juggling-msg - 4/18/97

Jugglers in SCA and period.

NOTE: See also the files: jesters-msg, puppets-msg, theater-bib, theater-msg, p-
stories-msg, masks-msg.

************************************************************************
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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From:    Dagonell the Juggler 
Date: 29-Dec-89 08:09pm
Subject: Dagonell answers his mail

> what makes them [professional juggling balls] one hundred and four times
> better [more expensive] than the ones I buy in toy shop at three for a
> dollar?

Professional juggling balls are not made of rubber, but of a silicone
compound.  If you throw an ordinary rubber ball with a back-snap (so it's
spinning toward you as it falls away from you) the ball will bounce back
to your hand.  With a juggling ball, the same amount of force will send the
ball to the ground in front of you, over your shoulder (which means it's 
bouncing higher), to the ground BEHIND you, over your shoulder, to the ground
in front of you and then back to your hand.  There's a juggler at the 
University of Buffalo Juggling Club who can get seven bounces out of one
toss.  But, I agree with you, professional juggling equipment is outrageously
priced which is why when I teach juggling at a university class (like the 
upcoming UWEKAT, plug, plug) I start with how to make your own juggling
equipment.
                                                - Dagonell

"The lance never blunted the pen; nor the pen, the lance."    - Don Quiote
               ______
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             |       |   USNAILNET  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street,
   _________/        |                Buffalo, New York 14212-2029 U.S.A.
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 |______________     |   PERSONA    : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald
Lake
 AEthelmearc,   `_   |                AKA Dagonell the Juggler
    East Kingdom  `__|   DISCLAIMER :"Canisius never agrees with me."


From: lmb7421 at ultb.isc.rit.edu (Les Barstow: Phoenix)
Date: 7 Feb 90 00:54:16 GMT
Organization: Wandering Damage, Cosmo Police, Psi division

I'm not sure there *is* a book on the subject...

I can give you some basic info, which might help - I also suggest
watching the movie to get the feel of it...

First, find a ball to use - I suggest a cue ball or a juggling ball (the
cue ball is better because it has less friction...) KMart sells cue
balls for about $4.

Second, find a place to practice - no breakables, carpet, and first
floor would be best (first floor so that when you drop it it doesn't
make a resounding crash throughout the house...)  You may wish to kneel,
as that puts you closer to the floor, which quiets things down a bit and
allows you to chase the ball faster...

The basic motion is side-to-side, like a windshield wiper, and your hand
should be straightened out, fingers flexed back as far as they go (after
a while, your fingers bend back more than they used to, making it
easier...) Your hand should be perpendicular to your body (palm facing
to the side, up, or down - not towards or away from you) at all times -
after all, you are not trying to push the ball towards or away from you,
only side-to-side in front of you.  The motion itself is almost entirely
from the elbow - your upper arm should not move more than marginally,
and your wrist and hand should only move to adjust for the ball's
motion.

Now, there are two sweeps - one from when the ball is in your palm to
where is is on the back of your hand, and one from back-of-hand to
palm.  The easier of the two (I think) is from the back of the hand to
the palm, so it might be best to try that one first for a while.

Holding your elbow near your side, put your lower arm in front of you in
a horizontal position (both sweeps start and end from horizontal - if
you don't quite get to the horizontal position, the ball starts to roll
down your arm, and, hence, away from you (say, under the couch...)).
With your fingers stretched back, the ball should be able to rest
comfortably in the split between your index and middle fingers.  Keeping 
all other fingers together, spread your index and middle fingers
slightly apart - this is the guide and the path along which the ball
will travel when you start.  Now, in a winshield-wiper type motion,
bring your lower arm and hand out - if you go fast enough, the ball will
creep up your fingers and go up and over them (if you go too fast, the
ball goes up, over, and off your fingers - this is okay - you can slow
the motion down later; on the other hand, of you go too slow, the ball
catches on your fingers about halfway up and goes flying off to the
side, loudly.)  You may have to adjust your speed, the spread of your
two fingers, and the position of your fingers (how far bent back they
are) during this sweep (and every sweep - this is the trick...).  With
luck, and lots of practice, your motion will end with the ball exactly
in the same place on the opposite side of your hand from when you
started the motion.  Practice this for a while until you can get the
ball to roll all the way over without leaving your hand and without
running away most of the time)

The other sweep is similar - start with the ball in the split between
your middle and index fingers, palm-up and lower arm in a horizontal 
position away from your body.  Sweep up and over, and the ball will land 
where the first sweep started - in the seam of your fingers on the back 
of your hand.  Note that the ball may try sticking to your fingertips, 
catch, and fly away - this is what makes it harder than the other 
direction.  Also, if you find the ball running down your arm after it 
gets over the top (ie, you can't stop it from rolling), try dropping 
your hand very low as the ball gets over the top - overcompensate the 
motion. 
 
After a you get each motion right a few times, try the full motion,
sweeping both directions one after another - try not to let the ball
stop for more than a fraction of a second, as the motion should be
fluid.  You may also wish to tighten up your fingers a bit, to make the
trick less obvious.  Also, some people I know like a tighter motion -
the full side-to-side motion I think looks nicer, but still...if you
wish to not do the full motion, you do not have to bring your arm all
the way horizontal - so long as yo can stop the ball from rolling away,
you're set.

The passes are a challenge at first, but, briefly, they go from the
outside of one hand at the wrist to the inside of the other, also at the
wrist (by outside and inside I mean towards the pinky and thumb,
respectively) on the back of the hand.  First, learn to juggle with both
hands, then start to practice the passes - that way you can continue the
motion much more easily.

This should keep people who are interested occupied for quite some
time...
Have fun!


From: bcdegopi at watserv1.waterloo.edu (bcdegopi)
Date: 13 Apr 90 20:46:40 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo

In article <1930 at zipeecs.umich.edu> charles at sparky.eecs.umich.edu (Charles
Jacob Cohen) writes:
>Greetings Lords and Ladies.  
>
>Is there anyone out there with information how to be a jester in the SCA.
>I have the juggling skills, the costume is being made, but it is very
>hard for me to find any information on this subject, and in the two
>events I've been to, I haven't seen an other performing jesters.  Any
>information or sources about style and performance would be most
>appreciated.  Thanks in advance!
>
>       - Midair, the Juggler of Cynnabar

  As it happens I happen to be in the midst of researching this very topic...
  Here are some of the books I have started reading on the topic, which
  you may be interested in.  I'm sorry to say I can only give you Author,
  Title, and Library of Congress Number, as I have aprint-out here, but the
books themselves are elsewhere.
 
