Disclaimer: The views, endorsements and opinions expressed in the “Ratatosk” are not necessarily those of  the New Varangian Guard [Vlachernai Garrison] or those of the New Varangian Guard Inc. [NSW].

It is with great pleasure that we welcome our newest member - Nicole Humphrey - to the ranks of the Vlachernai Garrison.
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24 hour siege:
There are plans to hold a 24 hour Siege at the Mernda Ring Fort sometime in 2002. Details have yet to be finalised but expressions of interest are being called for. Anyone wanting to participate had better start getting their gear prepared. Contact Sven or myself and keep an eye on our website.                                          Warwick.
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Hall wanted:
Due to the problems associated with training at members homes [weather, space, light, etc].We are looking for a hall for our training venue and also for possible storage of certain items of Garrison Equipment, currently housed at members homes. If possible, the hall should be relatively central to all members but this is not as essential as finding a venue that is affordable. If anyone has any ideas, please contact me on 93068542 or 0419515605.         Warwick.
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Songs of the New varangian guard:
In preparation for the 20th Birthday Event, the return of the “Varangian Boy’s Choir” was mooted and I began going through old copies of the Varangian Voice and other newsletters, in an attempt to collate the songs that have been composed, over the years, by various NVG members. I found some but, having heard the rendition of “The Varangian Boot Walk” at the Feast, I believe that there are more out there. To this end, I would like to request that anyone who has any knowledge, whatsoever, of these songs to contact me. These songs are an integral part of the history of The Guard and need to be collected together so that they are not lost to future NVG members. I can be contacted on 93068542 or 0419515605, at 45 Xavier St, Oak Park, 3046 or via the Vlachernai Garrison website
                     Warwick.
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Vlachernai Garrison 20th birthday event:
Thanks to everyone who helped and/or participated in our birthday party, especially those who travelled from afar - Mikligard, Ancient Arts Fellowship and the Adelaide Companie of Knights Bachelor to name but a few. Friday morning [very early] saw the Marquee being set up [Thanks to Ray, Matt and Paul of HineHire] and the arrival of those often unmentioned but essential pieces of equipment, the Porta-loos. People started arriving from late morning onwards and the encampment began to take shape with both period and non-period tents going up in their respective areas.
Saturday saw much activity as the trestles and benches were set up in the Marquee for the Craft Market, the Shade Pavilion was erected to act as the Cook Tent, more people arrived and set up their camp sites and the course for the Archery was laid out.
The results of the Archery, Timed Animal Shoot [FAKES] were -
1st  - Lincoln Dunn - Nordmannia.  2nd  - Quarf [Chris Morgan] - Mikligard.
3rd - Sven [Stephen Wyley] - Vlachernai. 4th - Jem [Jeremy Draper] - Thessalonika.
For the purpose of the NVG Inc. Competition, Quarf will have to put his name on the Bombard once more. The only other competition that was completed was the Brewing Competition, which was judged by a Blind Panel of three judges, [I’m not sure if the judges were blind or just a little worse for wear  - Ed] The final results were -
1st  - Kveldulf [Warwick Gill] - Apricot Liqueur- Vlachernai.
2nd - Bjarki [Andrew Reader] - Mead - Vlachernai.
3rd - Kveldulf [Warwick Gill] - Mead - Vlachernai.
After lunch on Saturday, the Siege of Sigursted was held up at the Ringfort and the defensive ditch actually had water in parts of it. While the Gatehouse itself was never breached, the walls were scaled by a few agile and daring warriors. Stuart Laird’s belly flop on the wall was a sight to see. He would have made it over, except that he got caught up on his box and his knife! The use of the padded javelins and the foam rocks proved to be a real boon to the defensibility of the Ringfort. [I can attest to their effectiveness, having been hit on the head by both while attempting to assault the Gatehouse, thanks Quarf and Rick - Sven]. And after having warned his comrades inside the fort about the Javelineers, Bjarki was struck on the helm by Quarf, who had snuck around the perimeter and thrown his javelin before anyone warned Bjarki [Oops - Ed]. After the cessation of hostilities, everyone made their way back to the encampment to dress their wounds, refresh and prepare themselves for the night’s festivities. In the Marquee, the Craft Market goods were cleared away, the walls bedecked with banners and the tables were laid for the Feast.
The Cooks, [Warwick, Sandra and Bjarki] put on a fine spread. There was plenty of bread, cheese,  and dried fruits for starters, two soups, four main courses and two desserts to choose from, with vegetarians and non-vegetarians both being amply catered for.[For those people who asked me or Sandy for  recipes of the various dishes, we  will attempt to get them together and put  them on the Vlachernai website asap - Warwick] The Feast was presided over by Hiis Imperial Serenity, Egfrothos, 1st Emperor of the Romans, who was accompanied by his special guest from the Rus, Prince Svetasquarf of Chernanev. During the Feast, the Emperor presented all past and present members of the Vlachernai Garrison with a commemorative medallion, which had been specially struck for the occasion by the Birka Traders. There were various speeches of both of welcome and thanks, the winners of the Archery and the Brewing competitions received their prizes and then the rest of the night was filled with festivity, frolicking and dancing [ A wonderful job done by Wendy and the other belly-dancers, ably assisted by Thorgrim and others on the drums].
While the weather had been a bit unsettled most of the day, it looked like we may have avoided the storms which had been forecast. But this was not to be! At around 5am on Sunday morning, the storm struck; bringing down the Cook Tent and some of the other tents and drenching others. As such, the activities that were planned for Sunday were severely curtailed and after breakfasting and clearing away the storm debris and as the weather was showing no sign of improvement, it was decided to call an end to the event. So, in between showers, we packed up and cleaned up the site. We must make a special apology to the boys from Islendiga who turned up, later on the Sunday, for the Projectile Combat and armed with a new crossbow. Unfortunately, due the weather, they couldn’t find enough enthusiastic participants to play with. [Don’t worry fellas, plans are already in motion for another event there in the near future - Ed]
On behalf of the Vlachernai Committee, thank you to everyone involved in the event and thanks, once again, to the Ely family for allowing us to use the site.                          Sven & Kveldulf.
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Varangian Musings:
   Let’s strike with a sword-flash
   To shatter the shield;
   To batter the blade
   Till the enemy bleeds;
   Play with the pale man,
   Then pitch him to earth;
   Stop his mouth with steel,
   And serve him up as carrion.            Egil Skallagrimson.
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Armenian cilicia - a cultural melting pot:
When the Byzantine Empire recovered the region of Cilicia, where the coast of the Mediterranean turns south towards Palestine, from the Arabs in the late tenth century, they sought ways to strengthen and to repopulate a realm laid waste.
With their conquest of Armenia, during the early decades of the eleventh century, the Byzantines thought to kill two birds with one stone. To bolster Cilicia by weakening the kingdom of Armenia with the forced resettlement of the Armenians.
Armenia had, for a long time, had a culture which combined elements we commonly associate with Byzantium, the lands of Islam and of Central Asia. With the advent of the Crusades, new elements were added to this mixture. Through the twelfth century Cilicia, which became known as “Lesser Armenia”, gained greater and greater independence from Byzantium and grew closer to the West and the Crusader states. Finally becoming a kingdom in its own right in the last year of that century.
In doing so, it absorbed many western cultural elements to complement its already established ones and formed a diverse and intricate society.

