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Archive for July, 2007

Jewelry and the SCA!

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

There are many rules and guidelines that a newbie needs to know regarding what jewelry is appropriate to wear at a Society for Creative Anachronism event or local meeting. There are certain pieces of jewelry that indicate a specific status within the society and others that indicate that the wearer has won various awards. So here are the most important bits you needs to know.

1 – Crowns and Coronets
Only a king or queen can wear a crown, and only a prince or princess can wear a coronet. To become a kind or queen you must win a crown tourney or be the consort to someone who wins such a tourney. To become a prince or princess, you must win a coronet tourney or be the consort of someone who wins one. The appearance of the crowns and coronets vary from kingdom to kingdom and principality to principality.

antircrown.jpg

Kingdom of An Tir Crown

2 – Circlets
The rules regarding circlets vary by kingdom. In some kingdoms, only those who have won an Award of Arms can wear circlets. In other kingdoms, such as the Kingdom of the West, anyone can wear a circlet so long as it is a simple metal circle with no resemblance to a crown or coronet. I myself almost always wear a circlet when attending events in the West.

Since all coronets are circlets, but all circlets are NOT coronets there are certain things to look for when making certain that what you are wearing IS a circlet but not a coronet. Coronets have at least one or more raised points on them, but a basic circlet does not. Coronets may also be jeweled. Circlets are not. A good rule of thumb is this, if everyone bows to you when you wear your circlet, then what you’re wearing isn’t appropriate.

3 – Symbols
Certain symbols are reserved for special use by the Society for Creative Anachronism.
For example, fleur di lis and laurel leaves are only for use by royalty. The pelican is the symbol of a specific award and therefore can only be worn by those have won that award. A complete list of all the society awards would be much, much too long, so just be sure and check with your local herald. They can tell you what’s acceptable in your area.

cynaguacoronet.jpg

Principality of Cynagua Coronet

4 – Finally, as always I recommend that you keep all aspects of your persona harmonizing with each other. So be certain that the jewelry you wear isn’t out of period with your clothing, country of origin, background story. My own persona is a traveling Saxon merchant so I have a little more room to experiment in what I wear clothing and jewelry wise. ;-)

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The Coffee House Group Part III

Monday, July 30th, 2007

Hello Everyone!

So, I have been telling you the tale of how I finally got dragged into the SCA to stay. Last time I described to you the way the Coffee House Group operated. Now to introduce some of the members. To understand our membership, you first need to realize that there were literally dozens and dozens of people in our little club thingy. What’s more, the “membership” was constantly in flux. Many of the group had the same or similar first and/or last names. To avoid confusion, the CHG pseudonyms were born! As a result, some unusual names were born!

The Matts!
There were at least two Matts in the CHG. So they became known as Long Hair Matt (sometimes known heretically as Jesus Matt) and Curly Hair Matt. Now, to their faces, they were both addressed as Matt, but for the point of reference at other times, their pseudonyms were used.

The Elisas!
Now, I never thought that the name Elisa was all that common, but apparently I was wrong because there were three of them in the CHG. The first became known as Elisa. The second came to be known by her last name, Wilma. Finally, the third Elisa wound up going by the name Calliope. That name stuck so firmly that to this day she is still called Calliope by many of her friends. Why did she pick the name Calliope in the first place? I have noooooo idea.

The Teds!
The Teds were known as Curly Hair Ted and Big Nose Ted. Now, the problem is that both Teds had big noses and both Teds had curly hair. As a result, talking about the Teds could get a little confusing.

The Johns!
I hate to admit it, but the only John name I can remember is Army John. I must be getting old and senile because I know there were more of them.

The Loris!
Well, first and most importantly, I was one of the Loris. J Unfortunately, there was already a Lori in the CHG when I joined. As such, I should have had to assume a pseudonym. However, I was lucky. The Lori who came before me preferred to be known by her Society for Creative Anachronism name, Morgan. So I got to stay Lori.