Armin, Robert "Fools and Jesters: with a reprint of robert Armin's Nest of
ninnies"  Call Number: PR2417.N4 1842
 
Busby, Olive Mary "Studies in the development of the fool in the Elizabethan
drama" Call Number: PR658.F7B8 1923

Doran, John "The History of Court Fools"
    Call Number: Gt3670.d6
Swain, Barbara "Fools and folly during the middle ages and renaissance"
    Call Number: PN56.F6S8
Welsford, Enid "The Fool; his social and literary history."
    Call Number: GT3670.W4
Arden, Heather "Fool's plays: a study of satire in the sottie"
    Call Number: PQ514.A7 1980
Billington, Sandra "A Social History of the fool"
    Call Number: GT3670.B45 1984
Kaiser, Walter Jacob "Praisers of folly: Erasmus Rabelais, Shakespeare."
    Call Number: PA8515.K3
Lukens, Nancy "buchner's Valerio and teh theatrical fool tradition"
    Call Number: PT1828.BA7246

      There are many more, but these are  the one's which I have a list of
since the pretain more specifically to my topic.  You will find the comedy of
the fool is fairly varied, with many sub-types.
 
Foolishly,

Owain ap Emrys SAethydd,
Bcdegopi at watserv1.Waterloo.edu
Bryniau Tywnnog
Principality of Ealdormere.


From: 70431.1622 at compuserve.com (Gareth the Eccentric)
Date: 18 Apr 90 01:57:55 GMT

To: Internet:sca-request%mc.lcs.mit.edu at mintaka.lcs.mit.edu

Recently, Midair the Juggler of Cynnabar (Charles Jacob Cohen)
requested sources for documentation on jesting.  The following
are sources on juggling extracted from an article sent to me by
Lord Dagonell Collingwood.

What follows below is list of readily available, highly
recommended reading on juggling and its history.  It is not, by
any means, a complete or all inclusive list.  I'd like to point
out that with one exception, which is  noted, all of these books
are secondary documentation sources, but they are  well
documented themselves from primary sources.  The serious 
historian/performer is encouraged to consider them as starting
points.

"Juggling : The Arts and Its Artists" by Karl-heinz Ziethen and
Andrew Allen (Rausch and Luft Publishing, 1986, ISBN
3-9801140-1-5, $69.95).  Karl-heinz  is the author of "Four
Thousand Years of Juggling History", a book the  International
Juggling Association considers to be one of the definitive works 
in the field.  Unfortunately, it's a 1,000+ page manuscript,
EXTREMELY  expensive, can only be custom ordered from France, and
it's nearly a year long  wait.  Andrew Allen managed to talk
Karl-heinz into publishing a condensed  American version and this
book is the result.  I recommend that you check it  out of the
library.  It's a $70.00 book, and after the first chapter it 
concentrates on post 1940's.

"Street Magic -- An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians
and Their  Conjuring Arts" by Edward Claflin and Jeff Sheridan
(Dolphin Books [Doubleday  and Co.], 1977, ISBN 0-385-12864-9,
$5.95)  Medievally, there was no distinction between jugglers and
magicians.   This book covers all types of "street performers" 
and is very well documented with illustrations of period woodcuts 
and paintings. 
 
"The Art of Iugling or Legerdemaine" by Samuel Rid (to be sold by 
him in  front of his shop in London, 1612!, Govt. Doc. Collection 
Microfilm, Reel 971,  Cat#21027, Pr 1121.U6, MiU F63-378)  THIS
IS A PERIOD, PRIMARY SOURCE!!! It's on microfilm and part of the
Government Document Collection.  Most major  research colleges
and universities will have the collection.  It's difficult
reading because it's archaic English and written in illegible
Blackletter but it's worth the effort of tracking down.

Just passing along information,
Lord Gareth the Eccentric of Saint Albans
Michael Mahler
70431.1622 at compuserve.com
Shire of Stormsport, Principality of thelmearc, East Kingdom
Erie, PA


From: jrt9158 at venus.tamu.edu (TURNER, JEFFREY ROBERT)
Date: 22 Oct 91 16:26:06 GMT
Organization: Academic Computing Services, Texas A&M University

In article <1991Oct18.094749.17417 at agora.uucp>, trifid at agora.uucp 
(Roadster Racewerks) writes...
> 
>Of course a medieval weaver in any large town would have been unlikely to have
>sheared the sheep themselves, and one from a city would not likely have done
>their own dying. (Spinning depends on the era involved.) A cottager in a small
>village might have done it all, but even then it would be more likely that a
>family member would be helping out with the tasks requiring different skills.
> 
>Ah me.......
> 
>NicMaoilan

My partner and I were told at one past event that the clubs 
we were passing between the two of us were not period at all;
after all, not only were they plastic, but we didn't even 
make them ourselves.  REAL period jugglers would carve their
own clubs out of wood.  *sigh*

My partner, Staltus, took great delight in informing our 
accuser that as far as Europe, Africa and the vast majority
of Asia are concerned, juggling anything but balls is virtually
unheard of in period and even throwing tricks with the balls 
would be very unlikely.  *smile*

Nothing like an incorrect authenticity policeman...

Valentyn the Fool

Period games and magic
10 Feb 92 
From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

Margaret Macdubhsidhe writes:
> I've recently started looking into period games, both atheletic and 
> otherwise.  Unfortunately, aside from "The Compleat Gamester", which is 
> about 20 years out of period, and a few mentions of football, bowling,
> tennis, and various card and dice games, I have been able to find very
> little.  Besides Master Samalluh's (please pardon the mangled spelling) book,
> does anyone know of any good secondary or primary sources for games
> descriptions?  Is anyone else researching card, dice and athletic games
> (outside of tourney/fencing/martial arts)?  Want to share 
> research/ideas/sources?

