Chivalrous Acts and Unwise Challenges: The Story of the Legendary Monster of Cudgel War Lake - Herr Egil Drakhufvud, Squire to Sir Brendan

The truth of this story was witnessed by many including the Queen of Drachenwald and the Princess of Nordmark, so it must be true. Once upon a time, there was a monster in the lake. It had eaten children for several years, but when it bit a child in the foot this year, a mighty warrior stepped up and proclaimed that he would slay the monster.

First he dived down into the lake, and started to dig the monster out of its lair with his bare hands, but the monster did not yield, and neither did our warrior.

He brought rope and many mighty lords and ladies down for a second attempt. This warrior was from Frostheim, and they are not the kind of people to ever give up! He dived down into the muddy water and found the monster again. He put several loops of rope around its neck and the whole crowd tried to strangle the monster. But the monster did not yield, and being from Frostheim, neither did our fierce warrior.

At this point, people told him to give up, but he did not! A old and rusty saw was brought to him and he swam down once more and this time, he stayed under the water for a long, long time. But then he broke the surface with the monster's head in his fist, and he yelled:

“Behold the monster's head! The lake is safe for us again!"

Even though the monster was dead, its eyes were terrible to behold, so our warrior picked them out with his blade and replaced them with two fine carnelian gems from Nordmark. The monster's head was later presented to the Baron and Baroness of Aarnimetsä as a gift.
And the moral of this story is that sometimes you just have to keep trying, and you will find a way to achieve your goal. And if you need to retell this story for someone outside the SCA, you could say: there was a sharp pole in the water under the bridge where children got hurt all the time. A stubborn guy dug a half meter down in the mud and sawed it off. But that does not sound as fun, does it?

This story took place at Cudgel War XVII in the Barony of Aarnimetsä, in A.S. LIII/53. The written version is by and the hero in the story is Herr Egil Drakhufvud, squire to Sir Brendan the Tired. The magical version where the story is told and shown to you through the ether with wonderful pictures (video) is narrated by Jarl Peregrine MacKay and the illustration, illumination and calligraphy for the book it features were by Aislinn O'Faelan.

Courageous Challenges and Desperate Duels: ‘The Five Duels of Raglan - A tale of caution and consequence' by Lord Guy de Dinan

1

There dwelt a Lady of innocent repose but loose tongue

Whose name is nameless, yet her thoughts careless slung

Of temptations of the flesh, and carnal hope

She professed, and was called 

Trollope

2

Now in this company there was a swordswoman that

Would match blade skill with the instinct of a cat

She riled herself up, hissing at the Man 

Little realising he was called

Guy de Dinan

3

Pray Sir, to this Lady, deliver your apology

Forthwith, or else by the marks of horology

I will show you are in aereo

For I am called

Alessandra De Riario

4

I will not take the demand from the like of you he said

This is little but the wind from the Med

I shall pin your body to a tree!

For insults on my home called

Italy

Courageous Challenges and Desperate Duels: ‘Challenging Dukes for Fun and Profit' by Baroness Arianhwy Wen

So it came to pass that Paul de Gorey was inspired to win Crown for Aryanhwy merch Catmael. At the court that afternoon, it should be noted, Lady Ceara and Lord Cedric of the Floppy Hat’s eldest daughter was elevated to the nobility, in particular for cooking and assistance in the kitchen. There was great rejoicing, and an even greater feast.

Duke Gerhardt wished to speak to the new lady. He called for her during feast, to be told that she was in the kitchen. Duke Gerhardt, who had been libating the present and future crown of Drachenwald, said “In the kitchen? As she should be!”

The assembled populace gasped. I was seated between Lord Duncan Forbes and (then) Viscount William of Richwood. I said, “That comment was grounds for a duel!” and looked at Lord Duncan, who nodded and said “It certainly is,” but stayed seated (the feast was really very good). I looked at the good (then) viscount, and he was nodding, as well; but he, too, remained seated.

