Henry MacQueen of Longhouse

• Historical Henry
• Henry the SCAdian
• Henry's mundane persona: David

His father, Svein Thorkelson, was from Denmark. He left Denmark just ahead of the local constabulary, gave up his political ambitions (as being too unhealthy), married a local girl, turned Christian (several times) and set up shop as a merchant.

Henry was born Hring Svenson. Since his father wanted to avoid being noticed by people from out of his past, the family adopted the local (Scot) naming custom, and Hring Svenson became Hri MacSvein (pronounced Harry MacSveen). It is only by the dint of centuries that this has become Henry MacQueen.

Henry is a craftsman who works in metal, leather, cloth and wood. As family tradition would have it, he is also a storyteller, historian and a bit of a scholar.

Henry at home.

Henry was introduced to the SCA by Sara Graham of Byrnham (now Mistress Sara) somewhere around A.S. 19, but did not really "join up" until A.S. 20.

Henry's registered arms:

Chequey vert and argent, on a chief triangular a swan sable, rising, wings lifted and adorssed.

If Henry were to write his SCA resume, these would be the "high points":

• In A.S. 20 he became MoAS for the Shire of Wolfsgate, an office he held for some years;
• Between A.S. 20 and A.S. 23 he was quite active in the work that led to the formation of the Barony of Ruantallan;
• In A.S. 23 he founded the Household of Deerhaven, which received its Baronial charter in A.S. 30;
• In A.S. 23 he was Awarded Arms by Gavin and Sedalia at the Investiture of Andrew and Lyanna as Baron and Baroness Ruantallan. His scroll was a beautifully pyrographed runic inscription done by the hand of Her Excellency, Lyanna;
• In A.S. 24 he took on the job of Chronicler for Wolfsgate. He created the quarterly magazine "Wolftracks", which he published for eight years. (Wolftracks ceased publication in A.S. 32, since Henry no longer lived in Wolfsgate);
• To mark the twelfth Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon, Henry entered items in all twelve categories of the Arts Pentathelon, a feat that had never been done before (or since, I think). He came in 4th place in the overall Pentathelon;
• In A.S. 25 he was inducted as a Companion of the Maunche by Ronald and Bronwyn;
• In A.S. 25 he became Seneschal of the Barony of Ruantallan, a position that he held until A.S. 28;
• In A.S. 26 he became apprenticed to Mistress Rayah Blackstar ("Danger Peer");
• In A.S. 28 he published his first book, How to Build a Portative Organ;
• In A.S. 29 he won the Arts Pentathelon at the Feast of Northern Lights;
• In A.S. 29 he was made a companion of the Order of the Laurel by Lucan and Jana, after a vigil ceremony that was designed by the evil, twisted mind of Mistress Rayah Blackstar. The scroll and carved, guilded icon (!) were done by the hand of Mistress Rayah (wording by Master Hector);
• In A.S. 30, he became deputy Seneschal for the Canton of Wolfsgate, a position that he held for a year;
• In A.S. 30, he established and began maintaining an on-line Order of Precedence for Ruantallan, which he has since expanded to encompass all of Eastern Canada;
• In A.S. 31 he established and began maintaining the Web pages for the Barony of Ruantallan. When the clique that rules Ruantallan threw him out without cause or reason (dirty pool, that!), he established a large Web presence for his (then) home Canton of Wolfsgate;
• In A.S. 31, disgusted with the corruption that had poisoned the Barony that he loved so much and for which he had worked so hard, he founded and published Ruantallan's first underground newsletter: Ruantallan Exposed, which successfully changed the face of Ruantallan;
• In A.S. 32, he was one of the founding members of the Canton of Mycghalh, where he variously served as Seneschal, Herald and Chronicler;
• In A.S. 32, he began the "Atlantic Canada SCA Services" web site, which included the collected event announcements for all branches in Atlantic Canada;
• In A.S. 32, since he no longer lived in Wolfsgate, he ceased the publication of Wolftracks and began two (2) new newsletters: MycgHoller, a monthly broadsheet, and Artifact, an arts and sciences quarterly;
• In A.S. 33, he published his second book, How to Build an Early Medieval Clock;
• In A.S. 33, in support of the Northern Regional (Principality) movement, he expanded his "Atlantic Canada SCA Services" site to encompass SCA in Eastern Canada;
• In A.S. 33 he issued a challenge to the Artisans of the East Kingdom: for Northern Lights 10 (two years hence), produce 10 items across 10 categories.
• In A.S. 34 he moved to Carolingia. After half a year, he realized that the people and political climate of Carolingia were not to his liking. He lived within its borders for another year and still maintains close friendships with some of its wonderful people, but he plays mostly with Stonemarch, Malegentia, Bergental and Panthervale.
• In A.S. 35, Lady Moreta atta Birchwoode, Dona Elena Rueda viuda de Lochcarron, and Idhunna Thorleiksdottir met the 10/10 challenge. What a wonderful accomplishment!
• In A.S. 35 he issued a challenge to the Artisans of the East Kingdom: for Northern Lights 12 (two years hence), produce 12 items across 12 categories. He raised the bar.
• In A.S. 36 he moved to Bergantal, where he quickly became chronicler, producing The Bergental Berserker. He resigned from the position about a year later in protest for poor treatment by a Baronial Officer to an incipient group. (It turns out that the officer in question was "dirty", and later was banished and R&D.)
• At the dawn of A.S. 40, his employment situation changed and he moved to Lyndhaven, where he spent a year quietly hiding.
• In A.S. 41 (late 2006), in a stunning display of insufficient reluctance, he became Seneschal of Lyndhaven.
• And in-between, he has autocrated a host of events (including a couple of camping events, a couple of "Great Mis-spent Lent Events", two (or three?) twelfth nights, an arts & sciences workshop with an attached feast and a dozen or more smaller events, scholas & demos, and produced many pamphlets and flyers to hand out at SCA demos.

Henry's apprentices

• Volrad, who does ceramics (I share this apprentice with Master Aaron Swiftrunner)
• Unnr Fóta-Tredr, who is a generalist in Viking Studies
• Alex Tisserande, tablet weaving
• Tarazed Alshain, tablet weaving and metalwork

As a footnote: Henry is not a modest feller. Just like any Viking, he truly believes that to get people to talk about your deeds is one way to achieve a sort of immortality. As it says in the Havamal:

                     Cattle die, Kinsmen die,
                     You, yourself, shall likewise die,
                     But word fame never dies
                     For he who achieves it well.

                     Cattle die, Kinsmen die,
                     You, yourself, shall likewise die,
                     But one thing that shall never die
                     Are the stories of deeds well done.

Contact me at henry_macthescholarsgarret.com