Bog Butter in Bark Firkin

      In the wetlands surrounding their crannog, an Irish woman stashed her last firkin of bog butter, not to be rediscovered for centuries.  The cool waters of the bog helped to preserve the butter or tallow, however, there are alternate theories such as this storage method being used to impart a certain, flavor in the butter or that it was a ritual offering after a time of dairy abundance (Rafferty, 35-37). While the majority of bog butter has been found in turned wood casks, most written accounts mention butter was also found stored in barkwood or even animal hides (Smythe, et al. 8). Through radiocarbon dating, these findings have been dated from 1700 BC to the 17th c. AD. and ranging in sizes from 1 pound to over 50. (Smythe, 1-2)  While also being used for the family, butter during the early middle ages could have been used to pay rent and was required, in some cases, in established hospitality practices (O’Sullivan, 223, 229).

 

Bog Butter from Galway 960-1040 AD (Smythe, et. al. 2)

 

  I cut a round for the base and then soaked two pieces of the bark, cut to size.  I made up some hide glue from hide granules and mixed in a little sawdust to adhere the pieces together and banded with split willow tied with dandelion stems. All of these I foraged locally and compared to similar species that grow in Ireland.  I made small holes along the top with an awl.  Into this I tied twine that I made from dandelion stems.  To make the butter itself, I made a makeshift churn from a jar and used a tvare to whisk the cream until the butter formed.  This would have been wrapped, pressed, salted, and covered with linen as the find described by Frazier on page 584, but I chose to use waxed paper for food safety.

                                    Tvare found at Lendbreen Pass, 11th C. (Pilø)

I've written about making tvare before, but I was so curious to see if it would work for this application. In 2011, archeologists uncovered a treasure trove of Viking era artifacts at Lendbreen Pass in Norway just north of Oslo.  Among a dog collar and leash and a wooden ski was the remnants of another quite familiar object: a whisk.  Called tvare locally, this was made from the top of a coniferous tree where the whorls branch out at a single level.  They can then be stripped of bark and trimmed to the desired length.  It is uncertain whether they were then left loose in an umbrella fashion or wired back to the trunk to create our familiar shaped whisk.  Either way, the tools was functional in much the same way.  I've recently discovered that a nearly identical item was found from Fiave, Italy. Measuring 19 cm and dated to the early middle ages (Coles, Byron and John, p. 131-133).

 

    The whisk spun so easily in my hands, though I did wrap the handle in a damp cloth to ease any abrasion. I whisked the slightly warmed cream intermittently while I made dinner that evening and soon enough clumps of butter formed! I estimate it took about the same amount of time as when I've used the shaken jar method in the past. I strained and washed the butter, adding a small amount of Celtic sea salt, then pressed it into my firkin.  However, I am sadly lacking a peat bog, so was unable to infuse the boggy flavors to this batch. 

 

Worked Cited

Burton, Holly The Arrival of the Celts in Ireland: Archaeology and Linguistics. Expedition Magazine, Vol. 21, No. 3. 1979.  Date accessed 12-30-26 from https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/the-arrival-of-the-celts-in-ireland/  .  

Cartwright, Mark.  Death, Burial & the Afterlife in the Ancient Celtic Religion.  World History Encyclopedia.  March 2021.  Date accessed 1-14-26 from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1707/death-burial--the-afterlife-in-the-ancient-celtic/

Catling, Chris. Mounds and monasteries: burials in late Iron Age and early medieval Ireland.  Current Archaeology, Issue 374.  2021. Date accessed 1-14-26 from https://the-past.com/feature/mounds-and-monasteries-burials-in-late-iron-age-and-early-medieval-ireland/ 

Coles, Byron and John People of the Wetlands: Bogs, Bodies, and Lake-Dwellers. Thames and Hudson. 1989. 

