Avalon's Realm

Hakela: The Last One

2011-11-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

Please check out the following project. Hakela: The Last One really needs our help, so please donate if you are able. Any amount will help and is greatly appreciated.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/353859867/hakela-the-last-one

RA & Caspian Look-alikes

2011-05-19T21:18:00.000-04:00

Representative Paul Ryan look-alike Richard Armitage

Flynn (Tangled) look-alike Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes)

Lucas North (Richard Armitage) look-alike Representative Paul Ryan

Anna Popplewell fights Human Trafficking

2011-05-06T10:11:00.003-04:00

“Human trafficking robs people of basic rights that so many of us take for granted. Love146 is doing crucial work to restore those rights to children in great need of help. They are nothing short of heroes, and they need our help.” - Anna Popplewell

If you would like to help Anna help the victims of human trafficking, you can donate at runforlove146.org

And don't forget to check out Anna in the new tv series Brave New World

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [Blu-ray] is now on dvd

Wes Studi

2011-04-16T14:56:00.011-04:00

My dear blogger pal, Sandra Padma Prem, and I have decided to pair up and blog about one of the most talented Native Actors ever; Wes Studi !
Please see Sandra’s blog for her detailed Wes Studi post: NativeTime
You can also click Wes’s link on my sidebar for previous posts that I have written.

While Sandra covered Wes Studi’s bio, I created a short video in his honor and will talk about his work that Sandra has not yet had the opportunity to view. The clips are from numerous movies, you can find the titles listed on my You-Tube account- AvalonMedieval The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy, presented by Wes Studi, is a 2006 documentary about the forcible removal of the Cherokee people from the southeastern states of the United States to the Indian Territory in Oklahoma. I have already blogged about the Trail of Tears and posted a You-Tube video that I created in memory of “Those who Cried”- Trail of Tears .The scenes in this video are from We Shall Remain, True Women, and Cherokee Legacy. If you would like to purchase - Amazon.com: The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy Wes Studi also played Major Ridge in American Experience – We Shall Remain – by PBS. This was a much wanted role for Wes as he is Cherokee and this was the first time he has portrayed a Cherokee on screen. We Shall Remain American Experience PBS is a five episode documentary covering 300 years of Native and European contact. What makes this documentary so originally fresh is that it is told from the Native American point of view. Please see the trailer below:
Wes Studi is an amazingly talented actor and producer that I respect highly. Please visit his fan site Actor, Wes Studi's Official Web Site for more information.
IMBd Filmography (credit to ImBd)

2012 The Last Horseman (pre-production) Black Hawk 2012 Timberwolf (pre-production) Onacona 2011 The Hard Ride (pre-production) Black Coyote 2011 Palominas (pre-production) Sam Jennings 2011 Sugar (post-production) Bishop 2011 The Castle (post-production) Prison Guard #5 2010 Ink: A Tale of Captivity (post-production) King Philip 2011 The Dome of Heaven DeWayne Moses 2010 The Mentalist (TV series) Joseph Silverwing – Aingavite Baa (2010) … Joseph Silverwing 2009 Avatar Eytukan

2009 21 and a Wake-Up General Gleason 2009 The Undying Lt. Wascoe 2009 Saving Grace (TV series) – That Was No First Kiss (2009) 2009 Kings (TV series) Gen. Linus Abner – The Sabbath Queen (2009) … Gen. Linus Abner – Brotherhood (2009) … Gen. Linus Abner – Judgment Day (2009) … Gen. Linus Abner (credit only) – Insurrection (2009) … Gen. Linus Abner – First Night (2009) … Gen. Linus Abner (credit only) See all 7 episodes » 2009 Call of the Wild Hatcher 2009 The American Experience (TV series documentary) Major Ridge – We Shall Remain: Part III - Trail of Tears (2009) … Major Ridge 2009 The Only Good Indian Sam 2009 Freedom Riders (TV series) 2009 The Hunter's Moon Cherokee Jack 2008 Three Priests Ben 2008 Older Than America Richard Two Rivers 2008/III El camino Dave 2008 Comanche Moon (TV mini-series) Buffalo Hump – Episode #1.3 (2008) … Buffalo Hump – Episode #1.2 (2008) … Buffalo Hump – Episode #1.1 (2008) … Buffalo Hump 2007 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (TV movie) Wovoka AKA Jack Wilson 2007 Cosmic Radio Sherriff Mike Nighthorse 2006 Seraphim Falls Charon (as Wes Studie) 2005 The New World Opechancanough 2005 Miracle at Sage Creek Chief Thomas 2005 Animal (video) Creeper 2005 Into the West (TV mini-series) Black Kettle – Hell on Wheels (2005) … Black Kettle 2004 A Thief of Time (TV movie) Joe Leaphorn 2004 A Warrior in Two Worlds (TV documentary) Narrator 2004 Echoes from Juniper Canyon (short) Grandpa 2003 Edge of America (TV movie) Cuch 2003 Coyote Waits (TV movie) Joe Leaphorn 2003 Ice Planet Commander Trager 2003 The Lone Ranger (TV movie) Kulakinah 2003 The Ugly One Father Mike 2002 Skinwalkers (TV movie) Lt. Joe Leaphorn 2002 Undisputed Mingo Pace 2002 Superfire (TV movie) Joe Nighttrail 2002 UC: Undercover (TV series) Armando Uribe – Hunting Armando (2002) … Armando Uribe 2001 Road to Redemption Frank Lightfoot 2001 Christmas in the Clouds Bingo Caller 2000 Wind River Pocatello 1999 Mystery Men Sphinx 1998 Soundman Terry Leonard 1998 Deep Rising Hanover 1997 Adventures from the Book of Virtues (TV series) Scarface – Perseverance (1997) … Scarface (voice) (uncredited) 1997 Promised Land (TV series) Jesse Rainbird – The Outrage (1997) … Jesse Rainbird 1997 The Killing Jar Cameron 1996 Crazy Horse (TV movie) Red Cloud 1996 Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek One Horse 1995 Heat Detective Casals 1995 Streets of Laredo (TV mini-series) Famous Shoes (Kickapoo tracker) 1995 500 Nations (TV mini-series) 1995 Lone Justice 2 One Horse 1994 Street Fighter Victor Sagat 1994 Indian America: A Gift from the Past (TV movie) Narrator 1994 Wolfridge 1993 The Broken Chain (TV movie) Seth/Chief/Speaker for the Tribes 1993 Geronimo: An American Legend Geronimo

1993 Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times (TV series) One Horse – The Smink Brothers (1993) … One Horse 1992 Highlander (TV series) Sheriff Benson – Mountain Men (1992) … Sheriff Benson 1992 The Last of the Mohicans Magua 1991 The Doors Indian in Desert 1990 The Flash (TV series) Roller – Sins of the Father (1990) … Roller 1990 Dances with Wolves Toughest Pawnee 1989 Powwow Highway Buff 1988 The Trial of Standing Bear (TV movie) Long Runner

Madeline Usher's Tale by FairyCutie86

2011-04-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

"Hello to everyone who reads this! Just a few little things I want to say before you get started."Madeline Usher's Tale" is about Madeline Usher from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." If you've read Poe's story, as you know, Madeline is pretty much a non-existent character. In Poe's tale, the story is told entirely by the unnamed Narrator. I've always been fascinated with this question: "Who is Madeline Usher?" We know nothing about her. We know nothing of Roderick Usher either, her crazed brother, other than the fact that he seems to be insane. So the point of this story is to give life to Madeline and make her the narrator, give her a childhood, and a deeper, darker relationship with her brother. Also: give the poor Narrator a name---Matthew Kennedy!This story will contain many dark elements. Among them: rape and incest. If these are things that disturb you (even though they are vital to the story I'm trying to tell), don't bother reading and leaving "hate comments." Everyone has their own cup of tea, and this may not be for you.What I'd love from my readers: comments! I'm all up for positive and negative feedback. My goal is to get this published one day and I'd like to know what's working and what's not. If you spot bad grammar, misspellings, inconsistencies with characters or dates, ANYTHING, let me know and I'll try my best and fix those issues. I know that this story is no where near being a "masterpiece." I know there are flaws and that's why I would truly love feedback of any sort beside the cliche, "Oh, that's great! Can't wait for the next chapter." I want honest opinions and help with anything that's wrong. If you have suggestions for additional scenes, that would be great, too.Thanks so very much and I really hope the story of Madeline Usher is intriguing and inspires you to re-read Poe's original tale with fresh eyes."

Stacie

You can read FairyCutie86's work at Madeline Usher's Tale

You can also check out her wonderful collection of vids at FairyKingdom86, which include BBC Robin Hood, Legend of the Seeker, Alice, Dr. Who, Torchwood and Merlin.

Thanks again Fairycutie86 for allowing me to blog about you:)

How Elf Typical

2011-04-12T20:13:00.004-04:00

Extended Dorian Gray Trailer w Original Soundtrack

2011-04-11T01:41:00.001-04:00

My attempt with Dorian's trailer....had trouble blending the voice overs, forgive me in advance:)

King Caspian

2011-04-09T09:09:00.013-04:00

Fan Fiction Author Lady Kate

2011-03-29T19:38:00.005-04:00

Lady Author is the creator of Yuku's BBC Robin Hood Forum and the author of 8 brilliant Robin Hood fan fiction stories. I found her fiction so interesting, I asked Lady Kate for permission to showcase her work.
Enjoy!

The End and the Beginning - Guy of Gisborne survives the battle in the tunnel, only to face the guilt of knowing his poison is about to cause Robin's death. Now he must deal with the final farewells and make some hard choices. Complete but there may be a sequel.

This Side of Hell - Three days after Marian's death in the Holy Land, Djaq goes to visit her grave and finds herself reluctantly helping someone with whom she never expected to sympathize. Mentions of Robin/Marian, Will/Djaq.

Lady Marian and Her Two Husbands - Season 2 finale AU. Guy takes Marian up on her offer to kill the Sheriff in Acre, but things don't quite go as planned. Near-death experiences and accidental bigamy ensue. Robin/Marian, Guy/Marian.

Lost - Guy is with the gang. Him, Little John does not like. One day, they have a talk. Written for the RH Drabblefest but more a ficlet than a drabble.

Five Guy x Marian Drabbles and one Guy x Meg » - Written for the LiveJournal RH drabblest last August. Alternate scenarios for 1x12 and 2x12; fluff from a Guy/Marian marriage in some happy AU; canon-consistent post-2x13 Guy angst. UPDATED with Meg drabble for Hoodland, still Guy/Marian, sort of.

The Lady of Nottingham - Things take a slightly different turn in the Season 2 finale. Guy of Gisborne is now the Sheriff of Nottingham and married to Marian - but does he get everything he wanted? A clue: Not quite. At least, definitely not the way he envisioned it.

Too Much Euphemism - Written for the Hoodland challenge: Five times Much didn't understand a euphemism, or four times he didn't and one time he did. Light fluff for your enjoyment.

A Different Side - Guy of Gisborne meets someone from his past, with unexpected consequences. SPOILERS for S3, takes place after 3x09. NOTE: the second character is NOT an OC but a canon character whose identity is revealed in the course of the story. My first RH fanfic!

“ I am a professional writer and journalist who first got into the world of fandom and fanfiction in 2001 with Xena: Warrior Princess. My newest fannish love is Robin Hood BBC. (I seem to have a knack for falling for shows when they end: with Xena, I got into the fandom two months before the series finale; with Robin Hood, it was after the finale aired in the UK and a friend wanted to vent to me about Guy's death.) It drew me with some of the same qualities I found in Xena: the mix of adventure, drama, quirky comedy, interesting character dynamics and stories that sometimes tackled surprisingly deep and difficult issues. And, of course, redeemable villains in black leather. :-)
I love many things about Robin Hood -- virtually all the characters are fascinating and three-dimensional, even some of the minor ones. Guy is my favorite, though. As a friend of mine who recently started watching the show pointed out, he's a character who's always yanking your emotions back and forth -- one moment you feel sympathetic toward him, the next moment you hate him, and sometimes both at the same time. He's got so many layers of emotions and inner conflicts that his head is a fascinating, if sometimes terrifying, place to be in. Obviously, the fact that he just happens to look like Richard Armitage doesn't hurt. ;-) But seriously, that aside, I love conflicted characters, I love redemption stories, and I love love/hate relationships -- and Guy scores three out of three. I suppose that's why he's so interesting for me to write in my fan fiction. It is ironic, though, that while I love Guy partly because he's such a tragic character, I tend to give him happy endings in my stories.
The Robin Hood fandom is a wonderful place, and I hope it continues for a long time; Guy, Marian, Robin, Allan, Much, Isabella, Djaq, and the other great characters in this captivating version of the legend -- including great villains like Keith Allen's Sheriff and Toby Stephens's Prince John -- must live on now that the show is no longer on the air! If my fiction can contribute to keeping them alive, I will consider myself amply rewarded. I'm also happy to say that the Robin Hood message board on the Yuku hosting system which I started in September 2009, http://robinhoodbbc.yuku.com/, has been a major success. Please join us if you're interested in meeting other RH fans and discussing the show and your favorite characters, actors, or episodes!”
- Lady Kate

The end of the 2011 Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-21T10:15:00.004-04:00

The 2011 FanstRAvaganza has finally ended!

