Click to view a PDF of the class schedule (last updated November 3):
A class list with brief descriptions is below. To view additional information, class fees, size limitations, and student learning outcomes, please visit the course catalogue:
| Class Name | SCA Name | Class ID | Description |
| Archery gear inspection | Vidi Hovdestad | 39 | A selection of archery gear to inspect. A chance to see different examples of good and bad gear so you know what to look for during inspections. |
| Demystifying Curye on Inglysch | THL Lucius Lartius Pavo (Lor) | 40 | A Brief overview of Curye on Inglysch-How to read it, What does THAT mean?, and how to use it for your next feast. |
| How to fit a bodice for the independent seamstress | Madamoiselle Sibillia d’Orange | 41 | Live far away from anyone else who can help you fit a supportive bodice? Decide to start projects late at night? Tendency to sew by yourself a lot? This is a class for you. Students will learn the basics of creating a fitted bodice, some tips and tricks, and the best way to test your patterns. If you have a bodice to be fitted, bring it! This is NOT a class on period sewing techniques. |
| Fiber Petting Zoo | Doña Rowan | 43 | Come see – and pet! – different kinds of yarn! We’ll talk about what was used in period, and about what’s available today. Topics include making informed fiber substitutions, and choosing the best yarn for your project. |
| We Can’t Do That! | Valentin Malatesta, Il Magnifico | 44 | Grappling, disarms, and throws are not allowed on the combat sports fields in Northshield, but these techniques are shown in period fighting treatises. We’ll look at the actual period technique and then see how to modify it for use on the combat sports fields. Depending on the training weapons participants have and the remaining time, we will look at single rapier vs. single rapier and longsword vs. longsword. If participants wish to try techniques at speed, they should attend class wearing full gear for their combat sport. |
| Voice Heraldry as Vocal Performance | Dame Katerinka Lvovicha | 45 | Voice heralds need to fill many roles simultaneously: master of ceremonies, voice of the Crown, conveyor of information, and commanding the interest of those with small attention spans. Balancing it all can be difficult but it’s certainly possible! We will review organizational and vocal techniques rooted in theater and bardic which can be used to ensure an engaging performance in any situation. While this talk will primarily focus on court heraldry, all vocal performers are welcome to attend. |
| Court Heraldry 101 | Dame Katerinka Lvovicha | 46 | Oyez! Come learn what happens behind the thrones and then learn how to do it yourself. We will review available resources, discuss the general protocol of court in Northshield, and gain an understanding of the whys behind the hows. This class will contain both audio/visual and experiential/kinesthetic learning opportunities. |
| Mustard making | Baroness Alinore Wyndover | 50 | Make your own mustard and learn about mustard recipes from the middle ages |
| Care and Tending for Thrown Weapons | Áine ingen Máel Pátraic | 51 | Congratulations! You’ve purchased your first knives or axes for use on the Thrown Weapons Range! Join Áine ingen Máel Pátraic for a discussion of proper care and tending – include addressing nicks and burrs in blades and handles – for axes and knives (and some spears). This class will include demonstrations of sharpening ax heads, removing burrs in metal (ax heads and knives), cleaning up gouges in wooden handles. Safe storage and transportation of equipment will also be discussed. Participants are welcome to bring their own weapons to learn how to care for them best. |
| Brocade weaving as applied to the Birka Bands | Valka Ragnarsdottir | 52 | A brief history of the birka bands, with brocade weaving of the birka band found in burial B-6 grave 965. |
| 14th and early 15th century fashion trends. | Isabelle Montfort de Bretagne | 53 | Are you interested in a specific aspect of 14th century or early 15th century fashion? Do you have questions about fit, or fabric? Accessories? Or just want to come geek with me! I’ll have many books, documentation, and personal research and other resources on hand. Round table discussion. Open to any level of knowledge. |
| Flemish Illumination Workshop: Borders | THL Cecily of York | 54 | Come learn to paint the beautiful floral and gold borders prevalent in late medieval Flemish manuscript illumination. We’ll cover the layout, sketching, inking, and painting. Loaner supplies will be available to use, or feel free to bring your own scribal supplies (pencil, pen with waterproof ink, small paintbrush with a fine point, and gouache or watercolor paint). Paper will be provided. Some art/scribal experience is helpful, but no experience is necessary. |
| Flemish Illumination Workshop: Miniatures | THL Cecily of York | 55 | This class will teach you to draw and paint the little illustrated scenes of people and places that make Flemish manuscripts so charming. We’ll be drawing a simple scene of a person in front of a landscape, but feel free to bring your ideas! Loaner supplies will be available to use, or feel free to bring your own scribal supplies (pencil, pen with waterproof ink, small paintbrush with a fine point, and gouache or watercolor paint). Paper will be provided. Some art/scribal experience is helpful, but no experience is necessary. |
