Pennsic 42 - On a pilgrimage I go

What:

There is a living history experiment in the making.

This coming July I plan to attend the biggest SCA event of the year.   I will be attending the Pennsic War in Pennsylvania.  There are thousands of other anachronists who attend the annual event as well.  The varieties of personas that will be displayed are almost as vast as the number of people who attend.  I've been in the SCA for over 10 years and this year I decided to try something new to add a little bit more depth and flavor to the experience. 

I am working on a very small kit of things to bring and I plan on attending the War as a Franciscan friar from the 13^th century.  I plan on only bringing items which are proper period items constructed in a period manner.  Technically speaking, friars did not have any property of their own.  Whey then set out on a pilgrimage they would travel in small groups and one member of the group would have community property (belonging to the church) which they could all use.  That collection of items might include things such as quills, ink, parchment and personal hygiene products.  Since I am the only friar that I know I have constructed the following back story which I shall use on my trip.

Who:

My Name is Brother Matthew.  I was once known as Ercc Glaison or simply Ercc (pronounced Eric).  I lived a long and sinful life of various inappropriate indulgencies in various regions.  At one point I found myself donning the grey wool of a friar with the less than wholesome intention of misleading people and by doing so relieve them of any moneys that they saw fit to allow me to relieve them of.  I robbed, conned and stole whenever I could.  Shortly after donning the robes of the order I felt a change in my life.  I felt less than whole even after my acquisitions were successful.  I reached a point in my life when I desired to understand more of why I was put on this earth.  There had to be more to it.  As I had already donned the robes of the order I began seeking out knowledge of my true brothers.  While doing so I found a new life.  I shed all my worldly possessions and fled from my sinful ways.  I sought redemption and when I found it I sought to repay the many debts that I accumulated.  My life has changed since I donned the grey wool of the Friars Minor.  I hope that it shall continue to change on my pilgrimage back to my homeland of Hibernia.

Why:

Number one question I get when I inform people of my decision to make this trip is:  "Why?"  That is a long and complicated question although it has been posed to me as a simple single word question.  I decided to capture a response to that question here so that I can simply refer inquirers to this information.

Here are some of my reasons:

·         Listening: While I am an anachronist, I am also a struggling Christian.  I am not a Catholic, although I play one on the weekends.  I have always loved the saying that goes something like this:  The man who refuses to listen when you scream will often struggle to hear when you whisper.   I feel that my life has always been too cluttered.  Years ago life may have been simpler.  I don't know for sure.  All I know is that now I often feel that I am too busy to simply sit and listen for the whispers of God.  I have long desired to set aside such a time to allow myself to listen.  For that reason I will shed EVERYTHING modern and focus on what I would have focused on in the 13^th century, as a friar.  I will serve silently and listen.

·         Service:  My life has too long been made up of tasks which revolve around servicing my own needs and desires.  I hope that by devoting a week of service to others it may spark a desire to continue down such a path when I return home.  Life is too short to live it for oneself and I'm hoping that this week will help me change my focus in life.

·         Inspiration:  By my actions and my complete immersion into the "role" I hope that, in passing even, I inspire one person.  If my actions, service and sacrifice serve as an inspiration for one other person to take a bigger step towards authenticity, service or faith I will be contented.

·         Shoes:  I love to go barefoot.  I always have.  The reason I often give most people is that simply "I hate shoes".  That is correct, but there is more.  This may sound corny so I won't admit it in person, but is closer to the truth that simply "I hate shoes".  When a child sleeps on his father's chest he might notice that he can hear his father's heart or feel his father's breathing.  I think that the earth is a gift from God and when you make physical contact with it, you can hear it breathing.  Sometimes when I walk through the woods (barefoot) I stop and simply touch a tree.  If you focus your thoughts you can feel the life in the tree.  In some strange way I have always loved the closeness I feel to the earth when I am barefoot.  I feel constrained and filtered when I have to wear shoes like a music lover might feel if forced to wear ear plugs his whole life.  Yes, walking on rocks and hard earth hurts.  Yes my feet get toughened up, but it still hurts.  I don't exactly know why Brother Francis chose to go without shoes most of his devoted life.  I sometimes wonder if he felt closer to God by doing so.  I do.

Personal Inventory:
- Grey wool robe & hood, rope belt and cross

- Pilgrim's bag (scrips)

- Small 2.5 ounce hand blown drinking glass in leather cup holder


- Wooden bowl & Wooden Spoon

- Small scissors

- Linen thread on wooden spool

- Needle case containing (bone needle, thorn needles and brass needle)

- Leather penner and goose quills

- Pen knife

- Rosary made from olive pits

- linen wash rag & linen towel

- Bible


- Leather canteen

- Straight razor

- Eye glasses & case

- Dozen brass pins (to use gifts for A&S displays)

- Linen coif (to prevent too much sun burn on my bald melon!)

