A History of the Middle Kingdom Green Scarf

					           By Baron AElfred of Chester, OP

(This article is by no means a definitive history of the effort to have rapier fencing approved in the Middle Kingdom. No insult is 
intended to any person or event that may have been omitted from this article.)

In October AS 25 (1990) Lord John Inchingham and Lady Maire ingen Dauith sought an audience with TRM Dag and Ilsa at Their Majesties 
Crown Tourney in the Barony of Nordskogen. Lord John and Lady Maire sought permission to start a petition drive in the Middle Kingdom to 
get rapier fencing approved. Their Majesties gave Their permission to start the campaign.

In March AS 25 (1991) I attended the Argent Anniversary (TFYC) of the SCA in the Kingdom of Ansteorra. I attended the event with two goals in 
mind. The first was to get an authorization in rapier fencing so I could participate in the rapier fencing going on at the event. The 
second goal was to discuss with various students of the art of defense a strategy to introduce rapier fencing to the Middle Kingdom.

The first goal was accomplished fairly quickly, thanks to the instruction I had received from Lady Maire ingen Dauith and Lord John 
Inchingham. As part of the second goal Lady Maire, Lord John and I met with Don Tivar Moondragon, Deputy Society Marshal for Rapier Combat, 
both in private and in public meetings. During the course of these discussions I realized that any effort to legalize rapier fencing in a 
kingdom as large as the Middle Kingdom would require a forum for dissemination of news and discussion about rapier fencing. Lady Maire 
was good enough to come up with the name The Silver Dagger. Hence was born a rapier oriented newsletter that has been published on a monthly 
basis since April AS 25.

During the long journey back to the Middle Kingdom from TFYC, I continued to mull over the prospects for getting rapier fencing approved in the Middle Kingdom. 
I realized that esides a newsletter, we who were interested in the cause of making rapier fencing legal needed a badge to identify ourselves to each other and  
the Kingdom at large. In Ansteorra the rapier community had introduced me to the concept of the use of a colored scarf. I thought that perhaps in the 
Middle Kingdom we could use such a device to demonstrate our interest in rapier fencing. I wanted to make the scarf a uniquely Middle Kingdom 
badge and thought of using the heraldic colors in the Middle Kingdom badge. Ansteorra already used a white scarf for its Grant of Arms level 
rapier fencing award and the White Scarves gave their students or cadets red scarves to designate their status. I therefore thought that 
we in the Middle could use a green scarf for the dragon of the Middle Kingdom. I put forth this idea in the first issue of The Silver Dagger. 
The green scarf was intended to be worn by anyone who supported allowing rapier fencing in the Middle Kingdom, not just authorized rapier fencers.

Having been infected with the rapier bug I continued to try and think of ways to make rapier fencing acceptable in the Middle Kingdom. I 
discussed with Lady Maire and Master John the idea of adapting the Ansteorran model of having the rapier fencers of the Middle Kingdom act 
as a Queen's guard. I broached the idea with Queen Tangwystl and she approved of the idea. At Crown Tourney in May AS 26 the Middle Kingdom 
Rapier Legion first started escorting HRM Tangwystl. At Court that night some forty members of the Middle Kingdom Rapier Legion went 
forward to present Her Majesty with a White Scarf to show that she was patron of the Middle Kingdom Rapier Legion. (This was done 
with the knowledge and permission of Don Tivar, the premier White Scarf in the Known World).

At the same Crown Tournament Lady Maire and Lord John presented TRM David and Tangwystl with the rapier petition that included over 400 
names of Midrealm residents who supported approving rapier fencing in the Middle Kingdom.

In June of AS 26 a small group of rapier fencers attended an event in the Riding of Ravenslake. At court, for the first time, members of the 
Middle Kingdom Rapier Legion took an oath of protection to Her Majesty Tangwystl. This made our efforts even closer to the Ansteorran model 
where early in each reign the Ansteorran rapier fencers take an Oath of Protection to the Queen. Also, at this court we presented King David 
and Queen Tangwystl with funds to assist Duke Sir Palymar, Earl Marshal of the Middle Kingdom, in travelling to the Barony of Nordskogen's 
Warlord event where Lord Tristan von Eisig had invited Don Robin Gilwell,, to demonstrate rapier fencing.

