Vlachernai
Garrison
Ratatosk
September 2001.
|
N.V.G Inc Vlachernai Garrison. P.O Box 238, Latrobe University, Victoria,
3086.
web site: http://www.oocities.org/vlachernai_garrison/index.html
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].
Training Coming
events Food Deterring
the thief - Viking locks
Recipe of the month
Contact
Details
Training: Every Wednesday,
on a rotational basis, at Sven’s, Warwick’s and Bjarki’s.
Addresses: Sven-143 Wood St, Preston. Warwick-45 Xavier St, Oak Park.
Bjarki-9 Wyalong St, Sunshine.
Training starts at 7:30 pm (weather permitting). If we can’t train,
we will run a Workshop or use the time to work on our gear. So, don’t stay
at home!
Next Training Session:- 1 August at Bjarki’s.
**********REMINDER:- 2001 Membership fees
are now due.**********
If you have not paid, this could be your last
Ratatosk.
Coming events:
5 September - Vlachernai Training Night - Warwick’s.
9 September - Joint Training - Point Gellibrand, Williamstown.
9 September - Combined Groups/Multi Period Route March - Fundraiser
- Point Gellibrand.
12 September - Vlachernai Training Night - Bjarki’s.
19 September - Vlachernai Training Night - Sven’s.
23 September - Vlachernai Training - Point Gellibrand, Williamstown.
26 September - Vlachernai Training Night - Warwick’s.
October 2001 - “Al Zinj” Archery Event - Blue Mountains, NSW. Contact
Sven for details.
17/18 November - Vlachernai Garrison’s 20th Birthday Celebration -
Mernda.
EXTRA INFO:
- Vlachernai Garrison 20th Birthday Party - We are proposing to run
a 2 day event at Mernda. There will be Archery competitions, Combat and
Projectile Combat. All past and present members of the Vlachernai Garrison
and NVG Inc will be invited. There will be a feast on Saturday night with
the rest of the weekend being self-catered. Final details have yet to be
worked out but we hope to make this an event to be remembered. Watch this
space or keep an eye on our web-site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday training: It is proposed to that we begin monthly training sessions
on Sunday at Point Gellibrand, Williamstown. The proposed dates for these
training sessions will be as follows - 23 September, 28 October and 25
November. Start time will be 12 noon and everyone is welcome. For further
details contact Sven or check out our web-site.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Food:
According to Phillip K. Hitti - “A History of the Arabs, 1987.”
‘The staple crops of al-’Iraq consisted of barley and wheat, rice,
dated, sesame..Nuts, oranges, egg-plants, sugar-cane...were produced in
abundance...In (Bukhara) flourished...dates, apples, apricots, peaches,
plums, lemons, oranges, figs, grapes, olives, almonds, pomegranates, eggplants,
radishes, cucumbers, roses and basil. Watermelons were exported to...Baghdad.’
[p350-351]
Brett and Forman - “The Moors, Islam in the West, 1984.” mention additional
foods bananas and asparagus. Meat, they add, was an important food, sheep
having special religious significance [p44-45]. Hitti refers to deer, hares,
partridges, wild geese and ducks being hunted and also mentions chickens
fed shelled nuts, almonds and milk [pp335,340]. Pork was forbidden by the
Koran.
Hitti also states the Persian stew-Sikba, and rich sweets-Faludhaj,
were delicacies. Sherbets - water sweetened with sugar and flavoured with
extracts of violets, bananas, roses or mulberries were drunk.
Many modern Middle Eastern recipes use similar foods and/or cooking
methods to those of medieval Islam.
major viking find in egersund:
Norwegian archaeologists surprised themselves by finding an untouched
8th century Viking grave under what appeared to be a small heap of stones.
A minor plundered grave was the most they had expected to find.
The find is described as “relatively rare” and included an intact collection
of weapons and burial objects and can provide a reference point to help
to assess existing and less complete discoveries.
The excavation was planned as a quick clearance for a property development.
Archaeologists expect to reveal further treasures in the course of Autumn
investigations. So far, they have uncovered 11 objects in iron, bronze
and glass.
“This find has bowled us over,” said Sveinung Bang-Anderson, Chief
Curator of the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger. “It has taught us, once
again, that we should never take anything for granted. This shows us that
often the most hidden and smallest burial mounds can hold the greatest
treasures.”
The grave, in Arstad, South Egersund, is just over 2 metres long and
shows no sign of a funeral pyre. Experts believe a man was buried here
and expect to find out this and more, when bone fragments, including part
of a spine, come back from DNA analysis.
The grave contained a spear, sword, axe, sickle, 3 knives, 2 scythes,
a glass pearl and iron nails and rivets. A bronze buckle and several types
of textiles complete this impressive discovery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Deterring the thief
- Viking locks:
The Vikings had much more need for locks than did their forefathers.
