Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail. To the north there lies a cave, the cave of Caerbannog, where in carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Olfin Bedwee of Rheged. Make plain the last resting place of the most Holy Grail. “Follow…. “But ! … Follow only if …
Monthly Archives: May 2023
King Chuck
And now for something completely different… “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony… You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!” Monte Python — Holy …
Benedict Arnold was not Alone in his Treason
Colonel Rudolphus Ritzema was an American officer in the New York Line during the American Revolutionary War, and later changed sides, serving as a lieutenant colonel in a British regiment. On June 30, 1775, Ritzema was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 1st New York Regiment. In July he seized British armaments in New York City. On November 28, 1775 he was …
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Beer Recipe: “Never Surrender” Welsh Cake Porter
My friend Conner Duffy is actively working to bring another tavern to Fort Mifflin during the upcoming North American Festival of Wales in August of this year. To that end, on May 7, when the Regimental Brewmeister teaches the next 18th Century Brewing Class at Fort Mifflin, we will be brewing a Welsh Cake Porter. …
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Historical Tidbits — Pontiac’s Rebellion
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. May 7, 1763Pontiac’s Rebellion begins when Ottawa Indians attach Fort Detroit. After the conclusion of the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Chief Pontiac (Ottawa) led a loosely united group …
“Beer” Recipe: John Adams — Breakfast Cider
Apple juice was fermented because before we had refrigeration, it was hard to stop that from happening — apples would just ferment naturally. When English colonists first arrived in North America, they enthusiastically embraced the wide range of wild fruits they found growing, from grapes to berries and of course, begam to make wines and …
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Vive la France
Today we celebrated the French Alliance with our new nation. Born of difficult negotiation by Benjamin Franklin with King Louis and his court, the US alliance with France is one of the oldest relationships between our country and another nation. In fact, it is hard to imagine how the underarmed, undermanned, and frequently defeated Continental …
Peace or War? What ARE we talking about?
Almost all of the Abrahamic religions have a huge focus on the idea of peace. In fact, common greetings in Hebrew (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם — shalom aleichem) and in Arabic (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ — as-salamu alaykum) quite literally mean “peace be upon you.” In the Anglican Church ceremony celebrating the French Alliance yesterday they opened their proceedings with …
Manhattan bought for 60 Guilder then given up for some spices
In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that would one day bear his name. The Englishman was an emissary of the Dutch and had been dispatched to chart a new passage to Asia, where the Dutch West India Company wanted to expand its trade. Hudson ultimately failed at that task, but his journey laid …
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Beer Recipe: French Alliance “Myrtile” Lambic
“Myrtille” is French for Blueberry. It is popular in some so-called patriotic circles to make snarky comments about France and the French, We call them “Frogs” and complain about rescuing them from their foreign exploits like Vietnam when they hold us to high moral standards on our adventures. The fact, however, is that the United …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 