Peerage Exploratory Committee Announcement:Possible Rapier and/or Cut & Thrust Combat PeerageThe Board of Directors seeks to explore the possibility ofcreating a new Society-wide Peerage to recognize as Peersthose participants who meet the general requirements for aPatent of Arms and who demonstrate prowess in Rapier and/or Cut & Thrust Combat. To that end, a Peerage ExploratoryCommittee has been formed whose work will help determine ifwe should move forward with the Society's first new Peeragein decades and, if so, how we might best proceed.This Committee will focus on developing a supportingnarrative and recommendation. If the recommendation is infavor of such a Peerage, the committee will also recommend aset of implementation requirements. This set ofrecommendations would include specific implementation plansfor heraldry, regalia, Corpora changes, and identifying andaddressing associated issues around creating andimplementing such a Peerage. The Committee's supportingnarrative for a recommendation (if positive), and the natureand quality of the implementation plans provided by theCommittee may prove instrumental to the Board'sdetermination regarding if and how we might proceed with thenew Peerage. The Board reserves the right to adjust, define,expand, narrow or reject any or all portions of therecommendation but will not do so without cause orexplanation.The results of the Committee’s work will be made available tothe membership for review and comment. A much larger andmore representative Review Committee will then review theresults of the Committee, along with any comments from themembership concerning those results. The Review Committeewill be established at a later date by the Board of Directorsand will be comprised of representatives selected by theFebruary 2013

relevant groups and organizations within and across theSociety (e.g., the Kingdoms, Peerages, Heralds, Seneschals,Grand Council, Rapier Fencing Community, and C&T FencingCommunity) as a final input into the process. As required bythe governing documents of the SCA, if any proposedchanges to Corpora result from this process, they will besubmitted to the membership for the standard commentaryperiod.The Committee members are listed below:

Jim Toscano (Giacomo Vincenti di Firenze)Andrew Heinrich (Mateo Montero de Madrid)William Wilson (Gwylym ab Owain)Greg Wylie (Laertes McBride)Jay Rudin (Robin of Gilwell)Michael Perry (Kenric of Warwich)Braddon Giles (Giles Leabrook)Alyssa Pyrich (Alys MacIntosh)Tommy Conant (Sasha Gregor'evich Vilanov)Mark Kiel (Marcus Dundee)Matthew Mueller (Brannos)Salli Weston (Petranella Fitzallen of Weston)Matthew Parker (Saito Takauji)Henrik Olsgaard (Henrik of Havn)

Comments are strongly encouraged and can be sent to:

SCA Inc.Box 360789Milpitas, CA 95036You may also email comments@lists.sca.org.

Food and Cooking in Medieval St AlbansPottage and Porpoises: Food and Cooking in Medieval StAlbans

St Albans Abbey is a familiar landmark today, whichever wayyou enter the city. A thousand years ago it already dominatedthe hilltop, a place of pilgrimage and a royal conference centre- Magna Carta was drafted here. Outside the abbey walls, thetownspeople had their share in national events, such as thePeasant’s Revolt of 1381 when the abbey was attacked, andthe Wars of the Roses, when the two armies of York andLancaster met in St Peters Street.

Against the backdrop of these important events, monks,merchants and mercenaries all had to eat. Excavations overthe years in the town centre have revealed amazing evidenceof the food and cooking methods of our medieval ancestors.

Everybody cooked over an openfire. These cheap unglazed greypottery cooking pots were usedeverywhere in the town, and areoften found with sooting marksaround the lower half, andlimescale inside. We never findpottery lids, but wooden lids are

mentioned in medieval documents.

You also needed a straw “doughnut” to rest the pot on whenyou took it off the fire, or it would crack when it touched thecold ground. A 14 th century household manual tells us that itwas very important to stir your soup well to the bottom of thepot, and never let the burninglogs touch it, or the soup wouldstick.

Monasteries, like castles, had tallstone-built kitchens, usuallyseparate from the otherbuildings. Most of the townbuildings were timber-framed. Some may have had detachedkitchens in their gardens, or people may have cooked over thecentral fire which heated the main room of the house, with thesmoke escaping through the roof. The fire risk wasconsiderable, and the curfew bell from the Clock Towersounded each night to warn householders to cover their fire forthe night with a metal or pottery cover.

Rubbish pits in the town often contain butchered animalbones. We know that the townspeople were eating beef, porkand mutton, and occasionally more exotic fare.

A rubbish pit excavated on the corner of College Street in1982 included a single porpoise bone. The traditionalaccompaniment to porpoise was “frumenty”, wheat cracked ina stone mortar such as this one, and then boiled with almondmilk and saffron.

The magpies excavated on the Maltings excavation may havebeen eaten, since there are medieval recipes for cookingthem.

Poor people could not have afforded almonds or saffron. Theywould have eaten less meat and more bread, cheese and“pottage” – a thick soup of grains and vegetables.

This green-glazed jug may haveheld ale, which was drunk byeveryone. We do not often findwooden objects, although theywere probably commoner thanpottery, as they only survive inwet ground, but the remains ofthis barrel were discoveredduring the excavations at theMaltings. Barrels were used foreverything from ale to salt fish,

which was a staple food.

There were many fast days, on which no meat could be eaten,and the abbey reserved the right to all fish from its fishponds,local rivers and millponds. Most fish bones found in themedieval town are from sea fish such as cod, and theyprobably arrived here salted in barrels.

Salting was the main method for preserving food. Cookingtimes are rarely given in medieval recipes – of course therewere no clocks in kitchens - but careful instructions are given

on exactly how many days to soak salt fish or meat, and howmany changes of water to use.

