A DAY AT
UDTHAW
March 10, 2001, Manville, NJ
Greetings to all from Mistress Jessa d'Avondale!The 20th Anniversary Mudthaw was quite an event. We had over 500 attendees, everything ran smoothly, and people had a wonderful time! (Aside from the very strange political situation we found ourselves in.) So many people helped to make the event a success; please bear with me as I try to mention them all. And forgive me if I've left anyone out!
Several gentles were at the site early and helped get things ready. Among these were our seneschal, Omar Mohammud Mirzazadeh, along with Argyll MacFoley, Harold the Bear, and others who were quick to lend a hand.
As people approached the hall, they were greeted by two beautiful “stained-glass” windows depicting the arms of the Barony and the East Kingdom. The Latin motto displayed below the Swamp arms translated to “Let them eat Mud”! These were the work of Mistress Paigan Crawford, put together with the aid of Jannequinne Richardot and Sir Teric of Gwynedd.
Once inside, the Check-In tables were the next stop. Our Warden was Elisabetta Maldonatto, who had mustered a sizeable crew to work throughout the day: Ceara, Elizabeth Hawkwoode, Elanor Callaghan, Gart, Gabrielle Gealbhan, Phillipe, Fai'lenn, Morgaine, Matthew, Aiden, Kaila, and Garret. The Sinking Tower site tokens were lovely, although very labor-intensive! They required the efforts of many of the people listed above, plus Zoe, Alachmar, Eric the Wandering Horseman, Fiona, Berelinde, Rob, and Jenna.
Just beyond the Troll tables was the Mudthaw Marketplace. There was something for every shopper – over 30 tables of colorful garb, shiny armor, feast gear, books, jewelry, leather goods, teas, herbs, and more! Even the impressive decorations from Gryphonwald's recent Teahouse of the White Crane event were up for sale. Kyna Grannd, who volunteered to be the Merchant Coordinator, was a great help in planning and organizing it all.
There was a variety of activities throughout the day to keep people occupied. In the morning, the Pages took part in some boffer fighting, marshalled by Ragnarr Dragonheart. The fencers were also busy, with over 22 duellists competing in a challenge-style tournament run by our Fencing Marshal, Mistress Ailis Mac an Toisich. Ricardo del Costa Verde helped to set up the lists, and Griffyn ap Madoc and Mercedes de Califia served as marshals.
Tessa Boncheval, our Mistress of Lists, ran a double-elimination tourney for over 50 combattants, with several list-runners who aided her (I'm sorry I don't have your names!). Sir Timothy of Arindale and Sir Mitchell MacBain marshalled the tournament, aided by Sir Tanako Raiko and Sir Manfred von Halstern. Fighters who were knocked out of the tourney could then go to the bearpit for more fighting, which Manfred and Kyle MacCue helped to marshal. Members of House Arindale set up the lists, cleaned up the field, and helped feed and water the fighters. Jordana was among those who helped serve the food.
One of our newest members, Schmu'el, was in charge of lunch, and he had prepared a tasty fare of fruits, soups, breads, lentil salad and hummus. His lady Gypsy was there to assist him. There was more than enough food for everyone; and the fighters and fencers were very pleased to find that there was still plenty left for them after the tourneys had ended.
Isabeau d'Orleans from Rusted Woodlands taught a class on Eastern European egg decorating (Pysanky) during the afternoon. She had a dozen attentive students at her table, and it was fun to watch them etching on designs with their stylii, wax, and dyes.
Three long tables were set up for the Arts & Sciences Exhibition, which was run by Fiona Mac Nicol. There were many lovely items to see (and even taste), including several from the members of the Pages Program. Queen Isabella came by to view all the entries before she proceeded to the Queen's Tea – a buffet table set at the head of a large Persian carpet. A lovely array of hors d'oeuvres, including meats, cheeses, breads, sweets, and cakes were laid out for everyone to enjoy. During the Tea, Queen Isabella was available to anyone who wished to speak with her.
King Andreas and Isabella, and their multitude of retainers were impressed with the Royalty Room that was prepared for them by Baroness Ursula of Northwoods and Ceara MacKieran. Oriental rugs covered the floor, and groupings of chairs were transformed into luxurious couches with the help of some shawls and pillows. There were also tables with platters of food and an assortment of drinks.