| Smocked Aprons | THL Constanza de Sevilla | 56 | Learn How to Make a Smocked Apron |
| Beginning Recorder | Luftwine Byrnesmiþ | 59 | An introduction to the humle recorder as a real instrument that can be used for period and SCA music |
| Thread Wrapped Buttons | Baroness Rachell Baker | 60 | Thread wrapped buttons were commonly used in the 16th century. The class will include a short discussion followed by hands on opportunity to make a button. |
| PTSD Panel | Melrakki | 62 | A panel of peers of the realm will be discussing their experiences with PTSD and inviting the populace to join in the conversation and ask questions. Learn the coping mechanisms used by others and maybe share some of your own. By discussing this mental illness we can bring the conversation forward and help everyone to better understand these experiences. |
| Learn to Make Norwegian Iron Age Bucket Pottery | Farolfus filius Richardi | 63 | This class is a hands-on workshop in which participants make and decorate a small ceramic vessel in the style of the distinctive “bucket-shaped” pots found in Norway from c.350-550 CE. The pots are slab-built around a cylindrical form and decorated using stamped and combed designs. This class is suitable for those with no prior pottery experience, and I provide all tools and materials, including a selection of stamp dies reconstructed from extant examples. Participants will have the option to have their pots fired after the event. |
| How to make a fishing net | Countess Jehanette de Provins | 64 | This is a hands on class on how to make a fishing net. We will briefly discuss the history, but the focus is on making. |
| Goldwork Embroidery | HL Amytis de la Fontaine | 65 | History of metal thread embroidery, beginning goldwork stitches, Hands on, sewing basic goldwork stitches . |
| Punto in Aria I | Leyla | 66 | Punto in Aria, literally “stitching in air,” is a type of needlelace. In this class, we will build a simple “merletti” (scalloped) border sample onto a lace pattern card. We’ll prepare the pattern card with tack stitches, lay the foundation stitches, and work the scallops using buttonhole stitch. In period, lace was made of linen, silk, and/or metallic threads. In this class, we’ll use perle cotton over a linen base cord. |
| Making Your SCA Beautiful | Barones Tatiana Marana Melville, OP | 67 | Come on out and try your hand at printing on fabric, specifically using woodblock stamps and stencils. We will start out with a short discussion of the history of printing on fabric, then how to print on fabric. You then can try your hand at it. There will be fabric pieces for you to use but if you would like you can bring something of your own to print on. If you do, please make sure it is washed and dried with no fabric softener. There is a kit for this class that will include a woodblock stamp, stencil, and supplies you can take home and use to try this craft. There will be stamps and supplies that you can use in class. This can get messy so please wear garb, you do not mind getting paint on and/or bring an apron. |
| Spread of Runestone Ornamentation | Geirråðr Kolbeinsson | 69 | Discussion of the spread of runestones throughout Scandinavia including the types of ornaments6 |
| Ancient Roman Levain | Domina Messiena Marcella | 70 | This class details the ways that ancient Roman people made yeast bread as written by Pliny the Elder. |
| Thermopolia: Dining Out in Ancient Roman Times | Domina Messiena Marcella | 71 | An exploration of the culture of restaurant dining in ancient Roman times and the establishments excavated in the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. |
| Leveling up: how to upgrade your kit | Master Tarik Agha | 75 | this class will help you make a plan to upgrade your kit and bring your personal authenticity to the next level. In it you will learn strategies for deciding what items you need and whether to make or buy. Examples show will be for a Norse woman, but the concept and philosophy work for any culture and time period |
| Taking Manuscripts Apart | Amary Fairamay | 76 | Seeing illumination in layers and pieces can be helpful for picking out elements that you can modify and combine to suit your purpose, such as making a workable scroll. We’ll talk through process and a couple examples, and (time and printer permitting) we’ll do some arts and crafts. Please note that this is not a “how to do things in a period way” class, this is a “getting it done on spec, on time, and on budget” class. |
| Same Paint, New Look: Effects of Time on Art | Amary Fairamay | 77 | When we see art, we tend to assume that it looks like it did when the artist declared it finished. That is not always the case! Paintings and manuscripts can change over time for a variety of reasons. This class will cover some common examples. We will also discuss strategies for identifying and working around these issues when using period art as a source for your own scribal, costuming, research, and other projects. |
