Midrealm Kingdom 12th Night 2017

On the 7th of January, A.S. LI, in the Barony of Cynnabar, King Edmund and Queen Kateryn of the Middle Kingdom did celebrate Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, with divers of their adoring subjects. Of whom yours humbly was one.

I took a miniature painter in a pouch that hung from my belt; the painter made quick work of some of the scenes of the revelry.

There was dancing to the sweet music made by a broken consort (by which we of course mean that there were voices and instruments of different categories, rather than all the same kind, such as a consort of recorders):

Some of the King’s subjects were caught by the painter while they changed out of “mundane” dress:

Others arrived fully garbed and looking quite gallant, this being Owen MacDonald:

And the King’s Own Harper, Breddelwyn, was in attendance. He later entertained the Court at Feast:

The painter managed to catch the portraits of many of the populace, whether endowed with coronets or not, at the Lunch Tavern, provided gratis to the happy attendees:

Our personal favorite, Kestral, and her daughter, took their lunch repast up to their day camp in the social hall:

Mistress Halla of Mugmort and I agree that Kestral is the epitome of elegance! 🙂

Merchants of exotic wares were also in attendance at Kingdom Twelfth Night:

Mistress Halla of Mugmort is Kingdom Minister Of Arts and Sciences. King Edmund issued a challenge to all the gentles of whatever degree to enter a competition showing their mastery of an art or science in one of three categories: Something You Can Do; Something You Can Hold; or Something You Can Eat or Drink. Here is Halla working at the Royal Arts & Sciences Competition registration table:

One of her assistants in registering entrants in the competition was Gunnar the silversmith, hard at work here on one of his many wondrous projects:

Gunnar is also an accomplished poet in Old Norse. He recited one of his poems for me. It was a beautiful piece and well-spoken!

During the competition, I played the lute and sang for King Edmund and Queen Kateryn. I did a lute solo, “Prelude,” by Hans Neusidler (German, 1536) and a lute song,  “Weepe You No More Sad Fountains,” by John Dowland (English, 1603):

After my performance, I was swept along to a practice by the fun-loving band, Bardic Storm.  Two of its members include Mistress Halla and Prince William of Fairhaven, who will be our next King come May (also known by his mundane name, Pat Savelli). Here they are hard at work with that famous medieval instrument, the iPad. I learned what a very important instrument this is. In fact they each had one!

In the above photo, I’m next to the left in my sheepskin barbarian Viking hat, Prince William of Fairhaven (mka Pat Savelli) is next, playing guitar, Finnguala Ingen Ui HAirt with the bodhran comes next, then Mistress Halla of Mugmort, next to right. We were joined by three lovely ladies who sang with us. 🙂 Count Cellach took the photo.

My very favorite moments of Kingdom Twelfth Night A.S. LI came during the lull before Court.  That very chivalrous and perfect knight, Count Cellach MacChormach, had asked me to dance earlier in the day, but alas! I was waiting for His Majesty the King to appear so that I could perform before him on the lute. Thus I had to decline Count Cellach’s invitation, something my heart was sore to do. Later I bumped into His Excellency in a hallway and asked for a rain-check for that dance.

While I was sitting with Halla and Gunnar the silversmith and other friends, waiting for Court to convene, Count Cellach came along and told me to follow him, taking me by the hand and bidding me leave my mug of water and my miniature painter behind. We proceeded to the front of the Hall, bowed before the Royal Presence (which we do whether or not Royalty is actually sitting there), and veered off to the side, where a group of minstrels were waiting. They burst into an a cappella version of a dance tune, and Cellach proceeded to teach me the steps in media res. We whirled and twirled and clapped and spun about!

Although I had earlier assured my friend Finnguala Ingen Ui HAirt, another musician and member of Bardic Storm, that I could not dance, Cellach simply did not take No for an answer. How very kind of him! Chivalry in action! Here is a picture of us dancing, with the singers behind us, captured by my miniature painter in the hands of Mistress Halla when she was all the way across the Hall. I’m in my furry hat and Cellach is on the right, with the long sleeve of his elegant robe twirling:

 

I got quite dizzy, both from the twirling and from the attention of the Count!

Count Cellach and his Lady, Countess Vukasin, at Christmas Tourney 2016:

LATE BREAKING UPDATE!

I just received a photo forwarded to me of Count Cellach and me while we were kneeling in Court awaiting His Majesty’s judgment on the Royal Arts & Sciences Competition, which by the way I did not win. But having Cellach escort me into the Royal Presence with the other two finalists in the competition was worth every moment I spent preparing my lute pieces. And the goofy expression on my face as I gaze upon that Perfect Gentle Knight is simply priceless!

🙂