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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Wihtric hlafard Wihtmunding sends greeting to my king and queen and the folk of Ansteorra.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>In service to Master Duncan and Mistress Genevieve, the king’s thegns in Steppes and Lord and Lady Glaslyn and Lindenwood, and on behalf of Lady Vyolante, as her understeward for Steppes’ 12<SUP>th</SUP> Night, I am happy to send you this first news in planning.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My role as the understeward is to address and bolster the aesthetics and overall feeling of the Meadhall theme.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In this regard I will also act like on old thyle, who protected and encouraged tradition and protected the luck of his lord’s hall from wrongful boasts and behavior unbecoming.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Among the things happening at our great Yuletide event, I have been asked to speak about two: the garb/costume contest and the table decorating.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Both speak for themselves, yet we thought it prudent to help those who wish to join in but many not have the resource.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>On costuming, as with the event, the time period is mid-fifth century to the late 11<SUP>th</SUP> century.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This encompasses the Migration Period, the Heptarchy, Danish invasions, the Danelaw and Wessex, the Anglo-Danish “Empire” of Cnut and his line, and up until the Battle of Hastings in 1066.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The best costume will be based on documentation and quality and scope of work.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At the end of this brief, I am including some links (SCA and not) which might help spark ideas concerning garb.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>As to the table decoration contest, here you have more freedom for imagination as, not usually observed in popular media, table were frequent moved or struck in the traditional hall when eating was not taking place.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However as we are talking motif and while eating, there are a few things which can serve as points of ideas.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The art of such burial finds like Sutton Hoo, the new Staffordshire find, Vendel and Viking era graves of similar period, and of course manuscripts can provide a wealth of artistic ideas.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We also have _Beowulf_ with its descriptions of the hall, Heorot, which are rich in detail.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>While certainly wooden wares were common, high status finds show a
variety of metals, from a variety of cultures, frequently made their way to England in this period, especially Frankish and Byzantine.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>That said, really let your imagination go and see what you can do within the generous limits of the period.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Do try to keep it to Anglo-Saxon if you can.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Gódspéde!<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Wihtric hlafard Wihtmunding</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Understeward and Thyle</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>972.765.6590</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri><A href="mailto:captbigdamnhero@gmail.com">captbigdamnhero@gmail.com</A> (for organizational purposes though this e-mail is fine too)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p><FONT face=Calibri> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT face=Calibri>Website for your reading and research pleasure:<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://www.saxonrabbit.com/index.htm"><FONT color=#800080 face=Calibri>http://www.saxonrabbit.com/index.htm</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>- Ælfflæd’s website with many articles and links, including costuming.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><A href="http://mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr/link/med/england/anglo-saxon/culture/dress.html"><FONT color=#800080 face=Calibri>http://mahan.wonkwang.ac.kr/link/med/england/anglo-saxon/culture/dress.html</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri> --<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>An archived page from the old Angelcynn site on early period wear.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><A href="http://tinyurl.com/2fxlbed"><FONT color=#0000ff face=Calibri>http://tinyurl.com/2fxlbed</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>- a Google Books file of Gale R. Owen-Crocker’s _Dress in Anglo-Saxon England_.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It seems to have stripped portions with illustration but some still get enough background and can usually search on the web for examples of garments described.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><A href="http://www.anglosaxonengland.net/rana/docs_files/Anglo-SaxonClothes.pdf%20-%20A%20.pdf"><FONT color=#0000ff face=Calibri>http://www.anglosaxonengland.net/rana/docs_files/Anglo-SaxonClothes.pdf - A .pdf</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri> used by the Regia Anglorum, a living history group, with textual descriptions of clothing of their period- 950’s to Hastings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Their site is </FONT><A href="http://www.regia.org/main.htm"><FONT color=#800080 face=Calibri>http://www.regia.org/main.htm</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri> and has articles and pictures as well.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri"><A href="http://www.midrealm.org/starleafgate/Documents/Making_Anglo_Saxon_Garb.pdf"><FONT color=#800080 face=Calibri>http://www.midrealm.org/starleafgate/Documents/Making_Anglo_Saxon_Garb.pdf</FONT></A><FONT face=Calibri> - A file from the Midrealm site with very good illustration from one of the other authoritative books of the period as well as the article’s author.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></div></body></html>