Ship’s Biscuits in the SCA Lord William “Cookie” Barfoot A basic stable for sailors and travelers through out the ages has been the twice-baked bread. Infamous for its tooth chip- ping attributes, the biscuit, as I will be calling it here for simplicity, has been moving through out history. The Egyptians packed Dhourra cakes, a […]
The Bowline Antonio di Giordani The Bowline is most commonly used for forming a fixed loop, large or small at the end of a line. Tried and tested over centuries, this knot is reliable, strong and stable. Even after severe tension is applied it is easy to untie. However, because it does untie so easily […]
Courtesy and Captaincy Baron Brendan O’Caiside I am writing this article about a topic very near and dear to me personally, courtesy. Specifically I would like to address courtesy among Captains within the Corsairium. Now before anyone goes off on a rant here, I am not singling anyone out, nor am I speaking of specifics. […]
Sir Francis Drake Lord Donngal mac Ronain Sir Francis Drake was a renowned privateer, Captain and politician in the Elizabethan era. Born in 1544 in Tavistock, Devon, England, he was the son of a Protestant farmer and minister. Drake first got his start in the naval field when he was apprenticed to the neighbor, a […]
The Galleon Lady Fríða in hárfagra A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon. The galleon was an ocean going ship which evolved from the carrack. A lowering […]
Getting Salty with Sailor Garb Lord William “Cookie” Barfoot In this article I focus on what the 16th century sailor wore for clothing. Part two, in the next issue, will cover footwear, accessories and covering what made sailors dress the way they did. In short the clothing sailors wore was practical, hard wearing and had […]
A Historical Hairdo at Home Lady Una Redfox Granuaile Ui Mhaille, most commonly referred to by the English pronunciation, Grace O’Malley, was an Irish sea Captain and chieftain during the Mid to late 1500s. Granuaile was born into a seafaring family off the West coast of Ireland. The Mhaille clan motto is ‘Terra Marique Potens’ […]
The Predominant Medical Theory in Mid to Late Period Europe, for Ship Surgeons. Jack Goodfellow Humoral Theory was the predominant medical theory in Europe for many centuries. The founder of modern medicine Hippocrates is often attributed to first applying it to medicine around 400 BCE, and the writings of the Roman physician Galen in the […]
The Junk Lady Fríða in hárfagra A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive […]
Persona Development Lord William “Cookie” Barfoot Building a persona has to be one of the more satisfying activities I have done in the SCA. This activity not only gives you an idea on who you are and how you should dress, but it gives you a great creative outlet when building a background. I am […]