Duncan MacLeod writes:
> I am also looking for period sources for slight of hand magic, Both of these
> requests are for children who are trying their best to be patient, so 
> swiftness of response would be much appreciated!

Actual period sources are rare, I only know of one:
	_The Art of Iugling [Juggling] or Legerdemaine_ by Samuel Rid, to be
sold by him in his shop in London, 1612.  To get this manuscript, go to a
University with a _U.S. Govt. Doc. Microfilm Collection_ and ask for Reel 971,
Cat# 21027, Pr 1121.U6, MiU F63-378.  Grainy photocopies of microfilm of
nearly illegible blackletter calligraphy of Old English grammar and spelling
make this difficult reading, but it's worth the effort.

Some very scholarly secondary sources include:
	_Medieval Games_ by Salamallah the Corpulent, Raymond's Quiet Press
ISBN 0-943228-03-4,$10.00.  I've also managed to track down about 3/4 of the
books he lists in the Bibliography.  Among them, I'd recommend the following
two:

	_Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland_ by Alice Gomme,
pub. London 1894. in 2 vol.  Normally, I avoid Victorian books as the
scholarship usually tends to be nearly non-existant.  These books however,
are very well researched.  I can't quote a price or ISBN, because I don't
own them.  

	_Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations_ by Richard C. Bell,
Dover Pub., ISBN 0-486-23855-5, $6.50.  My edition is "revised edition - two 
volumes bound as one" which makes it a bit confusing as the sequence goes;
table of contents, text, bibliography, index, table of contents, text, biblio-
graphy, index.

Some additional books:
	_Games of the World: How to Make Them, How to Play Them, How They
Came to Be_  edited by Frederic V. Grunfeld, Holt Rinehart & Winston Pub,
ISBN 0-03-015261-5.  My copy doesn't have the price listed on it.  Richard
Bell (see listing above) is listed as one of the consultants for the book.
The book is documented to the nth degree with photographs of museum pieces
and medieval manuscripts.  Instructions on building boards and playing pieces
are well written, well diagrammed and often photographed in intermediate stages
of construction.  Games are categorized into: Board & Table Games, Street &
Playground Games, Field & Forest Games, Party & Festival Games, & Puzzles,
Tricks & Stunts.  Additionally the table of contents has cross-indexed each 
game for: Indoor or Outdoor; Solo, Pair or Group; Mental, Physical or Chance;
Playing Time - Short, Medium, Long & Prepartion Time - Short, Medium, Long.

	_The History of Playing Cards: with Anecdotes of Their Use in 
Conjuring, Fortune-Telling and Card-Sharping_ edited by Ed S. Taylor et al.
Originally pub. London 1865, my edition is pub. by Charles Tuttle Co 1973,
ISBN 0-8048-1026-5.  No price listed on my copy.  It doesn't have a biblio-
graphy :-(, but all of the direct quotes are adequately footnoted.  The
illustrations are all modern drawings of medieval cards :-(  I would have
preferred photographs, warts and all.

	_Juggling: The Art and Its Artists_ by Karl-Heinz Ziethen & Andrew
Allen, 1986, Rausch & Luft Pub., ISBN 3-9801140-1-5, $69.00.  Karl wrote
a book in French, which translates as _The Complete History of Juggling_.
Unfortunately :-( it's in French, 1,000+ pages, $200.00+, and only available
from France by custom order!  Andrew talked him into publishing the American
Coffee Table version listed here.  I'd suggest getting it from the library
as after the first ten pages of medieval history, it goes into 1940.
Additionally, the illustrations are simply labelled, "Greek Vase c240BC" or
"Danish Manuscript 1470" with no additional information.

	_Street Magic -- An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians and 
Their Conjuring Arts_ by Edward Claflin and Jeff Sheridan, Doubleday and Co., 
ISBN 0-385-12864-9, $5.95.  Well written, well documented and lots of photo-
graphs of museum pieces and manuscripts.  Duncan, if you only use one book
from this list, it has to be this one!

Books strictly on techniques, or how to play:
	_The Juggler's Handbook_ by Bob Stone, Spiritwood Publishing, ISBN 
0-9611928-0-1, $12.95.  This one contains something I've never seen anywhere
else, Juggling Notation.  Juggling notation is to juggling what musical
notation is to music, a set of symbols for writing down how to do a sequence.

	_Juggling with Finesse_ by Kit Summers, Finesse Press, ISBN 
0-938981-00-5, $14.95.  An American success story, Kit Summers is two time
winner of the International Jugglers Association World Championship.  The
second time was AFTER he had been hit by a truck and told he would never
leave his hospital bed.

	_The Juggling Book_ by Carlo, Random House, ISBN 0-394-71956-5, $6.95.
Carlo is a juggler for Barnum and Bailey Circus, nuff said!

	_The Complete Juggler_ by Dave Finnigan, Random House, ISBN 
0-394-74678-3.  No price listed on my copy.  I'm normally sceptical of any
book that calls itself _The Complete "X"_.  In my opinion, "X" has to be
at least a dozen words to define a field of knowledge narrow enough to covered
completely in one book.  This one however, comes real close.  The author is
a former president of IJA and there's enough tricks here to keep a juggler
going for years.  For those who like to compare their performance against
others, the book contains the Official Rank Requirements of the IJA, ie, what 
you have to be able to do to earn the next rank. 

	_Hand Shadows_ & _Hand Shadows II_ I can't get my paws on these at
the moment, so I can't give you author, price or ISBN, but they're both
available from the Dover Pub. children's books catalog.  They're just what
they sound like, illustrated books on how to cast shadow pictures on the
wall.  Does anyone know if this is period??  By the by, I'd recommend getting
the Dover catalog, it's free.  Write to: Dover Pub., 180 Varick St., N.Y., N.Y.
10014.  Specify your fields of interest and ask for the general catalog as well.


	_The Boardgame Book_ by Richard C. Bell. Nothing spectacular, but
rules for most of common board games all conveniently in one volume.