- Bone Comb

- Ear scoop

- Linen shirt and brais (just in case I have to bathe in public or wash my robes)

- Sandals (just in case)

- Small cube of bees wax in leather pouch

- Waxed tablets with brass stylus

- Leather box to carry waxed tablets

- Wool blanket and small amount of hemp rope to tie up blanket

- Hand drawn map

- Wooden sign "Will work for food" Flip side "vow of Silence"

- Small amount of parchment and small writing plank

- Leather pouch for parchment


- Stoneware jar of Ink

- Stoneware jar of olive oil (for my sure to be burnt bald head)

- Lye soap

- Letter of introduction

- Walking stick

There is only about a week left before I hit the road.  I really need to push to get the last couple things done. 

Pinner's Bone

Here are some extant examples of Pinner's bones.  These were one of the tools used by a pinner, or pin maker to aid in sharpening the end of the pin in a consistent manner.

  

 

http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de

The way the pinner's bone was used is demonstrated below.  The pinner would obtain already drawn wire from a wire drawer.  The image at the right is one of many depicted wire-drawers working at their craft.  The pinner would take the hardened wire and lie it along the groove in the end of the bone with the future end of the pin pointing towards the bone.

 

In this position the pinner would use a metal file across the flattened portion of the bone.  Using the file while slowly rotating the future pin would take off metal from the wire in a consistent manner so as to form a consistently shaped pinpoint on every pin.

 

In the image below the darker section of the wire would have been removed from the wire and the remaining wire would result in a consistently sharpened pin.

I'll be doing a demonstration at a future event on pin making.  I've made a ton of pins, but have never actually used a period style pinner's bone.  I usually use my small metal anvil.  For the demo I created the pinner's bone depicted below.

 I used a small metal file to easily cut into the bone.  I made a variety grooves in the bone, similar to the period bones I have seen.  Due to the varied shape of the bone I expect this will allow for a variety of positions to hold the bone.  I haven't tried using it yet so I'm not sure exactly how well it will work.

 

Taught my first class

Well, it is over.  I taught my first class at an event.  I'm really not comfortable speaking in public and find it very difficult to get up an "teach" something.  The class went well enough.  I did a lot of planning and for a first attempt I guess it wasn't bad.  My estimate of required time was way off.  I was hoping to do a 15~20 minute discussion and then do hands on work.  Turned out to be more like a 40 minute discussion and only 20 minutes hands on.  Ended up having 10 people doing the hands on and so I was a little pressured to get it all in.  I think next time I'll really have to limit the hands on work to make sure there is more time to one on one coaching.  I suppose I'll do the class again, some day, but not sure when.

Class Details

SCA Name	Ercc Glaison
Mundane Name	Anthony Satoh
Email	Ercc.Glaison@gmail.com
Blog	http://ercc-glaison.blogspot.com/
Class Title	Pins and Needles
Class Description	Study and construction of period pins and needles. Overview of the extant examples and the construction of period pins and needles.  Hands on practice creating a period item.
Class Duration	1 hour
Class Limit	Hands on practice: 6 Observers: No Limit
Class Fee	In lieu of a fee for handouts and materials, the instructor asks only for small token.  The contributor of the most interesting token will receive a “prize” and the appreciation of the instructor.
Class Special Needs	Not Applicable
Class Age Limit	Over 18 or attendance with supervising adult

I tried something I hadn't seen before and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  I was dressed as a Friar and as a member of a mendicant order I cannot ask for or receive payment for services or materials.  I asked simply that everyone give a token in trade for the materials and handouts.  That part was really fun.  One person actually cut of a section of his chain which was used to hold his drinking horn.  I considered that the best token and rewarded the individual with a hand made bone needle.  I really like that portion of the interaction during the class.  If I ever teach another class I’ll be sure to do that again.

Class: Period Pins and Needles

Well, it is now official.  I will be teaching my first SCA class.  I have signed up to do it once before but had to back out at the last minute due to "real life" issue getting in the way.  I plan on teaching my first class this coming weekend at the Festival of Maidens.  Here is the post from the event website: http://www.festivalofmaidens.info/?page_id=52

11:00 Pins and Needles:

Study and construction of period pins and needles. Overview of the extant examples and the construction of period pins and needles as well as hands on practice creating a period item. Limit 6 for hands-on participation (sign up at troll); no limit for observers. Participants must me 18 or attend with a supervising adult. In lieu of a fee for handouts and materials, the instructor asks only for small token. The contributor of the most interesting token will receive a “prize” and the appreciation of the instructor. Lord Ercc Glaison

More brass pins

Well, I’ve been in sort of a slump lately.  Lots of projects on the list, but little in the way of motivation to move any of them along.  The other day I picked up on a project I had started a while back.  Was watching football and needed something to keep my idle hands busy.  Probably the only Bears fan who was watching the football game while making pins.  This new set of pins is mostly done.  Still need to sharpen them up a bit more on sharpening stone, but for now they work well enough and look pretty good.