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havamal - The sayings of the vikings:

COURTESY: A guest needs  giving water  Fine towels and friendliness. A cheerful word  a chance to speak  kindness and concern.

SHYNESS: A log’s flame leaps to another fire kindles fire. A man listens thus he learns. The shy stay shallow.

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******SEASONS GREETINGS TO ALL OUR READERS******

Best wishes to all our members and their families and also to all our friends in the other NVG Garrisons and in other Re-enactment Groups. We hope that your Christmas and New Year is happy, joyful and safe.

May your swords always be sharp and your drinking horns always full.
Wassail!

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A Message from the editor:

Well, another year almost over. I hope that everyone has enjoyed the various articles and all the other items that I have published in this year’s Ratatosks. However, I am rapidly running out of sources for those articles and due to the things that
Sandy and I are planning for next year, [Read - Renovations! Heaven forfend!]  I will probably no longer have the time required to research these items.

This being the case, I would like to request the assistance of members in writing articles or supplying me with items that I can use in the 2002 Ratatosks.

If each member was to write one or two articles on a subject[s] that they are interested in and/or a report on events that they attended, it would a great help to me and would ensure the continuation good quality articles in the “Rat” Remember “The Ratatosk” is your newsletter!

If I don’t see you at the BBQ, have a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.

Warwick Gill [Kveldulf Griswold]
Editor - Ratatosk.

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Vlachernai committee - Contact Details:
President   - Nick Draper  - 94590342. draper73@ozemail.com.au
Training Officer  - Kristen Pincott  - 98420408. kristenpincott@hotmail.com
Secretary/Editor   - Warwick Gill [Kveldulf] - 93068542.
Treasurer   - Stephen Wyley [Sven] - 94704601. svensemail@lycos.com
Ordinary Members  - Andrew Reader [Bjarki] - 93113819. bjarki@optusnet.com.au

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NVG Inc. -  Contact Details:
Public Officer  - Peter Beatson. chrisandpeter@pacific.net.au
Secretary   - Jenny Baker  - (03) 97548690. indunna@outeast.cyberspace.net.au
Treasurer   - Stephen Wyley  - (03) 94704601. svensemail@lycos.com
Varangian Voice Editor - Jeremy Draper  - (03) 50238394. jem-mils@ruralnet.net.au

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