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Colyne at Septentria's 25th Anniversary Event, Canton of Skeldergate, Nov AS XXXVIII (2003)

SCA Name: Laird1 Colyne2 Stewart3

 

M.K.A.: Todd Fischer

 

Website URL: www.pipcom.com/~colyne

 

Current Offices:  Historian, Ardchreag and Septentria; Deputy Seneschal, Septentria; Ale Taster, Ardchreag.

 

Former Offices: Seneschal, Ardchreag; Chronicler, Ardchreag; Bard of Septentria; Chronicler, Septentria; Deputy Webminister, Septentria; Deputy Webminister, Bards.ca; Juror, Ardchreag.

 

Awards: Award of Arms, Award of the Bear's Claw, Order of the Bear's Heart, Horn of Wessex, Award of the Maiden's Heart

 

Heraldic Blazon: gules and argent counter-changed, a fox rampant

 

Motto: Vulpes cum lupo stat (the fox stands with the wolf)

At the beginning of September AS 37, Colyne received word that his name and device had successfully been registered with the College of Heralds. His device, pictured below, is gules and argent counter-changed, a fox rampant. Below the device is Colyne's motto, which translates as 'the fox stands with the wolf.'

Vulpes cum lupo stat.

 

Persona: Laird Colyne Stewart is a Lowlander, born in southern Scotland in 1324 to a wealthy family. He was apprenticed to a tax collector at a young age, but quickly grew tired of that life. He longed for adventure and joined the army of King David II in 1340 when he was sixteen years of age, and was present at David's capture at Neville's cross in 1346. At this point, he became a gallowglass. Having fought in the Highlands, England, Ireland and France he has adapted many local customs and fashions as his own. While soldiering he became enamored of the bardic arts; however, men cringed when he sang and animals fled when he played an instrument. Undaunted, he took to composing stories and poems. Having made his way to Ealdormere, Colyne now resides on the cliffs in Ardchreag where he has put aside his mercenary ways and sworn fealty to a local knight--Syr Evander MacLachlan.

 

Who you are Within the SCA: Within the SCA, Colyne is a co-founder of the Septentrian Performing Arts Troupe, the founder and Head of the Games Guild of Ealdormere and a member of the Bardic College of Ealdormere and the Ealdormere Heraldic College. He is a thrown weapons marshal and an armoured combat MIT. He is also a member of the Cliffguard (Ardchreag's militia) and the Yeoman of the White Arrow (Ardchreag's archery/thrown weapons unit). In the past he was once a level 1 scout, but he doesn't scout anymore. He is a squire to Syr Evander MacLachlan, before that being a retainer to Duke Sir Finnvarr and a member of the Iron Companions (the army of Septentria).

 

Areas of Interest:  Besides the bardic arts Colyne is also interested in armoured combat, Medieval games, heraldry, bestiaries, book binding, foolery, strategy and tactics, brewing, armoured combat, cartography, thrown weapons and too many others to list.

 

Current Projects: A map of the known world, armouring, garb, many chronicling projects, mead brewing.

 

Other Information: At Septentrian court, Pennsic XXXI (2002), Colyne was given the byname 'Wordsmith' in recognition of his bardic pursuits. Throughout the year 2003, Colyne was a retainer to Duke Sir Finnvarr de Taahe. Colyne was a member of "The Usual Suspects", an all Ardchreag team that took first place in the novice late period category at the Golden Seamstress competition in 2003.

Notes:

(1) According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Laird is a 14th Century English (mainly Scottish) title for a landed proprietor. Here's the entry in full:

Pronunciation: 'lard, 'lerd
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English (northern dialect) lord, lard lord
Date: 14th century
chiefly Scottish : a landed proprietor

Colyne was awarded his Award of Arms, granting him the title of Lord within the Society, at Septentrian 12th Night, Royal City of Eoforwic, AS XXXVI.

(2) Colyne is a Scottish given name, found in The Bruce, by John Barbour (1375). Source: 13th and 14th Century Scottish Names by Symon Freser of Lovat, from the Medieval Names Archive.

(3) Stewart is a common Scottish last name, which spread to France and places beyond. A branch of the Stewarts holds a tenuous grasp to a claim to the English throne. In the case of the Colyne Stewart persona, this is not true. He is not from the Royal line. Rather, Todd chose the last name as his mother's family (the Stephens) were once part of the Stewart Clan.

(4) A gallowglass was a Scottish mercenary. There are many differing accounts of them, including: that they wore saffron kilts and wielded battle-axes (source: Pirates); that they wore chain mail and a steel plate helm that was an open cap rather than an enclosed bassinet, and wielded a two-handed sword called a cliamh mor (source: Flannery Clan Heraldry); that they wore saffron tunics, coats of mail, fur capes, shaggy hair and carried battle-axes (source: A Vision of Ulster); that they wore a helmet, long mail coat and a heavy battle-axe with a six-foot handle and were accompanied by an armour-bearer and a boy (source: Irish Culture). Gallowglasses are best known because of a quote from Macbeth: "The merciless MacDonald ... from the western Isles of Kerns and Gallowglass supplied" act I, Scene 2, 'MacBeth'. For the best information about the gallowglasses, see The History of the Gallowglass.

Secondary Persona

(above) Cap'n Bloodfox boldly stands before the throne of the King of Ealdormere

(right) Bloodfox's flag, and a wanted poster.

 Cap'n Bloodfox was created for the Shire of Bastille du Lac's third annual Day of Piracy event. Thorfinna sewed the greatcoat out of scraps of velvet and Bloodfox had to spent a good part of the day keeping the other pirates from swiping his duds. The baldric is simply two belts buckled to each other, and the hat is Stewart's normal hat, simply pinned to create a tri-corner style. (Unfortunately, that hat is a little too small, and it is more obvious wearing it like this).

So far Colyne has written two event reports in the voice of Cap'n Bloodfox, and they have been very well received.

Click on the wanted poster to see a full size version.

Secondary Persona

Arthfael1, An Sionnach2 (Arthfael the Fox)

Arthfael (in Latin: Arthmail1) is a ‘Celt’ from 10th Century Scotland, descended of mixed Roman and Pictish blood. It is 935, and the Saxons are warring on the Danes and Britons3. Arthfael is a low-level Bard (a Bardagh), currently without a master to teach him4. Still, he wanders the Scottish highlands, singing songs, reciting poems, and telling stories. He is an ancestor of Laird Colyne Stewart (and an excuse for Colyne to wear early period clothes, and not cotehardies).

Notes:

1. First Thousand Years of British Names (I'm guessing that this is a masculine name, as this was not specified.)

2. Foxes Covert (It was not uncommon for this nickname to occur in period.)

3. Skye’s Scottish History Timeline

4. The Bardic Institute: The Bards and notes from Master Garraed Galbraith's class 'The Role of the Bard in Celtic Society' from the event Forward into the Past April 2002.


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