How I got started in Medievalism

How I Got Started In Medievalism

I first got involved in medievalism back in my sophomore year of high school 1984 -85. It was not with the clann however, it was with the MSR (medieval studies and restoration). They were (and still are) a large splinter group of the SCA located primarily in the New York metro area… a lot of there events were held at Columbia university and of course they had their big show at Sands Point every year. I was involved in a small group called "Suphoria" (affectionately known as "Euphoria") that never really went anywhere… though we tried to become a shire. Momus also got his start in the MSR. He and I actually hung out for the fist time at one of the shire meetings. My persona had been a German who fought in the crusades, was captured, and converted to Islam (Allah akbah… and Momus was a jester).

We had some great times back then, mostly because we were underage and yet allowed to drink mead (we even got a lecture from king Juda on responsible drinking). We had a few fighter practices in a members back yard in Sayville. Using borrowed armor we got to beat the hell out of each other and clown around a lot. There was one particular opponent I faced who I will always remember… He was this skinny dude with short dark hair and a mustache. He talked a real mean game but I wound up beating the tar out of him to the cheers of my comrades. But that’s not why I remember him so well…(more on this guy later).

Alas, for all our mirth, this little shire of ours was doomed from the start… riddled with politics of who was in charge and plagued by the "greenness" of its members. Now there is no crime in being inexperienced, most of us were in high school and really didn’t know how to participate to the level that was expected. But what really messed things up - people would brag and promise all kinds of support for events - and then not even bother to show up for them. We were actually supposed to host an event - it was publicized in the MSR newsletter ("The White Hart") but never came to pass…. Much to the kings chagrin who was not notified of the cancellation and showed up to where the event was supposed to be held. That pretty much marked the end of Suphoria, my involvement with the MSR, and medievalism for a while.

How the Clann found me

How The Clann Found Me

Now a few years past, and Tim Cole (Momus) and I became great friends. Like most of our peers (and many medievalists) we enjoyed playing role playing games. And like most role players…we were starved for a good and consistent campaign. One day Momus tells me of this guy he knew in college (SCCC) who was willing to run us in a game (Warhammer) and was supposedly a good GM. Lo and behold… It was the same skinny guy I had beat the tar out of some years earlier… Steve Taylor (Fjolnir - and his hair was much longer now). (*In actuality… I was introduced to Steve and Mike Mirrabella (Volund) once before this at a concert we all went to… I thought it was Roger Waters but Volund has informed me that is was in fact Pink Floyd). Through this game group, I was introduced to Chris Hagan (Conn) and the "Treudler brothers" Eric and Chris (Falgon and Sil).

It was Fjolnir that re-introduced me to medievalism. The clann already existed at this point but Fjolnir was not part of it because of …well…lets just call them "artistic differences". Fjolnir was looking to start his own band called "the wolfs head mercenaries". He wanted me in and originally I was interested. Then came Pennsic. My first Pennsic.

Though Fjolnir and the clann didn’t see eye to eye so well… they still camped with each other. And it was at this point that I became acquainted with the Tuatha de Bhriain. I had become good friends with Falgon and Sil through gaming, and didn’t quite understand the differences that kept "Fjolnir", "Sil" and "Falgon" separate "medievaly" while "Steve" "Chris" and "Eric" got along and gamed so well together "mundanely". As Pennsic went on, I learned that it was mostly due to Fjolnir wanting to be a Viking amongst a group that wanted to be Celtic. That and an ongoing contest of wills between Máinlia and Fjolnir - which often manifested itself as debate fueled by their mutual misunderstanding of ancient history. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by the clan, after all, I had taken the name Aonghus, before going to Pennsic (saying goodbye to Allah, but stuck with most of the garb). The Celtic way just appealed to me more than the Viking way. And one night at Pennsic I let it be known.

