Thunder Quarterly

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A Publication for the Worldwide Collective Clans of Thunder

The Viking Raids

Due to their naval and military superiority, the Viking raids were very devastating to Northern Europe. The first raid occurred in the year 793 against the monastery of Lindisfarne on England's east coast. This triggered a series of events commonly related to religion "Why did God send these people against us? What have we done?". What made these raids particularly devastating was the element of surprise. Nobody knew exactly when, where or how the Vikings were going to attack next. The broad bottom of the Viking ships allowed them to land on any sandy beach without the need of a harbor or pier. Therefore, they could land virtually anywhere including places where an attack was unthinkable. Their raids were usually against coastal villages as they very rarely marched inland. By attacking the coast, they could pillage and take the spoils of war with them to their ships for the long sail back home. Their small and fast ships removed the possibility of the defenders chasing them. The Vikings had two beliefs that greatly encouraged raids: First, they had a very important need to rise up the social ladder. Since they didn't believe in the afterlife, they knew that their name and reputation were extremely important to be remembered. Therefore, they had to rise above everyone else by combat. Vikings adored combat and saw it as a healthy way of life. When a Viking returned home with precious metals and slaves, he instantly gained a higher social status compared to those who stayed home. Second, they believed their day of death to be chosen during their birth by the gods. Therefore, they could not lose anything by raiding and engaging in combat since their death was already determined. However, everything they did in life was entirely up to them and the way they would be remembered in the future was solely determined by their actions. They had nothing to lose and everything to gain by raiding and pillaging villages.

Volume 1, Issue 1 First Quarter 2013 A. S. XLVII

Inside this issue:
Thunder Tales Brewers Corner Thunder Culture 101 As The Wheel Turns The Spinning Wheel Thunder Funnies The Forge 2 2 2 3 3 4 4
5 6 6

Know The Middle Ages

Upcoming Events Featured Clan

Estrella War XXIX

Estrella War XXIX, held from February 26 to March 4, 2013, was an amazing event with a new stated vision: the focus is the embodiment of the esprit de corps of those who live this dream of yore. Whatever your dream embodies that excites your senses and tantalizes your ancestral soul, Estrella War provides you the means to experience it. Estrella War XXIX also had much news of interest to Thunder kin. It was announced that His Grace, the Dredd Lord Sir Stephan, is on an extended journey with no clear return date. Details of his journey were not provided; we all wish him well and pray for a safe return. As always, our Lost Boys fought alongside Clan Amuk, and much fun was had by all. The Outlands, twice, specifically asked for the Lost Boys and Clan Amuk to fight for their side in the War, as it was felt that Atenveldt had an unfair advantage in a few of the battles. We give a hearty Huzzah to the Lost Boys and Clan Amuk. A Matriarch/Patriarch meeting was called for those able to attend. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of Thunder, specifically in the Southwest, with the absence of His Grace, the Dredd Lord Sir Stephan. Many other topics were discussed, including volunteerism within Thunder, hosting Kingdom-level events, the use of Facebook as a primary means of inter -clan contact and standardized rules for Thunder elevations. At the time, no specific decisions were made, but it was exciting to see the clans come together and discuss things openly. Corvid Thunder hosted a Thunder Punch tasting party that was well attended. Approximately 9 clans submitted very tasty variations!

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Thunder Tales - A Bardic Column

Old English Riddles XIV: I was weaponed warrior. Now proud, young, a warrior covers me with silver and gold, with curved wire-bows. Sometimes men kiss me; sometimes I summon pleasant companions to war with my voice. Sometimes steed bears me over the marchland; sometimes a mere-steed bears over oceans me brightly adorned. Sometimes a maiden fills ring-adorned bosom; sometimes on tables, on hard boards, headless I lie, despoiled by the warriors. Sometimes I hang with jewels adorned where men drink, fair on the wall, noble war-trapping: sometimes folk-warriors on steed carry me--then must I wind swallow, wealth-marked, from somebody's bosom. Sometimes with calls I warriors invite, proud ones to wine; sometimes from cruel ones with voice I restore booty, from raiders, make fiend-scathers flee. Guess me! jjj XVI: Oft must I with wave strive and with wind fight, together against them contend, when I depart seeking wave-covered earth; foreign is land to me, I am strong for that strife if I become still; if I fail of that, they are stronger than I,5 wish to carry away the thing I protect. I withstand that if my tail holds out and stout stones can hold me fast against them. Guess what I'm called. jjj Manuscript: The Exeter Book. Note: The Exeter Book contains in all ninety-five riddles or fragments of riddles in two groups (10-59, 60-95). The riddles vary considerably in cleverness and interest. Some are bawdy, some pious.
XIV: Horn XVI: Anchor

