Category: Activities

Archery Practices Commence! (Weather Permitting)

Salve accolens, Debatable Lands archers!

As the ice and snow begin to thaw and the temperatures begin to rise, our bows and quivers grow restless, eager to resume their vigilant protection of the barony’s skies.

To that end, our valiant archery marshals will be monitoring weather conditions in the coming weeks, on the lookout for opportune conditions to hold outdoor practices at our regular martial practice site – this includes this coming Sunday, March 8th!

For newcomers, our archery practices run from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm in Highland Park (https://share.google/5FMkIxQRNfVMIXeoO) next to the Northeast Parking Area, at the northern end of the Cat Tail Trail. Loaner gear will be available.

Watch this space for information on cancellations due to inclement weather.

Yours in service,

Niall mac Raedwulf, Captain of the Archers

Archery Practice Cancelled for 6/8

In case you weren’t at archery practice or the barony social last Sunday, archery practice for Sunday, June 8th is cancelled, due to Scarlet Guard Inn AND Iris Festival the day before.

Archery practice will resume on Sunday, June 15th, where we will be holding both the baronial archery and thrown weapons championships.

Yours in service,

Niall mac Raedwulf

Archery Practice Cancelled, 4/6

Due to inclement weather, archery practice is cancelled for today, Sunday, April 6th.

Reminder that next Sunday, April 13th, we will be at the Castle for the Archery Muster. The following Sunday, April 20th, is Easter Sunday and there will be no practice that day. We will return to normal archery practices at the Washington Blvd. site on April 27th.

YIS,

Niall mac Raedwulf

Víkingr, Nov. 13th

Long ago when the Debatable Lands were newly settled, a group of Viking Age enthusiasts came together to discuss all things Viking. This Vikingr group lasted many years and even ran events, such as the fabled Vetr Things. Sadly, Vikingr faltered as its members passed into memory or out of the Society. However, interest in Viking Age Scandinavia is not gone. Now is the time for Norse of the next generation to restart Víkingr.

We will meet on Wednesday, November 13 from 7-9 pm at 3915 Riddile Street Pittsburgh PA in Brighton Heights.*

We will indulge in topics and activities related to Viking Age Scandinavia, such as:

  • the latest archeology
  • your Norse-themed recreations
  • your research rabbit holes
  • group museum trips
  • ideas for projects
  • ways to enhance your Norse persona
  • a book club for the Sagas
  • resource swaps
  • hnefatafl games
  • videos from museums and Viking Age reenactors around the world
  • North Sea cruises (longship not included)

Interested? Cool! Come join us in November 13 with your ideas and projects.

* Hrefna’s house is 3 minutes from where Route 65 meets the McKee’s Rocks Bridge. Also, this is the home of cats. Make whatever preparations you require

Archery Season Comes to a Close!

The temperatures are dropping, as are the leaves, which means that’s a wrap* for this year’s Archery Season!

(*for outdoor Sunday practices at the Washington Blvd. site)

We will resume regular outdoor practices next spring, likely mid-March, weather-permitting, so watch the blog and the Facebook page for updates.

Next week, martial practices are being hosted at the Debatable Lands Harvest Revel (Barony Social) at Duke Byron and Duchess Ariella’s in Wexford. Archery will be included, but not a full Royal Round range (and unfortunately, no archery off the roof… this time…), but all are invited to come for arrow-launching good times.

If you want to keep your archery skills from getting rusty, our neighbors in Steltonwald continue their practices through the winter at the Beaver Valley Archers’ Association (site for 7 Pearls and Archers to the Wald) on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm – contact Bill Moore for more information.

Also, watch for information for our annual Archery Potluck at Chieftain Archery in New Kensington early next year (January or February).

It’s been a joy and an honor serving as the barony’s Captain of the Archers this year:

  • We had so many new archers join our ranks that once or twice we nearly ran out of loaner gear!
  • We had five archers attain the rank of Marksman or higher for the first time, including the first Junior Royal Round Bowman in our area in at least a decade!
  • Our monthly Sky List Stellar Tournament produced 5 different Defenders of the Sky, and each competition was a unique shoot crafted by the defending champ.
  • Several of our archers received recognition for their skills at the Baronial and Kingdom level, including several Hematite Comets and Golden Alces, and even a couple of Scarlet Guards!

We close this season on a high note and I look forward to what next season will bring.

Yours in service,

Niall mac Raedwulf

Fiber Guild Dye Day

The BMDL Fiber Arts Guild is having a fall dye day on October 6th, 2024.

We will meet from 11-3 PM at Tsvee’a’s House. It is a $10 suggested donation to help me cover the cost of dyes. Any extra goes to the next dye day.

In addition to the usual indigo, we will dye with seasonal fall dye sources, black walnut and kakishibu (persimmon tannin). Some synthetic cellulose dyes in red will also be available for those who want to make some fall purples. I will bring stencils and brushes for those who want to do indigo surizome again; I have learned some new tricks.

While the indigo and synthetic red baths will accept larger amounts of cloth and fiber, the kakishibu and walnut are limited in quantity. Please be courteous and bring smaller projects (=< 1 lb fiber) to dye for these dyes.

Please scour your fibers and wash any fabrics in a ph neutral detergent (like synthraprol) before coming so the dye will take. Message me if you need help with that. None of these dyes require mordants, and some will have color shifts if you do, so please don’t mordant unless you understand what you are doing and what the color change will be.

You are welcome to bring food to share if you like, but please eat a meal if you need to beforehand, as it is difficult to dye and eat at the same time.

Wear some clothes that you don’t mind messing up. I will have disposable gloves available, but you may want long rubber ones if you’re going to seriously dunk stuff in the indigo or red.

Finally, loose (unspun) fiber must be secured with a laundry mesh bag in the dye bath for the sake of the plumbing. Please bring a mesh bag or something to keep your loose fiber from floating freely in the bath and going down the drain.

Fiber Guild July Meeting

Looking for some camaraderie while you prepare for Pennsic? The Fiber Guild is having a laid back July meet up to keep each other company while we work on our Pennsic projects. Please bring a fiber project if you have one, and your smiling face if you don’t. If you are already perfectly prepared or just prefer procrastinating, our Arts & Sciences minister has mentioned that the largesse gift basket for Pennsic needs to be filled.

Our meeting will be on July 15th at 7:30 PM at 5167 Rosecrest Dr, Pittsburgh, PA. This meeting will not be virtual, just this once (I will be out of town and so will my laptop), so please come in person.

Photo for the Algorithm – Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk
Zhang Xuan / 907