Zenobia De Navarre

Sadly, I never knew HL Zenobia De Navarre well. I remember her from my rounds as a constable, for her custom of sitting up late of nights and entertaining all comers. I was especially impressed when, one late night, a pack of "bunnyfur" clad new people were doing a lot of wolf-howling about camp, to the point of beginning to annoy. Instead of calling a constable to make them "go away" HL Zenobia invited them into her shelter to warm themselves by her fire and held a long and thoughtful discussion of what Period barbarian cultures had been like, and how one might become a type of barbarian that would garner more respect. And wear clothing that was less likely to cause chillblains once the sun went down!

I found her tact and kindness quite charming, but my branch was far from hers and I never managed to get to know her.

Recently, remembering that during the same era (Mistress) Arwen McDougall Lioncourt was a young woman of a nearer branch, I asked her if I had the right name, and she replied:

"I knew Zenobia, although not as well as (Sir) Aleyn the Younger did. I met her at my very first event, which was Ducal War 1989. Tjorkill I and Hlutwige I had just been crowned that July. I didn't know anyone, and I needed a place to set up my little pup tent. I met Aleyn, and he introduced me to Zenobia. He was sleeping in his cloak under her dayshade that weekend. She always had space for people to crash like that. She welcomed me into her camp and helped me to become acclimated to the SCA.

There was a Rat Pack that hung around with her and loved to learn from her. She always wore these fabulous houppelandes and horned henins. She was so REGAL!!! She taught us what it meant to be chivalrous, courteous, and how to play the SCA game correctly. Zenobia's camp was ALWAYS open to everyone, and she DID stay up late to tell stories and give us a dry place to tell stories and sing.

Some of the other notables in The Rat Pack were: Mistress Aelfledd and her husband Miklos Filos Ambrosios, Genevieve LaBelle, and Melisande Dunne. Then Lawrence of Damascus and Christopher William of Devonshire joined us. I had to help them make costumes (we stayed up all night before Egil's in the Theatre Dept. to use their sewing machines....). Of course, (Master) Timothy McDaniel (Tim was still squired to Grendal) and Sir Paul of Somerton were there, too....

I miss Zenobia." - Arwen

(Me too.)

Photos anyone?

Respectfully submitted, Moreach nic Mhaolain