. For events outside of this scope, please see the Midrealm Kingdom Calendar at http:// www.midrealm.org/calendar/ or check the advertisements in your latest kingdom newsletter, The Pale. For all side “guild” meetings: dance, weaving, etc. Please be sure to check email & facebook notices for changes in usual schedule on a daily basis.