King Uther and the Holy Pail

Hee hee! For those of you folks not in the SCA, there is an event every year called Holy Pail, which is our spoof on Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail. This year, our king is named Uther, so I thought it especially amusing. There are killer bunnies, black knights (and those who say "ni") as well as a bridgekeeper, and lots and lots of coconuts! We did, however manage to avoid bloody anarcho-syndochist peasants as well as Castle Anthrax, though we did hear about Lancelot's daring raid to rescue fair "man-den."

It was one of the most laid back, relaxed events I've ever been to. Lots of fun. There was supposed to be archery there,. and I took it to mean there was a contest, but no such luck. The only tournaments were for the fighters, but that's ok. The winner was a friend of mine, a squire named Caedmon of Jorvik. I don't know why he's not a knight yet. He's very skilled (not the best, but still up there) and he's got to be one of the most honorable fighters I've ever seen. He knows more dances than probably every other knight in the kingdom combined, he loves to dance them, does it well, and is a lot fun, all at the same time!

Over the last few weeks, he and I have drawn marginally closer. We have the same body-type, which has got to put us in the same boat all by ourselves: we're little guys playing a big man's game. I want to see if I can get together with him sometime soon, so that he can work with me in combat. We both have martial arts experience, so we have that in common, and I imagine the way we fight should be similar; that is, I imagine that to be effective, I should be fighting the way he does.

My bonding with Caedmon comes at a time when I find myself wondering about my relationship with Uther. Before he was knighted, I had no real inspiration or motivation to really start fighting, though I did wonder what knight I would like to be squired to, but no one really caught my eye or stood out to me. When he was knighted, suddenly I felt I had found my I Ching. Uther, in my opinion, is, bar none, the best fighter in the kingdom, and he's definitely the best I've ever seen. He has a devotion to combat that borders on reverance, and if it were a recognized martial art, he would be called "Master Uther." But so great is his skill and love for combat, so also is his honor and great heart. The first to praise, the last to condemn, Uther has also got to be the most liked king I've ever met. Gleann Abhann loves him, and I am sure that after he has served his time as monarch, his reign will be remembered as a veritable Golden Age, filled with fun, laughter, and brimming with honor and courtesy. In short, he is everything I've ever dreamed of in a knight, and he is everything I want to be... but that's not all he is.

More and more often, I find myself noticing vast differences between us, mostly in our attitudes. He and I have only our love for honor in common. The way he is addicted to fighting is the way I love archery. In his household, I feel very much the baby of the group, and I wish I felt like I belonged there. The household is so much fun, and they're so incredibly nice and caring to the point of selflessness, but like I said. They are fighters, and I am an archer. I want to fight, but everyone there has been fighting so long, and I am still barely past being a neophyte. They all want to teach me more, but I am too embarassed to actually take the field with them.

Caedmon is different. He and I are better friends, for some reason. We are closer. When I talk with him, or serve with him, he makes me feel like an equal. If he were a knight, I would want to be his squire instead of Uther's! On the few occasions I have fought with him, his method of teaching me just makes more sense. He says things to me that others have said, but Caedmon helps me understand concepts so much better.

Very soon, I will be writing a letter of recommendation about him to Their Majesties, hoping it will be passed on to the Knight's Circle. I believe he's already got every other award there is to get, but he needs to be recognized somehow. Knighthood is the highest honor possible for a fighter. There is nothing higher than that, and I believe that is the only honor Caedmon has not achieved, but I know it has not been for lack of trying. The back os Uther's shield says "Peerage is not given, it is recognized." In that sense, Caedmon is already a knight, and has been ever since the day I met him, almost seven years ago. Now, maybe other people will sit up and take notice of him. Winning Crown List would definitely do it, but he had to drop out of this upcoming one for mundane reasons, and even then, though he is a great fighter, I do not really think he's quite capable yet of measuring up to fighters of the caliber in the tournament. There are several knights vying for the title, and a few others that are still very good fighters. Perhaps one day, Caedmon will become king, and then we shall see what happens.