Mi Contra Fa

Trial by Fire Event Report

First event ever with both kids! And we camped!

Kid Lessons

• Bring more toys
• Plan some activities
• Forget about feast if the kids aren't going to eat it. Family dinner.
• 5-gal bucket makes an acceptable nighttime potty
• Soak the marshmallow sticks in water for an hour before roasting
• Consider cots for both so the one doesn't end up curled in a ball in the downhill corner of the tent
• Make sure the electric lantern has a nightlight setting; if it doesn't, get one that does
• Flashlights for everyone

New Canvas Tent Lessons

• Use rugs or something to protect floor
• Canvas doors do not keep bugs out
• Elder Son can get positively frantic about bugs.  He handled several bug-related incidents well, but I was very worried he'd wake up in the night and see a 1/2" long black beetle crawling on the tent wall by the light of the nightlight, and just scream bloody murder.
• The hanger that friction-fits onto the center pole is the best thing
• Fold in quarters, not thirds, and roll over it to squish out air before rolling it up
• Hammer in tent pegs well, as they really seem to like to trip people and rip garb
• Get a rope loop for mallet to pull pegs; also consider small sledgehammer instead of plastic one
• Family of four plus canvas tent plus other comfort gear (e.g. chairs) does not fit in our car. 

I am going back and forth on whether or not we want to use the canvas tent at the next event.  On the one hand, it was very cool and comfortable to be in, and I like it a lot.  We are going to take two cars (in addition to kids and regular gear, there will be donations for the Storvik Yard Sale - it will not fit in one car), so we should have the space for it.  Still the bug thing though.  The desire to instill what they are calling "grit" in the kid by not making his path overly smooth wars with not wanting him to go into a phobic fit if something crawls onto his face.

Bardic

At Pennsic, Meisterin Johanna had made a remark to the effect that I seemed to perform a lot of stuff that's tonally the same.  I grant that I do my humorous period stuff a lot, because I'm trying to sell people on period stuff, but I do have other pieces.  So I did "Matty Groves" and "Yo me soy la morenica" in addition to "To Put the Devil into Hell."

Post-Event Kit Maintenance

I patched the hole the tent peg tore in my gown with a bit of linen and lots of thread.  I did satin stitches over the raw edges of the tear.  I also sewed up the shoulder where the seam was coming undone.

Also put the chape on my protege belt!  Been pretty productive for a fairly exhausting day.

Chalice Report

It was a most satisfactory showing, even if I didn't win anything.

My Beowulf-with-lyre went splendidly.  I realized on Friday, in the car, that I actually could get through my entire selection confidently, even if perhaps some of the words were not spot-on.  In performance, I made two errors - flipped some words around in one case (minor, and I didn't even blink as I covered) and a worse one where what was supposed to be a sentence came out as a random clause.  I didn't try to fix it and just bulled on.  Woo!  Judging sheets were uniformly positive.  All told, that's very much the sort of thing I've been driving toward since 2007 or so.

I was selected to proceed to the final round - there were only three of us, and everyone was fantastic in different ways.  Don't envy the judges their decision.  I performed my piece I wrote for the event, "I Drank of Mnemosyne," the music for which was composed on-site and which I still didn't have solid as I performed it.  Considering that it was essentially improv?  I'm pretty dang pleased.  Better, at least two gentles complimented me afterwards on the impact of the lyrics.  Lord Ulfarr from Stierback won the chalice of chocolate for his song remembering his first Pennsic - it was far more polished than mine, with a MUCH more interesting melody, and he sang it exceedingly well.  Kudos!

Similarly, the banner did not win in A&S, but the woodcut that did TOTALLY deserved it.  It was fabulous.  The feedback for the banner was positive, ranging from "somewhat above average" to "well above average."  For the first time possibly ever, my documentation was ranked consistently lower than my craftsmanship!  Considering that this is the first embroidery I've done since... college?  Twenty years ago?  and the first time I've ever done couching at all, I'm pretty pleased with that.  Also, the banner rocks, and I'm pleased to have made it.

The hang-up on the documentation and authenticity seemed to be (if I can judge the few sentences of feedback) whether or not my goldworked banner was appropriate, or if it should have been made of humbler wool.  That's fair - I used Beowulf as my basis for making a golden standard as a status object, since so many of the other gift-objects in Beowulf have direct evidence as archaeological finds as well.  But, like the heralds say not to use fiction to source your name, one could argue that this wasn't the strongest basis for an artifact. 

My seven-year old had a pretty good time of it, except for during the bardic round one, which was unimaginable boring torture for him.  Ponte Alto has a great basket of toys and a small wooden castle which amused him for literally hours, and he played a bit with some other kids.  We had an emergency iPad tucked away in case of critical boredom, but we didn't have to get it out. Hurrah!

Frankish Four-Brooch Costume and Breastfeeding

I was looking at Penelope Walton-Rogers' illustrations of the Frankish/Kentish 4-brooch costume. She shows the underdress with the "keyhole" in the neckline extending to or past the waist, and held closed with a belt and the two upper brooches.  