Brewers Corner
Sweet Milk 4 cups unflavored Vodka 4 cups whole milk 4 cups sugar 4 Tblsp lemon juice Clean and sanitize 1 gallon glass jug and lid. Pour ingredients into jug and secure lid. Shake to mix. Store in a cool, dark place for 8 days, shaking thoroughly each day. Let rest for 2 days, or until mixture is no longer cloudy. Strain liquid through several layers of cheesecloth into another clean and sanitized jug. Let the mix sit for 3 days, until all traces of cloudiness have dissipated. Strain back into the newly cleaned and sanitized original jug, using paper filters, to remove any solids build up. This recipe dates to ca. 1500. Dragons Brew 1 bottle Bacardi Dragonberry Rum 1 bottle Blue Curaao 1 bottle Crme de Banana Juice of six Limes Mix well into a glass jug. Chill. Serve.

Thunder Culture 101

History
The history of the Thunder Wheel starts with a horn button from an old Ford pickup. It was a gear with a lightning bolt through the middle of it. While Eldr was in New Mexico, he happened into a shop called Reeds Imports when they saw eight Indian Fire Wheels. Purchasing all of them, Eldr and friends tried to file off some little hash marcks so as to not completely steal the stores design. This proved to be difficult, so they flipped them over and made 32 more of them. The current design has evolved slightly, with the spokes representing lightning; a combination of the lightning bolt from the original wheel and the points of the Fire Wheel, hence, fire turned into lightning. Over time, meaning has been attached to the eight points of the Thunder Wheel to epitomize the qualities we like to see in all Thunder kin: the points of the wheel represent Honor, Loyalty, Patience, Selflessness, Valor, Determination, Humility and Chivalry.

Eldrs original Thunder Wheel.

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As The Wheel Turns

This column will be a regular feature of Thunder Quarterly, and will feature the following: All information posted to this column will be verified prior to publication, from at least two sources: the originating clan and a source that can provide verification (news article, website, another clan, etc.) If you are a clan Matriarch or Patriarch, please email your submissions to: thunderquarterly@cox.net

ALERT
This man, Scott Zimmerman, is wanted by police for aggravated sexual assault against a child. He was known to Thunder as Stephen OConnor and was a Silver in Rogue Thunder. His Wheel was pulled in 2002 when he jumped bond. He was last seen in Texas. If you see this man, PLEASE CALL THE POLICE!