Books which have been recommended to me, but I haven't yet read myself.
	_A History of Board Games Other Than Chess_ by H.J.R. Murray
	_Games Ancient and Oriental and How to Play Them_ by E. Falkener
	_A History of Playing Cards_ by Catherine P. Hargrave

                                                       - Dagonell

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	    : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Disclaimer  : A society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers.
Internet    : salley at klaatu.cs.canisius.edu
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Juggling Laurels
From: bettina.helms at channel1.com (Bettina Helms)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 93 22:19:00 -0500
Organization: Channel 1(R) * 617-864-0100 Info * 617-354-7077 Modem

JA>But that is not why I write. Not quite. There had also been a
JA>comment that that long ago there was an East Kingdom (?) Juggling
JA>Laurel, with some questions about who and where etc.
......
JA>Apologies for any errors in the following:
JA>Xavier de Saone is reported to have received his Laurel within
JA>the last couple of years from Atenveldt, for juggling. He is
JA>reported to be currently relocating in An Tir.

That would make *two* Juggling Laurels. The East Kingdom one (as you
will have heard several times by now) is Master Leiftameon
Carlsefnisson.


From: atterlep at vela.acs.oakland.edu (Cardinal Ximenez)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling Laurels
Date: 16 Aug 1993 13:43:23 -0400
Organization: National Association for the Disorganized

bettina.helms at channel1.com (Bettina Helms) writes:

>JA>But that is not why I write. Not quite. There had also been a
>JA>comment that that long ago there was an East Kingdom (?) Juggling
>JA>Laurel, with some questions about who and where etc.
>......
>JA>Apologies for any errors in the following:
>JA>Xavier de Saone is reported to have received his Laurel within
>JA>the last couple of years from Atenveldt, for juggling. He is
>JA>reported to be currently relocating in An Tir.

>That would make *two* Juggling Laurels. The East Kingdom one (as you
>will have heard several times by now) is Master Leiftameon
>Carlsefnisson.

  Four, counting the one from Lochac and, um, Master What's-His-Name from the
Midrealm.

  (I HATE it when that happens!)

		Alan Fairfax Aluricson, Fenris Herald
		Canton of the Riding of Hawkland Moor
		Barony of Northwoods, Midrealm
		atterlep at vela.acs.oakland.edu		**Magnitudo Vocis**


From: "Brett W. McCoy" <p01335 at psilink.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 94 10:02:34 -0500
Organization: DIOGENES/FOI Services, Inc.

>DATE:   19 Jul 1994 06:39:31 GMT
>FROM:   BARBARA ESCHELMUELLER <h8750259 at idefix.wu-wien.ac.at>
>
>Beothwine asked: 
>
>: So
>: with all these people posting all these fine newsletter-type aticles
>: lately, I'd love to have an article from you on how to get started in 
juggling.
>: Can you give us a few thoughts on equipment, getting started on basic
>: technique, and sources/references for further study?
>
>I would strongly suggest, go to the alt.juggling conference and look
>there. They also have some good pages in the WWW with the material you
>are looking for. Just go to http://www.hal.com/services/juggle/

Another good source for basic juggling techniques, and you should be 
able to find it in any decent bookshop, is _Juggling for the Complete 
Klutz_.  It details the basic jug moves, as well as pointing out 
potential problems and suggestions for avoiding them.  The book also 
comes with three denim juggling bags.  The basic techniques are easily 
mastered within days.  To do it well and consistently may take a bit longer.

I've wanted to juggle ever since I first read _Lord Valentine's Castle_ 
by Robert Silverberg.  A friend, Razmus the Innocent, made some neat 
bags out of mail stuffed with cloth.  Another friend, a Marklander, 
makes solid cubes of mail for juggling.  And he won't tell anyone how 
he makes them. ;-{

Istvann Dragosani                     | "Go not to the Elves for counsel,
bmccoy at cap.gwu.edu                    |        for they will say 
Minstrel, Mage, Sage, Wooer of Women, |         both yes and no"     
and General Friend of All Nature...   |         -- JRR Tolkien


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: lovelace at netcom.com (Tanner Lovelace)
Subject: Period juggling references?
Keywords: Juggling, Period, Reference
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 20:28:06 GMT

Greetings,

Does anyone know of any period references to juggling.  I'm
not talking about just mentioning juggling, as Shakespeare does,
but actual texts on how it's done.  I've heard rumors of
a 12th century Persian manuscript called "The Flight of the 
Spheres", but I'm interested in finding out if there is more
out there.  Please e-mail replies.  Thanks in advance.

Lord Kendrick Wayfarer
Barony of Storvik
Kingdom of Atlantia
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tanner Lovelace | lovelace at netcom.com   |  D /       C /  Fence
Takoma Park     | lovelace at cap.gwu.edu  | ()~    --+-\\   Fence
Maryland        | lovelace at cuc.edu      | / >        | \  Fence
----------------------------------------------------------------


From: sahyun at graphy.physics.orst.edu (Steve  Sahyun)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: juggling
Date: 27 Jan 1995 07:15:27 GMT
Organization: University Computing Services - Oregon State University

The best that I've found, reference wise, is 4,000 Years of Juggling
by Karl-Heinz Zeithen Vol.1, 1981,  ISBN 2-903717-00-1.  This book
is rumored to be the most complete history book about juggling but
it only has about a dozen pages on juggling before 1700.
An interesting place to find juggling pictures is on Chinese tombstones.
There is an art museum in Portland, OR which has a nice stone in which
a juggler and a tumbler are very nicely displayed (although they are
but 2 of a hundred or so figures.)
A good gentle had e-mailed me the title of a book which he recommended
but I don't recall the title at this moment.

Master Xavier de Saone
 

From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Discussion about the SCA
Date: 24 Jan 95 20:56:32 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

Edward (Mark A. Cochran) writes:
> salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley) writes:
>>Agnes of Ilford (Patricia Shanahan) writes:
>>> JPilcher at msmail.radisys.COM (Jim Pilcher) writes:
>>>> agility, which  sorts for intelligence and good self esteem 

>>> I had never heard before of the idea that manual dexterity is a measure
>>> of IQ. Considering my degree of manual dexterity, if that were valid I
>>> would be in need of special education.

>>Hey, waitaminnuit!  I kinda like the idea.  All of us jugglers would be
>>rightfully acknowledged as geniuses! ;-) ;-)  Of course, if I'm so bright,
>>why do I practice juggling live steel? ;-)
 
> Because there is no correlation between intelligence and wisdom?
> Or perhaps you're just hoping to be the first ever to have his fingers
> reattached in the field, using only medieval tools? (Now, how would I
> best document this for our A&S people?)

