My Dream

[aelfgifu]

We all have dreams of the SCA, things that make it magic for us. Here is one part of my dream:

As you walk up the hill to the tournament field you find yourself walking on a path through the artisans’ village. On one side of you several blacksmiths strike for another smith, sending sparks flying. Amazing examples of blades and scroll work sit on a table in front of their work-space. Across the path you see glassblowers working around a furnace, spinning glass on a long pole, and fetching tools. In front of this area are all sorts of cups, jars, and other glass-ware. Next you see several wood-workers, one with a lathe, another carving details onto a chair arm. There is a circle of people sewing, knitting, carving wood blocks, and off to the side some women painting. All of them have examples of their work hanging near them, catching the light, colorful in the sun. You get to the top of the hill to watch the tournament, but as you go back to camp you walk through the area again, and this time see a group of people playing medieval games, some men striking coins, and a crowd of people watching several artisans pour molten bronze into a mold in the middle of the courtyard. You see a sign board up at the edge of the yard and notice that the next bronze pour is scheduled for noon the next day, and you decide that you should bring your friend/child/spouse with you tomorrow to watch it.

We are not that far off from this dream. We have A&S village areas, we have circles of people sitting around working nicely on projects, and there are often smiths working in merchants’ row. And of course I am scheming to get a portable glass set up put together. Now if we can get good locations (i.e. where people are going to walk through rather than hidden behind the tournament field) and plan some fun events for demonstrations (not just classes, but those are good too) I think more people would come and these arrangements could develop into something really spectacular. Yes, there are always reasons people don’t participate, but with a little more priority set on the visibility of artisans, I think we could make some serious progress.

Comments

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

What a beautiful dream dear! And I agree - if quality artisans and merchats - not brick-a-brack merchants (yerk) were given a greater visibility and priority it would make things SO much nicer.

Frnakly I think we REALLY need to start vetting our merchants a lot more stringently. I think that they are conversely part of what detracts from the atmosphere. Especially those hawking entirely NON period larpsy wares.

pet peeve of mine....

[katanubis.livejournal.com]

I think that the "larpsy" stuff is a pet peeve of a lot of people.

Many of our merchants work hard to have more period wares and setups. Then we get someone selling nonSCA junk and it detracts so much.

There are "brickabrack" merchants who sell SCA appropriate things in a setting that is as close to period as they probably can do. Those people are useful but even those I feel shouldn't be given prime spots.

It's amazing looking at some of the tents and the like that merchants in period used to use. In England, the merchants tents were setup semipermanent in groups called "selds." These were like giant costco pavilions with several merchants having table space. Some of that still exists in London markets, which is really cool. And in the US we sometimes have "Farmers Markets" which are set up in a similar way. It would be nice if merchants could get together and do something similar (which I've seen happen at Estrella and Pennsic.)

[ya-inga.livejournal.com]

Too true! I wonder... is this something that Autocrats should start encouraging or is there another way to get the result??

Hmm...

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

I can think of two ways for this to work. First, an autocrat can include renting and erecting a large pavillion in the events costs and have a higher merchant fee to cover it. The higher merchant fee will also discourage quite a few non-serious merchants. And have the merchants be juried. We are doing this with A&S this year since we have limited merchant space, and it is amaizing how many people a little $25 fee will scare off! I would consider even $50 to be reasonable considering what most venues cost. Or second option, someone who wants to be a marchant/landlord can arrange it for an event and invite people they know to have tables inside. This could be fun, but a lot of people I know who make pretty stuff want to be out fighting, or watching the fighting during times when they would be at their tables. Ways to work around this, bribe/pay commision for someone to sit at your table for you while you need to be gone or make a deal with the guy at the next table and have shifts.

[sablebadger.livejournal.com]

I'm scheming on getting a portable period lathe set up for taking to events.

I have built one! But it needs to be shorted, so it's back in pieces again. And I need to build the tools to work on it with, then learn to use it.

It's a way off before I can build finely turned chairs at events, but it is something I'd love to do.

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

That would be very cool. ABout ten years ago my dad and Edwardus Honestus had a period lathe that they took to events and I remember it being serous neat! They had *everyone* stopping by to check it out and give it a try!

[young-raven.livejournal.com]

I love your dream! :-) The only thing I would add is the performing arts: musicians playing under a shady tree, jugglers making children laugh and turning adults into children for just a little while, players declaiming lines of great wit or drama. And cooks, creating delicious aromas so that all one's sense are engaged in the medieval village.

It would be so nice to see a "village square" area, with room for merchants and artisans-at-work and entertainers, and places for people to get together and sit and linger and enjoy the atmosphere. It just occured to me that merchant's row is frequently a lot like a modern mall, where you are mainly encouraged to spend and move along. Bleh.

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

That too of course! ;-)

[nobu.livejournal.com]

and more public hangings! with stocks and rotten fruits!

but seriously, i love your dream. if only i had a talent to add to it. hehe. the portable glass set up sounds awsome. good luck!

[young-raven.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I totally forgot public hangings, humiliation, and torture! ;-) Yup, that fun stuff was very much a part of the public entertainment scene back then. *chuckle* Maybe we could have a pair of stocks and use them as a kingdom fund raiser - pay a buck to hit a knight with a water baloon!

[nobu.livejournal.com]

water balloons aren't nearly as period as rotten fruit! i say a buck for a tomato, two for a rotten apple, three for the thrill of a truly gooey potato (nothing on earth is more putrid or treacherous than a rotten potato... they look so normal and then the stench of 9 levels of hell oozes out all over your hand when you pick one up...)

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

But we can probabaly get the knights to go for it if they are waterballons. Hmmm, pies would be great too, though a little OOP as they are so vaudvillian.

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

You know, Dragon's Mist used to have a stock, and it might be around somewhere. And we did indeed throw water baloons at people who were in it. Hmmm. What a great idea! /rubs hands together with glee/ We really should see if it can be borrowed and drag it out for July Coronation or some other event...

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

You are art enough yourself! ;-) Seriously though, you could totally juggle and play around on the slack rope, and sit around with Ursula and I and attempt to sew stuff. And I am sure you could do other things if you wanted to, you silly girl. Or just laze around in the shade and watch people - spectators are parts of things too you know!

[ladymairwen.livejournal.com]

That's lovely.

I'm not a stalker or something, creepygoddess sent me your way, I'm moving to Portland the first weekend in March and I'm SCA, too.

May I friend you?

[aelfgyfu.livejournal.com]

Sure. :-)
Too bad you'll be moving the first weekend in March, since that is when Kingdom A&S is. My little Shire, Mountain Edge, is having our Defenders Tournoment on the last weekend in March. It is in Newberg, which is not too terribly far from Portland, so if you have time you should come!