A Simple Probate

A Simple Probate

We were at the "tower party" ( a small group of people who built a plywood tower and through parties almost every night). Falgon, Máinlia, and I sat at a picnic table, and in the candle light, discussed the prospects of me becoming a probate of the Tuatha de Bhriain. It was a one of the most grim and serious conversations I ever had (Fjolnir said it look like we plotting to kill the king)…. Speaking in hushed tones and hoods pulled high over heads I was told what would be expected of me… and I in turn expressed my concerns over the relationship between the clann and Fjolnir and stated that no matter what I would not abandon my friendship with him. Fjolnir, who was quite drunk, was bopping around the table and only caught snatches of the conversation… but he knew what was going on. He became very upset but tried not to show it and I felt like a great big rat… but it was my hope that there would be a reconciliation between all parties involved and that together we might all be stronger. (OK… so maybe I watched too much sesame street when I was little). I was officially made a probate a few days later…

The next day, a sober Fjolnir confronted me and we spoke about my decision and he expressed his disappointment. I asked him why he didn’t want to be a Tuatha de Bhriain and he basically said that he was too much into being a Viking. (*Steve, being an artist, was very visually influenced. Vikings had much better press back in those days and a lot more books written about them. It wasn’t until somewhat recently, with the economic unification of Europe, that articles and books became more popular and readily available. The ancient Celts are seen as the "Fathers of Europe" and used as a symbol of continuity and a common root for the majority of Europe. I’m sure that Celtic personas are even a hell of a lot more popular now because of the making of "Rob Roy" and "Braveheart"…. Back in those days the best inspirational movies were "The Vikings" with Kirk Douglas and of course "Excaliber", not much mention of Celts at all… except maybe for highlander which was deemed a "cult" film…. I wonder if were going to see more Greek personas with all this Hercules and Xena crap now… well I’ve certainly digressed a bit but its all in parentheses so I’ll get back on to the main story now…). I had suggested to Fjolnir that maybe he should seek membership in our Pennsic neighbors group who had the rep of being the "Viking’s Vikings"… That group was Norseland. Fjolnir at first was reluctant, he told me that he wanted his own group… but after being invited to fight along side them in the battle and a share in the war booty, he was hooked.

It was also at this Pennsic that I was introduced to Trelvis and Rayna. Trelvis was the "bard" at the time and Máinlia was "druid"… Flagon was the leader but wasn’t called chieftain…they were reserving that title for when the clann was bigger. Though the clann's heart was in the right place, it certainly needed improvement on the period front. Máinlia had set up two screen tents side by side, these were known as the "period tent" - all mundania had to be left outside this tent … but the rest of camp looked like a boat load of refugees exploded all over it. Our camp was dubbed by our neighbors "the hobo camp from hell" and we were known as "the kid Celts". These two terms were sometimes merged into "the kid Celts from Hell".

Winging It

Winging it

There was no definite time period we were supposed to represent… supposedly the name Tuatha de Bhriain was taken to associate the clann with hero-king Brian Boru… but we also had a clann druid and were pagans… Brian Boru was a Christian who lived around 1000AD. There weren’t any more Druids after 600AD. No one had really done any extensive reading on Irish history... only historical inspired fiction (Morgan Lywelyn’s "Lion of Ireland" was largely responsible for this).

Pennsic is a magical place and will absolutely overwhelm you the first time you go, and maybe even the second time too. Watching the field battle was absolutely glorious and a great inspiration to get into armor. It was great to shop at the merchant area. All kinds of things could be bought and sometimes even bartered and haggled for. But for all material goods, the best things I returned from Pennsic with was my new found friendship with a Norselander named Connor. That Pennsic was Connor’s first as well, and being that we were both "Pennsic cherries", we were friends from the get go. We usually wound up laughing till our sides and faces hurt and tears were streaming down our faces most nights. And one night Connor even taught us all how to get free stuff by burning your tent down. (Connor had left a candle burning in his tent unattended. He returned to camp with the smoldering remains of what had been his shelter. Many folk took pity and heaped all sorts of goods upon him, equipping him far better than he had been before the fire. Witnessing this act made a lasting impression on me as to the depth of good will, generosity, and honor that some of the folk in this hobby had embodied.)

