[Steppes] Period Review 12-31-2006 through 01-06-2007

[Mike]

Heilsa,

Hope the reader will enjoy this look at History
within Period - both from the past and the present
as it affects the history that is known today.


12-31-2007
Modern Day
Norway  0901 - 1000  1201 - 1300
Snorri Sturluson was wrong
    A new investigation of the cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, revealed
yesterday that Icelandic literary hero Snorri Sturluson had been wrong
in his documentation of the cathedral's history.
     Sturluson wrote in 1293 that King Olaf Tryggvason, Olaf I of Norway
(995-1000), who was responsible for converting the Vikings to
Christianity, had been buried underneath the cathedral.
     Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported yesterday, that in the
light of new evidence and a thorough investigation undertaken by
Norwegian archeologist Öystein Ekroll, Olaf I had not been buried
underneath the church. Fréttabladid reports.
     Legend says Olaf I was buried in sand, but the soil underneath the
Trondheim cathedral is clay. Ekroll said it is more likely that the King
was buried in secrecy further away from the city.
     Ekroll believes that Sturluson had probably been ordered by men in
power within the court or the church to falsify history to further the
reputation of the cathedral in Trondheim.
     Snorri Sturluson (1178-1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and
politician. He was the author of Heimskringla, a history of the Norse
Kings, and Prose Edda, a narrative of Norse mythology.


01-01-2007
Modern Day
January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and
Gregorian calendars. Here a calendar year refers to the order in
which the months are displayed, January to December. The first day
of the medieval Julian year was usually a day other than January 1.
This day was adopted as the first day of the Julian year by some
European countries between 1522 and 1579 (that is, before the
creation of the Gregorian calendar in 1582). See beginning of the
year. The British Empire (including its American colonies) did not
adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. This change can lead to
dating confusion between Old Style and New Style dates. The
Gregorian calendar as promulgated in 1582 did not specify that
January 1 was to be either New Year's Day or the first day of its
numbered year. Although England began its numbered year on
March 25 (Lady Day) between the thirteenth century and 1752,
January 1 was called New Year's Day, which was a holiday when
gifts were exchanged. 364 days (365 in leap years) remain in the
year after this day.
    

01-02-2007
Modern Day
Gluten-free beer
    Anheuser-Busch Company has announced the creation of
Redbridge, a beer made from sorghum that allows those with wheat
allergies to enjoy a brew.
     The brewery worked in association with the National Foundation
for Celiac Awareness to develop the beverage. Those with the disease
are prohibited from eating products containing gluten.
     The beer will be sold in restaurants and stores that specialize in
organic products.


01-03-2007
Modern Day
Hymns and carols of Christmas
Douglas D. Anderson has created a website of ancient Christmas
music "to preserve the rich history of Christmas carols and hymns
which might otherwise be lost." The site includes both lyrics and
MIDI files of the music.
    The huge collection is searchable and is cataloged alphabetically
by title.
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/

01-04-2007
Modern Day
England   Tower of London
     The guardians of Britain's historic Tower of London are enlisting
girl power for the first time in their 522-year history.
     The Tower's Yeoman Warders, commonly known as Beefeaters
-- whose ceremonial dress is a distinctive scarlet and gold tunic,
white ruff, red stockings and black patent shoes -- have appointed
 the first female member to their ranks.
     "There were six candidates -- five were male and she was the
only female," spokeswoman Natasha Woollard said. "She was the
best candidate for the job."
     Woollard said the woman, whose name has not yet been made
public, was serving in the armed forces and "will join her new
colleagues in the Yeoman Body at the Tower of London in summer
2007."
    The new Beefeater's full job title will be "Yeoman Warder of Her
Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and
Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard
Extraordinary."
    Beefeaters, believed to have earned their nickname from their daily
ration of meat, date from 1485 when King Henry VII formed a
bodyguard.  Historically their duty was to guard "the Tower of London
and all things within it" -- a role which included the supervision and
care of state prisoners.
    Now there are just 35 of them, plus the Chief Yeoman Warder and
Yeoman Gaoler, and one of their main tasks is to give tours to the
two million visitors from around the world who come to the Tower
each year. They are also responsible for the Tower's ravens -- six
coal-black birds which, according to legend, must always reside in the
fortress on the banks of the River Thames to ensure the future of the
Kingdom of England.
     The Tower of London was first built in 1078 by William the
Conqueror. Its primary functions were as a fortress, royal palace and
a prison, but it has served as a place of execution, an armory, a
treasury, a zoo, a mint and -- since 1303 -- the home of the Crown
Jewels.
    To apply to become a Beefeater, candidates must have a
minimum of 22 years' service in Britain's armed forces and have
earned medals for long service and good conduct.