Polls have closed. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and comment during the last week.

If Richard Armitage surfed the Charlie Sheen High-
9% said - I would support RA no matter what!
3% said- Richard who?
15% said- Um, I used to be a fan...but um, not anymore.
28% said - RA will redeem himself, in the meantime I offer encouragement.

Wow, this one surprised me! RA has an abundance of faithfully devoted fans. I can honestly say I’d drop him in a second if he behaved like Sheen.

Guy’s cruelest crime or deed:
The majority (33%) voted- The abandonment of Baby Seth, with 11% going with Marian’s murder.

I went with abandoning his flesh and blood on this one.

“You had me at hello”....When did Guy have you?
28% voted with Season 1, episode 1 “I’m guy of Gisborne”

Talk about love at first sight…I went with season 2, which is when I first found good in his heart.

Which character would you prefer Guy to wed?
32% voted Lady Marian
28% voted Meg

Although Marian was my favorite, I voted Meg because in time her feelings would have probably evolved into genuine love and as she matured, she would have made a devoted wife to Guy. Besides…It’s the Robin Hood Legend and only Robin can marry Maid Marian:)

Below is a link worth mentioning-
http://www.wix.com/violetsframework/rafellowshipofthebeard
A very creative site created by Violet of http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Ftheframeworkblog.blogspot.com%2F

Below are two Guy fan videos submitted to me, that did not make my other post because I was waiting approval from the author. So better late, then never.

Guy of Gisborne - Wanna Do Bad Things To You AND Guy of Gisborne - Paint It Black by romana55.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to participate and submit favorite Guy fan work. Thanks to the talent authors and artists that allowed me to embed and link to their Guy fan work. My FanstRAvaganza posts received an average of 300-400 page hits daily, I hope this event was fun for those of you who visited, which was the intention of the FanstRAvaganza. And don't forget to check out the following blogs participating in the FanstRAvaganza:

An RA viewer's perspective from 33°0'S of the equator

Christine at CDoart

Judiang at Confessions of a Watcher

Sarah Pawley at From the Quill Tip

Servetus at Me+Richard

Prue at Mesmered’s Blog

Pi at Nevermind Mr. Armitage

Phylly at Phylly’s Faves

Natalie at Richard Armitage Fan Blog

bccmee at Richard Armitage Vids & Graphics

Skully at Spooks Fan Blog

Traxy at The Squeee

Musa at White Rose: Sincere and Simple Thoughts

RAFrenzy » Making it viRAl

Fan Fiction Nominations - Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-20T18:34:00.005-04:00

First of all I want to thank everyone who took time and responded to my request asking for Guy of Gisborne fan fiction. I received some fantastic recommendations! If you nominated a story to me and you do not see it listed below, it was because the author of that story denied me authorization to link to their work or I was unable to obtain their authorization or the link you sent was in a private forum in which I am unable to link to.
Again, thanks to everyone who replied.

A Friend Closer Than a Brother by manxcatmom

This Side of Hell and The Lady of Nottingham by LadyKate1

The Wolf's Head: Part 1 by corrielle

From the Desert to the Tower and Fortune's Wheel by an-lagat-glas http://an-lagat-glas.livejournal.com/8606.html

Fallout by bookishy

Stone Upon Stone by secretchord/Dynamite Rabbit

Blood that Freezes, Blood that Burns by Spinnd

Fingerpaints from http://www.dreamerfiction.com/

one last try by gizxmaz

Persistence of Memory by ady_t_220 http://community.livejournal.com/den_of_folly/15105.html

"Dangerous to Know by fedoralady

fic: prisoners of circumstance by spikesbint

The Sands of Morpheus by Experimental Madness

Most Unwanted by Dori

Where Old Ghosts Meet by Alasse Faelivrin

Black Knight’s deception by khandy
http://www.wattpad.com/529468-black-knights-deception

Til Death Us Do Part by broughps

A Battle of Wills - Chapter 1 - author: susanjn,

An Exchange of Vows: Chapter One - author: vividviolet83

One Last Adventure (Guy/Marian fanfic) Part 1 by suzyq_123

Gisborne… at Mesmered's Blog

The Tempest by Sarah Pawley Charlotte1194 - Wattpad

A Fan Fiction Site worth checking out:
Richard Armitage Fans - Wattpad Clubs
http://www.wattpad.com/

Thanks to the authors that allowed me to link to their work and thanks to the RA fans that nominated these brilliant author's stories.

Showcase- KF x - Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-20T17:21:00.013-04:00

Showcasing another brilliant, talented RA fan:KFx of kf_creations, aka Kiteflier

"It took me a while to warm to guy's character. It was during season two, when you could clearly see his tortured soul that I fell in love with him. Watching his inner battle and his love for Marian was very inspirational to me, including much of the last season, with his redemption.What is it about tortured soul that makes for addictive viewing pleasure? apart from Richards excellent acting skills that is...." KF x

http://community.livejournal.com/dreams_of_fancy/

ra.net

PLEASE do not borrow, hotlink, or alter KF x’s graphics. Please obtain permission before use. All graphics above are the property and creation of KF Creations.

Fan Video Nominations - Part of 2011 Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-18T23:00:00.007-04:00

First of all I want to thank everyone who took time and responded to my request asking for Guy of Gisborne fan videos. I received some fantastic recommendations! If you nominated a video to me and you do not see it listed below, it was because the author of that video denied me authorization to link to their video or I was unable to obtain their authorization or the link you sent was in a private forum in which I am unable to link to.

Again, thanks to everyone who replied.

Enjoy:

Beautiful Disaster by Aimz1013

Richard Armitage, You've Stolen Our Hearts by VeritasProductions

Guy & Marian (My Skin) by HeathDances

Sir Guy, I am "stirred" by you - EtherealSparkle

Thing of Beauty" Guy of Gisborne video, Richard Armitage
by elvirasweeney

Amazing ~ Guy of Gisborne ~ Richard Armitage by delicateblossomvideo

Guy and Marian - She visits me...by MoonlightRus

For Blue Skies - Guy and Marian by summersparkle2

You Were Almost Kind // Guy/Marian by Liisakee

Obsession. Love. Death. by Vladivostok2009

Richard Armitage, You've Stolen Our Hearts by VeritasProductions

Poker Face by delicateblossomvideo

Guy and Marian - Iris by summersparkle2

Belated Richard Armitage 38th Birthday Video by spikesbint

Robin Hood - Guy/Marian/Robin - Any Other Name by by yorkshirewench
I was unable to embed this vid, so please click the following link-
http://vimeo.com/4914629

Many of the videos received multi-nominations.

Thank you to the artists that did respond to my request. And thanks to the RA fans that took the time to nominate them.

Artwork- Part of 2011 Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-17T23:00:00.002-04:00

I want to thank everyone who took time to respond to my request asking for Guy of Gisborne fan art. I received some fantastic recommendations! If you nominated fan art to me and you do not see it listed below, it was because the author denied me authorization to link or I was unable to obtain their authorization or the link you sent was in a private forum in which I am unable to link to. Again, thanks to everyone who replied.

Spikes Bint, aka angelfish69
spikesbint's icon journal

Please contact Spikes Bint before borrowing her work.

Kiteflier's Creations
Kiteflier of KF Creations

These graphics belong to Kiteflier and I am only linking with permission. Please ask Kiteflier before using any of her creations.

The graphics below were made by an anonymous user and one of my VERY favorite artist. Please enjoy, but do not borrow her work.

Ok! Everyone knows the one below is my nomination! Ben and RA...Caspian and Guy...My two favorite hotties together! YES!

I received many more nominations then what I have listed above, so again if you do not see the graphic you emailed me, please know that it was because the author did not grant me permission or I was unable to contact the artist. Thank you to the artists that did respond to my request. And thanks to the RA fans that took the time to nominate them.

Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-16T23:00:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I asked my followers to email me nominations for best Guy of Gisborne fan fiction, artwork, and videos. I received many wonderful recommendations. I plan to take the next few days to reveal them all, but I wanted to showcase the top two fan fiction nominees today. Spikes Bint, aka angelfish69, and author Sarah Pawley, pen-name Charlotte Hawkins.

"~Author’s Note~There have been many Robin Hood tales over the years. All are different…and yet, mostly the same. I’ve enjoyed the varying legends of Sherwood for most of my life, but strangely, Robin Hood himself has never been my favorite character. The villains have always entertained me more than the good guys. (The wonderful Alan Rickman comes to mind) The Sheriff of Nottingham is almost always a central character, usually as Robin’s number one nemesis.One villain that is not so well known is Guy of Gisborne, though he first appeared centuries ago in the early ballads and songs. He has made occasional appearances in small rolls, and there is sometimes a Guy-like character in the Robin Hood tales…a second banana who is there to suffer on behalf of the Sheriff or Prince John, or sometimes both. (Remember “Sir Hiss” in the cartoon?) There are only a few instances where the Guy character has been given a more substantial part to play, the most recent being the brilliant portrayal given by Richard Armitage. I am certainly a great fan of his, but my interest in Guy of Gisborne goes much further back, to the 1938 classic “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”I adore Basil Rathbone (In my opinion, no one else can be Sherlock Holmes) and it was he who first turned me towards liking the bad instead of the good. No offense to the Errol Flynn fans out there, but I always wished it was Guy who got the girl instead of Robin. There’s something about those silly green tights that just bothers me.To make a long story short, I’ve always had a weakness for the bad guys, and for once I want to tell one of their stories in a different way. I like dark, conflicted men in a story. They’re much more interesting to me than the squeaky clean heroes we all know. So here is a story about Guy of Gisborne, one of my all-time favorite villains. Yes, there will be a Sheriff of Nottingham here, along with Marian and Robin Hood, but they will only be playing a small part. This is all about Sir Guy of Gisborne, and I hope it’s a story you’ll enjoy.Happy Reading!" - Charlotte

The Tempest: A Guy of Gisborne Story is available for purchase.

My interview with Sarah Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

Sarah's Blog From The Quill Tip

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"Straight away when I started watching Robin Hood, he was the character that had the most depth. I think season 1 Guy was written to just be an evil henchman kind of figure, but Richard made him so much more, with just the smallest look and gesture he could convey a whole range of emotions that made me want to unravel the character. I always saw the possibly of redemption in him even after the heinous crime of killing Marian. " -Angela

Below you will find Angela's artwork, links, and graphics nominated by RA fans. This artwork is the property of Angela and I am only reposting with her permission. Please ask Angela before using any of her work.

Angela (Spikes Bint, aka angelfish69) has also written fan fiction for Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Lord of the Rings, Phantom of the Opera, and Robin Hood BBC. You can read them at Spikes Bint

Prisoners of Circumstance GuyMarian received numerous fan recommendations for favorite RA fanfic.

Angela's You-Tube page and LiveJournalhttp://www.livejournal.com/users/spikesbint Homepage where you find more of her brillant work. http://community.livejournal.com/angelfish_icons/

http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/sigs/guyangela5.png - another nominated graphic by Angela

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=spikesbint&keyword=Guy+Marian+fanfic+by+me&filter=all

Avalon's Realm: Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza, click to read Angela's interview from last year.

spikesbint's You-Tube page

Below is spikesbint's video nominations sent in by RA fans

Thanks Sarah and Angela for allowing to blog about you once more.

The Siege - Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

“”Nice to keep it in the family””

“Isabella of Gisborne’s arrival in Nottingham is a shock for Guy. When the Gisborne family lost all their lands and wealth, Isabella was married off to a rich local lord who she could never love. She comes to Nottingham after the death of her husband. Her presence in the castle annoys the Sheriff and forces Guy to face up to the past.

