Lao Yu

Lao joined the Society in about 1980 as Lee the Quiet, before developing her more well known persona of Lao Xue-sheng, a Chinese-Mongolian who became a storyteller to the court of the Kublai Khan. The highlight of her bardic career came at a Ducal War in about 1983 when she performed "The Tales of Monkey", adapted from the first few chapters of "Journey to the West" (a famous Chinese epic), and performed it as a one-woman show, spanning about 7 hours, and performed in a format that was the precursor to Chinese street opera.

Lao went on to serve An Tir twice as Queen, both times with Norse Kings:

• Dak and Lao, Jan 10 AS XXI/1987 - July 11 AS XXII/1987.
• Barak and Lao, Jan 9 AS XXVII/1993 - July 17 AS XXVIII/1993

During her reign with Dak, Lao established the Order of the Carp to recognize and encourage excellence in persona development. The order was expanded by Queen Megan to include excellence in period encampments. Lao's reign with Barak saw the establishment of the regional system for peerage meetings, an attempt to expand communication between the councils and the crown and to give a recognized platform for candidate discussion outside of crown events.

Lao Yu did her best to serve subsequent reigns by assisting with file maintenance, writing Coronation and Laurel ceremonies, and offering whatever behind the scenes support she could. She thinks she may have been the first Asian Queen of An Tir.

Aside from her Duchy, Lao Yu was also a Member of the Order of the Laurel, and a Lion of An Tir. She resigned her Laurel in AS 36, and resigned her membership from the SCA a few weeks later.

Lao's Litany of Names: In following Chinese and Mongolian custom, Lao changed her name to commemmorate significant events in her SCA life:

• Lao Xue-sheng - Wise Student, her first Asian name within the SCA, given to her by Tibetan monks who raised her. Giving such a studious name to a very young girl exhibited their extraordinary sense of humor...
• Nu-huang Lao - her first reign name (Nu-huang is the Chinese title for queen)...
• Lao Tao-sheng - the name commemorated the end of her first reign and her elevation to Countess. Tao-sheng is Chinese for "Old One, Born to Tell Tales" and was also the family name of a 9th century Buddhist warrior monk....
• Lao Khatun - her second reign name. Khatun is a Mongolian title meaning, simply, 'chieftain's wife'...
• Lao Yu - the name she took when she became a Duchess. Lao Yu translates to "old jade", a pun on so many levels...

Now retired from the Society, Heather tends her garden and her business, which can be seen at LaoHats.com. Her website houses articles on medieval Asian topics which she wrote during her tenure in the Society, and a catalog of SCA-period Mongolian names from "The Secret History of the Mongols" which is referenced by both SCA heralds and non-Society war gamers. In her spare time she serves as an office manager for an international governmental affairs firm in downtown Seattle.

UPDATE

Lao donned black on November 19, 2008 upon the news of the sudden death of her second king, Jarl Barak Ravensfuri. Though recently divorced, they remained close friends, their last conversation just hours before he died. Photos and remembrances will be added to his page over the next several months...