Following Orders

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Speaking of Richard the Lionheart, who should I meet at Bristol Faire but Lord Sir Clisto himself. He inquired about you Warrior Monk. Advised of your now defunct travel plans he was most diappointed, but hopes to meet you in the not too distant future.

I am deeply saddened at the loss of such a great opportunity to meet such distinquished personages such as the two of you, but fate has delt an ugly card, and I must play my hand as is, until such a time as M'Lady is capable of long range travel. We are currently targeting the NC festival around October.....

Thanks for relaying the info.

[Richard de Graeme]

I am deeply saddened at the loss of such a great opportunity to meet such distinguished personages such as the two of you, but fate has dealt an ugly card, and I must play my hand as is, until such a time as M'Lady is capable of long range travel. We are currently targeting the NC festival around October.....

Thanks for relaying the info.

A hand nobly played, Warrior Monk. Your knowledge is held in high regard by Sir Clisto, as well as by yours truly. Paths will cross...it is written.

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Your words are too kind, but do give purpose and motivation to complete such a meeting in the future. It took 3 years for Brother William and I to make a face to face meeting, but it did happen. So I will focus on the opportunities for such an event as this in our future. Currently NCRF......Deus Vult!

[Sir William Marcus]

So I will focus on the opportunities for such an event as this in our future.!

I will make an attempt to do the same.

[ladyharrogate]

Sir William and Warrior Monk, if you do make it to Carolina please let me know.  I direct the childrens troupe at CRF in the fall and will most definitely be there.  It's a wonderful festival and at a nice time of year, not too hot and not too cold.

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

M'Lady, we will most certainly seek you out, since you've provided a clear rally point for the event.
As for a cool time of the year, that remains to be seen under the weight of "Divinely Ordained Warrior Monk" apparel...

Do you by chance know Femme Falchion, aka: Mother Confessor?

[Femme Falchion]

I don't believe that Lady Harrogate and I have had the pleasure of formal introductions, although I suspect that we have admired one another from afar.    

Brother William do you intend on coming to CRF as well?

[Sir William Marcus]

Brother William do you intend on coming to CRF as well?

How I wish I could sister. Perhaps in the near future. 

[ladyharrogate]

I don't believe that Lady Harrogate and I have had the pleasure of formal introductions, although I suspect that we have admired one another from afar.    

Brother William do you intend on coming to CRF as well?

I guess I should introduce myself, I've been around the board for awhile but not said a whole lot.  My non character name is Angela Harris but my festival name is Lady Harrogate.  I work at CRF directing our wonderful childrens troupe (our kids rock) and help out at the joust now and then wrangling horses.  I also have a sewing/theatrical costuming business and sew for several jousters on the circuit and with SCA.  I've been married to my husband for twelve years as of this past Sunday and we have four kids between the ages of 5-9 (three girls, one boy) who love festival and theater and we also do theater in the Charlotte area.  If you've been to Carolina and seen kids clearing the field after the joust they were most likely mine LOL.   I also have three horses of my own that live in our backyard, a beautiful bay quarter horse, my anglo-arab gelding that I'm in the process of breaking and a two year old mustang filly.  I love jousting because it totally combines my love of history, theater and horses and there's a kinship amongst us horse people that you don't find in very many places.

[Femme Falchion]

It's an honor to meet such a talented Lady.  I look forward to seeing you this fall! 

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Such a meeting should prove to be a good time indeed!

Now on to more historical items:

Evolution of the "arming cap" in the life of the Warrior Monk, my take on a special topic.

Everyone is aware of the use of the arming cap when wearing armor covering the head. Not only does it prevent the abrasion of the scalp area by hard points in your helmet, but also the unwanted removal of hair, and additional padding against the kinetic energy release of a strike against the head region in combat.

There are many images that show the Warrior Monks of the Middle Ages wearing these items, and items similar in nature, so in this brief post I thought I would address the what, and whys of such images.

The zucchetto (plural zucchetti, Italian for "small gourd") is a small skullcap worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church. It was first adopted for practical reasons — to keep the clergy's tonsured heads warm in cold, damp churches — and has survived as a traditional item of dress. It consists of eight panels sewn together, with a stem at the top. Its name may derive from its resemblance to half of a pumpkin, or from the fact that it covers a larger "pumpkin" (the head).  Tonsure is the practice of some Christian churches of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem.

All ordained members of the Roman Catholic Church are entitled to wear the zucchetto. As with much ecclesiastical apparel, the colour of the zucchetto denotes the wearer's rank: the Pope's zucchetto is white, those worn by cardinals are red, bishops are violet and, priests and deacons wear a black zucchetto. A black zucchetto with red piping is the mark of a protonotary apostolic. The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ...  A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority.

All clerics who hold the episcopal character (that is to say, bishops — whether the Pope, cardinals, titular bishops or diocesan bishops) wear the zucchetto throughout most of the Mass, removing it at the commencement of the Canon and replacing it at the conclusion of the Communion. Although no others are permitted to wear the zucchetto at Mass, the position of Knights of Christ may have allowed them this honor, or again, in the Holy Land, the practice of "Open Air" masses may have brought about this practice to keep the sun from bearing down on the Faithful during prayer times..

[Richard de Graeme]

Bristol Faire July 12, 2009 by Richard de Graeme.

Temptation is always near! I attest to the fact the good Templar was weakening under such unrelenting pressure.

[Sir William Marcus]

LOL.. What a great pic Richard!

[Femme Falchion]

Temptation is always near! I attest to the fact the good Templar was weakening under such unrelenting pressure.

Was that a slip of the tongue Frere Vert?  Don't you mean salvation?   

Warrior Monk, I very much appreciate the information on the arming cap, you know I have special interest in this DOBA component.  It lends a sweet and gentle air to an otherwise hardened and bloodthirsty lot.   

[Monsignor de Beaumanoir]

Warrior Monk, I very much appreciate the information on the arming cap, you know I have special interest in this DOBA component.  It lends a sweet and gentle air to an otherwise hardened and bloodthirsty lot.   

Really? You can use this word with regards to Warrior Monks?