Births Passings Elevations New Clans Retired Clans Merged Clans

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The Spinning Wheel

The Greenland Gown Project
This project started in the fall of 2011. I wanted a dress. The specific dress had to be authentic in all details. I chose a dress from an archaeological dig done in 1921 in Greenland. Little did I know that this project would encompass two continents, thousand of hours of research and a lot of wool! The dress fabric was one made by the Norse for a very long time and is often known as Vadmal/ Wadmal. This term is translated as "cloth measure" but is generally connected to a twill woven fabric that was produced in various places in the north Atlantic especially during the Viking Age. This fabric was used for everything including the sails that drove the long ships and made the various conquests possible. After doing some of my research, I found that this fabric was an engineered fabric. The meaning I am getting at was the fabric was woven with the warp threads being of the hair and the weft threads being of the wooly down coat of a sheep with a double coat. The sheep is called the Old Norwegian was located almost anywhere the Norse chose to settle. A double coated sheep is one that is a bit more primitive that most and still has a hairy outer coat and a softer wooly coat underneath. So as I started my search for this sheep, I found that they have not been imported into the US yet. I also was unable at the time to get the wool in any form....Yarn nor fabric could be had here. So, I started to look around at our local sheep and I found the Navajo Churro. This sheep originated on the Iberian Peninsula in Spain and was brought to the Americas with Christopher Columbus and was spread by the subsequent exploration of the Spanish and Portuguese. The explorer and time frame I am interested in is Don Juan de Onate and the year 1598. Onate brought approximately 5000 head of what at the time were known as the Spanish Churra to the upper Rio Grande Valley in the year 1598 as he was charged with claiming all the land north of the Rio Grande for the Catholic Church. These sheep were mostly for meat and milk as the coats they had were course. As time went by the native population of the area learned to husband these animals and started to use the fibers in their textile work. They did not separate the hair from the down from what I have found to the time of this writing. I chose to use this local fiber source in place of the elusive Norse sheep because of the similarities of fiber and availability, the project will, I hope, include a comparison of the two sheep in more that just paper and theory. I have found a possible source for the "real" sheep and await a package to arrive any day now. So now I am separating the hair from the down of several Churro fleeces which is quite labor intensive. I will then pass them to a spinner that has kindly agreed to participate in the project and she will pass the spun fibers to the weaver I have found who has equally agreed to participate in this project. Once all of the processing is done and I have fabric in my hands, I am going to recreate the Greenland gown. Along the way, I shall be showing the progress I have made at various SCA A&S venues and other fiber shows. I hope to see many interested parties along the way. Please feel free to ask questions and make suggestions. This is a learning process in so many ways.

Dairine ingen Mac Niall of Oakhill , Rolling Thunder

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Thunder Funnies

The Forge
A Blacksmith is a combination of the two words 'black' and 'smith'. A 'Smith' is someone who works with metal (especially by hammering it when it is hot and malleable). A 'Smith' was described according to the metals that he worked such as a goldsmith, silversmith or a blacksmith. A blacksmith was named because he was a 'smith' who worked in the "black" metal namely iron as opposed to the "white" metals such as tin, silver or gold. While 'Smith' may have first appeared in its current form in Middle English, it is really a much older word, probably based on a prehistoric German word meaning "worker" or "craftsman." A Medieval Blacksmith was a smith who works in iron metal, especially by hammering it when it is hot and malleable, working with a forge making iron utensils, horseshoes, weapons and repairing armor. The iron used by the blacksmith required shatterproof hammers with handles and iron tongs to hold the work piece in place. Carburizing, that is the addition of a small amount of carbon (between % - 2%) and quenching turned the iron into steel suitable for making weapons and tool manufacture. Repeatedly heating the iron in a forge and hammering it was the method the Blacksmith used for carburizing. The value of iron is largely due to the facility with which it can be worked by a blacksmith. Thus, when heated iron is malleable and ductile, and can be easily welded and forged at a high temperature. As cast iron, it is easily fusible; as steel, is very tough, and (when tempered) very hard and elastic. Steel is therefore a variety of iron containing more carbon than wrought iron and an excellent metal for making the weapons so sought after during Medieval times. A Blacksmith forge is a workplace where metal is worked by a blacksmith by heating and hammering via a furnace consisting of a special hearth where metal is heated before shaping The name of a forge was also referred to as a a smithy. A Forge wagon was a wagon fitted up for transporting a blackmith's forge and tools. A Portable forge was a light and compact blacksmith's forge, with bellows, etc., that may be moved from place to place. There was a variety of Medieval Blacksmith tools and equipment. A list and description of the tools and equipment used by a Medieval Blacksmith are detailed as follows: work upon the swage, and striking with a sledge hammer Swage block - a perforated block of iron, having grooved sides and adapted for use in heading bolts and swaging objects of a large size Fullers - A half-round set hammer, used by a blacksmith for forming grooves and spreading iron. Also called a 'creaser'

Sledge Hammers Punches - Tools for making (usually circular) holes Drifts - Slightly tapered tools of steel for enlarging
or shaping a hole in metal, by being forced or driven into or through it. Also called a broach

Axe Chisels Bit - A tool for boring, of various forms and sizes Auger bit - a bit with a cutting edge or blade Molds for making popular and everyday items Nails Table, stools, shelves etc. Bellows - a mechanical device that blows air onto a
fire to make it burn more fiercely. The invention of the bellows was highly significant. Before the invention of the bellows the Blacksmith apprentice would be required to blow through hollow tubes into the base of the fire to enable the furnace to reach a high enough temperature to make iron melt and to strengthen it through the addition of carbon to make steel.