How To Be A Celt Or Just Look Like One

How To Be A Celt Or Just Look Like One

After Pennsic, a rather unusual coincidence occurred. My grandmother gave me an old book on Irish history "The Story of the Irish Race" by Seamus McMamus. Though it was written in 1910 and some of the information a bit dated, it was an excellent book to get started with. I sort of took it upon myself to be the group historian and sought to re-structure the clann to be more historically accurate. The first clann event we held was known as "Ben Bhriain" ("the mountain of Brian"…really mink hollow in the Catskills). The event was a hike up a mountain and a camp out (I almost didn’t make it). At this event I was officially made clann Fili (poet/historian… though I was still only a probate) and a some changes were made in the laws of the clann which got the ball rolling. New probates were also made at this event, Cian, Otto, & I think Conn (who had been in the clann once before but quit for some reason). We settled on a time period: 5th century AD, because it was a volatile time in Irish history and allowed for both Pagan and Christian personas, as well as a wide variety of other "barbarian" types. We also disassociated ourselves from Brian Boru (Unless you consider that we might be his ancestors). By far, the most monumental decision at the event was to officially proclaim Falgon as chieftain. Trelvis became the Druid and Máinlia became Bard.

Aside from Ben Bhriain, the primary reason for the clann’s existence was Pennsic and to a much lesser degree, War of the Roses (War of the Roses is held in upstate NY and used to be a mini Pennsic but has gone down hill in popularity). Back then we didn’t hold our own events. We also were not to keen on going to other SCA events for various reasons (we didn’t even know that we had a local SCA and besides, we were(or are rather) all pretty young and loved to drink, howl at the moon, and acted pretty barbaric compared to the "polite" society of the SCA). We had also become good friends with our Pennsic neighbors and started trucking upstate and attending Norseland events.

The Spiral Starts To Spin

The Spiral Starts To Spin

The Old Big TopOne of our major goals was to improve the look and atmosphere of our camp. The idea of Máinlia’s "period tent" was great but we sought to make it even better…. So we reversed the idea. We turned the period tent into the "mundane tent" and all mundania was to be stored in it and out of the way. It was an innovation that paid off well. Not only did this clean up the camp… it also cleaned up peoples tents. People also stored their coolers and kitchen gear in the mundane tent… this was an unanticipated advantage. Now the "period" tents were becoming period within as well as without…. This created more of an even medieval atmosphere throughout camp as people milled about and were entertained by various members.

By far, the biggest thing that our camp got noticed for was the BIG TOP. This was a huge circus like tent that stood out like you wouldn’t believe…. It was an easy landmark to spot on the aerial photograph postcards that they sold at Pennsic. We had some of the most incredible parties under it. But even more significant… In this time period, we started holding local events. Though they were humbly held in the back yard of Trelvis and basement of Máinlia they marked a significant mile stone in clann history.

Elders and the Old Law

Elders And The Old Law

The old laws were written somewhat haphazardly… they were pages torn out of a composition notebook and in two different colored inks. Though they were no basis for running the Tuatha de Bhriain efficiently, they certainly had heart. If you ever get a chance to read them, do so … they are a clann artifact and good marker to show how far we have come.

One of the first political struggles that occurred in the clann happened over an institution know as "the council of elders" it was a small body that was self elected and self appointed and had the power to veto the decision of the general clann assembly. I had opposed this institution on ethical and historical grounds. Of course the members of the council weren’t too happy about this. I was motioning all kinds of additional changes in the laws based on these grounds as well… and as they say… birth is painful. My political allies in the group were the majority of the new members and even Trelvis who sat on the council.

