Colyne Stewart's Event Reports

Between 2002 and 2007 I wrote around 80 event reports to ensure that the happenings of the days not be forgotten. Copies of most of these reports (originally published in various SCA journals) are now on this blog and can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate tags. I hope you enjoy them!

A Short Treatise on the Giving and Receiving of Tokens

Colyne Stewart, Sep AS XXXVII (2002).

I have now been in the SCA for nineteen months. In that time I have been the recipient of a dozen tokens and have given two. Some people may not realize the power that giving tokens has, especially if they are new to the Society. When I first started I soon noticed the rings and other items that many people carried about their neck or hung from their belts. Curious, I did some research and found an article on ring giving by Master Hector of the Black Height. In it, Hector expounds on what he perceives Ealdormerean culture to be, and a great part of that culture is ring giving.

The giving of rings was a very important custom to certain cultures in the past, cultures that some of us now play. Saxon, Norse, Germanic. The giving of a ring was a bond between the giver and the receiver, the circular band representing an unbreakable bond. This practice is still with us in the mundane world, just go to a wedding ceremony.

This ring giving is wide spread within Ealdormere. If someone does something that pleases and/or impresses you, you give him or her a token (usually a ring). The giving of this token shows the recipient that their acts have been noticed, that they have been appreciated. It makes them feel like they belong.

I received my first token from Baroness Gaerwen, which was given to Thorfinna and I to thank us for the gift of a set of playing cards and an “I am SCAnadian” t-shirt we had given to her and Cynred. This token I have worn on a necklace to almost every event I have been to since.

Tokens are important. I was brand new when I was given this ring. It made me feel like I belonged. Later tokens were given to me for the friendship I had shown others, or for my bardic offerings. Those tokens I received for my poems and stories encouraged me to continue telling and writing them. They made me feel that my work had merit.

That’s the receiving, but what about the giving? After reading Hector’s essay I thought, yeah, easy for you to say. Give away tokens. Who am I to give anyone a token? He’s Master Master Baron Serjent Hector. I’m nobody. You see, I had missed the point. The very point of Ealdormerean ring giving is that anyone can do it, that everyone should do it. It does not have to be done in public, though publicly stating your appreciation of someone’s self or work gives the giving more power.

Finally I came to realize this. I could make people feel the way others had made me feel. I could make people feel appreciated, that they belonged, that they mattered.

And so at Ealdormere War Practice I gave my first token: to Lady Ivanna the Oblivious, for her bardic talents, done at the bardic circle on Sunday night. As is common for some tokens, I asked her to hold it for a year and a day, and then to pass it on to someone who inspires her. In this way our tokens gain a history as they travel from person to person (and in some cases, from Kingdom to Kingdom). At War I gave another. This time to Alaani, a member of Septentria’s allied mercenary Household, Mjolnir, who watered me during battles. I walked from my camp to hers (each being as far apart from each other as possible) to find her not in camp. I waited but she did not return. Finally, I left the token with one of her house brothers. The next night, in the pouring rain, she walked all the way down the hill to thank me. I just saw her at an event last weekend and noticed she was wearing the ring.

The giving of these tokens made me happy, because they made the recipients happy. And they will only be the beginning. I have begun to acquire a collection of gifts that I plan to carry with me to give to those I deem worthy.

Who am I to decide who is worthy of a token?

I am an Ealdormerean. It’s what we do.

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com

The Role of the Ursine Bard

Colyne Stewart, Sep AS XXXVII (2002)

My time as Bard of Septentria, in conjunction with my Lady Thorfinna, is swiftly coming to a close. In January or February it will be time for another to fill this role, and this short work is meant as words of encouragement for whomever that may be, and whomever comes after.

Thorfinna and I had been in the SCA just less than a year when Cynred and Gaerwen, Thegn and Baroness of Septentria, called us into court and asked us to be Their bards. This still astounds me. It is true that we were both members of the Bardic College of Ealdormere, and we had both written a few pieces, but we were, I thought, bardicly unknown. Neither of us had performed, and truth be told I had no intention of doing so. I don’t know who put forward our names to be the Baronial Bards but they have done us a great service.