Isabella’s intentions are good when she first arrives- she hates the Sheriff of Nottingham for what he has done to her brother, but that doesn’t stop brother and sister from squabbling. But Prince John’s arrival changes everything as Isabella is seduced and corrupted by the charming prince, and Guy is banished from Nottingham Castle. When Prince John leaves, he makes Isabella the new Sheriff of Nottingham.

After discovering a dark secret about their families, mortal enemies Guy of Gisborne and Robin Hood are forced into an uneasy alliance against Isabella. Isabella, consumed by her hatred for both Guy and Robin, vows to Prince John that by the time he returns to Nottingham, she will have her brother and the outlaw in shackles. “ – The Siege

This is just a quick excerpt from the audio book, The Siege read by Richard Armitage, that I thought was hilarious. I added a few scenes from Robin Hood’s Series Three; however, the scenes are not coordinated and don’t match the audio well. The scenes were mainly added for fun.

For a RA fan’s review, check out Robin Hood: The Siege by Simon Guerrier by Traxy at The Squeee

To purchase this audio book - Big Finish - Robin Hood

Interview with Richard Armitage from The Siege

Armitage Fans Rock - Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-15T23:00:00.000-04:00

I think that we all are in agreement with the fact that Richard Armitage is blessed with a regiment of talented fans. I am not sure if he knows how wonderful some of his fans are, but I do. I have had the pleasure to become acquainted with a number of his devoted fans and have made multiple friends. This is one of the funniest things about being his fan; making such fantastic friends.

We start out with only one known common factor – Richard Armitage. And since my blog topic this week is Guy of Gisborne, I decided to ask a few of my new, yet talented friends the same question….Why do you like Guy of Gisborne?

I’ll start “I was first attracted to Guy because of his dark, yet sexy side. I have a thing for men like this. I tend to always try to find good in them and look for reasons as to why they became who they are. I found both in Guy. Deep down he was a just man, driven to villainous ways.” Well…this is how I see him. You might see him differently."

FairyKingdom86 says “I like Guy because 1.) He's hot, 2.) He's a mix of anti-hero and villain, 3.) And did I mention that he's hot? But seriously, Guy's one of those characters you're always conflicted about. One moment you hate his actions, but another moment you applaud him for finally doing the right thing.”

ThePhylly3 says “No man ever needed a woman more than Guy does! He makes my heart break the way he follows Marian around like a lost puppy. He tries to be tough but he is just putty in her hands! I don't hate Marian like some Guy fans do, but I wish she hadn't led him on quite so much. I also don't think she deserved her death, but the way RA played Gisborne with so much remorse, I had to forgive him.I see Guy as the misguided bad boy that every woman (almost always mistakenly) thinks she can reform. Being that he is played by the sexiest man alive, he is completely irresistible!”

bccmee says "If Guy of Gisborne was around today, I imagine he'd be running wild onthe internet! Instead of Google, there would be a Guy of Gisbornesearch engine called GoGle."

Natazukii says "I can't help but love Gizzy in all of his guyliner glory. He's so jaded, and yet, the brooding... the smirking... the stubble... the long hair in Season 3.... LOVE IT!!!"

Moriko's Showcase - Part of the FanstRAvaganza

2011-03-14T23:01:00.001-04:00

Experimental Madness, aka Moriko, was kind enough to allow me to showcase her work after several RA fans nominated her fan fiction:

The Storyteller

The Sands of Morpheus

Unseen

Chains

Moriko is a college student of Writing, Literature, and Publishing and an aspiring novelist who has already sent out original works of fiction to publishers. So look forward to seeing her name in print soon.

When asked about the Robin Hood Legend and her fan fiction, Moriko replied

“My interest in Robin Hood goes way back to my childhood. I have always been a lover of ancient and medieval history and as a kid I liked to run around in the park with my friends pretending to be Robin Hood or a knight on a quest. It sounds incredibly cliché, but it's true! My love for games of pretend hasn't really died, it's just matured into my love for storytelling. I read fantasy/sci-fi and historical fiction for the most part, and I even have a book of all the Robin Hood legends in my bookshelf!

I first took an interest in the recent BBC Robin Hood when I saw a promo for it on television one night. I knew right away this was going to be a show I was going to love. It only took one episode for me to become hopelessly addicted. I started off as a total Robin fan and gradually, over the course of that first season, turned into a Guy fan. At first I didn't really pay Gisborne any attention at all, but as the show progressed I saw the multifaceted aspects to his character and couldn't help taking an interest. I tend to fall for the baddies anyway, but when supposed villains hold a hint of goodness, consider me sold. :)

After the first season finished I began to play around with ideas for fan fiction, as fic writing has always been a hobby of mine. I wrote a few early fics, but after the second season finished airing I finally finished outlining a fic I knew I had to write! I've been writing fic for Robin Hood ever since and I see no sign of slowing down anytime soon. There's just so much to Guy's character that intrigues me. With every new story I feel I learn something new.

The Storyteller is a post season two fic that takes place one year after the death of Marian. Both Robin and Guy are hopelessly grieving and are utterly without purpose until a weaver girl from Locksley is arrested with the other debtors and taken to Nottingham. Her plight is enough to revive the outlaw-hero to his former cause, and give Guy a chance for redemption.

The Sands of Morpheus is an alternate spin on the events of the season two finale. Marian is healed under Djaq and Will's care and is desperate to return to England. They find their route out of the Holy Land with the aid of a mysterious, roving band of players. Marian befriends a reluctant seer whose dreams unlock the turmoil in Marian's heart and reveal a choice she will have to make between the two people she cares for most.

Unseen is both a retelling of season three as well as a look back at events which take place before the series. Rebecca Tanner and her family have been servants of the Gisborne family for generations. She and Guy share a lifelong friendship which has crumbled upon his return to Nottingham after Robin left for the Holy Land. After Guy returns from Acre upon the murder of Marian, Rebecca wonders if their former friendship will be enough to save him from himself.

Chains is my most recent fic and it can be read as a continuation of Robin Hood after the season three finale. Guy of Gisborne finds himself very much alive, to his dismay, and captured by slavers. In custody on the way to be sold at the markets, he meets a young woman who is struggling with her own inner demons. In order to escape the slave markets the two form a friendship of convenience that proves a lifeline for them both.”

Thanks Moriko for taking the time to share your work during FanstRAvaganza. I look forward to reading more of work soon. I wish you the best of luck with your career pursuit. It is enthusiastic to know that Guy (RA’s character) might be an inspiration in your future works.

The Witchfinders - Part of Richard Armitage Fanstravaganza

2011-03-14T10:00:00.002-04:00

Here is my latest video, inspired by the Robin Hood's audio book, The Witchfinders, narrated by Richard Armitage. When I started making this video, I was enthusiastic. Then as time passed, I lacked inspiration and my video became a mix of the Witchfinders and season 3. The video is long. I found it frustrating trying to interweave audio scripts to video clips. So, I will go ahead and warn you, it is not my best work. Hope you enjoy it anyways.

I am not the best reviewer, so instead of me writing some long, boring review, enjoy these links below:

Robin Hood: The Witchfinders by Rebecca Levene
posted by Traxy at The Squeee

The Witchfinders
posted by Nat at RA FanBlog at Richard Armitage Fan Blog -

Richard Armitage - Guy & the Witchfinder by SMaryG

If you would like to buy a copy -

Big Finish - 1.01 Robin Hood - The Witch Finders

Below is Richard's interview from The Witchfinder

If Richard Armitage surfed the Charlie Sheen High

2011-03-13T23:02:00.001-04:00

Just for conversation sake, let’s say that our favorite man, Richard Armitage, rose to fame and overnight evolved with Charlie Sheen's attitude and behavior. Listen to the quick clips below; what if this was Richard saying these things, behaving this way? Would you still support him? Would you remain loyal? Would you make excuses for RA or completely turn your back?

Please vote on my side-bar, and then explain your answer below. Why would you support him? Why would you stand by such delusional, unbalanced behavior? OR why would you abandon the RA fandom? Explain why you would turn your back on RA as a fan. Would you continue to watch his movies, make you-tube videos about his roles, blog about his career? Or would you play the political correct role and offer prayers of support and words of encouragement?

2nd Annual FanstRAvaganza Polls

2011-03-13T23:01:00.001-04:00

And for this year’s polls:

Which character would you prefer Guy to wed? (Well, if she would have lived)

Lady Marian
Or
Meg?

“You had me at hello”....When did Guy have you?

Season 1, Episode 1 – “I’m guy of Gisborne”
Season 1- Sometime between abandoning Baby Seth and Marian leaving him at the alter
Season 2- Being the better man in Walk About and Saving Marian’s hide in Treasure of a Nation
Season 3 – Early in the season, while mourning Marian
Season 3- Later, the loss of Meg and his redemption process

Guy’s cruelest crime or deed:

A. The abandonment of Baby Seth
B. The murder of the miner
C. The murder of the workers that built the strong room
D. Selling Isabelle
E. The murder of Marian

2nd Annual FanstRAvaganza

2011-03-13T23:00:00.001-04:00

First off, let me welcome everyone to the 2nd Annual FanstRAvaganza. My topic is Guy of Gisborne, again...Can you tell he is my favorite?

I will be posting new posts through out the week with fan nominations for favorite Guy of Gisborne videos, artwork, and fan fiction. For other RA fan fiction, including Guy of Gisborne fan fiction, I suggest you check out From The Quill Tip.

Later on, I will add links and videos relating to The Siege and The Witchfinders, Robin Hood Audio Books narrated by Richard Armitage.

Below are some polls to start off with. You have one week to vote.

Have fun everyone:) And don't forget to check out the following blogs participating in the FanstRAvaganza:

An RA viewer's perspective from 33°0'S of the equator
Avalon's Realm

Christine at CDoart
Judiang at Confessions of a Watcher

Sarah Pawley at From the Quill Tip
Servetus at Me+Richard
Prue at Mesmered’s Blog
Pi at Nevermind Mr. Armitage
Phylly at Phylly’s Faves
Natalie at Richard Armitage Fan Blog
bccmee at Richard Armitage Vids & Graphics
Skully at Spooks Fan Blog
Traxy at The Squeee
Musa at White Rose: Sincere and Simple Thoughts
RAFrenzy » Making it viRAl

A recap of last year's poll results:

When asked what was the first trait that attracted you dedicated RA fans to the role of Guy of Gisborne:

6% replied the way Guy treated his lady.

14% replied Guy's superior manner and cockiness.

30% answered Guy's sex appeal.

48% voted that they knew lonely Guy just needed someone to show him love.

When asked which role we would like to see Richard portray next:

A. Swashbuckler Pirate - 37%

B. Ninja Warrior- 1%

C. Ruggedly Sexy Cowboy - 20%

D. Historical Military Soldier - 41% and the Winner!

Another close call was Guy's most touching, heartfelt moment:

21% answered Season 2, Episode 11: Treasure of the Nation

25% voted Season 3, Episode 9: A Dangerous Deal

25% replied Season 3, Episode 13: Something Worth Fighting For

27% voted Season 2, Episode 10: Walkabout

And when asked which season you prefer Guy's appearance:

10% said Season 1

25% voted Season 3

And season 2 won with 64%

Valentine Hotties

2011-02-13T22:29:00.001-05:00

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader- My Review

2011-02-06T12:52:00.008-05:00

Like other Narnia fans, I waited impatiently for the release of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , fearing a total movie disaster with the sale from Disney to Fox. The movie was not a failure; however the Voyage did not live up to my expectations. In my opinion, Prince Caspian was the best of the three.

Fans of C.S Lewis books will find that the Voyage movie followed the book, while Prince Caspian veered from Lewis’s work. Many Narnian fans were disappointed with Andrew Adamson’s changes to Prince Caspian. I, on the other hand, loved the epic castle battle and the innocent love story between Susan and Caspian. I was hoping for the same epic surprises with the Voyage; however Michael Apted , the new director, and Fox did not feel the way I did.

Cons for me was the cut in the length of the film. I did not feel closeness to any of the characters because of the rushed atmosphere.

Lucy played by adorable Georgie Henley was not the Lucy I knew and grew to love from the previous films. I could not find any of our lovable, faithful Lucy in the Voyage. Not to give the movie away, but there was one part where she sees the real Aslan for the first time and she just stood there and patiently waited her turn to speak….What happened to her delighted sequel and the adorable way Lucy would run into Aslan, bestowing such a loving embrace that the mighty lion would fall over. I know Lucy is older now, but affection does not diminish with age, nor does faith.

