Breaking Byzantine: building a Byzantine persona for the SCA

This originated as part of building a basic persona guide, written for the Midrealm Pursuivant's Handbook (located here). Within that guide, I discussed the basic history of the Eastern Empire, as well as basic points of clothing, weaponry, literary references, political groups, religious information, as well as people within the Empire of note. This guide …

Omphaloskepsis: Scaling Ivory Towers – SCA and Academia

The Society for Creative Anachronism has its share of people doing some landmark research within experimental archaeology. Yet, within academic circles, many SCAdians are told to de-emphasize their involvement. This article will go into why SCAdians have such a polarizing view within academia, and will also discuss ways to give a better impression of the …

Pomp and Splendor: what to do with your heraldic device once registered

Once you've registered your arms, there are a multitude of ways to display them, all which add to our game. While I'll be using my arms as an example, keep in mind that different shapes may work better (or worse) with your arms. When you work on your own ideas, sketch out your own arms …

Making Choices; or why Konstantia wore one outfit over another

Seriously. This is pretty close to what we had. I live just north of the green circle. Calontir Coronation was this weekend, and as is often the risk with midwestern kingdoms in January, we had the prediction of some pretty heinous weather. So not kidding - we had a winter storm warning issued that morning …

Byzantine Monograms: a heraldic practice

As an early-period Byzantine within the Society, I have come to grips that my arms and badges as registered with the College of Arms are perhaps not the most period for my persona, and so, this concept of trying to find a way of marking things that were mine or even blinging out things further …

Achieve!, or the Diary of making an Achievement of Arms

Achievement of Arms are a period way to show off one's accomplishments in the SCA, as combined with one's heraldic device.  I had the great fortune to create a conjugal coat of arms for my Byzanbestie Anna and her husband Gieffrei, and ended up also blogging the process, too. Let's start off with the details and …

Upcoming Classes

I'm tinkering with classes for an upcoming event.  If you're going to be in Calontir over Memorial Day weekend, I'd love to see you at Valor! I'll be hosting a scriptorium (just a time for scribes to hang out and paint) on Sunday, with a class on regalia, court protocol, and writing award recommendations, and …

Sometimes, inspiration . . .

. . . shows up in the most interesting ways. About a month and a half ago, I went to a local bead show, and found someone selling netsuke.  And found an adorable falcon-shaped one. For those not in the know, netsuke are miniature Japanese sculptures used to help keep pouches and boxes suspended from …

Hon Hoard and Norse Quartz

Something I made last year, but I couldn't blog about until it got to its intended location! As I've stated elsewhere, I started Nobelese Largesse, and one of the sister swaps, on the kingdom level recently got restarted in Æthelmearc.  So, I signed up with permission of Baroness Oddkatla, who runs it, and received the …

Projects of 2015 – the round-up

Thanks to some inspiration from my friend Bránn at Matsukaze Workshops, I'm doing a round up of all the projects and things I made (and blogged about) this year. Roman necklace for Magistra Iulia Carved copal Torse medallion Ghent Altarpiece paternoster Syr Matsu's Juzu Juzu for Tanaka Ujimori Banner for Sir Uldin of Ravenscroft Roman …