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====== Ring-giving ======


As well as being **The Land That Sings**, the Kingdom of Ealdormere has been famed for many years as **The Land of Ring-Givers**.

Ring-giving in Ealdormere is not limited to Royalty or Barony. Any member of the populace may give a ring to another person. This is a deliberate copying of the Norse style of ring-giving, especially rings given to mark acts worthy of reward, which reflects the strong Norse style of the early Principality. Within the Kingdom, the giving of a ring is seen to be a significant event, usually taking place in public, often in a Court. The fact that any member of the populace so moved may give a ring is seen to be an exercise of the inherent nobility of all North-folk; nobility is part of each of the North-folk's birthright.

While this style of ring-giving was modeled on tales of Norse arm-rings, any size of ring can be given.

Rings given and received bear no formal precedence. They are seen to be tokens of **praise**, of **thanks**, or of **encouragement**, celebrating each other's merit. It is an honour to receive a ring, just as it is an honour to give one.

Kings and Queens of Ealdormere often give rings to subjects, just as any of the North-folk may. The Barons and Baronesses of the Five Baronies also give rings. These rings bear no precedence, but are treasures from their first days, thanks to their especially splendid origins.

Many rings have been given to people of all sorts and conditions, especially by Ealdormerans while travelling anywhere in the Known World. This spreads the custom far and wide, though experience indicates people from far lands can be intimidated by the prospect of giving a ring to someone else within their own Kingdoms.


===== "Ealdormere rules" =====

While a ring given is a gift and the recipient of course can do with the gift as they wish, the custom in Ealdormere is to invite the recipient to "play by Ealdormere rules" or abide by Kingdom custom. The custom can be considered like the old Irish //gaes//, or limitation; the recipient is charged to take the ring received and pass it along to someone deserving within a year and a day of its receipt. This reflects the strong Celtic influences in Ealdormere's origins.

When passed along to a new recipient a ring, as an artefact, gains merit and becomes increasingly treasured as its history expands. If possible, the origin of the ring and its lineage of recipients should be shared with the new recipient. Thus it is said, "Rings must wander".

Various rings have taken on historic status:

__**The Ring of Alun**__, a bronze arm-ring won from Owen Alun, Bard of Northshield, by Haakon Oaktall of Aethelmearc. Haakon gave it to Princess Tangwystl of Ealdormere at Pennsic XIX Midrealm Court, specifically because Haakon's intended recipient was in service to the Principality Court and relayed all his prizes to his patrons.


__**The Ring of Lockesley**__, a copper finger-ring given by first Laurel King of Arms and legendary bard of the West, Master Ioseph of Lockesley, and borne from Pennsic to Ealdormere, its first holders in the North were Ragnheithr Thorbjarnadottir, then Halfdann Blackanvil, called mhic Crimmond, the bag-piper, then Marian of Heatherdale, Marian receiving it the joyous day word was received from Mistress Moria the Black that the Imperium in the far West had approved Ealdormere's petition for advancement to Kingdom status.


__**The Osis Rings**__, twenty-five arm-rings presented to King Thorbjorn Osis of the Midrealm, on the day of his coronation. These were the gift of the Royal Citie of Eoforwic in the Barony of Septentria, which was celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary that summer. These rings were crafted by the populace of the Royal Citie working together, brass strips about 12" (30 cm) long and 1" (2.5 cm) wide. Each was acid-etched by hand to read "ᛖᛟᚠᛟᚱᚹᛁᚲᛗᚨᛞᛖ ᛗᛖ ᛟᛊᛁᛊ ᚷᚨᚢᛖ ᛗᛖ", "Eoforwic made me, Osis gave me". By good luck, Osis' reign was exactly twenty-five events long, so he gave an Osis Ring at each event, across the far-flung Middle Kingdom (which at the time still included Northshield and Ealdormere). Many of these rings have been passed, hand to hand and arm to arm, often within a year and a day of receipt. Some can be seen to this day, worn with pride in Ealdormere and far beyond.


__**The Rings of Six**__. During the final reign of the seventeen Oath-Bound Princes of Ealdormere, Prince Berus and Princess Marion commissioned silver finger rings from Mistress Breanaidh ni Naoimin. These rings were engraved to read "B&M The End of the Beginning", to mark the end of the Principality before the Coronation of David the Greater and Elina, first King and Queen of the Laurel Kingdom of Ealdormere. These were given to those Their Serene Highnesses deemed worthy of great praise for their roles in the creation of Ealdormere and its elevation to Kingdom status:

  * __Finnvarr de Taahe__ - Ragni's husband, co-founder of the first SCA Canton in Canada, constant mentor and exemplar of high medieval virtue.
  * __Ragni Dzintara of Amberhall__ - Finnvarr's wife, legendary hall-hostess and original Lady of House Amberhall.
  * __Sylard of Eagleshaven__ - Blacksmith, metal-worker, fighter in the early years and Master of House Eagleshaven, one of the principal leaders of the wolf's head resistance during the Time of the Unspoken Name.
  * __Caitlin Stuart__ - Countess to Graf Hugo, Lady of House Hrogin, Duchess to Thorbjorn Osis, she who reigned alone in the Midrealm after Osis' death, giver of prudent counsel especially to Berus and Marion, including counsel against rushing to Kingdom status.
  * __Moria the Black__ - dancer, free woman of the Rozakii, final Seneschal of the Principality of Ealdormere, who bore the final petition for advancement from Principality status to the Imperium in the far West, massaged the petition to meet the Imperium's needs and personally sent glad tidings back to Ealdormere.
  * __Hector of the Black Height__ - man of old Eagleshaven, first Bard to the Courts of the Principality of Ealdormere, first Bardic Arts Laurel ever elevated in the Middle Kingdom (when Ealdormere was a Principality within the Midrealm).

In addition, Princess Marion commissioned a seventh ring, which she kept for herself, as was her right. Mistress Ragni chose to let her ring wander. When Berus and Marion heard this they commissioned an eighth ring and gave it Ragni, that she may ever hold one. Master Hector passed his ring to Mistress Marian of Heatherdale, first Bard to the Court of the Crown of Ealdormere, in hopes that it might pass from Kingdom Bard to Kingdom Bard. Its fate is unknown.


__**The Tir Righ Rings**__, an arm-ring crafted by Mistress Aelfwyn et Langanwuda and a finger-ring crafted by Magnifico Cesare d'Ambroggio, were sent by Tristham and Anneke, King and Queen of Ealdormere, to Their Serene Highnesses of Tir Righ within the Kingdom of An Tir. These were conveyed westward by Their Majesties' ambassador Sor Shahid al-Hasan, as tokens of love and support for another Northern Principality, and in hopes that Ealdormere's culture of ring-giving might take root even further afar. Reports from Tir Righ are positive...


===== Rings within the Populace =====

While rings must have been given in earlier days, especially as tokens by Baron Aeden and Baroness Kaffa when Baron and Baroness of old Septentria, the first ring known to have been given publicly by one ordinary member of the populace to another was in the Pennsic War Court of Baron Ieuen and Baroness Adrielle of Septentria. Its recipient was Ulvar van der Nederlanden, who returned to Baronial Court the following Pennsic (the //gaes// of passing along the ring within a year and a day of receipt) and confirmed the custom; that ring's recipient is not recorded.

Rings often are gifted to new Peers while sitting vigil. A Peer of the North always should embark on the great journey of Peerage with rings on hand, riches ready to be sent wandering.