Arnóra Grimsdottir
Current Office:
Lowenmahne Herald An Tir
Deputy Seneschal Barony of Wealdsmere
Sable Sable Contingency Deputy An Tir
Fealty:
Apprentice to Mistress Rolynnda of the Azurestone, OL
Protégé to the late Mistress Piasa Dragonsaver OP
Protege to Dame Abigail Kitchener OP
Service on Retinue
HRH Alyssa of Cameokeepe, Princess Oertha
HRH Katarzina, Princess Oertha
HRH Margarita de Calvi, Princess Oertha
HE Penelope O’Sulieabein, Baroness Eskalya
HE Kelta Bri Lieth, Baroness Wealdsmere
HRM Dagrun Stjarna, Queen An Tir
TE Osrik and Sigrun, Baron and Baroness Wealdsmere
HRM Helene d'Anjou, Queen An Tir
HRM Sha’ya Kjartanskona, Queen An Tir
Major Awards:
Award of Arms (West 1992)
Order of the Jambe de Lion (An Tir 2008)
Order of the Goutte de Sang (An Tir 2004)
Companion of the Diamond Willow (Oertha 1992)
Princess’ Riband (Oertha 1993)
Order of the Ivory Quatrefoil (Barony of Eskalya 1993)
Lady of the Chamber (Oertha) Jul 24, 1994 (AS XXIX)
Order of the Golden Osprey (Barony of Wealdsmere 2008)
Baronesses Favor (Barony of Eskalya 1991)
Patrons Favor - Unicorns Heart (Grimwithshire 2007)
Order of the Golden Acorn (Wealdsmere 2017)
Order of the Golden Oak (Wealdsmere 2018)
Bountiful Hand (An Tir 2018)
Order of the Black Sleeve (Wealdsmere 2018)
My persona is an 11th Century Norsewoman. I live in the northern lands of Yorkshire during the reign of King Cnut. My husband sailed from Scandinavia exploring the far islands and liked the new land well enough to bring his bride there to live. My family settled down to the farming life in their new home and I raised my 5 children in peace and comfort. When my first husband died I ran a market stall in the nearby town selling soaps, cheeses and breads. As a successful businesswoman I enjoy the respect of my neighbors and the fruits of a long life in my retirement with a new husband.
In the winter it amuses me to assume my alternate persona of Annora de Montoya and do a bit of time-hopping to take on the dress of a Lady of the Tudor Court and mingle with the nobility in London.
First event ever attended was in 1979 in the Principality of the Mists, West Kingdom. I moved to Oertha in 1980, and was active there until the outbreak of the first Gulf War when I joined the military; I remained mostly inactive during my 8 years in the Air Force, only playing occasionally. In 2001, I moved to An Tir and got back into regular activity with the SCA, first serving the nearby Barony, then by throwing my full dedication into creating a new branch in previously unclaimed lands. I served that branch non-stop until 2009 when my husband suffered a stroke and three weeks later my son was hit head-on by a drunk driver and I backed away from the SCA to focus on their recovery. In 2011 I was forced to take a break again due to my husband’s second stroke and cancer surgery. His recovery was long and arduous and took my full attention. Soon after this we left An Tir for 6 years, choosing to travel full-time in his retirement. We eventually returned to our beloved Spokane and purchased a home in the Suncrest area in January of 2016. I currently am a subject of the Barony of Wealdsmere.
I have three great joys in the SCA: administration, scribal arts and event stewarding. I participate at one level or another in many, many other areas especially cooking, but I always gravitate to my chosen three.
SCA Experience:
I have 11 years combined experience as a branch seneschal across two Kingdoms:
Seneschale for Barony of Selveirgard, Oertha 1991 - 1994
Deputy Seneschale for Barony of Selveirgard, Oertha 1990 - 1991
Seneschal of Grimwithshire, An Tir 2002 - 2005
Deputy Seneschal of Grimwithshire, An Tir 2005 - 2007
Deputy Seneschal for Barony of Wealdsmere, March 2018 -
As a Seneschal it is my duty to work to create an atmosphere of discussion and cooperation that keeps in mind the goals set forth by the SCA Inc., the Crown/Coronets/B&B, the council and the populace. To act as the legal representative for the SCA, Inc. in my area. As the local representative for the SCA, Inc. I feel is also my duty and obligation to conduct myself at all times mindful of the visibility and responsibility entailed in the office I hold.
