Name: Solveig Bjarnardottir
Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Solveig_Bjarnardottir

This paper dives into the tragic history of the male vocalists which were named “Castrato”. This paper encompasses the lifestyle, surgical intervention, treatment of the youth and their purpose.

Paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HcP28WGBz-gDtfGl3JTtaR4M5FMTCPNc9sz_DIjerHs/edit?usp=sharing

Name: Cecilia Pisano

Here are some experiments in extracting, spinning and using nettle fibers to obtain
fabric.

There is little documentation of the use of nettle fiber in the Middle Ages,
probably because few textile fragments have survived due to conservation
difficulties and many fragments studied could be attributed to linen since its
cultivation is recognized and studied throughout Europe.

It’s quite sure that wherever nettle grows, it has been used for its fibers, even if the
extraction process is more laborious than that of, say, flax.

Nevertheless we find traces of the word “nettle fiber” (nettylcloth) both in
Latham’s List of medieval Latin words, which associates the word Urtica (from
Urtica dioica) with the term nettle cloth and the date of 1391, and in De
Vegatabilibus et Plantis by Albertus Magnus (1193-1280), the greatest scholar of
the Middle Ages who found clothing made with this fiber uncomfortable and
irritating to the skin.

Picking nettle is not without its drawbacks; its stinging hairs inject, among other
things, formic acid and histamine, and slight contact can cause painful blisters on
the skin. The process to obtain an acceptable fiber is quite long (I separate the
fibers one by one, delicately to preserve their length which can reach 16 inches)
but the results are encouraging.

All I have to do now is find a way to make the resulting fabrics less rough than
these, whose feel is reminiscent of coarse wool.

On the other hand, flexibility is there, at least in my samples knitted with
stockinette stitch.

Next step? Testing vegetable dyes on my samples And this is just the beginning of
a long and fascinating journey!

Name: Ygraine of Kellswood
Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Ygraine_of_Kellswood

A reliquary, made by Mistress Ygraine of Kellswood, during the Summer of 2023, to hold
soil from the site of the Barony’s first SCA event 50 years ago.

Reliquaries were made in all shapes and sizes, some even representing the relic
held inside – like a saint’s arm, hand, foot, etc. The church-shaped ones are called
chasses. The chasses come in a wide range of dimensions; most have “feet” of
various shapes, but some do not; many are sealed, but most can be opened, with or
without locks. I have always wanted to make an enameled reliquary in the style of
those made in Limoges, France, in the 13th and 14th centuries. To do so would
require me to improve my champlevé enameling and to work in a larger scale than
my usual jewelry pieces; I would also need to acquire or make the underlying
wooden container. For Carolingia’s Reliquary, I have included common features
of chasses of the period, such as the decorative roof ridge. I found several images
of chasses with a fold-down side panel, for viewing the relics, and I thought this
would work well if the Carolingian soil was contained behind glass.

Full Documentation Here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NI00f8cRGqM-Y2qJ–OnG2ll5p_fn-yQ?usp=sharing

Name: Magdalena Gdanska (MKA Daria Messino)
Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Magdalena_Gdanska

This was a work in progress for several years.

I was given the unfinished wood triptych many years ago. Thank you Lady Apollonia. First I had to seal and gesso the surface. To the best of my ability, I used period materials, purchased hide glue and marble dust. This was one of my first attempts at egg tempera as well. When I became apprentice to Dame Annetje Van Woerden, she challenged me to complete several works in progress, this is one of them. In addition to preparing the wood surface, I was able to find the latch and corners to give it a more finished look. The finish comes from the egg yolk used in the paint. It was not coated with a sealant other than the egg in the paint. The egg tempera will cure to a strong, protective surface.

The time period for this icon would fall in the 15th century before Moscow became the cultural center of the region. I see this triptych being used in the home or possibly traveling with the owner. I say that due to its small size (8×10 inches) and simple nature.

Name: Esperanza de Cordoba
Wiki: https://wiki.eastkingdom.org/wiki/Esperanza_de_Cordoba

I found some pictures of the ceiling in the Cathedral Santa María de Mediavilla in Teruel, Spain. The ceiling is filled with painted pictures, which after much study by various scholars has been dated to approximately 1295 to 1302. I came across a dress that appears sleeveless and has tails at the shoulders, described as a dancer’s dress because the tails swish with the dancer. I found it was called a Saya con Mangas Perdidas – Dress with lost sleeves. I decided I needed to recreate this dress.

It was my hope that I would be able to construct the dress more accurately to the period, but also use less fabric – or at least use it more economically. I made the dress from a beautiful length of red wool I had purchased some months prior. I actually ended up with my least amount of scraps ever after cutting this saya encordada. I believe I saved enough fabric this time that I can make a second dress! I’m proud of that.

Documentation: https://theladyesperanza.wordpress.com/2024/05/10/saya-con-mangas-perdidas/