It just did not seem that this director was able to conjure Georige, Skandar, or Ben’s true acting ability as Andrew had.

Another con was the deepness in Lucy, Edmund, and Caspian’s voice…they spoke as if demanded to speak deep and unnatural. I did not get this change, perhaps this was accomplished to remind us that the children were growing up.

The magic of Narnia was lost in the Voyage; it was more like a cheap copy of the Pirates of the Caribbean. The mermaids were no longer magical and full of life, instead just clear silhouettes. No centaurs, Reepicheep’s voice had changed, Caspian spoke with a British accent instead of Spanish, the Minotaur was not a Narnian Minotaur, and there was only one fawn with a screen time of 3 seconds. The mystical enchantment was diminished entirely.

Skandar Keynes (Edmund) did not fit his role or attire. His lesson was not in depth enough and his scenes rushed. It seemed like Edmund’s and Caspian’s fears were hurried through and never healed.

I was sure that I would not like Eustace, played by Will Poulter. From the trailers, it seemed like he was reading a play instead of acting. However, this was not the case during the full movie. I ended up liking Will in the role Eustace and I think he will be reason enough to watch the next adaptation.

I already stated Ben Barnes ,Caspian ‘s unbelievable accent change, but this was not the only problem that plagued me. Caspian resembled Orlando Bloom’s Will Turner instead of King Caspian. He was beautiful as always, even though the facial hair did not fit him.

I am glad they did not reveal Caspian and Ramandu's daughter’s marriage. I do not think I was ready to see Susan replaced so quickly. Liliandil was not beautiful, and was a disappointment in the role of Ramandu’s daughter.

I knew Susan and Peter were not supposed to be in the movie according to the books, but I was pleased to get a glimpse of them through a few cameos.

Aslan did tell Lucy that she needed to know him by his name in her world, something I am sure Disney would have skipped over. I think this was the best part of the entire movie. Tears of sweetness traveled a path down my cheeks during this scene.

Finally, the ending scene was not as emotional as it should have been. I cried, as I did in Caspian, but NOT from the acting of the scene, more so because I knew from the book how emotional it truly was for the Pevensie children. Edmund seemed like he did not mind, as if this was his duty, which was completely incoherent with Lewis’s novel. With this adaptation Edmund felt he did not belong in either world. Sadly, this was not Lewis’s intention. Lucy teared up and bid goodbye a little too easy. The audience knew it would have been more difficult for her to accept. The movie completely skipped over Aslan’s lecture to Caspian about maturing into a king. Like Edmund’s, Caspian’s end scene was greatly diminished. The movie ended with me wanting something more. It was a half-hearted goodbye and not touching. Through the years, we fans grew attached to the characters, we needed a heart-felt goodbye.

All and all, it was not a terrible movie. I did enjoy it, but not on a Narnian level. It is rumored that all seven books will be adapted into movies. However, I wish Andrew would return to directing and they would just skip to the Final Battle. No one can replace the epic adventure, magical enchantment, and emotional touch that Andrew had created with the first two films.

The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe taught us love in family unity, trust, sacrifice, the belief that good prevails over evil, and that little kids can do big things. Prince Caspian reflected loyalty, faith, and devotion. Both movies accomplished the author’s goal. Voyage was supposed to draw strength in courage and self-worth. And, while the pretense was there, the overall feeling was greatly downplayed and sometimes not felt at all.

2nd Annual FanstRAvaganza

2011-01-23T09:31:00.008-05:00

I am proud to announce that my blog will be participating in the 2nd Annual FanstRAvaganza! My topic is Richard Armitage's Guy of Gisborne character.

I am seeking nominations and suggestions from other Guy fans. I need nominations for favorite Guy video, fan fiction, and artwork. Please email me at avalonmedieval@yahoo.com ,your email is safe with me. But, if you feel uncomfortable sharing your email, feel free to leave your nominations in the comment block below. You may also choose to post anonymous. I will take suggestions and nominations until the end of Feb.

ALSO, if you would like to feature your Guy videos, poems, fan fiction, artwork, or whatever, on my blog during fanstravaganza, feel free to email me.

Thanks, Avalon

Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes

2011-01-18T10:20:00.003-05:00

Really excited today, just found out that Tatanka Means has a lead role in Tiger Eyes, which is in post-production as I write this. Tiger Eyes is based on Judy Blume's young adult novel about a teenage girl, Davey, struggling to cope with the murder of her father. Tatanka will play Wolf; the heroine's friend who helps Davey conquer her fears and locate her inner strength. Willa Holland is Davey.

Photo of Tatanka Means belongs to IMDB & I borrowed it!

Since I am unfamiliar with Blume's work and have not had time to read up online, I assume this is an inspirational flick about strength and courage, instead of a teenage romance. Although a kiss scene would be sweet, I would rather see Tatanka in an emotional role that manifests his natural acting ability. And you guys know me, if it isn't a tragic sophisticated love story, I just can’t get into it. I am a chick that dislikes chick flicks:)

I will keep you posted as production progresses.

Kill the Indian, Save the Child

2011-01-16T22:01:00.016-05:00

Ok...I know how far behind I am in reviewing movies. I still haven't posted a review for Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Strike Back, Spooks, or Robin Hood.... So, I am a procrastinator:)

Older Than America is a Native American modern day suspense, based on real-life events, starring Adam Beach, Wes Studi, and talented Georgina Lightning, who also wrote and directed the movie.

It is a story about cultural genocide and the hidden truth of the abuse Native American Children often received in government boarding schools. Many non-natives are unaware that Indian children were forced from their homes and placed into boarding schools, where they suffered intolerable cruelty, some accounts until the 1970's. (See Native Americans in the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act of 1975)

Rain (Georgina Lightning) plays a modern-day native, who is plagued by visions of the cruelty her mother endured as a student. Rain's mother was institutionalized in an asylum, which was what happened when an Indian tried to speak out against genocide. Through Rain, her story is made public. Adam Beach's character, Rain's fiancé, struggles between his belief in Rain's sanity and what the doctors, the priest, and even her aunt claim. As usual, Adam’s performance was brilliant and his character quite believable. I also appreciated Wes Studi’s role, which added to the intangible plot.

I am glad these films (Into the West, Older then America, The only good Indian) are evolving, dramatizing the forced removal if Indian children and their horrific suffering. These are the stories that you will not hear in school, church, or at the dinner table. This is a way for non-natives to learn about what really happened in a time not so long ago.

Indian children were forced to eat soap if they spoke their mother language, their backs whipped raw if they did not behave in the manner in which the white school master desired, locked in solitude without food for practice of cultural beliefs, and sadly numerous other punishments were inflicted, which often resulted in death.

There is not an exact number of the student death count in the US, but reports state that Indian students were 6 times more likely to die in these off reservation schools then any other race.

Below is a link where you can find more info regarding the movie and historical photos-
"Older Than America" a film by Georgina Lightning

Here is a heart wrenching link about the horrors of Native School in the US and Canada.
STAR - Soul Wound: The Legacy of Native American Schools

Forbidden Love in a time of War

2011-01-11T12:49:00.008-05:00

I have blogged about the movie Stolen Women, Captured Hearts before and I have finally created a video, since the snowstorm, I found the time!

Michael Greyeyes & Janine Turner

I can honestly say I have NEVER been kissed like this man kisses this chick in this movie! I am not a romance scene person, but this is the BEST KISS of all-time!

Jean Louisa Kelly 's character was historical Sarah White and after rewatching this film, I have decided she is one of my favorite characters on this movie. I plan to blog more about Sarah. She was stubborn, brave, and strong; qualities I admire, especially in young women.

White Christmas

2010-12-29T10:22:00.003-05:00

We had a beautiful Christmas and for the first time since the 1880's, the South was blessed with a White Christmas. Temperatures drop to the twenties but will hit 64 tomorrow, I know we have some wacky weather down here.

Below is a photo of my backyard and the lovely snow that I am so proud of. I know it doesn't look like much to those of you that live in areas of winter wonderland.

I also thought I would share some photos of my little babies. They had a beautiful Christmas as well and enjoyed playing in the snow.

This is Lulu, named after Lucy from Narnia. Someone drop her out on the ranch last summer. She was just a wee thing, not old enough to survive on her on. I found her barking at our cattle and brought her home.

And this is Snuggles and my boot (lol). Daddy brought her home from the animal shelter. She refuses to wear a sweater.

Naughty or Nice

2010-12-24T10:59:00.003-05:00

I know I have not been apart of the blogging community for some time, as my momma is staying with me until she finishes her physical therapy. I have been overwhelmed caring for her, working, school, and my kids. I plan to return soon and catch up on everyone's blog.

In the meantime Santa and I have been preparing a naughty or nice list-

The Naughty List

FLY HIGH (Maria almost made it to the nice list but her red-self put her on the naughty list)

Spooks Fan Blog (another "almost nice" but those cute tags, especially the one with Harry standing over Lucas going under, put her on the naughty list)

Y I, Mum

Me + Richard Armitage

RAFrenzy » Making it viRAl

The Nice List

HOLLYWOOD SPY (I think Hollywood Spy would fit the in-between list, if there was an in-between list, since Dezmond is the kindest, gentlest blogger I know but his blog can be a bit naughty, but I am not complaining as I love his naughty side)

Nevermind Mr Armitage

Phylly's Faves

reviewerama

Richard Armitage Fan Blog

The Gray Willow

The romantic query letter and the happy-ever-after

The Squeee

Tierra de las mil danzas

Walt Disney's Story Of Robin Hood

Ben Barnes Blog

Βενθεσικύμη

An RA viewer's perspective from 33°0'S of the equator

From The Quill Tip

And for those who made the naughty list, remember naughty is nice!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Nottingham's Toy Soldiers

2010-12-12T11:16:00.003-05:00

I will be away for awhile for my mother's surgery, so I thought I would leave with courage in my heart and I think Little John represents this well.

I created this video last month and forgot to share it on my blog. I remember liking this song (Martika's Toy Soldier) as a child and ran across it online and it reminded me of Robin Hood's gang and Guy of Gisborne. It is not the best video and I wrote the clips to the words, so to understand I think you have to listen to the words.

RA and BB as Chippendales

2010-12-09T10:31:00.004-05:00

Ok, I thought I was the only freak creating You-Tube videos with Ben Barnes and Richard Armitage together, apparently I am wrong. I was sprinting though You-Tube when I found this, which gave me a laugh, so I had to share with you all.

Sorry if another RA site or fan blog has already "discovered" this..... This is new for me as I am way behind in the RA fan world.

The video was posted by czadowal but made by Jib Jab, who are known for hilarious stunts like this.

I also wanted to share this tempting painting of Ben Barnes by TeeTotallyNot . I love his beautiful eyes and sweet adorable lips!!!!

Changing Women

2010-12-06T20:10:00.003-05:00

Sorry everyone, I have been away. Below is a post by Phylly3 that I was a bit late in posting for Native American Heritage Month. I plan to catch up on everyone's blog soon.

Thanks Phylly for this interesting, well researched post.

"These women are all very talented aboriginal women from different tribal groups born in different areas of Canada. But all three share pride for their heritage, a compassionate spirit and are positive role models for the youth of the world.

Buffy Sainte Marie
She is world famous and has won many awards for her songwriting skills from Grammys, and Junos to an Academy Award for Best Song (Up Where We Belong). A Plains Cree from Saskatchewan Canada, Buffy has been performing for more than 40 years. Her heartfelt lyrics have been very inspiring to many people over the years. Now she teaches songwriting and gives motivational speeches as well as still performing her music for audiences around the world. She lives in Hawaii, but visits her home nation quite often, in 2009 she hosted the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

This video is from a CBC television special several years ago.

Starwalker

She has never faltered from speaking her mind.

The Big Ones Get Away

Nihewan Foundation Founder

Buffy Sainte-Marie founded the non-profit Nihewan Foundation in 1969 with profits from her successful songwriting career. It supplies scholarships to Native American students and is dedicated to improving the education of and about Native American people and cultures.
Her interest as a teacher inspired her to develop this website which provides a curriculum for native studies in elementary education: Cradleboard Main Menu

Susan Aglukark

The Canadian Arctic is very sparsely populated but is home to the Inuit people. This is where Susan Aglukark was born and raised, and where she draws her inspiration. Although she has worked in government positions, it was as a musician and performer that she found her talent. There she was discovered by a CBCRadio executive and she soon had a recording deal. This was in the early 1990s when Aglukark was gradually becoming known for her unique sound which was a blend of her traditional Inuktuit language with English.
Susan Aglukark has won several Juno Awards from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, has performed for Nelson Mandela, two Prime Ministers, the president of France and twice for Queen Elizabeth II.

