Donwenna Beast Healer of Hawksheye
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 Sable muletty argent, a palomino horse contourney courant proper, in chief a tilting lance fesswise reversed Argent. | ||||||||||
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THL Donwenna la Mareschale is a well known equestrian in the SCA having served as the third Society Equestrian Officer. Her first SCA event was Coronation A.S. XVIII Jason & Natalya 5/28/1983. Her motto: I commit, I attain, I prevail.
Persona
My SCA persona, THL Donwenna La Mareschale ((deemed 'Beast Healer' by the great bard, Braden of Cambria) ), is the daughter of a Norman warrior who came over in the battle of Hastings. After the war, William the Conquerer assigned him to the Welsh border patrol, where he met a nice Welsh lass---the daughter of a local noble who raised horses. Given my father's abilities with warhorses, he took the opportunity to marry the Welsh lass and set to raising and training warhorses. As a first born daughter, I was named for a local Welsh saint (St. Donwenna). The locals went to her shrine to pray for help in healing their sick animals. As I grew older I aptly followed my namesake's-- as well as my father's skill--with animals.
Offices & Positions
- Queen's Equestrian Champion1991
- Queen's Horse Guard--Alisandra
- Queen's Horse Guard--Ceinwen
- Queen's Horse Guard--Crystal
- Queen's Horse Guard--Darla
- Queen's Horse Guard --Dashive
- Lt. Queen's Horse Guard --Darla
- Cpt. of Queen's HorseGuard--Trista
- Dreiburgen Baroness' Lady in Waiting
- Lancer Emeritus (ret.) to Baroness Tsuruko of Dragon's Laire
- Chronicler for the Hunt Guild
In the SCA
Although my persona is Welsh-norman, I am fascinated by all things that are associated with the Medieval Equestrian . I have highly developed my persona as the Mounted Warrior of the Middles Ages. In the entire Known World, I am one of the few mounted women warriors who competes while wearing full armor. I did the research for all of my tournament gear including the armor and saddle. My black armor was created specifcally for me to wear for riding in equestrian tournaments. My saddle was created by a professional military saddlemaker to fit me and my horse. My riding backround as a youth was in competition gymkhana, but once I joined the SCA in my late twenties, I started learning the way of the mounted warrior from Duke Sir Armand de Sevigny. Thus, I now ride as a mounted warrior and am skilled handling many forms of weapons on horseback. At the 2003 Emprise of the Black Lion, I was the only woman to make it to the semi-finals for Mounted Crest Combat. I credit the past twenty years of learning how to ride as a mounted warrior within the SCA for my success. During 2005-2006, my airfare was paid to several other kingdoms in order to teach about Equestrian activities.
There is room for many types of riding in the SCA *as long as we re-create the riding that was done in period.* I have been dedicated to teaching Period SCA Equestrian activities although my main interest is in portraying the mounted military warrior as I have done so for over twenty years . In fact, I have participated in and autocratted many non-military SCA Equestrian activities: quadrilles for SCA performance, Quests in conjunction with unmounted folks, Garbed Trailrides, Hawksheye Equestrian students training seminars, to name but a few major projects. Additionally,I am committed to teaching and promoting Equestrian activities for Beginners and so have taught at Equestrian Ithras, PENNSIC, monthly shire SCA EQ training sessions and SCA Equestrian Playdays.
I have been asked why I portray personas other than Welsh-norman. The fact is, that I often immerse myself in various aspects of the Medieval Equestrian; as long as it has to do with horses in the Middle Ages, I am committed to doing research about it. Thus, I have studied tack, horseback weaponry, and horse trappings for Norman, Middle Eastern, Hungarian, Viking, Cossack, Scythian, Mongolian, and Japanese with an eye towards creating each entire outfit for me and my horse. I find it all simply fascinating and am enthralled with comparing them.
I have attained everything I set out to do as a mounted warrior, so I have new venues to conquer. Thus, I am now training as a horseback archer. I use this skill particularly for my newest passion: research and re-enactment of hunting on horseback. This is the most challenging skill I have ever tried to do on horseback. Currently, I am the Minister of the An Tir Hunt Guild which started in An Tir, but now covers several other Kingdoms. I promote and teach classes about period horseback hunting techniques across the Known World. During 2005-2006, the following Kingdoms have paid for me to teach their equestrians on matters pertainig to horseback warfare and hunting: Atlantia, West, Trimaris. I also taught classes at Gulf Wars 2006. Currently, I am the Contingency Deputy for the Society Equestrian Officer.
I mostly compete in Equestrian Tournaments and usually place within the top three at Advanced level. In the Society for Creative Anachronism, I reside in the Shire of Earnrokke in the Kingdom of An Tir. I moved to An Tir, where I was the founding Seneschal of the Shire of Earnrokke (whidbey Island ,WA) over 15 years ago from the Kingdom of Caid. I have a son, Giraldus and a daughter, Ximena plus horses, dogs, cats, and birds.
Classes Taught
A&S
Service
Miscellany
My Badge is used for the Company of St. Anne : Sable, muletty argent, an armored horse's head couped contourney a bordure.