The Daves!
Supposedly, there were multiple Daves. However, I only ever saw one Dave and he went by the name Dog. Yes, that’s right, Dog. Frankly, I think that the other Daves are apocryphal. Like Big Foot.

Finally, there was Ruth. Now, there was only one Ruth, but I mention her because she was the source of an ongoing joke. Since she was seldom in the Coffee House, our poor band was RUTHLESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you next time for The Coffee House Part IV!

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Trivial Matters III

Friday, July 27th, 2007

I used to collect an entertaining trivia column written by L. M. Boyd. The column, “Q & A: Puzzles, Predictions, Problems,” included medieval and ancient period trivia. Here are some more of my favorite excerpts. I hope you enjoy the silly stuff.

1 – Mary Queen of Scots is said to have owned a lot of timepieces with cases shaped like human skulls.

2 – Why did Genghis Khan want his cavalry to ride mares? So they could live on milk when necessary.

3 – EARLIEST VACCINE: In the 11th century, a Chinese Buddhist nun devised the oldest known form of vaccination. She powdered the dried scabs of smallpox victims and blew the powder up the noses of those she wished to immunize. In much of Asia, it remained the standard inoculation until relatively recent years.

Medieval Genealogy in Italy

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

Today’s research find is a brief article on the basics of researching medieval genealogy in Italy written by L. Mendola in 1997. The article is part of a website dedicated to Italian genealogy in general. I know very little about researching family trees and, as such, cannot vouch for the accuracy of the article. However, it is well written and would certainly make an excellent jumping off point for anyone interested in the topic of the genealogy of the middle ages.

The article, “Medieval Genealogical Research in Italy” can be found here.

Entertainment for the Ages - Puns and Riddles

Wednesday, July 25th, 2007

In the medieval world, which lacked the amenities of television, internet and Playstation, riddles and puns were common forms of interactive entertainment. For today’s Wednesday Wordplay I invite my readers to stump each other with riddles and make each other laugh with puns. Leave your offerings in the comments and enjoy those of your fellows.

Also, I want to announce that the unavoidably delayed original filk won by Sally of Living Without Meat will appear on a Saturday morning as soon as my life calms down enough to write it. See you all later. I look forward to reading your offerings.

Choosing the Right Tent for You

Tuesday, July 24th, 2007

tents.jpgOkay, I’ve talked with you about joining the SCA, getting your garb together and picking your name. Now it’s time to talk about your home away from home and the one place you can retreat to when events start to wear you down. Your tent! You would not believe how strongly the choice of tent can impact your enjoyment of an event.

Now there are some important things to consider when choosing your tent.
1) Do not start out with a period pavilion. They are difficult to put up and can be very expensive if you don’t make your own. If you do make your own, the weather proofing d support frame may be less than reliable.

2) Your tent needs to be big enough to accommodate your whole household unless the others have tents of their own.

3) It’s better if you have a tent that you can actually stand up in. This makes it easier to put on your garb, especially if any of your garb is tight or requires a great deal of lacing.

4) Make absolutely certain that you can erect the tent alone! This is not as easy as it sounds, even with the dome tents with the spring loaded poles. Even if you are certain that you will always have someone with you, it’s still better to have a tent you can assemble yourself. After all, stuff happens.

5) Be certain that your tent is water proof. Even clear sky-ed events sometimes see rain.

6) Be absolutely sure to bring plenty of strong stakes and a hammer. I was at an event that got so windy during the night that many tents blew down and some actually rolled away. My dome tent, however, remained securely fastened to the ground though it did shake a bit. Metal stakes are better as the plastic ones sometimes break when forced into hard ground.

7) Tents with netting over the windows are preferable as bugs are abundant at events.

8) Tents with a floor that is securely attached to the walls will keep out groundwater and rain.

9) Tents that break down into very small bundles are better, as well. This leaves more room in your vehicle for such essentials as ice chests and clothing. And lots and lots of bedding.

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The Scottish Play!

Monday, July 23rd, 2007

shakespeare.jpg

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a performance of MacBeth put on by the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival, more commonly known as Sacramento’s Shakespeare in the Park.