One Turn Deserves Another

O Siem

Shy-Anne Hovorka

Black Thunderbird is her spirit name, given to her by an Ojibway elder in a naming ceremony a few years ago. This is what she named her first album recorded in 2008. Shy-Anne had a difficult childhood until she was adopted at the age of six, by the Hovorka family. Until then, she had been in and out of foster homes, experiencing more heartache than a child should have to bear. Luckily, Shy-Anne was able to channel this into her musical talent and after studying music at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she graduated with a Bachelor of Education. She became a wonderful elementary teacher who taught Native Language Studies and voluntarily taught music on the side as well. She was always writing music and singing and performing as much as possible. Finally her name was becoming more widely known, due to her tireless work performing far and wide. She was nominated for an Aboriginal People's Choice Award in 2008, 2009 and in 2010 finally won Female Entertainer of the Year. Her video (see below) was nominated this year for best video at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.
Besides all her performing, Shy-Anne gives much back to her community, volunteering with local youth and mentoring others. "

Can't Change the World

Aboriginal Music Awards
http://www.canab.com/mainpages/slideshow/pages/001.htm

Links and Other Stuff

2010-11-29T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving and found many deals on Black Friday. Native American Month is dwindling down, so I want to thank everyone who has contributed and for all the new friends I have made.

I have enjoyed all the charming emails and interesting links. I never dreamed that so many people would respond (people without blogger accounts), or that I would meet so many new friends in a month's period.

Thanks to all my dear blogger buddies that I dragged kicking and screaming (lol) into helping me. I have enjoyed your posts and I owe you all one.

An inspiring photo contributed by Cherokee Beauty-

The latest publicly shot of actor Tatanka Means contributed by 12 yr old Katie of Colorado.

Some icons by my sweet, adorable niece; Ashley Armstrong -whom by the way, plans to marry Jonas...:)

A photo shared with me by White Bird of actor Eric Schweig snapped during the Last of the Mohicans.

Y.P.M was kind enough to share a list of native herbs knowledge that her great grandmother handed down to her.

Mallow Root for pains of the breast and swelling.
Mullen Leaves for inflammation of the throat.
Roasted Onion eaten with honey for coughing.
Featherfew for gravel, headache, and colic.
Crow Feet for palsied limbs.
Blood Root for whooping cough.
Black Walnut Juice for migraines.

A link to Pokagon Times, a blog I have enjoyed following the last few months
Native American Bode'wadmi

DorthoryJ's, a full-blooded member of the Comanche Nation, recipe for fried bread. I am going to try this one as it differs from my mother's recipe.

4 cups of flour
2 cups of cornmeal (yellow)
Sliced wild onions (optional)
2 cup warm water4 tablespoons Sweet Cane

"Some folks add acorns-

Combine the ingredients and knead dough until soft. Fry small rounds in hot oil (mother used animal fat) until golden brown. Serve with chili or honey."

Below are links sent to me from various people. I did not list the names of the people who sent the links because some of them did not say I could or could not, so to protect privacy I am only listing the links -

Native American Poems: Poetry Books by American Indian Writers
Native Celebs
Native American Recipes
Native American Wisdom, Sayings, Quotes, Philosophy : Pearls Of Wisdom
Native American Quotes - Great Words From Great Americans
Native American Music Awards
Littleleaf Native American Flutes and Flute Music
"Older Than America" a film by Georgina Lightning
The Children's Museum What You Need to Know - Wampanoag Life
Native American Children's Books and Literature

And Last but not least, a photo of my wild little Indian. He was playing at the studio, so I snapped this adorable photo and thought it would be cute to share with you all.

Thanks again everyone. This has been fun.

Ojibwa Prayer

2010-11-27T21:48:00.004-05:00

Some lovely artwork shared with us from alice. For those of my readers who do not know Alice: she a young artist with talented skills, however she has yet to make her site public and these beautiful masterpieces were painted by various artists.

"Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds And whose breath gives life to everyone, Hear me. I come to you as one of your many children; I am weak... I am small...I need your wisdomand your strength. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes everbehold the red and purple sunsets. Make my hands respect the things you have made, and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice. Make me wise, so that I may understand what you have taught my people and The lessons you have hidden in each leaf and each rock. I ask for wisdom and strength, Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me ever ready to come before you with clean hands and a straight eye, So as life fades away as a fading sunset, My spirit may come to you without shame."
Thanks Alice, but I would rather have shared your talent with my bloggers. I am looking forward to linking to your blog when you finish Elk River.

Educational Reads; part of Native American Heritage Month

2010-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of Native American Educational Reads submitted by Jasmine.

Native American Testimony: A Chronicle of Indian-White Relations from Prophecy to the Present, 1492-2000, Revised Edition

Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means

The Captured: A True Story of Abduction by Indians on the Texas Frontier by Scott Zesch

Life among the Apaches (Bison Book) by John Carey Cremony

The Journey of Crazy Horse : A Lakota History by Joseph Marshall

A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh by Allan W. Eckert

Beloved Mother: The Story of Nancy Ward by Charlotte Jane Ellington

Killing Cynthia Ann by Charles Brashear

The Cherokee Nation: A History by Robert J. Conley

Thanks Jassy for taking the time to help me out during this busy month.

Native American Artwork by Mike

2010-11-22T10:35:00.011-05:00

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, my dear friend Mike Giddens, contributed a collection of his stunning paintings. Thanks Mike for capturing the beauty of my people, these are truly magnificent.

Sun Dance; beautiful!

Wow! Where are these warriors at?

This reminds me of The End of the Trail

To view Mike's other work, check out the following links:
Quester: Journey of the Brave

http://qabbalah-questing.co.uk/trishtidy_191338.html

Amazon.com: Quester: The Journey of the Brave

Navajo Nation; Part of Native American Month

2010-11-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here are some lovely photos by Jenna of New Mexico. Jenna is a member of The Navajo Nation and was born and raised in New Mexico.

Navajo Dancers

"Old day hogan-Modern hogan"

Below are some links Jenna asked me to post:

The Long Walk Trail Of The Navajos

The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo

On line videos

THE LONG WALK Part 1

The Long Walk Part 2

Last of the Mohicans

2010-11-16T16:19:00.003-05:00

MARIA GRAZIA at FLY HIGH! has written a Brilliant review of one of my favorites, The last of the Mohicans, in honor of Native American Heritage Month.

"Do you remember Avalon? One of My Blogger Buddies? She's having a Native American Celebration Month at her blog (HERE) and asked me to write something about the themes she's dealing with this November.
This is my choice, a review of a great novel. I often read pages from this fascinating book by J. Fenimore Cooper with my students: The Last of the Mohicans. This is my tribute to this great people and their history. Per non dimenticare... In order not to forget..."

You can read the rest of Maria's post and comment at THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS - MY REVIEW

Thank you Maria for participating. I always look forward your reviews.

Robin Hood & Native Americans - Common Ground

2010-11-14T21:00:00.000-05:00

Below is a brilliant analysis by Clement of the Glen from Walt Disney's Story Of Robin Hood

Thanks Clement of the Glen for taking the time to write this and for your expert analysis. I have always been intrigued by the similarities between European Medieval Society and Native American Culture. To make a long story short....I suppose I can say "My heroes have always wore feathers...."

"Avalon has recently asked me to contribute something for ‘Native American Month,’ and as she is a huge fan of Robin Hood, it rather surprisingly was not too difficult for me to find something that connects the two. In the still from the film ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ (1938) shown above, Errol Flynn can be seen at his best as the iconic outlaw of Sherwood Forest aiming his longbow. But unfortunately he is using a mid-20th Century long American flatbow, instead of a true English longbow that a medieval archer would have used. He also carries his arrows on his back, like many Native American cultures. Mid 14th century illustrations show that English longbowmen carried bundles of arrows in their belts.

A flatbow is a bow with non-recurved, flat, relatively wide limbs that are approximately rectangular in cross-section. Because the limbs are relatively wide, flatbows will usually narrow and become deeper at the handle, with a rounded, non-bending, handle for easier grip. This design differs from that of an English longbow, which has rounded limbs that are circular or D shaped in cross-section, and is usually widest at the handle.

It was flatbows that were used by indigenous peoples of North America, from pre-Columbian times; tribes such as the Hupa, Karok, and Wampanoag, prehistoric ancient Europeans, some Inuit tribes, Finno-Ugric nations and a number of other pre-gunpowder societies for hunting and warfare because, unlike longbows, flatbows can be made from a wide variety of timbers.
The archers of the Americas were masters of the bow long before European cultures began to spread across the continents. In the open plains strong bows of great range were used and in the woodlands where stealth and cunning was needed, lighter bows were used. With our Indian the bow was, first of all, a hunting weapon. Here, in order to be successful, he had to be not only an able bowman, but also a good hunter, able to get within bow range of his game.

The smaller bows made by Native Americans in the west explains that the reason they are short is because they fought and hunted from horseback. However, this explanation does not account for the bows of California, New Mexico, Arizona, the mountainous areas of Colorado, or the desert areas of Nevada or Utah where buffalo hunting from horseback was not common.
The bows made and used by Native Americans were what is commonly called a "self" or "true" bow. This is a bow made from a single piece of wood that is durable and flexible enough to be bent in the proper shape. The string itself was made from the very animals that the Native Americans were hunting. Animal sinew, a fibrous material inside the animal carcass was removed, stretched and twisted into string. This string was highly pliable and retained an enormous amount of tension, perfect for launching an arrow. The arrows themselves were made of small shafts of wood with feathers on the ends to guide the arrow. The head of the arrows were made of stone, most commonly flint. The Native Americans became proficient in both the wooden bow and the composite. The bow became such an important tool that it was regarded as a symbol of magic, power, or prowess.

Hopi Indians used arrows coated with snake venom. Arrow tips were made from flaked slivers of stone (e.g., flint or obsidian), bone or antler and were inserted into shafts made from willow wood. The arrows fit into an open-ended quiver that was worn on the back; this proximity facilitated rapid firing at targets. To guard against these projectiles in battle, warriors used tough bison hides to make their shields impenetrable to arrows.

The bow - in Europe, was a weapon of war. It was used by one group of men against another. Because yew, the wood of choice for English longbows, is light, resilient, and has exceptional compressive strength, the rounded design can be used to produce a smooth shooting, efficient, powerful bow. Other woods were also used, probably for compulsory practice purposes, among them wych-elm, ash and hazel, but to this day the slow-grown mountain yew is the supreme wood for the longbow of traditional English pattern. Longbows made of yew were easier to construct by the hundreds and did not require wide staves."

"The legendary last member of the Yahi Indian tribe, known as Ishi, came out of hiding in California in 1911. He lived for the last five years of his life at the Department of Anthropology at the University of California where he was clothed and fed. Sadly Ishi died of tuberculosis in 1916, but before he passed away, he willingly taught his doctor, Saxton Pope, about his culture. From his association with Ishi, Pope concluded that Ishi’s bow and arrow making was the best by far of any examples of Indian bowmaking to be found in American museums.

Pope explained that Ishi would split a limb from a tree and use the outer part of the wood including the sap wood, as does the longbowmaker. He reduced it by scraping and rubbing on sandstone, and made the tips by bending the wood backwards over a heated stone. It was then bound to a wooden ‘former’ and left to season in a dark dry place. After seasoning, he backed the bow with sinew from the leg tendons of deer, held on with glue made from boiled salmon skins. The tendons were chewed, to separate the fibres and made them soft, and then glued to the roughened back of the bow. During the process of drying he bound the sinew tightly to the bow with long thin straps of willow bark. After several days he removed this bandage and smoothed off the edges of the dry sinew, sized the surface with more glue and rubbed everything smooth with sandstone. Then he bound the handgrip for a space of 10.2 cm with a narrow buckskin thong.............the bowstring he made from the finest tendons from the deer shank, again chewed and twisted into a chord, with a loop at one end and a thong for tying at the other.

According to Ishi, a bow left strung or standing in an upright position gets tired and sweats. When not in use it should be left lying down; no one should step over it; no child should handle it, and no woman should touch it. This brings bad luck and makes it shoot crooked. To expunge such an influence it is necessary to wash the bow in sand and water.

