Some of the things I did in June...

 So, long time, no post, I know. It´s just that I am a bit undermotivated to date for blogging, what with no real camera, no ressources whatsoever and working hard and most of the time for next to nothing. It just seems I always struggle the best I can (and get a lot of positive input for my work), but the money seems to avoid me as if I had the plague. I am to date thinking about starting a business with knifemaking and blacksmithing tutorials for children. But the market is definitely down to next to nothing for knives. I could sell a handmade knife with a spring steel blade that cuts mild iron and chops antler, complete with stag handle and sheath for 35 €. We´re talking handforged here, and that´s not a price at all. When I sell knives at all, I just make blades to be finished with a Paracord wrapping and no sheath. My day job´s stuck at a dead end of course, no career in sight. My mother wanted to sell my property flat while I looked away just once to an estate speculant at a ridiculous price. So, not exactly an easy life at the moment, but now everything´s under control (as far one could say that for any life) again, and I can concentrate on the nice experiences again. And at the beginning of June I stayed at my love´s for holiday, and while there  were a lot of beautiful days spent together, here´s just a short account of the highlights. Hikes into the hills, getting up late, having fun, meeting, friends, having great food and some greater music, great weather, and a beautiful city. Oh, and "ain´t she sweet?"...

 ... The hills above Marburg...

 One day Daniela, a friend of ours, the magic troll and myself drove out towards the Goldborn spring. We went there for meditation and spiritual practice. A local legend says that he who sits by the spring for three fullmoon nights in a row without speaking, will find a golden treasure. We did not stay for three months;-), but we spoke little. It was a very peaceful atmosphere with the creeks singing and golden light seeping through the leaves. We first went on our respective ways, and it was great to be with people, regardless of our way of acquaintance, with whom this is possible.

The song of the creek and the trees merged into each other, and there were voices from the deep sounding up into the world of man and beast and tree. It is difficult to describe, but if you are still enough, you might be able to relate to the experience. If you don´t, there´s no way I can make this plausible to you.

When I returned from my solitary journey, I found the magic troll sitting with her feet in the water and chanting a gentle song, so low I could not hear much. She has a lovely voice, sure, but most impressively was the voices that rose from the creek and that blended into her singing. It was certainly one of the most beautiful things I have heard in my whole life.

Then Daniela returned and took to playing the flute sitting on a rock in the creek, and that was another very beautiful and touching thing. In the meantime, the magic troll and myself prepared some food and we said our thanks and had a feast on handmade cheese and bread and cake and water melon and a cuppa tea.   

 Suddenly all was over and we drove home with a heart full of peace and joy. On Friday then Erich came, the magic troll´s father, and a great guy to have around. Especially when some beer is involved. And, no, I am NOT ashamed ;-)

 We prepared for combat with a black beer helmet, for it was Münzenberg reenactment fair ahead, and we had still to train for full contact martial arts. We chose an enemy of mankind to be fought. Alcohol. I am glad to say that the enemy was utterly defeated!

 The magic troll in assault mode...*ggg*

 Off to Münzenberg.

 I could rant on endlessly how great it was, how friendly the people. It was great to meet with Jonny again, and talk away the hours with Lotte, his wife, to trade weird jokes with Heika and André, and Steffen and Dipali, and Meggy and Peter and all those other great people on the fair. Erich bought himself half a ton of bronze axes;-), and some pretty Birka jewellry for the girls. I also had the privilege to meet with Danuta, his new companion girlfriend, another great person I was glad to meet. We enjoyed this quality time together.

 Oh, and the fights? Look here to see some real fighting, no sword ballet:

Click

Clickclack

And a great vid of the Polish national team


We drove home to prepare for the next day*ggg*.

Kidding aside, when I got home I took out Íshakùthr, ye olde viking swordie and gave it some polishing up. Blimey, I have to forge some armour...;-) some real armour, that is.

Oh the loot-a weekend of viking shopping and gifts from my lovely magic troll!

 Now this is a geardo post. I am not above some fit of manic shopping from time to time, and I actually do not ven have to forage for food this month because of money shortage... feels good for a change. I travelled to my love´s home in Marburg to meet with her and her father, Erich the viking;-) to go to Münzenberg medieval fair. All in all, the fair was a great one with meetings with Jonny, the mad harpist, and his wife, with great conversations and meetings with great people, and I got me some material. Clockwise: Ram´s horn scales from the Solingen expo still, elk antler, roe antler for a pendant, roe antler, a nice tomahawk, roe antler, a beautiful pieve of flint, more elk antler, and reindeer antler from the Solingen expo.

 And these goodies I got from my lovely lovely love, the magic troll. A skull cap in Naalbindning technique, new viking shoes that could do well even at work, and some hand-knitted socks. She makes them for you,too, if you´d ask her nicely enough or have something equally nice;-) to trade. Look here for her blog!

 I really like those shoes, handmade and all.

 Brass shoe nails, nice. I´ll put some rubber on, though, the soles would be a bit slippery on the grass.

And, finally, I got me some handmade glass jewellry to go on knife lanyards. Beautiful, and awesomely made-and authentical in the bargain!

Hammer-In at Münzenberg reenactment fair

Nico, Markus and several other brutes;-) had a smithing session at Münzenberg reenactment fair. I did some filming and had a chat with them. Enjoy!