01-05-2007
Modern Day
Sweden   15th Century
    Sven Norén has posted a translation of a 15th century oath taken by
70 knights at the coronation of Christoph of Bavaria as King of
Sweden in 1441.
     Below is the oath in its original Swedish as well as a translation. It
also includes an SCA-variation without the religious wording.
     A Medival Swedish Knight's Oath
Jag vill efter min yttersta makt med liv och gods beskärma den heliga
kristna tro och evangelium, och hålla och värja kyrkorna och hennes
tjänare vid sin frihet och frälse, stånda mot orätt och styrka frid och 
rätt
och beskärma faderlösa och moderlösa barn, jungfrur, änkor och armt
folk och vara trygger och tro mot min konung och mitt rike och
rättfärdigt hålla och öva mitt ridderskap. Gud till heders, efter min bästa
förmåga, så hjälp mig Gud.
     The above is the oath sworn by some 70 knights receiveing the
accolade at the coronation of Christoph of Bavaria as King of Sweden
in 1441, in the great cathedral in Uppsala. A direct translation to
english would be:

     I will to my utmost power with life and worldly possessions shield
the holy christian faith and gospel, and keep and defend the churches
and their servants at their freedom and estate, stand against wrongs
and strengthen peace and righteousness and protect fatherless and
motherless children, virgins, widows and poor people, and be safe
and true to my king and my country and rightly hold and exercise my
knighthood. God to honour, after my best power, so help me God.

A conversion to SCA-compatible form must necessarily leave out
faith and churches, so it could run something like this:

I will to my utmost power, with life and earthly goods, stand against
wrongs and strengthen peace and righteousness, and protect
fatherless and motherless children, virgins, widows and poor people,
and be safe and true to my country and its crowned heads, and
rightly hold and exercise my knighthood, to the best of my powers.

01-06-2007
Modern Day
DUBLIN (AFP) - Forget soaking up the sun on a tropical beach:
a record 27,000 people from around the world applied for a coveted
place to experience the winter solstice inside an ancient Irish tomb
this week.
    Just 100 people have won a lottery for a place in the chamber of
the giant Stone Age Newgrange tomb this week.
     Some will fly thousands of miles to take another gamble on a
cloudless sky for the sunrise despite Ireland's notoriously fickle --
and, in December, frankly cold -- weather.
     Around the December 21 winter solstice -- the shortest day of the
year -- the sun shines deep in the mysterious tomb in County Meath
north of Dublin which is now one of the country's top tourist attractions.
     Newgrange dates to about 3200 BC, or 1,000 years before
Britain's Stonehenge was built and 500 years before Egypt's Great
Pyramid of Giza.
    It is believed to be the world's oldest continuously roofed building.
    Only 20 members of the public a day are allowed into the
19-metre-long (63-foot-long) chamber for a chance to watch the
phenomenon -- with the first group getting in on Monday.
    The huge tomb was carefully aligned by its Neolithic builders so the
sun only cuts through the gloom of the chamber in midwinter at sunrise
through a small window above the entrance.
     "Over 27,000 people applied to get in this year," said Claire Tuffy,
manager of the Bru na Boinne visitor centre, which acts as an
interpretative centre for Newgrange.
     Children from three local schools picked 100 names - the first 50
who are offered a place and allowed to bring a friend and a second
50 as a reserve list.
     This year, people are due to travel from the United States, Austria,
the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands and Britain.
     Having won the first lottery, the winners now face another gamble
with the weather.
     "It is a lot of expense for people who have already been here on
holiday this year. It takes some leap of faith to pay out for a big air
ticket and come here in the hope the weather will be good.
     "Yet I have never heard anybody say it wasn't worth it even if the sun
is elusive," said Tuffy, "There is a special feeling being in the gloom
of the chamber waiting for the sun to rise."
     The specially chosen visitors are allowed into the chamber every
morning up until December 23 -- with Thursday's solstice being the
main attraction as hundreds also gather outside the tomb and a
number of VIPs attend.
     If skies are clear, the rising sun slowly shines all the way down the
passage into the centre of the tomb.
     From the time the sun's rays enter the chamber to when they
disappear again can take up to 17 minutes.
     The tomb was designed so the rays light up where the cremated
ashes of the dead were laid on large stone basins deep inside the
tomb.
     When the tomb's solstice phenomenon was discovered in 1967,
archaeologists were astonished Stone Age builders had the
architectural skills and understanding of the sun's movement that was
needed to construct it.
     The grass-roofed tomb covers almost half a hectare.
About 200,000 tonnes of stone and earth were used to build the
13 metres high and 85 metres in diameter tumulus.


YIS,
 Lord Michael Kettering
Steppes Knight Marshal
  Combat Archer for the Condottieri