Pope also described how Ishi, by placing one end of his bow at the corner of his open mouth, and tapping the string with an arrow, the Yana could make sweet music. To this accompaniment Ishi sang a folk song telling of a great warrior whose bow was so strong that, dipping his arrow first in fire, then in the ocean, he shot at the sun. As swift as the wind, his arrows flew straight in the round open door of the sun and put out its light. Darkness fell upon the earth and men shivered with cold. To prevent themselves from freezing they grew feathers, and thus our brothers the birds were born."

Native American Movies

2010-11-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of some of my favorite Native American films.

Dreamkeeper
Geronimo - An American Legend
The Last of the Mohicans (Director's Expanded Edition)
Cheyenne Warrior
Geronimo [VHS]
The Song of Hiawatha
The Education of Little Tree
Good Day to Die
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Into the West
Crazy Horse [VHS]
Tecumseh:the Last Warrior [VHS]
The Broken Chain [VHS]
The New World
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
Black Cloud
Skins
Edge of America
American Mystery! Special: Skinwalkers
Lakota Woman - Siege at Wounded Knee [VHS]
A Thief of Time

And the best documentaries:

We Shall Remain
500 Nations
American Experience: Geronimo and the Apache Resistance
Wounded Heart: Pine Ridge and the Sioux
Incident at Oglala - The Leonard Peltier Story
In Search of History - Captives (A&E DVD Archives)
Indian Warriors - The Untold Story of the Civil War (History Channel)
History -- History Sunday Comanche Warriors
The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy

Native funnies - Part of Native American Month

2010-11-11T09:38:00.006-05:00

Alright! Enough with the sad, tragic Native History (for awhile anyways), here are some hilarious cartoons sent to me from Native gurl.

My blog is light-hearted as to my nature, so please no one become offended as this is all in fun.

Sharing with you

2010-11-08T20:11:00.004-05:00

Another sexy photo of the unnamed native guy sent to me from Kasey in California. With a body like this, who needs a name!

A beautiful photo sent to me from Anna in Sweden of Santiago Cabrera. Santiago played Lancelot in Merlin. Thanks for sharing this lovely man.

Another awesome video -
Legend of the Seeker Season 2 Tribute by FairyKingdom86

My Trail of Tears

2010-11-04T23:00:00.001-04:00

Many Native Americans like to tell stories; it is how we share our history. I am not a storyteller however I will share with you a small part of my family's past. Please read my previous post for more info on the Trail of Tears. http://avalon-medieval.blogspot.com/2010/11/cherokee-rose.html

My family lived alone the banks of the Nantahala River (below is a photo) until Andrew Jackson (who is now honored on the $20 bill, which outrages us natives) signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, the first president in history to go against the ruling of the supreme court, who ruled Cherokee Territory a sovereign nation.

(the water is always icy, thus the fog. I love to white water raft here which has some class 4 rapids)

Some Southern Indians willingly signed away their lands and moved to Oklahoma, because they knew they did not have a choice. But most stayed, refusing to be forced from their land that had been theirs for generations. My family remained on their homestead, like the others, they could not believe they could lose their rights without any say. They did not fight. The Cherokee had not fought the Americans for decades, this was not a time of war, and the Cherokee were not some half dressed warrior on horseback. They lived in houses, planted gardens, held political office, and sent their children to school.

The Cherokee were not prepared when the soldiers came. They were forced to leave everything behind, if you resisted you were shot. Fathers feared for their daughter's and wives, it was not uncommon for soldiers to beat a man to death for defending his daughter's virtue.

The soldiers came and my family was of no exception, they were loaded up like animals and marched on foot across 800 miles of winter terrain, all except my GGG grandmother. She had been in Burke County when the news of her family's deportation and fled to the Great Smoky Mountains in fear of what the soldiers might do. They could not return to their homes because the highlander settlers, whom they had lived generations as neighbors, had claimed their property for their own.

So my GGG Grandmother and a number of Cherokee people hid in their mystic mountains. It was said that the fog over the tree tops was really their Cherokee ancestors guarding their sacred mountains.

(Note the spirits...aka fog, I shot this right after dawn)

And I suppose these ancestors guarded my granny as well because the soldiers finally gave up the hunt and demanded that Tsali (whom my brother is named for) to sacrifice himself and his two sons in order for the group to remain in the mountains. Tsali gave himself up and he and his two sons were executed.

That beautiful land became known as the Cherokee NC Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. My granny remained here until her death. She never saw her family her again. She had heard many had died on the trail.

Below is a video I created in their memory:

I begin my video with the normal lives of the Cherokee people. Imagine how shocked they were to be driven from their homes and marched across the wilderness. I cut clips from several films to show the cruelty and assaults that occurred. Next I revealed the exhaustion and sickness that came to pass. I end the video with actual footage of Cherokee people.

Remember ANYONE with a drop of Indian blood was deported. John Ross (Cherokee chief was only 1/8 Cherokee but a full-blood in heart and soul.

For more info on the Trail of Tears:

Dvds about the Trail of Tears

The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy Starring James Earl Jones, Wes Studi, James Garner
Trail of Tears - A Native American Documentary Collection
We Shall Remain

Books

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle
Voices from the Trail of Tears (Real Voices, Real History Series) by Vicki Rozema
The Trail of Tears: Removal in the South (Landmark Events in Native American History) by John P. Bowes and Paul C. Rosier

Cherokee Rose

2010-11-03T20:32:00.007-04:00

"The trail where we cried" - "Nunna daul Isunyi"

The Cherokee Rose is the state flower of Georgia. The story begins in the midst of the heart wrenching era of the Trail of Tears (1838), when the civilized (and I mean civilized as they farmed, owned plantations, worshiped in the Christian Church, their children attended school, and the Cherokee had form their own government, constitution, and newspaper) Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw tribes were forced to abandon their homes and shops, and be marched to Indian Territory in Oklahoma, abt 800 miles, much of this during the harsh winter months. 6,0000 – 8,000 (controversial estimate) died of sickness, destitution, hunger, and exhaustion.

Eyewitness account from soldiers and Indians paint pictures of the elderly dropping to the ground and being left behind for the coyotes and wolves because the soldiers would not allow the time it took to bury the dead, mothers slowly starving themselves to death in order for their children to live, fathers being beaten to death as they try to stop soldiers from raping their daughters and wives, and young mothers cuddling dead children in their arms because they could not leave them behind and for every tear drop that ran down these young mother's cheeks; a beautiful white flower formed.

Today along the pathway of the Trail of Tears, those tiny white flowers still bloom; a tragic memory of those who cried.

This photo has always touched my heart. Look near the middle at the tiny boy carrying his puppy in his arms. When I was little, I imagined he could not leave him behind, so he carried him 800 miles, and I wondered if I would have been as brave.

Another day, I will share a piece of my family's history during the Trail of Tears.

Learning Along the Way part of Native American Month

2010-11-02T10:00:00.003-04:00

Many of my blogger buddies contributed artwork and reviews in honor of November's Native American Month. Below is a list contributed by a very special friend, Natalie from Richard Armitage Fan Blog. I was touched by her honesty and I hope these words will encourage those of you who do not know much about the American Indian, to desire to know more.

Learning Along the Way by Natalie

"When I was little, I thought Native Americans were cool characters like pirates, mermaids or fairies from “Peter Pan.” The old western movies didn’t help that perception either thanks to the tacky skin bronzer, fake-looking wigs and horrible acting. They’d say “How!” and run around fighting white people (who were always the “good guys”) and that was about it.

When I was a bit older (maybe 8 years old) I started listening to my Grandma’s stories about working with Native Americans. She was a nurse for Indian Health Services for 30 years before retiring. (IHS is a government funded agency providing health care to Native Americans.) She worked with many different tribes, but mainly the Navajo and Havasupai. I’m sure she stuck out amongst the people she served with her red hair and freckled skin… but she loved them and they loved her. The way she talked about her co-workers and patients with such respect for their culture helped me realize that Native Americans weren’t fictional characters but real people with a history and proud descendants who live today. I learned more about Native American history in school, but not nearly enough, so I ate up books and movies on the subject that fascinated me.

My first and favorite books are by Scott O’Dell~

Island of the Blue Dolphins

I first read this book in 5th grade and recently reread it. Based on a true story, a young Indian girl named Karana is abandoned on an island off of California after a ship takes her people to the mainland. I love this story about courage and survival.

Scott O'Dell: Thunder Rolling in the Mountains

This novel is also based on a true story about the Nez Perce tribe, told through the eyes of Sound of Running Feet, the daughter of Chief Joseph who famously said upon surrendering to the white soldiers, “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.” This is a bittersweet tale of loyalty, pride and courage.

My favorite Native American movies~

The Last of the Mohicans

I never get tired of watching this movie. Set in 1757 during the French and Indian War, it has an awesome cast, soundtrack and storyline. I love the bond between Chingachgook (Russell Means), his son Uncas (Eric Schweig), and Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis), his adopted white son. I love the romance between Hawkeye and Cora and the unspoken love between Uncas and Alice. I even love the fierce determination of Magua (Wes Studi) who makes a great baddie.

Dances with Wolves

I know, I’m not very original in my choices, but this is a favorite. This is a story set in the Civil War era, about a US Army lieutenant (John Dunbar, later named Dances with Wolves- Kevin Costner) who is stationed at military post on the frontier, and meets and forms a relationship with group of Lakota. We as viewers learn about the Lakota’s way of life through Dunbar’s eyes. Our curiosity turns into admiration as we learn of their customs and feel defensive and angry as we see the US army/government’s greediness as they slaughter the buffalo and drive the natives from their homes. I love the relationship between Dances with Wolves and Kicking Bird as much, if not more than the love story with Stands with a Fist. I like how much of the script is spoken in the Lakota language, rather than just English, which makes it feel more authentic. Great movie.

I am really grateful for my friendship with Avalon. Besides being a kind and caring person who I’ve enjoyed emailing back and forth for over a year now, she has been a great source to learn more about Native American culture. I can ask questions without worrying she’ll get offended or think I’m naive since she loves to educate people on the subject. Avalon has recommended several movies on this blog. These are my favorites that I’ve watched recently~

Into the West (TV miniseries

This is a 6 episode mini-series which depicts 2 families (one white, one Native American) over generations during the expansion of US territory into the West. (I’ve been told it shows one of the most accurate accounts of Manifest Destiny.) My husband and I watched these DVDs over a month’s period through Netflix and really enjoyed them. All I can say is “Wow.” This movie took me on an emotional rollercoaster and I definitely second Avalon’s recommendation of this film.

Black Cloud

This is a modern-day story about a young Navajo, Black Coud (Eddie Spears), who works to overcome personal struggles to earn a chance to box in the Olympics. Besides the nice eye candy Black Cloud provides (I do love a good brooder), this movie has a great storyline and cast. I really liked seeing a modern-day Native American movie. As much as I love the historic films, it was refreshing to get a glimpse of their life now. I wish more modern Native films were made these days. "

Native American Heritage Month

2010-11-01T20:14:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone! As most of you already know November is Native American Heritage Month. Since I am American Indian, I have decided to devote my blog to the infamous month. If any of my dear blogger buddies wish to contribute anything, please email me and I will post or I will link to your blog. Feel free is contribute anything from movie and book reviews, to artwork, to summaries of your how you celebrate this month, anything as long as it has to do with Native Americans is fine.

avalonmedieval@yahoo.com

Happy Native American Heritage Month!

So to start the mood, below is a list of links to Native American Lore online....And remember just because someone labels our stories as lore, doesn't mean that it is not real, every legend has its origin.

Native American Lore Index

Native American Legends (Folklore, Myths, and Traditional Indian

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2010-10-30T17:05:00.005-04:00

Trick

Treat?

PS - I cant take credit for the RA photo; a gift from a very talented friend.

Suggestions PLEASE

2010-10-16T22:08:00.001-04:00

Ok, I am asking my dear blogger buddies for help! I need some movie suggestions for Halloween for a group of children ranging from 16 to 6, and remember we do not watch anything that finds death as entertainment (which rules out horror). Sarah Landon and the paranormal hour, The others, and Imprint (the Native American movie, not the horror flick) is about as scary as it gets for us. I need something scary and ghostly, not gory and bloody, more like bumps in the night, not killing.

Any suggestions?

Oh, that I had wings

2010-10-14T21:47:00.002-04:00

Here is another charming give-a-way from one of my favorite authors, Charlotte Hawkin, author of The Tempest: A Guy of Gisborne love story.

