The Armour Archive

I had to leave Pennsic early. *sob*
So I'm starving for war stories... does anyone have some to share?
I was only there for the first week, so I've not much to tell.

Warm Regards,
Lyonnete

me too Lyonnete, i hope you left for good reasons and not like mine.

I hope all is well, I spent two Pennsics calling home every night to hear if I had to drop everything and head for Kansas City to attend a funeral. (my wife's parents died on sucessive years---not a surprise but a matter of when it would happen; one was just after I returned and the other I had to leave the final saturday).

It can be a big shock coming from such a fun vacation into the "real" world.

Thomas

War can be such a disconnect from the real world, which is nice, even for a political junkie like myself. A day or two after Lilies was over one year, I found myself wondering if Timothy McVey had received another stay of execution or not...

Well, the East won! Guess we'll have to wait til everyone gets back from the war. The Pennsic Independent really doesn't carry the good stories. They should have a "No, Shit! There I was..." column.
I agree about the disconnect. It's like a whole other plane. There really should be something like a decompession chamber. I don't think about the real world when I'm there, but I do find myself wonder what's gone on while I was away on my way back home.
We didn't go again this year. Took a week off at the end of June to visit with my girlfriends family and see her grandmother, who was leaving the hospital for physical rehab after a nasty fall. Speaking of funerals, we'll be going to her's Saturday down state. At least we didn't have to leave war early.

I remember a series of fights I had during some pick ups with a delightful lady that would not back down no matter how how hard I pressed her. I may have hit her more often the she hit me but she, with out a doubt bested me with her spirit.

Bryan killian
Atlantia.

bkillian wrote:I remember a series of fights I had during some pick ups with a delightful lady that would not back down no matter how how hard I pressed her. I may have hit her more often the she hit me but she, with out a doubt bested me with her spirit.

Bryan killian
Atlantia.

Yeah, I think I fought her too.

f

I do have a little bit of a war story.

On Wednesday of war week, I was about to take my evening rest (in my PJ's and everything) when I heard a lot of Giggling from just outside my tent. Knowing that this is never a good sign, I quickly girded myself and hustled outside to see one of my company members and one fellow from another camp outside my tent with a six foot, 120lb paper machier chicken.

The rest of the night was an excersise in getting rid of the chicken, getting it back to where it belonged, without damaging it, and hiding the evidence.

It was a great war.

freiman

freiman the minstrel wrote:The rest of the night was an excersise in getting rid of the chicken, getting it back to where it belonged, without damaging it, and hiding the evidence.

The one that was a bush? *Not* the one from Gypsy camp?

It was a good war. Camping with an $85,000 fountain in our front yard brought much amusement our way. I am astounded on how some people choose to spend their time and energies.

I'm not sure Tomac will actually ever get all the bubbles out.

Garth

freiman the minstrel wrote:On Wednesday of war week, I was about to take my evening rest (in my PJ's and everything) when I heard a lot of Giggling from just outside my tent. Knowing that this is never a good sign, I quickly girded myself and hustled outside to see one of my company members and one fellow from another camp outside my tent with a six foot, 120lb paper machier chicken.

*laugh*

That thing must have really made the rounds. I was on the phone with Duchess Elina that evening and as she strode into Midrealm Royal, the conversation was halted with, "Good heavens...there's a large statue of a chicken in the middle of camp. I must find out why." It must have been a surreal evening.

Grainne

I don't suppose anyone has photos? We had a very dissapointed Queen as she was denied the opportunity to see the great chicken.

But I'm guessing these are not the types of war stories Lyonette was hoping for. When did you have to leave? What battles can we share with you? What days valor?

Garth

Ach, wily fowl!

Sir Garth, $85,000 fountain?! Wow.

Jehan, squire of Sir Vitus

Jehan de Pelham wrote:Sir Garth, $85,000 fountain?! Wow.

Greetings Jehan,

Yes, brought to you by a guy named Tomac. I think it was to put in the cathedral they have on site (also a work of art) but for whatever reason it didn't work out. (They needed more electricity?) Anyway, they set it up in Midrealm Royal. 9' tall at it's highest, it was rather large.

Here's a pic if you've not seen it yet:
http://www.tirydon.org/gallery/show.aspx?id=432
but there are other pics out there that show it in operation too.

It raised (partly due to the fact people like to throw money in fountains) over $200 for the water bearers fund.

It was likely the single most photographed thing at war. It looked coolest at night when one of Darkyards big torches lit it up. The sign that came with it described the source and noted it was 1 of 9.

Garth

My God.

Jehan, squire of Sir Vitus

If the chicken was mostly yellow, our camp neighbors in Gypsy Something-or-another made it. They were a little surprised when it promptly disappeared the day after they were done making it (they made it onsite). But they took it in good stride. I'm not surprised it made the rounds.

Only at Pennsic would there ever be the possibility of doubt that if a six foot chicken was present, that there might be confusion over which one it was...

Jehan, squire of Sir Vitus

Quick question, but where is rose barracks? I didn't get to go to Pennsic. Had to come back to germany

DOnt know if anyone saw the ad in the PI re: the large heavy chicken, but apparently it was _made_ to be stolen.

Maybe they were trying to get people to stop doing the roaming gnome game with VonSuessen's giant playmobil dude?

Maeryk

Hello all,

For those of you who did not get to see the Gypsy Chicken, you can find him on the Pennsic People database:

http://www.pennsic.net/cgi-bin/ppd.cgi? ... 1093540553

Lola was the magnificent result of trying to answer a drunken question posed by the members of Gypsy Mayhem as we sat around our firepit on the first Sunday of War.

