Activities

I'm not usually keen on organising formal SCA events as life is busy enough without adding layers of bureaucracy to something that I want to be fun. So I tend to avoid all the formal stewarding requirements by undertaking activities within stewarded events where I can do what I like and don't generally have to worry about budgets, Council meetings and the like. It's lazy I know, but life is getting shorter….

Some of the activities linked above have their own pages because they ended up taking on a life of their own.

Bardic Auction

Another one of my crazy ideas to play with the conventional. For many years we've run fighter auction tourneys whereby people bid for fighters and get prizes based on how well their fighters do. I got the impression after a while that it was becoming a bit of a burden on those ladies who felt obliged to buy their lords, and wondered how we could recast it.

So I mulled this one over a while and at Canterbury Faire (AS38), the Bardic Auction was born. The quick way of describing it was "remember Chaucer in A Knight's Tale? How'd you like someone to do that for you?". Somewhere along the way, the Bardic Auction morphed from a simple idea of fighters buying someone to sing their praises at a tourney, to open slather.

Here's the notice that went out, describing how I thought it would go:

Buy your very own bard!

The Bardic Auction at Canterbury Faire's Friday Market will see some of the Kingdom's finest versifiers, songsters, tale tellers and ribalders on the block. Here is your chance to gain a slice of immortality for yourself or whomsoever you wish to honour - your lord or lady, a puissant fighter, a noble house, a fair Barony.

Purchase your bard and send them forth to forge their wordsmithery to present at one of the designated venues where they may declaim on your behalf. Win fame and a fabulous prize to boot!

Bards will be provided with a small reference sheet to collect suitable information regarding their subject. Each bard will gain a prize to present to their patron, and will themselves be rewarded for their toil. Where possible, all entries will be immortalised in a souvenir booklet, The Canterbury Faire Tales, for later distribution.

We decided that all funds raised would be donated to the Lochac Laurels' Travel Fund to send Laurels to outlying places to teach and foster the arts. And it was marvellous to have a number of far-flung Laurels provide promissory notes for wonderful patron prizes.

The reference sheet was designed to make it easy for bards to collect suitable info on what their patron wanted. Here's what it covered:

Bardic Reference Sheet

This is a quick reference to enable your bard to gain an understanding of your desires. What the bard does with this information is up to them…..

Patron's name (include phonetic spelling if useful):
Subject for item (if not the patron; e.g. your lord or lady, a puissant fighter, a noble house, a fair Barony):
General theme (eg love, honour, chivalry, prowess):

Information on Subject (where appropriate)
Rank/title:
Awards:
Place and period:
Arms/badge/symbol:
Favourite colour:
Favourite food:
Favourite drink:
Prime characteristic:
Would like prime characteristic to be:
Most memorable SCA moment:

Preferred venue of presentation:
Saturday Tourneys (best for combatant patrons/subjects)
Saturday Feast (limited numbers; need to reserve presentation slot by Saturday lunch)
Mangy Mongol Tavern (Saturday evening after feast, best for adult-themed pieces)
Encampment - which one:

Notes

We got 12 bards lined up for the auction in the end, and raised a respectable amount for the fund, which was pleasing for an inaugural event of a type no-one had seen before.

The bardic material ranged across song, story and poem, with some truly outstanding items. I have now published a collection of these and other performance pieces from that Canterbury Faire in book form (more on that here).

I made a set of leather book covers, designed to wrap around most sizes of standard paperback, and these were given to the bards to say thank you. And, to help make up the prizes for the patrons, I provided promissory notes for broadsheet versions of individual items.

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Pas d'Armes

When Baroness Elonora van den Boegarde and Baron Sigurd Hardrada announced a formal pas d'armes, I decided that we were morally obliged to respond in suitable fashion and play this to the hilt.

Their stated aim was to encourage heraldic display, period behaviour and in general to dress things up in suitable pageantry and fashion. This was going to be a real challenge….

First came the response to the formal announcement:

Unto Their Excellencies Sigurd and Eleonora does Batholomew Baskin send greetings by means of his pursuivant

Prior to this day, Lord Duncan Kerr agreed to stand in Baskin's place at the opening ceremonies, as the absence of the Baskin estate workers on the designated day means Baskin will not be able to attend the opening ceremony nor send his pursuivant to take up his place at that time and for that occasion.