So I stood up, and with a cry of “My good lord Duke!” I accosted Duke Gerhardt who, as I have observed, was half-cut. What ensued was him expostulating, and me tearing a strip off this duke I had never met with angry wit. Eventually he accepted the challenge to duel, and said we would meet at Raglan. During ensuing correspondence it was arranged that we would shoot archery, in armour, from the window embrasure, to determine the outcome.

Sadly for him, the Duke was not able to take leave of his modern responsibilities. Queen Aryanhwy judged that therefore he lost the duel, and the honour of Lady Aschenputtel, as she was then known, was preserved.

It is hard to remember, but I think this was before I was actively evil. Note the adverb. How I became so is another story.

Courageous Challenges and Desperate Duels: A Tale of Trouble over Taxes from Lord Maredudd ap Gwylim

Many years ago, when our lands had no Coronet, and we were still making enquiries amongst ourselves as to whether indeed that should be our destiny, yet were we still an administrative region of the great Kingdom of Drachenwald, with regional officers who collected the reports of the Shires and sent them on for the attention of the Their Majesties' Officers of State. In those days, it happened that The Shire of Mynydd Gwyn had within its populace a Shire Exchequer, a regional Exchequer, and the Kingdom Exchequer; and so was set in place the planning for some "business"... 

At a great feast, such as are common within these lands, Their Majesties called into Their Presence the Kingdom Exchequer: "We have been examining the taxation records for the Kingdom, and it appears that We have not received all that is Our due!" The Kingdom Exchequer insisted that all taxes received had been forwarded directly to Their Majesties, and asked if Their Majesties could show where this discrepancy had occurred? "The Isles" (which was the common name for our lands at that time), came the reply. "Call the Isles Exchequer" echoed through the halls, and the regional Exchequer was found and presented. Once again a hapless officer was questioned, and once again they insisted that all taxes had been forwarded. 

Examining the records in more detail showed that the (alleged) shortfall came from the taxes owed by the Shire of Mynydd Gwyn. "Call the Mynydd Gwyn Exchequer!" Your humble narrator was produced as the (possibly) guilty party, but insisted that there had been no error in his figures, and that all was as it should be. Their Dread Majesties insisted "But there have been no taxes paid by the Isle of Anglesey within the borders of your Shire!" After some discussion, an explanation was forthcoming: One of Their Majesties' recent ancestors had been the puissant Sir Elffin O'Mona, Duke Drachenwald, and because Mona and Anglesey are, in different tongues, the same lands those lands had been deeded back to him to simplify the record keeping (rather than His then Majesty paying taxes on his personal holdings that would then be returned to Him as King). Formal presentation of the deeding had been made, but no record of any revoking appeared to exist from after the Noble Duke had relinquished His Throne. 

Relieved to have successfully thrown the blame onto someone else, your narrator started blustering about the terrible insult to the Shire of Mynydd Gwyn, and calling for satisfaction of this insult to be made. "Call the Shire Champion!" was the somewhat unwise cry from the Shire Exchequer; unwise, because it was then gently pointed out that, authorised but a month before, The Exchequer (your narrator) was the only authorised armoured combatant living within the bounds of the Shire and therefore by default, the Shire Champion. With much hesitation, the somewhat tentative words "For the insult to the Shire of Mynydd Gwyn, I, Lord Maredudd ap Gwylim challenge (gulp) His Grace Sir Elffin O'Mona, Duke Drachenwald to single combat" were forced out... Fortunately His Grace had been called away on other business; unfortunately, one of His Grace's doughty squires was present and offered immediate satisfaction; fortunately your narrator had neglected to bring his armour! 

There then followed a comedy of errors whereby for the next three full Reigns of the Crowns of Drachenwald one or other of His Grace and I would either not be present or not be armoured. Eventually the challenge was fought with the predictable result, but, by dint of catching His Grace at the end of a long day of fighting, your narrator did better than might have been expected: I lasted for several seconds, and I believe that one of my blows might have been good (if only it had been harder or on target).