Barak Ravensfuri

Also known as: Barak de Noirville. His highest award was Lion of An Tir. He was a Knight, a Pelican and a Royal Peer. He was one of the Ravensfuri brothers: Mischka Ravensfuri, Davin Steingrimsson, Dungadar Ravensfuri, Garan Steingrimson, Gunther Ravensfuri, Skeggi Hrafensfuri, and Skapti Thorinsson.

• Reigned once as King of An Tir

This gentle's name has been added to the Scroll of Honor.

"Barak is picked on by his Ravensfuri brethren, who are currently dictating this posting while drinking good red wine. They would like to share another photo, but I will not be party to the inadvertent exposure of gratuitous obnoxiousness to unsuspecting viewers of this page. However, the boys feel the photo (below right) to be indicative of Barak and I find it less offensive than the first suggestion."

Memories

Greetings, AnTir. I am greatly saddened to announce the passing of one of AnTir's leading lights, Jarl Barak Ravensfuri. Please join with me in offering our condolences to Duchess Lao and the rest of Barak's family and friends, who are now grieving. Their pain is surely immeasurable. (edited by Lao to read:) You may send condolences for the Ravensfury Brothers and his family directly to laohats(at)hotmail(dot)com

Further information will be forthcoming from Jarl Barak's family. In the meantime, please help keep the rumor machine under control and instead focus on helping us all to cope with this great loss.

In Service,

Master Andras Truemark Squire to Jarl Barak Ravensfuri, Lion of AnTir Posted to the Steps November 18, 2008

Pictures

Here's some recent photos from his Facebook album (forwarded by Lao). Additional pics are available at Special Pages - Uploaded Images:

== Barak Bucks == Reprinted by permission of Ian Cnulle, the Moneyer of Silberbyrg

At Barak and Lao's Coronation, there were half a dozen of us An Tirian moneyers, although we had not yet started the process of seeking Guild status. This was the second time we presented Royal largesse coins. They were very special - hot struck Byzantine style coppers (as appropriate for a Varangian) - the first (to the best of our knowledge) hot striking done in the Knowne Worlde - and we had all participated in minting them. There hadn't been time to do the presentation in Court, but TRMs graciously arranged a private audience to receive them. Still splendidly garbed all in white, TRMs awaited us at the end of a hallway, Barak doing his best to look regal enthroned on a plastic chair. We approached as a group, bearing our tools and banner, and knelt, proffering a small wooden pyx containing a hundred heavy pieces. Barak leaned foreward, gravely peering into the box, and then broke out with "WHOA! COOL!!!"

Kings are generally - and sometimes demonstratively - happy to receive coins, but Barak's response was the most memorable. The king bust die from that coin was later used with a new die with the +H emblem of St. Hildegard's (designed by Lao) to strike the first of the St. Hildegard circulating copper $1 tokens. For the first couple of years, it was the only design type (out of ultimately 44 different designs). At 30th Year Celebration, Barak told us that {we} had made him the most famous man in the SCA by virtue of minting about 6,000 coins with his (iconic) image and name on them, traveling to the ends of the Knowne Worlde. Naturally, people spontaneously called them "Barak Bucks" (and the name stuck for all types, regardless of design, issued over a dozen years), and we heard usages occur, such as "putting in my two Barak's worth" in conversations.

Toward the end of the reign, Barak led the Army of An Tir at An Tir/West War. Another member of the Moneyers' Guild, Thomas Nothelm had, on his own initiative, minted several thousand fighter pay tokens to give to everybody who fought for An Tir at that war. Unfortunately, Thomas decided to distribute the coins to all of the fighters on the battlefield just before the first battle of the war. The problem is that people in armor don't have their pouches (or accessible pockets) to put such things in. After some general confusion, the question of what to do was referred to His Majesty for an executive decision. Barak's response was, "Tell them to put them in their cup!". The mental image of the Army of An Tir charging across the field with their crotches jingling will live with me forever.

View the catalog of Barak Bucks [here http://numismaticon.com/catalog/Saint-Hildegard/coins/1]

== In the Before Time; In the Long Ago == by Rafny / young_raven Many years ago, Barak Jarl made an oath. To Duke Steingrim and in front of the assembled Varangian Guard, he swore that one day he would become a duke, or else he would pay over one hundred ounces of silver to His Grace to be used for the benefit of the Guard. In the years that followed, there was much gentle ribbing between Steingrim and Barak, and the oath was never forgotten.

As his friends -as a very real part of his family- we could see this oath fulfilled for him. We could gather together, in one place, one hundred ounces of silver. And when this is done and Steingrim holds Barak to have fulfilled his oath, the funds thus raised would go to an organization that helps to prevent suicide. Maybe half on the Canadian side and half on the US side. We could do this as part of the way in which we remember and honor our friend who is gone.

== The Wave and Cliff == Copyright November 2008, reprinted by permission of John R. Schmidt, aka Sir John Theophilous

Grey sea and grey cliff in grey month
wave upon wave upon wave beating foam
Sometimes in rain, sometimes in dark.
The cliff eternal, the wave renewed--
both echos of distant turmoiled birthing.
The cliff, distant in time, the time of gods;
the wave, distant in place, beyond memory.
The ephemeral wave always returns, permanent.
The permanent cliff erodes, ephemeral.
To the God's eyes.

Winter comes. Some hold homesteads hard;
some willingly withstand weather.
Some seek surer shelter--
May great gods gather them in.
No decision is born of weakness;
though we may judge strength misused
What man may judge another's choice in this,
Truely. Without self, at night's dark,
all have some urge to move on.

The largest wave hits stone the hardest;
Against endurance great strength can be destroyed.
Waves remain even after the cliff;
waves of words and memory, like Odin's ravens.
Hold high the memories, let the words surge.
Remember the oaths, the victories, the times.
Remember the man who brought them about.

I will cast two ounces of silver to redeem his word;
I never found it false, though I may not have found it pleasing.

Letters to a Squire

Excerpted from a series of letters written by Countess Lao (circa 1987-88), to Squire Barak, whose courage and perseverance in the lists, inspired her to write them...Printed by permission of lao yu, lion duchess

The Fourth...
As mortal cloth surrounds the man,
so virtue must enrobe the soul.
The richest robe that can be worn
is virtue’s cloak---noblest of all...

...Refinement and propriety
imbues with grace your every deed.
Compassion towards less-fortuned men
will more empower than impede...

...With diligence pursue your goal
with vigor that is unrelenting;
With inner strength of titan scale---
formidable and never ending...

The Last...
Such sagas spring from courtly love:
all words are writ to contemplate,
all motions made to stir and wake,
all favors held in innocence.
Emotions stayed by obeisance
to those who hold eachother’s hearts.

The time has come for swords to sing,
for shields to clash and steel helms ring
with valiant deed. In battle’s din
all foes vanquished --- one left standing
to lay claim to the Throne and Crown ---
the next Crown Prince, heir soon to reign.

As others were, so shall we be:
magnificent in epic deed,
nobility in high esteem,
the gardeners of chivalry,
the keepers of the Crown and Dream,
when you are King, and I am Queen...