[Ansteorra] RE: [Dfw-announce] Pas d'Arms at Elfsea Defender

[Spence Mabry]

September 21st?

Isn't that the Saturday before Defender?

Neat trick, Timothy.

Ceatta



-----Original Message-----
From: Timothy Rayburn [mailto:timothy at elfsea.net]
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 5:03 PM
To: dfw-announce at ansteorra.org; ansteorra-announce at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Dfw-announce] Pas d'Arms at Elfsea Defender



Unto the heroic warriors of Ansteorra does Seamus O'Dubdah and Genevieve de
Lironcourt send heartfelt greetings and word of the coming Pas d'Arms at
Elfsea Defender which shall be presided over by Qadi Abd al-Mahdi Jamal ibn
Hakim.

As was customary in the times of our ancestors, it is hereby Our desire that
in the midst of the Defender tournament in the Barony of Elfsea, that We
celebrate through skillful and noble deeds of arms the wedding of Lady
Genevieve de Lironcort. It is thus Our desire to test the mettle of knights
and other men-at-arms in a pas d'armes to provide a chance for the knights,
squires and men-at-arms of the Kingdom of Ansteorra to demonstrate their
prowess, their courtesy, and their eloquence. We intend that they defend Our
field, beginning after evening court on the night of September 21st, 2002.
In the words of the chronicler Froissart, "We beg all those noble knights
and squires who are willing to proffer challenge, not to imagine for a
moment that we are doing this out of pride, hatred, or malice, but in order
to have the honor of your company and to get to know you better, a thing
which we desire with our whole hearts. And there shall be no unfair
advantage, fraud, trickery, or evil design, nor anything not approved by
those appointed to guard this lists."

Item: This pas d'armes will be held in the customary manner, being contested
solely for honor and renown, rather than for the base spirit of victory.

Item: The list shall be defended by a those knights and men-at-arms selected
by the gallery of Ladies at the commencement of the tournament to do them
honor.

Item: All who would fight in this pas d'armes, be they knight, squire or
man-at-arms, should come to the field at the closing of evening court, to
the list enclosure before the wedding pavilions, bearing their pennant and
arms as are appropriate for knights to bear: poleaxes, swords, masses, or
axes.

Item: Shortly after the close of evening court the King of Arms for the
tournament shall let all know the rules of the list and begin the procession
before the ladies gallery at which time each shall be divided between
defenders and challengers by the gallery, and the combatants might introduce
themselves to the gallery.

Item: Following the introductions, there will be a Grand Mêlée, in which all
combatants are invited to take to the field, armed with but a one
single-handed sword and no shield, to be fought for the entertainment of the
gallery and for the joi de combat of the combatants. This combat will use
counted blows, there each combatant may be struck with three good blows
before they must retire from the field.

Item: The defenders will form a line on the Gallery's right side of the
lists, holding themselves ready to receive their challenges and then shortly
to report for combat.

Item: The challengers will then form a line on the Gallery's left side of
the lists, offering persuasive words of challenge while the previous
combatants arm and prepare to take the field.

Item: For the challenge, the attackers should indicate the kind of combat
they desire: counted blows (thrown); Combats over the barrier; Single
combats in the field, the number of blows received to be one, three, or
five; or any two combatants with single swords only, fought in the usual
way.

Item: After everyone has had an opportunity to challenge, a barrier will be
erected across the center of the field, and gentles may defend their side of
the barrier with single sword. When struck, they must retire to their banner
issue their war-cry, at which point they may re-enter the fighting. This
combat will take place for fifteen minutes.

Item: The ladies of the gallery will then choose five of the challengers
whose virtue stands out, requesting of them single combats in any style that
is pleasing to the gallery. These gentles may in turn take this commandment
to any member of the defenders, sharing their honor with them. These five
fights will take place one after the other, for the pleasure of the gallery
and the combatants.

Item: If there is time, other single challenges might be accepted by the
defenders following the five champions.

Item: We will close the pas d'armes with a grand mêlée over the barrier,
fought with spears. A single kill will be sufficient to eliminate a
combatant, but they might petition the gallery to allow them to rejoin their
companions. The combat will end when there are no companions left on either
side, or when the combatants determine that the fight should be ended.

Item: In celebration and recognition of the feast of Our Lady of Mercy,
which celebrates when the Blessed Virgin did in the year of Our Lord 1218,
through holy miracle, ransom all Christian knights from the Moors, all
ransom shall be considered paid in full by the grace and beauty of the
Gallery.

Item: The Gallery will be recognizing the deeds of the knights and
men-at-arms with prizes from their own hand.

Written this 6th day of September by our hand in the Barony of Elfsea,
peacefully nestled within heart of the Kingdom of Ansteorra.



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