Viking & Medieval Events in Australia - 2016

I thought, with Viking season upon us again in Australia, I would share some of the festivals/events coming up this year.

NEMAS EASTER GATHERING

THIS IS A PRIVATE EVENT - REENACTORS ONLY

The New England Medieval Arts Society invites Reenactors to feasting and frolicking in the Armidale Pine Forest. We attempt to be as historically accurate as possible, please endeavour to contribute appropriately to the cultures of the time.

This is my absolute FAVOURITE event!  It's so great to be able to completely immerse into the Viking lifestyle, away from the modern world.

HISTORY ALIVE

History is better experienced in action!

Fort Lytton National Park on 11 & 12 June, 2016 - Queensland’s most unique living history event.
Each day at History Alive is a combination of Roman, Viking, Medieval, Napoleonic, Colonial and World War activities to appeal to a wide audience. Colonial dance workshops, Viking cooking demonstrations, historical talks, Medieval Tournaments and WWI battle re-enactors are just a few of the opportunities visitors have to connect with history.

The iconic Fort Lytton is the perfect backdrop for such a unique event where more than 400 re-enactors and historians portray and display 2000 years of history. In 2015, these passionate hobbyists and volunteers shared their love of history with over 3,600 visitors from around Queensland and the world.

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of times gone past in one of Brisbane’s best kept secrets – Fort Lytton National Park.

History Alive: A Journey Through Time is held on the second weekend in June, it goes off with a bang at 10am on Saturday, 11 June 2016.

You can buy tickets online now.

http://www.historyalive.com.au/

VIKING VILLAGE SOLSTICE

A celebration of “Light After the Dark of Winter”, the Viking Village Solstice is Rognvalds Lith's tribute to Lismore.

Focusing on the arts and culture of the Norse people of the 10 - 11th century, the Lith have invited other Viking culture clubs to attend this gathering for the Winter Solstice, and in doing so opening its doors and hearts to the local community to view, smell and enjoy. Rognvalds Lith is supporting the Lismore Lantern Parade with a static display at the Lismore Environment Centre from 10am – 2pm on Saturday and a spectacular Battle Re-enactment on Oakes Oval at 4.30pm, and of course will carry the lantern, Vingalot. The focus of the celebration will take part over Saturday and Sunday on Jolley Field, where you can wonder through the village and become part of the festivities.

Viking Family Hunters' Encampment

Rognvalds Lith showcases a typical family hunters' encampment in the heart of Lismore. This little encampment will demonstrate a Viking family unit's limited amount of possessions and their resourcefulness. The display will represent daily life and visitors will be able to speak to the Vikings and ask questions. The “hard lying” aspect of Viking life will be seen up close in the crude tentage and sleeping pallets of gathered grasses and animal skins. The basic gruel over the fire, an on-going cook up meal in the cauldron that gets added to as hunters bring more trappings in from day to day, may reveal some interesting odours. What will be on the menu today? Come along and find out. You will find yourself made very welcomed. Crn Molesworth & Magellan Streets, Lismore 10am – 2pm

About Rognvald's Lith

Rognvald’s Lith is a Dark Age medieval society based in Lismore, NSW. The group re-enacts authentic Viking ways of life in Europe from 800AD to 1100AD. This includes fighting styles, weapons, armour, crafts, clothing, cooking and living. All of the items are handmade and based on information gained from archaeological finds. The group regularly attends events such as the Abbey Medieval Festival and is available for school performances where children can learn about Viking times.

 Rognvald’s Lith meet and train every fortnight at St Mary’s Oval, behind Trinity College from 10am-2pm. New members are always welcome.

Contacts

Greg O’Meara (VVS Organiser) 0419 330 873
rognvaldslith@gmail.com
rognvaldslith.com
facebook.com/VikingVillageSolstice

Viking Village Solstice
Jolly Fields, Lismore
Enter off Uralba Street, next to Oakes Oval, Lismore
http://www.lanternparade.com/…/viking-village-solstice/p/110

ABBEY MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL

Transport yourself to a place where history and fantasy merge into a breath taking world at the Abbey Museum Medieval Festival in 2016. This premier event at the Abbey Museum in Brisbane transforms sunny Queensland into a medieval wonderland every July. Come for the exquisite detail of our re-enactment camps, cheer the jousting and falconry, gorge on the sizzling meats and fine mead, and leave with the taste of history on your lips and doublet. Our attractions beguile young and old, and won’t cost a king’s ransom.