Right now the festival is putting on performances of Comedy of Errors as well as MacBeth and both shows are being staged at the open air theater in William Land Park. I attend the festival every year and try to see both shows, as there are always two. This year was an extra special treat as one of my close friends, Anne Marie Justman, is playing a part in MacBeth. She gets to yell a lot and wave around a staff as she is playing a soldier as well as the doctor. The show has been staged with a Japanese theme based on traditional Kabuki theater. One stunning example of this can be seen in the three weird sisters. The witches are wearing kimonos, masks and genuine Kabuki wigs. Shakespeare’s witches have always been a kind of chorus, but now that effect is amplified by the Japanese Kabuki theme. It was terrific!

Brian Rivera, the fellow playing MacBeth, was truly amazing. I’ve seen a number of MacBeth shows over the years, but his performance of the lead role left all of the others in the dust. His face is wonderfully expressive and he portrays MacBeth’s raging emotions with great emotional sincerity. It is a highly nuanced performance and well worth seeing.

Go early if you want to spread a blanket out on the green before the stage. Otherwise you’ll be sitting on the benches and that’s less fun. I recommend arriving at 5:30 at the latest. The gates open roughly around 6:30 and the play begins at 8:00. Though some minor snacks are available at the Hospitality Booth, you should bring a meal or at least snacks and drinks for your party. Alcohol is allowed but you’d better not be rowdy during the show! If you intend to sit on the green, don’t take chairs as they block other people’s view and are theoretically not allowed in the theater. The weather may be hot, but bring a blanket or coat to wrap up in as it gets very cold once darkness falls and there is an especially cool breeze off of the nearby duck pond.

I intend to see Comedy of Errors some time in the next two or three weeks and will give you a report on that as well.

Tickets for either show cost $15.00. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online here. However, if you want to attend closing night you’d better but tickets ahead of time. The remaining show dates are:

MacBeth – July 27, Aug. 2, 4
Comedy of Errors – July 26, 29, Aug. 3, 5

P.S. The curse of The Scottish Play continues. It took me five tries to get this post to work!

Food Past - The Coronation Feast of Richard the III

Saturday, July 21st, 2007

Richard_the_III.jpgGillian over at Food Past has written a wonderful article on the coronation feast of Richard the III. The article is informative and highly engaging for anyone even remotely interested in Medieval food. It doesn’t just describe the food served. Instead, the article puts that food into historical context. Gillian describes herself as having been a medievalist long before she became interested in Food Past, and she is very knowledgable on the subject of medieval food. So check out the article here.

Trivial Matters - Valentine’s Day Love Poems

Friday, July 20th, 2007

Battle_of_Agincourt.jpg (Left: The Battle of Agincourt).

As I believe I mentioned once before, I used to collect an entertaining trivia column written by L. M. Boyd. The column, “Q & A: Puzzles, Predictions, Problems,” included medieval and ancient period trivia. Here are some of my favorite excerpts. I hope you enjoy the silly stuff.

1 – Englanders in 1060 used a coin shaped like a four-leaf clover. Each leaf could be broken off as a separate piece of currency.

2 – LOVE POEMS: In the 1415 Battle of Agincourt, the British captures a Frenchman named Charles, Duke of Orleans, and took him to the Tower of London, where he wrote rhymed love letters to his wife. His poems, according to some historians, were the first in the long tradition of mailed Valentine’s Day verses.

3 – Spain’s first bullfighter of record—in 1040 A.D.—is listed in a collegiate encyclopedia as “El Cid.”

You can check out more witty sayings by L. M. Boyd at The Quotations Page.

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Medieval Underwear? Just Go Commando!!!

Thursday, July 19th, 2007

House_Greydragon.gif
House Graydragon’s Coat of Arms

I once attended a Society for Creative Anachronism Arts and Sciences event in Berkley. It was held on the UC Berkley campus and was, in essence, a convention featuring various classes, lectures and symposiums on everything Medieval that you can imagine. In the Kingdom of the West such events are commonly known as A&S’s.