Frazer, W. Bog Butter: Its History, with Observations. II. On a Dish of Wood Found in a Bog at Ballymoney. III. On a Primitive Wooden Milk Churn.  Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 5th series, Vol. 1, No. 7 (3rd Quarter, 1891), pp. 583-588.  Date accessed 3-3-26 from https://www.jstor.org/stable/25507823 

Gannon, M.  Treasure Trove of Artifacts Illustrates Life in a Lost Viking Mountain Pass. Smithsonian, 2020.  Date accessed5-22-23 from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lendbreen-norway-viking-mountain-pass-180974680/

Harney, Lorcan. Death and burial in Ireland's 'Cities of God': new insights into early medieval ecclesiastical burial practices in light of the emerging archaeological evidence. The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.  Vol 148. pp. 29-53.  Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 2018.

O’Sullivan, Aidan and Nicholl, Tríona. Early medieval settlement enclosures in Ireland: dwellings, daily life and social identity. Royal Irish Academy.  Vol. 111C, Special Issue: Domestic Life in Ireland. pp. 59-90.  2011.

O’Sullivan, Catherine Marie. Hospitality in Medieval Ireland 900-1500. Four Courts Press, Oregon. 2004. 

Pilø, L. The Hunt for the Lost Mountain Pass Secrets of the Ice, 2020.  Date accessed 5-22-23 from https://secretsoftheice.com/news/2020/04/16/mountain-pass/

Raftery, Joseph.  A Bog Butter Vessel from near Tuam, Co. Galway.  Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society  Vol. 20, No. 1/2 (1942), pp. 31-38.  Date accessed 3-3-26 from https://www.jstor.org/stable/25535221

Smyth, Jessica et al. Four millennia of dairy surplus and deposition revealed through compound-specific stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating of Irish bog butters. Scientific reports vol. 9,1 4559. 14 Mar. 2019.  

Wood-Martin, William Gregory. The Lake Dwellings of Ireland: or, Ancient Lacustrine Habitaions of Erin, Commonly Called Crannogs.  Dublin : Hodges, Figgis & co.,; [etc., etc.], 1886.  Date accessed 1-14-26 from https://archive.org/details/lakedwellingsofi00woodiala/page/254/mode/2up

Ground Beef Stroganoff

 Ground Beef Stroganoff

I tweaked my recipe tonight and really liked how it ended up! So as not to forget what I did...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef

• 3 cups dry noodles (spiral or similar size)

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1.5 c. sour cream

• 1-2 c. broth

• 3 Tbsp butter, divided

• Salt, pepper, onion powder

• 1 Tbsp stone ground mustard

Directions:

Boil noodles for 10 minutes, then strain and set aside.  While these are boiling, add 1Tbsp butter to the skillet and cook diced onion until translucent.  Remove and set aside.  Add a little more butter to the skillet if needed and then brown beef seasoned with salt pepper and onion powder.  When fully browned, add remaining butter and cooked onions.  Once melted whisk in 2 Tbsp of flour, and continue to mix while cooking for 1 minute.  To this pour in broth and mustard slowly while whisking.  Once fully combined and starting to thicken, add in sour cream, then noodles.  Season with more pepper to taste.

Pine Needle Basket

 Coiled Basketry has been found worldwide in a variety of indigineous cultures including Uganda, England, Australia, and many regions in the United States.  They form a very tight container and can include delightful colors and patterns.  Along the western states, these baskets have been made from the long Ponderosa Pine needles.  Trees will naturally shed a great number of these needles each fall and they can be collected from the ground.  

I collected these needles at our SCA Principality's Fall Coronet in Chiloquin, OR.  The first step is to make sure most of the needles are fully intact and mold-free, and it's best for them to be completely dried before beginning.  Once that is assured, soak the needles in warm water for at least an hour or until they are a little more pliable.  As the basket gets wider, this is less necessary, but it keeps the long needles from snapping.  

The materials you'll need for this are:

~Lots of pine needles (I used a large, double handful for this tiny basket)

~Thread of choice - waxed or sinew is preferred, I used embroidery floss

~Needle

~hollow threader - large feather shaft, tightly rolled piece of paper, portion of drinking straw or pen exterior.  The interior circumference of this will determine your fiber bundle size.