Abbey Medieval Festival 11th and 12th of July 2015

When Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones goes authentic.

Medieval times inspire the fantasy and fiction we all love, so come and see an authentic recreation of this fascinating era. Our re-enactors bring you the sights and sounds of many medieval periods both familiar and exotic: Viking raiders and traders, Middle-Eastern warriors and nomads, and nobles and peasants from the great European households.

Over two weeks in July 2016 the Abbey Museum will host:

• The Medieval Banquet: Sumptuous medieval dining and entertainment, at two Medieval Banquets, Seats book out quickly!
• The Abbey Museum Medieval Tournament: Jousting tournaments, falconry, medieval villages, authentic medieval costumes, swords and shields, puppet shows, gypsy dancing, Turkish oil wrestling. Visit the Friar’s Folly Tavern for mead and medieval music and a Medieval Market offering an array of food, clothing, craftsmanship and more.

Kids Dig It! Medieval Family Fun Week: new to the calendar in 2016, kids and their families will be able to enjoy the Abbey Museum’s renowned children’s school holiday programs, at the Abbey Museum from the 27th of June until the 1st of July.

Of all Brisbane museums, the Abbey prides itself on being the one to bring history to life – come and live history at the Abbey Medieval Festival!

See the magic for yourself. Tickets for the 2016 Abbey Medieval Festival go on sale mid February.
https://abbeymedievalfestival.com/

 

The Abbey Medieval festival fondly known as the Abbey, and the Abbey Medieval Tournament is Australia's premier medieval event, held annually each July

IRONFEST

15-17 April 2016

‘An Arts Festival with a Metal Edge’ – Ironfest celebrates working and playing with metal. Held annually in Lithgow on the closest weekend to Anzac Day, Ironfest brings together artists, designer/makers, blacksmiths, performers of all kinds, musicians, historical re-enactors and machine enthusiasts & hobbyists from all over Australia, and the world.

http://ironfest.net/

 

 

 VIKING CULTURE DAY (Jorth Gar NVG)

Sunday 11th of September 2016

102 Curtis Road, North Tamborine (Tamborine Mountain) QLD 4272

Come watch and talk with Jorth Gar NVG Viking mercenaries at our very own show. Featuring displays of skill at arms with armoured combatants, blacksmithing, weaving, food, archery targets, live archery (you get to shoot at the armoured warriors), javelin and axe throwing competitions, and more.

Join our Viking Culture Day Facebook page to be informed of changes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/450934854940791/

ST IVES' MEDIEVAL FAIRE

24-25 September 2016

Get ready for two of the most exciting days you’ll ever have!

Join thousands of other Sydneysiders and enter a magical world at the third annual Medieval Faire at St Ives Showground.

The two-day festival is unlike anything you will see in Sydney. This eye-popping event is designed to keep you and your family bedazzled all day.

Watch some of the world’s best jousters compete in the Tournament of St Ives. Witness battle scenes from history re-enacted by costumed warriors. Marvel at birds of prey as they swoop and attack on command. This is a truly medieval experience in your own backyard!

Dress up as your favourite medieval character and be in the running to win great prizes.

A spellbinding event from open to close!

http://www.stivesmedievalfaire.com.au/

For a list of more festivals/events around Australia - visit http://thehappyviking.com.au/events/

6 Reasons to Learn Leatherwork (or any new skill)

 

6 Rewards of Learning Leatherwork (or any new skill)

When you make the decision to learn a new skill, your main focus might be what you’re going make and perhaps what you can do when you finish the course or workshop but you might not have thought about the other rewards.  I’m sure there’s more but here are 6 that I can think of:

1.    Brain exercise

Our brains are lazy!  Generally they don’t like working out, thinking or problem solving.  Learning a new skill is like exercising your brain.  It expands your mind.