Other offices held:
Sable Sable Contingency Deputy, Kingdom of An Tir (current)
Lowenmahne Herald, Kingdom of An Tir (current)
Deputy Seneschale, Barony of Wealdsmere (current)
Scribe, Barony of Wealdsmere
Interim Deputy Chronicler, Barony of Wealdsmere
Lions Blood Clerk, Kingdom of An Tir
Herald Pursuivant, Grimwithshire
Deputy Seneschal, Grimwithshire
Seneschal, Grimwithshire
Chronicler, Barony of Wealdsmere
Chronicler, Shire of Selveirgard
Seneschal, Selveirgard (Two terms)
Deputy Seneschal, Selveirgard
Constable, Selveirgard
Each of these jobs afforded opportunities for growth, learning and cooperation with others. In each I strived to do the very best job I could. All are positions of trust and responsibility, all are important to the successful operation of a branch. In only one did I fail to live up to my commitment; Lions Blood Clerk. Family medical crisis occurred and I had to step down before ever getting any of the job done, indeed it created a mess for others to clean up, a situation I regret to this day.
Branch Creation:
I was one of the two original organizers and first Seneschal of Grimwithshire.
I first began discussions with Guy Grimsson on organising like-minded people in 2002 with an eye towards formation of a shire in the unclaimed lands of Stevens and Pend Oreille counties. Utilizing the Steps email list and others to network interested individuals. Within two years we had gathered 17 people. In my capacity as provisional seneschal during incipiency I worked closely with the Kingdom New Branches Deputy, other Seneschals, our sponsor Branch seneschal and the various Kingdom officers necessary for a shire to train, equip and assist our new officers. I researched the concept of Royal Patrons and interviewed prospective Royal Peers and presented the prospects to the group, who selected Their Graces Gunnar and Gabrielle.
Our branch Herald worked closely with our sponsor Herald to research names and all members put forth ideas. I proposed Grimwith after a medieval hamlet in the Yorkshire Dales that had been covered by a reservoir in 1888. I appended shire in the historical regional fashion, the branch members approved the name and the name passed the College of Heralds on our first submission. I assisted in the design of our Branch device. I invited Kingdom officers to come and teach our people. I bought and maintained a full library of reference documents for the branch, made branch regalia and officers regalia. I set up and administered our Yahoo group. Working closely with the Kingdom seneschal I wrote our initial branch Charter, worked with the council on revisions and assisted the exchequer in writing our branch financial policy. I illuminated and calligraphed our Incipiency Petition. We successfully navigated the inevitable turmoil of any fledgling group and when I handed over the office to my successor the branch had achieved full shire status, doubled in size, produced a knight and several Grant level awardees and had the full slate of shire officers. It was a thriving, vibrant group with two very popular events per year and an active A&S and fighting culture.
Helping to bring this group to fruition is one of my proudest SCA achievements.
Event Steward:
This is one of my great joys and I believe I am quite good at it. As Event Steward I always take on a co-steward who wants to learn the ropes and teach them how to run a successful event. As Steward my duties included finding and securing suitable sites, selection of Feast steward, Gate Supervisor, War Planners, A&S staff, Merchant Coordinator and other event staff as necessary. Working with War Staff, class instructors and Royals to create a schedule. Create site schedule, maps and site copy handouts. Insure all copy is in to the Crier/Kingdom calendar in timely fashion. Make or arrange artisans to make site tokens. Monitor event activities and schedule flow. Organize and train site volunteers, site clean up staff and arrange suitable thank yous for same. Promote the event via flyers, online buzz and word of mouth. Prepare and give pre-event reports to Council and insure the post-event paperwork is handed in in a timely manner. All of my events have been well attended and all have produced a profit to the group.
