Wreath of Athena

The Wreath of Athena is an opportunity to display your Arts and Sciences for the entire Kingdom! You don’t need documentation to display your entry, although documentation is welcome. Finished works or works in progress are both acceptable.  There are no judging sheets, but participants are welcome to leave a comment card if they would like to receive feedback from the populace on their entry. Members of the populace are encouraged to come to view the displays and show their appreciation by dropping a bead in the tray corresponding to the display number.

The Wreath of Athena Displays happen at each Crown Tournament.  The typical schedule is as follows:

• Displays may be dropped off at the Arts & Sciences Pavilion after Morning Court (start of Invocation) and should be registered in before the first round of the Crown Tournament.
• The populace is invited to view displays up until Crown Finals.
• Displays may be picked up from the Arts & Sciences Pavilion after Finals are over.
• The Wreath of Athena will be awarded in Evening Court

A&S Champion (Western Artificer)

The Kingdom Arts and Sciences Champion shall be known as the Western Artificer. They shall be selected by the cumulative highest nine (9) scores stemming from a year-round Arts and Sciences competition, the cycle of which shall begin at June Crown and end at Beltane Coronation. This competition shall be overseen by the Minister of Arts and Sciences, or their delegate. The Crown shall recognize the winner of the competition and induct them into the Order of the Western Artificer at Beltane Coronation after the final competition has been scored.

All participants will have the option to compete for Western Artificer or may enter as an auditor. If a person enters as an auditor and achieves the highest score, they will be acknowledged but not become a member of the Order.

The current Arts & Sciences Champion may wear the medallion and/or cloak of office.

Competition Rules

The Western Artificer competition shall consist of twenty-one (21) possible competition topics over the course of the competition year. The Minister of Arts and Sciences shall hold three (3) competitions at each of the seven (7) Kingdom level events in the competition year. Each competition will be scored regardless of the number of entries.

Competitors must enter one (1) competition in each of the four (4) competition categories. The competitor who accumulates the highest overall score over the competition period, and has competed at least once per category, shall be named Western Artificer.

As the purpose and spirit of the Western Artificer competition is to encourage the exploration of historical arts and sciences at all levels within the West Kingdom, all entrants must submit a minimum half (1⁄2) page of documentation supporting their entry.

Competition Categories

Competitors for the Western Artificer must show breadth during the competition year. To achieve this, the Minister of Arts and Sciences shall set competitions for the year based on the schedule defined below. The Minister of Arts and Sciences shall announce the competition categories at Beltane Coronation for the next competition year.

Competition categories shall consist of the following four (4) areas rotated throughout the year so as to give the populace as many opportunities to participate as possible:

Ephemeral Arts: An art that will last a short time. This includes a song, dance, food, drink, or anything else consumable.

Permanent Arts:  Something that is going to be long lasting, like a tool, a garment, a book etc. 

Materials: The constituent parts of a competition. This includes the parts of a period piece of poetry, the items needed to make a sword, even the processed clay for a cup.  

Research: Topics will range based on this year’s topics. A research paper should be 3-10 pages, with a bibliography.  It should include a premise, supporting facts and a conclusion. We aren’t looking for a college thesis but a paper showing you had a question, explored the topic and came to a conclusion.

Competition Schedule

June Crown: Ephemeral, Permanent, and Materials

Arts and Sciences Tournament: Documentation, Ephemeral, and Permanent

Purgatorio Coronation: Materials, Documentation, and Ephemeral

Fall Crown: Permanent, Materials, and Documentation

12th Night Coronation: Ephemeral, Permanent, and Materials

March Crown: Documentation, Ephemeral, and Permanent

Beltane Coronation: Materials, Documentation, and Permanent

Judging Requirements

Each competition will be judged by three (3) judges, whose scores will be averaged for the final score on each entry. All judges must judge every entry on its own merit and shall not judge it based on the other entries. All judges will use the appropriate rubric sheet (Performance Based, Physical Item, Written Item). All entries submitted must be substantially on the topic designated for that competition. Any entry that is not substantially on the designated topic will be disqualified.

The Minister of Arts and Sciences may limit, at their discretion, the competition category by either 1) Century, 2) Item, or 3) Region. The Minister of Arts and Sciences may not add more than one (1) limiter per competition.

Examples of appropriate limiter-based competitions include:
14th Century Calligraphy (limited by Century)
Leatherworking Shoes (limited by Item)
German Musical Performance (limited by Region)

Summer Investature, July 12

Vessals and Beverages
Hydrate or…….? You know the rest. In the heat of summer cool refreshing drinks are most welcome. From the trusted tankerd to reliable flask we are not often without a something to drink from,

Art – Create something that holds a drink or 2

Science – Create a refreshing non alcoholic drink, please inculde ingredient list, please make enough for 5 judges to taste.

Fall Coronet, Oct 31- Nov 2

What They Left Behind
From grand mausoleums to humble earth mounds the artistry in which ancestors are honored throughout history gave way to teaching much of what we know about the past.

Art – Create an item that represents how the deceased were culturally honored.

Science – Preservation, from remains to grave finds show or write how items were preserved for burial.

Mists Fall Coronet, September 3-5

Competition Five: Masks & Mirrors
How we see ourselves, and how others see us, has been the focus of magic and ritual since time immemorial. Clothing oneself in wolfskin to run under the moon, or using a mirror to apply makeup to subtly change one’s face, masks and mirrors can be used to hide or reveal the true self. Artisans are challenged to find and research myths and artifacts associated with masks, disguises, and mirrors, and how different cultures bring these items into their stories.

Competition Six: Legendary Armor
Made by esteemed artisans and crafted by magic from special materials, legendary armor protects more than just the wearer. From Gorgan’s Heads affixed to shields, swords and spears imbued with power, to the Helmet of Rostam which was crafted from the head of a slain demon, Artisans are encouraged to scour the myths of the world to find rare magical weaponry.

Mists Fall Investiture, November 22

Competition Seven: Castles & Cottages
The magical home sets the stage for many myths, be it a home made of gingerbread, a legendary castle filled with knights, or a witch’s house on chicken feet wandering the forest. Artisans are encouraged to research and depict a residence from myth, and share what makes a home magical.

Competition Eight: Ships & Sirens
Adventure awaits on the high seas, but hazards in the form of sirens, sea monsters, and dreadful storms also tread these waters. Artisans are tasked with locating these watery hazards by exploring myths, creating maps, or otherwise investigating what troubles may await the populace of the Mists, lest they encounter rough waters.

Oerthan Arts and Sciences Championship

The Oerthan Art and Sciences Championship consists of a series of six competitions over the course of the Principality annual event calendar. This is to determine the individual with the foremost skill in the medieval Arts and Sciences.

Starting with Summer Coronet and Investiture, one competition will be scheduled each Coronet and one at each of four events within the Principality. Each competition will draw from one of six categories:

Textile Arts: Clothing, weaving, needlework, etc.

Domestic Arts and Sciences: Small items, cooking, herbcraft, brewing, etc.

Technological Sciences: Armor, casting, metal working, skeletal materials, etc.

Studio Arts: Bookbinding, glass work, calligraphy, illumination, paper making, etc.

Performing Arts: Arts which are performed.

Research: Research papers and presentations.

To be eligible for the Championship, a competitor must enter a minimum of four of the six competitions. The competitor with the highest total of four scores will be named Champion. Individual competitions will be open to all; however, the Champion must reside with the Principality. The winner is awarded a Lumen Borealis at the Summer Coronet and Investiture following the last competition, and styled the Oerthan Champion of Arts and Sciences.