Blame it on the S.C.A.
Clockwise from bottom right              With Lady Graypaws on my shoulder.       See Her page on Home Page Nav. Bar
Blanket merchanting at SCA events.
Later, I conquered Pennsic War and charmed the ladies with my accouterments
like the fabulous belt made for me by Ashton of Dragon's Heart.         In runes it says:
"There ain't nuthin wrong with me that a change of opinion wouldn't cure."
You will notice that the rear sports a design depicting a sprig of mistletoe.
That way I can turn my back on conflict and have the last word in any argument.
Almost all about Myself
Theme song; (You know the tune)

Who's the leader of the grove that's made for you and me?
Gaelan of Skye, one hell of a guy, D - R - U - I - D, Apprentice.

He can make you laugh at yourself and all your company.
Gaelan of Skye, too big to fly, D - R - U - I - D, Apprentice.

Now it's time to raise your right hand,
And identify all them tall green things growing out there,
And become like him and me.
Gaelan of Sky, one hell of a guy,
D --- R --- U --- I --- D. APPRENTICE !
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First a few " facts ":
All pictures are thumbnails
Apprentice druidism is not a "new age" phenomenon.  ( Well, maybe. )
It began in this lifetime when I joined the SCA,
             The Society for Creative Anachronism.
For those of you who have not had the pleasure of associating with this
wonderful family of medieval re creationist's, please avail yourself with
links to a local shire or barony via the Internet.
They are a most honest, honorable, talented and intelligent group of
people.
I will guarantee that you will study history more diligently than you ever
did in school --so that you may mess with the facts in song and story.
Oh, Yes! Should you become a bard and entertain at the campfire, you
will become more diverse not only in the arts but also in and crafts of the
Middle Ages.
If you think you can't sing, tell stories, forge iron, make armor, fight with
sword and shield, work in leather or silver, make pottery. a flirt
outrageously ; you are oh so wrong.
You will discover talents hidden deep in your DNA.
Ancient memories passed down the corridors of time.
A way of life as it should have been; no Inquisition, no plague.
Instead; hot showers, flush toilets, gourmet feasts, dress up play acting
and having more fun than when the pigs ate your little sister.
My conversation from mundania as a mild mannered photojournalist for a
small weekly newspaper began when I was contacted by Lord
Eckhart/Rich Garber after I did an article on paint ball wars.
He told me that he was a member of the local Shire and they were
holding a
" Demo " at a park that weekend.
I showed up, photographed the action, did some interviews and joined on
the spot.
It was the best move I ever made for it literally saved my life in more ways
than one.
I was recovering from; a nasty divorce, (my second), a heart attack,
(my first), and a major case of self-pity, (my last). I was vegetating and
would have wasted away had it not been for the SCA.
I give full credit to Eckhart, Lady Rabbette, Lords Shadek, Lord Dougal
the Red Giant of Glenheather, and the exasperated Seneschal, (leader
of the shire). Lord Gordon who was unprepared for and ill equipped to
handle a wild eyed soon to be apprentice druid some twenty years his
senior.
Yea, verily, yea. I was older than any in the shire by at least ten years in
most cases so I took a few liberties with the creation of my persona.
The first requirement of a newbie is to pick a name and characteristics of
someone who lived in the time frame between 650, about the time the
damn Romans abandoned  England and 1650, the time of the Spanish
Armada and Elizabeth the First.
            Dialog with a Persona
In order to develop my persona I needed to take stock of my " self " to
discover what I have to build with/on and so I sit with a flagon of strong
ale and ask the Muse to pull up a chair.
At first the talk was about physical limitations. Then we explored my
vocations, my avocations, my interests, my heritage, my linage.
Eventually the djinn within was unchained and set loose on an
unsuspecting world.
Go thou and do likewise.
Conversation is translated thus; The Muse speaks in bold case, the
mundane self is more reserve and humble, (Ha!).

OK, fat boy, what'da'ya want?
A little more respect if you please. After all, this is being read by a lot of
serious people.
Right! I've already visited with a few of your friends. Hoo ha!
Can we please get serious? I need to develop a persona that is
acceptable to the Society's guidelines and PDQ too.They are getting
hostile every time I show up at socials in a suit and tie.
No wonder. I've seen the tie. It would make Mother Teresa hostile.

