Saturday
9am – Breakfast
10am – Fencing free-play
11am – Princess’ Tea Party with Tournament Consorts
12 midday – Lunch
2pm – Coronet Tournament
6pm Court
7pm – Feast and Merry-making

Sunday
10am – Breakfast
11am – Authorizations & free-play
12pm – Site tidy-up
2pm – Site close

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Friday, Traveller’s Fare:

Rice porridge (GF) and fruit soup
Pretzels

Saturday, Lunch:

Green eggs and ham (M) / cheese (GF)
Vegetable pies

Saturday, Feast:

1.
Spinach pancakes & lingonberry jam
Brie and pear tart (GF option, brie and pear)
Greens

2.
Pickled herring (M)
Boiled Easter eggs (GF)
“Pomegranates” – stuffed cabbage leaves (GF)

Sinner’s Option: Pork ribs (M)

3.
Fried turnips (GF)
Stuffed mushrooms (GF)
Nessaladière (M option)
Compost
“Beaver” – fish in pastry (M) (GF option, fish)

Sinner’s Option: Karelian meat casserole & broth (M)

4.
Pashka (GF)
Kulich

Menu is subject to change.

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So what is a rapier?

The term rapier was applied to a wide variety of civilian weapons from the early 15th to the late 17th centuries. The example pictured below shows the most common features of a rapier.

Rapier handles can feature some or all of the parts highlighted in the image and labelled below. As a rule of thumb the less complex the handle the earlier the likely date of the rapier.

1. The Crossguard or quillions, developed to protect the hand of the fighter.

2. A complex hilt comprising of rings and ports to protect the users hand and to allow them to safely grip the quillions with the forefinger of the sword hand. This grip allows for greater speed and control when attacking with the rapier.

3. The knucklebow allows the hilt to totally enclose the fighters hand and provides great protection against cuts to the hand.

4. Handles were made from a variety of materials allowing a greater level of grip or comfort in the fighters hand.

5. The pommel provides a counterweight to the blade and balances the weapon allowing for greater control and speed

The blade is typically divided into three parts:

1. The weak or tip of the blade
2. The Middle or mezzo
3. The strong or forte near the hilt of the sword.

A rapier is a double edged weapon and for training purposes we discuss the edges separately. The forward edge is known as the true edge while the back side is known as the false edge.

In the SCA we fight with reproductions of these weapons that aim to be as close as possible in performance to these blades whilst maintaining a very high level of safety. The most obvious safety feature is that our blades are blunt and the tips are rounded. We all attach blunts to the tips and wear puncture proof armour to ensure safety.

Some less civilized regions of the Knowne Worlde use modern sports weapons for practice. Thankfully, as good quality reproductions become more readily and affordably available this practice is dying out. In almost four years fencing in the Society I have never seen one of these on the field.

If you are coming along to your first practice you don’t need to worry about kit. All you need to bring along is comfortable clothing that you can move in.

A typical practice begins with a short warm up and then moves on to drills. The drills we do come from manuals written in period by masters of the art of defence. These drills aim to give you the motor skills needed to fence effectively at full speed.

We will guide you through some very basic drills to begin to get your from and movements correct. After one or two sessions of drilling you will normally be able to begin controlled free play in our loaner kit. Free play, sparring with an opponent, is the ultimate aim of our practice and something we try to introduce new fighters to as soon as we deem it safe. This brings me neatly to the armour standards for SCA rapier.

To fight safely you must wear:
1. A rigid fencing mask on your head and protecting your face.
2. A rigid gorget to protect your neck and throat.
3. A Puncture resistant hood (defined as capable of withstanding 550 newtons of forward pressure) covering your back of head and neck.
4. Puncture resistant body armour covering a hands breadth inside the armpit. 4 t-shirts from Pennys (Primark in the UK) have proven to be a cost effective way to meet this standard.
5. For men a rigid box or cup protecting the groin area is required. For female fighters we suggest rigid chest protection but this is not required.
6. Abrasion resistant gloves covering the hands and wrists.
7. All skin must be covered with abrasion resistant material. (Long sleeve T-shirts and tracksuit trousers are usually fine.)

