[sundial_life] An Heraldic Expedition To The North Country

We are in recovery mode here, at the Station.

Since Friday we have either been in transit or active in an event staged by the Society for Creative Anachronism.

This is a significant part of my life. Or is turning out to be. I'm taking up a few loose ends.

Saturday, 25 June 2005, was the date of the An Tir Kingdom Heraldic Symposium (I'll explain the kingdom part later). In the SCA, "Heraldry" encompasses word (the calling "hear ye, hear ye", announcing at courts and events sort of thing), deed (research and documentation of the theory and practice of how medieval people named themselves) and art (the creation of coats of arms). And, over the past several years, I have been priviledged to have a front row seat at times for some of the most brilliant, contentious, honest, and vibrant heraldic research a bunch of cool kids can do.

The location was Victoria, BC...known in the Society as the Barony of Seagirt. The site was the University of Victoria (UVic), a site for a previous Symposium. And making the trip was myself (Societally Known As Sebastian zem Sterne, The Wife[tm] as the Lady Teceangl Bach, once "Lion's Blood" Herald, the Lady Meadbha ingen Mhilloar Bhrain (we just say "Mave"...it's Gael, and I probably massacred the name spelling), and long time heraldic partisan, personal mentor, and all around boot-to-the-head Ciaran Cluana Ferta, all in one car.

Our course was north to Olympia, up US 101 to Port Angeles, across the Juan de Fuca on the M.V. Coho, and into Vic at the downtown berth, within sight of the Parliament buildings. Since I had been up all night before at TCWMNBN it was a tough trip up, though beautiful. I came nearer to carsickness than ever before, and waited at the ferry dock for about 1h 30m, then got on the ferry just to nearly get seasick.

In these days of fear and loathing at border crossings, I must say that the officials at both sides were straight up good people. The Canadian authorities made us all fill in customs cards going north-which were duly examined at the Vic POE-and the US authorities coming back were models of humanity and efficiency, though the DHS patches on the shoulders still is something that makes you go hmmmm....

And strangely too, even though we keep hearing that the USA is starting to become a nation with some sort of security fetish, they didn't make us fill in one form or card. They examined our documents, judged us sincere, and passed us.

One thing you should know if you are going to Canada, is that you should make sure your ID is current and in order before you go. That, of course, has never been untrue, but since the passage of the US, A PATRIOT Act, you must have a copy of your birth certificate to cross back into the land(free) and home(brave). There is word that, within the next two years, we will need Passports to cross back into our home country. That is a sad thing, because it will end over 100 years of free and unimpeded passage between the USA and Canada, but the way things are going, a passport is probably going to be a good document to have, and as ID, it's ironclad, legally, so you're probably better off with one.

For me, this KHS was an opportunity to learn but more an opportunity to reconnect. There are really nice people in the SCA, people who encouraged me with heraldic art and was thus indirectly inspirational for me going back to school to become a trained designer. They still encourage me; they are still some of my biggest cheerleaders. We are all artistic types, whether or not we create "art", and so we are all contentious, ready to argue, but at the end of it all, they'll make your way easy for you if they can.

In Victoria we stayed with a very wonderful Lady, the Baronial Harold, Meg Gwyneth, who billeted us for two days, allowed for our needs, and her and her SO even bought us some steaks for the evening barbeque.

But the hide-a-bed...murder! But you take the hospitality you're offered and you resolve to return it some other time, if you can.

I must still be tired. I'm rambling and I know it. Went over 1,500 miles through two countries in the last couple of days, but there are things I want to say, and I'm kind of losing it. So I'll close with the following:

At the Black Lion (Kingdom Principal Herald) meeting on Sunday, just before the returning, we all introduced ourselves to the room so we all knew who was who. When it was my turn, some little insane person in my head said:

"My name is Siiimon...and I do drawrings..."

The crowd was won over. Who says heralds are a tough room?