Calafia Anniversary 1976

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Information
Location: Calafia Date: 11/13/1976

Event Staff

• Autocrat: Cameron of Caladoon
• Banquet Master: Jared Alexandre Blaydeaux
  • Banquet Assistants: Giesele Hildegaard of the Mystic Dragon and Cedric the Dark

From the Crown Prints

(Printed in the December 1976 issue of Ye Crown Prints, Ye Unofficial Newsletter of Ye Principality of Caid)

In the old South (U.S.) the people were known for their exceptional hospitality. This "Southern" hospitality is carried out even in the SCA in the Barony of Calafia which is the southernmost part of Caid. Their annual anniversary tourney was held November 13-14, and it was certainly a great weekend.

Grande March preceded Opening Court. The autocrat, Cameron of Caladoon, had sent a relative named Cardinal Bulchetti who was ably (and beautifully) assisted by Mistress Louise of Woodsholme. Baron Talanque and Baroness Rowen Lynn of Woodvine gave Their Highnesses two beautiful etchings, one of a castle for Prince Morven and one of Lady Jane Grey for Princess Bevin. Baroness Matriana du Cameliard presented the Baron and Baroness with a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers respectively. Lady Cristobal gave Their Highnesses some delicious cheesebread. (She said she was saving the fudge for Investiture!) Lady Fiona read a poem she had written for Baron Sir Armand de Sevigny. Cameron presented the Baron with a vial of the ashes of St. Gunther, which had amazing powers that we were all able to observe. Cameron sprinkled some over a sedate Amsha al Sirhan who turned into a, well, uh, how to say it--a young lady of amazing vitality and enticement. She ran over to Duke Aonghais Dubh MacTarbh as Cameron said "Happy Birthday, Aonghais!" (He really said, "Happy Birthday, Angus!" but you understand that it looks different on paper! Ask the Duke about his distant cousin from the New World sometime.) Well, His Grace was very pleased with his gift, swung her into his arms, and shouted, "See you all later!" Of course, he was only joking as he really did not want to miss Opening Court. (Right!) Cameron informed us that there were a few bottles of the magical powder left (like 2 or 3 tons-worth) and for a nominal fee, we too could be blessed with restored power, beauty, etc. The events of the day were explained and all dispersed for a time.

A Court of Love was held with the following judges presiding: Princess Bevin, Baroness Rowen Lynn, Baroness Matriana, Mistress Louise of Woodsholme, and Lady Fiona. Cameron commented that there were enough initials on the bench to start a spaghetti factory. (Flatterer! I think he meant alphabet soup factory, but. . .) Several of the cases were quite interesting. Lord Robear du Bois brought Eloise of Lancaster to trial for not kissing long enough in a recent game of Duke, Duke, Duchess.(1) It was the judgment of the court that Eloise should give Lord Robear a bag of Hershey's kisses so that he could have a kiss from her any time he wanted to, and he could make it last as long as he wanted.

Two cases, of a similar nature, were rendered different judgments. Lord Charles de Rouen accused Baroness Diana de Savigny of stealing his heart, and Cameron said that Baroness Rowen Lynn had done the same to him and that he could never be alone with her. The court decided that Baroness Diana should make a red heart, embroider Lord Charles' name on it, and return it to him at Southern 12th Night. It was decided that Cameron, because he had expressed a desire to do something for the Baroness and because he wanted to be near her, should do an afternoon's yard work, in exchange for which she would fix dinner for him and her. . . and the Baron! (Candlelight and flowers, of course!)

Cameron was accused of preferring blondes to brunettes, but the court was able to prove this accusation wrong by putting Cameron to a test. They called Prince Morven, Baron Sir Armand, Viscount Gregory of York, and Mistress Bjo, and asked Cameron to choose. Christine Linnea of Sweden accused Shadowhawk of not eating her cooking, so the court sentenced him to fix dinner for her and two guests, one chosen by each of them, and himself. They also ordered that Shadowhawk had to eat his own cooking, but that Christine did not. Sir Martin the Temperate accused Prince Morven of committing heinous crimes against their nest, but the court ruled in favor of Prince Morven and ordered Sir Martin to take HRH out for a chicken dinner at the restaurant of Morven's choice (which did not include the Colonel!)

Then it was time for fighting which will have to be explained by someone else as it was very confusing and I must confess I was elsewhere with a little blue box getting names and addresses of SCA folke. The afternoon ended with the wedding of Lady Kathe von Munchhausen and Lord Jon Trimara. It was a simple ceremony, and was attended by all the tourney-goers, as well as Kathe's mother who was escorted by Jared Blaydeaux. Lady Kathe was escorted by her brother, Aubrey Middlemas. After the wedding, it was off to the banquet hall.