    When the needle bundles fall from the trees, they have a papery covering over the tree-end.  This should be removed from each set of needles before working.  Stuff the tube with needles so they are all going the same direction, lining up the tree-end on one side.  The tube should be snug, but not so tight that the needles can't continue to slide through.  With all the tree-end (connected) needles, start tightly wrapping with your thread, tucking the short end under the wrapping.  Continue this for about an inch before folding the wrapped area over as pictured above.  Thread needle on long end and past through wrapped areas several times to secure.  Continue wrapping and stitching until secure.  

    As you work, add more pine needles going the same direction into the center of the tube bundle any time it loosens up.  When you run out of thread, try to tie a new strand on in a way that the knot will be covered as you continue to work.

  

  After the center of your coil is tightly secure, continue wrap needles around and secure with stitches by going around the new and back under the last coil round.  It will look most consistent if you put each additional row's stitches coming through the stitch of the previous row, splitting it.  Eventually you will need to add extra stitches in between.

    Continue until the base of your basket is the desired size. 

At this point, you will need to pull the needle bundle on top of the previous row as you stitch along in order to begin shaping the sides.  Continue in this direction until the desired height is achieved.  Continue stitching around until all needle ends are tacked down.

  

    Enjoy your coiled basket!  I found this to be very strong and sturdy.  It could hold very tiny things without them falling through, perhaps even liquid if it was made well.

From Sheep to Scroll

 Antoine’s Knighting Scroll

By Muirenn inghean Uí Cléirigh

Wordsmith: Eoghan Ua Cléirigh

“Antoine Tue Avec Des Mots  Warrior poet, soldier firm.  With mind keen and strength of arm have you shown your measure. With this you have not become a Peer, but shown what you have always been. With this knowledge do we, King Nicolai Rabenis Von Tachov and Queen Ana de la Sara, wish to honor you and by the authority granted us by right of arms grant you letters patent naming you a Knight of the society. Set by our hand and seal this 25th day of May, AS 60.”

Materials

-homemade parchment from Soay sheep

-homemade parchment size

-Pigments: lapis, brazil wood, Verona green, Pazzouli earth, lime white, and bone black ground up with gum arabic.  Modern ink and silver.

Process (photos below):

The story of this scroll begins about 5 years ago when I raised Soay sheep.  They are a small, heritage breed, originally from the islands off the coast of Scotland.  Once butchered, I salted and dried the hide, knowing I wanted to make parchment someday.  Through the winter, I studied and discussed the process with David Bianco as well as reading up on the bits of period writings on the process by Theopholis and Cennini.  I soaked off the salt and began the liming process, soaking for many weeks in a hydrated lime and water solution until the remaining wool follicles could be rubbed off without much effort.  Then there was much scraping on a pole donated by John Wayland, a longer soak, then scraping again.  Ideally, I would have used a lunella blade for this, but a large, dull knife with slight curve sufficed.  Before stretching, I built a frame with reclaimed lumber and pegs I cut and tapered. I punctured small holes about 3” apart and an inch from the edge and  threaded cotton cord.  Between each hole, I pulled a bit of the cord over a corresponding hole drilled in the frame and pushed it through with a peg, tensioning it and holding it firmly in place. Once it was anchored around I tensioned a second time.  With the hide was taut, I scraped it one last time to get a majority of the moisture out, the gave it a final dusting with the lime.  This dried over the winter, though our kittens were persistent in pulling the pegs out and batting them to hidden places.  Also during this time I brewed up a parchment size with some of the trimmed pieces from the edges.  With this I added a little whiting to create a gesso and lightly applied in a crosshatch pattern as prescribed by Cennini.  On March 26th, I cut it from the frame and trimmed the edges  Through this process I kept thinking how wonderful it would be if our friend, Antoine, would receive his knighting offer, and this could be used for his scroll.