We could not, of course, turn down such honour, and later that month Master Hector of the Black Height, our predecessor, took us aside, gave us the ring of office, and told us of our duties. Among the things he told us was that it was our responsibility to open and close singing/story-telling at feasts and bardic circles within the borders of our Barony (unless the event was at the Kingdom level). He told us it was up to us to keep legends alive, to keep Septentria vibrant and strong through story, song and poem. His passion for the position was easily discerned, and when he was done we felt even more daunted by the task set before us. Now, this was not bad intimidation, it was good intimidation. The office obviously meant a lot to Master Hector, and hence, it meant a lot to us. We both take our responsibilities seriously.

However, as fairly introverted individuals for a time we dreaded attending Septentrian events. Neither of us wanted to get up and perform. But we did. We were honour bound to Cynred and Gaerwen, to the people of Septentria to fulfill our duties. So we sang at Snowed Inn (me very poorly). At Bad in Plaid I told my first story (‘The Tale of the Badger Broccan,’ which broke the Thegn and earned me my second ever token). As each event came we became more comfortable and now I am rarely nervous when I perform. (Outwardly anyway. My hands still shake, but I don’t dread the act anymore. In fact, I like it now.) Being made Ursine Bard forced me to participate, instead of just observing. It has been one of the greatest gifts I have been given.

Besides the performing at feasts and fires I wrote poems and tales of Septentrians (and others) who were doing great things. I wrote for Kings, Queens, Duchesses, Lords, Ladies and those who had no titles. (These I usually sent directly to those I wrote of.) I wrote of our great Households and our strong army. I wrote of events I had been to, and gave these to newsletters and posted them to elists, as part of a bard’s duties are to tell the people of world events.

All these things are important, my successor (whomever you may be). Do them all. You are part of a long, proud lineage of filigh, scops, skalds and bards. You are the Voice of the Bear, the voice of all the people of Septentria. When you open your mouth, the Bear roars.

Write. Tell. Story, poem, song, article; it matters not the form. What matters is the telling.

I do not know who you may be, but if you have been chosen you are worthy. You are Septentrian. Feel the pride of Septentria. Feel pride in yourself.

You are the Voice of the Bear.

You are Septentrian.

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com

Quick and Dirty Banners

Laird Colyne Stewart, Jan AS 37 (2003)

Here’s a down and dirty, step-by-step method to making attractive painted banners for display in the SCA. As I was going to be selling copies of The Ursus at a table at Berus’ Bar and Bar Room Brawl, I wanted a banner that would catch everybody’s eye. So I sat down one night and just made one.

Materials

• fabric
• coloured thread (same as fabric)
• thermoplast or heavy card stock
• exacto knife
• paint
• brushes
• yardstick

Method

First I cut a piece of fabric that was about 64” wide by 48” long. As I looked at it I realized that my material was a tad thinner than I wanted, and the piece was two big. To fix this I simply folded the piece in half and cut it so I now had two 32” wide by 24” long pieces. I then took these pieces and sewed three edges together so it resembled an inside out pillowcase. The open edge was to be the top of the banner. This type of banner might have hung oddly as the back and front were two separate pieces only joined on the edge, so I sewed three straight lines across it to hold the material in place. These stitches are invisible except for close scrutiny and will help the banner hold its shape. (If I had used a single piece of thicker material I would not have had to do any of this.) Setting this aside I went on to my hanging loops.

For the loops I cut four pieces of 2” wide by 10” long material and did a double hem on all four edges of each piece. My Lady has since suggested that I could have cut eight pieces and sewn two together to form four double-thick loops. They would have been sewn as the main banner, turned right-side out and had their open edges hemmed.

Whichever way you do it, take your main banner and pin a wide double hem on the open side. Then take two of your loops and pin them to either edge of this hem. Measure out about 5” from each one and pin the other two loops. Then stitch along the bottom and the top of the hem to ensure durability.