Funny you should mention that...

At the Hael's Masked Ball event, I was practicing my juggling outside near
where the smokers were.  There's a Viking who has learned enough juggling
to steal balls from juggler and return them.  'Of course I steal, I'm a
Viking, it's in the job description!"  He was standing there smoking and
out of the corner of his eye, he saw me juggling an apple.  He put out his
cigarette against his shoe sole and came racing towards me.  He raised his
hands to the clutch position and stopped as if he hit glass wall.  I was
juggling an apple ... and an egg ... and live steel with a six-inch blade. ;-)

He pulled his hands back, looked at his fingers and said, "No, I don't think
so.  I don't want the Chirurgeons re-attaching them using only period
techniques."  The smokers all started laughing. ;-)  As he walked away from
me, I heard a lady's voice, "Dagonell, that's not a _real_ blade is it?"
I caught the knife in my right hand, the egg in my left and then turned the
knife point up and the apple impaled itself on the blade.  The applause was
wonderful. ;-)

                                                       - Dagonell

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	: East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Internet    : salley at niktow.cs.canisius.edu  
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029


From: ej613 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Maureen S. O'Brien)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: juggling
Date: 3 Feb 1995 03:55:37 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

In a previous article, andrew at bransle.ucs.mun.ca (Andrew Draskoy) says:

>Does anyone have pointers to period information on juggling and related
>foolery?

Saw this in Snorri Sturluson's Edda:

Gylfaginning (the first part)

"...In the doorway of the hall, Gylfi saw a man juggling with
knives, keeping seven in the air at a time." p.8

Of course, this guy was one of the Aesir, so period jugglers'
knife number may vary!
-- 
Maureen S. O'Brien		We are like the roses ---
ad451 at dayton.wright.edu		We are forced to grow.


From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling
Date: 8 Feb 95 21:26:12 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

Andrew Draskoy <andrew at bransle.ucs.mun.ca> wrote:
>I didn't see any followups to the article about juggling, so I'll ask:
>Does anyone have pointers to period information on juggling and related
>foolery?

Bren writes:
>	I was just about to post the same message.  Does anyone know of 
> any place (book, letter) that has "period" juggling and/or Jestering.

Hi!  This is Dagonell the Juggler.  Lemme tell ya, there ain't much.
One of the items on my list of things to do someday, is to put together
enough documentation to write a CA titled "Jugglers, Jesters and Jongleurs"
Someday.  Maybe.

In the meantime, I have written to the two people I know of who got
Laurels for juggling.  They both said that they got their danglys for
teaching and doing, there just isn't that much doc.

What little I have at the present time:

HISTORY
_4,000 Years of Juggling History_ 
_Juggling : The Art and its Artists_
	Both books are by Karl-Heinz Ziethen, the latter co-written by Andrew
	Allen.  (Rausch and Luft Publishing, ISBN 3-9801140-1-5, 362p, $69.00,
	1986) for the latter.  The former I don't have publishers info for, it 
	was published in Europe.  I suspect it's the same book under a 
	different title.

	Unfortunately, the former title is very misleading.  It's a coffee
	table book for mundanes.  By the tenth page, it's showing old photos
	of vaudeville acts from the 1940's.  The few pages devoted to our
	time period are woefully inadequate.  A photo of: a statue of a juggler 
	labelled "Baked Clay, Thuben, c200BC"; an Egyptian mural labelled
	"Egyptian Wall Painting, c2040BC"; and portions of two scrolls
	showing performers labelled "Medieval Manuscripts"  That's it!
	No dates, no museums, no bibliographies, nothing!

_Street Magic: An Illustrated History of Wandering Magicians and Their
	Conjuring Arts_ by Edward Claflin and Jeff Sheridan.  (Doubleday,
	ISBN 0-385-12864-9, 158p, $5.95, 1977)  The title pretty much says it 
	all.  Their research was done from period sources and they have lots 
	of photos of period paintings and drawings.

TECHNIQUE:
_The Juggler's Handbook_ by B. Stone (Spiritwood Pub., ISBN 0-9611928-0-1,
	200p, $12.95, 1983)

_Juggling with Finesse_ by Kit Summers (two time International Juggling
	Association World Champion!)  (Finesse Press, ISBN 0-938981-00-5,
	266p, $14.95, 1987)

_The Juggling Book_ by Carlo (a professional juggler for Ringling Bros.,
	Barnum and Bailey!)  (Random House, ISBN 0-394-71956-5, 112p,
	$6.95, 1987)

_The Complete Juggler_ by Dave Finnigan (former president of International
	Juggling Association)  (Jugglebug Press, ISBN 0-9615521-0-7, 574p,
	$14.95)  This book also has the requirements for the IJA Achievement 
	Awards and instructions on how to do the required tricks.

International Jugglers Association, P.O.Box 3707JB, Akron OH 44314-3704
Annual membership $15, includes subscription to Juggler's World magazine.

Maureen S. O'Brien writes:
> Saw this in Snorri Sturluson's Edda:
> Gylfaginning (the first part)
> "...In the doorway of the hall, Gylfi saw a man juggling with
> knives, keeping seven in the air at a time." p.8

> Of course, this guy was one of the Aesir, so period jugglers'
> knife number may vary!

At seven items, I start to get suspicious.  Juggling five items takes
approximately 200 hours of practice according to the IJA.  A dedicated amateur 
can usually do this with two sessions of fifteen minutes a day for a little 
under two years.

Juggling seven items takes about 2,000 hours of practice.  You've either
got a professional who juggles for a living, an amateur without a personal
life, someone who's been juggling for literally decades, or a liar.  Bear
in mind, also that if a juggler is tossing five, an untrained witness may
think he's tossing more.

When you're doing your research, trying looking under 'Circus' and 'Magic'.
Remember that in medieval times, a juggler was someone who did clever things
with his hands, a magician was someone you burned at the stake for dealing
with Satan.  What we call a magician now, would have been known as a juggler
back then.  Good luck and keep in touch.

