From noon on Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22, 2026, the Egil Skallagrimsson Memorial Tournament is hosting an immersive medieval experience – five days of relaxed medieval camping that will make time for camaraderie and extended SCA and medieval projects that can’t normally be undertaken in a single weekend event.
We are hoping that people will bring projects for personal pleasure and activities that others could join in on.
Look what’s happening at Pregils!
Erin O’Byrne, together with Mysh Finnson, Baroness Isis, and Baroness Millisandia are sponsoring a shield painting event on Tuesday and Wednesday (May 19-20). The shield will be auctioned off at Baronial Prize Court on Sunday to support the official needs of the incoming Baron and Baroness of Adiantum during their tenure. Estimated minimum bid (to cover costs) is $350.
The shield was designed and constructed by Mysh Finnson (commonly known as Mouse). Erin is handling project management and painting. Baroness Isis has made the shield boss. Isis and Baroness Milisandia are also financial sponsors for some of the supplies needed in the construction. The shield is a standard center-round, approximately 30” in width, with a steel and brass shield boss, and rawhide bound edge.
The shield will be painted onsite at Pregils on Tuesday and Wednesday; the community is invited to participate. Painting stops at 5PM Wednesday to ensure drying time for the paint (24 hours), sealant coat (24 hours), rawhide application and dry time (min 24 hours) before Sunday court.
The design is a black background with two rows of 5-pointed gold stars, 50 in total, representative of the Barony’s and Egil’s 50 years. The back of the shield will have as many signatures of baronial coronets (current, incoming, and previous) as we can feasibly collect during the event. The plan is to leave some space on the back unsealed, so that we can collect signatures for as long as possible through the weekend. The design was guided by the requests of the current and incoming Baronial Coronets, and all four have approved the current design.
The shield design and the boss . . .
We will publicize activities as we find out about them. Confirmed activities so far include . . .
- Falconry demos. Late afternoon when it’s cooler, probably on the stick ball field where there is space and won’t interfere with other activities. Hon. Murchadh Monaidh Chraoibhe
- Lapis Lazuli to Lazurite Pigment, Baroness Isis Sat Ne Nes Bastet, HL Muirenn inghean Uí Cléirigh
From stone to paint pigment! Come discuss the history and value of lapis lazuli in the Middle Ages! Walk with us through one of the most difficult scribal processes that made this rare pigment worth more than its weight in gold! Baroness Isis will focus on the processes that were practiced in China, and Muirenn will look at those done in Europe. Steps include crushing the rock (bring mask and safety glasses if you have them, a few will be available), grinding in a metal mortar and pestle, mulling on glass, mixing up a “plastic” of resins and wax, boiling or mixing with lye (which we will make on site. Gloves will be available), levigating and dehydrating. - Informal woodworking classes as people stop by the booth Sable Hare merchant booth, Ulf the Wanderer
- Period Games: we will also have games out for people to learn new games or practice old favorites. Sable Hare merchant booth, Ulf the Wanderer
- Large canvas for community painting
- Dipping beeswax candles, HL Elizabeth Chandler
- A start to finish block carving, fabric printing, and garment construction project
- From Wood to Worn: The Art of Hand Block Printing, Baroness Morrghan O’Siodhachain OL
- See a garment come to life through the complete process of hand block printing. Beginning with carving wooden blocks, this week-long demonstration follows every step — mixing inks, aligning repeat patterns, printing continuous yardage, and finally cutting and sewing the finished cloth into a wearable piece. Drop in at any stage to discover how simple materials and traditional techniques transform wood and fabric into something beautiful, functional, and worn.
- Day long dye pots (Saturday or Sunday), HL Oswyne Walston
- A dye area where we spend the day dyeing various items. Not a class or demo, but just a stop by, drop in, type of thing. We might even go forage and make a dye pot on the spot! Indigo and weld for certain.
- A gathering of smiths to pound metal. A variety of smiths will bring iron age style forges and do forge welding and use other historic metalworking techniques to make things like fibulas, sewing awls, pinking chisels, etc. Baron Brynjarr Olfuss, Rowland of Jerago con Orago
- Fiber arts circle, practice your art in community! Big Green shade, Thursday afternoon, Adhela of Ottersdam
- Playing with siege engines and training to be a marshal
- Making arrows
- Proposed activities:
- Making of a bread oven for communal bread baking
- Cheesemaking
- What would you like to do that week??
Mark your calendars, plan your vacation days. And yes, we know that your kids are in school. We can work with you on educational activities tied to our A&S activities that could give your children school credit.
CONTACT US at [email protected] about activity proposals or inquiries about help getting school credit for your children. Put Pregils in the subject line.
Parking during Pregils will be in the actual event area – on the grassy area behind gate and along the roads. We don’t have access to the driveway to the parking field until Thursday, May 21. On Thursday afternoon we will ask everyone to move their cars to the parking field.
You can arrive at Pregils on any day (not just Monday). Tuesday through Friday there will be ongoing activities on the meadow, but we will work with you to minimize vehicle intrusions so that you can unload your camp gear but not get in the way of the event. Someone at Gate will assist you with this.