From the thermoplast a friend of mine had cut a stencil of the Septentrian bear with an exacto knife. I placed the stencil on the banner and painted it red. I then removed the stencil, let the paint dry and I had a completed banner.

Options

The type of banner I made was technically called a gonfalon because of the way it hangs. If I wanted a banner that would be flown like a flag or standard I would have done exactly the same with a few variations. Firstly, I would have painted the two sides first, before sewing the two pieces of the main banner together. Second, The loops would be replaced by ties and be placed down the side of the banner (possibly with some along the top as well).

Stitching across a double-sided banner runs the risk of thread crossing paint of a different colour. I would suggest just trying to use thread that is light coloured and these stitches should be almost invisible except for close inspection.

Sources:

Armorial Display: Banners, Standards, and Heaters, oh my!, The Honorable Lord Eldred Ælfwald, Gordian Knot Herald, http://dragon_azure.tripod.com/UoA/ArmorialDisplay.html

Armorial Display: Suggestions for SCA Usage, Master Hirsch von Henford, OL, OP, http://www.goldenstag.net/MiscSCA/ArmorialDisplay.pdf

Making Heraldic Banners, Baron Modar Neznanich,

http://www2.kumc.edu/itc/staff/rknight/Banners.htm

Kingdom of Meridies Guidelines for Construction of Banners, Flags and Standards, Master Johannes the Black of Athanor,

http://www.meridies.org/as/dmir/Heraldry/1306.html

Usage and Specification of Medieval Flags, Lord Richard of Woodenbridge,

http://members.aol.com/acreherald/herflags.html

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com

Once More into the Meat Grinder: Reminiscences of a first time Pennsic Fighter

Colyne Stewart, Sep AS XXXVII

I had been to Pennsic XXX in my first year of being in the SCA, and I had watched all the battles. I was in training for armoured combat, and was an authorized Level One Scout. As such I couldn’t fight that war, though I was able to take part in the Woods Battle and see the fighting up close. It was amazing to see so many fighters in one place, and I longed to be amongst them.

So I traveled home and continued my training and finally authorized at War College six months later. Between then and Pennsic XXXI I joined the army of my Barony, the Isengesitha of Septentria, with whom I fought once. Luckily I had trained with one of the best shieldmen in Ealdormere, Lord Brandt das Lederwerker, and under his instruction my skill grew. I was praised by my Thegn at fight practices, for I actually knew enough to stick to my shieldmates. (You would be amazed at how often shieldwalls slip apart.)

So, with almost no war experience, I set out for the big one. Pennsic XXXI was hot, very hot and humid. I don’t deal with heat very well, and often found it hard to breath. To top it off, I had a very bad stomach flu at the time. I knew I likely wouldn’t be able to fight every day, so I decided on doing it every other day.

On the second Monday, Ealdormere and the Northern army met to practice together. My Lady and I armoured up and joined our countrymen on the field. The two armies were mixed together and divided up into four forces. I was in the pink army, under the command of Kaylah the Cheerful. The armies then fought a series of engagements two on two, rotating allies with each battle. I only managed to hang in for three engagements, and did fairly well. In the first battle I stuck to my wall but was killed fairly quickly. In the second I survived for quite a while until I tripped on a corpse and was struck by an enemy spear. In the third I did my best, even striking an opponent on the head, though he did not accept what I thought was a good blow. I ended up dying in this battle as well. The heat then did me in and I stripped off my gear.

To date, this was the biggest engagement I had been in. There were approximately three to four hundred people taking part in the exercise. Folks had been warning me that fighting in large numbers can be intimidating, but I was never nervous. I was also not hopping up and down with excitement. Rather, I tended to go into battle with determination to do my job, which was to defend those behind me.

