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Medieval Scotland
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Sharon L. Krossa, PhD

Before sending email, please read the below!

I am happy to answer questions by email if I can and if I have the time. But before emailing me with a question, please check the web site to see if the answer to your question is already there. (And note that these days it is very hit and miss whether I will have time, due to ongoing medical adventures. So please don't be offended if I don't reply, or don't reply for a very, very long time -- it isn't personal, it's just I have a lot of life happening right now. Note in particular that if you didn't follow the instructions below when sending your email, I won't reply, ever. Again, this isn't personal, but simply because I never got your email -- it was deleted as spam.)

In particular, do not email me with broad questions about Scottish clothing (or ask me where to find pictures of Scottish clothing) if you have not first checked the books by McClintock and Dunbar mentioned in the clothing section; if you do email me with such a question, I'm just going to suggest you go read those books. (If you have a specific, narrow question, or have already checked McClintock and Dunbar, then do please email me, and I'll help if I can and have time.)

Also, do not email me for help with Scottish genealogy research (unless you think I may be related to you). The only way to find out about your own family history is to research it step by step, generation by generation, starting with yourself and working back in time. If you try to find out about your family history by researching people from hundreds of years ago who happen to have the same surname, you are most likely to end up having spent a lot of time researching people who are completely unrelated to you. (In particular, note that surnames are not a reliable guide to historical Scottish clan affiliations. If your Scottish ancestors did belong to a clan -- and not all Scots did -- the only way to find out which clan is to research your specific family history back generation by generation and find out specifically where they were from and what clan, if any, they gave their loyalty to. Unfortunately, this isn't always possible -- but there is no substitute; anything else is just a guess, at least as likely to be wrong as to be right.) For information about how to start researching your Scottish genealogy, see the BBC's Scottish Roots web site.

To avoid having your message discarded unread as spam, when sending email to the address below, please do the following:

• Do not include attachments, files, or images. Unexpected messages with attachments will be presumed to contain viruses and the like, and will be deleted unopened. If you would like to send a file, contact me first and I'll tell you where attachments may be sent.
• Do not leave the Subject line blank. Messages with blank subject lines look like spam.
• Use a descriptive Subject line that make it obvious that you're a real human being asking a real question, not a spammer.
  For example, use a subject line like "Scottish Name: Ronald McDonald" or "Handfasting Question" or "Belted Plaids Before 1600?",
  not "Hello" or "Ronald" or "Question" or "Help!"
• In addition, put "[frnsq2]" at end of the Subject line to make it even clearer you are a real human being capable of reading and following these instructions.
  For example,"Scottish Name: Ronald McDonald [frnsq2]" or "Handfasting Question [frnsq2]" or "Belted Plaids Before 1600? [frnsq2]".

E-mail address: skrossa-ms2@MedievalScotland.org (Again, put "[frnsq2]" at end of the Subject line!)

Workshops:

Want to hear about historical Scottish names, language, clothing or history in person? I am available to conduct workshops about various aspects of medieval and 16th century Scotland. For more information, see Workshops by Sharon L. Krossa.

Education:

• AB May 1987, Mount Holyoke College (Medieval Studies & Physics)
• PhD Nov 2006, University of Aberdeen (History, "A Study of Expectations: Women in the Burgh of Aberdeen in the Later Middle Ages")

Occupation:

• Independent Academic Technology Consultant

Historical Re-creation:

