Skagit Valley Highland Games

This weekend, many of us from the Shire of Midhaven, and some from the Barony of Aquaterra held a public demo at the Skagit Valley Highland Games.

The morning was somewhat easy-going with a few people coming by and about an hour or so of drizzle.  We had a bit of rapier-fighting with Lord Bryson MacLachlan, Duncan of Hawkesborough, and Keegan of the Black Company.  Sir Thorkell FitzHrothgar led the heavy-fighting demo with Lord Derfail Bjornsson, Hassa, Aláric Arabis Bjornsson, Arthmæl and Keegan, all of the Black Company, as well as Lord Etolé Marchant (of KeyPoynt) and Johara al Wadi, our youth combattant.

Lady Samira al Wadi, together with companions, performed some belly-dance.

A lord from Aquaterra, whose name I never found out, but who is a part of House Redstone, demonstrated the crafting of wooden spoons.  Martha at Gore, our own Deputy Minister of Arts & Sciences, demonstrated the spinning of yarn from wool.  Cailin Cobb and I demonstrated the making of mail armor.  Duchess Angharad Banadaspus Drakenhefd and Lady Mericke de Ross displayed garb, and both Sir Thorkell and Lord Vedr Fawkner displayed a selection of weaponry.  The heaviest foot-traffic was between the parade of the clans at noon, and about 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon.

Toward the middle of the afternoon, I took a stroll over to where the (bag)pipe and drum bands were rehearsing and competing.  There was something profoundly stirring about being in the midst of them, as their music all blended together filling the air with a surreal mood.

I had the opportunity there to provide a bit of training for Cailin and also for Libuše Makovička in field heraldry.  I greatly enjoyed spending so much of the day (between heraldry, and the chain mail demo) with Cailin, for whom I have great respect as a person.  I also found it really cool to hear him explaining chain mail to the public, when he, himself, was so new to the craft.

I had to smirk to myself when during the parade of the clans, the announcer mentioned how anachronistic it was for our group to be using a golf cart, which was necessary because Duchess Angharad has a broken leg.  Her Grace has a great and inspiring enthusiasm.

Also, right before the Highland Games, Duchess Angharad invited me to become her ducal herald, which I gladly accepted.