A long time

If you are one of the people who actually follow my blog, you have probably noticed that I have more or less fallen off the face of the SCA know world. This was both deliberate, and unfortunate. My employment situation was such that I was working every weekend, and during the week I was too tired to do much more than sleep or relax as best as I could.

Well, that situation in about to change. I have secured a job that gives me back my nights and weekends, and has good (if not excellent) opportunities for advancement and pay increases.

In short, I'm coming back. With any luck I will see everyone at King's Round Table, and then at this year's Heraldic and Scribal Symposium. I won't be teaching, and I imagine that I will be spending a good portion of time reconnecting with some old and almost forgotten friends. but soon enough, I hope to be back in the swing of things.

And that does include a more active role as the Northern Regional Herald. Enough of this minimalist bulls&$# for me. I got this job in order to make a diffidence, now I can actually set out again and do that. Maybe I won't be as successful as I hope, but anything is better than not trying, and I came out here to at least try.

For better or for worse, I'm back. And after some time out of the mix of things, I think I'm ready to get back into the thick of it.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Protege to Master Robert Fitzmorgan
Nordsteorra Herald
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"Long Live the King!"

Stepping up!

Well, its been a while, and for that I apologize. Life has been hectic, and more than a little punishing for me of late. Sadly, but appropriately, I decided to put the SCA on the back burner until I got my life put in some semblance of order.

Now, with all that being said, my life is now taking shape again. I have a conditional job offer, with respectable, if not stellar pay, and good opportunity for overtime.Which means that I will be able to start dedicating some energy back into the SCA, even if it is a limited venue.

However, this is NOT why I am posting today!

At tonight's populace, our senechal was chomping at the bit to herald her own meeting. Technically, this is not prohibited, as we are not a barony, and there are no royally appointed figures holding court of business during the meeting. However, it does go strongly against tradition for the meeting to not be called by the herald. The herald's of Mooneschadowe have a strong tradition of holding their own when it comes to local responsibility, especially when maintaining the dignity of the group's meetings and other formal activities.

So, tonight, when our dear senechal started heralding the meeting on her own, the local herald, who had just finished saying that he wasn't in any shape to herald a meeting, stomped up to the front, stationed himself firmly at our senechal's right side, and politely, but directly said "sit down, I've got it."

Now, to be clear, everyone laughed along good naturedly, and I don't think there were any hurt feelings. But I think that it is important for all of us to note that heralds are an often under-appreciated, and poorly understood asset within the SCA. So it was honestly pleasant to see one of our own stand up for tradition and assert himself in that way.

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Protege to Master Robert Fitzmorgan
Nordsteorra Herald
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"God save the King!"

Google Voice - (405) 385-9214

Court "Got Ya!"

Well, I have to give credit where credit is due. Court at the close of Northkeep's Winterkingdom had one of the better "Got Ya!" moments in recent history.

Rabbit (Sir Cais Lepus) went up in court and addressed the populace, explaining that he had promised his quires new belts after formally taking them as his students. He called Centurion Angus Gunn up, and after some very touching words presented him with a handsome red Squire's belt.

Then he called Viggen up, and offered some more very touching words to the man. At that point, he turned towards the royal herald (HL Etienne) and asked for the other belt. Etienne turned, looked down at something, then went wide-eyed. He exclaimed that he had screwed up, apologized to Rabbit and the audience.

"I know exactly what happened to it." Etienne said in a panic. "I handed it to someone and forgot to get it back before court started. I completely screwed up. Um um... Don't worry. I... I... um... I can get this taken care of in just a minute." he turned square with the audience again and started projecting in his normal court-herald volume. "Would the people whom I handed a small cloth bag please step forward... I think that would be..."

"ALL THE KNIGHTS AND MASTERS AT ARMS OF ANSTEORRA!"

Yes, they finally decided to make Viggen a knight.

And that was just a priceless "Got Ya!"

Lord Ivo Blackhawk
Protege to Master Robert Fitzmorgan
Nordsteorra Herald
Kingdom of Ansteorra
"God Save the King!"

Google Voice - (405) 385-9214