Markolf Volkhart von Thüringen
- Pronunciation guide: MARK-olf FOLK-hart fon TOOR-ing-en
- Pronouns: he/him
- Armorial/Order of Precedence - Search Page
Markolf (mundane name Jordan Smirl) is a member of the SCA who portrays an early 13th century low German burgher.
Persona Biography[edit | edit source]
Markolf Volkhart von Thüringen was born in 1181 AD to a family of petty nobility. With few prospects for success at home, he marched under Hermann I of Thuringia on the crusade led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1197. After the emperor’s death and the crusade’s failure to achieve more than a few minor conquests, he returned home to Germany in the summer of 1198, disappointed. In the spring of 1200, hoping for another chance at wealth and glory, he joined Albrecht von Buxthoeven’s mission after a crusade had been declared against the Livonians. He became a half-member of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword upon its founding in 1202. After the capture of Turaida in 1206, and after witnessing the indiscipline and brutality of his fellow Swordbrothers, he became disillusioned with the idea of crusading and left the order to settle in the newly founded city of Riga. There he came in contact with merchants freshly arrived from northern Germany who needed help navigating the region. From that point on he became involved with the Hanseatic League, aiding merchants traveling back and forth from Lübeck to Riga and through the Livonian wetlands. In 1212 he moved into a new home in Lübeck but continued traveling frequently across the Baltic Sea. In 1227 he fought in the Battle of Bornhöved to free Holstein and the city of Lübeck from Danish rule. As a member of the city’s flourishing bourgeoisie, he contributed to the construction of some of its early major buildings, primarily the Lübeck Cathedral which was completed (in its Romanesque form) in 1230.
Activities[edit | edit source]
As a member of the SCA, Markolf dabbles in bookbinding, calligraphy, heraldry, and historic research focusing on the Crusades and, more specifically, 13th century low Germany and the Baltic region.
History in the SCA[edit | edit source]
Timeline:
- 2015: Attended Lilies War as his first event.
- 2019: Awarded Baronial Colors by Baron Soren atte Raven and Baroness Rowan del Wiche of Barony of Forgotten Sea.
- 2019: Won the Another Time & Place: Short-Form History Paper Competition hosted by Hugo van Harlo with a paper on the Livonian Swordbrothers.
Groups and Affiliations:
- Current Group: Barony of Forgotten Sea, Canton of Aston Tor
- Affiliations: Clan Blue Feather
Offices:
- N/A
Other Information[edit | edit source]
Websites, photo-sharing, etc.
Artist Portfolio[edit | edit source]
| Image Preview | Project Title | Recipient, notes |
|---|---|---|
| Image | Project Title | Recipient, notes |
| Image | Award | Recipient, notes |
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