Then on April 26th, the long awaited offer came and soon after I was honored and elated to be asked to make the scroll!    After researching manuscripts that the Normans might have been familiar with, I chose the “Sacramentaire de Robert de Jumiéges” (11th C.) from France to be inspired by, particularly folio 159v. I testing 22 different combinations of period pigments, I chose to lightly mull lapis lazuli with brazil wood, a little vinegar and my gum arabic-honey mixture to create the signature purple through out.  I created the bone black by charcoalizing bones in the camp fire before grinding and mulling.  Although I didn’t have any pigments from France, the Pozzuoli red and Verona green are from Italy where the Normans conquered.  Finally, the white was made with a period lime solutions, and the ink and silver are modern.  

Symbolism in this award includes many fleur-de-lis’ and the colors purple, silver, and black throughout.  In the four corners are symbols from influential people.  The top left is a bear holding a red rose and war stick from Antoine’s Mom (her quote at the end), the husky of honor from Elizabeth Chandler in the top right, in the lower left is the Daos badge, and in the lower right, the stag of Antoine’s knight, Sir Sverre Tjorkillson.  

From Antoine’s Mom:

The Grizzly bear standing and the war club.  Put the club in the bears fist, and you have the symbol for Anton.  If you put a lions mane around his heart that would go even further.   Also put a red rose in the other fist.  My son has the courage and power of the Grizzly who by the way, once mated are devoted for life and should anyone or anything hurt that mate, they are tracked down and destroyed. The grizzly has long been the alpha predator that has inspired many stories and songs. The War Club, in both Cherokee and Lakota tradition is not just a weapon but a symbol of leadership and strength, the decoration is always indicative of the man or woman who wields it and their family history and affiliations like their spirit animal and such. My spirit guide is the red tailed Hawk, my Mother’s was the Elk. The lions mane gives the gift of the lions heart that he wears with pride to those who are under his protection. The Red Rose is 2 things.  It is the symbol of the Cherokee Nation and for the true and abiding love he gives to those he encounters who earn his trust.  These are the things that would most describe my son in picture form.

Blacksmith's Chai

 Blacksmith's Chai Concentrate

        Every so often, I make a big batch of chai concentrate to give out for Christmas.  The sweet spiciness is so nostalgic on many levels.  And this super dark version lends a smokiness that really appeals to my palate now!  Feel free to adjust ingredients to your heart's content!

Ingredients:

-About 2" knob of ginger, sliced

-2 nutmeg nuts, crushed

-4 cinnamon sticks, crushed

-16 cardamom pods, crushed

- 1 tsp crushed peppercorns

-8c water

-1/4 c. black tea leaves

-1/2 c sugar (may substitute honey)

In the bottom of a cast iron dutch oven, toast spices for 1 minute, then add water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 min.  Return to a boil, then remove from heat and add the tea leaves (I wrapped mine in cheesecloth to steep, but this is not necessary). After 5 minutes, stir in sugar until dissolved.  Strain through cheesecloth covered mesh into jars.  Let cool at room temp before storing in the fridge.

To use, heat with equal parts milk and enjoy!

Bone Black

Bone Black Tempera on Bristol

 Although there were various methods of making a charcoal black (grape vines, walnut husks, etc.), I have been fascinated with making bone black lately.  This type of pigment can be made from any type of bone, though the bones of fish or birds are the easiest to use because of their size and increased surface area.  

Charcoalized chicken bones after removal from coals

For this experiment, I took the bones of a roast chicken and, after the meat was consumed, made a bone broth from the remnants.  This makes a healthful soup and also makes the bones soft and easy to clean.  Making bone black requires that the bones be entirely sealed off from air in order for them to charcoalize.  To accomplish this, I sealed them in several layers of aluminum foil before placing them in the coals of a fire.  I just left them there as we cooked dinner over the flames, and after we ate, I removed the foil packet and allowed it to cool.  The blackened bones within can then be powdered and worked up in the same method as any other pigment.

I decided to test mine out in an egg tempura that would seal the pigment in as it dried, avoiding any smudging later on.  It ground up so smooth and the warm black gave a rich, intense color.  I definitely look forward to making more of this in the future!