James the Inconstant

Photo
James the Inconstant at Heatherwyne Inception Tourney 1978 James the Inconstant and Amanda Januarius at an early Caidan 12th Night
Information
Preferred title: Not specified Their Pronouns: Not specified Resides: Angels Status: Active Awards: Visit the Caid Order of Precedence
Heraldry
Counter-ermine, a bend sinister Gules between a bezant and an increscent Or. These are canting arms.
Help with this sidebar

Lord James the Inconstant. He was given an Award of Arms on July 21,1979 by Martin I and Neptha I, Second King and Queen of Caid.

His first exposure to the SCA was at Mythcon I on September 6, 1970, being a founding member of The Desolation of Smaug within the Mythopeic Society. He met and was befriended by William Gordon of York.

He is a founding member of the Shire of Heatherwyne and fought in the Heatherwyne Inception Tourney on June 10, 1978 at Upland Memorial Park.

He was a member of the Brotherhood of the Blade and is mentioned in one of the Songs of the Brotherhood.

He was a member of House Buchanan.

Persona

Lord James the Inconstant, of Scots origin, goes where the fighting is, and has been known to have an eye for the ladies. He claims relationship to Clan Buchanan. His motto is "Dormio, Non Me Excita".

Offices & Positions

• Deputy Master of Sciences, Shire of Heatherwyne, 6/10/1978-198?
• Deputy Marshal, Shire of Heatherwyne, 6/10/1978-6/13/1980
• Sergeant, Royal Company of Heatherwyne of the Army of Caid, 1/1980-?
• Territorial Marshal, Shire of Heatherwyne, 6/13/1980-1983
• Commenter, Compendium Caidis, 4/9/2009-Present

Event Staff

• Deputy Marshal-in-charge, Caid Crown Tourney held in Heatherwyne, 4/19/1980-4/20/1980
• Marshal-in-charge, Second Heatherwyne Anniversary Melee Tournament, 6/14/1980
• Major-domo of the Feast, Second Heatherwyne Anniversary Melee Tournament, 6/14/1980
• Autocrat, Third Heatherwyne Anniversary Melee Tournament, 6/13/1981
• Gate Troll, Robin Hood Tournament, 3/1/2009
• Deputy Marshal, Angels Eric at Winter Crown 2009, 3/7/2009

Projects & Publications

• Heatherwyne Press, Publisher, Editor, Layout Artist, Writer, Illustrator, 1979-198?
• Tournaments Illuminated, contributor to article “They Got Me”, 2009

Miscellany

Met his future wife, and mother of his children, Amanda Januarius of Silver Woods at Heatherwyne Inception Tourney. She was Mistress of Lists for Heatherwyne and they had not met because he was working swing shift mundanely and had not been at the Shire Meetings that she attended.

His children are Elizabeth the Headstrong and Gerritt Raynor.

Won three tournaments, including Champion of the College of Boethius, which favor he still wears.

Memories

• My first SCA event was an Angels event. The Barony of the Angels put on a Demonstration Tourney at Mythcon I on September 6, 1970. I was there. I had been a Mythie for a couple of years and had been part of the group that founded the local chapter of the Mythopoeic Society closest to where Mythcon I was held. Which was at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA. I was still living at home in Upland, CA, literally the town next door. No way was I going to miss it. Mythcon I was a long enjoyable four day weekend jumble of paper presentations, all night D&D sessions, social gatherings and assorted fun and frivolity. Glen GoodKnight and the other organizers had arranged for dorm rooms to be available for housing at a reasonable cost, and this helped draw what to my eye was a pretty nice crowd of attendees. There was a costume party/contest where Gollum was present in loincloth, green from the top of his head to the bottom of his toes, and with a large raw fish clamped firmly in his teeth, which he would generously offer to anyone who looked even a bit squeamish. William Gordon of York was my first real direct contact with the SCA and he went out of his way to converse and explain things. I remember him as a tall dark haired fellow given to black and white parti-colored garb and fond of Arabic headdress. He remains my clearest memory of the event.
• See Caidan Twelfth Night 1980
• See War with the West 1980.
• See Spring Coronation 1980.
• See Second Heatherwyne Anniversary Melee Tournament.
• See Caidan Twelfth Night 1981.
• I remember Philip of Meadhe outfitting me with a freon can helm and carpet armor and teaching me how to fight.
• I remember traveling up North to attend events when we were part of the Kingdom of the West, sometimes with Catriona and company, sometimes in the Vista Cruiser.
• I remember my first melee there and anxiously asking what my job was. "Your job is to stay alive!", I was told. At the end of the melee I was still alive, my team had won, and I felt like the King of the World. Needless to say I was hooked on fighting in groups.
• I remember crashing on the floor of someone's apartment up North I didn't know, and the group vainly stuffing dirty socks into Robear's mouth in a failed attempt to stop the snoring that was keeping us all awake. I remember Robear loaning me his treasured and elegant silk Mongol garb so I would look good for an event up North. I remember him loaning me his birdcage so I could fight after my freon can helm was no longer acceptable. I remember his rickity Range Rover.
• I remember Duke James Greyhelm loaning me a shield so I could try out left handed combat. I remember going home and immediately building me a left handed heater.
• I remember just how well a certain female fighter could kiss. Sigh.
• I remember designing and commissioning my beloved helm of happy memory. See the pictures below.
• I remember learning the snap from Paul of Bellatrix. And Marsalling, too.
• I remember learning more about Marshalling from Christian of Orange.
• I remember the after Revel Revels and crashing overnight at both Martin's Dad's place and Cristobal's Mom's place. Apply in person for details.
• I remember the Caidan Rebellions. CAID IS REVOLTING! was our war cry.
• I remember fighting the West. Caid in general, and Heatherwyne in particular, showed up with scuta and pole arms and fighters who had practiced forming and maneuvering shield walls. The West showed up with superb one-on-one tourney fighters. I remember wielding a pole arm in the open field melee and part way throught the fight ending up on the wrong side of our shield wall and putting my back against the shields, defending myself from the Westerners, and yelling my head off to be let back in. I remember when the last Westerner fell there was only a handful of us left and we had won. Well, sort of, as the King's Guard who had sat out the fight then charged the field. The Guard was composed of Caidans who had sworn fealty so couldn't fight against the King, but were reluctant to fight against Caid so they were given the task of guarding the King. Hold was called before they engaged and it was negotiated that the survivers would fight the Guard one-on-one, winner holds the field. I was first up, against Jason Griffiths of Shadowhyrst. I knew I was exhausted from the very long melee just completed. I knew Jason was fresh, having sat out the melee. I knew I had no chance in a long fight so I resolved to make it a short one. After lay on I waited for him to come within range and gave him my fastest snap direct to his forehead..... and dropped my sword. Sigh. So, after we got ready again, I reasoned nothing had changed so I did the same thing, wait for him to come to me, and give him my fastest snap to the forehead. This time I didn't drop my sword. Thus, I defeated Jason before the combined populace of Caid and the West in single combat with a single blow. Twice.
• I remember Gregory was my next opponent. I remember I took his leg and got him on his knees. I remembered, then, too late, that's not where you want him, lol. After he killed me, at least the next guy avenged me.

James arming for single combat against Jason

James and Gregory of York in single combat

James and Jason Griffiths in single combat at First Heatherwyne Anniversary

• Territories of Residence
• 

  Kindom of the West

• 

  Principality, then Kingdom of Caid

• 

  Shire of Heatherwyne

• 

  Barony of the Angels