Hlíf Áskelsdóttir

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[] Hlíf Áskelsdóttir
Information
Resides: Barony of Seagirt (Tir Righ) Date Started: AS XLVIII (September 2013) Awards: [{{{oplink}}} Order of Precedence] Offices: Master of Stables (Seagirt) 2014-2016
Heraldry
[] Sable, on a pale gules fimbriated argent in chief an oak leaf Or between in fess two attires addorsed

Etymology

Hlíf is pronounced Leaf.

Old Norse name meaning cover, shelter, protection, esp. shield
She is also known as Honey Badger or simply Shield Maiden.

Persona Background

Hlíf was born in the fall of 973 and hails from Samsø, a Danish island in the Kattegat. She relocated with her family to The Danelaw when she was 12.
She lost her family in August of 991 in Maldon, Essex in a battle against the Anglo-Saxons and as been roaming in search of knowledge and adventure since.

SCA History

Hlíf's introduction to the SCA was when Wulfgar Bradaxe put her in armour and gave her a sword in September of AS XLVIII.
She fought in her first tournament 3 months after at Ursulmas in the Barony of Aquaterra. She didn't do very well but she was hooked. She was invited by Princess Dalla to be on retinue as a guard, she accepted and been on various retinue ever since.
In March of the same year, she was taken as Man-at-Arms by Dmitrii Ivanavitch.
At Sealion war of that year, Her Excellency Letitia Talbot, Baroness of Seagirt took Hlíf as her personal Shield Maiden.
Hlíf made it to third round in her first coronet tournament. She fought for her Lord Husband Aldric Ambrose. She was released as Man-at-Arms to Dmitrii Ivanavitch to be taken by Sir William of the Battered Helm.
At September crown, Hlíf was invited by Her Grace Maegan ferch Meredydd to fight in the Lady of the Rose tournament. She made it to the semi-finals.
Hlíf was surprised with an Award of Arms in October AS XLIX, a few days after taking office as Seagirt's Master of Stables.
She quickly took interest in rapier fighting and fought her first tournament in February.
Daffodil tournament, 15 March AS XLIX, Sir William of the Battered Helm released her as Man-at-Arms and took her as squire.
Yule, she entered the A&S championship on the spur of the moment. Presented two tablet woven bands. One, a reproduction of a band found on the Oseberg ship and another a grave find from Mammen. She became Seagirt's A&S champion on December 12th AS L.
On May 7th AS LI, she was taken as Protégée by His Excellency Baron Uilliam mac Fearchair mhic Gillie Aindrias and was made an Official Ambassador of Tir Righ by Their Highnesses Thorwulf Bjornsson and Wulfwyn of Meduseld on the same day.
She has a nasty tendency to start wars... or so they say...

Interests

Hlíf feels at home in the eric and on the warfield. If she's not fighting, she's marshalling or waterbearing. She's known to be a very aggressive waterbearer who believes in the "drink it or wear it" philosophy.

List of Awards

Award of Arms AS XLIX
Rock AS XLIX
Seagirt A&S Champion AS L
Order of The Narwhal AS L
Order of l'Étoile d'Argent AS L

The Little Lai of Hlíf

This lai was written by Hlíf's inspiration and friend, Lady Athelina Grey as part of her bardic competition that she won. It's about the Baroness's walk at Sealion War AS XLVIII.


We all know a badger's a terrible beast
on the hearts of its victims it readily feasts
but tempered by HONEY, a badger grows wise:
compassion and caring will shine from its eyes.

A tale of a badger of honey I'll tell
And her quest to save cookies from villians so fell.

One day she was camping at Sealion War
to protect good Letitia she humbly swore
so when word was given of thieves in the woods
Hlif shouldered her sword to guard precious goods.
The cookie-guards ten faced thieves only two
but paths through the forest are tough to get through
when blocked with a cart and defended by sword
with brigandly wiles, they needed no horde
for one of the bridgands held in her hand
a crossbow (one recently Papally banned)*
The cookie guards halted to look at the path.
The badger felt rising her warrior's wrath.
Her companions were shot one by one in the head
and soon all but badger lay on the field dead.
The badger considered a valiant charge
but all by herself, her chances weren't large.

The wise honey badger dove under the cart
clutching the cookies right close to her heart
for rather she'd die than let any mean thief
steal Baroness' cookies away from the Hlif.

The brigands stopped shooting, the way it seemed clear
to run to the stronghold with cookies so dear.
The badger of honey crawled out from the cart
expecting the sting of a fierce crossbow dart:
but stronger than arrows or darts is the stuff
that badgers are made of: they're just too darned tough.

Two steps and then three Hlif badger did try
then found herself knocked through off her feet soon to fly
through the air like a bird in the storm's fearsom grip:
the badger'd been hit with a sword on the hip.

She fell to the ground, cookies clutched to her chest.
Lights flickered, then darkened: she went to her rest.

The Baron surveyed the most grisly scene
all bloody dismemberment, innards and spleens
but clutched to Hlif's breast, kept safe till the end
were the cookies still safe and ready to send.

The badger of honey was later awoken
and of the fine cookies, not one had been broken.

This story of love for her Baroness fair
and the guarding of cookies with great loving care
the Badger of Honey against villains two
this short Lai of Hlif, I swear it is true.

• In 1139, at the Second Lateran Council, Pope Innocent II issued a Papal bull banning the use of crossbows.