Freeplay is a fight controlled by our safety rules. The most important thing to consider during the fight is calibration. Any hit from the tip of the sword with forward pressure is valid. This means a very light touch is all you need. We will talk you through correct calibration at practice. For now it is enough to know that all hits should be light.

Fencing with the rapier takes skill and practice in order to really get good. Natural talent and previous experience with a martial art can certainly help but they are no substitute for practice and hard work. I cannot over state the importance of fighting as many different opponents as possible in order to improve. At our practices and events there will be lots of opportunity to fight with fencers of all levels of experience.

If you notice someone is wearing a braid of any colour on their arm it means they are a member of the Drachenwald Academy of Defense and as such have made a commitment to teach, practice and promote fencing within the kingdom. These fencers should be happy to give advice and support to novice fencers and you shouldn’t be afraid to ask them for support.

Black braids are Free Scholars, fencers on the first level of the academy. Provosts wear black and red braids and are more experienced fencers. Prefects wear black and gold braids and are highly skilled and experienced fencers.

There are two other types of braids that you may notice fencers wearing. Solid red braids indicate that the fencer is the scholar of a fencing master. Red, black and gold braids indicate that the fencer is a member of the order of the Dragon’s Steel, the highest award given for fencing within the Kingdom of Drachenwald.

I hope this guide has proven useful to you and I look forward to meeting you at an event or practice soon. I feel I should also mention that this article is based on my own experiences over the last few years as a fencer in Drachenwald and does not necessarily reflect the views of the fencing community.

I have included some links below that may come in handy.

Duncan Chaucer,
Provost of the Academy of Defence.

The current rules for rapier fencing:
http://www.sca.org/officers/marshal/docs/rapier/rapier_handbook.pdf

A source of good quality basic kit. As they ship from the US deliveries can take some time.
http://www.zenwarriorarmory.com/

Darkwood make some of the best blades currently available.
http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/

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After our usual archery practice in Pim street, Pól will be joining us for an evening and a day for the instruction of making arrows.

In order to do this, all attendees must bring their own arrow making supplies. Common equipment such as fletching jigs and glue will be supplied by the shire. Pól recommends ordering from flybow.com. Each attendee should bring the following, in multiples of however many arrows they wish to make:

• Fletchings – Roman and Greek archers used parabol, while shield shaping was much more a north west Europe thing. Note about feathers, the longer they are the quicker they grab the air and the arrow becomes more stable quicker but it also creates more drag and slows the arrow so it won’t fly as far. Short feathers fly faster and for greater distance but are not as stable.
• Nocks – Traditional Index Nocks (only select black or white, as these are much more durable)
• Points – Field steel screw points are recommended
• Wooden shafts – recommended are the 5/16″ Cedar shafts, which should come as full length 32″ long

Remember nocks, shafts, and piles/points all have to be the same width – 5/16″ is standard.

If you have any queries about what to purchase, Pól can be contacted directly at pauljpobrien@gmail.com.

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Cassandra della Corona (Debbie MacRory)
Barún Pól Ó Briain (Paul O’Brien)
Baroness Caitriona of the Ravens (Caitriona O’Brien)
Lord Petrc Monomachos (John Jannis Koukoutsas)
Aodh Ó Siadhail (Drew Shiel)
Juliette Cavalierri (Lynda Cully)

Duchessa Alessandra Melusine Mantanega (Julie Tottey)
Viscountess Sagadis Duncansdottir (Melodi Grundy)
Viscount SigmundR Haakonarson (Stephan Grundy)
Vicountess Susannah of York (Sue Callaghan)
Viscount Sir Clancy Fairchild (Clancy Fairchild)
Vicountess Ursula Fairchild (Deborah Fairchild)
Lord Duncan Forbes (Charles Puffer)
Lady Eibhlin Ni Ghallchobair (Catherine Puffer)
Lady Hilkka Susinen (Hildegard Simboeck)
Lord Duncan Chaucer (Phil McFadden)
Lord Johannes of Uffeynton (Jonathan Sloan)
Lord Aylwin de Renham (James O’Brien)
Lord Geoffrey Of Canterbury (Geoff Gilbert)
Lady Valda Kevinsdotter (Michelle Parker)
Unegen of Eplaheimr (Yann Coussot)
Ylva Irlandsfari (Hilde L. Losnegård)
Alays De Lunel (Claudia Schacke)
Culainn the Quick (Iain Healy)

Aidan Barron
Karrie Gilbert

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Site: Crawfordsburn Scout Camp, 20 Bridge Road South, Helen’s Bay, Co Down BT19 1JT, Northern Ireland

19:00 17 May 2013 until 14:00 19 May 2013

Site is very discreetly wet.

