Borealis
The Barony of Borealis (Edmonton, AB) is located in the Principality of Avacal.
The Baron and Baroness of Borealis are Vik Vikingsson and Inga the Unfettered
Baronial History The history of Borealis begins well before An Tir became a Kingdom. In 1978, at NONCON 1, several gentles, including Conrad, Cristiona, Alphonse and others from Edmonton became interested in the SCA. They started getting together for small feasts in Conrad’s basement as well as getting involved in fighting and the arts and sciences. At the time Edmonton was part of the Kingdom of the Middle but shortly thereafter the Kingdom borders shifted and we became a part of the Kingdom of the West. Not long after, work was begun on working towards becoming a Shire of the Kingdom of the West.
In 1981 we were successful in our endeavor and formally became a Shire of the Kingdom of West in the Principality of An Tir. That year, King Strider came up to participate in our Sherwood Park Medieval Days. Having seen the level of interest in the area, His Majesty suggested we try to become a Barony.
In February 1983, we successfully registered our Device and with the College of Heralds. The device is “Azure, two wolf's heads erased addorsed and conjoined at the neck argent within a laurel wreath Or” and the badge is “Azure, two wolf's heads erased addorsed and conjoined at the neck issuant from the battlements of a demi-tower argent”.
As in 1983 the SCA “bug” migrated to Cold Lake and people there became part of the Shire, contributing 5 new members. This increase in membership made it possible for the Shire to meet the numbers required for baronial status. At September Crown in Montengarde in 1984, Borealis was made a Barony. Conrad was Knighted and He and Cristiona became Baron and Baroness Borealis.
During the next few years the people in Cold Lake formed the Canton of the Lakelands. Sir Conrad and Cristiona moved to Camrose and formed the Canton of Schwanstein. The people in Lloydminister became interested and formed the Canton of Bordergate. Also during this time, the population in Edmonton slipped below the membership requirement for a Barony. In order to remain a Barony, permission was sought and granted by the Kingdom and the Board of Directors, to form the Barony out of Cantons only. This allowed us to count the Canton population towards Barony status. Thus the Canton of Aquilon (later to become Veraquilon then Vatnsdalr) was formed in Edmonton. Only by having no baronial core group would this arrangement be allowed. Later, Schwanstein and Bordergate dissolved as groups, but Veraquilon, and Stonewolf (Lakeland) still form the Barony.
In March 1993, Sir Conrad announced that he and Cristiona would be stepping down as Baron and Baroness. In the following months a ballot was held to indicate to the Kingdom who had the population’s support to take over this role In June at our Serjeant’s trials event their Royal Majesties Barak and Lao made Rorik and Helena Baron and Baroness. Rorik had just won May Crown, so the Baronial Champion at the time, Albrecht von Rugen, served as their Castelain during their reign as King and Queen.
In April 1994, Helena declared that she would be stepping down as Baroness. At May crown that year Rorik and he and Helena stepped down as Baron and Baroness and in July a ballot was held to gauge support for new candidates. King Darius and Queen Jacyntha chose Alfheim and Adeline as the new Castelains as part of Their last court at July Coronation. At Matsuda Takashi’s “wake” in November that year, held in Lakeland, they were made the Baron and Baroness of Borealis by King Rorik and Queen Berengaria.
In August, 1998, at Silverwolf, Alfheim and Adeline indicated they would be stepping down as Baron and Baroness, so successors were sought. After a polling in January, 1999, John Macleod the Black and Kirstin MacBheath were chosen as heirs and were installed at Spring Faire in Veraquilon , by King Aveloc and Queen Laurellen. At this same time, Their Majesties accepted the group in Grande Prairie as Incipient Canton of Vingaard (now Vinjar) as a Canton of Borealis.
In 2000 John MacLeod the Black and Kirstin MacBheath stepped down as Baron and Baroness of Borealis. After another poll, King Skapti and Queen Asa chose Magnus and Sidonia of Vingaard as the successors to the Baronial thrones. At Avacal February Investiture 2001, King Davin and Queen Groa invested Magnus and Sidonia as the new Baron and Baroness of Borealis.
During the History of the Barony visits by royalty were rare and therefore doubly welcome. In 1980 Prince Steingrim and Princess Lenora came to the fledgling group as did Their Highnesses Skelanus and Maelen and King Strider, as we became a Shire in 1981. In those days we garnered a reputation for making sure the royalty would enjoy their visit and kept their flagons filled with Borealis Mead. Their Majesties Manfred and Morwyn came in 1983 and then King Erik and Queen Meagan in 1987. In more recent times, their Majesties Thorkell and Hlutwige graced our St. Nick’s feast in 1991 and then Gunnarr and Gabriell came to our Spring Fair event in 1992. For the first time in our history, Borealis hosted a Crown tournament in September 1992 at which King Darius and Queen Jacyntha reigned, now known as the “Snow” crown. Their Majesties Barak and Lao came to our Serjeant’s trials in June 1993 to invest their new Baron and Baroness. Queen Jacyntha made our Spring Fair in March 1994 special, bringing Duchess Hlutwige along. Having a “home grown” king in Rorik gave the Barony the biggest taste of the royal experience during his two reigns in 1993 and 1994 bring his Queen, Berengaria to the investiture of their Excellencies Alfheim and Adeline in Oct. and St. Nicholas in December. In April 1999, King Aveloc and Queen Laurellen visited for the Baronial investiture. King Davin and Queen Groa grace us with Their presence at Quad War and in 2003 King Gunnarr and Queen Gabriell graced us as the Barony of Boralis hosted September Crown. There we witnessed TRH’s Skapti and Asa become heirs to the Throne of An Tir.
In October 2003, Their Majesties Gunnarr and Gabriell decreed that a polling be held to determine if the people of this great and expansive Barony still wished to have this unique structure. The people were asked if they felt the time had come to dissolve the current Barony and separate the three growing areas of Vatnsdalr (Edmonton), Stonewolf (Cold Lake) and Vinjar ( Grande Prairie) into their own areas to pursue independent growth. The results of the poll supported this choice and Their Majesties Gunnarr and Gabriell decreed that at Feast of the Evergreens in February 2004, Baron Magnus and Baroness Sidonia would join Their Highnesses Steinn and Gemma in the dissolution of the Barony of Borealis.
And so on February 7th, 2004, the great Barony of Borealis was dissolved, and the Shires of Vatnsdalr (Edmonton), Bordergate (Cold Lake) and Vinjar (Grande Prairie) were created. While it was a day of sadness and tears as we remembered what Borealis had meant to each one of us, it was also a day of joy for it marked a new beginning in the history of Avacal.
July 17, 2004, was the day Vatnsdalr was officially renamed the Shire of Borealis, by the SCA Inc. Board of Directors. Glad to have the name Borealis returned to the area, we were ready for the next step: Barony.
On November 26, 2005, Borealis resumed Baronial status as Vik Vikingsson and Inga the Unfettered were elevated by Their Majesties, Uther and Angharad, to be our new Baronial representatives.
- Borealis Spring Faire XXXVI/2002 attended by Their Majesties, Wilam and Siobhan