Firecrawling-art - 3/7/08
"Fyrecrawling 101" by THL Thomas Whitehart, aka True Thomas the Storyteller.
NOTE: See also the files: Bardic-Guide-art, bardic-msg, Entrtng-n-SCA-art, storytelling-art, Tales-o-Teror-art, Jestrs-Mumrs-lnks, Hornbook-art.
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NOTICE -
This article was submitted to me by the author for inclusion in this set of files, called Stefan's Florilegium.
These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
Copyright to the contents of this file remains with the author or translator.
While the author will likely give permission for this work to be reprinted in SCA type publications, please check with the author first or check for any permissions granted at the end of this file.
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris...AKA:..Stefan li Rous
stefan at florilegium.org
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Find more of this author's articles and links on his webpage:
Fyrecrawling 101
by THL Thomas Whitehart, aka True Thomas the Storyteller
Performing in the SCA is a unique experience. Some of my most treasured moments have come from times when I was "fyrecrawling" or playing with my fellow SCAdians. I heartily recommend adding the "wandering performer" skill to your performing abilities. There are a LOT of good reasons. Think of it this way- there would be no SCA if it were not for the minstrels, storytellers, and troubadors of old. They were the ones who created the legends of King Arthur, El Cid, Beowulf and so on. They were the ones who inspired. And that inspiration was so powerful, that hundreds of years later, a group of people in Berkeley decided they wanted to recreate that dream.
And here we are. So when we introduce a song or story, or share something with someone new, we are keeping the dream alive. Some other reasons- as a performer, we need to challenge ourselves. To keep our chops hot, to be relevant, to work with a wide variety of audiences and material. When you walk up to a strange group of people, and attempt to entertain, you are doing something that has been done for hundreds of years. In a way, its probably one of most period things happening at a war. You are saying to yourself that I have gifts I want to share. That while I may not be perfect, I am going to do my best to entertain, in my own way. I can promise you thisÉit may not be an easy path, but it is one that is immensely rewarding. You will make friends, develop your craft, learn new skills, and learn what your art means to you.
Mindset-
Tips for performing for SCA Audiences
Bardic Etiquette
Performing at War-
WHEN
When all around you is dark, and smoke fills the air
When you walk underneath the stars, hear the laughter of distant fires, snatches of songs and the thumping of drums
When you walk from camp to camp, peering in the darkness at the silhouette of one group or another,
When you gaze up at the stars, and realize that you are the inheritor of the legends, lore and songs, of thousands of Bards and storytellers who came before you, and that the songs and stories of love, passion, wit and wonder are yours to nurture and share,
When you finish a song or Story and hear their whispersÉ.
"Ohhhh. Well done" "HUZZAH""sniff, wipe.."
and you see the fire reflected back in their eyes, full of the glories and the storiesÉ.
When the children call out your name, when people say
"Who is that? Is that You? Oh my god, have a seatÉ.
When the evening grows cold, and you pull your cloak round,
Remember as you gaze around at the hundreds of firesÉ
At the fires you have not been toÉ.
and for whom you must go, to account for you and your craft honorably
At the fires you have been toÉand for whom you must reinvent yourself
At the fires barely twinkling, at the lonely twos and fews
You are the voice
The Spirit of what we once were, and what we can be.
All the spirits of the past did this for youÉ
All the futures that will be, are waiting for what you have to give
Give of yourself, and believe in the magicÉ
The singers and storytellers of old are walking in the dark next to you,
they have given you treasures, and ask only that you care
Fill yourself, and pour forth, so that the next generation
can be born and inspired.
The mead of poetry, the fire of passion, the music of life
We are the keepers of the flame of inspiration
Believe.
YIS
THL Thomas Whitehart
(aka True Thomas the Storyteller)
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Copyright 2008 by True Thomas, 663 Fowler Ave., Newbury Park, CA 91320. <Truethomas (at) sbcglobal.net>. Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change, but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author receives a copy.
If this article is reprinted in a publication, I would appreciate a notice in the publication that you found this article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.
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