When the VOID Was One
by Master Andreas Hak, KSCA, VOID, CSY, etc. with some memory jogs from Baron Zahava Tchauchik
I expect that a lot of the people reading this don't know me, but I have been an active scadian since late 1978, and 1 have never lived anywhere that wasn't the Rhydderich Hael. Lately I've written a great number of articles of opinion or research into SCA history. Those articles have appeared in Old News, ThinkWell, and the Belting Man's Guide to Coronet Tourney.
This is the first of a new series of articles that are meant to be a memoir. They are likely to be less dependable than my research articles as I intend to rely on my memory a great deal more than usual. I hope they reflect my feelings from my earliest days in the barony without being overwhelmed by my opinions. But mostly I hope they allow you to taste the acorn that has grown into one of the largest baronies in the Known Worlde.
Many people have different titles or names than they did at the time of the narrative. I will refer to people as I did at the time and note changes in parenthesis after the first mention of them.
At East Kingdom Twelfth Night in January of 1979 the Rhydderich Hael was officially elevated to Barony Status and Lady Morgan Elandris was invested as Founding Baroness. 1 was not present at the event. As the event approached I really wanted to go, but I had not arranged to car pool with the others who were going. I suppose I could have driven out by myself, but I had neither the experience nor the courage to take that initiative. I had never been to a non-local event and I was just then fumbling my way through making my first garb. (Loaner garb was at a much greater premium back then.) Driving to an unfamiliar location on the East Coast, by myself, seemed about as likely as getting gas on an odd- numbered day. (If you don't know what that means, ask someone old.)
In January of 1979 the kingdoms of Atlantia and Drachenwald were still part of the East. Despite this, there were very few baronies in the kingdom. To be a barony back then I believe a group was required to have fifteen paying members and four officers. The required officers were a seneschal, a pursuivant, an exchequer, and either a knight marshal or a minister of arts or sciences. More officers were fine.
Arianna of Wynthrope (Mistress of the Laurel and Pelican) was the original baronial seneschale. Morgan Elandris had been seneschale through most of the shire's history, but much was made in those days of the fact that the baron and or baroness of a group could not be seneschal as well. The pursuivant may have been Robyyan Torr D'Elandris (Master). Baroness Morgan was the knight marshal. The exchequer was Norman the Norman (Baron). James O'Neill (Master of the Laurel and Pelican) was the minister of sciences. There were more officers, and I believe the petition for baronial status had about twenty-five signatures.
It is also important to note that in 1979 the Rhydderich Hael was not the mundane city of Buffalo, NY. Buffalo was the Shire of Beau Fleuve and many important people were active there at the time, including the current administrative principal of the Order of the Ice Dragon, Bedawyr of Avaricum (Baron and Sir) Others were, Count Master Frederick of Holland (Duke and Etc.), Countess Nicorlynn of Caer Wydyr (Duchess and Etc.), Rannveigr Haakondottir (Viscountess and Mistress), Anaron of the Vale of Springs (Viscount Alexander Caithnes of Wyk, (Sir and Master), Angharad of the Sleeping Lion (Viscountess and Baroness), Raimund of the Strait (Sir), Daffyd z Gury (Baron), Anne of Porcellus (Her Ladyship), and Miguel Gnuyle de Normandie (Lord and etc.). There were lots more, too. Aaron of Skorpios, Conradin, and Stephan of Blueknoll are a few that are still kicking around.
At this time the Hael was geographically located in Chautauqua County and centered on the Campus of Fredonia State College. Our weekly activities were not yet segregated and we held one grand meeting a week! We met at Fenton Hall (room g-218 1 think) on the Fredonia Campus. Entering the center doors near the visitor's parking, you took the left corridor and went lo the third room on the right.
If the weather was good fight practice was held outside first. The meeting came second and lasted between five and thirty minutes. All events within an eight hour drive (one way) were mentioned and rides were arranged for those going. All other activities were discussed and local events were planned. After, dance practice was often held and occasionally an arts or heraldry workshop. Often games like Feudal, Alpha-Omega, Chess, and Go were played. 1 was first introduced to Nine Man Morris (a very medieval game) at a sort of games workshop. Social get-togethers often followed.
Meetings in the weeks after the Twelfth Night when the Rhydderich Hael was elevated to Baronial status were exciting. We were all figuring out what it meant to be a barony. One difference was that we now had the right to give out awards. Baroness Morgan decided that, at least to start, there would be a service award. After some discussion it was decided that the award would be called the Order of the Ice Dragon, and the first would be given out in March at the Third Annual Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. Then, or soon thereafter, Svidrir Einarrsson designed the badge of the order.
