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Issue 25
November/December/01 XXXVI
Shire of Ravensweir
Quesnel, BC

Rowan's Ramblins

Warmest Greetings Good Friends,
It has been a quiet and unseasonably warm season in which very little has transpired. I look forward to seeing you all at the Feast of Hearts on February 16th. Dig out your finest finery, mount a Dragon, and get yourself there. On a business note, February 1 fast approaches and officer reports are due. Be well and glad.
From the Chronicler,
S'Truth, We're a little late with this issue.
Alas, there was much griping and moaning from the ill of our household over the holidays this year. If not for the incessant nagging of mine deputy, Rowena, this issue would no doubt have been even later. She has done most of the work in this issue, and a good first attempt it is. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it)
YIS, Sigrid Arden
From The Mistress of A&Sc and deputy Chronicler
Well this is my first attempt at writing the newsletter. I sure hope that it meets with everyone's approval. Here is a little bit of history for your amusement.
-Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor.
-Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then the sons and all the other men, then the women and finally the children last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."
YIS, Rowena

Ravensweir's Court of Love

a
Feb 16/02

Masonic Temple 514 Front Street, Quesnel BC - side basement entrance.

Once again we will be assessing those good lords of Ravensweir and heaven help them if they are found lacking!
There will be a Court of Love for anyone with grievances on courtesy (in good fun). Three judges will be determining the new Lord and Lady of Hearts;
Gents - strut, bow, courting, favours
Ladies - favours and curtseys.
Start practicing your best courtly behaviour.
There will be a basic Bardic Competition and for further entertainment our lovely ladies will be performing a bellydance or two during the meal.
Card competition - OK its a little Victorian, but the kids can do this one as well.
Cold Keep will be doing their A&S championship and Rapier championship at the event so prepare to be duly impressed.
For information or question on the Rapier Championship contact HL Cerridwen Maelwedd of Cold Keep at valkyrie@direct.ca
Anyone with questions re A&S, please contact Lady Aróc of Cold Keep at stiessen@look.ca
Merchants welcome - no table fee
Site fee $10.00 & potluck contribution, 13-18 - $5.00 contribution, kids to 12 - free
Site opens at noon, dinner at 6. Our theme for this feast is recipes with strange names (toad in the hole, spotted dick etc). Anyone interested, please contact Grizelda the Chaste for recipes 250-992-6484 (or please call if you've found an obscure recipe that you'd like to try out). Those good gentles from out of town may bring desserts or simpler dishes. We will provide condiments/Tea/Coffee etc.
Autocrat - Grizelda the Chaste (250)992-6484
Other contacts;
Seneschal - Lady Rowan - (250) 992-7265
Chronicler - Lady Sigrid (250) 992-2123
Directions;
From the North->Making your best way to Quesnel, drive past the Gold Pan into town. Turn left at the hospital onto Shepherd Ave. The hall is right on that corner.
From the South-Making your best way to Quesnel, follow the main road into Quesnel, turning right on Front Street when you reach it. The signs will be pointing you towards Prince George. Drive down Front Street for three blocks, turning right at the hospital onto Shepherd Ave. The hall is right on that corner.

2002 calendar

Feb. 16    		Court of Love    		Ravensweir
Mar. 16    		Ides of March  			Cold Keep
April 30   		Rogues Reve  			Tir Bannog
May 25  		Champions Tourney 		Cold Keep
June 14-16  		Spring Murder 			Ravensweir
June 29-July 1  	Fields of Gold 			Tir Bannog
July 27 - Aug 1  	Clinton War Week
Aug 2 - 5    		Clinton War
Sept 14 		Mid Autumn Knight's Dream 	Tir Bannog
Oct. 12    		Samhain   			Cold Keep
Oct. 27  		St. Crispin's  			Tir Bannog
Nov. 16      		Winter Solstice     		Cold Keep
Dec. 14   		Yule               		Ravensweir

King Gorm the Old and Queen Thyra

During the early 940`ies the name of the king is "Gorm" and his kingdom is in Jelling. We are taught at school that the list of kings start with king Gorm, but there are quite a few kings prior to him and some of them even left their trace in the shape of buildings, military victories and resistance towards the church. The Danish kingdom exists long before the time of king Gorm, and how he gains power we actually don't know. Perhaps there was a coup d´etat or maybe he is related to Svend of Nortmannia, which means Normandy or Norway. We know that his wife is called Thyra and from the annual rings of some pieces of wood found in the north mound in Jelling we know that Gorm died towards the end of the 950´ies and this is all that we know about him.

Gorm´s monument in memory of Thyra
The front of the small stone in Jelling
kurmur kunukr
karthi kubl thusi
aft thurui kunu sina
tanmarkar but
"Gorm king made these memories after Thyra his wife Denmark's ornament"

During the time of king Gorm quite a different type of language was used and a modern Dane would have to listen very carefully to understand but a few words. The back of the small stone in Jelling. On the back is says "Danmark"

The small runic-stone in Jelling shows the oldest words known from a Danish king. It is the first time in Denmark that the name of the country is used, but in Europe it has been known for at least 75 years. The geography-book of King Alfred the Great is the first place to mention the name Denmark. Alfred, who was king of Wessex 871-899, was a very culturally interested king, and he produced a geographical description of northern Europe mentioning "dene mearc" as the Danish area. The annals of Reginos written around the year 900 in the monastery of Prum near Cologne mentions "Denimarca" in the year 884, so the name was well known when Gorm around the year 950 put it on the monument for his queen Thyra. Supposedly Gorm died in the year 958; we don't know when his wife died, but if it really was Gorm who was found below the church in Jelling, then examinations show that he was between 35 and 50 years old when he died - born somewhere between 908 and 923. As his son Harald took over just before 960, Gorm must have been born early in this period of time. Gorm erected his monument ".after Thyra". Thus she died before he did but hardly very long before him if they were of the same age. He calls himself king on the small stone which means that it must have been erected after he was crowned king in the early 940´ies and before his death in 958.

The words "Gorm King" is almost like a headline carved in larger writing than the rest of the inscriptions. "Kumler" is in the plural form and means remembrance so there must have been more than one runic-stone. Most likely Thyra was buried with the runic-stone as a sort of tombstone, but unfortunately there is only little or no hope of finding her grave. If it was placed in the central area it is perhaps in the present graveyard, but many graves have - during the years - erased all traces of queen Thyra.

There has been a lot of speculation as to the original situation of the small runic-stone. Maybe on one of the mounds or maybe at its present place. We know that in 1627 the stone was next to the church entrance - used as a seat, and that no later than 1639 it was returned to the present position.

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