Sirkka the Shieldflattner

Sirkka the Shieldflattener: How she got her name

Personally, I think that on the seventh day of the siege, Sirkka, in a fit of revengeful anger because her favorite chicken had been stolen by the enemy, dressed in men's clothing, sneaked into the sleeping camp and set fire to several tents. This of course set off the enemy chieftain and in retaliation sent a volley of arrows into the stockade village. One of the arrows killed Sirkka's favorite pig. Again, incensed at the seeming personal attack, Sirkka dressed to kill and two hours after sundown, sneaked into the sleeping camp, where she cleverly attached short nails to one of the hooves of all the horses and donkeys. At dawn, she attached a burning torch to the tail of a fox and set it free into the awakening camp.

In an uproar, all the men raced to harness donkeys to supply wagons and mount horses. Of course the short nails did their work and no animal cooperated with their master because of the pain.

to be continued…

--Treasa of the Gardened Hills

Lady Sirkka the Shieldflattener as of March 2008 is now knowne as Tifaine de La Mare anf resides in Sweethaven, Heron's Reach, An Tir.