eyja

(Ests = Estonians)

"Among the Ests there is a group of people who understand the process of freezing. And the reason why the dead men lie there so long without decaying is that they freeze them. If two vessels full of water or ale are set down, they cause one of the two to freeze over, in summer and winter alike."

p. 5, The Viking Age: A reader.

The Thule tribe is eliminated from being the Skrælings in the Sagas

Old Norse News -- a new resource

Knives from the Viking Age

So, I've been talking to Danae, the guy in Oregon who makes lyres. I've found out that he's been making lyres for 2 years and has sold about 20 of them -- his first to someone in the SCA and the rest mostly to the UK, of all places.

Well, I asked him what he knew about how the Sutton Hoo lyre (which is the style he makes) differs from later lyres. (Archaeological finds become rare after the 8th or 9th c. or so) He said that the Sutton Hoo lyre is actually quite unusual in terms of shapes, being perfectly lozenge shape. He thinks that Scandinavian lyres would probably be more in shape with the German lyres, like the Trossingen lyre (near complete!!!). Other photos of the Trossingen lyre: here and here.

So, being there's definitely a shape difference in the German vs. English lyres, it makes me want to ask him if he'd be willing to try the Trossingen shape...'cause there are no finds on Scandinavian lyres. There's a theory that in the 10th century, Scandinavian lyres get a bend. This theory is due to the depiction of the "Gunnar" lyre -- a carving in a stave church portal of Gunnar from the Völsunga saga story which shows Gunnar playing a "harp" (aka lyre) with his feet -- which obviously has a much more "figure eight" figure than the traditional lyres. So, there are some who have done some hypothetical 10th century Scandinavian lyres, though I'm not sure I'd like to go the hypothetical route.

So, my basic puzzlement is...do I want to do the 6th/7th century English style of lyre that's tried and true with Danae, or do I want to see if he'd be willing to try the late 7th century Trossingen lyre shape to try to get a little closer to what my persona might have played? Either would be about 200 or 300 years earlier than my persona but...then again, there's no hard evidence what Scandinavian lyres looked like, other than the 12th century(?) depiction with Gunnar, just those hypothetical transitional lyres.

On YouTube someone has posted a 3 part video of two guys doing a Anglo-Saxon lyre demo. I don't know how accurate they are with their information, but I thought I would share it. So far, mostly talking and not a lot of playing. Music playing by the third part, but I'm *much* more impressed by Michael King (guy in Britain who makes lyres).

Part the First
Part the Second
Part the Third

Also found a video of a Germanic Lyre

Yahoo Group: Anglo-Saxon Lyres

through which I found Orphic Airs which has Saxon lyres that are more based on the Sutton Hoo finds than the Silvershell lyre (the top just looks funny as that perfect arch). Also, Orphic Airs lyres can be customized and there's good reviews on the Anglo-Saxon Lyre group. $175 for the for the black steel tuners, and $225 for the slightly more accurate to the Sutton Hoo find.

I'm getting the yearning for a Lyre again...(Saxon style, not the Crwth style)

I finally found a site for a guy who makes them and other such instruments. The cheapest appears to be a six-string "Morning Thorp Lyre" about £400 with an oak body, maple soundboard and nylegut strings. He also sells a "How to build your own lyre" cd and has a few videos on youtube on how to play and tune:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHA…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dx…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkC…

There's also sound clips of the lyre in the Viking Age Music article on the Viking Answer Lady site. Krauka also uses a lyre, including with a bow, in their music.

[Edit 4:27pm: I've just found another business that makes the Sutton Hoo/Saxon lyre, located in Pennsylvania. It's $200...so not only closer, but cheaper.]

Besides the How-to CD, there's also a few sites that give instructions on how to make one yourself. In her article, Thora Sharptooth says the estimated maximum cost for materials is $50. However, the only experience I have with working with wood is jr. high shop class. And one would think that instruments would be tricker than some other woodworking. What if it didn't sound good/right?

This excerpt is from Njal's saga, during the reign of Earl Hakon of Norway, after the slaying of Gunnar. Background is Thrain, kinsman to Gunnar, is traveling abroad and is in the service of Hakon. A big bad viking named Kol comes and raids from him, and Thrain is sent after him. He has just returned with his head and Earl Hakon has praised him.

"They walked to where the earl was having some good ships built. He had had one ship built which was not like a longship; it had a griffin's head, much ornamented.

The earl said, 'You're a great one for show, Thrain -- you and your kinsman Gunnar have that in common. I want to give you this ship -- it's called Griffin. My friendship goes along with it. I want you to stay with me as long as you wish.'

Thrain thanked the earl for his kindness and said we was not eager to return to Iceland just then."
--Njal's saga, near end of chapter 82.

The ship is then described to be so fast that few could keep up with it.


How cool is that? A griffin-headed longship in late 10th/early 11th c. Norway. At least in the sagas. ^_^

iarroganti posted this on his journal.

A new book: Dress at the Court of Henry VIII. Yes, someone's published a full analysis of the garb of Henry and his court, including cut, material, and colors they used.

Key areas for consideration include the King's personal wardrobe, how Henry VIII's queens used their clothes to define their status, the textiles provided for the pattern of royal coronations, marriages and funerals and the role of the great wardrobe, wardrobe of the robes and laundry. In addition there is information on the cut and construction of garments, materials and colours, dress given as gifts, the function of livery and the hierarchy of dress within the royal household, and the network of craftsmen working for the court. The text is accompanied by full transcripts of James Worsley's wardrobe books of 1516 and 1521 which provide a brief glimpse of the King's clothes.

*squee* I'm a geek.


Now, if only I win the lottery....

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Viking Age Laureling ceremonies:

http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest…
http://www.stringpage.com/laurel/l…