[Northshield] A Persona challenge that's BARDIC.

[Elyse Boucher]

Greetings unto the people of Northshield from the
humble scribe Merouda Pendray.

Yes, this is another persona challenge, but this is a
little more complicated than usual. And it's going to
go until Boar's Head! 

As some of you know, I don't have much involvement
with Boar's Head (Caer Anterth's primo, wonderful
winter event: you should go!), and this is mostly
because I spend the month of November as the Municipal
Liaison for the Milwaukee/Waukesha area during
National Novel Writing Month (info at
http://www.nanowrimo.org). This eats up my month. 

No, I'm not going to peg some way to make Nano seem
period. ;-)

Instead, I'm offering up a variation on my usual
simple challenge theme. One of the great things about
Nanowrimo is that, when it's done, you've told a
whapping great fun story. And you don't have to worry
about how it will be judged, because the point is to
create.

 I thought I might spice up my Nano with a few old
poems as part of the plot progression, and to do so,
I'd have to write them.  Given that within my era and
persona, a noble person would be expected to be able
to compose a poem, I also thought I'd extend that out
a little and make it part of my personal persona play.
And that's what led to this challenge. I've long
enjoyed writing English sonnets, but I thought I might
mix 'er up a little, and try Petrarchan. Or not. We'll
see. Both are valid forms for my persona.

Anyway, this leads to my challenge to you. We've lots
of Bards out there, both well practiced and budding.
And all people tell stories, whether they consider
themselves bards or not. SO, what I'd like you to do
is find a story and put it together for telling in a
period manner: consideration of yourself as a bard not
required! 

OMG! Sounds so hard, right?

Don't worry, YOU CAN DO IT.

Of course, I completely encourage you to take this
challenge to its farthest and find a poetry form that
is correct for your persona and create a wonderful
poem that way. However, you can also tell a simple
story using period-neutral language and be just as
effective! Most people did not write the high art of
their day, after all. They told stories they enjoyed
in the language of their every day conversations. Some
fine examples of 16th c. humor, bawdy and otherwise,
can be found here:
http://www.shipbrook.com/jeff/jokes.html and I
encourage you to have a look. They're not more than a
couple of paragraphs in language that is typical for
that era. 

Here's what we'll do:

Because I'd never ask you to do anything I wouldn't do
myself, I will share what I write with those in the
hall. And as November is a month in which I do a lot
of writing, I'll probably post several things.
Meanwhile, you put your story together in a format
appropriate for your persona OR as a story in
period-neutral language and post it in the hall as you
finish. As a bonus, if you come to Boar's Head and
perform it for me, I will gladly give you a small
token of my appreciation.

I'll start the process by sharing with you an English
sonnet I wrote a while ago:

Ease of time and touch of hand
Lead me in this way
I saw not the growing band
Saw not the tricking fey
Ease of heart and trick of time
Left me sightless of the truth
Oh! That I had not been blind!
Victim to foolish youth!
Ease of breath and trick of heart
Sigh and whisper to me now:
All the world's an altered part;
I'd return could I learn how.
Victor tastes, surprising win,
Ease of kiss might here begin. 

I can not WAIT to see what you all are able to do!!!!!
I anticipate participation from our lovely bardic
community, of course, but I also hope hope hope that
everyone else can play along, as well. Telling stories
is something all humans do.

I'm dancing in my chair with anticipation!!! Come out
and play, everyone!


Your servant, Merouda

P.S. Because we are attempting to encourage both
persona and text- or in-person based performance,
please feel free to forward this letter to anyone you
might think would be interested. :-)

Modern: Elyse C. Boucher, West Allis, WI
SCA: Merouda Pendray, Caer Anterth Mawr, Northshield
Per pale sable and Or, a gryphon segreant counterny within an orle of feathers counterchanged. http://www.merouda.com

This is an listread address. I may not see your response for several days. Mail requiring more immediate attention should be directed to merouda at hotmail.com. If I don't answer, then hotmail's spam filters ate your message; please try again.


       
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