Gwendolyn of Aldburg

Persona

The Honourable Lady Gwendolyn of Aldburg (she/her) is a Saxon woman, originally from Aldburg in the mid 10th century. Her father was a merchant who traded in the Aldburg port, and her mother was a weaver and the daughter of Ælfwine, a mariner. Soon after Gwendolyn was born, her grandfather Ælfwine set sail on a long journey with three companions. He came back a changed man, with incredible but far-fetched stories of his journey. Gwendolyn was close to her grandfather, and was one of the few who believed his wild tales.

Raised among cousins, Gwendolyn learned to wield a sword from her uncle. She was often drawn to the docks, full of strange people and goods from distant lands. It was here that she first saw the women on the Danish ships. Furling sails, moving merchandise, and carrying swords they had freedom that Saxon women lacked. Craving adventure and a future of her choosing, Gwendolyn left Aldburg, taking ship with the Danes away from England.

Gwendolyn eventually ended up in Kievan Rus' by way of the Swedes. There she met a Rytsar who, noting her penchant for sword work, took her as his student and from him she learned much. She followed her Rytsar to war, gaining renown on the field of battle. She made her home there with a Kniaginia from whom she learned much. Despite loving her new life and her Rus' mentors, she always continues to consider herself Saxon.

Whereabouts

Gwendolyn currently resides in the Canton of Caldrithig, in the Barony of Skraeling Althing.

Heraldry

Device: Vert, in fess a bezant between two falcons rising respectant argent.

Offices and Appointments

Current Offices

Armoured Combat Marshal - Kingdom of Ealdormere (November 2014 - present)
Pursuivant at Large, Precedence - Kingdom of Ealdormere (May 2018 - present)

Current Appointments

Head Retainer - Dubhessa and Joffr - Barony of Skraeling Althing (November 2021 - present)
Order Secretary, Order of Thorbjorn's Hammer - Kingdom of Ealdormere (January 2022 - present)

Past Offices

Seneschal - Canton of Harrowgate Heath (April 2013 - April 2015)
Caleygreyhound Herald - Ealdormere College of Heralds (May 2019 - May 2024)

Past Appointments

Queen's Champion to Adrielle III (April - September 2016)
Armoured Combat Champion, Barony of Skraeling Althing (November 2017 - November 2018)
Garrison Chief, Barony of Skraeling Althing (November 2018 - November 2019)
Right Hand to Warlord Hespeler Bellatrix, Pennsic 51 (August 2024)

SCA History

Gwendolyn was introduced to the SCA by her best friend in the fall of AS 44, while in grad school in the Barony March of the Debatable Lands in the Kingdom of Æthelmearc. Although she enjoyed this taste of the current Middle Ages, she did not actually join until she moved to the Northlands in September of AS 46. She lived in the Canton of Harrowgate Heath for seven years, then moved to the Canton of Caldrithig in the summer of AS 54.

Covid left Gwendolyn with Post Exertional Malaise, so she is not as active as she was pre-pandemic. Because of this, her capacity to take on commitments is exceedingly low at the moment.

Affiliations

Gwendolyn is married to Adam von Ravensburg.
Gwendolyn is a squire to Rytsar Varakii Varenko Idanovich. She is thus a crew member of the Bleek Paard, and part of House Maclachlan.
Gwendolyn is a protégé to Kniaginia Xristina Viacheslavova, and part of Far Away Stars House.
Gwendolyn fights in Crown Tourney for Master Jamie FitzMordain Blackcloak.
Gwendolyn is an honourary out-of-kingdom member of the East Kingdom running team, Running with Scissors. She has fought with them many times during the Pennsic Woods Battle when Ealdormere was allied with the East Kingdom, sometimes bringing a triad of other Ealdormerians with her.
Gwendolyn is a founding member of the Our peers gave us large cumbersome objects support group.

Interests

Actual Interests

Armoured Combat
- Tourneys
- Melee
- Command
- Marshaling
Anglo-Saxon Culture
Lineage and Precedence
Calligraphy

Reluctant participation out of necessity

Activities

Gwendolyn was the only Ealdormerian to have completed either the 2018 or the 2019 Chiv Hunt challenge (she completed both), fighting at least three bouts each with 50 different members of the Order of Chivalry from across the Knowne World.
Gwendolyn is particularly interested in melee command. In AS 53 she shadowed Sir Varenko in his role of War General at Pennsic, and she was invited to do the same for Sir Ælfwyn in AS 55 before the plague cancelled Pennsic. In AS 59 she was the Right Hand of Pennsic Warlard Hespeler Bellatrix.
Gwendolyn is one of the Administrators of the EaldoWiki, and in particular enjoys maintaining the lineage trees.
Gwendolyn ran the token challenge tourney for King Evander.
Gwendolyn has a project of painting heraldry of Ealdormere fighters on LEGO minifigure shields. Although she hasn't worked on it much post-pandemic, she hopes to add to it again some day.

Awards

Order of the Wain - August 2019, Pennsic War XLVIII
Order of Thorbjorn's Hammer - September 2018, Feast of the Bear
Award of Orion - November 2016, Feast of the Hare
Award of the Scarlet Banner - November 2015, Feast of the Hare
Award of the Maiden's Heart - August 2013, Baron's Howe
Award of Arms - August 2012, Pennsic War XLI
Scroll of Honour - February 2020, Winter War
Award of the King's Favour - from King Evander, May 2019, Spring Coronation
Award of the Queen's Favour - from Queen Adrielle III, September, 2016, Fall Coronation
Scroll of Honour - August 2016, Pennsic War XLV
Scroll of Honour - January 2015, Tournoi du Coeur de Glace
Award of the Queen's Favour - from Queen Adrielle II, February 2014, Practicum
Scroll of Honour - February 2014, Practicum
Scroll of Honour - August 2012, Pennsic War XLI
Order of the Hare Valiant - June 2018, Murder Melee
Order of the Hare Salient - June 2015, Murder Melee
Bunny Tail - June 2012, Summer Siege