Golden Swan Tournament

The Tournament of the Golden Swan is held annually on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in Appledore.

Golden Swan is a persona development challenge for female personas. It is sponsored by the Shire of Appledore in the Kingdom of An Tir within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a world-wide historical recreationist group. The first Golden Swan was held in Kelowna, B.C. in 1984.

The purpose of Golden Swan is to foster knowledge of the lives of women in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Its aim is not merely to confine itself to women's history and women's issues, although these will, of necessity, form part of the research most candidates will do. A successful Golden Swan has acquired a level and depth of understanding of what a woman's life was like in a given time period that may be unequalled even in the highest academic circles.

In addition, the candidate will have a certain amount of acting ability, to stay in persona for a period of 36 hours. The judges and event organizers try to create a supportive atmosphere during the event for those undergoing the Golden Swan competition.

Golden Swan is held on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend in south-central BC.

Applicants must submit an application to the Shire of Appledore by June 30 of the year in which they wish to compete. This will consist of a general persona introduction (name, age, date and place of birth, marital status, occupation or occupation of father or husband, social standing, and any other relevant information), and a general bibliography. Applicants should also indicate which categories they intend to compete in (see the links to the left). A more detailed application will be required by August 15 if the applicant has been accepted. Candidates enter 10 categories. Eight are mandatory: Persona Development, Skills and Technologies, Costuming, Needlework, Correspondence, Everyday Life, Habitat and Food. The candidate must also choose 2 of the 3 following: Games and Pastimes, Performance, Survival Skills.

Personas must be historically based, not just SCA. Documentation is expected for the persona in general, as well as some minimal level for each category. Educate the judges by providing them with as much information as you can. Please note that all categories are open to anyone as individual contests.

Website: http://www.goldenswan.org/

Golden Swans

1984 Thyri Iris Eiriksdattir

                 Norway
                 Born 985
                 Currently 1008 
                 Jane Ann Lahmann

1984 Kyrsteen ap Sennan

                 Wales 
                 Born 1398
                 Currently 1421  
                 Joanne Burrows

1984 Gyelle Spence

                 Normandy
                 Born 1050
                 Currently 1080 
                 Laurel S. Burch

1984 Elspeth Aylena of Alnwick

                 England 
                 Born 1529
                 Currently 1547
                 Valorie Lennox

1985 Janet Marie MacBain

                 Scotland 
                 Born 1490
                 Currently 1511 
                 Anne Cave

1986 Eileen Falconer

                 England 
                 Born 1475                                  
                 Currently 1502
                 Delaine Faulkner

1987 Madelene de Vos

                 Belgium
                 Born 1423
                 Currently 1453
                 Brenda F. Nicolson

1989 Anthea de Northeton

                 no application on file
                         

1990 Helene von Gruner

                 England 
                 Born 1348
                 Currently 1365 
                 Leanne Mallory 

1990 Ilana M.M. di Firenze

                 Italy
                 Born 1353
                 Currently 1401 
                 Sharon Burrows 

1991 Adriana della Sangomano

                 Italy
                 Born 1455
                 Currently 1487 
                 Toby Chernoff 

1992 Meresigha Stonegatta

                 England
                 Born 872
                 Currently 916 
                 Jackie Lynch

1995 Aloise de Pont du Fosse

                 France
                 Born 1151
                 Currently 1187 
                 Susan Suisaidh

1998 Vigdis Bjornsdottir

                 Sweden
                 Born 809
                 Currently 852 
                 Melinda Shoop

1999 Osolbayajin

                 Mongolia
                 Born 1186
                 Currently 1230 
                 Kim Jacobs

1999 Nadezhda Igoreevna

                 Russia
                 Born 932
                 Currently 957  
                 Erin-Lee Halstad                                                                

2001 Walburga of Liege

                 Belgium
                 Born 1198
                 Currently 1230
                 Mary Defeo

2001 Agnes Kennet

                 England
                 Born 1326
                 Currently 1350

2001 Meryell Kennet

                 England
                 Born 1330
                 Currently 1350
                 Kiara Moran

2003 Alis Talairan de Perigord

                 Aquitaine (France)
                 Born ?
                 Currently 1152 
                 Anne Harwood

2003 Rose van den Burge

                 Belgium
                 Born 1421
                 Currently 1440
                 Shiela Campbell

2004 Saikhan

                 Mongolia  
                 Born 1255
                 Currently 1291
                 Marie Bauer-Woodard

2005 Iulia Aurelia

                 Britannia (Roman rule)
                 Born 401
                 Currently 450  Italy 
                 Sarah la Follette Urdahl

2005 Lucy Pogson

                 England
                 Born ?
                 Currently 1375
                 Judy Mulloy

2006 Anya the Gypsy

                 Hungary
                 Born 1534
                 Currently 1580

2010 Samira al Waddi

                 Spain
                 Born 1133
                 Currently 1175

2012 Marguerite FitzWilliam

                 Wales
                 Born 1133
                 Currently 1172
                 Barbara Beden-Hill 

2012 Meresigha Stonegatta

                 England 
                 Born 872
                 Currently 916
                 Jackie Lynch (second time)

2012 Alicia de Wilford

                 England 
                 Born 1331
                 Currently 1371 
                 Judy Harcus

2014 Diamante da Magenta

                 Italy
                 Born 1477
                 Carol Lewis

2014 Illuminada Eugenia de Guadalupe y Godoy

                 Lima, Peru
                 Born 1582
                 Currently 1614
                 L. Dinsmore

2014 Svala Gunarsdottir

                 Iceland    
                 Born 897
                 Currently 929                      
                 Shawna Cummings

2016 Cwrstyn verch Senann du Saone

                 Wales                        
                 Born 1398                      
                 Currently 1450
                 Joanne Burrows (second time)