#s.c.a.

[originallonemagpie]

O is for Offhanded

[the-aerys]

Provost Prize Play

My sponson, Dame Lyonet de Covenham, has announced my Provost prize play for Saturday, thus:

“In the names of Vitus and Isabel, by Right of Arms King and Queen of Dragounwald and patrons of the Academy of Defence, to whom we pray be granted a long and happy reign, Whereas since the days of Edward Longshanks of blessed memory, King of England, the Maisters of Defence in Thamesreach and all England have been constrained in law to pursue their learned profession by charter and by rule, and Whereas the Dragounwald Academy of Defence is duly constituted as a Company of Masters of Defence in accord with the law and with justice, and Whereas the Dragounwald Academy of Defence permits those who would signify their development, skill and dedication to the Art and Science of Defence by playing prize-fights to attain rank among their peers within the aforesaid Academy,

I, Lyonet de Covenham, a Prefect of the Academy of Defence in the Kingdom of Dragounwald, Companion of the Company of the Wing in the Order of the Ring, armiger by Letters Patent of the Crown of Dragounwald; companion of the Order of the Queen’s Favour, Companion of the Order of the Doe’s Grace of the Middle Kingdom, Companion of the Sun and Chalice of the Principality of the Dragonysles, Companion of the Order of Tangwystl’s Favour in the Principality of Ealdormere as was, declare to all the Members, Companions, Free Scholars, Provosts and Prefects of the Academy of Defence and to its Honourable Preceptor and its Honourable Clerk, as well as all the nobles and gentles of the Kingdome to whom the arts of defence are dear, the following Bill of Challenge.

That the honourable Almain nobleman the Captain Wolfram Burkitt of Falconstone in the County of Tirol in the Holy Roman Empire, Master and Commander of the bark Aeris, armiger by authority of the Crown of Dragounwald, will present himself without the Bounds of the Citty of Winchester on the green within the Hospital of St Cross near the Saint Cross Road in the Parish of Saint Faith's, within the Hundred of Buddlesgate in Dragoningshire on the morning of the xiiijo day of this very month, and there and then he will challenge all those of the Academy who will attend, for the prize of Provost in the Dragounwald Academy of Defence.

This Captain Wolfram hath been authorised in the lists by the Marshals of Defence in Drakenweald these many months, since the 1o month in the year ilo of the Society, to wit twoscore and ten months since. This Captain Wolfram hath been authorised in manifold forms of combat, to wit each and every way that the sword which sometimes is called the Heavy Rapier may be used in the Lists of Dragounwald. This Captain Wolfram hath these past iv years been marshal-in-training, and hath marshalled the lists even at the Protectors' Tournament at Raglan Fair; and he doth with his own hands break the fasts of the many at, exemplum gratis, the Michaelmas Tournament in Thamesreach.

This same Captain Wolfram hath his own sword and his own vizor, neither of which is in pawn nor given as surety. He dresseth as befitteth his station, and by my own faith comporteth himself as a gentleman on the field of combat and elsewhere. There and then in the presence of the several Free Scholars,

Provosts and Prefects as well as noblemen, noblewomen, ladies and gentlemen of good repute the aforesaid Captain Wolfram will undertake to fecht with no fewer than two provosts or defencers of superior prize, with each in two bouts, and in each bout with five weapons forms, and as well to fecht with me in two bouts and in each bout with five weapons forms. The sum of these bouts shall be three times two times five which will be twoscore and ten fights. Thereafter the aforesaid Captain Wolfram will take up arms to face all those who would come to face him armed for the heavy blade list for not less than a half-hour.

May all who love the art and science of defence, who love the Captain Wolfram and who love me come to the beauteous Citty of Winchester the xiiij0 day of the instant month, that is pridie ides Julii, the feast of St Bonaventure and saint Henry the Emperor, for to contest this prize, to wish the combatants well, to enjoy the art and the science of defence and to uphold the honour and the glory that is Dragoningshire, that is the Principality of the Dragonysles and that is the Kingdom of Dragounwald.

God Save the King and God Save the Queen”

[genessiphon]

HELL FUCKING YEAH

[originallonemagpie]

At this time of year I'm  normally in a tent at Raglan castle in Wales - i'd have arrived last Friday/ During the day I'd hopefully be getting more exercise than usual, with tournaments and auths, having lunch of beans on toast at the little farm cafe, and there logging on briefly for emails and to see who the first contestants announced for Strictly were. [Yeah that's usually this week.] I'm missing that side,

This year  I'd been looking forward to being Rapier Coordinator, having responsible duty, as well  as being Night Steward a couple of tmes, and to getting Younger Alex authed and Free-Scholared... And  picking up that Longsword auth I'm missing, and the long-delayed two-stick. Maybe Great Weapon if I  was lucky. I'm missing those.

OTOH, I normally would be getting zero sleep, my nutrition routine would be shot to shit, and by Thursday I'd be either injured, ill, ot self-harming, or some combination thereof [in 5 years I've only escaped these in 2016]. I'd  probably a;sp be wringing out and packing a sodden tent by Sunday. I am so not missing any of those things.

I am damn well relieved to have a roof over my head this week, and to be able  to maintain my regular food routine - hopefully I might actually  keep the blood sugar correct this week, for once in these five  Augusts...

Raglan has never been my SCA highlight the way it is for others, though - for me, that would be Yule Ball. There are people I'll miss seeing, things I'll miss doing.

I suspect I'll have more of that missing and lost feeling at the end of month, when Redemption 2020 would have been.

Then  again, I've no sure specifics to look forward toat all for the foreseeable future, so I don't really know how happy to be about the bits I'm not missing, or how down to feel about the things that I am...

[originallonemagpie]

re-edit of this vid with hopefully better sound.

[originallonemagpie]

So, last night involved stuff like this.

For those wondering, I'm the guy on the right.

[originallonemagpie]

For those not at Coronet, this is the shield I painted for Eowyn - she wanted a cat with stars, and got Mau, the Great Cat of Ra

[originallonemagpie]

So, quite unexpectedly, Lesley and I seem to have won an Arts and Sciences competition with our Renaissance bagels - Ciambelloni.  I have no plans to enter A&S competitions, and a win in one wasn't one of my SCA ambitions, but it's nice, so I'll take that... Nice prize too - a little carved box of cloves and nutmegs carved by Oriana