About the caretaker . . .
Walraven van Nijmegen
Hello, my name is Walraven and I come from the city of Nijmegen in the province of Gelderland. Though Nijmegen is not as large as some of the coastal cities to the west, it is the second oldest city in the Low Countries, dating back to at least the first century. It is also the site of a castle once frquented by Charles the Great (Charlemagne).
These days (1450-1650) the city has become more of a commercial center, as it sits near the River Rijn, and at the extreme east edge of the Seventeen Provinces. The urban scene afforded me oppotunties early in life that I might not have otherwise had. I've taken quite a liking to playing music for dance, on the tenor recorder when possible, but usually on the soprano -- musicians are rarer these days for some reason.
I've also been involved in the great heraldry machine of the SCA since early in A.S. XXVIII. Currently I reside in the West Kingdom, where there are many active and knowledgable heralds. They have been very helpful and eager to share their experience, and to them I am grateful. I am, in fact, Nebuly Pursuivant for the Province of the Mists. I have held the permanent rank of Pursuivant now for about a year, primarily for prowess in book heraldry and names research. Researching Dutch, Hungarian, and Slavic names for the College of Heralds and the Academy of Saint Gabriel has given me ample opportunity to delve into the study of medieval naming practices.
While I hold a good deal of experience now in research, conflict-checking, and consultation, I have considerably less experience with field and duty heraldry, and have only assisted in one Court, at the Coronation of their Majesties Jade (Rex) and Juanna Isabella (Regina) of the West. Thankfully, I was only asked to do backup and not try to run the Coronation! This afforded me more time to observe and learn without undue stress. I now have a real appreciation for those lords and ladies who stand silently behind the thrones; they do much more than stand there.
My device is "Bendy Or and gules", as is displyed on the wall here, and is registered with the College of Arms. My badge is "A crequier gules" -- you can see this funny charge at top left. It is actually a stylized cherry tree.
If you are interested in my mundane alter-ego, you may visit the other homepage.