
Azure, a wolf sejant, head erect,
between in chief two compass stars
and on a base argent, a laurel wreath
azure.
Arms by Khevron Oktavii Tikhikovich Vorotnikov
History: The Principality of Oertha has a stormy past, but to sum up: It started as the Shire of Eskalya (which is now the Barony of Eskalya) and Shire of Selveirgard (now also a Barony). Some time later, the Shire of Winter's Gate (now a Barony), and some time after that, the Shire of the Thousand Isles (eventually Barony of Earngyld, for awhile a March -- i.e., not a part of the Principality, now a Shire that is part of the Principality again), and new branches have started to emerge.
The Principality started coelescing as a "Region" (the North), which eventually in the process of becoming a Principality (in January of 1985) decided on the name of Oertha, and decided to be a part of the Kingdom of the West, rather than the newly forming Kingdom of An Tir (which up until that point, Oertha and its local branches were considered a part of). The decision to go with the West Kingdom when An Tir was made a Kingdom was done by a vote of the populace ... (as were the decisions for the name and the arms).
An Arts and Sciences issue of The Guardian, The Principality newsletter, which was published in January of AS XIX (1985) has a list of "firsts" in an article. These are all Oerthan "Firsts", not SCA or Kingdom of the West "Firsts":
See the Roll of Arms for the Princes and Princesses of Oertha.
Location: The State of Alaska.
From The Page (January, 1984):
ANNALS OF OERTHA
The Year in Oertha -- 1983
January Lord Defender's Tournament, Eskalya
Outgoing Lord Defender - Sir Kylson Skyfire
Outgoing Lady of the Snows - Decembre Eitel
New Lord Defender - Eric Bearsbane
New Lady of the Snows - Marthe Aardvarkkeeper
February - Winter's Gate Captaincy Tournament
New Captain - Shapur Abdul Abalhassan Hussain
New Heart of Winter's Gate - Mistress Morgana n'ha Keridwen
May - Winter's Gate Captaincy Tournament
New Captain - Lady Alician de MOntfort of Sprucewood (first lady in Oertha
to win a title by right of arms)
New Heart of Winter's Gate - Ivan Nikolai Voryag
June - Earngyld Pilot's Tourney
New Pilot - Bjorn Emerfing
New Seamaden - Natalie Twiname
July 4th Weekend - Duke Paul Fighting Workshop and Warlord Tournament - Beast Valley
Lord Donnan of Shimmeringstar -- Warlord
Tara de Franbois - Shieldmaiden
War was declared on Beast Valley by the College of St. Boniface for serving sheep
that looked suspiciously related to sheep owned by the College.
July - Lord Defender's Tournament, Earngyld
New Lord Defender - Lord Sean of Eaglerest
New Lady of the Snows - Lady Raonaild Ruard
Guests: Duke Paul of Bellatrix, Countess Rowena d'Anjou,
Lady Kat von Falkensfen, Lady Christia Barrett (Lochac Minister of Sciences), and His
Royal Majesty, Radnor
Oerthan offices that changed hands at this event:
Seneschal - (acting position given to Adam Elfchaser).
Exchequer, to Wolf Federweiss. Chronicler to Rhea Louveciennes.
August - Warlord Tournament in Selveirgard
Prize Tournament, with a handcrafted axe, won by Lord Avaloc the Young.
September - Baroness' Champion Tourney, Earngyld
First Baroness' Champion - Bjorn Emerfing
September - Baron's Tourney, Eskalya
Baron's Champion - Avaloc the Young
October - Winter's Gate Captaincy Tournament
New Captain - Lord Irone of the Blue Star
New Heart of Winter's Gate - Mistress Danpira Snowsong of Skyhaven
Visitors - Lady Antadina Exeter du Nordlac and Lord Edmund de Montfort
November - Beast Valley Warlord Tournament and Sheep War between the College of St. Boniface and Beast Valley
New Warlord - Todd the Foxx
New Shieldmaiden - Branwen Ravenwing
The war was won by several HUNGRY college students, led by Sir Kylson Skyfire. There are rumors of
Beast Valley declaring war on the College in order to reattain the new grazing lands of the sheep,
Lyubov Tower (the residence of the Seneschale and family of Beast Valley).
December - College of St. Boniface Heraldry Workshop
[I am indebted to Rhea Louvciennes, the Chronicler of Oertha, for collecting the above information for me.]
Description of the history of this branch is a summary from the small amount of information available, by Hirsch von Henford. Location information is from the back of The Page.
The West Kingdom History Website was created by and is maintained by Hirsch von Henford (mka Ken Mayer).