The first annual Southwest Vatra took place on the weekend of June 20th. Harnas Dragoslav gave a presentation on the gear and lore of the highland brigand. We will be adding a transcript of this to the site very soon. Below is the offical logo for the event with original artwork by our own Harnas Dragoslav and also a pic of some of the gear that was part of his presentation.

From: On the High Uplands
Sagas, Songs, Tales and Legends of the Carpathians
by Stanislaw Vincenz
Dancing around Dmytryk
pg 120
They danced the festive dance with axes. The old, grey-headed and shaggy-haired delegates danced, the young, curly-headed delegates danced. And as they danced they sang very ancient songs and carols. Only Dmytryk stood in the midst of them, brandishing his axe and striking up the song:

With three little joys and three little gifts,
Rejoice!

To which the youngsters replied so boisterously that the ceilings of the imperial palace shook:

God grant thee happiness and health,
Rejoice!

Round Dmytryk they whirled with their axes, they raised and flung up their brass axes during the dance, then danced towards the lords with the shining weapons raised, and the white-stockings involuntarily drew closer to their lord, as though they thought to protect him from the sharp edges. Meanwhile the Emperor was delighted. He watched the dancers with interest; he wondered at those dances, as though he were watching the courtship skirmishes of mountain eagles; he marvelled that not once were any of the heavy axes allowed to fall, that not one hurt another or grazed another.