The Eleventh Year

Fall Coronet Tourney -- Principality of Caid
September 25, 1976

Held in House Dunmore’s back yard for court, then moved to Shamel Park, Riverside, CA for the Lists. Prince Morven and Princess Bevin held court. Prince Morven gave an Award of Arms to Randolph the Devious. Princess Bevin instituted the Legion of Courtesy, the Caid equivalent of the Queen’s Order of Grace, and admitted as founding members Baron Waldt von Markheim and Lady Su of the Silver Horn. Their Highnesses were presented with four enormous chocolate chip cookies and the arms of Caid done in fudge. The tourney then adjourned to Shamel Park, where the Coronet Lists were held. Sir Martin the Temperate defeated Viscount Gregory of York. Martin’s lady was Arabella Lyon de Rohese. Then all returned to House Dunmore for a potluck banquet and revel. The Meatpie contest was won by Thelin Doppleganger von Kallenbach. The Prize Tourney the next day was cancelled due to rain.

Annotations:
“I almost didn't attend this tourney as I had been sick with a particularly virulent strain of the flu (Victorian Flu I believe it was), and was still very weak. I needed help to put on and take off my armor between rounds. It was here I learned to really conserve energy and focus it to the singular task of each individual combat. I think I won this 7-round tourney with 5 single-shot wins and my longest fight was less than 1 minute.
     “I think it might be of interest how I came to fight for Arabella. I was definitely considered a strong contender for the Coronet but had, at the time, no lady companion. I recognized that if I should win, anyone I fought for would be a close companion for the next nine months, but I wasn't looking to start a new relationship. Therefore I needed to be sure any lady I asked to fight for wouldn't mistake my request as a "romantic" offer.
     “I wanted to fight for someone well respected within the Principality and someone who wouldn't normally have an opportunity to sit on the throne. Arabella's son was squiring for me and it dawned on me that Arabella was a perfect choice, we were already friends, (platonic,) and she had her own household affiliations and support structure, should I prevail in the lists. Her sister and brother-in-law were Baroness Ximena Aubel de Cambria and Baron Piers Howells de Cambria (Barony of the Angels) and head of House Irini. I was a member of Griffin Freehold, so between us, we would have independent support groups and built in retinues.
     “In fact, since we did win, this turned out to be the equivalent of a medieval "political union" being that Griffin Freehold and House Irini, while not rival households, became united in their common interests. This was a great boon to Arabella and myself and contributed to what became a very successful reign. The tremendous energy generated by this alliance also came to be focussed on the goal of making Caid into a Kingdom.
     “At this point Ximena and Piers don't know what's happened as they are traveling. They will be surprised at a future court.” – Martin the Temperate

Description of this event, © Copyright 1980 by William R. Keyes (Wilhelm von Schlüssel)
This is from The History of the West Kingdom, Volume 1 (the only volume produced). When reading this text, please keep in mind the following disclaimer:

Disclaimer: This history may have errors in it, as much of the detail is “remembered” history, or as one of the cover pages of the original type-written manuscript states “The material within is derived from the information printed in The Crown Prints and in The Page, and from the memories of the participants.” The original document was typed on onion-skin paper, with hand-written notes (often in the margins). All attempts have been made to reconcile the notes with the original document.

Annotations, when they are added, are from The Annotated History of the West, Volume 1, which is the same text as Master Wilhelm's mentioned above, with commentary from members of the SCA who were active at the time of the event, and are added to help clarify questions and expand on what happened and why. This volume is copyright © Ken Mayer (Hirsch von Henford).

The West Kingdom History Website was created by and is maintained by Hirsch von Henford (mka Ken Mayer).