Rashida bint Yusuf

Rashida bint Yusuf
The "Red Archer of Wastekeep"!
Information
Resides: Dragon's Mist Date Started: An Tir May Crown 2013 Awards: Order of Precedence Offices: Kingdom Missile Combat Marshal, Dragon's Mist Earl Marshal and Archery Marshal
Heraldry & Badge
Gules, a pair of calipers and in chief three crescents argent each crescent charged with a mullet of six points sable.
(Fieldless) A pair of calipers and two arrows in saltire gules.

HL Rashida bint Yusuf is mostly known for archery, marshaling, and asking how she can help you. She can also identify the insects in your encampment.

Background and History

Historically Speaking

In July 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain, and so Joseph the Tailor and his pregnant wife Mira left the country rather than go into hiding. After months on the road, they, like an increasing number of Sephardim, accepted the invitation from Sultan Bayezid II to settle in Ottoman lands and become citizens of the Ottoman Turkish empire.

Said Bayezid II, The Just, in comment to Spain on the Inquisition and subsequent flood of Jews immigrating to his lands, "You venture to call Ferdinand a wise ruler, he who has impoverished his own country and enriched mine!" Indeed, Joseph and Mira found the Sephardic Jewish community in Istanbul welcoming, a place of learning and comparative religious freedom. Still a bit distrustful of standing out, given their recent experiences in Spain, Joseph and Mira decided that their new daughter should be integrated into the local community and named her "Rashida bint Yusuf", Rashida, the daughter of Joseph, according to Turkish convention.

Rashida spent most of her time in the 1520s working with her father as a tailor`s assistant. As she made more and more deliveries to clients in the upper classes, she eventually found herself joining the ranks of Jewish women who were kiras to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. A kira was a woman (usually Jewish, but also Greek or Albanian) who acted as personal merchants to the women of Suleiman’s harem, bringing them goods to buy from different markets.

On these many trips to the Old Palace and the New Palace (Topkapi), buying and selling wares, Rashida would occasionally come across discarded items she might not have found otherwise….

A Little More Modern

At some point, seeking greater freedom to travel, enamored with bow and armor scavenged from the streets, Rashida joined a caravan as a seamstress, seeking to explore a bigger world of possibilities. She eventually found her way to the northern isles, where an archer of great renown saw her shooting anonymously in a skirmish. He and his Lady took her under their wing in their castle and estates.

In these modern Middle Ages, Rashida is a member of the Order of the Grey Goose Shaft-- a dependable target archer and a noted combat archer. She marshals… A LOT. When she stands still, a cloud of children sometimes forms around her, awaiting the next youth activity. When she`s on the move, and not doing archery, marshaling all the things, or working with youth, she might be dancing, beading, armoring, embroidering, being a waterbearer, or looking for a place to sit down. She has also rediscovered a great love of group sing-a-longs. All knowledge is worth having, and Rashida loves nothing better than learning something new.

…. Sometimes, Rashida even remembers to eat her lunch!

Alternative History

Occasionally, you can find Rashida shooting with The Chandlers Guild Militia of Ghent under the name "Beatrix Iager".

Where's Rashida?

(Rashida is not on Facebook!)
Rashida plans to attend the following events in 2024, cancellations subject to Real Life and additions as new events are announced....
- An Tir 12th Night, January
- Carnivale, February (Dragon's Mist, Event Marshal in Charge)
- Baroness War, April (Vulcanfeldt, Missile Combat MIC and Missile Marshal class)
- May Crown, May (Inlands)
- Dragon's Mist Champions, June (Event Steward)
- An Tir West War, July (Missile Combat MIC)
- Acorn War, September (Shire of Mountain Edge, planned Missile Combat MIC)
- Autumn War, September (BAO+Madrone, planned Missile Combat MIC and maybe a class)
- Boar's Head, September (Dragon's Mist)
- Baron's Ball, October (Wastekeep)

SCA Résumé

The Basics

Resident of:

Dragon's Mist (April 2018 – present)

Wastekeep (May 2013 – March 2018)

Protégé of Sarra the Brave, Order of the Pelican

Warband: Member of The Chandlers Guild Militia of Ghent

Yeomen I've sponsored into the Sergeantry: Ragnar Aðelstan (Wastekeep)

My enthusiastic Man-at-Arms: Beren Styrkarsson

Grateful to my Archery Dads Ronan Mackay (Summer 2014 – Summer ’19) and Tryggr Tyresson (Summer 2019 – Spring 2023) for their guiding hands, and proud to be a Sergeant Emeritus (Yeoman) of Wastekeep!