OK, you want help? We start with the physical characteristics;
male, over 40, over weight, non-athletic so combat is out,
unless-----.
I'm a conscientiously objectionable pacifist. Go on.
What do ye do to make an honest living?
I'm a mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.
Hold this Kryptonite and tell me more.
What do you know how to do?
I have been a photographer most of my life. I've worked in newspapers,
television, radio---
Photography on the radio!?
No, I was an acrobat.
ON THE RADIO??
I was the first acrobat on the radio. You should have heard my triple back
flip --blindfolded. But then the  program director wanted me to perform in
the nude. I promised my Momma that I wouldn't such things and the
station manager fired me.
Go on.
I majored in history, chemistry and art in college, was a medic in the Air
Force, dabbled in pottery and ceramics, have a herb garden, am
interested in astronomy, have had two wives so far and am auditioning
for my next---
TMI, I get the picture, you're a slut.
Yep.
Do you gave a name for this persona?  One that comes as
naturally as your own but from a distant time?
I do. The name is Gaelan.
Good! There is magick in a name. The Ancients knew this.
To engrave a name in stone was to insure immortality. For that
name to be erased was to consign the soul to oblivion.
I see that your mundane name is Campbell. Do ye hail from the
Highlands of Scotland?
The lowlands actually. My sainted Grandmother, before Roots made it
popular, decided to look down our family tree to see if we were
descended from Highland Royalty.  Not only did she discover that we
were lowland Scots and in NO WAY were we royalty.
During the Scot wars, while everyone else was down south fighting the
bloody English, our boys were back home making new Scots. We're
lovers, not fighters. OK?
Anyway, when the boys at the front came home and found out what we'd
been doing with their womenfolk, we had to take a quick trip across the
water.
We came over to the Virginia and Carolina coasts and started up a
lucrative business ---which the U.S.Navy took a subsequent dislike
to-piracy, smuggling.
We escaped inland. There were horse thieves, cattle thieves, pig
thieves, chicken thieves, wife thieves --a lot of wife thieves.
You could say we were a real high strung family.
I'm proud to say that when the War of Yankee Aggression broke out; we
were the first to grab our muskets, shoulder our packs, and head to
Texas to avoid the draft. When things got too hot out there we slipped
back and hid out in the Alabama foothills and when the Armistice was
declared, WE never signed the surrender papers ----'cause we were still
wanted for draft dodging. Technically, we's still at war with the Yankees.
I'm sorry I asked.
I know enough. You are of the Misty Isles. A learned man of many
letters; a scribe and a chronicler. An artist and a craftsman who
blends the elements; earth, air, water and fire.
Ye are a magician who works with the sun ray and the moon beam
to weave silver threads into mirrors of the past. An alchemist.
Ye are a healer and gatherer of herbs for medicaments.
For some reason I suspect that ye are also a stand-up
philosopher and bard of some ability.
Truly a wise one who knows the stars and their ways can see into
the fortunes of woman and man. Can ye cast the runes? Do ye
have the sihth?
I tried reading the Tarot for a time but was disturbed by the reactions of
the people whom I read for.
Ye need to read the Runes. Study them for they are of your
people.
What gods do ye venerate?
Goddess and God.  Each needs the other to be a whole.
I am an orthodox pagan. I respect all that gives and supports life.
The Earth, the Moon and the Stars are enough for me.
Well said. Go to a map. Where does your heart lead you.
Skye. The Isle of Skye off the western coast of Scotland.
And there you were ---and here I am. To read more of the "
Autobiography " of Gaelan of Skye, come back in a month or two
More will be revealed later -----film at 11.
Lady Egelina Rabbettethe
Hospitaler
Who guided me.
My home Shire of An Dun Theine
at a local "demo"
Lords; Dougal, Eckhart and Shadek
stand witness as
I honor a Lady
Me best buddy Shadek
who almost out did me in
mischief making.
Fighter practice.
(Read the shield device )
My grandson, Dagdason Stormbringer
at his first fighter practice, age 3 days.
Four months later the littlest Viking
captures the hearts of the
Queen and King of Meridies.
A gathering of fighters in
the Kingdom of Meridies
Only a small part of Merchant Row
In my merchant space at
Pennsic XXV displaying the
Chia Helm and standing next to my
famous, ( infamous? )
Glow in the Dark Sundial.
The gnoman of which,
(that little triangle thinge ),
was on backwards.
I told everyone who questioned;   that,
in honor of the SCAdians visiting from
Australia,  I had set it for the Southern
Hemisphere.
Within a fortnight this role quickly absorbed my mundane ID.
By the end of the decade I had gained world wide fame as a
peddler of period pottery,a bard of some questionable talent and
an Elder in the pagan community as a result of my accumulated
wisdom but mostly because my gray hair made me look the part.
As I like to tell the ladies;
             "There ain't no substitute for experience."
My fame grew at each event expeditiously.
Among the finest of leather artists, is
Ashton.
I make his skulls. He crafted my belt, and
pouch in this photo of me in my Holly King
robe
The Norselanders at Pennsic XX   First household to adopt an apprentice druid.
Kate and Kerry who also adopted
me into their Texas household,
Bas de Argent
Each August The Knowne World gathers at Pennsic Wars.
Located in Slippery Rock Township at Cooper's Lake; The Kingdom of the
East does battle with the Kingdom of Midrealm for possession of Pittsburg,  
(located on the border between the two Kingdoms). Called, "The Disputed
Lands".
The rule is; the loser of the War gets possession of Pittsburg for a year and a
day. Pictured above is the gathering of the royalty for the opening
ceremonies at Pennsic XXII. For more recent information go to;
www.pennsicwar.org
Spectators are separated from the fighting armies as the
Marshals cry "Lay ON!" during the main battle.
This is one way I capture a Lady's fancy.
I wait until she is cripple and then chase
her down. My dear friend Holly at a  CMA
gathering a few years ago. She is still
madly in love with me.
Gulf Wars in Mississippi where the Kingdom of Trimaris, (Florida),
fights the Kingdom of Anstoria, (Texas, +) each March for possession of the
Gulf of Mexico for a year and a day.
They have a web site;
www.gulfwars.org
Goddess! I DO love the Ladies.
And they think I'm kinda' cute too.
Be it at a Renaissance Faire , an SCA event or at a  Pagan Gathering,
I always seem to find ways to charm the fair sex.
My lecherous ways work with some winsome wenches.             >
<   A man in uniform works on others.
Here I am in my General, (6 stars),      
Jubulation T. Cornsqueezins outfit
at Pennsic Wars.    I give credit to my  
Southern, ( Alabama ),  upbringing  
mostly.                                Thanks Mom!
( Of course, it may be the hats ).
"How is this possible?",  you may ask .
All it takes is; Talent, Charm, Good Looks and Modesty.    
 Some people have it.  Some don't They say, I'm full of it.
As my mentor in public relations, Joseph Gerbles once said;
" Tell a story long enough and it wil become the truth. "
I once ran with a lady who was a Native American .
She said that I should take a Spirit name.
I thanked her for the honor but told her I was a Blue-eyed devil all  the
way back to the old country and respected the Natives too much to
mess in their religion.
She still insisted and said that she was authorized
to give me such a name.   
Now in The Nations I am known as; Walking Eagle.
It means, ---Too full of shit to fly.--- but I like the name.
At Barbarian Again in Texas or at
Pennsic War in Pennsylvania,
I am the center of attention. Why?
I know The Secret of the Gods:
         "Yes Dear!"
  "You are right Dear!"
"It will not happen again Dear!"

