[Mid] Remembering Midrealm History

Sometimes I despair that we are losing some of the early Midrealm history.
Few people anymore know even who Count Sir Franz von Blinkenlichten or Duke
Sir Albert von Dreckenveldt or Sir Polidor Haroldsson or Count Sir Rolac the
Wise are, and yet these were some of the legendary names I heard in my "SCA
Youth". Trouble is that there are so few people still active in the SCA who
were of that generation who would remember some of those early legends.
We're talking a time frame of almost 30 years ago now.

I joined the SCA during the last days of the Reign of TRM Finnvarr and
Caellyn back in A.S. XII. After nearly 22 years, even I find it hard to be
able to accurately place when or where a certain event took place, but I
hope to be able to one day chronicle some of my adventures in the SCA. I can
remember well certain events and others are just a blur now. Some events
stand out for various reasons, others just become a long succession of
travels from place to place. Names and faces I forget sometimes, but that
happens.

Once we heard tales of these "living legends" in song and story, around
campfires and at post-revels. I've had the honour to meet quite a few of
those I heard told and sung about, and others I have yet to meet. But I
don't hear the songs and stories too much anymore like we once had. New
songs and stories are not being written or told and new legends are not
being created like they once were. Times were, almost everyone had at least
one good, "No s**t, there we were............" story to tell. I'm sure we've
all had at least one good tale of traveling either to or from an event where
something memorable happened, or a tale of something that might have
happened during an event. These bear telling, as they chronicle who we are
and what we have done. I always love to tell a good event story, as I can
usually find something memorable to tell. This past weekend at Cloved Orange
was no exception. There were funny things, there were moving things and new
friends to be made. There was superb conversation, there was a sharing of
memories with Countess Sir Fern, there were the many hugs from members of my
Household and friends who I hadn't seen in a while, there was outrageous
flirtation..........many things to see and to behold. You don't need a
"crash 'n' bash" (read that "Heavy Weapons) event for memorable things to
happen. Those are fun as well, and once in a great while a memorable match
up of opponents results in stories that get told through the years (like
Corwyn Dragonstar vs. Tonk O'Tuathall in Spring Crown 1980 in Racine, WI.
That one resulted in Corwyn eliminating himself from Crown on a wrap shot
that missed Tonk and came around back at Corwyn, who took a good self
inflicted head shot, which was his second death of the day, and he was then
eliminated from that Crown. A song was later written to the tune of "Suicide
is Painless" and was then entitled "Corwyn the Reignless"!)

Sometimes it's the funny stuff, sometimes it's the bittersweet stuff, but it
tells the tales of who we are and what we've done and where we've been and
what has happened to us. Next time you go to an event, try to find something
memorable about it that can be shared with those who did not go. Maybe a
good melee or tournament bout, maybe a good fencing match or archery shoot,
or a great equestrian match or good hound coursing, or maybe a good A&S
display or a great feast or a new friend made or a funny happening or a
moving ceremony or an outrageous travel tale or even something sad that
brought a tear to the eye. All of this is what makes our collective history,
and it needs to be remembered for those who will come ahead of us and become
the new SCAdians of tomorrow so they can know what we did here. We're losing
the memories of those who came before us, and they need to be remembered for
who they were and what they did to build the SCA we have now. We must
remember them and carry on their stories. All of the Albert's and Franz's
and Polidor's and Rolac's and all those other old legends should be
remembered, because they built the foundation on which the Midrealm stands
today. And those who remember them need to write their stories down so we
can all collectively remember, even if we never met them.

Just a few thoughts, since the topic of Midrealm history came up..............

YIS,
Lady Saradwen Ariandalen
Marche of Gwyntarian
(Akron/Kent, OH)

From: Saradwen Ariandalen <saradwen@raex.com>
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Received on Mon Jun 14 23:50:50 1999