Awards and Championship Titles

Rashida's OP Entry

Offices

Family Activities Coordinator, Wastekeep, Fall 2013 - Winter 2015

Baronial YAC Marshal, Wastekeep, Summer 2014 – January 2018

Inlands Regional Archery Marshal, Spring 2016 – March 2018

Baronial Archery Marshal, Wastekeep, August 2016 – January 2018

Deputy Inlands Regional YAC Marshal to HL Steinbjorn Tros, 2016 – March 2018

Youth Archery Marshal, Dragon’s Mist, September 2019 – present

Baronial Archery Marshal, Dragon’s Mist, October 2020 - present

Baronial Earl Marshal, Dragon's Mist, July 2021 - present

Kingdom Missile Combat Contingency Deputy, July 2022 - July 2023

Kingdom Missile Combat Marshal, July 2023 - present

Event Stewardship

Co-Event Steward of Wastekeep Springfest 2015

Co-Event Steward of Wastekeep Seargent`s Trials 2017

Co-Event Steward of Wastekeep Yule 2017

Co-Event Steward of Dragon's Mist Champions 2023

Event Steward of Dragon's Mist Champions 2024

Marshal Authorizations

Search for Rashida at the An Tir Lists Database

Other: I have a current SCA Background Check.

YAC MIC Events

Wastekeep Springfest 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Wastekeep Baron`s Ball 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Vulkanfeldt Baroness War/ Hoping Phules (Vulkanfeldt) 2016, 2017

Akornebir Newcomers’ Event 2017

An Tir May Crown 2017

July Coronation 2023

Autumn War 2022

Target archery MIC Events

Wastekeep Baron’s Ball 2016, 2017

Akornebir Newcomers’ Event 2017, 2022

Wastekeep Springfest 2017, 2023

Tri-Batt Missile Tournament and Dragon’s Mist Martial Championship 2019

Dragon's Mist Boar’s Head 2019

Dragon's Mist Carnivale 2023

Acorn War 2023

Dragon's Mist Champions 2024

Rashida has also sponsored archery shoots at a number of events.

Missile Combat MIC Events

Mountain Edge Acorn War 2018, 2019, 2023

An Tir West War 2023, 2024

Baroness War 2024

Event Marshal in Charge

Dragon's Mist Carnivale 2023
Dragon's Mist Carnivale 2024

Events Where I've Marshaled (Any Discipline)

2014: An Tir West War, Baroness War, Springfest, Baron's Ball, Autumn War

2015: Springfest, Baron's Ball

2016: Springfest, Baron's Ball, Baroness War, Greenwood Faire (Demo event)

2017: Springfest, Baron's Ball, Baroness War, Akornebir Newcomer's Event, May Crown, Archeryfest, As You Like It, Greenwood Faire (Demo event)

2018: Springfest, Acorn War

2019: Tri-Batt Tourney, Boar's Head, Acorn War, May Crown, Springfest

Then Rashida looked around and saw it was a good time to take a nap and stay home at the keep for a little while....

2022: An Tir West War, Akornebir Newcomer's Event, Autumn War, Baron's Ball

2023: Carnivale, May Crown, Dragon's Mist Champions

2024: May Crown, Dragon's Mist Champions

Publications and Classes Taught

Missile Combat Marshaling short course/ intro: Baroness War 2018, 2024

How to compile an archery repair kit: Wastekeep Yule 2017, Boar's Head 2019

Rashida's articles about archery basics may be found in the following issues of the Dragon's Tongue: November 2018, July 2019, February 2020, November 2020

“All About Bows”, Youth Archery class: Carnivale 2020

"YOU can YAC Marshal", Junior YAC Marshal authorizations course: Autumn War 2022, Baron's Ball 2022, Terra Pomaria March Marshalate 2023

"Make a Drawstring Pouch", Youth crafting activity, Occoquan Arts and Crafts Show 2022 (Mundane event, craft could be taught at SCA events)

“Getting Started in Combat Archery”, class materials developed with Archos Dearhail: Rose and Thorn Symposium 2022

"Special Feature: How to Make Foam Target Butts", Dragon's Tongue January 2024 issue

Special Activities

Official Minion to the Event Steward, An Tir May Crown 2014 and 2016

Lady in Waiting to HG Dagrun Stjarna, July 2014- January 2015

Renew and improve Wastekeep YAC loaner gear, 2016

Queen’s Guard to HG Dagrun Stjarna, January- July 2017

Woodburned blasted tree design into wooden awl; Wastekeep Baronial Awl for waterbearers, Springfest 2017

Creation of 3 Baronial marshaling staves for Dragon's Mist, July 2022

Created the Dragon’s Mist event archery range: stands, fabricated butts, quality of life bits, December 2022 - March 2023

"Green" largesse: I make a lot of largesse, but wanted to challenge myself to make some using stash-only supplies. I made 45 bead-weighted cup covers featuring an embroidered blackwork element! Completed August 2023

Pretty Neat

2nd place finish at An Tir Kingdom Protector competition 2016