                                                       - Dagonell the Juggler

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	    : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Internet    : salley at cs.canisius.edu  (Please use this, reply may not work.)
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029


From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling
Date: 9 Feb 95 13:32:00 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

Dani of the Seven Wells writes:
> Dagonell:
>>> Saw this in Snorri Sturluson's Edda:
>>> "...In the doorway of the hall, Gylfi saw a man juggling with
>>> knives, keeping seven in the air at a time." p.8
>>
>>> Of course, this guy was one of the Aesir...

>>At seven items, I start to get suspicious....Juggling seven items 
>>takes about 2,000 hours of practice.  You've either
>>got a professional who juggles for a living, an amateur without a personal
>>life, someone who's been juggling for literally decades, or a liar. 

> Well, if the juggler was one of the Aesir (ie, a god), he's presumably
> had plenty of time to practice...

Okay, so he's been juggling for literally decades...and decades...and decades.
;-) ;-)  Dagonell is a nice Christian boy from the War of the Roses.  What
does he know about all these pagan deities? ;-) ;-) ;-)

I'm still trying to figure out how he stops.  Knife #1 is caught in the right
hand, #2 in the left.  With your right thumb, you roll #1 away from your
fingers and towards your wrist and catch #3 at the base of your fingers and
top of your palm.  Ditto on the left for #4.  #5 is caught by letting it 
drop between #1 and #3 and pinching them shut (easier than it sounds), Ditto
for #6 on the left.  HOW DOES HE CATCH THE SEVENTH KNIFE????  I guess that's
one reason why I'll never get to be an Aesir. ;-) ;-)

                                                       - Dagonell

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	    : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Internet    : salley at cs.canisius.edu  (Please use this, reply may not work.)
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029


From: lsteele at mtholyoke.edu (Lisa Steele)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling and Magic
Date: 13 Feb 1995 22:52:23 GMT
Organization: Mount Holyoke College

> With all this talk concerning juggling, I figure now would be a good
> time to ask this.  In the middle ages, how much were juggling and
> stage craft combined?
> If magic was used, what kind?
> - Midair MacCormaic

You might want to search out a work by Thomas Betson, a 15th c. 
mountebank who exposes many of his kin's tricks. I have seen it discussed 
in several works, but am looking for a translation of the work proper. 
There was also a prosecution of theives in 15th c. Lyon which left a 
number of interesting interrogation records (to be taken with a block of 
salt, tho.)

See Kieckhefer _Magic in the MA_, Cambridge, Cambridge U. Press (1990); 
McCall, _The Medieval Underworld_, London: Hamish Hamilton (1979).

In Service,
  Esclarmonde de Colloure


From: salley at niktow.canisius.edu (David Salley)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggling and Magic
Date: 15 Feb 95 15:54:49 GMT
Organization: Canisius College, Buffalo NY. 14208

(Charles J. Cohen) writes:
> With all this talk concerning juggling, I figure now would be a good
> time to ask this.  In the middle ages, how much were juggling and
> stage craft combined?  

Universally.  They didn't distinguish between the two.  A juggler was
someone who did clever manipulations with his hands for money.  A 
magician was someone you burned at the stake for consorting with Satan.

> When I perform at events, I always do a 'pure'
> juggling routine with some humor - no magic or stage craft
> what-so-ever.  Does anyone know, or even have speculations, on weither
> this was the case in the middle ages?

It wasn't, see above.

> If magic was used, what kind? I'm pretty sure it isn't card tricks and
> the like, but for the life of me I can not imagine what was done,
> except for making balls disappear and reappear.

Why not card tricks?  They're period.  For a documentable repertoire, look
at the paintings _The Magician_ by Hieronymus Bosch, and _Saint Jacques and
the Magician Hermogenes_ by Pieter the Elder, both paintings are early 16th
century (albeit with modern names), and show a juggling and magic act in
mid-performance.

TRUE STORY: Brandon the Juggler was performing for the King of Germany.
"Your majesty, do you see that pigeon on that roof?"
	"Yes."
"Do you see this picture of that pigeon?"
	"Yes."
Brandon raises his dagger in the air and drives it down through the center
of the drawing.  The pigeon falls over, dead.
	"Guards! Kill him!"

> - Midair MacCormaic, who just got his willow for juggling and is still
> stunned....

Congrats and welcome aboard!
                                                       - Dagonell the Juggler

SCA Persona : Lord Dagonell Collingwood of Emerald Lake, CSC, CK, CTr
Habitat	    : East Kingdom, AEthelmearc Principality, Rhydderich Hael Barony
Internet    : salley at cs.canisius.edu  (Please use this, reply may not work.)
USnail-net  : David P. Salley, 136 Shepard Street, Buffalo, New York 14212-2029


From: Alfredo el Bufon <hopkins at dg-rtp.dg.com>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: The Science of Juggling
Date: 9 Nov 1995 16:07:07 GMT
Organization: Data General Corporation, RTP, NC

There is an article entitled "The Science of Juggling"
in the November 1995 issue of _Scientific_American_.
The article was written by Peter J. Beek
(a movement scientist at the Faculty of Human Movement at
the Free University in Amersterdam) and Arthur Lewbel
(a professor of economics at Brandeis University).
It includes a very brief history of juggling, some
sports-medecine-type analysis, an account of robots
that juggle, a sidebar on the mathematics of juggling,
and a six-item bibliography which includes a pointer
to the Juggling Information Service at
http://www.hal.com/services/juggle/

-- Alfredo el Bufon
hopkins at dg-rtp.dg.com


From: schuldy at abel.harvard.edu (Mark Schuldenfrei)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: The Science of Juggling
Date: 9 Nov 1995 21:01:52 GMT
Organization: My own little corner.

Alfredo el Bufon  <hopkins at dg-rtp.dg.com> wrote:
  There is an article entitled "The Science of Juggling"
  in the November 1995 issue of _Scientific_American_.
  The article was written by Peter J. Beek
  (a movement scientist at the Faculty of Human Movement at
  the Free University in Amersterdam) and Arthur Lewbel
  (a professor of economics at Brandeis University).

Arthur Lewbel?  THE ARTHUR LEWBEL?  Never heard of him.  I've heard of
Master Leiftameon Carlsefnisson, OL, Carolingian.  Also called "Leiftameon
the Juggler", whose real name is Arthur L. Lewbel.

