Summary: Saxondaeg 931 (Oct. 2006) |
|||||
|
|
|||||
| What follows is a short description of the activities at the first Saxondæg, which was attended by 21 adults and children. A fuller account (100 pages) will be available at various SCA Arts and Sciences events in Meridies. If you have comments or questions, please contact me. | |||||
| Crafts and Daily Life | |||||
| Cooking | Dyeing | Leechcraft | Metalwork | Poetry | Pottery |
| Ceremonies and Rituals | |||||
| Hundred Court | Symbel | ||||
| Conclusion | |||||
| Literature Cited | |||||
| Crafts and Daily Life | |||||
| Several participants had come to Saxondæg with specific crafts in mind. Again, with the idea that this was a “day in the life” of a developing village, we had a set of tasks to accomplish from first light to after dark. These included cooking three meals, making tools and utensils for the populace, and preparing threads for weaving or embroidery. We also wanted to incorporate the fact that this was a “special day” due to the visit of King Aþelstan’s representative, whose job was to settle any disputes and matters of law. This helped explain why the evening meal was perhaps more elaborate than usual fare, for example, and the fact that a symbel was held after dining. | |||||
| The following sections discuss several arts and sciences activities that went on during Saxondæg. In retrospect, most of us realized quickly that these people had to work extremely hard, with few respites, just to keep everyone fed, clothed, and healthy on a daily basis. | |||||
| Cooking | |||||
| Leofwen and Mildreð did most of the food planning, while several people were involved in the preparation. Although there are no contemporary Anglo Saxon cookbooks, there are enough sources to give some ideas of what the Saxons would have eaten. Hagen (1992, 1995), Savelli (2002), Banham (2004), and Green (1994) were the major works we consulted for specifics on cooking. | |||||
| Mildreð was able to come two days ahead of Saxondæg and aid extensively in the food preparation and final adjustments of the recipes. Eadweard assisted with serving the meal, and because all the participants had brought along their early period and Anglo-Saxon style pottery and wood serving dishes, we were able to serve all the recipes in period ware. This added greatly to the ambiance of the dinner. | |||||
| Breakfast and lunch were essentially the same: bread, cheese, apples, and some fried pork strips (bacon). Some of the dishes included: Homemade cheese and butter (straight from the cow), bread (with various combinations of oats, barley, wheat and rye), barley with parsnips, beef pies, onion relish, and pears in wine sauce (the elder thegn showing off his wealth). The food was well received. | |||||
| Dyeing | |||||
| Sources consulted for period dyes and general information on dyeing were Jǿrgensen (1992), Messant (1999), Netherton and Owen-Crocker (2005), Ostergard and Stergard (2004), and Owen-Crocker (2004). A wide range of dyes and several mordants were tried on wool, linen, and cotton. | |||||
| 1. We did not get the opportunity to pre-boil the dyestuffs and prepare a dyebath for each pot a day ahead. Instead, on the day of the event, we prepared each of the planned dyebaths with the dye materials wrapped in cheesecloth and then brought these to a simmer for about an hour, along with the appropriate mordant. Fibers were skeined and presoaked as planned, then added to the dyepots. | |||||
 2.
Colors: The colors were more muted because the shortness of the boiling of
dye materials, but they were still quite pretty. The urine and madder
yielded a beautiful salmon/reddish pink, while the iron/madder was a
softer pink/rose. When washed in a vinegar/water rinse, the madders took
on a more orange color. The weld mixes yielded a silver grey or brown,
also attractive. As expected, colors were darker on wool and silk, lighter
on cotton and linen. The next day, a few folks still around prepared
dyebaths with the materials not enclosed in cheesecloth, and while using
an alum (brightening) mordant, we ended up with much more intense
colors—orange red with madder, deep yellow and yellow/green with the
weld. We also had two ‘surprise’ dyes for experimentation—mushrooms
and lichens. We used urine with the mushrooms and iron with the lichens.