Be assured that Baskin, his pursuivant and pages will attend on the morning of Saturday, with the intention of feasting and later camping in the hall (should such be considered acceptable in the absence of pavilions). A promissory note for 77 gold pieces will be delivered to your demesne as instructed to pay the fee necessary.

In anticipation of meeting his peers and Peers and would-be peers, so ends this missive from Batholomew Baskin, by means of his pursuivant

Spot the lions dormant gules.

Next came lots and lots and lots of sewing, all straight seams fortunately, to ensure that I and the pages (Dickon and Peregrin) were suitably attired in heraldic surcoat and tabards respectively. I found some great period examples in Neubecker's Heraldry and based my surcoat on that.

Grace

(We didn't have to dress Grace, as we'd sold her to Baron Sigurd to be his junior Valkyrie; the helm looks gorgeous and her brothers are extremely envious.)

I did toy with the idea of heraldic barding on a hobby horse, and even went so far as to build a large horse-head (one of those ones where you have the fake legs dangling). However, realistic examination of our cart and its carrying capacity meant I had to abandon that fairly early on.

No matter, we had Bartholomew's lion dormant gules on everything by the time I finished: clothing, banners, spear pennant, cushions, chair, gambeson cover, water bottle cover. You name it, there was a sleeping red lion on it.

The next thing to think about was what was I going to say as my lord's field herald. A bit of judicious Web surfing and hunting through my books (Barber and Barker were great), gave me a suitable set of words for an introduction.

The Pompous Pursuivant

As Pursuivant to Lord Bartholomew Baskin, I pledge to dispose myself to be lowly and humble, and serviceable to all the estates of all gentleness, not lying in wait to lame, nor to hurt none of the said estate in anything that may touch their honour. And in addition I shall be discreet and sober, not too busy in language, ready to commend and loathe to blame, diligent in my service, eschewing from vices, drawing to virtues, and true in reports, and thus do I promise to my power.

In this cause, be it known to all herein assembled that Bartholomew Baskin, lord in the service of the Kingdom of Lochac and its most fair Barony of Southron Gaard, stands forth to answer the charge, that is the challenge, of this day. Therefore has he come into this place and into the court of the very high and lustrous Baron Callum Macleod of that Ilk and his Baroness, the arbiter of grace, comeliness and honour, Her Excellency Chrettienne de Haverington, to meet with the noble tenants called forth by the most mighty lord Baron Sigurd Hardrada in honour of his glorious lady, the unfledged angel, Baroness Eleonora van den Bogaerde.

Baskin does most humbly thank their Excellencies for the honor it has pleased them to do to him in inviting him to this challenge, and although they could easily have found others who could do this better, and who merit this honor more than he, nevertheless he obeys the directives of Their Excellencies freely and will do his duty, asking always that they forgive him his errors.

Know that the said Lord Bartholomew Baskin has leave to bear arms, whereby he has acquitted himself well in times past. For was he not the last left standing on the field of battle in that emprise known as the Pen Gwynne War; and on another occasion that he was of a mind to take prisoner a King from across the seas in puissant pitched battle, had he been but one wit quicker in his enterprise; and that grown men have been known to flinch from his well-aimed shafts whether of wood or wit.

And so does Baskin present himself with all those beneath his banner that you see gathered here, very eager and ready to begin the tourney assigned today; asking that it please you to prepare for him a place to do this so that the ladies who are present may see the entertainment.

He particularly entreats such noble knights or squires as may challenge him or accept his challenge to believe that he does not make it through presumption, pride or any ill will, but solely with a view of seeing them and having their honourable company, an making acquaintance with them, which is to be desired from the bottom of his heart.

And then I had to figure out how could I ensure Bartholomew survived a pas d'armes given his advanced age, weak joints, creeping senility, lack of prowess…ouch, argh, I didn't mean it….

