Happy and proud that my article "Playing King Alfred: Historical reenactment and cosplay of Alfred the Great" was published in Transformative Works and Cultures.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2024.2525 .

I was greeted by a lovely surprise when I returned home from holiday—the printed copies of Studia Celtica Posnaniensia had arrived, including my article “ᚁ IS BEITH AND MEANS BIRCH” – AN EXPLORATION OF OGHAM IN ONLINE FANFICTION FEATURING KING ALFRED THE GREAT.

You can read the article online here: https://doi.org/10.14746/scp.2023.8.2.

Very excited to be part of the 2023 International Conference for the Study of Medievalism.

#AngloSaxon #SaintOfTheWeek

Today we are going to be talking about the enigmatic St Wite (aka Candida/Gwen/Blanche) of #Dorset (feast day of 1st June)

This #saint is venerated in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions under her latin name "St Candida", but within the Anglican communion she is known as St Wite -- patron saint of Dorset.

This seems to be a reoccurring theme when it comes to the saints I speak about: Although we don't know a lot about her, her story has been passed down through the centuries though oral traditions. This history has been recorded by the local people Whitchurch Canonicorum (The village is named after their local saint)

Local tradition says that she lived as a hermitess on the rocky cliffs and would light beacons to guide sailors safely home. She was martyred by Danish #Vikings while defending the people of Dorset and #KingAlfred himself.

The Viking cut off the saint's head which rolled down the hill. When the head came to a stop, a miraculous spring appeared.The waters were said to cure blindness; the well (St Wife's Well) is in Morcombelake.

King Alfred built the church of St Candida in honour of her. It has the distinction of being one of only two in England to still have it's original shrine and holy relics still intact after #Reformation

Inside the shrine is a lead box with the inscription of Hic Reqesct Relique Sce Wite (Here rest the relics of St Wite)

#history #histodons #folklore

@histodons @folklore

First. Jan. 19, 2023.

I think this first daffodil beats the prior record by a couple of weeks.
#yellow #kingalfred #plants