Even though there was much tension and bickering, the overwhelming majority of the changes proposed were accepted. And there were significant contributions from other members as well. It got easier to pass new laws once I had earned the old members trust. They had come to accept me as doing what I thought was historically accurate and best for the clan, not just some upstart who wanted to shake things up. I often brought my history books to meetings and read passages to validate the proposed changes.

Despite the trust I was given… it was not so complete…at a meeting of the council of elders they voted me down for membership to that station. I was told that I had so much influence already they were afraid of me becoming a some sort of tyrant. Though, I believe it was because I shot my mouth off and said that if I became an elder I was only going to use the position to disestablish the institution. In the end, a vote was called by the general populace to disband the elders and they themselves chose not to veto the decision.

The Gate Incident

The Gate Incident

The clann had grown and was beginning to make a name for itself. More and more was being demanded of the laws and officers as we did more things. Falgon was a much loved chieftain, but he found the responsibilities of the office tedious and would just flat out refuse to do certain things that may not have been legally required of him… but were expected of him none the less. Though he was fairly comfortable amongst his own.. he found it difficult to play chieftain for visitors and relied mostly on his junior officers for diplomacy. This policy caught up to him at one particular Pennsic. We were camped with the Norslanders as was our custom… they had become very good friends as well as teachers to us. Now at the previous year at one of the outrageous parties under the big top… lots of small trinkets were stolen… along with a precious artifact… the keg of doom (a relic from our dead comrade Fjolnir who was killed by a drunk driver). So this year, the camp was set up to restrict access to the big top area and we were denied our own main entrance. This was a blow to our developing identity. The clann was none to thrilled about this and called on Falgon for action. At a camp meeting, Falgon expressed the opinion of the clann and the camp voted to give us our entrance. But after the crowd dispersed, the head of camp approached Falgon and told him he would only permit a small side entrance. It was pointed out that the majority of the stuff that was stolen was from members of our group and were the belongings of people who left their stuff about unattended. The head of camp was unrelenting and Falgon capitulated. Falgon was our chieftain and we lived with the decision, but plans for next year were being talked about to avoid this situation. It was time for our own separate camp again.

House Grimmson

House Grimmson

FjolnirHouse Grimson played somewhat of a role in clann history. Its basis of formation was the death of Fjolnir Grimson , they assumed his goal becoming a long island household of Norseland. But it was never to be, House Grimson had a short career plagued with poor leadership and petty squabbles. On its final demise the bulk of its associates entered the fold of Tuatha de Bhriain. Comyn, Volund, Rutger, Grimnir (who was the head of house Grimson), and Guthrum eventually all became members of the clan. Grimnir later quit because he and I had a difference of opinion (I thought he was a clann slacker and he thought the clann would collapse without him.)

A New Chieftan

A New Chieftain

With the influx of new people and a higher demand on the office of chieftain, Falgon and I traded offices. Falgon had been chieftain for five years and breathed a great sigh of relief at his retirement to the less demanding position of poet. I was now chieftain and really wanted to get things moving. It was during this time that the clann finally broke the bounds of fenced in backyard and basement events. We started renting a hall out for our indoor events. And it was also this time that we had out first out door event at a county park. The first park was very public with lots of mudanes running around. The best we could do to shield us from the gaukers was put up a sheet wall and stay within the confines of our immediate camp, which was a dirty ash ridden place that seemed to turn everything gray. Someone got a bathtub to use as a fire pit- hinting at the hobo days again, but it was soon abandoned as the acrylic coating on it started to burn and release noxious fumes. Though it was far from rosy, it was a significant step. After the fiasco, the clann endeavored to gain the trust of the parks department and was granted access to more exclusive camping grounds.

