gifts-4-bards-msg - 2/5/12
Gift ideas for bards and performers you admire or wish to thank.
NOTE: See also the files: gifts-4-staff-msg, largess-ideas-msg, holiday-gifts-lnks, baby-gifts-msg, food-gifts-msg, Pennsic-gifts-msg, Fyrecrawling-art.
************************************************************************
NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
************************************************************************
From: PRose/Goedjn/Ralph <prose at mail.uri.edu>
To: East Kingdom <sca-east at indra.com>
Sent: Wed, June 22, 2011 4:20:34 PM
Subject: [EK] Idle question
So, what would make a good presentation to give to
an arbitrary bard, minstrel, trouvere, or other performer
who stopped by or was kidnapped into your encampment
and gave a halfway acceptable performance?
Dinner would seem to be authentic, but that's
time consuming, hard on your kitchen staff, and
many people aren't willing to trust your food, anyway.
Beer is acceptable, I suppose, but if everyone gives
a wanderer a beer, he's not likely to wander very far.
(which, admittedly, might be an idea....)
I know that glass rings or other jewelry or tokens
get used by some people.
We've offered a choice of cookies or a song in return,
before.
If you were a wandering performer, what would inspire
YOU to come back the next year (or day, whatever) or
send your friends?
--Goedjn
I need a treasure chest, that's what I need.
From: forseti at EXCITE.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 2:00:57 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
A friendly ear and due approbation is ample recompense for a bard doing what
we love to do. A song or performance in return, though, is a great gift--
particularly as it helps expand and spread the bardic body of knowledge.
Of course, some snacks or drinks wouldn't go amiss for any traveller.
That all said, the occasions when someone has actually been impressed
enough by my work to gift me with a personal token or small crafted item have
been very special to me. That is truly above and beyond.
--Shay
Séaghdha mac Roibeaird
From: andrewob at GMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 2:24:56 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Speaking as a bard who does most of his performing outside of his home service area, kind words, drinks, and applause are always appreciated, but if you want to gift something, make it something small and easy to transport that'll remind him of where he got it.
--Díarmaid Ó Bríain
From: dorcas_jean at YAHOO.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 3:03:25 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
--- On Sat, 6/25/11, Stefan li Rous <StefanliRous at AUSTIN.RR.COM> wrote:
<<< So what are some good gift ideas for visiting bards?
Stefan >>>
Things this wandering bard likes:
A warm welcome, either "Hi, Dorcas!" or "Oh cool! Here comes a bard!"
Offers of water or cider or other vocal lubricants
Applause
Jewelry. It doesn't have to be expensive; the symbolism is what does it for me. The gesture of taking a ring from your own finger or a pin from your own cloak is authentic and makes for a "magic moment"
Now, having said that, if the question is what to prepare ahead of time when you know that your favorite bard will be at the event and you expect him/her to visit your camp, here are some gift ideas:
A cup or mug. In the SCA, you can never have too many of these. Fancy is nice. Sturdy is very nice.
Jewelry again. Again, expensive is not necessary, but the more "bling factor" the better. A string of handmade glass beads is always good.
Food is appropriate. Invite the bard to dinner.
Some token of your patronage is cool, such as an embroidered belt favor or a dubis with your badge in it. Not all bards are heralds, but it's a good bet that a bard will pay attention to the banners in your camp or hall. A favor or dubis personalized with something from your own heraldry will mean the bard can't help but remember you.
Dorcas
From: elecwolf at GMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 3:12:56 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
<<< Some token of your patronage is cool, such as an embroidered belt favor or a dubis with your badge in it. Not all bards are heralds, but it's a good bet that a bard will pay attention to the banners in your camp or hall. A favor or dubis personalized with something from your own heraldry will mean the bard can't help but remember you.
Dorcas >>>
I would have to second this. Very much. The favors I have gotten from two people stick very well in my mind and have a place in my heart. A bead from Ines and an amulet from Asbjorn. I'm not much of a bard but I felt very much one after each of these. That and Dorcas' laughter from a few of my more interesting forays into fun. :)
--
David "Volk'abe" Mc.
From: wizardofros at triad.rr.com
Subject: RE: [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 6:32:38 PM CDT
To: StefanliRous at austin.rr.com, atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Non-alcoholic drinks (singing is thirsty work), neck massages, praise,
requests to come back, offers of marriage, thanks, munchies... Attention is
great! Singing along with the chorus greater! New material and join us to
walk to the next camp - greatest!
Rosalind Jehanne
From: mame.wood at gmail.com
Subject: Re: {TheTriskeleTavern} gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 8:01:19 AM CDT
To: the-triskele-tavern at googlegroups.com
A song in return is a good way to keep a bard around. Most of us like exchanges of art. A nice little bell on a chain would be a great token gift, and of course food (cookies or whatever is being served in camp) and drink are always welcome. The most needed tribute though is your applause and appreciation; a bard with no audience is just singing in the shower. :)
From: ankashai at gmail.com
Subject: Re: {TheTriskeleTavern} gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 11:43:45 AM CDT
To: the-triskele-tavern at googlegroups.com
I've actually had food offered to me before, especially at wars, and depending what and where it is I've even accepted some times. Easier on everyone is the offer of a drink -- water, soda pop, beer, a general offer to fill your mug. Wandering can be thirsty business. =D
But honestly, cool little tokens are the best ( after a good song in reply, complete with permission to yank out my tape recorder and how I can get the lyrics =D ), especially something you can tell a story about. Fibula pins, period coins, little strung beads, bracelets, earrings, rings -- all of these are awesome little period things.
