Sunset and the dawn

Apologies,

I have been quite unwell these past few months haven't been able to train or do much SCA related stuff so my path slowed somewhat. (a big "I'm sorry" to the gentleman who asked me about shield Pavise construction as I have been unable to fulfill his request about a template and construction method, esp rawhide edging)

Recovering from events in your life can be tricky, I have found this is be true especially in regards to keeping momentum or motivations for your projects, it can be many, many things that set projects back. For me I suffer from Cluster headaches which randomly (or without a discernible pattern I have found) have periods of high activity.

Part of chivalry in my opinion, is the ability to push past or at least take on adversity! Stand and say No.. when it meets the Code to do so. I hope I can find the strength to continue this task, which I will never finish even if I reach my goal.

The path to knighthood is never ending, Even if you reach the point to be recognised, the path continues.. ever onwards into the sunset, and onto the dawn of a squire.

A crown, a tower and dream while fleeting.. lasts.

Canterbury Faire is over.. Sad, but joyful at seeing all those within the populace who travel to spend time with those in far flung reaches.

At Faire we crowned a New King and queen, King Gilbert Purchase and Queen Bethony Gaitskell, long may they reign! and our baroney has a new Baron and Baronesses, Baron Richard and Baroness Ginevra.

Many, many hours of court made this possible (my poor legs) and 2 pelicans were recognised, Anna de wilde and Ginevra both who duty and service shows them to be valuable and valued members of the SCA, long have they toiled to help bring us events, offices and service.

My duty as a henksman (guard) to the barony of southron gaard, kept me running all over the event setting up court and finding lost/misplaced items, while the duty was long and sometimes impeded what I wanted to do, I kept my word and upon my honor that would be cheerful and be committed to all that was required of my duty.

While service and duty calls the field upon which mettle is tested was loudest of all, Sadly I was found wanting but not from lack of trying. The armour changes I made that were battle untested as a complete kit did not work as intended, my sword side pauldron kept slipping under my armour's backplate which meant that I couldn't move my sword back past my torso dramatically reducing power generation and a buckle which looked sound during my pre-faire check slipped its tether and dropped the strap holding my arm on, Field repairs were made but this proved to be a constant failure at the most in-opportune moments, with armour failure aside my own technique was lacking I have much to work on and while at faire sought out advice and techniques from all willing to pass on their knowledge to which I would like to thank: His Majesty Gilbert, His Excellency Steffan, Sir Agro, Sir Roland who took time and helped with advice and techniques.

Knowledge is valuable, more greatly prized than material goods but knowledge is useless unless enacted and I intend to not let such go to waste. My liege, Sir Philippe de Tournay while not able to attend this event his advice and guidance still rings true in keeping a small book to write down help/advice/idea's so such a valuable bounty may not be forgotten.

I am tired, worn, beaten but I will not fall, see you all at the next event. (and uninjured! even after fighting in gods and monsters in minimum armour and no padding)

The tower on the plains.

Canterbury Faire (Southron gaards biggest event and the biggest yearly event in NZ) starts next week and this year its bigger than ever! With 12th Night (the coronation of last crown tourney winner to be king/queen of Lochac for the next 6 Months) and Cfaire after that its shaping up to to be a very eventful event!

Myself and my lady are ready, we decided there would be no last minute panic over gear/stuff, So we started planning just after last faire (2015) and have worked hard to have everything ready including new garb and armour.

I am looking forward at seeing all my fellow scadians again and meeting a few new ones, nothing builds comrades like crossing swords (I call it my friend stick) and then beer. hopefully I won't be injured like last year (2 hairline fractured ribs and a mild concussion) but I won't lament if I am, its all part of the fun.

Each event allows the opportunity for service and to improve courtly graces, I hope to acquit myself well on the field of battle too, but my fellow fighters are very good so I don't expect any victory's. (not that it will stop me from trying) I hope to inspire a few new fighters, and help out with their first few blows. I enjoy taking a bit of time each year to seek them out and talk/train, maybe even gift some of my spare gear.

I am also looking forward to the investiture of our new baron and baroness and spending time with my liege. Each year I learn more and more such depth of experience and grace paying heed to his teaching's has served me well.

