William de Hirst
Introduction
Lord William de Hirst is an equestrian, heavy fighter, teacher, and sometimes bard, among other things. He dwells in Northern Atlantia, currently in the Barony of Storvik. He has been an official SCA member since A.S. XLVI, but was active long before that. He is a member of House Red Oak.
Persona
William is an Anglo/Hiberno/Siciluo-Norman, depending on his mood and the time of year. However, he is firmly based in the mid-twelfth century. Hailing from a minor noble family in the West Riding of Yorkshire, he has gone out into the world to make his fortune, whether that be on Crusade, in Ireland, Sicily, North Africa, Normandy, or the tournament circuit. He has a love of fine things and good horses. He has also dabbled in other cultures, including medieval Maghreb, the Byzantine Empire, and pre-Islamic Iran and Central Asia.
Activities
William first got his start in the SCA through House Wolfhau in the Barony of Stierbach. However, he came into his own in the Atlantian Cavalry, training under Alienor de Bathe and her Lance of St. Bunstable. With Alienor's warhorse, Macgovick, William authorized in a wide variety of equestrian skills, including mounted games, horse archery, mounted combat, and jousting. He was also part of the Atlantian cavalry contingent at SCA 50 year in A.S L. More recently, he has started training his own horse, Taliesin, in becoming a mighty steed.
William also fights on foot as an armored fighter, starting in A.S. LII. He has fought in a number of tourneys, and a host of melee combats, and fought with the Atlantian army at every Pennsic since A.S. LII. When not fighting under his own colors, he fights for his household, or his barony.
William dabbles in a number of A&S activities. He brews his own mead, spins thread, has worked in leather and wood, and has been known to sing the occasional song or tell a story. He is well known for his prolific letter-writing, all done with dip pens and sealed with wax. He also has taught a number of classes, both at Atlantian events and at Pennsic University.
Offices and Positions
Deputy Chatelaine for armored fighting, Barony of Storvik Equestrian Champion, Barony of Storvik Captain, Lance of St. Bunstable
Classes Taught
Ifriquiya: Medieval North Africa
Ars Dictaminis: The Art of Medieval Letter-Writing
Al-Faranj: Europeans in the Medieval Muslim World
Kingdom in the Sun: The Normans in Sicily
Samhain and Soul Cakes: The Pre-modern Halloween
Christmas Past, Cold and Ancient
Holy Cows and Flaming Monks: Folk Saints of the SCA
That last class represents William's largest piece of original research so far. Conducting a survey, he expected to encounter perhaps half a dozen folk saints, but instead collected over 90.
Awards
AoA
Supporters (A horse wearing barding in Atlantian colors and a Spike)
Silver Stirrup(Steirbach Baronial Award)
Order of the Quintain
Silver Selkie (Storvik Baronial Award)
Silver Osprey
Additional Info
William has received the nickname of "William the Chivalrous", but is entirely too humble to ever use it. He is also known as "Lord Billy." As part of his research on folk saints, he is a patron of St. Bunstable, patron saint of alcohol. He has created, er, discovered a relic of St. Bunstable (his holy drinking cup) and built a reliquary for it, which sometimes travels to events. Furthermore, to spread the word of St. Bunstable and expand his cult, William is working on a miracle play devoted to the saint. He is also a patron of the real life St. Martin (patron saint of horses), and has commissioned a portable shrine to bring to equestrian events.
Blazon
Argent, in pale a sun gules and a hurst of three trees proper.