Map of the Kingdom of Ansteorra, click to see source HERE
Once upon a time, during the time of kings, queens, and troubadours there lived a man who was known throughout the Kingdom of Ansteorra as Baron Robert Fitzmorgan. He was a landless noble from Southern Provance. After his time following Richard the Lion Hearted and many pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostella, Baron Robert Fitzmorgan found he was lonely and wanted to find the love of his life.
Image of Baron Fitzmorgan taken by Don & Monica Riney
The background image can be found on Pixaby, image by Taken from Pixabay.
You can find the source HERE
The baron searched for many years and was unable to locate a woman who touched his heart. He finally decided he would make his home in the Barony of Northkeep and work on poetry and song. It was here he found a place to belong and help the people of this place. Here he would create, teach, and lead to make Northkeep a place of beauty and strength. To help inspire the people of this land, he wrote a poem that is still told today.
Poem written by Scott Fridenberg as Baron Robert Fitzmorgan.
The background image can be found on Pixaby, mage by Taken from Pixabay.
You can find the source Image by Ted Browning from Pixabay*
One evening the baron found himself at a tavern sharing stories with many other people when a young woman poured wine into his mug. He looked up and found her to have stolen his heart as they locked eyes, but it could not be! He was a noble and she was just a tavern wench. It was said the only way a woman could steal a nobleman's heart with one look was if the woman was of noble birth. He decided at that moment he would find out the truth and make her his wife, if she truly was of noble birth.
Image of Ren taken by Scott on a cellphone.
The background image can be found on Pixaby, Image by Gianni Crestani from Pixabay
Robert Fitzmorgan began his search by talking with the woman to find out if she knew anything about her ancestry. Her name was Katrine and she had been called "la escolpiera," French for "the gimp," because she had been injured during a shipwreck when she was very young. It was rumored her father was of noble blood and had been in the Crusades. Katrine's father was given the daughter of a great Saracen leader to marry, she was beautiful, intelligent, and soon with child. This family was happy in their Jerusalem home, but Katrine's father longed to take them to his family home in Provance. They boarded a ship and began their journey home.
Image by Comfreak from Pixabay
It was here The Gimp's story takes a turn for the worst. A storm overtook the sailing vessel, killing all that were aboard except for her. When she woke, she was pinned to the sandy beach by wood going through her leg. If she lived, she knew she would be a cripple. Fortunately, she was found by the local Ansteorran tavern owner. He and his wife took her in and treated her as their own child. She was happy and truly enjoyed living life to the fullest even though she was cursed to use crutches for the rest of her life. This was the end of what she knew.
Could this be? Could she truly be the daughter of a great Saracen leader? Who exactly was her father? He had to find out if her father truly was of noble blood she was not just a common woman. He had to find out; he had to know. The Baron was in love and wanted her as his wife.
Image by Dorota Kudyba from Pixabay
As the months went by, the Baron searched the lands for information that would prove Katrine not be common, but worthy of marriage to him. Katrine's grandfather was truly a great leader in Isreal. Robert was welcomed into the home and provided all the information he needed to find his daughter's family. Setting sail for Provence, the Baron wrote letters, researched documents, and, finally, found the family he had hoped to find. Katrine was the daughter of a Baron and he would be taking her to be reunited with them soon. Then he would make her his wife and they would live happily ever after.
The image was taken by Marc Carlson during an SCA event.
Background Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay
Yes, this is just a story, but it is one my husband and I tell others who want to know about our personas in the Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA, as the Society for Creative Anachronism, is often called, is where Scott, Baron Robert Fitzmorgan, and I, Lady Katrine la Escolpiera, met. I was looking for something to occupy my time and visited one of the events that Scott was volunteering. He explained that the organization was much like the Civil War reenactment groups, except they were more focused on teaching and learning the arts, skills, culture, and combat of the pre-seventeenth century world.
Attending our last SCA event at the Fort Worth Gardens in Texas, 2018.
On the day I first met Scott, I was on crutches. I had broken my ankle earlier in the spring and was in the last few weeks of my "cast time". It was easy to get around and I tried to do what I normally did. Of course, I was much younger then and nothing phased me. Scott explained how events happened and they sounded like a camping trip while being dressed up like a princess! I was all in for that so I had made plans to attend my very first SCA event within a matter of days of first meeting Scott.
Attending an event in Texas with our daughter (in pink)
for one of the youth rapier (fencing) tournaments in 2015.