A Book Giveaway...And The Story Behind The Story -

Just read Charlotte's post and I am sure you will be hooked.

Good luck everyone!

To honor a mass murderer...I will not

2010-10-11T21:54:00.003-04:00

Today I am going to blog about a touchy subject that many of my blogger buddies will most likely disagree with. I mean no offense, however this subject is close to my heart as this topic has affected my race and lineage personally.

"We shall take you and your wives and your children, and shall make slaves of them, and as such shall sell and dispose of them as their Highnesses may command; and we shall take away your goods, and shall do all the harm and damage that we can." – Christopher Columbus

“Historians once claimed Columbus massacred hundreds of thousands of indigenous people, however modern historians are convinced the correct estimate is more like millions.”

Christopher Columbus – To many he was considered a hero, there is even a day devoted for his achievement, honoring the “great man”. However, this day is offensive and insulting to the ancestors and races of the millions he and his followers massacred and enslaved. To us, the indigenous people of the Americas, this is like a holiday celebrating Hitler. 17 states of America no longer celebrate Columbus Day; wherever there are Columbus parades, protesters follow and the age old violence ignites. Hate, racial intolerance, and ignorance has been the cause of many avoidable, yet tragic wars through out history.

So why do we celebrate this? Why do educators and certain parents inform their children ONLY of Columbus’s achievements and not how he executed his accomplishment? How can anyone honor a man that ordered the rape of young girls, the bashing of infant’s heads, and commanded armies of attack dogs to eat children? Millions died at his hands. Hatred and ignorance will never cease until we end the tolerance of ethnic genocide.

The discovery of the New World was unavoidable, modernization was inevitable but how these conquerors conquered was unjustifiable. I believe if the situation would have be handle with understanding and compassion, the New World would be a beautiful place today and perhaps America would not be in the crisis that we are in. We cannot change the past or what happened, but we do not have to continue ignorance and the glorification of ethnic cleansing, abolishing Columbus Day is a small start.
Abolish Columbus Day and Re-name it, Petition

Change Columbus Day to Native American Day Petition

Abolish Columbus Day as a National Holiday

Remove Columbus Day As A Federal Holiday Stop The Lie

Paintings

2010-10-10T22:51:00.008-04:00

Labor Day Celebration 2010

2010-10-06T08:51:00.006-04:00

Romeos and Juliets

2010-09-28T10:25:00.002-04:00

Just a collection of my favorite tragic romances. I suffer insomnia during the full moon, so I create videos...

Of course I added Guy of Gisborne and Dorian Gray.
Remember to pause my music at the bottom.

Love is the Key

2010-09-17T10:47:00.004-04:00

Dream by night, wish by day. Love begins this way. Lovin' starts when open hearts touch and stay.

Lyrics from "Flying Dreams"

Here is a little gift that made my day

2010-09-07T23:10:00.002-04:00

I was having a frustrating day until I opened my email and found this adorable...well sexy graphic, from a dear friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
Thanks so much!

Can you just imagine a medieval drama starring my two favorite hotties? Seriously, some screenwriter or producer read this and give me epic, historical, mature, sexy, and do not kill off Ben or Richard (HEA), and this will really make my day!

My Surprise Meeting With Richard Armitage

2010-08-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

It was layover at the Heathrow Airport and there he was, Richard Armitage, elegant and beautiful. He was dressed in somewhat wrinkled jeans and a white tee, one could tell he had been here a while. Although he looked a bit tired, I could see the alertness in his eyes and I knew he was up for a lengthy conversation.

Cautiously yet shyly, I strolled over and asked if the seat beside him was vacant. To my delighted surprise, he leaped to his feet and bowed slightly as if I was a princess and he a mere peasant - a bit flirtatious he gestured for me to sit down. Stunned, I sat down and meekly crossed my legs. For the moment his bewitching eyes rolled over me, then captured my gaze, in a low almost sensuous voice he spoke; "I am Richard Armitage - You know, the actor, not the politician."

I replied hesitantly, not sure if I wanted him to know I knew who he was - what if he thought me a stalker? "I loved the BBC series Robin Hood."

RA's face grew serious, "Who was your favorite character...Guy of Gisborne or the over-rated Robin Hood?"

He glared usually strange as I replied "Why Guy of Gisborne...OF COURSE. He is my favorite of all of all your roles”, with that he relaxed.

He was in the process of saying that many women adored Jonas and he did not see what they saw in him - after all he was the one with all the shirtless scenes - as an attractive girl in her late teens approached. She was clad in overly tight jeans and a silly grin. She pleaded for an autograph and when RA asked where, she turned and pointed toward her rear, her jeans were low cut allowing a bright red thong to radiate for all to witness. RA did not seem to mind. After a slight kiss on the lips, she bounced away gitty as a school-girl. I took this opportune moment to ask for a photo as I pulled out my copy of the Tempest for him to sign. Luckily for me I had chosen this trip to re-read Sarah Pawley’s Guy of Gisborne's romance.

To my dismay he asked "Did you know the author, Charlotte Hawkins, runs a blog From The Quill Tip ?"

"Yes, I am actually a blogger buddy of Sarah's."

RA's flawless face beamed; "So have you ever blogged about me?"

Shyly, I answered with honesty, "Yes, often."

Suddenly his eyes captured mine, my tummy squirm; Did I go too far?

Then he smiled a somewhat cocky smile, he relaxed his posture by leaning closer to my face. "Really....Which blog?....You are not Skully at

The Spooks Fan Blog because you said your favorite character was Guy of Gisborne. By the way Skully's blog is packed with cool information about Lucas and THOSE OTHER MI agents. I love her humorous nature.”

Before I could answer, his eyes widen with desperate terror, his tone rushed and panicked, "Are you Nat at Richard Armitage Fan Blog ?" The look on his face was that of a frighten child. "That girl is a maniac! Have you seen stick figure RA?" He didn't seem to be talking to me, it was as if he spoke to himself.

I was about to open my mouth but the transition in his facial reaction startled me, his lips slowly curved into a voluptuous smile as he leaned closer, he whispered in a tone of utter seduction "You know Natalie adores Guy of Gisborne and well Guy is passionate and somewhat carnal....and a girl like that...." his voice trailed off, it seemed he was conjuring erotic images within his mind.
Slowly he came back to reality, flashing me a cunning smile, he purred "Are you Natalie?"
Having been lulled into his enchanting spell I could not speak, only shook my head no.
"Oh." RA said as if disappointed.

A few seconds later he began to smile again, this time coy. "What about Maria at FLY HIGH! " and again before I had time to answer he drifted into another realm. "Maria is very intelligent...a teacher...and a teacher is always learning...I like that..."

I could not help but catch the sultry gleam in his eyes, "Her red-self is a bit naughty...and I like naughty women.."
"No, I am sorry but I am not Maria!" Again he seemed disappointed.

"Well let's see...there is Traxy at The Squeee . She likes period films and magic. I like a woman that can work magic!" His eyes sparkled mischievously "And there is Ragtag from reviewerama and she likes to hear my voice, well my audio voice...and review my work...She seems devoted and vigorous...I like vigorous!

I was in the process of shaking my head with denial as he continued "There is Me + Richard Armitage, I love Susan's taste and sassy attitude...sassy women are great and there is also RAFrenzy » Making it viRAl, such a thorough and sincere blog, I love it when I am the center of attention."

"Yes, those are all brilliant blogs but I am not any of those ladies."

RA twitched his lips in frustration "Well your blog can’t be An RA viewer's perspective from 33°0'S of the equator you said Guy was your character of choice and she is still reviewing Robin Hood, not sure she likes Guy or not. Good thing I have Lucas, Thornton, and John as back up, I would not want to lose a fan."

I shook my head in dismay - OMG this man knew us, had read all the embarrassing things we had to say about him in our blogs, things we wanted other RA fans to read, things we would never share with him!

His sensual voice broke my train of thought, "Then you must be Phylly3 from Phylly's Faves, her blog is new but she always includes me in each of her posts...and I like it when a woman makes time for me."

"No, I aint Phylly3."

AINT? RA gasped in unanticipated amazement- AINT! "You are American, from the southern sector of the country?"

"Yes, from Georgia" I replied, my southern accent crisp and deep.

RA cocked his head as he studied my caramel skin tone and native facial features. "You are Avalon!" He almost shouted, his sensual demeanor rapidly expiring and I could easily see why he was chosen to portray Guy of Gisborne.

Slightly frightened, I muttered "I am Avalon..."

As if irate he leaped to his feet, with involuntary instinct I followed his lead. He hovered a foot or so over me, his muscles brooding my very existence.

"You force me to share a blog with that skinny rooster Ben Barnes; King of Narnia!"

"Yes...I..." I tried to defend my sweet Ben, I wanted RA to know I appreciated the both of them. Before I could finish my explanation, he ripped my copy of The Tempest from my hands.
"You are not worthy of such faithful reading material!"

I clung in despair as he turned and marched a few deliberate steps away, then as if he suffered a change of heart, his shoulders dropped and he slowly walked back to meet my tear-bloomed eyes. I thought he had momentary lost his senses due to jet lag and would redeem his polite nature- instead he snatched my camera and shoved it in his pocket. (instead of deleting his photo, he took the camera!)

He twirled away, then glanced over his shoulder, he smirked (as he portrayed in Robin Hood; season two, episode four) and hissed smugly, ""Ben Barnes has talent and Dorian Gray wasn't that bad of a movie...."" ..."....MY ASS!" With that said and still droning a smug smile, he strolled away.

OK..OK..OK, so my meeting was a joke and we all know that RA would never be this conceited and brutish ....but I bet had you going for a brief moment!

Lots of love and in good humor, Avalon

Happy B.Day Ben & Richard

2010-08-22T11:46:00.008-04:00

First off, you all know I am a terrible fan as I am awful with personal info on actors....like their birthdays...but better late then never....lol

My hottie Ben Barnes turned 29 on Aug 20Th. I posted a few of my favorite photos of Ben in celebration of his special day.

My other favorite hottie, Richard Armitage turned 39 today, so for his blog celebration I am posting a link to some other fan's birthday posts.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, RA
Happy Birthday, Mr. Armitage!
22nd August - "dubious" quality ode for RA's birthday from Oz
Happy birthday, Richard Armitage!
RA's 39th Birthday Bash
RA FRIDAY - AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES AND BIRTHDAYS!
Happy Birthday Richard!

I bet these sweet ladies can give RA a VERY SPECIAL gift together and since I am the only Ben fan (from the blogs listed above), I get him all to myself.....

Knave of Hearts & Guy of Gisborne

2010-08-16T10:36:00.003-04:00

Was anyone else thinking Guy of Gisborne during Alice in Wonderland?

Well...not quite as handsome as Guy, but still dark and sultry.

Northern Lights

2010-08-11T10:00:00.005-04:00

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the Earth. Henry David Thoreau

Another Naughty Video

2010-07-30T10:17:00.005-04:00

The full moon always leaves me with insomnia so I spent last night creating a new video and yes, I know it is intense and a bit sadistic, but blame it on the enchantment of the moonlight. Dark Ecstasy is about my two favorite men; Richard Armitage and Ben Barnes, well really their roles as Guy of Gisborne (with a few clips of Lucas North) and Dorian Gray. The clips from Dorian Gray are a bit graphic, so my young blogger buddies and the RA fans that have a faint tummy should not watch this. For the rest of us Ben or RA fans.... Enjoy!

Remember to pause my music at the bottom of my blog or watch from You-Tube so that you can hear the voice-overs.

2010 Festival of Native Peoples

2010-07-20T09:56:00.006-04:00

Here is a video I shot last weekend of the 2010 Festival of Native Peoples, at the Cherokee Indian Reservation (NC), my family's hometown. Please forgive the poor quality as I captured with my cell.

The Yurapik Dance Group of Alaska

Totonac Pole Flyers

This was astonishing! I would never be so brave.

This was high in the sky, but it is hard to tell from my photos.

On the right is the Cherokee Dancers; Warriors of A Ni Ki Tuh Wah. The man in the middle with the red face paint and purplish shirt was gorgeous. I considered kidnapping him and taking him home with me (just joking).

Laguna Youth Group (above)

Aztec Dancers

This dance always gives me chills. I have nothing but respect for the Aztec Dancers. I heard a tourist in the audience (probably his first Native Performance) condemn what the dancers were doing and one of my own replied "It is a Native thing, you will never understand and we do not ask you to understand."