Simply, we wondered "If we made something truely huge, ugly, and awkward - saaaayyyy a 6' tall, bright yellow, Gypsy Cock - and filled it with rocks, would some fool actually steal it?"

This quickly lead to the formation of the camp betting pool (won by Hope with a time of 6 hours 22 minutes) of "How long would we have to have the thing out in front of our gate before the aforementioned fool made off with it?"

It was just too much fun schemeing about it for us not to build the thing.

So, the next day our shopping list included two rolls of chicken wire, 10 lbs of Flour, 4 bottles of Elmers White glue, 6 newspapers, 4 paving cobblestones, and a qt. of canary yellow paint. Three days later, Lola was born.

He went wandering while his paint was still wet and I never saw him again. I'm thrilled to hear that he brought so much amusement to so many folks. Makes the three days of construction worth it!

If anyone has pictures of him out in the World, I'd love it if you'd email them to me at bdsmtransitions@aol.com so I can add them to his page in our photo album.

-Sapphire

(aka Gypsy Robin)

There are Gypsies in the SCA? Are Gypsies even period?

There are some seriously silly and not at all medieval things on the "Pennsic People" website.

I used to think of Pennsic as the be-all, end-all of large-scale medieval combat re-enactment. Lately, except for the bits about this or that "In Modo Antiquo" tournament, I've begun to think of it more like Burning Man or a really big Hash House Harriers party.

I'm not sure that experiencing it one day is any longer one of my life's ambitions...

I certainly wouldn't make it an ambition. But it's entertaining.

ahhh hash house harriers. i was invited to try to start a group here in charlotte. if only i was still young.

pennsic is a great time. but yes, there is a ton of lazy stuff to be found. its very disheartening to walk down a road and pass a wonderful camp full of all types of things medieval parked next to a slum with coleman chairs scattered about, nylon "earth pimples", people with blue jean shorts and sandals on, boxes of chex mix on plastic tables, etc. really really sucks.

i have all kinds of modern stuff in my camp but its all rather well hidden. pennsic is really too big to keep those that dont get it out. some simply dont know or dont get it, most are just too damned lazy. it really is the sca on a large scale though, so no surprises.

regards
logan

do try to make it one though. you can, and will, meet all sorts of really cool people. the freaks will be there as well, try to ignore them.

Josh_Warren wrote:There are Gypsies in the SCA? Are Gypsies even period?

There are some seriously silly and not at all medieval things on the "Pennsic People" website.

I used to think of Pennsic as the be-all, end-all of large-scale medieval combat re-enactment. Lately, except for the bits about this or that "In Modo Antiquo" tournament, I've begun to think of it more like Burning Man or a really big Hash House Harriers party.

I'm not sure that experiencing it one day is any longer one of my life's ambitions...

As a good friend of mine once said, "Pennsic isn't necessarily the best of the SCA, but it most certainly is the most SCA you will see at one time."

There are quite a few camps that do "get it" though. My favorite sight this year was the huge statue/fountain in the Mid-Realm Royal encampment. that was a truly inspiring sight!

This middle-aged Irishman went to war this year, looking for a few good fights, some profitable armouring and perhaps a little bit of fun. What I found was more fighting than I could swing a stick at....literally, I left the field exhausted everyday I had a chance to fight, a very profitable war, (sold out of all of my stock!) and a young viking woman out a-viking! She got a war prize to take home with her.....me!

All-in-all a great war and several wonderful memories! If I could only remember to put down the verbal shovel, I usually carry....but that's another story!

Josh,

Pennsic is certainly not the be-all-and-end-all of reenactment events. Personally, I don't think it is even very typical SCA. Burning Man is a good parallel, from what I have heard.

Pennsic is a humungous festival/party with some medieval stuff going on, and a d*mn good fight.

Cheers

[quote="Josh_Warren"]There are Gypsies in the SCA? Are Gypsies even period?

Gypsies are DEFINATELY period, sweetheart. Here is a quick link for you that gives a simplified timeline:

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/5121/timeline.htm

Rom, Roma, Luri, Gypsy.... all synonyms for a culture of people whose history dates back to Viking times. Entertainers, acrobats, muscians, knife throwers, fire breathers, nomads and exquisitely talented thieves (after all, it's easiest to cut a purse when your mark is watching the show).

"There are some seriously silly and not at all medieval things on the "Pennsic People" website. "

True. If everyone took themselves seriously all the time it wouldn't be half the fun.

"I used to think of Pennsic as the be-all, end-all of large-scale medieval combat re-enactment. Lately, except for the bits about this or that "In Modo Antiquo" tournament, I've begun to think of it more like Burning Man or a really big Hash House Harriers party."

Some of both and much, much more. "A place to meet new friends, see old ones and hit them with sticks" is just a little of what Pennsic is all about.

The battles are breath taking and the combat skills are awe inspiring. The parties at night are intense, tribal bacchanals, silly, drunken keggers, all night dance circles, amazing feasts and everything in between. There are classes to take, awesome A&S exhibits to see, new skills to learn from your camp mates and neighbors, and thousands of people to meet, talk to and learn to get along with for two weeks.

There is something for everyone. Find what level of "medieval re-enactment" or "SCA standards" you're looking for and stick with it. Or, do what I do and move through all the levels available. I'm just at ease hobnobbing with the Royalty, theeing and thouing at Court, as I am building a 6' chicken for the amusement of my campmates and everyone else who saw it and smiled.

"I'm not sure that experiencing it one day is any longer one of my life's ambitions..."

Your choice. I would say "Your loss", but that would just be my opinion.

-Robin
(aka Gypsy Sapphire)