Gaelan's Secret to
Happiness:

Surround yourself with
beautiful Ladies.

Make yourself as
irresistible as possible ,
and ---

Write your own press
releases.
Molested by fellow merchants at Pennsic Wars
Another thing that helps build a reputation
is a phrase I insert at any opportunity in
conversation no matter what the subject is
under discussion at the time.
It could be the noise a transmission
makes when under power.    I'll toss in:
"That reminds me of this ol' gal I
used to date, but that's another
story."
That's is like a"NSIWT!", or, as we say in
Alabama, "Y'all ain't going to believe this
shit!"
It's a seed phrase for my favorite form of
entertainment :
       Reputation Enhancement
Rumor Mongering.
Try this tactic at your next event.  At first
bird chirp, stick your disheveled head out
of the tent and greet the first passerby
with "Did I have fun last night?"
Usually they will say, " Yes." or "I guess
so." rarely "I don't know."
Sometimes you'll get, "NOT NOW I HAVE
THE HANGOVER FROM HELL!", (just
duck.)
Anyway, your next line is:"What did I
do??"
Your friends, Goddess love'em, will come
back with some great material.
Among the best I have gotten were:
"You danced naked in front of the king."
(the first response, repeated far too many
times)
"The Sheriff will be back around 10 to
review the video tapes with you."
(Best so far), " I understood the three belly
dancers, the sheep and the duct tape,
but what did you need the alligator for ?"
                           Caveat:
Like the old game where you whisper a
story in someones ear, they tell it to the
next person, who passes it along to the
next around the circle. When it gets back
to yourself the story has gotten blown out
of original context.  
This can cause problems.
I have had four of my five wives and more
than a few lady friends come to me in a
tizzy with disturbing suspicions of my
countless assignations, MOST of which
were the result of a cover ---or under the
covers --story going beyond my wildest
expectations.
My tender ego will not let me take credit
for all the amorous adventures that have
been reported by the envious and deluded.

Still, if it makes people wonder, it's a good
thing.
No one but The Shadow knows --- I'm not
a kiss and tell kind of guy.
Therefore, ask not what I have done,
Ask instead what you can do to have as
much fun as I have experienced.
Recently at Starbridge with Patty, Erin and Celia

The Quintessential Dirty Ol' Man
( Hey! It's a tough job but somebody's got to do
it. )
Know ye,I am fluent in a
variety of international
romantic arts; including,
but not limited to:
French, Swedish, AND Swiss.
Most people know French --oral.
Swedish is massage. But Swiss?
Every once in awhile you yodel.
I did have one lady ask, "Chocolate?"
I replied, " Wonderful idea! "
" My place or yours? "
----------------------------
I am also the head coach of the
Pagan Synchronized Swim Team.
We hope to get into the Olympics next year.
Try outs and rehearsals each morning, 5 a.m.
At the lake, hot tub or in the showers.
The first lesson is the breast stroke.
You'll love it.
You can trust me, I'm a druid!
Fair Warning;
some adult content in art