At this particular A&S, I chose to attend a class on medieval underwear. Yes, you read that correctly. Underwear. You see, at the time I was fairly satisfied with my garb overall, but I found it somewhat anachronistic to put medieval clothing on over my Hanes. I figured, if there was a simple form of medieval female undergarments, preferably Saxon circa 1100 A.D., I would give making and wearing them a shot.

So, I attended a 90 minute class in medieval underwear, and what did I learn? I learned that medieval men and women didn’t really wear underwear! There was none!!!

That’s one hour of my life I’ll never get back, however, the instructor was humorous and the class was fun, so I don’t consider the experience wasted. Anyway, to save you grief, I’m letting you know that unless you’re persona is from the late, late middle ages, just wear normal underwear. :-D

Failing that, you can go commando and settle for hosen, if you are a guy that is. House Greydragon’s website includes a wonderful page on hosen, tunics and trewes. Check it out to get that household’s take on medieval underwear.

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Medieval Word Association

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

Today’s challenge is to complete this Medieval Word Association. Look at each word and write down the first word that it makes pop into your mind. Then post your list as a comment. Whoever’s answer list just happens to be closest to mine wins… absolutely nothing except the knowledge that they are as strange and peculiar as I am. :-D

Here is an example of how to post your should look.

Red = Cherry
Blue = Berry
Yellow = Banana

So here goes!

Medieval Word Association
Knight =
Chivalry =
Damsel =
Castle =
Armor =
Dragon =
Crown =
Monk =

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SCADemo.com — Check it Out!

Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

No long written explanation of anything for the newbies today. Instead, newbies should be sure to check out the website SCADemo.com for online videos of everything from SCA fighting to music and cooking! It’s a wonderful site and definitely the place to fritter away some of that unwanted free time. ;-)

Tomorrow check back for Wednesday Wordplay and a very unusual contest where you can pit the vagaries of your psyche against yours truly. See you then!

Eideann’s First Pennsic

Monday, July 16th, 2007

(Today’s guest blogger is Eideann. I will return tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy Eideann’s Monday Memories.)

Catslyn is still sick. You should see her . . . the pathetic child mopes around the house coughing and asking if I think she still has a fever. Thus, you will have to wait another week for the Coffee House Part 3. In the meantime, here are some of my memories. (Be afraid, be very afraid.)

Pennsic02.jpg

My first event was the Pennsic War. Whenever I tell that to people who are familiar with SCA events, I get very strong reactions. Some declare their undying jealousy, some just gape in astonishment. One particularly enthusiastic young man, whom I met during a weeklong church conference, jumped up from the table where we were eating breakfast, bounced around the cafeteria hooting and hollering, and then came back to sit down. Then I tell them that my second event was the Pennsic War and their astonishment knows no bounds.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Pennsic War, let me give you a little info. It is a yearly conflict between the East Kingdom and the Middle, and it first took place in 1971. The winner of the war gets bragging rights, the loser keeps Pittsburgh, thus the city of Pittsburgh may not be in the same kingdom from year to year. It’s held at Cooper’s Lake Campground in western Pennsylvania. When I first went, there were 10,000 attendees. Just imagine a camping event the size of a small town. The battles are huge, the Merchants Row is enormous, and people come from all over the country – all over the world.

The year was 1986, I was fifteen years old, and I knew nothing whatsoever about the SCA. I went to Pennsic with pieces of costumes from various shows I’d been in, like Fiddler on the Roof, a Renaissance Fair outfit, and my one piece of genuine garb, a Kinsale cloak that my grandmother had made me with Pennsic in mind. I had no idea what I was getting into.

It was glorious. Everyone called everyone else “my lord” and “my lady,” and all the guys, even the ones my age, were polite and well behaved. People wore the most amazing and beautiful clothes and sang songs and held dances. Many tents were the standard variety you can buy at outdoor stores, but quite a number were gorgeous pavilions done in medieval style. Most people camped in groups, households or even larger regional communities, so walking through the camping areas feels like moving from one neighborhood into another. There are signposts, group banners, and a great many people, all of whom are happy to help a lost traveler.