• Known to Clan Colin as Eiliginn Gearr-sheallach [and no, <Eiliginn Gearr-sheallach> isn't a very authentic choice for a 16th century Scottish Gaelic name!]
• Formerly known at the Northern Renaissance Pleasure Faire [RPFN] (Novato, California) as Gormal Choinnich Gormail (Clan MacCodrum), Language Director of the umquhile St. Brigid's Guild (the Scots) [and, again, the name <Gormal Choinnich Gormail> has some serious authenticity problems, but it was actually much better than the last attempt...]
• Known in the SCA as Lady Effric Neyn Ken3ocht Mcherrald
  formerly residing in Shire Egaill, Kingdom of Drachenwald and now it seems living in the Shire of Crosston in the Mists of the West...
  [and this time I managed an authentic name for a 16th century Scottish Gael, as you can see for yourself from my documentation. Please feel free to make use of this evidence. Indeed, if anyone in the SCA wants to register the same name — in full! — I will happily provide you with a documented spelling variation. I have already submitted a letter granting blanket permission to conflict. Name registered by the SCA College of Arms May 2001, blanket permission to conflict accepted Feb 2004 (Feb 2005 Errata).]
  Badge: (Fieldless) A cross formy azure. [Badge registered by the SCA College of Arms May 2001, blanket permission to conflict accepted Feb 2004 (Feb 2005 Errata).]
  Alternate persona name: Effe Men3eis [This name is authentic, too, though for a 16th century townswoman rather than a Gael, as can be seen from the documentation. A letter granting blanket permission to conflict has also been submitted for this name, and the same offer holds for it as for Effric... Name registered Feb 2004, blanket permission to conflict accepted Feb 2004 (Feb 2005 Errata).]
  Device: Ermine, a cross formy and a chief gules. [See picture. Although submitted to the SCA College of Arms associated with the name Effric Neyn Ken3ocht Mcherrald, it really goes with Effe Men3eis. Device registered Feb 2004, blanket permission to conflict accepted Feb 2004 (Feb 2005 Errata).]

Newsnet, SCA, and Renaissance Fair Trivia:

• First worked as a participant at RPFN: Late Summer 1982 — with Clan Colin
• Last worked as a participant at RPFN: Late Summer 1992, 1993, or 1994 — with S. Brigid's Guild, as Language Director (in my last year actually worked workshops rather than the run of fair!) [Continued as Language director of S. Brigid's Guild, in absentia, at least until Feb 1995]
• First appeared/quoted on Newsnet: 12 Feb 1994 in quoted text (of a post to the Roots-L emailing list) in a post by John Hansen to soc.roots. (At the time, soc.roots was mirrored/gated to Roots-L.)
• First posting directly to Newsnet: 28 Dec 1994 — a post to soc.culture.celtic inquiring about the name <Sharon> in Ireland.
• First posting to alt.fairs.renaissnce: 4 Feb 1995 — a post about using fair accents after hours.
• First posting to rec.org.sca: 7 Feb 1995 — a post about That Film Whose Name Shall Not Be Uttered!
• Decided to be part of the SCA: circa 3 May 1996 — based on a post to rec.org.sca about "beginning to research a persona name for myself".
• First contacted local SCA group: circa Spring 1997
• First SCA event: 25-27 April 1997 — Warbands at Edzell Castle, jointly sponsored by Shires Egaill and Harpelestane in the Kingdom of Drachenwald.
• SCA event rate as of June 2008: 10 events in 4 kingdoms over 12 years (11 years if measuring from first local contact):
  • Second SCA event: 13-14 June 1998 — Warbands
  • Third SCA event: possibly Late Summer or Autumn 1998 — a West Kingdom camping event, possibly a Crown Tourney or Investiture
  • Fourth SCA event: 10 Apr 1999 — An Tir Heraldic Symposium and Fool's Feast
  • Fifth SCA event: 25-26 Jun 2005 — West Kingdom June Crown (for the purpose of attending a 14th century French feast in honor of Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn's 25 years in the Order of the Laurel)
  • Sixth SCA event: 6 Jan 2007 — West Kingdom 12th Night (for the purpose of attending Christian de Holacombe's Laurel ceremony)
  • Seventh SCA event: 15-17 Jun 2007 — Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium 2007, hosted by Caid
  • Eighth SCA event: 8 Sep 2007 — Dishwashing at Mists Bardic (West Kingdom)
  • Ninth SCA event: 26 Apr 2008 — Dishwashing for the Perfectly Period Feast at Collegium Occidentalis (West Kingdom)
  • Tenth and most recent SCA event: 14-15 Jun 2008 — West Kingdom Arts & Sciences Tournament (where I was surprised with an Award of Arms by Titus and Eilis, King and Queen of the West, and very pleased that I received it from someone [Eilis] that I knew)

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Medieval Scotland
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