Purge Of The Faithless

Purge Of The Faithless

All these advances had a price. My old political allies in the clann fell away from me. I think to many of them it wasn’t so much that they didn’t like the direction I was taking the clann in, it was just that I was now the establishment to be rallied against. Meetings were long and drawn out. It was not the most pleasant place to be as there was more debate than cooperation. A consistent annoyance (even at the good meetings) were those members who always wanted to leave early to go role play. This always seemed to happen just as we would start to get something constructive done. Suggestions for changes that were not researched or thought out were summarily dismissed in a quick manner which bruised a lot of egos. Adding to this cut throat climate was my complete intolerance of members failing to live up to there word. I publicly chewed out those who had more excuses than constructive input. ( I think I developed some kind of complex from the MSR days.)

But perhaps the single most damaging thing that took place was the enactment of a particular law know as "The Vortigern Clause". Many new members that had come to the clann were not of Celtic persona but Germanic. The Vortigern Clause was an attempt to allow other persona types to be adopted into the clann and yet assure the goal of Celtic re-enactment in a majority rules forum. In other words… if it ever happened that there was one more German in the clann then Celt… it didn’t mean that we would suddenly become a Germanic tribe with Germanic customs. The name of this law refers to an incident in history that we thought was a metaphor of our situation. Vortigern was a Celtic king of Britain that had invited Saxon mercenaries into his domain to help combat his enemies, these mercenaries treacherously rose up and killed many Celtic nobles at what was supposed to be an unarmed "peace conference". This incident in history is commonly referred to as "the night of the long knives".

While the new members understood and accepted this clause, this law served to anger the old Germanic element of the clan. Their protest of this law aroused the suspicion of the Celts in the clann and only justified in their minds the enactment of it. This, fueled with constant personality clashes, alienated the old Germanic element. Many attempts were made to bring them back into the fold and resolve personality issues, but their way of dealing with it was to ignore and avoid. This only worsened the situation as they showed up for events to enjoy the fun but skipped out on the grueling meetings to plan them. Their avoidance was interpreted as an insult to the members who had offered in good faith to sit down and resolve the issues that left a such a noticeable blot on morale. Trelvis, Otto, and Helga’s membership was revoked by a vote of the clan. Though we knew we would not be seeing Rayna (Trelvis’ girlfriend) anymore, her membership was not revoked as she had always been a positive asset to the clann and was considered a victim of circumstance. Conn resigned his membership to be with his comrades.

On our own

On Our Own

With the first major controversy just passed, the machinery for having our own Pennsic camp again was in motion. These were shaky times for the clann and held a lot of uncertainty as to weather the structure we implemented, while historically based, would work in practice. The old big top was abandoned. It was too large for a group our size and had rotted beyond usefulness. Attendance was low for our group as compared to previous Pennsics for various reasons. But despite the obstacles, we had an excellent looking camp and the clann had a damn good Pennsic. We did not hire with Norseland that year for several reasons, mainly it was for identity, beyond the gate incident, some of us were being confused for being members of Norseland, in addition, things were getting funky in the Norseland camp and we thought it best to have our own space as well as give them theirs ( Though we thoroughly enjoyed our space being right next to theirs - its good to have neighbors you like). We were "sub contracted" by clann Preachain to fight that year, and made out pretty darn good as far as war booty goes. Preachain were (and are) Celts as well and it was a nice change to mingle with them on a cultural level as well as personal and business.

Norseland Feud Shock Waves

Norseland Feud Shock Waves

The unrest in Norseland had degraded to a feud. This feud caused a split and now there were two groups, Norseland and Vikland. There was much unpleasantness and bad blood. Having friends in both groups, it was disheartening to see what transpired. Clann interaction with any of the Viking folk sunk to all time low. There was a feeling that nothing would ever be the same ( you cant go home again type thing). This disappointment further strengthened our resolve to improve our own events rather than rely on the hospitality of others.