Ahem. I thought it might be entertaining to develop a set of reasons as to why Bartholomew may not be able to fight, just in case the opportunity came up. Barber and Barker provided a lot of inspiration with their material on the variety of opposition to tournaments that occurred over the space of a couple of centuries, and so the excuse list was born.

We were ready for all eventualities.

The day arrived, we pitched our pavilion, and marched our contingent onto the field. I had meant to give the boys our lion and unicorn masks so they could be suitable supporters while holding the shield. Not that I was trying to imply anything about Baskin's antecendants….

Lay on! When my lord was challenged, I'd look to him to see whether he would accept the challenge or not. If not, I had an excuse for every occasion, and here they are.

Elegant Excuses

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot because he is concerned for his combatant's virtue, for has not Jacques de Vitry, Bishop of Acre said that tourneyers commit all the seven deadly sins:
pride because of their desire for praise
envy because they resent greater praise given to other tourneyers
anger because they strike out when tempers become frayed in the sport
avarice because they desire other knights' horses and equipment
gluttony because of the attendant feasting
sloth because of the reaction to defeat in combat
and lust because of the desire to please wanton women by wearing their favours in the lists
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of godliness

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot because of the grave concern he feels regarding the heavy burden of taxes he must impart upon his tenants, leading to their impoverishment in order that he might pay the fees and high ransoms associated with combat
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of charity

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that, in order to protect the good name and reputation of certain high eminences of his land, he is unable to publicly recite his lineage as is required by tournament rules to demonstrate that his great-grandfather had taken part in a tournament and that thus he himself is qualified to do so
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of modesty

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot gainsay the will of his lady who, following the example of Isabella of Burgandy, has declined to present herself to watch his passage of arms, fearing the inevitability of the outcome
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of courtly love

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot put his immortal soul in danger, for has not Bromyard seen in a vision that tourneyers suffer in hell being forced to wear armour which is nailed to their bodies and cannot be taken off, and that they are given evil-smelling sulphurous baths, and that instead of the warm embraces of wanton young women they are obliged to endure the amorous attentions of lascivious toads
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of prudence

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot as he is called to Mass, for has not one of the troubadours sung of the knight who always heard masses before going to a tournament, and who arrived at the lists to find that an angel had tourneyed in his stead and captured as many earls in his name as the knight had heard masses that day
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of piety

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot for has not his Holiness Celestine the Third and his liege lord Henry of England, second of that name, expressly forbid the taking up of arms against a fellow countryman
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of obedience

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot for he is instructing his page in the preparation and polishing of his armour
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of cleanliness

While he greatly desires the chance for combat, Bartholomew Baskin regrets that he cannot for a small mouse, one of God's creatures, has just given birth in his boot and he cannot take the field lest he disturb the mothering mite
And thus Bartholomew Baskin must regretfully decline his most noble opponent in order that he may demonstrate his commitment to the virtue of compassion

We didn't get to use all of the above (see if you can spot the two which are not period excuses), as Bartholomew did fight some challenges, but it made declining any bout a lot more fun, and I think helped add a little appropriate theatricality to the event.

Notes

Some of the interesting points I came across:

Extracts from the , edited by Craig Levin from the oaths found in the Black Book of the Admiralty, itself edited by Sir Travers Twiss in 1871 (pp.295-299 Vol 1):
Item you shall dispose yourself (orig. "you") to be lowly, humble, and serviceable to all the estates of all gentleness universal that be Christian (orig. "that cristene beth"), not lying in wait to blame nor to hurt none of the said estate in anything that may touch their honor.
Also you shall dispose yourself to be discreet (orig. "secret") and sober in your appearance (orig. "port"), and be not too busy in language, ready to commend and loth to blame, and diligent in your service, eschewing from vices, and drawing to virtues, and true in reports, and so to exercise while you be in the office thereof, so that your merits may cause you more preferring in the office of arms in time coming, for while you be and stand pursuivant you stand as no one of the offices of arms, but as a servant to all kings and heralds of the office of arms, and this you shall promise to your power, so help you God and holidom.