One of my favorite tokens I ever received was a small red bag tossed to me and a friend by the Queen at our second event, for singing in a bardic competition. It wasn't a fancy bag -- like a little velvet thing, with sixteen ' gold coins ' ( Susan B. Anthonys actually ) in it, "to spend at the fair ". Both my friend and I were speechless, and anyone who knows me knows that's a hard thing to do! I will admit that I disobeyed royal order, and eight years later I still have the bag, and the coins. A few years ago I spoke to the Duchess Elena ( the queen at the time ), and she admitted that she had always wanted to do that.
Almost as cool was the young man from Pennsic who presented me with a simple copper bracelet, made from a copper tube about the size of a straw, rolled at both ends and shaped into a bracelet, with some sands "from my homeland" in it to remind me of him. I thought it was an awesome little trinket, and always meant to make a bunch myself with the sands of Trimaris.
- Miriam d'Hawke
From: sorcha at cfl.rr.com
Subject: Re: {TheTriskeleTavern} gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 25, 2011 7:46:23 PM CDT
To: the-triskele-tavern at googlegroups.com
I make candles and soaps and have been known to give those to bards. I have also been known to carry hershey kisses. While it would not be appropriate for me to go around kissing people as a married women...a little hershey kiss can be given with "you song so was so sweet. I wanted to give you a kiss"
Sorcha
From: evethejust at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 26, 2011 7:22:09 AM CDT
To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
On Jun 26, 2011, at 6:53 AM, Rose <rose_welch at yahoo.com> wrote:
<<< I've never seen one turn down an alcoholic beverage, for that matter. :P
-R >>>
I have, plenty of times, not all alcohol is to all tastes. It's always a safe bet to offer anyone who visits your camp, be they a bard or not, a drink of water, especially in this climate.
~Eve
From: ulfie at cox.net
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 26, 2011 3:39:24 PM CDT
To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
Gold arm rings, glass beads, amber. The use of a seat in a position of
honor while they are there.
But the best gift is your attention.
Ulf
From: kaythiarain at YAHOO.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 26, 2011 11:54:20 AM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
A gift for a wandering Bard?
The best gift for a wandering bard is an accepted presence in your area. The comfort of conversation and exchanging entertainment. Going into an encampment is not about the bard nor is it about the performance. Being a wandering bard and going into an encampment is about the people already there, and how to assist in entertaining them with what THEY chose to be entertained with. Whether it is company, conversation about topics they already are talking about, assisting with their songs and stories, or a request by them to you. And letting a bard listen, is the best gift of all.
Wandering bards wouldn't need gifts if more bards thought this way.
Of course, that is a personal opinion, given in love.
Helena Panier
From: elecwolf at GMAIL.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 26, 2011 1:25:54 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
<<< Wandering bards wouldn't need gifts if more bards thought this way.
Helena Panier >>>
I don't know that the implication that a bard needed a gift was there. It sounded to me more like a question about gifting a suitable item to a bard that had entertained very well. I know that the two I received were just for me doing what was in my heart and the people that gifted them felt moved to do so.
At least that's what I see. :)
--
David "Volk'abe" Mc.
From: randomblacksmith at gmail.com
Subject: Re: {TheTriskeleTavern} gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 27, 2011 12:46:40 PM CDT
To: the-triskele-tavern at googlegroups.com
My single absolute favorite thing to do in the SCA is to go camp-hopping at big wars. Once the sun goes down it is wandering time. I meet tons of cool people, sing myself hoarse, and usually end up meeting other bards who fall in and we go traipsing off as a mobile party. The only thing more fun than wandering into a welcoming camp by myself is wandering into a welcoming camp with 3 other bards and having an instant revel. :)
I had been camp hopping for quite some time before I was offered anything other than the occasional beer as a bard's gift. I didn't even really know about the tradition at first. Since then, I think the tradition has been re-ignited, as I've been offered a gift more often since returning to the SCA 2 years ago.
Two gifts stand out in my memory, both of them from Gulf Wars. (GW 3 and GW 4 respectively, I think)
First, I approached an Ansteorran camp and was made welcome very graciously by the Countess in residence. (I didn't know at the time, but it was apparently THE Countess. She who reigned by Her own hand.) As I was leaving, She gave me a beautiful silver brooch and even lovelier words of thanks. This was my introduction to the tradition of gifting a bard, and I was touched to the point of tears. It has always stuck with me.
