Mergriet van Wijenhorst
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Persona
She was born at the beginning of the 16th century in the Low Countries, in a little "community" called Postel, in the Duchy of Brabant, (there are stories untold!) but the hardship involved with this new family left them to move in with extended family situated not too far from Antwerpen. Eventually her father was able to secure work in the city as well as living space for his growing family.
By the second half of the 16th century, Mergriet took up with a migratory worker, Wolfgang, whom she met at a kermess just outside of Antwerp in Hoboken. Presently, they both live upstairs at the Eik en Zwijn and have two children together.
Offices & Positions (Formerly Held)
- Northern Shores (now Crown Principality of Tir Mara, EK) regional deputy (similar to a principality officer) for Minister of Children
- Webminister for the Shire of Lyndhaven, EK
- Chronicler for the Shire of Lyndhaven, EK
- held various deputy and interim positions for the shire of Lyndhaven, EK
Awards
- Maunche (2004), A Kingdom Order of High Merit, this is an A&S award in the East Kingdom (East Kingdom awards do not bestow grant level awards, this means that you can still address me as: "Lady" but not "Honourable")
- Award of Arms (2002)
- Burdened Tyger (2008), a Kingdom Order of Honour
Event Staff
Co-steward and cook for the "Beast feasts", day-board (EK-style) for several events including Northern shores region war camp, Head Cook and co-cook for a bunch of events including head cook for EK Crown, co-ran demos, teaching classes (mostly in scribal arts to soap-making) including a few EKU events, judged A&S for various events including the northern Shores region championships, served in many kitchens, event set-up to clean up and general chores.
Projects, Publications & Websites
Projects
- Middle English recipe translation project, improving my middle English reading and sharing my work at the same time. (with some modern recipe interpretations, clickable ingredient breakdown and other features)
- A&S 50, temporarily housed on FaceBook as "mealsbefore1600". This project is an attempt to create 50 pre-1600 meals with pictures and descriptions which is also slowly being added to my "old foodways" site.
- have done a lot of study on persona research which is always ongoing
- The Cooks Dinner, being a feast project planned for some future date/place (not yet decided).
Websites
- The Eik en Zwijn, home to Mergriet van Wijenhorst
- Old Foodways, home to a few projects and sharing of my enjoyment of historic foodstuffs
- Stumbling into Historic Cookery, ramblings about food and dining through history (blog)
Miscellany
- Was an active member of Athena's Thimble as well as the Ruantallan Scriptorium and Dabblers guild and had some involvement with the Ruantallan Cooks guild despite moving out of Barony.
- Had varying levels of association with some households but mainly with the "the Crew of the Roisin Dubh" and "the Spotted Lizard".
- did smocking for a smock created for Queen Gabriella (A.S. XLII), presented a kneeling cushion with friend Tali'a (my part was basic construction, couched blue tyger and facing/top decoration).
- Made various scrolls/scribal work for awards, events, commissions, thank-yous and for two guild charters.
- decided to enter in the Northern Lights competition with a food entry and won in my category, was stoked and mainly because of my wonderful competition and feedback.
- Present Bordergate A&S champion for the presentation of a full late 16th century English meal, along with 3 other entries.
- have authorized as a rapier fighter, was an EK archer, participated in throwing weapons and has dabbled with armoured combat.
- I'm a chronic dabbler and have experimented with lots of stuff from medieval gardens, medicine, cooking, sewing, simple weaving, making pigments and dyes, rag paper- with limited success, felting, animal husbandry, simple metalwork and wood carving and leatherwork... the list goes on...