Site Fees

The site fee for the weekend is £45/€55 which includes all food and a bunk (with bedding provided). Please make £(GBP) cheques payable to “SCA Northern Ireland” and all €(Euro) cheques payable to “SCA – Dun in Mara”. Day Trip is £20/€24; for all other rates please contact the Event Steward.

Event Steward:
Cassandra della Corona (Debbie Mac Rory)
Email: debbie.macrory@gmail.com
+353 87 6578451 (no calls after 9.00pm please)

Deputy Event Steward:
Baroness Caitriona of the Ravens (Caitriona O’Brien)

Reservations:
Juliette Cavalierri (Lynda Cully)
Email: juliette.cavalierri@gmail.com

Marshal-in-Charge
Barún Pól Ó Briain (Paul O’Brien)

Feast Co-Ordinator:
Aodh Ó Siadhail (Drew Shiel)
Email: aodhosiadhail@gmail.com

Hall Steward:
Petrc Monomachos (John Jannis Koukoutsas)

Competing in Coronet

If you intend to compete in the Coronet Tournament, you must submit a Letter of Intent. This can be done on the Insulae Draconis Website.

Schedule

The Coronet Tournament will take place on the Saturday afternoon, and the full schedule is now available. We welcome all who wish to come and help us celebrate the victory of the newest heirs of Insulae Draconis!

Traders

Brian the Courteous will be bringing his infamous stock of fabrics to the event, so those of you of a textile persuasion might want to clear some room in your travel chest and perhaps bring a fuller purse.

Getting to the Site:

Driving Directions
From City Airport:
Leave air and follow signs for Bangor for 6 miles
Turn Left onto BallyRobert Road and follow for 0.8 miles
Turn Left onto Bridge Road South and follow for 0.1 miles
Turn Right into Crawfordsburn Park and follow lane for 0.2 miles
Turn Left (sign-posted for Scout camp)

Pickup can be arranged from Belfast City Airport and the Europa Bus Station.

View Larger Map

Already Booked | Schedule | Dun in Mara Cancellation Policy

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Attendance may be cancelled up to two weeks before the event with no penalty.

Attendance may be cancelled between two weeks and one week before the event, but half the booked price must be paid.

Attendance cancelled after one week before the event will incur full costs.

Cancellation emails should be sent to the Event Steward as early as possible.

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I should note here that I consider the website to be more of a recruitment and reference tool than an internal communications tool. Internal communications should primarily be in mailing lists and social media.

1 – Hosting: First and foremost, find a good hosting company. Look for reviews and commentary about them. See what kind of downtime they’ve had in the last few years, and if other technical types think that could or should have been avoided. Find out how quickly their technical support people respond, and indeed, how that works – do you need to send an email, fill in a form, or make a phone call? Ask, too, if they can host WordPress blogs, ideally with the “one-click” control panel installation.

2 – WordPress: Next, install WordPress. There are many Content Management Systems (CMS) out there, but none are as flexible as WordPress while still being free. The package comes with very good installation instructions, and many hosting companies offer an installer that will put it in place very easily.

3 – Pick A Theme: WordPress has thousands and thousands of different themes. Depending on how you want your branch’s website to look, you can go for something very simple, or something very complex, with all kinds of bells and whistles. Do pick something with prominent “page” navigation, though; you’ll see why in step 5. And I’d advise against making the website look like parchment, or an old book, or a scroll, or the like – websites are websites, and trying to make them look like something else is a conceit that you and your branch members will quickly grow tired of. One more finicky thing: I like themes that have a dedicated front page template. This makes editing the “initial impression” of the site a lot easier.

