Alisandre Oliphant

Photo
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Information
Registered Name: Alisandre Oliphant Resides: Bjornsborg Status: Active Joined SCA: 1983
Order of Precedence
Alisandre Oliphant
Heraldry
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Mistress Alisandre Oliphant, OL

Additional Registered Heraldry

• The following badge associated with this name was registered in August of 1988 (via Ansteorra) and reblazoned in November of 2014 (via Ansteorra): (Fieldless) An elephant's head cabossed, ears displayed, purpure, the dexter ear charged with an Old English A, the sinister with an Old English O.
• The following badge associated with this name was registered in April of 1990 (via Ansteorra): (Fieldless) An elephant purpure, masoned argent and armed Or.
• The following badge associated with this name was registered in November of 2014 (via Ansteorra): (Fieldless) An elephant's head cabossed ears displayed purpure, the dexter ear charged with an Old English A, the sinister with an Old English O Or.

Offices:

• Local Offices Held
  • Herald, Shire of the Shadowlands, June 1985 - August 1986
  • Halberd Pusuivant, Barony of Bryn Gwlad - February 1988 - June

1989

• Kingdom Offices Held
  • Iris Herald: 1989-1990, the kingdom herald’s office briefly was

trying to promote “heralds’ painting,” which supported and promoted

heraldic artistry. An office was created for this, called Iris Herald.

Persona History:

I was born in 1178 in Northumbria. My father Herbert was a Norman lord; my mother Catherine was of Saxon extraction. We were not overly wealthy, and my older brothers traveled to seek fame and fortune. One of them competed in a tournament in Silesia and came to the attention of its host; this connection led to my marriage to the Polish lord Jan w Orzeldom.

Our daughter Katarzyna and son Michael are now grown, and my lord and I are pleased to be able to return to travel in the beautiful kingdom of Ansteorra.

Interests:

The arts. Historically – subtleties, calligraphy, illumination, poetry (writing and performing), and heraldry. Currently, I’m very interested in weaving (mostly plain weave and Baltic pickup on the inkle loom). I’m also learning the harp and do Tartar-style archery, but I don’t pursue them with the degree of consistency that they deserve.

Timeline of Activity:

First event - Bordermarch Melees, April 22, 1983, AS XVII. I camped with my roommate, Rosamund Cesane, and Cadfan ap Morgan.

Played actively from 1983 to 1990. Had a period of inactivity from about 1990 until about 2015, when we started to play more regularly again.

Prior Groups

The Shire of the Shadowlands (1983-1986)
The Barony of the Sacred Stone (Atlantia) (1986)
The Barony of Bryn Gwlad (1986-1990)

Notable Contributions or Accomplishments:

• Steppes 12th Night, 1985 - I won the edible subtlety competition with a marzipan dragon, which I gave to Tessa. Apparently I introduced Cynric of Bedwyn to Sir Hrothgar of Farley, to whom he was later squired, at that event.
• Premier Artisan of the Shadowlands, Tournament of the Round Table IV, April 1986. Of note: I’m pretty sure that Cynric and I came up with the concept of a titled artisan – we were tired of all the titles going to fighters. He was MOAS of the Shadowlands at the time, and I was the herald, so I designed and registered a badge for the Artisan of the Shadowlands, and he held the first Artisan competition at the Tournament of the Round Table IV in April 1986. I entered a marzipan centaur subtlety and an illuminated, calligraphed sonnet and won the title. Shadowlands had the first titled artisan in the kingdom until Steppes created its Artisan of the Steppes title in 1988.
• Inman IV and Drusilla’s Coronation, 1986 – I won the edible subtlety competition (marzipan mermaid), but it wasn’t announced, and I didn’t know I’d won until Briony Blaaslagen told me at the Bjornsborg Baronial Court later that year.
• Artisan of the Shadowlands, Tournament of the Round Table V, April 1987. My entry was the award scroll for the Artisan, so I won it back when I defended my title. NOTE: The third Artisan of the Shadowlands competition was at the Heraldic Collegium in December 1988, and Bird (Hrothgar’s lady) won with a pair of gloves. I lost track of the title after that.
• At the Ladies’ Tournament of Chivalry in 1987, Galen told me that someone had performed a sonnet that I had written to compete in Bordermarch Bardic the week before and had won Best Poem with it. I have no idea who it was.
• Presented a banner of my design of the full Ansteorran achievement to the kingdom at Queen’s Champion, August 1987. Eldric de Charbonneau and Robin of Gilwell carried it into court, furled, and let it fall open before their Majesties. It was presented in Aureliane’s honor, and per my request, they didn’t use my name, because I wanted the attention focused on the banner. NOTE: Prior to this, the only full achievement of the kingdom had been one that Aureliane had drawn. I wanted to make one that included representations of every award in the kingdom (at that point). After the crown started using the banner, full achievements briefly became a “thing,” and I designed Bryn Gwlad’s as well, at the request of the baron and baroness.
• Steppes Twelfth Night, January 1988 – I won the edible subtlety contest with a subtlety I had made to commemorate Riccardo and Aislinn’s court baronies (marzipan figures of them sitting on a bench).
• Steppes Warlord, May 1988 – Riccardo di Pisa spoke for me as my Knight when I was made a Laurel, and I gave him a Lion medallion that I had made; it’s of Osage orange wood with an inlaid ebony star and an ivory lion. Years later, after he died, his lady Aislinn gave it to the Order (I think?) – at any rate, it was used by several Lions. I think Ivarr Runamagi has it now.
• Steppes Warlord, May 1989 – I was recognized for best story in the Bard of the Steppes competition.

(brief 30-year gap)

• Coronation, April 2019 – I won the hedgehog subtlety competition.

Affiliations:

• Jan w Orzeldom, my lord
• Mistress Aureliane Rioghail asked me to be her apprentice, and she announced our bond in court at Steppes Warlord in May 1987.
• Anne Harper of Eland has often acted as my lady in waiting when my lord and I traveled to events with a contingent.

Mundane Information:

I am a technical communicator.