In their new trading towns, there were more expensive objects to steal
and many strangers to steal them. Viking locks were skilful adaptations
of the Roman locks preserved in western Europe. Roman locks, however, had
far too many details requiring precision work to be easily and cheaply
manufacture. The Vikings, very cleverly simplified their construction.
The lids of Viking chests locked in much the same way as a modern suitcase:
there hinged mounts which had eyes or little lugs fitting into the lock
proper. But whereas modern man has to use both hands to unlock his suitcase
[because it has two separate locks], the Vking could unlock [or lock] his
chest in one operation.
Padlocks were common during the Viking era, their method of construction
was well adapted to the abilities of a country Smith. As is the case with
the chest lock, a maximum of security was achieved with a minimum of intricately
shaped details. Viking Smiths, in fact, provide an object-lesson in how
to construct an entirely adequate padlock while using nothing but plain
pieces of iron. When found, Viking padlocks are almost always locked. The
reason being, that the hoop or bow of a Viking padlock [like most early
locks of this type] was not hinged or pivoted, as are modern padlocks,
but was a separate, removable piece. Therefore, in order to avoid losing
said piece, the Viking padlock had to be relocked after use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recipe of the month:
The following is a recipe from Faulk ibn Rashid [also known as - Black
John of Newstead] and is a variation of an old custard.
Ingredients: 1 cup Almond Meal. 2 cups Milk. Honey - to taste. Rice
or Corn Flour - to thicken.
Method: In a saucepan, add the almond meal to the milk and gently heat.
Do not boil. When simmering, add honey, to preferred taste, and then thicken.
Serve hot.
Nb: Almond meal custard is very rich and only small amounts need to
be served.
Addendum - “Al
Zinj” Archery Event.
Where: Hidden Valley, Ilford, half way along the Lithgow to Mudgee road
When: Saturday 29th September, to Monday 1st of October, 2001
Contacts: Kim and Graeme Walker, 02 4751 4856 (after hours) 02
9228 6769 (work)
Chris Morgan 041 901 3473 (mobile)
The Theme
Your warlord, and his retinue, has been invited hunting for a few days.
The site is remote woodland; lots of trees, a few small clearings, no drinkable
water, lofty hills and hidden valleys. It is isolated, far from any towns
or bustling estates.
There is relative peace, the only battles expected are with the animals
of the chase, or the hunting down of the occasional runaway servant, so
heavy armour is not a necessity. Bring your bows, javelins and knives.
Consider what your party will need to bring to be self sufficient in the
wild, and how much you can carry. As a concession to modern life, firewood,
a rudimentary toilet, and a wash / change tent for those who feel the need,
shall be provided.
A rough schedule of activities would be as follows:
Saturday afternoon
warm up rounds, formal target shoot
timed live hunts
Sunday
early morning hunting party
formal target shoot
combat archery
Monday
another morning hunt, some live hunts, or further combat archery, or
all three, dependent upon how energetic we are
Mundanities
How to get there
Ilford is about 3 hours north west of Sydney, and about the same distance
from Newcastle via Muswellbrook and Rylstone. Coming from the west, it
is about an hour north of Bathurst, via Sofala. From Canberra, the fastest
road is probably north west via Yass, Cowra and Bathurst. At least it is
fully sealed.
Meet at the petrol station at Ilford. An organiser will be there at
12 midday and again at 3pm on Saturday, to lead vehicles onto the site.
If you dont think you can be there at either of these times, contact the
organiser beforehand to make alternate arrangements. Ilford is a notorious
black spot for mobiles, and we cannot guarrantee that calls will reach
phones at this site.
What to bring
Camping basics; tents, bedding, insect repellant, sun block, cooking
utensils, and enough food and drink to last the weekend. Depending on how
energetic you are, how clean you want to be, and what you are cooking in,
a minimum of 10 litres of water per person is also suggested. There is
no safe drinking water on the site.
Event specific; your costume, target archery gear, 30lb bow or lighter,
and rubber blunt arrows for archery combat, padded coats or gambesons,
and combat archery helms. Rigid protection for genital and / or breast
areas, when in archery combat. Other reenactment weapons are welcome,
but not mandatory.
Conditions of entry
This is a natural bushland property, the only access is a dirt trail
across private property. Traffic in and out needs to be kept to a minimum.No
dogs allowed. The event is scheduled shortly after the lambing season,
and the locals will be concerned about strange dogs. You must take away
your own rubbish. Fortunately there is a rubbish dump only 4km away.
What if ...
The event may be in jeopardy if there is much rain the week before.
The trail into the property will become too slippery for anything other
than a 4WD. Please contact the organisers if there is rain.
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
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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4th June 2004
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