On July 7, AS 26, Duke Palymar met with Don Robin and Lord Lucas FitzHugh Grey, who traveled from Ansteorra, at the Nordskogen Warlord 
event. Don Robin, Lord Lucas and Lord Tristan, who held an Ansteorran rapier authorization, demonstrated rapier fencing to Duke Palymar and a 
large group of interested Midrealmers. Duke Palymar got into rapier gear himself and crossed blades with Don Robin. During the 
demonstration Don Robin also showed Duke Palymar how rapier armor was tested with a broken foil blade to check for "impenetrable" material. 

After the demonstration Don Robin presented Duke Palymar with an Ansteorran rapier fencing authorization card.

At Simple Day in July Don Tivar Moondragon traveled from Ansteorra to speak to King David and Queen Tangwystl about the effort to approve 
rapier fencing in the Middle Kingdom. King David was good enough to allow Don Tivar and a small group of Midrealm fencers to put on a 
demonstration of rapier fencing for Their Majesties and many other interested Midrealm residents. Also at this event members of the Middle 
Kingdom Curia were given a first draft of proposed rules for rapier fencing in the Middle Kingdom.

At Pennsic XX the Middle Kingdom Rapier Legion went into high gear. The Province of Tree Girt Sea hosted the first Pennsic Rapier Party so 
rapier fencers from through out the known world could meet each other and discuss common concerns and problems. HRM Tangwystl attended the 
party and listened to the many songs that were sung and the stories that were told around the fire.

At least one member of the Rapier Legion attended Queen Tangwystl from 8 am to 8 p.m. every day for the main week of the war. Those who 
attended Her Majesty acted as messengers, note takers, water carriers and otherwise did their best to assist Her Majesty as best they could.

Members of the Legion also presented HRH Lisa with a green scarf at the Middle Kingdom court to show that we felt she was also part of the Legion.

In October AS 26 HRM Comar ascended the thrown of the Middle Kingdom and announced that He would allow rapier fencing demonstrations at 
Middle Kingdom events. Both at Coronation and Crown Tourney demonstrations of rapier fencing were held to educate the Midrealm 
public about rapier fencing.

At Coronation the Rapier Legion took the Oath of Protection to Queen Lisa. Count Sir David and Countess Tangwystl joined the Legion as it 
took the Oath. The White Scarf was presented to Queen Lisa at an event in the Barony of the Flame later in the reign.

In November the first Middle Kingdom Rapier Workshop was held. Over 40 Midrealm fencers came to learn from Don Tivar Moondragon and Baroness 
Aethylean of Moondragon, from the Kingdom of Ansteorra, and Dona Gwyneth ferch Meredydd Ynys Mon, Kingdom Marshal of Fence for the East 
Kingdom, and her deputy Don Dylan ap Maelgwn A long day of training in different rapier weapons styles and marshalling ended with almost 
twenty Midrealmers receiving either Ansteorra or East Kingdom authorizations in rapier fencing.

In the same month a rapier demonstration was held at the St. Nicholas Day event in the Shire of White Waters before TRH Ronin and Katya. At 
court that evening members of the Rapier Legion continued the tradition of presenting the Princess with a Green Scarf so She too would feel a 
part of the Legion.

In April a second Rapier Workshop was hosted by the Shire of White Waters with Lord Fritz von Bare acting as autocrat. Dona Gwyneth 
returned from the East, bringing with her Lord Seosamh MacDonald an Cruca O'Maillie to help instruct. Don Robin of Gilwell and Mistress 
Adelicia of Gilwell represented the Kingdom Ansteorra as instructors. Duke Sir Palymar was also able to attend this workshop. The day's 
activities again focused on rules discussions and training in different weapons forms with the end result that almost thirty more Middle 
Kingdom fencers received authorizations.

In May AS 27 King Ronin announced that He was willing to continue the policy of allowing rapier demonstrations to take place. At the 
Coronation of Their Majesties Ronin and Katya the Rapier Legion was very busy between taking the Oath of Protection and presenting Queen 
Katya with the White Scarf, escorting Her Majesty and running a rapier demonstration. Andrew Blackwood MacBaine ended up doing most of the 
escort duty and due to the fact he was wearing purple garb that day Her Majesty gave him the sobriquet Purple.

At Pennsic XXI members of the Rapier Legion were very active on the rapier field learning and authorizing in rapier fencing so they could 
take information home to start training on the local level in the Midrealm. The Middle Kingdom Rapier Legion once again sponsored the 
Pennsic Rapier Party to encourage rapier fencers from throughout the Known World to meet and discuss common concerns and problems as well as 
to share camaraderie and have fun!