Jared was the banquet master and Cedric the Dark and Giesele Hildegaard were the assistants. Members of Cameron's household, House Rising Star, helped in the kitchen, as well as Lord Robert Godwin. Servers included Lorissa du Griffin, Katwen of Griffin, Mistress Bjo of Griffin (who really had a good time with her sleeves rolled up playing kitchen wench), Lord Eadmond du Battlemont, and others (names, please!)

Dinner included: chicken soup, salad, fresh bread, Cornish game hens garnished with oranges, peas spiced with pepper and coriander, and a chocolate torte that covered almost an entire table and was decorated with the arms of Calafia. (There was also an IMMENSE banner that covered 1/3 of the wall on which it was hung bearing Calafia's arms. Another 1/3 of the wall was covered by the banner of Lord Wilhelm von Messer. It all looked very medieval.)

Seated at the head table were Their Highnesses, Baron Talanque and Baroness Rowen Lynn, Baron Piers Howells de Cambria (Angels) and Baroness Ximena Aubel de Cambria (Angels), Al Caid Sir Martin the Temperate and Lady Caid Lady Arabella Lyon de Rohese, and Lady Kathe von Munchhausen and Lord Jon Trimara. They were able to survey the 130+ people dining in the hall and it was an impressive sight.

After dinner, we were all delightfully entertained by an excellent mime. His repertoire included a marvelous imitation of Balin of Torwho took it very well. At one point during the performance, the mime tried to get Lorissa du Griffin and Katwen of Griffin to come out onto the floor with him, but they are two young ladies of great determination and they would not be budged! After the mime, there was dancing to the accompaniment of the Guideon Hand. Lady Cristobal led the group in one galliard that sounded like this from the garden: THUMP thump thump thump, THUMP thump thump thump. (What were you all doing in there????) At about 10:30 the revel broke up into smaller revels and many staggered off to their respective hosts for some sleep before the next day's activities.

On Sunday, there was a Peasant Hunt (well, it turned into more of a peasant revolt, really; the generally unruly peasant army was coagulated by the impassioned leadership of a red-haired, freckled lady who exhorted them to great deeds of cunning to save themselves.) Shouts and screams could be heard from the forest and dashing figures seen slipping from tree to tree. From all accounts it sounded very authentic (a little too authentic for some!) and will probably be made into an annual event (next time with printed rules, I suspect!!) Lunch was served by the ever-faithful mobile kitchen of Lady Giesele, serving cold roast game hen, hot vegetable soup, bread and butter. Then it was on to the lists which were fought in two categories: Baron's Champion (open to Calafians only) and Fearless Peasant Catcher. A melee followed this with 6 fighters divided between Balin and Martin the Temperate as captains. Being as how we were all feeling a bit silly, the field herald (who bore a strong resemblance to Lady Fiona tripping over her 3-foot green train) decided that she had been deprived of her weekend football and called out that Balin's team had elected to receive and Martin's to kick off. After a commercial break (while the teams were settle strategy) the melee ensued with energetic urging from the sidelines like "Hey, he's roughing the kicker" and "Instant replay!" and when it was over there were 5 dead bodies on the field and the ladies were ordered to drag the dead away. Great fun.

At Closing Court, the Men's Poetry Competition entries were read (see in Crown Prints somewhere else) and the winner was Lord Charles de Rouen. (I am sure other ladies agree with me that we wish some gentlemen would write poems to us like the one Lord Charles wrote!) I can't remember the name of the winner of the croquet match (please send it to us), but the gentleman who won assured all it was a very fierce combat. Sir Morven of Carrick won as his price for being FPC a bottle of scotch (or was it bourbon? All those brown drinks look alike to me!) Griffin Freehold presented Cameron of Caladoon with a bottle of wine which he was impressed into sharing with his large household. After warm thank-yous on the part of the visitors (really--it was a fantastic weekend!) the assembled populace when through the hip-hip-hoorahs perfectly and we all went home. There's nothing like good, old-fashioned Southern hospitality.

written by Brynnda of Starre(2)

Notes

• (1) Duke, Duke, Duchess = Duck, Duck, Goose
• (2) Fiona

Memories

There is that which I have seen
To make mens' hearts the more paltry.
To pale all thought and beauteous memory,
To bind with love and yet set free
Such fairness of form
A crusade of the heart, a quest to seek
Love embraces and fires my very soul
For this lady fair, to win, my goal.
Her life, not mine, more dear and sweet
To I who lay before her feet.
But n'er shall I or her caress
For 'tis a noble lord with her is blessed.

Lord Charles de Rouen, 1st Place, Men's Poetry, Calafia Anniversary Tourney

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