Gesta Concordium

~Accounts of Renowned Concordians and Friends in Their Own Words~

Almost a year ago at War of the Roses, Baroness Aislinn was handed the title and regalia of Concordia’s Arts and Science champion after impressing their Excellencies John and Janna with her display of wordsmith work. Aislinn currently lives in Midland Vale but is an established Friend of Concordia and regular at local events. With the next War of the Roses approaching and the future champion soon to be named, now seems like the perfect time for an interview.

For people that don’t know you, how would you like to introduce yourself?

Hi! I’m Aislinn Chiabach.

I lived in Concordia from 1999 to 2004. Though I had been going to Concordia events since I started in 1992 and continue to play with you to this day!

As the saying goes, “Once a Concordian, Always Concordian.”

I even used that proverb in my A&S Champs entry this year!

What got you into the Society and what keeps you in it?

I passed a sign my first week of college that read Student Coalition for Universal Medievalism: SCUM. I was pretty much hooked on the sign alone and have been playing ever since.

What has kept me playing for 30 years? That it’s not just one game, it’s dozens of different hobbies hiding in a trench coat called the SCA.

My focus has included so many things over the years. My life has changed. Parenthood affected how I played and then massive health issues drastically modified everything about my life.

In the face of all of that I have found avenues to actively participate. It has not been easy. Forging new paths is incredibly frustrating and difficult, but I persist.

Friendship of people in the SCA in sickness and health (as it were) has been incredible. The love and support of kith and kin have gotten me through the darkest times of my life and fuels my participation in the Society.

As Concordia’s current A&S champion, since it’s been almost a year since War of the Roses, tell us about the project you entered and how it relates to your work in general. (If you want, talk about your recent entry in Kingdom A&S here too!)

My entry for the Concordian A&S was originally my entry for Ostgardr’s!

I had gone out of my comfort zone and written a poem in the Rhyme Royal form created by Chaucer. The subject related to the current Vicereines’ quest for the Perfect Lemon. My poem encouraged all to stop looking for one perfect lemon and instead make lemonade to be shared by all. There’s something delicious about the poem I wrote for Ostgardr winning for Concordia. All the Baronage involved absolutely approved!

My entry in the recent EK A&S Championship also reflects a new direction for me. I entered the Research category: On The Merits of Proverbs in Award Documents and Their Effective Use. At the moment there’s no perfect place for Wordsmithing to be judged in our competitions. This time I catered my entry to fit into the research category, and I am very proud of how it turned out.

What other SCA-relevant things are you interested in?

It’s easier to ask what I am not interested in. I have never fenced or fought Heavy list!

One subject I am very passionate about is advocating the end of using Faux-Hands or Hack-Hands in the SCA. These are the calligraphy hands that look Asian, Arabic or other non Western styles but are actually in English. The use of faux hands was once considered acceptable, but now it is not. Not under any circumstance. This is now included in the 2024 edition of the Scribes Handbook.

Stepping back to the question, my interests rangefrom clothing/garb research and sewing, archery, youth
activities, scribal arts, through holding different offices in Shires, Baronial and Kingdom and so many
different things in between.

What is the most ambitious goal on your A&S journey that you don’t think you’ve achieved yet?

I want to rework the current perception towards Wordsmithing. It should be recognized as an art in its own right, and be judged in competition in the same rubrics as Illumination and Calligraphy. Change is slow, but it is happening. I was one of the first recognized for Wordsmithing in the Silver Brooch and the Maunche! As well as this past Ceilidh, I joined the Concordian Order of the Sapphire.

Wordsmithing combines research, composition and performance. I want a space where all aspects of it are recognized accordingly.