Sacrifice And The SCA

Sacrifice And The SCA

Momentum began to build after Pennsic, we were now regularly holding events and the need for policy discussion evaporated. Meetings were now spent just planning the next event, and each event improved over the last. One thing that diminished though was an interest in fighting. Fighter practices rely on participation, and for many mundane reasons, people were unable to attend. This was unfortunate because when people decided to show, we had a ball. We were even video taping ourselves practicing and learning a lot from watching ourselves fight. Organizing fighter practices that no one would show up to was becoming tiresome. Instead, I got in touch with the local SCA ( the barony of Andubhaigeain) and those of us still interested started hitting a couple of their fighter practices. In one fighter practice, I was hit in both ankles and my thumb (those of you who know the rules of fighting know what I’m talking about here). I could barely walk and couldn’t even deliver a solid blow with my two handed weapon anymore. It was round about this time I decided to hang up the armor and announced my retirement from fighting. Sil announced his retirement soon after, which was just as well cause I had to drive him most of the time anyway. As fate would have it, Máinlia and Cymrot’s schedules freed up soon after and were now looking for a fighter practice to attend. They started going to the SCA practices and became aquatinted with some of the folk.

At one Bealtaine, the local SCA decided to be our guests. It was the biggest event we had seen thus far. We had about 80 people show and 40 stayed for dinner. Máinlia echoed the feats of Cu Chulainn that day by single handedly fighting all the SCA fighters who showed up, while the majority of us ran around like freshly decapitated chickens. Dinner was great and our SCA guests seemed pleased and even the more xenophobic of our members were beginning to mingle with the SCA folk. Then came the ceremony, the absolute best that the clann had ever seen and the measure by which all ceremonies since are gauged.

We had constructed the biggest wicker-man to date, its size was dangerously impressive. But it wasn’t the fire hazard that was so monumental. It was the sacrifice. A friend of Máinlia’s was chosen as a human sacrifice. In the best theatrics possible, Rutger grabs this guy half his size who "resists" violently and pleads for his life as he is dragged before the druids of the clann. He is held down on the ground and partly obscured from the on looking crowd by the darkness and a kneeling druid (who has his back to the crowd) holding him down… but you could still see him struggling. Then, one of the kneeling druids facing the crowd raises a dagger high above his head, pausing long enough to let it glint and gleam in the dancing light of the bonfire. The blade then comes plunging down with a whoosh and the "sacrifice" lets out a soul splitting howl, twitches violently, and then … silence. The sacrifice’s "entrails" were then brought forth to the crowd - conveyed in an old towel (these entrails were really Italian sausages … some fake rib bones were thrown in too, just for effect). The druids knelt before the towel and then "read" the entrails. Other druids who were in attendance were invited up to give them a good "read" as well. When the prophecies were finished, the entrails were placed in the wicker-man along with other baubles and gifts for the gods. To the shouts and cheers of the clann, the wicker-man was set ablaze.

The SCA were mortified. Though in truth some were quite amused, they were all taken completely by surprise. Here, in so many ways and through the obscurity of time, was the clash of Celtic "barbarism" with "civilized" society illustrated for us first hand. One thing I do feel a bit bad about, there were one or two small children there who were a bit frightened by our escapade, but we made sure those kids got to see our "victim" alive and well afterward and assured them it was all "make believe". (In an off hand way, I sort of envy those kids, its almost like they were transported back in time and experienced a Druidic ceremony first hand.) And, needless to say, if we are going to mingle more with the SCA, its going to take some understanding.

Exodus

Exodus

Once again, our expansion and success had a price. Cian, Colin and Murrough, resigned from the clan. The reason they gave was they felt that they would never have a chance to be in charge of the clann. They also claimed that they were tired of being "chastised" and losing respect for not remaining in persona, they were not so concerned with history as they were with just being able to hang out at events and have "fun". Basically they just wanted to show up in garb and drink and yet somehow be in charge. Of course, this didn’t make much sense from a clann perspective, so we waved goodbye without to many tears. In truth, they probably left because they were pressured by Conn, Otto, and Trelvis who wanted to form their own group and pressed on their friendship with these guys to increase their numbers. They were also led to believe that things would go much smoother in this new group with out the hard core attitudes of Tuatha de Bhriain to spoil their fun. They did manage to form something, but also learned quite a lesson as well. Their group was plagued with squabbling worse than the Tuatha de Bhriain ever had. The "would be" leaders of that group basically let things fall apart as their ego battles raged on (Well, what do you expect when you take all the trouble makers and put them in one group?) Basically, their group doesn’t exist anymore or is of no consequence. ( One of their "members" has even informally inquired about regaining Tuatha de Bhriain membership).

