An Tir Coronation 7
AN TIR TWELFTH NIGHT AND CORONATION FESTIVAL
Coronation of Prince Elrond Blacksabre and Princess Gilraen of Regen at Twelfth Night January 3, 1976.
Event Announcement
Event Chronicle
AN TIR TWELFTH NIGHT BANQUET AND REVEL, AND CORONATION OF PRINCE ELROND AND PRINCESS GILREANN, JANUARY 3, 1976, HELD IN MADRONE Chronicler; Deirdre Muldomhnaigh
The Twelfth Night Revel and Coronation of the Prince and Princess of An Tir was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on 91st Ave. N. E., Seattle, Washington, January 3, A. S. X.
Autocrats of the banquet were Caitlin na Darach and Edward of Stonehaven. The coronation ceremony itself was designed by Abra the Trader, new Master of Arts for the Principality.
Ceremonies opened with the court of Prince Edward and Princess Fiona; presentations to Their Highnesses were made by the Shire of Adiantum and the Golden Pyramid, a Madrone household.
Edward of Stonehaven announced that he had again won the wine contest, and resigned his office as Principality Master of Sciences. He urged all to approach the new Master, Olfheddin Hinn Vegfarandi, of Adiantum, and make known to him their interests.
Houses Oakenshield, Amaranth, and Alltespoem will have a Celebration of Union on January 24, A.S. X, at Reed College, in the Barony of Three Mountains.
On February 28, A. S. X, the College of Saint David (in California, south of Santa Cruz), will celebrate its first tourney.
The Coronation then took place. Tannist Elrond Blacksabre and his lady Gilreann de Regen, with their attendants, approached the throne in a slow pavane, and Elrond and Gilreann took the vows of Prince and Princess of An Tir. Their Highnesses were then invested with the Robes of State, the Seal of An Tir, and the crowns. They exchanged places with Their Former Highnesses Edward and Fiona, and Their New Highnesses invested their predecessors as Viscount and Viscountess, who thereupon made their obesiance. The Knights of An Tir (the only one present being Sir Edward) swore fealty to the Prince and to the King of the West. The Prince in turn swore fealty to them.
Prince Elrond received, from Sean Gealt, a silver arrow for his sceptre; from Donn an Bronach, a saga; from Viscountess Fiona, a copy of the Corpora and the Bylaws. Princess Gilreann received, from Liam of the Barque, a gift of frankincense and myrrh; both Their Highnesses received gifts of trenchers and tableware from the shire of Lionsgate.
Duke Paul of Bellatrix then read the newly-amended charter of the University of Madrone, henceforth to be known as the University of Ithra (which means excellence); it will have five Regents and may have other campuses, though its chief campus will remain the University of Ithra at Madrone. The University is to be autonomous, subject only to the Crown of the West.
Chancellor Master Michael the Black announced the appointment of two new regents: Duchess Carol of Bellatrix and Baroness Amanda Kendall of Westmoreland; he also commended the Shire of Lionsgate for their enthusiastic support of the University.
Adiantum then presented His Highness with a Walking Talking 3/4 Scale Elrond Doll. The resemblance was indeed startling.
Master Abra the Trader appointed Serena as Portrait Artist of An Tir, and commissioned her to do portraits of each of Their Highnesses.
Maelen of Kyngs' Lea resigned as Principality Seneschal and gave the office to Viscount Sir Edward, with the avowed wish he "not screw it up". Distance, she said, had made her task nigh-impossible.
Prince Elrond and Viscount Edward did then call for Edward the Indolent, known also as "Corwen of Strathclyde". As this person was prudently not present, it befell the unfortunate Guillaume de Vinvert to represent him. "Corwen of Strathclyde" was publicly excoriated for his treasonous composition Edward, That Bastard circulated at Samhain, stripped of his office as Acting Marshall, and banished from the court of Prince Elrond.
Princess Gilreann then presented the Golem Award for Gallantry (a bell on a ribbon) to Gerard of the Roses and Sean Gealt, for their unfailingly courtly and courteous behavior toward ladies. She named William von de Huge, William of Portsmouth, Donn an Bronach, and Michael of Dragonswood as the Princess' escort; their task will be to protect the Princess and protect other ladies from unwelcome attentions--after ascertaining that the attentions are, indeed, unwelcome. As a badge of office they were presented a favor to bear upon their left arms, on or off the field.
Edward of Stockwood was given an Award of Arms for meritorious service; Edward of Stonehaven remarked on the authenticity of the trencher presented by Lionsgate, it being shaped thusly [illustration of rectangle with a large center circle and a small circle in the upper left corner] and far more authentic than the trenchers commonly in use.