I knew there was fighting . . . somewhere. There was the Woods battle, which didn’t get much of an audience. It was, after all, in the woods, which made it difficult to watch. All those trees kind of blocked the action. I was vaguely aware, too, of the Field and Bridge battles, but I managed to attend my first War without seeing any of the battles at all. My lasting impression of Pennsic War XV was of a vast medieval mall.

So I could earn some spending money (and – I suspect – to keep me out from under foot), my aunt suggested that I work in the booth belonging to a friend of hers, Medieval Miscellanea. I agreed with alacrity, and sold goblets, t-shirts and various other items with a will. I doubt it will surprise you to discover that I left my job there with slightly less money than I started with.

My chief discovery at Pennsic, however, was a deep appreciation for blades. One day, as I wandered Merchants Row with my aunt, we paused at a booth where there were many axes for sale. I was entranced, and while my aunt and the merchant talked, I gazed raptly at the weapons. Then the merchant caught sight of me attempting to lift a battle axe that was half my height. I’m told I had a look of glee on my face, and he was pleased to make an alternative suggestion. He turned around, opened a box and pulled out the most beautiful object I’d seen in my life. A single bitted axe, approximately 14” in length, with a cherry wood handle. He handed it to me and I held it in my hands for a moment, drinking in the sight of it, then turned to my aunt. According to her my expression had shifted from mere glee to unholy glee, and she could not resist the pleading in my eyes. In later years I named her Brunhilde (the axe, not the aunt), and she has a place of honor in my home. Also on that trip, I bought my very own dagger of Solingen steel.

My mother was, needless to say, quite nonplused by my armed state upon my return home. My classmates didn’t quite know what to make of me, either. I took great joy in startling them.

Classmate: What did you do last summer?
Me: I went on a Girl Scout trip, and then I went to the War.
Classmate: Girl Scouts, huh . . . wait, did you say ‘the War’?

I was known as a goody-two-shoes, a girl who was probably more boring than English class. The Girl Scout trip came as no surprise to anyone. The War on the other hand – it gave me great pleasure to explain my summer vacation, and the booty I brought back from it.

Three years later I attended Pennsic XVIII, but that is a story for another day.

FYI, Pennsic XXXVI is upcoming. Just click the link for more information about that event.

Bardic Circles - For the Faint of Heart

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

(Due to my increasing inability to write coherently while taking codeine, Eideann has graciously agreed to write guest blogs for today and Monday. Today’s topic: bards. Monday you will be introduced to the wonder of the Medieval Mall! Be sure to check out Eideann’s blog at Fan Fiction Frenzy. Take it away, Eidz!)

I am told that this is Friday Fun Facts. So now I must come up with facts that are fun about the SCA.

Hmmmm . . .

Well, when I tell my mundane friends about the SCA, I typically tell them we’re a group of people who dress up like the Middle Ages and whack at each other with rattan sticks. It is a simplistic description, but then the people I’m usually talking to think the Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, were a time when it was dark and people didn’t have sex. (No, however much I might like to be, I’m not kidding.) As a result, I tend to stick to the obvious

Well, needless to say, the SCA is a lot more than funny clothes and martial arts involving rattan. I thought I’d share some information about one of my favorite activities.

Live music and poetry were a big thing in the Middle Ages. After all, with no television or radio or CD players, they had to do something. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that people do a fair amount of singing in the SCA, and a lot of it seems to be to the tunes of popular modern songs. While this is true, there are also folks who write original music, and people who write words to ancient tunes. Sometimes you run across the ambitious soul who translates medieval songs into modern English.