Second, I was singing for a fun camp and one of the people opened a bottle of The Glenlivet 18-year and passed it around a couple times. Then, when I was getting ready to leave, he handed the (still mostly full) bottle of scotch to me as a parting gift. Soooo... yeah. About 80 bucks worth of fine single-malt. I was stunned. I decided that as I had not come to GW with the bottle, I wasn't going to leave GW with it either, and used it to make as many friends as I could. Now that I think about it, I believe Don Connor was roaming with me that time. He helped with the scotch. :)
I've been writing a lot, but don't know if I've actually answered and of your questions. Story of my life....
Dinner, while lovely and quite period, is problematic if the bard is going to go anywhere else. (There are only so many dinners you can eat in an evening. Believe me, I've been offered 3 in one night. I think I rolled home.) If you know you have the bard for the rest of the night, however, go for it!
Beer is good, as a wet throat makes for a happy bard, but if your bards don't drink (hey, it happens) or can't drink beer (which is now my cross to bear) then they cannot accept your gift.
Jewelry or small charms are the norm, because they are easy to stockpile and carry to events. I've lately started carrying silver bells with ribbons of my colors woven through, so that I will not be found wanting if I am entertained by another wandering minstrel. (of course, the trick for me is remembering I have them.... a couple times now I've gotten home from an event, unpacked them, and *facepalm*)
A song in return is ALWAYS welcome. Heck, I'd far rather help direct a rollicking bardic with lots of performers than simply give the "Braennan Show". The more folks singing, the better, and I've gotten to know some of the coolest bards and minstrels by trading songs in camp.
As for your last question: Bard-gifts are a lovely gesture, and will definitely stick in the bard's memory, but what brings me back to a camp is the people. If the camp is welcoming and people really enjoy the entertainment (especially if they get involved themselves), that is just plain fun, and I'll make a point of entertaining again any chance I get.
-Braennan the Misguided
PS: A brief addendum:
My lady Wife has reminded me that the best bards-gift, bar none, is a roll of trim that the bard can take back to his lovely and doting Wife.
(This has actually happened once.) :D
-BtM
From: lmlamme at YAHOO.COM
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Gifts for Wandering Bards
Date: June 28, 2011 9:21:10 AM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
I dare say, there have been various times at war when someone has wandered into camp and asked to perform a song for us. Of course we are always happy to have a song and even if it was off-key and boring we thank the person for coming to entertain us. If we truly like the song, we offer a token, food and drink. If we didn't, a simple thank you. Sometimes the person has potential and we encourage them. If it's someone we shudder to think they may come back we are polite and offer no other comment. Or if they are disinclined to leave, offer them lots of alcohol in the hopes that an over lubricated bard is a passed out and quiet bard. ;)
Flur'
From: ameriehelton at bellsouth.net
Subject: Re: [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 28, 2011 9:00:29 PM CDT
To: StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Cc: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Those bangle bracelets you can get at Fire Mountain Gems, applause, favors, snacks, applause, non-alcoholic drinks, applause, pouches (everyone can always use another pouch), and did I mention applause?
Yours in song and story,
Mistress Dervila ni Leanon
Royal Bard of Atlantia
From: etienne.le.mons at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 28, 2011 10:02:26 PM CDT
To: StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
Cc: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org, ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
I'm a big fan of hugs. They're universal and come in all shapes and sizes. Drinks, food, and jewelry are all common. You can also go off the beaten path and offer things like hats. I'm a big fan of the hats!
I suggest staying away from things like cash (gets us mugged), pets (they normally eat all our food), and underwear. I'm still wondering why one audience member threw her underwear to me as a gift. Explanation? Anyone?
By the way, has anyone mentioned applause ;-)
--
Etienne Le Mons
Poeta Atlantiae
From: rudin at peoplepc.com
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] [MR] gifts for wandering bards?
Date: June 29, 2011 10:37:56 AM CDT
To: ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
A polite bard will appreciate anything you offer, of course. But it's still valid to ask what would be the best thing to offer. And the problem is that it varies from person to person.
So first, LOOK at the bard.
If the bard is not carrying a mug or goblet,the best gift is a mug or goblet.
If the bard is carrying a cheap store-boughten mug or goblet, then the best gift is a cool hand-made mug or goblet.
(If the bard is carrying an empty mug or goblet, offer to fill it.)
If he or she just walked up and performed, offer a seat at your circle. In the middle of an evening of wandering, a moment to sit in a comfortable chair is wonderful. This becomes more important as the bard gets older.
If the bard is clearly new to the SCA, then jewelry is good. Also, if the bard is wearing non-award jewelry, jewelry is good. But if the bard is adorned with awards but no other jewelry, he or she will appreciate the gesture, but not likely wear your jewelry in the future.
If he or she is already carrying a mug and a chair, or a mug and a staff, don't offer anything that can't be worn, eaten, or drunk (unless you can see that it clearly fits in his/her pouch).
Any jewelry or accessory should fit the bard's persona. A Viking has as little use for a Renaissance hat as a Venetian courtier has for a torc.
Food is often excellent, and there's no way to know if he or she is hungry without asking.
Having said all that, I end up where I started: a polite bard will appreciate anything you offer.
Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
<the end>