Then did Duke Paul of Bellatrix and Count William of Hoghton present, with joy, a special silver laurel to Anne of Caerdydd.
Following this presentation, court was closed, and those who had tickets for the dinner did assemble to devour it. The menu consisted of bread, cheese, wine, potage, roast of beef. fruit, chicken pie, and honeycake (and perhaps other things, ye Chronicler being bemused at the variety). It was prepared by the hardworking and truly noble cooks under the direction of Caitlin na Darach and Edward of Stonehaven, whose Open Letter, containing more details, is reprinted elsewhere in this issue.
During the serving a topical song Pop! Goes the Treason (reprinted elsewhere in this issue [see below]) was sung by Roger the Goliard, David of Baguley, Raymond the Mild, Susan the Opaque, and Liam of the Barque, who were all pressed into service by the author, Deirdre Muldomhnaigh. So stalwart are the folk of An Tir that most were able to keep eating anyhow.
Further entertainment of a more artistic and musical sort was provided by Roger the Goliard, Mary Minstrel of Northumbria, David of Baguley, and Kathleen Cuileann.
At a break in the feasting Prince Elrond proclaimed a punitive raid on Shasta, on general principles, to be held at some indeterminate future date after the snows have melted. The rules of warfare will, alas, be those of Adiantum.
Then Tasjana bellydanced magnificently; Susan the Specific and her dance troupe did demonstrations of Renaissance dancing, and those of the populace yet able to move joined in the bransles.
The scheduled program was followed by flirting, conversation, and admiration of costumes, many of which were admirable in the extreme. 'Twas considered a boon by the ladies that the hall was heated, lest many be felled by chest colds.
All did, eventually, wend their ways homeward and to bed.
POP! GOES THE TREASON
Tune: Pop! Goes the Weasel Parody by Deirdre Muldomhnaigh
Come gentlefolk and nobles all, here in this Yuletide season; While in Madrone cold rain doth fall, We gather to plot treason.
In sunny lands far to the south, while we up north are freezin', Wild rumors spread by word of mouth: The AnTir folk plot treason!
'Twas fear of suit in court of law, that gave us our first reason- The Corpora contain a flaw, So therefore--we plot treason.
'Tis not for power-tripping we wrote letters that weren't pleasin'; We'd fain through flowers skipping be; we lust not after treason.
For though we long for Kingdom state, and will as long we're breathin' , We're loyal to the West so great, And ask you, is this treason?
Observe, Royal Thronepersons all, we fall down on our knees 'n' Repent, here in this festive hall; Absolve us, please, of treason!
(note) If you are confused by the topic of this verse, consider yourself fortunate. There has been much wild talk and wilder rumor in An Tir of late, but it's all better now.
[The Crier #50 (February 1976) pages 10-12, 14]
Additional event comments from Wilhelm von Schlüssel's History on the Kingdom of the West website.
“Caitlin na Darac and Edward of Stonehaven were the autocrats. Abra the Trader, the new Master of Arts, designed the coronation ceremony. Prince Edward and Princess Fiona held court. King William attended. Edward of Stonehaven announced that he had again won the wine contest, and then turned over the job of Master of Sciences to Ulfheddin hinn Vegfarandi. Then Elrond Blacksabre and Gilréan of Regen were crowned Prince and Princess, and exchanged vows of fealty and protection with King William. Duke Paul of Bellatrix read the new Charter of the University of Ithra (formerly of Madrone). Chancellor Michael the Black announced the appointments of Duchess Carol of Bellatrix and Baroness Amanda Kendal of Westmoreland as Regents of the University. Maelyn of Kynge’s Lea turned over the office of Principality Seneschal to Viscount Edward Zifran, Bastard of Gendy. Robert of Winchester had previously resigned as Black Lion Herald and the new Black Lion Herald was Wilhelm von Messer. Princess Gilréan presented the Golem Award for Gallantry to Gerard of the Roses and Sean Gealt. She named William von de Huge, William of Portsmouth, Donn an Bronach, and Michael of Dragonswood to be the Princess’ Escort. Prince Elrond gave an Award of Arms to Edward of Stockwood. Edward the Indolent, alias “Corwen of Strathclyde”, was publicly excoriated for his treasonous composition “Edward, That Bastard”, circulated at Samhein, and was stripped of the office of acting Marshal and banished from the court of Prince Elrond. A banquet and revelry followed.”