On Tuesday I rested through the woods battle. When Wednesday came I pulled myself out of bed (did I mention I also have a sleeping disorder?) and trudged up the hill for the Hadrian’s Wall Battle. In this scenario, the field had been split in half by hay bails with five small gaps. In each gap was a hay bail, coloured red on one side and blue on the other. Our goal was the take the gaps and turn the bails onto the colour of our army (in this case blue, for we were fighting for the East). It was an hour and a half resurrection battle, which meant if you died, you went back to a certain point and could then reenter the fighting.

The Baronies of Ealdormere fought as one unit, that day under the leadership of Baron Brand of Ben Dunfirth (as I recall). We were lined up in a column and when the fighting began we were run into one of the gaps. It was a meat grinder. I watched as those in front of me were chopped to pieces and dropped to the ground. Then, suddenly, I was in no-man’s-land, on the end of a very short shield wall with a line of enemy spearmen bearing down on me and with no friendly spears behind me. From eyewitness accounts I just had time to look around bewildered before I was killed. I dropped to the ground and was soon buried under bodies. After a few minutes a hold was called and the dead left the field. I ended up having to go through the Middle’s lines, with my sword on my helm to show I was dead, and come off the sideline very far away from my resurrection point. I hiked up the incline towards our end, and heard my name called. Alaani, a member of my home canton, and a member of Septentria’s allied mercenary House, Mjolnir, watered me. Throughout the rest of that war she took very good care of me on the field. I then went to the res point, and reentered the fray.

Quickly I was grabbed and set in a column again and for the course of that battle all I did was run into the jaws of death to be killed within seconds. One time when I died I twisted my hip awkwardly and couldn’t get up right away when the hold was called. I finally crawled up a hay bail and limped off. That was it for fighting for me that day, as they were calling the last five minutes. I gave my shield to my Thegn and watched.

Due to a timekeeping error by our side we thought only those five minutes were left. It was actually seventeen. The East ended up expending all its energy on a big push far too early, and the Middle was rested and ready when it really came down to crunch time. The East ended up loosing this battle, though the fighting was hard.

As it turned out it was the only war point battle the Middle would take that war.

I don’t think a resurrection battle with small points of engagement makes for a good battle as all the conflict is localized in those few places, and people are just thrown in with no regard to personal safety, since everyone can just res and come back.

Thursday was the bridge battle, through which I rested. Then on Friday I marched up the hill again to partake of the field battle. As the armies gathered a bagpipe could be heard playing, and this really contributed to my enjoyment of the day. I find that musicians on the sidelines of battle add a lot to the experience.

This day the Baronies were under the command of Sir Baron Menken Brechen of Skraeling Althing. Unfortunately, everyone with a Crown, and some without, ended up giving us orders. It was a big mess. In the end we were again lined up in a column, about four or five across. First a row of shields, then spears, then shields and so on. When the cannon roared we pressed forward and quickly fell into a kill pocket. A hold was called and I gazed about, ascertaining this unfortunate fact. When the call to lay on came again a Middle soldier, on an adrenalin high, came smashing through our wall on his knees, accepting no blows until Menken soundly bashed him on the noggin.

Then the noose tightened. Our small group was pinched off from retreat and we were quickly overwhelmed. I fell to the ground dead and waited for a hold to leave the field. A group of Isengesitha had gathered, so I went over to them to watch as Syr Ed the Red’s banner flew across the field while he and our allies wiped out the remaining Midland forces.

All of our allied Kings then addressed the troops, and King Darius of the East was proclaimed Imperator by his troops to great cheering and clashing of shields.

So what feelings was I left with once the fighting was all over? Accomplishment, that I had actually done it. Pride, in myself and my countrymen and allies. They say that there is no love like the love between soldiers, and I can understand that now. I think our martial activities help pull us together, to make us feel like cousins, like brothers.

Fighting’s a good thing. (And its fun too.)

