In Memoriam Russell Scott
Russell Scott, Elder 1957-2023
Groups: Anglesey Sveiter, Rhyfelwyr, Cwmwd Ial
Russell joined the society in April 1986 while serving in the RAF at Valley in Anglesey. He was promoted to Freeman in August 1987, and when the Anglesey Sveiter disbanded he tried to re-establish a group in the north west of Wales by founding Rhyfelwyr. In time, and with the rise of Cwmwd Ial in Caergwle near Wrexham Russell found a new home in a group which remained close to his heart until the end.
Unusually for members in the 80s, Russ took a great deal of interest in what the clothing and equipment of the Viking period really should look like, and as a result he worked as both Trading Officer and as Authenticity Officer at society level for many years, being promoted to Jarl in 1990. He joined the High Council in 1991 under Chris Robinson, and remained on the council until 2014.
He researched and wrote guides to assist members in their newly found drive for authenticity at the end of the 80s and into the 90s, and was responsible for producing (and writing much of) the first society Authenticity guides as well as publications on niche subjects including "Ring Mail - Breaking the Chain" around 1991 and "Unearthing the Dark Age Helmet" in 1994. Russ was prepared to spend hours explaining the evidence from the Viking period to members old and new, and would gladly find and deliver references and publications to anyone who asked for help, whether that was on textiles, jewellery, weapons and armour, belt fittings, or indeed anything else relevant to the period including buildings.
Russ served with the RAF in the Falklands on an extended tour in the 90s, but still managed to keep in touch with everyone by sending back cartoons for the Runestaff, and they were keenly anticipated in every issue. Perhaps fortunately for the nation, Russ was never a pilot or navigator - on the society trip to Trelleborg in the summer of 1991 as part of a group of 8 in the Danelaw minibus, the journey back from Denmark to the ferry at the Hook of Holland was going fairly well if unexpectedly frosty in places (but that's a different story) until the light faded and Russell took over the navigation, and being late for the ferry we decided not to risk getting stuck in a queue at the border post as we approached the German/Dutch border, so a cross-country trip on minor roads was suggested. Russ was in charge of the map, and called out the junctions until he advised that we needed to make a right turn onto a minor road, and it was just coming up. With the turn completed, the road rose steadily upwards and deposited us on an unlit track with nothing but inky blackness all around, and the headlights struggling to pick out the road surface ahead. After maybe half a mile, the driver slammed the brakes on, and turned to Russ in anger - "Thanks Russ, it's now clear we're on a canal towpath, there's a lock gate and the canal on the left, and I think there's a steep drop down a bank on the right. We need to reverse back the way we came!" We made it back in one piece, but shaken and even later than planned. Russ didn't volunteer to read the map after that.
Alongside his authenticity research and further adventures at events, Russ experimented with more hands-on skills including metal casting, leatherwork, and woodworking so that he could provide better kit for members. Eventually his hands needed something bigger to work with, and his interest in Viking ships led to the purchase of a small wooden boat. Having worked out how to sail and handle it, he then moved to something bigger, and over the years owned several more which were brought to events on a trailer or launched onto lakes and rivers and then thrown open for society members to have a go, which gave Russ a crew and gave society members a great experience.
Russ also convinced the West Stow site in the late 2000s to allow the society to stay for a week at a time to bring their village to life, and while this was outside of the society's main period, the Ynglingas were born as a sub-group and the October half term week became a firm favourite for many members of the society. Russ spent hours at the forge beating iron into shape and casting bronze, building a bread oven, and in general tasks around the site, and the widening group of participants became a close-knit and co-operative community as a result.
Russ married Liz in 2008, and together they travelled across the country covering several time periods with school visits, ship displays and trading. This included time as a pirate, smuggler, and several other periods including Romans.