Extract from Deeds of Arms, by Steven Muhlberger Chapter 3: The Conduct of Formal Deeds of Arms:
We particularly entreat such noble knights or squires as may accept our challenge to believe that we do not make it through presumption, pride, or any ill will, but solely with a view of seeing them and having their honorable company, and making acquaintance with them, which we desire from the bottom of our hearts.

Extracts from Rene of Anjou Rules of the Tournament:
I humbly thank my ladies and damsels for the honor it has pleased them to do to me: and although they could easily have found others who could do this better, and who merit this honor more than I, nevertheless I obey the ladies freely and will do my loyal duty, asking always that they forgive my mistakes.
My honored and redoubted lords, the very high and very powerful prince and my very redoubted lord the Duke of Brittany my master, who is present as the appellant, presents himself to you with all the noble baronage that you see, whom you have placed under his banner, very eager and ready to begin the tourney assigned today with my very redoubted lord the Duke of Bourbon and the noble baronage equally ready to fight under him; asking that it please you to prepare for him a place to do this, so that the ladies who are present can see the entertainment.

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Period Partners

I produced this game as a means of getting people to mix. Everyone had a name attached to their back and had to ask yes/no questions to find out who they were and then had to find their partner. Each person was given a set of 10 tokens (chocolate buttons) and every time they asked a question, they had to hand over a token to the person who answered. A prize was given to the person with the most tokens remaining.

Here's the list of partners, some more obscure than others, and some partnering not immediately obvious:

Best to use more obvious ones for newbies; tricky or more cryptic ones for old hands. I'll leave you to figure out why I've matched some of the more obscure ones.

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Gentle Hunt

This was adapted from an idea by Baron Cadell Random ap Hubert, with the questions modified to reflect the most likely folk to be encountered in our part of the Known Worlde. It's another way of getting people to mix, learn more about each other's persona and maybe think more about their own.

The idea was to hand everyone at the event a small sheet with the Gentle Hunt questions on it and send them off to complete the hunt, encouraging them to find out names new to them; I gave a prize to the person who had learned the most new names.

Here's what the Gentle Hunt sheets said:

Note the name and answer for a gentle who meets the specified qualifications. You may use a name once and only with permission.

Total number of new names encountered:

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Cards and Dice Games

These were gleaned from a whole host of different sites and sources, and developed at Mistress Rohesia le Sergjent's request for use in the Mangy Mongol Tavern at Canterbury Faire. If you want to use them in such settings, print them in 18 point font (or larger) to allow for candlelight and fuzzy vision.

One and Thirty 1550s

Needs: deck of cards, 2-10 players
Aim: to hit exactly 31; pip cards worth face value, court cards worth 10, Aces worth 1

All players agree on a stake. Deal three cards from the top of the deck, face down to each player. Players choose to either :
"stick" - keep with the cards they have
"have it" - take another card from the dealer (these cards are dealt from the bottom of the deck)

If a player hits 31 exactly, they win a double stake from the other players, otherwise a single stake from each.
If all players have gone over 31 before the play comes back to the dealer, the dealer has won.
If no-one reaches 31 exactly and more than one player is left, the nearest to 31 wins.
If there is a tie, the game goes to the nearest to the left of the dealer.

Bone-ace 1611

Needs: deck of cards, up to 8 players
Aim: to hit exactly 31; pip cards worth face value, court cards worth 10, Aces worth 1

All players agree on a stake, called the bone. Deal three cards to each player, first two face down, last one face up.

The player with the highest face-up card wins the bone. Aces high and the Ace of Hearts (the Bone-Ace) beats all.

Players choose to either :
(a) "stick" - keep with the cards they have
(b)"have it" - take another card from the dealer

If a player hits 31 exactly, they win a double stake from the other players, otherwise a single stake from each.
If all players have gone over 31 before the play comes back to the dealer, the dealer has won.
If no-one reaches 31 exactly and more than one player is left, the nearest to 31 wins.
If there is a tie, the game goes to the nearest to the left of the dealer.

Alouette

Needs: deck of cards minus the tens, four players
Aim: to win the most tricks; Kings high, Aces low

Deal nine cards to each player and set the rest aside. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick. There is no trump suit, and no obligation to follow suit.