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com

The Handy-Squire’s Poncification Guide: How to Look Good in the Lists

Colyne Stewart, June AS XLI (2006)

Preamble

Occasionally in an event flyer you may notice a tournament coming up that has appearance requirements. That is, they may ask that all obviously modern bits of armour be covered up. The tournament may also have heraldry requirements (say, three items of heraldry) incorporated into your armour. You may then look at your kit, see all the plastic bits, the hockey glove behind your shield, and your running shoes and decide that you’ll have to skip the event.

Not so!

With a little effort you can easily disguise your modern bits, proudly display your heraldry for all to see, and look good in any tournament!

Part One: Covering Up the Main Body

Lots of people have plastic armour in the SCA. It is cheaper and easier to make, lighter to wear, and generally requires less maintenance. Many knights wear plastic armour. So how can you easily cover up your plastic body harness, arm harness and/or legs?

If you have an early period persona the answer is: clothes. For instance, if you have a Norse persona, a large Norse T-tunic and some loose pants will cover you from your shoulders down to your feet. It’s not really any harder than sewing normal garb, you just need to take measurements with your armour on¸ and make sure you have a full range of motion without any hindrance (especially in your armpits).

For late period personas the approach is very much the same. A long sleeved surcoat, split in the front and back, looks attractive and will cover you from shoulder to calves. They also flare dramatically when you fight. Houpelandes also work well if you only need to cover your body harness and already have period-looking leather or metal legs.

Don’t worry if you have a plastic gorget. With your helm on you likely won’t be able to see it. If it does still show, consider attaching a cloth or leather mantle to your helm.

Part Two: Covering Up the Hands

Lots of people like to wear hockey or lacrosse gloves when they fight. Sometimes it’s for comfort, sometimes it’s a matter of funds (hockey gloves cost a lot less than steel or leather gauntlets). You may wear one glove behind your shield, or you may wear two so you can fight great weapon or two-stick.

To easily cover a hockey glove you need only make a cloth mitt that can slide over the glove. It’s not especially pretty, but is much better looking on the lists than an obviously modern sports glove with a logo or company name emblazoned on it.

Part Three: Covering Up the Feet

The easiest thing to do to cover up your feet is to buy boots. Real medieval style boots can be cost prohibitive (especially if you’re buying them just to fight in), so some folk will buy motorcycle boots or other similar styles that don’t have laces. The next best things are leather boots that do have laces.

If you have to stick to running shoes because of budget restraints, health reasons or for comfort, you can make a shoe cosy out of leather to wear on top of your shoes.

Part Four: Heraldry

As stated previously, sometimes a tournament may not only have appearance requirements, but may have heraldry requirements. Here are some easy ways to add some heraldic content to your kit. Remember, your heraldry represents you. It tells people you are on the field. You should be proud of your heraldry and try to display it as much as possible.

Surcoats, Tabards, and Other Coverings: There are a few ways you can add heraldry to your fighting garb. You can emblazon your device directly on the front of a surcoat, or on the front and back of a tabard. Alternatively, you may not actually put your device on your garb, but you may use all the colours from your arms. (So if your device has blue and gold in it, use blue and gold material for your fighting garb.) If you have charges on your device or badge, you could use them as a decorative trim. For instance, if you have gold fish on your device, put gold fish around your cuffs and hem. If you have a motto you could emblazon that around your hem instead.

Something else you can do with a tabard is attach flaps over the shoulders, on which you can display arms or badges as well (perhaps those of your household, barony or kingdom).

Helms: Just as you can make your fighting garb in your heraldic colours, you can (if you so desire) paint your helm in them. Generally, this is only done to great helms, but could be done to any helm.

Torse and Mantle: A torse is a band that encircles a helm and displays the wearer’s heraldic colours. A mantle hangs from the torse, and is also done in heraldic colours. The dagging of the mantle can also be cut in some way that represents aspects of the wearer’s heraldry. (For instance, someone with a spade in their device may cut their mantle dagging to look like spades.)