It had been decided that the Baroness and the Order, once it was established, would choose new members, guided by a poll of the citizens of the barony. All that was left was to choose the first member. The first VOID would be chosen by popular vote of those present at that particular meeting. (Hey, in those days there weren't many rules and we had to make up a lot of things on the fly.)
I remember there being about a dozen people at that meeting. I know that there was me, Baroness Morgan, Arianna, Svid, Glino Gilgalen (later Baron Zahava Tchauchik), Solak Vaslovic (Lord), Elenar Linwen (Lady), Rhiannon (a short, sleight, brunette woman that everyone called 'Pete' as opposed to the medium, red-haired woman who would become active soon.), and Norman the Norman. There were two newcomers who declined to vote and were never seen again to the best of my knowledge. I strongly suspect that the remaining people present were Robyyan, and Dwarf (Lord Durlome Dakcsh d Mithnan). Arianna's boyfriend Willie (Wilhelm von Sussberg) who went to school in Potsdam may have been present as well.
Regular members who I do not remember being present included: James O'Neill, Barak Elandris Hasdrubal (Duke and Sir), Barak Elandris Mago (Syr), Barak Elandris Linnaeus, Hylus Bard, Kat (Lady Catalina de la Estrella) and Carol.
Things were rather informal at the meeting. Open nominations were held. A lot of people nominated Morgan who was clearly the rock on which the barony was built. Arianna, who was running the meeting, encouraged people to nominate others so that we could hold a ballot. Two people nominated Arianna, and I nominated Solak.
There were very few cars among the barony then. There was James O Neil’s Pinto station wagon, but James lived far away. I still had my four door '68 Cutlass Supreme (the greatest car I ever owned) but it never went farther than Thescorre. There was Morgan's VW bug that was hardly designed for moving a barony around. I believe I only rode in it once. Zahava reminds me that it was named Feets because it didn't work very well, and the prayer was often uttered, Feets don't fail me now.
Solak had a medium large gold colored Plymouth. He was extremely generous with his car, gas, and driving time. He was referred to as the Baronial Taxi, and he made it possible for flocks of pedestrian college students to do shopping for large events. The next year I got my first speeding ticket driving that car to Kingdom Twelfth Night.
Permit me to go off on a tangent here. America was undergoing severe gas rationing in those days, and we never did anything in the SCA without FILLING the cars with people and gear. The other car in the barony in those days belonged to a large fellow called Housekarl (Erelen the Wanderer); as in "Jesus, you're as big as a house, Karl." Housekarls became a unit of measurement in the early days of the Hael. You might describe an event site by saying “the parking lot was about twelve housekarls from the feast hall." That meant a couple hundred feet. His nickname also differentiated him from Solak whose mundane name was also Karl.
Housekarl had a midsized American car named Damnyou because it was so reliable that a major component of traveling in it consisted of the driver slapping the dashboard and shouting. "Work! Damn You!"
The first time I saw the car a bunch of us piled into it to go on an SCA picnic. Housekarl, Arianna, and I were sitting in the front seat, which, given our collective size in those years meant that the doors must have been under enormous pressure trying to hold us in.
Sure enough, as soon as Housekarl tried to start the car it laughed at him. He slapped the dashboard soundly and shouted, "Work! Damn You!" He turned the key and the car started. Housekarl smiled the Housekarl smile. Arianna turned to me and said, "See? I told you the car was named Damnyou, didn't I?"
"You mean?" I said incredulously, slowly turning to stare at the color of the hood in front of me. "It's a. Blue. Danube.?!?" Remarkably, I was not expelled from the car for this comment. I was, however, severely beaten.
Back to the main story. Once nominations had closed, the three nominees went out into the hall so we could talk about them, I mean discuss their merits, and vote. (I don't remember any of the nominees getting a vote.) The only question discussed was whether or not it would look bad for a titular head to give themselves an award. The eventual consensus was, “Who cares?” Morgan was clearly the correct choice for principal. A secret ballot was held. We voted on torn scraps of paper that we folded in half and tossed in the center of the table. The nominees were called back into the room. The vote was unanimously in favor of Morgan.
At Ice Dragon three, Arianna requested that Morgan momentarily step down as Baroness. This left Arianna, the seneschale, to run court. She announced that the Order of the Ice Dragon was established, and that by the unanimous voice of the populace, Baroness Morgan Elandris was the first member. And so, for the next year, the VOID was one.
