Æringunnr Yrsudóttir

Photo
Æringunnr shooting at Flaming Arrows 3, Belfast, AS 45/2010
Information
Resides: Seagirt Pronouns: Not specified Date Started: 1995 Awards: [No link added to Order of Precedence] Prefered Title: Not specified Offices:
Heraldry
Sable, a cross moline argent, in canton a bezant

Formerly known as Nadezhda Toranova.

SCA History

Part 1
Æringunnr, who was called Nadja in the old days, began her career with the College of Saint Giles in the Barony of Seagirt. She held various offices, eventually completing her Fellow of St Giles, and she dabbled in many aspects of the SCA, including both research and heavy fighting. In 1997, she travelled to the Kingdom of Drachenwald, where she stayed in Unikankare in the Barony of Aarnimetsä for several months. Over time, after her return to Seagirt, she was granted an award of arms, followed by a grant of arms. She travelled to various events, and was often found in the company of other women fighters, who eventually formed a fighting unit that some called the Battle Babes. In short, she had a lovely time.

Part 2
After several years of playing the real work began when she stepped up as the second Baroness of Seagirt with her husband, Liam MacBrennan at her side as Baron, in 2001. Together, Liam and Nadja served as Baron and Baroness for three years, during which time he was knighted and she joined the ranks of the Order of the Laurel. Shortly after turning the reins of the Barony over to their successors in 2004, they left Seagirt and the Principality of Tir Righ to travel to the lands of Insulae Draconis in the Kingdom of Drachenwald.

Part 3
For several years, little was heard from Nadja, though she would appear at events in Insulae Draconis from time to time. When she re-emerged to play actively again it was as Æringunnr, a 12th-century Icelander. In February 2010, Liam won the first coronet tourney of the Principality of Insulae Draconis, making Æringunnr princess.
Æringunnr and Liam have now returned to Seagirt, where they are slowly re-integrating into the Barony. But now, their hearts are torn between two Kingdoms and two Principalities...

Awards

• First princess of Insulae Draconis, Kingdom of Drachenwald (March AS 44 / 2010 - August AS 45 / 2010)
• Became a member of the Order of the Laurel at Ursulmas XXXVI/2002
• A landed Baroness of Seagirt with Liam mac Brennan (January 2001-January 2004)
• Fellow of the College of Saint Giles (University of Victoria Medieval Club)

Whereabouts

Joining the SCA in the Barony of Seagirt, Mistress Æringunnr has also travelled to the Kingdom of Drachenwald, residing for a time in the Canton of Unikankare (1997-98) and layer in the Shire of Harpelestane, (2004-2010). She has since returned to An Tir.

Known Accomplices

Liam and Æringunnr at Insulae Draconis Coronet tournament. AS 45 / 2010

Æringunnr is married to Liam mac Brennan, who served with her as 2nd Baron and Baroness of Seagirt as well as the first Prince and Princess of Insulae Draconis. Their son is named Jamie.

She has one apprentice: Abigail, living in the Barony of Seagirt and one student, Rashid al-Qasim, who insists on refering to her as Mu'allima, much to her embarrassment!

Her SCA family include: Yrsa Ketilsdottir, Thorin Olafsson, Nikolai Thoranovich, Seth Starr

Other members of the household she shares with Sir Liam include: Asbiorn inn eyverski, Alexander of Derlington, of Pont Alarch and Elena de Cordoba, of Harpelestane.

Interests

archaeology: mortuary, settlement, identity, gender, life cycle, and ethical issues

Norse: archaeology, culture, migration, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Vinland, Russia, sagas, legal codes, and language

Russia (primarily Kievan Rus): archaeology, history, culture, literature, language, calligraphy, settlements, Novgorod, Kiev, and religion

Anglo-Saxon: archaeology, literature, poetry and language

Misc SCA interests: heraldry, folklore/legends, food, calligraphy, costuming

My artefact images

Persona History

This is a work in progress as Æringunnr has only just jumped in time.

Æringunnr was born in Iceland in AD 1096. Her family occupied a farm in the Myvatn region of northern Iceland and was reasonably prosperous for several years. She has something of a strong personality and high expectations, so her father despaired of her ever marrying and leaving home. She had several siblings, most of whom made names for themselves, but Æringunnr couldn't seem to leave her father in peace.

By the 1120s, the farm began to struggle as the land grew tired. It was strange - some farms around the lake were doing fine, but others really struggled. The seemingly random nature of the problems led her father to suggest that maybe there was some relation between her temper and the family's economic difficulties. He suggested that she might go on a pilgrimage. A long pilgrimage. Æringunnr agreed and after taking on her mother's name instead of her father's, she left for Rome.

It was a long trek to Rome. Along the way, Æringunnr met and travelled with many interesting characters. The most interesting was a young Irish knight who had also found his way to Rome. He was en route to Sicily to join Count Roger's forces. Æringunnr decided to join him. Together they went to Palermo and on the whim of the Count's wife, Elvira, they were married rather suddenly after arriving. Æringunnr is still trying to decide if she will ever return home to Iceland for a visit.

Infamy

Princess Æringunnr at Seagirt's Daffodil Tournament, AS 45 / 2010. Sir Liam was also present, in banner-form