Konstantia Kaloethina
Pronouns: they/them
Baron (Hypatōs) Konstantia Kaloethina or Baron Constantine Gabrielus Kaloethes
Call me Konstantia. (pronounced Kon-stan-tee-ah) or Constans. formerly known as Constantia Kaloethes
Persona:
- 6th century Byzantine minor noblewoman
- Born in 526, Daughter of ennobled silk merchants who died in the plague of Justinian (c. 541-542), Konstantia serves as a lady-in-waiting to Aelia Sophia, the wife of Justin, the nephew to the Emperor Justinian. Educated under the reforms of Empress Theodora, Konstantia speaks Greek and Latin. She is a patroness of the arts and a patroness of a small home for orphans and widows. Konstantia was 6 for the Nika Riots (and that's why she's still a Blue to this day), 16 during Justinian's Plague (where she lost both parents to bubonic plague), 25 when the Beirut Earthquake caused a tsunami for the Mediterranean. Theodora died when Konstantia was 22. Of course, when Justinian keels over in next year, she'll be inconsolable.
- Interests lie in Byzantine life, jewellery, and culture; glass and metalwork; illumination; music; heraldry (vocal and devices, in addition to administrative), paternosters; religious life; iconography.
- [Armorial]
Second Persona:
- 6th century Byzantine minor nobleman
- Constantine Gabrielus Kaloethes, known as Constans, is a minor noble serving in the courts of Justinian and Theodora. He is a diplomat working in the Bureau of Barbarians (scrinium barbarorum) and like the Emperor and Empress, is a Blue. He, too, was born a few days after the end of the Nika riots, and speaks Latin, Greek, and a smattering of other barbarian tongues.
- Interests lie in Byzantine life, jewellery, and culture; glass and metalwork; illumination; music; heraldry (vocal and devices, in addition to administrative), paternosters; religious life; iconography.
History in the SCA:
Timeline:
- Started in the SCA in 2007-2008
- AoA from Martino III and Ariel III (William the Marshal)
- Torse from Ostwald I and Kaye I (Valor)
- Golden Calon Swan from Ashir and Maerwynn II (Queen's Prize)
- Calon Cross from Donngal III and Catalina (Crown Tournament)
- Herald Extraordinary given under the auspices of Takauji Gold Falcon in the court of Matsu and Elena (Crown Tournament) (Title registered as Greek Fire Herald Extraordinary)
- Order of the Pilgrim's Badge from Baron Soren Atte Raven and Baroness Ruadhan de Wich (Unslung Heroes)
- Mark of Merit from Baron Soren Atte Raven and Baroness Ruadhan de Wich (Tournament of Horse & Falcons)
- Court Barony from Damien II and Issabell II (Crown Tournament)
- Calon Lily from Hirsch III and Magdalena III (Clothiers Seminar)
Groups and Affiliations:
Current Group: Barony of Forgotten Sea, green cord from Vatavia (2011)
Past Groups: Crown Lands (modernly Maryville, MO)
Other Affiliations: Proteged to [Master Gabriel Kjotvason, OP].
Offices
Regional Offices:
- Harrier Herald (Central Reporting Deputy for the kingdom of Calontir) – 2008 - 2010
Kingdom Offices:
- Kestrel Herald (Publications) – 2010 - 2011
- Purple Falcon/Purple Quill Herald (Emergency Deputy to Gold Falcon/Assistant to Gold Falcon) – March 2012 - March 2014
- Gold Falcon Principal Herald – March 2014 - March 2016
- Lanner Herald - September 2018 – current
- Blue Hawk Herald - February 2019 – present
Items completed under Principal Herald tenure:
- Online reporting form, along with the Lord Giovanni Loredan, and the Calontir Webministry Team
- Revised Heralds' Handbook, along with Mistress Sofya la Rus
- Heraldic Retreat, along with Mistress Dorcas Whitecap
- Submissions Tracking Software, along with Lady Alexandra Vasquez de Granada and The Honourable Lady Brigida von München
Other service: Administrator for the unofficial Calontir Facebook group (March 2007 - April 2021), Nobelese Largesse (founder, organizer, facilitator from 2010 to 2014); facebook group [[1]], 2016 Calontir Heralds' Retreat Organizer, A&S Champion for Barony of Forgotten Sea (2017 - 2018), Barony of Forgotten Sea Roll of Arms Project (2015 - 2019)
Classes Taught
- Easy-Peasy English Country Dance
- Making Byzantine Wire-work Jewellery (blog entries for supplies here and instructions here)
- Prayer beads, paternosters, and Islamic prayer beads
- Budgeting Time and Avoiding Burnout, taught with Mistress Kayleigh Mac Whyte at KWHSS 2013
- Client Care at the Consult Table, KWHSS 2014
- Volunteer Management in the SCA, KWHSS 2014
- Making Weather-Resistant Heraldic Banners, Calontir Heralds' Retreat 2015
- Court Heraldry Masterclass, Calontir Heralds' Retreat 2015
- Dressing the Vestal Virgin, Clothier's Seminar 2016, Calontir
- Teaching Classes in the SCA, taught with The Honourable Lord Cathus the Curious, Bellewode Symposium 2016
- I've Submitted, Now What?: SCA Heraldic Submissions 101, Calontir Heralds' Retreat 2016
- Court Heraldry Roundtable, taught with Mistress Dorcas Whitecap, Lord Saito Takauji, and Tiarna Diarmaid O Briain, Calontir Heralds' Retreat 2016
- Behind the Curtain: What Does Gold Falcon Actually Do?, taught with Mistress Dorcas Whitecap and Lord Saito Takauji, Calontir Heralds' Retreat 2016
- What the Bling?: an overview of awards and regalia, Chieftains 2017, Calontir
- Juzu, or Japanese Prayer Beads, Clothier’s Seminar 2017, Calontir
- So You Want to Be a Principal Herald, taught with Master Ryan Mac Whyte, Master Cormac Mor, and Master Kameshima Zentarou Umakai, KWHSS 2017, Meridies
- What The Bling?!: regalia, court comportment, and award recommendations, Valor 2018
- A Quick Trip Through Byzantium: a survey of Byzantine Clothing, Clothier's Seminar 2019, Calontir
- Scribbles and Scrawls: Getting Started with Painting Preprints, virtual class during the COVID-19 outbreak, Calontir (class video is here)
Other Information
- In case of court, please do not surprise me: social anxieties combined with attention at court cause panic attacks afterwards.
- My SCA blog is located here: [[2]]
- My scribal scribbles can be found here: [[3]]
- My etsy shop is here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/belletoile
- Documentation for past projects:
Scroll Portfolio
| Image Preview | Award | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Laurel | Catalina de Arazuri | |
| Calon Lily | Janos Katona | |
| Silver Hammer | Snorri Bjornsson | |
| Augmentation of Arms | Gawayne ap Tristam | |
| Herald Extraordinary | Nikolai Kolpachnik Spiachev | |
| Silver Hammer | Duncan Bruce of Logan | |
| Herald Extraordinary | Andrixos Seljukroctonis | |
| Award of Arms | Edward Logan de Munro | |
| n/a | n/a; was created as a pandemic project, but later entered into the Gryphon's Fest 2021 Devotional in any Medium contest and won | |
| Silver Hammer | Sir John Bowyer |
Rat out a Friend
12 July 2014 - "TRM Ariel and Martino called me into court. And then proceeded to talk about Nobelese Largesse and the impact it made on the Society. And in thanks, I received largesse of new garb. And it's so very, very, very spiff." https://www.facebook.com/constantiak/posts/10152274209067569