If there is a tie, the trick is set aside and taken by the winner of the next trick. If the last trick is a tie, whoever won the first trick wins it.

All players agree on a stake which goes to:
(a) whoever gets the most trick in a hand
(b) whoever wins the three of diamonds

Maw Scotland 1576

Needs: standard deck of cards, 2-10 players
Aim: win either three or five tricks, or prevent another player from doing so

Ranking: five of trumps, Jack of trumps, Ace of Hearts, Ace of trumps, King of trumps, Queen of Trumps
Then if trumps red, 10 high to 2 low; if trumps black, 2 high to 10 low

All players agree on a stake. Deal five cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit.

Player left of dealer leads and other players match suit.

If no matching suit is available, players must play a trump if they have one, but are not obliged to play the five of trumps, Jack of trumps or Ace of Hearts if they do not wish to. If no trump is available, any card may be played.

The winner of three tricks wins the pot. If a player wins the first three tricks they automatically win the pot., but if they win the fourth trick, they must win the fifth and final trick to win the pot. If they fail, they have to match the pot.

If there is no winner, another stake is required and another hand played.

Ruff 1522 Italy

Needs: standard deck of cards, four players
Aim: to score nine points

Players agree on a stake. Deal 12 cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit. The player with the Ace of the trump suit declares "I have the honour", and scores a point for each of the four honour cards they hold (Ace, King, Queen, Jack).

The player to the left of the dealer leads and all players follow suit. Aces high or trumps takes the suit. If they cannot follow suit, they may play any card. The winner of the trick leads.

The players gain one point for every trick taken.

Beast 1600 Germany

Needs: standard deck of cards, up to 8 players
Aim: To win tricks; Kings high, Aces low, trumps available

All players agree on a stake and this is divided into three piles: the "king of trump" pile, the "play" pile, and the "triolet" pile.

Deal five cards to each player and turn up remaining top card on deck to determine trump suit. Play through the tricks, with each player retaining the tricks they win.

Deal another hand, with play led by the person who took the last trick in the previous hand. Play through the tricks, and retain them.

Continue with this until you cannot deal a full hand to all players. The person with the most tricks wins the "play" pile; the person with the king of trump wins the "king of trump" pile; and the person with the highest triolet (three of a kind) wins the "triolet" pile.

If a tie results or no-one has a triolet, the pile remains until it is won.

Dice and Others

Dreidel

Needs: a D4 (traditionally a four-sded top marked with Hebrew letters)
Aim: to win all the pot

Spinning the dreidel is a game that's traditionally played during the Hebrew festival of Hannukah. The dreidel is a four-sided top. The four sides are marked with the Hebrew letters "Nun", "Gimmel", "Heh", and "Shin".

All players put in a stake. Players take turn to throw the driedel.

1=nun=no payout
2=heh=player takes half the pot, rounding up
3=shin=put in twice the stake
4=gimmel=player takes all the pot

If the pot is reduced to less than two of the original stake, all the players must add another stake.

Glückhaus

Needs: two dice and 10 cards, three or more players

Arrange the cards as follows:

.....Ace (12)
9...10...Jack (11)
...6.....7.....8
.......5....3
..........2

Players agree on a base stake, and all players put a stake on 7.

The player rolls the dice. A four is a null throw and the dice pass on. If a 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 is rolled, the player win any stake on that card. If there are none, then the player puts a stake on it. If a 7 is rolled, the player puts a stake on the card. If a 2 is rolled, the player takes the stakes on all numbers except 7. If the player rolls 12, the player takes all stakes.

After the player rolls, the dice are passed to the left.

Dublets 1550 England

Needs: half of a backgammon board, 15 men per player and two dice, two players per board half
Aim: to bear men off the board first

Each player has two men on each of the first three points and three men on the other three, stacked on top of each other.

Players roll the dice to unstack the men ("play down") along each point until they are all unstacked.

Once all the men are played down, players start to bear off by rolling the dice and taking the men off the corresponding points.

If a die roll equals a point where the men have been fully played down or borne off, that roll is forfeit. If a double is thrown, the player can play down or bear off as many men as there are pips showing.

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