No blog post next week as I will be at an event.

The trice armed bench

The Bench,

It started off so simply, to make a chair that would be strong enough to sit on in armour... Then came the additional requirements...

• Wouldn't it be nice not to just make a chair, but a bench in case others need a respite.
• Wouldn't It be nice if it had no pegs or pins to be lost
• Wouldn't it be nice it to folded up for easier transport
• Strong, very strong so up to 3 fully armoured fighter's could sit on it.

So naturally it needed to be made from wood, but not just any wood, that would be too easy... I decided on making it from Knotty wood (wood unsuitable to general sales as it has lots of knots (which look great) but also not straight and with an uneven surface. (which increases the "fun")

May I present the bench.

How the stand shall be armed,

I have been working away for awhile now on building an armour stand, I came across This about 2 months ago on Honor before victory and I decided to build it.

Here are my results, took almost 3 days due to the wood staining (its made from pine with a stain) one of the reason why I built this one is that is also packs down flat, and I can make it to my dimensions.. its kinda cool seeing what I look like in armour, as my view has been from the inside till now.

Armour stand back

Armour stand front

With armour on it

Closer shot with armour

Almost side on armour on armour stand shot

Should make maintenance easier, although there is a slight lean because of the weight of the armour, I will need to think of a solution. All I need now is some dress armour! and maybe a sword.

The greater whole.

Apologies for the following it's some personal enlightenment, possibly not fully related to the SCA.

Since joining the SCA I have come to value people a lot more than I once did, Not only has it allowed me to realise that not everyone is a self-serving jackass, but I don't have to be one of them either.

Service has become one of my most enjoyable parts of events. (at my last event I told her ladyship Ginevra that she would need to duck tape me to a pole to stop me helping)

Which is strange now I look back on it, I am a heavy fighter (hitting people with stick is fun) and I love building things (I am enjoying learning to sew, I remade my entire soft kit this year without patterns) but serving others gives me something that I have never had before and I can't quite define it, it's beyond my sphere of experiences.

Service is more than just fulfilling a needed task, the duty to help others is how police or doctors must feel, coming to work each day, far more than just creating ad's (which is what I used to do)

I guess it's that being part of a greater whole you find talked about in period literature.

I have always had a Moral code, but it was undefined and lacking substance. The SCA given me focus purely unintentionally (although I do have a traditional Knight as my mentor) I follow this: The knightly virtues as best I can now, but it can be tough sometimes but I find worthwhile.

I have heard it mentioned that "well what do you expect he wants to become a knight of course he follows the code" I disagree, acting "knighty" has little to do which wanting to be a knight and can be pursued by people who have no wish to become knights and far more to do with wanting to be a better person.

I will most likely never be recognised as a Knight within the sca and that's ok. My fighting level isn't good enough and most likely won't be for the foreseeable future mostly due to my inability to travel enough and I have a tendency to speak my mind which I can't seem to shake, Truth or "my truth" and then telling the person to their face not behind their back has rubbed many people the wrong way and I apologise for this, but it also contravenes the virtues of justice (Temperance) and nobility (charity), not to mention my limited social skills, a knight needs to inspire which I do not.

So next time I stand in the lists and have the opportunity to speak as to why I fight I have written a little speech.

Your Majesties, your excellencies, peers and Nobles I have the dubious honor of being lord leonhart hunt, squire to Sir Philippe De Tournay. I fight this day in the name of the Lady Amalia Shriber, but my reasons for fighting is far simpler, I fight because of you, not for you as it would be presumptuous to claim such an honor, but because of you. We are part of the glorious dream known as the SCA and it takes each one of us to make this dream happen, each of us has a part to play and I am honored that this is my part. I think of us as parts of a greater whole, A machine where each one of us is a cog that makes it turn, some cogs are larger than other some smaller some gilded or wood, some whole or missing teeth but thought us all this machine, our dream... is made real. I fight and may I say we fight because you all make it possible to do so. /end

Know that I fight (and not just on the field) because of you all, you have inspired me to be better than I am who knows how far this will reach in the future.

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.