2.    Something to look forward to

Whenever we have something new in our lives, there’s always a level of excitement and anticipation.  When you learn a new skill you will be thinking about the possibilities, what you’re going to be able to make and what’s coming up in the next lesson.  Just as important as being in the now, having something to look forward to encourages us to move forward.

3.    New conversation piece

Next time you talk to your friends and they ask what you’ve been up to, you’ll have something new to talk about!

4.    New opportunities

Who knows where your new skill may take you.  You could discover your passion or calling in life – something you felt was missing.  Doors can open, opportunities for making money may come your way and the people you meet might change your life.

5.    A different perspective

We all see things differently but think about watching a movie for the first time, being captivated by the scenery and the story line and being taken into another world.  You’re probably not thinking of much else.  Then think about watching the making of that movie.  If you watch the movie again, you won’t see it the same way.

Learning a new skill is the same.  You’ve probably seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of leather products during your life but never thought more about them other than you like them or you don’t.  Once you understand the characteristics of leather, learn about it’s history and what you can make with it, you will have a whole new appreciation of handmade craft and a completely different perspective.

6.    It’s great for your soul

Taking a break from your usual routine, getting out of the house, giving yourself time to focus on something other than what goes on every day is refreshing and revitalising for your soul.  It charges your batteries and gives you confidence.

As I said before, I’m sure there’s more.  If you can think of some, feel free to add them.
Interested in learning a new skill now?  Take a look at The Happy Viking workshops and learn leatherwork

Calendar 2014

There are four main events that I will be attending this year as The Happy Viking:

- Armidale NEMAS Easter Gathering   -    18-22 April

- Ironfest - Lithgow                                -    25-27 April      http://www.ironfest.net/

- History Alive                                       -       7 & 8 June     http://www.historyalive.com.au/

- The Abbey Medieval Festival             -     12 & 13 July    http://abbeytournament.com/


I am also hoping to be able to get to some other events so please keep an eye on this space and I'll let you know if they come through. :)

Hand Tooled or Embossed? Do You Know the Difference?

Hand Tooled and embossed leatherwork

Do you know the difference?

If not, it’s worth taking the time to read on …

N  Hand tooled leather is hand made by a person, with their own hands, not by a machine.  This means creating a design, drawing it first onto paper, next carefully tracing and then marking it onto the leather.  Depending on whether the artisan chooses to carve into the leather or not, she/he will then take great care in cutting that pattern/design into the leather at just the right depth.  Next, using their leatherwork tool designed for this purpose, she/he will run it along the edge of the marked or cut line, while hitting down on it with their mallet to make an impression.  This must be done in a steady, consistent manner in order to make a clean and smooth design.  A slip in the wrong direction could mean a whole different design, or worse still – a complete new start!

N  Hand tooled leather products are unique.   Even if the  same design is used,  no two will  be exactly

    the same because they are done by hand.

N  Hand tooled products  are made  using real cowhide leather,  often  referred to  as ‘natural tooling’

     leather.  This heavier leather is not  only ideal  for tooling but it is also of  high quality and is durable

     and long lasting.

N  Hand tooled leather products can be custom made with your own design.

N  Hand tooled leather products are made with love and care. The time taken to create these works of

     art can quite often be long but the end product is very rewarding. 

N  Hand tooled leather products  are  an  investment.  Over time,  like good wine,  these products will

    only get better!   The character and  life will intensify and,  looked after,  will last  for  many years to

    come.  The craftsmanship, uniqueness, quality, love and care all contribute to making these products

    well worth the price tag!

4  Embossed leather products are done by machine using specially designed plates that are pressed into the leather.

4  Embossed leather designs can be extremely detailed.

4  Embossed leather products do not need to be done on leather of the same high quality as hand tooled.

4  Embossed leather products are, more often than not, mass produced which enables the price of each piece to be kept to a minimum. 

Both methods of leatherwork are beautiful and have their place. In the end, it all comes down to what you are looking for and personal choice. 