The lichens on silk gave us an interesting peach color, but the mushrooms
gave virtually no color at all.
|
|||||
| Leechcraft | |||||
| While we had no great desire to do major leechcraft (no hacking off limbs or sewing up wounds, for example), Leofwen experimented with an herbal decoction (made from Arnica, Bay, Bayberry, Lavender, Rosemary, Sage, Wormwood and Woundwort) that was given freely to anyone who wanted to try it. The liquid was put into small bottles (ideally, they would have been ceramic, but we used a blue glass bottle for sake of funds). Chief sources were Pollington (2000), and Kowalchik and Hylton (1987). Leofwen notes that although Arnica isn't mentioned in Saxon sources, it is referred to by 16th century botanists. | |||||
| Metalwork | |||||
| Hengist the Smith formed a cauldron based on the of the Oseberg cauldron, substituting mild steel for wrought iron (the latter being prohibitively expensive). While the original was of Norwegian origin, the construction technique was likely used in the time and place we were portraying. He replicated tools available in the 10th century as much as possible, including using domed hammers rather than dishing forms to shape the plates. He found the technique gave much more freedom in shaping the piece, and a much more genuine appearance to the pieces themselves. Leahy (2003) gives a comprehensive overview of iron and non-ferrous metalworking, including tools and materials used by the Anglo-Saxons. | |||||
| Poetry | |||||
| Several of the attendees were familiar with the Saxon style of poetry. There were no pieces written at the event, but two were written for it; at the evening symbel, Eadweard’s wordcraftings A Song of Æthelstan and A Song of Sable Spear were recited, as was the previously-spoken A Song for Francois. These poems may be found here. | |||||
| Pottery | |||||
| Leofgifu attempted to make and fire some clay pots in the Anglo-Saxon style. Based on photos and some 10th century Ipswich ware fragments, she shaped several cone 10 stoneware clay. | |||||
| We dug a trench about 10 inches deep and 24 inches long. One end was deeper than the other and opened into a circular area. The 6 small pots were placed in the narrow end of the trench and dry grass was packed around them to cushion them. A series of green sticks were laid over the pots end of the trench and mud made from the displaced soil was patted over the sticks to help hold in the heat and smoke. Sticks were also placed over the fire end of the trench and packed with mud. Initially, the fire drafted well up the trench and over the pots. Unfortunately, the roof smoldered and eventually collapsed. The efforts with the fire continued for 7 hours before everything was buried and left to cool overnight. | |||||
| The pots were smoke-marked, but only one was partially fired, with the upper rim becoming stoneware. The potter learned much from the experiment and plans to try it again. | |||||
| Ceremonies and Rituals | |||||
| There were two set pieces planned. Both were partially scripted but with room for some improvisation. Whereas most of the day was given over to individual learning projects, the ceremonies were designed to give the participants a taste of the social as opposed to the technological aspects of the setting. During these half-hour bits of theater, the participants played their "personas." | |||||
| The Hundred Court | |||||
 The
morning saw the legal assembly known as the Hundred Court, which
was presided over by Eadweard to pronounce the King's Justice and promulgate the laws decreed by Aðelstan.
Hereward hedge-priest, being a man of letters, was appointed to serve as a
sort of bailiff, reading out some of the king's laws and summoning
those needed in court. Two civil cases were brought forth. In the first,
Alfric was declared a free man, having served time in bondage in payment
of wer-price for an uncle. Then, as was customary for 13 year old males,
Alfric's son Tobias made frank-pledge to Dehfin, swearing
“I, Tobias son of Alric, pledge before all the people, that I will hold
to the king’s laws, and will neither commit theft nor harbor those who
steal life or property, and that I will stand surety for those in my
tithing, and if one of them offends the king’s peace I shall bring him
to justice or shall pay for his crimes in his stead.” (The text was
based on descriptions of the pledge, for we could not find an actual
text).