Medieval Reenactment fair on Münzenberg castle

 On Sunday and Monday the magic troll, the Da´, and myself made for Münzenberg in Hessen, site of an annual reenactment fair. The weather was promising, but there were a few clouds spelling mischief, but me cutie was not worried a bit. "Jonny´s there," she said. "-"And what if it rains?"-"Jonny´s there." she replied.;-)

 When we arrived at Münzenberg castle, there was a huge line of people waiting. Seems to be that the rout at the love-parade in Duisburg had an effect on the EU - law situation (and we all know what that means:-( ) So the organizing team was not allowed to allow more than 800 people at once into the castle. The fair takes place for some 20 years now, with not so much as one incident. But chief bureaucracy has it that a castle has to have an entrance, an exit and several emergency exits. Too bad they did not build it in in the medieval ages, would have made for interesting sieges*ggg*. While we waited, we made funny jokes ("Bring out yer dead! LEON!!!*ggg*). As usual, the vikings had a laugh while slowly being roasted by the sun, while the templars fainted like flies*ggg*. There were several templar gentlemen waiting behind us who had a bit too much booze and thusly being a bit wobbly in the knees. It was quite hot, and I daresay there were more "casualties" in the waiting crowd than would have been in case of a fire. Bureaucracy and paranoia make funny twins at times.

 The line waiting to be permitted...

 Behind the gates there was a harpist harping like mad... and of course, Jonny was already composing a satire against the city´s safety referee. Please remind me to never cross this man... I would not want to have my name sung at a thousand reenactment fairs all over Europe! But no worries whatsoever, he´s a great man, and I daresay he could be called a genius. He is a druid in the OBOD, and his musical skill is amazing. Jazz on a harp anyone? He was already improvising on his ex tempore satire, when someone from the organization staff came by and TRIED to command him "Hey, you should play something more medieval!" He just looked up at him, sneered : "Why should I?" and continued as before. When he was done, there was a satire named "Orga-face" that he sang while the orgaface was stynding beside him. He just does as he pleases and goes where he wants. Certainly not my style, but where´s the harm? He is a great guy I feel privileged to have met.

 The beauty and the beast.. I leave it to your interpretation who´s the balding beast...*ggg*

 Sundown over Münzenberg castle...

 Impressions of dusk. When the first day was done, we made for the camp. There was a huge session of musicians going on. I made some vids in a lousy quality, that I will publish later. Again, it was Jonny leading the pack. After that, we made for Marburg, had some food and quite a fill of mead on the terrace of the magic troll´s place;-).

 On Monday we were a tiny bit reluctant to rise early, but rise we did, and drove to Münzenberg again. Again some waiting in line, and we were in.

 There was this lovely stone sculpture booth on the area. I really liked this wood spirit... have to do that in wood sometime soon... very inspiring.

 Another one, not so funny.;-)

 This one´s for the ladies...

 Funny gargoyle, if you ask me... you want to cuddle him all day instead of being frightened.*ggg*

 I also liked those Bès / Telesphoros figurines.

 Grmlgrmlgrmlhavetostandherealldayandstandgrmlgrmlgrml.*ggg*

 I still have that saliva on the shoulder piece of my tunic from the magic troll drooling all over the place over these torques...

 ...lovely indeed, and I was having a hard time keeping back my drool, too;-).

 A great inspiration to my crane bag...

 A bronze javelin tip I rather like a lot. Don´t know what I´ve got with those recurve shapes, but I´ve got a thing with them going on...;-). Love the engravings, too.

 A shield buckle in the Celtic style.

 Javelins.

 Those chains really got me by the balls, and I really have to try that myself. Everywhere I looked, they seemed to be. They are worn as belts by Celtic reenactors.

 An arrow quiver with a very cool décor, if you ask me:

Then we made for Nico´s booth. Nico Runge is a master blacksmith offering-amongst many other things- workshops in swordsmithing and the like. We had a nice chat, and he is a hard-working guy with "the fire" in his heart and eyes. He simply loves what he does, and he does it well.

 Those knives were not quite my (personal) style, but great craftsmanship nonetheless. Those surfaces obviously tell something of his being a master!

 Fibulae and axe heads. The tools are made from spring steel.

 A complete Roman armour kit for sale.

The master at work. He worked with children, and they waited in line to get to the anvil. And some of them had that look in their eyes that told that the fire had been kindled in their hearts! Great job, Nico!

 We could not help but noticing an infernal noise going on, as the Skalden were starting to play, oversized bagpipes, you know;-). We whined for help, and Jonny came to our rescue, the brave archer enemy of any noise riot*ggg*. Is it a bird? ;-) Is it a plane? ;-) No, it is SUPERJONNY*ggg*, rescuer of music and good taste...;-)

 ...for he cannot just sing his satires and his thrash songs. Few know now, but he has  a lovely repertoire of Breton folk songs and own compositions. If only he played them all the time, for they are beautiful enough!

 For us, he did, and we sat down there for a song, and simply listened. By the way, the harp he plays he made himself. He also plays the guitar, bagpipes (oh, yeah, he DOES!;-)) and the Faecalophon as well as eggcutters and mouthharps.*ggg*

There also was this great booth offering cups and bowls and oil lamps, all handmade earthenware.

And the magic troll got herself a new cup.

We had some delicious food, watched some Huscarl fighters giving each other a right whacking, and simply smelled the roses.

 Then we made for home, said goodbye, and Erich cared like a Daddy ;-) for us by buying a load of mead. Back on the terrace we had a ball and quite a fill, so much indeed, that I fell asleep in mid-sentence, if only for a second, and I haven´t had that experience for some 20 years. Meaditation anyone?*ggg*

But before we drove home, we visited a stone age burial site, but that is another tale and shall be told in another post;-).

It was a wonderful day, plain and simple, with the most wonderful people I have met in years, and the one friend of my soul and her Da´, who is quickly becoming very close, too.