I expect that a lot of the people reading this don't know me, but I have been an active scadian since late 1978, and 1 have never lived anywhere that wasn't the Rhydderich Hael. Lately I've written a great number of articles of opinion or research into SCA history. Those articles have appeared in Old News, ThinkWell, and the Belting Man's Guide to Coronet Tourney.
This is the first of a new series of articles that are meant to be a memoir. They are likely to be less dependable than my research articles as I intend to rely on my memory a great deal more than usual. I hope they reflect my feelings from my earliest days in the barony without being overwhelmed by my opinions. But mostly I hope they allow you to taste the acorn that has grown into one of the largest baronies in the Known Worlde.
Many people have different titles or names than they did at the time of the narrative. I will refer to people as I did at the time and note changes in parenthesis after the first mention of them.
At East Kingdom Twelfth Night in January of 1979 the Rhydderich Hael was officially elevated to Barony Status and Lady Morgan Elandris was invested as Founding Baroness. 1 was not present at the event. As the event approached I really wanted to go, but I had not arranged to car pool with the others who were going. I suppose I could have driven out by myself, but I had neither the experience nor the courage to take that initiative. I had never been to a non-local event and I was just then fumbling my way through making my first garb. (Loaner garb was at a much greater premium back then.) Driving to an unfamiliar location on the East Coast, by myself, seemed about as likely as getting gas on an odd- numbered day. (If you don't know what that means, ask someone old.)
In January of 1979 the kingdoms of Atlantia and Drachenwald were still part of the East. Despite this, there were very few baronies in the kingdom. To be a barony back then I believe a group was required to have fifteen paying members and four officers. The required officers were a seneschal, a pursuivant, an exchequer, and either a knight marshal or a minister of arts or sciences. More officers were fine.
Arianna of Wynthrope (Mistress of the Laurel and Pelican) was the original baronial seneschale. Morgan Elandris had been seneschale through most of the shire's history, but much was made in those days of the fact that the baron and or baroness of a group could not be seneschal as well. The pursuivant may have been Robyyan Torr D'Elandris (Master). Baroness Morgan was the knight marshal. The exchequer was Norman the Norman (Baron). James O'Neill (Master of the Laurel and Pelican) was the minister of sciences. There were more officers, and I believe the petition for baronial status had about twenty-five signatures.
It is also important to note that in 1979 the Rhydderich Hael was not the mundane city of Buffalo, NY. Buffalo was the Shire of Beau Fleuve and many important people were active there at the time, including the current administrative principal of the Order of the Ice Dragon, Bedawyr of Avaricum (Baron and Sir) Others were, Count Master Frederick of Holland (Duke and Etc.), Countess Nicorlynn of Caer Wydyr (Duchess and Etc.), Rannveigr Haakondottir (Viscountess and Mistress), Anaron of the Vale of Springs (Viscount Alexander Caithnes of Wyk, (Sir and Master), Angharad of the Sleeping Lion (Viscountess and Baroness), Raimund of the Strait (Sir), Daffyd z Gury (Baron), Anne of Porcellus (Her Ladyship), and Miguel Gnuyle de Normandie (Lord and etc.). There were lots more, too. Aaron of Skorpios, Conradin, and Stephan of Blueknoll are a few that are still kicking around.
At this time the Hael was geographically located in Chautauqua County and centered on the Campus of Fredonia State College. Our weekly activities were not yet segregated and we held one grand meeting a week! We met at Fenton Hall (room g-218 1 think) on the Fredonia Campus. Entering the center doors near the visitor's parking, you took the left corridor and went lo the third room on the right.
If the weather was good fight practice was held outside first. The meeting came second and lasted between five and thirty minutes. All events within an eight hour drive (one way) were mentioned and rides were arranged for those going. All other activities were discussed and local events were planned. After, dance practice was often held and occasionally an arts or heraldry workshop. Often games like Feudal, Alpha-Omega, Chess, and Go were played. 1 was first introduced to Nine Man Morris (a very medieval game) at a sort of games workshop. Social get-togethers often followed.
Meetings in the weeks after the Twelfth Night when the Rhydderich Hael was elevated to Baronial status were exciting. We were all figuring out what it meant to be a barony. One difference was that we now had the right to give out awards. Baroness Morgan decided that, at least to start, there would be a service award. After some discussion it was decided that the award would be called the Order of the Ice Dragon, and the first would be given out in March at the Third Annual Festival of the Passing of the Ice Dragon. Then, or soon thereafter, Svidrir Einarrsson designed the badge of the order.
