Honor in the SCA

What is Honor? Honor is your good name or reputation. it's the value of your word. It can also mean a mark of respect (example: A place of honor at the table) and finally A code of integrity, dignity, and pride, chiefly among men, that was maintained in some societies, as in feudal Europe, by force of arms.

Honor as a squire, refers to the first definition and can be tricky. Honor is subjective (Example, Holding a door open for a lady), based on the viewer's values and ideals, But there are a few most will agree upon as being honorable.

Value your word - What's you say and how it's said can be vastly important in people's estimation of your honor, if you're going to say something make your words mean more than just words, do not boast of yet undone deeds and value the commitments made by your words.

Help as you can - There is always someway you can help others, never is there a lack of need. It may be transporting gear or carrying items from another's "horse"  or cleaning out trash buckets. Expect no word of your deeds for these, but expect many words if yet undone and you stand idle.

Stand by your beliefs, but not until death. Beliefs can be a great source of inspiration and motivation, they can shape notions and breed dreams. But to be valuable they must always be challenged and you must be prepared to defend them with equal gusto, for blind belief (belief without reason) is pointless and can cause great damage. ( Example, I am constantly at odds with my Knight over who shot first in Star wars, He categorically states han, I say greedo and this is ok. Contrary belief is fine even between friends as we can both state a good argument for each side, but if I was to say it was Bobafett, this would be without reason and would degrade my honor due to lack of knowledge)

Honor in the SCA does not refer to battle prowess. While win/loss can be important to some and can be a deciding factor in team's/households/honor's (Second definition) your word or the value of your word is not defined by how well you swing a sword.

The loneliest waterfall

I have stated before that I use modern science in my training and fitness regime, So I thought I would share a little of what I do to get/keep and stay fit, (as I get older it's harder and harder to keep fit. I have never been an easy one to lose weight, I find it very hard and costs me a lot in sweat to even lose a little and build upper body strength. Contrary to opinion I am not naturally skinny it takes work.)

I have added a new dimension to my training after reading some  modern sports books about cold therapy (it's a technique used by most high end sports trainers and people needed to target specific areas for development), This has altered my workout times also.

• Each morning drink iced water 500mls (no food yet) but supplements allowed if you have a preworkout load
• Stretch
• Workout should take 90min - 120min (at gym) - 15min Hiit Cardio, following by either Peripheral heart action or Weight Room then yoga or pilates (yes I know it's not manly but flexibility is important)
• After workout hot shower followed by a gradual reduction to cold, full cold water for 5min
• Breakfast - Protein heavy with protein shake (almond milk with protein added)
• Icepack on the upper trapezius muscle (lower neck) for 30min while eating or any other problem area (ab's, belly)
• Normal daily activities
• Light lunch (or skip if not hungry)
• Dinner
• Cold shower (huzzah - they are not fun)

​The benefit of this regime is to workout when your body is at its weakest, after sleeping your insulin levels are at their lowest and your muscles haven't had a chance to store energy (sugar) yay science!

The cold therapy (showers and ice pack) are to stimulate brown fat, No it's not racist fat, it's subdermal fat stored around muscle groups, Which is not easily targeted by exercise - Caution - you can give yourself hypothermia if your not careful, it's a great technique but keep an eye on your body temperature you want to be shivering, (this burns a lot of fat) but you should recover quickly and your core should not drop to danger levels. Tip - read up on hypothermia if you're willing to try this (I use a thermometer to measure my body temp, don't want to get sick or land in hospital)

Need an icepack? use an old hot water bottle 50% water - 50% rubbing alcohol or vodka stays cold a long time and is reusable, Alcohol means it won't fully freeze.

why do this.. well I am not a quick fat loser after doing this for 1 week I have lost 2% body fat (which is a huge amount I have been stuck at 16% for a long time my target is 8%) I feel great not fatigued or over exercised (always, always stretch) and morning workouts means the rest of the day is free.

A pell of silk

With golden flight over (another fantastic event, run by a new steward Lord Callach and assisted by Lady Hilda) is now time to panic over Canterbury faire being just over 2 months away.

Our new Baron and baroness have been announced, THL Richard d’Allier and THL Ginevra Isabella di Serafino Visconti, I believe this to be an excellent choice due to both parties very long service records and commitment to "the game"

Cfaire this year is going to be very Busy with not only coronation but elevation of the new B&B and noteable other awards and appreciation of good works, alas this has reduced the combat time but pageantry is important for our game more so than hitting others with sticks.

Time to get to work! (must be shinier)

A rabbit.

And so another event grows ever closer, Golden Flight in Southron Gaard. I hope the changes to my Kit work well (this will be their first test before Canterbury faire) I look forward in great anticipation to who our new baron/baroness/s will be and their coming plans for Southron Gaard.

I leave you with this poem,

And now Count Roland in anguish and in pain,

With all his strength sounds the great horn again.

Bright drops of blood aye springing from his mouth,

Veins in his forehead are cracking with the strain.

That mighty voice cries out a second time;

Charlemagne hears it, high on the mountain pass,

Duke Naimon listens, and so do all the Franks.

Then says the king, "That is Count Roland's horn!

He'd never sounded it, except for an attack."

Ganelon says, "What battle can there be?

You have grown old, your hair is streaked with white;

The words you speak could well befit a child.

You ought to know how great is Roland's pride--

The wonder is God suffers it so long.

He captured Noples, and not by your command,

And then flushed out the Saracens inside;

He fought them all, Roland, your loyal man,

And then took water and washed the field of blood,

Hoping that you would not detect the fight.

Just for a rabbit he'll blow his horn all day!

Now he is playing some game to please his peers.

Who in the world would dare make war on him!

Ride on, I tell you! What are we waiting for?

We've far to go to see our lands once more."

- an excerpt from a French epic, chanson de geste