1) Set your sun-dials for May 1, 2005, when we will be flipping over to Society Year 40 and celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the birth of the Dream!

2) We need your continued support to make Heroes & Heroines a success! Contact the Chatelaine or Seneschal for details.

3) If you have photos, artwork, writing, or anything else to submit to the newsletter, please contact Muiriath at morrighan_rising@yahoo.com. Just remember that all photographs require the written consent of all those in the picture. Waivers will be provided upon request.

Congratulations to Lady Maria Dulcinea de Granada Venegas, our most capable deputy chatelaine, who received her AOA at Fool’s War!

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A Fourteenth Century Sonnet by Petrarch
Amor piangeva, et io con lui tavolta

Love wept, and sometimes I wept with him,
from whom my steps never strayed far,
gazing, since the effect was bitter and strange,
at your spirit, set loose from all Love’s bonds.

Now God has returned you to the true way,
I lift my hands with all my heart to heaven,
thankful to him who in his mercy listens
benignly to honest human prayers.

And if in returning to the loving path,
you found hills and ditches in your way
enough to almost make you turn back,

it was to show how thorny is the road,
and how mountainous and hard the climb,
if a man would find where true worth lies.

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Huzzah for Oatland!

The wonderful folks out at Oatland Island Educational Center have proven to be steadfast friends of the Shire. In the months since our first Demo at Oatland, they have gone the extra mile to provide us with our own space for meetings and workshops, as well as a place to hold Fighter Practice when next we have a Knight Marshal. In addition, they have invited us to join them for the Savannah Medieval Festival in September, and we hope to be able to repay them as much kindness as they have shown us. If you have the time, please consider volunteering at Oatland Island. Wonderful people and a worthy cause! What more could you ask for?

Fool’s War 2005

For those lucky enough to attend Fool’s War this year, you know what I’m talking about when I say it was a blast! The “Tater-Mashing Torchlight Tourney” was a resounding success, even if the physics of duct-taping potatoes to helmets led to some interesting outcomes. The War only got better Saturday night, when Duke Boru was well and truly roasted by the Meridian Friars’ Guild, and the howls of laughter could be heard across the field. Throughout the event, Royalty was in abundance, from our own King Maximillian and Queen Lethrenn, to the Queen of Trimaris, who wowed an adoring audience by performing a fire dance in full Elizabethan dress at the Consortium Revel.

Some things, my friends, must be seen to be truly believed. Fool’s War is one of those things.

Helpful Hint #341

When performing a fire dance in full Elizabethan dress, do not drop your firesticks.

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Heroes and Heroines
Thanks to everyone in the Shire and beyond for putting in so many hours working to make this year’s Heroes and Heroines a success. So far we’ve been incredibly busy building a Viking ship fit for a King, complete with the obligatory dragon head on the prow, as well as painting this year’s raffle item, a portion of the Bayeux Tapestry. We’ve also been hard at work on decorations and general goods designed to add ambiance to our event. A special thanks goes out to the folks at Oatland for allowing us the use of our wonderful meeting room, and to the ladies of SCAD for their guidance and expertise on all matters artistic.

Needless to say, we at Forth Castle have high hopes for Heroes and Heroines! We know we have what it takes to host an event that will live in legend for quite some time. It wouldn’t be possible without all the hard work we’ve been seeing, so thanks again.

We meet at Oatland Island every Tuesday night from 6:30-9:30pm, and Saturdays from 10am-5pm, but please keep a close eye on the mailing list for cancellations or changes to that schedule. If you have any questions about the regularly scheduled workshops, please contact our Seneschal, Lord Chinua or our Chatelaine, Lady Patrice.

For all the details on Heroes and Heroines, check out our web flyer at http://www.forthcastle.org, or the current issue of Popular Chivalry.

---

"I hear, my girl, that Egil said,
When to the gallows he was led,
That the king's thralls far more than he
Deserved to hang on gallows-tree.
It might be so; but, death in view,
A man should to himself be true, --
End a stout life by death as stout,
Showing no fear; or care, or doubt."

--From Magnus Barefoot’s Saga

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Letter from the Chronicler

Dear Forth Castle,

Our newsletter, “The Chronicles of Forth Castle,” has been on hiatus for quite some time. Hopefully, this first issue, while small, will serve to reawaken an interest in The Chronicles. In order to provide you with a quality publication (and not one that is simply pulled at random from the sleep-deprived brain of your Chronicler), I am requesting the help of all members of the Shire of Forth Castle.

Please send me your poetry, your writing, even photographs of events and articles or write-ups of demos and events past. Art, I’m afraid, is not my forte. And, unless you truly want to see clip-art well into the next era, please consider submitting your own original art. Just remember, all photos require a waiver, and I can get you more information on that at the drop of a hat. Or, at least, the drop of an email to morrighan_rising@yahoo.com.

While I highly encourage you to submit your own original poetry and writing, period pieces free and clear of copyright issues are welcome, too.

This can be your space. Are you teaching a class at an upcoming event? Send me the details. Did you knock out Duke Boru at an event in something other than the metaphorical roasting sense? Send me the details, and a photo if you have it. (Yeah, I know. Unlikely at best, but a fighter can dream, hmm?) In short, this is your newsletter. Use it to your advantage. Send your announcements, your reminders, your—I am feeling a bit like the Statue of Liberty, so maybe it would be best if I stop while I’m ahead.

Just remember—Heroes and Heroines is fast approaching, and sooner than you realize we’ll be caught up in the undertow. We’re going to have a ball, and we’re going to put on a remarkable event. We’re probably also going to collapse from exhaustion after the weekend is over, so we might as well have some fun in the meantime!

In service,
Muiriath inghean Mhuireadhaigh

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Officers Regnum
This information is presented for SCA use only.
No phone calls after 9 pm please.
Shire Mailing List: forthcastle@yahoogroups.com
Shire Website: http://www.forthcastle.org

OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER

The Chronicles of Forth Castle is an official publication of the Shire of Forth Castle, of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. The Chronicles of Forth Castle is not an official publication of the Kingdom of Meridies, or the SCA, Inc., nor does it delineate SCA policies or procedures. The content is presented as a service to the populace of the Known World, Kingdom of Meridies, and the Shire of Forth Castle. Information presented here should not be considered to be official statements of policy. For corrections, additions, permission to reprint, etc., contact the Chronicler, Muiriath, at 22 Burbank Blvd. Savannah, GA 31419. The contents of this publication are copyrighted 2005 by the Chronicler’s Office of the Shire of Forth Castle. All artwork photographs and writings are the property of their respective creators. This newsletter may not be reproduced without written permission.

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