Breathtaking

Awards

2010-07-19T20:55:00.003-04:00

I just returned from my weekend getaway to happily accept my awards presented to me from Maria at FLY HIGH! . What a happy surprise! Thank you Maria!

Mike Giddens

2010-07-06T21:27:00.015-04:00

I have made a new blogger buddy; someone quite active, charming, and interesting. We have much in common as you are about to read. I met Mike Giddens on Walt Disney's Story Of Robin Hood and quickly became so enthused with his talent and dedicated work, that I asked him to be my blogger guest. Below is his bio in his own words.

“I am originally from East London, a moviegoer for many many years, always fascinated by westerns and adventure movies, especially Walt Disney's Story of Robin Hood. It was Disney who inspired me to paint, the wonderful backgrounds in Disney classics such as "Bambi" and "Sleeping Beauty" in trying to paint these scenes I learnt myself as time went on to be a painter, I found it the best training ground. Having had published the Tarot card set Quester: Journey of the Brave , it was very rewarding, unfortunately "Element Books" our publishers hit hard times and folded.

I have completed 11 more paintings, all Native American subjects. These were for a book that has not materialized, but the enjoyment of creating them made up for the work I put in. Its the same with our film making, its very creative and that's the attraction, in England a western seems out of place perhaps but with a little imagination its surprising what can be achieved. Now I live outside London, the surrounding countryside had provided all the locations for our films, we have a wide range of topography in Essex, you just need to look with an eye for creativity. Ultimately our movies are made purely because we love doing it, we entertain family and friends and anyone who is interested, over the years my friend Peter and I have become well known in the area, country and western clubs and western enthusiast are always good audiences. Out films, all of which are on DVD now get passed around and the feedback has been very positive. Also the cost is minimal because we make our own props and hunt boot fairs for clothing.

The future I hope will be more of the same, with today's digital technology the quality is astounding, so we will be back in the saddle again next year for more fun and creativity." - Mike Giddens

So not only does Mike share my Robin Hood interest, he admires Native American art work! Below is some of his enchanting work:

To view more of Mike's stunning work -

http://qabbalah-questing.co.uk/trishtidy_191338.html
Amazon.com: Quester: The Journey of the Brave

For more info regarding his films-

Facebook-Mike Giddens

Circle of Death will be available around DEC, Mike hopes this will be available on You-Tube.

Here is a list of films that he has completed with his friends.

Hawaiian Escapade
Violent Gold
Moonshine
Up Jumped The Devil
Ghostdancer

Something I found quite intriguing is that Mike plays Joe He-Crow in "Ghostdancer", a Native American.

Please feel to ask Mike questions or to leave compliments. Thanks Mike for taking time to share your work.

One Bad Ass Native

2010-06-24T15:50:00.008-04:00

Usually I am not all into the thug thing but for some reason Eddie Spears playing a bad-ass is a turn on, so you know me, I made a video and here are some caps from my video of Black Cloud. Watching Eddie kick butt did it for me, lol.

There are FEW guys that can actually play a bad-ass (I really hate the term, I am not much for ghetto language but I can not think of a better term!).

Later I plan to do a few more posts of my favorite guys that can pull the bad-thing off and of course I will be searching for photos of Richard Armitage, probably as Guy of Gisborne so if anyone has any ideas of any scenes where Guy (or RA) looked the "baddest" in, please let me know.

The song is from the movie Spirit called You Can't Take Me by Bryan Adams. I think it is an appropriate song for us Natives. Please pause my blog music below.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-22T10:00:00.008-04:00

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 's trailer has finally been released. I am waiting to see the movie before I pass judgement, as they say "You cant judge a book by it's cover". So instead here are a few screen caps.

Now King Caspian, instead of a Prince....And I must add what an appealing young King Ben Barnes makes.

As far as I know Peter and Susan will not make an appearance in this film, so I assume this clip is a flashback or perhaps a mirage.

The movie will be released in Dec. Please remember to pause my music at the bottom of my blog or click the You-Tube link.

Winners of The Tempest

2010-06-08T09:59:00.002-04:00

The winners of the Tempest by Charlotte Hawkins are phylly3 and Jasmine. Congratulations! Please email me your addresses so that I can mail your free copies as soon as possible.
avalonmedieval@yahoo.com

Now for those who did not win, don't fret, because you have a second chance at
INTERVIEW WITH CHARLOTTE HAWKINS, AUTHOR OF "THE TEMPEST: A GUY OF GISBORNE STORY at FLY HIGH!

Guy of Gisborne Give-a-way - Update

2010-06-06T23:17:00.002-04:00

Ok I had some contestants drop out of the contest because generous Sarah presented them their own copy of her marvelous Guy of Gisborne love story. So below is the final list. Tonight I will use Custom Random Number Generator to generator two lucky winners. Good luck to all!

Jasmine 1
phylly3 2
Fire Witch 3
Nanda Estelar 4
diveknit 5
onemorelurker1 6
The Carolina Coles 7
Traxy 8
mulubinba 9 (even though she is not sure Guy is for her but she is a true RA fan)

Djaq Quotes

2010-06-04T09:21:00.000-04:00

“You spy on me!”

"And have you seen in the trees? No squirrels lately."

"I love you, you love me, we all love each other. Drink the wine."

"because I'm a woman!"

Memorial Day

2010-06-01T20:06:00.003-04:00

Memorial Day originated in honor of Union soldiers who scarified their lives during the Civil War, eventually expanding to date.

General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate Troops

"It is history that gives us hope." - Robert E. Lee

General Ulysses S. Grant, Commander of Union Troops

“I have never advocated war except as a means of peace”
-Ulysses S. Grant

"A nation with no regard to it's past will have little future worth remembering."
-Abe Lincoln

Every year I take my children to a Memorial Service and graveside, this year we visited a Civil War Cemetery that included both Union and Confederate troops. I believe the south should also be remembered, regardless of ideology and historical political conflicts, there were numerous young men (North and South) who did not choose a side , neutral farmers that were pushed into a needless bloody war because of demographics and I very much believe all should be honored.

And of course I remembered and honored all the Native Warriors that died so that my children could live.

“A people without a history is like wind on the buffalo grass.”
-Crazy Horse

Want to know me better?

2010-05-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

Click to view my interview with Maria at FLY HIGH! and enter to win Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee DVD, starring Adam Beach.
MY BLOGGER BUDDIES WITH GIVEAWAY - MEET AVALON

Natives in Uniform

2010-05-29T08:34:00.000-04:00

Ever heard the expression that a chick loves a guy in uniform? Well, I never really got it until I found these:

The Danger of Pepper

2010-05-25T22:10:00.003-04:00

"Pepper! Ouch! "

Black and white photos; not so bad

2010-05-24T21:26:00.000-04:00

Rick Mora

Eddie Spears

Jay Tavare

George Leach

Michael Elan

Sean Wei Mah

Images belong to imdb

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-05-23T13:22:00.004-04:00

Return to the Magic
Return to the Hope
Return to Narnia

The Pain passes but the Beauty remains

2010-05-20T23:11:00.000-04:00

The Pain passes but the Beauty remains

Michael Spears

2010-05-19T08:20:00.005-04:00

Here are some hot photos of Michael Spears below. I am not quite sure who to give credit to since these are floating all over the web but I believe Thosh Collins is the photographer.

Black Cloud

2010-05-16T17:34:00.009-04:00

Black Cloud - The will of a warrior. The heart of a champion (played by Eddie Spears ) is an inspiration story about a young Navajo boxer that overcame reservation obstacles and personal conflicts and rose to the Olympic Boxing Team. Rick Schroder wrote and directed this film based on the real life story of Lowell Bahe.

Russell Means plays Bud; Black Cloud's mentor and boxing coach. Nathaniel Arcand plays Black Cloud's best friend. Julia Jones plays the girl friend.

Black Cloud's father is a drunk and his mother is dead. He grew up in poverty and hating the white man, blaming the race for the Navajo's economical scale.

Black Cloud faces other obstacles other then poverty and family issues. He winds up in trouble because of a fight with a rowdy rodeo star (played by Rick Schroder), who is also the father of his girlfriend's son.

The fight puts Schroder in the hospital, barely clinging to life, which causes Black Cloud to butt heads with the local sheriff (and consequentially is Schroder's uncle) played by sexy Tim McGraw.

“Unless you want to meet who you will be fighting in the final…” Olympic scout, pointed to Black Cloud

“Who Tonto?” Rocket Ray

“Show Respect” Bud, Black Cloud’s mentor.

“Chill out Chief, we aint even talking to you!” Rocket Ray

“Shut up!” Black Cloud

“Come on Red Man, shut my black mouth” Rocket Ray to Black Cloud

It was worth sitting through the boxing scenes just to see Black Cloud kick the crap out of Rocket Ray Tracey, portrayed by Pooch Hall.

The movie has a kick butt end!

Eddie's acting was superb! (seeing his shirt off was a HUGE plus!) I also enjoyed Tim McGraw's part (great acting). Maybe I am bias (since I like Tim in real life) but I think his character was good at heart.

Remember to pause my music below.

More Locked In pics (Ben Barnes)

2010-05-15T18:48:00.007-04:00

Much

2010-05-15T17:46:00.003-04:00

"Well, come on Big Bear!"

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T19:58:00.002-04:00

"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. "

~Margaret Culkin Banning

"I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights." ~Adabella Radici

More Dorian Gray Photos

2010-05-02T07:03:00.000-04:00

Please do not cry Dorian...You still have Avalon......

Her I loved

2010-04-30T23:18:00.001-04:00

A video by Liisakee

Remember to pause my music at the bottom of my blog or click the link.

Little John Quotes

2010-04-30T22:16:00.004-04:00

"It is a good day to die"

"He is the devil"

"Him I liked"

No man is above the law

2010-04-30T08:34:00.000-04:00

No man is above the law and no man is below it-

Theodore Roosevelt

And our children think they have it bad

2010-04-29T21:51:00.001-04:00

I cannot imagine the horrors this child has witnessed....

Courage of the heart is very rare

2010-04-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

Gisborne tastes delicious!

2010-04-27T20:57:00.004-04:00

My son’s birthday cake. It was so hard, even for the kids, to cut into such a fine face.

I was not able to locate a Guy action figure so if anyone knows where to purchase one, please let me know.

Robin Hood in America

2010-04-21T11:02:00.003-04:00

Recently I posted photos of a neighborhood in North Georgia that was named after Robin Hood's legend. Thank you Janet K for locating a street named for Guy of Gisborne in California; http://www.vpike.com/?place=GISBORNE+CT Gisborne Ct is located in a neighborhood of streets named Robin Hood, Marian, Alan A Dale, and Wil Scarlett.

Another Sherwood Forest in America was quite amusing and it encouraged me to do some research just for fun. Below is an estimate of streets named after different medieval legends (various spellings including streets, roads, circle, manors, etc). Most states have only a few except the Southern States, which have MANY, thus upholds my theory regarding Southerners' infatuation with the medieval era.

In America there are about 146 streets titled Sherwood Forest

North Carolina- 12
Georgia- 5
Florida- 9
Texas- 18
Virginia- 10
And 2,126 with just Sherwood (which may or may not have anything to do with Robin Hood).

Nottingham 1,058

North Carolina- 56
Georgia- 42
Florida- 41
Texas- 76
Virginia- 41

Robin Hood 288

North Carolina- 14
Georgia- 24
Florida- 15
Texas- 22
Virginia- 18

Lady or Maid Marian 107

Will Scarlett 27

Little John 276

Allan A Dale 31

Friar Tuck 170

And poor Much only 1

Sir Guy or Sir Gisborne 17

King Arthur 278
Texas 31
North Carolina 24
Georgia 22

Lancelot (also my brother's name) 372
Texas 31
North Carolina 20
Florida 20
Georgia 21

Merlin 288

And my name Avalon 877

Multi-Talent of Tokala Clifford

2010-04-07T22:02:00.005-04:00

Here is a clip of actor Tokala Clifford during Martial Arts training. I found this clip fascinating and just had to share it with my beloved blogger buddies. It is amazing how fast and skilled he is. I would make a complete imbecile of myself and clumsily drop my weapon. It is really cool, but I am sure it took patience and practice. This is just another example of the talent Tokala possesses.

Now I want to see Tokala in a martial art's film, but I am not sure which role he would portray best...good guy or the bad guy...

I have his permission to link his video to my blog, so if you want to see his other clips (Tokala's movies and training) just click the following link: tokalaclifford