Event Steward Experience:
An Tir July Coronation 2019
Barony of Wealdsmere Celtic Revolt 2018
Grimwithshire feast “Guardians Tourney of the Wolves” 2010
Grimwithshire war event "Grim Offensive" 2008
Grimwithshire war event "Grim Offensive" 2006
Grimwithshire war event "Grim Offensive" 2005
co-steward Avacal-Inlands War 2004
Wealdsmere Octoberfeast 2002
Selveirgard Yule 1993
Selveirgard war event “Spring Offensive” 1993
Selveirgard war event “Spring Offensive” 1992
Selveirgard Yule 1992
Selveirgard war event “Spring Offensive” 1991
Feast Steward:
An Tir Kingdom Feast 2018: First Breakfast
Wealdsmere Octoberfeast 2017
Grimwith Tournament of the Wolves 2007
Grimwith Tournament of the Wolves 2004
Selveirgard Spring Offensive 1993
Selveirgard Spring Offensive 1992
Selveirgard Yule 1992
Selveirgard Spring Offensive 1991
Feast Team Member:
Feast of Fools 2018
Border War 2017
Feast of Fools 2017
Culinary Guild Feast at Celtic Revolt 2017
Feast of Fools 2009
Grimwith Tournament of the Wolves 2006
West Kingdom Purgatorio team 1992
Summer Coronet Barony of WintersGate 1993
Barony of Eskalya Yule 1992
Cooking is not only an abiding SCA interest, it was at one time a mundane career for me. I currently run the Howling Moose Inn, a buy-in kitchen at select events which serves 25 - 30 people 3 meals a day during events. As a Feast Steward my goal is to insure everyone enjoys a great meal. I work to provide researched and Period appropriate food. As a trained Food Services Specialist with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and many years experience I believe having good, palatable food and plenty of it is of paramount importance. I want my guests to enjoy the whole experience of their meal: taste, quality, appeal and variety of food; sufficient quantities served in a relaxed atmosphere; timely service and prompt start at the stated meal time. I pride myself on well run, clean, efficient and drama free kitchens. My training is in mass feeding: Military, institutional and entertainment venues. I have owned and operated a bakery, mobile catering and vendor operations. I know the extreme importance of food safety and sanitation. I am HAACP/ServSafe/TAMS certified and hold food handlers cards in multiple counties. I know how to make and maintain a budget. I am happy to work with and train anyone with the desire to learn the trade.
I have won several cooking competitions:
Old Rusty Pot - Selveirgard
Iron Spoon - Barony of WintersGate
Silver Ulu - Oertha
Baroness’ Choice - Barony of Eskalya
Siege Cooking - Wealdsmere Newcomers
Desserts Contest - Feast of Fools
Desserts Contest - Guardians Feast
I am a member of the Wealdsmere Culinary Guild.
Scribal Arts:
I have been painting scroll and charters since I first started in the SCA. I have designed An Tir Award charters, done calligraphy and written texts for the reigns of Cedric and Elizabeth, Styrkarr and Stjarna, Christian and Helene and Savaric and Dalla among others.
One of my greatest joys is being a wordsmith and writing the text for the awards. I have submitted and had accepted dozens of texts. In 2017 King Christian and Queen Helene chose my words to go on a Lion of An Tir for Duke Skapti Thorinsson. I started the An Tir Wordsmiths group on Facebook to network with others who love researching and writing award texts.
I have designed and illuminated many awards for Selveirgard, Grimwithshire and the Barony of Wealdsmere. I have also done original scroll commissions for recipients in An Tir, the Kingdom of the West and the Principality of Oertha.
I wrote the Scribal Handbook for Grimwithshire and another for the Barony of Wealdsmere. I have taught scribal arts to anyone who shows an interest in learning. I enjoy striving to better my art and research new methods.
Arts & Sciences
I pursue multiple arts including soapmaking, lampwork, woodcarving and sewing. My main interest is historical kites
I enjoy making largesse for my Barony and Kingdom.
A&S Competitions I have won:
Selveirgard A&S Championship: Carved Diamond Willow Marshalls Staff
Selveirgard A&S Championship: Appliqued Shire Banner
Eskalya Yule A&S contest: A collection of Soaps made from woodash lye and tallow.
Eskalya Baroness' Birthday A&S: Award necklaces with carved medallions.
Grimwithshire Mead and Cordials Contest: Pomegranate Cordial
Wealdsmere A&S contest at Border War 2017: Wool and fur embroidered Norse hat.