Máinlia as Chieftain

Máinlia as Chieftain

After a total of 6 consecutive years of service to the clann as an officer (3 years as clann Fili and 3 as chieftain), the purge, the exodus, the park system, Pennsic paper work, and being called every name in the book, I was pretty burnt out. I felt that the clann relied on me way to much and I was pretty sure it was my fault for letting it get that way. It was time for the clann to prove itself greater than the influence of any one person. I wanted the clann to be stronger than any one individual and encourage new connections within the clan. The clan needed to be more of a web then a wheel. (If a wheel loses its hub, the wheel no longer functions, if a web loses a strand, it is still a web.) Also, after the "exodus’ incident, I needed to prove something to myself as well. At Samhain ’95 I respectfully declined my re-nomination for the chieftaincy. I think, at that election, I was nominated for every position except bard and declined each one.

The clann was a little shaken by my refusal to hold any position whatsoever. I had only told a few people about my decision beforehand and took a lot of them by surprise. At this point, It wasn’t so much who wanted to be chief, but who was willing. From the chaos, Máinlia rose to the challenge. Máinlia accepted the nomination, but told the clann that he had many mundane responsibilities and thought there were better choices for chieftain, the only reason he would accept is because no one else was willing. My failure to accept any position prompted members who wouldn’t normally think of being an officer to accept the challenge as well. Máinlia’s achievement during this period are a testament to his caring and tenacity in the cause of the clan. I don’t think many of us would do as well as he did, balancing a medical residency and trying to run our group. It was during this period that the clann web page made its debut. Though the clann had to get used to some new ideas and ways of doing things, it proved the clann's existence was guaranteed as long as its members willed it to exist.

Aonghus Chieftain again

Aonghus chieftain Again

Máinlia would have remained chieftain but for overwhelming mundane responsibility. At Samhain ’96 I once again accepted the nomination to be chieftain. Though as I write this, it is not yet Lughnasad and some time before the next election at Samhain, I think the major changes that will make this year stand out are already prevalent. I think I authority is being delegated better and even more people are taking an active interest in the clan. Guthrum’s no nonsense approach has done wonders with the clann treasury, allowing the funding of more projects. The most notable of these projects, which is a long term clann dream realized, is the issuance of our first clann coins, thanks to Volund. The "web page" has also grown into a "web site" and has proven an invaluable organizational tool. Though it is very much a part of the "mundane" world, it is a tool that allows us to combat other mundania by providing constant access to articles on improving our events medievaly. As far as communication, it is a boon from the gods. The web site allows information to be disseminated and updated at the convenience of the "poster" and allows you to read at yours. Paper newsletters get lost, require new articles and art work with each issue, require the coordination of deadlines, and kill trees. The web sites superiority over paper newsletters is conveyed in that any article written is at a fingertips retrieval. This information is also available to a wider audience then just subscribers and makes a great advertisement for our cause.

Diaspora Doctorus

Diaspora Doctorus

Máinlia and Cymrot

This year we will also be losing two strong contributing members. With their residencies over, Máinlia will be moving to Connecticut, and Cymrot will be moving to Florida. Both are starting their professional careers and both will be sorely missed. This is yet another test of the gods for us to endure. It is the first time in the clann’s history that we are losing members in a non confrontational environment. This also means that is the first time we don’t feel relief at their leaving, only loss. I think our one comfort in our loss in knowing that wherever the fates take them, they will always think of us as their brothers and sisters in the family that is Tuatha de Bhriain.

Slán libh mo deartháracha
Aonghus