Coincidence?  Don't bet your trunkhosen, kiddies.  Although I don't know for
sure...

	Tibor (I new that name rang a bell)
-- 
Mark Schuldenfrei (schuldy at math.harvard.edu)


From: lewbel at binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: The Science of Juggling
Date: 11 Nov 1995 00:55:11 GMT
Organization: Brandeis University

OK, I admit it. I did write the Scientific American article.
I've got an early history of juggling paper in the works now, that I hope
will end up somewhere like TI. 

LeifTameon

Arthur Lewbel     
Lewbel at binah.cc.brandeis.edu


From: ej613 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Maureen S. O'Brien)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Juggling in the Tain
Date: 13 Jan 1996 02:38:45 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

_The Tain_ (Tain Bo Cualnge), translated by Thomas Kinsella, University
of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, 1985 (ISBN:0-18122-7837-2)

I found some juggling and tumbling stuff in here for you jongleurs....

(p. 25) The Ulster chariot-warriors were practicing on spear-cords stretched
the length of the house from one door to the other, 205 feet. The feats they
performed were the apple-feat and the feats of the javelin and the sword-
edge.... 

(p.29) [Cuchulain] stayed with [Domnall Mildemail, the war-like] and
was taught first the Pierced Flagstone, with the bellows blowing under
it. He performed on it until his soles were blackened and discolored.
Next the "Hero's Coil on the Spikes of Spears" -- climbing up along a spear
and performing on its point without making his soles bleed.

(p. 34) So Cuchulain's training in the craft of arms is done: the apple-feat
--- juggling nine apples with never more than one in his palm....

I thought this would interest people, that the complete training of a 
warrior would consist of not just useful tricks for war, but just plain 
performance as well.
-- 
Maureen S. O'Brien		We are like the roses ---
ad451 at dayton.wright.edu		We are forced to grow.


From: bill.jackman at rubysbbs.gate.net (BILL JACKMAN)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 96 13:51:00 -0700
Organization: Ruby's Joint BBS * Home Of Ruby's Pearls *

From: bill.jackman at rubysbbs.gate.net
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers

NC>Jugglers then and jugglers now have very little difference between them.
NC>Jugglers will and do juggle anything on hand.  Simply consider what
NC>objects would be available in the time period the individual wish to
NC>portray.

In the Medieval times, the Term Juggler was generally applied to a
musician or member of a troupe of entertainers who accompanied a
Troudabor (Trouveres, Minnesinger, etc.) from castle to castle.
Joculatore, Jongleur, Gaukler, etc.
Bill the Mundane
---
  SLMR 2.1a  Wilhelm Von Meissen genannt Frauenlob


From: dpeters at panix.com (D. Peters)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers
Date: 18 Feb 1996 09:48:07 -0500
Organization: Panix

In article <4g2jqk$aro at uwm.edu>,
Barbara Jean Kuehl <bj at alpha1.csd.uwm.edu> wrote:
>I'm writing this letter for a friend of mine who is attempting to
>put together a medieval/renaissance era juggling show.  She's
>fine when it comes to costuming, but needs information about the
>kinds of things (balls, sticks, clubs, etc.) jugglers might have
>used 'back then'.  Anybody have any ideas?  
 
The pictures I've seen of medieval jugglers (the one I've got in front of 
me right now is a photo of an illustration from MS Cotton Tiberius C vi, 
f.30--an English psalter, c. 10th-11th century) show jugglers throwing 
even numbers of unmatched items--two balls and two knives, or three balls 
and three knives.  Rather daunting, that, but it could be worse--Egyptian 
depictions of juggling show young girls performing crossed-wrist 
cascades, or showering a half-dozen or so balls.

Other jugglers in my acquaintance have asserted that "clubs are not 
period"--certainly the injection-molded plastic ones aren't.  Neither 
would rubber balls be appropriate, IMO.  But one could make balls or 
beanbags out of leather stuffed with beans or grain or sawdust, or find 
some pigs' bladders...:-P  As stated above, knives are appropriate, if 
tricky.  If you're a cheeky sort of performer, you could steal people's 
hats and juggle them, or grab the fruit off the table....

Several of the juggling books that I've looked at do point out that one 
can perform an awful lot of tricks with just three balls, so you really 
don't *have* to have an assemblage of Terror Objects (a la the Flying 
Karamazovs).

Hope that helps.
D.Peters
who juggles balls, grocery produce, and schedules :-)


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: jennyb at pyjamas (Jennifer Bray)
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers
Organization: 3Com (Europe) Ltd
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 16:09:24 GMT

Not very practical for an act, & it might be a bit early for the time period
you're after, but there's a saga which mentions two men showing off: I can't
recall the exact details, but it went something along the lines of: first man
juggles axes, second says "ha, that's nothing" gets his men to row a longship
out into the bay & juggles axes on the moving ship, 1st man determined not to
be outdone gets his men to row his ship out into the bay too & juggles axes
on the moving ship... whilst running along the oars as the men row!

I've heard tell that the runniong along the oars trick wasn't that unusual,
but it takes confidence to add the axe juggling, not least because they would
have been rather too valuable to risk dropping.

The story is related in Du Chaillu's book "the Viking age".
Jennyb at pdd.3com.com


From: justin at dsd.camb.inmet.COM (Mark Waks)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers
Date: 20 Feb 1996 13:27:18 -0500
Organization: The Internet

The earliest source I know that specifically is about juggling is just
post-period. From my games bibliography (I consider the subject closely
related):

Rid, Samuel. The Art of Iugling or Legerdemaine.
London, 1612. Reprinted in facsimile by Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in
    1974, as #688 of The English Experience.

    The first known book on juggling and other street entertainments.
    A fine introduction to the subject. Actually more concerned with
    street magic than with what we would call juggling. Has a section on
    magic with cards, and some warnings about how people cheat with them.
    Ends with a section telling of the dangers of Alchemy, and a few
    curious charms for witches.