At my first event, still on crutches, I was planning to sleep on a park bench because I did not have a tent. All I had was a sleeping bag Daddy had loaned me and a pillow. I had been told there would be "garb" to borrow until I could make my own. It was while I was sitting on the bench I planned to sleep on that I bumped into Scott. He said the bench would not do and he ran off! Soon he brought a dear future friend Vanessa over and she agreed to share her "tent" with me. It wasn't a tent at all! It was a huge pavilion with, not a pad on the ground, but two actual beds that were amazingly comfortable. She also dressed me. The crutches were still an issue, but life is what it is.
This is a bit more period camping than that first event,
but it will give you the idea of the "tent" I was able to stay in my first few events!
Image by Gabriel LE NAOUR from Pixabay
I attended three other events while still on my crutches (the cast was gone). Scott was right there to chat and help me find my way in the SCA. Then it happened! I was able to attend an event WITHOUT my crutches. I was so excited.
Scott showed up soon after I arrived, with my own tent this time, and he walked right past me with only a "Greetings m'lady." I was stunned. What could have happened to make his greeting so formal? Why did he walk right past me? I felt as if he had just ripped out my heart! Then I became angry. I walk towards him and overheard him asking our mutual friend Vanessa if she had seen the girl with the crutches, "you know, The Gimp."
This not only gave me the name "Ren the Gimp" which eventually became my actual SCA persona name "Katrine la Escolpiera", but he never forgot who I was.
This graphic is from the new Ladies of Hive Community.
You should check them out!
There's so much Lady Power, it's intoxicating!
This brings me to the reason I am telling you the true fairy tale in two parts. The @ladiesofhive community is putting on their very FIRST contest right now! They are asking WOMEN to write a post about one of three things:
What did you last use in your house?
Where did you meet your significant other?
What would you do with 100 dollars?
Granted there are some other rules and the deadline is October 4th! So what are you waiting for? GO to the post and find out the rules! There are 5 HIVE waiting to be won! Will it be you?
Hey! All of you Women on Hive, go do it yourselves! It will be fun to see your entries!
@justclickindiva and @iamraincrystal, Go to this link to enter--> https://peakd.com/hive-124452/@ladiesofhive/ladies-of-hive-community-contest-1
Good luck!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog posts.
We appreciate it so very, very much!
to learn more about either of these projects, please visit: @heyhaveyamet or @theterminal
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our blog posts.
We appreciate it so very, very much!
to learn more about either of these projects, please visit: @heyhaveyamet or @theterminal
We appreciate it so very, very much!
to learn more about either of these projects, please visit: @heyhaveyamet or @theterminal
How cool and the photos I loved them all.
Dear Scott, Baron Robert Fitzmorgan, and Ren Lady Katrine la Escolpiera, I am so fortunate to have met you. This is such a great entry told in a book form I say the standard is high for the other entries. Thank you for entering
I couldn't just tell the one story of our "real world" meeting without including the "persona world" meeting. They are intertwined forever. We are also so happy to have you in our lives too.
I love your story, Ren! :) Missing you... take care always! :)
You as well! I have been reading your posts and you seem to be doing ok. Hope you are safe and well.
Well well ... life IS sometimes a fairytale. I really loved your entry and the story you told us. I'm sure that the end is "And they lived happily ever after".
Good luck for the contest!
Well, my real life is definitely NOT a fairy tale, as much as I wish it was.
Thank you by the way!
Oh my goodness... that was really a nice story! And many more to be told... of years of happily ever after!
It is a story we loved to tell in "bardic". There was always something fun about us acting it out a little too.
Oh wow that is such a cool- AND beautiful story. I was truly entranced and could have kept reading on....
Isn't it funny how he didn't recognise you without your crutches anymore!
So lucky that you saw him and overheard him ask Vanessa about you otherwise it could have been one of those horrible events in time where you keep missing each other!
So glad that you didn't cause you guys look so happy together and sound like you have so much fun together!
So what you guys do- the SCA- is that like LARPing, or a bit different?
Never been myself- YET, but a buxom, boisterous weapon wielding wench I would make I think.
Thanks for sharing, I really enjoyed your story and I look forward to more of your stories and photos of your adventurous events!
In the meantime, take care and have fun!
You just gave me a wonderful compliment! Thank you!
I am so glad I went to see instead of walking away. I would hate to know what my life would be like without Scott. Life is definitely happy, no matter the events around us.
The SCA isn't really LARPing. Love LARPing for sure (Vampire: The Masquerade is REALLY awesome), but it is where you "pretend" to be the character. In the SCA it is you, but in another time period. For example, I love embroidery and fiber arts, I still love it in the time period I choose.
