Dáirine ingen Niáll of Oak Hill
Lady Dáirine ingen Niáll of Oak Hill
Dairine ingen Niàll, known in the Mundane world as Doreen Gunkel, is an early period Scots-Irish lass from the Island of Bara.
Doreen lives in Los Alamos, New Mexico - Known as the Shire of Drygestan in the Kingdom of the Outlands in the SCA. She works as a Health Physics Technician at the Los Alamos National Laboratories.
Doreen is an avid fighter, starting out as the first authorized female rapier fighter in Meridies in 1996, and becoming an authorized heavy fighter in 1998. She recieved her AoA in June of 1999. Doreen is very much involved in service, and was made a protégé to Companion Inguz sigrun Miksdottir in April of 2004.
Dáirine's Autobiograph
My name is Dairine Ingen Niall. My father is a ship builder and Clan Chief from the Isle of Barra. It is 1045. We live in Kisimul Castle. This large stone fortress has been in existence for many years as our family settled here in 1030 and my father and clan members built it. The castle in a very secure place as it sits on a small piece of land away from the main shore of the island. We need a boat to get to our lands and fields. I was born in Armagh, in Ire and made the journey with my mother and father to these islands called The Western Isles though I was still young. My father knew of a place we could call our own here and so we settled. He was the 21st descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages who was the founder of our Clan in Ire called the Ui` Niall. He is the first Chief here on Barra. My grand Da is Aodh O’Neill, he is still in Ire though he is very old.
We have been a Royal family for many generations on Ire with many cattle. Here we have maintained our royal ties but content our selves with ship building and the occasional sea rescue of merchants who find our seas inhospitable. Occasionally we do find time to support projects that help out the ruling court.
Life in general is of a tribal nature. We all depend on one another for our wellbeing. If one is suffering we all suffer for it. That is the nature of the life here on Barra.
Cattle, horses, and pigs are the basis for our economy as it is in Ire. We also have become proficient in ship building and raiding as the season permits. We hold the cattle with as much import here in the new settlements. Also, we grow sheep, goats, and pigs, mostly for milk , meat, and fiber. A cow is a bit large for slaughter except on feast days and for storage against the wolf of winter.
On Feast days we have a grand time with much food and drink to share. Our honey is the best in all the islands here about and we make much mead with it. I think sack is my favorite. We raise fowl for eggs and meat. Hunting and fishing are also a means to add to our considerable stores at the castle. I know ye may think we cannot live on meat alone….this being true, we do like our grains which we turn into breads and cakes. Greens are a definite addition to our diet as well as herbs of many kinds that are used to season our foods and make medicines. We are a robust and healthy people though we are a bit war like having come from the Northman’s stock.
For many years, in both lands, we have endured the raids of the Northman with blonde and red hair. They have left a mark on us in many ways, some in our natures, some in appearance. We have been wanderers not satisfied in the settled life of the land locked folk. The sea has called to us for as long as legend would tell. There is even a story that makes the rounds that my ancestor was not descended from Noah as the Niall had his own boat.
Daily life at the castle depends very much on the season. In the spring the humans are awakening and starting to move about again to see who made the winter, which can be very harsh in this area, and who is to be remembered. Our shareholders spend much of this time setting out the fields for the small amounts of grain we require for use and trade. The wives put in the gardens that are needed to sustain the families, herbs and greens are a staple. The cattle, goats and sheep are taken to the new pastures to start to fatten up and to await the arrival of the newly born. The fowl are setting at this time also. The sheep are sheared and the fleeces stored for use in the winter as there will be time to process it into many things of value to us. The houses are cleaned and aired out as is the bedding and clothing.
In the summer we do get a bit of a rest. The men like to go out and fish while the seas are calm. Sometimes they find things and bring them back. Some times they go out raiding. The Northman’s blood runs strong in our race.
In the fall we spend much time gathering in the fields and storing and preparing for the winter times when we will be shut in away from the rest of the world. There is slaughtering to do, smoking of meat and rendering of fat. Many herbs are dried and store for the coming days. It is a time of hurried activities because as slow as summer seems to move, winter is very swift and it would be very bad to get caught unprepared.
Winter is a time for us to hunker down. If we were bears we would just find nice deep dens to sleep peacefully through this season. But, we are not. We must tend to those beings who depend on us for their very survival. They maybe four legged, they may be two. I make it a habit to go on rounds about once a week and check on our sharemen and their families. Some are quit elderly and some have very young families and both will need extra care.
Depending on your social standing clothing is a precious commodity. We womenfolk and a few of the men spend a good deal of time preparing to make clothe or in the actual tasks of spinning, weaving. Men may not dye clothe though as it is viewed by many women to be bad luck. Sewing is also reserved for women of noble birth, therefore, all of the clothing that is needed in the castle is made by my mother, myself, and the other relations who belong to our clan. Foot wear is also important as no respectable person would be seen without shoes. Clothe is made from the hides and fibers of our sheep, goats, horses, and cattle. We use the downy feathers of our birds for padding and many other things. The plants and minerals and insects as well as the sea provide us materials for decoration and cloth making and dying. We are a colorful people. The brighter the colors we can make the happier we are. But, through the laws set down by our wise ones, we may only wear a certain number of them at one time as is proper for our station. We may also only own a certain number of sets of clothes.
I, being a woman of some rank, hold a goodly place in my world. My chief tasks of husbandry, management, manufacturing, and entertaining make me a very valuable catch for any man. His standing is tied to my thrift. Some examples of these tasks are to look after things in the castle, stock the goods for winter, potential sieges and for the well being of those who work for us. I am a healer and know the use of herbs to help the sick. I have little to do with the boat craft my father shares with the other men of our area. He says that I am needed to look after the affairs that make life good for us all. One day he says I may be found a suitable husband, but until that time, I need to learn all there is to know about running a home. As the daughter of a nobleman, I do have some privileges under the law. I do have to suffer the indignanty of an arranged marriage, but, my bride price is very high and so I will almost certainly find someone who will provide for me as is proper for my station.
I will get to take my possessions with me. In fact no woman would dream of going to a marriage without the tools that allow her to be productive. These consist of the wares to take care of the cattle and dairying that goes with them, also, the wares of household maintenance such as buckets, brooms, bedding, dishes and so forth. I would also be expected to have the tools to make clothing for my family and home. Clothe is made from flax and wool. There is the distaff and spindles and combs and beaters. Dye stuffs would also be brought to my new home that I would be able to brighten the world of my husband and make him proud. As I am a noble woman, I was fostered with my clan back in Armagh when I was 6 summers so that I may learn to sew and manage a home that was not mine of birth. I met many people during this time and learned how important it is for social standing that I be able to manage a home for my husband and Clan.
I am glad that I also have the right under the law to leave and come home under certain instances and will suffer no ill to my reputation. I do hope he finds me a husband who is from a clan that is kind. I will have to leave this island and live with my husband’s family. I may return if he dies but the bride price will have to be returned by his family. If they are a poor family, they may not have it to return. This could be very bad for them and unpleasant for me.