To enjoy this music, people gather in what’s called a bardic circle. At outdoor events, this often strongly resembles gathering around a campfire for music, like one might do at scout camp. Group sing-alongs do occur, but bardic circles also include solo singing, poetry readings and storytelling. One thing to note, if you participate in a bardic circle, there is no requirement that your voice be anything beyond the ordinary. People are gathered to enjoy the sharing. Vocal talent (or lack thereof) is a side issue. To someone of mediocre voice who nevertheless loves to sing, this can be enormously liberating. (I should know, unlike Catslyn I have a perfectly mediocre voice.)

At a bardic circle, everyone typically participates to one degree or another. You can sing, you can suggest a song for everyone to sing together, you can tell a story, you can read a poem (by yourself or others). The only requirement is that if you present something that you did not create, you attribute it the best you can. Saying, “I didn’t write this, I don’t know who did, but it’s fun,” is usually sufficient if that’s all the information you have. Unlike the campfires some of us attended as kids, there is not typically someone who is in charge. Everyone contributes, making it very much a community event.

If you go to a bardic circle and feel shy about participating, don’t be afraid to say so. You may pass until you get more comfortable with joining in. Attend a few, feel your way, and maybe one day you’ll be competing to become Bard of your local region.

The Origin of Drama Throughout History

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Bowl_Theater.jpg

Today I am privileged to present to you another article written by long time SCA member Eideann. And be sure to check out her blog, Fan Fiction Frenzy.

The Origins of Drama Throughout History

Ancient Rome is famous for its bread and circuses. Nearly everyone knows about Christians being fed to lions, and other such gladiatorial events. These are the topics of movies and even Star Trek episodes. Little popular attention is given, however, to the subject of late Roman theatre. In the time of the Emperor Heliogablius, not only were live sex acts performed onstage if called for in a play, but the slave-actor who played a character who died during the plot was often executed to add realism. This led to the early Christian empire banning theatrical performances of all kinds.

Ironically enough, theatre began again in Europe in much the same fashion as it had started in the first place. In ancient Greece, theatre began as a religious celebration. In the 9th century, some parts of the liturgy began to resemble dramatic dialogues, and by the 10th century theatrical performances started being added to the masses of some of the major Christian holidays, such as Easter and Christmas.

LITURGICAL PLAYS

The earliest recognized “play” in medieval Europe is known as the “quem quaeritis” (“whom do you seek” in Latin). It was part of the Easter celebration, and was performed by four monks. The first monk comes in and sits quietly near a symbolic sepulchre that has been constructed at the altar. Shortly thereafter, the remaining three monks enter, representing the three Marys, Mary Magdeline, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and Mary the mother of Christ. They have come to annoint Christ’s body with oil, but they find that the tomb is open and empty. The first monk, portraying an angel, says “quem quaeritis,” then proceeds to explain that Christ has been resurrected. The three Marys then begin rejoicing, and tell the gathered monks the news, which ends the play. It is a very simple narrative, and very short. The longest version I have seen is seven lines of dialogue. Nevertheless, it is indubitably a dramatic presentation.

Now, these earliest dramas were part of monastic celebrations, and as such were generally not seen by lay audiences. Over the next two centuries, the use of liturgical drama spread into the masses attended by laypersons, but it remained a part of the church service until the 12th century. It also started to be written not only in Latin but in the vernacular languages, thus allowing everyone to understand it.

CYCLE PLAYS

Eventually, drama began to move outside, onto the church steps. It continued to be scriptural in nature, but was no longer directly part of the mass. Over the 12th and 13th centuries, drama remained more or less stable. The next major development was the Corpus Christie Cycle Plays that began in the late 14th century. The largest number of these cyclical play groups are to be found in the north of England during this period. They were often performed on the Feast of Corpus Christie which was established to celebrate the eucharist in 1311. The plays were put on by the guilds of the towns who sponsored them with some help from the church.

Nevertheless, they were largely secular in nature. Together, a cycle group tell most of the bible story, starting with Creation and ending with Judgement Day. They are the first medieval dramas to include comedy in any degree, and some are enormously funny, especially those of the Wakefield Cycle (also known as the Townley Cycle), which is believed to have been written largely by one man. Since all of these dramas were written for celebration of God, most medieval authors do not claim credit for their work.