Crests: A crest sits atop your helm, and displays some aspect of your arms. For instance, if you have a lion in your arms, you may want to place a lion on your helm. Generally, people in the SCA don’t fight with their crests on (if they have them) as they are usually the most time consuming bit of fighting heraldry to make. Some people will sew and stuff a crest, others may be lucky enough to have easily found objects in their arms. (People with flowers in their arms could make a crest of a bowl of flowers.)

Favour: Likely the easiest bit of heraldry to make. Favours can come in many forms. Often they are hung off the wearer’s belt, but they may also be hung off the arm, sword or other location. The most common favour is a representation of someone’s device. It could be yours, or it could be the arms of the person you are fighting for. If you don’t have your arms displayed on your fighting garb, having it hanging off your belt is a good idea. In that way, if you are not carrying your shield, people will still know who you are. (“Hey, that’s the yellow tower squire fighting with that pole-axe!”)

Shield: The most obvious place to display your arms is on your shield. An unpainted shield is boring. One that proudly displays your arms not only looks great when you are fighting, but can be set outside your tent, or hung over your chair, or be used in other such ways to proclaim your presence at an event.

Conclusion

So there you have it. A few easy steps that will tidy up your kit and get you noticed in the lists. It’s so easy, why wait until you have to do it? Just go ahead and do it.

Glossary

Arms: Arms or Armories were so called because originally displayed upon defensive

arms, and coats of arms because formerly embroidered upon the surcoat or camis worn over the armor. The term coat of arms, once introduced, was afterward retained, even when displayed elsewhere than on the coat. In the days when knights were so encased in armor that no means of identifying them was left, the practice was introduced of painting their insignia of honor on their shield as an easy method of distinguishing them. Originally these were granted only to individuals, but were afterward made hereditary by King Richard I, during his crusade to Palestine. They may be divided into two general classes: (1) Public, as those of kingdoms, provinces, bishoprics, corporate bodies, etc. And (2) private, being those of private families. These two classes are again separated into many subdivisions, founded mainly on the different methods by which they were granted.

Badge: A distinctive mark; a cognizance. It is somewhat similar to a crest, but was not

placed on a wreath, nor was it worn on the helmet. The badge was a possession of princes, noblemen and other gentlemen of rank, and to this day is retained by some of those houses. The badge of the Plantagenets was the broom plant (Planta genista); the line of Lancaster had a red rose, while the badge of the house of York was a white rose.

Crest: Originally the crest was the ornament of the helmet, or headpiece, and also

afforded protection against a blow. In the early rolls it was scarcely noticed, but in later armorial grants it came into general use. Crests, like arms, were sometimes allusive. Thus, Grey of Wilton used a gray, or badger, and Lord Wells a bucket and chain. In the early days of the crest it was confined to persons of rank, but in later times it has been included in every grant of arms.

Device: An emblem, intended to represent a family, person, action or quality, with a

suitable motto. It generally consists in a metaphorical similitude between the thing representing and the person or thing represented.

Mantle: The cloak or robe behind the shield, sufficiently large to include the entire arms.

Those of sovereigns are of gold doubled with ermine, and are called pavilions.

Motto: A word or sentence carried on the scroll, and supposed to have some connection

with the name of the bearer, the deeds of his ancestors or as setting forth some guiding principle or idea.

Torse (also Wreath): The roll or chaplet above the shield, supporting the crest. It is

supposed to represent a twist of two silken cords, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color, in the arms. Wreaths may also be circular, but the straight wreath is by far the more common.

All definitions taken from Pimbley’s Dictionary of Heraldry (http://www.digiserve.com/heraldry/pimbley.htm).

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com

A Small Treatise on the Helm Show

Laird Colyne Stewart, AS XLI (2006)

Sometimes at tournaments in the SCA the organizers will hold a helm show before the actual fighting begins. The helm show (or helmschau) was a fixture in tournaments beginning in the 15^th century, and were designed to both allow the participants to display their heraldry, and to allow the ladies of the gallery an opportunity to participate more fully in the tournament.