I take great joy and pride in my leatherwork.  Whether it’s an item that I’m making for my stall, online store, or custom made, you can be assured that each piece is truly hand crafted with love and care

The Happy Viking 

(1) First of all I draw the design/pattern onto paper.  This is a design that I created for a custom order for a pair of Legolas arm vambraces to be worn at a Lord of the Rings' event in Washington.

  

(2) Next I dampen the leather all over:

(3) Then I place paper on top of the dampened leather and trace the pattern to leave an indentation:

(4) Next I tool the pattern into the leather.  I had some tools made up to use when I demonstrated at Viking events but I love them so much that I use them all the time now.

To see the finished product or order a set of custom arm vambraces, please click on the link below:

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/178214935/leather-arm-guard-cosplay-larp-legolas?ref=sr_gallery_2&sref=&ga_search_query=leather+arm+vambraces+&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=

                                                                                                                                                            

This is the start of a design I created for another custom order - a Medieval Dog collar

to be worn by an Irish Wolfhound.

                                                                                                                                                            

This is my Celtic Oak Tree of Life design before staining on a handbag.

I also have this design printed on greeting cards.  Please take a look at my Etsy shop (link below).

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/178286353/greeting-card-celtic-oak-tree-of-life?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_query=celtic+greeting+card+oak+tree&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=AU&ga_search_type=all

The 'Other' Side of Business

Well, I can see why some people hire someone else to do their marketing!  It certainly takes a lot of time!!! :)

Finding a balance between making products and actually getting them out there is definitely tricky but I'm so glad for this world of technology.  Although it takes up a lot of time to do all the social media and networking, I wonder how on earth people used to do business before the internet!

Over the past few days I've spent many hours adding to and sorting out my Etsy shop, Pinterest, Facebook page and starting this blog.  I'm grateful that I get enjoyment out of this side of my business though.  Before deciding to "follow my bliss" and starting my own business, I worked in a Secretarial/Admin position for more than 20 years and always liked being creative with computers - designing forms, presentations and all that. And now, starting this blog, I guess is bringing out another thing that I love to do - which is writing.

Sometimes I wonder though how much time other people spend on this side of their business.  I see some artists pumping out products but I always come back to the thought that there's no point in making a thousand things if no one is seeing them.  And so I continue trying to find the balance and the perfect way to get my work out there.

This week I'll be going to a networking event run by 'Enlightened Goddesses'.  I'm really looking forward to making new connections and hopefully learning some tricks of the trade.  :)

During the week I finished off an order for a custom made pair of Legolas Arm Vambraces that have gone to Washington and will be worn at a Lord of the Rings event!  They were fun to work on and I was really happy with how they turned out.

I also made a cute little pouch that was inspired by seeing a brooch from Norway (9th Century), Hatteberg.

During the week I've also been working on designs for a replica Swedish pouch, a Medieval dog collar and a Byzantine belt. I'll post photos of those when I've done a bit more.

Living as a Viking ... that's my dream!

Living like a Viking ... that's my dream.  It's not a life that I see as hard work; in fact quite the opposite.  It's life of reward.  A way of living that's in touch with life itself.  Knowledge, simplicity and appreciation.  

Just over a year ago I quit my "real" job, to follow my bliss - starting my own business.  I'm a leatherwork artist and a Viking re-enactor and I wanted to combine my two passions into one.  It's one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I will be honest, it's been hard and if I wasn't driven by my passion, I would be lured back into the world of making more money but that's not what's important to me.  I strongly believe that by doing what makes me happy then everything else will fall into place.  It won't happen over night, but it will happen! :)

I'm new at this blogging thing but I think it's my next step in getting myself 'out there' so here I go ...

I'm really looking forward to this year.  I can feel opportunities arising.  I'm feeling excited about attending not one but 3 BIG events this year - The Abbey Medieval Festival, Armidale Easter Gathering (a week in the forest camping with Vikings only) and then IronFest at Lithgow.  

So, I'll leave it at this for my start.  Now that I've begun, I feel like this is going to be something that I'm really going to look forward to.  I hope you enjoy my blog and I wish you a happy day!

Blessings to you.

Elizabeth (or - as my Viking friends call me) "Hlif"

My Etsy Shop

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