Al Khabeelah
Al Khabeelah is a Noisy Section household comprised of various walks of SCA life, from Royal Peers to the lowliest, OP deficient drunken screamers who have no idea how late it might be. The Tribe is known for its lackadaisical and laconic view of the SCA, along with the loquacity of certain members. Khabeelah is a Royalist House
A Very Brief History
Al Khabeelah was created because of the Gucci's pathetic and asinine rules for new membership. The Guccis required a unanimous decision before making new members, so when one of them was banished from the group, the doors were essentially closed to new memberships. The Guccis that weren't quite Guccis yet grew tired of being referred to as 'wannabe Guccis' so they decided to start their own household. A number of them were interested in Middle Eastern cultures so they fashioned their new household using a Bedouin example. The name 'al Khabeelah', roughly translated from the Arabic as the Tribe, the Mob, or the Clot, reflects their numerous inter-relationships.
The bulk of active members reside mainly in Lions Gate and Shittimwoode. With many folks claiming familial ties from branches all around the Known World, such as Madrone, Vulcanfeldt, Aquaterra, Three Mountains, Ealdormere, Seagirt, the West Kingdom, Summits, Avacal, and Drachenwald.
Household Structure. . .Or Lack Thereof
Patriarchs & Matriarchs
Al Khabeelah has no matriarch and no patriarch. There is no head of household. The reasoning behind this brash and logical idea is simple: nobody gets busted if nobody's in charge. There is a flip side to this left over from the Gucci Brotherhood. In the event that there is a 'Situation', the person in charge of the household is generally the person best able to handle the 'Situation' at hand. When necessary, one of us assumes the position of head of the household. While this is generally one of the elder members it is by no means a given. While this may seem like absolute anarchy, it is an amazingly graceful self correcting system. Nothing makes someone feel more important than having a household loudly torment them about pretending to be in charge...
Organization, Schmorganization
Khabeelah isn't organized. That isn't to say they don't get things accomplished, they simply don't have meetings, take votes, cook communally, or have a real specific purpose aside from having fun. If an individual wishes to do something, it's up to them to accomplish the task and not get upset if nobody acknowledges their effort. The flip side of that coin is: if you don't contribute, you don't get to complain about the outcome.
You Don't Get One
The Tribe chooses not to formally humiliate their new members with silly initiation ceremonies or ridiculous membership requirements. Instead, they choose to save up that torture and dish it out slowly throughout subsequent years. If the subject feels comfortable taking the name, then the subject takes the name. Big deal.
You're Not The Boss Of Me
The only rules they have are 'No Screaming After Midnight' and 'No Constables'. These should be thought of less like rules and more like helpful suggestions to maintain peaceful co-existence with the square community. (see constables)
Bluke?
Sometimes it's necessary to grab a member's attention or find the location of the Khabeelah Tent in the dark. Calling their names individually isn't always an effective means of gaining that attention. So, in order to draw their minds away from their self centered, hedonistic activities, the bluke call was invented. Standing with a straight back and eyes forward, fill your lungs to capacity and let a high pitched BLUKE!! issue forth from the back of your throat. If you are successful in your attempt to locate the Tent or an errant household member, the proper response should be an echoing BLUKE!!. One can then use a myriad of echo-location techniques to hunt their desired quarry.
Location, Location, Location
The Khabeelahs can easily be found in the Noisy Section under their Arab style tent (often referred to as The Vatican of Fun, but usually referred to as the Khabeelah Tent) indulging in the household's favorite pastime: 14th century Welsh sheep dipping. . .no, no, no. . .Tablero da Gucci.
Tablero da Gucci
Muggins is not a rule in this tent!!! The Tribe plays Tablero da Gucci. If you wish to play with silly and un-chivalric rules like muggins, go play somewhere else. Snoggins on the other hand. . .
Here's to the Queen!!! is the proper oratory response to rolling, and drinking, a Queen's number. Khabeelah, unlike other households, prefers to exalt the Queen over the number.
Serious Drinking
Al Khabeelah sponsors and hosts several Tablero Championships throughout the year including the Lions Gate Baronial Championship at Clinton War, the Kingdom Championship at September Crown, the Tir Righ Championship at Tir Righ Spring Coronet, and the Shittimwoode Championship at Warren War. They've been known to occasionally dilute the Championship pool by creating Championships on the spur of the moment that never existed before. Sometimes it's just more fun to keep score.
(Un)Heraldry
The Tribe's colors, purple, orange, and green, were chosen because of the desire to present as un-heraldic a display as possible. Al Khabeelah's household device blazon is: Stripey Purpur, Or, Vert, overall al Khabeelah in Arabic script Or.
There is also the theory that the founders chose the Un-Heraldry in silent protest to the SCA Inc's strict use of European heraldry. The Khabeelah colours are period in non European cultures.
There is also the theory that they are the only colours that the ashes of the Gucci Splinterfication could agree on.
Personal Memories
At July Coronation 2005, a woman burst into the Tent crying, "Please, for the love of god, stop screaming!" She stumbled off into the darkness, wailing. In walks King Skeggi not five minutes later and announces, "I love you guys. It's good to know that you're still up this late making noise and pissing people off!" --Hjlmr inn Danski 12:45, 14 May 2007 (EDT)
At the Lions Gate 25th Anniversary, there was a particularly annoying "Scotsman" wearing a kilt (obviously), a mundane tank top, and affecting an horrible accent. "Aaaccchh, Shite!", kind of annoying. He was also manhandling some of our women, acting belligerent, and singing 'Unchained Melody'. Being a cocksure newbie with about three seasons under my belt, I decided to take matters into my own hands. "Get the f*ck outta my tent." Said I. "This is YOUR tent?", he asked. "Yes. This is my tent, now get out." He stood up, patted me on the shoulder, and left quietly. I thought, "Wow, that was easy." I quickly found Baron Steffano and told him my story. "Well, I guess this is your tent." Shortly after that I added Khabeelah to my name. --Hjlmr inn Danski 13:00, 18 May 2007 (EDT)
What am I gonna write in the CultureWiki? "That was a cool event, we drank lots..." (repeat maybe 200 times..) "It sure rained a lot..." (repeat maybe 20 times) "and then Banjo puked in my Coleman stove..." "First time I heard Steffano say "put that in a period container"..."So I poisoned him with whiskey..." "...drunken girl bombs...tent pegs...luckily nothing caught on fire..." " and then we stole their keg (or their flag, beer, whiskey, girls, boys etc.)" Is any of that really important? I mean it makes a good story, but is it knowledge that needs to be passed on forever? And what about the importance of an oral tradition? Telling stories is very medieval you know. ~~Baroness Mahala de Sorbonne
Once upon a time, one of Duke Paul's sons, Stephan, came to An Tir 12th Night in Lions Gate and attended an after revel. At Bolverk's house... He passed out on a couch. We shaved off one of his eyebrows. Later I heard from Brion of Bellatrix (the younger son) that Stephen had invented a lame story to explain his disfigurement, but was caught out because Brion had already told Duke Paul what had happened at the Gucci party. I suspect Duke Paul does not know that Khabeelah is the outgrowth of the Gucci Brothers. But it would be more discrete if nobody mentioned that little bit of trivia.