Baroness War X 2018: A kite in the style of Giambattista Della Porta
Defender of the Hart 2018 Populace Choice: Lampwork beads and necklaces
Pendale Champions 2018 (Tie): Lampwork beads and necklaces
Other Steward Positions:
Largesse Auction for the Kingdom Travel Fund - I was entrusted by Sir Brand to run the auction at May Crown 2010. I solicited donations of goods, reserved eric space, enlisted a lady to solicit donations from the merchants and other gentles at the event, and a knight to serve as auctioneer. I also set up the tent, tables, made biffy flyers and a painted canvas banner for the auction. I met with the Kingdom exchequer onsite and settled accounts. The auction raised over $700.00 for the travel fund.
Gate Steward - Celtic Revolt, Grim Offensive, Wealdsmere Newcomers, Octoberfeast, Spring Offensive, Guardians Feast and Tourney of the Wolves
Water bearing - Celtic Revolt, Grim Offensive, Wealdsmere Newcomers, Octoberfeast, Eskalya Baroness’ Birthday, Grimwith Tourney of the Wolves, Spring Offensive, numerous demos.
A&S Competition Steward - Celtic Revolt, Grim Offensive, Grimwith Tourney of the Wolves, Wealdsmere Newcomers, Octoberfeast, Spring Offensive, Eskalya Baroness’ Birthday.
Merchant Coordinator - Celtic Revolt, Grim Offensive, Wealdsmere Newcomers, Octoberfeast, Spring Offensive, Avacal/Inlands War.
Boke Butler - An Tir Grete Boke project as Butler for then Incipient Grimwithshire. I coordinated with Dame Tamlyn, purchased supplies and recruited other scribes, organized work days, designed and illuminated several of our pages and facilitated their delivery to the Grete Boke Steward.
Scribal Arts - I have painted numerous Kingdom, Principality and Baronial charters, I have done original scrolls and custom works. I have designed and written texts for Kingdom charters and was awarded my Jambe de Lion for my scribal works. Served as Baronial Scribe for Wealdsmere.
Classes I Have Taught:
Designing Heraldic Achievements: who can display what An Tir Collegium 2018: This is an introductory class on designing Heraldic Achievements in accordance with the customs of An Tir
Heraldic Display: How, when and where. This is a short intro to how to use the populace badges, Kingdom and Baronial. How to incorporate elements of your personal arms or device into a banner and other items. How to use heraldic display in halls, on the field and in your camp.
Food Safety in the SCA: An Tir Collegium. Food safety and sanitation modeled on the Serv-Safe and HAACP courses but with an SCA slant to cover camping, feasts and potlucks.
Silk Banner Painting: how to create and paint silk banners.
SCA 101: A newcomers intro to the manners, titles, customs and courtesies of our world.
Gate Is Easy: The basics of working gate at an SCA event and why accuracy is important.
Soapmaking: Oertha Collegium. An intro course to making historically accurate soaps via saponification using tallow and how to process lye from wood ash to produce soaps.
Scribal Arts: Intro course to painting charters.
Puppetry: An intro to puppets in period, how to construct, perform and write scripts for period puppet plays.
Sewing A Basic SCA Tunic: Newcomers crash course in garb.
Ferretry in the SCA: Oertha Collegium. How to keep, care for and travel with ferrets
Basketry: Oertha Collegium. How to make and care for a Period style basket
Soapstone Carving: Oertha Collegium. Finding and selecting the stone, carving and basic casting.
Diamond Willow: Oertha Collegium. Where and how to harvest, treat and care for diamond willow to make a staff.
Camp Chair Camo: How to sew a basic cloth cover for a modern camp chair.
Miscellanea:
As Captain of Archers I organised war bands, competitions and assisted in teaching new archers.
I have been a warranted heavy combat marshall.
I generally am willing to lend a hand to anything that needs that hand. I take great joy in helping to make things work more smoothly. When the opportunity arose I worked to format and print flyers for Baron Fergus in support of the Inlands Crown Principality Initiative and campaigned tirelessly for it. I have drawn up too many event flyers and site copy to keep track of. I get ideas - for largesse, for contests or events, for all sorts of things to make our SCA dream more - more fun, more efficient, more inclusive and I share these ideas freely with anyone who will listen. It is how I find my joy, it is how I play the game.