It had been decided that the Baroness and the Order, once it was established, would choose new members, guided by a poll of the citizens of the barony. All that was left was to choose the first member. The first VOID would be chosen by popular vote of those present at that particular meeting. (Hey, in those days there weren't many rules and we had to make up a lot of things on the fly.)
I remember there being about a dozen people at that meeting. I know that there was me, Baroness Morgan, Arianna, Svid, Glino Gilgalen (later Baron Zahava Tchauchik), Solak Vaslovic (Lord), Elenar Linwen (Lady), Rhiannon (a short, sleight, brunette woman that everyone called 'Pete' as opposed to the medium, red-haired woman who would become active soon.), and Norman the Norman. There were two newcomers who declined to vote and were never seen again to the best of my knowledge. I strongly suspect that the remaining people present were Robyyan, and Dwarf (Lord Durlome Dakcsh d Mithnan). Arianna's boyfriend Willie (Wilhelm von Sussberg) who went to school in Potsdam may have been present as well.
Regular members who I do not remember being present included: James O'Neill, Barak Elandris Hasdrubal (Duke and Sir), Barak Elandris Mago (Syr), Barak Elandris Linnaeus, Hylus Bard, Kat (Lady Catalina de la Estrella) and Carol.
Things were rather informal at the meeting. Open nominations were held. A lot of people nominated Morgan who was clearly the rock on which the barony was built. Arianna, who was running the meeting, encouraged people to nominate others so that we could hold a ballot. Two people nominated Arianna, and I nominated Solak.
There were very few cars among the barony then. There was James O Neil’s Pinto station wagon, but James lived far away. I still had my four door '68 Cutlass Supreme (the greatest car I ever owned) but it never went farther than Thescorre. There was Morgan's VW bug that was hardly designed for moving a barony around. I believe I only rode in it once. Zahava reminds me that it was named Feets because it didn't work very well, and the prayer was often uttered, Feets don't fail me now.
Solak had a medium large gold colored Plymouth. He was extremely generous with his car, gas, and driving time. He was referred to as the Baronial Taxi, and he made it possible for flocks of pedestrian college students to do shopping for large events. The next year I got my first speeding ticket driving that car to Kingdom Twelfth Night.
Permit me to go off on a tangent here. America was undergoing severe gas rationing in those days, and we never did anything in the SCA without FILLING the cars with people and gear. The other car in the barony in those days belonged to a large fellow called Housekarl (Erelen the Wanderer); as in "Jesus, you're as big as a house, Karl." Housekarls became a unit of measurement in the early days of the Hael. You might describe an event site by saying “the parking lot was about twelve housekarls from the feast hall." That meant a couple hundred feet. His nickname also differentiated him from Solak whose mundane name was also Karl.
Housekarl had a midsized American car named Damnyou because it was so reliable that a major component of traveling in it consisted of the driver slapping the dashboard and shouting. "Work! Damn You!"
The first time I saw the car a bunch of us piled into it to go on an SCA picnic. Housekarl, Arianna, and I were sitting in the front seat, which, given our collective size in those years meant that the doors must have been under enormous pressure trying to hold us in.
Sure enough, as soon as Housekarl tried to start the car it laughed at him. He slapped the dashboard soundly and shouted, "Work! Damn You!" He turned the key and the car started. Housekarl smiled the Housekarl smile. Arianna turned to me and said, "See? I told you the car was named Damnyou, didn't I?"
"You mean?" I said incredulously, slowly turning to stare at the color of the hood in front of me. "It's a. Blue. Danube.?!?" Remarkably, I was not expelled from the car for this comment. I was, however, severely beaten.
Back to the main story. Once nominations had closed, the three nominees went out into the hall so we could talk about them, I mean discuss their merits, and vote. (I don't remember any of the nominees getting a vote.) The only question discussed was whether or not it would look bad for a titular head to give themselves an award. The eventual consensus was, “Who cares?” Morgan was clearly the correct choice for principal. A secret ballot was held. We voted on torn scraps of paper that we folded in half and tossed in the center of the table. The nominees were called back into the room. The vote was unanimously in favor of Morgan.
At Ice Dragon three, Arianna requested that Morgan momentarily step down as Baroness. This left Arianna, the seneschale, to run court. She announced that the Order of the Ice Dragon was established, and that by the unanimous voice of the populace, Baroness Morgan Elandris was the first member. And so, for the next year, the VOID was one.