Calontir-bday-msg - 3/3/13

Stories of the day that Calontir became a kingdom.

NOTE: See also the files: Calontir-hst-msg, SCA-hist1-msg, What-Matters-art, you-know-msg, Middle-hist-msg, An-SCA-History-art, Branch-Names-art.

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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
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Date: Thu, 5 Mar 2009 07:24:38 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Calontir's Jubliee Celebration
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

What I was curious about is what dishes were used to represent the first 
reign.  I doubt anyone used any of the dishes we prepared for the first 
Crown tourney, as it was done without recipes and no records were kept.

The operative word in my comment is "try."  First Calontir Crown Tourney was 
held in Lincoln, Nebraska.  We drove in in the middle of a blizzard, 
literally following a snow plow up the highway on the last leg.  We arrived 
at between 4 and 5 in the morning to find the rooms we had reserved were 
still occupied by the state high school wrestling conference, that had been 
trapped by the blizzard.  We caught a few hours sleep stacked around the 
motel as the blizzard blew out and got to the site (a gymnasium) around 10. 
About an hour later, the Baroness of Vatavia finds out the head cook has 
caved under the pressure and pulls Erlich off the list field.  Erlich looks 
at the damage and pulls me into the kitchen.

The group holding the Crown tourney is new.  They have no experience in 
doing dinner for two hundred.  They have no recipes.  They have no schedule. 
They have sacks of groceries.  The next ten hours are kind of a haze.  We 
concocted marinades, sauces, prepped veggies, roasted game hens, poached 
salmon and figured out how to stretch everything.  There are no secrets or 
magic to what we did.  It was the application of 50 some combined years of 
experience to a rather thorny problem.

What we didn't have control over were the roasts, which were being done on 
barbecue grills outside.  What had worked fine in the summer test run failed 
sub-zero weather and the guy doing it was too obstinate to bring them into 
the kitchen and load them in the oven.  They were later described to me as 
"raw and frozen."

While we salvaged some of the food, we did not salvage the feast.  Whoever 
had done the (non)planning had based the feast reservations on the occupancy 
number of the gym (fans in bleachers) and not on the layout of the tables on 
the gym floor.  To accomodate all of the people, rows of tables were set up 
wall to wall with no room for servers to get through.  As a result, people 
on the side near the kitchen got fed while the people opposite did not. 
Erlich and I pulled off getting the feast out of the kitchen, but the feast 
failed on the logistics of service.  My experiences with this feast are part 
of the reason I demand absolute control of the kitchen and the hall when I 
do a feast.

Bear
==========
<<< Remembering the nightmare Erlich du Battenhelm and I had trying  to salvage the feast at the first Calontir Crown Tourney, what, pray tell, did you serve in remembrance of the 1st Reign?

Bear >>>

So what happened and how did you manage to salvage things? I'm always 
looking for stories and good advice for my fast-disasters-msg file. :-)

As far as the memorial dishes, it sounds like these dishes were  chosen 
from those of an entire reign and not from just a single Crown  or 
Coronation feast, so I imagine they had a lot to choose from.

Stefan


From: Roberta Lauderdale <bertlaud at COMCAST.NET>
Date: February 18, 2011 9:54:49 PM CST
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!

Yes!  Happy Kingdom Day!

Who else remembers the first?  It was in Mag Mor and many Motels were already booked up for a wrestling tournament, leading to some rather creative room sharing.

Hertha


From: Lis Schraer <lis at WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU>
Subject: 	Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: 	February 19, 2011 8:35:25 AM CST
To: 	Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

I do!  Two carloads of us drove up from Grimfells.  We left at about 11:00 Friday morning, because in those days of 55 mph and no interstate between Fayetteville and KC, it was a good 9 hours to get there.  We prepared as if for a veritable Arctic expedition--which, in fact, it turned out to be. :)

Elasait


From: Catherine Kinsey <ckinsey at KUMC.EDU>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 19, 2011 9:04:44 AM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

Yes, it snowed!  And the hotel most of us were in was right across from a prison, big high HIGH fence all around it!
 
We were younger then so some folks were sleeping on the floor :).
 