At first, I wondered why on earth you would need a slash that long.  None of our T-tunics ever go past the breastbone or so, just enough to get the dress on over your head.  

Then I thought: breastfeeding.  With a gown like that, worn with a kaftan, breastfeeding would be trivial.  Undo your top two brooches and bam, there it is.

Makes me wonder if the primary purpose of the peplos dress/apron dress was to cover a centerline slit in the underdress. Pins are all well and good, but fabric gaps (particularly over curves) and in a cold northern climate, I can see wanting to put another layer over it.  Undo a shoulder brooch, undo an undergown pin, and again, you're in the baby-feeding business.

Better to give or to receive?

A classic Christmas conundrum, cut for copious collages:

Battle on the Bay Report

• The Pop-Up Mead Hall was not a great success.  We were hardly in it at all; set-up and tear down were not awful, but not insignificant.  We did entertain Lady Patricia for a bit!  But most of the day was running around with the kid. 
• It was definitely not worth the stress over trying to assemble the -bleeping- folding stool the night before.
• I think a minimal gear approach will work better in the future.  I noticed many gentles came with just chairs or stools, and sometimes a third folding stool and a small platter.  Unfold stool, rest platter, instant small table for cups and such!
• I should have brought the beanbag from Owlsherst.  A&S entry paperwork needed lots of rocks.
• Had to leave before A&S entries got any feedback.
• 'Storvikmandius' was well-received!  A few people got the reference and liked it.  I was brought into court as the "wise woman."  Since two fighter jets overflew just as Baron William was being accused of something, I made a reference to the ravens of Odin. 
• Then Odin's other four ravens overflew during my recitation.  We had a bit of a laugh at that.
• The kid was overall very well behaved.  He required a lot of attention and didn't want to participate in children's activities, but aside from wanting to crawl into/under/around the barn, he was really good.  He authorized!  Aaaand then he got bored and wanted to leave.  I left - he'd been very patient with Mom doing a lot of boring things that required him to stand still and be quiet (like sit through court) and I wanted his first real event to be a good time.

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry

Their homepage.
The Ric-a-Dam-Doo.  Neither flag appears to be red and gold, and purple, too.  (Although I've heard "and royal blue" used, which might be the one on the right.  Is the left just a super-fancy version of the Canadian flag?)
A Scout version of the song as well as... the original?

Why?  Because I'm doing a Pages Academy class singalong on Saturday.  I'll teach one or two period rounds and/or songs, one or two traditional songs ("Rattlin' Bog" is a kid favorite) and one or two "SCA Appropriate" but wildly modern fun songs like "The Princess Pat."  It's about a princess, right?

I know a verse about Captain Jack, one about Star Trek and one about Superman.  Two ain't SCA appropriate.

So...

Now Good Dame Joan  (stand at attention)
Was a valiant knight   (salute)
Moose Tourney-bound  (moose antlers on head)
She came to fight  (hit forearms against each other)
She asked a gift   (hand out)
Of her lord so true  (hands over heart)
He gave to her   (hand out again)
A rickabamboo 

Our archer Will   (pretend to draw a bow)
He liked to hunt  (hand shading eyes, peering around)
His dog was small  (hands up in front like paws)
It was a runt    (fingers "this far" apart)
But in the woods (hands arched over head for tree)
That dog sure flew  (To Infinity and Beyond flight pose)
When Will did take  (tap temple like a clever person remembering something)
His rickabamboo

Novice Tournament: Children's Bardic

I did a Children's Bardic probably two years ago, and I think I'd like to do another one at Novice.

I run a children's bardic circle more like a campfire singalong and less like a bardic circle.  We do have some young bards in Atlantia who could more than hold their own in the traditional "pick, pass or play" format, but not many.  If a "children's bardic" is advertised, you're going to get a lot of kids who aren't necessarily ready to get up and sing. 

That's fine.  I was a camp song leader.

A preliminary song list:

• The Princess Pat, if you leave off the Star Trek and Superman verses. (The kids don't know who Capt. Kirk is anyway.)  It's repeat-after-me, which is generally helpful.  It's about a princess, which is vaguely SCA-related.
• Now Is the Month of Maying, especially if we do the repeats before the Fa las.  That makes it a period repeat-after-me song.
• Rose or its documentable cousin, "Hey Ho Nobody Home."  I like to do at least one round.
• Some version of The Rattling Bog.  I learned a variant as a Scout first and as a Scadian later.  It's "SCA appropriate" and kids love it.
• Wataliachee, Chester or another "action" song.  Not period at all, but nothing blatantly modern in the lyrics and fun for the kids.
• Go Now in Peace.  I use this as an ender instead of "Taps," with the ecumenical "May the power of Love surround you" alternate line. (Okay, that doesn't look like the version I know.  But it's similar.)