In the Wakefield Cycle, there are two versions of the nativity, of which the second is more enjoyable. During The Second Shepherd’s Play, three shepherds are watching their flocks by night, and one of their sheep is stolen from them by a fellow named Mak. They go after him to get their sheep back, but he has hidden it in a cradle in his house and pretends that the sheep is really a child his wife has lately delivered. They are of course, angry and search for the sheep, but eventually they give up and offer presents to the “child” and thus find the sheep. However, instead of seeking justice which would mean Mak’s death, they give Mak a hard time and then go off to watch their sheep again. Then the angel host comes and tells them to go see the birth of the Christ child.
The Cycle plays often include contemporary humor, political jokes, and local personalities, and often offer magnificent insight into medieval town life.

MYSTERY AND MORALITY PLAYS

As the theatre became more secular, it left the scripture behind. Mystery plays, also called miracle plays are almost as old as liturgical plays. They treat the lives, miracles and converstions of the saints. Again, they started in monasteries, praising the patron saints of given monasteries, but as they, too, spread among the common folk. They often included long accounts of apocryphal events that merely added to the romance and adventure of the tale. For instance, in an English play about Mary Magdalene, there is a sea voyage and a wife separated from her husband. (Later they are reunited.) This is far from being true to scripture.

Morality plays were allegorical tales about the suffering of ordinary men. They started around the late 14th century, and grew rapidly in popularity. A good example of a morality play is Everyman. It is of English origin, but more closely resembles European styles. It is a serious play about “Everyman” facing death and the concomitant emotional stress. Here is a list of the characters in the play:
god
messenger
dethe
everyman
felawship
kinrede
cosyn
goodes
good dedes

About SCA Life

SCA Life explores the world of historical reenactment, specifically focusing on the Society for Creative Anachronism and other groups dedicated to middle ages and the renaissance.

SCA Life Author(s)
    » Catslyn

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    I am freezing today. I stepped out this evening to go bowling with friends and it actually smelled like winter outside. I put on socks and shoes today, leaving my sandals behind. I've got the urge to [...]
  • Know Your Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species: Giant Hogweed
    It is true that I am a nerd that enjoys the study of nature and all of its creatures, and part and parcel of living in Portland, Oregon is enjoying nature. So today, I will bring you the fruit of my [...]
  • Silver Giveaway
    Christmas has always been perceived as the season for giving and receiving. ‘Guess it’s no wonder why this is the time of the year when people all around the world is in unison when it [...]
  • Next Up: NCAA Championships
    No. 24 Arkansas Razorback men's cross country will run at the NCAA Championships, Mon., Nov. 24. [...]
  • Swimming And Dving In The Lead After First Day At Alabama
    The No. 7 Auburn swimming and diving teams are both in the lead heading into the final session of its two-day dual meet at in-state rival Alabama. After 24 events in the "Iron Bowl of Swimming," the [...]
  • Albuquerque dances all night long? T or F?
    [caption id="attachment_47" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="OK OK, I'll go and listen to some music!"][/caption] Almost all night long. Here's some other event news from ABQarts.org [...]

  • [caption id="attachment_1225" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Santa Fe Dreaming..."][/caption] Ok this is a funky site that you must go visit,please, if you want to catch the wave (in a [...]
  • people never change
    There is an Introductory Address in the third edition of Domestic Cookery, Useful Receipts, And Hints to Young Housekeepers. by Elizabeth E. Lea. She also claims that "The Source of Liberal [...]
  • Charlize Theron oh-lala glam in white
    If we are talking lethal sexiness with uber-classy fashion sense, then I guess one name comes to my mind first. – Charlize Theron. Oh yeah, talk about sex appeal and class, the actress will [...]
  • Albuquerque NM Film office
    [caption id="attachment_796" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Hey, just about anyone can work films in NM...."][/caption] Well not anybody, however the State of NM really keeps offering [...]