Ancient History of the Barony of Loch Salann

am Mor Salann Fasach/Loch Salann's Newsletter
The Questing Quill

Loch Salann History

The Questing Quill
Vol. I

Vol. II

Vol. III

After our little shire had been going for a few months, and we had corresponded with our superiors in the brand-new Principality of the Outlands, we discovered that we needed to have a newsletter. Jerilyn of Vert Silva, our chronicler, got to be its editor and publisher.


Volume I
July, November, and December A.S. XII (1977)

The first issue of The Questing Quill was one 8-1/2 x 11 sheet, folded in half, with screeds from Seneschale, Herald, and Chronicler. It was published 8 July 1977 (A.S. XII), just before the July revel.

It took a while for the next issue to come out--until November A.S. XII. In that issue a format that continued for years was established: editorial info and officer's list on the inside front cover, upcoming events calendar facing that page, and then articles to fill out the issue.

The next issue, last in Volume I, was the December A.S. XII issue. As chronicler Jerilyn notes therein: The Questing Quill is going to become a monthly issue. It seems an issue every once in awhile isn't enough. This issue had real cover art, articles from most of the officers, and event reports.

Vol I Issue I
Vol I Issue II
Vol I Issue III
The Questing Quill Vol I Issue I
Vol. I, Issue I
The Questing Quill Vol I Issue II
Vol. I, Issue II

(No, I didn't put the same image in twice. The first two issues had the same cover art.)
The Questing Quill Vol I Issue III
Vol. I, Issue III

Note the really early version of our group's proposed arms on the knight's shield.
(Artwork by Leiannka Zorya of Vert Leo)

Keep in mind that this was in the days before computers. All text was hand-written or typed on *gasp* typewriters. Cut-and-paste meant just that--masters were taped together, artwork pasted onto the paper pages with real paste! We didn't have access to cool Celtic or Gothic fonts. Calligraphy was done by hand or with "Letraset" (stick-on letters). Clip art was really clipped--usually photocopied from a book and pasted into the newsletter master.

Disclaimer: This is not an official site of the Society for Creative Anachronism or the Barony of Loch Salann.

Thanks to Sir Michael the Lucky of Lancaster for the loan of very early copies of the Quill, which he has saved for many years.

Meistres Rhonwen welcomes others who were there in the early days adding their reminiscences--after over 30 years, her memory is a bit faulty, and much information has disappeared in the fog. E-mail her at [email protected].

Rhonwen's SCA page | Julia West's home page




since 5 Feb 2004

Last update 10 Feb 2009