Make sense?
Thank you so much for reading the post and letting me know how much h you enjoyed it.
I can see you as a Norse woman for sure! The word viking isn't really suppose to be a "title" but a verb. Hahahaha!
Scott and I try to be happy. There are hard times, but when you are with a person you are supposed to be with, I believe, it makes those hard times easier.
Yeah ok got you. The CSA is you in costume, but LARPing is you playing an actual charachter- like a method actor...Cool. I don;t think we have that over hear casue I've only ever heard of Larping,, but then you nebver know what has been learnt online over the past 6 months and will come out of the corona lockdowns.....
I will definitely keep my eyes and ears out for it when we return to a new- better normal I hope.
Yes, there's been a couple of times in my life where I walked away from something that the opportunity would present itself again, but alas, not to be...And the biggest one that I regret was seeing a woman in an opshop the same time as me who I thought looked like my biological younger sister that I had only ever met one about 20 yrs ealier and I sort of stared at her trying to figure it out and then she left and I wanted to follow her but never had the courage too which is stupid- especially from me as I (get nervous about a lot of things) but always still push myself to find out.
I Don't know why, but I didn't that time, and I still really think that she was and that was about 15 years ago now and I have no way of contacting her...oh regrets.
So glad to hear that it didn't happen to you guys!
And I could be a Norsewoman too, Cause when I did find my bio parents I did find out that I was 1/4 each Irish, Scottish, Welsh and English- even thought I always thought (wanted to be) Italian or something exotic like that...lol...
Even now I tell myself (hope) that I've got some Spanish in there somewhere from maybe Black Irish...I really should get one of the DNA tests done.
It could suprise us all! Especially if my DNA turns out to be completely Cadbury's Chocolate....Though I don't think I'd be too suprised at that- or my friends either for that matter...lolll....
Anyway, lovely talking to you and I can't wait to hear more about your cross country adventures.
I believe that you're on Oklahoma. Is that correct?
Yes we are in the middle of the US. We are trying to figure out if we want to move to Arkansas to the east or west towards Sante Fe. Oh, choices.
As for the SCA, they are international. I would love to go to one of the European events and be at one of the castles. Wouldn't that number fun. https://www.sca.org/about/kingdoms/
Wow! I can't imagine thinking I was looking at a person who might be related to me and NOT saying something. Of course. There is nothing shy about me.
Hmm tough choices eh.
The US is such a big country, no bigger than Australia geographically, but in terms of places to go and things to do it is HUGE compared to Australia.
I loved Colorado. I mean I LOVED LOVED LOVED San Fran (left my heart there ofcourse...lol..) but if you don't like cites like that (which I do) BUT I also loved Colorado- lived in and downvalley from Aspen for 8 months, then drove up through Colorado to Custer County in South Dakota (which was a gorgeous area too) and then down to Las Vega and back to Aspen over a 3 month period, but I loved the diversity of Colorado.
And upstate New York, what a sensation place that was too. I was a Tennis coach at Frenchwoods Festival performing Arts Camp back in 97 and it was on the PA border near Lordville- and the Catskills, and I would've stayed there if I couldv'e (and if it didn't snow..lol....) It was just so stunning beautiful....
Florida was ok. I had a great time there but I wouldn't bother staying, it's just so much like everywhere else I thought. Nice place just not as special as upstate NY and Colorado I think.. anyway, there's my 2 cents worth...lol...
As for the SCA, they are international. I would love to go to one of the European events and be at one of the castles. Wouldn't that number fun Hell yeah! 2021/2022 here we come! What do you reckon. Atleast we've got a while to save $$$ up for it eh- and the rest of the world to get over Corona....
Wow! I can't imagine thinking I was looking at a person who might be related to me and NOT saying something. Of course. There is nothing shy about me. Yes exactly! That's why I don't know why I didn't and why I regret it so much today...what a dilberry I am eh. 🙄
Well goodluck with the decisions, but the best thing is, whatever you decide, you can always leave it and go somewhere else- after all you guys are the xcountytravelers are you not...lol...
What a wonderful tale you weave! This is a fantastic entry! ❤️
Thank you so much. It was fun to write and get creative with the images.
A delightful story in the parlance of in the age of Chivalry that could only be spun by a seasoned and talented bard. I can almost hear the strum of mistrals as you play out the kings solemn personal quest and driven to it's heart felt conclusion. We knew how it will end.
The Bloody Raven puts her hanky aside and gives this a 👍