Liriel


From: Hywela <hywela91 at GMAIL.COM>
	Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
	Date: February 19, 2011 10:44:13 AM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

And the high school gym was so very crowded as well.  And sweltering.  I remember a group of Mid Realmers there; only Talimar (?) seemed happy.  I met William Coeur d'Beoff (?) that day, along with Pavel and Valens.  I met Crag Duggan when I fainted from lack of food and water (I was about 6 months pregnant at the time).  I tried to follow our Princess, Elisabeth around and take care of her (she was pregnant, too), but she kept insisting she could fend for herself.

The kitchen help, bless all their hearts, tried their level best, but the meal ran late; the crowns had been left behind in Vatavia and had to be rushed up by their creator, Tym the Mysterious.  I didn't know either of the finalists at the time, Chepe and Aethlred, but I thought them both quite handsome!  Chepe won; he removed his helm, and then fell/kneeled at the feet of his lady, Baroness Arwyn.  I remember thinking that was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen.

Oh yes, I remember.

Hywela


From: john heitman <gottskrieger at GMAIL.COM>
	Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
	Date: February 19, 2011 1:10:06 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

I remember driving thru snow that came down in a circle.

I remember standing Guard with Baby Ferd (he was like 19?) on a
Sanctum which was so packed with "dignitaries" that one had to be a
Duke or better to be let in, and only one attendant per seat was
allowed. That was the day I learned to tell hats.

I remember standing guard on Privy, and telling the world His Highness
was "getting ready" when in reality he had skipped site for a shower
and a Big Mac. (got to have that protien replenished).

I remember Chepe was SUPPOSED to be the last Calontiri knighted by the
Midrealm, but since it was scheduled to happen between the final
rounds, he turned it down last minute so as to not set precedence
where one wins the Calontir Crown and automatically gets knighted. (
in hindsight, it actually might have. I seem to remember Shadan's
knighting and first Crown win were similarly conjoined. Please correct
me if wrong. Age plays tricks.)

I remember there being a balcony around 3/4 of the Gym that NObody but
me went up into. Plenty of room, but nobody used it.

I remember being the last man off site as we packed literally tons of
new stuff into the back of my pickup because everyone else had driven
their little economic four banger cars, and already had them packed
with other people. And that new stuff grew with every event
thereafter.

And I remember sleeping out in the back of that truck because there
was no room at the inn. (Thank god for Military Issue Arctic Gear, and
Army Mountain Warfare training. Damn it was cold.)

and I remember meeting my wife for the first time as she tried to get
past me into sanctum.  All told, it wasn't a bad newbie's first event.
(Yeah, it was my first event.)

Franz


From: Hywela <hywela91 at GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 19, 2011 1:21:04 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

On 2/19/2011 1:10 PM, john heitman wrote:
<<< I remember Chepe was SUPPOSED to be the last Calontiri knighted by the Midrealm, but since it was scheduled to happen between the final
rounds, he turned it down last minute so as to not set precedence
where one wins the Calontir Crown and automatically gets knighted. (
in hindsight, it actually might have. I seem to remember Shadan's
knighting and first Crown win were similarly conjoined. Please correct
me if wrong. Age plays tricks.) >>>

We were given the honor of knighting Chepe, Franz.  King and Queen #6.  We knighted three that reign:  Conn, Lorell and Chepe.  Of course, Gabe had to have a knight beside him to perform the ceremony because he was a Huscarl at the time (yeah, I think it was a good precedence!)

Gabe was knight a while after our first reign.

Hywela


From: Lis Schraer <lis at WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 19, 2011 6:36:15 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

On 2/19/2011 5:41 PM, Stefan li Rous wrote:
<<< Was this the first Calontir Crown Tournament? or the first Coronation? As a new kingdom? or as a new principality?

What year was this? >>>

The year was 1984.  It was the first Crown Tourney and the first Coronation, both.

Elasait


From: Hywela <hywela91 at GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 19, 2011 9:25:47 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

On 2/19/2011 5:41 PM, Stefan li Rous wrote:
<< Was this the first Calontir Crown Tournament? or the first Coronation? >>

Yes, it served as both, the tournament was by invitation and was fought that afternoon.  The Coronation took place, I want to say, after feast?  Is that right, guys?

<< As a new kingdom? >> 

That's right.

<< or as a new principality? >>  

No, we'd been a principality for, I think, 2 years, not quite 3 years.

<< What year was this? >> 

1984, I was pregnant with my youngest son, Coelred (makes it easy for me to remember the age of the Kingdom!)

<< Creative room sharing? >>

 Most of us were very young and pretty poor.  There was also a wrestling championship booked in Lincoln for that weekend, so motel rooms were mostly taken.  So, we pooled our money to get what rooms that were available, then two of us paid for a room.....and took in strays.  It happens....

