Del's Adventures at Pennsic 29

Being an account of the adventures of Delbert von Strassburg, Dance Scholar, in the lands of the Barbarian Known World in the Year AS XXXV for the Pennsic War XXIX, mundanely known as the United States of America in the year 2000 CE

Some things to note about Darkest America:

Food is sweet. Not universally awful (some of the chain stores were OK, I liked Big Lobster, but stay away from Steak and Shake), but much sweeter than I'm used to in Lochac. Bread, soft drinks, cheese, preserved meats, cakes/muffins, and many other foods contain noticeably higher sugar contents than what I'm used to.
Like the Welsh, they lost a few vowels and swapped them to the Irish for extra consonants. Unlike the Welsh, they didn't litter their language and speech with extra L's, Y's, and W's, they just got loads of R's instead. eg: Pennsic Warrrr ... Beerrr ... Barrron Drrr ... and the tree dwelling animal known as a Sqrrrrrl.
Avoid Hershey's chocolate at all costs. It's really as bad as you've heard. It tastes almost but not entirely unlike chocolate. In fact, it tastes like lard. Hershey's special dark isn't too bad, not as good as club dark but in a land starved of real chocolate it will have to do.
S'mores are against god. This involves a revolting concoction of molten marshmallows, honeyed biscuits, and the aforesaid Hershey's chocolate substitute. Like drinking 200ml of lard flavoured with sugar.
Cooper's store chocmilk is really good. Buy some.
Some Americans can be persuaded to like vegemite. Unleash the hordes now!
If you ask for a biscuit you'll get something like a scone. It might have gravy on it. Yuck. Ask for a cookie instead.
If you ask for an entree, you'll get a main course. Ask for an appetiser instead.
They don't have Tim-Tams. Take your own supplies.

Happy Snaps

Now, no holiday would be happy without these!

I've forgotten some of the names, misplaced my notes on others, and perhaps even misspelled a few. If you have any additions, corrections, or otherwise, then contact me.

Note that the photos will enlarge if you click nicely on them.

Before Pennsic

Before I came to Pennsic, I stayed in Indianapolis, and went to Simple Day. The event was fun, with a few hours of dancing in the afternoon, and more in the evening.

I guess I was a little disappointed that most of the dances they did were post-period, but I did get to teach Il Canario and La Volta.

Drea and Sophia, Two of the ladies from Musica Subterranea, a Midrealm music group that is making various recordings of SCA music.
One of those Sqrrrrls that I mentioned earlier. I'm told by a reliable source that sometimes their name is spelt "sqrrrel" and has two syllables. Spelling and pronunciation can be hard to pick sometimes.
At simple day, I got to dance La Volta with Sophia. Drea accompanied on the hammered dulcimer.

The Barn

Most of the dancing happens here, at night. Here are some of the barn denizens.

Many of these photos were taken at the masked ball, which was held on the second Tuesday night of War (during War Week).