People must often have had to eat slightly spoiled food,disguised with herbs and spices, or go hungry, and soilsamples from cesspits show that many people had worms.However, the townspeople probably ate quite well. They wouldhave eaten more fruit and vegetables and less meat than thevery rich, and were less at the mercy of a bad harvest thanpoor farmers.

This article originally appeared in Hertfordshire Life Magazinehttp://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/Learning/Explore-online/Food-and-Cooking-in-Medieval-St-Albans

Accessories used to Stylize Hair during MedievalPeriodDuring medieval times it was difficult to imagine aperson without headwear. Excluding the children, itwas compulsory to wear head pieces whetherthey were men or women belonging to all ages.At that time headwears were not onlydecorative pieces but also played a part indefining people's etiquettes and elegancy,moreover it was a part of social standing ofpeople in society.

We can say that the war for piece of land andsupremacy had led to the emergency of headwears.Some coverings were used to protect the head from

serious injuries which gradually enter into civilization. Sincethe beginning of medieval period, as medieval costumesheadwears too were essential part of attire. Throughout themedieval history with the development in tailoring skill ofpeople and technology, head covers too had gone through agreat degree of changes.

During late medieval period, everyone in European countryused to wear head pieces which in their modern avtar areequally famous among masses. It was allowed for Italianwomen to uncover their head while the women's of othercountries cover their head with wimple, barbet and fillet. Fillet,a narrow head band was worn by unmarried women and bycertain monks along with a wimple, it was a garment whichunderpass through chin to give support to linen cap or coif anda veil. Another accessory crespines used to confine the hairfrom both side of head were generally made of wire or knittedmesh. During the same period, Italian women abolished the

use of head wears with transparent head gauzes. Intoday's times wimples are more common amongnuns who are still attached to traditional way ofwearing caps. In the meanwhile it was allowed formen to keep their head uncover.

With the beginning of fifteenth century, an eraof expensive and extravagant clothes startedwhich were huge and voluminous in size andgracious in look. To enhance the overall look ofattire head coverings too became stylish, lasedwith jewelries and feathers. Crespines too comein its developed form, now they were used togather hair in head's back. At that time Hennin wasthe most expensive hair-dress styled in styled in cone

or steeple shape. This hair-dress had wired frame which wascovered by fabric and had an attached veil. As for men, vestand doublets were more common. Their tall crowned hats withor without brims displayed their status in society.

When the renaissance era rises, head-wears also came in itsbest form. They were now more elaborate and had finelydetailed designs. Emergence of different styles of renaissancecostumes in different part of Europe led to the designing ofmore elaborative headgears to match their dresses. Gabblehood, a headgear had embroidered lappets was famousamong English women. French hood as the name suggestwas famous in France. It was round in shape, worn over veil inback of head. Centrally parted hair was confined in veil. Menwore large hats and German Barrett was popular among them.http://www.articlesbase.com/clothing-articles/accessories-used-to-stylize-hair-during-medieval-period-5430396.html

BeltaineIt Could Be a Prince!Beltaine will take place on April 26-28, 2013 at PiersolGoup Camp at Meeman-Shelby State Park inMillington, Tn.The theme will be Henry VIII and Jane Seymoreannounce their Pregnancy with Edward.

Join us Friday night for a Tavern night to includeGames and a Bardic Competition.Saturday will be a full day of fun to include:Heavy Fighting Silver Torc Tournament, BaronialRapier Championship, Youth Tournament ofChampion’s Qualifier, Arts and Sciences Competition,Classes, a Ladies Solar, Treasure Hunt, Mock Hunt,and a full day of childrens activities including achildren’s Feast. Stay after for the Feast and a Ball.

We will be accepting donations of children’s productsfor the Memphis Family Shelter in celebration of the“upcoming Royal Birth”.

Autocrat:THL Susanna inghean ui CaimbeulLady Sarah de Warennescurnutt@gmail.com

The Territorial Coronet is placed upon Duchess Linnet's head.Image courtesy of: http://kungaloosh.smugmug.com/

For all Nichers attending war:1. Please be sure and send in your registration by thedeadline. You must be pre-reserved if you are camping withGrey Niche. We have limited space and no matter how muchwe would love your company, we don't have extra room foranyone who didn't pre-reserve. Thanks. And don't forget to putBarony of Grey Niche as the group you are camping with.2. Our new fire pit is amazing. Does anyone have the spaceand capability to transport it? I know we would all beappreciative.3. And speaking of fire...you can't have a fire without wood. Ihaven't been to war for a week in a long time. Does anyoneout there know how we get firewood? And wouldn't mind beingin charge of that?4. Potluck with Small Gray Bear. It is Wednesday in the GreyNiche camp. Everyone is supposed to bring a side or dessertand whatever they want to throw on the grill. Any spare tableswould be helpful for that night as well. Even if you aren'tcamping with da Niche, I hope everyone at war who is aNicher will join us for this. I'll post more when I know more.5. Muster!!!! I figure everyone (fighters & non-fighters alike) willwant to march with the great army of Gleann Abhann to thefort. We can mingle in or march as a Grey Niche unit within thearmy. Ya'll let me know what you prefer. I'll try to find outmuster times and post them.6. Postings - Any on-site info for Nichers can be posted at theGN gate. I'll find a spot and have supplies for anyone thatneeds to post.I know we are all excited about going to war. Many of us can'tgo this year and we will miss them. But we can do Grey Nicheproud!!!!!!

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Linnet