4 – Pick your Plugins: Again, WordPress has a million and one plugins, all of which do new and interesting things. I recommend “Super Simple Google Analytics” and “WordPress SEO”. If you intend to leave comments active (which I don’t really recommend), you should also get the “Akismet” spam filter. As noted below, I prefer to use Google Calender than to get specific calendar plugins.

5 – Pages: The static information for your branch – location, contact details, officers, calendar, and so on – should go on pages, not posts. These are the two kinds of content entry in WordPress – pages are for things that are of ongoing relevance, and posts are for articles, event updates, and so on. You’ll want at least the four I mentioned above, and if your branch is higher than a shire, you might want groups, nobility, law, awards, mailing list and membership pages, among others. A page for newcomers is another possibility, but your front page should address this more than anything else.

6 – Posts: Put up a few initial posts (these are the shorter-term items on the website) – about recent events, upcoming events, ongoing projects, and the like. You can also put up research pieces from members of your group, advice, how-tos, and so on. The page you’re looking at now is a post.

7 – Google Calendar: I really, really recommend you use Google Calendar for events and practices. We’ve a cascading arrangement, whereby the Shire calendars are collated into a regional calendar, which is then included in a Principality calendar, but really, all you need to know is that you can embed the calendar on the relevant webpage with a single line of code, and it’s very simple to use.

8 – Links: WordPress has an inbuilt link management functionality. I think this is fine for Shires and Cantons, but you might want to create a dedicated links page for a larger branch. Don’t forget to include your members’ blogs, Pinterest boards, and so on, if they’re relevant. Link to the branch Facebook, Twitter, etc, as well, when you have them.

And there you have it. That should provide a good solid website, and once it’s up and running, you can easily hand it over to someone else to run on a day-to-day basis.

Aodh Ó Siadhail, Web Minister.

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The SCA has a lot of people who like to look backwards. And despite the portrayal as a geekish, nerdy hobby, there aren’t as many technical types around as you might expect. So there are few early adopters, and quite a bit of resistance to new media. This came up again over the weekend, as people who weren’t at Coronation growled (good-naturedly) about not seeing any news from the event, and others protested against the use of Twitter, Facebook, mobile phones, or other modern technology from events.

Email is the proper official communication method of the SCA. Many members are still terrible at replying promptly, and some are terrible at replying at all. But then there’s Facebook. The proliferation of SCA groups on Facebook has to be seen to be believed – just about every shire, canton, barony, region, principality, kingdom, guild, special interest gathering and many households have their own group. The official SCA Facebook Page, when launched, went from zero to a thousand “likes” in a matter of hours. By now, it’s above 4000, and still rising. And there’s plenty of activity, too; it’s vastly easier to connect with the SCA now with Facebook than it ever was with mailing lists, for instance. And indeed, the discussion about Coronation and news above was on the kingdom group.

So some social media are seen as being useful. There’s a resistance to Twitter, though, which puzzles those of us who connect with the world on lots of different networks. Perhaps it’s that Twitter is seen as being trivial, or overly technical, or simply not analogous to anything in the medieval worldview. And most people simply haven’t heard of Google+.

Dun in Mara maintains a presence on all three social networks, though, as well as the old-fashioned mailing list, and the website you’re reading this on. Because, as far as I’m concerned, social media for an organisation like this has two purposes. One, certainly, is to facilitate communication between members. But the other is to find and bring in new people, to pique their interest and make sure they have something to follow up on. It’s far easier to find the SCA now than it was even ten years ago – I know, I was trying, and not succeeding. But every other hobby organisation out there is similarly easier to find, and if we don’t compete properly, we’ll be left behind. The SCA runs on newcomers, and without finding the newcomers in the places they’re familiar with, we can’t keep going.

Tweeting from events should be a rarity, certainly. But when there’s a new peer, or some other bit of important news, it helps the society in general to get the excitement of that out into the public view. And between events, we really should make as much use as we can of social networks – ALL social networks.

Aodh Ó Siadhail, Chatelaine.

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