The Queen's Tea ended at 3:45, and Andreas and Isabella processed into the hall for Royal Court promptly at 4 pm (to everyone's surprise!) The prizes from the afternoon's tournaments were awarded: the winner of the double-elimination tourney was Sir Gunther di Milo; Lars was awarded "Best Novice", and Duncan von Halstern won the bearpit. The prizes were lovely stained glass rondels bearing the Barony's arms, made by Gabrielle Gealbhan. In the fencing tournament, Don Orlando Sforza bested Nigel of Castle West, and he and Nigel received prizes for their efforts -- hand-dipped beeswax candles and a book of Shakespeare's sonnets. Xavier, in his first tournament ever, was the highest-placing Swamp resident, and earned his place as Baronial Fencing Champion.
Our Sinking Tower Pursuivant, Migel de Normandie, heralded Royal Court. Their Majesties bestowed Awards of Arms upon Alachmar MorTarid, Ana Lais de Llerena, James of Arindale, Douglas the Indecisive, Guinivere, Pippin, Garret, and Elenor Callahan. The Order of the Maunche welcomed three new members: Brighid ni Chiarain (for her needlework and cookbook research), Arab Boy (for his glasswork) , and Baron Eirik (for his cooking). Vivant to all these deserving gentles!
After court ended we had some Spring Games outside. A dozen lords and ladies danced around a Maypole, and several people raced while balancing eggs on spoons. While this went on, tables and chairs were being rearranged for the feast. Erec L'Claire headed the set-up efforts, and soon everything was in place.
Once everyone, including Their Majesties, was seated, dinner was served. I think it was one of the most impressive feasts that the Barony has ever served up, featuring Salmon, Goose, Lamb, and Ham, along with many tasty side dishes. The presentation was wonderful – the mushroom and leek tarts were crowned with the Swamp's sinking tower, and the chicken in aspic was a work of art (although most people, woefully, were too full by then to take more than a small taste!)
The Master of the Kitchen, responsible for planning the menu and procuring the ingredients, was Baron Eirik. Quinn the Mighty worked as Chief Cook at the event, with Ben e draig at his side. They had quite a crew assisting them in the kitchen, including Berelinde, Cuthbad, Dairmit, Rhiannon, Sven, Raelyn, Serric, Caitlin, Riordan, Celestina, Cass, Ko, Alexander MacRus, Alithir, and many other members of House Bheithir.
Rachel of Gwynedd did a superb job of coordinating the dishes coming out of the kitchen, as usual. The servers were Pippin and some of his friends, and members of the Pages Program. There were many pages who served the feast and helped in other ways during the day: Lord Etienne, Armand Emrys Aleron, Franchesa Dantini, Murasaki Nobunaga, Jeff Meehan, Sofia Perez, Holly Moore, Becky Holden, Desiree Fabela, Kalinda Solomon. There were also pages from Rusted Woodlands: Katherine Morrigan O'griobtha. Sabrina, Crissy, Samantha, and Anne, and from Caer Adamant: Makka Phoenix and Josh. Thanks also to the adults with the Pages Program: Drulina Dulent, Guildford Montrose, Ruth Solomon and Beth.
The final course of the feast was served by 8:30. Every table received a subtlety – a shield bearing the arms of the Barony, supported by a red bear and a mudpuppy (the newt, not the newsletter). These larged iced cookies, cunningly rendered by Baroness Merlynia, were admired by all and then quickly gobbled down!
Soon thereafter, the dancing began. Baroness Ursula was the dance mistress, aided by Master Richard the Poor. The dancers were able to continue for about an hour, to the music provided by Loriwyn the Harper and Achilles von Fulda.
When it was time to clean the hall, someone commented that it appeared to be handled by the Southern Regional seneschallate – the crew included Omar, Ragnarr (seneschal of Rusted Woodlands), Katarina la Juste (seneschal of Carillion), Andre Kirilov of House Wilmot (Southern Region seneschal), and a few others whose names escaped me at that late hour.
My deepest thanks to all of these good people, and the many others who helped that day, but whose names I can't now recall. It was my honor and pleasure to be autocrat of Mudthaw this year, and I especially wish to thank Lord Omar, who was my right-hand man at the event; Baron Eirik and Baroness Merlynia, who didn't allow the raging political situation to affect their dedication to the success of the feast and the event; and my lord Mitchell, who was so supportive during the months of planning before the event. I had a great time at Mudthaw, and I hope everyone who attended did too!
In Service to the Barony,
Jessa
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