It was very cold outside, icy and snowy, as February in Nebraska can be.  Some of us were having trouble getting there.  Inside, it was hot and crowded.  The place looked every inch the high school gymnasium it was.

It was also Camelot.

Hywela


From: Valens of Flatrock <valens at COX.NET>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 19, 2011 9:27:29 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

Susannah and I were lucky enough to get a room, almost next door to the post revel site in the motel.  We had 13 of our closest friends sharing the room with us on Saturday night.
I have a photo of the seventeen of us taking the first ever sword oath for the tournament.

Valens

==============
---- Lis Schraer <lis at WUBIOS.WUSTL.EDU> wrote: 
On 2/18/2011 9:54 PM, Roberta Lauderdale wrote:
Yes!  Happy Kingdom Day!

Who else remembers the first?  It was in Mag Mor and many Motels were 
already booked up for a wrestling tournament, leading to some rather 
creative room sharing.

Hertha

I do!  Two carloads of us drove up from Grimfells.  We left at about 
11:00 Friday morning, because in those days of 55 mph and no interstate 
between Fayetteville and KC, it was a good 9 hours to get there.  We 
prepared as if for a veritable Arctic expedition--which, in fact, it 
turned out to be. :)

Elasait


From: john heitman <gottskrieger at GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 20, 2011 5:45:30 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

Coronation took place *before* feast, which is why Chepe skipped out
for a burger.  He knew it would be a couple more hours before real
food, and he was already famished from fighting.

As for the site, it was a community center with a Gym, a kitchen, a
decent side room, and a large hallway. Even the parking lot was
limited in size, so most people parked in the street someplace close.
The kitchen wasn't complete, so the meat was "cooked" on a large grill
outside. (Hint:  5# roasts dont cook quickly on a grill in sub
freezing temperatures.  And they dont thaw outside if you leave them
by the door because you had them in the freezer until you left that
morning.)

One of the reasons coronation was done first was because they needed
the extra time to try to cook the still frozen meat.

Franz


From: Roberta Lauderdale <bertlaud at COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 20, 2011 11:39:46 PM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

In the finals, it was actually Chepe and Ternon.  Ternon should have been declared the winner.  I won't go into details here. Contact me privately, if you want more info. 

Hertha


From: Roberta Lauderdale <bertlaud at COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 21, 2011 12:06:34 AM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

It was the first crown tournament for the Kingdom of Calontir.  However, it was marshalled by Midrealmers.

I had joined the SCA when we were on the threshhold of the transition from a Region of the Midrealm to a Crown Principality of the Midrealm.  Part of the entertainement at the first event I attended was a skit titled  "A.S. XV" (based, of course, on "1776").  It was an excellent introduction to the early movers and shakers of Calontir!

Hertha

<<< Was this the first Calontir Crown Tournament? or the first Coronation? As a new kingdom? or as a new principality?

Stefan >>>


From: Roberta Lauderdale <bertlaud at COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 21, 2011 12:16:17 AM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

<<< Susannah and I were lucky enough to get a room, almost next door to the post revel site in the motel.  We had 13 of our closest friends sharing the room with us on Saturday night.
I have a photo of the seventeen of us taking the first ever sword oath for the tournament.

Valens >>>

Valens,

I'd love to see that photo!

Chidiock and I had a number of extra people in our room at that motel as well.  I remember the Baron of Namron (Norman, OK) having problems with his reservations because of what turned out to be a clerical error by his support staff, who had booked a room at the right motel, but on the date of the next Ansteorran Crown Tourney!
I don't recall whether we took him in or someone else who had more space in their room, but he did not have to sleep out in the cold.

Hertha


From: Steven Boyd <andrixos at EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Happy Kingdom Day!
Date: February 21, 2011 1:31:55 AM CST
To: Historical Recreation in the Kingdom of Calontir <CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu>

Hertha,
 
The finals were between Chepe and Aelthelred.
I believe the "contentious" fight between Ternon and Chepe was in the semifinals.
 
Andrixos
 
<<< In the finals, it was actually Chepe and Ternon.  Ternon should have been declared the winner.  I won't go into details here. Contact me privately, if you want more info. 

Hertha >>>

<the end>
Edited by Mark S. Harris	Calontir-bday-msg	8 of 8