|
|||||
| Dehfin then stood to take ownership of the lands given him by the King. Alfric claimed that a certain acreage held by his family was encroached by Dehfin's claim. Dehfin, in order to keep peace and goodwill, offered a shilling in payment. Alfric asked for grazing rights in addition, which Dehfin granted. | |||||
| Eadweard then called upon Hengist smith to make a war-axe for the King, and in earnest of full payment presented him with a buckle. In like manner he did call upon the weaver Leofwen to make a cloak for the King like unto Eadweard‘s own, and gave one stycka in earnest with the remainder to be determined. | |||||
| Symbel | |||||
| The inspiration for this ceremony comes from our delving into the culture, laws, and language of the Anglo-Saxons. The symbel [pronounced SYOOM bel] was a ceremony used to define and strengthen the bonds of community, especially between a lord and his hearthmen. A structured affair of social and religious significance, the symbel was festive yet serious. The lord would give honors and gifts due to his followers and important guests, and would in turn receive honors, gifts, and/or vows of service form those attending the symbel. Beyond this, however, those assembled shared in the honor of a place at symbel. Like many rituals, the symbel served to connect the participants with those who had gone before, through unchanging traditions (Enright, 1996; Pollington, 2003). | |||||
| For Saxondæg, we held a symbel led by Eadweard and Dehfin. It was intended to remember fallen friends and also strengthen ties among the new community. Everyone attended, which probably would not have occurred in a real Anglo-Saxon setting; save for the ladies whose ritual duty it was to serve the drink, symbel tended to be a male affair. | |||||
| We were called to the assembly by a horn. Having no hall, we sat around a firepot. Dehfin spoke words of greeting and gave a toast. Leofwen recited a translation of a period poem. For the myne (the memory drink), Eadweard and Hereward recited A Song for Francois in tandem (one reading the Old English, the other repeating in Modern English). Eadweard then entertained with two more poems of praise. | |||||
| After some final words from Dehfin, Eadweard closed the symbel with a last drink of remembrance and by ritually spilling the offering mead into the fire. | |||||
| The participants were moved by the symbel. One later described it simply as “spooky cool”. | |||||
| Conclusion | |||||
| The event was considered a success by all. Much was learned of the skills and techniques we practiced, and the we gained a deeper understanding of the culture of the time. We are already making plans to try it again next year. | |||||
| Literature Cited | |||||
| Banham, D. (2004). Food and drink in Anglo-Saxon England. Stroud, England: Tempus Publishing. | |||||
| Enright, M.J. (1996). Lady with a mead cup. Dublin: Four Courts Press. | |||||
| Green, F.J. (1994). Cereals and plant food: a reassessment of the Saxon economic evidence from Wessex. In Environment and economy in Anglo-Saxon England: A review of recent work on the environmental archaeology of rural and urban Anglo-Saxon settlements in England, edited by James Rackham. London: Museum of London Press, pp. 83-88. | |||||
| Hagan, A. (1992). A handbook of Anglo-Saxon food: Processing and consumption. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk, England : Anglo Saxon Books. | |||||
| Hagan, A. (1995). A second handbook of Anglo-Saxon food and drink: Production and distribution. | |||||
| Jǿrgensen, L.B. (1992). Northern European textiles until AD 1000. Aarhus, Denmark: AarhusUniversity Press. | |||||
| Kowalchik, C. and Hylton, W.H., eds. (1987). Rodale’s illustrated encyclopedia of herbs. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale Press. | |||||
| Leahy, K. (2003). Anglo-Saxon crafts. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus Press. | |||||
| Messent, J. (1999). The Bayeaux Tapestry embroiderer’s story. Ripon, England: Madeira Threads Limited. | |||||
| Netherton, R. and Owen-Crocker, G. (eds.). (2005). Medieval clothing and textiles. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press. | |||||
| Ostergard, E. and Stergard, E. (2004). Woven into the Earth: Textiles from Norse Greenland. Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press. | |||||
| Owen-Crocker, G. (2004). Dress in Anglo-Saxon England. Rochester, NY: Boydell Press. | |||||
| Pollington, S. (2000). Leechcraft: Early English charms, plant lore, and healing. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk, England: Anglo Saxon Books. | |||||
| Pollington, S. (2003).The mead-hall: Feasting in Anglo-Saxon England. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk, England: Anglo Saxon Books. | |||||
| Savelli, M. (2002). Tastes of Anglo-Saxon England. Hockwold-cum-Wilton, Norfolk, England : Anglo Saxon Books. | |||||
