Boar's Snore, June 2000 Page 2

Medievally Speaking by Jacqueline de Meux

The simplest way to sound more medieval is to use "King's English." This is the formal and archaic English that most people have only seen in the King James Bible. Using several helpful tips, you can be speaking English more medievally.

It Is Still English: You aren't learning a new language, you're modifying your own.

First Impression/Last Impression: Half your casual communications are made up of greetings, thanks, and good-byes. If people hear the King's English in these situations, they'll swear they heard nothing but "proper" speech.

Do Not Abbreviate: We call it the King's English because it is formal. It is spoken more slowly than we speak because the words are pronounced fully. "Dis" becomes "this," and "-ing" endings are not truncated: "riding" as opposed to "ridin'."

Contractions: Eliminate modern short cuts like can't, don't and ain't and replace them with cannot, do not, and am not.

Cut It Out: Think about expressions you use every day (Y'all, wow, nope, OK, thanks a lot) that would sound out of place in Renaissance or medieval England. Replace them with more formal terms.

Thee and Thou, Thy and Thine: If you use these correctly sprinkled throughout your speech, you automatically sound more medieval.

Also, use THINE when ending a sentence with YOURS: I shall be yours...........I shall be THINE.

This is just a start. Practice what you find appealing to you. Use these helpful hints to try speaking more as your persona in the Middle Ages might have sounded. For example: I have a French persona, but I do not speak French. If I did, my friends would not understand me. By speaking the English I do know in a more formal manner, I sound like a noble woman of times past.

The S.C.A. is the Society for Creative Anachronism. We are a non-profit group that selectively recreates medieval culture, choosing elements of the culture that interest and attract us. We define the SCA "period" as Western civilization 600 to 1600 AD, concentrating on the Western European High Middle Ages. We study metalwork, costuming, martial arts, dance, calligraphy, cooking, stained glass, literature, and embroidery. If they did it in the Middle Ages, chances are someone does it in the Society.

In the modern middle ages, people from Des Moines, Iowa live in the Kingdom of Calontir (KAL-on-teer), Barony of Coeur d'Ennui (kurr-dawn-whee). They have a medieval name for their "persona" (medieval self). They go to "events" to be in medieval times for a day or weekend. These events are held all over the kingdom and cover a wide range of activities. They will go to a "demo" to help other people learn about the Middle Ages. "They" are many different kinds of people. You could be one of them.

A "persona" is who, where, when, and what you decide you want yourself to be while living in the middle ages. "Who" is a member of the minor nobility unless you choose otherwise. You cannot assume a Society rank you do not have, but you may choose not to be a noble. "Where" is the country or place you want to be from; it should be a place in Western Europe or a place that had contact with Western Europe during the time period you want to explore. "When" is 600 AD to 1600 AD (give or take a few years). "What" is actually part of "who." What type of person do you wish to be? A dashing cavalier? A bonny brave stubborn Scot? A dedicated crusader? You decide.

Fifty New Member Handbooks were recently reprinted. I had only two left from the twenty-five I had made in December. Some were given to people we are seeing frequently. Please let me know if I missed giving one to someone.

Lisa Van Zee is our latest new gentle. I know you will make her welcome.

Gold Key was sadly short on several items. That has been remedied. I have made several child-sized tunics, and thanks to discoveries at Goodwill, I have added several belts and some jewelry. A thanks goes out to those who have donated garb to Gold Key during the last year. Your contributions are most welcome.

I'm hoping to make this a monthly column. The purpose of which is to explain or clarify some common concerns of our new members (and maybe enlighten some of us who have been around for a while).

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is about local dues. We currently have no local dues. However, when we have Arts & Sciences night or Court, we do "pass the hat" and hope most will be able to put a little in the hat. The Thoreau Center does cost the barony $35 per evening to rent, so please help if you can.

As for national membership, it is optional. You may play with us without membership. The advantage to SCA membership is that you receive The Mews once a month. This has a list of events within Calontir and important messages from our King and Queen and kingdom officers. You also receive a quarterly magazine, Tournaments Illuminated, which has a number of interesting articles.

Another advantage to becoming a member is that at some SCA events there is a site fee discount to SCA members. This can save you lots of money if you go to many events within the year.

Also, you cannot register your name or heraldic device if you are not a card-carrying member of SCA.

If anyone has a Chatelaine's subject you would like for me to write about, please let me know, and I will do my best to oblige.

I will be looking for people who will want to help with heraldry at different events. This includes the Salisbury Faire.

If you want to try heralding at a much less formal level, let me know.

It was customary in the 13th Century to baptize children with beer.

It has been said there's no rhyme in English for "purple." Maybe not, if you refuse to admit the Scots speak English. A Scotsman refers to the hindquarters of his horse as its "curple."

The Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great loved his horse. Unfortunately, his horse drowned in a river. Cyrus sentenced the river to death.

If you trace "hurrah" through "huzzah" back far enough, you'll get to this dying cry of a Norseman: "On to paradise."

The original flag of pirates was plain red. The flag of ships carrying disease was the skull and crossbones. Pirates thought the disease emblem might scare off unwanted boarders so they took it for their own.

Silverwings was filmed locally during the summer of 1998. The film's plot involves a prince struggling to save his medieval kingdom from an evil overlord with the help of two Navy fighter pilots mysteriously lost in time. The cast includes local martial artists, members of the Des Moines Science Fiction Society, and SCA members. Included in the cast credits are Daniel Gardner (Alexander), Judy Zajec (Azalais), Helen Richard (Anna), and Rachelle Hrubetz (Cyrilla). The premiere will be May 17 at 7 p.m. at the Sierra 3 Theaters, 1618 - 22nd St, West Des Moines. $5 charge. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and admission is open to the public. An additional 9:30 showing will be added if enough people request it. Videos will be available for $19.95.

This season marks the 20th anniversary of the Des Moines Choral Society. To commemorate this milestone, they will present In Celebration of Singing a special 8:00 p.m. concert and reception on Saturday, May 13 at First Christian Church (25th & University).

Program selections focus on "songs about singing" including madrigals, sacred music, gospel, contemporary, and show tunes. A highlight will be John Tavener's "Song for Athene" (sung at Princess Diana's funeral as her casket was taken from the church).

The grand moment of this concert will be Gabriel Faure's Requiem performed by the Des Moines Choral Society's current and former members.