| Xia: The Chinese Knight Errant | Wu Yun daren | 78 | Discussing the concepts of Xia, and how it compares and contrasts to European chivalry. |
| Water, Toilets, and Sewers in Ancient Rome | Domina Berenice Calvina | 80 | Come learn about a topic that is seldom talked about – how did the Ancient Romans go to the bathroom? For that matter, what about getting water for the kitchen? And where did it all go afterwards? Berenice will give a lecture, open the floor for discussion, and attempt to answer questions about the nasty little thing called poop. |
| It Doesn’t Sound the Way It Looks | Moira nicConnell the Strongbow | 81 | Basic pronunciation for Gaelic names and a few basic phrases. |
| Of Herbs and Gardens | Leyla | 82 | In this class, we’ll look at medieval herb gardens in relation to their original purposes and consider a few possibilities for modern interpretations. We’ll examine the way herbs were grown during the Middle Ages and Renaissance as inspiration for creating a historically inspired herb garden. |
| Feast Planning | Baroness Alinore Wyndover | 84 | Discussion about how to plan a SCA feast |
| Creating Custom Knit Stocking Patterns | Áine ingen Máel Pátraic | 85 | Modern sock and stocking patterns include recommended gauge (stitches and rows per centimeter or inch), yarn, and needle recommendations to ensure that the finished garment will fit. When adjusting modern patterns to work with different yarn or to fit a different size or recreating period patterns, however, it’s often left to the knitter to figure out how many stitches and rows, placement and number of increases and decreases to yield a wearable product. In this class, I’ll review how I approach creating custom stocking patterns that can be adjusted for different people, gauges, yarn, and needles. Participants will walk through the approach and receive worksheets (both paper and electronic) and formulas they can use to create custom stocking patterns based off the wearer’s foot and leg measurements and the knitter’s gauge using the selected yarn and needles. |
| Pick Your Poisons – Poisons in Period | Jean-Robert leMarchand de Sel | 86 | A look at what poisons were actually used during the tumultuous past, how they were used, and a look at some famous poisoners |
| Erec and Enide: birth of The Dream? | Edwin atte Bridge | 87 | Cretien de Troyes first Arthurian romance Erec and Enide might be the first, best, and most influential statement of “The Dream” the SCA chases. What does it say? Where does its vision warrant re-evaluation for use in the modern SCA? |
| Beginning Blackwork | Dame Clara inghean Uilleim | 91 | This introduction to blackwork is a hands on class. Participants will be making a needlebook with a simple blackwork border and space to personalize it as they wish. The kit provided includes, fabric, thread and a needle and everything you need to finish the project. Please bring your own scissors |
| Grappling in Capoferro’s Rapier | Valentin Malatesta, Il Magnifico | 106 | We’ll look at what is in the historical treatises, see how to do it as Historical Combat A&S, and then see how we might apply the principles to the SCA combat sports, particularly in unarmored combat. |
| Grappling with Fiore’s longsword at Wide Measure | Valentin Malatesta, Il Magnifico | 107 | We’ll look at what is in the historical treatises, see how to do it as Historical Combat A&S, and then see how we might apply the principles to the SCA combat sports, particularly in unarmored combat. |
| Grappling with Fiore’s Longsword at Close Measure | Valentin Malatesta, Il Magnifico | 108 | We’ll look at what is in the historical treatises, see how to do it as Historical Combat A&S, and then see how we might apply the principles to the SCA combat sports, particularly in unarmored combat. |
| Basics of Hammer Engraving | Ealdred of Malmesbury, OL, OP, Beare of Northshield | 109 | 30-minute overview of the process of engraving on steel using a hammer to push the engraver. Discussion will include engraver shape, sharpening, and techniques. Participants will be given an opportunity to try engraving on test plates |
| Basics of making Punches to Decorate Metal | Ealdred of Malmesbury, OL, OP, Beare of Northshield | 110 | 30-minute introduction to shaping punches to decorate metal. This will cover how to soften punch steel to work with it. And then how to harden it to use. A blow torch will be used to heat metal to 1,500o F |
| A&S Consult Table | Leyla and Company | 111 | Need assistance with your next A&S adventure? Throughout the day, a rotating team of Laurels with experience in a range of topics will be available to help you with project planning, documentation, and execution of your next A&S project. Whatever your goal is, we can help you make your project a success! Areas of expertise include research, garb, C&I, leatherwork, fiber arts, needlework, metalwork, and other topics TBD. |
| Cooks Consult Table | Nell the Innocent, OL | 112 | Join me to read recipes and talk about food! I’ll have a collection of period cook books, resources and period spices for you to read and smell. I’ll be available to discuss, food, recipes, resources, feast planning and management. Enjoy treats, beverages and read recipes with me! |
Stellar University of Northshield 