Due to the intense interest in training on the field, it became very difficult to recruit members of the Legion to attend Queen Katya. 
Andrew the Purple very gallantly volunteered to spend most of his free hours at Pennsic escorting Her Majesty.

His Royal Highness Finn was seen on the rapier field at Pennsic discussing rapier fencing with a number of residents from the East 
Kingdom and other kingdoms that had established rapier traditions. Prince Finn used borrowed equipment to try his hand at rapier fencing.

Just before Coronation in October AS 27 HRH Garlanda notified me that she was uncomfortable with the idea of accepting the White scarf from 
the Rapier Legion. Princess Garlanda allowed that she was willing to accept the Scarf if the majority of the rapier fencers at Coronation 
voted their approval of the idea.

At Coronation a meeting was called of all those interested in rapier fencing to discuss the future of the queen of the Middle Kingdom 
continuing as the honorary head of the rapier legion. Amongst those present for the meeting were myself, Lord John Inchingham, Lady Maire, 
Lord Grimkirk ap Greymoor, Baron Daibhid MacLachlan, Lord Andrew the Purple (who had just received his Award of Arms from TRM Ronin and 
Kataya just before they stepped down that day) as well as many others. A long discussion was held as to why the Queen was used as a source of 
inspiration and what the future of the Rapier Legion should be. Ultimately the majority of those present voted against continuing the 
tradition of giving the Queen the White Scarf.

The decision at that Coronation pretty much ended the formal place of the Rapier Legion in the effort to get rapier fencing approved in the 
Middle Kingdom. Some few of us who had been wearing the green scarf continued to do so but we did not make the effort to encourage others 
to do so.

During Their reign TRM Finn and Garlanda continued to allow demonstrations of rapier fencing to take place and at the Province of 
Tree Girt Sea 12th Night event in January AS 27 King Finn called a meeting of a small committee to discuss a set of rapier rules that the 
new Earl Marshal, Sir Bardolph Windlaufer, and His Majesty had been working on. Amongst those present for this meeting were HRM Finn, Duke 
Eliahu, Count Valerius, Sir Bardolph, Baron Daibhid, Baron Devin Breighallach, Lord Svea Wartooth, Lord Grimkirk, Lord John Inchingham 
and myself. HRM Finn also held another rules meeting at the RUM session in Pentamere so Lord Hoskuld and Lady Eyrny from Ealdormere 
could participate.

In April AS 27 the Barony of Sternfeld hosted the first Middle Kingdom rapier tournament. The rules of the day were not the Middle Kingdom 
rules that the committee had been discussing but a combination of Ansteorran and East Kingdom rules. The event was very well run under 
the auspices of Lord Luciano Giovanni di Charburg, with able assistance of many residents of Sternfeld, including Lady Sorcha O'Brannigan as 
List Mistress. Master Thorbjorn the Greysides won the tournament.

In May AS 28 at Their final court TRM Finn and Garlanda inducted the first seven members of the Order of the Cavendish Knot, the Middle 
Kingdom rapier fencing award. Those inducted were Duke Sir Palymar, Baron Daibhid, Lord John Inchingham, Lord Grimkirk, Lord Hoskuld, Lady 
Eyrny and myself.

On April 30 AS 29 (1994) Their Royal Majesties Jafar and Catherine signed the first official rules for Rapier Fencing in the Middle 
Kingdom at the Middle Kingdom 25th Year Anniversary event in the Province of Tree Girt Sea.

The approval of rapier fencing in the Middle Kingdom turned the efforts of many others and myself to training Marshals of Fence and bringing 
Middle Kingdom rapier fencers up to speed on the new rules. The first twelve Middle Kingdom Marshals of Fence received their 
warrants at Pennsic XXIII. The wearing of the green scarf became less and less common as more attention was paid to authorizing Middle Kingdom rapier 
fencers and establishing a safe rapier culture in the Middle Kingdom.

In February AS 30 Lord John Inchingham was elevated to the Order of the Laurel by TRM Tarquin and Aibhilin. Lord John asked all those who 
escorted him into his investiture ceremony to wear the Green Scarf. The wearing of the Green Scarf during the ceremony introduced \its use to 
many rapier fencers who had not been aware of it before. Many of those who participated in the ceremony continued to wear the Green Scarf 
thereafter.

Copyright 2003 C. Allen Reed