Ansfrid, dancing Ballo del Fiore with a rose behind one ear. Kinda cute, I guess, if you like large guys wearing flowers, or if you happen to be Helen. Ansfrid is Rosina's apprentice, and worth climbing up to have a chat to some time.
Catrina Williams. East Kingdom (? Noo Joisey anyway). Wonderful to watch on the dance floor, excellent flute player, nice garb and nicely sewn, etc. Can I use the words major babe here without upsetting anyone?
Daniele. Once from Carolingia, now in Ealdormere. Galliard Master Par Extraordinaire. Faster than a Speeding Building. Kicks Tall Tassels in a Single Bound.
Daniele again, with his lady Roselyne (Bizzaria Perfectionist).
Alina. Cascarda Guru. Has a wide repertoire from Il Ballarino. She well deserved the dance award that she received during Midrealm Court.
Roana and Gwommy. Also a nicely done mask, taken at the masked ball.
??? and Catriona in fine garb, taken at the back of the barn during the masked ball.
Mara, studying the form of her fellow Carolingians on the dance floor. There were many of them this year, as always. How many dancers does it take to change a light bulb? A: Four: One to change it, and three to say "but that's not how we do it in Carolingia!".
Maria, another Carolingian, shows off her style on the floor, dancing with Lyev.
The Lady with The Mask: One of the fine masks at the masked ball. Not sure who her suitor and other female friend are.
Kate, and Paul, aka Weaselboy (that's a long story involving a game and some pigs). Not a Carolingian for a change -- Paul is from Mynydd Seren (Bloomington, IN). Paul always seems to be where the attractive women are, but I managed to find out his secret at the ball (and you expect me to tell you! Ha!).
Filip and Giulietta, regular Barn denizens, and the people that I stayed with after Pennsic. They live in the Debatable Lands (Pittsburgh).
Philip White, looking resplendent as usual. The lady on the left (Elin the Timid) is his seamstress and dance partner. Philip is the man who, along with Isabeau Lament of Ansteorra, discovered Caroso's long lost dance Il Panario, and is also a particularly good Canario dancer.
On the subject of major babes, here's Richenza. Another of the plague of Carolingians (one is an accident, two is a conspiracy, three is a plague). Richenza is also known as the Bread Fairy.
Rosina and Giles, sharing an amusing moment after dancing at the masked ball.
Uncle Sion, the uber-dance-laurel.
Solveig, another occasional barn denizen, when she's not being Japanese.

The Caroso Ball

The Caroso ball was the highlight of the Pennsic dance calendar. Everyone on their best manners, the dance tent mud having dried to something like badly set lumpy concrete with dust and dead grass, no arguments amongst the musicians (there was only one), and the best dance line-up of the war.

The Caroso ball was held on the last Friday of Pennsic, from 2pm to 4pm, in the dance tent.

Catrina again, dancing Rufty,Tufty with Lyev. Also dancing is Peanut (Sonya). Rosina is sitting next to Elsbeth Van Roth.
Gregory Blount, our undoubted musician, studying the hammered dulcimer.
Henry of Maldon, dancing Hearts Ease with Juliana.
The line of Ladies, seated for the ball. Seated are Rosaline, Mara, Catrina, ???, Rosina, Elsbeth, Juliana, Maria, Deonna, Teleri, Peanut, ??, Magda, Alina, and Gregory in foreground...
The line of Lords, seated for the ball. Seated are Stefan, Lyev, Henry, ???, Jesse, Ayden, Udalrich, Joshua, Guiseppe (Sloppy Joe), Alaric, ???, Doughal, and standing is Kieran.
Maria and Joshua, dancing Ballo del Fiore.
Doughal, Llewellyn, Midair, Philip White, Kieran.
Tibicen, concentrating hard on interpreting the steps being done on the floor. No doubt enjoying the break from playing and/or bandleading. Christabel is on Tibicen's left (on the right in the photo). Adele is on the right.

Other Photos from Pennsic

I believe that the correct collective term is a smug of laurels. Del, Rosina, William Redcape, and Sion. Need I say more?

Also present at the event, but missing from the photo, were Giuseppe, Giles, Mara, and Gregory Blount.

Some of the folk at Black Swan Designs, who make very spiffy 15th C garb (as worn and recommended by me). Included in the picture are Jamie (long red hair), his buddy Rookie, and Jamie's wife Christine. They have a German Reenactment group that does 1499 Swabia. Jeff (burgundy chaperone) is the other man in the photo. Gwen (Jeff's wife and Black Swan lead person) was away at the time the photo was taken.

After Pennsic

After the War, I had the privilege of staying with Filip and Giulietta, two of the BMDL people. I also met up with their enormous Maine Coon cat, Romeo.

	Me and my weightlifting exercise of the week. Romeo weighs in at a smudge under 15kg.
	Romeo and Diana (Giulietta)

Del (del@babel.com.au or del@sca.org.au).

