My first event, January 1989
January 1989 I was convinced by my Dungeons and Dragons group to take that day off of work from the 4 star restaurant that I was a line cook for (they called us Line chefs- but whatev) and to go on a little adventure. We packed 7 people into a car that sat 4 and drove out of the city laughing and elbowing and yelling “Daddddddddd! Rhynnus is in my space!” We all giggled like children. When we got to the park and started carefully driving over the packed down snow road to the lodge we stopped giggling. The snow blanketed everything… Tall pines towered over us, there was a hush upon the world it seemed.
We drove over a hill and a log lodge loomed before us, we could see cars parked around the corner. Ladies and Lords in cloaks busied themselves with moving into the lodge. As the car doors popped open I could smell wood smoke on the crisp winter breeze.
We stepped into the lodge and discovered flagstone floors, it was heated by 2 large stone places that I could have slept in stretched out. There was a loft and exposed rough hewn timbers. People murmured quietly. We stood in the doorway huddled, feeling out of place and obscenely modern. A plump Lady bustled up to us and asked if we were Brit’s friends we nodded dumbly and she broke into such a lovely smile that it warmed us all.
The guys all went with her Lord to get dressed and I was handled a pile of soft blue cloth and instructions that she would be in momentarily to help me to dress and shoved into a tent like structure that had been created for changing. I set the clothes down and took off my coat and sweatshirt she came in and chattering quickly had me out of my t-shirt and placed a soft light blue under gown over my head, the hem was stiff with trim. A dark blue over gown that came to my knees was belted over that. She then placed a fine green cloak around my shoulders that smelled slightly of mothballs- she apologies and said the wood smoke would lift the scent away quickly. She then coaxed me to let my hair down and quickly braided it into 2- 4 plait braids and dropped a thin white cotton veil over my head with the tiniest blue beads on the edge, a thin padded roll held it in place. She went to the wall and turned around a full length Mirror and showed me myself. I didn’t look like me. I never wore dresses and this image looking back at me was like something off the cover of a book. My mouth went dry.
Baroness Bridget then gathered my mundane clothes and put them into a canvas bag and stashed it with other items under the stairs. She gently pushed me out of the small enclosure as another lady bustled in hugging and kissing her.
I watched the toes of my boots just peep out of the edge of my skirts as I moved out of the way of traffic and stood near one of the fire places. I heard a bunch of laughter and saw the guys. They stopped dead when they saw me. Brit came forward and grabbing my hand, bowed and kissed the back of it. Rhynnus, Yorik, Danny, Thom and Trick all had a few moments of fun at my expense- from one and all of them they told me I was beautiful.
We sat next to the fireplace and drank hot spiced cider from pewter mugs that burned our hands but tasted wonderfully. There was much flurry of activity and yelling and suddenly the King was walking by. A man standing near us told us all to bow- we did and the man told me that I should curtsey- I quickly straightened and dropped into a ballerina’s curtsey- the only one I knew. Again the laughter from the guys.
The King was impressive, literally tall dark and handsome his imposing crown topped a grey fur hat, his black tunic and jacket were edged in grey fur, he wore baggy black pants and boots that had Grey fur trim on them. He stepped onto a small dais where his chair sat and quickly people settled down and the party started again. The Kings friends would come and sit on the dais at his feet and their booming laughter would fill the small hall. I saw no Queen that day. No entourage, No Herald, none of the trappings of what I now expect anyone landed to have. Just an imposing man, a small dais and a large chair. He was very King like to me.
The highlight of the day was watching men vie to be Kings Champion. They fought outside in calf deep snow. There were only 10 men there and they gave everything they had to be Champion. It came down to the last 2, 2 of the Kings very good friends- The King spoke and advised that no matter who should be victor of the field- that he was the true winner to be attended to by such noble friends. I was enthralled.
They had 3 legged races up a snow covered hill afterwards, I laughed to see people running through the snow with their skirts and cloaks flapping.
We all went back inside and sat down at long tables they had set up in the hall, we took some seats and a man sat next to me and introduced himself as Gar the Viking, claimed the hall was his and that he was looking for a fine Viking wench to warm his bed that night. My friends were not amused. Gar brought me some warmed mulled wine and added a bit of brandy to “warm me”. Feast was 3 kinds of stew, fresh veggies, and a variety of cheeses, Breads and butters. Simple hearty warm fare. We drank water, warmed cider, mulled wine, brandy and some homemade stuff that made my head swim.
As the night wore on Gar decided that we needed names, I was Khavi, and the boys? Hickory, Dickory, Doc, Curley, Moe and Shimp. When the tables had been broken down and stowed away there was some dancing to a fiddle player, more drinking, shortbread and cloven fruit. I learned to dance “Hole in the wall” my most favorite dance to this date. We all slept in the loft above the hall, the dim glow of the candles, the smell of wood smoke and close warmth of many bodies. I drifted off to sleep cuddled in my sleeping bag with my friends clustered around me- protecting me as if I was the mage in our D&D game. My eyes closed to the Bard singing yet another song about Viking glory that was about 2200 verses long.
When I awoke it was to discover the magic gone. Everyone was in their normal clothes. A light breakfast of coffee and left over cheese, bread, butters and desserts was on a table, everyone packed up- cleaned up and left.
We were quiet on the way back into the city. When they dropped me and my small bag and sleeping bag off at my apartment Rhynnus leaned out his window and said to me “ You were beautiful yesterday Khavi”.
There are many who still call me “Khavi” to this day. I don’t know what happened to Gar the Viking, I lost track of him several years later. I have never left the SCA- but I did stop playing D&D- Why play mind games when you can do it for real?
Every January I think of going to Winter Revel, it was such a wonderful event. The most period site in Michigan and a simple 30 min or so drive from my home at the time. Out of us all I became the most active in the SCA, Rhynnus would accompany me for the first few years as a companion- himself becoming a Viking. I took over Baroness Brigit’s role as Chatelaine in early 1990- welcoming others as I had been welcomed. The blue tunic dress outfit that I had borrowed my first event was lovingly reproduced in many colors and sizes before I left that office.
I head to Birka this weekend, another Viking event set in the north surrounded by snow. It’s in a hotel, but in my minds eye I will be seeing flag stone floors, 2 large stone fireplaces, a loft and a King alone on his Dias.