René of Anjou, Count of Provence, Duke of Anjou, Bar and Lorraine, and King of Jerusalem and Sicily, wrote a treatise on the holding of tournaments in 1460 called Forme et Devis d’un Tournoy, in which he lays out exactly how a helm show should progress.

First, he says that the helms (along with banners, pennons and crests) should be brought into a hall in a specific order, and carried by specific people:

…they should bring the banners, pennons, and crests of the captains to the cloister, to present them to the judges: and afterwards all the other banners, and helms with crests, as described before, in the order that follows:

First, the banners of all princes should be brought by one of their knight chamberlains, and the pennons of the captains should be brought by their senior valets or carvers.

And the banners of the other knights banneret, by gentlemen, as they wish.

The princes' helms should be brought by their squires.

And the helms of the other knights banneret, knights and squires, by gentlemen or honest valets. (René)

The tournaments judges, accompanied by a herald, would then lead the ladies and any knights, esquires or others who would attend about the room a number of times. The herald would identify each helm’s owner. At any time, if any lady feels one of the participants has ever treated her in an ill manner, she can touch his crest. The following day the judges would consider each accusation, and if found guilty the offender would be beaten about the shoulders soundly, to make sure he thought twice before ill-treating a lady again in the future.

At the same time, if the judges should find a man who is a known liar with no honour, or an usurer who lends at interest, his helm would be cast to the ground by the herald. Those found guilty of such crimes are arrested by the lords, knights and squires present, and beaten until he yields hi horse. The offender is then strapped to the list barrier upon his saddle and left there until the tournament was concluded. His horse was given to the trumpeters or minstrels.

If the judges should find someone who had married a woman who was not of noble birth he would also be beaten until he yielded. His weapons would be thrown to the ground, and he and his horse would be led to a corner of the list and placed in the care of a herald or Pursuivant, and there he would remain for the duration of the tournament. If he tried to flee, he would be strapped to the barrier upon his saddle.

Should the judges find a combatant who is not of noble birth, but is considered to be a virtuous warrior and worthy of participating in the lists

he should not be beaten the first time, except by princes and great lords, who, without hurting him, should beat him with their swords and maces, and this should always be considered to be an honor. And this will be a sign that because of his great goodness and virtue, he deserves to be at the tourney, and from then on no one may reprove him for his lineage in any place of honor where he is found, at the tourney or elsewhere. There too he may bear a new crest, or change his arms if he wishes, and keep them thereafter for himself and his heirs. (René)

Once the helm show is over, the banners, crests and helms are carried out of the hall in the same manner in which they were carried in.

In the SCA we off course assume that we are all chivalrous fighters and would never speak ill of anyone or act in any way improper. At the annual tournament hosted by Ardchreag at Snowed Inn each winter, there is usually a helm show held. Each participant in the tournament would place their helm upon a table, with banner and crest if they possess them.

The queen would then lead the consorts of those taking part in the tournament along the table. (To date we have never had any grievances laid.) The consorts and Her Majesty would then confer and grant a prize upon the owner of the helm they thought most striking.

A helm show is a small thing that does not take up much space or time, but adds greatly to the atmosphere of a tournament.

Sources:

Barber, Richard and Barker, Juliet. Tournaments: Jousts, Chivalry and Pageants in the Middle Ages, Winfield & Nicolson, NY: 1989.

Bennet, Elizabeth, trans. King René's Tournament Book (Forme et Devis d'un Tournoy, 1460) http://medieval.mrugala.net/Seigneurs%20et%20nobles/Traite%20d'un%20tournoi%20du%20roi%20Rene/index.html

Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournaments Resource Library: The Gallery, http://www.chronique.com/Library/Gallery/gallery.htm#helmschau

The Imperial College of Heraldry of the Holy Roman Empire, http://www.imperialcollegeofheraldry.org/

Permission is given to print this article in any SCA publication as long as the author is contacted by email in advance, proper credit is given and the author receives a copy of the newsletter. Please credit the author as Colyne Stewart (mka Todd Fischer), who can be reached at todd@todd-fischer.com