	Drea and Sophia, Two of the ladies from Musica Subterranea, a Midrealm music group that is making various recordings of SCA music.
	One of those Sqrrrrls that I mentioned earlier. I'm told by a reliable source that sometimes their name is spelt "sqrrrel" and has two syllables. Spelling and pronunciation can be hard to pick sometimes.
	At simple day, I got to dance La Volta with Sophia. Drea accompanied on the hammered dulcimer.

	Ansfrid, dancing Ballo del Fiore with a rose behind one ear. Kinda cute, I guess, if you like large guys wearing flowers, or if you happen to be Helen. Ansfrid is Rosina's apprentice, and worth climbing up to have a chat to some time.
	Catrina Williams. East Kingdom (? Noo Joisey anyway). Wonderful to watch on the dance floor, excellent flute player, nice garb and nicely sewn, etc. Can I use the words major babe here without upsetting anyone?
	Daniele. Once from Carolingia, now in Ealdormere. Galliard Master Par Extraordinaire. Faster than a Speeding Building. Kicks Tall Tassels in a Single Bound.
	Daniele again, with his lady Roselyne (Bizzaria Perfectionist).
	Alina. Cascarda Guru. Has a wide repertoire from Il Ballarino. She well deserved the dance award that she received during Midrealm Court.
	Roana and Gwommy. Also a nicely done mask, taken at the masked ball.
	??? and Catriona in fine garb, taken at the back of the barn during the masked ball.
	Mara, studying the form of her fellow Carolingians on the dance floor. There were many of them this year, as always. How many dancers does it take to change a light bulb? A: Four: One to change it, and three to say "but that's not how we do it in Carolingia!".
	Maria, another Carolingian, shows off her style on the floor, dancing with Lyev.
	The Lady with The Mask: One of the fine masks at the masked ball. Not sure who her suitor and other female friend are.
	Kate, and Paul, aka Weaselboy (that's a long story involving a game and some pigs). Not a Carolingian for a change -- Paul is from Mynydd Seren (Bloomington, IN). Paul always seems to be where the attractive women are, but I managed to find out his secret at the ball (and you expect me to tell you! Ha!).
	Filip and Giulietta, regular Barn denizens, and the people that I stayed with after Pennsic. They live in the Debatable Lands (Pittsburgh).
	Philip White, looking resplendent as usual. The lady on the left (Elin the Timid) is his seamstress and dance partner. Philip is the man who, along with Isabeau Lament of Ansteorra, discovered Caroso's long lost dance Il Panario, and is also a particularly good Canario dancer.
	On the subject of major babes, here's Richenza. Another of the plague of Carolingians (one is an accident, two is a conspiracy, three is a plague). Richenza is also known as the Bread Fairy.
	Rosina and Giles, sharing an amusing moment after dancing at the masked ball.
	Uncle Sion, the uber-dance-laurel.
	Solveig, another occasional barn denizen, when she's not being Japanese.

	Catrina again, dancing Rufty,Tufty with Lyev. Also dancing is Peanut (Sonya). Rosina is sitting next to Elsbeth Van Roth.
	Gregory Blount, our undoubted musician, studying the hammered dulcimer.
	Henry of Maldon, dancing Hearts Ease with Juliana.
	The line of Ladies, seated for the ball. Seated are Rosaline, Mara, Catrina, ???, Rosina, Elsbeth, Juliana, Maria, Deonna, Teleri, Peanut, ??, Magda, Alina, and Gregory in foreground...
	The line of Lords, seated for the ball. Seated are Stefan, Lyev, Henry, ???, Jesse, Ayden, Udalrich, Joshua, Guiseppe (Sloppy Joe), Alaric, ???, Doughal, and standing is Kieran.
	Maria and Joshua, dancing Ballo del Fiore.
	Doughal, Llewellyn, Midair, Philip White, Kieran.
	Tibicen, concentrating hard on interpreting the steps being done on the floor. No doubt enjoying the break from playing and/or bandleading. Christabel is on Tibicen's left (on the right in the photo). Adele is on the right.