                                -- Justin


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: macliam at nauticom.net
Subject: Re: Medieval jugglers
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 14:41:34 GMT
Organization: Nauticom! Internet Access Provider

>Rid, Samuel. The Art of Iugling or Legerdemaine.
>London, 1612. Reprinted in facsimile by Theatrum Orbis Terrarum in
>    1974, as #688 of The English Experience.
>
>    The first known book on juggling and other street entertainments.
>    A fine introduction to the subject. Actually more concerned with
>    street magic than with what we would call juggling. Has a section on
>    magic with cards, and some warnings about how people cheat with them.
>    Ends with a section telling of the dangers of Alchemy, and a few
>    curious charms for witches.
>
>                                -- Justin

Aye Justin its ME....Connor!!!!

Well done lad....few people know of that work.  It may well be the 
oldest book concerning Juggling (as we know it today) I will have to 
check that out but as for street entertainers I am afraid that there is 
another that you should look at.

Scot, Reginald   "The Discoverie of Witchcraft"  London  1584
(reprinted recently by Dover Books in 1972 for our magic community)
It is the first time in English, the methods behind the magic of the 
period is explained so that people can identify those that would fool 
them with sleight of hand and those that are "real witches"! All in the 
traditional language of a sixteenth century scholar.  There are some 
that believe and are researching the posibility that Shakespeare (you 
know Bill the Bard) may have gathered lore on ghosts, spells and 
witchcraft from this source.

I would love to talk with you more on this subject if you want... :)

Connor MacLiam


Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: macliam at nauticom.net
Subject: Medieval Jongleurs and other Entertainers
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 14:22:30 GMT
Organization: Nauticom! Internet Access Provider

Aye lads and lasses its ME....Connor!!!

Ya have hit upon a topic that I know much about!! 

Ok out of Connor for a moment and I will tell you of the entertainers 
of the time. 
PERSONAL REFERENCE SO YOU KNOW THAT I KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT...
SKIP THIS IF YOU LIKE.. :) I have been performing magic for the last 36 
years and for a while made my living doing just that.  I have worked 
for night clubs all over the East Coast including 2 performances at 
Radio City Music Hall.  Two cruise magician gigs and a year and a half 
as a professional magic clown for a circus.  And the list goes on and 
on and on....

Now, without going into a mass of detail and skipping all the oriental 
and egyptian magicians etc.., we will go straight to medieval Europe.

The early Europian street conjurer was an immensely popular entertainer 
who tried to amuse and please people with his juggling and sleight of 
hand.  In early references these showmen were ALWAYS called "jugglers" 
rather than "conjurers," since the latter term was resereved for those 
who supposedly practiced occult magic or had the help of the devil. 
Even as late as 1721 the dictionary of the time still defined a 
conjurer as "one who is supposed to practice the vile arts of raising 
spirits and conferring with the devil".  Because of the influence of 
the Church's teachings and the importance of the"devil" in the minds of 
many superstitious believers, the harmless sleight-of-hand performer 
sometimes was suspected of being a sorcerer, wizard, alchemist or witch 
and so they also learned to juggle. Juggling (as we know it today) was 
not the primary routine of the juggler but of the jester however all 
jugglers (ie magicians) knew at least one simple juggling trick.

People of the Middle Ages had ambivalent feelings about the jugglers 
who strolled the countryside.  Their presents and performance were 
always welcome and highly sought out.  They represented the ultimate in 
entertainment of the time.  This was due to the fact that there were 
very very few that were taught the skills and so only a few jugglers 
existed in any given area over a lifetime.  So important were the 
jugglers( ie. magicians) that streets were named after them, statues 
erected in their honor...yet at times they were forbidden in certian 
cities by the churchmen or holy magistrates at the time.

Many Jugglers were part of troupes that included contortionists, 
acrobats, musicians, jesters, and mimes.  The jugglers formed a sort of 
informal guild for keeping the secrets of their arts to themselves save 
for their apprentices and journeymen who acted as the assistants of the 
time to the master.  To be on the safe side, at times they were forced 
to tell their secrets occasionally top a magistrate or priest, in order 
to escape charges of witchcraft, but they usually protected themselves 
when entering questionable areas by playing the roles of baffoons and 
jesters. (see why they learned at least one modern juggling trick)  
Comedy magic is by far one of the oldest forms of the art as it was 
necessary to survive and the jugglers found that it was much better 
recieved by the audience.

Entertaining troupes would in deed travel from castle to castle 
offering their entertainment for  the lords and ladies.  Such 
amusements were a welcome distraction and always a matter of great 
feasting and revelry.  The jongleur (the french term that became 
accepted through out Europe) added to the entertainment with his feats 
of sleight of hand and other extraordinary illusions.  By day, the 
jongleurs and troubadours played their instruments and sang at the 
request of those residing in the castle.  All this for one 
reason........   they then sought permission to perform for the 
peasants and townspeople.  The nobles set stage on the village green 
and a herald or crier would accounce the coming of the entertainers 
several days in advance. Not only crying the entertainment but also 
that it was "given to" the lords people from the lord as a token of his 
appreciation to his people. 
All labor would stop for the several hours that the entertainers 
performed in the town.  Accepting dontations from the croud in ways of 
food, cloth or bits of leather only, their real payment came from the 
nobles whom then would pay in coin for the moral boost of their 
people."

I could go on and on but for now let me just stop here.....I mean I 
could tell you about those in the troupe that had to know the sciences 
and how they applied them to their various forms of entertainment...but 
perhaps thats for another day...or Pennsic.

Well now,I seem to be a bit dry and a tad sleepy.....perhaps I shall 
leave ya know and take a wee sip and relax here by the fire...

I remain.......Zzzzzzzzz

(Shhhh) Connor 


From: Arthur Lewbel <alewbel at lemberg.brandeis.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Useful web references on juggling
Date: 11 Jul 1996 17:35:33 GMT

The Juggling Information Service has moved. It is now at:

http://www.juggling.org

This is an enormous web site, with a tremendous amount of info about 
juggling. Of particular interest there (to me, at least) is:

http://www.juggling.org/papers/index.html

This includes a revised and expanded version of my Tournaments 
Illuminated article on the history of juggling, and the text and figures 
(though not the photos due to copyright problems) of my Scientific 
American article on the The Science of Juggling. 

LeifTameon
(Arthur Lewbel)

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	juggling-msg