An anvil - a heavy block of iron or steel on which

hot metals are shaped by hammering

Tongs Bellows A variety of hammers varying in size for shaping

and finishing Swages - Tools, variously shaped or grooved on the end or face, used by blacksmiths for shaping their work by holding the swage upon the work, or the

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Know Your Middle Ages

The Truth About Spices Spices and other food flavorings were highly prized in the Middle Ages, but the idea that any of them were used to disguise the smell and taste of rotten meat is ludicrous! After meat has spoiled, it is too toxic to ever be safely eaten, regardless of the quantity of spices added. Folk in the Middle Ages were as susceptible to food poisoning as we are today. So why were spices so popular? To add more flavor and zest to the food! Medieval Europeans werent that different from modern people. They had taste buds. They enjoyed different flavors and were willing to pay for them, similar to modern restaurant patrons when a new cuisine appears. They also had some needs for spices that we dont have today: for use in mixtures to preserving foods and in preparing foods that had been preserved and reconstituted, losing much of their natural flavor in the process. Reconstituting meats preserved by dehydration, especially salting, required boiling or soaking to restore them to edible condition, not unlike with Smithfield ham or salt cod even today. Thus, spices helped make of for the loss of natural flavor incurred by the drying out and then rehydration of the meat.

Reference: Newman, Paul B. (2001). Daily Life in the Middle Ages. McFarland & Company, Inc.

Medieval Europeans werent that different from modern people. They had taste buds.

Answers in the next issue.

Upcoming Events
April 1114, 2013. Nasty Bone (Timber Camp, AZ) May 35, 2013. Beltane Games (Oklahoma City, OK) May 2327, 2013. Potrero War (Potrero, CA) June 716, 2013. Lilies War (Smithville, MO) June 916, 2013. Highlands War (Alpine, AZ)

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Featured Clan
Thunder Quarterly would like to feature a specific Thunder clan within each issue. This will not be a popularity contest, and no clan will be featured more than once, unless all clans have been represented at least once. The goal is to introduce clans to others whom may not have been acquainted with the featured clan. Criteria for selection will be as follows: 1. Must have been a recognized clan for, at least, one year. (In this respect, recognized means recognizable by name to other clans and the Mat/Pat had permission to form the clan.) Must have attended, at least, one Kingdomlevel event and one Thunder-only event in the current calendar year. Must be able to provide clan history. Must provide a clan photo and a clan device in a format acceptable for publishing. The information provided in the column will include the names and level of the current Mat/Pat, a brief history of the clanincluding lineage, any specific honors or awards that the clan has received, what events the clan normally attends and which, if any, Thunder-only events the clan has hosted. To aid in the selection process, it was considered to have some sort of poll, but that was quickly discarded as it might seem to become a popularity contest. Additionally, it was considered to have a type of sponsorship as part of the selection criteria. Again, this was quickly discarded as it might appear to be impartial to some. Ultimately, it was decided that a clan would be picked at random from the pool of Thunder clans. Example (just an exampleformat can change): Featured Clan Name Mat: Lady Some Name, Level Bearing Color Pat: Lord Some Name, Level Bearing Color History This clan was formed in some year (A.S. xxxx) from Original Clan at Event Name by the grace of Grantor Name. The Featured Clan was originally located in Original City, but through external circumstances was relocated to New City. The Featured Clan can usually be found at Thunder Event 1 and Thunder Event 2, as well as at Baronial Event 1 and Kingdom Event 1. The Featured Clan often hosts Thunder Event 1. Honors/Awards Kingdom Award 1 Baronial Honor 1 Thunder Award 1

2.

3. 4.